I4.6

Chapter 18: Out of Context

Disclaimer: I own nothing. Adult themes. DO NOT read if you are underage or dislike controversial things.

Author's Note: Some of the foreshadowing that I laid out in my earlier chapters are starting to come to fruition. I know this story has some "slower" chapters, but they're necessary to lay the groundwork so that plot points don't come out of left field.

The room is silent as everyone takes in the information that is being presented on the news. Richard is half surprised that this type of salacious story made it into the standard news cycle instead of just relegated to morning talk shows. Either way, he is glad for the larger audience. Apparently, they've been labeled as the "Love Birds." Fitting, but definitely not original. He was hoping for a couple's name that was more creative.

The aggressive buzzing in his hands redirects his attention to his communicator. The sound makes everyone turn their eyes on him. Richard sheepishly holds up his device and says "Batman is calling. I'm guessing he saw the news, too."

As he speaks, he's slowly backing his way out of the room. "I gotta take this, but I'll be right back."

It may look like he is running away from the situation, but he is not. He wants to give Rachel some space to see how she will react to all of this on her own; without his presence. He knows that she will go into damage control and try to convince their teammates that these pictures were taken out of context. That their relationship is nothing like that, that they are purely platonic, but no matter what she says, those pictures are painting thousands of words. Those words will be repeated on end for days and weeks to come and like a bad game of telephone, people will add more and more to the story until it takes on a life of it's own. The truth will be mixed in with fantasy until it becomes unrecognizable. He honestly wouldn't be surprised if it sparks a movie or two.

Richard is finally out of earshot when he answers his communicator. Bruce's stern and unsmiling face greets him. His deep, dark voice asks, "Have you seen the news?"

No greeting or emotional check in. Just straight to the point. Typical. The Boy Wonder briefly wonders if he should feign ignorance, but decides better of it. He chose this path when he released those pictures, so he might as well forge forward without regret. He schools his face into a distressed expression when he replies, "I...I just saw the news...with the rest of the team."

"Look Richard, I'll get straight to the point, are these pictures real or are they faked?" is the question asked by the dark knight. Did he detect a hint of desperation in his mentor's voice? That's strange. Usually the stoic man stays out of his business and especially his love life. When he thought there might have been a future with Starfire, Bruce just told him that the choice was his to make. There was no push back, no second guessing. So why does it sound like he doesn't want this relationship with Rachel to happen?

"...they are real," Richard responds slowly. Digesting the aftermath of what he has done. "They are real, but they are being presented out of context."

The news is playing this off as just a budding romance between two coworkers that happen to be superheroes. They are celebrities in their city and known names in the international arena. To the public, this is an intimate moment between love birds who thought they had a minute to themselves under the moonlit sky. A moment to bask in the romantic atmosphere with one another. The public would never know that this was a tense situation for the both of them in that park. A moment where Richard has shown his intentions and Rachel had responded with dismay and ran away. She also used her powers against him. Something that she has never done before.

"Are you romantically involved with this girl?" Bruce's voice brings him out of his own head.

Richard answers with a definitive, "I am not…" yet.

There is a deep sigh from his mentor and Richard watches him firmly massage the middle of his brows. A headache is probably forming.

"I know that Raven's real name is Rachel Roth," there is a heavy pause before Bruce adds, "Rachel was also the name you kept calling when you were drugged unconscious."

He lets that information sit in the air between the two men. Bruce is smart enough to know that there is something deeper going on under the surface. Something that isn't all together...wholesome. This was different than when Richard was enamored with Starfire. This was darker. Desperate. Deranged.

Richard isn't sure how to respond to that statement. It's a loaded one on many levels, but he ultimately decides to speak the truth, "She means a lot to me. She's the one that I depend on that most. I'm not at all surprised that I called her name in my drugged state. I don't know where I'd be without her."

