#robraeweek2025

[ravenroth-grayson]

Robrae Weekend 2025: Smile

Summary: “Nobody knows it but you've got a secret smile and you use it only for me”

https://archiveofourown.org/works/65019991

[demonqueenbeee]

After a long and arduous battle, the cold concrete on her back was a much needed respite from the day.

Although both of the bird themed titans had come out of the battle relatively unscathed, she would be aching soon ,healing powers aside, and she was sure Nightwing was already in some form of pain.

And still, he was smiling.

His suit was a little dusty and scuffed up but nothing a wash couldn't resolve. He sat with his back against the pillar. His shoulders, strong and muscular, were relaxed. He sat with one leg crossed and the other bent.

She loved his anatomy.

Dick was always a well built man, even as young teenagers she had always found him handsome. And he just seemed to age so finely.

Like an expensive wine that was very palatable on the tongue. Not too bitter and that perfect amount of sweetness. One that was wisened because of the time it had spent on the shelves, the flavors melding and deepening and yet when you tasted it, it was crisp and refreshing.

She liked his face too.

He had long since lost that innocent and boyish look , the soft and sweet look. Instead now he had fine lines and contours that defined his age but in the way that made him look so...

Sexy.

Raven felt herself flush at the salacious thoughts that had flooded her mind.

It had been like this for some time now.

They always partnered up, fought their battles and then would rest by sitting together for an unmeasured amount of time.

Together they sat in silence. Whether it be under a moonlit sky, a cloudy horizon or even a bright and sunny day. They sat in silence with only each other as company.

A pop in the sky made her jump slightly.

“Oh come on Raven,” he said with a chuckle. “You didn't even twitch when that low life shot at you. The bullet literally was an inch away from your face but a firework miles away makes you jumpy?”

He was smirking and smiling. Her face flushed again and she turned.

“Was just caught unaware is all.”

He chuckled again and relaxed. So did she.

She kept her hand on the ground, keeping her balanced.

The sky kept illuminating from the city wide fireworks displays. It was actually quite pretty.

So caught up in the display she hadn't felt dicks gaze shift or his hand begin to make its way towards her.

It wasn't until he gently grazed her knuckles with his index finger.

It was a soft and light touch. Almost like a feather. She wanted to move her hand away. She convinced herself it was just a slight of hand. He wasn't paying attention.

Yet neither had moved but there was still a shift in something.

....

He had expected her to move away. His attempt at physical contact, as small and seemingly insignificant as it was, was still such a step for the untouchable woman.

Instead, her hand relaxed underneath his as he began running little circles with his index. He could see her from his periphery. Those big amethyst eyes were still a little wide from her own surprise.

She was a little flushed too.

He liked the hint of pink on her pale and grey cheeks. It gave her a subtle sultriness that came from someone who was untouchable.

He wanted to savor this moment. It was going to be a defining moment, he would make sure. She wouldn't be like his past relationships, always so hot but so quick to burn down to the butt of the candle. No, he would light this one and fan the flame so slowly.

So carefully.

Yes she was an untouchable enigma. A woman so different and so far away. She was untouchable but not to him. At least not anymore.

[roverjamball]

Day 3 - April 27th: fireworks / anatomy

Rob Rae weekend 2025

Birthmark S04e03 

The Prophecy S04e07 

The End S04e11-13

“Ok, I’ll admit we have feelings of each other.”

“Romantic feelings,” Robin pushed. Now or never. 

Taking a deep breath, Raven held his gaze. On the exhale, as if letting all the protests go, “Yes.”

“Red X!”

“Red X was a mistake.”

Unimpressed, Raven crossed her arms.

Months ago, after I’d been drugged and hallucinating myself into a hospital bed and Raven unleashed a dragon that destroyed half the tower, now safely trapped in a book, we had a heart to heart about trust. 

While I didn't want to push Raven to open up, every time I brought it up, her smile wavered. Raven was so open after our talk, that I relented. Let her be happy for a little longer and say to myself. Next time I'll insist on details. But then, when next time came, I relented again.

