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ravensmind · 2 years ago

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RobRae Week 2023, Day 1, The Bond

https://archiveofourown.org/works/46887964/chapters/118108672

“This is so stupid.”

“No! It’s science!”

“It’s ridiculous.”

“Just stand there and close your eyes!”

Raven sighed and closed her eyes as the other four moved around in front of her like a magician would move his cups on a table.

Robin had made an off-handed comment of him and Raven always knowing where each other were, even if one was on the other side of the city. The other three had a moment of confused and excited yelling about how dope that was, how incredible it is, how did they never know that?

So naturally, they wanted to test the talent. They had Raven stand behind the couch and the other four in a line in front of her. She was to close her eyes and pick out which one of them was Robin. They thought they were making it difficult for her, moving around so much, but-

“There.” Raven pointed to the Titan on the right end of the line, it indeed being Robin.

“No way!” Beast Boy exclaimed. “You’re cheating. I bet she peeked. Turn around!” He demanded.

Slowly, not caring to play their game but finding it slightly amusing, she turned around to face the tv and windows.

“Move, move, move!” Beast Boy rushed the others.

“God, gimme a minute.” Cyborg swatted.

“I find this skill quite impressive.” Starfire commented.

Robin just stayed in place as the three switched places around him.

“Ok Rae,” Cyborg called, “how ‘bout now?”

She didn’t need to turn around to tell Robin hadn’t moved. And she didn’t.

“He’s still in the same place.”

“Prove it.” Beast Boy challenged, not fully believing her. She could after all have looked in the windows reflection.

She turned around with her eyes still closed, took four steps and stopped in front of the spiky haired teen who had a grin upon his face.

Starfire gasped. “It is like the videos of the blindfolded children asked to locate their mothers amongst other women.”

“Pretty neat right?” Robin asked.

“And you can do that too?” Cyborg asked. “This isn’t just a Raven following emotional signatures thing?”

“Yes.” Both birds replied simultaneously.

Raven opened her eyes to meet the masked ones in front of her while the others looked back and forth between the two.

“You know you gotta have a turn now Rob right?” Cyborg asked. “Because this is just-holy shit.”

Robin nodded, moving around Raven and placed himself in the spot she previously occupied, facing the windows. “I will admit, I’m not as good as Raven is.”

The others tittered as they moved themselves around, switching spots trying to make it harder for the leader.

When the noise stilled, Robin turned around, eyes still closed, and walked slightly to the left, arms wide open and closed them around the empath. “But I can always find my best friend.” He exaggerated dramatically.

The others lost it. Hoots and hollers howled through the room as they tried to fathom how the hell they were able to do that.

Robin grinned at the chaos then smirked when he looked down to meet the eyes of the girl he was bonded to. “What?”

“Don’t you think that was a bit dramatic?” She asked.

“There’s never such a thing as being too dramatic in this house.” He countered.

“Then can you at least get off of me.” It was a statement more than a question.

“I know you like it.” He teased, knowing fully well she was happy from his embrace by the feelings being sent through the bond. “And is it a crime to show my friend my affection?” He emphasized the word “friend” again and watched as her cheeks colored. “Because I had some things planned for you tonight, but if you don’t want them then…”

She rolled her eyes and pulled out of his grip effortlessly. He laxed his arms at the feel of resistance.

“You’re lucky I love you.” She whispered.

“If you didn’t then I don’t know what you would call what you did to me the other night.” He whispered back.

She could only deepen her flush as Robin chuckled, the other three completely unaware of their conversation as they continued to try to fathom the experiment they witnessed.

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ravensmind · 2 years ago

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RobRae Week Day 4

~RavensMind~

Day 4- Workout

Beach Workout Revelations

Relaxing in the summer sun, a cold iced herbal tea in one hand, an open book in the other, Raven stretched out on a lounge chair under a wide umbrella on the beach in front of Titans Tower. She was taking a short break from the team's outdoor workout. Initially she had protested the idea, not wanting to bake in the sun, until she remembered the massive umbrella she had gotten at the end of last year for that exact reason. It was a great day for it, as there was enough of a breeze to tolerate the heat and some cloud cover every now and then. All the Titans were in their swimwear, so any cardio would be done in the water, another way to ensure they wouldn’t collapse in the sun.

