I Want You to Want Me

Chapter 21: It's Like That

Our heroes were last seen all suffering from the backlash of the love bug. No one's relationships, whether they be romantic or platonic, seemed to be doing so hot. Those poor, poor titans.

Regardless of the pains they felt, Thursday came, and with it another beautiful, sunshiny day. It was around eight am and Robin was, as usual, wide-awake. Only he was sitting in the evidence room, having just woken up. He had fallen asleep there the night before, drooling slightly on the crime file for Control Freak. He felt so pained. So alone.

But really he wasn't alone at all with that feeling. Raven, who like Robin, often closes off her heart and doesn't really enjoy opening up to people and sharing parts of her life with them was feeling this same loneliness. And normally, people would not at all affect these two similar creatures, but the people who hurt them were people they loved. The people who had hurt them were people that they had opened their hearts up to. They were the people that they had worked hard to obtain after a period of blindness and were now ready and willing to any and everything for them. They had been working so hard to be acceptable for these persons and were left with their hearts ripped in two.

So the two sat in their respective parts of the tower, alone, in the dark, literally and metaphorically speaking, and were in pain. And yes, it was emotional pain, but the pain was hurting them physically too.

But little did they know this sort of pain would be increased throughout the tower and soon enough, everyone would be feeling it too.

Roy or Speedy or whatever was pissed. To say the very least. He couldn't believe that Robin would go so far as to ask Starfire to leave him. That guy was crazy. He had been angry when Starfire freed herself from him and flew out into the hallway. He slowly got up and went into the hall when he heard yelling. And that's when he heard Starfire say, "So? What do you want from me? I love you. Okay? He loves me too. And I," to Robin. The conversation from there was all about how he wanted her to leave him. How he would leave Summer. And Speedy couldn't believe it. Yes, Speedy was a very pissed teenaged super hero.

But at the moment he was awake, in the kitchen, pouring himself a cup of coffee. And in walked Summer.

"Not good at making tea either I gather?"

"Huh? Oh no…I just like coffee better, is all."

"Me too." She grabbed a cup from the cabinet and leaned across the counter, facing Speedy who was sitting at the counter. "Pour me a cup?"

Now his main objective was to get into Starfire's pants and in the process piss Robin off. And while he thought that Starfire was the hottest girl in the house by far he couldn't help but take notice of Summer's beauty since she was, well leaning over the counter and putting it in his view. She was in a black nightgown that was lacy and her hair was messy. Flirting a little couldn't hurt. Right?

"Uh…sure."

"Thanks…yum, looks delicious," she said while stirring some sugar into the cup with a spoon. Then she put the spoon in her mouth and licked it. "Tastes pretty good too."

Now Summer was dating Robin, and while he was told to be exclusive, he never told her she couldn't see others. Otherwise, how would she explain David and Johnny and Tom and Chris and Paul and Steven? So naturally this Speedy guy was just a little fun too and easily explainable. Besides, she figured that if Star…fire, yes she wouldn't dare call her Starfreak again after the way Robin yelled at her, but anyway, if Starfire found out that Summer was with her other guy that would be great.

"So," she said while taking a seat next to him and crossing her legs, which only exposed more leg, "your Roy, right? I mean, we've met twice, but never formally."

"Right."

"Robin has said so much about you."

"Really, well I can assure you that none of it's true."

She laughed. He smiled at this. When was the last time he made Starfire laugh?

"You're funny…and cute."

"Thanks. You're really pretty too, um Sum…Summer was it?"

"Yes. Summer."

"My favorite season." She laughed again and he smiled again.

"I'm glad you approve. Well, Robin never told me that you were funny. Or how strong you are."

"Yeah, I work out."

"I can tell. So, where's your mask?"

"I don't it wear all the time. I'm not Robin."

"Yeah, he wears that thing all the time. Has yet to tell me his real name, or allow me to see him without it on. And when I asked he just yelled. He has a short temper."

"Yeah, I've noticed. So…what's a girl like you doing with a guy like him?"

