Beast Boy had never been any good at reading people. Naturally, he was strongly in denial of this fact, even going as far as to saying it was his "animal instincts" that allowed him to "sense thoughts". For the most part, his proof was a great deal of lucky guesses. Of the Teen Titans, Beast Boy had been able to convince one person that this was true of him: Starfire. The alien princess was in total awe of her teammate's "instincts". Beast Boy reveled in this, even if Starfire wore every emotion on her sleeve (a potted plant could probably tell what the girl was thinking). Eventually, Beast Boy was able to read Cyborg as well, mostly because he was his best friend and they spent a great deal of time together.
Robin and Raven, however, were an enigma. Each were so stoic and serious, hardly even registering emotions. It was an endless source of frustration to Beast Boy, which led to quarrels with them. Especially Raven. To Beast Boy, the older sorceress seemed perpetually pissed off. Naturally, he'd attempt to cheer her up. This would fail miserably, she'd offend him, they'd argue, and then the cycle would later begin again. Beast Boy just could not fathom how Raven never reacted to anything he did unless it was something to further piss her off. How many times had he promised he'd make her smile? A thousand? A million? And when Beast Boy made promises, he kept them.
He had broken through to her eventually, but it took a whole trip into her mindscape to do so. Raven's emotions were so separate, it was no wonder that she kept them locked away. It made Beast Boy wonder if his emotions were arranged similarly in his brain (maybe they were all different colors too?), but he eventually decided that the notion was too crazy. His emotions were so strong and jumbled together. If his room wasn't organized, why should his head be? Raven's various emoticlones had only served as confusion at first – Beast Boy thought they were all literally Raven (who was experiencing intense mood swings). It was annoying and frustrating, but Beast Boy had to admit that the idea that Raven's happiness swelled with his jokes (she thought he was funny? Why is this making him so happy?) stroked his ego.
After getting the whole idea of this, Beast Boy began to understand exactly how Raven worked. Her emotions were super strong and super crazy, so it made sense for her to bottle it up. Still, Beast Boy had trouble keeping his patience when she routinely insulted him. But they had bonded in spite of it, and Beast Boy considered Raven one of his best friends.
Now he was perched on the end of the couch, looking over at the sorceress in question. She was sitting in the corner, her legs drawn up to help keep a book close to her face. She didn't seem to notice him, which he was grateful for. Beast Boy usually had a great deal of trouble explaining staring (which he did embarrassingly often).
The sun was shining brightly through the uncovered windows, spilling onto the carpet and lighting up dust motes. Beast Boy loved feeling the sun on his skin, and the animals inside him certainly didn't mind either. Briefly, he wondered whether he should turn into a lizard, or a cat. But he pushed the idea aside. It felt less creepy to watch Raven when he was in human form, for some crazy reason.
The animorph had excellent hearing, at least three times better than a human's. His team was very aware of this, and it made it hard for him to use the "I didn't hear you" excuse. But one thing they didn't know was that he could focus his hearing onto one thing. Sorta like x-ray vision, but with ears. Beast Boy did this now, cocking one ear up and the other back. If he focused just hard enough, he could hear Raven's soft breathing and steady heartbeat. It was calming. Raven's heartbeat was the steadiest of any of the team members (besides his own, but who liked to listen to their own heartbeat?), and he would sometimes focus on it in times of stress. Or thinking. Or just in general.
Cyborg's heart was strong and loud, but it also made a clicking noise every other beat – something to do with his robotics probably. Starfire's six-chambered heart beat twice as fast as a human and in triplicate, which was mildly creepy. And Nightwing's ticker beat much too fast to be healthy in Beast Boy's opinion.
He had started listening to Raven's heart after the Beast incident. It gave him something to focus on; to maintain himself with. Whenever his control began to slip, he'd close his eyes and focus his ears on the steady ka-thump of the cardiac organ. He hoped Raven didn't know (she seemed to know everything!), because it felt like he was intruding on something. Which was ridiculous. It's a heart! It's not like she could make it stop beating! Or could she…? Beast Boy was not very well-versed on the anatomy of demons. Or humans, really.
In any case, his instincts had sort of hooked on to the idea of Raven's heart being a calming sound. He'd focus on it without knowing – often during training or battle or an argument. If the sorceress was in the room, his ears would flick toward her and the resounding beat would fill his head. It was always so slow and steady; probably a product of the whole "controlling emotions" deal.
He'd never told anyone about this habit for fear of the inevitable teasing that would come with it. Cyborg would certainly go nuts on him, probably building up a rumor that Beast Boy had a crush on the empath. Which was utterly, completely ridiculous.
Beast Boy swallowed, looking away from Raven's still figure. His cheeks were hot. Okay, maybe ridiculous was a bit farfetched. Just a few years before he would've backed up the statement until the end of time, but now he wasn't really entirely sure.
He had admitted to himself early on that Raven was a very attractive girl. Her skin was as smooth and pale as polished marble, which made her eyes look even more like gemstones. Her violet hair was shiny and soft-looking. Beast Boy could think about her scent for hours (a very guilty secret. But considering they shared a bathroom…and her shampoo was right there…). And don't even get him started on those legs.
