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Right Where You Left Me

Word Count: 4,600 Characters: Raven, Dick Grayson/Nightwing, Koriand'r/Starfire, Garfield Logan/Beast Boy, Victor Stone/Cyborg, Jun'Ichi Fujihara Ships: DickRae/NightRae, Dickory (mentioned; past) Rating: T Warnings: None Notes: This takes place within an AU that myself and my partner created. It's massive, it expands over three-four decades currently, and involves all of the DCU. It's neat.

Anyways, this was inspired by that scene in Black Widow when Yelena has her small breakdown about her family, and Taylor Swift's Right Where You Left Me. I'm salty about the lack of Raven content these days, and I enjoy putting my favorite ship through pain. [ Psst, you can also read this over here on my ao3! ]

November 1st, 2017 Blüdhaven, New Jersey 6:23 p.m. “Why did the Titans split up?” Jun’Ichi asked as they lay together, the television playing softly in the background. She couldn’t remember exactly what it was that they had been watching- some B-rated horror movie that Netflix produced. Her gaze drifted, settling on the window beside his bed. They weren’t a couple- barely even considered to be friends with benefits. “I ask myself that often,” Raven replied as she sat up, dark tresses spilling over her shoulders in messy waves. It’d been all tied back in twin braids earlier- that is, until it started raining on her. Which is how she ended up here, in Jun’Ichi Fujihara’s apartment on the northside of Bludhaven. “I’d like to say it was bound to happen, but I’m not sure.” “Fighting in the group?” He mused, reaching over to comb his fingers through her hair gently. It’d gotten long; she’d be cutting it soon. “It was time for us to part ways,” she shifted, tugging the shirt she’d borrowed down over her knees- which wasn’t much of a feat, considering how large he was. Really, what did they feed him growing up? Steroids? Pure protein? “It was difficult- more difficult for some than others.” Jun’Ichi hummed, hand dropping from her hair to settle on the bed behind her. They’d met nearly nine months ago after he unintentionally kept her from getting her ass kicked. The perks of having a family name that strikes fear into the hearts of those in the Scene. She’d gotten mixed up in a fight, and he’d been on his way home- one thing led to another, and they swapped numbers. And then they began to text, and then came coffee, and then- Well, she was familiar with his apartment now, and he with hers. “I’m gonna borrow your shower,” Rachel decided as she rose, grimacing at how her hair clung to her. Rainwater wasn’t her friend, especially when her hair was longer like it is now. “Do you mind?” “Go for it,” he waved idly, jade gaze warm, smile soft. “I’ll fix us some dinner?” “Sounds like a plan,” turning on her heel, she nabbed a clean pair of sweatpants she’d left here last weekend and one of his hoodies. They weren’t serious- nowhere near it. Just… Friends, who occasionally were pent up and needed a little bit of help. They hadn’t had sex- no, he wasn’t interested in that, and she was secretly glad. Heavy petting, kisses- those were okay, those were as far as either one were comfortable with going. Someone to fill the void. Three years, two months, sixteen days since the Titans had split. She was twenty-one, now. Dick’s birthday was a month ago; Garfield and Kori’s were two months ago. Vic’s was in five months. No one had reached out to tell her happy birthday- but she didn’t expect it. The bathroom was nice- clean. Jun’Ichi kept his apartment spotless, cleaning daily. Her gaze swept across the skincare products- her own moisturizer, his facial cleanser and beard oil, his electric trimmer, a brush that she used that certainly wasn’t his, but didn’t belong to anyone else. It was a strange limbo they hung in; she knew his ties to the Fujihara crime family, he knew her ties to the Titans, but neither knew the other’s past. Bare basics- that’s what they’d agreed on after that first night. It hadn’t been a one-night stand; it’d been her birthday, and he’d invited her out to get drinks and meet some of his siblings. He had an older sister who was in Gotham’s police force, and a cousin in the same police force. Big family, the Fujihara. They’d accepted her like she was always part of the family. It had been nice; Ayame (his mother) had bought them all dinner- him and her and all of his siblings- at this little hole in the wall hibachi place in Bludhaven. They didn’t sing happy birthday, but they gave her cards, and the sake had been good. She’d met Jun’Ichi on accident when they’d both grabbed the same flannel at a secondhand shop- and they hit it off. Friends. They were friends. Sure, she liked him- but not in the way she’d held feelings for another. Violet gaze settled upon her reflection in the mirror. Her hair was long-

