Consider this a very late Valentine's Day present to all of you.

Disclaimer: I still wish upon a star for ownership but the Blue Fairy hasn't returned my call. (Shameless OUaT reference)

ON WITH THE STORY

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Sweet Things

It wasn't unheard of for Raven to receive a Valentine's Day card or chocolate gift during the February month. The Titans tended to play 'Secret Santa' for most major holidays because there were enough of them that remained or regained single-status and spent their celebrated days-off with their teammates. The cards were better appreciated than the trinket chocolates, according to Raven, even though the cards themselves were the generic, impersonalized holiday cards that could be bought at the corner store for a dollar a ten pack. Any chocolates Raven found on her doorstep in the Tower were politely taken into her room before being promptly shoved in a bag and taken to the hospital she volunteered at later in the day for the overworked nurses to consume.

It was not that Raven disliked the popular confection, it was just - "I would rather have someone to kiss," Raven thought aloud as she stooped to pick up the latest 'Secret Cupid' box of chocolates sitting innocuously against the wall next to her door. A green crayon message was scrawled over the red paperboard surface of the heart-shaped box top: "To: Raven. Happy V-Day. From: Secret Cupid."

Turning back to her door to return to her room Raven mentally wondered how Garfield pulled her name twice in a row for Valentine's Day and how many candy pieces would be missing this year. Opening the lid, a waft of milk chocolate hit her nose before another scent assaulted her behind the first. Bacon.

"Damnit Garfield." Just like last year the green teen had gotten the only vegetarian a box of chocolate-covered bacon. Marveling unhappily over the fact that her teammate of five years still did not know she would not eat meat or was ignoring the fact, Raven viciously stuffed the gift in her knapsack for delivery to the hospital later tonight. For now she would meditate and gather her strength. There would undoubtedly be many newly admitted because of the holiday which was second only to Christmas when it came to strange accidents that broke bones or necessitated stitches in odd places.

Sitting cross-legged in front of her large bayside window Raven allowed the warmth of the sun to bathe her skin, warming her from head to toe and calming her emotions. 'This always feels so good,' was Raven's last thought before her external world fell away and she focused on the internal.

There were two gifts awaiting her this day just like there was last year. One from her 'Secret Cupid' and one from her now ex-boyfriend who had asked for a talk over dinner that night. Kori had reluctantly agreed to show up but made sure Richard understood she did not consider this a date between lovers. The square box of expensive chocolates told her that her words had fallen on deaf ears.

Setting Richard's valentine chocolates on her dresser to deal with later, Kori gleefully opened Victor's 'Secret Cupid' gift. She knew it was from him because he was the only one to print out the 'to' and 'from' message. Garfield tended to use green crayon, Donna liked to clip magazine letters and paste them together, Raven revealed a hidden talent for gorgeous calligraphy, and the others also fashioned their message to reveal themselves as well.

Victor's gift was an adorable little stuffed lion holding a heart with white stitching that said, "You're the Lion's Roar." Giggling at the adorable moue on the lion's face, Kori felt her spirits lift and with them her hunger for breakfast. As it was still early enough to be considered dawn, Kori knew there was a greater chance she would be dining alone. 'But sometimes that was the best way to start out the day,' Kori mused as she sat the lion against her bed pillows before exiting her room and floating down the hall to the kitchen and adjoined dining room. Normally the Tamaranean would walk the relatively short distance from the private quarter area of the Tower to the kitchen but this morning deserved a bit of indulgence.

She had already passed Raven's rooms when the pneumatic pump of an opening door stopped her and provided an unexpected opportunity for good company at breakfast. Lazily Kori twisted mid-air and meandered back towards Raven's living space to ask the empath to eat with her this morning. A weary sigh caused Kori to pause just out of sight and listen in while peeking around the corner of the hall bend.

Raven was still dressed for bed in a pair of black yoga pants and white cotton tank top. Her recently cropped hair was wildly spiked from her pillow and a short indent lined her right cheek. An unconscious smile flitted over Kori's lips. 'She is beautiful.' But the smile fled in the face of the frown that creased Raven's brow as the empath looked at her Valentine's Day gift.

