To Claim and Possess
Chapter Nine
)O(
Raven swallowed hard as she stared blankly at the roof in front of her. Night fell over the waters of the bay, obscuring most of the familiar images into dark shadows and shapes. In the distance she could see the lights of Jump City winking in and out of existence. Raven swallowed hard as she fought an alien feeling of panic rising in her chest. This was certainly not the savannah, and she was caught off guard as the sea breeze pushed against her, filling her senses with memories she could barely process. The feeling of Beast Boy's arms wrapped around her exhausted body as they drifted off to sleep.
Immediately followed by the memory of her intrusion on his fantasy just days ago.
Color filled her face and she took a step back out of habit. There was nothing in front of her now, but that didn't mean that the scene couldn't change at any moment. Behind her, she felt movement, as if someone or something was trying to stay just out of her peripheral range. She stilled, letting the being come closer to her.
It approached, curious, and Raven could feel his intrigue and alertness push against the strings of her powers. He was testing her. He was trying to see if she had brought Adonis with her again, but he made no move to attack her. So, for now, Raven wouldn't consider him an a total threat.
"You're injured."
His words were cool, like ice sliding down her neck. Raven glanced down at her right arm, seeing her skin bloodied and shredded from her escape from her own mind. Adonis had made certain that she was not going to escape her own dreams without fighting him first.
"Yes." She moved to heal herself, but felt a hand wrap around her wrist first.
"Allow me." Blood seeped from between his fingers, and the pain ebbed away as Raven's skin healed under his touch. Without any ceremony, he let go of her wrist and continued to pace just outside of her range of sight.
Raven continued to stand still, staring off the edge of the roof and into the bay. Below her, she heard a barge float past, waves slapping against the side of its massive hull. She cleared her throat and forced herself to stand straight, hoping she looked more confident than she felt. "I thought you allowed Beast Boy control of his dreams."
"That does not mean that I do not wish to have contact with you as well."
Another shiver ran down Raven's spine, but her face managed to stay clear of emotions. "And will you attack me as Adonis did? Try to force your wishes and demands on me?"
His pacing stopped, and Raven could feel the overwhelming push of anger from him. The tension was thick and tangible, and Raven thought she might lose herself in the wave of power and dominance that he twisted around her.
"I am nothing like that vile, disgusting thing." He growled low in his throat, something reminiscent of a wild animal, and moved around her to stand next to her side. He wore the skin of Beast Boy, but his mind was still the wild and untamed mind of the beast, and he glared down at her with dark, dangerous eyes. "Remember that I tolerate your presence here because that is what my host wishes, but do not think for a moment, demon, that I will not return your consciousness to your own body if provoked. I am not one to tolerate insolence."
Raven swallowed her fear and stood her ground, tilting her chin up to his defiantly. "Understood. But understand that I do not trust you and what you are. You stole from me, forced me to forget my most precious memory, and now you're keeping me here in your own consciousness instead of letting me speak to Beast Boy. You may not want to be compared to Adonis, but you are no better."
The beast pushed against her, his growl deepening and growing louder. "No better? I did not force myself into your mind. I did not force my body on you. I did not rip away all free will and choice from you. I have exercised complete control in the situation, and you should be grateful for my patience. I took your memory as a token of gratitude, do not mistake it for anything else." He snapped his teeth at her and resumed pacing around her body. "Do not worry, I will not keep you here for long, demon, as I know your concern lies elsewhere."
"My concern is for the psyche of my friend, whom you inhabit."
"He is safe. Slumbering unaware that you are here with me."
"What do you want with me?" Raven turned around and watched him circle her like a lion circled prey. She gathered energy at her fingertips, ready to fight if the need arose. Although, she had no idea what it would do to Beast Boy's psyche. "Why did you bring me here?"
"To talk."
