I know I usually do humour, but I wanted to try something a little different.

Disclaimer:
In the palm of my hand
Is not ownership of the Titans
But freedom to do with them as I wish

Blink of an Eye

"You wanna see a movie?"

Do you want to see a movie? An innocent question to spark profound thoughts. She really couldn't. Shouldn't. And yet…

She remembered their first encounter. A young green child with wide eyes, pulled from the chaotic jaws of his past to join a less drab, less lonely future. His pleas for them to stay, to be together. As if he knew none of them had anywhere else to go.

She'd once laughed at his joke, only to find that he was only funny when he wasn't trying.

She'd stayed distant, because that was wise. No friends meant less emotion. Less emotion was beneficial to her. To the world. That's what she'd told herself. But her control had grown, as did her affection for her friends. For him.

Once she couldn't feel.

Once she couldn't love. But could she now? It was a risk. Go to the movie. Where would it lead? Further than a date, less than a relationship. It could blossom, grow into something huge and uncontrollable. Isn't that what he wanted?

Love screamed. Love longed, rattled her cages and pleaded for release. Her lilac cloak flailed behind her, fueled by anger. Anger battled for love's release, for fairness and freedom to feel. Both cages locked for safety. Or maybe it was fear holding the keys.

Once affection had been locked in the same restricting cage.

Once he'd asked her out. Not out of the tower, but out of her room. Where she drowned in darkness and meditated not for control, but for something to do. He gave her freedom with an outstretched hand and a meat free dinner, candlelit, pleasantly aromatic.

She later discovered he'd stolen the candle from her room, and it was affection that kept him from being eaten alive. Affection, once locked in a cage by the repressing doubt and fear she was slave to. Affection that brought her close to those around her and made her less… creepy. Affection that was freed by an inner struggle between doubt and hope.

Hope that was white and pure. Hope that let her grow.

And in that moment she wondered why she allowed fear to share the keys to her emotions with doubt. Two feelings who always held back, never allowed full potential. She wondered if those keys weren't better off in an unbiased pair of hands. Hands that could feel. Take risks.

She sighed.

"You wanna go to a movie?"

Beast Boy took a risk asking this question, eyes wide. He waited for Raven to process the question.

She blinked.

"Sure. Why not?"

The End.