Drawing her cloak around her shoulders, Raven sat down on an old bench in the park by the pond. She watched the ducks paddle around in circles, begging for pieces of bread from people passing by. She sighed and sat back. Watching these birds was calming after the argument she just had with Beast Boy.
"Are you even listening to me?" He demanded.
Raven whirled her head back towards him so fast her neck gave a little pop.
"Ouch." She rubbed the back of her neck with her hand. "Um...yes I was."
"Then what did I just say?"
Raven stared into his deep green eyes with as much passion and understanding as she could.
"You were talking about Cyborg and how he...took...something…from you?"
Beast Boy pinched the bridge of his nose and scrunched his face into a frustrated grimace.
"Why are you like this!? I can't tell you one damn thing without you just floating away into dreamland!"
Raven's expression hardened. That comment got to her. It was he who didn't understand one damn thing.
"You know what!? I don't need to take that from you! I try to listen, okay? I try, but sometimes...sometimes I just…"
"What!? Sometimes you what!?"
"I'm leaving. I need to clear my head. I'll be back later."
Raven sighed and tucked her hair behind her ear. It's not that she didn't want to listen to Beast Boy. It was just sometimes hard to pay attention to his powerful feelings. She needed to keep her emotions in check all the time lest she explode into a violent episode.
"Rae?" Said Beast Boy's voice from behind her.
"Just leave me be, Beast Boy. I'm not done being alone."
"I just wanted to say I'm sorry, Rae. I shouldn't have blown up like that."
Raven felt his hand on her shoulder. She shrugged it off.
"You don't know how hard it is to determine what's a trigger and what's not, Beast Boy. Sometimes, I slip away to keep myself calm."
Beast Boy sat down next to her.
"Yeah, I figured that after you left. Trust me, I wanted to take back everything I said after I saw your face. I still want to take it back, if you'll let me."
He extended a hand and placed it over hers. She let their fingers lace together.
"Rae, I'm sorry." Beast Boy murmured in her ear. He kissed her cheek. A single tear escaped her eyes. He stopped it with a finger and wiped it away.
"Rae, I love you. I can understand. I will understand."
Raven's tears started to flow more freely down her face.
"I love you too." She whispered. She laid her head on his shoulder as he stroked her hair.
They sat there together as the sun settled behind the horizon.