There was a shimmer in the air and the scene changed. Now the roof was filled with the sights and sounds of Beast Boy and Raven… copulating. Color flooded Raven's face, but she couldn't tear her eyes away from the scene in front of her. Her hands tightened into fists, and her breath hitched as she watched Beast Boy's hands slide over the pale skin of her doppelganger.
She stepped back and finally looked at the beast. "This isn't talking."
"I wish to talk about this."
"What about this?"
He raised an eyebrow. "Do you think me so dense, demon? I can feel your emotions, I can smell them on you. You're denying your own feelings… and for what? What purpose does that serve you in the end?"
Raven jerked and looked at him. "What?"
"I've been in your head, demon. I've seen the deepest, darkest parts of your psyche. I have seen your own thoughts and emotions, trying to lie to me is no different than lying to yourself." His eyes darkened slightly as he motioned toward the scene in front of them. "You're denying the truth, that you wish for this to happen, and that you wish to become our mate."
"I…" She stared at the fantasy again, her eyes tracing the patterns that Beast Boy's hands made on her pale skin. Is that what she wanted? Those few days ago, when she had finally succumbed to those burning emotions inside her, when she looked at his bare body running towards her, laughing and smiling, when his lips finally returned her kiss and he nearly devoured her soul… is that what it was? Desire? Or was it more than just desire? And then tonight? When he confessed his feelings to her…
… hadn't her heart skipped? Just a little bit?
She turned and looked at the beast, her face still stoic. "I'm not sure what you want."
"I want nothing other than to have you see the truth." His hand twitched and the scene disappeared as quickly as it had appeared, and the beast continued to stare at her. "You doubt my host's feelings. You doubt the sincerity of his words, do you not? You doubt whether his confession was of his own volition, or the product of you… how did you put it? Knocking around in his head?"
That's true. There was the possibility of Raven having influenced his feelings toward her, but if that were the case, then why had they flirted for so long? Raven remembered the teasing look he gave her in the tea shop, the easiness and sincerity of his apology, the subtle ways he would move into her personal space. And then she remembered their fight in Robin's office, and how hurt he looked when they fought over the idea of sex, but how easily he moved into her space, and the feelings that radiated from him as he ran his hands over her body. All of that had happened before Raven dreamwalked into his mind.
She closed her eyes, fighting against the sudden, bubbly feeling that rose into her chest. There was a part of her that knew she needed to be realistic and keep her feet firmly planted in reality, but there was just a little part of her that begged for all of it to be true.
She shrugged and looked away from him, staring out across the dark water of the bay. "Beast Boy is a man, he's perfectly capable to having these fantasies towards anyone of the opposite sex. Or the same sex. Whatever."
"They're all about you."
The scene changed again, and this time they were standing in an alleyway in Jump City, Beast Boy standing against a wall as Raven kneeled in front of him. Her stomach turned in something akin to both revulsion and excitement at the sight. It was such a private act being done so openly, that she wasn't exactly sure what she was supposed to feel. She forced herself to look blankly ahead, lest she betray her emotions to the beast.
"Perhaps this one would be more to your liking."
The air shimmered again, and their positions were suddenly reversed. Raven bit her lip, fighting a strange noise that started to build in her throat as ice spread through her veins. What was wrong with her, why was this exciting her? She shook her head and turned around to face the beast behind her. "Stop this."
"Why?" He stared down at her, eyes still cold. "Does it make you feel? Does it make you question your false truths against the real ones?"
"So what if Beast Boy has these feelings towards me?" Raven's eyes narrowed. "I still have you to contend with. I still have your curse that affects all of his choices."
"I did not choose you." He crossed his arms over her chest and leaned back on his heels, staring down at her. "I am an extension of a primeval nature housed within the DNA of my host - within all sentient beings, actually. I am, as you have thought on several occasions, a parasite. I do not control the actions of my host, he controls me, and I am forced to make changes accordingly. Which is why when Adonis tried to lay claim to you that I reacted. Which is why my host, who is disgustingly progressive in his treatment of you, has an uncontrollable desire to protect you and view you as territory."