“Hey Raven, going to be up for squats soon?” Robin called out to her from the water’s edge.

“Listen, taskmaster general, I need a little more time in the shade first, I’m not going to burn like some people,” Raven called back, her eyes going from Robin to the green changeling next to him, who was already sunburned on his shoulders.

“No pain, no gain, dudes,” Beast Boy retorted, flexing his arms with his fists over his head, showing off the minor muscle increase he’d recently gotten.

“That’s supposed to refer to your muscles, not your skin,” Raven said, rolling her eyes.

“I’ll be fine, it’s just some sun,” Beast Boy said.

“Can we proceed with the squatting? I also do not desire the burn of the sun and wish to do as much as we can to enjoy ourselves,” Starfire chimed in.

“She’s got a point, c’mon, Rae, get over here,” Cyborg called, “I’ll move your umbrella if you want it that bad.”

“Okay, fine, I’m coming,” Raven said, setting her drink and book down on the small folding table she’d brought out with the lounge chair.

Raven stood and adjusted the tie on the side of her dark blue bikini, making sure it was tight and rolled her shoulders before walking down to join the others.

“I saved you a spot next to me,” Robin said with a smile.

Raven had to push her emotions down so color wouldn’t creep into her face as she neared him and only managed a nod in his direction. Truthfully, it hadn’t been merely the sun she was taking a break from under the umbrella. Being close to Robin under any circumstance had been trying for her lately, as she discovered she was attracted to him. Any look, word, or touch from him jolted her emotions, making her grip her power to keep it in place. Their chosen activity and attire made suppressing certain thoughts and feelings harder, making it as much of an emotional exercise as it was a physical one. Beast Boy and Cyborg were wearing long swim trunks, but, ever the purposeful, prepared obsessive that he was, Robin wore a tight red speedo, emphasizing strong legs and leaving even less to the imagination that his normal green tights. His body was slick with sweat from his own workout, as he had started before the other Titans showed.

She walked over to the spot beside him and waited as Cyborg brought the umbrella over and set it up near her.

“Thanks, Cy,” she said.

“No prob, Rae,” he said, before returning to his spot in their line-up along the water.

With the shade as cover, she turned out toward the water and tried to focus on just doing the exercises. Before she could get herself into position, she felt Robin’s touch on her arm. She wondered if he knew how he affected her through their bond and was just enjoying watching her tense.

“Do you want to borrow my smaller weights? They might give you better results than going without, you uh, don’t seem to have trouble, and it’s good to push yourself,” Robin asked.

“Sure,” Raven replied quickly.

It was better to give him short, simple responses when she was holding her emotions down, otherwise she risked blushing. Like she was going to broadcast to him what he was doing to her, that just sounded unfair.

He stepped away to grab a small set of dumbbells from the collection he’d brought outside and lined up behind them, bent down to pick them up, and made her have to look very quickly anywhere else before the slightest thought about him at that angle did anything else to her. She acted like she had been looking at a passing bird when he had turned back to face her. Thankfully, their friends had started on their own exercises, so nobody would’ve caught anything regardless. She was still safe. He approached her and handed her two red dumbbells, which she took from him, holding one in each hand by her sides. She expected him to return to his place in the sand, but he remained by her side.

“Thanks, um, was there something else you wanted?” Raven asked.

“Oh, uh, I wanted to make sure you had the right form before I started on my own stuff,” Robin replied.

“Okay, right,” she said.

Fantastic, now he was going to be watching her. She suddenly wished she’d worn a swimsuit that covered her entire body, face included. Nothing she could do now… except mess with him.

“Like my bikini?” she asked, as she got into position, her feet digging into the sand, facing the water.

“I-it’s uh-nice, yeah,” he replied, tensing and rubbing his neck.

“With the way you’re watching me, I’d think it was better than ‘nice’,” she said, as she bent her knees and slowly descended into a squat.

“Maybe-I mean, yeah, it’s… you look awesome in it,” he admitted, color coming into his cheeks.

She smiled to herself. His eyes may be hidden behind his mask, but he couldn’t keep all of his emotions from showing themselves in the rest of his face and body.

“Should have seen the other one I tried on before picking this, showed too much, wasn’t sure if I could pull it off,” she said, rising out of her squat, “I might not be the best judge… what do you think?”