"I would rather have someone to kiss," murmured Raven before she knelt down to scoop up the box of chocolates. Kori's sharp hearing easily picked up the soft words and the Tamaranean's heart ached in sympathy for the lonely woman. She knew Raven's reasons for staying away from amorous relations but that never meant the empath did not yearn for love. Now that Raven was relatively free of her father's influence and had better control over her own darker urges as a result, Kori had assumed her friend would seek out a companion to share in her discovery of all the facets of love. It disturbed the warrior to arrive at the conclusion that maybe Raven could not seek another out because they still feared her. For an empath that would be the most horrible feeling when trying to date, let alone have sex with, another.

A mild curse aimed at the green changeling interrupted Kori's thoughts and revealed who pulled Raven's name from the basket this year for the Secret Cupid. 'He gave her bacon again, I bet,' Kori silently interpreted the origin of Raven's expletive and ire. Watching Raven scowl and return to her room in a huff left Kori with the impression that breakfast was no longer on Raven's schedule this morning. A slight prickle of disappointment appeared at the turn of events. It looked as if Kori was dining alone after all.

Kori spun around once more and resumed her flight towards the kitchen, not as hungry as she was earlier but still needing to eat to keep her strength up for the rest of the day. Quietly Kori assembled the fixings for an omelet as her thoughts returned again and again to the unconscious confession she heard from someone she never believed would say such things aloud. "A kiss…hmm…I wonder…" Kori absently flipped her spicy omelet onto a plate and turned off the burner. "I wonder if Raven has plans tonight…"

Pale trembling hands lifted her cloak off the peg of the coat rack in the nurse's lounge and pulled it around slumped shoulders. The soft cotton fabric chased away the lingering phantom aches from her work while the familiar smell of mild detergent and home cleared her sinuses of the stringent odors of bleach and urine. It had been a long evening at the hospital and Raven was more than ready to return to the Tower for a light meal and a long hot shower.

Many of the nurses on the night shift were familiar with the sight of the dour young woman stalking the halls in search of injuries she could heal or patients whose recovery she could speed along and left her alone except for quick hellos and goodbyes as they passed her. The various patients of New York Central Hospital, however, always gawked. Some even called out to her to stop for a moment and speak with them for autographs or gossip. Tonight Raven did not wish to be stopped by curious citizens so she kept her head down as she headed out.

Even though she was not part of the staff, Raven was cited as a volunteer for legal purposes so she had to check-in and out like other volunteers. Sticking her head into the office of Selina Thompson, Head Nurse of the night shift, Raven informed the rotund Latina that she was leaving for the night.

Selina smiled at the girl. "Have a fun date planned? If not, my nephew Armando is single…" The nurse trailed off teasingly, knowing that her favorite volunteer would never say yes to a blind date but not quite able to completely forego the concern she felt for the lonely superheroine who never seemed to have anyone to go home to. Raven shook her head. "The only date I have is with my shower and pillow. Good night Selina." Resigned Selina just waved at the retreating woman and wished her a good night along with a heartfelt expression of gratitude. Raven did great work but rarely let anyone acknowledge it, citing her duty as the reason. Still, Selina always saw a little flush fill Raven's cheeks when she was thanked so profusely for her aid.

To avoid any more interactions for the night Raven slipped out the employee entrance at the back of ER admitting. She had learned well within the first month of her volunteer work that 'poofing' in and out, as the nurses called it, of the hospital halls was a great way to induce heart attacks or strokes in people who could ill-afford to have them happen. So Raven usually exited the building before 'poofing' back to the Tower.

This Valentine's Day, however, was a busy one for NYCH and Raven literally drained herself dry of energy keeping the minor to semi-serious physical injuries from overrunning the ER so that the serious to life-threatening damage would have greater attention by the professionals. That left only one conclusion for getting home. 'I'll have to take a cab,' Raven lamented. It was much too far to walk back to the inlet on the edge of Manhattan where Titan's Tower stood and since she did not feel like she should interrupt any of her friends' evening plans just to have them help her get home faster she was stuck with a cab ride.

