~RavensMind~
Chapter 14: Sweetheart
"Again I find myself in restraints built by my own emotion. When I break free, when I'm let loose, I will take my longing for what I have been holding back from and make it real. I want to feel alive again in a place of trust, in that, I know I'm safe. Complete control has eluded me, the moment it finally belongs to me, I want to make as special as I can. If he helps me, he makes me the happiest I've been in my life, and now that he shares his mind with mine – he'll know it's true. I know I can't say it yet, it's too soon, I know he won't either; I want to show him. I think I'm ready. I hope I don't make myself look like an idiot." – Raven's private thoughts from her own journal, written after their lunch date.
A jolt of energy shot through Raven's body and shoved her awareness back from her mind. She floundered in confusion before she realigned her focus on herself. Her physical senses eluded her, she couldn't smell, hear, feel what may have been touching her, speak, or move. All she felt was her power, surging through every space in her body like it never had before, as though her veins had been bound in barbed coils and electrified. As her heart beat and pumped blood through her, a shock would follow, and she fought to remain aware with every jolt. Her emotions scrambled in her mind to grapple with the new currents of power. Free from her father's bonds, power previously reserved for the demonic control he had sired in her was now hers to channel.
Accommodating additional energies takes its toll on the body, especially if it is unprepared to host the extra burden. Still, her senses were denied to her. Raven tried to grasp anything she could use to reconnect to the world, and found the nerves in her muscles and body. She couldn't move, but she could feel her body being held, being shaken roughly in a tender grip. A pair of hands rested over her heart and neck. An ache in her head and the pit of her stomach pounded with another jolt of power and pulse of blood. Her emotions had connected and were resuming control of her mind, focusing her power to restore senses. This is taking too long, she thought, what did we do?
The strong scent of sweat and hair-gel awoke her sense of smell, breaking her confusion and centering her aura. She associated the smell with the shaking, on the one holding her. Robin. Only Robin, she thought as her heart leapt. In her concern for her loss of senses, she hadn't thought to wonder if Robin had been experiencing the same thing, she was relived at least he was fully conscious. Their bond remained intact. Even if she wasn't fully conscious yet, she felt his worry over her current state. It was too hard to tell how long she had been like this with him awake, but she judged his concern by the desperate shake he gave her. She could feel the vibrations of his voice, but not the sound of it, nor the words he spoke.
Multiple shocks through her system tore into the skin on her forehead surrounding her gem and it burned. As though a needle pierced her flesh and scratched her skull, she would have yelled and groaned in pain, instead, she was gifted with a soft, light ringing in her ear which quickly subsided and she could hear again.
"-you, so don't do this, not to me. Wake up…I'm not moving until you do, not going anywhere, just move for me," Robin pleaded.
She didn't need to sense his emotions to know what he felt, how he felt. Her power changed, morphed, and stopped binding her. It soothed and warmed every vein, every nerve and vessel. Her emotions took the reins of her new powers and passed them to her. In her grip, she centered the flowing energy and directed it through her system, restoring the last of her senses.
With a groan, she opened her eyes and latched her fingers around one of Robin's wrists. His eyes lit up and he smiled a new smile, the one he would always mean for her. She saw his face and knew that smile for what it was, learned it: the perfect upward curl of both sides of the mouth, pressed out slightly, almost expectant of being met with another pair of lips. Her feelings for him swelled around Passion and the ideas he had given her by the fire were firmly placed at the front of her mind. Not yet, she thought, I should meditate, make sure my mind is okay, and that is done best without anyone else around me. She moved to get up, but he held her firm.
"Can I get up?" Raven asked.
"Depends. Where are you gonna go?" Robin asked.
"My room. I need to be alone, to sort out what happened," she said.
"No, you don't. You're staying here, until I know you're okay," he said.
"That an order?"
"Does it sound like one?"
"A little. I'll come back in a while, I just need to recover."
"You will. And that is an order."
"Okay. Can I get up now?"
"Trying to see if I can too, pretty exhausted."
He wasn't exaggerating, he was sweaty, and still sweating. She was just as sweaty, if not more so, her hair clung to her, and the spikiness of his hair had gone, his hair draped around his head as she hadn't seen in a long time. She moved to get up as he did, but they both slumped back down against the side of his bed with a groan.