His face’s color matched the color of his speedo as he bit his lip and watched her descend into another squat. Something about the situation was bothering her more than her own nerves, but she couldn’t put her finger on what. He remained silent during her next two reps and didn’t say anything until she looked at him.

“I uh, think I’d have to see it - to know for sure,” he said, his lips lifting in a small smile.

She knew that smile. It always showed itself when he had figured something out, whether it was about something personal or about one of the city’s countless criminals. In this case, it worried her. Why? She had to say something but she’d been thrown off by how easily he now stood looking at her. His nerves had calmed, why? She descended into another squat while she came up with a response to match the implicit challenge he’d given her.

“You’ll have to join Starfire and I when we go clothes shopping next time, then,” she said.

“Hmm. Or you and I could go tomorrow, if you uh, want my opinion that bad,” he countered.

Raven came up from another squat and stopped. Robin’s response had given her the answer to her internal questions, along with a revelation that made her heart race even as it drained what color showed in her pale complexion.

The feeling of attraction was mutual. And he had turned her teasing into his offer of a date.

She wasn’t sure how she got herself into this, how to get out of it, or if she even wanted to get out of it. No way was he going to get the best of her.

“Fine. On two conditions. You keep our trip between us and… you have to try things on too,” she said, performing a perfect squat as she finished speaking.

“Wh-uh, deal,” he said, as red took over his face again.

“And…I think my form is fine, right?” she asked.

“Your form? Wh-oh, yeah, it’s awesome, uh, keep it up,” he replied, looking like he’d been hit with her reminder, “I’m gonna go back to my own workout.”

Raven managed a nod as she performed another squat, grateful for the break from the awkwardness between them. Turning her attention back to the waves and her own reps, she wished she could be as calm as the steady waves rolling in and out before her. Serenity would only be restored with meditation and distance from Robin. Try as she might, she could not resist glancing in his direction every few reps. He had his own large dumbbells in his hands, doing his own squats. His muscles stood out in the sunlight, his sleek, toned body shining with sweat the longer he went. His breathing was even, showing no sign of strain. She thought he might catch her eye and she pretended to blow a strand of her violet hair out of her face.

“Dude, I’m done with this sand,” Beast Boy abruptly called out to the group, “time for some dolphin jumps!”

Beast Boy dashed from his place in the sand out into the water and morphed into a large green dolphin as soon as the water reached his waist. Their friend swam in a large circle and went down, then breached the water a minute later, flying high in the air, splashing Cyborg and Starfire with water as he landed near them.

“Yo, you’re gonna get it for that!” Cyborg called with a grin, setting his weights down and rushing into the water after Beast Boy passed him again.

“Robin, Raven, shall we do the swimming of the laps with them?” Starfire asked the pair, rising from the push ups she was doing in the sand.

“Not ready yet, but go ahead if you want to,” Robin said.

“I’m…not quite ready either. I’ll do mine soon,” Raven added.

Starfire giggled as she was splashed by another of Beast Boy’s jumps, then leapt into the water after him. This left Robin and Raven alone on the beach as their friends swam off, beginning their laps around the island.

Robin and Raven continued their squats with their weights, each catching the other’s eye when they fully stood or descended every few reps. Before long, she was sweating and her throat felt dry. The silence between her and Robin grew, but that had become a silent contest, as she could feel his own tension through their bond, and he was holding himself back from saying more. Neither would stop until the other did, neither would speak until the other did, but Raven had a few advantages - she had shade, smaller weights, and she had not been working out as long as he had been.

In time, Robin had to stop and take a breather. He put his weights down and reached for his water bottle, taking a long drink and long breaths. He caught her looking at him too long before she could excuse it as anything and grinned at her.

“You, uh, never said if you liked my swimsuit,” Robin said, “I’d say you do, you keep looking at me.”

“It… suits you,” Raven admitted, unable to bring herself to try and lie to him.

“Thanks. Want some of my water? You uh, seem thirsty,” he offered, a playful tone in his voice.

“I think you need it more than I do,” she replied, her tone matching his.

“Yeah, it’s pretty hot out here, huh?” he asked.

“Yes,” she agreed.

“Can I join you in the shade?” he asked.

“I don’t see why not,” she replied.

He joined her under her umbrella with his water bottle and stood closer than he had before. It was a waiting game now for her, as she was not about to show that he affected her, and he remained where he was, refusing to show any further interest.