Two slightly familiar looking EMTs waved to her as she walked out to the curb to hail the yellow devil. Wanting to stave off the inevitable torture a little longer but so tired and with not enough energy to shield her empathy properly from being bombarded by others, Raven just reciprocated the gesture before returning to her mission. "I just pray the driver has cleaned the interior of his cab unlike the last one I was in," Raven mumbled out loud as she shuddered in revulsion at the memory of her last cab ride a month ago.

Raising her arm at the passing traffic Raven waited for a cab to pull over. There was ordinarily a plethora of cabs waiting for an unsuspecting victim but the holidays quickly depleted the number of empty cabs willing to go all the way down to the waterfront area and away from the posh restaurants at this time of night. Her arm was getting tired of beckoning for a ride only to be ignored, and it was beginning to look as if she was actually going to have to hoof it home. Not a prospect she was looking forward to. 'Maybe the next one.' Raven decided to try for a few more minutes hoping the next cab to zoom by will be the one to stop.

Moments later Raven was cursing up a blue storm. A yellow devil had definitely flown around the corner and down the lane, but instead of stopping at her hail the prick had pulled towards her curb, and all the February slush, and roostered her before speeding away. From the neck down Raven's front was soaked with filthy grey street slush. "You Bastard!" Raven exclaimed harshly at the retreating cabby. "Fucking great." Fuming more than she would if she were not tired, Raven tried to brush out the clinging detritus while fighting back tears of frustration and exhaustion. "I just want to get home," escaped a whisper as Raven gave up and began walking the eight miles to the pier.

"Your wish is my command."

Raven whipped around, startled, to find the owner of the voice that spoke in her ear. "K-Koriand'r! What, what are you doing here?" Usually articulate and aware of her surroundings, Raven tended to stumble over her words and jumble her thoughts when caught by surprise. While not displeased to see her friend she was sure that Koriand'r, of all the Titans, had a date this night. Why was she here instead of there?

The Tamaranean smiled at her friend and answered truthfully. "I was looking for you. I'm glad you did not yet leave the hospital area." Scrunching her brows together Raven stared at her friend in confusion. "Looking for me?" Curly cinnabar hair bounced with Koriand'r's nod. "For what?" Eyeing her friend and the way she stood shivering from the cold air hitting her wet clothes with dark smudges beneath her eyes and face paler than it should be Koriand'r decided to take care of Raven's well-being first before anything else needed to be done.

Unzipping her thick white jacket, revealing an evergreen wool sweater underneath that clung to her curves, Koriand'r reached out and unclasped Raven's cloak from around her shoulders, pulling off the drenched material. "Trade you," Koriand'r said as she took off then held open her jacket indicating Raven was to slip her arms in the sleeves. "Oh, no, Koriand'r. I am alright." Shaking her head at Raven's refusal, Kori stepped around the empath and warned, "It will get colder as I take you home. Please wear it, Raven." A brief but violent shiver rocked Raven's slight frame as the cold air moved sharply around her exposed body. Giving in was not that great of a hardship after the wind reminded Raven how far she still had to go before she would reach home.

The jacket was as warm as it looked, with the added bonus of being saturated by Koriand'r's scent. 'Hmm…she smells like the sun and sand.' Unbeknownst to a very tired Raven, Koriand'r watched with giddy amusement and great affection as the woman standing before her seemed to gather the coat around her as one would a blanket and snuggle into it with a contented sigh. Dropping the dirty cloak over her left forearm, Koriand'r decided it was time for them both to leave the streets behind and take to the air so that they could both finish this busy day on a relaxing note.

In a quick motion that Raven was slightly envious of, Koriand'r had Raven cradled to her chest, one arm around her shoulders and the other under her knees. "Let us return home." Nodding into Koriand'r's right shoulder, Raven whispered, "Thank you." A squeeze that hugged her closer accompanied the reply. "Anytime, Raven."

