"So you all remember your positions right?" Robin said, walking through the training room. There was a shipment coming within the next few days, the contents still unknown, but they were alerted to attack and find out. A training pattern was written up and the teens went through it repeatedly all afternoon.
The other 4 Titans nodded, standing next to each other in a line.
"Let's go through it one more time." Robin announced.
The Titans made noises of affirmation and scattered to their respective spots. Cyborg hunkered behind some machinery, his build blending in well with the surroundings. Robin up on the ceiling beams, and Beast Boy morphed into a mouse on the ground. Starfire, also in the air, ready to shoot and provide light. Raven was assigned to the shadows, like Cyborg, seamlessly blending in.
"And don't forget to talk through your steps this time!" Robin piped up from his position a ceiling beam. "We're going to go over the hostage take!"
Shouts of "got it," and "alright" were heard throughout the metallic building.
"Ready, go!"
Soft whooshes and thumps were heard in the dark. Night vision or night vision goggles activated as the Titans walked and talked through the steps. Whispered shouts of "over the box!" and "Wait for the sketchy dude aaaaaaannnnd MOVE!"
"Up on the beam." Raven spoke, moving from the shadow on the ground to the one on the ceiling. She crouched next to Robin who held onto another beam, waiting expectantly for her to wink, signaling she was ready for their joint attack.
He waited.
And waited.
"Are you ready?" He asked.
"Yeah." Raven gave him a look. "I'm waiting on you."
"You didn't wink."
"Yes I did."
"No…"
Raven scoffed and rolled her eyes, looking at him, and blinked.
"You still didn't wink." Robin said.
"Yes. I did."
"No. You didn't." He argued.
She blinked again.
"There."
"You still didn't wink!" He exclaimed tiredly, having run the training for hours and wanting it to be nailed.
"I just did!"
"You blinked."
"I winked." She blinked again.
"It doesn't count if both eyes close."
"Both didn't close!" She kept insisting.
"Dudes come ooooooon!" Beast Boy whined from somewhere on the floor. "I'm hungrrrry!"
"Did you forget the next step?" Starfire asked supportively.
"Yeah, come on Rae!" Cyborg called from the wall. "Is there a problem?"
"No!" She shouted. Turning to Robin, she looked him dead in the eye, and blinked.
He couldn't help the puff of air that blew out of his mouth in amusement.
Her cheeks flushed in his unexpected reaction and her slight embarrassment.
The three's voices filled the space in their wondering questions and comments as Robin looked at the flustered empath in front of him, eyes drifting from his.
"We can stop." Robin announced. "It's been a long session and I feel good to say that we have it down."
Cheers of joy and listing of different things they could do for dinner were heard as they drifted from the room and down the hall.
Hopping down from their perch, Robin stopped Raven before she could escape.
"Hey. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to embarrass you. I guess I didn't notice in the practice runs that you can't wink."
Her cheeks puffed, wanting to rebuttal the statement but lowering her head and looking away instead.
"We could do something else in its place."
"No." She shook her head. "I want to be able to do it."
"Do you want me to teach you?"
"Will you?" Her eyes met his again.
"Of course."
She saw his hand twitch like it was going to move but it was restricted back to his side with a jerk.
"They're in the kitchen." She spoke, sensing his hesitation.
He nodded, tentatively lifting his hands up to his face and peeled off his mask. Blue winked at purple, purple blinked.
Robin gave a smirk at her glare.
"I'm sorry." He raised his hands, "I'm not used to teaching you something like this."
Raven rolled her eyes, not knowing what else to do.
"I see you don't need any help with doing that." He teased.
She shot him another look.
"Ok, ok." He held up his hands again in defense. "Try to close just one eye."
He could see the deep concentration on her face, the gears that turned in her mind as she focused all of her facial muscles on closing one eye, and blinked.
"Did I do it?"
"You're still blinking."
She grabbed the sides of her cloak and clutched the fabric in annoyance.
"Here," Robin started, guiding her to the wall of mirrors, sitting down in front of it. "Maybe being able to see your face might help."
Raven joined him cross legged on the floor, observing her face in the mirror.
"I don't know how to explain but, close one of your eyes." He explained, unhelpfully.
Meeting her gaze in the mirror, she focused on her right eye, both scrunched in concentration.
"Try one." Robin spoke. "Both are closing."
She blinked.
"I don't understand." She huffed, arms placed on her knees as she leaned closer to the mirror, just to blink again.
"We just need you to…" Robin pressed a finger to her right cheek, lifting it up gently until her eye closed. "Oh!"
"Hmm?" She turned her face slightly to face him, finger still on her face.
"Can you move your cheeks?" He asked, lowering his finger, her eye opened.
She nodded.
"Move your cheek to your eye." He explained, moving his cheek up until his eye closed.
She moved her cheek up, and winked.
They looked at each other in the mirror for a moment until the realization settled. She winked. Winked.
They gasped simultaneously and turned to each other.
"Do it again!" Robin exclaimed.
She took a second to focus, and winked once more.
"You did it!" He cheered.
"I did it?!" She asked in disbelief.
"You did it!" He repeated.
"I did it!" Raven said excitedly, grabbing his arm, the action unconscious to them both.
"Try your other eye." Robin suggested.
Her left eye was not wanting to cooperate. Even with the newfound method, both eyes still closed.
"It's ok." Robin shrugged. "That just means I'm better than you." He teased, left eye closing then his right.
She rolled her eyes and put more force into her hand that held his arm, pushing him over gently.
He laughed and pushed her back.
They sat like giggling little kids, pushing each other around and practicing their, well, Raven's new skill.