Neither of them were willing to cross the line in the sand, but if they were being honest with themselves, it was only a matter of time. She stopped and put her weights down, accepting the water bottle he offered her and took a drink, hoping that wasn’t all he would give her.

#raven #robin #robrae #teen titans #robrae week #fanfic #fluff #robrae week 2023 day 4

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ravensmind · 2 years ago

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RobRae Week Day 3!!

@fuckyeahrobrae

Storms were a common occurrence in Jump City.

Though they were less frequent here than they were in Gotham, Robin found he enjoyed them more here- with rare exceptions, the storms were less harsh, less polluted, and didn’t last as long as they did in his hometown.

He stood near the entrance to the Tower on the ground floor, the heavy metal doors parted so he could stand in the entrance. The clouds had lingered all day, and when he’d planned on venturing into the city to go on patrol after waking up in the middle of the night, the rain had started coming down. Sprinkling at first, with the sound of distant thunder rumbling in from the distance, until it started coming down more and more steadily and lightning arced across the sky, the flash lighting up the island as bright as day and the thunder booming overhead. Though the wind was chilly and brought the temperature of the spring morning down, the wind was fortunately blowing into the city, and he was still relatively warm in his position in the doorway.

“I shouldn’t be surprised to find you up.”

Robin turned to see Raven approaching him, two steaming cups in both hands. He reached out and took one from her, his fingers brushing against hers. “Thanks.” He dipped his head and gave a small smile, then turned back to watch the storm outside. He lifted the cup and inhaled the scent of the tea and thought, “Raven never lets anyone touch her tea.” He blew gently before taking a slow sip. “Did the storm wake you?”

“Yeah. But I took a nap after dinner last night, so I was probably going to be up early today anyways. Were you up all night?” She asked, turning her head to look at him.

He took another sip and sighed. “Yeah…” He shrugged and turned to look at her. “There’s work to be done.” Raven’s lips turned downward ever so slightly, and he looked back out at the storm. “But when this started, I decided to stay here. Unless a villain attacks, the police can handle whatever idiot decides to pull a smash and grab in this weather.”

Raven snorted, and her gaze fell to the ground, but she didn’t turn away from him. After a few moments of listening to the rain, she murmured, “I’m glad you’re here.” When Robin turned back to her with a look of surprise, she cleared her throat and turned away. “I just mean- I don’t like it when you go into the city by yourself to fight. We’re a team, remember? Wake me up if you’re going to go work so someone has your back.” She quickly lifted her cup and took a drink.

Robin looked back at his own cup, noting that it was about halfway down. “Sure.” He tilted the cup, watching as the tea swirled around. “How’d you know I was down here?” He asked.

“The security cameras.” She answered simply. “While I was waiting for the water to boil, I saw you down here. I figured you I might as well make an extra cup and come down here.”

He nodded in understanding, but he couldn’t stop himself from smiling.

Raven saw it from the corner of her eye and turned to him. “What?”

“Nothing - I was just thinking about how thoughtful you are, making me tea and worrying about me and all. It’s nice.”

“Well, I care about you.” Robin was caught off guard and his eyes widened in surprise; he’d expected her to brush it off or offer a sarcastic rebuke. It was rare for her to be so honest. “You’re the most important person in the world to me, so of course I’m looking out for you.”

He could feel his heart beating in his chest - suddenly, this didn’t feel like a regular conversation between friends, and Robin took several moments to consider his next words before he said anything to avoid saying the wrong thing. “I… didn’t know I was the most important person to you. It means a lot to hear you say it.” He swallowed hard and looked away, and his voice was low and soft when he spoke next. “You’re important to me too, Rae. I don’t know where I’d be without you.”

Beside him, Raven smiled. She looked out as lightning flashed and lit the island up, and she drank the last of her tea.

“It’s lighting up out there.” She spoke after a few minutes. “It’ll probably be dawn soon.”

“Yeah. The storm might carry on, though.”

“I don’t mind.” Raven set down the empty cup beside her, and after a moment of deliberation, stepped closer to Robin and leaned against him. He set his own cup down and wrapped one arm around her. “I’m sure the sunrise will be beautiful, especially when it turns the clouds orange and pink. Hopefully they’ll part and we can see the sky.”

Robin smiled beside her. “Hopefully.”