falling below her bust, now. She’d cut it soon. Not now- not with a pair of kitchen scissors. Maybe she’d make an appointment and actually get it styled for once, touch up the purple tips. Nodding, she turned away to face the shower. Jun’Ichi didn’t like showing that he came from money, but his shower certainly showed it- and the apartment. And the building the apartment was in. His downstairs neighbors were fashion designers, apparently. Fancy ones. The kind that have their clothes in Fashion Weeks. The shower- oh, she hated it and loved it. There was only one handle, and it was a trick to get it to the right temperature of almost boiling but not quite. Fiddling with it, she was reminded of the time when Kori broke her shower because she turned the handle too far and it just snapped off. She’d been so confused, so startled, she’d started crying because she thought everyone would be mad at her. Vic had fixed it for her. They all had a good laugh; Raven had revealed the first time she’d used a shower on Earth and had been convinced it took some sort of puzzle to get it to work. That had gotten laughs out of everyone. Those had been good days- happy days in the beginning. The shower head came to life, letting water fall like the storm outside. Sighing, she tugged off the shirt, pants, and underwear, discarding them in a little pile to the side. Next came the multitude of rings she wore, which made a pile on the counter, and the necklaces. The earrings would remain. Stepping under the warm spray, a sigh escaped her lips.

Dick was working fulltime as Nightwing now; were he and Kori still together? The thought sent an odd pang through her, made her chest squeeze tight for a moment. Vic was working for S.T.A.R. Labs and the Justice League now- the major league. Garfield was back with the Doom Patrol- though he helped out the new Titans occasionally. Apparently, Batman shoved another Robin in the role of leader- this one was named Tim.

Dick was the first. Jason Todd, now known as Red Hood, was supposed to have been the second before the Joker took his life and Batman refused to kill him. That was a mess and a half; apparently, Dick and Jason were back in contact with one another. There were other Batkids- too many for her to really remember. A family. Her teeth clenched as she shook her head, trying to keep her thoughts clear. Even so, that night kept trying to force its way to the forefront as she massaged shampoo into her hair. It smelled of lavender; it should have been calming. ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ November 18th, 2014 Titans Tower, Manhattan, New York 4:38 p.m. “It’s time.” Dick sighed, arms crossing over his chest. “We all knew this day was coming.” “Did we?” Garfield argued, confused as to why this was suddenly their last night as a team. “Why is it happening now?” “Because someone needs their pride and joy,” Vic muttered, gaze trained on the screen he was working on repairing after it’d been destroyed during their last outing. “Doesn’t he?” “You don’t understand-” Dick tried to argue gently, brow furrowing over his domino mask. “... Gotham needs the help.” “It is not as bad as it seems!” Kori spoke up, hands clasped before her chest as she hovered beside Dick. A nervous antic- one Raven recognized. “We will all still be in touch! With Cyborg joining the League of Justice-” “Justice League,” Dick corrected gently. “Yes! The League of Justice,” Kori repeated, “we will all be in contact still!” “What about Rae?” Garfield asked, drawing attention to the one person within the room who hadn’t spoken yet. “Where does that leave her?” “Wherever she wants to go.” Dick answered simply, not understanding. “There isn't a contract binding her here. She can go wherever. This is a team. We’re friends.” “Not family, though?” Vic asked, looking up to meet Dick’s gaze. “You used to call us that.” “Things- change.” “Do they have to?” Garfield’s voice pitched upwards as panic began to set in. “I don’t think we all have to leave at once- I mean, there’s no reason for that, right? Right, guys?” “I’m being called in tomorrow,” Vic sighs, leaning back against the back of the couch. “But we’ve all known about my leaving for a few months. So what’s the deal with pulling the rug out from under everyone now, Grayson? We ain’t a real family anymore to you?” “This isn't about that.” About what, exactly? Dick wasn’t even sure of the answer himself. His gaze drifts for a moment, studying Raven behind the domino mask- and for some reason, he knows that she can feel him looking at her. She doesn’t speak; her gaze is distant, focused on the windows, lips pressed into a thin line. Closing herself off. Garfield and Victor continue to bicker as Kori tries to keep the peace when Raven slips away silently, footsteps barely making a sound on the floor. Sighing, Nightwing slips out as Kori begins to explain her own plans- what she’ll be doing off-planet for the next year. “Rae?” He calls softly as he opens the door to the roof. This was her favorite place to come when she was troubled. It reminds him of two years ago, when Trigon had made his appearance and attempted to take Raven over, when the world was almost lost had it not been for Raven’s strength- and their teamwork. All of them. “Can we talk?” “What is there to say?” Raven rasped, not turning to face her teammate- but it was too late to stop the tears that flowed down her cheeks. Helpless, abandoned once more by the ones she cared about. “What is there to do? Kori has to return to her work as a literal Princess, Vic has been chosen to be a part of the League, you’ve been called back to Gotham, and Gar has plans to help with the next generation of Titans.” Her shoulders rose in a small shrug as she watched the sun begin to dip beneath the horizon. “We knew this wouldn’t be a team that would last. It was temporary.” “That doesn’t mean this is the end, you know?” He settles in at her side. Idly, he reaches up, removing the domino mask with a sigh. “I don’t have a choice. He has a new Robin in training, but he

