I got a few reviews for chapters 3 and 4, so I'll start ch 5. I wrote ch 3 and ch 4 at the same time, and then decided to call it quits for the day, but confidence boosters are just so…confidence boosting! So I decided to NOT call it quits for the day, and continue writing the story.

Chapter 5:

Half-asleep, I tug at the fabric of his gloves until the material falls loose of his hand. I hold the severed glove to my chest with one hand, and the other continues to grip the pointer of his now-exposed hand. He briefly grabs my hand, brings it to his lips and plants the most tender of kisses on the smooth skin below my wrist. Instead of going back to my previous position on his hand, my hand reaches for his neck, and with my last bit of sense before falling asleep once more, I snuggle tighter against his body and sigh.

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Robin is still there when I wake up. It's nighttime, and dinner's almost ready—I can smell the unusual mix of tofu and meat making its barely noticeable presence.

I just realize I can hear his heartbeat, feel the wave-like motion of his chest rising and falling at a steady pace. It's so synchronized I find myself trying to match it. I just manage to send my body into the same formation when Robin's voice rings out, drawing my attention away from even paces, to his face.

"You're so cute when you're sleepy." I don't know what he can possibly mean by that—I'm not very pretty.

"Huh? What're you talking about, Boy Wonder?"

"I mean, you're just so cute." He was using a tone you would use to tell a puppy that it's cute.

"Hey, I'm no puppy!"

"I'm sorry. But you are a cutie."

"Yeah, yeah, save it for the 'All Things are Cute' Festival."

"Alright, I will. But when it comes to town, you'd better be ready, 'cuz you're going to be the main showcase."

"Puh-lease. Give me a break."

"What's the magic word?" Great. Now he was talking to me like a kindergartener.

"Please give me a break." I tried to sound as bitter as possible, and it worked, but Robin knows I'm only joking.

"Alright, but only because you asked nicely."

"Hmph."

I got up from my position, which lay precariously, and just above a rather unfortunate spot for my fearless leader. I removed myself from his body and waited on the side for Robin to get up.

Once he was up and ready, I fixed the bed with my mind and headed for the door. But before I could reach my destination I was blocked by the one, the only Boy Blunder.

"What do you want now?" I feigned an angry expression which he feigned to be hurt by.

"No Thank you kiss?" My eyes widened in shock. I felt so pathetic—I had never kissed anyone before, and I hadn't really thought about it. Nothing like this has ever happened to me before.

"Well, you see…the thing is….ummm…well, I mean….I haven't really…you know…you know…" He chuckles at my inability to state that I'd never kissed anyone before. My brows furrow in a tight-weave expression of annoyance at his chuckle. I have never been one to take mockery hands-down. I don't give anything up without at least some kind of fight. I just have to have my two-bits worth.

"What's so funny!" Anger must be clearly obvious on my face, for he stops laughing a little.

Looking up at him, I never realized how he was just a bit taller than me. Even without his gung-ho military combat boots he was at least three inches taller than me.

Being as deep in thought as I was, a person wouldn't notice how Robin leaned down about three inches, or how his face had moved about half a foot closer, or realized that the gap between us was rapidly vanishing—as though there were a magician controlling time and distance. And, being as preoccupied as I was, one would not notice how Robin's breath was getting warmer and warmer as distance was doing us together.

If one was as thoughtful as I was in that moment, one would not notice a single sign until Robin's lips brushed against mine. Just slightly, mind you, but being caught so off-guard like that made me feel…well…off-guard.

Sensing that I had finally become aware of his actions, Robin deepened the kiss by pressing his lips closer to mine. It was a regular kiss, nothing special.

And then I realized he was waiting for me to make the first real move. At last realizing this, I reluctantly press against him. My feet find their way towards his. My arms find their way around his neck. I stand on my tip-toes, the digits pushing me up more. His arms make their trek towards my waist, and one of them supports my back and brings my body closer to his. Choosing to give me a break, his tongue runs the length of my lower lip, requesting entrance. I yield, and allow him to explore. Then I take my own turn in his mouth. I press harder against his throat, drawing a surprised gasp from Robin. My arms ascend enough for my fingers to tangle themselves in his spiky ebony hair. Robin's arm around my waist falls just slightly, and the other arm reaches up so his hand can intertwine with my indigo locks. I feel his fingers interweave with the lilac tresses, and his palm collides with a soft touch to my neck. Deciding he would be in control again, he pressed harder against my mouth, dragging a moan from my throat. I press harder against him, and he presses harder against me. We're in a battle for control. I laugh between kisses, and he pulls me back in.

Finally I allow him to gain control over me, and I succumb to his touch, as one hand runs up and down my back. the other one falls slightly lower still, and the palm of his hand places itself underneath my butt to pull me closer to him. Soon I stop trying altogether, and I close my mouth, cutting off all access to my tongue. He stops and looks at me slightly crestfallen. But I shake my head at him, and he accepts temporary defeat.

I feel almost embarrassed now. Robin doesn't seem fazed in the least, so I allow the tint of pink to fade away to my normal skin tone. I try to speak, but no words come out. So instead I mouth the words thank you. He simply smiles back at me, and I realize that he is so childish. He looks up to me and sees me as a mother; someone to respect and obey, but love unconditionally. And that's how I like it. I like being the mature one. It suits me well, I think. I like the maternal feelings that wash over me when I'm around him. I feel like I have to protect him. I feel like he's a delicate flower whose petals could blow away in the wind. I know it's not true, but he has a certain childish fragility to him—an innocence of the most golden kind. When I'm with Robin, I feel like missing a childhood doesn't matter in the least. And it doesn't. I feel no remorse, nor yearning. The absence of a childhood doesn't bother me in the least. That's what makes it more special when I'm with him. He makes me feel like I need to hold his frail body close to me.

We compliment each other. I lost a childhood. He lost his parents. I play the role of the parents he could never have, and seeing him makes me feel like I haven't missed a thing. And I haven't. I love all the childlike fantasies. I'm like the baby that just learned to crawl around the house. I love to watch flowers blow in the wind. I may be half demon, but I feel strong motherly instincts towards anything fragile and childlike. It makes me want to cry; but I don't know if it's with sorrow or happiness. But I like being so complex. I'm not a teenager, no. I may be sixteen, but I'm a woman. Not a young woman. I'm a woman. And I like it that way.

I finally find my voice.

"Robin?" My voice reaches his ears with that strange motherly tone.

"Hmm?"

"I'm a woman."

I don't know why, but as I was writing this one, I had lost my writing mood. Ya see, I get these 'moods' where the writing just comes to me naturally. When I'm not in one of these 'moods' I can't write very good. So I'm sorry if this chapter stunk. Most people make it where Robin is the brave, strong one, where Raven is the fragile one. But this time I'm switching it. I never would have thought of it, but the story was practically screaming it, so I just put it in. and oddly enough, nothing seems wrong with having Raven be the mature one and Robin so broken and weak. But w/e. I'm not gonna force u to review, but like I said, they boost my confidence.

Spunksterdawg