Breathe
By: Santeria Sienna
Disclaimer: I do not own any part of the teen titans or the characters nor do I own any part of the song "2 AM (Breathe) by Anna Nalick. Although, I wish I did.
"No one can find the rewind button, girl.
So cradle your head in your hands
And breathe... just breathe,
Oh breathe, just breathe."
….
Raven walked slowly through the park alone. Images and words flurried through her mind as she listened to the gravel and beautiful orange and red leaves crunch beneath her feet with each measured step. The calmness of autumn filled the air as if in contrast to what she was feeling at the moment as the setting sun cast a warm sheen of golden light onto the benches and picnic tables. If it had been any other day she would have taken the time to appreciate the beautiful moment nature was gracing her with.
But not today.
Today had been a day in which Raven would much rather have stayed home with a book and a warm cup of tea while refusing to change out of her pajamas when the other occupants of the tower came to request that she do something with them. Instead, she found herself up early due to a disturbance in the city so graciously provided by her favorite villain, Dr. Light. To this day she still wondered why Dr. Light assumed he had a chance to trump the titans and continued to try when he gave up the second he saw Raven move into action during each one of his attacks. The man never learned. After turning him over to the proper authorities, she was required to stay behind with Rick at the police station to fill out the paperwork that corresponded to Dr. Light's most recent attack. Total waste of time in her opinion. There was nothing to document besides the fact that the whack job had once again thought he would see the shine of success in place of utter defeat.
After returning home to find that the other titans had returned to their beds, Rick payed a visit to the evidence room and she had gone into the kitchen to make a cup of chamomile tea with hopes that it would settle her down for at least a short nap when the command screen in the living room began to blink, signaling an incoming call from the Titans East. After barely being able to greet Raven with a "Good Morning," Garth was shoved out of the way by the golden-eyed archer as he sweetly eyed Raven in her clothes she had thrown on that morning after her rude awakening. She had managed to get on a tight, dark blue tank top, with some black running shorts with a gray stripe on them and some black and gray running shoes. Too revealing for her liking, but she could not bring herself to care at that ungodly hour of the morning. Roy had become too used to her frown to be scared of it by now and he unabashedly continued to stare at her as he informed her that he would be flying into town later that evening to bring Robin some files that may be of use to the West team and that he hoped she was excited to see him. She replied by giving him a sweet smile and cutting the call off and returned to her room where she found that the tea did not help her nap one little bit.
Truth be told, she was slightly giddy inside since today was her six month anniversary with her current boyfriend, the only one she had ever had. She had met Blake at the local bookstore when he bumped into her as she stood quietly in the non-fiction section and spilled his fresh-brewed coffee on her new sweater that Starfire had given her. In true Raven fashion, she had initially wanted to sever the man's head and limbs and send all his body parts to some unknown dimension where no one would ever find him again, but there had been something about him that stood out when he apologized profusely and offered to make it up to her by buying the book she was currently reading through. Buying her book turned in to asking her to lunch, then to dinner a few days later and before she knew it, he had become a permanent fixture in Raven's life, and the rest had become history. It took some getting used to on both of their parts, with Raven in the sense that it was her first romantic relationship and with Blake in that he was dating a superhero whose top priority was keeping the world safe by putting criminals behind bars one day at a time. Eventually their relationship developed a certain flow and worked for both of them and before she knew it six months had flown by.
Raven stopped reminiscing long enough to watch a golden chestnut- colored leaf fall in front of her. She let out a small sigh and pulled her button down black coat tighter around herself. She continued walking to the leaf and stopped when she approached it to pick it up, making sure her black mid-calf boots didn't crunch it. She stared at the leaf with some realization that it matched her love life at the moment. It had been a beautiful bud that grew into a vibrant green leaf, full of life, and then began to die, detaching itself from life and falling away to be discarded. She crumpled the leaf in her hand and let it fall to the ground sighing once more and moving to sit on a nearby bench.
She had given up on her nap earlier in the day and just decided to get ready for their semi-anniversary celebration early, hopping into the shower while humming the words of a song she had heard Starfire singing in the kitchen the other day. She even went as far as to put curls in her hair that had grown out to her mid-back and apply make-up while dressing in a comfortable yet stylish white sweater with a sweetheart neckline, some dark-wash skinny jeans, and her favorite mid-calf black boots with a small heel. Rick had been the only one to run into her before she left, nudging her shoulder with his and telling her to not have too much fun tonight. She would later realize that his words had been a prediction; she would indeed not be having much fun tonight.