Raven's heart jumped into her throat and she stared at him. "What does that mean?"
He raised an eyebrow and sniffed the air, undoubtedly tasting her emotions. "You know precisely what it means, demon. You are asking for confirmation of what you already assumed." He paused and gave a short nod. "It is my host who wants you as a mate. It is his wish."
Excitement coursed through her veins again and she shivered in response. Years of practice managed to keep her face stoic. "I find that hard to believe."
"You do not. You wish for it to be true." He sighed, as if frustrated, and took a step away from her. "You're taxing my patience, demon. I am tired of waiting while you skirt around the truth, while Adonis takes a stronger control in your mind." There was a long pause and he stared at her. "Do you understand the severity of what he is doing to you? He is not just taking control of your dreams, he is accessing your powers. He is breaking down every barrier that you have and his is destroying you from the inside out. He will not hesitate in dominating you."
"And isn't that what you're doing now? Dominating me?"
"I am nothing like that despicable thing, and you know it." He growled again, his eyes flashing as he stared at her. "Test my patience one more time, demon, and I will not hesitate to actually dominate you."
Raven stood her ground and growled back at him, letting her demon side show through as red filled her eyes. "Try me." She snapped her teeth and he backed down slightly. Releasing her demon side, she looked up and saw the faint lines of surprise mingling with pride and appreciation, as if seeing her fight back actually excited him. Raven ignored him and continued their conversation. "You said he is taking control of my dreams and accessing my powers. Is that true?"
"Yes."
Raven's fears were confirmed, and she felt a sinking feeling in her stomach as she continued to stare up at him. "And you? Can you access my powers too? Can you dreamwalk into my dreams?" She picked up her shirt and showed him the red mark racing against her skin. "You branded me as well as he did, Beast Boy said we share a connection."
"I did brand you, and I can access your powers through our connection." He gave a short nod, still keeping his distance from her, eyes following her movements as she shuffled under the weight of his stare. "I simply choose not to." He paused still watching her confused expression. Raven's mind raced through a million different reasons as to why he would be able to control himself, whereas Adonis had torn into her like a poorly wrapped Christmas package. He had succumbed to the temptation of terrorizing her psyche.
"I see you are confused, perhaps it would be better if I explained what we are."
Raven gave a short nod, crossing her arms over her chest. "Might be nice to be in on the story every now and again."
He chose not to respond to her tone of voice and continued. "As I said before, I am - or rather we - are extensions of a more primeval nature that exists in all sentient beings. In you, in my host, in Adonis, in every thinking animal on this planet. Years ago, when my host fell into the toxin with Adonis, the chemical changed our hosts and created us. It rearranged our hosts' DNA and created a being that exists within the metaphysical folds of their being. Me. Adonis. We are both of the same origin.
"When I came into existence, I was pure primeval nature. I wanted nothing more than to conquer, dominate, and subdue. That is why our first meeting was… brutal, to say the least. I suppose in many ways I am still that primitive to you, although I personally believe that I have grown and evolved in the years since then. I suppose this has a great deal to do with my host. We are one, and I am nothing without my host, therefore I take on his preferences and aspects of his personality. He loves you-"
That word made Raven's heart skip again and she swallowed hard.
"-he respects you, and he cares for your wellbeing. I am unable to go against his personality. If he respects your privacy and your space, so must I. That is why I do not access your powers, and that is why I have given you your space, demon. He wishes to have a relationship with you, and even though that is not necessarily in my nature, I am obliged to comply with his will."
Raven rubbed her forehead, trying not to focus on the words "he loves you" too much. She wasn't sure how to handle that information along with everything else he had just pushed on her. "That was an info dump."
He shrugged. "You asked for the truth."
"I didn't ask for a novel."
He rolled his eyes.
"So why is Adonis attacking me and not you?"