needs me- Gotham and Blüdhaven need me,” “I thought you wanted to get out from under his shadow?” Her voice is soft as she turns, her brow furrowed; Dick had grown much taller than she had over the years, causing her to have to look up to meet his gaze. “Why follow him? You know you can have your own life.” “Because I owe him for saving mine.” “Bullshit.” “Rachel-” “No.” She reached up to drag her fingers through her hair. It’s gotten longer, Dick noticed- falling beyond her shoulders. “No, don’t Rachel me. You could have a life of your own. You don’t owe anyone anything!” “I wish it was that easy.” He took a step closer, reaching out with a gloved hand to catch her wrist gently. “I wish it was as easy as just hanging up the mask and uniform and walking away from all of this.” The way his voice cracked had Raven wincing. “Are we too young for this?” She asked, brow furrowing as her gaze settled on his hand, how his fingers inch up her palm to entwine with her own fingers. “We were just kids when we started this, thrust into a world that we could only barely begin to understand.” “But we aren’t kids anymore.” Dick’s voice had softened, barely above a whisper as he studied her; the setting sun painted her skin in shades of gold, giving the lavender of her gaze flecks of fire. “We haven’t been kids for a while.” “No, we haven’t.” She swallowed roughly, unable to tear her gaze away from his own, even as tears filled her own. “This is it, huh? The end of the first Titans team.” “Not the end- maybe just a pause.” “A lull in a conversation.” His lips quirked into a smile- boyish, charming, full of light and love and laughter. It made her heart ache. She could feel something beneath the surface in that moment, howling to be let free. But he pushed it away, pushed it down the same moment he pulled his hand from her own. “I’ll be seeing you around, yeah?” No, you won’t. “Sure,” she lied, giving him a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes. He hesitated for a moment longer, lips parting as if he were going to speak. “Raven, I-” “There you two are!” Kori called, making Raven jump and Dick to shove his mask over his eyes quickly. Security blanket- she understood that too well. “We are ordering pizza! One last dinner together! Come, please!” Kori took hold of Dick’s hand, pulling him close while her hand hovered over Raven’s shoulder- not touching without permission. ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ The water shut off as she turned the handles to the right, leaving her standing in the steam-filled bathroom. She could hear Jun’Ichi singing along to a song on the radio, the scent of whatever it was he was cooking reaching beginning to invade the bathroom. Nabbing a towel, she stepped out and began to dry off. Her fingers twitched, causing the shower door to close behind her and for the fan to turn on, drawing the steam up and away. Her phone buzzed idly with a notification. Brow raising, she stepped carefully over, not wanting to slip on the damp tile. Passcode quickly tapped in, her phone unlocked to reveal a new message had been delivered. Curiosity getting the best of her, she tapped on the messages icon, only to find a familiar name popped up. Nightwing. ‘Are you in Blüdhaven?’ The text read. Her heart hammered in her chest as she stared at the letters. It had been delivered fifteen minutes ago, five minutes after she’d started her shower. ‘Currently. Why?’ She responded quickly, setting her phone aside to grab her toiletry bag. She needed to work some argan oil in before she could dry her hair; the north was not kind to her hair, surprisingly. She blames the water for it. Fingers combing through dark locks, she pondered the reason as to why he would reach out to her now of all times. Her phone buzzed once with a notification. ‘Wanna grab coffee sometime? :^)’. The message was simple, innocent. Most likely just catching up, touching base again now that she was back in the States. ‘Sure. Tomorrow morning?’ She turned away as she grabbed Jun’Ichi’s hair dryer. Flipping over, she did a quick rough-dry of her hair, making sure

