Robin sank to the ground beside Raven and set his jaw resolutely. He was not going to let her go until he had their 'kiss' situation properly settled.

"Raven, we have to talk about us."

Raven swore to herself. She had been hoping that Robin would apologize for the kiss, vow to her that it would never happen again and then go away. "What do you mean?"

"Don't play dumb Raven. You know exactly what I mean."

"What if I don't want to talk about it," Raven declared, thrusting out her chin stubbornly at him.

"Then I'll just have to make you."

Raven's eyes narrowed at his words and she fixed Robin with a vehement glare. He didn't cringe, as most people did when she did this, but then; his eyes were hidden behind a mask so she couldn't really tell. Raven felt trapped. And hated it.

She knew lying to Robin was pointless since he was like a human lie detector, so her only option was to leave. Getting up and walking away would most likely end up with a painful tussle and him ultimately winning. She could evoke a teleportation spell but doing the spell so close to Robin would be futile; he'll just grab her. That boy could move fast, that was for sure. Raven knew that if she didn't answer his question, they'd be stuck sitting on the stage for a long, long time. Stupid, persistent jerk, she thought.

"Fine! What do you want me to say?"

Robin made a sound of exasperation. "Something, anything! Just don't try and pretend it never happened, because it did!"

"You know as well as I that I cannot…" Raven bit her lip, stopping herself from finishing the damming sentence. 'I cannot love you' her heart cried silently. But she would never admit her love to him. Raven blurted out an old excuse off the top of her head, "I cannot let my emotions get out of control."

"Oh Raven, it's not like I'm expecting you to let them all run loose. I just don't want you to deprive yourself of something so great and wonderful."

"What's so great and wonderful about a kiss?" Raven lied, suppressing the rush of joy that came when she remembered the touch of Robin's lips upon hers.

"Would you like me to remind you?" Robin said in a low, husky tone, and leaned in towards her.

Raven froze. Time came to an abrupt stop. Her hearing was drowned by the rapid thudding of her heart. She simply couldn't take her eyes off Robin's face as he got closer and closer…Then suddenly, Raven freaked out and pulled back, her eyes filled with confusion and her cheeks flushed.

Robin smirked inwardly. Looks like Raven wasn't as unaffected by their kiss as she tried to be. He studied Raven as she tried to get herself under control and frowned. How was he going to get her to see that burying those new-found feelings of hers was a bad idea? Robin already knew that he was falling in love with Raven. Hell, he'd probably been falling in love with her ever since the day they'd met. But he'd just been too thick-headed to recognize it until the day they had kissed.

"Raven..."

She made no reply but wrapped her arms around herself, a sure sign that she was planning to ignore him.

Robin took a deep breath and let it out in a long sigh. "Raven, please don't push me away. Please trust me."

Raven felt her hard resolve crack at his soft pleading words. Oh how she yearned to tell him the truth, to tell she would trust him with her life, but there was just too much at stake. To admit her feelings to Robin would encourage him to further their relationship and she could not afford to do that. To keep her control on her emotions, she would have to shut him away from her. Loosing control could be fatal.

Then Raven remembered Aqua Lad's words, 'You have to trust in yourself…and in Robin. Tell him the truth…You can't let that old bastard ruin your life Raven.' So Raven made her decision.

Raven sat up straight and squared her shoulders. Facing Robin, she said, "I trust you."

His smile made her heart flutter. It held such patience and love.

'But will he ever look at me like that again,' Raven thought, 'once he knows about my past?"

Raven twined her fingers together nervously and began her story.

"There was once a powerful priestess who lived in a village in Kagoshima. In return for food and shelter, she protected the people from the demons and evil spirits that roamed the forests surrounding the village. She was a kind woman and the people treasured her very much.

"Then everything went wrong. It was the first day of the new moon when a dim star was born in the sky. The priestess was hunting demons in the forest when she was attacked from behind. The villagers found her the next morning and took her back to the village. They tended to her wounds, but it was discovered that she had been raped and was pregnant. Because no man in the village would ever dare to defile the priestess in that way, they suspected that she was carrying a demon's child. Fearing the half demonic baby inside of her, they ran her out of the village, throwing stones after her. Even after all the times she had saved the village, they weren't even grateful enough to give her some food. They drove her away, like an animal. "

Raven's voice was deadpan, but Robin could feel the anger and bitterness radiating from her body, and her eyes were overly bright. Unconsciously, his hand sought hers and clasped them in his encouragingly.