After you have been the cause of your love withering in pain at your feet, you can judge. till then, …. well you get the picture.

After the mind control with Titans East, the fiasco with chemicals that turned BB into prehistoric beast, I wanted us prepared. Unless you know the problem, you can't plan for it. As Bruce’s, father used to say, prevention is better than cure. 

Unfortunately, intentions were one thing. My instincts told me that the problem was eminent. I wanted as much information before we were forced to confront whatever evil was gunning for us. I wanted plans and protocols in place to protect us, and I knew the rest of the team felt the same.

A loud blaring sound distracted our intervention, and I looked up to see Defcon S. 

Starfire gasped, flying to the screen.

Cyborg opened the security console to check for glitches in the programming.

Beast boy, panic morphed into one creature and then another.

Only Raven sighed in relief.

Through the corner of my eye, I concentrated on her, while I reached over and pulled up the details of the alert.

“Slade.” 

The alarm had been triggered at Slade’s  old lair. What was left of it after terra triggered a latent volcano. There were no survivors. Cyborg ever through, left motion sensors all over the cavern. I don't know what he expected, but it was not the video of a  silhouette of moving construction.

But the most troubling thing? I’d been watching Raven when the alarm went off, she went paler than she ever had before. And once it was ascertained, that it was CinderBlock, Raven looked so relieved, she was almost giddy.

CinderBlock, not very intelligent on his own, an ally of Slade used for misdirection, his presence in the abandoned cavers was troubling.

At Cyborg’s confirmation, I nodded, and we all ran to equip ourselves and reach the site as fast as possible.

I jumped on my bike, just as the door’s of the T-car shut. We raced out into the night. Jump City’s, security force, already informed of the disturbance. 

I received confirmation of cleared traffic and route suggested by their Commissioner. And back up of security officers, deployed in case, we needed their assistance. Raven marked the perimeter. She wanted the officers to maintain for public safety. Last time a volcano had been activated. Caution was the name of the game.

The last few months have been the happiest of my life. With all our enemies, losses and battles, I can confidently say that I am grateful. Grateful for Raven opening herself up to us. In nevermore, we learnt of all her different sides, but to witness them, for Raven to willing share herself with us. That was everything.

I felt myself frowning. Raven was funny. But her humour was usually of the sarcastic or deadpan variety. To witness her openly joke around with our friends, with me… that is until she senses my Curiosity.

Ravan, under normal circumstances response in three ways. She gets defensive as she did today and brings up my past mistakes. Or the second response - sarcasm. A scathing meanness reserved for these particular situations. The third way is a subtle withdrawal into herself. 

The first two, I can handle. Any conversation with Raven I’ m happy to engage in. And I know I can't let this slide. Time is running out, I can just feel it. But when she withdraws into herself, drawing back from us, from me, I go over all the reasons she'll hate me. If this will be the reason she’ll refuse to get involved with me. I know I can't avoid it forever. But the very thought of her rejecting ‘an us’ as a horrible idea is too much to fathom.

“When it comes to you Raven, you will be surprised at the risks I am willing to take.”

Raven turns her back to me, pretending to find a comfortable position on the observational bed. I however, have experience that there is no such thing so I have a feeling it is an out of sight out of mind. If that's her hope this time I'm going to dash it.

“Does one good deed make him a hero?” I say referring to Red X. “Am I to blame for all of it because of a single mistake? In the end, all I really know is that the answers don't come easy. It's supposed to be simple, but it's not.”

I watch Raven closely. Keeping my distance is harder than I thought. I wanted to drop it so bad my heart hurts. 

Come on Raven, I silently urge her. I have shown you my scars. Be brave. Don't hide yourself from me.

“There is nothing you can't tell me. Nothing, I can't handle. That we can't handle together.” I have so much riding on this. It is insane. I might just combust from anxiety.

I know what I want. And I have the receipts to prove, I know what Raven wants. But I can see, she still isn't sold on the idea of us being a good reality.

There is a lot, I am willing to do. A lot, I am willing to accept. I am willing to be a morning person and wake up at God awful hours for that extra time with Raven. I am willing to give up coffee to share a cup of tea with Raven. I am willing to wait for Ravan to be ready, because now that I have met her, I know for certain, no one else will do.

