Terra awoke from pleasant dreams a few hours later. The sun was high in the sky, but not yet at its peak. So it was before noon, she surmised. She wiggled out of her sleeping bag and yawned, stretching her arms and craning her back. Raven came to her mind then; Terra imagined the Titans Tower, and what Raven would be doing in it. Probably being able to take a shower, have food hot out of a microwave…that sort of thing. Rest on a soft couch and listen to her friends talk. It did seem nice…why hadn't she stayed at the tower?

Oh. Right. Because she was scared that they had learned the truth: that she had no control over her powers and that her closest secret had been revealed so casually. She'd felt so betrayed then; even the memory of it caused her skin to prickle.

'Raven can't control her powers… '

Slade's voice rang in her head. She tried to block it out; he would not ruin this for her. She could learn to control her powers with Raven's help, and nobody's but her help. She didn't need Slade. She never wanted to see him again. She wanted to see Raven.

She thought more about her…about her life in the tower. Fresh food. Friends. A sofa. Being able to shower every day. Terra liked that thought in particular. She ran her hand over her blonde hair, feeling the small pieces of grit that had tangled itself into her locks. She thought about shampoo, of water cascading down her body, wiping away the dirt, of scented soaps…

She thought of Raven, too.

She thought of stepping into the shower with her, watching droplets trickle down her back, watch her sweep her soaked violet hair back. She imagined the curve of her spine, her gray skin slightly pink from the heat. White lather scrubbed onto her shoulder, and then trickling down her back, all the way down to her rear, and then slowly making its way down her thigh.

Terra rested her head on her hand, her thoughts making her blissful.

Raven would run her fingers through her violet hair, the sweet smelling shampoo wafting through the humid air, and Terra imagined touching the nape of her neck. She imagined feeling the bones of the spine as she ran her knuckles down Raven's back, down all the way to her crack and then back up to the nape of her neck.

Heat pooled between Terra's legs. She rubbed her cheek with her thumb, thinking. She was lost in her thoughts, not seeing the world around her, or the shadow that crossed the floor.

Raven would let out a soft moan as Terra rubbed her back, and Terra would take a step closer. The water would spray in her face, but she didn't care. She'd look down, let her lids hood her eyes, and watch the soapy water swirl around their feet. She'd watch the water run down Raven's backside, watch as the lather streamed down in thin white streaks. She'd put her hands on Raven's shoulders, and feel the tension there.

"Why are you always so damned tense?" she might ask her. Then again, maybe not.

And then, Terra thought, Raven would say something that didn't really answer her question. Something about mystics or magic or just the power of emotions. Something like that. Meditation and yoga can only work so well…blah blah blah.

Terra thought, she wouldn't talk so much, because she would put the tips of her fingers to Raven's lips. Raven would kiss them gently, softly, and Terra wouldn't be able to tell because of the heat of the water masking the heat of her body. Raven might take the tip of Terra's finger into her mouth, suck on it softly, flick her tongue against the pad and then kiss it.

Terra had to fight the urge to shift her panties to the side and stick her hand between her legs.

Raven would spin around to face her, and then tilt her head back to rinse the lather from her hair. Her eyes would close so water wouldn't hurt them, and Terra would be able to see her neck completely exposed to her. She would see Raven's lips slightly parted, and water cascading down her neck, down her breasts, before dripping on her own hands. Her hands that would come up, and rest on Raven's hips.

Perhaps Raven would smile…but maybe not.

Terra's thighs shifted apart as she continued with the daydream. She knew that she should be getting ready for the day. Getting dressed, brushing her teeth, combing her hair…all that. But she was too focused right then and there. To hell with that, she thought, thinking herself rebellious. I'll do that later…but right now

Terra touched the front of her panties and found that they were wet. It surprised her, but she recovered quickly. It was wet and slick with fluid between her legs, the wetness making her panties dark. It was only a small spot, but as Terra rubbed it, the slickness started to coat more of the fabric.

Terra's hands would come up to Raven's ribs, where she would slide her thumbs against Raven's skin, feel the smoothness of a bone before making her way up to Raven's breasts.

She remembered them from last night, but only by their feeling. Terra tried to imagine what they would look like in actual lighting, instead of just what they looked like in covered in darkness, using only her night vision to make out the soft curves and stiff nipples.