But actually legitimately having feelings for her? It was one of the weirdest notions to cross his mind. He and Raven were total polar opposites in almost every single aspect. She was reclusive; he was personable. She was humorless; he was hilarious. She was dark and pessimistic; he was the definition of optimism. If they got together, wouldn't the world explode? However, Starfire and Nightwing were also relative opposites. And Jinx and Kid Flash. And both couples were stronger than ever!
Beast Boy glanced over at Raven again. She was watching him. As soon as their eyes met, Beast Boy's mouth went dry. The air between them felt like it was crackling with lightening. The moment felt like it lasted painfully long, although it was probably only a second or two. But still. Beast Boy felt like he was falling uncontrollably into the dark abyss of the demoness's eyes. And above it all, her heartbeat, getting steadily louder and louder and –
Raven looked away, breaking the spell. Beast Boy sucked in air, trying to bring the oxygen back to his brain. Holy shit. That was weird. The changeling rubbed his hands over his face, still feeling a little like he had been pushed off a cliff. Beads of sweat had actually popped out along his hairline. He reached up a gloved hand to brush them away.
Okay, so that was pretty intense. And his heart was starting to sound a little like Nightwing's. Not good. Beast Boy slid off of the arm of the couch and onto the cushions. He blinked rapidly, trying to understand the barrage of feelings occupying his being.
This was not the first time such an event had occurred. In fact, Beast Boy found himself floored by the empath at least once a month nowadays. But before that (if memory served him right), it had only happened every once in a while. Beast Boy picked at a loose string on his glove, eyes narrowed in concentration. The memory he was looking for was somewhere in his brain; the memory of the very first time it had happened. Beast Boy was cursed with a very confused system of memory. Some thoughts were kept nice and pristine, and others were immediately thrown out the opposite ear. Still more were subconsciously pushed to the back of his mind.
Suddenly, like a spark igniting paper, Beast Boy recalled the exact moment Raven had given him that strange, intense feeling. It had been years before, when he was only fourteen. He could recall the action, but the situation was somewhat blurry. The team had just done something important. And Beast Boy had been worn out. A fight? He dug deeper. He had been feeling guilty, and also somewhat sad. Ah! Yes! The battle with Malchior. Raven's heartbreak. Beast Boy had spoken those words – words that had come from a deeper part of himself – at a closed steel door.
"You think you're alone, Raven. But you're not."
And then there had been a quiet. He remembered his stomach twisting with fear, afraid that she would be angry. Afraid that he had hurt her even further. But instead, the door had slid open, exposing Raven for what she was: a young girl who was lonely and hurting. And before he could think, before he could apologize or joke or faint, she threw herself forward and into his arms.
Saying Beast Boy was shocked was probably the greatest understatement of the year. He was absolutely astonished. Her arms were tight around his neck and shoulders; her face pushed up into his shoulder. It was as if she had managed to hit some sort of freeze or pause button on him – he could not move. Her hair was pushed up against his face, and he could smell her shampoo. And beneath it all: her heartbeat. Strong and steady and warm against his still chest. And that was when the feeling hit him. Mouth dry, lightning sparks dancing across skin, and the growing volume and intensity of her heartbeat…
The feeling had terrified him into regaining muscle control. Still practically shaking from the experience, he put his hands on her shoulders and gently pushed her away, searching her face for answers. Had she enacted some sort of spell? He wouldn't put it past her. But the only thing in her eyes was a brilliant thank-you. Beast Boy had felt like butter had melted over his heart.
It had happened multiple times over the next few years. Every time it was just as surprising, if not more. He'd never really pinpointed the feeling, and hadn't ever told anyone else about it. Not even Cyborg.
Now, in the common room, Beast Boy mulled it over and over in his head. He'd never felt this way about any other person before. He chewed his lip thoughtfully and briefly wished he was an empath. Could empaths understand their own emotions? Wait. Isn't that like psychics reading their own thoughts? Technically, anyone could do that. So why was he struggling so much?
Beast Boy looked over at Raven again. His heart made a little skip in his chest. He cursed it as well as the blush that came to his face. He was overthinking this. Wiping a hand over his face, he turned forward and turned on the GameStation. If he needed anything, it was definitely to stop thinking.
Over the next few days, Beast Boy very carefully avoided Raven. He wanted to be sure about his possible "feelings" toward her. Which never failed in weirding him out and forcing the topic out of his brain completely. She didn't seem to notice at first, which was a relief. Or did she notice and just didn't care? For some reason, Beast Boy found this to be the worse alternative.
Although he was seventeen years old and the handsomest man in Jump City (self-proclaimed, of course), Beast Boy had never had an honest, for-real girlfriend. He'd gone on dates and had one-night stands, but for some reason these girls lost their luster as soon as they opened their mouths. When Beast Boy was smarter than the girl in question, it just felt…weird. Don't get him wrong, they were all ridiculously kind, beautiful girls. And Beast Boy had always been under the impression that he needed a stupid girl so he could feel smart. In any case, he'd spend the evening with them waiting for the spark.
