Disclaimer: I don't own the Teen Titans, or any of the characters in the comics and series, only a few of the names that don't seem familiar. Those are mine, and if you don't know those names, well I feel bad for you.

A/N: AAAHHH! I'm soooo sorry this is so late, I was just so caught up in this other story I'm writing and I think I'm going on a Malchior phase (I did once mention that I'm a total dragon freak) and well … you understand how one story could hault others – at least in my case.

Again … sorry for the wait, thanks for the reviews, love you all and enjoy chapter – what is it? 9 – oh yes, duh, it is 9 stupid cimple, stop being so lame!

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Off Guard

"Raven … you awake?"

It was late at night – no it was early dawn, like somewhere around 1 in the morning where the masses were still asleep and only the nocturnal were awake. A couple of those nocturnally bound people were Raven and Rorek. Up all night at Rorek's house – only because Raven didn't feel like going home – playing card, watching TV, talking, or just staring off into space. They were a bored bunch currently sitting on his couch, feet propped up on the coffee table.

Rorek nudged Raven gently, not wanting to wake her, but still wanting to know if she was up, the girl in his arms yawned and opened her droopy eyes. Adjusting to what little light that flooded into her dilated pupils from the muted TV, Raven sat up from resting her head on Rorek's lap and rubbed her eyes cutely. Looking around she got her bearings and noticed she had dozed off, "Damn … looks like you win."

A smug smirk – yet extremely tired – smirk appeared on Rorek's lips and he chuckled, "Yeah, you owe me … 20 bucks."

Raven glared weakly, "Twenty? Don't get stale on me R, I clearly remember the deal being 5 dollars."

"5 dollars my ass," Rorek sighed and closed his eyes, leaning back on his couch and snuggling into its comfort, Raven settled down next to him. Leaning away to rest her head on the arm of the chair and propped her legs on Rorek's lap with a meaningful plop.

"Ya, damn straight 5 dollars."

He snorted, "Cheap … broke ass …" he trailed and suddenly just nodded off.

Raven chuckled weakly, closing her eyes the same as Rorek with a small smile on her face she listened to the rhythmic breaths his sleeping form took. Slow, steady, calming, soothing … she felt herself going back to sleep and she didn't bother to stop herself. The darkness was just so comforting and being in the presents of her closest friend since 8th grade made she feel so secure. The warm and cleanliness of Rorek's apartment … well actually he lived with his father, but he was freelance writer and disappeared for months un-end.

So in so many words, Rorek actually lived by himself with his father never around. To Raven, that was cursed blessing for him, cursed because he actually looked up to his father and Raven in her small time meeting him actually liked the man, he was kind, caring, understanding, and loving. Everything that her own father wasn't … which was the blessing in her case, if her father was gone as long as Rorek's than maybe she wouldn't have to be in this mess.

And the worse thing now that she actually thought about it was that she had dragged Rorek into her life. Remembering when she first met him … 8th grade … when Malchior moved on to High School without her, leaving her without a brother to look out or protect her. She was vulnerable and – dare she admit it? Afraid. Even when her father was already teaching her the way of the streets, Raven was still unsure about the whole thing and when she waited outside her school for her chaffier to pick her up.

Well, trouble brewed.

She never saw it coming, two older – much stronger – males had nabbed her from behind and dragged her to a secluded area in the school. Struggling and trying so desperately to use what she was taught to defend herself, it seemed the more she fought the worse the situation became. Beaten till she was seeing spots and floating between consciousness and unconsciousness, Raven was smart enough to know that she was about to get raped.

Hands roamed all over her body and she whimpered, tears coming down her face. She begged for them to stop … but it didn't come out in words, just stuttering sobs. Lucky for her, nothing really DID happen, because she was saved.

If it's not clear yet, then the name Rorek pops up.

He was the one that saved her from a horrific event about to take place. Raven opened her eyes abruptly; she took a deep breath trying to calm her beating heart from the vivid memory. The way he looked, the way he spoke to her … it was so clear and so soothing. That it made her feel so safe, so secure … and to her shock … so … weak … thinking about it now, Raven came to a strange conclusion.

Where a moment in time that was supposed to be a turning point for her to forever be with Rorek as an equal, as a loving partner. Actually turned out to be a turning point in her passive state … turning her into what she was now. A girl that could take care of herself, and never wanting to be taken care of … Raven ran a hand through her violet locks and looked down at Rorek.