She had arrived at his apartment fifteen minutes early hoping he wouldn't mind if she let herself in like she always did even if he was still getting ready. The apartment had been silent and she noticed that his bedroom light was off which she thought odd if he were to be getting ready for their date. She later noticed that there were muffled sounds slipping out of the slightly closed door as she went to investigate. She turned on his bedroom light only to find a sight that would be burned into her mind or years to come.
Blake was in bed with another girl.
He had scrambled up off the girl and out of the bed, grabbing his boxers to slip on as the bleached-blond girl in the bed pulled the sheet up in some attempt to look decent. All Raven could really see was red and she stared Blake down as if he were nothing more than a wine stain on the fabric of her favorite arm chair. She remembered him pleading as she turned around and stomped to the door with no tears in her eyes, only rage. She had made it to the door when he grabbed for her arm. Out of practice and pure rage, she turned around and did the thing that felt most natural to her, aside from unleashing her dark powers upon him.
She slung her right fist straight into the side of his jaw, knocking him to the floor and continued her way out the door smirking when she heard the blonde girl start crying and whining at the sight of her boy toy passed out cold on the floor. She would have to remember to thank Robin for the hand-to-hand combat training later.
And now here she sat. All dressed up and nowhere to go, as some would say. She knows the team will have questions when she walks through the door of the tower before dark and she knows she can only avoid the confused looks for so long. But these moments were for her only right now; time to think about what happened thirty minutes prior and time to begin to heal. She should have known that this would've happened. She had refused to go beyond kissing with Blake despite their relationship getting so serious and it was stupid of her to think that he would wait around until she was ready to move onto the next base. It was enough to make her hate men all over again.
The sun had set to an angle where it cast a glow on the water in the pond in front of her making it look like a small pool of gold. She reached up to her neck where she had a silver necklace with a small feather charm hanging just between her collar bones. She wrapped her fingers around it and rose up from the bench, slowly approaching the water in front of her. When she got to the edge, she stopped and tightened her grip on the chain. Yanking down on the chain, she broke the clasp in the back and allowed the chain and charm to pool in her palm as she stared at it. Blake had bought it for her as a present for their celebration of having dated for one month. She frowned down at it and before over-thinking it, threw it in the pond in front of her. She would have to clean out all of the presents he had gotten her over the months, it was all trash now.
She turned back towards the gravel path and headed towards the tower, ready to get the explanations over with.
….
Raven walked through the tower entrance with her head held high and her game face on. Although sadness was tearing through her being at the moment, she would not shed a tear for that low-life piece of trash she used to call a boyfriend. He wasn't worth it and she deserved so much better. She walked into the elevator and pressed the button to the second to last floor where her bedroom was, the same floor as the common room. As the elevator moved, she removed her coat and huffed as she yanked her boots off her feet, allowing her feet to breathe through her thin black and purple striped socks. Thankfully she hadn't encountered anyone yet and maybe, if she was lucky, she would make it to her room without having to talk to anyone. The elevator dinged and the doors opened to her destined floor.
And there stood the man she had talked to earlier that morning. Mr. Golden-eyed Casanova himself.
He grinned upon seeing her standing in front of him, happy to see his favorite titan of the Titans West gang. He hadn't seen her in over three months, there had been a brief rise in crime on the East coast and no time for visits between the titans with the exception of Vic who had flown over to see his lady love Karen for a week and help out with local missions.
She looked good, healthy and just as short as ever. He had hit his growth spurt around the same time as Rick and had grown to quite a height. So tall in fact that the top of Raven's head was barely meeting the curve of his shoulder. She had stayed small, but filled out nicely with curves in all the right places, a well-rounded behind, and he couldn't help notice how busty she had become. He was a breast man after all.
She stared up at him, careful to conceal her emotions from her face. The last thing she needed was for Roy to know she was now single.
"How long have you been here?"
"Got here about an hour ago. Rick said you were going to be out tonight."
Raven inwardly cursed Rick and all that he stood for as Roy made himself comfortable by leaning up against the elevator doors to keep them from closing on them.
"I was, but unfortunately there was a change of plans."
"Your boy bail on you?"
She frowned. "Something like that."
He popped an eyebrow towards his hairline and crossed his arms.
"He bailed on you on your six month anniversary? What a douche."
'You have no idea' she thought.
"Yes, well, this has been fun and all, but I would like to get to my room and find something other to do than converse about my love life with you, Roy. Let me know if you need anything for your guest room while you are staying. You are the staying the night, correct?"
