Disclaimer: I do not Own Teen Titans, if i did, i wouldnt have to be writing this crappy disclaimer

Because of you
I never stray too far from the sidewalk
Because of you
I learned to play on the safe side so I don't get hurt
Because of you
I find it hard to trust not only me, but everyone around me
Because of you
I am afraid

I lose my way
And it's not too long before you point it out
I cannot cry
Because I know that's weakness in your eyes
I'm forced to fake
A smile, a laugh everyday of my life
My heart can't possibly break
When it wasn't even whole to start with

- 'Because of You' by Kelly Clarkson

Love's Mysterious Form

Chapter 1: Wallowing in Pity

Raven and Robin, perfectly happy with each other, much in love or so it would seem to anyone outside of the 'T' shaped tower that stood on a little island in the centre-edge of Jump City. Lovers fighting side by side, willing to do the impossible for each other. This was true at a point in time. A time when things were a lot more cheerful within the dimmed glass panels of the tower. A time when the legendary team, The Teen Titans, were actually a team and not a bitter bickering team, constantly fighting with each other. Beast Boy with Cyborg over the usual, the food, yet it had turned from playful fighting between friends, to frustrated bickering from the atmosphere within the tower.

Raven and Robin constantly fighting over trust issues. As much as it pained Raven to say it, she knew that deep down in her heart, Robin was still in love with his old flame, Starfire. He denied and denied it. Eventually she gave up and just went with the flow. Just stopped bothering him, stopped seeing great amounts of him. Sure they went out on dates, as couples do, convinced themselves that they loved each other the same, for Raven loved Robin, and Robin loved Raven, yet Raven was more in love with Robin than he was with her. And that was the harsh truth.

Speaking of the alien from Tameran, going by the name of Starfire, she was probably the only one who hadn't been involved in the bickering in the tower, but she still remained as her peacemaking self. Still trying to keep the peace. For she was happy, happily dating their partner team's Speedy, the skilful archer, trained by the famous Green Arrow, happily slowly falling in love with her substitute for the one she couldn't have; Robin. Yet she still was falling in love with Speedy, so she was happy, and she would have to keep that happiness in the Tower in which she lived in. She had to keep the bickering between her teammates under control. She had to make sure that they stayed as a team. And she partially succeeded. Things seemed to go back to normal when Raven stopped trying to show Robin the truth of his love for the alien. Cyborg became less agitated because from the surface, Raven seemed fine again, and to Cyborg, it seemed she was fine. As long as Raven was alright, as long as the little sister he never had was fine then everything was ok. Beast Boy also felt that as Raven was fine once again, that his frustration and anger disappeared. So things went back to normal in the tower.

They fought crime every day almost. Cyborg and Beast Boy raced each other on their games, and playfully argued over tofu and meat. Robin worked out in the gym and went to see Raven often, convinced he loved her and not Starfire. Starfire gleefully clapped and spectated Cyborg and Beast Boy's games, bothered Raven every now and then, saw Speedy and tried to make her team eat her home planet's disgusting foods. Raven went back to sitting in quiet spots to meditate or read, or simply to reflect on her screwed up life.

So she sat there, on the rooftop. No one bothered her and that's how she liked it. She didn't have to face the concerning and sympathetic looks that Cyborg and Beast Boy gave her, knowing that they knew she still hurt on the inside. The constant annoyance of having to look at Robin, kiss him, hug him, share a bed with him, knowing full-well he wanted someone else. The frustration of Starfire floating over to her constantly and acting as if she didn't know what was going on between Raven and Robin. It was as if she was rubbing it in Raven's face, the fact that Robin loved Starfire and not Raven. And Raven knew that Starfire knew of Robin's feelings towards her. But that didn't stop the alien girl constantly making Raven's life a permanent misery.

She sighed heavily and closed her eyes shut. His face covered her vision. Then that alien girl joined his face. They turned to each other, smiling happily, happier than Raven had ever seen Robin smile since he'd been with her. Then they merged, lips connecting with each other. Their colours blurring in with each other. "NO!" Raven cried out, her eyes snapping open.

She was panting. "Bad dream?" She whipped around. It was nighttime making it hard for her to make out the figure but she recognised that voice. The grumble, husky, masculine voice that came from the white sculled mask with a vivid red 'X' across the right eye that belonged to none other than Red X. Her emotions were already chaotic, from everything she was going through at the moment; she didn't need wannabe villains jumping her when she was already in pieces. She silently said her chant, trapping Red X within the clutches of a black magic hand. She moved towards the hovering villain and looked up at him. "What the hell you do want? I don't need your lame-ass attempts at whatever you're doing at moment." She spat at him.

"Well, isn't someone in a bad mood." He said, his sarcasm always in tact.

She slammed him against a wall before bringing him back in front of her. He really pissed her off, yet she kinda liked it. "Yea, a really bad mood, so don't piss me off." She said warningly.

"Oh, I will." He said. She could tell he was smirking behind the mask he hid behind. Her eyes narrowed at his comment. "So, what's peeving you off so much then?" He asked, more merrily than anyone actually concerned would speak. Raven looked away. The thought of being reminded of the entire drama just made her well remember the pain of it all. "Aw, suddenly the scary half demon aint so scary. Not so tough now are you little bird." She dropped the magic that bound him and turned away from him, facing the shore, the cool breeze gently running through her hair.

Suddenly, making fun of Raven seemed for pleasure, turned into guilt and pity. He got up from the floor from which he had fallen gruffly onto, and walked up behind the dark sorceress. He laid a hand on her shoulder but she shrugged it off. "Just go." She said, sorrow spilling from the inners of her words. He was gone like the wind.

Raven sighed heavily and plopped down onto the cold floor of the roof of Titans Tower. Some things just weren't worth getting so upset about…but love. Well that's a different story. Raven had never been one to let her emotions take over her outward appearance apart from Rage overpowered her. Yet, she was letting love taunt all of her other emotions. It held happy, brave and all those other bright-side emotions captive, while letting all the grim emotions such as sorrow overpower her. Yet the love within her still let Logic power her thoughts of how Robin loved Starfire and she should break it off with him. But then Love would over take again and lock Logic up with the others. For Raven did love Robin, so much, that was why she stayed with him, yet she knew, in her heart it was wrong. What if Robin did actually love her? What if he truly didn't love Starfire anymore? But that was just herself denying the truth. So the state in which she sat in at the moment, the state in which her love for Robin had driven her too, well that was why she was upset.

Love to her wasn't supposed to be worth her tears. He was a boy. A stupid boy! The stupid boy that she had just happened to fall in love with. There was that word again; Love. God how she hated it! She slammed her fist down at the echo of it in her mind.

She stood up defiantly and brushed the creases from her cloak from where she had been sitting for so long, wallowing in her sorrow. Things were going to be different. She wasn't going to let love affect her like this. Bravery had been freed, and it was not just about to let her sit and pity herself. No, it was going to fix this. It was going to put on it's brave mask and she was going to show the world, how strong she really was.

She walked over to the roof door and placed her hand on the doorknob. She looked back and replayed his face in her head. That one encounter with Red X had driven her to bravery somehow. She took a deep breath before opening the door and taking those important steps down to the main part of the Tower. This time, Raven would not be walked all over by one of her own feelings. Once Rage had over-powered her and brought out the evil within her, she was going to let Love over-power her as well. Bravery was all she needed now and that was all she was letting through.