Flying at the leisurely pace she chose this evening, it took Kori only half an hour to reach Titans Tower. Her passenger did not last ten minutes against her body's desire to rest. Raven was completely asleep by the time Kori touched down at the roof entrance. The Tower was dark and silent, empty of its occupants who all had prior engagements for the evening. Walking over to the metal door, Kori silently cursed herself for forgetting that the roof access only opened by entering a code on the keypad inset into the wall next to the door. The Tamaranean did not want to wake her friend yet, very comfortable holding the slightly smaller built woman in her arms as she slept peacefully in her borrowed coat.

Kori hummed in thought for a moment, wracking her brain for a way to enter the code without having to disturb or put Raven down. 'Of course!' The answer came to her in the form of a memory from childhood when her mother used to let her sleep in her lap while the queen perused the kingdom finances. Gently, Kori began to float eye-level with the keypad, legs crossed to provide a sturdy seat for her slumbering friend. As subtlety as possible Kori lowered her left arm so that Raven's legs draped over her left thigh while Raven's upper torso stayed half-sitting, half-leaning against Kori's right shoulder. The slight maneuvering roused a mumble from Raven but the empath was quickly relaxed again in her modified position. Kori let out the breath she had held when her friend had started to wake.

Now that her left hand was free despite the sodden cloak still dangling from her forearm, Kori quickly punched in the code and floated the two feet it took to get through the sliding door when it hissed open. She could not fly properly this way at any real length but small movements were possible. The metal door shut behind the two heroines with the sound of compressed air in the mechanism leaving them in the dark. This, however, was not a problem for the Tamaranean. Easing her arm underneath Raven's knees once more, Kori allowed that hand to glow softly and illuminate the staircase like a lantern. Soundlessly and fairly swiftly Kori journeyed through the halls of their home until she finally reached Raven's door. Pausing to take in the peaceful expression on the usually worried face of her friend, Kori gave into the desire she had harbored ever since she heard Raven reveal what she truly wanted for Valentine's Day this morning.

Raven knew she must be dreaming. Somewhere over Central Park her eyelids grew too heavy to force open and her drained body decided it was no longer awake enough to care. The sensation of wind tugging at her extremities and the warmth that reminded her of the sunlight on her skin during her morning meditation further lulled her mind and body into a healing slumber. 'This is so pleasant,' filtered through her consciousness, 'I have not been held with such care since my fifth birthday.' The memory of her mother lifting her younger self into a hug drifted in then back out on waves of contentment.

A change in the airflow around her body tingled on the edge of her awareness but it was the repositioning in Koriand'r's arms that almost fully woke Raven back up. 'She will have to wake me at some point,' came the lazy truth, 'but not yet.' So relaxed in her position in Koriand'r's arms was Raven that she did not realize a large part of her contentment was augmented by the same feeling shared by her bearer. The empath had unknowingly sought out and established a connection, like a loose thread, between her spirit and Koriand'r's, causing them to easily share emotions. That is why, when Koriand'r placed her lips upon Raven's the slumbering woman thought it was a dream brought on by the accumulation of her bodily exhaustion, the fact that it was Valentine's Day, and her unexpected meeting with Koriand'r.

'What a dream this is,' Raven marveled, enjoying the swirl of arousal in her chest. It was so foreign to her but quickly became a welcome addition to her expanding emotional range. The desire to experience more drove Raven to subconsciously pull sharply on the loose string between her and Koriand'r, making the connection stretch taut and vibrate with a spike of pure lust on both ends. The moaning of her name and thud of boots against the tiled floor outside her room door jarred the empath to dazed wakefulness. Dilated indigo eyes opened to the glow of lime peel green in the amorous gaze of Koriand'r, their lips still buzzing from their heated kiss.

"Wh-Koriand'r…?!"

Oh, how beautiful the woman in her arms looked with her pale cheeks flushed high with red and damp lips parted to allow startled words through. And her eyes, they spoke of long hidden desires. Kori could not quite recall the last time such intense ardor was aimed at her. It was not the quick glance over and drooling fantasy most pinned her with, but the devouring gaze that promised long nights, hot breaths, passion sweat, and enduring love. 'Had I ever truly known such love before now?' Kori fleetingly wondered, returning Raven's intensity.