"Isn't it obvious? He is attacking you because his host lacks control, both of himself and of his beast." The beast moved around her again. "His entire life revolves around physical gratification instantly and without regard to cost. If he desires you, he will do whatever is necessary to achieve his goals, including breaking you apart from the inside of your psyche, paying no mind to your wellbeing. Adonis's beast is a parasite like I am, but because of his host, he has morphed into something more dangerous."
Raven took a slow, deep breath. "And if I mate with Beast Boy…?"
The beast raised an eyebrow. "You will sever the connection between you and him." He paused again, and the air turned thick and heavy with the weight of his words. "But, be advised, demon, if you mate with my host, you will never have the opportunity to mate with another. I mate for life, and I do not take such an act lightly. If you accept my body, you accept me as part of your territory, and that is not a possession that is easily lost."
Silence filled the space again and Raven looked away as she contemplated his words. She knew the implications of mating with Beast Boy, but what other options did she have? Adonis would not rest until he claimed her, and a lifetime with Beast Boy… that didn't seem like such a terrible curse. She could certainly think of worse things, although she could certainly think of better things too. She looked back at him and sighed. "So, what now?"
"Now?" His eyebrows shot up, the only indication of his surprise. "Now, you may see my host. I've said my peace, as your colloquialism goes, and I have nothing more to say. I will release his consciousness to you." He paused for a moment, taking a step closer to her. "Adonis will not stay behind the barrier you have created for much longer. I strongly suggest that you come up with a better plan than hiding in my host's dreams." He paused and his eyes ran over her for a moment, expression unreadable but smoldering. "However, I also suggest that you take full advantage of the time you have." He gave a short nod. "That is all."
With those last words he faded into nothingness, and his image shimmered away, taking the scenery of the roof with him. Bright light pierced her eyes and Raven had to shield herself against the painful rays that spilled down from the sky. When her sight finally adjusted, she looked around to find herself standing in a field that looked suspiciously like a computer desktop background. There were rolling hills of bright green grass that bubbled and bumped for miles around her, ending in peaked mountains in the far-off distance. It was surprisingly beautiful, and she wanted to just sit and enjoy the scenery for a brief moment.
Sitting a few yards away was Beast Boy, his image green and normal, staring off into a crystal-clear blue lake with a distracted expression. Raven's heart constricted painfully, and she felt the air around her twist with the force of her emotions.
He loves you.
Yes, but he didn't know that she knew his feelings, and if Raven was going to have any chance at making this whole interaction significantly less awkward than it already was, then she was going to have to find some way to play it cool. She brushed invisible dirt off her clothes and followed the slope of the hill down to the spot where he sat.
"Hey!" He turned and grinned at her, obviously completely oblivious to the conversation that had transpired between her and the beast. He waved and patted the empty space next to him. "I was wondering when you would show up. I saved you a seat."
"Sorry, I had trouble falling asleep, and it took a little longer to get here." She hated lying to him, but she also wasn't ready to share what the beast had told her. She pushed at her hair and fell down into the grass with him. "I'm not used to sharing a bed, especially with a teammate."
He shrugged and smiled at her. "I don't know. I thought it was kinda nice." He nudged her shoulder. "You're warm."
Color flooded her face and she cleared her throat, looking away to regain her composure. "You shouldn't tease me like that, Beast Boy."
"I'm not teasing, it's a fact: you're warm."
Silence fell over them again and she frowned. "Can we talk?"
"Do we have to right away?" His ears fell a little, and a few clouds came in, blocking the sun. "Can't we just enjoy this for right now? Can't we just stay… uncomplicated?"
Raven understood exactly where his fear was coming from, after all, she had the same type of fear. But, she knew that she couldn't ignore his words forever. He had said them to her, and now they both knew that it was impossible to pretend that they didn't exist. The only way to properly deal with this situation was actually sit down and address the situation.
"No, we can't." She shook her head and stared out into the distance, watching as fog rolled in from the mountains. "I can't ignore what you said to me and I want to talk about it."
