BLUE

A fanfiction by Random-Crazyness

Chapter 6 That Day in the Sun

Raven collapsed on her bed. The self-inflicted wounds stung as she lay on her arm, but she felt a twinge of happiness that she could feel anything at all. She and Beast Boy had just returned from the movie theater, and although it was refreshing to listen to someone else's' problems for a change, Raven decided that now was not an appropriate time for social interaction. She ducked into her room, and listened to the hustle and bustle coming from outside. Cyborg and Beast Boy were arguing loudly over the contents of that night's meal, and, if the screams coming from down the hall were any indication, Robin was roped into helping Star cultivate some alien plant in her room. But most of all, Raven heard the silence. It mocked her, telling her that she was regressing. She had stopped smiling; the pain of not being able to love robbed her of that ability. The empath sighed, and sat up.

"What's wrong with me? Am I …am I really as big of an outcast as I thought I was?"

Raven began to cry. A sign of an emotion. But not the one she had hoped for. She slumped back onto her bed, clutched the pillow, and began to sob heavily into it.

Sorrow. Misery. Despair. Not one word felt strong enough to describe the pit now resting on Aqualads' chest. The breakup had placed an immeasurable amount of strain on his mind, including a lack of concentration, and a marked decrease in his crime-fighting abilities. He stared through his fish tank, into the ocean. Ocean. The sight of something so vast and free always reminded him of that day, when he and Raven first held a true conversation…

It was June 14th, and the Titans East had decided to pilot their ship over to the West coast, in order to spend a day with the Teen Titans. Crime had suspiciously come to a halt, but the team took the opportunity for a day off. The two groups had planned on going to a remote South Pacific island, which Aqualad himself had discovered on one of his voyages around the Earth. As the ship descended, the Atlantean could see that the Titans had already set up for the gathering. Cyborg was frantically grilling stacks of burgers and hot dogs, while Beast Boy sat and grumbled while attempting to cook his meal, a small plate of white, amorphous goop that Aqualad guessed, was tofu. Robin was demonstrating his exceptional balance on a surfboard, and Starfire was busy examining the sea life. Upon seeing his comrades, Aqualad felt a sudden urge of worry: Where was Raven? Another scan of the island revealed her location. She was alone, underneath a palm, reading. The antisocial empathy had always piqued his interest, but her mannerisms and her tendency to isolate herself had always made her hard to approach. Maybe, in this island setting, was the time to pounce.

"YO!" Cyborg waved at the arriving Titans. "Hurry up! The burgers are gonna be gone before you get here!"

"Then you should stop eating, Sparky!" Bumblebee retorted.

The Titans East and the Teen Titans gathered around the food, conversing and chowing down, Aqualad couldn't help but notice Raven hadn't joined them. He looked over at the shady palm, and saw, that this time, Raven was writing. His curiosity sparked, and he had a sudden urge to go and see what she was doing. Aqualad began to walk towards her, but was abruptly stopped by the sudden weight attached to his legs.

"Aqualad! Vayamos!" Mas yelled.

"Vaminos!" Menos urged.

In his wish to accommodate and make everyone happy, Aqualad complied.

Raven sat underneath the palm tree, listening to the sounds of her friends as they played Marco polo and doing who knows what. They were having so much fun. It would have been rude for her to interrupt and ruin their happiness with her gloom. She had planned on exiling herself from the time Cyborg made the plans. She carried with her, several books, a pencil, and a sketchbook. In all honesty, the reason she didn't want to be in the water, was because she knew he'd be there. She feared embarrassment, and would have rather lived alone than ashamed. She placed down her sketchbook, littered with drawings of him, and sighed. Maybe she'd meditate. Raven assumed the position, and started her mantra.

"Azarath…Metrione…Zinthos… Azarath…Metrio…."

"What are you doing over here?"

Raven was pulled out of her trance and conked her head on the palm. Rubbing her head, she felt anger surge up. About to blast the intruder, she abruptly stopped as her target came into focus.

"It's…you…" Raven said, bewildered. Aqualad stood in front of her, holding his hand out.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt." He rubbed the back of his head with his free hand. "I didn't mean to startle you. I was just wondering, why you weren't with us?"

The blood rushed to her cheeks as she stared deep into his deep, blue eyes. She couldn't tell him that she felt ashamed around him. That would just make the ground between them even shakier. She tried to focus her attention elsewhere. She failed miserably. Her gaze traced the angles and proportions of him, and she felt even more embarrassed that she got them wrong in her drawings.

"Do you mind if I join you?"

The question caught her totally off guard.

"Uhh…sure…" Raven muttered. He smelled of salt and the ocean. Intoxicating.

"I'd never think Cy could go in the water like that." He said. "I'd think he'd short or something."

"Yeah…short…" In all honesty, Raven paid no attention to his words. She looked him up and down, mentally noting all of the issues of her drawings. The arms were too thin, the torso too flat…But what really got her attention was his feet. They were…larger than she'd ever have imagined. True, swimmers characteristically had large feet and broad chests, but…

"Did you think that they'd be webbed?"

Ravens' eyes widened. She'd been staring, and he'd noticed. The blood rushed to her face again, and she turned away quickly.
"Y'know…" He started. "They'd have been webbed if I was raised in Atlantis while I was a child…"

"…Y…You weren't raised underwater? Aqualad?" Raven asked."

"Nope. And you don't have to call me Aqualad. Call me Garth."

"Garth?" Raven chuckled a little.

"What? What's wrong with the name 'Garth'?" He asked, a little angry.

" Nothing! Garth is a fine name! Its' just…"

"Just what?"

"It doesn't suit you. You look like you need a more mysterious name." She laughed once more.

"Oh." He drew in closer. "Like 'Raven'?"

"Yes. Just like Raven." She got up, dusted herself off, and held out her hand. "I feel like swimming."

"Just like Raven…"

Aqualad awoke from his flashback, and walked over to his fish tank. They were starving. He took the flakes, and started to sprinkle.

Squeak, squeak.

" What was that?"