Terra knew they would be soft, smooth, supple. She knew that her fingers would grip Raven's skin softly, and that would prompt a quiet moan from Raven. Terra knew that Raven's nipples would harden as she played with her breasts, and Terra would flick them until they peaked. She'd lean forward, and the shower water would soak her hair. It would cling to her face, and she'd feel the oddly satisfying sensation of grit sliding down her scalp. Terra would push her soaked hair back out of her face, and take the nipple into her mouth. She'd suck it softly, flick her tongue over it, before switching breasts.

Terra's fingers slipped inside her panties. She found that she was sore from last night. She pushed near her labia and found that it was tender. It felt bruised, and when she slid her finger across her clit, she jumped so badly she nearly lost her balance. She removed her fingers and just touched her underwear again, pressing three fingers flat against the surface and slowly rocking her hips. That felt better, much better.

She let the fantasy roll on.

It played out much the same way last night. Kissing, touching…

By the time Terra imagined Raven slipping two of her fingers inside of her, Terra felt an orgasm pulse through her body. Her muscles tightened, her fingers pressed hard up against her body, her legs shook. She didn't breathe, didn't move, until she'd finished. As her orgasm lessened, she pressed her fingers back up against herself, moving her hips again, and the aftershocks came. Her legs shuddered, her toes curling up against the rocks.

She didn't want to stop; Terra felt like she could do this until the end of time. Just stay there in that cave, coming again and again to the thought of Raven and her in the shower. But the time she'd finished her fourth orgasm, she was light-headed and dizzy, and craving a drink of water. But she didn't want to stop. She rubbed another one out, and then she decided to quit.

She reached for her canister and ended up swigging down most of the bottle.

Terra stood up and starting preparing her things. She didn't plan on moving her camp for the next few days, so she decided she didn't need to pack up. Still, she organized her camp site, cleaned a few things up, put a few things in storage (or what counted as storage), and then changed her clothes. She stripped her panties off and saw the that the wet spot now coated most of the middle. She didn't really feel shame, but there was an odd twinge of guilt there.

Other than that, it meant that she couldn't wear them again until they were washed, and who knew how long it would take her to wrestle up some money for a laundromat.

With her boots on and her laces tied, she stepped out of the cave.

The sun shone bright and hot down on the rocky landscape that she called her home. The heat was sweltering, but the ocean breezes cooled most of Jump City. It lifted her hair, making it tickle her face. A smile quirked at the corner of her lips, and she scratched her cheek to make it go away.

Across the bay was Titans' Tower. Giant and shining in the sunlight, a constant reminder of the Titans' presence, a beacon of hope for some, a warning for others. As she looked at it, something twisted in her gut. Terra had felt it before; it was homesickness. She wrinkled her nose at the thought.

To be homesick for Titans' Tower? It was ridiculous. She'd barely spent two nights in that place, and already it was making her sick to be away from it. She tore her eyes away from the sight and turned around.

Slade stood behind her.

She screamed and fell backwards into the dirt. "What—what?" she tried to say, but all words escaped her.

He wasn't standing all that close to her, but the fact that he was there. That he had come so close to her and she hadn't heard him… It was scary, at least. Predatory at most. She swallowed, hard, and scrambled back in the dirt.

"I didn't mean to startle you," Slade said. His voice was smooth and soft. It was like honey to her ears, though she knew she shouldn't trust it. Still, his voice sounded almost kind. Gentle. Not like a predator's. Terra put a hand to her chest, feeling her heart thundering inside of her.

Slade took a small step forward and offered her his hand. "May I help you up?" he asked her.

Terra stood up on her own.

Slade took a step back, standing where he had when she'd first turned around.

"It can be quite beautiful, when the sun hits it just right," Slade said.

Terra took steps away from him, trying to distance herself. It wasn't like she could just run. Not only were all her things still in the cave, but she felt like straight up running wasn't right. He wasn't someone you run from; to get away from him, you had to do more than just that.

"Do you ever wonder how they see it?" Slade asked her. "The people of Jump City? Ordinary people, living their lives, just trying to find some sense of normality. But their Tower, so big and obvious—clearly, whenever they see it, it just reminds them of what kind of place this is."

Terra said nothing.

Why can't he just go away? she thought.

When she turned around to look at him, she saw that he was gone. That creeped her out more than she cared to admit. Who the hell was this guy?