that the bottom layer was dry before flipping her hair back over and turning off the hair dryer. The rest could air dry- which wouldn’t take very long, now. The next text she receives is a simple smiley face, the conversation ended- for now. Shaking her head, she nabbed her clothes that had been politely set just inside of the door, freshly dried and still holding warmth. Tugging the sweater and leggings on, she grabbed hold of her phone and slipped out, leaving the door cracked to help the steam escape. “Hope you’re hungry,” Jun’Ichi called as she plopped onto the couch. “I made plenty for you to take when you head home.” “Thanks,” Raven called back, gaze trained on her phone’s black screen. How did he know she was back? She hadn’t done any work recently, especially not here. The last time she’d made headlines had been two months ago in Scotland when she fixed John Constantine’s fuck up. Shaking her head, she set her phone down and rose, making her way to the kitchen. “What’d you make?” “Miso soup, edamame, and grilled salmon on a bed of rice.” He nodded towards the timer on the microwave; five more minutes. “Comfort food for a cold, rainy day in Gotham. It’s what my mom would make when we were younger.” “That must’ve been nice,” Raven plucked an edamame from the bowl and idly bit down on the pod, prompting for a bean to break free. “Hungry?” He asked again, glancing down at her. Something was up- but it wasn’t his place to ask. “Famished.” Raven replied with a small smile as she turned to grab dishes down. ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ November 2nd, 2017 Blüdhaven, New Jersey 9:15 a.m. The coffee shop was quiet for a Tuesday morning. Black nails tapped a nervous rhythm on the top of the table, an old habit that could never be truly broken. Violet gaze glanced down to her phone, studying the blank screen. Lost in her thoughts, she didn’t notice that her guest had appeared until the chair across from her was being pulled free. Jolting, she looked up, eyes widening in surprise at the sight, meeting equally wide, surprised amber eyes. “Raven,” Dick Grayson greeted, lips twitching up into a small smile- shy, boyish. “It’s been a while.” That smile still made her heart skip a beat. Damn him. Damn Dick Grayson. “Three years, two months, seventeen days,” Raven replied, shifting to settle into her seat, arms wrapping idly around herself. The sweater she wore hung off of one shoulder, big and worn and warm, a deep navy shade. “If you wanted to be exact.” A chuckle escaped the vigilante. “Right,” his hand raised to rub at the back of his neck, ruffling the hair that had grown out- shaggy. “How are you?” “I’m good- just got back a few months ago from traveling.” He looked older, now- the baby fat having left his face, replaced with a sharp jawline and smooth skin. “How’ve you been? How’s Kori?” Something strange occurred, then- a grimace that he tried to cover, but the anxiety that flowed off of him at the mention of the Tameranian princess was unmistakable. “She’s good- I’m good. Busy.” “So I’ve heard. You’re all over the news, you know,” idly, she raised the cup of chamomile to her lips, sipping idly. “Boy wonder and all, covering Blüdhaven all by his lonesome.” “I’ve got it handled,” he shrugs, though his gaze wanders to the side, as if he didn’t want to talk about this. Anxious. “It’s not the… Worst.” “Have you heard from any of the others?” Why was Dick so nervous? That was new; he wasn’t the kind of person to get nervous about nothing. Then again, he used to get nervous anytime Koriand’r would sit too close. He perked up at that, brown gaze warm as he nodded. “Yeah, I talk to Vic occasionally- he’s working with dad now, part of the League. Garth’s over in California, helping with the Doom Patrol, apparently- sounds like he and Vic might, uh, be… Close.” His cheeks colored a rosy tone that got a soft laugh out of Raven. “What about you? Heard from anyone recently?” “Mhm,” she hummed, sipping her tea for a moment, giving Dick time to really look her over. She’d gained weight- not that that was a bad thing! She looked

