Curse of the Squishmallows
Disclaimer: I don't own Teen Titans
Author's Note: This story will have three chapters and I was actually asked to do this story. After this story; however, I will focus solely on Lonely, Lonely That Is You.
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Starfire and Raven had been together for quite some time now. They had gone through many ups and downs but had always managed to come out stronger on the other side. One of Starfire's favorite pastimes was collecting squishmallows, the cute and cuddly stuffed animals that had become all the rage in recent years. She loved nothing more than snuggling up with her collection and feeling their softness against her skin.
One day, as they were walking through the mall, Starfire spotted a new squishmallow that she just had to have. It was a rare limited edition one that had just been released, and Starfire was determined to add it to her collection, and in fact, obtain the whole collection because when Squishmallows release a new squish squish, they also release a whole new collection as well! Raven knew how much these squishmallows meant to her girlfriend, and she couldn't bear to see her disappointed.
Moaning and under her breath, "I'll do whatever it takes to get you those squishmallows," Raven said, taking Starfire's hand in hers. She coughed and rolled her eyes before saying, "I'll even get a second job if I have to."
Starfire's eyes widened with excitement at the prospect of getting her hands on the coveted squishmallows. "Really? You would do that for me?"
"Of course," Raven replied, a small smile tugging at the corners of her lips. "I lo...lo...lov...lov...love you, Starfire, and I want to make you happy."
With that, Raven set out to find a job. She had always been a skilled dancer, so she decided to try out for a local ballet company that was looking for new performers. Despite her nerves, she aced the audition and was soon offered a position as a ballerina. Her new ballerina out fit was a bit odd at first. The tights, the slippers, and the short skirt, or as they call, a tutu she had to wear not only during rehearsal but also of course during the performances.
At first, Raven found it difficult to balance her new job with her duties as a Titan. She was exhausted after long hours of rehearsals and performances, and she barely had any time to spend with Starfire. But she knew that it was all worth it if it meant seeing the joy on her girlfriend's face when she added new squishmallows to her collection.
As the weeks went by, Raven's hard work began to pay off. She was becoming a better dancer with each performance, and she was even starting to enjoy the art form more than she ever had before. And Starfire's squishmallow collection was growing by the day.
But one day, as Raven was rehearsing for an upcoming performance, she stumbled and fell to the ground. She had twisted her ankle and was unable to stand up. Her fellow dancers rushed over to help her, but Raven knew that she wouldn't be able to perform in the upcoming show.
"Are you okay?" one of them asked, concern etched on her face.
Raven shook her head. "My ankle is still bothering me. I don't think I can walk on it."
Over the next few weeks, Raven's ankle slowly healed, and she was able to return to her job as a ballerina. But this time, she had a newfound appreciation for the art form. She no longer saw it as just a means to an end, but as a beautiful expression of human emotion. As Raven's ankle healed, she returned to her job as a ballerina, but she couldn't shake off the feeling of guilt. She had been working hard to buy the squishmallow collection for Starfire, but she realized that she didn't want to burden her girlfriend with the knowledge of her extra job. She didn't want Starfire to feel guilty about her love of squishmallows.
So Raven kept her second job a secret, rehearsing and practicing in the early hours of the morning and late into the night. She would often come home exhausted, but she would always make time for Starfire. They would snuggle up on the couch, and Raven would listen to her girlfriend talk about her day and show off her latest squishmallow additions. It was moments like these that made all the hard work worth it.
But Raven still wasn't able to save up enough to buy the entire squishmallow collection for Starfire. Every time she thought she had enough money, a new limited edition squishmallow would be released, and the cycle would start all over again.
Despite the setbacks, Raven refused to give up. She was determined to find a way to make Starfire happy, even if it meant sacrificing her own time and energy. So she continued to rehearse and practice, perfecting her craft and pushing herself harder than ever before, donning the short tutu and ballet slippers that carved her feet into nightmares only a troll could dream of.
Finally, after months of hard work, Raven was STILL not able to buy the entire squishmallow collection for Starfire. She had to think of another means to this end; being a ballerina was amazing and she loved every aspect of it, but it wasn't giving her enough income to afford the collection. Raven continued to keep her secret, content in the knowledge that she would make Starfire happy one day. And then one day as she finished rehearsal, she saw a flyer to be another type of dancer...an exotic dancer. Sex sells, they say...