He straightened up and put his arms out to his side in a "ladies first" gesture.
"Yeah, I'll be here all weekend. Don't hurt yourself with your alternative plans to find something else to do, Rae." He patted her on the back and walked into the elevator. She turned just in time to see him smirking at her and send her a flirtatious wink before the doors closed and the elevator moved on to its next stop.
She sighed and turned back around, continuing her trek toward her bedroom. She made a mental note to invite Rick to a sparring session soon so she could unleash her pent up rage on him for blabbing to Roy about her and Blake's six month anniversary.
She was ten steps away from her door when she saw Gar round the corner of the hallway. She once again began cursing profusely in her head, putting any and all sailors to shame with the slew of words rolling through her mind. She cringed as he noticed her and gave her a questioning look.
"Raven? I thought you had a hot date with Blake tonight."
She shuffled on her feet a little bit, not wanting to lie, but not wanting to tell him the truth. Gar had become a little brother to her and she knew he would question everything about what happened today if she even began to tell him the ordeal. She looked up into his eyes and saw the confusion and care running through them and knew there was no way she could get around telling him.
"Yeah, well, now I don't. I came across some startling news."
The worried look in his face increased and she could feel panic begin to seep into his aura. "What happened? Is he okay? Wait, are you okay?" He stepped up to her and lifted her arm, looking over to make sure she wasn't hurt. Leave it to Gar to get dramatic on her when all she said was that she received some news.
"No, I'm fine Gar. Blake is the one that will be requiring medical attention this evening, not me."
She removed his hand from her arm and lowered it, still holding onto his wrist.
"I showed up at his apartment early and caught him with another girl." There she had said it.
It was like someone flipped a switch inside Gar, the panic immediately leaving his aura and anger rushing in.
"WHAT?!"
Raven cringed at the ear-splitting scream.
"Calm down, Gar. I took care of it. He won't be eating solid food for the next week or so." She squeezed his wrist with her hand in an attempt to calm him down.
He attempted to contain himself. "Sorry, it's just, I mean… I can't believe he would do that to you. That's such a shady thing to do to someone. Why you?"
She sighed for the umpteenth time that day "I don't know, Gar. I don't know."
She released his wrist and stepped away from him. He smiled at her and punched her shoulder lightly. "Luckily our Ravie is a tough girl, yeah? I'm sure you gave him what he deserved. He definitely doesn't deserve you."
She smiled slightly at his attempt to cheer her up. "He still probably doesn't know what hit him."
Gar laughed and turned his head as Vic came running down the hall.
"Y'all seen Roy anywhere?" He turned his focus from Gar to Raven and stopped. "What are you doing home? Isn't it date time?" He made kissy faces at Raven as he held his hands together in a gesture of mock affection.
Raven prepared to give him the short version of the story just as a small explosion was heard throughout the tower followed by a small rumble. All three then heard someone yell "Holy shit!" in the distance followed by an, "I am most sincerely sorry, friend Roy!"
Vic lost his focus on Raven and set it to the direction that the blast came from. "Aw, HELL NO! That better not be my new proto-type for the T-Car cannon upgrade!" He took off down the corridor, his confusion as to Raven's presence forgotten. Gar turned back to look at her, excitement on his face.
"I have to go see what this is, it's gonna be too good to miss!"
He leaned forward towards Raven and enveloped her in a loose hug just long enough to give her some feeling of comfort before letting go. "Let me know if you need to talk more or anything, okay?"
She nodded. "Sure."
She rushed to her room before anyone else could stumble upon her. As soon as she entered a feeling of calm familiarity washed over her and she was relieved some. She threw her boots in her closet and her jacket over the back of her black leather armchair. She walked over to her bed and fell onto it face first, letting the calming sense of lavender wash over her. She needed all the calm she could get. She couldn't help but think back to the unfortunate events again. Why did this have to happen to her? Everything had been going so well for them, she had opened up to him and began to trust him. She hadn't revealed her heritage to him despite the gain in trust with him. She had felt that it was still too early in the relationship to reveal such important and intimate information to him. It was going to take her forever to build trust with another strange man. When would she even date again? Would she be able to date again?
She was so far into her thoughts that she didn't hear the knocking on her door initially and only realized there was noise when she heard Rick's voice.
"Rae, you awake in there?"
She slowly turned her face to the side of the bed, un-muffling herself.
"Yes, come in."
