Disclaimer: ...You know, I think I'd rather be one of the titans then actually own them...they aren't mine, nor will they ever be sniff

A/N: Well, this is my first try at a Teen Titan fic...I do hope you enjoy it And if not, well then you are more then welcome to lie to my face...jk jk, do feel free to criticize hehe. This is a Raven and Beast Boy fic, with probably hints to Robin and Starfire.

Summary:

Raven finds herself in an abusive relationship with a friend from the library—and of course Beast Boy is here to the rescue…

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She was sitting at their dedicated rendezvous point, one of the private rooms at the back of the library, casually flipping through a book about ancient magic. She could feel her fingers drum the side of the table as she heard the seconds tic past, the clock hanging above her going incredibly slower as it approached 6. The pit of her stomach tightened slightly, but she ignored it completely, as she did all of her arising emotions.

Raven wasn't one to show fear.

There should be nothing in this world for her to show fear. After all, with just the focus of her mind she could send most beings smashing into walls or rain on them a fury of dark spells. Why should she be afraid of a mere powerless human?

Who reminded her so much of herself?

As if summoned by her fruitless mind wanderings, a young man, around 20 years old, silently opened the door and made his way beside her. Raven didn't even look up as he came in. They sat in silence, with only the rustles of her turning pages echoing lightly in the silent room. He had a brooding sort of air about him, the kind of silent torment that Raven had felt so drawn toward the moment she had met him.

The first time they met was in this room. The library, while quiet, was often busy with people wandering down the shelves in hushed whispers. Raven found those soft whispers even more irritating then trying to read while in the room with Cyborg and Beast Boy, neither of which quiet was part of their vocabulary, and so was in one of the secluded reading rooms. Then he had come in.

Malvern Draynel.

After that, it seemed they were running into each other rather a lot in the library. Or at least it appeared that way. It's hard to figure if she was just noticing it because she now recognized him, or if he was making it a point to find her.

And soon they got to talking. Unlike her fellow superheroes at the tower, this boy showed a genuine interest in books. And was smart. And dark. And had a strange desperation to hide all his feelings from everyone.

How could she not sympathize?

She spent her whole life trying to hide who she was, and to find someone else, someone desperately trying to control some deep rage within, she felt herself automatically being drawn to him. And he also to her. No…it was more that he needed her.

He needed someone to talk to. Someone to confide in. No one else had ever needed her in this way...to make her feel that someone cared for her. Everyone else couldn't understand what she was going through. Everyone else seemed to see her as no more then the silent, brooding Raven who was always ready to give some dry sarcastic remark.

It wasn't that she doubted they considered her a friend. It's easy to be friendly, even without ever truly knowing the other person. The Tamaranian Princess liked anyone and everyone—it wasn't in her blood not to like someone, unless they are genuinely evil. Cyborg, well, was Cyborg. He might not like everyone that crossed his path, but he certainly didn't have too much against her. Robin was calculating and loyal. She imagined that he saw her friendship more as a necessity for their team then anything else. And Beast Boy...how could someone so carefree and happy really know anything about her?

Meanwhile, her thoughts returned the man beside her.

Finally setting her book aside, she looked up at him, he staring down at the book with a half smile on his face. "Any good?" Something dark flashed in his eyes, suddenly turning the smile into more of a feverish grimace. This wasn't going to be a good session.

"As good as any." She said lightly.

"Dark ashes of hell bound souls rain upon humanity. Death to Death—" He read a line out of the book. "Sounds interesting." His voice was surprisingly calm, and Raven snapped her book shut with a loud clap. "I imagine you like reading those kind of books?" Despite his cool tone, the quaver in his voice couldn't escape, and Raven felt herself shiver under his steadfast gaze.

"I suppose."

Raven knew that there was something wrong with her. She had that feeling for awhile now, growing stronger in the back of her head to the point where ignoring it was almost impossible. Almost.

She never thought she would become one of those people, the kind that found themselves in a kind of twisted relationship, where they knew they needed help, and knew that it wasn't right. Completely ridiculous. She had thought that on more then one occasion. But he needed her. This was different. It had to be different.

He slowly reached up and grabbed her wrist, tighter then necessary, his finger digging into her skin. "You weren't here last night." Malvern said softly. Although she could feel herself shivering at the remark, her emotions betrayed nothing.

"We had a call. Some idiot was terrorizing the city again." She said after a moment. A pang of guilt wrenched through her.

"They don't need you." He spat the words out. "They don't even know you. I do though." Somewhere in his voice was searching for understanding on how she could abandon him. "I need you." Every word was very direct, very striking.

"Malvern," She tried to begin, but he shook his head, and she could tell by the glint in his eyes that he was trying to suppress his anger. "Calm down." Although her words were clearly an order, they were softly said and she placed her free hand on his shoulder. "You can control this." She stared steadily at him.

Instead of calming him, he began to get more agitated, angrily shoving her away from him. The chair toppling over, she felt the side of her head smash against the table and quickly collected her nerves, levitating herself before she could hit the ground. Standing up carefully, she studied him with nervous eyes. His anger...its raw fury reminded too much of what could happen to her. On a smaller scale, yes, but eerily familiar.

