Honeythief
Chapter Eight

"Despite this cruel world, and all my best efforts, you surprise me with just how perfect you are" – Honeythief, Halou

)O(

Raven stood on the balcony outside her room and stared down into the gardens. Robin and Bruce were talking in hushed tones, trying to keep their conversation private. She leaned one hip against the stone rail and stared at the gardens, thinking. How long was she going to have to stay here, waiting for Robin to be controllable? Furthermore, how much work needed to me done? The task seemed more than daunting, it felt damn near impossible.

As of right now Robin appeared to be doing better than she hoped. It had been almost three days since his last "meal" and he was functioning well. He could talk calmly with Bruce without feeling like he was going to gnaw on his neck. His emotions we're ruling his actions, like they had when Raven first found him. He was doing very well.

But Raven knew better than to expect this good fortune for much longer. She could tell the hunger was starting to eat at him and make him weak. She could see the weariness start to grip him tight, and it was only a matter of time before his will was crushed and he succumbed to the darker part of his new body.

Robin was growing frayed around the edges, he was having trouble paying attention to Bruce, and his sentences seemed to be growing shorter and less thoughtful. The debacle that happened last night, and the long ride this afternoon, had worn him thin. Raven knew that he would need her again soon. She let loose a long sigh, wondering if she had the heart to tell him no.

The problem was that Raven was getting stronger. After her few days of healing, her powers were starting to return to normal. She could move medium sized objects, teleport short distances, and create barriers. But, if Robin fed from her tonight, she would lose everything again and would have to wait until her powers returned before she could feed him again.

Her head began to ache at the thought. Had she become nothing more than a food source? Just another link in the chain? Plant – Cow – Demoness – Vampire?

"Raven?"

She stared down at Robin, who frowned up at her. "Yes?"

"Have you been listening this whole time?"

"No, not really. Should I have been?" She forced a small smile, trying to keep her tone teasing. If she could get him to smile, he wouldn't ask what she'd been thinking about. Robin let the edges of his mouth turn up, and Raven breathed a sigh of relief. She was safe for now.

"Only if you want to know my secrets."

"Oh, I know them all already, so it would have been a review." She heard Bruce's chuckle, and felt her smile own grow. At least she managed to get a chuckle out of him.

"Snarky girl." Bruce said, looking up at her. There was an unusual twinkle in his eye, and Raven felt her uneasiness settle, now that she knew Bruce could smile. "I like her already."

"Pft. I see how it is, you're both going to gang up on me."

"Oh, come on, Dick. Don't get your panties in a twist." Bruce gently punched his arm, and Robin had a tough time hiding the smile on his lips. He looked up at her, and for a few seconds Raven got the distinct feeling that she belonged. That even though the bird and the bat had their own rag-tag family, she was invited to join in spite of her rocky past. Her heart twisted in a funny, painful way, and Raven was forced to look away, to collect herself. Bruce's strong voice brought her back. "We were going meet in the library later to discuss some things, will you be joining us?"

Raven blinked, surprised by the question. "Of course. Why wouldn't I?"

"Just asking." Bruce shrugged, but there was something in his movement that suggested he knew something she didn't. Raven absently wondered if it was dinner-time for the vampire. She sighed and looked at Robin, but he avoided her gaze. Must be dinner. Robin turned to Bruce and whispered a few things before looking back up at her.

"Raven, hang on a sec, I need to talk to you, if you don't mind."

Raven motioned to the sun, slowly setting behind the trees in the west. "I've got nothing but time. What do you need?"

"I'll tell you in a second." Without another word, Robin disappeared into the house, leaving Bruce staring up at her. He forced a weak smile, but this time it didn't quite reach his eyes.

"Don't worry, Raven. We'll get this worked out… Robin's dealt with worse, and with you on his side, there isn't much he can't face." Bruce's words were pretty and strong, but Raven couldn't help but wonder how he knew they would fix this. And what exactly was he basing his assumptions off of? He didn't know anything about her, let alone about what horrors plagued Robin daily. She tried to return his smile, but knew it fell flat.

