Shadows of a Raven

Chapter 1

The gentle rays of the morning sun shone through the black, silk curtains of Raven’s bedroom window. They crept across the smooth carpeted floor and gently bathed the sleeping girl in their shimmering light, making her seem look as though God Himself and come down and molded her into just the right features. Raven awoke slowly, her eyes switching around her bedroom as though she expected someone to be there. Stretching with catlike grace, Raven climbed out of bed and plodded across the purple carpet to the bathroom down the hall that she shared with the other Titans. She peered out of the thick metal door that served as a barrier to the world outside of her room and searched for signs of life in the halls. No one. She sighed with relief. She didn’t feel like dealing with hyperactive Beast Boy or a naïve Starfire at 7:30 a.m. She entered the vacant bathroom and punched in the code to lock the door.

As she slowly pulled off her navy blue tank and boxer shorts that she slept in, Raven wondered to herself. ‘As big as this tower is, why the heck is there only one bathroom? I mean seriously! There is a frickin’ 5 teenagers living in this place and only one bathroom in the whole damn thing…’

The steam from the hot shower water illuminated the room, transforming it into a wonderland of mist and secrecy. Raven stepped into the shower and stood still for a minute, allowing the hot, comforting water trail down her body, awakening her senses. She lathered a sponge with her favorite lavender scented body wash and showered herself clean. She didn’t bother to wash her hair; she only did that at night and even then only once a week. She just wet it every day. Raven felt like her time in the shower lasted for hours, even days, but it was really only about 30 minutes. She knew she should stop soon because the other Titans would need the hot water. But the water was so pleasant and the swirling steam comforting. She reluctantly turned the knobs, cutting off her liquid treasure and stepped out, watching out for any puddles that she might slip in. She stood in front of the mirror and used a hand to wipe away the film of fog that clouded it. She looked herself over. ‘I’m not beautiful,’ she told herself. ‘But I’m not bad looking.’ She studied her nakedness in a way that she hadn’t in years. Her hair hang in soft, wet tangles that fell just below her ears. Her pale skin had a radiant glow of its own, almost a shimmer. Her amethyst eyes twinkled back at her through the mirror, and she felt an involuntary smile come to her lips as she followed the curve of her hips and legs with her eyes.

‘I’m no Starfire, but I have to admit I’m alright.’ Raven wrapped a purple towel around her body and thought of the beautiful alien princess that she shared the tower with. Starfire had it all: beautiful, hip-length, red hair that even girls wanted to run their hands through, model-sized figure that perfectly showed off the midriff revealing outfit she wore, sparkling green eyes that could enchant you in a second within staring into them, and perfectly tanned skin that made the sun jealous. Raven looked down at herself and sighed. ‘I’m just me. How could I ever match up to someone like Starfire?’ Starfire was always getting attention from the boys she rescued on their daily missions, and the guy who delivered their pizza was always leaving the tower with a boner after Starfire received him. Even Robin and the green kid were turned on by her charm and beauty.

Raven shook Starfire out of her mind and decided to go to the roof before anyone else got up. She teleported herself in a mass of black energy to the wide, empty rooftop that overlooked the bay and the city. She stared into the dark abyss of water and didn’t move for a long time. In fact, she didn’t move until she heard the familiar voice of a certain boy wonder behind her. “Hey, Raven,” he said cheerfully, coming up beside her. “How’s it going?” Raven turned to look at him and saw that he, too, and just taken a shower and had come to lose himself in the wonders of the rising sun. “I’m doing fine,” she said with an involuntary stiffness tweaking her voice. ‘Oh, God, there I go being cold again! Why can’t you just talk to him like Starfire does, you idiot!’, she chided herself. She thought of the sweet, syrupy tone that Starfire always used on Robin that made him weak at the knees. Raven exhaled, annoyed with herself for not having Starfire’s gift of enchantment. Robin looked over at Raven. He ran his eyes up and down her body, which was hidden from his eyes by a purple fluff towel. Her skin shimmered in the daylight, and her amethyst, sapphire-tinted eyes focused intently on the water below. He never realized how much beauty Raven really had, and he actually enjoyed watching her. She seemed so at tranquility with herself, not willing to be like everyone else. That was what he loved about her, what made him treasure her in his heart and want her even more. And this sun-tinted version of Raven only made it better. She turned towards him and he quickly averted his eyes. ‘God, he’s so attractive!’ Raven thought to herself. His body alone was enough to make a girl go foolish but actually living with him was what made her crazy. ‘No wonder Starfire wants him,’ she thought. His midnight-colored, unmanageable hair waved and ruffled in the light, gentle wind that had come over them, his tan skin and six-packed abs adding to his GAP model appearance. The only thing Raven couldn’t really stand was the barrier between the surely gorgeous eyes that Robin had and the outside world. She was never really concerned by it before, but now she wanted to tear the mask off and stare into his eyes, which had to be blue or green. She leisurely pulled off the towel that encircled his waist with her eyes, imagining the length, the thickness, the…

She immediately realized that the inside of her thighs were wet, and she felt her forehead get clammy. “I’d better go in, before I catch a cold,” she said lamely. She retreated quickly before Robin could say a word and raced to her room, flushing scarlet with shame and confusion.

When she reached her room, she immediately collapsed on the floor and cradled her head in her hands. Why was she reacting to Robin like this? Why? She had never done this before, never felt what she had just felt, never experienced the sensations that were now swarming her impassioned loins. What is the matter with me? Is it Robin that turns me on? She sat in a huddle of bewilderment and thought. She didn’t have the guts to leave her room for fear of running into Robin and seeing his body and getting all excited all over again.