4. Scar Tissue

Okay, another Chapter up. I really appreciate your guys' comments, so keep em' coming. Especially on this one. I'm getting to the more important chapters in the story, so it'd be awesome to get your feedback. Thanx.

Anyways, this ones pretty long. This takes place back in the good 'ol present, when the Titan's show usually takes place. Once again, PLEASE COMMENT!

12:00 The digital clock flashed, over and over again. Raven felt drowsy. Like she had been hanging upside down for the past half hour, and had suddenly stood up, feeling the blood rush all across her brain.

She couldn't take much more of this. She didn't mind the lack of sleep, but the boredom was unbearable. She paced the room, caught in her thoughts and worries. Things were not going good for the Titans. They hadn't gotten an actual emergency call in weeks. They were reduced to empty days and sleepless nights. If there was no crime, the Titans were finished, in the most ironic way possible.

Raven looked back at the clock. It continued flashing 12:00. "Ah, the night is young." She grumbled, sarcastically. She glanced quickly around the room; there was nothing here for her. "I'm so out of here." She proclaimed to no one in particular.

Beast Boy searched the fridge with glazed over eyes. "Let's see…fish…tofu…mold…purple stuff…ah, milk." He pulled the carton from the fridge and drained it in one gulp. He couldn't sleep, and had an odd craving for milk. His craving fulfilled, he had nothing left to do. He glanced around, confirming his loneliness.

He sighed, and began shuffling back to his room. The silent darkness of the middle of the night enveloped him. He had never felt so lonely. Oh, wait; there was the night before this. And the night before that, and the night before that…

On the way back to his room, he passed Raven's. He stopped at her door. Millions of things went through his head. She was the love of his life, the love that could never return his. She was the woman he could never be with. She was the wedge in his heart. The wedge that split it day after day after day.

He knew it would never happen with her. No matter how strong his love was for her, they would always be Titans; she would always have her…"issues". Besides, she had never actually shown true affection.

Well, today should be different. Today she should know, regardless of her feelings…Isn't that a little insensitive?…No, she is, for leaving me like this all these years…your wrong…Whatever…

He raised his hand to the door. Tonight's the night… He hesitated. One second turned to five, turned to thirty. He sighed. He could never do it. It would never happen.

Then he heard it. One door opened… just as another closed…

Raven breathed deeply of the night air. It was surprisingly cold for June. Then, she noticed the view. She had been out her countless times, but each time she felt little before the great behemoth that was the world. Each time, she was chilled to the bone by the serenity, by the responsibility she had as a Titan. Out here she was an ant, at the mercy of this enormous world.

She was on the rocky shore, at the base of Titans' Tower. She hiked gingerly to the edge of the water. A full moon cast a heavy reflection across the bay area. There was not a sound in the world. She was alone, again..

She sighed, an enormous sound amongst the silence. She didn't really know why she was out there. Waiting for something…Something that'll never come…Shut up… she's right, he hates you, they all hate you…no, they all hate me…wha?…They can never love you Raven, not as long as I am here…Shut up!

"Shut up!" The night echoed with Raven's outburst. She hated it. She hated being this person.

"Is this a bad time?" Raven jumped three feet into the air.

"Geez…holy sh!t." Her heart was beating a mile a minute, then she looked up, and it started beating faster. It was him, and he was shirtless.

They sat at the shoreline, side by side. Time went by, but it was inconsequential. Neither said anything. The wind blew, and Raven was chilled to the bone, she wrapped her cloak tightly around herself.

"How can you be… so underdressed out here. It's cold, really cold." She said, silently, shyly.

He turned to her and smiled. He grabbed a patch of fur on his arm "Built in fur coat."

Raven chuckled. It wasn't the first time, but Beast Boy was surprised, nonetheless. It stopped shortly, and silence settled in once more. They could both feel each other slipping away.

"What happened to your hand?" Beast Boy asked, attempting conversation. He motioned to the numerous cuts on Raven's left hand.

"Nothing…I…"She fumbled with her cloak to cover the cuts. "I got into a fight with a knife."

Beast Boy smiled, surprised at Raven's attempt at humor.

"I'd hate to see the other guy." They both laughed.

"You really want to see a scar, check this out." Beast Boy parted some fur on his shoulder, revealing a bald spot of scar tissue. "About a year ago, when we were busting dock smugglers, a stray bullet went through my arm."

"Through?" She questioned disbelievingly.

"To the other side. It only took me a couple of minutes…to stop crying."

They both laughed again.

"Here, check these out." Raven pulled back her sleeve, revealing an unbelievable amount of scars across her arm.

"Jesus, Raven. I… didn't know."

Suddenly Raven wasn't so proud. He head hung low, and silence overcame them, once more.

"You probably shouldn't do that, Raven."

"I know," she began. Beast Boy cut her off, as he parted more fur on his left arm.

"They do leave scars, after all." On Beast Boy's arm were scars, the same kind as on Raven's, only considerably less.

Raven's confidence was reinvigorated. She removed her hood and pointed to the back of her neck. "When I was really little, I fell of my school's roof on to a dumpster, a stray piece of glass got cut in my neck."

"Ouch. But, I bet I can top that." He stood up and parted more fur just above his stomach. "Shotgun blast, point-blank." He said, his smile widening, and his eyebrows waving.

Raven looked away. "I remember that." She said, silently.

Beast Boy stopped smiling. "I'm… sorry." The dreaded silence returned, sucking all previous happiness was sucked from the scene, and both teens were kicking themselves.

"So… why you out here?" Raven inquired, cautiously.

"I couldn't sleep. You?"

"Couldn't sleep either. I dunno, this place just calms me, lets me think."

"I haven't been sleeping good lately, I saw you out here and I just wanted to be with y… somebody, for a change."

Did you hear that? He wants to be with us…that's not what he said…he may as well have…but he changed it…shut up!

"I don't know why you'd want to be with me, you've kinda been avoiding me lately."

"What makes you say that?"

"…I don't know, really."

"So…" This is it, the moment of truth. Don't say the wrong thing, don't say the wrong thing. "We're friends right?" Tat wasn't the right thing.

"Friends…" Yeah, thanks, jut stick a knife in my heart…no, say it now, it's so simple, I love you, that's it… Yeah, then wait for the laughter, wait for the hatred. "Sure…friends."

The night passed slowly. They both sat, giving each other company. Company that, at the moment, neither wanted.

Raven spoke up, at saying, what she had felt since the third week. "I'm scared, Beast Boy."

He looked at her, trying to collect his thoughts. "Scared of what?"

"Well, what happens when this all ends. When we're shut down, and we never see each other again?"

"What makes you think they'll shut down the Titans?"

Her tone took on an almost cynical tone, now. "Well, we're not going to last forever…nothing lasts forever." Another long silence. Raven felt even more depressed now.

"There's nothing to be afraid of, Raven." Beast Boy finally said, managing to sound solemn with his high-pitched voice. With that, he got up, and slowly walked away.

Raven didn't watch him go. She didn't want to. But she heard him, as he walked away.

"I hope, by then, that I'm more than just your friend." The door opened, than shut shortly afterward.

Raven was alone once again, left to her scars and tears.