Chapter Text
Oh.
Oh, this is bad.
Bad, bad, bad.
Raven tried to tamp down her rising apprehension about the training exercise Robi-Nightwing had planned for the afternoon. The Titans were in the Towers gym, regulating their breathing, and wiping the sweat from their faces, just having finished a grueling round of High Intensity Interval Training. Normally, any anxiety about a group workout would be completely unfounded. A little concentration, a bit of work, a couple of mumbled words, and she could get herself through almost anything. Sparring, elaborate (and excessive) obstacle courses, even hand-to-hand combat training. She'd learned to take each team training session as it came, with minimal grumbling.
However, when she heard the words "grappling and wresting exercise", she nearly choked on her own saliva.
She already knew how this was going to play out.
After that disaster of a mission earlier in the week, the call for some on-the-ground, hand-to-hand, power-supressive combat training was definitely justified. The team had been completely knocked on thier asses a few days ago, after they'd each been dosed with a different coctail of specific toxins designed with each of their weaknesses in mind.
Through a dart of all things, they'd each been shot at the exact same moment. To say that was unexpected would have been quite the understatement.
They were only expecting a few thugs, maybe six or so low-key gang members, and had shown up to intercept a mystery-drug shipment. It was already too late, once they noticed the inconspicuous little pins sticking out of their bodies, there was nothing they could do. Trapped in the labyrinth of a shipping yard, each of them ended up stumbling around in the dark, calling out to eachother and trying to fight off either sleep or nausea, both in Nightwings case. It had been equal parts terrifying and frustrating. Luckily, Star's metabolism ate-up whatever it was that she'd been drugged with, and she was able to get the team to safety after only a few minutes of panic and confusion. Nearly two full days later, and everyone was still feeling like total garbage.
No-one was back to their full strength yet, mentally or physically, but thinking back on just how bad things could have gone was enough to pull themselves together. Nightwing was determined in his resolve to get the Titans feeling comfortable with their abilities again, even if they were momentarily weakened once more. Hence, the "grappling and wresting exercise" he planned for all of them. No powers, no props, no intervention from other teammates.
Raven looked on as her team leader ran through his rules for this challenge, and her dread was steadily building. The smug look on his masked face was all she needed to see.
She'd be getting much, much too close to a certain green man-child.
Her suspicions were soon confirmed, as he set Starfire and Victor against eachother first. Nightwing would observe, look for weaknesses in technique, and face off with whomever came out on top once the rest of the team finished throwing eachother around. Nightwing didn't need the practice. There weren't many men (or women) who had more martial arts training than he did, but he never missed a chance to show off his skill, nor would he skip out on a a group exercise that he had put together. So, that left Gar, Changeling/formerly BeastBoy, the green-skinned-animal-wonder, as Ravens partner.
Ugh.
She didn't think she had enough energy to deal with all of his shit today, even in her hindered state.
Over the last few years, she'd watched with feigned disinterest as he changed. More so over the last couple of months as Gar grew into his new persona. 'Changeling' was slightly more mature, now. He worked harder, gave constructive feedback during meetings more often, and his focus had improved greatly. He still made terrible jokes, and threw puns around like confetti, but Raven doubted that would ever change. It was an integral part of his character. His new found focus came with a drawback however, according to Raven, anyways.
No longer were his thoughts and feelings a jumbled gong-show. What used to be the cause of countless headaches for Raven, had turned into something seemingly more distressing.
His feelings were now emitted freely and precisely, and even though Raven always took care to stay out of her friends emotional business, it had become painstakingly more difficult to block out anything radiating from Changeling. He just felt more than everyone else. Sometimes she picked up feelings from him so intense and powerful, it was almost like she was feeling them for herself. It was dangerous, it took so much more control to be around him and not have her powers bubble up to do unexpected damage. Raven also felt like she was invading his privacy just by being in his presence these days, and had been trying to keep her distance when the circumstances permitted it. It wasn't easy.
The differences in his attitude were also reflected in him physically.
It would have been impossible not to notice, and notice him, she certainly did. Just when she had gotten used to his new hight advantage over her, he started filling out in the best(worst?) way possible. Tagging along to all of Nightwing's extra weightlifting sessions had given him broader shoulders, thicker legs, and overall more muscle definition. She would have to be dead not to atleast appreciate his new form now, and she'd rather be dead that ever admit to doing that.
And she certainly wasn't(very discreetly) oggling him earlier while he was at the squat rack.
Squatting deep as he balanced the weights over his tensing shoulders.
His arms and back working to stay ridged, and in optimal position.
His legs...
Mmm...
No! Don't think about that.
Focus. He's a 'friend', not a... not friend.
We don't think about friends like that.
She lightly shook her head to clear that image from her brain, and hoped she wasn't blushing. It was almost too easy to forget that those powerful thighs and that deliciously sculpted ass belonged to the emerald clown of their unit. Especially when he wasn't talking. Especially when that tight masculine body was wrapped up in black spandex. Those heavy cords of muscle shifting and stretching as he...
Uuuuuughh! STOP!
She drained some more water hoping to cool herself down. She was warm from the workout, not because she'd been thinking about Gar's... workout... Definitely not that.
She focused in on the ongoing battle for power between her friends, just a few yards ahead of her.
Raven had worked hard the last 3 years to get better control over her emotions in order to express them, and although her friends greatly appreciate the lengths she'd gone to, it was tough. With everything coming at her from others, and the feelings and thoughts coming from within herself, she still became overwhelmed quite often, turning to meditation when she could. She was happy with her progress though, however small, but could definitely do without the budding attraction she felt towards her green teammate. It was complex. And complicated. And wrong somehow, they were a family of sorts, she shouldn't want to kiss his stupid handsome face...
Right?
She needed to concentrate.
And later, she needed to call up a certain 'not friend'.