『I ᴅᴏɴᴛ ᴡᴀɴᴛ ʏᴏᴜʀ ʙᴏᴅʏ ʙᴜᴛ ɪ ʜᴀᴛᴇ ᴛᴏ ᴛʜɪɴᴋ ᴀʙᴏᴜᴛ ʏᴏᴜ ᴡɪᴛʜ sᴏᴍᴇʙᴏᴅʏ ᴇʟsᴇ』
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   Raven was completely appalled and surprised that Damian appeared to actually be following through. She didn't know what to do or say, but their mission had to be put out of the way before she could ask herself about that.

   Damian didn't think of what he was saying when he said that. Of course he missed her. He missed her more than anything and breaking up with Raven was something he regretted deeply. She was the only one he could trust as much as he did, it killed him off completely when they had their fight.

   He didn't really want to leave. The Titans was his home and he couldn't imagine his life without them. Though, he had to go through with it now. He was too stubborn to go back on his words.

   "I hope you get shot and bleed out." Damian mumbled under his breath. That wasn't true at all. He was letting his emotions for her take over now.

   "Likewise." Raven rolled her eyes. But the comment secretly stung her.

   "Split up." He looked around the base and ran off in the other direction.

   While they were separated, the silence was unbearable. The mission had made it impossible for the both of them to ignore the feelings they knew they shared. How could the memories just go away? They shared good times together and created unforgettable memories. This couldn't be just as easily forgotten as they claimed.

   He didn't know why it was so difficult for him to deal with this. Raven was his kiss, first girlfriend, first time. He didn't know what to do now that they weren't an item. He was lost, to put it simply. Raven was his rock, and now he had to treat her like he did everyone else? That was hard, so he pushed it. Which was why he was being so harsh on her.

   "Have you found anything?" Raven called out to him, but only to break the deafening silence.

   "Do you not think that if I had, I would've told you by now?" The eye roll he would definitely place after that was practically audible.

   "Stop." Raven hissed.

   Damian poked his head out to look at Raven, "Stop what?" He asked. He already knew what she was going to say, but chose to act as if he didn't.

   "Acting like you hate me."

   "Maybe it's not an act." His arms were crossed and eyes narrowed towards her. "Maybe I do hate you."

   "I'm an empath, Damian. No, you don't."

   "Whatever." He said with a slight scoff.

   "You do know us no longer being a couple doesn't automatically make us enemies, correct?"

   "I know." He said the next part in a quieter voice. "But that argument we had does."  

   Raven didn't know what to say. It was true, after all. The both of them had contributed to the fights they've had. One more than the other. She was quiet for a few minutes. "Strictly professional."

   "I thought so." He mumbled.

   The next hour was spent in silence. Pure, utter silence. That was broken when Raven said, "We're free to head back n-" Her statement was interrupted by a loud cry of pain. She was on the ground, clutching at her abdomen. The girl must've set off a security device that had shot a bullet into her side.

   Damian was across the base when that happened. The only thing he had heard was her scream. He ran towards the sound, only to find his ex on the floor, a pool of blood growing under her. She was still conscious and fighting against it, but struggling to get back on her feet.

   "Relax." His tone was different than usual, a bit softer. Raven assumed he was only pitying her. She didn't think too much into it.

   He picked her up and carried her out, patching his cape over the wound to try to stop, or at least lessen, the bleeding. Raven was trying to assure him that she was okay and this was unnecessary. Her powers would heal the wound soon enough. But Damian continually refused to give in. Something about Raven being in danger always angered and bothered him. He felt the need to take care of the situation himself.

*   *   *

   Her vision was blurry, but cleared up soon enough after a few blinks. She woke up in the infirmary at the Tower. The only person in the same room was Damian. He was seated next to her, holding her hand. But that didn't last long, as Raven pulled her hand back.

   "You didn't have to do that," She said, "I would've been fine on my own."

   "That isn't why I did that, Raven.." He sighed. "I said I wished you'd get shot and bleed out, and that is almost exactly what happened."

   "Does it matter? I'm fine. You can go back to treating me like you do the others now."

   "That's the thing, you aren't like the others and I don't want to treat you like the others," He added in a mumble, "God, I hate emotions."

   "Then why are you acting like such an ass towards me?"

   "Because-" Damian let out a sigh. He wasn't too used to spilling out his feelings. "Because you were the first person I'd ever fallen in love with and now that that'd over, I don't know what to do, Raven. I really don't."

  "If this is your way of telling me you want me back, then you can forget it." She said as she unhooked herself from the machines.

   "What?" His tone changed from sympathetic and sorry to confused, "Why?"

   "I just don't want to, alright? Just leave it at that."

   "Come on, Rave. I know there's still a part of you that wants to get back together."

   "There is, is that what you wanted to hear? I just don't want to put myself out on the line again and risk you hurting me. Because you did, Damian. A lot." Raven stood up and walked out to the door-frame leading into the hallway, "Could we please just forget anything that happened here and just go back to being friends?"

   Damian wanted to tell Raven that he could no longer see them as friends. He wanted her to be his lover again, that was the only thing he had wanted from her. Raven admitting that, yes, she still wanted to be with him, but not enough so that she'll risk him hurting her again, that struck him. He was aware it was his fault, but something about Raven openly admitting she was hurt by him affected him in an inexplicable way. But it was obvious he could no longer act on it. So he simply shrugged and said;

   "Fine then, friends it is."