It didn’t matter to him though. Whether the storm lasted or the clouds parted, holding Raven close was bringing him a sense of peace he never wanted to let go of.

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ravensmind · 2 years ago

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RobRae Week 2023 Day 3

~RavensMind~

Day 3 - Awkward Flirting

A Different Game

With the tower mostly to himself, Robin sat down on the couch with a bag of chips and a soda, then fired up the GameStation and started playing an action rpg. He wasn’t focused on beating high scores or perfecting combos, he was playing to relax. It had been a long week, chasing down leads on a criminal who had been robbing atms. It turned out to be Gizmo and he got tossed in jail pretty quickly, even with Mammoth helping him fight, but they were nothing without their other cohorts. Since Cyborg, Beast Boy, and Starfire were all out doing their own things, it was the perfect chance for some down time for Robin. He had yet to see Raven and part of him hoped she would join him while the other hoped she stayed in her room with a book. It wasn’t that he disliked her company, she was far too distracting to him as of late. It would get to the point where he had to say something to justify the amount of times he looked at her in the span of a few minutes, and he’d feel off and say something that sounded weird coming out of his mouth, but he couldn’t stop himself. He mostly wanted to spare himself more embarrassment, which he could only do if she wasn’t around.

Robin played for half an hour or so, eating chips, and drinking his soda in peace before he heard the common room doors slide open and he felt Raven’s presence through their bond, so there was no reason to turn around, but he couldn’t fight the impulse, so he paused and turned on the couch to see her. She had grown out her hair and favored white robes over blue ones for the last year and it was such a contrast to her usual appearance that she drew his eye constantly. He caught himself before he stared for too long without saying anything and spoke, then regretted doing so.

“Hey you, what’s uh, what’s up?” Robin asked.

“Um, hey yourself. Just getting some tea. What are you doing?” Raven asked.

“Just playing a game. Do you want to hang with me?” he asked, before remembering he was trying to avoid making a fool of himself by having some alone time.

“Sure, yeah, um, I’ll join you when my tea is ready,” she said, giving him a weird look.

“Cool, awesome, uh, I’ll be here,” he said, turning back to his game.

Why couldn’t he talk normally to her anymore? Why did he have to make himself look away from her to go back to the game he enjoyed? Come to think of it, why was she acting odd around him? He was tripping over his words with her, yes, but she seemed to be having trouble replying to him without checking something internally before she did so, and that weird look was on her face when she talked to him. He hated having these kinds of questions because the answers weren’t something he could just research, he’d have to find out for himself by trial and error.

He took a second before realizing he had unpaused the game and his character was just standing there, going through their idle animation for the third time. He shook his head at himself and started playing again. For a while, he was able to get back in the swing of things, focusing on his game and eating chips. The sounds of Raven making her tea in the kitchen registered, but forced himself to ignore the distractions. Several minutes later, when he was taking a drink of his soda, Raven joined him on the couch with her mug and her book. She smiled at him and took a sip of tea before opening her book and beginning to read. He almost missed jumping over an ingame obstacle as his eyes lingered on her. He had an urge to catch her attention again and reached over, brushing his fingers against her bare leg. Her eyes snapped to him and she had her eyebrow arched. Then he remembered he should say something.

“Are you hungry? I have chips, uh, if you want some,” he offered.

“Maybe after I’ve finished my tea, so, um, thank you,” she responded.

“Any time,” he said, pausing in between both words without really meaning to.

She gave him another strange look and held his gaze a moment longer before returning to her book. He wanted to punch himself repeatedly for the red that threatened to appear on his face, but pressed on and took it out on the enemies in his game. He started to lose himself in the combos and fallen foes when he felt a touch on his shoulder. He paused instantly and looked over to Raven.

“I changed my mind, um, would you pass the chips?” she asked.

“Yeah, here you go,” he replied, grabbing the chip bag and handing it to her.

“Thanks,” she said, taking the bag and reaching in for a few chips before setting down in between them.

He watched her as she ate and read for too long, as her eyes once again found his.

“Yes?” she asked.

“I-uh, was just, well, your hair looks nice, I like it this way,” he replied.

“Was it bad before?” she asked.

“Wh-no, no, it was good, I just meant-uh,” he stammered, trying to recover.

“Relax, boy wonder, I’m just…messing with you,” she said with a laugh.