"I am sorry if I startled you again, Raven." With great reluctance Kori lowered Raven's legs to the ground allowing the shorter woman to stand on her own. "We have arrived back at the Tower," stated the Tamaranean when the silence stretched uncomfortably as Raven took shuffling steps away from her and seemed to shrink in on herself, the large white jacket suddenly drowning her frame in its grasp. "Yes, I see that." Not exactly the wittiest of conversations, both of them stating the obvious.

A bubble of frustration swelled and popped in Kori's throat demanding she recapture the heart-pounding feeling from before. "I wish to kiss you again, Raven," Kori blurted out then stepped toward the other woman determined to make Raven understand that the last kiss was no accident. "I have wanted to do more than kiss you actually. Ever since Christmas, when we found ourselves under the mistletoe and you gave me the honor of being your first kiss, I have wanted to be near you." Kori lowered her voice but continued on with power. "And when I heard you this morning wishing for a kiss instead of chocolates I could think of nothing else all day but to make your wish come true." Kori felt slightly out of breath but ultimately exhilarated at the release baring her thoughts and feelings gave her.

Raven was shocked. No, more than shocked. The earth under her feet threatened to disappear and leave her in a melted puddle of conflicted emotions. Confused disbelief that anyone would desire demon-spawn such as her was the most prominent of the emotions, warring with the force of an aching longing to fall into Koriand'r's embrace and be burned alive with passion. "Koriand'r-" choked Raven as she tried to find a response where none was to be had. Desperate indigo eyes sought the confident lime peel green ones that regarded her with patient tenderness.

Kori just smiled. She knew her friend was blind-sided by her confession, but that was ok because now they both knew what they each desired. Slowly, giving Raven time to duck or sweep away her hand, Kori reached out and tucked a wayward strand of ink-black hair behind a gently pointed ear. "I would truly like to be your Valentine, Raven." A hopeful quirk to Kori's smile captured Raven's heart even more. "Would you like to be mine?"

In the face of such utter sincerity and sweetness Raven no longer had the ability to deny either of them any longer. "Yes," Raven breathed upon Kori's lips as she initiated their second kiss that night.

"Hey Rae, thanks for the dinner reservations. Sarah was really impressed by the food and I enjoyed the chance for privacy." Victor clapped Raven on her shoulder the morning after Valentine's Day, truly thankful for her Secret Cupid gift. He saw her lips quirk and eyes wrinkle at the corners with pleasure before her face blanked and she asked him what he was talking about. Victor laughed at the running joke of the morning after every major holiday. The 'Secret' gift-givers were always alluding to amnesia whenever someone tried to thank them for a gift they gave. In fact, when Kori came up to him this morning gushing over the stuffed lion she received, he feigned ignorance about it to which Kori just hugged him anyway.

"Well, just in case my Secret Cupid is listening in, thanks." With a grin Victor left Raven in the kitchen, grabbing a full plate of breakfast goods and making his way to the table to eat. So far his morning has been cheery and wonderfully sedate. After a great night with the woman he loved, for once not interrupted by emergencies or ego-inflated, dateless bad guys, Victor was perfectly content to bask in the peacefulness this morning.

"Hey, Star. Mind if I sit next to you?"

As always in the mornings, Star's smile was bright and sincere. "You may certainly sit down Victor, but I was just about to get up." Doing just that, Star gathered her empty dirty dishes before wishing him a good morning once more and going to the kitchen. Victor waved goodbye, his mouth full of eggs, and watched his teammate literally float around the corner and into the kitchen.

It took about ten minutes before a nagging feeling drew Victor's attention away from his now cleared plate. Something odd was going on. Nothing bad, just odd. "Hm," Victor assessed his surroundings with a critical eye, looking for what was out of place. When his eyes made it to the kitchen entrance they paused. That's was it! Neither Star nor Rae had left the cooking nook for over a combined twenty minutes. 'Probably just gossiping,' came the logical conclusion.