"Hoping to find someone who really loves me. Or who's a really good kisser."

"Well, I'm an amazing kisser."

"Oh? So are you offering your services?"

"I…I have a girlfriend."

"Oh yes. That girl that Robin likes."

"Loves actually." There was a pause. The two of them looked at each other with sad eyes and knew that the other was facing the same problems that they themselves were facing with their significant other.

"If I told you something about them…would you promise not to tell anyone?"

"…Sure."

"I want to hear it," she said while leaning closer to him.

"I…promise."

"Good…now," and she began to leak everything she knew and everything she had seen to him.

He felt guilty. She was just trying to help her friend get the kind of love that she had and he blew up at her. What had she done to deserve that? She wasn't hurting anyone, and she was in love with him. She had sacrificed the possibility of her emotions causing her powers to run rampant, and how had he repaid her? By blowing up at her in front of everyone and ignoring her. So now here he was outside her bedroom door knocking.

"What?"

"Um, hey Rae, it's me. Can I come in?"

"No."

"Look, Raven, I'm sorry."

"Good."

"Do you forgive me?"

"No."

"Am I only going to get monosyllabic answers here?"

"Yes."

"Raven, I know that I treated you bad. You were just trying to help a friend and I…I blew up at you. And I'm sorry. Sorry for embarrassing you, ignoring you, everything."

"…"

"Raven?"

"Yes?"

"Can…Can I come in now?"

"No."

"But Raven!" At this she opened the door, hood up and said, "Get lost. Now!"

"But Raven."

"No buts. You obviously don't care about me the way I thought you did. So just leave me alone."

"Raven, you're not alone. You don't have to be."

"I actually think I like it better that way. Bye." And with that the door was closed, to her room and her heart.

"I don't believe it!"

"Believe it."

"So it all makes since now."

"Yup. That's what they were really arguing about last night. That's what Raven meant when she said something about their 'get togethers.' They've been playing you and me for a few days now."

"I was the one playing her."

"Huh?"

"What I meant to say was…"

"Look. There's no need to explain. I haven't exactly been little miss fidelity in my relationship with Robin. And trust me, my intentions aren't so noble."

"Yeah…I was going to get Starfire alone and…wait a second. Why are you telling me all this?"

"I wanted to clear my conscious. And…I have a proposition for you."

"What's that?"

"Why don't we give them a taste of their own medicine? I mean, Robin would be pissed if he found out that you had both of his girls. You'd win."

"True…but what's in it for you?"

"A million dollars. A new car. A possible wedding. Oh and did I mention, your little girlfriend will be all jealous and you'd be free to do what you please with her, then leave her. She'll have left Robin for you and Robin would be jealous of me and realize what he's missing. It's fool proof."

"I don't know."

"Let's face the facts. We are losing. They're getting the better deal. It's not fair, is it?"

"Well…no, but-"

"-But now we have a chance to even the score."

"True."

"Exactly. And let's be honest here," she said while inching towards him. "I think you're hot."

"Thanks."

"And let's face it. I know that all morning you've been watching me. And I know you want to kiss me. Starfire hasn't been giving you everything you need."

"Yeah, but…"

" You like me and you know it. Now why don't you just let me give you what you need?"

"I…well…"

"Well, what's it going to be?"

He thought about it for only a second, but the facts were that Summer was pretty and half dressed and leaning on him, ready and willing to do anything to get her way.

"I'm in."

"Good."

And Thursday became a day where almost everyone wished for love, except for Summer and Speedy.

"Um, Summer?"

"Yes?"

"So how's it going to be?"

"Kiss me and find out." And he did. He was hers now. And before throwing themselves into a full on make-out session, Summer pulled away and smiled saying, "It's like that."

Author's Notes

There are no excuses. I've been in college and working hard with jobs and classes. I've had little time to write and I am currently stuck on the last few chapters of this fic. I intend to finish it soon though, regardless of how hard it has become to write it. I'm sorry for the wait. I hope you enjoy.

Still Lovin' It,

Lily.