He doesn't admit that he loves her. Desires her. Obsesses over her. He can admit these things in his head as he makes moves to obtain his goal. Can say it to himself when he looks in the mirror as he plans 10 steps ahead. But to say the words out loud would make it more real than the pictures flashing across the TV screen in the Titan's living room. It would no longer exist in the realm of speculation but an admission.

"Do you want to be with her?"

Yes. I will be with her.

"What I want isn't as important as what I need. What I need is to calm my teammates down and reassure them that the news isn't accurate," is Richard's rely. The older billionaire is looking at his pupil through the little screen. Staring at him hard. His response was neither a definitive no or a clear yes. It, also, didn't deny that there might be some truth to the pictures. Just that it was inaccurate. However, now wasn't the right time to address this or the right medium. There is too much here to unpack.

Bruce finally says, "Go deal with your team, but I want to see you here, at Wayne Manor, bright and early tomorrow morning. The results of you psyche evaluation just came in."

His psyche evaluation? He knew he aced that with flying colors, but Richard guesses that Bruce nor Alfred are really buying it. He just nods his head in agreement. It makes no sense to argue this now. Rachel is probably pulling out her hair in the living room.

"Also," says the deep voice from the communicator, "you need to put together a press conference so that you can address this situation before it gets too far out of hand. You know what the media will do if it is left unchecked."

Oh, Richard knows. It's what he's counting on.

"I understand. I'll let the team know," he says, "Do you recommend the whole team holding this conference or just the two of us?"

Bruce thinks for a minute. If the whole team is on display then the media will pick apart and over analyze the way they interact with one another. If it seems like something is off then it would be more fuel for the media's fire. But, if it's only the two of them, then it would appear as though they are addressing the public's concerns as a couple and no matter what they say, the world will focus on the visuals of the two love birds sitting side by side. Them vs. the press. It's a catch-22. Eventually Bruce tells him "You should present yourself as a full team. Show the world that you are a cohesive whole and that those pictures were taken out of context and has not done damage to the group."

Richard nods his head in understanding, "I get it. I'll see you tomorrow morning."

Bruce doesn't provide him with a farewell. Just cuts their communication. That kind of dismissal stings a little, but it has almost always been like that. He is a busy man that is living life as both a billionaire playboy and as Batman, the Dark Knight. There are many things to juggle and even though he knows that Bruce is busy, he gets the distinct feeling that he is incredibly lonely. That's not a future that Richard is interested in having for himself. He wants his cake and wants eat it, too. The only foreseeable way of making that happen is by finding a life partner who also understands and takes part in the life of crime fighting. Rachel checks all of those boxes and more. They've grown up together and in the process, entwined their habits, thought patterns and lives together. There is no breaking apart now.

Richard isn't concerned about whether Rachel will reject him or not. He has caught her appreciating his looks on more than one occasion. He is a handsome man, after all. Looks aside, they mesh well together. They've been mistaken as a legitimate couple plenty of times. There is obviously something there that other people see, including Beastboy and Starefire. Otherwise, why would they work so hard to keep Rachel and Richard apart? There is no logical reason for why she wouldn't want to be by his side. He is more worried about maneuvering Bruce and his teammates. None of them would approve of his methods, not that he can blame them. He just didn't want to leave anything up to chance. He wants to be the only important person in her life.

No, not wants, needs. Ever since the passing of his parents, he has always had to share attention and affection with someone else. Those that approach him have always had ulterior motives. Always wanting something. Pushing and tugging until they can get what they came for, especially the women in his life. Rachel is the only one who doesn't want something from him. She is more concerned with providing him with love and support than she is about benefiting from their connection. She's learning that expressing her emotions is not a bad thing as long as she can do it in a safe and considerate way. Richard wants her to shower him with all of the love that she is learning how to give. He wants her to learn with him. They can both pour into each other's cup until they are drunk off it. He can show her. He can teach her. He's the only one who knows how to lead her through her darkest moments, elevate her to a higher level of consciousness, guide her as they both explore her flesh.

