by: RioN VhEnTeUnO

Disclaimer: I do not own the Teen Titans, that's why my works don't turn into real episodes.

A/N: This is the first of a series of oneshots that I'll be doing as I go. Still deciding if I'd make these related to one another or not. If ever I do decide to relate them to one another, they probably won't be chronologically arranged. Heh. I'll need your opinion. Please R&R! Enjoy..

For Better or Worst

The Wings of Words

A cool breeze kicked at him, brushing a bare face devoid of the mask that usually covers it. The solitary teen watched the afternoon sky with eyes that were almost always kept a secret from plain view. Those eyes that were windows to his very soul.

Robin finally decided to sit and rest himself on the ledge. This was his safe spot; a little sanctuary in the tower where he could sneak off and be found by practically no one. This was one of the few places where he allowed himself to lower his guard. Here he can show his true self to nobody in particular. A place where his mask comes off, revealing an awful lot of sides to him that very few people knew existed. His fears and worries. His frailty and mistakes. His humanity…

Yes, he is just human after all.

He distinctly heard the voices of the others in the living room just a few feet above from where he was safely hidden in contemplation. They were his friends; the only people whom he treated like the family he had lost a long time ago.

Yet here he goes, sending his so-called family into heaps of dangerous missions day after day.

It was the constant fear he had. Sooner or later one of his friends might fall in the heat of battle; a possibility he knows of and has to deal with as the team leader. Sometimes he did consider breaking up the Teen Titans because of it. This often led him to wonder what kept him from doing so in the first place.

"Cool hiding place," a familiar voice came from behind him making his mind snap back inside his head and his body jerk in surprise. "Very secretive. So up your alley…"

Raven might be the only person in the tower who can catch him off-guard like that and it always made him feel somewhat uneasy. It's not like he's not used to her or anything, and certainly not because he found her to be creepy. It's just that he sometimes gets surprised on how well they know each other. It's almost like they don't have anything more to hide when they're together.

"The wind's great here and the view's perfect," Robin agreed as Raven sat on the ledge next to him. He didn't even bother to put his mask back on. She already saw him without it once. "How'd you find me?"

"Followed you here," She said in her usual dry tone, staring with him into the now twilight sky before them. "It's either you're getting sloppy, or there's something in your mind that's bothering you."

She turned to look at him at the lack of response, raising an eyebrow. "…and hell would freeze over before you get sloppy."

Robin sighed. It wasn't natural for Raven to pursue something like this. He may have really been that obvious. Wouldn't hurt to tell her…

"Today's… the anniversary of my parents' death."

Raven's eyes went wide for a moment before she decided to divert her gaze towards the sunset, greatly taken aback by what he had just said. "Um… Sorry, I didn't know…"

"It's okay, really," Robin assured, giving her a glance. He had this strong urge to continue opening up. "It wasn't an accident, you know…"

Raven looked at him again at this. Robin must be really bothered by it, because he didn't even try to change the topic. It didn't actually strike her that he was the type to linger in his past. He always acted so cool and confident, like there wasn't anything in the world that could bring him down.

"What do you mean?"

"It was foul play," Robin answered. Raven caught a rare flash of pain and sorrow in his eyes. "Somebody cut the ropes of the trapeze and loosened the safety net. That somebody was never found. You've been inside my mind, Raven. You saw what happened."

Raven couldn't find a response for this so she just let Robin decide if he would like continue or not. It felt like there was something more in his mind today other than his parents' tragic death though, but she didn't want to prod him for it.

"That's why I insisted on becoming a crime fighter when I discovered Bruce's secret," He continued. Both of them stared at the sky. The sun had already vanished over the horizon. "I didn't want other people to end up alone like me."

"You're never alone," Raven corrected, letting her legs sway a bit. "You have us Robin. We're your family now."

Robin sighed and hung his head. "I know that," He answered. "That's why I hate being a leader."

"I always thought you liked being in charge," Raven said truthfully.

"Sometimes I do," He admitted, looking up at her. "It's more of a curse than a blessing, I guess."

