Moonlight Encounters
It was late morning when Raven had woken up which was unusual from her daily routine. She was accustomed to waking before the sun had even risen and now it was nearing 9:30am. Half the morning had been practically slept away while she could have done something worthwhile. The process of making her bed, dressing, and washing up had taken longer than she cared for and left her more than exhausted. The night had been a rough one as her throat continued to ache and breathing though her mouth hadn't helped. Her nose had been runny until she was finally all stuffed up.
The walk to the Ops room from the bathroom was farther than she had originally thought. It was her stomach that had motivated her to continue onwards to her destination. At first her presence went unnoticed as all the other titans were caught up in their own activities. Robin was rinsing his own dishes in the sink and Cyborg was seated at the table eating breakfast. Starfire was too busy babying Silkie and had him wearing an ugly Christmas sweater from the year before. Bumblebee had rolled in her packed suitcase and was searching for something around the Ops room.
"Hey sleepin' beauty." Cyborg said after a mouthful of breakfast casserole and he scooped up another bite with his fork.
"Merry Christmas." Robin dried off the saucer he was holding and looked up to see the empath, "I didn't think we'd see you anytime soon."
Raven squinted her eyes as the bright light filtering in from the window was too much to take in, "Morning."
She soon felt a hand on her shoulder to help steady her as her head spun. Instead of being escorted to the kitchen, Raven was gently seated on the couch by the help of Beast boy. The back of his green hand pressed against her cheek and then her forehead before he pulled away from her.
"How are you feeling?" Beast boy sat beside her and she brought her sock covered feet up on the couch.
She turned he body and rested her cheek on the back of the black couch, "Worse."
It was quiet or as quiet as the Ops room could be. Robin turned the tap off to the faucet and placed the dishes to dry on the rack. Bumblebee had left the room and Starfire washed her hands after pampering the alien worm. And ever so slowly, the events from the day before made it to the front of her head. The accidental kiss at the art auction had her internally cringing until she remembered her shared talk with Beast boy in the airport. Raven opened her eyes to take in Beast boy's calm face and relaxed when his aura remained unchanged. Twelve hours had barely passed and Raven had a boyfriend.
"Think you can handle a little breakfast?" Cyborg rinsed his hands in the sink and pulled out a bed tray from the cabinet.
Raven shook her head; a small mug of tea should settle her hunger. "I was planning to make tea."
"Cy's already got it covered." Beast boy nodded his head in the direction of the kitchen where hot water was already sitting inside the coffee maker. "You just sit here and we'll take care of everything."
Without any warning, a heavy gray blanket with white polka-dots was placed over her from behind thanks to Bumblebee. The dark-skinned woman leaned over the couch with a gray thermometer in hand and prompted Raven to use it. She was temporarily bound from speaking at the device beeped consistently every few seconds. Starfire placed a pillow beside her wrapped in dark blue pillow case. The thermometer gave out a series of beeps and Raven stared at the numbers claiming that she was running a low fever.
"Just because I'm sick, it doesn't make me handicapped." Raven wanted to breathe a sigh but instead a coughing fit took over.
Beast boy's response was cut off from Cyborg with a wooden tray in hand. "Alright, we have oatmeal, a side of applesauce, hot throat tea with honey, and some plain crackers for the little lady."
The blue snowman mug that held her tea was placed on the coffee table within her reach. Cyborg carefully arranged the tray so that it was beside her and left himself to clean up the dishes. Raven shook her head at the undesirable attention and ducked her head to avoid the gaze from the rest of her teammates. The three titans spread across the room to create a comfortable environment for Raven. Starfire moved to close the long drapes in the picture window, Bumblebee significantly turned down the volume to the TV, and Beast boy dimmed the lights all while Raven glared at each of them in return.
"Thank you." She said it loud enough for all of them to hear and used the silver spoon to start on her applesauce.
