Nightlight

It may keep some of the darkness at bay, but it ends up making more shadows. He knew that it didn't ameliorate his fears but he couldn't bring himself to get rid of it; it was far too precious. In his mind, it was the only thing that tied his past to him.

While the rest of the tower hushed itself into bedtime, one particular Titan was having trouble going to sleep. Beast Boy had tried everything. He tossed and turned, tried every possible position known to man (and a few canines) to make himself comfortable. But to no avail. Sleep would not greet him that autumn night. It never did. No matter what he tried to do, he just couldn't close his eyes and go to dreamland on October 20th for the past fourteen years.

He just couldn't let his mind wander back to those old memories, but at the same time, he couldn't resist either. The pain was a sweet kind of pain. He just lay in his bed, turned over, facing his nightlight. It was his most guarded secret. Even his main man Cyborg didn't know about it. And he prayed with every fibre of his being that it wouldn't come to light. Just think about it. A seventeen year old superhero who had taken on some of the world's deadliest villains and survived the most impossible of scenarios. And he still kept a nightlight.

He just remained in bed, while holding with the cause of his recent insomnia. The nightlight looked more like a lava lamp with it's conical shape and it's seemingly liquid interior. He was tipping it with his fingers while his mind drifted to wonder what would happen if it were to be discovered.

What would the Doom Patrol say?

What would the Titans say?

"That is a pretty good question. What would we think? ".

The sudden voice came behind him. Surprised and shocked out of his wits, Beast Boy let out a yelp and fell off his bed. He slowly raised his head above his bed and was even more shocked when he realized who the perpetrator was.

"Raven?", he managed to ask while still in shock.

"You were expecting someone else?", she asked sarcastically.

'Actually I wasn't expecting anyone', he found himself thinking instinctively.

He couldn't see her clearly in the dark, the greenish hue from his nightlight only revealed a short figure sitting on his chest of drawers. Her response was almost as confusing as her presence in his room. It was completely reciprocal to her usual MO of interacting with teammates.

"What are you doing in my room?", he asked quizzically.

"What are you doing still awake?", she asked back, in an innocent tone.

Beast Boy found himself taken aback, not by the question but the way it was spoken. Raven clearly wasn't being her usual self. What was she doing here anyway?

"I can't sleep. "

" Well, thank you for stating the obvious. Allow me to rephrase." She cleared her throat and spoke again.

"Why can't you sleep tonight? "

Beast Boy found himself stunned by the question.

'What the hell is going on here?! She comes to my room in the dead of night, doesn't answer my questions and starts interrogating me? Is this even Raven or an intruder pretending to be her for some dastardly purpose.'. The second theory seemed more plausible.

He was about to retort with his own questions when a tiny voice in the back of his mind spoke. He didn't usually hear from him, but Reason seemed to have something important to say. 'This is completely unlike her. Whatever she is doing is probably important. If we keep asking questions like this we won't make it through the night! Just let her lead, and we'll see how it goes on from here.' Beast Boy had to admit, Reason was on to something.

He had managed to collect what little of his pride he had left and made it his way back to his bed, sitting upright against the bedhead.

"I dunno, I just can't sleep tonight", he replied to her question.

"Hmmm, ok. Then tell me, why is it you have trouble sleeping this day every year?", she asked in a curious tone.

Beast Boy was too flabbergasted to speak.

"I'm an empath, remember? You're emotions get all over the place at this time each year."

She got off his drawers and made it to his bed. Placing herself on the opposite end of the bed, she entered the dim light and Beast Boy could see a tiny sympathetic smile across her face. She really wasn't feeling right...

"It's just an old, painful memory. Stuff happened that day and I keep remembering it. That's why I can't sleep. It's the day my cat ran away.", he said. He tried to keep eye contact to ensure her that he was telling the truth. Through the darkness he noticed that her tiny smile had disappeared and he knew that she saw through his lie.

"Beast Boy, how long have we been friends?", she asked with a sigh.

"About five years. ", he replied, almost without thinking.

" And in these past years have I ever done anything to deliberately hurt you? "

" No. "

" Then when will you finally stop lying to me and just tell me the truth so I can help you? ", she asked, almost pleading.

" What makes you think I need help? ", he shot back. There was no way he was going to reveal everything just because she was crying.

Wait, what? Crying? That's when he noticed a single tear escape Raven's watery eyes.

She blinked back her tears, regained her composure and replied in the cold monotone he knew her by.

"Beast Boy, something happened to you years ago on this night. I don't know what, but it was painful for you. I don't want you to recall what happened, because I know that it would hurt. But, I need you to tell me what happened. Right now, you may not know what emotions you're feeling, but if you let them linger they would soon consume you. "

She spoke calmly, with an air of conformity, as if she knew exactly what she was talking about and that he would too. She had been staring dead at him, and broke her gaze and reverted it to the nightlight.

"I don't know how or why, but I think that nightlight is part of the problem. You've... clung all of your thoughts and emotions on to it, like an anchor or something. "

A moment or two passed before Beast Boy spoke.

"Are you reading my mind, because you have no right to do that. I swear Raven, if I find out you were reading my mind I'm gonna... ". The scowl on his face and the tone of his voice betrayed his attempt to conceal his anger. 'Why did you ask her a question? You know she is just going to deflect it, and that'll make you even madder.' Damn it, Reason!

Raven remained silent upon his outburst, Beast Boy couldn't figure out if she was trying to calm herself down or pondering on how to reply. The young sorceress had thus far ensured that their nocturnal meeting wouldn't boil over because of either of their tempers. After a few moments, he noticed the very edge of her lips ever so slightly arch. She was smiling again, and then spoke.

"Beast Boy, you're my friend and I respect your privacy and wouldn't ever invade your mind. But currently my powers are going a little haywire. I am not going to tell you how or why, but my empathic powers have been increased. I may not be able to read your mind, but I can feel your thoughts. I do not know exactly what they mean but I get a decent idea of what you're feeling. I'm sorry, but I can't help it at the moment. As to your previous question as to what I'm doing in your room, I'm here to help my friend through a problem." She leaned closer towards him, the dim green light revealing the teary pleading eyes. "But I can't help you until you let me."

Beast Boy could feel his defenses crumbling. He had so far been able to keep up a sense of strength and control, but Raven's words went straight through them. He didn't know if it was her words, the sincerity in her voice, her benevolent tone, her pleading eyes or the fact that she recognized his pain and came to help him. He was staring right into her sympathetic violet eyes and he couldn't hold it in any longer. The dams burst, and hot streams of tears escaped his eyes and trickled down his face.