A drabble based on Azelma's “Bright Line,” with permission.

“Sushi”

“Okay, take the mask off.”

A sigh. “Raven...”

“Come on, you know the rules.”

A pause. “Fine.”

Raven held back the very girlish, very uncharacteristic squeal she half-felt like giving as Robin reached up to his face. As it was an anticipatory smile came over her lips and she clutched his arm a little tighter.

The two of them were lying in his very white, very low bed, relaxing together on a lazy Sunday afternoon. Raven didn't much care for Robin's room—it was devoid of anything resembling a personality, with blank walls and a huge mirror for his martial arts—but he seemed content here. So content and relaxed that he had addressed her with “Rae”—but as she had informed him some time ago, he could only get to call her that if he was willing to take his mask off and show her his eyes.

Well. It was only fair.

Raven watched him as he peeled the thin black-and-white mask off his face, and he gave slight wince as he did so. She was so close to him she was practically breathing against his cheek. She smiled as the mask left his face completely, and Robin blinked two very blue eyes experimentally, adjusting them to the room's new brightness.

“Happy now?” he said.

Raven nodded and reached up, touching the bridge of his nose and then his brow. He closed his eyes as her fingers neared them, which was what she wanted, and she playfully stroked them with her fingertips. Robin made a half-smile and his head feel back on his pillow. Raven lay down next to him, her arms surrounding his chest.

“Okay, so now you have to take something off,” Robin told her.

Raven's eyes, which were half-lidded with pleased victory, snapped open. “What?”

Robin shifted, propping himself up on her elbow and looking at her. “I had to, so...” He got onto his knees and positioned himself over her. Raven watched as he grabbed the front of her cloak, unclasping the broach that kept it held around her shoulders. Robin pulled the cloak back, exposing her upper half, and smiled down at her.

“And what does this accomplish, exactly?” Raven asked him.

“Maybe I like you shoulders.”

Right. Her thin, shrimpy shoulders.

They went back to relaxing against each other. Neither cared to talk anymore—you didn't need to, when you were laying here like this. But after a while of Raven's head pressed into his chest, smelling the unique smell of his shirt and lingering hair gel, Robin said that it was getting late, and if she wanted to eat out tonight or what. That was big for him—Robin wasn't much of a “date” guy.

“Let's get sushi,” Raven mumbled, not picking her head up. Mmm, did he smelled good. When people talked about dating, they never mentioned that part.

Robin must have thought sushi sounded good, too. Of course, he ate almost anything his friends...or his more-than-friend...wanted. “Alright,” he said. “I'll buy.”

Raven didn't object to his offer. It wasn't a dent in his wallet. Robin was rich. It was almost like his superpower. If the team ever needed extra cash, if anyone ever needed to borrow a few extra dollars, they went to Robin. Many pizza nights and ice cream emergencies had been saved thanks to Robin and his amazing cash flow.

With dinner decided they went back to being quite. Raven was wondering if she should have the shrimp or the ninja rolls when he lifted her chin from his chest and kissed her. It caught her by surprise. She felt a buzz go through her frame, and she went all tingly...just like they said you did. She smiled against his lips and wrapped her arms around his neck.

Eventually they pulled themselves out of bed to get sushi, but Raven teleported them home to eat it. For the first and last time, Robin ate in bed. During dinner they fed each other, placing rich lumps of cold rice or raw meat into each other's mouths. Robin slipped a roll through Raven's lips, and her cheek bulged slightly as she drew it in. Cold rice packed tightly and wrapped around avocado, and crab, a sheet of seaweed holding it all together... She took the fingers as she chewed, kissing his tips and giving a slight lick to remove the stray taste there. Using her chopsticks she raised a small piece of raw salmon into his mouth.

When dinner was mostly over they exchanged kisses, Robin wrapping his arms around her and nipping at her lips. When their mouths closed around each other Raven tasted hot wasabi on his breath, the spicy static entering her mouth, warming her tongue...

-end-