AN: NEW SEASON! NEW SEASON! Okay, now that that's out of the way, everyone has nightmares. Even Raven. I'm thinking this will be a bit darker, not so funny ha-ha, but I don't know. I haven't written it yet. Maybe I should do these things after… not that anyone reads them.
Disclaimer: I now officially don't own Season 1 of TT or Season 2! YAY for me!
…
Raven would never admit it, but she hated sleeping. Once she assumed that it was her demon side, or her father in her head, that kept her awake at night, constantly begging to escape into the darkness of the city, to bathe in the moonlight. For awhile she even blamed it on the quiet that came with the stars, after she had gotten used to meditating with BB and Cy running around the house.
But now, tonight as she sat on her bed and rubbed her eyes, she knew the truth. Nightmares. She had them constantly when she was little, but they had faded out with her training by the priests of Azarath. Yet they had come back, about a month ago. Horrible and terrifying and tangible. They were filled with death and fear, decrepit scenery, prophecies and visions, screams and blood. For the first week she hid her insomnia and fears with absolute perfection. However, sleepless nights began to take their toll, and when someone hides all things with the same devoted perfection, people find ways to read even the subtlest of hints. Short, green people. She blamed it on animal instincts.
She fell onto the mattress behind her and stared at the ceiling, "I think it's my father."
Beast Boy looked over at the alarm clock by her bed: 2:57. He turned his head and met her eyes, "big red mirror demon?"
She lifted her head and pushed off her hood before letting her hair fall to the mattress again. "I control him, in a way, a part of him is trapped in my mind. And, consequently, he tries to manipulate me so that I will free him and join him by his side."
Beast Boy fell onto the mattress next to Raven with a sigh and grasped her hand, intertwining their fingers, in a comforting gesture. "Through emotions?"
She ignored his question, seeing no reason to confirm it. "I'm weakest when asleep, he plays with me."
"Just means you're stronger when awake." He absentmindedly rubbed circles in her palm with his thumb, focusing on the conversation. Rain pelted the window, the storm clouds obscured the moon insuring the room stayed settled in darkness.
A small smile escaped her solid demeanor, "optimists die first."
He shrugged, "I'll turn into a tortoise for the rest of my life."
"But you'd move too slow to enjoy it." She let out a yawn and brought her free hand up to rub her eyes again.
He squeezed her hand. "I'll sleep by your side tonight."
Silence surrounded them, thick and deep, but not uncomfortable. The clouds parted and moonlight filtered in between drawn blinds. Raven turned her head and faced him, her eyes dancing with confusion and curiosity. "…Why?"
His eyes shifted from the ceiling to her face, to her eyes, and rested at their intertwined hands. Because I love you. "Maybe it'll help you sleep, with me here."
A moment passed before the confusion melted from her face and he met her eyes once again. "You're trying to protect me."
She was a warrior, strength, courage, and fortitude running through her veins. Her eyes were deep and calm, but hidden in them was fear, pain, sadness. He had discovered their secrets one evening while she meditated, and in the beginning it terrified him, filling him with a fear that seized his heart. Every time he gazed into her eyes he found her soul, and every time it shattered his heart a little more. If he could take away all of her pain, all of her sadness, even if only for a day, and make it his own, carry her burden on his shoulders, he would. Because now that he could, Beast Boy didn't think he would last a day without looking into her eyes.
"I don't need your protection." Her voice was cold. He let go of her hand and placed his arm around her shoulders, pulling her to his side, their shoulders touching.
"But I need you."
He was being selfish by loving her, he knew that. It was selfish of him to sit outside her door in the morning while she got ready. It was selfish of him to have dreams about her. It was selfish of him to hold her hand. He couldn't stop, though, he was in love.
But he never asked her to return his deeply rooted feelings, nor did he request that she even acknowledge them. Sometimes, usually at night when he had time to think, Beast Boy wondered if she did return the feelings, if even just a little. Habitually he was able to enjoy her company without asking for more, even though his heart ached with the constant want of just a little more, and yet when he was without said company his heart ached with the inescapable need of her presence.
A primal instinct that ran through his veins told him to protect her, and he selfishly gave in. Every morning he gave in, arriving a few minutes before she emerged from her dark room. In battle he fought by her side, but over time he realized that some things could not be taken without being given, and she protected him in turn. She protected him from herself.
To love someone that could not love you back was painful, sometimes he believed it was killing him. He lifted his hand that draped behind her shoulder and stroked her cheek, transferring the way her skin felt; cold and soft, into his memory before tracing her jaw; defined and strong but undeniably feminine, then letting his fingers brush her neck before letting them return to her shoulder and pull her closer still. The clouds shifted again, blocking the moonlight and casting the room in darkness once more. Neither spoke, because words would make it tangible, and neither was ready to face reality. Centuries of life couldn't teach a person to deal with something that can't be dealt with, but damned if he didn't love her anyway.