If this mornings buzzer behaviour wasn't bad enough, the bags under her eyes confirm what I feel. Raven is worried. The threat is imminent. And if I don't know what it is, how can I stop it? Time is running out. And I resist the urge to shake the information it out of Raven. 

I can’t see her face, her expression but we have a bond. Over the years I’ve made it my mission to study it. What the fluctuations mean. Raven’s distress in coming in loud and clear. 

Her wounds have barely healed from the fight. I carried her wounded unconscious body home. And since then we have all been going out of our collective minds waiting for Raven to wake. 

I clenched my fists in resolve. Don’t go to her. Don’t touch her. Face impassive. Emotions in control.

I waited till the other left to have this conversation. The last thing I needed was someone, BB, to crack a joke and break the tension. 

And then when I thought, I literally go up in flames, Raven opened her mouth, and told me to call everyone in, so she’d only need to say it all once. 

One by one, Star, Bb and Cy slipped inside. Curiosity, evident on their faces, but they played it for the best of their abilities.

Cy, silent walked over to the monitor, checked vitals, which were still improving and strong. Star few over us in a parody of anxious pacing. Beast Boy vibrated, jumping from foot to foot impersonating, a cat on a hot tin roof.

I closed my eyes and clutched the top of my head. This had to be a dream. A bad one. None of this made any sort of sense. I stopped short of pulling out my hair. 

I replayed the conversation, 

Raven, nursing a cup of tea, “Because Trigon is my father.”

After the first confession, the words spelt out of her.

“Bad things are going to happen soon. Really bad things. And it's gonna be my fault. I thought I could handle this alone. I tried, but I was wrong.”

The Star hugged Raven, sloshing cold tea all over the observation table, we were too shocked to comment or care. “For confiding in us, we are most humbled.”

Maybe the stress was getting to me, better to check. But when I lowered my hands and opened my eyes, Raven was still there, so was the tea stain. By the look on everyone's face, it was reality.

I staggered back, I had a feeling things were never going to be the same.

The tension on Raven’s body broke my heart. She looked ready for a punch. 

I need to sit down. I walk to the chair near Raven's bed and slumped into it.

This time Cyborg began to pace. With his metal body, he could quite literally wear out the carpet.

Star continued to hold Raven. if she didn’t want to be touched, she didn’t complain. To me, it looked like Star was all that holding Raven together. Even now, with all this going on, I wished it was me who comforted Raven. 

I settled for laying my palm on her hand. The touched settled me to. Raval plant at Our touching hands. She turned her wrist up, interlacing her fingers with his. Robin sat still, and made a silent promise, never let her go.

Trigon!

Trigon the Terrible. Raven’s father. No, I corrected myself. Her sire.

“I only have one question: How do we stop him?”

“We don’t.” 

Wanna bet? After years of waiting, I was finally sure of your affection. There is no way some dimensional demon was going to take you from me.

“But that doesn't mean we still can't try.” I say.

The hopeful smile, Raven throws my way, I feel it right in my heart. It's a long shot, we all know it, but Raven is holding onto hope. She believes in us. 

She has faith in me. 

I give our locked hands final squeeze. Watching over Raven, while she sleeps off the stress of the day.

I glanced across the room, my friends hovered over her.  We all find reasons to stay in the medical room. None of us are getting any rest tonight.

Above Raven’s sleeping form, we shared look, my friends and I, it said, 

The end of all things mortal didn’t sound good,

We will stop him. Together.

@fuckyeahrobrae

[ravenroth-grayson]

Just wanted to say thank you to @fuckyeahrobrae for organising another great robrae weekend!

… also a huge round of applause to everyone who took part 👏🤩

… I only managed to get 2/4 out in time 😵‍💫📝 … but fireworks is partially written and I have an idea for favour… so those will now be fashionably late… maybe “too busy” and “you’re late” should be next years prompts 😅

… and for all those that missed it for whatever reason or only just discovered it… post your robrae art or story anyway… whenever it’s ready 😊