"Ugh. I should have kept my big mouth shut." He groaned and fell back against the grass. "I knew you would want to talk about what I said. I knew that we couldn't just ignore it and go on being… whatever we were. I just made things freaking complicated between us, didn't I?" He sighed before Raven could respond, and began talking. "Yes, I like you, Raven, okay? I have for a long time. I like the way you smell of tea, the way you're content to sit in silence, the way you're so logical, hell, I like the way you keep me grounded. I like watching you when you read and you think no one is looking. I like seeing your eyes widen when someone does something nice and unexpected for you. I like the frown you give me when I'm trying to tell a terrible joke. I like the way you always put others before yourself, even though you don't ask for anything in return. I like the bedhead you have when you roll out of bed after a night of fighting. I like it all."
"Beast Boy…"
"I know it's a lot to throw on you on top of everything else we're dealing with, and I know that I'm selfish in pushing my feelings on you, but I can't help saying what I did. I like you. I tried to protect you from my feelings, I tried to protect myself from my feelings… hell, I did everything in my power not to think about you, but I can't help the way I feel, I can't-"
"Beast Boy! Will you just shut up for thirty seconds so I can get a word in edgewise?" She glared at him, knowing her cheeks were flushed by the sentiment he had pushed on her. She pushed her hair out of her face and continued to stare at him. "I am trying to have a conversation with you and you're dominating it. Please let me at least have the chance to respond."
He snapped his mouth shut. "Sorry."
"Thank you." She took a long, deep breath, listening to the wind rustling through the glasses around them, whispering as it moved over the slopes and hills of the scenery. Minutes passed before she finally responded to the emotions that he had left with her.
"Garfield." She deliberately used his real name, hoping that he understood the sincerity and weight of her words. "Initially, I didn't know how to respond to what you told me. I was confused, hurt, frustrated… but most of all… I was happy." She heard his swift intake of breath and continued. "I care about you too. I know that this relationship isn't ideal… hell, I don't think I fully understand it most of the time, but it's important to me. You're important to me. And so, I want to try this. I want to give this a shot, because if there really is something more than just primeval emotions swirling between us, then I want to explore it. I want to see where it goes." She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "I am willing to try this if you are."
He stared at her, his face blank.
Color flooded Raven's face. "Say something." Pause. "Anything." Pause. "Did I just make a fool of myself?"
"No!" he reached out for her, his fingers closing around her wrist, stopping any idea of retreat she might have had. His fingers tightened against her skin and he pulled her closer to him. "No." His voice was softer now. "I just… I never expected you to say what you did, Raven. You're usually so reserved and shy and quiet, hearing you open up to me was… nice. I forget how much I enjoy being your friend first and foremost."
She looked at his hand wrapped around her skin and bit back frown, trying to keep herself stoic.
He moved closer to her, his fingers releasing her wrist. "So, what is this?"
Raven raised an eyebrow and stared at him blankly. "This? This is uncomplicated. This is easy. This is not going to be named." She saw his expression fall and thought for a moment before responding to his change. "For now. We'll try this slowly, one step at a time. We won't push each other, and nothing will change. For now."
He crossed his arms over his chest and rolled his eyes. "That doesn't seem like much of a 'this'."
"It's not supposed to." She sighed and moved closer to him. "You said it yourself, Beast Boy. There are real implications to having a relationship with me in the real world. In here I am safe, but out there I am dangerous, and so are you. Putting our two volatile souls together is asking for trouble, and we have to learn restraint and control before we try anything that is…" She searched for the right word. "...abnormal."
"Abnormal?"
"For us."
He sighed and his shoulder slumped in defeat. "We're not even an actual, real couple and you're already pulling rules on us."
"Because we have to." She pulled her knees to her chest and looked out at the same lake he had been admiring. "You know how dangerous I am. You know what can happen if we don't take this slowly."
He looked over at her. "Can I at least kiss you?"
