"I can't believe I let you drag me here," Raven muttered crossly. Her arms were crossed over her chest defensively, as if her stature would somehow deflect the surging mass of emotions rearing up around her. The crowd around her didn't seem to notice her discomfort, or if they did, they were too busy hurrying off to the next thrill ride this place had to offer.
Her companion merely offered her a cheeky grin, his arm slinging over her shoulders with ease. "Aw, come on, Rae! This is gonna' be so much fun!"
Raven scowled. "Yes, if you consider cheap jump scares fun."
Beast Boy merely chuckled, merriment rolling off him in waves. "Whatever you say, Raven."
The two of them weaved their way through the crowd, Raven allowing Beast Boy to guide them to wherever his fancy lay. She watched the leaves skitter across the pavement in the breeze, the dead things being trampled beneath the feet of the many people that wandered about the park.
It was a rather busy day here at the park, with many of the lines for the rides overflowing and groups of people bustling to and fro. Children shrieked and ran, their laughter ringing in Raven's ears. If it wasn't for her empathy, she probably would have enjoyed herself a little more. But the overwhelming joy, fear, and adrenaline was really starting to give her a headache.
"Ooh, let's do this one!"
Raven barely had time to process Beast Boy's words when his arm slid off her shoulders and he snagged her wrist, dragging her towards one of the haunted maze attractions the park was hosting. She stumbled after him, her gaze catching sight of the maze's name.
"Madam Rouge's House of Horrors?" she read dubiously, quirking an eyebrow at the cheesy name.
"Yeah! Creepy, right?" Beast Boy said with a grin. Raven merely rolled her eyes. That didn't stop him though, and he proceeded to drag her to the fast-pass entrance, where they flashed their passes and slipped into the front of the line.
A man stood at the entrance, his face twisted into a grotesque grin. He wore a costume of sorts; a suit type of thing, resembling a bellhop from a fancy hotel, except that it was torn and dusty looking, with threadbare sleeves and what appeared to be dried fake blood splattered here and there. He wore makeup as well, making him appear almost ghost-like.
"Alright, ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Madam Rouge's House of Horrors! Inside, there will be no eating, drinking, or flash photography. Phones and other electronics are not allowed, and please do not touch our wax figures, and they will not touch you. Now have a wonderful time with Madame Rouge!" He flashed a smile and stepped aside, letting the small group through.
Beast Boy practically bounced from beside her, his had slipping into hers as they made their way inside the maze. "I can go first, if you'll be too scared," he teased. Raven made a face.
"I don't do scared."
He raised a brow. "What about that time we watched that horror movie?" he asked. Raven huffed and adverted her gaze.
"That was one time."
"Uh, huh. If you say so, Rae-Rae."
The maze was interesting at least. It was indoors, underground from what Raven could tell. The walls and rooms were all decorated in a sort of macabre sense, with what appeared to be wax figurines. It was pretty gruesome though, as the theme of the maze seemed to be waxing people alive, or something of the sort.
She didn't really find much of it scary though. Of course, it was in part due to her emphatic ability to detect people's auras, as around nearly every corner was an actor ready to jump out at them. Still, she had to admit it was pretty entertaining to watch Beast Boy scream like a baby every now-and-again.
They turned another corner, only for a wax figure to jump out at them, making Beast Boy shriek and dive behind her. She shot him an amused look and chuckled. "So, what was that about protecting me again?" she asked. Beast Boy shot her a glare, his hand trembling slightly as he snatched hers.
"Yeah, yeah," he muttered. They rounded another turn, nearing what Raven presumed to be the exit.
"This was fun, I suppose," she mused over the screams echoing from behind them. Beast Boy huffed, pouting slightly.
"Stop teasing me!" he whined. Raven laughed, shaking her head.
"I'm not teasing y-"
It was then that an actor popped out from a panel in the wall, catching Raven by surprise and making her scream. A flash of black energy blew out around her, and the lights in the maze went out with a pop! Raven stood frozen for a moment, her face burning with embarrassment.
How on earth had she not known they were there? There was a moment of silence before Beast Boy burst out laughing, eliciting a giggle from the shell-shocked actor.
"Holy shit, Rae!" he laughed. "That was awesome!"
She glared at the ground, grumbling under her breath, and attempted to yank her hand free from the shapeshifter. Before she could do so, he pulled her close and wrapped his arms around her, planting a kiss on the top of her head.
"I guess we're even now, huh?" he murmured. Raven blinked, a small smile tugging at her lips. She let out a sigh and shook her head.
"I suppose so, Garfield. I suppose so." She paused, squinting as the maze lights flickered back on. "Though I must say, at least I didn't shriek like a little girl."
Beast Boy gaped at her, his expression turning indignant. "Hey!" he said. But Raven had already moved ahead, laughter bubbling past her lips.
Author's Note:
Here's a little something for the fall season! XD I wrote this to procrastinate on life, lol, so enjoy. :)
Thanks for the support!
-vixensheart
EDIT: So sorry guys! I accidentally pasted the wrong thing! Oops. I guess you all got a sneak peak into Beastly's second chapter, lol. Here's the proper one-shot I meant to upload.