It wasn't odd to find Dick Grayson standing in his boxers in his room. As a matter of fact, it wasn't rare to find him walking around Wayne Manor wearing nothing but underwear and/or the occasional shirt or robe. Today, however, he was standing in front of his closet, deciding whether to wear black or grey jeans. He opted for the former and was in the middle of zipping up when Bruce Wayne entered the room.

"Aren't you supposed to be putting something a little more formal?" said the billionaire to his ward.

"Not to where I'm going, I'm not," answered the young man casually while picking up his favorite tank top and putting it on.

"We are going to a ball, Dick." Bruce crossed his arms, and the young acrobat turned around to see his mentor was serious; then again, when wasn't he? "Tell me you haven't forgotten about the Gotham Valentine's Ball?"

"We're not going to that; only you are," replied Grayson with a raised eyebrow. "I'm gonna go to the Tower to help Raven with her physics homework."

"Dick, I told you weeks ago about this party; weeks ago."

"I thought you were just casually mentioning it to me. Can't you take Timmy or Damian?" The acrobat was putting on his black sneakers while he said this, and looked up at Bruce.

"Tim is in Bosnia; he won't be able to get here before 6 even if I asked him to come now," answered Wayne. "And Damian has an exam tomorrow; Alfred's staying here to help him study."

At that moment, Damian's small frame passed behind his father's. "I can't believe I have to learn a stupid sport and its rules. Why the hell would I be interested in volleyball?" muttered the boy.

"Physical education is also about teamwork, Master Damian," called Alfred from downstairs. "You would do well to learn it outside of the field."

"Look, Bruce," said Dick while picking up his grey leather jacket, "I'd love to go with you to the ball and whatever, but I promised Raven I'd help her; she's had a rough time with that class, and I opened up a spot in my schedule for her."

Bruce closed his eyes, thinking deeply for a moment. "Take her, then."

Dick stopped looking at himself in the mirror and turned to Bruce. "Excuse me?"

"If you can find her a dress before 5:30 so we can arrive at the ball at 6, you'll be able to both come to the ball and help Raven with her homework."

Grayson paused for a moment, and then looked at his clock. It was 4:12, but even the fastest way to Titans' Tower would take at least 15 minutes from Gotham City. Saying nothing else, he ran past Bruce and downstairs to the Batcave.

Raven enjoyed the few days she had the Tower all to herself. She'd be able to wear whatever she wanted and have nobody (much less some pestering green-skinned boy) judge or question her outfit choices. Then again, a hoodie and short shorts didn't exactly scream style, even in Raven's opinion; she still felt comfortable in that outfit, however, and that was what mattered at the moment. She was sitting in the couch that Nightwing or any other present Robin usually took whenever they'd prepare a mission plan, and she was rereading her physics notes, trying to understand how to find the speed of an object before impact by applying the speed and time of sound from the object's impact and the distance from 0 to the impact, or something like that. Physics gave the purple-haired girl a headache, but that was why she'd asked for a certain attractive acrobat's help (she'd kill two birds with one stone with the learning and staring at Grayson). Suddenly, her communicator began to vibrate and play a certain song that reminded her of Dick. She immediately picked it up.

"Y-yes?" she said, her cheeks tinting pink.

"Sorry to call you at such a short notice, Rae, but there's been a change of plans…" replied Grayson.

"Oh, don't tell me you have to cancel?" said the girl, fearing the worst.

"Well, no," said the acrobat, who was flying the Batwing as fast as he could to the Tower, "but I recommend you change; we're going shopping."

Raven groaned. She despised shopping as much as she despised having Beast Boy and Blue Beetle's crazy antics around her. "Do we have to…?"

"I'm sorry, Raven, but it's the only way I can help you study; we have to go to a ball—"

"Say what?" Raven's brow furrowed. Grayson had managed to hit one of the very few things that topped shopping in the list of things she hated.

"A ball, Rae; like the ones you have to dress all fancy and dance and have nice manners—"

"Why would you take me to a ball when I have studying and homework to do?" asked the girl, trying to keep her cool.

"Because I kinda forgot I promised Bruce—look, I'm already here in the hangar; can you please get over here?"

Raven rolled her eyes, sighing, and hung up the communicator before opening a portal into the Batwing.

"You could've told me to appear at your door, Grayson," she muttered while sitting next to her visitor.

Grayson slammed his palm against his forehead. "Yeah, I should've thought of that too; seems I get all dumb when I'm with you, huh?"

"Don't raise my hopes," muttered the girl sourly but honestly. She knew she didn't stand a chance with Grayson, even though she wanted him with all her will.

The blue-eyed young man looked at his friend, remaining quiet. He scratched the back of his head, as he did whenever he felt uncomfortable, and asked Raven "Do you have your notebook?"