The door swooshed open and in he walked with a steaming hot cup of her favorite tea and a comforting smile. She just watched him as he made his way to her bed, setting the cup on her bedside table and placing himself on the mattress next to her, his hips next to her face. Neither one said anything for a while. Raven could tell by his aura that he knew about the Blake ordeal, thanks to Gar, and he was waiting patiently for her to open up to him about it, if and when she was comfortable with it. Raven was thankful to have such a kind, compassionate friend like him. Always respecting her boundaries and allowing her to be as she was. Even when he began dating Starfire, their relationship didn't change. There was no jealously on Raven or Starfire's parts, only continual understanding and kindness. In all honesty, the romantic relationship between the two made the two girls closer. Both held a special place in Rick's heart and knew there was no competition.
She was still bothered and sad about the nagging feeling of betrayal, but she did not want to project her feelings onto Rick, she wanted to grieve on her own.
She looked up into his crystal blue eyes as he gently ran his fingers through her hair, loosening the curls.
"It's taken care of, Rick. I will never see him again and he will never see me again. It's all over. No regrets."
She would stay strong no matter what.
"I can feel your sadness through our bond, Rae. Are you sure you don't want to talk about any of it?"
She shook her head. "I want to sort this out on my own. I just need some time. Walking in the park helped slightly."
He sighed knowingly and leaned over to kiss her temple. A short and sweet token of affection and caring. His lips were soft and warm on her face, she could smell his cologne and aftershave on him and it made her smile. He leaned up again and finished combing out her long strands.
"Alright. Drink your tea and relax. If any calls come in this evening, ignore them. Your evening is work-free from this moment on."
He got up from bed and walked to the door. "Oh, and if you do decide to come out of your room, steer clear of the garage. Starfire was practicing her dance moves with Silkie and tripped onto Vic's latest invention. That's what that explosion was. She blew a hole in the wall and the beam just barely missed Roy. I'm pretty sure he had to go change in pants."
Raven smiled. "Maybe now he can change his alias from Speedy to Shitty."
She could hear Rick laugh all the way down the corridor.
…
It was after ten o'clock before she came out of her room. She had completely forgotten about dinner thanks to Blake's douchebag-ery. She had changed out of her clothes into a pair of black yoga pants with a purple raven running down the left thigh of the pant leg and a purple tank top. She pulled her long hair back into a loose ponytail to keep it out of her face as she read in bed while sipping on the tea Rick had brought to her.
The common room was quiet, the only source of light coming from the lamp above the stove. She assumed that the other titans had gone out for dinner since she hadn't heard any alarms all evening. Starfire probably coerced them into doing so in an effort to make up for almost demolishing the garage. She would just have to see what was in the fridge. She opened the door and was greeted with multiple leftover take-out boxes, blue fuzz, something that looked like a shoe that Plasmus would wear and a variety of flavored sodas. Rummaging through the boxes, she decided on Vic's leftover Chinese food from the night before, he wouldn't mind if she ate it. She dumped the contents out on a plate and placed it in the microwave. While it was heating she returned to the refrigerator to look for the cold jug of green tea. She had just bent over to grab it when she heard a soft cat call from behind her. She looked up to see "Mr. Mess-my-pants" smirking at her from the doorway.
She quirked an eyebrow while keeping the rest of her face blank. "Really?"
He winked at her. "Really."
She rolled her eyes are his response and stood back up once she had the tea, moving to the cabinet to get a glass.
"Shouldn't you be out with the others?"
"Nah, they can get a little too wild when they all go out, if you know what I mean. I've had enough excitement for one day."
Raven smirked. "The washing machines are on the fourth floor in case you need to clean your clothes."
"You're hilarious." She turned around from the cabinet to find him standing behind her, leaning against the opposite counter that was atop the kitchen island. He had changed from earlier as well. All he was sporting now was a dark red muscle shirt and a pair of black gym shorts, his pajamas she assumed. Despite her day of fiasco, she took a second to admire Roy's body. She would have to be blind not to. His toned and tanned body was enough to make any girl drool. Even standing still he radiated strength and power. She quickly stopped her musings and smirked. "I know."
He chuckled. "So what's this I hear about you being the center of the drama circle today?"
Raven groaned. This place was worse than a high school.
"No, I certainly am not bringing drama into the tower. I had a dramatic afternoon and cleared my mind before returning home. End of story."
The microwave beeped and she pulled her food out and set it on the counter before returning the jug of green tea to its home.
Roy wasn't going to let it go. "So what was so dramatic about your afternoon? A girl try to put the moves on Blake while you two were out on your date?"
