D Wire here. I've seen a lot of these Robin gets hexed and starts having feelings for Raven stories and I do like them its just that they always feel way out of character for Robin so I wanted to try something a little more like him. I guess this is my take on the format.
…
Shipped by D Wire
Richard pulled himself up, his arms straining as he kept the two tight cables together. Sweat drew off his body and ran down as he slowly forced his body upside down. He then focused his mind as he slowly began to push his arms apart with all his might, pulling himself out in a perfect T and began to hold. His concentration held barely feeling anything as he blocked out the pain.
Robin…
His eyes slowly opened as his breath began to strain
the curse… I don't know what it is…
His muscles began to ache and burn
But what you're feeling… it isn't real, Robin…
His finger slipped as he plunged to the floor. Richard shifted his body and spun so he leaned on the hands and the palms of his feet. He breathed in deeply as he slowly fell and rested to the floor, the coldness of the floor cooling the furnace that was his core. For now it still worked, the training, the working out. For now it helped purge these thoughts he had been having lately. The part that bothered him the most about all this is that he knew it was all fake induced by a fan no less.
Richard had been under the influence of fear toxin, hatters mind control, and even Ivy's pheromones but none were as bad as a simple hex from a little girl. he had been able to fight those off with just simple will power but it just had to be magic. the worst part of it was he was sure Bruce would have overcome these effects with no problem, another reminder that he just wasn't good enough.
None of it mattered though he was just too exhausted, the workout had helped calm his mind but now left him barely able to move. He stood up his aching muscles forcing him to stumble as he left the gym and made his way to the bathroom.
He burst through the door twisting the nobs on the tub to hot and was rewarded with steaming hot water that came out. He put a cup of Epsom salt in a swished it around through the water but soon a small fragrance graced his senses. It washed over him and tickled his mind. He felt calm and comfortable. It brought flashes to his mind. A soft smile formed by two slender lips, skin that glowed softly like polished porcelain, a thoughtful glance, soulful amethyst eyes.
He glanced at the container the Epsom salt before groaning as he read the label.
Lavender and Sage.
He was not going to let this stupid curse derail his life and the way he did things, He refused. He ripped his clothes off and stopped for a moment and stared at the mirror before ripping his mask off.
Pale blue eyes stared back at him as his gaze drifted, taking in everything. The messy black hair, the small bags that had started to form under his eyes. He was a mess and this hex wasn't good for him. It was unrelenting and ebbed away at his will power constantly. Crane's toxins would have required constant dosages, Hatters mind control consistent but easy enough to fight off, even Ivy's pheromones were only limited to when she was around but this "Magic" it bombarded him relentlessly every second of every minute of every day. Now everywhere he went smells, objects, locations they all triggered a memory of her.
"Of all people it had to be her," he said moving to the large square tub and submerging himself in the piping hot water. It burned for just a moment till his body adapted and his muscles soon released all tension his workout had given him. He stayed that way for ten minutes pushing the thoughts out and clearing his mind.
…
Raven had searched every book she had. Three days of intense study, three days of research and nothing. There were so many love spells and a wrong cure could really hurt Robin. She reflected on the circumstances that had led them to this point.
…
The day had started simple enough. They ate breakfast went on a short patrol but honestly the town was mostly crime free, at least as far as what the police couldn't handle. So they decide to stop by their favorite pizza joint
The truth was she liked it here too not to mention the waitress who worked here most days was a fan and actually kept fairly good tea just for her and a can of some "damn good" coffee as Robin called it. They had tried to pay her for it for years but she had said it was thanks for all that they did and just wished she could do more.
It was small things like this that made her smile softly. That and the boy wonder over there and the small smile on his face as he sat at the table talking with her friends. she didn't know what it was per say that made her comfortable around him. He wasn't as obnoxious as Beast boy, didn't try to get her to do things she didn't want to do like Star did, wasn't susceptible to Beast Boy's idiocy like Cyborg was. Robin actually gave her space but also knew when to push her out of her comfort zone. Of course it was understandable that she had been confused over her feelings for her leader considering he had literally gone through hell and back for her but nothing ever came of it and she just chalked it up to her emotional inexperience, that and the bond they shared…
it had stayed an unspoken unspoken thing between the two of them, the small bit of feelings that seemed to pass between the two.