"I know." There was a knock at her door, the noise made her heart sink into her stomach. It was time. Raven gave a half-hearted wave to Bruce, and he returned the gesture as he turned into the house. She closed the French-doors leading to her balcony and locked them tightly. The knock came again, and Raven wondered if she should answer and let him in, or just turn him away. Her heart sank into her stomach at the rouge thought. How could she refuse her leader? Even if her life was forfeit. "I'm coming, hang on."

Raven walked to the door, but her hand stilled on the handle. She wanted to turn him away, to tell him that she couldn't feed him tonight. She wanted to tell him no, to tell him to find a maid or something and munch on her instead. But the words wouldn't form on her lips, and she found herself opening the door anyway. Robin stood there in the dim light from the hallway, and tried to smile. This time, it didn't quite reach his eyes.

"Do you mind if I come in?"

"I can't have you standing in the hallway like a lost little bird." Raven moved to the side and let him in. Robin scowled at her jab at him, but said nothing. There was a long, uncomfortable silence, and Raven sighed as Robin began pacing around the room. He was obviously waiting for conversation to be sparked, and he could thread his request into his response. Raven took a few steps back and fell back against the bed. What was the point of being coy? "Let me guess… it has to do with your dinner?"

"Don't be upset, Rae."

Raven cringed and felt a frown touch her lips. She hated it when he called her that, it turned her heart to mush, and she couldn't deny him anything. Even herself. "Fine, I'll keep my thoughts to myself." She sighed again and stared up at the ceiling, letting another silence hang between them. "Honestly speaking though, do you need me?"

"Need you?" The moment Robin repeated her words, she knew that she should have spoken more carefully. Whatever he was thinking at this moment was sure to bring a more than a flush to her cheeks. Robin blinked a few times before responding. "Er…I'm alright for tonight. I don't feel an intense craving, but… I think I'm going to need you tomorrow."

Those two little words again. Raven cleared her throat and turned her gaze toward him. "So, I guess I get to keep my powers for another day?"

Robin seemed surprised. "Oh, you're getting them back?"

"Yeah. I kind of missed them." She forced a smile and tossed a pillow at his head. He caught it and stared at it. Raven watched him out of the corner of her eye. He looked torn and upset, frustrated with himself. He looked like personification of "dejection", and Raven hated herself all the more because of it. She sighed and patted the empty space next to her. "C'mon, Wonder Boy, let's have this talk you wanted."

Robin lay next to her on the bed, silence still their companion. After another minute he turned and looked over at her. His dark eyes searched her face for a moment, before he asked the question Raven dreaded. "Are you mad at me?"

Was she mad at him? Upset, frustrated, even a little betrayed… those were all "yes" answers. But mad at him, well, that was complicated. Deep down she knew this wasn't his fault. He'd made a few stupid mistakes and ran off on his own, but he didn't create this disaster. He lived it. Raven knew that until they could find an answer, he would wake every morning a monster that craved human blood. And Raven was still whole. She couldn't be mad at him, not until he gave her a reason to be. "I want to help you, want to be there for you. You called for me and I answered. I knew what I was getting into, and I won't back down." Pause. "So, am I mad at you? No, you haven't really given me a reason."

"I will in a second." It was Robin's turn to heave a deep sigh.

"Ah. Alright. Shoot." Raven rolled on her side and looked down at him. She propped her head up with her hand as Robin worked up the courage to tell her the dreadful news. Silence. Raven rolled her eyes. "C'mon, it can't be that bad. What's going on?"

"Bruce is having a party next week."

Okay, so it could be that bad. She had the sudden urge to bang her head against a wall, she was guessing it would have the same effect. Raven stood up and walked to the French doors. She stared at the now empty garden, watching the shadows disappear into the night. How she wished she could have followed them. "Fantastic. And what exactly does he wants us to do? Be the coat-check couple? Sift through pockets for phone numbers and blackmail?"

"Don't be so upset, Rae." There was that name again. Raven turned and stared at him, but he didn't seem to notice her glare in the dark. He was going to turn her inside out by the end of the conversation, and she was helpless to stop him. She might as well give in now.