The last thought gives Richard goosebumps as he makes his way back to the Titian's living room. The thought of having Rachel's lovely legs thrown over his shoulders as he feasts on her flesh and drowns in her lust is enough to make him start drooling. There is so much that he wants to do to her inexperienced body that he doesn't even know where to begin. However, the voices coming out of the living room cools his desires. It reminds him that there are more pressing concerns that he needs to attend to before he can enjoy her as he pleases.

"His hands were on your thighs," comes a hiss from the other side of the door frame. Richard pauses and just stands to listen. He should take stock of the situation before striding inside.

"It's really not what you think, Beastboy!" comes Rachel's desperate cry. "My relationship with Dick is just friendship. We are just friends, I swear."

"I dunno, Raven. 'Just friends' doesn't look quite like that," throws in Cyborg's deeper voice. Richard can practically see him scratching his shiny bald head.

"Dick! Dick this! Dick that!" Starfire practically yells, "You're the only one who uses his real name. Everyone else calls him Robin. When I tried calling him by his real name he told me to stop and he doesn't feel comfortable with it, but somehow, with you it's okay? That makes no sense!"

Starfire's voice trails off a bit at the end of her sentence. Everyone can hear the hurt in it. There is no doubt in anyone's mind that she has been trying to build a closer, more intimate, relationship with the team's leader, but apparently she hasn't gotten very far, very fast. Richard can barely hear a sniffle coming from the other side of the door. It's probably Starfire's.

"I don't know what to say," says Rachel, "those pictures have been taken out of context. It's really not what it looks like. Dick and I are really just friends."

"Ha!" says Starfire, "Just friends. You've been lying to me this whole time! Every time I asked you about your feelings towards Robin you always tell me that. 'Just friends.'"

"It's true!" Rachel says, raising her voice a bit. "It's true. I don't want to date him, Starfire. I really don't."

That stung a bit, but Richard tries to not let that get to his head. Of course she would respond like that. This situation is so sudden that no one has had time to really process it.

"You keep saying that all of this is taken out of context," Beastboy hisses again, "Why don't you put it into context for us, Rachel."

He says her name in such a sarcastic way that it makes Richard ball his hands into fists at his side. He wants to punch the changeling straight in the mouth for disrespecting his beloved like that. They were all tearing into her. Some more brutally than others, but Richard understands that this is a necessary evil. The more they beat her down, the more their bonds to her are stranded. The bonds that she has been building since the infancy of their team. Those bonds are the reasons why she has been drifting away from him over these last few years. Once they are damaged beyond repair, she will have no one else to rely on, but him. The one who has always been there for her from the beginning to the end. Richard.

"We were in the park…" she says. Hesitating because she doesn't know how to continue or what to include. "I had tripped on something and stumbled backwards. Dick caught me before I fell and helped me sit on a rock."

"That doesn't explain why his hands are all over your legs," Beastboy accuses.

"Yea! Or why there are pictures of him touching your hair," says Starfire in a nearly hysterical voice.

Touching hair? Richard had to think for a second, but then he remembered the picture of him fixing a lock of Rachel's hair that had been blown out of place because of the wind. That picture had looked particularly intimate, so he made sure to include it. It looks like something one would only do with a lover. That's probably why Starfire sounds so hysterical. He can't recall ever touching her red locks.

"It's not what you're thinking," the team's empath says again. It doesn't sound like there is any fire or fight left in her voice. Richard wonders how many times she has had to repeat that line since he's been away.

"To be honest, Raven," comes Cyborg's voice, "I thought that you don't like being touched. Isn't that why you don't allow people to get too physically close to you?"

The metal man does have a point. She has always shirked physical contact with others. Made it a point to grimace or make an unsightly face when it comes to hugging someone else. Yet, here it was, plain as day, photos of Robin and Raven holding hands. Playing with hair. Touching legs. Most of the pictures focus on his face instead of hers. There is no denying that there is care and passion in his expressions which just adds validity to the claims that the media is making.

"I don't…" she softly says, "I don't like being touched by...everyone."