So he didn't really know what happened; only that something happened. The team wasn't as gossipy as she thought.
"No."
She grabbed her plate in one hand and glass in the other and walked out of the kitchen down to the large couch.
Roy followed. "He didn't get you a present or you didn't like the present he did get you?"
Raven scoffed. "Please."
"Then what was it? You're not one to get upset over nothing."
She sat down and got comfortable on the couch, resting her feet on the coffee table and using her lap as her table for her plate.
"I broke up with Blake." So much for him not knowing.
"Wow. Really?" She nodded. "What for?"
"I arrived at his home early and walked in on him screwing a bleached blonde girl. Happy?"
Roy dropped onto the couch beside her, not leaving much personal space and mirroring her position. He nudged her knee with his.
"No, why would that make me happy?"
"The act itself does not make you happy, but knowing about my drama makes you happy."
"Does not."
"Yes it does, or you would not have asked."
"I asked because I don't like seeing my friend down. Everyone could feel your mope all evening. That and your pent up anger."
He leaned over and grabbed her fork as she lifted her glass to her face to take a drink and helped himself to a mouthful of her food. She frowned up at him.
"That is completely unsanitary."
He laughed. "I'm clean, I promise."
She didn't reply so he took that as his chance to return to the original conversation.
"So are you okay?"
"As okay as I can be. My boyfriend of six months has been cheating on me and I just found out and ended the relationship. I don't think I should be a bag full of sunshine right now."
"No one expects you to be. They all just worry that you won't be able to bear it on your own."
He grabbed the fork and took another bite.
"They worry too much. It's the end of a relationship, not the end of the world. I don't need you or anyone to baby me."
"I know, Raven. You're a big girl and can handle yourself, but that doesn't mean that you should have to endure the pain alone. Every single person in this tower and the other is here for you. All you have to do is ask."
She finished putting her food in her mouth and gave him a small smile.
"I know. You're right. Thank you."
He smiled. "Anytime, beautiful."
She rolled her eyes again. "Don't even start, Roy. Tonight is not the night."
"I'm not hitting on you, just stating a fact. I could call you intelligent, wise, strong, or amazing, but those don't flow quite as nicely off the tongue as beautiful does."
She felt her cheeks flush and take on a slight shade of pink. She got up to put her plate and cup in the sink.
"Flattery will get you nowhere."
"No flattery here, Sweetheart."
She walked back to the couch and stared down at him. "Sometimes you can be so difficult."
He smiled up at her, his beautiful honey eyes dancing, and held his hand out to her. "I know."
She didn't understand why he was holding his hand out to her, but she slowly extended hers to him. He wrapped his fingers around hers and tugged her forward so that she fell into his chest. She let out a muffled cry and she felt the deep vibrations in his chest as he chuckled at her. She pushed herself away from his chest.
"What do you think you are doing?"
"Just hush and turn around. I'm doing you a favor."
She huffed, but complied. She realized she was situated between his legs on the couch and began to feel awkward.
"Roy, what…"
"Shhhhhh, lean back." She felt him wrap his hands around her torso and tug her back, so that her back was pressed into his chest.
"Get comfortable, dear."
It took her a few moments to comply, but eventually she settled into the warmth he was providing and realized that she actually enjoyed the position she was in now. She felt him bring his hands up to the curve between her neck and shoulders and proceed to apply soft but firm pressure as he moved his hands in circles. She immediately felt herself begin to relax and found herself melting into his touch. She had never been massaged before, but now she could see why people paid money to get them. The movement of his rough hands was soothing much to her surprise; she thought the roughness of the skin on his palms would make the action scratchy and uncomfortable.
She didn't know how long she sat there or how long he rubbed the tension out of her shoulders before she realized that her eyes were watering and her shoulders were shaking. Holding in her frustration and anger wasn't exactly working for her anymore. She felt Roy cease his movements and lean his chest into her back.
"Raven? Are you okay?"
She sniffled and wiped her eyes. "Yes, Roy. I am fine." Azar, she was pathetic.
"Then why are you crying?"
"I wasn't crying. It must be allergies or something."
He wasn't buying it. "You're not allergic to anything."
She started. "What? How would you even begin to know something like that? Besides, that doesn't make any sense. Everyone is allergic to something. It must be the dust in the room."
He wrapped his arms around her torso and leaned back into the couch, pulling her with him.
"Mhm."
Raven wasn't used to this much prolonged touching and she wasn't quite sure how to handle it. Even with Blake she didn't allow him to touch her aside from small periods of hand holding and goodbye hugs. With Roy, it almost seemed natural and she welcomed it.
