Fic: Is Forever Enough? - Part II
Title: Is Forever Enough?
Chapter 2: In a Week's Time . . .
Fandom: Teen Titans (cartoon)
Pairing: Robin/Raven
Rating: E for Everyone
Summary: A series of snapshots recording the evolution of the non-romance between Robin and Raven. From Raven's POV.
Spoilers: Episodes "Prophecy" and "The End" Parts I-III with mention of "Birthmark".
Is Forever Enough?
by Kysra
Chapter II: In a Week's Time . . .
I never spoke of the events of my sixteenth birthday, and my friends respected my privacy enough to never venture into that line of conversation. It was enough having lived through it.
Similarly, Robin took my silence concerning his actions in particular as a sign that I wished my silence to extend to him. Starfire was becoming unbearably obvious in her admiration for the Boy Wonder, and it was literally impossible for me to translate my own feelings on the subject. If, then, it seemed that I desired to forget everything having to do with my birthday and Robin's . . . affection more than anything else, I was completely justified.
However, when one sees his friend suddenly tattooed with supernaturally glowing foreign symbols and watches said friend physically attack another (no matter how well deserved the attack may be) when he knows she enjoyed a pacifist upbringing, it is inevitable that there will be questions; and I will be forever grateful to all of them for not digging too deeply, for accepting only what I was willing to give. It is hard to be open about something you've always known, futily fought against, and buried within your soul.
The night of the abandoned library, then, was my lowest point, and it was a bitter discovery that even Robin couldn't protect me from the Hell Slade and my father had furnished for me. I made the decision to give my power to them that night, and they never suspected that, over the next few months, I steadily infused each of them with pieces of my soul self.
I knew my father's entrance into Earth could not be stopped, but my resignation had nothing to do with a lack of confidence or hopelessness. On the contrary, I had every confidence that my friends could overcome Father's coming and every hope that my protection would be enough to see them through the approaching threat.
I suppose, then, that Robin was correct in accusing me of being a "hopeful" person; and when all was said and done, my hope had been doubly justified. You see, in my plans, I never included a contingency plan for my own survival. In my mind, between the night of my birthday chase and the day of the eclipse, I was doomed. Once I had accepted the absolute truth of my own death, I began to make provisions for the others without once looking back. No, I was to be the cause and instrument of Father's passage to Earth, and I was counting on the Titans' resilient fighting spirits and their individual, complimentary talents to spell their triumph over the demon.
What I didn't count on was Robin's undying loyalty and stubborn inability to admit or accept defeat. And he brought me back from my living nightmare, simple as that.
When it was all over, my friends and I had to go through a marked transition period. I refused to cut my hair (again) for several days, wanting to experiment - the first time I ever gave into such an impulse. It took four very intense dyeing sessions to get my uniform back to it's original color (apparently being free of my father's influence had turned my aura into an effective bleachng mechanism). My friends treated me gingerly, as if I would break into a million pieces (or summon my father again) should they say the wrong thing or behave a certain way. The first time I cracked a smile instead of destroying the television at one of Beast Boy's pranks for the first time caused Beast Boy, Cyborg, and Starfire to drop into dead faints.
And through it all, of all of us, Robin remained unchanged, ever the steadfast rock of stable familiarity.
Being stable and familiar, I was well aware that, though he was allowing my silence for the moment, it was understood that his patience was finite, and soon enough I would have to talk to him about everything even if I never spoke of it to anyone else. Robin's obsession with all things Slade was only second to his obsession with acquiring knowledge.
It was a week after my father's short, tumultuous reign on Earth ended that Robin sought out my lone company, presumably to talk about all the things I had heretofore desired to remain locked inside me. I was standing at the edge of the bay watching the sun set when he approached, and I greeted him with a question, "Are you here to spout more philosophy on the relationship between myself and hope?"
The grin he threw around so carelessly had suddenly found a companion in mine as he answered, "I try not to repeat myself."
Silence fell between us as it always did when we were about to embark on some heavy, possibly life-changing discussion, a silence broken by my whisper, "Why did you come after me? I gave you and the others power to survive. I wasn't meant to come back." I had paused to look at him directly, hearing my voice break a little as I dared to speak my greatest fear aloud, "You could have died."
My first impression of Robin could be summed in one word: Bold; and as we stood, sky all molten red and orange around us, that first impression was proven accurate.
Taking my shoulders in his hands, I knew his intention was not an invasion of my precious personal space but to shatter any lingering doubt I may have been entertaining that he (and the others and everything) was mere haunting apparition. His hands warmed me, and his accompanying words took my breath away, "If you can't figure it out yourself in a week's time, I'll spell it out for you." And then, as if to soften the semi-ultimatum, his gloved fingers came up to tuck stray hairs behind my ear before coasting down along my cheek.
I was left upon the shore feeling somewhat cheated that my assumptions had been wrong; but more important was the new something coiled tight in my middle. It was something beautiful and potentially dangerous at the same time - similar to the young man who had inspired it. It was something that told me that - more than beating Slade at his own games, more than acquiring all the knowledge to be had in existence - I was what Robin desired most in th world, and that was why he had come for me.
