"What is he up to now?" Cyborg came up behind Robin and his eyes ran across the surveillance screen before them.
Robin's steel boot toe dug into the carpet as he shifted slightly in his chair. Coffee mugs and papers littered the slim, sleek desk and he had both of his laptops open and scanning different databases. He pulled back in his seat and leaned backwards. "He's… training."
Cyborg raised an eyebrow. "Training?"He glanced up at the top screen and watched the other teen take a fighting stance and continue a routine that seemed oddly familiar. They decided on one of the guest bedrooms as his jail with a door that could only be activated by himself or Robin. Gray's moves were acrobatic, fluid and without hesitation. He threw punches into invisible targets and his roundhouse kicks were controlled, and precise. His blue eyes were sharp and alert as the sweat dripped down his neck. "Hey Robin?"
"What?" Robin growled. He shuffled through more papers in his lap and blindly grabbed at a coffee mug. He sighed as it was empty and let it roll back onto his desk.
"Doesn't he look like someone you know?"
Robin tore his eyes from the paper up to Cyborg. "No. Why?"
"Because he's like you."
Robin's eyes widened. He looked back at the screen as Gray shifted his black hair his from his eyes. Gray peeled off his shirt and faced the hidden camera in the high corner. His piercing sapphire eyes met his. This person was nothing like him as far as he could tell. Gray smirked and paused before chucking his shirt straight at it. The camera went black. Temper flaring, Robin slammed all his papers onto the desk and pushed the chair back.
Cyborg jogged to keep up with him in the hallways, not really wanting to expend energy on stopping the birdbrain. Robin slid his fingers on the flat screen next to the door and the door slid open with Gray sitting on the middle of the floor with his legs in lotus position. He was completely calm, and completely smug. "Oh, hello." He said with a grin.
"What do you think you're trying to pull?" Robin snapped. Cyborg sidled behind him and yanked the black shirt off the camera.
Gray slid his hands over his sweatpants and to his knees. "I didn't do anything. "
"You blocked the security camera!"
Gray's wolfish grin spread across his face. "What camera? I just wanted to get rid of my shirt and threw it aside." His eyes lit up and he craned his head behind a fuming Robin. "Rae!" He hastily stood up.
Robin closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. The last few days he had no leads on Gray. Nothing was on all the databases he had legal access to. It was as if he just sort of just happened to be there. People did not just appear put of thin air. And now there was Raven to his list of issues. The last few months she ignored him, but now she was finally coming back to him- to argue. She pestered him to see Gray in his so-called jail cell. She went as far as to demand that he be set free.
He couldn't and he wouldn't. Something was up, something that now even Raven refused to tell him about. Was he not her leader and best friend? He was frustrated to be left in the dark. He thought their relationship was still there. They had a bond. Did she forget that?
Gray cut through his thoughts. "I think you're the one who forgot." He crossed his arms over his chest and looked at the other teen with disdain.
Robin stopped and his eyes snapped to meet Gray's. "What are you-"?
"Be quiet." Raven's voice was even, harmonious, and calm. The slightest quirk of her arched brow indicated a warning. Robin read it and glanced over at Gray to note at his probable confusion.
Instead, Gray's frown mirrored Robin's and he stepped toward her with his palms open. "I'm sorry. Forgive me, this might be bit overwhelming for you. Are you okay? Are you eating 3 meals? And no, tea is not a meal." She opened her mouth to retort when her stomach growled very quietly, but loud enough for everyone in the room to hear it. Robin's heart sank as Raven's embers of anger edged away. Cyborg chortled as he threw Gray his shirt. He caught it in one hand and winked at her.
Robin placed himself in front of Raven. "Come on, I'll get you something from the fridge." He grasped her elbow but she only looked above his shoulder.
"I want to talk to him." She said.
"Then let me take you out." Gray quipped as he pulled his tee over his head. "If my jailers will allow it." He pointedly looked at Robin's head.
"You are staying right here." Robin grasped both of Raven's wrists and attempted to push her back from the doorway. "Raven, come on, you need to eat."
"He didn't do anything wrong. Let him go." Raven moved her hands from his grip.
Robin shook his head. "He's suspicious, Raven."
"You just don't like me." Gray stated with a smirk. Robin growled deep in his chest. That was invariably true, but he was keeping that to himself. "You don't have a right to keep me here." he pointed out.