Beast Boy was a Hopeless Romantic, capital letters included. He wanted to be in love with every girl he dated, and was always disappointed when he wasn't. Cyborg had told him that love didn't work that way, and he had to wait for it to bloom. Beast Boy had shook his head. For him, it was love at first sight, or no love at all.
That's how it had been with Terra. She had made him feel like he was constantly floating off of the ground. Hell, he could hardly even remember his own name around her! And ever since then, he'd wanted to recreate that feeling. It'd been three years since then – and no luck.
Currently, Beast Boy compared his old feelings for Terra next to his new feelings for Raven. They were as similar as the two women themselves were. While his feelings for Terra had felt light and airy, like balloons, his feelings for Raven seemed to resonate deep inside his abdomen. They were like roots in his chest.
But then again, should he even be comparing Terra to Raven? Terra was flighty and emotional, always running from her own fears. Raven, on the other hand, was solid and constant. She had literally fought her demons and won. Plus, she was the bravest person Beast Boy had ever met.
He was thinking over this comparison for the fifty-seventh time during a team meeting. He perched on the edge of the couch, eyes on Nightwing (but totally unfocused). Raven was sitting on the other end of the couch, her legs crossed casually. Sometimes, his eyes would sort of drift over to rest on her still form before flicking back to Nightwing. What was he talking about again? Did it even matter?
It took Nightwing exactly four times (plus Cyborg clouting him over the ear) to get Beast Boy's attention. The dark-clothed man was watching his teammate with that annoyed look again. Or was it his regular face? Beast Boy could no longer distinguish the difference.
"Uh, yeah?" he said, a little embarrassed for how stupid he sounded.
Nightwing pinched the bridge of his nose. "I asked if you could also do tonight's rounds. Please."
"Yeah, no prob, 'Wing." Beast Boy flapped a gloved hand, easing back into his usual lazy smile.
"Alright. You and Raven will need to cover all of East Jump. Stay low, no crazy antics." Nightwing glanced over at Raven. "Please keep a tab on him. We do not need a repeat of last Halloween."
Beast Boy pouted. How was he supposed to know that children would be terrified of a live T-Rex? Didn't kids love dinosaurs? It wasn't his fault that little Jimmy peed his firefighter costume. And then Nightwing had suspended him from video games for a whole month. It was the darkest November Beast Boy could remember.
Wait. Who had Nightwing said he was going with? The injustice of last Halloween had distracted him. Again. He glanced over at Raven, stomach flipping over. This was certainly not going to go well for his whole avoidance policy.
"…and we aren't entirely sure whether they're a threat or not. Titans East's tip-off has given us a very small advantage. Hopefully we will be able to catch them before they make too much trouble." Shit. Nightwing had been talking again. Beast Boy nodded, hoping the look on his face was of convincing concern.
"Do you have profiles?" Raven asked, her eyes flicking to Cyborg.
The half-robot chewed on the inside of his cheek. "Not really. All we have is a picture and description of powers."
"That's all I need," Raven said softly. Cyborg sighed and leaned forward to the control screen that was usually a coffee table. He tapped a few things, and a blown-up photo filled the TV screen. It showed five kids engaged in some sort of retreat. Up in the air, apparently flying, was a boy in a red cape. Just in front of him, a little higher in the air, was a smaller girl with massive golden wings. The winged girl was holding onto another girl, this one clothed entirely in blue with quite a bit of skin showing. Running just beneath them on the ground were two men, one in gray and black, the other in yellow and black.
Cyborg stood as Nightwing sat, stepping forward to point at the picture. His finger hovered over the two on the ground. "Boy in gray appears to be the leader. Bee says it's 'cause he does a lot of hand-signals. Wears goggles over his eyes and no shoes or gloves. He doesn't say much apparently, but this guy can climb walls like a spider. Got past Titans East security, which I designed. Trust me, it's a feat. The other is apparently almost as annoying as Beast Boy."
"Hey!"
"But he is a force to be reckoned with. Literally. He can blow gale force winds." Cyborg's hand drifted upward, touching the red cape of the man in flight. "This guy can breathe fire. The combined power of him and the wind-blower could make a lot of damage." He pointed to the girl in blue. "Another quiet one, but she landed Speedy in the hospital. She just focused on him for a second and he dropped to the ground, screaming and holding his head. Passed out, but he should be better soon." Starfire made a worried sound. Cyborg grimaced. "And this one, with the wings, is a friggin' mystery. She just sorta sat back during the fight unless someone came at her. And then it was crazy. We have no idea what powers she even has! A whole bunch would just disappear and reappear. In fact, when they were makin' their getaway, the fire breather picked her up and threw her into the air, where she grew the wings."
"They weren't there to begin with?" Nightwing asked. He was stroking his chin.
"Bee says no," Cyborg said. "I can ask her to send me the security footage."
"Wait, who are these guys?" Beast Boy asked, once again feeling slightly left behind. Everyone looked at him. "What?"
"Friend, this is what the entire meeting has been about," Starfire murmured, putting a hand on his knee. Beast Boy's ears drooped.
"Beast Boy, you need to start paying more attention," Nightwing chided. "This is very serious."
"Sheesh, sorry," he grumbled, crossing his arms.
"They're the new and improved HIVE Five," Raven intoned. "And if Bumblebee is right, then Jump City is their next target."