Robin temporarily left the Ops room and the rest of the titans tried to keep their voices down. The cold applesauce was soothing to her irritated throat and Raven was immediately grateful that breakfast had been made for her. The colored lights on the Christmas tree blinked and reflected of the ornaments. All the presents remained neatly wrapped which wasn't too unusual in Titans tower. The opening of presents was usually delayed
"Alright Rob, we're headin' out." Cyborg folded his red coat over his arm and waited for his girlfriend to meet him at the door.
Raven lifted her head and her eyes searched for the digital clock underneath the plasma screen, "Isn't it a little early?"
"I'd like to get back in time for dinner." Cyborg said, "'Sides, Aqualad and them left last night."
Ah, so that's why the tower was relatively quiet. She had been asleep before her head hit the pillow and when Beast boy tucked her in bed. It would also explain some of the missing presents from underneath their large Christmas tree. Robin and Cyborg watched as the foggy events became clear to the empath as she realized Bumblebee had stayed an extra night.
"We'll see you at the New Year's Eve ball." A smile graced Bumblebee's lips, "So start getting better Raven."
Starfire, Robin, and Beast boy shared hugs with the dark-skinned woman before the couple headed out. In five short days, all titans would gather for the annual charity ball held by the mayor of Jump City. And each year, the titans remained a spectacle to be seen in public by fans which sent the media wild with false ideas that ended up in tabloids.
"Training in ten." Robin broke the silence that had blanketed the Ops room. He filled his green plastic bottle with filtered water from the tap. "Raven your dismissed from training for the time being."
She scooped up another spoonful of applesauce and nodded her head in agreement,
"What?" Beast boy was shocked at the sudden announcement, "Dude, it's Christmas and you want us to work out?"
Starfire's green eyes had slightly widened, "I agree with Beast boy. We should be spending the time with one another and taking care of our sick friend."
"We just got back from vacation." Robin defended himself and screwed on the black lid to his water bottle, "We shouldn't allow ourselves to become lazy."
"Don't be too hard on them." Raven said as best she could with her lost voice and irritated throat.
His mask covered eyes stared at her from in the kitchen, "I'll keep it short."
Starfire shook her head and set of in the direction of her room to change into her proper uniform. Starfire and Beast boy knew much better than to argue with Robin about training schedules, chores, and missions and expect to win. Robin left in the opposite direction and the Ops room doors hissed closed after him as he headed to the gym. The only one who remained was her green teammate.
Beast boy's shoulders slumped and his green ears drooped, "You gonna be okay in here by yourself?"
"Yes." She reached for her napkin on the tray and dabbed at her lips, "You should get going before Robin starts looking for you."
He ignored her and sat down beside his new girlfriend on the black couch. He didn't want to leave her behind in case she needed anything but she was right about Robin. And he was quite aware that Raven preferred to fend for herself and be left alone when she was sick like she was now. Beast boy sat there for several more minutes watching the endless commercials on the screen and Raven sipped on her hot tea. Beast boy turned and made sure that her blanket covered her whole body before he stood on his feet once more.
"Okay, I'm going." Beast boy pulled his black and yellow communicator out of his pocket and set it on the coffee table, "Call Starfire if you need us."
Raven swallowed her tea but Beast boy was already halfway across the Ops room. She allowed herself to completely relaxed as Beast boy's frenzied emotions had dulled the further he was away from her. She didn't have the strength to continuously shield herself from his strong caring emotions. The time passed ever so slowly, her breakfast tray was discarded on the coffee table with most of it uneaten due to feeling nauseous. She had changed the channel several times though she ended up falling asleep in the too quiet tower.
"…et me just check on Rae first." Beast boy said from outside the door that separated him from his girlfriend.
Robin walked in behind him, "Don't wake her if she's sleep."
"I fear that she may be the needing of us when we are absent." Starfire said as she walked with Robin in the direction of their respected bedrooms.
The leader shook his head and made sure Beast boy wouldn't bother Raven, "She'll be fine, Star. Raven knows how to take care of herself."
The not so quiet voices brought her to the brink of consciousness and she opened her eyes to see that the common room was still dark. Her breakfast tray had been moved from off the coffee counter and onto the yellow kitchen table. She stayed curled up on the couch with her cheek still pressed into the soft pillow that Starfire had given her. Robin and Starfire's voices carried on down the hallway that led to their rooms.