She swallowed her surprise, but knew it still showed on her face. "I…"
"Raven." He rolled his eyes and moved closer to her, his lips curling up in a playful smile. "It's obviously your turn to shut up." With that he moved closer to her, his lips catching hers in a searing kiss. There was that feeling of airlessness, like she was free-falling into the darkness after jumping out of a plane, and then she hit the ground, air being knocked out of her lungs. Her fingers reached up and she pulled him closer, suddenly unaware of the somewhat valiant speech she had just made about taking things slow. His lips seemed to remove all ability for her to think in a logical and coherent fashion.
"Be gentle." She whispered between breaths.
He pulled away and looked into her eyes, somehow knowing that she wasn't criticizing his kisses. His hand moved down her sternum, until it finally rested over her heart. "I will. Always."
Smiling, he leaned back in for another kiss, his tongue sliding across the seam of her lips before nudging her mouth open to slip inside. He tasted fresh, like cool, clear water, and the taste was damn near addicting. Raven leaned up into his kisses, whimpering when one of his free hands pushed up the hem on her top and traced the smooth skin of her stomach. He made random patterns across the flat plane before he moved to the curve of her hip, his fingertips outlining the scars there.
She groaned as his feather-like touch moved even further under her shirt, as if he were desperate to touch any part of her skin that he could. He smiled against her lips, and his mouth left hers as it traveled down the column of her neck.
"I don't want this to be a dream."
His words were so matter-of-fact that it startled Raven from her own thoughts and enjoyment of his skills. She looked up into his face, trying of offer some kind of reassuring smile, but she knew it fell flat. Her fingers threaded through his hair. "It's all a dream, Beast Boy."
He nuzzled her neck, running his tongue along her throat. "I liked it better when you called me Garfield."
Raven moaned and her back arched out of reflex, pushing her body closer to his. "Garfield."
"Raven." He leaned back up and caught her lips again. "It feels too perfect."
"Because it is." She ran her fingertips down his face and frowned. "Because we both know that Adonis will break through our barriers any moment and we'll have to fight him. It's one more thing we have to do and can't ignore."
"It's one more thing keeping us apart." He sighed and his body slumped against hers before turning and lying in the grass next to her. His emotions moved from ecstatic to downtrodden in an instant. He stared up at the clouds, watching them as they passed overhead, gasping for breath as he fell down from his high. "Thanks for being a mood breaker, Rae."
She shrugged. "It's the truth." Color stained her cheeks and she looked away, embarrassed by her request. "But that doesn't mean you have to stop kissing me. In fact, I would appreciate it if you continued to kiss me."
Beast Boy laughed, and the sound rumbled low in his chest, brushing against her ribcage as he move closer to her. He propped himself up on his arm and slid his free arm around her waist, smiling down into her eyes. "You just had to ask, ya know."
Raven tilted her head up towards him…
And immediately felt claws raking through the thin skin on her scalp. She let go of a gut-wrenching scream and pulled against the being attacking her, flailing her arms and letting her demon side break through the surface. Blood spilled down her face and into her eyes and Beast Boy scrambled to attack the thing behind her. He snarled and hissed as his hands sunk into Adonis's flesh, claws exploding from the tips of his fingers.
Adonis howled and cursed, releasing his hold on Raven's head as he rolled across the grass. Beast Boy backed up, shielding her body from the onslaught of Adonis. He laughed and picked himself up, dusting off grass as he sauntered over to them. It was as if he had all the time in the world.
"You should be more wary of your surroundings, Raven." He smiled at her, showing his fangs as fur rippled across his skin. Blood dripped from his fingertips and splattered on the leaves of clean, pristine grass. "You should know when I am here and when I am not, considering I live in your subconscious."
"Let me go."
He laughed, low and slow in the depths of his stomach, like he had full control over the situation. "You know I can't do that. You're mine. You're my possession, you're my object. I own you like a person owns a car, and I will not have you off gallivanting with another owner!"