...
"I thought the HIVE disbanded years ago," Beast Boy said distantly. He and Raven were standing on the roof of a hotel, watching the streets. They had spent the rest of the time in flight, scanning as they headed to the first checkpoint. Now they could talk.
"They did," Raven murmured. Her cloak was pulled tightly around her small frame. The hood almost completely obscured her face. "This is a new one."
Beast Boy groaned and rolled back onto his butt. "They were annoying enough the first time." Raven ignored him, still staring out into the still somewhat busy streets. Beast Boy started to feel a little awkward. It had to have been at least a week since they had been in direct contact with each other. And the quiet was killer.
"So, um, Rave –"
"Rose street intersection all clear," Raven mumbled into her communicator. She turned around to face Beast Boy. "We should move now."
They flew in silence. Beast Boy wished he could see Raven's expression. Was she angry with him? Had she noticed his awkwardness? A stone seemed to fall into his stomach. Had she figured out about his feelings? The thought almost made him morph back into himself, which would not have been good. But it was enough to ruffle his feathers. If Raven noticed his discomfort, she gave no sign.
The southeast side of Jump City was definitely the sketchiest. It was uncomfortably close to a lot of bad memories, like Slade's old stomping grounds. A lot of the buildings were run down and empty. The skeletal remains of industrial factories hunched like brick monoliths at the edge of the city. It was on one of these Raven stopped, floating gracefully onto the rooftop. Beast Boy was mildly distracted by the way her cape fluttered around her legs and stumbled out of his owl form, nearly face-planting. Raven paid no heed. She sat on the edge of the roof, crossing her legs and settling her hands on her knees.
Beast Boy brushed the dirt off of his knees. "I've never been to this checkpoint," he said conversationally. The silence had been eating him alive.
"That's because it isn't a checkpoint," the sorceress deadpanned. She hadn't even turned to look at him. Not that she usually did, but still.
"Then what are we –"
"If Cyborg's calculations are exact, this is where the New HIVE would enter the city. I do not believe them to be already here; they would have made their presence known to us. We will stay here for the rest of the patrol."
Beast Boy glanced around, a shiver rolling up his spine. There was absolutely no one around. The streets were deserted; the buildings were dark and empty. It was like a horror movie waiting to happen. "Uh, is…Nightwing okay with this?" Usually Beast Boy could care less what Nightwing thought, but the place was giving him the heebie jeebies.
"Nightwing would take my side in this situation." Her response was curt. She still hadn't looked at him for the duration of the conversation.
Beast Boy ran a hand over the opposite arm. He considered thinking of another excuse, but Raven would just shoot it down with logic and other dumb stuff. With a defeated huff, Beast Boy plopped down beside his teammate.
"So, uh…" He wracked his brain for something to talk about. Anything. "Wanna play I-Spy?"
The sorceress was silent. Beast Boy's ears drooped. He couldn't see most of her face due to the hood, but the fact that her mouth had twisted into a grimace was probably not a good sign.
"I mean, we don't have to. It's a dumb game. You can't even –"
"Why have you been avoiding me?" The question was so quiet and quick that the changeling almost missed it entirely.
"What?" he said dumbly. A blush was touching his ears. He knew exactly what.
"Why have you been avoiding me?" Raven repeated, a touch louder. There was no emotion in her voice, which was terrifying. Beast Boy wanted to curl into a ball and disappear. Couldn't he, theoretically? Would Raven interrogate an armadillo?
He had apparently been considering this idea for too long, because Raven felt the need to continue. "I know you have, Beast Boy. You aren't exactly subtle."
He could feel sweat beading his temple. "Uhhh…really?"
Now she looked at him. Her violet eyes glittered with annoyance. Beast Boy bit his lip and looked at the concrete below them. Would he live if he jumped?
"What are you scared of?" Raven asked. Her tone had suddenly turned soft. Beast Boy met her gaze again, surprised. She no longer looked angry. She looked…hopeful? No, he must be reading that wrong.
"You," he said without really thinking. Immediate regret settled in. If he wasn't in for it before, he really was now. He cringed away from her slightly.
But all Raven did was blink. "Is that why you're avoiding me?"
"Yes. I mean no. I mean…sort of?" Why had he been avoiding her? Because he liked her? Because he didn't like her? Because his brain was engaged in a civil war?
Raven sighed, finally turning her eyes away from him. She clenched her hands together in her lap. "Beast Boy, if I have been acting in a way that is making you uncomfortable, then I apologize."
"You haven't!" Beast Boy assured, not entirely sure where he was going to go with this explanation. "I've just been...confused lately."
Raven's brow furrowed slightly. It was cute. Wait, it was cute?
"Are you confused about…me?"
Now he was hoping a fall from this height would kill him. "Er, in a way."
Raven blinked a few times, like she was thinking. Beast Boy could practically see the cogs whirring in her brain. Her hands clenched tighter together. "Beast Boy, there's something I should –"
A sudden bloom of fire exploded between them. Beast Boy skidded away, a rather unmanly scream catching in his throat. Raven spun from the flames, using her cloak as a shield. When the fire subsided, both teens whipped toward the source.