The everyone is said very softly. It can barely be heard in the room. Richard can tell that she is tired of defending herself and their relationship to the team. She is probably, also, overwhelmed by all of the negative emotions that are swirling around in that living room.

"I guess, Dick, isn't part of 'everyone,' but we are," says Beastboy with hurt anger in his voice. He is sure that the changeling has tried to be touchy feely with his love and she has rejected him for one reason or another. It was at this point that Richard decides to take pity on his poor beloved. She is at her limit and now it is his time to arrive like her knight in shining armor.

He strides into the room with an air of confidence and says, "That's right. I'm not everyone, but that's besides the point."

Richard's eyes quickly scan the room, taking into account his team's facial expressions before saying "We have a PR nightmare on our hands and it's best to fix it sooner rather than later."

"How do you plan on doing that?" asks Cyborg, whose eyes are bouncing back and forth between him and Rachel. Richard is careful not to rush to her side even though it's the only thing he really wants to do. If he could, he would cup her soft, round face in his hands. Stroke her cheeks with his thumb. Tell her that everything is going to be okay because she has him and he wouldn't let anything bad happen to her. That she can depend on him because he has always been a constant in her life. In his vision, she would fall into his arms and let him hold her tightly. Swaying her back and forth, with her head resting on his chest, until she feels better.

Richard clears his throat in an effort to clear his mind before saying, "I just got off the communicator with Batman. He says that we need to have a press conference to clear the air about those pictures and what they really mean. I'm sure you've noticed," he gestures to the images flashing across the muted TV screen, "that the media is having a field day with this. As we speak, they are spinning some wild stories about the relationship between Rachel and I."

"Are these stories true, Robin?" Starfire sniffles. She looks so sad and betrayed that Richard feels bad. But, she should have saw this coming. He's told her on more than occasion that a romantic relation betwixt them would not end well. Richard looks away from her pleading eyes and hardens his heart when he remembers some of the mean things she was just telling Rachel when he wasn't in the room.

"The stories that the media are concocting are obviously false," even if they do have a kernel of truth in them, "that's why we need to fix them now before they spin further out of control."

Cyborg asks, "How do you propose we do this?"

"Well, Batman thinks that Rachel and I should have a press conference to set the story straight," Richard answers.

"Just the two of you?" Beastboy pipes up with a frown on his green face.

"Yes. This way the rest of the team won't be a distraction," says Richard. He slowly turns to Rachel and adds, "If you're alright with appearing in public with me?"

She doesn't look up at him. Barely acknowledges that he is speaking to her. She's lost in her own mind with her own thoughts and emotions. There's a lot here for her to process. Richard can feel everyone's eyes on him as he walks up to her comfy chair. Instead of perching on himself on the arm of the chair, like he did before, he crouches down next to her and looks at her face. There is a distant expression there and he knows that the only way to bring her back to the present and this room is to touch her. His Rachel craves tender touches in moments of high stress because it is something that she has been denied for most of her life. Richard knows this as he gingerly reaches a hand out and lightly places it on the knee before him. He gently calls "Rachel," as his thumb caresses the soft skin beneath it.

He can heard Beastboy make a commotion behind him as the sight before the team is a very similar one to what is presented in the pictures. He can hear Cyborg trying to calm the changeling down but the green beast responded with a "fuck off" before storming out of the room. The touch, call of her name and sound of the ruckus near her is enough to pull her out of her mind. She looks Richard in the eyes before looking down at where his hand is resting on her knee.

She pushes his hand away as she says, "What? What did you say?"

"I said that Batman wants us to hold a press conference to address the pictures and clear up the misunderstanding before it gets worse," Richard repeats, "just the two of us, if that's alright with you?"

She looks uneasy at the idea of having to face the media and to be asked questions that she wasn't sure she has answers for. Rachel is an introvert and prefers to not be the center of attention, so the thought of having so many cameras in her face while answering personal questions is nerve wrecking. She looks at him with trepidation in her eyes but nods her head in confirmation. This is something that needs to be done...for the sake of the team.

