Disclaimer: I don't own teen titans, sanity or the words to the song
Leave it All Behind by Amy Grant
Hand in Hand
Chapter Nine: Leave it all Behind
Raven glared at him, "Tell anyone about that and I will flay you alive."
Aqualad smiled, "Hey, you were the one that hugged me!"
She glared harder, "A bad decision on my part then." She snapped turning her face away from him.
Aqualad couldn't help but smile, she was so... pragmatic. Also she tried to hide the fact that she was sad but it wasn't helping. When she had pulled away from their embrace it was as if she had suddenly awoken from a dream. She had retreated a good few feet away and had proceeded to threaten him a thousand different ways if he ever spoke of 'the moment of weakness' ever again.
## I took a drive along the west bank of the shore,
I thought of what you said then I thought some more##
An idea suddenly came to him. A mischievous smile wound its way onto his face, and he chuckled to himself, "Alright Raven Roth, here is the deal; I won't let anyone know about what just happened if you agree to one thing."
She looked at him and glared. And if looks could kill he would have died and been reincarnated several thousand times. "What?"
"You heard me." He said, for a moment his quick eyes turned smug even though his smile remained gentle, "Just think of the embarrassment if the others knew that you, fearless Raven had hugged me."
She growled something that he didn't hear, "You're not serious." She said as an after thought.
Aqualad looked down at his hands, "Perfectly."
He looked up just in time to see her eye twitch in annoyance.
"It's a fair trade." He pointed out.
She looked at him in exasperation, "What do I have to agree to?"
Aqualad grinned, "Oh no, I'm not telling you yet that would give you chance to refuse. Oh no, I'm gonna tell the others what you've agreed to and they'll be so happy you won't be able to say otherwise." He knew he had beaten her.
## You say your life is all but chiselled out in stone,
And all you want is just a taste of the unknown##
Her glare, if possible, intensified and he had the horrible feeling that he was a specimen under a microscope. He shifted slightly.
"I wouldn't count on that."
"I would. Otherwise I'll tell them there and then." Aqualad shrugged and began the task of getting up, which seemed harder than he had anticipated because his legs seemed to have gone to sleep.
Raven threw several insults at him, which made him laugh if nothing else. She then folded her arms across her chest, "But if I agree you won't tell them?" Somehow in her own twisted little mind she had the thought of her so called friends using the knowledge against her. She thought she was going insane.
## Think it was yesterday I called you on the phone,
You say you need a change, I recognize the tone,
Buy me a ticket please, to anywhere I'll go##
He held up his hands as he finally made it onto his feet, "I promise to not say a word."
Raven expelled a breath, "Alright fine. I'll agree to whatever you tell the titans."
Aqualad nodded his grin widening, "Great, let's go!" he reached out a hand but she jerked away, "What's wrong?"
"Nothing." She said, and then she sighed, "Sorry. Let's go then." She brushed past him and disappeared back into titan's tower.
Aqualad sighed as well; he didn't what he had done to make her jerk back suddenly like that. But he saw the look in her eyes when she had. It was fear. She confused him and bemused him. But he hoped his plan would make her come out of the shell she had locked herself in. He rubbed his hands together in anticipation and then followed Raven into the tower.
## I'm not saying what is right or what is wrong.
I'm just thinking you've been hanging here too long##
Aqualad cleared his throat. The titans, who had been, until then engaged in a friendly game of cards looked up to see what was the matter.
Aqualad's gaze fastened on Robin for a second but he quickly adjusted his sight to take them all in. He looked behind him and saw Raven lurking in the shadows. He motioned her forward and she came, albeit slowly.
"Titans, Raven has decided..." he paused for dramatic effect, "...that we should all go and hang out at the mall."
"I WHAT!?" she screeched.
"Didn't you?" he gave her a charming smile and was delighted to see that she blushed and averted her gaze.
"What? Oh yes. Hang out." She mumbled.
## So, why don't we, just up and leave it all behind,
Maybe a change would ease your mind,
For a time, leave it all behind##
Aqualad looked up at the other titans who were all staring at Raven as if she had just announced that she loved the colour pink and was going to paint her room that colour. Aqualad was pleased with their reaction. It was something that they didn't expect.
"Well? Don't you think that that's a good idea?" he watched them all carefully judging their individual reactions.
"Hey I'm game." Said Cyborg getting up from the table and stretching.
"Yeah, we're up for that." Yawned Beast Boy as he got up from his seat and began clearing away the cards. Terra glared at him for answering for her, but in the end she didn't say anything.
## What I really want to do is see you smile,
Hear you talk and let me listen for a while,
There's too much going on to keep it all inside##
"I think it is a wonderful idea friend Raven!" cried Starfire jumping up from her own seat next to Robin and flying over to them, "It is good that you wish to initiate the ritual of hanging out."
Robin mumbled something under his breath.
"What was that Robin?" asked Aqualad putting a hand up to his ear, "I didn't quite hear you then."
Robin coughed and then blushing he smiled, "I said, uh, yeah it's a good idea."
## You try to whisper, but you start to scream and shout,
What you need is just a place to let it out##
Aqualad smiled his award winning smile and clapped his hands together. His plan was going accordingly; if Raven would not go out with the others freely then he would blackmail her into going. Maybe if she opened up, they could get to know each other. And if they got to know each other then who knows. "Excellent! Let's get going shall we?"