It was the New HIVE. The boy in the red cape had obviously been the source of the fire – smoke was still curling from the corners of his mouth. The rest remained in position behind him. Raven and Beast Boy fell into their natural fighting stances, both aware that they were terribly outnumbered.
"Glad we finally have your attention," the fire-breather grumbled. He was wearing a mask akin to Kid Flash's, allowing short blonde hair to remain free and round blue eyes to glare up at them. He was much larger than he had looked in the photograph. Beast Boy gulped.
"State your business here," Raven snapped. She had floated into the air slightly. Beast Boy crouched, not yet wanting to change form.
A scoff. The boy in yellow and black was picking at the fingers of his gloves, a lopsided smile touching the edges of his mask. "Why does everyone think we have an 'evil plan'? Even if we did, we wouldn't tell you. We aren't idiots."
"Shut up, Zephyr," hissed a blonde girl. Beast Boy had trouble recognizing her. Was she the chick with the wings? He had no idea. She glanced up at them. Her bright blue eyes almost seemed to glow in the darkness. "My name is Apex. This is Spark, Zephyr, Bombadiera, and Spyder." She pointed to each in turn.
"Yeah, that's nice and all," Beast Boy interrupted, "but what the hell are you guys doing resurrecting the Five? Haven't you learned from the first time? You can't beat us."
Apex rolled her eyes, a sneer forming at the corner of her lip. "What is with you people? We aren't the HIVE Five. Miss Prissy Bee just recognized us from that damned school."
"The HIVE academy was halted years ago," the boy in gray and black, apparently Spyder, put in. His voice was low and quiet. Behind his domino mask, Beast Boy felt like the other man was staring into his soul. "Do you people never check your records?"
Raven's lip twitched with annoyance. "What do you want?"
The girl who hadn't spoken yet, Bombadiera, was examining a fingernail. She flicked her eyes up at Raven. Beast Boy was struck by how similar the two women looked: both had pale skin and an outfit made up mostly of blue. And then, of course, Bombadiera's eyes were violet.
"An introduction," Apex answered. "Don't bother with your names; we already know."
"Then what –" Raven was interrupted by another plume of fire exploding from Spark's mouth. They spun back, shielding their faces. Beast Boy turned into a condor, flapping his enormous wings at the sudden flames.
"Azarath, metrion, zin-AAAAH!" Raven's usual mantra was cut through with a scream. Out of the corner of his eye, Beast Boy watched her drop to the ground, clutching her head. Spark had flown up into the air and dropped Bombadiera onto the roof. The girl in blue was staring directly at Raven. Her eyes were a horrid, pulsating purple.
Beast Boy dropped out of his morph. "Raven!" he screamed. He tried to run to her, but was stopped by a punch to his stomach that sent him flying. He lay on his back, struggling to bring air back into his lungs. Spyder crouched back, fist cocked to send another hit. Beast Boy growled, anger and worry for Raven making his hair stand on end. He turned into a tiger and lunged for the barefooted boy.
He ran smack into a force field, causing him to lose concentration and morph back. Apex had leaped in front of her teammate. The field was emanating from her being, creating a shield that buzzed with energy. Beast Boy turned into a gorilla, charging at them again.
Sadly, he was once again deterred. Zephyr, the only one still on the street, sucked in a breath and blew. It hit Beast Boy like a hurricane wind, even in his five-hundred pound gorilla form. He flew back, hitting a smoke stack hard enough to crack it. The pain rang through his skull, making his vision blur. He hardly registered morphing back before the darkness overtook completely, and he passed out.
…
When he awoke, Beast Boy was not entirely sure where he was. His head hurt like a bitch; that was a for-sure. As the world swam back into focus, Beast Boy went over what had apparently just happened. The New HIVE (but not the HIVE) had collectively ganged up on him and kicked his ass. Hard. He groaned, reaching a hand up to the back of his head. There was a large bump. He sighed in relief – no blood. But that didn't rule out a concussion. Beast Boy hissed through his teeth as he sat up. Raven was going to have a heyday with –
Oh, God.
Beast Boy shot up, all injuries forgotten. Head spinning, he jolted toward the direction he had last seen Raven. Little fireworks exploded in front of his eyes, and he stumbled over his own feet and came crashing to the ground.
"Raven!" he cried out, struggling back to his feet. He blinked rapidly, trying to clear his vision. When that didn't work, he shifted into a dog (which took a hell of a lot of concentration), put his nose to the ground, and sniffed her out. He found her laying on her side near the edge of the roof, unconscious. Thankfully, he could not smell blood.
He shifted back, remaining on his knees next to the sorceress. His eyesight was still a little blurry, but that was alright. He moved the hood from her face, scanning her head for injuries. That was where you were supposed to check first, right?
She was still breathing, thank God. If Beast Boy didn't know any better, he'd say she was sleeping. But it looked like she was having one hell of a nightmare – her face was twisted in silent agony. Beast Boy felt panic pushing at his skin, but resisted it. He pulled his communicator off of his belt and pressed the red button on the side – the emergency call button. It would radio any Titans in the area to come to their aid immediately.