"Sorry, did we wake you?"
Raven stretched her body as Beast boy appeared from behind the couch. "It's okay."
He took a seat on the couch at the end of her feet and took a long drink of his water, "You should rest some more."
"I'm fine Beast boy." The words came out in a sigh as she watched him fret over her.
She hadn't been asleep long as only an hour and half had gone by and it was probably one of the shortest training sessions Robin had ever held. Her headache had disappeared and the TV was no longer of interest to her.
"Me and Star are heading up to the tailor to pick up my suit." Beast boy explained as he waited for the princess to return to the room, "You need anything while we're gone?"
Raven shook her head and assessed her well-being, "I'll go with you guys."
Beast boy screwed the cap back onto his water bottle, "I don't think that's such a great idea. It's cold out an—"
"And we don't want you worse off than you already are." Robin finished for him. He was dressed in a black peacoat and held car keys in his gloveless hands, "I need to run some errands and speak with the mayor."
Raven's eyes glared up at her leader as he walked down the three steps, "I'm not a child and I can make my own decisions."
"Never said you were." Robin automatically replied. He was already used to her arguments about her health and being cared for. "But going out in the weather isn't going to benefit you. We're already down a teammate on missions."
Raven sighed and didn't push the issue at hand any further. Robin was irritating, he always was when she ended up sick. Though it made her feel better to know that he was just as pushy to the others when they ended up sick.
"Can you tell Star to meet me in the garage, I'm going to grab my coat?" Beast boy stood up from his place beside her.
Raven pulled herself to sit up on the couch and made a note to grab one of her books from her room, "Fine."
"Sure you don't need anything?" Beast boy asked again, knowing that he was pushing her buttons.
"I'm sure."
Starfire emerged out of her room only ten minutes after Beast boy and Robin disappeared from the Ops room. The TV had been turned off and she was left silence save for her own thoughts. She relayed the information to her friend and Starfire hurried out to meet Beast boy. There was no doubt that Starfire would persuade the changeling to make a stop at the mall on the way back. Hours had passed slowly until all the titans were back in the tower once more. Cyborg had returned home first despite being the one to travel the farthest followed by Beast boy, Starfire and lastly Robin.
"Done already, Raven?" Cyborg nodded to her half-eaten plate that still contained her mashed potatoes and peas.
Raven scooted back her chair and stood up, "I'll just wrap it."
Starfire stood at the sink as it was her turn to take care of the dirty dishes. Beast boy began to store their left-over food into the fridge while Robin took care of the tables and counter. And Cyborg cleaned up the oven from where he had cooked their meal in the evening.
"This has to be the latest we've ever opened presents." Beast boy said as he tried to make room to fit the dish that held pork chops though Cyborg had been kind enough to make him a tofu substitute.
Raven nodded her head, they usually opened the gift underneath the tree first thing in the morning. However, that year was different due to Robin's unexpected getaway trip in a different country. And Titans East usually visited for two days being Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. After the kitchen and dining room was back in order the five titans headed to the common room and sat on the floor. It wasn't their most traditional Christmas they had spent with each other but time apart was refreshing as well.
"This one here is for Robin." Cyborg pulled out the box that was neatly wrapped in snowmen. "And this one for Beasty."
Starfire pulled out a red and white stripped box, "Please, do the opening of my gift first."
The gift was pushed onto Raven's lap with Starfire patiently waiting to capture the reaction on Raven's face. The night grew long and Robin had collected all the torn wrapping paper, ribbons, bows, and cardboard boxes to be disposed of. Beast boy had taken full interest in his new drawing set from Robin that the Christmas movie didn't capture a second of his attention. And Starfire was back to dressing Silkie up in different outfits given to her by Beast boy and Raven.
"I'm gonna hit the hay." Cyborg deposited the remote on the cushion and stood up, "The drive took a lot out of me. Night y'all."
Robin left the remote from where it fell, "I'm going to head to bed too. Early start tomorrow. Hope you guys enjoyed Christmas."