Raven didn't even notice the movement. She was too caught up with her story.

"The priestess walked on for many days, stumbling on half-blindly until she came to the ocean. There, she performed a powerful spell that almost drained her life-force. The spell summoned a great fish that took her into the ocean depths, to the sunken City of Atlantis. There, with the care and help of the Atlantians, she gave birth to a baby girl. She was a hanyou. A half human and half demon child. The birth weakened the priestess' body even further. She became so…weak and frail. But she clung onto her life…so her child wouldn't have to be alone in the world."

A tear fell from Raven's eye and splashed onto their entwined hands. Robin's heart felt as if it could break, seeing Raven look so sad and forlorn. He tightened his hold on her.

"She was my mother, the most untainted of spirits. That's why the great fish answered her call. It recognized the pureness of her soul. Even though life was cruel to her, she had no hatred or malice in her heart. Just forgiveness, understanding…and love. My mother died when I was seven. Her body was so tired…it just stopped working."

Raven shut her eyes against a fresh flood of hot tears as a memory swam into her mind, as sharp and clear as if it happened yesterday.

flashback

A young Raven was playing in the royal gardens with a little atlantian named Alvin. He was chasing her and she was laughing at him for being too slow. Then she heard her mother's sweet voice calling her.

"Raven! Raven, come here, I've got something for you!"

Smiling widely at the promise of a present, Raven ran towards her mother and flung her arms around her mother's legs.

"Mama! What is it? Is it pretty?"

The beautiful black haired woman with stunning amethyst eyes gazed lovingly down at her daughter and laughed delightedly at Raven's disheveled appearance. Raven's gown was muddied all down the front, her sash was twisted and the ribbon in her hair was gone, leaving her hair in a mass of tangles all around her rosy face.

The woman kneeled down and reached inside her midnight blue cloak, taking out a small old-looking box. It had runes and magical symbols etched into its sides and, as perceived by the Raven's senses, radiated with power. Her mother opened the box and in it, cushioned by black silk, was a pure opal. It was of only one colour; dark purple.

Raven gave a cry of glee at the sight of the 'pretty stone' and asked her mother "is that for me?"

"Yes dear. It is an opal, a gift from me to you. As a promise that I will always be with you, no matter what happens"

The solemnity of her mother's voice had Raven looking back up at her mother in fright. "You're not going away, are you?" She asked anxiously.

Her mother immediately set the box aside and drew Raven into her warm embrace, "No! I will never leave you. You're too precious to me. I love you Raven!"

Reassured by her mother's words, Raven returned the hug and breathed in the calming scent of her mother. Then she tucked the opal into her sash and ran off to play with Alvin. Everything was going to be alright. Mother had said she was never going to leave her. And they would stay in Atlantis forever and ever.

But her mother had lied. The next morning, Raven had run into her mother's like any other day; only to find that her mother was as cold as ice.

end flashback

"In my grief, I caused a massive earthquake in Atlantis, the first in a thousand years. More than a hundred people were killed." Raven said softly, "I was banished from my home and sent to learn how to control my powers on an island above the ocean. Alvin came to visit sometimes…he was the only one who came."

Robin was filled with an unexplainable rage towards the Atlantians. How could they have subjected a sorrowful little girl who had just lost her mother to a lonely exile on a deserted island?

Raven must have known what he was thinking because she smiled sadly and said, "I don't blame them for doing what they did. I was a danger to everybody if I couldn't control my destructive powers. And they had taken a big risk before, giving my mother safety and shelter to raise a hanyou with unknown powers like me."

"You see, there is a prophecy, foretold by the old ones of Atlantis since the beginning of time." With a graceful wave of her hand, flaming words appeared in the air as if they were being scorched into the air. Robin read them quickly.

When the era of the old Kings are forgotten,

And the magic of mortals, weak.

The Darkness will rise to swallow the Light,

And all life shall perish yet again.

When born a star of darkest light,

A hanyou of magic corrupt and pure, will be conceived.

Within her will be a soul at war,

Wrought from the greatest good and cruelest evil.

She alone holds the key to Darkness's true victory

And is the only hope for Light's salvation.

