Returning a Favor
I own neither TT or Flogging Molly
I know I said it would be a oneshot... Let me tell some other lies while I'm at it. "No I swear they were dead when I got here... It was the dog... I love this job. (and my favorite lie) I'll update the other story soon!
AN: This takes place two weeks after the first installment of this story
Robin walked down the quiet halls of the tower. He looked at a nearby wallclock. He could hear the ticking noise it made before he laid eyes on it. 2pm. He shouldnt be able to hear the clock at all at this time of day. He sighed. Everyone was dealing with the fact that the good guy doesnt always win. Sometimes they just didnt get there in time. Four dead, six injured. All because of gun toting punks. Instead of coming together, even Starfire sought solitude. It was akward, but in the end they really were just a tower full of teenaged superheroes, with theyre own demons and issues. He stopped at Ravens room and listened. Behind the thick door he could hear sobbing.
One of the drawbacks of having an empath on the team was that Raven felt everything. So much negative emotion, from so many people was devastating to her- before even coming to terms with what she herself felt she had the added emotional baggage of four others to deal with. It was more than enough to shatter her carefull mask of control. Robin sat down at the door and leaned back against it.
He knew he had screwed up, he hadnt talked to her much since that night they had shared a bed. Then again, giving her space might be the normal protocall for a super sensitive half demon. There was no way to be sure, but before even the first day had passed she had acted like nothing happened. He sighed. How could he make this right? How could he help her, make her understand how he felt?
"Go away." Came Ravens voice from inside.
"Its me." He said, and smacked his forehead. She'd know that already, duh. She didnt even respond. Robin continued to sit there. She sounded small, and scared. It worried him. Ever since she had been in his mind they had been each others supports, confidants, and more. He'd jump at the chance to have more with her. He worried he had lost his chance.
Robin sat down against the door and leaned back. He thought about todays victims, one of them a child. "You cant always win." He said quietly. He knew she could hear him. "All we can do is our best. Sometimes thats just not enough. All we can do when this happens is take the fight to them." He let go a heavy sigh, and allowed a few tears to run out from under his mask unchecked.
He remembered Raven, when it was over pulling the bloodied little girl into her lap. He eyes were already fixed and dialated, he chest torn apart by gunshot wounds. Raven was covered in blood. She had poured her energy into the little child, trying desperately to bring her back. The child had sputtered a few more times, but Raven ultimately failed. Robins blood ran cold. The haunting image of Raven looking up at him with those soul shattering defeated eyes... It wouldnt leave him alone.
"Raven, let me be there for you." Robin whispered. "Youve been there for me. I'm not leaving."
God, had she been there for him. He recalled the pure, unbridled terror he felt when he had been hallucinating. He had wanted nothing more than to lay down and cry, and let Slade kill him. At least it owuld all have been over then. But then, then Raven had been with him. She got him through it. Even afterwards, she had stayed there. She had sat beside him in his hospital bed all night, holding his hand and easing his fears when he was awake. Robin felt Raven sit down on the other side of the door from him. He leaned his head back against the cool metal.
"Let me in Raven. We've always been there for each other. Why stop now?"
"I... I thought things would be differant." Raven sobbed. Robin felt like he had been kicked in the gut.
"I dont know how differant you want things to be Raven. I just dont want to hurt you... I'm a little scared too, you know." Nothing but silence answered him. He worried. She sounded so unstable. With her head so close to his he could even feel it, to an extent. Through a great effort of discipline he pushed aside his own negative feelings. He cleared his mind, just as she would if she were meditating and hoped it helped her find some peace. The soft sobbing continued.
"I dont know how to help you like this." Robin said, exhasperatedly. Out of frustration he hummed a few bars of a song he liked. Raven was quiet. Robin snickered. "Its from an irish band." He said quietly. A song that makes me think of you."
"Will you sing it for me?" Raven asked from the other side of the door.
"Yeah. I can do that for you, Raven." Robin cleared his throat and began:
If I ever leave this world behind
I'll thank ya, for all the
things you did in my life
If I ever leave this world alive
I'll come back down and sit beside your
feet tonight
Wherever I am you'll always be
More than just a memory
If I ever leave this world alive
If I ever leave this world alive
I'll take on all the sadness
That I left behind
If I ever leave this world alive
The madness that you feel will soon subside
So in a word dont shed a tear
I'll be here when it all gets weird
If I ever leave this world alive
So when in doubt just call my name
Just before you go insane
If I ever leave this world
Hey I may never leave this world
But if I ever leave this world alive
She says I'm okay; I'm alright
Though you have gone from my life
You said that it would,
Now everything should be alright
She says I'm okay; I'm alright
Though you have gone from my life
You said that it would,
Now everything should be alright
Yeah should be alright!
Robin felt the strings to his heart strummed. He knew she could understand why that would be a special song between them. He heard a rustling of fabric behind the door and he stood up. A moment later the door opened revealing a destroyed room, in the center of it was Raven. Her eyes were red from crying, and a fresh company of tears made ready behind her eyes, ready to make the short march down her beautiful face. She looked helpless.
In just a second he had her in his arms, and she wrapped around his form. The tears made theyre march, but he was there for her. He offered her no words as she railed and raved against him, her small fists beating his chest in frustration as she cried. When she was done he held her closer. Her tears finally dried after some time, and he carried her to her bed.
"Dont you ever leave this world." Raven croaked.
Robin smiled down at her. It was hard to keep his head clear, but somehow he knew that it helped her. She gave him a sad smile in return. Slowly she pulled Robin down with her and they laid next to each other in the dark room. "Its going to be ok."
"Robin." She mewled, and moved closer to him. "I love you." She said before she even thought about it. For two weeks now she had been beating herself up over this man. The man who had come through the depths of hell for her. The man who, when she had no stability of her own, gave her his. She lowered her head now, fear gripped her heart. She was going to scare him away, he was going to leave, reject her. Raven braced for the pain. 'God I'm so stupid, why oh why oh why oh why, so STU-"
"I love you too Raven."