Over the course of the last year, actually ever since Raven killer her father, the two women had gotten a lot closer. Koriand'r could be heard inviting her usually reticent teammate out shopping or for a stroll through her gardens. And Raven began accepting more and more often the invitations while extending her own tentative invites to meditate or take a trip to the public library. It became so common to find one with the other that whenever any of the Titans were looking for Raven they would ask Kori regarding her whereabouts and vice versa. Each woman always knew where the other was at, always sat together, and always welcomed their presence in each other's lives. The more Victor thought about it, the more certain he became that the friendship between Raven and Kori was a highly valued one.

When Raven began opening up and initiating conversations, she almost always started by talking to Kori before moving on to others on the team. There were even instances where the mood of one directly affected the mood of the other. Vic remembered one weekend when Kori had been in a surly mood, excusing herself from dinner abruptly and citing a need for solitude. Although it was rare when the Tamaranean eschewed the company of others, it was even odder for Raven to plainly state she was worried and follow after her emotional teammate to 'ensure Koriand'r does not feel lonely'. Both females came back into the Tower that night smiling and happy with the world.

All of these little changes in Raven and Kori over the course of the years amassed in the black man's analytical mind and steered his thoughts toward the greatest event that has happened yet in their little family unit. The Breakup. Absolutely every hero and villain out there that cared to gossip about the various relationships in the super communities have or would have bet serious cash on Nightwing dumping Starfire before ever considering the Tamaranean would fall out of love and end her romantic relationship with him. But that is exactly what happened. And no one knows what caused the change in the alien, not even Nightwing. Wild speculation and rumors flew out and between the cape and tights communities of the world but Kori stayed surprisingly tight-lipped and deflected any questions that tried to weasel out answers from her.

Thinking about it now this morning, Victor postulated that Star could have fallen in love with another, which would have prompted her break-up with Nightwing. It made sense, but the remaining question would be - who caught Kori's attention? Gathering his plate and cup, Victor moved to return to the kitchen to drop them off at the sink before preparing for his day in the garage fixing a leak in the T-Jet.

'Maybe Star hasn't made a move yet on her new beau. It would be very obvious if she had. I doubt anyone would be able to keep from acting different around her if they knew she loved them.'

Rounding the corner of the kitchen, Victor did not feel the plate and glass slip from his grasp and shatter on the floor. He was so shocked by the scene in front of him that his brain had tripped a minor overload wire, causing him to lose mobility and the ability to think. An orange hand waved in front of his wide eyes before the owner pulled away to address her companion. "I think he is broken, Raven. Should I take him to his room and plug him into the repair system?" A milky pale hand rose and wrapped its fingers around the orange one's wrist, giving a small tug in the direction of the exit. "He is not truly broken nor in need of mechanical repair, Koriand'r. He is merely shocked. He will be ok." Another tug and the pair walked around the immobile man. "Let us continue our discussion in your room. Mine is still a mess from last night." A sweet giggle accompanied the final words between the pair before they left for privacy. "As you wish, Raven."

Later that day…

Victor came to with a blink and spasmodic lurch. He found himself moved from the kitchen nook to the entertainment room where a very large screen T.V. was flying through action scenes. In his hands were two colas that smelled as if they had been enhanced by a shot of rum and around his waist was a pink tutu. On the long couch next to where he was standing Garfield, Wally, Joey, and Dick watched the latest Die Hard incarnation.

"Hey man! You're awake! We were worried when we found you being all statue-like in the kitchen and called Raven to see if she could figure out what was wrong. She took one look at you, grabbed two bottles of water from the fridge and just said you needed some more time to get over a shock to your system before you would reboot and be ok. So we brought you in here!"

Victor sneered at Gar as he pulled off the offending pink tutu and plopped down on the end of the sofa, downing both drinks in hand. Ignoring the protests and calls of party fouls for not replacing the drinks for their original owners, Victor decided he was going to enjoy an evening with his brothers and decide later whether or not he wanted to erase the kitchen scene from his memory.

'Nah,' Victor smirked while another explosion rocked the surround sound speakers and a gun fight burst on screen. 'It's not every day a man walks in on a half-demon pacifist on her knees between the legs of a gorgeous alien princess.'

And that's a wrap for this story! Hope you all enjoyed!

Please read and review!

ToaR