A/N:Hey… yeah it's me again with my first Rae/Red X one-shot… and it's entirely dedicated to the wonderful and lovely and awesome and talented SweetNCrazieSugarmuffin

It was her Birthday yesterday and because she likes Rae/Red X and Rae/Robin, I thought a little one-shot that has both pairings wouldn't be bad.

So Bria, I really hope that you like this little story… it's not my best work, because I realized that I completely suck in portraying Red X, but I still hope and pray that you'll this.

Anyway, this is for you Bria… so enjoy it…

Thanks and kudos to my wonderful beta-readers ChaiChi and Cherry Jade… you are both just so great.

Disclaimer: Nope… not mine!

Face To Face

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'Cheek to cheek
the bitter sweet
Commit your crime in your deadly time'

Siouxsie and the Banshees - Face to Face)

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She hated this.

She hated, hated, hated… hated this.

Raven's hand fluttered down her dark-red dress in a self-conscious way while she thought about a million ways to torture and kill Robin.

She hated wearing this dress and wearing high heels… and wearing that stupid mask.

As if it wasn't bad enough that she had to attend a ball, but no, it had to be a masquerade where everyone was supposed to wear a stupid mask.

Who in the hell would come with an idea of mask ball? Obviously, the Boy Wonder would… and just because he was a paranoid and obsessive jerk.

From the corner of the huge ball room Raven spotted Robin who was occupied with talking to the mayor. Next to Robin was Starfire in a beautiful lavender gown chatting friendly with the mayor's wife.

It was in that moment that Raven realized how absolutely gorgeous those two looked together, so beautiful. They were just perfect for each other; they looked so perfect together.

"They are the perfect couple," Raven muttered and was surprised that she sounded so bitter.

With her amethyst eyes she caught Starfire waving at her happily while Robin gave her a warm smile. Raven hesitantly waved back but turned her back to the couple before Robin could catch her eyes.

He could just read her too well.

The violet haired young man looked out for her other two teammates and saw them surrounded by several young women as they told them about their 'exciting' lives as heroes.

Raven sighed as she realized that she was alone. For a moment she thought about just teleporting back to the tower, but gave up the idea because Starfire would be disappointed that she had gone.

She hated these kind of events… more than anything else.

"May I ask the lady for this dance?" a deep husky voice broke through her dark and eerie thoughts and Raven realized that she stood face to face, eh, face to shoulder with a tux clad young man.

She titled her head only to stare in a pair of masked eyes. It was an odd mask… it had the same shape as Robin's mask, but this man's mask was red on the rims and black in the middle.

And although the mask hid a part of his face, Raven could tell that the man was handsome. Dark… almost ebony hair, high cheekbones, full pink lips, perfectly shaped ears, a strong chin and jaw.

He reminded her of Robin... and of something familiar… something she should remember…

"So…?" Again, his voice brought her out of her thoughts and Raven was aware of the hand that he had been holding out for her.

Usually, Raven would have declined any offer to dance. She just wasn't made for dancing, but something about this man screamed for her that she just couldn't say no.

So, she nodded and took his offered hand.

Slipping her right arm around his back, Raven looked into the man's masked eyes as he placed his left hand on her bare upper left arm. They twirled backwards, her satin red dress fluttering and showing, once in a while, a glimpse of her slender, ivory leg.

It was almost ironic how familiar this man seemed. Raven knew him from somewhere, but she just couldn't point her finger on something.

Raven decided to speak up at least, "We haven't met before, have we…?" she asked bluntly blushing as she heard the man chuckle.

"And here I thought only men could come with such cheap lines…"

"It was not intended to be a cheap line," The dark woman growled.

'Damn cocky idiot!'

The mysterious man spun her around and then brought her back into his arms before answering her, "Whatever you say, Beautiful…

Beautiful…? Why does that ring a bell…?

Time for a new tactic.

"I think I couldn't quite catch your name earlier," she said in an almost flirtatious tone cringing on the inside, because Raven hated how she sounded.

"That's because, I didn't tell you my name, Beautiful." He smiled down at her showing straight pearly white teeth and pulling her closer to himself as they danced.

'Damn cocky, handsome idiot!'

"But you're welcome to guess my name, Raven…" The mysterious man drawled at her lazily.

The sorceresses narrowed her eyes. How did he know her name…? She hadn't told him her name either… but then again, most of the people in Jump City knew who the Titans were. He could have guessed it, couldn't he…?

Still, there seemed to be something off… something was wrong and Raven was more than sure that she did know this man.

"You need a little help guessing my name, Beautiful…?" He asked cockily and once again Raven was reminded of Robin.

And before the mage could answer he had removed his hand from her back rolling up the sleeve until she could see a small tattoo on his arm… a dark blood-red X…

An X… Red X…

Her eyes grew wide hands already glowing with black energy as Red X pressed her tightly to himself and whispered in her ear, "Shhh, little birdie, we don't want to get everybody excited, do we…?"

Again, Raven wasn't able to react or say anything, because Red X pulled her through an exit onto the terrace quickly sealing her lips with a red-cloth X and holding her wrists in one strong hand

"Mmphhh…" Raven tried to form words and struggle free, but Red X was strong and agile.

"Be quiet!" the thief spoke softly, "I'm not here to hurt you… or anybody else…"

"Mphmmmph…" she interrupted him still struggling wildly.

