CHAPTER 8 THE NEXT MORNING

The next morning Hiei woke feeling a little better. His eye didn't hurt as much but his chest did. As he sat on the bare mattress, just letting himself wake up, his stomach reminded him that he hadn't eaten in two days.

I wonder what kind of food they have? he thought as he swung his legs off the bed and put on his shirt and coat. I hope it's not Fruit Loops or something. I hate sugary cereal!

He headed to the door and opened it. As he stepped into the hall Raven walked by. He watched her for a moment. She had her nose in a book and didn't seem to be aware that she was coming toward him. Before either knew what had happened she'd walked into him and they both fell to the floor.

"Hey!" he exclaimed, angirly as he pushed himself into a sitting postion. "Watch where you're going!"

Raven, who hadn't even noticed him until then, looked up in surprise. "I'm sorry," she said as she watched him get up. "I didn't see you."

Hiei wiped dust off his coat and looked down at her, slightly annoyed and slightly amused. "That's why you shouldn't read while you're walking," He felt he should help her up. After all she had said she was sorry. He stuck out his hand to her. "Here."

Raven stared at his hand a moment then took it. With a jerk he pulled her to her feet. She flew forward and smacked into his chest. Now her face was only inches from his.

"Thank you," she said as she felt herself blushing. She backed away as he let her go.

"Don't read up on it," he told her, looking away. "I don't usually do things like that."

"Oh," she said looking away from him and rubbing her arm nervously. "So, how did you sleep last night?" she looked at hm out of the corner of her eye.

Hiei gave her a sharp look. For a moment Raven had the worse feeling that he knew that she had gone into his mind without his permission. (he actually does know but he doesn't really care at the moment) The two stared into each other's eyes for the longest time.

Finally Hiei couldn't stand it anymore and looked away. "It was... uneventful," was all he told her as he turned away. "What are you having for breakfast?"

"I don't know," she replied, picking her book up off the floor and dusting it off. "If Beastboy is cooking it'll probably be tofu eggs and soy milk."

Hiei made a disgusted face. That sounded even worse than Fruit Loops! Then his stomach reminded him how hungry he was and he wondered if maybe he was hungry enough to eat anything! There was only one way to find out.

He headed to the main room. Once inside he was instantly met with a wall of smells. Breakfast. Once he smelled it he realized he'd never be hungry enough to eat that whatever it was suppost to be.

"Hey," Beastboy said walking up to him with a plate full of a yellow foul smelling substance. "Want some breakfast? I made scrambled tofu eggs."

Hiei turned his head away from the smell. He wasn't desperate enough to eat that! Not now or ever!
"No," he told the green skinned teen, in a "go away" voice. "I'm not hungry."

"Aww, c'mon," Beastboy presisted getting a little too close for comfort. "They're good."

"No," Hiei said taking the plate away from the boy and holding it at arm's length. "I'd rather drink poison."

"Oh." Beastboy let that sink in a moment then reached to get the plate back. "Then hand them over."

Hiei was still annoyed and didn't feel like making things easy for the green one. He held it farther away. "I could name ten thousand things that look and smell better than this grule!" he went on.

That comment angered Beastboy and he felt he should defend his choice of food. "It's not grule!" he protested clenching his fists. "It's tofu!"

"It looks like grule!"

Suddenly blackness surrounded the plate and it disappeared. Hiei and Beastboy stared at the spot where they had been. An empty hand. "Huh?" they said in one voice, confused on where the food had gone.

"What did you do?" Beastboy demanded suspiciously.

"I didn't do anything!" Hiei told him.

A mug of tea materialized in Hiei's hand just then. The two boys stared at it. "What is this?" Hiei asked.

"Herbal tea," Raven said walking into the room just then. She'd been watching the two fighting and couldn't stand it any longer. "If you don't want to eat Beastboy's tofu eggs at least drink that."

Hiei stared at the tea then back at her for a moment before he shrugged and said. "Fine," then turned away from them and walked toward the windows, sipping the liquid.

Once he was gone Raven glared annoyedly at Beastboy. "What?" he demanded.