“Oh, right, sure, I knew that,” he rambled uncomfortably, mentally screaming.

“Sorry. I… couldn’t resist, but that was a little mean, since you’ve been…well, sweet. Hmm, um, ask me for something, and I’ll do whatever it is,” she offered.

“That’s uh… you trust me that much, huh?” he asked.

“I do,” she replied.

Robin set his controller down in his lap and turned Raven’s offer over in his head, thinking of what sounded reasonable, even as he frantically flailed internally at being presented this offer in the first place. She had to be using this opportunity to test him or continue messing with him in a different way. Whatever he asked for had to surprise her somehow, something endearing, nothing crass or weak.

“Would you… sit next to me and rest your head on my shoulder and read while I play this game? Or you could rest your head in my lap?” Robin asked.

Her lips twitched and he swore he saw pink in her cheeks as she considered his request. He smiled to himself as she took longer to answer than he had thought she would. She gave him a small smile and nodded, even as she took a deep breath before she moved closer to him on the couch after moving the bag of chips out of the way, choosing to rest her head on his shoulder. She curled her legs up on the couch with her feet drawn in and let out a contented sigh that set off more internal frantic screaming. She was actually pleased and he’d managed to shock her into silence, at least temporarily, his request wouldn’t pass without comment, he knew that. He took the opportunity to rest his own head against hers as he picked up his controller and resumed playing, letting out his own contented sigh.

“This is… nice. And I still feel bad for messing with you, so… you can ask for something else, if you’d like,” Raven said.

“I would, uh, can I think about it for a while?” Robin asked.

“Mhmm, try not to take too long, I refuse to die of anticipation or curiosity,” she replied.

“Understood,” he chuckled.

Now what was he supposed to do? He could hardly back down if he wanted to and any chance of surprising her further would require a different approach with some kind of escalation. He kicked various ideas around and while they were exciting, and daring, they lacked the particular punch he was hoping to land. He had some time to think, luckily, so he tried to play more of his game. She shifted against him, leaning on him more, more of her violet hair splayed out and down his shoulder. Even if she was content in this position, she seemed tense, and he didn’t need the bond to know what her emotions might be doing with this situation. Despite that, he was committed to rising to her implicit challenge.

He played for a few more minutes, finishing a mission ingame, and when he stopped to drink his soda, he had an answer for her. She turned a page and grabbed a few chips from the bag. He waited until she finished eating what she had in hand, then cleared his throat.

“Hey, uh, Raven?” he prompted.

“Yes?” she responded.

“Would you… go out to dinner with me this weekend?” he asked.

“A-as in… a date?” she asked, her fingers poised to turn the page of her book.

“Yeah.”

He felt her body stiffen against his and heard her breath hitch. He hoped he hadn’t crossed a line. Maybe he had. What if she wasn’t ready for a relationship because her emotions were still too much to handle? What if he made it worse? What if she didn’t like him like that? He might’ve just made a massive mistake and ruined their friendship. There wasn’t enough internal screaming or mental blows he could deal with to relieve the anxiety that flooded his mind. He had to fix it.

“Hey, it’s-uh, cool if you don’t want to, it was-,” Robin started to say.

“I’d love to,” Raven interrupted, her voice soft and controlled.

Robin breathed a sigh of relief and leaned his head back against the couch while he beamed in excitement. She said 'yes,' awesome, but now what was he supposed to say or do? The position he'd put himself in was uncharted territory. A sudden movement next to him made him snap to attention and he only had time to move the controller off his lap before Raven had turned and swung her leg over his waist and she straddled him, a smug expression on her face. He froze and stared into her eyes, too stunned for words.

"You took your time asking. I should make you wait for what I'm about to give you," she teased.

"Uh-please don't," he said, a smile playing on his lips, his face burning.

"Hmm, it's… too fun to play with you, I might need to think about it for a while," she said with a grin, echoing his words.

And so began their long game.