He spun around Beast Boy, his ankle catching the back of his thighs and sending him to the ground. The wind was knocked out of Beast Boy and he scrambled to his feet, reaching out for Raven. Adonis moved around his erratic attack and grabbed Raven's shirt, yanking down the collar over her shoulder, exposing the brand he gave her.
"This is mine, and you know that." His leg hooked the front of her calves and sent her to her knees, ripping the collar even more. He poised his claws over her jugular and stared right into Beast Boy's eyes. "Look at my brand. This is my mark on her skin, my possession. She belongs to me, and no piece of shit, upstart, hero is going to take that away from me. Do you hear me, Beast Boy!"
Raven looked up into Beast Boy's eyes, and nodded once. A signal that she was okay, and they should attack when the opportunity presented itself. He steeled his mouth and nodded back, dropping down onto his haunches and spreading his hand out in front of him. Raven watched as his face relaxed and his mind eased. A second passed in silence and his eyes opened to reveal the beast, in full control of Beast Boy's body.
"I am not going to let you think you have possession over a being, Adonis." Fur exploded over his skin, claws sinking into the soft earth. He growled low in in his throat, moving closer to Adonis. "We may be from the same origin, but we are nothing alike, and I will not allow you to control or harm my mate in any way, including within the confines of her mind or mine."
"Hm… I think you're mistaken."
"Now!"
Raven slid back from Adonis's claws, her mantra falling from her lips as she moved around him. Calling on her powers, she threw up a barrier and pushed outward, throwing Adonis off his feet and onto his back. The beast howled and jumped forward, his claws sinking into the soft flesh around Adonis's clavicle. Adonis howled and cursed, his own claws reaching out for the beast. They slashed and moved against skin and air, never hitting anything vital or important.
Raven snarled and brought her energy down onto his stomach, knocking the wind from his lungs as she heard the unmistakable crunch of his pelvis breaking under the pressure of her powers. He howled again, twisting and turning as he tried to fight off the pain running through his body. His hands reached out to grab her, but his movements were caught off by the beast breaking his wrists under the strength of his own grip.
"You unruly bitch." He spat at her, snarling and hissing. "You're going to pay for that. You're going to feel my wrath the moment you step foot into your own mind. Do not think you are safe anywhere."
Raven conjured a door to her subconscious and opened it. "I'll be waiting." Without another word, she threw him inside slamming the door closed behind him. Another movement from her hands and the door disappeared, creating another barrier between them. She sat in the grass, staring up at the beast hiding behind Beast Boy's face.
"We make a good team."
His face stayed stony. "I told you to make the most of the time that had been given to you." He moved to sit next to her, his eyes following the lines of blood running down her forehead. "Come here, let me heal you." Without waiting for her approval, he slid his over the gouges on her skull, ignoring the blood that seeped between his fingers. The pain ebbed away as her skin healed.
He looked down into her eyes for a moment, letting his fingers slide down her face to tilt her chin up to meet his eyes. There was a slow moment between them, and he leaned down and kissed her softly on the lips. Through his kiss, Raven could tell that both Beast Boy and the beast were one in the same. There was no one without the other, and something in that thought eased her troubles and soothed her.
It meant that no matter what she chose, Beast Boy would always be there with her.
He released her lips and nodded. "Now you know." There was another pause between them and he offered her a thin, joyless smile. "It is time to wake, Raven. You should make most of the time that has been given to you."
With that, the world around her faded into darkness, and when the light hit her again, she was curled up in Beast Boy's arms, under the covers in his bed. She turned slowly and looked at his face, eyes fluttering open to meet hers.
"Good morning."
)O(
So after some mild arguing with myself, I've decided to keep this story T. Should you want to read a Beast Boy/Raven M I have a new story out called "Sting" and I'm not entirely sure where I'm taking it, but it's fun to write.
Anyway, thanks for reading, and let me know what you think!