"Not everyone's a vegaterian you know," she said. She started down the stairs. "Don't push it."

"But, Raven!" he started to protest.

"Forget it!"

"Why are you siding with him?" Beastboy demanded of the back of her head as she poured her own cup of herbal tea. "He's the one who's been a pill since we found him."

"He wouldn't be acting that way if you hadn't tried to push breakfast down his throat," she shot back, looking at him over her shoulder.

"I didn't try pushing anything down his throat!" he pritested indignantly.

"Of yes you did!" Hiei called from where he stood by the windows.

"Shut up!" Beastboy shouted at him. "Nobody asked you!"

Raven's annoyance with Beastboy showed very well on her face and it was growing. It would be best for her to leave before she lost her temper. She took her tea and left. Beastboy watched her go then walked over to the sofa and flopped down onto it. He folded his arms and glared at Hiei's back.

Dumb psycho from another dimension making me look stupid! he thought angrily. He's turning Raven against me! What does she see in him anyway? He's so arrogant! It can't be his looks. I am way better looking than he is! Maybe she knows something about him that we don't. If she does then it's my duty to find out too!

Just then Starfire came into the room. "Good morning, friends," she called to the Titans.

Hiei turned slightly at her voice and eyed her again. As she got her own breakfast she hummed a happy song and juggled bowls and spoons. Carefree idiot, he thought, turning his attention away from her and looking back out the window. I just hope she doesn't bother me.

That proved to be wishful thinking. Starfire singled him out with friendliness. Her problem was; she wanted to hug him again because she's friendly and that's what she likes to do.

"Friend!" she said loudly and cheefully as she walked up to him.

He turned around and gave her an annoyed look. Why was he always the magnet for overly friendly airheads?

"It is a good morning," she said happily as she closed in on him. "I would like to give you the frienly good morning to a new friend hug." (I dunno I made it up. It sounds like something she'd do)

She was close now. Hiei didn't like her being that close. He reached out, grabbed her arms and held her still. She stared at him in surprise, not exactly sure what he was doing.

"Try that again and I'll break your arms," he told her.

She stared at him stupidly. "But friend," she began.

"I'm not your freind," he said angrily. "I do not chose to be. Why don't you save it for someone who cares?"

Starfire's eyes got real big as she stared at him in surprise. "Eh!"

He let her go and pushed past her. Maybe he should have stayed in bed. At least he'd gotten something down. He left the room without looking back.

"What's with him?" Beastboy asked as he watched the demon leave the room. "He's even colder than Raven."

"Don't pay any attention to him," Robin adviced when he came in. "He'll open up eventually, Raven did." the boy looked at Starfire. "Right, Starfire?"

The alien girl said nothing.

Robin looked at her curiously. "Star?"

The alien's face was blank. "He doesn't wish to be friends?" she said in a tiny voice before she burst into tears. "Why doesn't he wish be to be my friend?" she wailed.

"Just perfect," Beastboy grumbled. "Now he's upset Starfire!" the green one walked over to her and tried to make her feel better. "Don't cry, Star. I'm sure he didn't mean it."

It didn't help. She just got even more upset. "Why didn't he wish to be my friend!" she cried, throwing herself onto Beastboy.

Beasboy stared at her in confusion then patted her on the head. "Please don't cry, Star," he pleaded. "You're getting snot on my jump suite."

"Why did he have to be so mean?" she demanded, pounding her fists on Beastboy's chest. "He should apoligize." She lifted her head and stared sharply at Robin. "Robin, make him say he's sorry!"

"Okay," Robin said, seeing a killer look in her green eyes. "I'll go look for him." He rushed out of the rooom to find Hiei.

A/N

Beastboy and Hiei will never be friends and yes Beastboy is jealous. When I wrote this chapter I had to do a lot of alterations but I'm still not entirely satisfied with it. Someone said I wasn't making everyone show enough emotion so I tried my best to show it more. It's just hard. What if I make them out of character by giving them the wrong emotion? All well. That's Just a chance I'll have to take.