He was gripping the side of the table with determination, as though trying to force his emotion to be contained back into him. Unlike some days when he was like this, he appeared to be under more control. Quietly, she picked the chair back up and sat back down, trying not to let any of her fear be evident on her face. She could easily stop him if he ever got too bad. This was often said in her mind, more often then she liked.

"I'm sorry Raven." He said softly. "You know I didn't mean it."

"I know." She found that she couldn't believe otherwise. Looking at her face, he reached up one hand and touched her cheek, wincing as he pressed on the already forming bruise with more pressure then he ought to.

"You need me too, don't you?"

Again, she couldn't say no. A part of her did need him. Needed every emotional outbreak. Needed every cold, bitter abuse, even if it left remains on her skin or on her mind. She felt contaminated by her own darkness within herself. It was like she was slowly morphing into the very darkness of her own soul, the very darkness that she held deep in her heart. If she couldn't help this one man control his own emotions, how was she ever to keep her true self contained? The demon deep inside her…

"I do."

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Heading home, Raven felt tired. She was always so tired on days like these. Touching her face, she winced slightly as she came across the bruise from earlier. Raven knew she should heal it. She had the power to...but it felt like it was a throbbing reminder of her own failures. To heal it would be the easy way out.

Pulling her hood more securely around her face, and checking to make sure the shadowy marks about her wrist weren't that obvious, she continued on. Stepping inside the Titan Tower, she winced at the loud yelling coming from the living room. Cautiously turning the corner, she saw, without too much surprise, Beast Boy and Cyborg battling each other with another one of their video games.

"Duuuuude! That's sooo not fair!" The green robot on the screen suddenly exploded. She watched as Beast Boy threw down his controller in defeat.

The half man, half machine stood up and did a little victory dance. "Don't hate the robot master—I beat you fair and square!"

"Did not! I was distracted!"

"Pfft, whatever man—you know I won!"

"Did not!"

"Did too!"

"Did not!"

"Di—" One of the vases near them exploded into an array of flying black glass. Both of them immediately jumped in shock, and then glared at each other in furious determination, as though the other had been at fault.

"If you are going to argue, at least do it quietly." Raven said in annoyance, shaking her head. They again jumped, this time at the sound of her voice, and turned their heads in eerie harmony as they looked at the dark hooded figure standing at the edges of the room.

"Sorry Rae." Beast Boy spoke first, looking a little embarrassed by the event. "If Cyborg will just admit that he didn't wi—"

"What took you so long?" Cyborg interrupted him, clamping the changeling's mouth with one of his hands. Beast Boy started waving his arms frantically, finally turning into a small mouse to escape from his grasp. "Dinner was at seven." She shrugged, her narrow shoulders sending ripples down her long cape.

"Library."

"Geez, Raven—you practically live there now a days!" Cyborg laughed.

"If you are hungry I can make you some tasty tofu sandwiches?" Beast Boy, who had just finished glaring angrily at Cyborg, asked, sounding almost overly hopeful at this suggestion. As long as she had known him, he was still trying to convert her to being a full blown vegetarian like himself.

"I think I'd rather starve." She remarked, unnervingly honest.

"Meh, suit yourself—"

"Heey BB...want another butt kicking?" One controller dangled temptingly in Cyborg's hand.

"Whatever dude—time to show you my true skills!" And with that, she was forgotten. Hearing the crashing sounds of the game swirling around in the room again, she continued down the hallway and into her room. A part of her wondered if she should tell the other titans she was in, but then decided Beast Boy and Cyborg would probably let them know. Lowering the hood of her cloak, she looked into her hand mirror—the gateway into her emotions as well as a convenient way to inspect her face—and studied the whelp with a frown.

Pale skin did nothing to help hide the blaring semi circular bruise around her face. Most of the time, she normally was more careful then this and could catch herself before impact. Or if she did slip like today, she was normally just hurt on her side, or somewhere else easily hidden to the titan crew. Her face would be bit trickier until their next battle. After that she could claim it was from fighting. Until then, her hood would be her shield.

Still sitting, and deciding meditating would help calm her nerves, she closed her eyes and floated Indian style above her chair, hands still gripping the mirror. Slowly she felt herself become intoned with her body, and after a moment, she began to chant.

"Azarath Metreon Zinthos."

"Azarath Metreon Zinthos."

Inside her mind, she could feel herself confront each of her emotions, maintaining complete control of all her feelings. She could do this. She had to do this.

Thoughts, like they often did now days, went back to Malvern. Like always, he stirred up many emotions inside her. She couldn't say that she cared for him more than a friend, but, like she admitted before, she needed him. She needed to prove to herself her emotions could be controlled. Raven wasn't even sure to this point if she needed to prove she could get his emotions under control or if she just needed to keep controlling her own around him to prove this point. She focused on the throbbing on her wrist and head, taking on each pain as another burden within her.