"Robin's coffee is done if you want to give it to him."
Raven smiled at the waitress and took the small coffee cup from her. She made her way to where Robin was sitting and again couldn't help but smile as he talked and laughed with the others and some how he looked at her just as she was smiling. He left the table and met her half way taking the cup from her.
"You seem like you're enjoying yourself."
"Yeah," Raven said, "Just feeling pretty good today."
"I was worried you didn't like this place."
"To be honest id rather have something other than pizza and this place defiantly fails health code," She said looking around."But the people are what make this place what it is. Not to mention she's got the best tea."
"Yeah I know what you mean," Robin said and took a sip of his drink.
Richard smiled at her but before his body could react he grimaced, his eyelids pushing together. His heart beat like drummer as he tried to balance against an ever shifting world. He looked deep into Violet gemstone eyes that peered into his as his consciousness began to fade. His friends crowded around him as he barley uttered out, "It'll be OK."
Her mind was shattered into two worlds, one that was dealing with the fact that he could be dying and one that Dug deeply to find the cause of his pain. She felt a foreign presence as she used her magic to trace the cause. It was magic but nothing had been casted. It had to be something she thought looking around til it hit her. It had to have been ingested, the coffee. She rushed towards the waitress a furry of shade and shadows. She seized up the frightened child.
"WHAT SPELL DID YOU USE ON HIM," She bellowed her dark tendrils seizing the young woman up and slamming her into a wall. " HE COULD HAVE DIED BECAUSE OF WHAT YOU'VE DONE...STUPID… Ignorant… Spoiled...CHILD PLAYING WITH MAGIC SHE KNOWS NOTHING ABOUT!"
"it was just an old Wicca remedy," she wheezed out.
"ONE MEASUREMENT OFF, ONE INGREDIENT MISS TRANSLATED, AND THE EFFECT COULD BE DEVASTATING..."
Her tendrils flared abut wildly punching multiple holes into the wall."WHY WOULD YOU DO THIS TO HIM!"
"BECAUSE YOU LOVE HIM," she yelled and watched as the rapid flurry of shadows dissipated. "I see the way you look at him every time you come in when you think the others aren't looking."
"Rae Don't," Cyborg barely muttered out before he and the others were silenced by the dark energy that shoved them back.
"So what! You think you know me? I'm a half Demon spawn of hell. Did you know that in all the times I've come in!"
The waitress froze and lowered her head avoiding eye contact with the woman before her
"I'll give you the spell…," Her breathe came through in shallow gasps. "I'm sorry I just wanted you to get the person you deserved. The one you love."
Raven let the frightened waitress down, her emotions subsiding as her shadow form released the waitress. a look of terror slowly dissipating as raven Released her
"I don't do Love..."
…
She looked over the ingredients and moved through each book but she couldn't find anything. The Waitress was right, it was a Wicca spell. More specifically it was an American variant that made the spell hard to pin down. When the settlers had first arrived in this land they encountered new flora, herbs. It made the cure that much harder to track down. She was tired worn out and running on three days with only four hours of sleep.
She needed a shower to help wake her up. Raven didn't so much walk as she stumbled to the bathroom.
Raven froze as the door opened and steam seeped out. Robin stepped out towel loosely hanging from his hips. Her eyes trailed his body from his toned abs all the way up to his chest. Raven had never seen a body like this. He was… Perfect but that was when she noticed the scars so many scars. Slashes and tears few new but the old ones stretched out from when his body grew a reminder of how long he had been doing this, a reminder of what he had done to be able to fight on their level, a reminder that he was just a normal human.
"Uh...Raven…," Raven heard snapping her out of her thoughts.
"Why are you using this bathroom…,"she responded flatly
"Its the only one with a tub..."
At this moment it was hard to remember a time when she had found Robins presence a comfort. She would never admit it but she took small satisfaction with her encounters with their leader. The calm mornings just sitting together and now a simple encounter in the hallway was now too much. She hated this Hex and it wasn't till this moment that she realized what it is she truly lost.
