A cold, silver needle poked at the main artery of her left arm. Wincing slightly, Raven pressed the syringe, forcing the heinous injection into her bloodstream.

"Raven, stop!" A familiar voice broke through her steely mental wall. She froze, dropping the syringe and covering the small puncture in her arm. Her friend Garfield had appeared in her doorway, careful to stay outside her room. He'd learned through experience that her room was her sacred place.

"Why should I?" She mumbled, shoving the mess into her desk drawer.

"You're hurting yourself," her friend responded quietly, daring to come closer.

"Right, I'm only hurting myself…" Raven fought the cracks in her voice. "No one cares about me, Garfield." She continued. "This makes me.. It gives me peace. If only for a while." Fighting the dampness in her eyes, she wandering to her bed, collapsing on the edge.

"That's not true, Raven." He joined her, kneeling before her patiently. She seemed weaker than before, face gaunt, eyes hollow and distant. "I care a lot for you. When you hurt yourself, you hurt me too." Observing her face closely, she seemed to be blocking his sentiment, as she'd done countless times before. "Listen, it's better to be clean, trust me."

Pretty violet eyes burned as she turned on him impulsively. "And how can I trust you, Garfield? You don't know what it's like…" He flinched rigidly, but allowed her to continue. "No mother, an abusive father, no family that loves you… I, I have no one." Burying her face in her hands, tears escaped through her fingers. "I can't trust anyone."

Garfield shook his head sadly. "When my parents died… I went through a rough time. I lived with Galtry, and he hurt me… Bad. And, when I finally escaped, I…." Pushing up the sleeve of his emerald sweater, he revealed a nasty scar, white against his otherwise cashew skin. "Let's just say it wasn't the end of my suffering."

Raven peered at the injury, feeling foolish. Swallowing her own pity, she spoke. "I'm sorry, Gar.. I… I was being selfish," she whispered, reaching for the damaged skin carefully.

"Rae," he scooted closer, taking her hand with both of his. Although never the closest friends, they certainly shared a bond, even if evident only in their darkest moments. "I know you think you're alone in the world," he kissed the top of her hand lightly. "But you're not." He voice grew deeper, as a sudden need to protect overwhelmed him. "You have me… You'll always have me." His thumbs traveling to her cheeks, brushing her tears away kindly. Raven's unique amethyst eyes caught his.

She felt him cradle her face like a child, and he leaned in to kiss her forehead. "How did you quit?" She shivered at the thought of terrible hallucinations and pain that came with withdrawals. After all, this wouldn't be the first time she tried to stop.

"I realized there are people who love me, Rae. And I didn't want to cause them any pain. Seeing someone you love struggle.. It hurts almost worse." He explained, blushing at the distance talk of romance.

Raven nodded, blinking away a fresh wave of tears. "But Garfield, you know… Nobody loves me. I'm.. Incapable of being loved. Undeserving, even.." She repeated the words that had haunted her mind, ever since her first boyfriend.

Garfield scooted even closer, looking almost angry. Fire lit in his usually amiable green eyes. He hated that jerk, recognizing Malchior's cold words beneath Raven's wispy voice."No." He growled, holding her face tighter. His usual gentle manor seemed to dissipate with a primal urge to protect.

"Gar you're hurting m–"

"That's nothing compared to the agony that pains me when you say that." Garfield frowned, glaring into her light eyes with the intense need to guard her from herself. "Don't ever say no one loves you, Raven. They do–I do."

Her face paled, eyes round as they questioned him innocently.

"I love you, Rae," he muttered, eyes softening as he focused on her face. "I love you. And if that's not enough for you.."

Soft lips caught his, as she shut him up with a kiss; brief, but sincere. "Garfield," she whispered, lips tickling his ear. "Don't you know?" Eyes narrowed in confusion, prompting her to continue. A soft smile played her lips, illuminating her features like he hadn't seen in a long time. Perhaps he'd finally gotten through to the lonely girl trapped inside her delicate body. A soft, inner peace seemed to glow from her words, as she answered her own question.

"You're more enough."