Time seemed to pass slowly, as if a great fog had fallen over the Tower, muffling the ticking of the second as the clock's hands moved at a snail's pace. Beast Boy was still sitting on the couch, his eyes focused on the television that he wasn't actually watching, when the others returned. He tried to smile because he knew they would ask questions if he didn't and just didn't feel like trying to find the answers just now. It felt fake, but either his act was convincing or they just didn't notice that anything was wrong. Robin did notice that Raven had returned to her prior, reclusive ways and asked about - his tone hinting that he thought there had been another argument between her and Beast Boy. At that, Beast Boy struggled not to laugh, but he feigned ignorance as to Raven's problems. After all, something so personal should only be shared by Raven, if she chose to do so.

Yet, as he watched the slow moving hands of time, Beast Boy could help but wonder: what exactly was he waiting on or for? Even Raven did not no how long she would experience the desires and there was no guarantee that there would even be an end. Even if she did return to normal, it wouldn't be mean there could ever be a relationship. He had interrupted the kiss incorrectly. Raven had even said that he hadn't been anything but an urge brought on by her own body's desire for reproduction. Even it was something that he wanted, she had to want it as well for anything to happen. Yet, despite this he continued to wait as he moved through his daily routines as if drifting through a dream.

Then one morning, as he was watching television, he heard Starfire cry out, "Raven, it has been too long since we have seen you!" He turned and saw Raven standing there, the others talking to her. She didn't look any different then before, not he had really expected her to, but the sight of her looking the same as always tore at his heart slightly. She hadn't changed, apparently, even if he had.

"So why have you been hiding?" Starfire asked.

"I just had some things I had to work out on my own," Raven answered, glancing at Beast Boy with a knowing look.

Beast Boy nodded in return, but he was still upset. Leaving his friends to question her, he quietly left the room and made his way down the hall.

"Beast Boy, I think we need to talk," a voice spoke up behind him. He turned and was not surprised to see Raven standing there as she had apparently followed him.

"Okay," he said, carefully. He wanted to add more, but he was afraid to say to much.

She made a movement for him to not speak. "I don't want to talk about it out here in the hall," she whispered, "I think you know why. Let's go to my room."

He wanted to ask if that was safe, but he remained quiet as they walked to her room and shut the door. Beast Boy couldn't help but think of what had happened the last time they were in this room together, although he struggled to purge the images from his mind. Quietly, he waited as she walked over and sat down upon her well-made bed.

"Is it over?" he asked.

"I think so," she answered, "Thank goodness, I think it's finally over."

"That's good," he responded evenly, "Now you won't have to hide from us so much."

"Yeah. Thanks for not telling anyone else about it," she said.

"It seemed personal," he explained, "I figured that if you wanted them to know you would tell them."

"Thanks anyway," she continued.

The awkwardness hung in the air like a strange scent, but Beast Boy had no idea what to do. There was a lot more that he wanted to say to Raven, but this couldn't be the right time or place. Just as he had for so long now, he waited.

"I'm sorry," she blurted out suddenly.

"For what?" he asked, genuinely confused.

"Things have gotten so strange between us," she said, "and I know it's because of what happened. I'm really sorry I kissed you."

He took a deep breath. "I'm not," he managed softly.

"What?" she questioned, the expression upon her face difficult to read.

"I'm not sorry it happened," he said more strongly then before, "I'm only sorry that it wasn't because you wanted to. If I had known, then I wouldn't kissed you back. I just thought that maybe you felt something for me."

She looked at him long and hard, her eyes shimmering as the slightest whisper of a smile caressed her lips. Stepping forward, she leaned in and kissed him softly. It didn't have the passion of their first kiss, but somehow it held more promise. He was the first to move away.

"I thought you said that it was over," he said.

"It is," she answered.

"But then, why?"

She blinked a few times as she struggled to word her answer. "I lied to you," she finally said, "when I said that it was everyone I couldn't trust myself around. I did have urges in general, but it was you that I really wanted. I purposely followed you that night because I wanted to be with you."

"You lied?" he asked, "Why?"

"It would have made things more difficult," she answered, "If I had told you how I felt but that we had to stay away from each other - that wouldn't have been right."

"So you decided to lie," he said, anger creeping into his voice, "Do you know how that made me feel? Don't think I would have been willing to wait?"

"Yeah, I guess," she managed, surprised for Beast Boy rarely became angry, "but it would have been harder."

"For who?" he shot back, "I've spent all this time feeling like a fool and waiting for what I thought was nothing. At least I would have known." He turned to leave.

She grabbed his arm and spun him around, her own feelings rising like a snake ready to strike. "Do you know how hard it would have been if I had admitted to myself how I felt about you? I was having enough trouble as it was. I had to lie or we couldn't have waited - or at least I couldn't.."

"It still hurts that you didn't think you could trust me," he said.

"I trusted you," she explained, "It was me I couldn't trust. I'm sorry."

"Yeah, I know," he said, the anger melting fromhis features as if it had never existed"So here's another awkward moment. How do we fix this one?"

"I don't know," she admitted.

"I do," he responded cheerfully, "I hear there's a good movie playing downtown. Do you want to go?"

"You mean like a date?"

"That's what they usually call it," he answered.

"Well, I guess," she said dramatically, "It's not like there's anything else to do."

"Oh, you're cruel," he said, "be ready by eight." With a gentle smile and laugh, he left the room as Raven stood there thinking about what just occurred. It was a date - a simple date with no sex involved.

But had her desires truly ran their course?

AN: Two more chapters to go now! I hope that everyone has enjoyed reading this so far. For whatever reason, this chapter was really hard to end.