As the day went on, she thought that she had imagined it. It was so weird, so quick, so unusual. It just didn't seem right. Terra figured that she was still half asleep when it happened, so it must have been her mind playing tricks on her. She'd heard about sleep paralysis plenty of times, but she'd never experienced it. She hadn't any idea what it was like, but she wondered if it were anything like that. She didn't know. Maybe tomorrow she'd find a library and go look it up. It's not like she had anything else to do. She still had the food Raven had given her, so she didn't need to go shopping. She still had some money tucked away in her backpack, so she didn't need to go coin searching on the sidewalks. Besides, the day was hot, and she was waiting for Raven.

While she waited, she practiced her powers on her own. She tried the technique that Raven had taught her those past few days. She focused, trying to put a meditative concentration on the rock. She could move rocks easily; it was just a matter of stopping herself when she needed to. She was careful, never moving more than one rock at a time. She knew how dangerous her power was, and she knew that her nerves were fried. Slade always put her on edge. Ever since he'd made her lose control that one time…

He was on her mind, and she had to be careful now. One bad thought, and it could be a tornado of flying rock and dirt all over again.

The sun beat down on her as she worked. She rolled the sleeves of her top up, and then discarded it entirely, preferring to work in a clean white tank top instead. The sweat soaked her back, and the white top absorbed it all. Beads of sweat were thick along her hairline; she pulled her hair back into a ponytail while she worked. The top became sheer the most she sweat. It clung to her skin, molded perfectly to her form. Which she wasn't too proud of; stick-straight figured and flat chested as she was.

Whatever, she thought. I'm not here to look attractive; I'm here to work.

She smirked, and picked up the next rock. She clenched her fist in a tight ball, and watched as the boulder cracked and crumbled. A smile cracked across her face, and she moved onto the next boulder, picking it up and punting it into the air. It flew up, high above the earth, and then plummeted quick, about to shatter with the ground when Terra stopped it, a full foot above impact. Pride bubbled within her.

"I can do this," she said to herself.

She punted it up again, stopping it each time. She let it get closer and closer to the ground, challenging herself. A foot away, six inches away, two inches away. Terra's confidence was skyrocketing. She tried again. Two inches. She let it smash down the other two inches, and pumped her fist in the air. "Yeah!" she cried out.

She looked around, wondering what she could do next. The giant boulder still sat in front of her, completely un-cracked from all her trials. She walked over and put her hands on the side, planting her feet into the gravelly ground and pushing. She pushed hard, putting all of her body weight into it, and all she got was it slightly tilted. When she felt like her muscles were about to give out, she stepped back and fell onto her butt in the sand. The rock remained unmoved.

"Oh no, you don't," Terra mumbled to herself.

She breathed deep, stretching her aching limbs, and stood back up. Taking a wide stance, she shoved her palms up against the boulder, and, aiding with her powers, the boulder flew over the earth, not stopping until it crashed into a grassy ledge over a dozen yards away. Terra sauntered over to it.

The breeze picked up, cooling her. It felt so damn good; Terra sighed and held her arms out, facing the sea and letting the cool wind kiss away her sweat. She pulled her ponytail off of her neck, the wet strands sliding off her slick skin, and turned around so the breeze would hit her back. When the breeze died down, she leaned onto the boulder.

Maybe Raven is helping, Terra thought to herself. Just the thought filled her with a joy she couldn't even being to describe. She couldn't keep the smile off her face, and she didn't want to. She crossed her arms and looked down at her boots, thinking of ways in which she'd improved.

So far, she'd been training all day and she'd hadn't lost control once. Not once. And she was becoming more accurate, too. Able to stop the rocks on a dime. Who knew what else she could do? It was only a matter of time before she was able to do whatever, whenever. Without fear of accidentally hurting someone…

"I need water," Terra thought aloud. She ran back over to her cave.

The water canister was right where she left it. The water was still nice and cold from being in a dark cave all day, and she sucked it down, her body craving the fresh water. She drank all of it in one gulp; she wanted more, but had to restrain herself from drinking the other canister. She panted, and swept a few loose strands of hair from her face.

Outside, the sky was turning purple. Shades of lavender and lilac, amethyst and orchid, mauve and heather filled the sky. The breeze was still fresh and cold, and it whipped past Terra's overheated body. But with the temperature going down, she shivered.

A certain feeling of cold ran up her spine, and then brushed past her, like the beat of wings. Shadows grew thick around her, and she heard the soft pat of feet touch the ground.

"Busy day?" she asked Raven.

Raven said nothing, but walked up beside her. Her gaze went from the ocean, to Terra, then back again. "You need a shower," she told her.