She needed to get over this Blake bullshit, and fast. She couldn't afford to be weak in front of her teammates or in battle. Being weak was dangerous and could cost people their lives.
He spoke up from behind her. "It's okay to cry."
"I don't need to cry, Harper," she huffed.
"Everyone needs to cry some time or other."
She rolled her eyes. "Well, now is not one of those times."
He pushed her head into the crook of his neck and tightened his arms around her. "It can be. Just close your eyes, breathe in, breathe out, and let it go."
She did as he said, inhaling his scent. It was warm, and spicy, and comforting. Whatever cologne he used, his choice was spot on. He smelled like everything a man should smell like. And although she closed her eyes, breathed in, and breathed out, she could not bring herself to completely let go and cry. It just wasn't going to happen. His efforts were not lost though, she was finding herself calming down and beginning to get over her heartbreak and sadness. Who knew it would be Roy that would help bring her to peace.
He allowed her to just lay there and listened to her slow breathing pattern as she sorted things out in her mind. He thoroughly enjoyed the feel of her body wrapped into his; it was a perfect fit and he wasn't going to disturb this peace anytime soon. He could've sworn she was actually nuzzling his neck.
"We should do something."
He quirked up an eyebrow. "Like what?"
"I don't know. Can we watch some tv?"
"Raven…watch tv? When did this happen?"
"Since I decided I wanted it to happen."
He laughed and leaned over to grab the remote with Raven still wrapped around him.
"Any preference?"
"I'll leave it up to you."
Settling back into the couch, he sighed in contentment, switched the tv on and began flipping through the channels. Cartoons…sports…news…home shopping…movies…more movies…even more movies…trash tv…education…do-it-yourself programs. He underestimated the decision he had to make. He finally decided on one of the movie channels, not really paying attention to what was on and threw the remote on the couch next to him. He averted his eyes down to the girl curled up beside him.
"Comfortable?"
"Maybe." She removed herself from his arms and gave him some space, moving into her own seat and propping her own legs up on the coffee table. "Sorry for crowding. You know I'm not usually like this."
He smiled. "No problem at all."
They sat in silence for the next thirty minutes, both paying attention to the tv and neither saying a word. Raven felt a little awkward, her previous actions were very out of character for her and Roy knew it. She was thankful for him not saying anything or making it even more awkward for her.
"Do you want something to drink?"
She broke away from her musings and looked over at him. He was giving her a small smile with no judgment on his face whatsoever. She returned it. "Sure."
He got up and walked over to the kitchen, returning shortly with two bottles in his hand. "I figured we would have a drink according to the season," he said as he handed one to her. She looked down at the bottle of alcoholic apple cider. Vic had bought a large pack of them a few days ago and she hadn't told anyone but she had taken quite a liking to drink. She thanked him and took a sip.
Once again, they fell into silence, quietly sipping their drinks and watching the movie. Raven was surprised at how eased her mind felt now.
Finally, the movie ended and another began. Roy took both their empty bottles and put them on the coffee table then grabbed Raven's hand. She gave him a questioning look as he dragged her towards him while reclining across the couch. Soon she found herself in the same position as him, right along his side. He reached behind their heads to grab a pillow to share and unfolded a blanket sitting on the back of the couch as she stared up at him.
"I'm tired; you're tired. You don't need to be alone tonight; I don't want to be alone tonight. So we are spending the night here on the couch. Get comfortable."
She obliged and curled into him, tangling their legs together and returning her face to the position it had been in earlier in his neck and threw her arm over his side, wedging it between his back and the back of the couch. He finished pulling the blanket over them and put one arm under her to wrap around her back and the other rested on her hipbone. The tv was still playing sounds softly in the background.
"Thank you for doing this, Roy. It means a lot to me. It was a difficult day."
"Absolutely my pleasure, Miss Raven."
She eventually tuned out the tv and began to doze off, her breathing evening out and snuggled even further into Roy. He held her tighter and dozed off himself, both of them completely comfortable and at ease.
And that is how the others found them when they returned much later that night. Robin had to remove a quietly and happily squealing Starfire from the room and Gar had to remove a very stern-faced and puffing Vic from the room. They would get to ask all the questions they wanted in the morning.
….
Well, there you have it. My first teen titans story. Let me know what you all think of it in the comments; all reviews are helpful (usually). I really want to write more stories but will only do so if they are enjoyed. Thanks!
-Santeria Sienna