She must combat the greatest evil or be destroyer of all life,

And so end her inner war, and decide the fate of the world.

The words turned into smoke and faded away.

Raven looked down at her hands, too ashamed to look Robin in the eye lest he see the tears in her eyes. "I am the child in the prophecy Robin. To save the world, I have to destroy the greatest evil…my father. That's why I need to have complete control over my emotions. If my powers fail me because I am afraid…or if Rage consumes me…then the world will perish. Because of me…"

She fell silent. Her story was finally told. Now Robin would know why she hid herself behind impassive walls and why she strove so hard for control of her feelings. Now he would understand why she could not love him.

A hand cupped her cheek and drew her face gently up. Her eyes, full of tears, met two startling blue eyes. They were as unfathomable as the ocean and were framed with thick ebony eyelashes.

"Robin, you took off your mask…" Raven said stupidly.

The black mask had been cast carelessly onto the ground; Robin had disappeared and in his place was a handsome blue eyed boy that took Raven's breath away.

Robin's eyes bored into hers, piercing through her carefully built wall into her soul. His gaze woke parts of her that had lay dormant for years and lit up others that she had never known existed. He spoke to her without words and comforted her without touch. Raven could feel his sorrow for the loss of her mother, his anger at her abuse, his understanding and respect for her determination to face her destiny, but most of all, his infinite love for her.

The dam that she had her tears held behind for years cracked and burst. Raven drew her knees to her chest and hid her face in her hands, shuddering as cry after cry racked through her body. She felt Robin's arms encircle her into a tight embrace and hold her protectively against his chest. His warmth seeped into her, driving away the cold despair that clawed at her heart. Raven instinctively burrowed into his warmth and let all the tears of pain, injustice, loss, loneliness, anger and frustration that she had never cried flow freely. And with each tear, the tight knot that she had carried in her heart ever since her mother's death loosened bit by bit.

Then finally, spent of all her tears, Raven rested her head on Robin's shoulder. Save for her occasional hiccup, they both sat in silence for what seemed to be ages. She felt the heavy but comforting weight of his arms around her and sighed softly.

"I'm – hic – sorry," she mumbled bashfully, "I didn't mean to blubber all over you."

"Don't be." His deep voice chuckled.

"Your shirt is – hic – soaked through."

"I've got others…" his breath tickled the base of her neck, making the small fine hairs stand on their ends. How was it that he could make her shiver all over?

"I hate this stu – hic – pid hiccup – hic – ping." She said sullenly.

Robin smiled and stroked her arm gently. How long had he wanted to do this, to be close to her, to touch her like this?

He heard her laugh softly.

"What's so funny?"

"Look – hic – around us."

The simulator looked like a wreck. Wires had been torn out of their sockets, shredded cables were strewn all over the floor and the main computer looked fried.

"Do you think Cyborg can fix it?" Robin asked hopefully.

"Do you think pigs can fly?" Raven replied dryly.

"Sure, if they're genetically altered."

Raven snorted, "ever the optimist, aren't you?"

"Well someone's gotta be," Robin said, swiveling his head down to look at her, "besides, if my optimistic self wasn't here, think of how miserable you'd be."

"I'll live."

"But miserably. You're too much of a pessimist Raven, without me around to cheer you up; you'll never have any fun."

"Are you calling me a bore just because I don't find playing those senseless video games of yours fun?" Raven said indignantly, "what's so great about them anyway? All they do is simply what we do everyday! And don't you know that staring at that stupid screen for hours is bad…for…you…Robin, what are you doing?"

"Hmmmmm?"

Raven swallowed. Hard. "What…what are you doing to my neck?"

"Tasting you. You know I've always wondered what you taste like."

"Really…" Raven cringed. Instead of the deadpan tone she was going for, the word came out as a croak. "So…what …what do I taste like?"

"You taste like…like vanilla…I like vanilla…"

"Robin, please stop..." Raven pleaded softly, torn between her demand and an unexplainable urge for him to move those magically lips of his down her neck to her…Raven gasped suddenly. Robin had reached that tender spot between her collarbones and gently nipped her.

He stopped immediately. Raven felt his concerned gaze on her and blushed.

"I'm sorry;" he murmured apologetically, "I didn't mean to hurt you."

"It's ok Robin, you didn't" she said automatically, alarmed by the distress in his eyes.