"Yeah, I know," Terra said. "I've been working all day. But look!" Terra said. She spun around and pulled a boulder towards her. She glanced behind her to make sure Raven was watching, and then punted the boulder high up above them.

Raven's eyes grew wide as she watched the boulder grow smaller and smaller up in the sky, and then plummet down towards the ground like a meteor.

Terra watched and waited, waiting for it to come close and closer. Just as it was about to hit, Terra put her arms out, letting the geokinetic power flow from her hands and envelop them in a golden yellow light, and the boulder stopped. Less than an inch from the ground. With a smile, she turned around to face Raven, gesturing to the stopped boulder. She bowed, and then let it rest on the ground.

"Well?" Terra asked her.

"That was…impressive…I guess…" Raven said.

"I'm going to take that as a compliment," Terra told her. She put her hands on her hips and studied the boulder for a minute. "Come on, Raven," she said a second later. "You've gotta admit that was cool! I mean, about a week ago or so, I would never have been able to do that."

"Do what?" Raven asked. "Throw it up that high, or stop it like that?"

"Stop it like that," Terra replied. "I've always been able to throw boulders like that. Well, not always. But for a long time."

Raven didn't say anything for a long time. Terra bit her lip, suddenly uncomfortable with the silence. She wanted Raven to say something. Or at least do something instead of stand there. After all, wasn't she supposed to be helping her? Training her or something like that?

"So…" Terra said, "what do you want to help me with?"

Raven thought for a moment. "You've been working on control today, right?" Raven asked her.

"Well, yeah," Terra said. "I work on that everyday."

Raven rolled her eyes. "Not what I meant," she said. "The way you've been practicing your timing with the boulder, as it's about to crash. That's what you've been working on, right?"

"For most of the day, yeah," Terra said.

"You've gotten pretty good at it too," Raven said.

Terra lit up at her words. When Raven saw the bright smile she was giving her, she blushed and pointedly looked out at the sea. But she could still see Terra practically beaming at her.

"Thanks," Terra said.

Raven nodded stiffly.

Terra took a step closer to Raven, but didn't press her luck further. Terra glanced at the stoney expression on Raven's face and wondered if she regretted last night. Terra didn't regret it, though it did make her feel somewhat odd. The way things had happened, how they'd been so intimate with each other despite the fact they still seemed like strangers. Raven was aloof now, but Terra had seen past that somehow. But now, here and now, while they stood apart looking at the ocean, it seemed like that was a million lifetimes ago.

"Do you regret it?" Terra asked. She regretted asking that. She winced, mentally scolding herself. Of all the things to ask!

"No," Raven said.

"What? Really?" Terra asked, stunned that Raven had answered so quickly. Stunned that she had answered at all. But Raven said no more than that, and Terra didn't push it. She wanted to, though. She wanted to ask if Raven felt weird about it, if she felt this strange sort of bond had formed between them, if she somehow felt close to her and yet so far away at the same time. Terra wanted to know if this confusion was normal.

Terra wanted to ask, Do you feel confused? Is it normal to feel confused? Why am I confused? I didn't know it would be like this.

After listening to the breeze for a few minutes, Raven asked, "Do you have anything else to show me?"

"What?" Terra asked. She'd been zoning out.

"You showed me what you did with that boulder…stopping it and whatnot… Anything else?"

"Oh. Um?" Terra thought for a minute. She was glad to get her mind off of…whatever it was. She looked around the rocky landscape, at the boulders and stones and pebbles, at the sand and gravel and grass, at the slopes and hills and cliffs, and even the cave that she bunked in.

"OH!" Terra said, making Raven jump. "I can do this!"

Terra started running off, taking off towards the nearest, largest rock she could find. She leapt up, soaring over the ground, and pounded her fists on the rock just as her feet hit the solid surface. It exploded into large chunks, flying through the air and littering the ground.

Raven put her arm up to shield her from the debris.

Terra stood up and kicked one of the rocks, sending it hurdling over the cliff. She gave Raven a smirk. Raven put her arm down and tried to smile.

"Not bad," she said.

"Not bad?" Terra repeated. "But not good?" She arched an eyebrow.

"No, it was fine," Raven said. She sighed and turned to face her. She looked at Terra's shoulder like she wanted to touch it, but Raven was never much for comforting people. Comforting or communicating real well. She closed her eyes, tucked a bit of her hair behind her ear, and said, "You did well."

"But…?" Terra asked.

