She was drifting.
Drifting in the soft, dark waves of sleep that promised her rest of comfort.
Her eyelids felt heavy as she scanned the words on the page once more, but finding she couldn't read what was written there. She had stayed up far too late reading this one book.
She wanted to put it down.
But one more chapter…
One more chapter…
She couldn't do it.
Already, her eyes had shut and she was now only pretending to read, imagining that she was still scanning the words, the voice in her head still speaking words.
Head lulling back onto the pillow.
The book coming to rest on her chest, her thumb pressed between the pages. She knew she would read no more tonight.
Reaching out blindly, she fumbled around for the bookmark.
She couldn't find it.
She summoned her powers in her half-awake state and closed the book down onto the now reappeared bookmark. The book dropped with a loud thunk down onto the nightstand.
The noise was jarring.
Almost enough to wake her completely up.
But not quite.
Once more, she was caught within those dark, soothing waves, lulled to sleep by them. She was drifting on that black sea of calm, carried off into the dreamlands.
Raven….
She heard a voice, echoing through her subconscious.
Raven…
She heard again. The voice was louder now, calling out to her. The voice sounded familiar.
Raven…
Raven…
R
a
v
e
n
.
.
.
In Raven's mind, she opened her eyes. She saw the black waves surrounding her, carrying her off to a now quickly fading dream.
The voice was not part of the dream.
Starfire.
That's whose voice was calling her, Raven realized.
It took much force upon her part, but at last, in the real world, Raven opened her eyes once more.
Time had passed.
Raven could sense it purely by the way the shadows had shifted.
Raven…
called Starfire's voice again.
She was calling out to her telepathically, knowing fully well that Raven could hear it.
Raven's body felt heavy, unable to move. Her limbs would not respond, so she just stayed there for a while, staring up with half-closed lids, watching the shadows on the ceiling.
Raven….
The call was almost desperate this time.
Willing her body out of bed, Raven pushed herself upright, then summoned her powers around her. The mystic black form of a raven surrounded her, and carried her out of her room, and out into the open air.
She flew to the window of Starfire's room and phased through the wall.
Raven returned to her humanlike form.
Starfire lay in bed, the covers pulled up around her. She was clutching them to her chest, and her legs were moving back and forth, rubbing up against the sheets.
Starfire, Raven said within her mind.
Starfire looked up at her with dull green eyes.
"Raven," she whispered. Her voice seemed to crack, but Raven could not be sure.
She went over to the bed, lowering herself down onto the mattress. Still looking at Starfire's tired form.
"Yes?" she whispered back.
"You heard me…"
She didn't say anything else for a long time.
Raven was too tired to stay sitting on the edge of her bed all night. She tossed the covers down and climbed into bed with Starfire, pulling the covers up around herself.
"Starfire…" Raven whispered, her eyes already closed. "Why did you call for me?"
"Mmmm…." she hummed softly, quietly. "I did not wish to be alone. Not tonight. And I knew you would hear me…and I knew you would come…"
Raven, her eyes closed, could hear the rustling of the soft sheets. Could feel Starfire shifting in bed. Could feel her reach out her hand, and hold onto hers.
"Would you like to talk about it?" Raven whispered to her.
She felt that she might not be able to listen to whatever Starfire might want to say, but still she felt she could try.
She could feel Starfire shaking her head, no. Could hear the rustling of the sheets and she moved closer.
"No. I do not wish to talk about my emotion."
Still, she held onto Raven's hand.
"I am just glad that you came," Starfire whispered.
Already Raven could feel the waves of sleep upon her again. Could feel herself drifting, being lulled. Could see the blackness of the sky she knew so well, and the dark waters beneath her.
She could not articulate a response.
But Raven was glad too. To be in bed with Starfire, exchanging whispers in the night, holding hands in comfort…
Far better than sleeping alone.