"Together," he said.
They helped each other get back on their feet and he walked her to his door. She quickly slipped out and walked down the hall toward her room. She regretted leaving him after what happened, but it couldn't be helped, she had to see to her own recovery. Even if she was a mess. She would get cleaned up once she was through and join him later. What time was it anyway? Probably late. Hard to tell with no windows in the hallway. She passed Cyborg's room and wondered how the rest of the team was handling Gotham, it had been a while since Robin got an update, or told her about it. She wanted to be there too, to not be working through issues with her mind, at least she had Robin to help her.
Once at her door, she went into her room and stared blankly at the mess that her powers had made of it. Tiny cracks had formed in parts of the walls, furniture was askew, even her floor looked worse for wear. She found the journal that she had been writing in with Robin and placed it flat on the bookshelf in front of a row of other volumes. They hadn't written much lately, too busy spending time together. Not that she was complaining, lunch had been fun, as had the morning, and what she could remember of the night. Raven crossed to her dresser and looked at herself in the mirror.
If she hadn't already planned on having a shower, she knew she needed to take one now. Her leotard was soaked, slick against her skin and she was happy it wasn't a lighter color. Her hair drooped more than hung with a few stray strands poking out. As for her cloak, part of it nearly stuck to her back, and the rest of it was dry. It may have been the only thing that was dry. She traced the gem on her forehead with the tips of two fingers, sliding them down to the bridge of her nose as she closed her eyes and took a breath. She slipped into her thoughts, winding through the feelings and physical sensations to the now, her center, and took another breath.
As Raven meditated in her room, Robin paced in his. He had cleaned up the stones and the other materials Raven had used for the ritual and left them assembled neatly by the door, ready to go back where they belonged. Even after having gone through the trials within the halls of their minds with her, he still had trouble grasping that it happened at all. Connections, inspirations, and a stabbing headache had awaited him after he got past the disorientation of being put back into his body. The difference in his awareness before the ritual compared to after was shocking to him. He had yet to tell Raven, but he could sense her, and her mind once she awoke.
To one unprepared for such an ability as he had been, his notion as to how it worked was slow to form. He thought of it in terms that his parents might have been able to tell him, as much as he wished they could be present to do so. One headspace would swing and perform on tightropes, ladders, and other high-flying acts in concert with another, having to act solo, but also as a duo when contact was made – necessary for the most awe-inspiring tricks in the performers' arsenals. When he would swing and his mind would twist or bend with hers, he would glimpse facets of her current state of well-being – emotions, thoughts, even strong sensations. Unlike an acrobat, though, he was not controlling when he swung, or when he stepped out onto the tightrope.
Before she left, his mind had swung into hers, and he felt her true urges, regret to go, and irritation at herself for making the right decision even though it wasn't one she wanted to make. He knew what he should be doing too, but he wasn't as bent on following self-imposed rules as she had been. She did what she had always done, thought of her powers and the damage they could do unchecked, and went to check them. He knew it before she did, her power was stretching out to reach the places presented to it within her, more energy, and a deeper reserve.
Little from the ritual had escaped his memory and a spark of inspiration danced first in his mind, then his eye. It could wait, he thought. He sat on his bed and started removing his cape, mask, and gloves, then struggled to get his soaked shirt off. Better already, he thought, and sniffed. His room smelled more like Beast Boy's than his. Fix it later, should check in with the team, he decided, and reached for his communicator. He stopped mid-motion and reconsidered. They're being managed, his micro-managing would only get in the way of his old mentor's plans and habits at this point. No point stalling then, he told himself as he stood up and walked out of the room.
Raven was lost in her meditation when she heard Robin knock on her door. She opened her eyes and sighed, didn't she tell him? Alone, she had to be alone for this. It worked better for her, always had. He opened her door before she could get halfway there. She stopped short upon seeing him, as he looked frustrated, as well as naked from the waist up. Her eyes betrayed her as they were lost in the defined, sculpted muscles of her boy wonder. If he picked up on where her gaze was, he didn't show it. He closed the door and she opened her mouth.
"Thought I told you, I want to be alone," Raven said as she crossed her arms.