healthy, now- her skin holding color, her cheeks rosy. She no longer held shadows in the hollows of her cheeks or beneath her eyes. Her hair had gotten long- or, well, longer than it ever was when they were a team. She smiled easier, now, too- as if she were more at peace with herself. “Roy’s back in Gotham, actually. I met with him a few days ago.” “Is he?” Roy Harper- he hadn’t talked to him in a little over two years, after they had a fallout when he was just getting out of rehab. When Dick hadn’t believed him. “How’s he doing?” “He looks good. Healthy, now- clean for a few years, officially sober for a little over three. He’s got custody of Lian, now.” Lian Harper-Nguyen, the surprise child that he hadn’t anticipated. “I’m helping him with some internal troubles.” “Therapy?” “Of sorts. I refer to it as Shadow Work, but it is a form of therapy- healing the darker parts of yourself that you’ve left unattended for far too long.” She sets the cup down gently, drawing Dick’s attention to her hands. Her nails had grown- or perhaps they were a set- filed into points, painted a glossy black. She wore rings, now, too. A lot of rings. “Gar is doing well. I spoke to him a few weeks back.” “Yeah?” Gar, now going by the moniker of Tempest- a former teammate, and someone who had been interested in Raven. “How’s Atlantis?” “Atlantis is good, as is Kaldur'ahm. Did you know they are in a relationship?” “Really? Huh- I had no idea. Good for them!” A silence fell over the pair in that moment, Raven’s gaze settling on the table as Dick settled his chin on his palm, smile softening. She really did look good. It’s amazing how much a person can change in a few years. Her gaze flickered up, violet meeting umber, and settled there. He felt a tug for a moment- not a physical one, but a tug on that old soul bond she’d created with him. It was warm, familiar, comforting. “Why did you want to meet, Dick?” She finally asked, head tilting slightly, reminiscent of a bird. “Why did you text me?” “I heard you were in the neighborhood.” He admitted, sitting straighter, brow furrowing. “And I… Wanted to catch up.” “After three years of radio silence?” The words were soft, yet held such an icy, bitter tone that it reminded him of the cold December wind. He grimaced; it had been that long, hadn’t it? “Kind of shitty to do that, if you ask me.” “I didn’t know how to get a hold of you,” he admitted, shaking his head. “I didn’t realize that everyone else had cut contact, too.” “Not everyone. Gar kept contact- but he was about the only one.” Until Roy. He’d revealed that he and Dick had also fought. The circumstanced had been messy; they hadn’t made up, not yet, but he wants to. He’d been working with Jason- and Koriand’r, apparently. “Why isn’t Kori working with you?” “How did you know that?” He snapped, only to immediately recoil. “I’m sorry, I didn’t…” “That answers everything.” Raven rolled her eyes as she grabbed her cup. “You need to work on yourself before you try to reach out to those you’ve wronged, Richard Grayson.” She rose with a smooth movement, skirt swirling about her legs. Without a further word, she began to make her way to the door. Dick floundered for a moment before he grabbed his coffee and took off after her. “Raven, please- wait! Wait up!” He slipped out of the door as she paused, her brow furrowed. Snow had begun to fall, the flakes big and fluffy. Not good for snowballs, a part of him whispered. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry that I left. I’m sorry that you were left alone and no one was there for you. I’m sorry that I failed as a leader and a friend,” the words spilled out in a rush as her eyes widened. “I’m sorry that I left you on the rooftop that night. I’m sorry for breaking your heart, Raven.” She swallowed roughly, head tilting to the side as she squeezed her eyes shut- a meager attempt at staunching the tears that threatened to fall. “Don’t say that. Don’t- you don’t get to just come back into my life and apologize like this. Do you know that the Titans were the only family I had for years? You all were my family-