If the thing in her ever got out, if it teared through her emotionless body, it would be the end for her and everything else. She did deserve this, the bruise, the pain of not even being able to laugh out loud without fear that her emotions were becoming chaotic.

Time clicked away as she concentrated, and she was so deep in her thoughts that she failed to here her door click open hesitantly, and failed to notice a figure step into the room. The startled gasp, however, threw her out of her trance and she looked irate at the person standing in front of the open door, a wash of light spilling over both of them from the illuminating hallway.

"Beast Boy! How many times have I told you not to come in my room without my permission?" She felt her eyes glow black for a moment, and mentally cursed herself. Now she would have to start her meditation all over again.

"I, uh, just thought I'd bring up some food, you know." He stammered a bit, a little taken back by an irritated Raven. In his hands he carried a tray holding a glass of tea, and, some sandwiches. She prayed they weren't tofu.

Looking at him carefully, she felt herself inhaling deeply as she realized that his stammering was probably not caused by her being irritated. Fear flashed in her eyes as she mentally chagrined herself, flipping the hood of her cape to hide the bruise he had been so absorbed in.

The action seemed to break him from whatever trance it held, and he exclaimed, "Rae! What happened?" He rushed over beside her, the tea spilling onto the floor. "Dude, that bruise looked awful—you want me to go get some ice for it or something?"

"No, its nothing." She said, her voice rather tight. "An accident." For some reason, no lie sounded suitable to her ears.

"Nothing? Meditating normally doesn't hurt you that much." He cracked, smiling a bit, although the worry in his eyes betrayed the humor. "Unless beating your head with the mirror is pa—"

"No, but I'm willing to use it to beat yours." She remarked dryly.

"Ah ha, ha," He seemed to be at a lost for words, a frantic look crossing his face as he seemed to think she could very well be serious for a moment. "Why don't I go get Robin to look at it for you?" She felt herself stiffen.

Even from the folds of her hood, he could sense her eyes burning down at him. "If you tell any of them, you are going to wish I did hit you with the mirror." Her patience was wearing thin. No one could no about this. "I just fell." The excuse sounded fake even in her own ears.

"But Rae—"

"Get out." She didn't mean for the tone of her voice to come out so harsh, but she refused to say anything to lighten them. Raven tried to will him to leave, her mind flashing with desperation. He wouldn't understand what was going on! He couldn't know. This was between her and Malvern.

Normally her words would scare him into submission, but he was being remarkably stubborn today, his expression finally becoming completely serious. "Rae, you didn't have that bruise before you left for the library." She remained silent, her shadowy figure growing more ominous in the dark room. "Come on, you can tell me..." He morphed into a small kitten, the kind with the adorable eyes that no one could resist. "Pleeaaase?"

Raven found the kitten even more irritating then his other form. Not that it wasn't cute—it was impossibly adorable. But she couldn't tell him what was going on, and he was the kind who wanted to help, the kind of person who wasn't simply going to let it drop. Without warning, the cat suddenly flew out of the room, slamming into the wall out the door. "I told you to leave." She said darkly, and the door flew shut, sending her back by herself.

She heard sounds of him picking himself up, and then a muffled "Well fine! I don't want to help you any way!" Guilt was already pinching her heart, and she shook her head menacingly. She'd rather him be mad and hate her then she tell what was going on. Because if he knew…a little voice in her head, the same one that had been warning her that something was wrong began whispering. He could help.

Sitting back down, Raven began to meditate once again.

"Azarath Metreon Zinthos."

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Beast Boy knew something was up. It was hard not to, after Raven spazzed on him and sent him flying into the wall—something that really hurt. In more ways then one. Feeling bitter and betrayed by it, he moped into his room, kicking the wall before flinging himself onto his bed. "She didn't have to be so mean." He said, frowning. "I was only trying to help."

Soon his mind went back to the bruise on the side of her face. Maybe it really was an accident...but Raven was a pretty careful girl. She didn't just go falling down the stairs, or have books fall on her face. And even if it did happen, she would simply heal herself back up. So why was it there, so obvious on her pale face?

Beast Boy could remember her eyes when she saw that he noticed. She looked...scared almost, as though he had seen something very secret. The anger he had been holding slowly melted away. She needs my help he decided. It would be unwelcome help, he knew, but all the same, he had to do something. The idea of telling the others came into his mind, but those eyes came back, haunting him. Her beautiful eyes showing fear seemed...unnatural. He shook his head in irritation. If he told someone, she'd hate him forever. And he hated the idea of her hating him. Not when he—shaking his head he refused to discuss it with himself.

"I got to do something." He sat back up, one hand on his chin as his face contorted with thought. Thinking…wasn't his strong point. He was more of an act now, regret later sort of guy. And for some reason, his mind kept drifting to finding life sized robots to destroy the library itself. Maybe the building is an elaborate cover up for aliens, who have been abducting Raven to be used on their twisted experiments! He started for a moment. The library…Suddenly it hit him.

Tomorrow when she went out for her usual book run, he'd be right behind her.

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I hope you enjoyed it !

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