Cyborg sighed. "He's right Robin. " His leader opened his mouth and he held up a hand. "I know we don't like the idea of this guy being in her room in the total nude, but we don't have real jurisdiction to house him here like a prisoner. And Raven is the same age as you. She's a legal adult now," he said this with an uncomfortable tone. "She- she can do what she wants. She knows the consequences of…" his voice trailed off.
Robin moved first, his fist heading towards Gray's face. He caught the punch in his left hand and he let out a snicker. "Ah, ah." Gray snorted. "I keep telling you your temper is unattractive." With a guttural snarl, Robin's foot pushed back on his chest. Gray slid on his heels several feet away. His bo staff in hand, Robin leapt into the air with murderous intent until a black shield formed around Gray's body. His staff made a resonated note as it struck the force field and he recoiled into Cyborg making both of them tumble to the ground.
Robin disentangled himself and abruptly stood up. "Raven, what do you think you're doing? Why are you helping him?" he demanded.
"Rob, relax." A large robotic hand grabbed his shoulder. This was now the second time his leader was losing it. "What were you doing trying to attack him like that? He's a citizen and innocent." He emphasized.
Raven let her hands drop to her side. "My room. Now."
Gray brushed off his knees and gingerly trotted over to her. "Yes ma'am."
"He's not going to your room." Robin tried to shrug Cyborg's hand away.
"Do you happen to be her boyfriend?" Gray questioned. Robin opened his mouth, then closed it. "I didn't think so. So unless you ever do become her boyfriend, you have no real reason to disallow me entrance to her room."
"We aren't going to do anything." Raven hissed. Her lips formed into a straight line as she shot Gray a warning scowl. "And don't you dare try anything."
Gray's blue eyes lit up as if he recalled something funny. "Oh, right, I'm not really sorry about earlier Rae." He stood next to her with a stupid grin on his face.
Robin stared as a pink blush erupted on her pale face. Her voice was quiet, deadly, and totally opposite of her face. "Give me one good reason not to vaporize you on the spot."
"Because I'll survive." He gently touched her shoulder. "I can take whatever you throw at me." He smiled at her. "And I do mean anything." He wagged his brows at her.
Her eyebrow twitched. "Room." She said steely.
"No." Robin interjected.
"I have to do what the lady says Boy Blunder." Gray bravely wrapped an arm around her shoulders. She squirmed but he paid no heed to it. "Catch ya later Bird Brain." He sent a snicker over his shoulder as the automatic doors closed behind them.
Cyborg tugged him back from the door. "Why are you letting him go like that?" the smaller teen demanded. He smacked Cyborg's hand away.
"You think I wanted to?" Cyborg had to tone down his voice to hold back his own temper. "Give Raven some credit. We have to trust she knows what she's doing."
Well I don't. Robin silently seethed. I trust that idiot even less.
Gray touched the incantation marker that glowed an eerie black glow. "You know, I can just tell you how I got here instead of you wasting energy like this." He directed his eyes to Raven levitating a few feet away, books floating around her in a circle. She didn't reply and almost angrily pelted the books away from her with a sharp flick of her wrist. Aggravated, the stacks of books toppled to the ground. He read the cover of a book that slid past him on dimensional states of mind. He cleared his throat. "Raven, you didn't even eat yet."
"Stop talking." She said through gritted teeth.
He ran his fingers through his black hair and set his bum to the floor. "You won't be able to send me back with whatever spell you come up with. You know emotions can't overtake you if you won't let them."
She finally looked over at him over the rim of her book. "I doubt you would tell me how to send you back."
He frowned. "I want to tell you how."
"I don't believe you."
"Raven." Hurt was evident in his voice. "I'm only asking that you do believe in me. If anything I just want to be acknowledged. I'm not asking you to like me, or even accept me as my own individual person."
"I… can't." Raven looked away.
"Tell me your thoughts then. What do you think I am?" Gray cocked his head to one side.
"A part of Robin." She whispered. "You need to go back."
"Good." Gray slowly nodded and stood up. "Which part."
Raven wagged her head frantically. "I don't know." She bit her lip. She didn't want to go there. She refused to go there.
