Couple

"Really, I'm okay."

She replied to his question through the door, holding her side as blood covered her fingers. She didn't want his help. Not this time. She was done being weak, vulnerable.

Raven scoffed at herself. Being vulnerable had just caused the gash in her side.

"Can I come in then, just to check on you?"

"No."

Her word came out short and harsh, letting him know she would not allow him inside her sanctuary.

She walked away from the door, ignoring his questions and pleadings. Instead, Raven headed to her bathroom, closing the door and locking it, in case her fellow bird decided to punch in the security code to her main bedroom door.

Raven had lost a fight with Jinx today, the pink sorceress landing a hex into her side, ripping the empath's flesh apart. She had lost a lot of blood, and her lack of energy meant she couldn't heal it with her powers. But she didn't want the others to know, or help.

She was sick of having Robin be her saviour. She wanted to fix herself, dress her own wounds.

Raven opened her medicine cabinet, finding the first aid kit stuffed behind the aspirin and sleep aide. She pulled it out, using her free hand to open the latch and grab the antibiotic cream.

She didn't think it needed stitches, it didn't look too deep. Even if it did, she could always heal it in a couple days when her energy was back.

The half demon shed her ripped leotard, grabbing her night shirt and sweatpants from the door. She slipped on the sweatpants, waiting until she dressed the wound to put on her shirt.

Raven held a towel to her gash while she fumbled with the cream with her other hand. She managed to get it open and squirt some onto the counter, swiping a square of gauze across it, quickly removing the towel and replacing it with the gauze.

She put a few more pieces of gauze on top of it, pausing for a second when she heard footsteps on the other side of the room.

"Do you ever knock?" She spoke into the air, pressing the dressing to her side, trying not to yell out.

"Do you?"

"Whatever."

"Raven, I can tell you're hurt. I can feel it through the bond, let me in and I can help."

"I'm okay. It's not bad."

Her voice held no emotion as she grabbed the medical tape, unsuccessfully trying to pull a piece off. She cursed under her breath, rolling her eyes.

"Raven?"

"I'm busy."

Robin sighed, getting frustrated with his stubborn girlfriend. She was playing that monotone card, and it was getting on his nerves.

"Don't play that emotionless shit with me, Rae. It doesn't work."

Raven's head snapped up at his comment, her teeth gritting together in annoyance and pain.

"I'm not playing. Leave me be, I'm trying to finish something."

She couldn't get the tape to rip, and her injury was starting to sting from the pressure she was putting on it.

"If you let me in there, you could finish it faster, albeit less painfully."

"If you stopped talking, I could finish it faster."

He raised a brow, feeling her pain through their mental connection. She was going to pass out if she didn't let him help.

"You're leaving me no choice here, Rae."

She looked at the door suspiciously, stopping her fight with the adhesive.

"What are you talking about?"

She didn't get an answer, so she began her war with the tape again, tugging and pulling, cursing the thing.

She looked down at the gauze, seeing the crimson fluids color the white. She groaned, grabbing more cream and gauze, reapplying the fresh bandages, throwing the stained ones out.

And then the doorknob began jiggling. Raven jumped at the noise, quickly gaining composure. He was trying to pick lock the door, and she knew he would be successful.

She found herself cussing uncontrollably, pulling on her shirt and holding her hand to her side, unable to let the wrappings go, knowing she would bleed without stopping.

He managed to open the door, the lock giving in. When he walked into her bathroom, he found Raven standing next to the sink, holding her side, her eyes on his covered ones.

Her face was void of any emotion, reminding him of a statue. He shut the door behind him, leaning against it.

"You were busy bleeding?"

He motioned towards her side, which had begun bleeding through the gauze and her shirt, leaving a dark stain on the blue garment.

"You know what I was doing."

She snapped, squeezing her side tighter as he walked closer, to the first aid kit. He inspected the contents, seeing the gauze wrappers and open ointment.

He sighed, her cold stare directed towards him. He spoke, his protective side taking over.

"Get up on the counter."

She tensed, but, wanting the whole thing over with, complied. She hopped up onto the counter top, not removing her hand as she watched him get to work.

Robin grabbed quite a few square sheets of gauze, applying a heavy coat of ointment to the first one. He coated another one in rubbing alcohol, looking up at her.

"You didn't disinfect it, did you?"

She shook her head begrudgingly, mad at herself for forgetting such an important step.

"Raven, you have to remove your hand for me to clean it."

She exhaled slowly, removing her gray hand and pulling off her ruined shirt, the bandages falling off of her torn skin.

Robin winced at the sight of it, knowing it had to hurt. It was about five inches long and looked a bit deep. It wouldn't need stitches, fortunately. If it had been a half inch deeper, then it would have needed them. She was lucky.

"Just get it over with." Raven spoke, still in monotone. She was looking at the bandage in his hand, the scent of alcohol invading her nose.

He nodded, placing the clean cloth on her injury. She inhaled sharply, but somehow managed to keep her face completely free of anything.

He pulled it off after a minute or two, quickly replacing it with the gauze covered in cream, covering that one with a few more pieces. He taped the bandages to her untouched skin, speaking to her as he wrapped a roll of gauze around her waist for extra precaution.

"You know Raven, you don't have to put up that emotionless façade, not around me."

"It's a habit."

"It might be good for you to break that 'habit'. Because I can see right through your mask."

She watched him tape the last of the gauze before grabbing her spare shirt off her counter.

"I know, Robin."

She slid off the counter, standing before him, keeping her eyes on his through the mask.

He placed his hand on her shoulders, squeezing them reassuringly.

"You're not heartless, Rae. It's time to stop pretending like you are."

He kissed her chakra, bringing her in for a hug. She gladly accepted, realizing he was right.