Raven slowly stirred. She was comfortable, more so than she could ever recall. She knew she was in her room, in bed. It was warm, and soft, and-
Wait. Since when does my bed have a heartbeat? Raven cracked her eyes open. She was pressed against something. Another nightmare? No… She looked up. Smiling in contented sleep, Starfire's face looked down at her. They were wrapped around each other, Raven's head having been resting on Starfire's chest. Oh. She said…Then I…I must have fainted. Raven was glad Starfire was asleep, because she could feel her cheeks getting warm. I should get up…I need to get to my mirror and deal with this properly. But that would mean moving…but…maybe…five more minutes. Raven lowered her head back onto Starfire's chest and nuzzled, just a little.
Thirty minutes later…
Okay…MOVE! …Crap. Just a little? Alright, just one hand then. Raven tried to wriggle the fingers on her left hand, only to realize that particular hand had somehow found it's way onto Starfire's back, underneath her shirt. And by wriggle, she meant, 'start making slow, lazy strokes across the small of her back.' …Traitor. Carefully, she brought the hand in line and began pulling it down and out of Starfire's shirt. Down, unfortunately, also meant, 'onto her butt.' NO NO NO NO NO... -squeeze- Damn it, you're not supposed to go around groping people's asses without their permission! She pulled the hand further, sliding over a hip. Fine. Get it out of your system. --squeeze-- Happy now? …yeeaaaaahhh…Starfire began to stir. "Mmmmmm…R-"
Raven flinched, preparing for the worst.
"-aven"
"Wha?" Raven's head shot up in time the catch Starfire licking her lips. Oooookay. Now I REALLY need to get to my mirror. Carefully, Raven pulled herself off to one side, looking down at the sleeping Starfire. She was sprawled out, her hair a mess, her clothes from the night before still on and quite wrinkled. It was…Beautiful. Yep. It's official. I'm INSANE.
Raven slid carefully off the bed and towards a table at the far end of the room. She resisted the urge to look back, but was unable to keep a hand from going onto her chest, feeling Starfire's warmth that had soaked into her over the hours. Lifting a small, ornate hand mirror from a now-kept-locked drawer, she lifted it to her face and disappeared in a swirl of black energy.
Trudging across the landscape, Raven noticed her mind seemed somewhat…brighter. The stars, once cold and distant, seemed closer, brighter. The ground beneath her feet had soft soil now, grass, and even a few blue-leafed flowering trees. Trying to focus on the task at hand, she called out, summoning the incarnations of her emotions forwards. A few at first, then more and more as emotions once heavily restricted now flew freely through the air.
"Right. Now you know why I'm here. I have to-" She was tackled from the side and found herself in a headlock.
"STUPID! The HELL you think you're doing?" A dark green-cloaked Raven yelled down at her as she tried to wrangle herself free.
"I… oompf…came down here to sort that out!" Raven pulled herself free, smoothing her cloak as she did and glaring at Brave. "This…infatuation…is getting out of hand. I have to put a stop to it. The things this is making me do are getting out of control."
"Like…like…Arrrrgghhhh!" Green made a fist and brought it down on Raven's head.
"Like I said. I-"
"Umm…I don't think the groping is what she's yelling about…" Timid offered before darting behind another figure when Raven looked her way.
"Then what…"
"Gee, I don't know. Maybe, running away FROM THE HAPPIEST MOMENT OF YOUR LIFE!"
"WHAT?" Raven gulped. As she looked around, she now noticed that the majority of emotions were glaring at her. Even Happy was pouting.
"Let me spell it out for you. You wake up in the arms of the girl you love-"
"I DO NOT love Starfire." Interrupted Raven.
"Then, you run off to your mirror, a portal into your own mind, used to gain insight into your truest self, looking for an excuse, any excuse, to get rid of those feelings!"
Raven gulped. As much as she hated to admit it, she was in love with Starfire. She looked over her shoulder as another emotion stepped forward.
"Finally. Someone I can count on to be rational."
"Of course." Wise adjusted her glasses. "In the past, whenever you needed to sort out a problem, particularly one dealing with your emotions, you could always count on me for an objective opinion. In the vast majority of cases, I advised you to continue restricting your ability to feel emotions, as a sudden surge of any emotion would cause an uncontrolled release of telekinetic power."
The collected emotions grumbled and started mumbling to each other.
"Good. Now about Starfire."