Robin reached over and turned on the antique Tiffany lamp. Beautiful patterns of reds, blues, and greens danced across the walls and floor. A few of the colors scattered across Robin's body, and Raven felt her heart begin its normal pounding at his beautiful sight. He was stretched out on the bed, barefoot and clad in dark jeans and a white t-shirt. He looked like a model for a cologne ad, or if he had been shirtless, he would have looked more like Mr. July, ready for your lusty weekend at the lake.

Raven flushed and turned away. She really didn't need to be thinking things like that now, or ever. Robin was her leader and he depended on her strength to help him through this fiasco. She couldn't just let her mind wander wherever she please, Raven had to keep all of her thoughts in check. Besides, right now he could smell her emotions and she didn't feel like explaining herself to him. Especially about that.

A muscle ticked in Robin's jaw, but he gave no indication that he knew what she was thinking. He cleared his throat and watched her move across the floor. "Bruce has been getting a little nervous lately. I guess there've been some odd things happening around Gotham, and he doesn't know what to make of it." He pushed a hand through his hair and fell on his back, sighing. "He wants us to mingle and see what we can find out. Actually, he was hoping he could use your powers."

"Don't they all?" Raven went and joined him on the bed, being careful not to touch him. The last thing she needed was a sensory overload. "Alright, since he's been so accommodating for us, I'll lend him a hand." She saw Robin smile and a little spark of joy warmed her chest. Why did he do that to her? Stupid boy. "So, what does he know so far?"

"Not a whole lot. It's just a few odd things here and there that are unsettling." Robin chewed on his lip, and for a brief moment Raven saw the sharpened point of a fang poke out from beneath his upper lip. Her stomach knotted at the sight. He lied. He was hungry, but was too damn proud to admit it. Of course he'd wait as long as he could, putting himself and the rest of the manor in danger. The dolt. Robin continued, unaware that Raven knew his secret. "From what he told me… it could be…"

Raven snapped her attention back to the conversation. "Could be…?"

"Well, to be honest, it sounds a lot like Gizmo's work."

The words felt like an anvil on her lightening mood. Gizmo. This was not what she wanted to hear. Raven frowned. If it was Gizmo's work, then that would have meant the pink-haired menace would have been in on it too. The pink haired menace she sent into another dimension and somehow found her way out. She rubbed her forehead, determined to stop the headache she was getting. "Gizmo. Great. Just what we need to deal with, a brat with brains and a pink-haired vampire."

"I wish I could tell you I had better news."

"I wish you could too, but I guess that's how this stupid game works. It's no one's fault, Robin… just…" Raven stopped mid-sentence and looked over at him. He was looking at her as if she were a tasty treat. She rolled her eyes and let her head fall against the pillow. "Hey, Robin?" She didn't wait for a response. "Next time I ask you a question, will you at least attempt honesty?"

"I'm sorry, Raven… I hate to ask, but…" She could feel his shame as he forced his eyes away from her. There was a long pause as her harsh words hung in the air. Robin sat up, his shoulders hunched over in defeat. "I don't want this any more."

"You can't help it." Raven reached out and snagged his fingers. For a brief moment she felt electricity course between them and her heart stopped. She forced a weak smile, hoping he didn't hear the pounding in her chest. "Just get it over with, and stop dawdling. I'll meet with Bruce tomorrow and we'll discuss this together. I can't have you running around chasing humans all over the property."

Robin leaned over her, his knees and arms caging her in. He stared, eyes dark with an emotion neither one wanted to speak. "I don't want this anymore. I don't want to take from you."

"I'm giving it to you freely. You don't want a gift?" Raven tried to be sweet. She tried to be the woman in her dreams, batting her eyelashes and looking inviting. If she had to trick him into wanting to eat her, she would do it. She would pretend to anything he wanted, if that's what it took to save him, so be it. Robin licked his lips carefully, bending down to smell her hair.

The moment seemed suspended in time, like a guillotine blade glittering in moonlight. Raven could feel his breath, hot and moist on her neck, and something in her stirred. Raised its head and called out to him. She wanted him. In fact, it was more than that. Whatever this was made her crazy. So crazy that she was on the verge of needing him. And that fact scared her more than anything. Raven had never needed anything in her entire life. But now she needed Robin?