#raven #robin #robrae #robraeweek #teen titans #fanfic #robrae week #robrae week 2023 day 3

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ravensmind · 2 years ago

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RobRae Week 2023

~RavensMind~

Day 2 - Reunited

One Night Long Ago

Raven frowned and rolled her eyes as Beast Boy did his old imitation of their late enemy, Mad Mod for the current Teen Titans. Some things were better left dead and forgotten because it either depressed you or made you remember the awful gym outfit you were forced to put on while being subjected to British history. She didn't need both to be affecting her simultaneously. It was great to see her old friends again, of course, but it also meant revisiting some old memories, and a certain friend was prominent in more than a few. *He* had never been hers, but it still stung to see him jump from one failed relationship to the next while she watched from a distant sideline.

She watched Robin, now Nightwing, cross the room to say something to Argent and felt her heart sag in her chest. Truthfully, she had only herself to blame. It's not like she had bared her feelings to him and had been rejected, no, that at least would have been easier to handle. She had a chance to open up to him, one night when he took her to a horror movie and ice cream afterward to try and cheer her up when she was dealing with a lot. They had spent the whole day together, talking, laughing, and at one point she held his hand and she would have said something, had it not been for that damn Mad Mod returning to the city, causing their alarms to go off, which brought the night to a close. She never worked up the courage to say anything to him and convinced herself it was better this way.

Raven sighed and went over to the punch bowl. She admired the new pictures on the walls of the tower, hung by the current team. She hadn't been to the tower in five years, and this celebration of a new chapter for Jump City with a new band of heroes might mark the last time she would set foot here. She spooned out some punch for herself and flicked back her long, violet hair as she turned to reach for a plate to get some snacks from the small buffet.

"Hey Rae, long time no see," a voice behind her said.

She stopped and took a moment before she turned to greet him.

"Rob-I mean, Nightwing, yes, it's good to see you," Raven said.

"You okay? You seem nervous, and I don't think I need our bond to tell," Nightwing said.

"Just reminiscing, I guess," she said, "Beast Boy needs to cut out the Mad Mod impression before I cut out his vocal chords."

"Tell me about it. It's okay, though, not like he's constantly in our faces anymore, I think we can let it slide," he said.

"I suppose," she admitted grudgingly.

"You staying busy since you left?"

"Mostly. Healing our little extended family's battle wounds doesn't leave too much time to rest. I think I see one of the Justice League for healing at least once every couple days. What about you? Bludhaven treating you…better?"

He smirked, then frowned, "It's a lot nastier there. I'm on top of it though. Not easy flying solo all the time. I'd rather not talk about it, if that's okay. How're you doing otherwise? Seeing anyone?"

"No problem at all. No… not much for dates right now. You?"

"No, I haven't really had the opportunity. Figured I should take a break anyway after Barb broke up with me."

"Probably the smarter choice."

Nightwing smirked and laughed a little. Neither of them had moved since they started talking. She always felt like he could have her under a microscope in a second if he wanted, knowing more about her next move than she did, and that feeling was hitting her hard during their conversation.

"You're so blunt, sometimes. I missed that. I've missed you," he said with a smile.

"I… missed you too," she returned, trying to keep her thoughts in check.

"Hey, I was thinking, want to head up to the roof, talk a bit like we used to? That always helped me when I was feeling stressed from our line of work," he asked.

"I-yes, sure," she replied.

"I'll get some punch too before we head up," he said.

Raven couldn't get over how different he looked even though he seemed like the same person she fought alongside for years. His black hair was long, down to his back, and he'd changed his mask along with his color scheme, fulfilling Starfire's experience of him in the future. He had gotten taller, too. He stood a good half a foot taller than her now, where before they were nose to nose. She hadn't changed much, letting her hair grow long and exchanging the blue cloak for white, she grew another couple inches taller, too. She watched him pour his own punch and forgot herself for a moment looking at his rear profile. One girl had complimented his butt one time while they were out and from that point on, he had committed to doing even more squats. It seemed silly to her at first, but she appreciated it now.

Nightwing and Raven took their cups of punch and left the common room, walking through the all-too familiar corridors to the stairs, and finally reached the roof. Together, they walked to the edge, looking out over the bay and sat. She took a sip from her cup, then breathed in the spring air, letting the sunlight warm her face, and tried to think of what to say. They rarely needed words, but she was tired of living with the massive "what-if" in her mind.

"Do you remember that night when I was feeling like garbage and you took me to see The Summoning and we went for ice cream after?" Raven asked.

"Uh, yeah, I think so, why?" Nightwing asked.

"It was sweet of you to go out of your way to try and make me feel better. I always think of that night when I think of you," she replied, "was it special to you?"