Beast Boy gently pulled Raven's head into his lap. He pulled off one glove and began to gently pet her hair. It was sort of awkward, but he remembered his mom doing it when he had nightmares as a kid, and it always made him feel better. Plus, her hair was soft.
When Starfire, Cyborg, and Nightwing got to their location, Beast Boy was only half-conscious. He was very dizzy and very tired. He barely noticed the other Titans arriving, only reacting when Starfire tried to lift Raven out of his arms. He snapped back into vague consciousness and snarled at her, making the alien rear away in fear.
"Sorry, Starfire," Beast Boy said, realizing it was her. "I just…not feelin' great."
"It is alright, Beast Boy," Starfire murmured. All the same, she hesitated before reaching for Raven again.
Cyborg gently poked the lump on Beast Boy's skull. The changeling yelped in pain, cringing from the half-robot. Cyborg made a humming sound under his breath. "Damn B, they hit you good. You dizzy?"
Beast Boy stared at the three moons above him. "I think so."
"Can you stand?"
Not wanting to be a burden, Beast Boy shakily got to his feet. The world swam. His stomach lurched, and he vomited onto his shoes. Staring at the mess, he barely heard Cyborg's sigh: "Yeah, that's a concussion."
"Is Raven okay?" he asked. Only it came out more along the lines of "Iss Raewen ogay?"
Cyborg's eyebrows came together in concern. "Beasty, I think you should lay low. Could you sit down or –"
The world swam before his eyes again, and Beast Boy fell gracelessly to the ground. Starfire zipped forward and caught him before he hit the cement. Wow. When had standing gotten so hard? Exhaustion pulled at his limbs, and he found that he was having a hard time keeping his eyes open.
I'll just close my eyes for a second…he thought. Then I'll get right…back…up…
…
Beast Boy woke up to the sound of beeping. Two sets of rhythmic beats, to be exact. It was annoying, and he wanted it to go away. His head hurt horribly, and his mouth tasted like sewage. Not to mention his body was stiff and sore and generally pained. He struggled to remember exactly what had happened to cause this unfortunate occurrence.
As consciousness came back to him, he became more aware of his surroundings. He was lying on top of a cot, and his shoes and shirt had been removed. Breathing in, he could smell antiseptic and a faint trace of his teammates. He was in the infirmary. Why?
His eyes cracked open. The light had been dimmed. There was a flimsy green curtain separating his bed from the rest of the room. Some heart monitor electrodes were attached to his chest, the wires leading to the machine just outside the curtain. Beast Boy briefly wondered why Cyborg was using older tech; usually the half-robot monitored vitals using his own computers.
The whispered voices of his teammates floated to his ears from behind the curtain. He couldn't make the words out at first; which was unusual. He strained to listen, holding his breath as he did so.
"– possible coma." This was Cyborg's voice, reduced to a low rumble. Beast Boy squinted, confused. Was he talking about him? That can't be right. He was awake.
"How long do you think it will last?" Nightwing. Quiet and thoughtful, with a touch of dread.
"There's really no way to tell for sure," Cy answered grimly. "Could be days. Could be weeks."
"Weeks?" It was Starfire this time, her voice trembling.
"It could be worse, Star," Cyborg murmured. "She could be dead."
She?
And just like that, it all came rushing back. The fight, the head injury…and Raven.
Oh, God. Beast Boy struggled into a sitting position, disrupting the carefully placed electrodes on his skin. His stomach lurched. With a swipe of one hand (still gloved), Beast Boy ripped the curtain aside.
His team had turned to look at him, concerned expressions painting their features. Ignoring his growing dizziness, Beast Boy swung his legs over the edge of the bed and tried to use his momentum to bring himself to his feet. Immediately, Starfire and Nightwing leaped forward, catching him before his legs gave out.
"Beast Boy!" Cyborg cried out, mildly shocked. A small screen was popped out of his wrist; he had been checking it. "Dude! What are you –"
"Raven!" the changeling yelped, his voice cracking. "Where is she? Where is she?"
"You need to sit down, Beast Boy," Nightwing reasoned. "You have a serious head injury. Here, let me –"
"No!" he nearly screamed. "I need to know she's okay! Where is she?" He attempted to thrust himself forward, but Starfire had him locked in a death grip. Cyborg and Nightwing were blocking his view.
"She's fine, B," Cy soothed. "Look." He pointed to one of the large screens on the wall. It showed Raven's vitals, all of which seemed normal. But Beast Boy wasn't convinced.
"You said she's in a coma!" he blurted. His heart seemed to be beating right behind his eyes. "That's not fine, Cyborg! It's not!" His voice caught on the last note, and he bit his lip to keep from crying. It didn't help.
"Sit down, Beast Boy," Nightwing said again, a little more firmly than the time before. "We can't explain anything to you when you're hysterical."
"Can you at least let me see her?" Beast Boy whimpered. He was too weak to keep fighting anyway. Cyborg nodded and moved out of the way. Raven was laying on a cot on the other end of the room. She wasn't floating, like she did when she was healing. Instead, she looked small and limp, like a broken marionette.
Beast Boy sunk backwards, falling back onto the cot. Looking at her made him want to cry. She looked…dead. "What's wrong with her?" he whispered.