Her breath hitched as Robin grabbed both her wrists and pinned them above her head. His lips turned up in a ragged smile and his fangs glimmered in the colorful light from the lamp. "Tell me no, Raven, and I'll let you go and wait until your ready. Tell me to stop and I will… I don't want to do this."

"You can't wait for me to be ready. Just go ahead and drink…" Raven tilted her head to the side, exposing her neck. Robin stared at Raven and his emotions washed over her, drowning her in everything he felt at that moment. His desire, his anger, frustration, and a few other things that made her blush. She forced her gaze to meet his. "So? You don't… need me?"

Robin growled low in his throat and bit down hard into her neck. White lightning whipped through her blood and Raven was helpless to stop the whimper that escaped. His lips felt warm and soft against her neck, like velvet. She could get used to a little of this every now and then. His tongue swirled around her sensitive skin, and Raven almost lost her mind.

Robin's free hand moved. He tangled his fingers in her hair before letting his touch wander over her. His hand slid down her body slowly, as if it were taking a leisurely stroll down her face. His fingers stroked her clavicle before venturing lower. Raven's heart skipped a beat. Where exactly was this wandering hand going? He traced the hourglass shape of her body softly, and then Robin's strong hand gripped her breast with such force it almost felt bruising. It hurt, but not enough to keep Raven from moaning. What in the world was he doing to her? His fingers found all the interesting hollows of her chest, played and teased as if she were his.

Why was Raven letting this happen? Somewhere in the back of her mind she knew she should have reached out and stopped him, knew that this would only end badly. But she couldn't find her voice, and part of her didn't want to. Part of her wanted to wallow in this dark shadow like she belonged there.

Robin's fingers wandered southward. Lower, dipping into her belly-button and making a small chuckled escape her lip. His fingers stroked the smooth metal of the button on her jeans, lingered there, as if they were deciding to do something or not do it. He decided not to, and his touch smoothed over the roundness of her hips. Raven's breath was coming in ragged gasps now, trying to decide if this shadow was darker than she wanted it. His fingers slipped even lower, stroking her inner thigh with small, careful strokes. A few fingers moved an inch northward, lighting a fire Raven never wanted.

"STOP!" Raven yanked her neck away from him. His teeth ripped through her alabaster skin and blood leaked out, marring her skin and staining the t-shirt she wore. Her breath was hot and angry, and it clawed at her lungs. She struggled against the hand that held her arms in place, trashing around and trying to get him off her. Robin was whispering under her breath, trying to calm her, but it wasn't working. She felt the tears leak into the corners of her eyes and she hid her face in her shoulder. "Stop. Please. Let me go."

"Raven…" Robin's hand didn't move. "I'm sorry… I just…" Their eyes met and Raven could see the shock and anger in his own eyes. He didn't know what he was doing, he let the vampire take control. And look what happened. They learned something valuable today. Robin stared at her for another minute before he finally pushed himself away from her. "I don't have an excuse. That was deplorable and stupid. I will not blame you if you hate me. I just got so caught up in the emotions that I just wanted to…" the words hung, unspoken in the air between them. A scarlet letter they both saw, but could not admit.

Robin frowned and turned away, guilt coursing through him. It washed over Raven, nearly choked her with its force. Robin let his head hang. "I should go."

"Yes." That was all she could manage to say. Yes? She couldn't think up a better response to her leader who had nearly set her will ablaze. She pressed a hand to the wound in her neck, hiding it from his prying eyes, ashamed.

Robin walked out the door, barely uttering: "I'm sorry."

)O( )O( )O(

So, I hope this was a little more exciting than the last few chapters. ^.^

FYI, it's gonna get pretty citrus-y from here on out. So, if you're expecting the innocence of "Twilight" think again. Pick up a Christine Feehan novel ("Dark Magic" and "Wild Rain" are my favorites) and you'll be a few steps closer. I'll try to warn you ahead of time if I have to up the rating. Thanks!

Don't forget a review, it helps me SO MUCH!