"What makes you say that?" She asked, her eyes now studying the rise and fall of the waves.

Robin fell silent for a good long minute, making Raven think that she had overstepped her bounds. As she opened her mouth to apologize, Robin's words cut in.

"I… love you all like I loved my family," He admitted. Raven noticed the shudder in his voice as he said this. "But then here I go endangering your lives everyday. It's always a possibility that sooner or later one of you might run out of luck. I wouldn't be able to bear with it if that happens."

"We won't go down that way, Robin," She said simply.

"I'm not so sure anymore," He hung his head again. "The fault would be entirely mine if that happens…"

Raven sighed heavily. She understood perfectly what her leader was trying to say. Without another word she stood up, closed her eyes and hopped off the ledge.

"Raven!"

Instinctively, Robin jumped off after her, instantly catching her in his arms. When he was about to pull out his grappling hook, however, Raven began to levitate. Robin gave himself a great big mental slap; he had totally forgotten that Raven could fly. She held him by the hands and floated back to the ledge they had sat on moments ago.

"What're you trying to pull!" Robin roared as soon as his feet regained footing, his face livid. "Is that your idea of a practical joke!"

Raven shook her head and looked him directly in the eyes.

"That was to show you that we can take care of ourselves," She explained, moving closer to him. "We jump into danger everyday whether you tell us or not. If something happens, it'll never be your fault, because we chose to face those perils on our own."

"Raven…" He trailed off, lost for words. His own anger ebbed away.

"Don't worry, fearless leader, you've never ever forced us to do any of this," Raven assured him. "Not even once."

Raven laid a hand on Robin's shoulder.

"If my words count for anything, Robin, then I'd say that you're one of the most remarkable people I have ever met," She withdrew her hand into the confines of her cloak. "You've taught us so many things. You've even given us hope… (1)

"You stood strong around us even though you sometimes felt weak yourself," She continued, tucking strands of hair behind her ears as a cool breeze blew. "But most of all, you showed us how to be a team, to be a family. We're all in this together, and nothing can ever tear us apart."

We're in this, and we will get out of this together…(2) Robin remembered his own words the very first time the five of them met, never realizing before that those same words served as a covenant that the Titans had. The start of an unbreakable promise that each of them intended to keep. He never really appreciated the power of words until now.

"Raven… thanks."

She graced him with one of her rare smiles as sheturned around to leave. Before she could, though, he laid a gentle hand on her arm. She peered over her shoulder to see that his pain and anguish had dissolved into the sincere smile he now wore on his face.

"Just promise me one thing before Raven."

Raven turned around to look Robin straight in the eyes. "Depends on what it is."

"Promise me that you'll never ever pull a stunt like that again," Robin said, resting both hands on her shoulders. She was overwhelmed by the concern in his eyes. "You scared the hell out of me, you know."

Raven felt the temperature of her face rise. She broke off eye contact with Robin; using her powers to cover her head with the hood of her cloak. She slowly turned away from him and started towards the general direction of the hallway.

"…I promise."

Raven phased into the wall and out of Robin's sight. Putting his mask back on, he too decided to retreat back into the shelter of their home. The scent of Cyborg's cooking meant that dinner was only a few hours away; the others will start looking for him soon.

With one last glance at the darkening sky, Robin climbed inside the secret window that served as the exit to his little sanctuary.

A/N: Okay, hope this was okay. I'd like to throw in a few things so that the conversations would be clear.

(1) Raven was referring to the conversation she had with Robin in the episode 'The End pt. III' where Boy Blunder said: Then I guess, I'll just have to have enough hope for the both of us, before giving little Raven a piggyback ride.

(2) This one was based on the episode 'Go' where Robin said: Look, it doesn't matter how we got into this mess. We're in it and we will get out of it together, right after Raven yelled at all of them for bickering so much.

There. Hope this makes those parts clear. I'd love to read your insights, opinions and suggestions about this. Feel free to ask questions or criticize my work. Remember, flames only make me more confident. Heh. Please Read and Review!