"No, call me Richard." He said, stroking her cheek.

Raven smiled at the boy she had always known as Robin, and now as Richard.

Robin had never seen anything so beautiful before in his life. Raven's eyes held none of their usual haunted gloom. They had peace in them now. A serene smile played across her lips, lightening her somber face and putting life into her cheeks. She was breathtaking.

Raven leaned into his touch. She wished that they could just stay like this forever. But she could not ignore her duty to the world.

"Richard."

"Yes Raven?" he muttered, more preoccupied in his study of the soft angles of her face.

"Now do you understand why we can't be together?"

Richard stared at her, his soft blue eyes suddenly darkening, "No."

"But the prophecy, I need to be in control of my powers when I battle the evil one." Raven started babbling, "If I don't defeat him, everyone will perish and it'll be all my faul…"

Richard hushed her with a kiss.

Raven didn't know why she let him kiss her again; maybe it was because of her incredibly emotional state at that moment, or maybe it was just the simple fact that she really wanted to kiss him again. She had looked into the depths of his ocean eyes and decided to take the plunge. To dive off her safe but lonely cliff into the tempest sea below. And it didn't matter if she was overwhelmed by the waves, because she knew that he would never let her drown.

Robin felt like he was soaring. He had always loved the sensation of flying, to feel lighter than air, the pounding of his heart beneath his chest and the rush of adrenalin through his veins. All the burdens and worries of the world were left on the ground and in those precious moments, he felt complete freedom and exhilaration. Well, he had just discovered that kissing Raven was a hell of a lot better than flying.

They broke apart for air, both shivering slightly with newfound excitement. Robin tenderly kissed the nook between Raven's neck and ear, causing her to mew softly. Arching her neck back, Raven closed her eyes and purred in contentment as Robin planted kisses all the way down her neck to her shoulder.

"Stop that." He snapped irritably.

Raven's eyes flew open in surprise. "Stop what?"

"That…purring…is….driving…me…crazy" Robin said in between kisses.

"I don't purr." Raven mumbled as she drew lazy circles on his back with her fingertip.

"Raven, stop it," Robin jerked away and grabbed her hand, grimacing at the wounded expression in her eyes. "Rae, do you have any idea what you do to me?" He whispered breathlessly in her ear.

"No…" Raven felt really confused. What was with him? One moment he wanted her to kiss him, the next, he was telling her to stop. That was it. She had had enough emotional crap for one day. Raven tried to wriggle out of his embrace but Robin growled and gripped her tighter.

"Don't move, you're only making it worse!"

Then she felt it. The look of realization on her face could almost be called comical, if their situation had not been so embarrassing. Her amethyst eyes widened in astonishment and a flush appeared on her cheeks. She had done…that…to him?

"I'm sorry…" she muttered understandingly, "I…um…I can go, if it helps…"

"No, don't…" Robin said quickly, "just try not to move so much, ok?"

Damn these tights, he thought, they really are too constricting.

Raven relaxed her head against Robin's chest and listened to his heart beat. Usually it pounded strongly and steadily. Even when engaged in a fight for his life. Yet at this very moment, she felt it pulse erratically against her ear. Did that mean that he was as affected by her presence as she was by his?

Robin smiled contentedly down at the dark-haired beauty in his arms. There was something unexplainably right about holding her close to him. He couldn't yet figure out the reason, but for once, he couldn't care less. Spending time with Raven was relaxing and fun, he could be himself around her; but her very presence also drove him absolutely wild. Especially her little kitty purrs. Until a while ago, if anyone had told him that Raven was capable of producing such an arousing, sexy sound, he would have immediately admitted them into Arkem. Gently so as not to jar the now slumbering sorceress, he stretched out on his back and arranged her soft form to fit against the hard frames of his body. He tucked her right arm snugly around his waist and cushioned her head carefully on his arm. Breathing in and out in deep breaths, he felt all the tenseness in his muscles slowly seep away. Just as sleep overtook him, he had one last coherent thought, 'Would Raven ever know just how her very presence affected his senses?'

Hey gals and guys,

I wasn't really happy with this chap so I revised it a little…well actually a lot. Anyways, in my opinion, this one's got way more fluff and you know what they say, "The more the merrier!"

Watch out for the next chapter!

theLilyLady