AN: I do not own the Teen Titans, for if I did I would never let it go off the air!
Chapter 9: Lie with Me
Beast Boy felt warmth on his eyelids. He slowly opened them and a blinding light burned his poor pupils. He quickly closed them again and wiped his tired face with his right hand. He was about to turn over, but something was in his way. He blocked the sun with his hand and looked around. He wasn't in his room. He wasn't in his bed. He looked next to him and saw Raven sleeping softly. The book was resting between them, both of their hands still resting on it. Then it all came back to him. He remembered reading late into the night Raven.
The sun was terribly bright and Beast Boy wished it would go away. It was that new born light that is pure white and when it hits your eyes instantly burns an imprint upon your eye. He did his best not to wake Raven up as he crawled out of the bed. He fell to the floor, still half asleep, and got back to his feet. His first thought was to destroy that bloody sunlight. He went to her window and drew the shades.
Now he could think. He stretched and scratched his still slightly sandy head. He looked at Raven, still cuddled up in the position she had fallen asleep in. The book had slipped out of her hand and was now simply resting on the bed. His first instinct was to crawl back into the bed with her. He really couldn't remember sleeping so comfortably and he was still tired. But then his common sense kicked in and he slapped himself in the face, mentally. He knew he had better leave her be to sleep and go to his own bed.
He headed towards the door, but his tired body still did not have its bearings and he knocked into one of her statues. He luckily stopped it before it fell, but only bumped into something else and chain reaction occurred. Several things fell over in a crash, including Beast Boy, and this woke Raven up with a start. She sat straight up and looked around.
"Beast Boy?" she asked half confused and half surprised.
"Sorry," he said under a pile of Ravens belongings.
"What the hell are you doing?" she said trying not to laugh.
"Well, I was trying to sneak out of here so you could sleep," he said crawling out and standing up. "But evidently that didn't work."
"Evidently," she laughed. She saw the book and on the bed and she picked it up. She placed it on her shelf, using her powers, and then stretched. "Well I'm up now."
"I'm sorry."
"Oh, would you stop saying that," she said with one finally stretch. "I swear you apologize more than anyone I know."
"You're not mad, are you?" he asked.
"Mad about what?" she asked and got out of her bed.
"About me falling asleep in here," he said nervously.
This had never really occurred to her. Of course he had fallen asleep next to her, why else would he still be in her room. If she had woken up and saw him there she might have reacted in a negative manner, but she didn't feel upset at all. To be honest, he had fallen asleep before she had. She could have woken him up, but she didn't because… because… well, she wasn't sure why she hadn't. She just felt better with him around.
"No, I'm not mad," she said with a smile. "It was an accident. Besides, we fell asleep reading. What could be more innocent than that?" she laughed.
He laughed too, more out of relief than anything else. "Well, I'm gonna get some breakfast."
"Good idea," said Raven following him out.
They walked side by side down the hall to the common room. Well, Raven floated because of her foot. For some reason, they had never felt so comfortable with each other. Yes, they had woken up to an awkward situation, but now they felt better than ever. The other three Titans were already eating breakfast when they arrived.
"Morning of goodness, friends!" said Starfire.
"How's the foot feelin, Raven?" asked Cyborg.
She hadn't really thought about it yet, but now that she did she realized how much it hurt. "Sore and stingy," she said sitting down. The two served themselves some breakfast and began to eat.
"I've got some news," said Robin. "I wanted to tell you two yesterday, but when you came home from the beach you just disappeared."
"We were tired," they said at the same time.
"Anyway, this Saturday's the Titans Ball," said Robin.
Beast Boy choked on his orange juice and knew that half of the glass was now sitting his lung. "That's this weekend?"
"Yes, and all of the Teen Titans will be there, as usual," said Robin.
The Titans Ball was a party they had every other year so that all the Titans from around the world could catch up with each other. It was a big event and it was fancy dress. It was an event that Raven was never too fond of.
"Oh God, this means I have to go find a dress," said Raven feeling suddenly very grumpy.
"I shall help you!" said Starfire excited.
"No, no!" said Raven quickly. "I mean, I'm sure I can find something. But thanks."
"What are you gonna do 'bout your foot?" asked Cyborg.
"Let me think," said Raven. She paused for a second and then said, "Well, today's Thursday so if I heal my foot today I'll have my strength back by tomorrow and then I can find a dress. That should work."
"Cutting it a little close, don't you think?" asked Robin.