## So, why don't we, just up and leave it all behind,
Maybe a change would ease your mind,
For a time, leave it all behind##
Hand in Hand
Chapter Nine: Leave it all Behind
Raven glared at him, "Tell anyone about that and I will flay you alive."
Aqualad smiled, "Hey, you were the one that hugged me!"
She glared harder, "A bad decision on my part then." She snapped turning her face away from him.
Aqualad couldn't help but smile, she was so... pragmatic. Also she tried to hide the fact that she was sad but it wasn't helping. When she had pulled away from their embrace it was as if she had suddenly awoken from a dream. She had retreated a good few feet away and had proceeded to threaten him a thousand different ways if he ever spoke of 'the moment of weakness' ever again.
## I took a drive along the west bank of the shore,
I thought of what you said then I thought some more##
An idea suddenly came to him. A mischievous smile wound its way onto his face, and he chuckled to himself, "Alright Raven Roth, here is the deal; I won't let anyone know about what just happened if you agree to one thing."
She looked at him and glared. And if looks could kill he would have died and been reincarnated several thousand times. "What?"
"You heard me." He said, for a moment his quick eyes turned smug even though his smile remained gentle, "Just think of the embarrassment if the others knew that you, fearless Raven had hugged me."
She growled something that he didn't hear, "You're not serious." She said as an after thought.
Aqualad looked down at his hands, "Perfectly."
He looked up just in time to see her eye twitch in annoyance.
"It's a fair trade." He pointed out.
She looked at him in exasperation, "What do I have to agree to?"
Aqualad grinned, "Oh no, I'm not telling you yet that would give you chance to refuse. Oh no, I'm gonna tell the others what you've agreed to and they'll be so happy you won't be able to say otherwise." He knew he had beaten her.
## You say your life is all but chiselled out in stone,
And all you want is just a taste of the unknown##
Her glare, if possible, intensified and he had the horrible feeling that he was a specimen under a microscope. He shifted slightly.
"I wouldn't count on that."
"I would. Otherwise I'll tell them there and then." Aqualad shrugged and began the task of getting up, which seemed harder than he had anticipated because his legs seemed to have gone to sleep.
Raven threw several insults at him, which made him laugh if nothing else. She then folded her arms across her chest, "But if I agree you won't tell them?" Somehow in her own twisted little mind she had the thought of her so called friends using the knowledge against her. She thought she was going insane.
## Think it was yesterday I called you on the phone,
You say you need a change, I recognize the tone,
Buy me a ticket please, to anywhere I'll go##
He held up his hands as he finally made it onto his feet, "I promise to not say a word."
Raven expelled a breath, "Alright fine. I'll agree to whatever you tell the titans."
Aqualad nodded his grin widening, "Great, let's go!" he reached out a hand but she jerked away, "What's wrong?"
"Nothing." She said, and then she sighed, "Sorry. Let's go then." She brushed past him and disappeared back into titan's tower.
Aqualad sighed as well; he didn't what he had done to make her jerk back suddenly like that. But he saw the look in her eyes when she had. It was fear. She confused him and bemused him. But he hoped his plan would make her come out of the shell she had locked herself in. He rubbed his hands together in anticipation and then followed Raven into the tower.
## I'm not saying what is right or what is wrong.
I'm just thinking you've been hanging here too long##
Aqualad cleared his throat. The titans, who had been, until then engaged in a friendly game of cards looked up to see what was the matter.
Aqualad's gaze fastened on Robin for a second but he quickly adjusted his sight to take them all in. He looked behind him and saw Raven lurking in the shadows. He motioned her forward and she came, albeit slowly.
"Titans, Raven has decided..." he paused for dramatic effect, "...that we should all go and hang out at the mall."
"I WHAT!?" she screeched.
"Didn't you?" he gave her a charming smile and was delighted to see that she blushed and averted her gaze.
"What? Oh yes. Hang out." She mumbled.
## So, why don't we, just up and leave it all behind,
Maybe a change would ease your mind,
For a time, leave it all behind##
Aqualad looked up at the other titans who were all staring at Raven as if she had just announced that she loved the colour pink and was going to paint her room that colour. Aqualad was pleased with their reaction. It was something that they didn't expect.
"Well? Don't you think that that's a good idea?" he watched them all carefully judging their individual reactions.
"Hey I'm game." Said Cyborg getting up from the table and stretching.
"Yeah, we're up for that." Yawned Beast Boy as he got up from his seat and began clearing away the cards. Terra glared at him for answering for her, but in the end she didn't say anything.
## What I really want to do is see you smile,
Hear you talk and let me listen for a while,
There's too much going on to keep it all inside##
"I think it is a wonderful idea friend Raven!" cried Starfire jumping up from her own seat next to Robin and flying over to them, "It is good that you wish to initiate the ritual of hanging out."
Robin mumbled something under his breath.
"What was that Robin?" asked Aqualad putting a hand up to his ear, "I didn't quite hear you then."
Robin coughed and then blushing he smiled, "I said, uh, yeah it's a good idea."
## You try to whisper, but you start to scream and shout,
What you need is just a place to let it out##
Aqualad smiled his award winning smile and clapped his hands together. His plan was going accordingly; if Raven would not go out with the others freely then he would blackmail her into going. Maybe if she opened up, they could get to know each other. And if they got to know each other then who knows. "Excellent! Let's get going shall we?"
## So, why don't we, just up and leave it all behind,
Maybe a change would ease your mind,
For a time, leave it all behind##