Raven closed her eyes. Things just weren't the same now that
Odin. no; she had resolved to think of him as Xeno. Xeno was
gone. The first few days the tears were bitter. She had no
idea what had happened to her friend. She had turned to get
Zell to help them cure Xeno, and when she turned back around,
Xeno had disappeared completely. For a while Rage had tried
to comfort her. And Xeno stayed in Raven's dreams. Seemed to
haunt her almost. How could she have let him die? Raven laid
her head in her hands. Memories flooded her senses. This was
the place where Rage had dragged her, and she had watched
Xeno play guitar. She turned her back. He had played Iris.
Her favorite song. She sang her next-to-favorite song,
Acoustic #3. She rocked on her heels. Rage had left her
alone, and she was appreciative. "And I tried so hard to
reach you, but you're falling anyway."
"And you know I see right through you, cause the world gets
in your way, what's the point in all this screaming, no one's
listening anyway."
Raven spun around. "Oh my God!" she threw her arms around his
neck. There stood Xeno. He looked frazzled but happy.
"Nice to see ya." He grinned, hugging her back.
She pulled back. "how did you-"
"Raven Tilmitt, you are to curious for your own good. You'll
find out. Someday."
She smiled. "Okay. I'll settle for that. Only this once."
"Are you up for some supper?"
Raven laughed. She looked him up and down. He looked exactly
like he had when she had first met him. Tall, thin, muscular,
with messy black hair and reflecting eyes that seemed to
change colors. He had on the same deep-blue t-shirt and cargo
jeans. Raven realized with a start that he looked quite
handsome.
"Sure."
"I can make pizza, if you'd like. Or we can go out."
"I hope you cook half as good as you look. Pizza. An while
I'm over, it seems you wrote some lyrics, too. I want to hear
them played and sang, if you wouldn't mind."
Xeno smiled ruefully. "As long as you don't make fun of
them."
"I won't. I promise. Why would I laugh?"
"Rock on." Xeno blushed. "Um, well, most of them are sucky.
And they're about. about this friend who's always been my
friend but now I think that maybe I like as more than a
friend. About you."
Raven was taken aback. She hadn't been expecting that. "Oh."
"I told you it was dumb." His face turned red.
"That's not dumb. Cause that would mean the fact that you
like me is dumb. And I feel the same way."
"For really?"
"Yeah."
"Promise me we'll always be friends though, through
everything."
"I promise."