"Don't worry. I'll be there with you the whole time. If there is anything that you don't want to answer, you can leave it up to me or just say that you don't wish to respond," says Richard, even though he knows that no response is as dangerous as providing one. The media is more than ready to fill in the blanks with something more scandalous than the truth. Rachel is also smart enough to know this. Richard tries to catch her eyes, but she is doing everything to avoid looking at him and angling her body in her chair to create more space between them. He has to suppress the urge to lift her out of the chair and pull her in his lap so that he can hold her as she curls into her self and work out all of these strong thoughts and feelings.

There's a huff of annoyance behind Richard as he hears Starfire say, "Stop acting like a damsel that needs saving, friend Raven! If I can even still call you a friend."

"She's an empath, Star. It takes her a while to process and deal with strong emotions. It makes her tired. You know that," Richard says in his beloved's defense. "There's a lot going on right now and a lot of negative emotions in the air."

"And let me guess, you just have to be the one to save her," says Cyborg. His accusation causes Richard to whip his head around. He wasn't expecting that from the metal man.

"I don't know what you mean by that, Cyborg, but I am the group's leader. It's my job to look after the members of my team," says Richard with some bite in his reply as he stands to full height next to Rachel.

"Of course. It's what a good leader should do. Take care of all members of his team equally," says the half man, half robot, "but you have a clear favorite, Robin. She's sitting in that chair."

Cyborg points to the gothic beauty that is still seated in the chair trying to keep up with all of the changes and strain in these friendships that she's worked so hard to create.

"That's not true, Cyborg," Rachel says as she stands up from her chair, ready to defend her leader and friend. "Dick cares about every member of this team. You know that. We worked so hard to build our friendships with one another. We can't let something as small as a couple of pictures tear us apart. We all know that I'm definitely not his favorite when he has feelings for Starfire!"

Here we go again. Richard will never understand her need for him to be with Starfire. What did she think was so special about the alien princess? Was it looks? Richard knows that she doesn't see herself as a great beauty and having someone like Starfire walking around half naked all day couldn't be good for Rachel's self-esteem or body image. Starfire is royalty. She is used to walking with her head held high and having all eyes on her. In Richard's eyes, Rachel has a quieter, more demure beauty about her. A melancholic air that is mysterious and alluring. Like the light of the full moon. It couldn't be brains. His love is clearly more intelligent and even though she wasn't raised on Earth, she has acclimated to the culture and language much quicker than Starfire did. So, what could it be?

"Rachel...I've told you before that I…" Richard starts, but is cut off by Starfire.

"Ha! Don't act like you care, Raven. Not after everything I've told you on our night of girls. And you still went after him. You're not a good friend at all," she accuses with rage in her eyes. Her fist are beginning to glow as though she wants to attack. Richard is not too concerned about a physical fight among them. Rachel can freeze them all in place if she wants to, but the hurt on her face has Richard on high alert. She appears to be as unstable as her female teammate in this moment. He wants to snap back in Rachel's defense, but knows that this argument needs to happen. These barb wired words need to be said so that she slowly untangles herself from her teammates.

Cyborg says, "I know you're upset, Star. We all are, but we can't trash the house. Besides, if we believe both of them, then this really is just an innocent misunderstanding."

"Misunderstanding! Misunderstanding? You really think that Cyborg?" Starfire turns her full, heated attention on the metal man. "This whore is out here seducing teammates left and right. She's been teasing Beastboy for weeks and now she's trying to seduce Robin by playing helpless. Has she crawled into your bed yet? Because you might be next."

"I'm not trying to seduce anyone!" Rachel yells. Her hands are buried in her hair as though she is trying to get a headache under control. "I just wanted to be friends with Beastboy. I didn't know that he would try to kiss me at that party. I would have never went if I knew. I'm not trying to seduce Dick, either. He's my good friend. He's always been there for me. Why would I ruin that?"