"We're not sure," Nightwing started. He glanced at Cyborg. The half-robot rubbed the back of his neck.
"She's alive," he began hesitatingly. "But during your attack, something must have seriously messed with her psyche. She's in some sort of mental lock-down. We were actually hoping you could give us a clue, B. You're the only other person who saw the fight."
Beast Boy scoffed. "If you can call it that. It was more like an ass-kicking." In as much detail as he could remember, the changeling rehashed the fight.
"So they are not the HIVE?" Starfire asked. She looked thoroughly confused.
"That would make sense," Cyborg said quietly. "The original was pretty much a waste of time and money."
"You said this 'Bombadiera' attacked Raven?" Nightwing clarified. He was scratching his chin with one hand – a classic Robin move.
"I think so," Beast Boy mumbled. It was all very fuzzy in his concussed brain. "Her eyes were all…glowy."
"Is she not the one who put Speedy out of commission?" Starfire queried.
"I think she is," Nightwing answered. The group continued talking, but Beast Boy tuned out. He was watching Raven now. The sorceress definitely looked like she was in pain – her face was still in that twisted, harsh expression. By her side, her hands were clenched into fists. Beads of sweat trickled along her hairline.
"She's gonna be okay, right?" Beast Boy asked. His voice was barely a whisper.
The conversation stopped. All three teammates looked first at him, and then at each other. Their worried expressions only increased Beast Boy's anxiety. Finally, Cyborg spoke.
"We don't know yet, Beast Boy."
…
In the days that followed, Beast Boy spent a great deal of time in the infirmary. He was released himself after two, but was benched from any patrols or other heroic activities for a while. Beast Boy didn't mind. He spent this extra time beside Raven's cot in the infirmary, sitting in a chair pulled up to the level of her head.
At first he just sat there, watching her. At every twitch, every sharp intake of breath, the changeling would shoot out of the chair and stare at the screen displaying her vitals. Nothing ever seemed to change. He worried a lot.
About a week after the initial incident, Beast Boy started talking to her. Just inane stuff mostly, like how the weather was ("It's raining today. Again. But you like rain, huh?"), what he'd done that day ("I watched the stupid infirmary TV for ten hours."), or what was happening around the Tower ("Silkie ate the remote. Again. It's stuck on a Spanish soap opera channel. I think Nightwing's gettin' into it."). She never answered. He still worried a lot.
His sessions sitting with the comatose empath became more and more intimate as the days wore on. He talked to her about a lot of things. It was strange; these one-sided conversations were some of the most emotional he had ever experienced. At one point he'd gotten angry and broken the tiny TV in the corner. Another time he'd cried for two hours. He even spent a whole day performing a comedy routine for her. This was all because somewhere, deep in his mind, he believed it would wake her.
Two weeks after the fight, Cyborg walked in on one of Beast Boy's "conversations" with Raven. The changeling was sitting in his usual spot, knees drawn up under his chin. His dull, tired eyes were fixed on the sorceress's face. Cyborg cleared his throat and Beast Boy turned, not in the least bit surprised to see the newcomer.
"We're worried about you, B," Cyborg began softly. The green teen blinked slowly.
"Why?" There wasn't much emotion in his voice. He'd worn himself out.
Cyborg sighed and pulled a chair up to the other side of Raven's bed. His mouth drew into a thin line as he looked into her face. The expression was not as bad as it had been originally – she no longer seemed to be in agonizing pain. Her eyebrows were creased slightly, but that was it.
"I'm scared, Cy," Beast Boy murmured. "What if she never wakes up?"
The half-robot leaned back, his human eye flicking away. "She will."
Beast Boy fidgeted. "You don't know that. What if she's gone forever?" His voice had risen slightly. Cyborg breathed another very deep sigh.
"She isn't."
The younger boy snarled in frustration. He stood up, the chair skidding back. "Stop saying that!" he snapped. "Stop pretending that you know! You don't! None of us do!"
Cyborg stood as well, towering above Beast Boy. "Being positive is better than moping around every single day!" he bellowed. It was very rare that the half-robot was angry, but with the combination of tiredness, frustration, and worry, the right buttons had apparently been pushed.
"I'm keeping her company!" Beast Boy spat back. "You can't just tuck her away in a closet and pretend everything's okay, Cyborg. Because it's not!" Angry tears were filling his eyes. His fists shook at his sides. "It's not okay! She could be dead!"
Cyborg stared down at him, his jaw set. The anger was rushing out of him like air from a balloon. The half-robot sat down heavily. He brought both hands to his face. Beast Boy remained standing, wiping at the tears with a frustrated hand.
The infirmary was silent but for the computer's quiet beeping. After a minute, Beast Boy sat back down, crossing his arms and leaning back. He looked down at his lap.
"You think I don't know that?" The low rumble of Cy's voice made Beast Boy's head snap back up. The half-robot was now looking at Raven. He looked twice his age. "I have no idea what Bombadiera did to her. I can't do anything. And that upsets me." He cleared his throat and looked away. "It upsets me a lot. I love Raven. I really, really do. She's like my sister. Losing her would be like…" He paused again, swallowing. "It would be like losing my mom all over again."