"I'm leaving too." Raven collected her book, pillow, and blanket and struggled to walk to her room. Her presents purposely left behind as she had to make more space in her room. "Goodnight."
"We wish you dreams full of sweetness and absent with the bugs that dwell in the beds." Starfire called and began to undress the alien worm as Silkie gnawed on the white material.
Beast boy smiled as he watched her retreating form, "Goodnight Raven."
It was the worst way anyone could wake up in the middle of the night. Her stomach felt as if it were trying to eat itself and Raven wished she would have eaten more of her dinner. It was clear the pain wouldn't die away until she nibbled on something. Gathering her robe and slippers she navigated the dark hallways of the tower to find a relief. Another hunger pain twisted in her stomach just as the door to the common room came in view. She was hit with bright flashing lights after she stepped in and squinted to see that the plasma screen had been left on.
A deep voice startled her, "You're up late."
Her eyes flitted about the dark room only lit by the large screen in the middle of the movie. Her pupils took time to adjust and at the end of the couch was a green changeling. She should have guessed it was him in the first place as old habits die hard. Beast boy was the only titan that stayed awake into the wee hours of the morning watching movies or trying to beat a score on the game system.
She hummed in agreement, "Just hungry."
Beast boy's eyes followed her as Raven made her way to the center island of the kitchen. She hesitated before pulling open the fridge to see what was available though nothing seemed quite satisfying to eat. She then moved onto the pantry and the cabinets while Beast boy turned back to what he was doing.
"I can make you some soup if you like."
The offer was sweet but she didn't need assistance, "Thanks but I'll stick to the applesauce from earlier."
She fumbled around in the kitchen for a spoon and a plastic cup to pour in the extra serving that Cyborg had made for her. In several ways, the coldness of it would help her throat and her feverish temperature. Beast boy removed his feet of the couch and sat up when he realized that Raven was making her way to join him.
"I was thinking," Beast boy's green eyes wandered away from the beauty but continued when she didn't intervene, "That maybe we could go on a real date."
Raven was quiet for so long that he had thought she had fallen asleep, "A date. Alone?"
Beast boy carefully watched her stoic face, "If you're uncomfortable with the idea we don't ha—"
"Where to?" Raven cut him off from his rambling interested in his suggestion. She raised the silver spoon to her lips and enjoyed the taste.
Her soft lavender eyes stared him down as she turned the idea over in her head and Beast boy showed several signs of being nervous. Though he struggled to hide it from her which he knew was impossible.
"Maybe when you're feeling better we could go sledding or something and get hot chocolate afterwards?" After he had said it aloud it automatically sounded worse. What were they, nine?
She nodded her head before she voiced her agreement, "On the 27th then."
"Meet you in the Ops room at 11:00am?"
"Mhm."
In all his excitement, a smile appeared on Beast boy's face accompanied with the look of accomplishment. The growing enthusiasm had its effect on Raven and soon she was attempting to fight down a tiny smile of her own.
"So, we really are a couple now?" A hazy memory from the night before made it to the front of her mind. He said that they would talk about it soon.
"That's only if you want to be." Beast boy nodded his head to confirm her question, "Know that I'm not forcing you to do anything, Rae."
She was quiet as she thought over her answer to his response, "Do you think this will work for the both of us?"
"We won't know for sure, but isn't it worth the try?" Anxiety slowly began to well inside of him as Raven continued to voice her uncertainties.
Raven placed her blue empty cup on the coffee table and turned back to face him, "I suppose it's worthwhile. And Beast boy?"
"Yeah?"
"Why sledding?" Her lavender eyes seemed to glow from the light of the TV as she lightly teased him about their date choice.
A/N: A deadline is a deadline. Chapter 11 and 12 will be coming tonight or tomorrow night. I work faster with deadlines because I procrastinate to the last minute every time :-/ But hey, at least it gets done.
After this I'll be picking up Soulbound as my first priority and Trying to Catch the Sun as my second priority. Edits and revisions to the whole fic will be made at the very end.