I loved each and every member. And you all left me!” She exclaimed, hands raising. She’d tossed her tea the moment she’d gone outside. “I was left alone! The tower cleared out, and I was alone, and no one came back!” Her voice cracked on back, tears spilling over. Mascara began to run down her cheeks, much to her annoyance. “I stayed there, dust collecting, while everyone else moved on. I stayed right where you left me.” Dick fell silent, his heart hammering in his chest at the realization. Seeing her cry like this- he went to reach out, only for her to take a step back. His hand hung in the space between them for a moment longer before it fell. “Raven, I’m sorry.” “It’s fine. I’m going home.” She turned on her heel, beginning to walk away before calling over her shoulder, “Call me when you’ve got your own shit figured out, Grayson. Get out from under his shadow and be your own god damn man.” She turned down an alleyway, and in another moment, was gone- portal opened and closed with adept swiftness, a practiced movement that she’d worked on for years to perfect. Dick stood in the middle of the sidewalk, coffee held limply in one hand, the other hand raised to his mouth as her words sank into him, stabbing like knives heated with a cooking torch. What had he done? What had he done to Raven? ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ Novemeber 6th, 2017 Blüdhaven, New Jersey 4:19 p.m.

Her apartment was a safe space, her haven. She was settled on the couch, wrapped up in a massive hoodie that Roy had left behind. He’d be back in a few days after finishing the assignment she’d given him. He was home in Oljato at the moment.

Her mind drifted as her fountain pen hovered over the page of her journal. The meeting with Dick had been four days ago. She’d seen no one since then, telling Jun’Ichi that she was busy with research. Her brow furrows as the journal and pen settle on the table. She couldn’t focus, not like this.

Sighing, she unfurled her legs from beneath herself, only to pause at the feeling of foreign energy approaching her door. Quietly walking to the door, she listened for a moment before a knock sounded. Curiosity killed the cat, but satisfaction brought it back. Creeping to the door, she cracked it open. “Can I help you?”

The sound of a smooth, feminine voice met her ears- lightly accented. Arabic? Egyptian? Somewhere within the region, the lilt originated from. “I do hope I’ve got the right apartment. Raven, yes?”

“Depends. Who are you?” The woman stepped back. Raven felt her heart fall still for a moment as realization dawned. The flowing sleeves, the leotard, the veil, the boots. “My name is Tombstone. May I come in?” Tombstone, famed sorceress and summoner. The new Sorcerer Supreme. The locks undid themselves quickly as Raven stepped back, the door swinging open. “Of course. Why are you… here?” “Well,” she stepped in slowly, towering over Raven. “I was hoping I could speak to you about a job opportunity. Have you heard about the Justice League Dark?” Raven felt her heart jumpstart in that moment. Perhaps coming back to Blüdhaven hadn’t been such a bad idea after all.

#raven #dickrae #dick grayson #teen titans #titans #dceu #garfield logan #koriand'r #victor stone #cyborg #starfire #robin #nightwing #dickory #angst #no warnings apply #m's scribbles

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