Her strange conclusion actually bring a smile to her lips, chuckling to herself she shook her head, My god … this is just too much to realize … how could I have been so stupid? You were right there, our chance was right there … but I chose to be someone else … Rorek …

Blame it on the doziness, the lack of sleep, the fun of the moment, but Raven found herself hovering just millimeters above Rorek's sleeping body. With her thoughts incoherent, and her body moving on its own accord she leaned down and closed the gape between them. Kissing him short and sweet – something similar to a goodnight kiss, in a matter of seconds it was over and Raven blinked her eyes open.

Only to see Rorek smirking with one eye cracked open, "You know, it's supposed to be the prince to awake the sleeping beauty."

Oh … shit … busted! Was the only word that came to play in the scene before her, pulling far away till she was on the opposite side of the couch, Raven's mouth gaped open like a shocked fish out of water she stuttered, "Uh … bah … uh – Ror … I …"

Rorek sat up and laughed at her embarrassed face, even in the dark of the living room he could see her face blushing beet red. Hell, who wouldn't feel kind of stupid or embarrassed for being caught kissing someone in their sleep. Not to mention that certain person being with someone else. But, instead of being sharp, accusing or even upset about the moment. Rorek sighed and fixed his hair, "Something on your chest that you need to get off?"

Raven knew it was an innocent question, but with the situation and the dizziness from the lack of sleep she was reading it all very … weirdly. Still blushing like mad, Raven looked off and bit on her lower lip, apologize ever so softly that Rorek almost didn't hear it, "Sorry."

"Sorry? For what? A kiss?" he questioned and snorted, "Don't be, I was wondering when you'd do something like that. It was only a matter of time."

Oh great make me feel even more like a hopeless schoolgirl, Raven sneered and looked back at Rorek, "It was a … a thank you actually …"

He blinked, the sign "Lost" stamped on his forehead as he question with his incredibly IQ, "Huh?"

Raven rolled her eyes, "I said it was a thank you … for … when I first met you … remember? When those guys –"

"OH!" Rorek nodded finally getting with the program; Raven didn't know whether to smack him upside the head for the ever so "SMART" reply from the honor student in her school, "Right, yeah I remember. Wow … just now you're giving me a "thank you" gift?"

"Yeah, so, I just thought of it now," Raven pouted, feeling so awkward about the whole thing.

Rorek shrugged, "Nothin' against it, I accept … but that's not a real kiss, that was just a … … peck."

Raven gave him a dry look and shook her head when she noticed he had that playful glare in his eyes, "Uh-uh, I'm not falling for that."

"Oh come on, I think you can do better, way better," he urged with a smirk and Raven's blush came back full force just when it was dissipating.

"Knock it off R, it's not funny anymore," Raven growled looking away crossing her arms over her chest, "just take what I gave you."

In some many words, Rorek pieced together her puzzle and blinked in disbelief, "Wait a minute, you tellin' me that was your first kiss?"

"…" she said nothing, which was enough for Rorek to get the message.

Shaking his head he scooted closer to her, "Come here."

"Wha?" Raven looked up at his ice-blue eyes noticing their seriousness.

"I said: Come here," he repeated firmly, motioning to the spot closest to him, a million things went through her head, wondering what he could want with her at that close a proximity.

However one thing kept coming back at her and she wouldn't believe that Rorek would be that stupid to actually try it, but curiosity killed the cat. Slowly scooting closer, she got within arms length and he wrapped his around her waist. Pulling her very close to his body where she was barely straddling him, Raven gasped and tried to pull away, but he 'shhed her, "Don't worry, I'm gonna' show you what a real kiss should be like for your first."

Raven's heartbeat sped up incredibly fast and she looked up at him with eyes that showed her uneasiness of the position they were in, "Uh … Rorek … I really don't think that's necessary."

He chuckled and teased, knowing that she'd never fight against him after he said, "What's the matter? Scared?"

"Shut up," she hissed, "I just don't think – look we're friends and all, I just don't wanna screw that up alright."

"Well you're not," Rorek reassured with a comforting smile, "I'm a friend, that's gonna' help my totally clueless female friend see just how good a kiss feels like when done the right way. You cool?"

