A/N: Don't forget to review!

Deals, Chapter 6

"What do you mean?" Rachel asked innocently as she searched anxiously for the meaning behind his words. Did he really think she was someone else? Or was he just being funny? Her pulse was racing with fear. She tried to pull out of his embrace, but he refused to let her go.

Robin's mouth twitched with amusement as he tilted his head to one side. "You just kissed me," he said matter-of-factly. "If that's not suspicious behavior, I don't know what is."

Her face grew hot with embarrassment and she cast her eyes downward. It was time to see what kind of actress she was. "Yeah, I can explain that," she muttered hastily. "Well, maybe not completely, considering I'm not exactly sure what's going on." She transferred her gaze to him and continued her lie. "As of yesterday, I am able to express emotions freely without having my powers go out of control."

Robin looked at her in surprise. "I definitely wasn't expecting that. But that's great, Raven," he said eagerly. His brows furrowed in confusion a moment later. "It is great, right?"

Rachel gave him a small smile. "Yes," she replied, feeling pleased with herself. "I just don't know how long it will last and if it will be consistent." The blush returned and she looked away. "That's why I kissed you: I wasn't sure if I'd have another chance."

He cupped her chin gently in his warm hand and pulled her head back so that their gazes locked. "I'm glad you did," he whispered, pressing his open lips to hers.

"Oh, my God!" a voice exclaimed, causing Rachel and Robin to break apart and look guiltily to the source. Beast Boy, Cyborg, and Starfire were standing frozen in the living room, staring at them in utter disbelief.

"Uh, hey guys. I thought you left already," Robin said, nervously running a gloved hand through his hair.

"We came to see what kind of pizza you all wanted," Cyborg replied coolly, crossing his arms over his chest. "Guess you weren't hungry for pizza, huh?"

"This cannot be," Starfire said, desperation in her voice. "Robin, tell me this is not as it seems." He couldn't even look at her. Smothering a sob, she fled the room.

"Star, wait," Robin called, jumping out of his seat and chasing after her.

"Now just a minute," Beast Boy said after Robin left, putting his hands up in a stopping motion. "Before this becomes any more like a soap opera, I just want to know one thing: are we still getting pizza for lunch?"

Cyborg punched him on the shoulder. "Dude, would you focus? How long has this been going on?"

"That's part of a long story," Rachel said, rising from her seat. She depicted an ease she didn't necessarily feel. "Let's move this over to the couch and I'll try to explain it the best I can."

"So, how's she doing?" Rachel asked Robin quietly as he emerged from Starfire's room.

He sighed, then gave a shrug. "Not good," he said. "She won't talk to me, even after I apologized, like, a million times. I guess I should just give her some space now and let time be the healer. At least then I won't do anymore damage."

"Robin, I am so sorry," Rachel whispered, grief tearing at her heart. "I never meant for any of this to happen. I knew you and Star were in some kind of a relationship, but I didn't even think about it..."

"Hey, hey," Robin interrupted, placing a finger over her lips. "If anyone should be apologizing, it should be me. I knew what I was doing. I could have put a stop to it, but I chose not to. So, Raven, I'm sorry for getting you involved in this."

"I'm just as much at fault here as you," Rachel said meekly. She looked beyond him to Starfire's room. "Do you think I should go in and talk to her?"

"I wouldn't recommend it," he replied. "But if you think you can get through to her...Well, good luck." He patted her on the shoulder.

"Thanks," she said dryly, moving around him and knocking on Star's door.

"Go away," Starfire called from the other side.

"Star, it's Raven," Rachel said loudly. "I think we need to talk." A few moments later, just as Rachel was getting ready to call out again, the door opened to reveal a very dismal Starfire. Her eyes were swollen and her nose was red.

"You may enter," she said quietly. She turned away and made her way over to the bed, where she sat on the edge. The floor around her was littered with tissues.

Rachel entered the room slowly, closing her eyes briefly, her heart aching with pain at having hurt Starfire so much. "Star," she began, "I came to say—"

Star cut her off without looking up. "If you have come to apologize, you may save it. Robin has already been in to explain the circumstances of the situation and has apologized enough for the both of you. If that is all, I would appreciate it if you would leave."

"I never meant to hurt you, Star," Rachel whispered.

She looked at Rachel as a swift shadow of anger swept across her face. "No?" she countered icily. "What were your intentions then?" Rachel stared at her blankly. After a few moments of silence, Star turned her head down again. "Please leave," she muttered.

Rachel did so, making sure to shut the door on her way out. Robin was waiting for her.

"That was quick," he commented. Tears began to slowly find their way down her cheeks as she turned her gaze to Robin. "That bad, huh?"

She nodded her head slightly. "I tried to apologize," she said shakily, "but Star would have none of it. Robin, what are we going to do?"

"We're going to wait and see," he said quietly, reaching out and wiping the tears from Rachel's face. "After a few days, I'll approach her again about this, and if she's ready to talk, we'll talk. That's all you and I can do right now. Okay?"

"Yeah, I guess," Rachel conceded.

"Hey, this is Starfire we're talking about," Robin pointed out. "She never stays mad for very long. I mean, have you ever known her to carry a grudge against any of us—her friends—for more than a day?"

Rachel pulled up her hood and walked away, mumbling, "Some friends we were today."