It's so stressed in school that I haven't have the time to write fanfics. Finally I wrote one (during the exam week), my first story of the year. Anyway, it seems like I haven't wrote stories of the hurt/comfort genre for a long time, so I decided to try it. I think this story's kinda sad, inspired by the quote up there in the summary.

You should've said earlier

"If you like her, tell her — Maybe she likes you too."

Twenty years ago...

"Hey, my name's Robin. What's yours?" the protégé of Batman smiled brightly at the mysterious girl clad in a blue cloak.

Her gaze darted around and she bited her lip. She finally answered, "Raven."

Eighteen years ago...

"Robin..."

"Raven! What are you— You have to get out! It's Slade! He'll destroy you!" Robin insisted as Raven's soul-self intruded his mind. Visions of Slade flashed past him. He couldn't let her get hurt.

"Robin, you heart... You're in danger. You have to trust me," Raven cooed. "Slade isn't here, he's not in the tower," she explained, getting Robin to be distracted so she could enter his mind silently. Raven saw bits and pieces of Robin's past as she searched him. Batcave. The Robin suit.

"No," the stubborn leader insisted. "He's here, he's real. I've seen him!"

Raven searched depeer. Circus. Acrobats. "Then let me see through your eyes."

White light blinded Robin. He gasped to catch his breath. He felt Raven inside him. Raven opened his eyes, "See Robin? There's no one here," Raven told him calmly, "There never was."

Suddenly, Slade appeared before him and punched him square on his face. Raven was thrown back, her soul-self returned to her body instanly. She groaned, "Slade!"

Sixteen years ago...

Robin swung arcoss the street, catching the fallen heroine. His teeth grinded in his jaws, how dare Slade.

He landed on his toes, gently, not wanting to startle Raven. He cradled her in his arms. Her cloak was gone, her leotard was ripped, revealing her pale skin. He caught glimpse of red inscriptions facing away in her skin. She looked so fragile. This made Robin felt more protective over her.

Robin saw Raven squirming. He knew that she's stirring soon. He smiled, relieved.

Amethyst eyes met his. Raven was puzzled, a moment ago she stopped time and was thrown off the rooftop by Slade and now she was in someone's arms?

Robin smiled at her, "Let's go home."

She smiled. A reasonable conclusion she could come up was that she fell, and Robin caught her.

Fifteen years ago...

Trigon took over the world. But a charming knight saved the princess and defeated the demon. Raven could not forget how he went to Hell with Slade just to rescue her.

Raven hated people to see her fragile side. However, when it comes to Robin, she didn't care. She felt safe, and warm, and happy.

He was the one who gave her hope. He was the one who showed her what trust and faith is. That was why she hugged him on impulse after Trigon was banished.

Ten years ago...

Tokyo broke Raven's heart. She thought Robin liked her. Or did she get his intensions wrong?

After Starfire and Robin kissed, she became more distant. She gave Robin seomthing precious to her—her feelings— but he gave it away. People always say, "Once bitten, twice shy." Why hadn't she learned from the incident with malchior? She was the one who caused herself to be hurt again.

Six years ago...

The Titans disbanded, each going their own way. Beast Boy confessed his felings for Raven, Robin take on the Nightwing persona and dated Starfire.

Very often, Nightwing would reminiscent on his Titans days. He missed Raven the most. He missed how she would smile when others weren't looking; he missed how her eyes would sparkle in amusement; he missed her sacarstic remarks. Not that he was cheating on Starfire, he just felt that Raven was special.

Four years ago...

Things didn't work well between Nightwing and Starfire. Both of them ended their relationship with a heavy heart.

Nightwing felt stupid. All the while, his love for Raven was blinded by his infatuation for Starfire. He had thought of confessing his feelings for Raven, but he was afraid that he would hurt her. After all, Raven was having a happy life with Beast Boy.

Two years ago...

Raven still kept that photograph of Robin and her during a day at the beach. She had been occupying herself with a lot things to forget about him.

But no matter how hard she tried, she can't.

Honestly, she even hoped that one day, Nightwing would come after her. She'd definitely say yes. However, that was only in her fantasies.

A year ago...

Beast Boy proposed. Raven said yes. Why? Because her fantasies weren't going to come true and she's very tired of waiting already. Raven had given up her hopes on Nightwing.

The night before the wedding...

"Raven," a familiar voiced called from the balcony.

Her heart ached, "Nightwing."

Nightwing climbed in, "There's something I want to tell you."

Raven didn't want to hear, yet her heart was hoping that Nightwing would at least said he had feelings for her once. Raven averted her eyes, "I'm getting married."

Nightwing touched her cheek, caressing it with his thumb, "I know."

He leaned in, seizing her lips with his. Raven gave into temptations for once and kissed back. Nightwing pulled her closer to him as she wrapped her arms around him.

The kiss tasted like goodbye.

"I love you."

Raven kept her face emotionless and repeated, "I'm getting married. Tomorrow."

Nightwing placed his hand on her shoulder and she flinched. He stared into her amethyst eyes. Raven just looked away, tears brimming in her eyes.

"Please give me a chance," Nightwing squeezed her hand. She took a step away from him, "I can't. Gar and I..."

The charming man before her closed the gap between them, "Do you love me?" "It's not important! Gar and I are getting married already," Raven reasoned.

"I love you. I really do, since the day we met," Nightwing leaned in but Raven moved away. The girl bit her lip, "Why are you telling me now?"

Nightwing kept silent. Indeed, why did he choose to confess now? Why not earlier? Why not four years before?

"You should have said earlier."