"I don't know," Raven shook her head, this whole thing was getting surreal, and to think it all started with a past memory! Wally West was right; the past should stay where it belongs, right in the past! Cause look where it was getting her, in the middle of her best friend's living room – no parental unit anywhere in sight, and about to be shown one of the most sexiest foreplay games in the history of history by said best friend.

It was crazy!

But the insane thing about it was, Raven was actually thinking about letting it happen! Even as she knew he was taking advantage of her hesitation, leaning down slowly to give her time to move away if she should feel this was really wrong. She didn't move, just stayed put still staring at the ground. Trying to make her feel a bit more at ease he whispered, "If makes you feel better, pretend I'm someone else."

That made her look up, but gave him a lost expression, as if suggesting he was someone else was impossible for her to accomplish. Although, when she did look, it showed her just how close she really was to him. Putting a hand on his chest, not to push him away, but just to give her some leverage and feeling a strange urge to just feel his heart beat.

Raven gulped when he inched down even closer, pressing his hand harder on her back to push her up to him. Breathing was hitched, opening her mouth to help her lungs get more air, Rorek chuckled and a smirk appeared on his lips, "Last chance."

His voice, it was just as hypnotic as their breathing and that smirk it looked so much like … Angel … with a gasp, Raven's eyes shot wide open and Rorek suddenly found himself on the floor, with his head hurting. Apparently Raven had pushed him not only away from her, but off the couch and in the process knocked his head on the side of his coffee table. Hearing the bump, Raven cringed and looked down, "Oh god! Rorek! Are you all right? Shit, man, I'm so sorry!"

"Aw, fuck! My damn head!" Rorek cursed and rubbed the back of his head where it struck the corner of the table; Raven got down on her knees in front him and reached out to help.

"Damn Rorek, I'm so sorry," Raven repeated her plea and he shook his head, whether to make sure he was awake or alive, he looked up to Raven and gently swatted her hand away.

"Nah, I'm fine, just a … ah … just a bump," bring the hand that was on the pain to make sure he wasn't bleeding Rorek sighed and sat up, Raven having been hovering over him, immediately moved when his face got a little to close to her chest. Not that he really took notice; the pulse in the back of his head was too distracting.

Raven groaned and put a hand on her forehead to move the bangs that fell in her eyes away and huffed, "My fault, sorry I freaked."

"No, really?" Rorek sarcastically replied and Raven found herself once again, embarrassed, Rorek took notice and calmed down. Cracking his neck and rolling his head around to get over the pain he gave Raven a look and stated coolly, "You know you could have just said no and I'd understand."

Raven sighed and looked off, If it were that simple … Angel? What the hell? Still perplexed about the sudden pop up of the cocky-stalker Raven frowned and looked back up at Rorek nodding compliantly, "Yeah … sorry."

"Hey I said I was fine," he reassured and slowly got up with the help of Raven grabbing on to his elbow and pulling up to his feet, he grunted and shook as a chill went up his spine. Taking a deep breath and slowly letting go he plopped back on the couch, Raven following a few seconds after and curiosity got the better of him, "So," he started slyly, "who were you thinking of?"

Off guard, Raven blinked and shot Rorek a look that clearly wondered if he had read her mind. No surprise there, Rorek had a thing for reading people, "Thi-thinking of? Wha?"

"Ah-ah-ah Rae," Rorek shook a finger warningly, with that sly look in his ice-blue eyes, "Don't play stupid, I know you were thinking of someone else other than me, I can see it … even now. So who's he … or her if ya go that way."

Raven glared, angrier at the last part of his sentence than the whole thing, "Oh go to hell Rorek! I wasn't thinking about anyone!"

"Sure you weren't, and I'm not in searing pain from your harsh shove," he snorted, "who is he already, you at least owe me a hint since you still owe me money from our bet and the table thing. Come on, spit it out girl."

"It's no one," she lied, flat out lied, and Rorek knew it, but she couldn't tell him the truth, hell she wasn't even sure why Angel came into thought just before "it" happened. He just … popped into her head … strange … and disturbing. Especially since she hardly knew anything about the guy.

Rorek saw that she wasn't going to fess up and sighed, shrugging he suggested that she go get some sleep in the guest room. Not that she was complaining, she blamed it all on the lack of sleep that started this whole damn incident. Kissing her best friend? Wasn't there some kind of unwritten rule against having deep relationships with your best friends?

If there was, Raven wished someone would already tell her or better yet give her the manual.