"Yeah, well, I don't. And I know that you really don't either," Robin said.
"Oh? Can you read minds too now?" she asked dryly.
"Just yours I guess," he said.
She paused, she assumed he was kidding, but it didn't sound like he was.
"Really? Know what I'm thinking now?" she asked.
"Not sure how I did it. I know when you were leaving, you wanted to stay, but made yourself go, because you know what your powers will do unchecked," he replied.
"Umm…this-well, this is a surprise. Seems the ritual did more than I meant it too."
"Looks that way. Your powers got a boost too."
"They did."
She tapped her fingers on her arm and thought as she looked at him, he might get to peek inside her head randomly, it breached a boundary she never thought anyone but her father would touch or threaten. She shifted on her feet, uneasy and discomforted by the idea of another intrusion, she had just ridden herself of the most destructive force in her life and mind, and traded it for someone else. Someone different, better by far, sure, but she didn't like anyone prying in her mind – it could lead to more than prying. Or not, it was still unsettling.
"Are we okay?" Robin asked.
"Sure. I suppose I'll have to get used to it, if it keeps happening, do you think you can?" Raven asked.
"With time, maybe. But back to my point, I know you don't want to be alone," he said.
"More to the point, you're here for me to…admit to what I want?" she asked.
"You might as well, before I beat you to it."
She bit her lip and looked him over, as sweaty and tired as she was, she could feel her blood pumping, her longing spurring more energy to serve her for what she wanted to do. She admired the plains and contours of his chest, arms, and shoulders. The sight of his glistening bare chest, all the tight, defined muscles, sent a warm jolt through her, from her chest to a space between her thighs. She wanted to be out of her leotard, to close the distance between them, torment him as he was tormenting her with a seductive, slow walk. Instead, she uncrossed her arms and extended a hand to him, a simple invitation.
A smirk appeared on his face as he crossed over to her, taking in the sight of her, tracing her curves in his mind. He wanted nothing more than to indulge in her pretty flesh as he continued to fantasize, or anticipate. He stepped awkwardly as his mind slipped into those thoughts and he almost lost balance. She chuckled softly at his misstep as he reached her. He laughed too and put his arms around her. She put her hands on his chest and glanced down between them, running her fingertips along the outlines of his toned flesh. He looked down, watching her fingers move, anticipating their smooth movements until they came to rest on his pecs. Her eyes met his. His hands remained firmly placed just above the small of her back as he smiled at her.
"I'm giving myself to you, because I want you, but as much as I want to show you how I feel…I don't want you to regret this or to make you do anything you don't want. Are you sure about doing this?" Raven asked.
"Are you kidding? I think I want this more than you do. There's no way I'd regret it, but," Robin started.
"What?" she asked.
"Nervous," he said.
"What? You? Nervous?"
"Yeah."
"I am too."
"Can't have that."
"Know a way to loosen me up?"
"Maybe a few."
He cupped her head and kissed her lips. His kiss was coaxing, confident, and eager, the taste sweet on her tongue. He could kiss her until time itself was buried and done. She lost count of his kisses. Until she broke away, bit his lip, and her mouth sought his neck. She sucked and nibbled at his neck, leaving tiny bite marks in her wake. He tipped her head up and brought his mouth to hers once more, drawing his fingers up along her back until he found the concealed zipper. He pulled it as far as it would go. She got out of the leotard in a flash. Along with it went her boots, gloves, and yellow belt.
Robin's gaze drifted down, taking in the sight of Raven in nothing but her black bra and panties once more. This time, he could look and touch. He appreciated the new perks. She watched as his eyes scanned her, and was pleased as they flicked back to hers and his lips curled into his widest smile. Her hands were already working to undo his utility belt. It fell to the floor with a loud thud and she slid his tights down over his growing bulge. He yanked his tights down and took them off, along with his boots and stood for her to admire him as he had her.
Her gaze was focused on the outline of his package through his red boxer-briefs and she let a tiny grin appear on her face before she parted her lips and pressed them to his lips hungrily, catching him off-guard. Their mouths mated, teeth and tongues savage with desire. Heat settled in his groin. He was so hard it started to hurt. She broke away and spun around, letting him undo the bow and hook of her bra. While she slipped it off, he traced the simple, black raven inked on her back with his fingers. She turned to face him again and her face flushed red as his mouth fell open.