Gray slowly walked over the incantation ring. The light dissipated as he stepped over. Cautiously he took her hand in his and lifted it to his lips. She could feel his warm breath ghost along her skin, making her heart beat erratically. His sapphire eyes were dazzling and shone with honesty. "Did I not make myself absolutely clear?"
She snatched her hand back as all he books slammed shut by an invisible force and the flames roared life. The T tower's fire alarm rang shrilly, yet Gray could still catch her words. "This can't- this isn't- never was real." The sprinklers turned on but Gray's eyes never left hers through the unexpected rain. "You aren't supposed to exist. You can't exist." Her feet touched the ground as she took several steps away from him. Her bookshelves behind her quaked with energy and her hands glowed with black forces. "You never showed yourself to me, not once! And now you expect me to believe in you?"
She looked back on all the wasted years of her unrequited love. There was no hint, no sign, no living spark that what Gray was even existed. The fates put this before her as a twisted joke or as an impasse. Was she being punished for not being forward enough? She already knew her actions were useless. She stared at Gray as the spitting image of Robin himself. Were the fates so cruel as to dangle what she could have had in her face? They put before her a different Robin she always wanted, but could never have. Her eyes fluttered open to see what Gray really was.
He was the part of Robin that loved her.
His voice was thick with regret. "Raven." Gray ran up to her and enveloped her in his arms. Shocks of dark energy pierced his muscles but he wouldn't let that faze him. "Don't cry." His voice cracked. Even with the sprinklers on and the way she hid her face he could see the single tear that left her eyes. "Don't. I'm sorry. I'm causing you pain, but I'm really here in front of you." He squeezed her tighter against his chest despite the pain increasing in his muscles to the point he felt like he was being torn in two. "I'm here Raven. I'm real. I'm here for you. I'm holding you. I kissed you. And I'm going to do it again."
"Don't you dare lay a finger on me." Raven tried to push him away with her own strength. Her powers pulsated through her fingertips as she pushed with the darkness, but he used all his strength to hold on. Her voice was hoarse and she struggled to not let the fear creep into her tone. "Get. Away."
"Never again, Raven." Gray's sapphire eyes were fiercely determined as her black magic manifested between them. "I won't let you go." He bent his head down and his mouth crashed onto hers. Raven shut her eyes tightly desperately trying to ignore the warmth blossoming in her heart. The underlying pain of everything collapsed on top of it, but the world quieted around them.
Gray allowed her only a small space to take a shaky breath. There were real tears falling this time, and she wasn't stopping them. His palms brushed against her cheeks and his thumbs brushed away the tear. His lips touched hers again, gentle, sad, and careful this time. He took it slow, endearing, and took time conveying his feelings precisely. The force of her mind receded from his, but excruciating pain rippled through the connection. He was hurting her by being here. He knew that, but he couldn't stop himself. His host was doing no better than him, but he could comfort this woman before him like Robin couldn't- not now in his relationship.
She attempted to shove him away again, but her hands were shaking. "Stop." Her voice quivered. "Don't make me feel this way. I don't want this." Because this is not going to last.
"Rae, don't be scared of me." He buried his head in her wet hair as the sprinklers stopped. "I'm not going to leave you, I never have."
"No, no…" she whispered in his chest. His lips brushed her temple, her nose then her cheek. With each touch, her resolve faltered and wavered. She wanted this. She wanted this more than anything in this world. Her dreams were no match to the real thing before her.
"Let go." His breath stopped before her lips.
"I shouldn't." she breathed. She was aching for his lips. She wanted to taste it for herself this time, yet she wanted to push him away as far as possible at the same time. Her emotions were rampant and broke through their secure jail cells ages ago it seemed. Timid wanted to run to the hills. Courage, pestered to go further. Knowledge was curious.
Love touched her heart.
The edge of his lips quirked into a small smile, "That's not the same as a 'no'. I'll take it. " He closed the gap with a kiss.
Robin slid the door open and Starfire gave a squeak of surprise. Raven's eyes were shut with her hands entwined in Gray's shirt. Robin stood frozen in shock when one of Gray's eyes opened and shifted over to him. The teen's arms visibly tightened around Raven's waist as in a claim. Gray lifted his head after a second more and scowled in his direction. "What?" he snapped. Raven buried her face in Gray's shirt and refused to meet anyone's eyes.
