Not a couple

"I refuse to wear that."

She looked down at the clothing distastefully, her arms crossed over her chest.

"Raven, it's for one night."

Robin placed the dress on her bed, sighing and looking down at the carpet for a minute.

The team had been invited to a charity dinner by the Mayor of Jump City for the local foster home. They would be the guests of honor.

Unfortunately, the only people who could go were Robin and Raven.

Starfire was on Tamaran for the month, Cyborg had to go to Titan's East for an electrical issue, and Beast Boy was visiting his old team.

Raven was under the assumption they would be going in their usual attire: costumes.

She was quite comfortable in her own suit, not some small black dress. Although, it was a pretty nice dress.

It went down to mid-thigh, the sleeves ending at the elbow. The dress was made of black lace, and it looked pretty comfortable.

But Raven didn't do dresses. She hated them. They made her feel vulnerable, and she liked to think she was the exact opposite.

Robin was already in a black tuxedo, given to him by Alfred. He was, of course, still wearing his mask, rarely ever taking it off.

"I don't like dresses, Robin."

She removed her eyes from the dress, planting them on Robin's downcast head. He was thinking, that she knew.

He always looked down and put his hand on his chin when he was thinking.

She picked up the dress and shoved it into his hands, his head snapping up as she did.

"Take it. I don't want to wear it."

He rolled his eyes beneath the mask, holding it up to her form.

"You're being unreasonable, and it doesn't suit you well."

She huffed, swatting his hand away.

"I'm not being unreasonable."

He raised a brow, his mask lifting slightly. Robin kept the dress up, cocking his head before speaking to her.

"You are. If you weren't, you'd put this dress on and get ready, because we have to leave in half an hour."

Raven didn't move, she just stood there as he held up the garment.

"Why can't I wear this?" She asked, pointing to her costume on her body.

Robin put the dress back on the bed, looking her in the eyes.

"Because it's a formal event. Not some quick in and out thing. We'll be there as guests, and guests show up well dressed." He explained to her, seeing the annoyed look on her face.

"Do it for the orphans, Rae."

She scowled at him, pulling her cloak around her form tightly.

"The orphans won't care what I wear."

Robin pinched the bridge of his nose, exhaling loudly.

"How about a deal?"

Her senses sharpened at this. What was he up to?

"What kind of deal?" She asked, straightening her posture.

Robin thought about it for a moment, trying to come up with a suitable deal.

When he did, he picked up the dress, holding it in one hand, his other free.

How's this? If you wear the dress, I'll buy you that book you really wanted."

She raised a brow at this, considering his deal. He was talking about a book of poems she had seen in the library. They were selling it, but at a very high price: $1565.

She really wanted it, but didn't want to spend that much money on it. She loved books, but didn't like wasting money on herself.

The poems were very old, that's why the book was so expensive.

She thought about his deal, furrowing her brows. She grabbed the dress from his hands, turning towards her bathroom.

"Fine, deal."

He smiled at her, watching as she closed the bathroom door. He knew enough about Raven to know how to get her to do something.

And that's what bothered her. She hated that he knew her so well. It bothered her so much.

Raven came out of the bathroom in the dress, her hair down, her eyes had a winged eyeliner and mascara, and she had some clear lip gloss on.

She walked towards her closet, pulling out a pair of simple black heels and stepping into them. She looked up at him, raising her brow at him.

He was staring down at her, smiling.

She huffed, standing up straight and crossing her arms over her chest.

"What." She snapped, it coming out more as a statement than a question.

"You look nice, that's all."

He watched the door slide open, Raven following. They walked across the living room, Robin stopping before the exit.

"Hey, Raven?"

She nodded, signaling for him to continue with what he was saying.

He placed a hand on her shoulder, his smile still in place from earlier.

"You don't have to be nervous, Rae."

She cocked her head at him, a confused look on her face.

"I'm not nervous."

He looked down for a second, chuckling at her and explaining a bit.

"Raven, your emotions are projecting on to me."

She sighed, her eyes downcast, her arms at her side. She shifted slightly, her voice smaller than usual.

"I don't want to embarrass myself."

"How could you possibly do that?"

She looked into his masked eyes, her heart racing a bit.

"I don't know how to act. What if I say something wrong, what if I trip, what if the kids don't like me?"

He took her chin in his hand, tilting her head up slightly so she could see his face better.

"Stop worrying so much, Rae. The kids will love you. You won't trip or say anything wrong, you're too precise for that."

She smiled slightly, holding his hand on her chin. He did know her pretty well, and it came in handy sometimes.

"Just trust me, okay?"

She nodded, his face dangerously close to her own.

"And how can I trust you fully?"

He raised his brow beneath his mask, leaning towards her so his lips met her own.

She was surprised by his boldness, but was quick to return the passion. She found her hands tangled in his hair, trying to get a grip in something.

He had his hands around her waist now, pulling her closer and closer, until they could barely breathe.

Raven finally ended the kiss, deciding they needed oxygen. She bit her lip and looked up at him, hands on his shoulders.

He smiled down at her, brushing back a stray piece of hair. He loosened his grip on her, breathing in deeply.

"Can you trust me now?"

She squeezed his shoulders, stepping away and opening the door, walking out of it.

He grinned, following behind her and speaking into the air.

"I'll take that as a yes."