Disclaimer-I don't own the TT
Ice Cream
Story By StormDancer
It is not light that we need, but fire, not the gentle shower but thunder. We need the storm, the whirlwind, and the earthquake.
Jinx stormed out of the building, slamming the door shut behind her. Ignoring the collapsing mailboxes around her, she stomped down the road, braced against the nonexistent wind and kicking stones violently out of her way. Her usually pale skin was flushed an unbecoming shade of scarlet, and s slight tracing of red outlined her pink eyes. The tear drops had been hastily and imperfectly wiped away.
She finally reached her destination and yanked the door open. The cheery bells clattered against the wall as she slouched into line, her breath still coming hard from the yells that had been heard throughout the building. After long minutes of impatient foot tapping and drummed fingers, she reached the front of the line.
"A pint," she demanded. The man at the counter raised an eyebrow.
"You certain, Miss?"
"I'm going all the way," she asserted, "Make it two."
"Whatever you say, Miss," he agreed doubtfully, reaching behind the counter and slamming two pints of ice cream on the counter, that'll be 6 dollars."
Jinx reached into the pocket of her jacket, than realized she wasn't wearing her jacket. She hit her head against the counter.
"I don't suppose you'd let me have a favored customer discount?" she pleaded.
"Sorry, can't."
"How about I'm having a really shitty day and to top it all off I forgot my-"
"Can you pay or not?" the man cut her off, "Because people are starting to get antsy."
"No," Jinx seemed to collapse into herself. Her last refuge, gone, "I'll be go-"
"And two rocky roads," a gravely monotone inserted smoothly, slapping a 20 on the table. The employee gulped at the person behind Jinx and quickly bent to retrieve the ice cream. Jinx didn't have to turn. She knew the voice.
"Raven," she acknowledged as the other girl moved beside her, "What are you doing here?"
Raven glanced at Jinx, and Jinx could see the violet eyes held traces of red in them and not even her pale skin could hide tear stains.
"Same as you, apparently," Raven responded, gathering her ice cream and the change offered to her with an icy calm that only those who knew her well could see concealed a towering rage. Jinx could tell. She had caused that rage often enough. Jinx also gathered up her ice cream and followed Raven to a table in the back.
"Speedy?" Jinx asked. Raven nodded slightly, prying open her ice cream and digging in.
"Flash?" she replied. Jinx winced. "I'll take that as a yes. Need to talk?"
Jinx shrugged, taking a mouthful of her own pure chocolate solace. Raven didn't respond to the seeming snub, and the two girls sat in silence as they ate their ice cream.
"I should have expected it," Jinx suddenly announced, "I mean, he's the Fastest Boy Alive; he can't stay focused on anything, or anyone, for long."
Raven raised her eyebrows.
"That bad?"
"Walked in on him and some blond whore on the couch," Jinx agreed, fingers clenching on the spoon.
"Is he still in one piece?" There didn't seem to be concern in Raven's voice, only detached interest.
"I was too surprised to do much more then yell," Jinx admitted, "But the slut was crying when I was through with them, and he will be in a lot of pain for the next few weeks."
A slight smile spread over Raven's face.
"Damn," was all she said. Jinx cocked her head.
"Why?"
Raven speared a piece of chocolate with her spoon.
"Because hurting Flash would have been a good way to vent, but you already seem to have covered that."
Jinx shrugged noncommittally.
"So are you going back?" Raven asked.
"Not for all the money in the world," Jinx spat, "I am so finished with him."
"Good."
Jinx looked skeptically at her ice cream buddy.
"No give him a second chance speech from the nice, forgiving hero?"
"I don't see one of those around here."
"Touché. What happened to you, anyway?"
"Compared to you, nothing." The violent way she was beginning her second pint seemed to belie that point.
"Come on, I told you, now spill," Jinx wheedled.
"I don't even know if it's anything," Raven disclaimed.
"Just tell," Jinx ordered, shaking the spoon threateningly across the table. Raven raised her hands in mock surrender.
"I just found out he was still in very much in contact with that Jade girl."
"Jade?" the name didn't ring a bell with Jinx.
"The only other girlfriend he was halfway serious about."
Jinx nodded sympathetically.
"Big argument?"
Raven put her head into her hands.
"I don't even know. I was calm when I asked him, but then he accused me of not trusting him, and it all went downhill from there."
"Sounds like he has problems trusting himself," Jinx observed.
"Perhaps," Raven agreed wearily, "But try telling him that. Or that I have a perfect right to be suspicious!"
Her spoon was bending in half. Jinx eyed it warily.
"That you do," she assured Raven.
"I know. But what if it really is something?"
Jinx rolled her eyes.
"I can tell you right now it isn't."
Raven looked up suddenly. Her spoon straightened.
"Why would you say that?" she inquired calmly.
"Because he is so obviously devoted to you, it would be sickening if it wasn't so cute. You two are almost as bad as Robin and Starfire, and no one thought that was possible."
A flush, painfully obvious on her grey skin, stained Raven's cheeks.
"Really?"
"No, I'm just flattering you. Do I ever act like that?"
"There's a first time for everything," Raven replied.
"But not for me being factitious."
"A good point. Thank you."
"You bought me ice cream. I will do whatever necessary to repay you."
Raven shrugged.
"By the way, Cyborg broke up with Sarah a few weeks ago. He's single," she announced. Jinx looked confusedly at her.
"Why should I care?"
"You may be able to fool everyone else," Raven smirked, "But not me. Empathy, remember? And now he's free and so are you, so neither of you have to deny your feelings."
Jinx shrugged, but she couldn't stop her blush.
"Why are you helping me? Paying for my ice cream, listening to me talk…" Jinx trailed off.
"No one deserves to go without ice cream in a crisis," Raven averred. Jinx nodded emphatically as she scraped her last pint clean. Raven also had finished. They stood up to go.
Starfire burst into the shop and collapsed in the seat Jinx had just vacated. The two other girls looked blankly at her.
"Raven!" she cried, 'You will not believe what Robin did!"
Raven sighed and sat down. She offered another twenty to Jinx.
"I think we'll need another pint of ice cream," she announced. Jinx looked down at the sobbing alien.
"Make that another for each of us, too."