The Raben Project

By

Agent X

The mysterious supporter of pairs!

A/N: Very well, please allow me to explain this, my latest and greatest endeavour. Although I'm sure this has been attempted, maybe completed before, I nevertheless have been driven to begin this project.

Marvel as I struggle to write a drabble of every single Raven/Robin moment in Teen Titans from beginning to end. There will be a more detailed explanation down the bottom for those who are interested in reading or contributing.

But first, credit where credit is due – I would like to name Forthright as the inspiration for this project. Anyone who likes Inuyasha, I highly recommend her works. There is a link in my favourites. And so, onwards!

Moment: Episode 1 (Divide and Conquer) - Robin flashbombs Raven.

Disclaimer: TEEN TITANS and all related characters and elements are copyrighted trademarks of DC COMICS.

From the moment she joined the team, they knew she was different. They knew she was strange. But it was okay, they were all strange, and back then they were all strangers too.

Three months of living together had done little to demolish these feelings. Although Raven got along with the Titans (with occasional exceptions), she still did not understand enough about them. Being strange meant they all had secrets to hide, and they all still had trouble fitting in.

At this point the other Titans were comfortable sharing jokes, sharing space and keeping peace. And yet, a pall had fallen over the team. Sure, they got along fine but eventually the niceties became disconcerting. The staid politeness, the conscious distance, had everyone walking on eggshells.

In this way, she had found Robin and Cyborg's first fight to be an improvement of sorts. Like the first rain drop to break the heat, it constituted marked progress for the team. Living together for several months keeping civil and unwilling to set boundaries; of course the tension had been building.

When the masks cracked she felt she could breathe a breath of ease. She had perhaps been less than eloquent in her expression of this sentiment (Raven roughly recalled calling them both "idiots"), but back then she was still new to being a team member, new to being a hero and new to being a 'friend'.

She was also, perhaps – just a tiny bit – irritable for having been nearly blinded by Robin's misplaced flashbomb. Though, she felt that the effects were more or less her own fault.

Having distanced herself in her own way, Raven still knew very little about her fellow Titans. Arrogantly (though her lack of social understanding made it more… misguided) she had assumed she had Beast Boy down pat. He was irritating, liked talking and had an obsession with smiling which he tried to push onto others. She was fine working with him, but also content to keep him as no more than an acknowledged colleague or ally. Raven knew now that she judged him unfairly.

Starfire she found just as simple, and contrarily, more complicated. Raven, who was also new to the planet at that point (though less vocal about it) learnt much from Starfire's questions and foibles, and due to this unknown aid was more inclined to judge the girl in a fairer light. Frankly, she had found her rather simple but less intrusive. Thus Raven found herself more willing to collaborate with Star in a fight, but not so eager to actively associate outside of one.

Cyborg she found to be curious and strange. Boisterous and intelligent, and a mix of many other parallels. As such, his character fascinated her, and although she didn't recognise it until later, these divisions meant she felt a certain kinship with the metal Titan. He was someone with whom she had (finally) felt on equal footing, and the fondness she developed for him back then never left her.

Robin. She could admit now; she had idolised him. At first. And like most of the others on the team. How could one not? He had welcomed her (and the others) without prejudice. He was controlled and competent. He held his own when he had nothing but his wits and determination to speak for him. Raven felt it was this (greatly subdued) admiration that led her, when the SonicBoom backfired, to retreat to Robin's side of the corridor.

Her mind rationalised that he was competent enough to control his fall. That he was good enough not to let the grenade slip. That he would be quick enough to avoid injuring a fellow Titan.

She was wrong.

And although her illusion of the Team Leader shattered just as thoroughly as her eyesight, Raven had made her own progress that day. Looking back on it now, she felt confident enough to pinpoint this moment, this childish argument, as the moment in time that allowed her to stop seeing her team mates as weapons and allies and assets. And instead, even if it was in a bad light at first, she started to value them as the imperfect people they were, and they became teenagers, Titans, and friends.

Though the 'friends' part didn't really come in for a while yet.

There was still a long way to go.

Okay. Here is the explanation of how I will more or less be laying out this monumental (to me) effort.

First of all, I realise that what I consider to be a Robin/Raven moment may not agree with what you or any one else thinks. I want to clarify that these will be my interpretations of these moments. They do not have to be romantic in any way. Simply a scene, sentence or even occasionally a whole episode that I feel furthers their relationships or understanding of each other (platonically or otherwise). However, if there is a specific moment which you are certain fulfils these requirements then feel free (when I am up to that stage in the series, hopefully) to recommend it to me. I take wholeheartedly to suggestions.

Second, as I stated there are, though few, entire episodes which are applicable. In these instances I don't feel I will do a drabble by scene, so much as one for the whole episode. Again, if there is anything particularly poignant, then I will most likely make an exception.

Expect romance, but expect it to be slow. I want to make this as realistic a depiction of Raven's (and Robin's) feelings as possible. There will not be a sole focus on these two, as their team does consist of five members and the relationships develop and strengthen between them all. With regards to Starfire's feelings for Robin… I'll mostly be ignoring them (and obviously the same with Robin's feelings for Star. It's CANON, people. Let it go.)

This is a rewrite. It's basically Teen Titans as it would have been if it was Rae/Rob all along.

Okay. That's all I can think to say for now. As always constructive criticism is appreciated. All of you writers out there know how helpful comments can be, so please take a few seconds and contribute.

Ciao for now.

EDIT: As you may have noticed, the episode I have started with is Divide and Conquer NOT Final Exam. Yes, it is still chronological. This is because I am Australian and this was the episode to air first here. It is also the original introductory episode, though for some reason the scheduling was changed in the U.S. I believe this is the only time it occurred, so for now it should go Divide and Conquer, Sisters and then Final Exam. Then back to your regularly scheduled programming. =)