"You still want to work on controlling your powers, don't you? You don't seem to have complete control yet." Raven wondered if it was the right thing to say, then realized she didn't much care. "And you can't expect to learn control after one day. Especially not how you went about it."

Terra crossed her arms in front of her. "How I 'went about it?'" she asked.

"There's more training. More discipline. It requires strength of mind just as well as strength of body. Calm. Control. You need to find your center."

Terra frowned and walked towards the side of the cliff, listening to the waves.

Raven walked up beside her. "You shouldn't ignore my advice," Raven told her. "To be in control of your powers, you must be in control of yourself."

Terra wanted to say something snarky, but for the sake of a peaceful moment, she decided to just let the issue drop. Raven said no more words, as she often did. She was always fond of the quiet, never saying to much.

Terra still had to wonder who exactly this woman was that she was falling for. Did she have a last name? Where did she come from? What would it be like to talk to her? To really, actually talk to her? To stay up with her one night, sitting around a campfire underneath the stars, eating s'mores and drinking cider, telling each other monster stories and laughing the night away? Terra had to wonder about that.

Raven could sense the longing in her. And the confusion. Her emotions were freely floating in the air around them, and Raven could pick up on them all. She could sense that and so much more just hiding beneath the surface. Terra didn't know how obvious her emotions were, nor how plain her thoughts. Granted, she wasn't as readable as a book, but Raven could tell just what was going on in her mind.

"Did you want to train tonight, or not? It seems like you've been working pretty hard all day," Raven said.

"I'll…" Terra started. What did she want? It wasn't about training. It was about whether or not Raven stayed with her. Did she want Raven here, or did she want to just take a night to be alone again. It was comforting, to be alone. She was alone so often that it felt so normal, and then it surpassed normal to become her sole comfort.

Aside from s'mores.

"Maybe for a little bit?" Terra suggested. "I mean, not for hours on end, but, like…uh…maybe just a couple of minutes." She paused. "What'd'ya wanna teach me?" she asked, trying to sound more enthusiastic.

"You should try meditating some more," Raven quietly said.

Terra's shoulders slumped. Meditating. Great. Just what she didn't want to do.

Still, she didn't argue about it, and didn't hesitate in sitting down with Raven near the cliffside, eyes closed and legs crossed and hands placed on her knees. Raven floated in the air beside her while Terra was stuck on the ground. Not that she minded; she preferred it, in fact. The earth was her home, the rock her comfort, the stone her strength. She would gladly be attached to it.

"Azarath Metrion Zinthos," Raven chanted, her voice raspy on the breeze.

Terra chanted with her, saying those strange words she didn't recognize.

Terra just tried to stay upbeat about it, and not let the monotonous, boring activity dull her spirits. She chanted, and thought, letting her mind wander. She thought about lots of things: of the places she'd gone, the caves she'd stayed in, the few friends she'd met along the way, the sometimes crazy stories she'd hear. None of it really seemed to keep her mind occupied for long, though.

So she let her mind wander back to this morning, when she was waking up around noon, fantasizing about a hot shower and a soft sofa. Of Raven in the hot shower. Of her back, her hips, her hair. Of the steam caressing their naked bodies, of her lips soft and warm against hers, of the smell of sweet soap.

"You need a shower?" Raven asked, opening her eyes.

Really, that's what she picked up on? Terra thought.

"Uh…yeah…I guess…" Terra said.

Raven looked her over: sweaty shirt, gritty stringy hair, the scent of body odor radiating off of her. Yeah, she did need one. How long had it been since her last one? More than a day.

Raven went back to meditating, trying to ignore the dirty state Terra was in.

"I suppose I could clean off in the ocean," Terra said.

"I don't think salt water is the healthiest option," Raven replied. But then again, it was a hundred times healthier than just staying sweaty and covering in dirt. "Fresh water would be better."

"Can I use your shower?" Terra blurted out.

"What?" Raven asked, somewhat dazed. "In the Tower? I thought you didn't want to set foot in the Tower again."

Terra opened her mouth, then closed it, trying to think of what to say. The vision danced right in front of her eyes: Raven's back streaked with soap, shower water dripping off her body, her hair slicked back, the feel of her gray skin tinged pink.

Raven narrowed her eyes slightly, watching as a lustful yet embarrassed blush crossed Terra's cheeks. She knew she shouldn't have been surprised; not after last night. After last night, after what they had done together in the cave, Raven shouldn't have had any of her inhibitions. But she did.

"Maybe the sea water would be best."