Beast Boy felt horrid. The things he said…they now seemed even worse. He scratched the back of his head. "I'm sorry, Cy. About all the shit I said. I just…don't want to lose her either."
Cyborg gave his best friend a small smile. "I know, B. I know how much you care about her." He stood, grunting as he did so. "I think I'll check in with 'Wing. He's running himself ragged."
"Yeah," Beast Boy said, distractedly. "That's a good idea."
He barely noticed Cyborg leaving the room. As soon as he did, the changeling reached over and grabbed the empath's cold, gray hand. The room was once again reduced to silence.
…
Beast Boy's first patrol since the incident was scheduled for an evening a couple days after his talk with Cyborg. It was with Nightwing, and would only be a short sweep of the northwest quadrant. The changeling was anxious about it. It wasn't going out again that scared him – it was leaving Raven. Leaving her side made him feel uncomfortable. He had actually started sleeping in the infirmary with her, curled up on the chair in an animal form (or even human, occasionally). He didn't want to be gone for too long, lest she wake.
In the time before his patrol, he was sitting in his usual place, talking to the comatose girl next to him. He had one of her hands in both of his; playing with her fingers.
"I'm going out tonight," he said softly. "I have to. The Team is exhausted without us. Well, you, mostly." He chuckled to himself. The familiar silence met him. He had gotten used to it, but the pain of not hearing her voice made his body ache.
"So you gotta wake up soon, okay? We can't function without you." He blushed. "Me especially." Saying it out loud, even to a coma patient, made him feel awkward. "Well, uh, ya know, who's gonna let me know what jokes aren't funny?"
No response. She really did look like she was sleeping now. All of the traces of pain were gone from her face. Beast Boy sighed.
Nightwing knocked on the door, but did not open it. "Are you ready, Beast Boy?"
The changeling glanced over at the door. "Just a sec!" he called. He stood, looking down at Raven. He gently set her hand down on the cot.
"I gotta go, Rae," he said, quietly. His feet didn't move. He stared at her, frowning. The hairs on the back of his neck stood up. It was almost as if a force were keeping him in place. "I gotta go," he repeated. Her sleeping face did not change.
With one quick, jerky motion, he leaned over and planted a kiss on her cheek. Her skin was cold, but the touch sent a spark up through his lips. A shiver wracked his frame out of nowhere, and he gasped.
"Beast Boy!" Nightwing called. He was obviously getting antsy. "We need to stay on schedule!"
Using all of the force he could muster, Beast Boy swung himself back and stumbled out the door.
The patrol was very calm. Absolutely nothing happened, which Beast Boy suspected Nightwing planned for. The non-HIVE group hadn't been spotted since their attack, and Nightwing had been concentrating on finding them near the area where the fight happened. That was on the other end of town from where he and Beast Boy were patrolling. They were circling an upscale neighborhood; Nightwing on his motorcycle and Beast Boy in the air as an owl. Nothing of interest had occurred.
When Nightwing skidded to a halt just past the gate to a community, Beast Boy assumed trouble. He changed course and swooped down, shifting right before hitting the ground. Nightwing was talking into his communicator in hushed tones. When the changeling approached, Nightwing ended the call and looked over at his teammate. Beast Boy could read nothing from that emotionless mask. But the two words that came out of his mouth made Beast Boy's heart nearly launch out of his chest.
"Raven's awake."
…
Raven was sitting up in her cot when Beast Boy arrived, looking disoriented but otherwise healthy. The changeling was suddenly frozen. He had gotten back to the Tower at top speed, but now he had no idea how to move.
She was looking at Cyborg, answering simple questions like who the president was and what Starfire's name was. The sorceress seemed almost exasperated. She kept mumbling something about her memory being entirely intact and that he needed to stop fussing. She hadn't even noticed that Beast Boy had entered the room.
"R-Raven?" Beast Boy stuttered. All chatter stopped. Cyborg and Starfire stepped out of the way of the empath's vision. Raven stared at the boy across the room, her face the closest to surprise it had probably ever gotten. Her mouth opened, like she was about to say something.
It was at this time that Beast Boy's brain remembered motor functions. He lurched forward, reaching the empath's bed and sweeping her into his embrace. He buried his face into her neck, entirely engulfing himself in the steady, steady heartbeat. Her pulse quickened under his touch.
"Beast Boy," she said, breathlessly. Her arms reached up shakily and wrapped around his neck. Her grip was weak. "Beast Boy."
"Oh, God," the changeling said thickly. He was crying. Hot, heavy tears rolled down his cheek and onto Raven's alabaster skin. "Raven."
It was like the rest of the world disappeared. There was no team, no infirmary, and no universe. Just Raven. Raven returned to him. And that was all that mattered.
And in that moment, everything became crystal clear. It was the most cliche experience possible, but Beast Boy could not care less.
He loved her.
…
A/N – Hello, dears. I hope you liked this. It started out funny but then became really angsty. I haven't been feeling my happiest lately, and it's been reflecting on my writing. So I put my lighter stuff on hold so I wouldn't poison it accidentally…But I'm gonna try writing more on that stuff soon, I promise! :) Reviews are incredibly, incredibly appreciated. Thanks, loves.
