Technically not my first story, but this is my first one that I'm proud of and I do hope you enjoy it. So, read and review.
Also, I'm only saying this in this chapter:
I don't own the Teen Titans.
He was tired.
So, so, so, so tired.
He wanted to stop. He needed to stop all the running, leaping, jumping, and flapping he was doing. He could feel his muscles overworking. With every shift he was able to relax some part of his body as he strained another. The temptation to just drop in the middle of the street and give up was strong.
But he couldn't.
He was already an hour late. Rather, he was an hour late when he left the tower. There was no telling how much time passed since he leapt from the tower's roof and began his tiresome journey but he hoped his time was improving.
He skidded to a halt, undoubtedly wearing the heels to his shoes.
That didn't matter.
What mattered was getting into the bookstore. With quick nimbleness on his feet, he maneuvered his body around bookcases, tables, and random people until he stopped at the table of his usual meeting spot. He was gasping and wheezing, taking in deep breaths to try and regulate his breathing. In the midst of all that, he managed to wheeze out, "Hey Rae."
She didn't respond.
She didn't look up.
She didn't even acknowledge his existence.
She just turned the page to the book she was reading before picking up her tea and taking a few sips from it.
'You've got us in trouble.'
He hissed at the voice, but he knew it was right. He could only hope, as he rubbed the back of his neck and gave the girl a sheepish smile, that he would be able to talk himself into a lesser punishment.
"So, um, I'm late."
Boy, was he smooth or what.
"I mean, I know I'm late since I just ran a heck of a marathon to get here. I mean, you know, I didn't just run. I also flew a bit of the way, but you didn't know that cause you were already here...on time. "
He ran a hand through his hair as he watched her place her tea down. He tried to give her another smile, but it was losing its edge.
She flipped the next page.
'You're not fixing this.'
"I mean," he began to fidget as he searched for the correct words, "I should have been here, on time, in the first place since, you know, this isn't our first meeting what with us doing this for a while."
Obviously his blabbering wasn't working.
"And I really do enjoy our meetings. It's probably the one thing I look forward to every day." God, he was picking straws at this point, but he was ready to lay more on her when she finally spoke.
"I do not appreciate your lies." He watched as her eyes went to the other page but never once looked up at him.
"I would think, " she continued, "that you would know this by now."
He could practically feel how much trouble he'd gotten himself into. He opened his mouth, in hope to get an apology out, but her sharp tone stopped him as she added,
"Then again, I would think you'd also know I don't like waiting for over an hour but your track record for the last month begs to differ."
He felt like bashing his head into the nearby wall.
He wasn't lying when he said he looked forward to their meetings. For the past eight months he and Raven would meet up at the bookstore, get something from the café and enjoy their time together. If their evening was taken up by other engagements, like fighting a villain or spending time with the rest of the titans for their weekly game night, they made sure they would meet at the at next available opportunity. For the past three months the titans were swamped with missions from stopping the Hive from blowing up their tower, to saving Starfire's home planet from an alien invasion. And then, once they returned home, Cyborg nominated for them to take a vacation on a remote island which everybody immediately agreed to take.
Since their return, the city had been oddly calm with an occasionally crime here and there. It's been this quiet for three weeks and for two of those weeks he's been late for their daily meetings.
And it wasn't like he had amazing excuses.
When he arrived ten minutes late the first time with the excuse that he got caught up in the game he and Cyborg were playing, she gave him a glare that made his skin crawl before she said, "Don't let it happen again."
And he promised her he wouldn't. Which is why he understood how angry she got when he showed up fifteen minutes late for their next meeting. As the days went by, he began showing up later and later and he could feel her getting angrier and angrier until two days ago when she seemed void of any emotions.
That day left his gut squirming with guilt, just like it was at this exact moment. At least this time she spoke to him.
"Changeling, " he snapped his attention back to woman in front of him who still wouldn't look at him.
"If you don't want to do this anymore, all you have to do is say so. You obviously have more important things to do. Please, don't let me stand in your way."
He heard snarling from deep inside of him. 'You had better fixed this.' The growl was deeper. It rumbled in his belly and traveled through his entire body, stopping as it began caressing his mind.
'She had better forgive you or I'll come out.'
"No!"
He cringed when that came out louder than he planned. A few patrons were looking in his direction making him feel foolish. He tried to seem nonchalant over his outburst, but the red in his cheeks gave him away. He paid them no mind. Raven still hasn't looked at him.
With a huff, he ran his hand through his hair as he addressed her.
"Rae...Raven, I know I messed up. Just...ah...just let me make it up to you tomorrow. We'll meet here and this time I'll treat you. We'll go out and I'll make it the best night for you."
He felt like groveling when all she did was turn the page.
"Please Raven. Let me make it up to you...Let me take you out."
With how slow the book lowered from her face he wanted to rip it from her grasp and toss it away. His heart thumped when her eyes met his. She was finally looked at him. Her face was the same solemn look that she always wore, but her eyes...they were a different story. All of her emotions were flashing through them.
He felt like such a dick.
And all she did was stare at him, her eyes never leaving his. It felt like she was searching for something. A something that was very important for her answer. His very soul felt as if it was being ransacked. It held him in place just as much as it unnerved him.
"5 o'clock."
She had finally turned her gaze away from him in favor for her tea. He still wasn't sure if he was out of the doghouse, but she managed to clear his uncertainty as she added,
"If we have a good day tomorrow as we've had these past few days, then I will meet you here at 5 o'clock. We can plan from there, maybe a dinner and movie. Something we both enjoy."
His body relaxed as he finally allowed himself to smile. A purr sounded from his mind as the overpowering caress backed away. For once, he agreed with the Beast and he wanted to purr too. He opted for chuckling while he sat at the only other chair at the table.
Grabbing her head and giving it a squeeze, he responded, "I won't disappoint you, Rae."
As she fingered her closed book he noticed a small blush color her cheeks as she muttered, "You had better not."
And that's chapter one. I do apologize if there's any raging errors. I'm writing this on my phone to try something new. Please give me a review if you so please and thank you for reading.