"Not trying to seduce anyone," Starfire quietly repeats but then continues loudly, "then why did you kiss Beastboy in the kitchen? Hmm? Both Cyborg and I walked into that romantic scene. Since you tell Robin everything, did you tell him about how you locked lips with someone you think is annoying?"

Well, this is news to him. When he asked if she kissed Beastboy, she denied it. Said he was too wasted for something like that, but it seems like the cat is out of the bag now. Richard feels his eyebrow twitch as he looks to his beloved for confirmation. She is still holding her head and gritting her teeth as though she is trying to contain something big. Something violent. He watches as one lone tear slips down the side of her precious face before her dark powers are released. Engulfing them all in a dark light.

There was the sound of breaking glass as each and every bulb in the living room blows apart. The TV screen, that is still playing the evening newsreels, now has multiple cracks running through it. The images are disjointed and seem surreal in the grander scheme of things. The room is plunged into darkness and Rachel slips away into the shadows and through the floor. Richard has an idea of where she is going, but he will meet her there later. Right now, she needs space before she does something drastic and irreparable.

The three titian that are left in the room are standing there, stunned but not necessarily surprised by what happened. Everyone knows that Rachel doesn't deal with stress well. Starfire is wiping a tear from her eye, as well. When he released those pictures to the press, Richard was expecting a blow out and his team did not disappoint. This moment has redefined multiple friendships within his group. Whether or not these changes will make or break the team's dynamics and ability to function properly is dependent on how mature his crew are. Richard is fairly confident that when the pent up emotions from this new development dies down, they will be able to pull it together. They've pulled through worse.

In the darkness and the silence, Starfire makes her way out of the room. No one asks her where she is going. Probably back to her room. To a space that is all hers and she can feel safe in. Cyborg says, "I should go check on Beastboy to make sure he's okay."

Richard nods his head in understanding. Rachel may have blown every light bulb in the Tower and the changeling might not understand why he's sitting in darkness at this moment. He says to the metal man "And I'll go check on Rachel. She probably has a splitting headache right now."

Cyborg turns away from the door and takes a good long look at Richard. Studying him in a way that he hasn't done since they first met. He says, "I don't know what you're playing at Robin, but you got to be careful. I know some powerful men like the thought of having two beautiful women hanging off their arm, but at the cost of what?"

"I have no intention of pursuing Starfire," says Richard. If he's said this once, he's said this a thousand times in this week alone.

Cyborg nods, "Then, that means that Raven isn't off the table. Listen man, we love who we love, but we have to love them right. This...this is messy and these women aren't 'average.' One can set you on fire and the other can blast you into a different dimension on a whim. You shouldn't be playing with their emotions like this. Either of them or my best friend's."

Richard hears what Cyborg is saying. The truth is that he doesn't want things to get messy. He wants to keep his team together while perusing the only woman who has ever made him feel safe and cared for instead of used and replaceable. Why was this such a difficult task? Was it really so hard for Richard to be the only man that Rachel focuses on? He watches as the older man walks out of the room and takes a deep breath as he looks around. Surveying the damage and thinking about the new information that he has learned from this debacle.

Richard's plan of isolation is working quite well. In true societal fashion, just about all the blame is placed on Rachel's shoulders, as though it is within her powers to dictate his desires. Starfire dares not blame him for shifting his attention elsewhere for fear of coming off as a woman scorned, so she directs her fury towards the other woman. If only the alien princess knew how much the team's empath would sing her praises to him in the hopes of rekindling a flame that has long since died. Beastboy is now the jilted wanna-be lover and will probably blame Rachel for playing with his heart. Cyborg is thoroughly confused by all of these changes and hostility that has been floating around beneath the surface. However, he is the only one who called Richard out on his part in all of this. Richard feels as though he has to keep both eyes out for his metal teammate. It may be because he is level headed or because he's a third party in this mess, but he seems to have an easier time reading Richard's moves and motives.

And apparently, so does Bruce…

I typed all of this in one sitting. My bum is numb. Also, we're only in week two in story time. I hope you enjoyed!