"Yeah, it was pretty special. I don't think we hung out like that often, didn't help that I had a crush on you," he said.

Her mind ground to a halt and she coughed as she nearly spat out her punch. He what?

"You…did?" she asked.

"Still do, if I'm being honest."

"Are you messing with me? Did Zatanna put you up to this?"

"Huh? No, why would I mess with you like that?"

She sighed and looked down into her cup, trying not to mentally kick herself for not talking to him about how she felt at the time. It took her a moment before it clicked: they were both currently single. Now if she could just force herself to say something, anything, to let him know she was interested in more than one date.

"I…had feelings for you too… I-I do," she heard herself say.

He flinched next to her and almost spilled his drink. Their bond was stronger than ever when they were near each other and through it, she felt the intensity of his thoughts without prying deeper and she paled at the depth of his emotion, not knowing how she missed before. It freed her own emotions and she spoke quickly, convinced she could tell him everything.

"I wanted to tell you, but there never seemed to be a good time, and I was always close to the edge of losing it when my father was still a threat to me. I didn't trust myself. Didn't really think I could handle a relationship. Now, it's… different and I-I hated watching you spiral out in your relationships from far away. I didn't know if I could reach out, or if I should," she confessed.

"I understand. I was afraid you'd reject me and that I'd make a mistake and hurt you, messing with your emotions. I really should have just trusted you instead of making that call myself. I'm…sorry, I didn't think you liked me that way," he said.

"I think I was blushing every other time you so much as touched me, surprised your detective eye didn't pick up on it," she said.

"Think I might've misread it as something else. You are the hardest to read unless I use that bond of ours and I know the day we went to the movie happened before we had that bond," he explained.

"I'm not blaming you for not catching it, I know I hide things too well. I should have said something," she said.

"Well, no use worrying about what we can't change…uh, you ever been to Bludhaven?" he asked, a smile slowly forming on his face.

"No, but I'm sure I can make time to visit, if you'll show me the sights," she replied, giving him a half-smile.

"There's at least one I have in mind, but it's not exactly a tourist experience," he said with a smirk.

"All the better. Though I am curious as to what you're planning. Do I get another hint?" she asked.

"Hmm, well it's very exclusive, and… it was meant for you alone, even if it's uh, had other eyes on it," he replied.

"I think I could guess, but I'll let you surprise me," she said with a smirk.

"Awesome, I'll uh, call you when I leave Jump, promise," he said with a smile.

"You better. I'd hate to have to hunt you down. And… you're not leaving the tower tonight without giving me more than just that promise," she told him, her voice soft and inviting, looking from his masked eyes to his lips.

"Someone might have to hit me, I'm kinda wondering if this is real," he said with a laugh.

"Oh, it's quite real."

Raven scooted closer to Nightwing on the tower roof's edge and set her cup down.

"If I wake up when it's over, I'll be the one hunting you down," he warned.

He set his drink down on the side away from her and scooted closer to her, his thigh touching hers.

"I wouldn't fault you for it. Maybe," she said.

She leaned in close, putting her palm on his chest over the blue symbol on the black suit that covered his body.

"You don't know how long I've been wanting to do this," he said.

He put his arms around her and leaned in, his face inches from hers.

"No, I think I have an idea now that I know... Next time, don't back off when we both reach for the popcorn," she said with a knowing smile.

Nightwing laughed and then pressed his lips to Raven's, holding her tight in his arms, and kissing her deeply. She was burning in his arms, containing her power while still allowing herself to enjoy and experience as much of the moment as she could. Her emotions were wild in her mind, threatening to overwhelm her senses even as she poured herself into them, feeling his strong embrace and the pressure of his lips locked on hers as the wind kicked up around them and the sun's heat lit them up on the rooftop. She clutched the fabric of his suit and pressed herself closer against him, not wanting him to stop. Eventually, they both broke away, unsure of how much time had passed.

"I wish we still had rooms here, would make it easier to go further… If you wanted to," Nightwing said.

"You forget… I can take us anywhere," Raven said, softly.

"Oh, uh, yeah, right, of course! So… my place or yours?" he asked.

"Hmm… Mine," she replied.

#robraeweek #robrae week #raven #robin #robrae #teen titans #robrae week 2023 #day 2 reunited #fluff

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