"And I will remove the X if you promise to hold still and not try anything funny until you let me explain."

"Mmmph…"

"Is that a promise…?"

"Mmm…"

"Okay," And with a quick move he removed the cloth from her mouth.

"Why are you here, X…? What are you planning…?" Raven fired the questions and readied herself to attack if he would try anything funny. She may have promised him to let him explain himself, but she wouldn't make sure that he would be able to get away. He was a thief after all… no matter how handsome and sexy he was…

'Handsome…? Sexy…? Where did those thoughts come from…?'

"I told you before, I'm not here to steal anything or to do anything else for that matter…" Red X began.

"Of course. You're only here, because you're a secret fan of ballroom dances," Raven monotoned sarcastically.

"Always so witty, Beautiful… that's what I like so much," the masked man chuckled, "But no, I'm here, because I'm a secret fan of beautiful birds."

To her frustration, Raven realized that her cheeks got warmer and definitely redder… and it didn't help that Red X was grinning cockily.

"What makes you believe that I won't capture you and call the police?" she asked in her anger, but somehow the question brought out a dark, husky laugh from the man.

"Go ahead, Birdie! Capture me… call the police or better, your team mates. I can't wait to see their faces. Especially Boy Wonder's face… I sure have missed him." The words flowed easily out of his mouth and Raven knew that he really would enjoy a good fight.

She knew that she should call the other. It would be easy to inform the others with her powers without Red X noticing it, but something told her to not do it… to enjoy this moment.

And although Raven hated to admit it, she did enjoy this… whatever this maybe.

Before Raven could come to decision, Red X had walked next to her taking her hand into his, "Believe it or not Raven, but I did come because of you and-"

"Stop that." The sorceress pulled away her hand and stepped away from the man. "If you think that your lies will help you to escape then you're wrong," she hissed bitterly and didn't know why she was so angry. She shouldn't care less what Red X told her… he was just a thief – a thief who was trying to get away by saying everything he could think of. It didn't mean anything.

"You have a really low opinion about yourself, haven't you little bird…?" It was more a statement than a question and again, he closed the distance that Raven had put between them, "Maybe I should show you how wrong you are…"

And with that said his hand crept up to her face and cupped her chin softly, "You're beautiful!" Red X whispered to her flushed face before his lips captured her lips.

Raven was instantly limp as his lips gently caressed hers. It wasn't a soft and gentle kiss, but harsh and passionate and aggressive. She had never felt anything like that, and although she knew that she shouldn't enjoy this, she couldn't help herself but love it. The minutes passed and the kiss grew deeper and more passionate.

Gently, Red X took his lips away from Raven's and simply looked at her while Raven regarded him with half-lidded eyes. She was too confused and too shocked to something.

"Come with me…" The dark man spoke softly, gently – almost lovingly – and for a moment, a heartbreakingly long moment, Raven was tempted to say yes, because then she would have someone for herself and not be alone, and she would be fine, fine fine…

… but that was just for a moment, because she knew that whatever may happen, she was still Raven and he was still Red X.

So, she shook her head – sadly – "I can't…" It almost broke her heart to say that.

He laughed again, but this time it was a grim laugh, "Somehow I expected that, but I still had to try…"

"Yeah…" It was all she could say.

They looked at each other for a moment before Red X sighed, "I think it's time for me to say good-bye, Beauti--"

He couldn't say anything else, because Raven's lips were once again upon his and he instinctively closed his eyes… when he opened them, she was gone.

Just like that… and he knew that he would never see her again…

She had fled… again… she always fled… always ran away. But this time she didn't have another choice.

She did the right thing.

But why did she feel so bad then…?

"Rae…?" A voice called out and Raven immediately recognized the person.

"You shouldn't have come… I'm sure Starfire is disappointed," she said without turning around.

"Why did you leave?" Robin asked as he stood next to her on T-Tower roof.

"I don't like these kind of balls." It was simple and rehearsed reply, but still she hoped that he wouldn't inquire more.

"Oh… I don't like them either… the people are too stiff there and the music isn't really my cup of cake, you know…?"

That's what she liked most about Robin; he knew when she didn't want to talk about something and didn't press her. He understood her.

"Of course, anything that isn't loud enough to blast away your few brain cells isn't your kind of music," The mage grinned at her tux-clad leader.

"Hey, my music isn't that bad," The ebony-haired young man mock-protested.

"Whatever you say," was her only reply.

"So…" Robin spoke again breaking the comfortable silence between them.

"So…?" Raven asked.

"So, since we are both here and have nothing to do, how about chess?" He smiled up at her warmly.

"Okay, Boy Blunder, if you're that desperate to lose," The purple-haired vixen replied sarcastically.

"Lose…? Me…? Ha, the only one who will lose is you, Rae!" He boasted cockily before reaching out for her small hand squeezing it slowly.

Raven looked at their intertwined hands couldn't help but smile.

Maybe her decision wasn't wrong after all…?

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'To die like this
with a last kiss
It's falsehood's flame
it's a crying shame'

(Siouxsie and the Banshees - Face to Face)

A/N: That was it… as I said, not really good and the end sucked completely, but I tried… yes…?

Anyway, tell me how you liked it… especially you Bria…

:grins:

I think that was it from me… for now…

Later,

Alena