Richard's mind had finally calmed and now he was worked up again. Raven had always been attractive before the spell, he acknowledged that much but now he had a hard time not staring. 'Had her costume always been that tight,' Richard thought to himself but quickly moved past her physical traits and noticed small bags under her eyes. She was tired.
"You should get some sleep," Raven said
"Was going to say the same to you," Richard replied with a small smirk.
"Cant… have to find the spell she used."
"It can wait a day."
"Can it," she questioned, agitation showing clearly in her voice. "You need to be back at 100%."
Richard knew he couldn't talk her out of it. Knew that face. Knew she could be just as stubborn as he was at times. "I'll heat you up some water then," Richard said but stopped when he noticed the raised eyebrow. "For tea, not for..."
Raven couldn't help but help but smirk at her fearless leader tripping over his words like a nervous child.
"Obviously," she interrupted smirking at the way her oh so fearless leader tripped over his words like a nervous child. "And I'd prefer some coffee."
"I'll leave you a cup then," he said squeezing by and heading towards his room.
Raven couldn't help a quick glance following him as he went causing her cheeks to warm.
'Robin really does have a nice ass.' She let out a small groan. She'd have to make it a cold shower.
…
Raven walked into the living room, having finally woken up a bit from the shower.
"Coffee is in the pot and your cup is on the counter."
Apparently she wasn't awake enough, she had even felt Robin's presence and that was impressive all of its own.
"Surprised you are still up," Raven commented pouring the coffee into her mug. "You really should get some sleep."
"I will after you..."
Raven sighed sitting down on the couch next to him and taking a drink of her coffee. She waited for a moment in silence till she felt the coffee hit her stomach and warm her to the core. She placed her coffee on the table and let out a sigh. "I'll get an update on your symptoms then," she said placing her hands out in front of her and focused her energy to her palms. She ran them closer to his body and was surprised as he moved back a bit. "Is something wrong," She questioned.
"No…," Richard said trying not to stare. This thing was getting worse and the longer she was closer to him like this the harder these urges pounded in his brain.
"Seems like the spells gotten stronger…," Raven said as she reached forward about to touch his temples when she felt a spark of pain.
Robin had been too distracted fighting against these new feelings that he hadn't noticed that Raven was reaching for him till her finger tips grazed his temples. To say he reacted poorly was the understatement of the year as he reacted on instinct and slapped her hands away from him.
Raven would have retreated into her hood if she could have just to hide the hurt in her face
"Sorry its so awful to have to be close to me..."
"Its not that Raven," Richard said letting out a groan. "I know you, and everyone else on the team. Your strengths, your weaknesses. I know being an empath is hard for you. Adding physical touching not to mention all the other stuff that's bouncing around in my head right now. I don't want to put you through that… not because I find you appalling far from it I know a beautiful woman when I see one. Its because I respect you too much and I care about you. A stupid spell didn't cause that."
Raven was stunned… truthfully she could count on one hand the number of times this had happened. So she did something she didn't expect she reached forward and grabbed his hand. It was a small gesture but like Robin had pointed out it was a lot. She felt everything the love the longing the desire. It rushed through her and flooded through her. Her breathing increased as she began to get hot. She looked up at his face and never more than this moment had she wished that stupid mask had been gone.
She felt herself slowly leaning forward and was rewarded as Robin did the same. The need and desire coming off of him was just so much she wanted to feel it but was met with a shock as Robin pushed away holding her by the shoulders by her cloak breaking direct connection with his feelings. He was literally keeping her at arms length away. Raven felt hurt... deflated. She wanted to just disappear inside herself but robin didn't let go.
"I'm sorry… its not right," Richard said, his breath haggard. "If this is all the Hex then its not fair to you." Richard wanted her right now more than anything but something inside him fought his desires. "I couldn't take advantage of you like that. You are too important to me."
and all of a sudden all feelings of pain left her. She felt his forehead rest against hers and with it she felt peace, his peace. It wasn't needy, hungry or lust filled like before, it was calm and serene, like small waves rolling up against the shore.
"This is enough," she heard him say and she couldn't help but agree.
This was all she had ever wanted to feel.