Summary: Post-Birthmark. Can life just go back to "normal" for the Teen Titans? Or will the admittance of the deeply-buried and long-denied make it impossible for Raven to conceal the truth of her destiny?
Author's Note: Well, last chapter I tried some action and some more dialogue, now I'm throwing both those things to the wind for a total change of pace and am trying my hand at a bit of...fluff! But I think it fits with the story. Let me know what you think! Hope you like it. ) After a quick legal note, and some thanks, on with the story!
Legal Note: Don't own Teen Titans in any form. Wish I did. Don't sue me, NYU has all my money.
scathac's warrior: Heehee, I was hoping the last line would be a bit of a kicker. Glad you liked it. )
mysti-eyed: Thanks for the review! That was one of my favorite chapters to write too, so glad you liked it.
Jordanals: Haha, glad you didn't give up on me. I actually owe that last chapter to you because of the one review you left me that was like it's been almost two months! I was like, oh wow, maybe I should work on my fic. So I dedicate this chapter to you, for getting me all motivated again. Thanks a ton!
Kool-Wolf: Hope that was fast enough for you. Heehee. Don't hate me because I'm evil.
ray1: Thanks. I'm trying to stress how tortured she is by the whole thing, because I feel like destroying the world against your will is kind of...stressful. Haha. Glad you like it!
AngeloftheSecondHell: I completely agree with you. I think it would take something pretty disturbing to get Raven to bust out her secrets to anyone. Hope I meet your expectations, and thanks for the wonderful review!
AvatarAang: Hmm, I respectfully disagree. I don't think I have her acting as a witch, but I appreciate your opinion and I'll try to keep a watch out for that. If you could tell me where you think she seems more witch-like, let me know and I'd love to go back and edit that part. I plan to edit this story a little anyway, at least after I finish it. Thanks for the constructive review!
evilsangle: Glad you like it. I actually now think it will be BbxRae. I didn't post pairings at all to begin with because I really wasn't sure, and at the beginning I really thought it would be Raven/Robin, but I felt like I was underestimating the depth of BB's character. I think Raven and Robin understand each other, but I think the BB and Raven pairing seems more natural.
Little Red Ravenhood: Thanks! Here's more. )
"Get out of my room."
The four Titans were taken aback not only by their friend's appearance, but by the icy tone in her voice. She sounded cold, but even more frightening she sounded ready to break. Fragile. Delicate.
Afraid. Very afraid.
Beast Boy, having been told by the resident goth girl under numerous circumstances to leave her alone, was perhaps a little less phased by her order than the others. He often felt the need to defy everything Raven said, not only to irritate the piss out of her, but because sometimes he sensed she needed someone to push through her walls. "Raven...? Are you o–"
"I said get out." Raven remained unmoving on her bed. She could feel the shallowness of her breaths, and the quick, butterfly-beatings of her heart. Their eyes, they felt piercing on her. She could feel the concern emanating from them. But she didn't know how much longer she could hold herself together. And she couldn't tell them, not yet.
No one moved. No one breathed.
Time passed. Seconds felt like hours to the half-demon Titan. She couldn't stand it anymore, she was going to go crazy–
The sound of an explosion drew the Titan's attention and broke the silence. Black magic had popped the light bulb in the overhead light.
This occurrence brought Robin to his senses. Still, he spoke softly, almost regretfully. "Fine. We'll go." With that, the four turned slowly, reluctantly, and headed for the door. Beast Boy lagged behind, stealing glances over his shoulder at his ailing teammate. Robin had an eye for the green mischief maker, and ensured he was out of Raven's room before capturing a last look for himself of the broken girl who seemed so much like she was waiting for her own doom.
Raven heard the quiet footsteps of their exit, and listened for them to recede into the other noises of the tower. For a few moments she remained still, before bending her legs and resting her chin on her knees still buried beneath her blankets. Her eyes to the unknowing observer seemed blank, and her mouth turned down at the corners slightly. They were gone. Some distant part of her, she realized, had wanted them to stay. An ironic smile crossed her face, and her eyes visibly saddened.