Raven grasped the hand that rested on her shoulder and cautiously intertwined their fingers. She turned her head, brought his palm to her lips, gently kissed it. "Thank you."
Disclaimer: I now officially don't own Season 1 of TT or Season 2! YAY for me!
…
Raven would never admit it, but she hated sleeping. Once she assumed that it was her demon side, or her father in her head, that kept her awake at night, constantly begging to escape into the darkness of the city, to bathe in the moonlight. For awhile she even blamed it on the quiet that came with the stars, after she had gotten used to meditating with BB and Cy running around the house.
But now, tonight as she sat on her bed and rubbed her eyes, she knew the truth. Nightmares. She had them constantly when she was little, but they had faded out with her training by the priests of Azarath. Yet they had come back, about a month ago. Horrible and terrifying and tangible. They were filled with death and fear, decrepit scenery, prophecies and visions, screams and blood. For the first week she hid her insomnia and fears with absolute perfection. However, sleepless nights began to take their toll, and when someone hides all things with the same devoted perfection, people find ways to read even the subtlest of hints. Short, green people. She blamed it on animal instincts.
She fell onto the mattress behind her and stared at the ceiling, "I think it's my father."
Beast Boy looked over at the alarm clock by her bed: 2:57. He turned his head and met her eyes, "big red mirror demon?"
She lifted her head and pushed off her hood before letting her hair fall to the mattress again. "I control him, in a way, a part of him is trapped in my mind. And, consequently, he tries to manipulate me so that I will free him and join him by his side."
Beast Boy fell onto the mattress next to Raven with a sigh and grasped her hand, intertwining their fingers, in a comforting gesture. "Through emotions?"
She ignored his question, seeing no reason to confirm it. "I'm weakest when asleep, he plays with me."
"Just means you're stronger when awake." He absentmindedly rubbed circles in her palm with his thumb, focusing on the conversation. Rain pelted the window, the storm clouds obscured the moon insuring the room stayed settled in darkness.
A small smile escaped her solid demeanor, "optimists die first."
He shrugged, "I'll turn into a tortoise for the rest of my life."
"But you'd move too slow to enjoy it." She let out a yawn and brought her free hand up to rub her eyes again.
He squeezed her hand. "I'll sleep by your side tonight."
Silence surrounded them, thick and deep, but not uncomfortable. The clouds parted and moonlight filtered in between drawn blinds. Raven turned her head and faced him, her eyes dancing with confusion and curiosity. "…Why?"
His eyes shifted from the ceiling to her face, to her eyes, and rested at their intertwined hands. Because I love you. "Maybe it'll help you sleep, with me here."
A moment passed before the confusion melted from her face and he met her eyes once again. "You're trying to protect me."
She was a warrior, strength, courage, and fortitude running through her veins. Her eyes were deep and calm, but hidden in them was fear, pain, sadness. He had discovered their secrets one evening while she meditated, and in the beginning it terrified him, filling him with a fear that seized his heart. Every time he gazed into her eyes he found her soul, and every time it shattered his heart a little more. If he could take away all of her pain, all of her sadness, even if only for a day, and make it his own, carry her burden on his shoulders, he would. Because now that he could, Beast Boy didn't think he would last a day without looking into her eyes.
"I don't need your protection." Her voice was cold. He let go of her hand and placed his arm around her shoulders, pulling her to his side, their shoulders touching.
"But I need you."
He was being selfish by loving her, he knew that. It was selfish of him to sit outside her door in the morning while she got ready. It was selfish of him to have dreams about her. It was selfish of him to hold her hand. He couldn't stop, though, he was in love.
But he never asked her to return his deeply rooted feelings, nor did he request that she even acknowledge them. Sometimes, usually at night when he had time to think, Beast Boy wondered if she did return the feelings, if even just a little. Habitually he was able to enjoy her company without asking for more, even though his heart ached with the constant want of just a little more, and yet when he was without said company his heart ached with the inescapable need of her presence.
A primal instinct that ran through his veins told him to protect her, and he selfishly gave in. Every morning he gave in, arriving a few minutes before she emerged from her dark room. In battle he fought by her side, but over time he realized that some things could not be taken without being given, and she protected him in turn. She protected him from herself.
To love someone that could not love you back was painful, sometimes he believed it was killing him. He lifted his hand that draped behind her shoulder and stroked her cheek, transferring the way her skin felt; cold and soft, into his memory before tracing her jaw; defined and strong but undeniably feminine, then letting his fingers brush her neck before letting them return to her shoulder and pull her closer still. The clouds shifted again, blocking the moonlight and casting the room in darkness once more. Neither spoke, because words would make it tangible, and neither was ready to face reality. Centuries of life couldn't teach a person to deal with something that can't be dealt with, but damned if he didn't love her anyway.
Raven grasped the hand that rested on her shoulder and cautiously intertwined their fingers. She turned her head, brought his palm to her lips, gently kissed it. "Thank you."