"Yes I do," replied she. "Want me to take us to Gotham?"

"It would save us time," said the acrobat. "We'd find you a dress much faster that way, too."

"Ugh, don't talk to me about dresses…"

"Sorry, but you're gonna need to wear a dress to where we're going…"

Twenty minutes later, Dick and Raven were standing in a store, the former looking at the latter getting her measures taken. Raven wasn't comfortable with the lady at the store wrapping a measuring tape around her waist, but she knew it was necessary for what they were doing. Once the lady was done measuring her, the half-demon returned to Grayson's side.

"I really hate doing this, Grayson," complained Raven. "Are you sure we don't have any other choice other than going to the ball?"

"Sorry, Raven," muttered Grayson with a shrug. "But I promise that we'll grab a corner and do the homework and studying there."

Raven rolled her eyes. She hated any form of formal social gathering, but this seemed the only way she'd get Grayson to spend time with her and study… plus she'd get to see Dick in a good suit other than his Nightwing outfit. 'I guess I'll have to suck it up for now…' thought the purple-haired girl with a sigh and pink cheeks.

It was 5:09 when Dick said he had to go to the bathroom and left Raven alone in the store with a pile of black or blue dresses in her arms. The half-demon girl sighed in both frustration and worry.

"I knew we wouldn't find a dress," she said to herself. "Now I'll have to spend the night in the Tower and still be stuck on friggin' physics. Not to mention the views I'll miss…" An image of Nightwing in a suit popped into her head; she hadn't really seen Grayson wearing that kind of thing in person, but she imagined it'd be an amazing sight nonetheless, given what Zatanna and Starfire had mentioned once or twice in her presence. Her heart started once again to thump faster in anticipation of later tonight, and Raven steeled herself. "I'm gonna find a dress if it's the last thing I do," she told herself before starting once again to search around her store. She turned around the corner and bumped against someone's back. "Oh," she said in her monotone. "Excuse me."

"Oh, there you are, Rae!" said Grayson, turning around and smiling at her. "Guess what I found you!" He turned around and showed her a beautiful violet off-shoulder dress with a multilayered skirt, and long, soft-looking sleeves. Raven's jaw dropped.

"Wha—is that f-for me…?" Raven was finding it hard to breathe in front of that gorgeous man… and the dress, of course. Its skirt was ruffled throughout all its layers, but the pattern the ruffles made gave the impression that the dress would just glide over the floor. Needless to say, Raven adored that dress (and the guy holding it, too). "G-Grayson, you moron…"

"I saw it and it reminded me of you," explained Dick with a sheepish grin. "It does scream 'Raven,' don't you think?"

Raven's cheeks flushed. The fact that Dick Grayson saw such a stunning dress and immediately thought of her was too much for her to handle. As it usually happened when she didn't fully control her emotions, the lights started to flicker, and something fell over with a loud racket. Raven couldn't hear anything, though; her heart was thumping too loudly in her ears while Grayson's blue eyes pierced through her. Why was he so damn handsome? And why was he approaching her?

'Wait, I'm not ready for this,' thought Raven, feeling like she was starting to panic as her companion, who towered over her, bent over to her level. 'This is too soon, Grayson; I mean, I do like you, but—'

"Rae, calm down," whispered Nightwing, grabbing her by the shoulders and shaking her lightly. "I know the dress is gorgeous, but you need to control yourself."

"Uh, r-right," said Raven, managing to regain command over her powers and making everything settle down. "Let's just buy the stupid dress so we can study, alright? That damn class is more important to me than this dumb ball, you hear me?"

"Loud and clear, baby," said Grayson coolly, and Raven felt like she'd melt on the spot.

hey everyone~! sorry we haven't posted in a while ^^; college is terrible and I have like two exams tomorrow but Klaus has 3 and he's having a mental breakdown rn :P anyways, he wanted to continue with Kishin May Cry (if you haven't read it yet, be sure to give it a look~ if you have, Chapter 21 is coming soon~!) but since he has to study he can't finish it yet so I took my chance and wrote this little piece of fluff~~ 3 I wanted to publish it as a one-shot for Valentine's Day but I kinda couldn't finish it on time cause I have to study too ;3; but hey, at least you get to read it now and it's gonna be a mini-series~! :D (tbh I hope we don't pass 5 chapters cause KmC has 20-21 and it's still not done xP )

but yeah, Raven's going with Nightwing to a ball~ cuteness will ensue~! be ready for the next chapter~ (I hope I can write it for next week; I'll probs write it on Monday since it's Klaus and my b-day and we won't be bothered by anyone that day XDDD) leave your thoughts and opinions here as usual~!

~Humbert