Author's Notes: I'm a little nervous about posting this, actually. This is my first Teen Titans fic ... well, all right, I wrote another one first but I'm not done with it. This is actually the second.
Anyway, I'm sorry if the characters aren't perfect and are a little out of character. Starfire's dialouge is a pain to write. But I had some serious Robin/Raven angst building up after reading so many stories having to do with the pairing and I needed to get it out somehow. I apologize for character mistakes and other such errors; it still does need a bit of editing.
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End Roll
October 2004
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I can't go back
no matter how much I miss it.
That time was definitely fun, but
that was then and this is now.
I remember how I've always
pulled the curtains in an awkward way.
So I walk on.
You'll go too, won't you?
With light shining
on our two separate paths.
-- Ayumi Hamasaki; End Roll
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Cyborg positioned himself on one side of the couch, Beast Boy manned the other.
"No one's not ticklish!" Beast Boy declared, wriggling his eyebrows at Raven, who stood in front of the T.V., her arms folded over her chest.
"Well, I am," she protested, eyeing the boys warily. Starfire stood off to one side, her hands clasped together.
"Oh, please do not hurt friend Raven!" she cried.
"Tickling doesn't hurt, Star," Beast Boy sighed.
"In this case, it'll kill." Raven narrowed her amethyst eyes at Beast Boy, who gulped and took a step away.
Raven turned her death-glare to Cyborg, who smiled weakly, shrugging his shoulders.
"Haha!"
Something red and green came flying at Raven from behind the couch, knocking her to the floor, laughing victoriously. Her head hitting the floor, Raven heard Beast Boy laugh delightedly, heard Starfire clapping several times, heard Cyborg chuckle. Before she knew what was happening, she was on her back, lying on the floor, staring up at her attacker. She'd forgotten about him.
Robin.
He was going to die.
He hovered over her, grinning wickedly.
"Get off of me," Raven ordered.
Robin shook his head, spiky hair flying around his head.
"She's gonna kill him," Beast Boy whispered, his voice filled with awe.
Cyborg and Starfire nodded.
Robin held Raven's slender wrists in one hand, trailing the fingers of his other hand along her leotard.
Raven silently berated herself when she could not repress a passing shiver.
Robin paused, his expression of pensive fiendishness freezing.
He lifted his masked eyes to her wide amethyst gaze; something swam near the surface her gaze, something Robin could not see clearly.
Watching her, he suddenly found it very difficult to breathe. It was odd, irritatingly so. Like something out of a stupid romance novel. "And with one look she stole his breath away…"
Not that this was a romance novel, of course … or romantic in any way. That was crazy. Mad. Come on, romance? And Raven?
His insides gave a nervous little squirm.
Raven stared at him, wondering vaguely what colour his eyes were. It occurred to her that she had never seen him without his mask; none of them had.
Why the hell did it matter?
It suddenly struck Robin as to just how they were lying; Raven on her back, her hands held above her head, as he was … kneeling above her … between her parted legs …
Oh, God.
Robin swallowed, but couldn't bring himself to move. Couldn't bring himself to do anything, except to continue to stare into Raven's dark eyes.
Raven's heart was beating furiously. She wished it wouldn't. It was giving away thoughts, feelings, she had been harbouring for weeks now, feelings she wanted to just keep locked away. Feelings she couldn't let anyone know about, least of all Robin.
His breath was coming in trembling, whistling little bursts; the thought of kissing her flashed through his mind. He had to wonder what it would be like, brushing his lips silently against hers, the feel of her lips under his –
Raven's breath hitched; Robin blinked several times and the world came crashing around them. Somewhere above his head, he heard furious whispers.
Quickly, he released Raven and backed away from her.
"Have Robin and Raven fallen ill?" Starfire asked Cyborg quietly. "They are both looking quite pale."
"No," Cyborg muttered shortly, watching Robin climb shakily to his feet.
Raven remained on the floor; she did manage to sit up, gathering her cloak around her. She kept her gaze firmly on the ground as Robin wordlessly left the room.
She was well aware of what had happened, though she could not believe it. Robin … Robin had been about to kiss her. She knew it. It had been there, written all across his face.
And she would have let him.
"Raven?"
Of course Starfire would interrupt her thoughts.
"Is Raven hurt?" Starfire knelt beside her friend, biting her lip in worry and concern.
Closing her eyes, Raven could not help the bitter admission from spilling out.
"Yes."