Like the two of them, Robin and Starfire were also soaking wet. Cyborg and Beast Boy came up behind them in the same condition. "The source of the fire came from this room." Cyborg opened up his holographic map of the T-tower. "You guys okay?" he stopped short to see Raven in Gray's arms.
"We're fine." Gray slowly let his arms drop. "Her powers got a bit out of hand is all."
Raven nodded, her body was glowing while her limbs felt numb. Her knees gave out, but Gray caught her easily. "Sorry…" she croaked and let her arm drape around Gray's neck. His mind brushed against hers in worry and in an apologetic manner. She pushed his mind away tiredly; she needed time.
"S-sorry to bother you!" Starfire giggled behind her hands. She nudged Robin beside her who didn't respond.
"Busy?" Beast Boy quipped with a raised an eyebrow. "You guys playing with fire or something?" He shook his head, spraying water on everyone around him. "Because I definitely wasn't expecting to take another bath today."
Robin's hands morphed into fists at his sides. Jealousy raged in ripples against his heart but he fought to control it. He spun around and pushed Cyborg out the way as he marched away from the scene. He heard Starfire giggle again before pushing Cyborg and Beast Boy out of the way as well as Raven's door closed.
"Star, what's the big deal." Beast Boy complained.
She shook her finger at them. "Don't bother her and her boyfriend next time okay?"
"He is not her boyfriend." Robin snarled at her. "Don't tell everyone that because it isn't true."
Starfire blinked. "But boyfriend Robin, you saw what they-"
"Shut the hell up." Robin snapped. He very well knew what he saw and he despised every strenuous second of it. Tears touched the alien's eyes.
"W-Why are you always yelling at me?" she demanded.
"Look Star, I'm sorry." Robin heaved a sigh and ran both hands through his wet hair.
"You never acted this way before."
"Were you expecting me to be Mr. Perfection?" Robin's tone edged back to an irritated tone. "Guess what, I'm not."
"Of course you aren't, but this… this is different than what I imagined." Tears fell from her cheeks. Cyborg and Beast Boy remained stiff behind her, unsure of what to do.
"Then maybe this won't work." The words tumbled out of his mouth before he could stop them.
In the back of his mind, something was telling him this was wrong. It was a very quiet voice behind the chaos that said so. He heard it, but barely. This isn't the love you want. There was a sharp tug to his heart then and he looked back at Starfire's pretty face. But... he's always loved Starfire. He loved her from the very second he met her rampaging around Jump in shackles. He always protected her, and hated it when other guys came on to her. She laughed at his jokes, she admired his bravery, he loved spending time with her. He didn't mind teaching her about earth. She was cute, she was tough and she was a great friend to him. She was perfect for him in everyone's opinion, including his own.
But what if he was the one who wasn't perfect for her?
"Robin." Starfire wrapped her arms around his neck. "No, I don't want that. I'm sorry, forgive me." He stiffened against her, making her hold on tighter.
"Star." Cyborg touched her shoulder. "He's just been on edge since Gray showed. Let him get some rest and it'll be better tomorrow I promise." He shot Robin a look and motioned to Beast Boy. "Take her to her room. We all need a good night's rest I think." Beast Boy nodded and led Starfire down the hallway. Cyborg glanced at Robin. His leader stared back at him.
"What would you have me do Cy." He said sullenly. Robin was lost. He just wasn't sure about anything anymore.
"Just, think of what you're doing. Think carefully before you make a decision." Cyborg sighed. "You have to deal with the consequences. Raven has someone." He said quietly. "Take that into account."
Something lurched in his heart. Gray wasn't with Raven. The thought was a clear bell that rang true. No matter what anyone told him, Gray wasn't meant for her.
Somehow, deep down, he knew he wasn't meant for her.
He was right for the most part.
You can't love someone with only a piece of yourself. You can only love someone with your whole being.
A/N: Freak, haha, well I guess this a New Year's present. Honest, I was once more stumped with this, but it came out nicely. The last 4 sentences really struck home with me. *Sigh* but its just so true.
Anywhos I apologize for the long wait. I really didn't think anyone would like this story... but I kept getting reviews on a pretty steady pace on a daily basis. ;-; which made me insanely happy but scared out of my wits that people wanted more.
Thanks for waiting semi patiently (for the most part :) ! Happy New Years my lovelies!
Review if you feel inclined ^-^