Raven set her novel down on the nightstand, her pale hand bookmarking the page before reaching over to snap off the lamp. The room instantly plunged into shadowy darkness and the slender titan settled down beneath the purple silk sheets, waiting for her eyes to adjust to the lush blackness that painted over every object in the room.
Outside her window, rain lashed relentlessly against the pane, creating a lulling din that made it easier for the sorceress's restless mind to conjure up the nightmares of the past—those that so often loomed up when she fell asleep.
Malchior, Slade, her demon father Trigon—there were so many for her subconscious to choose from, so many paralytic memories tinged with the taste of iron and salt.
With great effort and force of will, Raven's eyelids unstuck themselves and flew open, wide and dilated in fear. Her chest rose and fell in rapid, shallow gasps. Hyperventilating as an icy sweat broke across her forehead, droplets slipping down her clammy back, Raven let out a choked sob, not aware that she was safe in her room, not aware that the nightmares were over.
"Oh god, oh god." a moan escaped her cracked lips, the utter terror resonating in those two words. She could feel bile rising in her throat, could feel she was about to retch. Her body had twisted itself tightly into the sheets, cocooning her in a vicelike grip. Frantically she thrashed her limbs, trying to free herself from the suffocating wrap. Her arms flailed out, but something strong grabbed her left forearm, steadying it. Raven froze, unable to breathe.
"Raven," the voice was low, concerned. "It's okay, Rae. I'm here. It was just a bad dream."
A gentle but firm touch rolled her on to her side, so she was facing the voice. Despite the gloom, she could make out the dark hair that swept across his brow and the grey-green eyes, usually sparkling with mockery, that were now soft and worried. He reached out, pushing away the strands of hair that stuck to her clammy forehead. An arm wrapped around her waist, pulling her close to him, and Raven felt the warmth of his leanly muscled body pressed against her cold, shaking one.
"It's okay, Rae," he murmured again, hugging her tight and placing a warm kiss on her forehead. She shuddered involuntarily in his arms, the haunting scraps of the dream still lingering in her memory, sharp and razor-edged.
Finally the sorceress managed to work her voice, her words coming out haltingly and raspy.
"I… I lost everything," she confessed. "The city, the tower, was all burnt.— destroyed. Everything. Each person who lived there. Cyborg, Robin, Beastboy—" her voice caught in her throat, seemingly lodged there. She fell mute for a moment, silently gazing at the boy lying beside her.
"Even you…" she finally whispered, the corners of her eyes beginning to prick with a dry burn.
"But now you have everything again," the thief reassured her softly, running his calloused hands up and down her smooth alabaster arms. His legs tangled with her own, making a spidery knot of limbs.
"You have your teammates and friends. You have your home and your city. You have me," he added. He pressed his mouth against her trembling lips, firmly reminding her that he was here, that this was real and that she had nothing to fear. Raven lay still, her mind reeling and trying to grasp onto the security he was promising. The back of his hand cupped her head and brought her face nearer, deepening the kiss and allowing his tongue to graze the outside of her lips.
Raven's fists balled into Jason's sweatshirt, trying to hold onto him— to make sure he wasn't just a figment of her imagination, that he wouldn't fade into thin air and leave her there, alone and shivering in the devouring night.
Finally he broke away, leaning his head back against the pillow to study her, his fingers running through the strands of her dark, silky hair.
"I'll sleep here with you every night," Jason offered, the barest hint of a smile curving at his lips.
Raven frowned, conflicted with the idea.
"Why did you come here anyway?" she asked, an accusatory tinge creeping into her voice despite her immense relief in his presence.
The rogue's hand ceased caressing her head and rested on the nape of her neck. He regarded her, thoughtfully.
"Aside from the desire to see you sleep? I don't know. I had this weird feeling you weren't doing too good. I came here and drifted off beside you, but I guess it was for the best I dropped in."
Raven bit the inside of her cheek, not sure what this meant. Had they somehow, unknowingly, developed a mental bond. Or an emotional one?
Jason bent his head down so that his mouth brushed against the empath's ear. He gripped her arms tightly as he breathed his next words softly.
"I'll kill anyone who hurts you." The promise whispered across her skin quietly, but contained such a threat that she could feel the danger graze against her like the thin tip of a knife. Raven wouldn't let him play the overprotective knight though, galloping in on his high horse. She rolled her eyes, punching him in the stomach before snuggling closer against his sweatshirt.
"I don't need you to kill anyone," she muttered, burying her face into the musky, earthy smell of him. "I could kill you in an instant, never mind someone else."
Jason seemed to find this amusing, and his chest reverberated with a quiet chuckle. "I know, Sunshine," he laughed silently, drawing her close against him. A moment of silence passed, then—
"Jason?" Raven's voice was barely audible.
"Hmmm?" came the sleepy reply.
"I can't feel you," Raven muttered, a tinge of embarrassment creeping into her voice.
"Huh?" The thief opened a single sleep-laden eyelid to look at her with confusion.
Raven refused to stare back, instead fiddling with the drawstrings of his hoodie.
"I can't feel you," she repeated again, masking her voice in resentfulness to hide her discomfort. "You feel far away."
Jason laid for a moment trying to figure out what she was talking about—and then realized. Grinning, he propped himself up on his elbow and grabbed the hem of his sweatshirt, peeling it off his skin and tossing it over his head. Lying back down, he grabbed Raven's hips and pulled her flush against his bare-skinned, taunt torso.
"Do I feel faraway now, Princess?" he teased, rubbing her back.
"Mmmm," Raven replied, snuggling down against his chest and closing her eyes for sweeter dreams to take her.
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A/N: Hi fam and lovely wonderful readers! I'm so sorry I dropped of the face of the earth for so long. Real life is... real.
I had really wanted to write some Rae/Red fluff and this is what came out. Your reviews will make me sob with joy and validation.