"Some nights are made for torture, or reflection, or the savoring of loneliness." -Poppy Z. Brite

Nighttime

Beast Boy cautiously sniffed the air as he peered into the hallway. Deciding it was clear, he quietly padded out of his room.

Tonight was a bad night.

It was one of those nights where the nightmares were too much, keeping the changeling tossing and turning. Haunting images of his parents as the tipped over the waterfall, the faces of children and civilians he couldn't save, and worst yet, the blood of his teammates seeping into his claws and fur.

And so, Beast Boy found himself in the form of a cat, stalking down the hallway in search of some solace. It was nights like these where he ended up in someone else's room, curled in a tight ball and using friend's companionship to chase away the darkness within his mind. He usually ended up in Starfire or Cyborg's room, but tonight his paws led him to the grey slate of Raven's door.

He paused. Raven rarely ever let him in her room, and never at night. But Cyborg was out and Starfire was most likely sleeping with Robin, so Beast Boy took the risk and meowed. Surprisingly enough, the door opened after the second meow, revealing a sleepy and slightly annoyed Raven. Beast Boy couldn't help the purr that arose in his throat, and he meowed pitifully at the empath while rubbing against her leg.

Raven glanced down the hallway a moment before sighing and scooping him up. Beast Boy almost thought she'd chuck him down the hallway, but to his surprise and utter relief she carried him deeper into the recesses of her bedroom, allowing the door to slide shut behind them. His purring grew louder as she rubbed his neck, scratching gently at the sweet spot behind his ears.

"Bad night, huh?" she asked quietly. Beast Boy peered up at her and blinked. He was reluctant to respond, not really wishing to talk about the nightmares that haunted his sleep. Raven seemed to understand though, placing him on the bed beside her. "Stay on your side," she said. "And this stays between us."

Beast Boy purred again, flicking his ears as a response before settling by Raven's second pillow and curling up tightly. He could feel Raven's gaze linger on him for a moment before she sighed and crawled back under the covers, her breathing slowly evening out until she fell back asleep. Beast Boy watched her, marvelling at the sorceress's sleeping form. She was truly beautiful. Quietly and ever so carefully, he pulled himself up on his paws and padded across the mattress, curling up beside the sleeping empath. She was warm and he felt very cozy curled up beside her, and it wasn't long until he too drifted off to sleep.

#~#~#

It wasn't long until Beast Boy found himself in Raven's room once more. It was nighttime again, and the shapeshifter was restless. He hadn't been sleeping well, thanks to the more nocturnal animals making him want to bounce off the walls, and despite his exhaustion sleep refused to come.

With a huff, Beast Boy decided to roam the tower a bit, and he clawed his way out of his sheets and tumbled out of his room. His feet carried him down the hall, and right before he reached the common room's doors, a voice called out to him.

"Beast Boy?"

He turned around, blinking in confusion. There, poking out of her room, was Raven. Her expression was inquisitive, as though she was attempting to solve a puzzle.

"Why aren't you asleep?"

Beast Boy shrugged, running a hand over his face tiredly. "Can't. Half of me feels like it could run a marathon."

Raven hummed, leaning against her doorway. "Well...you could...sleep here," she murmured. Her voice was so quiet that Beast Boy's sensitive ears almost didn't hear it. His brow furrowed and he tilted his head in confusion. Did Raven really just invite him to sleep in her room?

"Uh...okay." His walk forgotten, Beast Boy padded towards Raven, his tired mind muddled by the sudden change of events. Not only had he slept in her room as a cat, but she had invited him in. As himself. At night.

It was as exciting as it was confusing.

The door slid shut behind him with a click, and Beats Boy found himself once more in Raven's dark and spooky room. It didn't really scare him as much as it used to, namely because he and the empath were much closer than when the Teen Titans began. Near death experiences tended to have that effect on people, and Raven and Beast Boy were no exception. Still, this was only the second time he'd been in her room at night, and Beast Boy found himself to be rather apprehensive.

Raven gestured him to the bed, already huddled under the covers. Beast Boy hesitantly climbed in beside her, unsure of what to do. It was one thing to sleep here as a cat. Being here in his human form, that was new. Terrifyingly so.

He settled cautiously under the covers, turning to shoot Raven a baffled look. She simply smiled softly at him before looking away, fiddling with a loose thread on the duvet.

"Thanks," she said quietly. It was then that Beast Boy understood.

She had a nightmare.

"You're welcome," he murmured back. With that, the two drifted of to sleep, enjoying the comfort of each other's embrace.

Author's note:

Apparently it's BBRae week on Tumblr! So here's this little package of stories. I'm late to the game, so I'll get today's prompt up in a bit. I hope you guys enjoy!

Thanks for reading!

-vixensheart