((--Later in Mid-morning--))

Malchior, leaning against the side of the loft he and his sister lived in, dark sunglasses on to shield his blood red eyes from the bright light that came from the natural sun. Jerked his head around to move the cowlick of violet hair that fell just in front of his left eye. Foot propped up on the wall as well; he took a long drag of his cigarette and slowly blew it out. Shifting his stance a bit, anyone who glanced at the scene would think that the boy was up to no good.

And they'd be half-right.

He was up to no good, Raven was out and he was smoking. Something she'd so totally scold him about in small words. Not that she was so passionately against it cause hey everyone had to have their own little peccadilloes, she just scoffed at the idea that he chose smoking. The most common in slow suicides, so not original, yet he didn't care, as long as the sucker distracted him from life he was fine with it.

However most that did see him with Raven – not smoking – and seeing him now – smoking – was … a bit … odd, "Whoa, I never knew Malchior smoked."

X blinked befuddled at the scene and Jinx in the passenger side rolled her eyes, "Yeah, well he doesn't do it with Raven around."

"Oh, never took her to be preppy," X snorted with a smirk of amusement.

Jinx raised a brow, "Raven? Preppy? Get out of here, she just hates the fact that her brother can't be original for once."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever," X sneered, "now get out of my car and get her already, I don't got all day."

"Impatient wretch," Jinx scoffed and opened her door, and slamming it shut. Looking down the street and up to make sure there was no cars around she jogged across to Malchior and called out to him, "Hey! Malchior! Is Raven in?"

Slowly, almost sleepily he looked up at her and sniffed, running a hand under his nose he snorted and in a droll like tone answered lazily, "Nah, she's sleeping over at Rorek's. Why the hell you wanna know pinky?"

Jinx ignored his lame name-calling and also chose to ignore his strange off tone droning questioning, "Rorek's? Rorek's place? You LET her sleep over at Rorek's place?"

"Who the fuck you think you are, my damn mother? Yes Rorek's place, she does it every so often whenever the hell she feels like it." Malchior snapped sniffing again and leaning his head back against the cemented wall cursing a major headache forming in his head he glared at Jinx again, "You got a problem with that?"

"Malchior!" Jinx growled in exasperation, Damn it what the hell is this guy on? Raven at Rorek's place? Dumb-ass!

Malchior scowled and flicked his finished cancer-stick and narrowed his eyes from behind his sunglasses at Jinx, "If your looking for Raven just go to Hearsay Street, go all the way down till you reach the corner and across the street from a fucked lookin' mechanic shop is Rorek's apartment complex. Room 212, now leave me the fuck alone, my damn head hurts."

Jinx sneered, "Asshole." Rolling her eyes at him she jogged back to X's car and got in, answering before he questioned she repeated the message, "Raven's at Rorek's apartment, he said she slept over there."

"What?" X barely contained his outburst and hoped Jinx didn't find it too odd that he'd be bothered with Raven over at another guys house.

"Yeah, I don't believe it myself, and he said that she does it more often than not! I mean Rorek's dad is always gone off doing god-knows-what practically leaving him home-alone twenty four seven. Bad combination if you ask me," Jinx huffed and flicked her wrist, "just head down to the end of Hearsay Street and across from a mechanic shop is his apartment. Gee, I never knew he lived down there …"

Raven sleeps over at Rorek's house? X thought with a shutter, starting up the car and turning out of Nirvana Avenue heading down to Hearsay Street, X couldn't stop his teeth from grinding and his hands gripping the steering wheel so hard that his knuckles were turning white. There was just something about Raven being another guy that just made him … livid. What the fuck does Malchior think he's doing? Who knows what the hell those two are up to!

"Yo, X," Jinx called with a strange tone of mischief to her voice and a grin from ear to ear told X she was up to no good, "you think we can sneak into the complex and catch them … you know … off guard? Oh man, just think of the blackmail that sucker would bring, we could so totally own their asses, come on X get this tin can a movin' I got my camera in the back. Let's do it, cuz!"

As much as he'd be so totally down for stuff like this, something about "catching them off guard" bothered him. However, for the sake of pranks … he'll do it for the hell of it, Shit, this could be the juiciest story of the whole freakin' streets! Jinx, you're a fuckin' genius!

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Alright! We're movin' on in this chapter – finally! Geez, once again, sorry for the wait, so what we thinkin' folks? Review and I'll have the next chapter up for you in no time … I hope - no I'll try …

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