"See something you like?" she teased.
"I uhhh…don't think 'like' covers it…or them," he replied.
"Still nervous?"
"Nope."
She giggled luridly and kissed him. He cupped her soft breasts and broke away. Her nipples tightened into sharp peaks as he raked his teeth along her neck. He kissed down to the valley between her breasts. His mouth closed over one rosy-gray nipple, his fingers working the other. She let a soft moan flow from her lips. He stepped back as she gently pushed him from her, kneeling and mercifully freeing his hardness from his boxer-briefs. Her slim fingers circled his cock, feeling its urgent heat, before sliding it in her mouth. It was if her mouth was meant to hold his length and girth. He moaned and bit his tongue as she treated him with her mouth, her head bobbing on his hardness slowly before she released him and stood once more.
"Don't want you to be done before we start," she said with a grin.
"That would be bad," he agreed.
"Very," she said.
He grabbed her hips and slid his fingers along her ass as he walked her back to her bed. She sat on the edge of the bed as he knelt before her. He pulled her panties off and nuzzled the inside of her thigh. His fingers stroked her, sending shivers of ecstasy through her. He treated her too. His mouth never stopped working her wet center.
In their minds, Raven's Passion flew into Robin's Passion and branded herself against him, assaulting him with kisses and holding him tightly. Raven was being pushed closer to her limit, she urged Robin off the floor and he pressed the tip of his hardness into her slick slit between her spread legs.
Unprepared for the painful pleasure, she winced and whimpered. He paused and withdrew, careful he wasn't doing something they'd regret, but she was bold, insistent, guiding him to back her most intimate place. He plunged into slick warmth, a scalding heat that gripped him. She was surprised at how her body sucked him in, holding him tight. Their bodies joined as one. The bed groaned, but hardly as loud as she did. Deep, steady strokes shook her. She moaned deep in her throat, biting back whimpers. His sweat-dampened body covered her own, and they kissed open-mouthed, panting as their bodies worked. She squirmed beneath him and wrapped her legs around him, he couldn't pull out if he wanted to. Which was more than fine with her.
The world dimmed around the edges. Her body bowed to the searing sensation as her toes curled, her back arched and a soul-shattering orgasm stole her senses. Bones within her tingled as the pleasure reverberated through every part of her and he melted in her heat. He strained body and mind, as he fought the rush that built within him until he finally dug his hands into her hips, pulling her hard into his final thrust.
Robin tumbled off Raven, lying panting beside her. She breathlessly twisted and laid her head and arm across his chest. Her body felt deliciously sore. She raised her head to consider his exhausted eyes. He breathed her name and pulled her tighter to him. They lay that way together as minutes ticked by.
She smiled up at him when he squeezed her gently. They locked eyes and exchanged the same thought through their bond: I'm home, and I'm yours. With the last boundary broken, they knew each other so utterly that understanding and acceptance of one another was natural to them. She only wanted to be his, and he just had to be hers. He was the first to speak.
"You know, we kinda have to get up eventually," Robin said.
"What for?" Raven asked.
"Uhh, it's still the middle of the afternoon…dinner and bad guys are still things, right?" he said.
"Oh. Can we let Wally deal with the bad guys? So we can order pizza and stay here," she said.
"I don't know if he can handle all of them himself."
"Jinx is supposed to be joining him, they can handle things."
"Hmm."
"What?"
"Just learned something."
"And that is?"
"Either I'm a terrible influence on you, or you really like sex with me."
"Not true."
"No?"
"You're a great influence on me."
"Gotta be the second one then."
"Mhmm."
She kissed his chest and started tracing the lines of his abs. He ran his hand along her back, massaging her tenderly. She hummed contentedly under his touch and curled up closer to him. He smiled and stared at the ceiling above them, wondering how he was going to make himself get up. He didn't want to move, he didn't want her to move, and they would both have to at some point. She was having the same issue, her desires were directing her attention, and she had no intention of ignoring them. Not while he was here.
"I really like sex with you too," he said.
"I'm glad," she giggled, "Think you might like showering together?"
"One way to find out," he said with a grin.