"Well I'm not going with a sore and bandaged foot," said Raven. "I'd rather use up my strength healing it and go to that stupid ball a little tired. But I should be fine by tomorrow."
After breakfast Raven went to her room and got ready to lie in bed all day. Her healing powers were a complicated sort of magic. Healing others took only a little energy from her, but when she had to heal herself it made her feel as if she was hit by a truck. She sat down on her bed and unwrapped her foot. The air felt good, but at the same time stung. She saw the flaps of skin and scratches and sighed. She concentrated and placed her hands over her foot. Soon a blue light emerged from her and her foot healed. She felt all of the energy she had woken up with disappear. She took her hands away and looked at her foot. It was completely healed, but she finally found that she had no strength to even remain sitting up. She fell back on the pillow and wanted to go to sleep, which she did.
That evening Beast Boy knocked on her door and heard her tiredly answer. He looked in and saw her curled up in her bed. This scared him at first, but remembered that this was how she got when she had to heal herself.
"How are you feeling?" he asked sweetly.
"Drained," she said turning to him. "What are you doing here?"
"Just checking up on you," he said with a smile. "I wasn't sure if you felt up to reading."
"I'm not," she said turning towards him. "But I wouldn't mind if you read aloud to me."
"You want me to read to you?" he asked.
"Yes," she said letting her head sink into her pillow. "I'm too tired to read, but I really want to know what happens next. But only if you don't mind."
"Uh… no," he said and went to look for the book on the shelf. "Not at all." He found it and sat down next to her. He cleared his throat and began to read the next chapter of the book. Raven found his voice to be very soothing and she did her best not to fall asleep. She hadn't really noticed how much deeper his voice had really gotten since he first met him all those years ago.
After an hour or so, and two chapters later, Beast Boy closed the book. "You done?" she asked.
"I think so," he said. "You're about to fall asleep."
"No I'm not," she said yawning. "You don't have to stop."
"I really think you should sleep if you're so tired."
"I've been sleeping all day," she said stretching. "I don't want to fall asleep."
He knew that there was no way she would make it through a third of another chapter and he tossed the book back onto the shelf. She whined and pushed him sarcastically. Her push was so weak that he barely budged and this made them both laugh.
Beast Boy watched as Raven closed her eyes and let her head sink into the pillow. He didn't know why, but he wanted to lie there with her. Seeing her so tired made him feel tired. And then he remembered the real reason he had originally came to her room an hour early. He had wanted see if she was okay, but he also had a question to ask her.
"Uh, Raven?"
"Yes?" she asked sleepily.
"I was wondering," he said nervously. "Do you think you would, I mean if you don't want to it's totally cool, but I was wondering if you would, um, if you would consider…"
"Beast Boy, what is it?" she finally asked. Now he was holding her back from sleep.
"Would you go to the Titans Ball with me?" he finally said. He waited for her reaction, but he really didn't get one. "Not as a date or anything, but… well, I'm just sick of going alone every year and I know that you always go alone, too. So I thought we could go together, you know, as friends. I mean, nothing would change between us or anything. But if you don't want to it's fine. I just figured that…"
"Beast Boy?" said Raven lifting her head and looking right at him.
"Yes?"
"I'll go with you if you promise to stop talking. Okay?"
"Okay."
"Good." And with that Raven laid her head back down and closed her eyes. Beast Boy felt a wave of relief wash over him. "Are you going to lay down with me or are you leaving?"
The relief he felt was vaporized by that question. Was she being sarcastic? Was she joking? Was she trying to tell him to leave or was she actually asking him to stay? Of course Raven sensed all of these feelings and it made her laugh.
"Oh just lay down already," she laughed.
He slowly slid down from his sitting position and lay down. He then felt Raven turn over and face her back to him. She grabbed his arm and draped it over her stomach. She sighed happily and went to sleep. He was positive that this must have been a side affect from her healing powers. But at that moment, he really didn't care. He leaned in close to her and closed his eyes. He knew that his heart should have been racing, but it was perfectly calm. He could feel her soft skin on his own and he brought her even closer to himself.
He awoke a few hours later and it was now night. Ravens room was dark, but his eyes could see reasonably well in the dark. He was still pressed up against Raven, but now his fingers were intertwined with hers. His hand that had been draped over her stomach was now all the way on the other side of her and was holding her hand. She was still fast asleep, but he could have sworn that she still had a small smile on her face. Beast Boy decided that he should leave her to sleep for the rest of the night.