~RavensMind~
Day 1 - The Bond
Dream Consequences
Pulling up in front of a tall oak tree, Robin cut the engine of his R- Cycle. He took off his helmet and glanced around the otherwise empty parking area, grateful that they would at least be alone for this rendezvous. He had tried to pick a quiet place away from prying eyes, including those of their friends. He breathed in the forest air and got up, gravel crunching under boots as he stood. He showed his helmet in a compartment on his bike before he enabled the R-Cycle's security system. His breathing was calm despite his nerves and he didn't spare the parking area another moment before starting down a dirt trail into the woods.
Birds chirped all around him as he walked, while rabbits and squirrels dashed through bushes. The sun cut through the green leaves of trees that hung over the path before him. A light breeze created shifting shadows around him. He didn't have too far to go and he was early yet, so he could take his time if he desired. No reason to rush into the awaiting difficult conversation with Raven. He still wasn't sure of what he would say. After all, how do you admit to inspiring constant shared romantic and intimate dreams by way of a magic bond with a close friend you've otherwise never so much as kissed?
It had taken a while for both of them to acknowledge the situation to each other, as they had both thought the dreams were temporary, but it had been two months since they started and there was no end in sight. If anything, the dreams had gotten more intense. Initially, he wanted to discuss things with her in the tower, but they kept getting interrupted or one of their friends would be in proximity. He proposed meeting somewhere relaxing with little chance of being overheard. He came to a fork in the path and went right, then when he came to a sign marking the direction of the lake, he took a deep breath and headed for it.
He could sense her waiting for him when he tried to reach for her through their bond. She hid her emotions well as always, but she couldn't conceal everything from him, and her anxiety was a sharp, repetitive whistle against the quiet of the day. He took some comfort knowing she was as nervous as he was, but wished he hadn't been the reason. She deserved more than what she was having to deal with and the last thing he wanted to do was to aggravate the nest of her emotions.
Robin put on a smile before he stepped free of the tree-walled path and into the clearing. Raven was sitting on a bench overlooking the dark blue water of the lake under the shade of a large tree, her legs crossed, and an open book in her lap. He approached from her left side and her eyes flicked to look at him before he made it to the bench.
"Charming spot, secluded, too. Been here before?" Raven asked.
"Yeah, a few times, coming here clears my head when I really need it," Robin replied, as he joined her on the bench.
"I can see why. That said… nooot helping much with this situation," she said, closing her book.
"Not sure what would, but uh, at least it's peaceful and there's no one here but us now," he said.
"No witnesses to hear that you have feelings that didn't revolve around hunting down some criminal, right?" she asked with a smirk.
"None to hear that you might be enjoying the trouble with your own emotions, either," he replied with a smirk of his own.
"Who said I'm enjoying any of this?" she asked, frowning even as the corner of her mouth twitched up for an instant.
"You don't have to hide it, we're as alone as we can be. I uh, just don't know how to start talking about this," he said.
"Neither do I… which is either sad or stupid. There isn't much point in trying to do anything but be honest. I…just wish I'd had the spine to say something sooner, but here we are," she said, looking out over the lake.
The water was as calm and still as the air around them, making Robin feel Raven's presence and emotions more acutely. Her posture was fixed, as if she held herself as rigidly in place as possible. He was having trouble keeping himself from fidgeting with his belt or gloves. She had fallen silent and he was trying to push the words from his lips. At first he hadn't known what she meant, but he could feel it now, without any distractions to interfere with his thoughts. Being alone with her like this made him all at once overly cautious about saying or doing the wrong thing, more observant of her finer features, and he was a breath away from trying to flatter or appease her, anything to make her smile. A connection like theirs was almost impossible and it was bound to affect them in drastic ways, he just didn't think it would mean dreaming of satisfying every heated desire with one another. His feelings went beyond those physical desires and he wanted to ask her out, it just felt strange doing so while they were going through this, but maybe he shouldn't have waited, and he definitely should not continue to wait.
He had to say something first, before she could explain it away or apologize or assume guilt for having created their bond in the first place.
"I like it," Robin blurted.
Raven's eyes darted to focus on him with intensity, her breath catching as she froze next to him.
"You…like what?" Raven asked.
"Dreaming of you, like that. I uh, think it'd be awesome… if they weren't just dreams," Robin replied.
His face felt like it was melting, but he held her gaze and tried not to smile in anticipated excitement at the red that flooded her cheeks.
"I-um, I like it too. Except. I don't know if I can try, my powers being what they are. I'd rather not bring the tower down on us if I lost control doing… that with you. I don't even know if I can kiss someone I have feelings for without losing it," she said.
"Hmm, yeah, that, uh, is a problem. Well… we're not in the tower right now…we're alone, if you felt like trying… the kiss part, anyway," he pointed out.
"Clearly I feel like trying. I'd just feel horrible if I hurt you somehow, so I'm…thinking about it," she said, "I need to meditate, either way."
"I get it… take your time. I'm not going anywhere," he said, smiling at her.
Raven nodded and closed her eyes, crossing her legs and levitating a foot above the bench. Robin tried to act like he wasn't there, but his mind and eyes would wander helplessly back to her when pretending to watch a pair of ducks float by on the lake didn't work. He tried to distract himself by taking out his personal phone from his utility belt and going through Jump City news pieces, but that too proved difficult.
He didn't keep track of how long they stayed silent by the lake, the sun had moved, but wasn't anywhere close to setting. Aside from some birds and ducks and a squirrel or two, nothing had moved or made noise. He tried to remember the last time he had experienced a day like this and couldn't. Criminals in the city kept him either making tracks after them or spinning his wheels on open cases.
"Okay," Raven said aloud, almost as a whisper.
She returned to the bench and uncrossed her legs before standing. He didn't have a chance to reply before she took his gloved hand and led him from the bench to the water's edge. She wouldn't look at him, even as she turned her body to face his own. Then she took a breath and met his gaze. A breeze picked up and threw a few strands of her hair across her face. She sighed and let go of his hand to deal with it. He caught her hand before it reached her face and brought it down, then brushed the strands of her violet hair back into place. He cupped her cheek in his hand as he stepped closer to her.
"You sure you're ready?" he asked.
"I don't seem to recall you being oh so careful and gentle in any, well, most of our dreams," she replied with a smirk.
"Uh, well, most of those aren't real, this one is," he countered, "but I'll see if I can't make some of the others come true."
"It's sweet. Yes, I'm sure," she said.
Her lips parted and he eagerly pressed his lips to hers, seizing the first moment of what started a deeper, loving, more intense relationship that would satisfy both of them endlessly.
Maybe not every cherished dream of his would come true, but he was eternally grateful that this one had.