With some difficulty, she stood up and stretched before bending down and collecting her things.
"Not sure why you wear that cloak, Raven, it covers a very nice ass," he said as he watched her.
"As does your cape, Richard," she said as she stood up.
Mention of his name made him sit up and stare at her with different eyes. Only she could inspire new feelings in him, sensations and longings that he didn't think he would have. She was checking her communicator when he stood up and encircled her with his arms from behind. He kissed her cheek and held her close.
"Should we shower now, sweetheart?" he asked sweetly.
At 'sweetheart,' she froze and her face burned with red as she blushed deeply, it caught her off-guard. She didn't think she'd let a honeyed word like that one escape from a lover's lips and let them live afterward, but to her surprise, and partial horror, she liked it.
"What did you call me?" she asked, her voice soft and small.
"Sweetheart," he whispered into her ear.
"If you call me that in public, you're dead," she said.
He chuckled and kissed her cheek, then took her hand and led her into her bathroom. They took the steamiest shower, stealing glances and bumping into one another. It didn't take much to turn the steamiest shower into the longest shower they'd taken. He regretted working out earlier, she was testing his endurance at this point.
Barely drowned out by the sound of the water pouring over them and onto the floor, their combined groans echoed in the room. She was glad for the strength of the hanging rack in her shower as she held it once her legs trembled and shook beneath her as he drove her to another orgasm. His hands dug into her skin and his hips struck hers hard when he clenched and pulsed in her warmth again. Their lips met in a steamy, slick kiss as they panted.
Once clean and toweled off, they put on two dark blue bathrobes that Raven had stashed under the sink, then decided to head to the kitchen to see what they could have for dinner. She bent down and checked the minifridge. He stood behind her and looked at what they could eat when the door opened and grabbed her hips when she stood up with a container of leftover pizza.
"Is there more wine, too?" he asked.
"Should be," she replied.
"Good, save it for later tonight when I can get you all to myself again."
"Am I that irresistible? Isn't twice enough today?"
"Nah, it's not. And I can resist you fine."
"That so?"
"Mhmm."
"Then why are your hands on my ass again?"
He turned red and let go of her reluctantly. She turned around and wound her arms around him with a sweet smirk on her face.
"You didn't have to let go," she said.
"I'll have to at some point though," he said.
"I know. Won't be able to be all over each other when our friends are around."
"Nobody else is home now though."
"Very true."
She pressed her lips to his softly. His hands returned to their place on her rear and he pressed himself against her as they kissed. Caught up in the moment with one another, they missed the sound of the living room doors sliding open and only once they closed did they think they heard something. A small gasp alerted Raven's ears, but it was too late to do anything to hide.
"Dude, way to go Robin!" Kid Flash exclaimed happily.
Robin broke away from Raven and covered his eyes with his hand, hitting the counter top as he jumped back in surprise. Raven stepped off to the side and did her best to hide the red in her cheeks, but the stoic expression couldn't double as an emotional mask. Her Passion was still dancing with Robin's in their minds, and she didn't feel the need to stop them. Her eyes fell on Kid Flash and a shocked Jinx standing next to him, looking at Raven in awe.
"You should have called ahead," Raven said as Robin collected himself.
"We did a couple minutes ago; you guys didn't answer! I said we were coming tonight anyway," Kid Flash said.
"Did you two shower together?" Jinx asked, shaking off the shock.
"Yes, we did," Raven said.
Still covering his eyes, Robin turned toward where Jinx and Kid Flash were standing.
"Uh, good to see you guys," Robin said.
"Man, how come you didn't tell me she was your girl? Wouldn't have wasted my good lines on her," Kid Flash asked.
"She wasn't my girl then and we're keeping this to ourselves for now," Robin replied.
"So, this is new?" Jinx asked.
"For the most part," Raven said, "and you have no strong lines, Wally, they all limp."
"Killing me babe, killing me," Kid Flash said, clutching his chest as he exaggerated a heart attack.
"Nice. Can we still crash here, then? We can all catch up too," Jinx said.
"Yeah, you can, just let us go change and then we'll all get some dinner," Robin said.
"Sweet, this is gonna be awesome," Kid Flash said as he went over and hopped onto the couch.