All the people she'd ever known, befriended–loved–would be destroyed precisely because she had known them, cared for them. Brought them into this. And no matter what she did, she couldn't stop selfishly needing their companionship.
For that, they would all die.
Her smile deteriorated as she bit her lower lip to avoid sobbing. At the same time, her eyes brimmed with tears. She hugged her legs closer to her body, and hid her face in her arms, which now rested on her knees. No, she wouldn't cry. She wouldn't.
The darkness of the room found her, and held her close in its arms.
This was going to set back his discussion with Raven. Robin felt it a wise idea to hold off until she had some time to calm down, though the investigator in him responded that now she was weak, and it would not be difficult to glean any necessary information from her. He scolded himself for the thought, and reminded himself that Raven was foremost a friend.
But he worried that what was coming to pass would shake the Titans for a very long time. Worst, Raven was somehow the key.
Beast Boy had returned to his room for show only. When he was sure Robin or Cyborg hadn't bested him, he morphed into a fly, and began a long (to a fly, anyway) journey back to Raven's room. The fly wasn't one of Beast Boy's favorite things to be, because it incited a great deal of paranoia, at least until he landed. The buzzing just sounded so loud to him. He had to keep convincing himself that no one else could hear it.
He slipped under the door to Raven's room, and flew up to the ceiling and into a corner as fast as possible. If he was caught, it would be all six of his legs and probably his thorax.
What he saw disturbed him. Beast Boy watched as the emotionless goth's face changed from blank, to a sad smile, and finally to the expression of someone who just found out they had not a friend in the world. Her amethyst eyes watered, and she curled up into herself. Her shoulders shook as she took deep breaths, trying not to cry, trying to regain control.
Who was he? Wasn't he Beast Boy, the ever cheery changling? It was his sworn duty to make Raven smile, or at least not let her suffer alone like this. Even as his mind screamed he was signing his death warrant, Beast Boy jumped from his fly position on the wall and morphed mid-air, landing on two feet as a green boy.
Raven exhaled. Without having to look up she knew who it was. She calmed her body, and remained still. Some distant voice in her mind hoped if she didn't move, she'd be invisible.
"Raven...?"
She raised her face to look at him, and there he was, by the edge of her bed, staring at her with eyes wide with concern. Raven rested her chin on her knees again, but Beast Boy's brave act of intrusion warmed her heart. Warmed it just enough to allow a single tear to lose itself from the corner of her eye. She touched it with a delicate fingertip, stopping it in its tracks. Her face turned down to examine it, her eyes childlike and wide with wonder. Beast Boy wondered when the last time she'd cried–really cried–was, if she ever had.
"Raven...please. What's wrong?" he implored softly.
Her pale face turned back to face him, and for a moment their eyes met, amethyst sparkling in a green field. Raven couldn't hold it anymore, and a loud sob escaped her already parched throat. She lowered her head, and choked out with as much control as she could muster, "Me."
There was a moment filled with nothing but Raven's sniffling. Now it was Beast Boy who could no longer stand it. Moving swiftly, he wrapped his arms around her, cradling her against his chest. He closed his eyes, waiting for her to reject him. Instead, he was surprised and comforted when Raven shifted and wrapped her arms around his back, pressing her face into his chest and sobbing.
Raven was sobbing.
Beast Boy held her until her sobs settled and she calmed. Raven, already feeling a little better, was taking great strength from the green boy's steady breathing and heartbeat. He was so warm, and she felt so cold.
Beast Boy shifted an arm to brush an errant strand of purple hair from her pale forehead. Glancing down, he noticed she–strong, steady, unshakeable, untouchable Raven–had fallen asleep in his arms.
All done! Not much of a cliffy this time, a little anti-climatic, but I thought I'd go with something a little more peaceful this time. Thought maybe Rae could use a little tranquility before I begin to make my best attempts to crush her soul. )