Chapter III MIGHT be out tonight. We shall see.
Chapter 2: In a Week's Time . . .
Fandom: Teen Titans (cartoon)
Pairing: Robin/Raven
Rating: E for Everyone
Summary: A series of snapshots recording the evolution of the non-romance between Robin and Raven. From Raven's POV.
Spoilers: Episodes "Prophecy" and "The End" Parts I-III with mention of "Birthmark".
Is Forever Enough?
by Kysra
Chapter II: In a Week's Time . . .
I never spoke of the events of my sixteenth birthday, and my friends respected my privacy enough to never venture into that line of conversation. It was enough having lived through it.
Similarly, Robin took my silence concerning his actions in particular as a sign that I wished my silence to extend to him. Starfire was becoming unbearably obvious in her admiration for the Boy Wonder, and it was literally impossible for me to translate my own feelings on the subject. If, then, it seemed that I desired to forget everything having to do with my birthday and Robin's . . . affection more than anything else, I was completely justified.
However, when one sees his friend suddenly tattooed with supernaturally glowing foreign symbols and watches said friend physically attack another (no matter how well deserved the attack may be) when he knows she enjoyed a pacifist upbringing, it is inevitable that there will be questions; and I will be forever grateful to all of them for not digging too deeply, for accepting only what I was willing to give. It is hard to be open about something you've always known, futily fought against, and buried within your soul.
The night of the abandoned library, then, was my lowest point, and it was a bitter discovery that even Robin couldn't protect me from the Hell Slade and my father had furnished for me. I made the decision to give my power to them that night, and they never suspected that, over the next few months, I steadily infused each of them with pieces of my soul self.
I knew my father's entrance into Earth could not be stopped, but my resignation had nothing to do with a lack of confidence or hopelessness. On the contrary, I had every confidence that my friends could overcome Father's coming and every hope that my protection would be enough to see them through the approaching threat.
I suppose, then, that Robin was correct in accusing me of being a "hopeful" person; and when all was said and done, my hope had been doubly justified. You see, in my plans, I never included a contingency plan for my own survival. In my mind, between the night of my birthday chase and the day of the eclipse, I was doomed. Once I had accepted the absolute truth of my own death, I began to make provisions for the others without once looking back. No, I was to be the cause and instrument of Father's passage to Earth, and I was counting on the Titans' resilient fighting spirits and their individual, complimentary talents to spell their triumph over the demon.
What I didn't count on was Robin's undying loyalty and stubborn inability to admit or accept defeat. And he brought me back from my living nightmare, simple as that.
When it was all over, my friends and I had to go through a marked transition period. I refused to cut my hair (again) for several days, wanting to experiment - the first time I ever gave into such an impulse. It took four very intense dyeing sessions to get my uniform back to it's original color (apparently being free of my father's influence had turned my aura into an effective bleachng mechanism). My friends treated me gingerly, as if I would break into a million pieces (or summon my father again) should they say the wrong thing or behave a certain way. The first time I cracked a smile instead of destroying the television at one of Beast Boy's pranks for the first time caused Beast Boy, Cyborg, and Starfire to drop into dead faints.
And through it all, of all of us, Robin remained unchanged, ever the steadfast rock of stable familiarity.
Being stable and familiar, I was well aware that, though he was allowing my silence for the moment, it was understood that his patience was finite, and soon enough I would have to talk to him about everything even if I never spoke of it to anyone else. Robin's obsession with all things Slade was only second to his obsession with acquiring knowledge.
It was a week after my father's short, tumultuous reign on Earth ended that Robin sought out my lone company, presumably to talk about all the things I had heretofore desired to remain locked inside me. I was standing at the edge of the bay watching the sun set when he approached, and I greeted him with a question, "Are you here to spout more philosophy on the relationship between myself and hope?"
The grin he threw around so carelessly had suddenly found a companion in mine as he answered, "I try not to repeat myself."
Silence fell between us as it always did when we were about to embark on some heavy, possibly life-changing discussion, a silence broken by my whisper, "Why did you come after me? I gave you and the others power to survive. I wasn't meant to come back." I had paused to look at him directly, hearing my voice break a little as I dared to speak my greatest fear aloud, "You could have died."
My first impression of Robin could be summed in one word: Bold; and as we stood, sky all molten red and orange around us, that first impression was proven accurate.
Taking my shoulders in his hands, I knew his intention was not an invasion of my precious personal space but to shatter any lingering doubt I may have been entertaining that he (and the others and everything) was mere haunting apparition. His hands warmed me, and his accompanying words took my breath away, "If you can't figure it out yourself in a week's time, I'll spell it out for you." And then, as if to soften the semi-ultimatum, his gloved fingers came up to tuck stray hairs behind my ear before coasting down along my cheek.
I was left upon the shore feeling somewhat cheated that my assumptions had been wrong; but more important was the new something coiled tight in my middle. It was something beautiful and potentially dangerous at the same time - similar to the young man who had inspired it. It was something that told me that - more than beating Slade at his own games, more than acquiring all the knowledge to be had in existence - I was what Robin desired most in th world, and that was why he had come for me.
Chapter III MIGHT be out tonight. We shall see.