"Yes. In the matter of the developing feelings towards Starfire, and your desire to curb said emotions…" Wise removed her glasses and wiped them clean. "It is my strong belief that you are a complete and utter moron."
"B-Wh-WHAT?" Raven sputtered and reeled back, nearly loosing her footing, and the other emotions were just as shocked at the outburst.
"Right. Let's review, shall we?" A large chalkboard appeared behind Wise. "First, your father."
Happy jumped forward, and with arms blurring, produced a colorful, scowling Trigon.
"He died, his essence shredded and scattered across the multiverse."
Happy drew a huge white raven, and X'ed out Trigon's eyes.
"Thus, you were free to experience all emotions freely, save rage, which would be forever be tied to your demonic blood for as long as you live."
A chalk Raven now danced on the board through a field of flowers, hand-in-hand with Starfire.
"Correct so far?" Raven opened her mouth to speak, and Wise smacked her over her head with a ruler. "Of course it is. Now…"
"H-Hold on! I-" Raven raised her arms to fend of any more rulers, but Wise interrupted with a single word.
"Fear."
"What?"
"You. Are. Afraid. That's why you won't confess your feeling to Starfire, or to yourself. To be more specific, the fear of rejection and the ensuing heartache, amplified by your now-released emotions, is holding you back from taking a risk which could lead to, well…"
Happy jumped back, forth, over, and under the board before moving away. The board showed Raven asleep on Starfire's chest, smiling in perfect contentment. The image, however, was more than a simple picture. It also captured what Raven had felt then, and that feeling radiated out from the picture. Washing over Raven, making her moan softly, dropping her to her knees and making her wrap her arms around herself. She stared up at the board, wide-eyed.
"C-Could I? Could we?" She looked around, taking in all the assembled emotions.
"YES!" The assembled emotions replied at once.
"Alright then, if you're still in doubt. Your first fear, rejection by way of demonic heritage."
"Duh, this is Starfire we're talking about!" Happy pointed with both hands at her sleeping face.
"Two. You are both female. Love is an emotion, and true love is unrestricted by base limitations such as race or gender. While you may not know if Starfire is capable of having romantic feelings towards another woman, you could try making the effort to find out for certain."
"Mmmm…Raven…Tasty!" Happy turned her back to Raven, hugged herself and began making exaggerated kissing and slurping sounds.
"Three. Robin"
"Robin…Oh crap. If…if I just tell Starfire that I love her, it'd be asking her to choose between us! Two close friends…it would tear her apart! I could never do that!"
"Remember, however, you don't know the full extent of their feelings for each other. And the longer you wait…"
"The longer that gel-haired obsessive-compulsive angst-ridden bo-staff-up-the-arse featherbrain is going to have to work her over!" Brave had rushed back over to Raven and began shaking her by her shoulders so hard her head was bouncing back and forth. "You can't let that nitwit have OUR Starfire!"
Raven tossed Brave off, stood, and looked at the assembled emotions.
"Besides, you just said you loved her."
Raven turned back to gawk at Wise, who was casually wiping her glasses.
"I…I did…I…I love her." Raven swooned and fell, only to be caught by Brave. "Could I do this?"
"Hell YEAH! You gotta fight for what you want!"
"For snuggles and cuddles!"
"For an end to uncertainty and indecision."
"And pity the poor bastards that try to harm her."
Raven turned and gaped. Rage was there, leaning against a tree, smirking. She kept turning. Every emotion was nodding their assent, offering words of encouragement.
"Now. Say it. Say it with certainty and without hesitation."
"Once more, with feeling!"
"Awaiting orders to get some nookie with extreme prejudice, sir!"
Raven pulled off her hood. She looked to the starry sky above, and then down to her cloak. Swirls of white rippled across the fabric. She looked ahead, seemingly at nothing, but picturing the object of her affection clearly.
"I. Love. Starfire."
A cheer went up from the assembled emotion, a cheer that followed Raven as she walked calmly and swiftly to the door that led back to the real world.
"It'll work. She'll make it work."
The emotions turned back to Wise after Raven had passed through the portal.
"Umm…H-How do you know for sure?"
Wise merely smiled and pointed behind her. There, a presence was in the air. Not yet fully formed, a cloak could be seen fluttering in the air. A cloak that hadn't been there before, that flickered in the starlight, a bright emerald green. The color of a certain girl's eyes.