A/N: There's not much to say for this chapter. Dick is kinda obsessive over Roy. Raven helps, well forces, him to deal with it.
The word 'staff' does not equal penis, although a lot of the time you may think it does. No lemons in this one.
Oh I forgot, I want to thank Yourperfectdisaster, caltha, and Norris Finlay-Hybrid for the reviews.
Disclaimer: I do not own the Teen Titans or DC comics.
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Chapter 4: Dark Green
The buzzing fluorescent lights reflected off the clean tiles. The beams blinded my vision, so I tightly shut my eyes.
Two days ago, I brought in a cushioned chair and sat it by his bed. Sleeping in the seat, curled up with my knees to my chest, was better than sleeping on the hard floor. Even though I hadn't really slept in three days. I was just more comfortable this way.
For two weeks, I've anticipated his awakening. He's losing around two pounds per day. I'm really...worried. What if he stays like this for months? I've heard people can stay like this for years. When they finally become conscious, they have to learn how to walk and speak again. I can only hope that doesn't happen to him. He just has to wake up.
I sat up and looked over at his face.
He needed a bath, bad. The sordid odor lingering off of his body smelled like armpit sweat and horrible bad breath. However, that didn't change the way I feel about him.
A mosquito landed on his cheek. I jumped up and slapped.
For a brief moment, I thought I saw his eye twitch. Or maybe I'm just hoping to see his eye twitch.
The squished mosquito was smeared across his cheek. I licked my thumb and wiped off the remains.
Why do people cry at a person's funeral, but when a bug is killed, they hardly wince? Do primitive lives, such as mosquitoes, love? I wouldn't think so. They don't have the capacity to comprehend love. I don't think anybody does. Just when someone might think they understand the concept of love, a whole new level appears. Love has so many feelings, like happiness, sadness, jealousy, pain and pleasure, all morphed into one word. What causes love? Some believe in love-at-first-sight, while others think love takes time. When chicks hatch, the first thing they see is their mother and they are already attached to her. Same with infants, they feel the first surge of love and compassion when they feel their mother's warm, protective body. In some way, I hope Roy will feel that way when he opens his eyes. I'll be here for him; doing whatever it takes to make him well again...just so we can be together.
"Richard?"
I didn't need to turn to see who was saying my name. The raspy, monotone voice told me it was Rae. She silently floated across the room and stood by me.
"Please, just come downstairs and talk to us. The whole team is worried about you...Richard?" It had always annoyed me how she called me 'Richard' while everyone else called me 'Dick'. My mother always would call me that when I was in trouble.
I was silent and stared at Roy.
"Richard, answer me." Raven's usual emotionless tone now sounded desperate.
I swallowed the pool of saliva under my tongue.
"I just...need to stay here...with him." My broken speech was the effect of me not eating or drinking in days. No wonder I haven't left to go to the bathroom.
"No you don't need to stay by Roy every minute. He's going to be fine. He will wake up soon. I promise he'll be okay." She said. I looked up at her; she meekly smiled.
"How do you know?" I sounded so hopeless.
"You already know that I catch glimpses of the future."
It was unusual for Rae to be so optimistic.
She and I had become close friends in the past three years. Kory would always go to the mall to shop, Vic would go also, to check out the electronics, while Gar would just tag along with them. That would always leave Rae and me at the tower. At first, we were distant; she would go meditate somewhere, while I would train in the gym. One day, I went to the kitchen to get some water and Rae was in there, drinking her herbal tea. And we just started...talking. I found out that she was an interesting person. She thought that darkness was misunderstood beauty. I found that she was somewhat unsure of herself; probably a result from her paternal influence. I could confide in her, and that was comforting to know that she could keep secrets. Although, sometimes it was irritating how she could read my thoughts and detect my hidden emotions. That's how I think she found out that I was in love with Roy, and not with her.
"Richard?" Rae placed her hand on my shoulder.
"Yeah?"
"Roy is going to wake up. You will be together. I promise because...I know." Her smile faded. I lifted my left hand and put it on hers.
"Rae, I want you to know that I...love you."
"You love me the way you love the team; it's just platonic. You love Roy; he's your...soul mate." Her hand slid out from under mine.
"I thought my soul mate was supposed to be a woman." I argued. Rae just smiled at my aggressiveness, and sat on the armrest. She lifted my right hand, and felt my wrist.
"Everyone's pulse has two beats. A loud, strong beat at the beginning, then a quiet, soft one that follows it. It is said, that the second heartbeat is your soul mate's." Rae grabbed Roy's hand and let me feel his pulse. I placed two of my fingers on my carotid artery, while trying to concentrate on both of our heartbeats.
I couldn't believe it. She was right. Roy's pulse was perfectly sync with my own. My softer heartbeat was his stronger one, and vice versa.
I rested my head on the mattress.
I was restless before she came in, and now all of this philosophical-talk about soul mates, was making me fall asleep. I can't fall asleep, Roy needs to see me when he wakes up.
I lifted my head up and rubbed my eyes in a circular motion.
"You need to go to sleep." Rae advised. I violently shook my head.
"Yes, you do, but in your own bed."
"No, I have to stay awake. Roy has to see me first." My body ached and my neck strained. I yawned, while gripping the armrest and turning my sides to pop my back.
"Roy is going to love you even if you're not the first person he sees. We're not birds, Richard." I shot her a glare. She had been reading my mind before she even stepped foot in the infirmary.
"Rae, I have to stay here. He needs me." I continued to argue.
"You're tired from not sleeping and you're weak from not eating. I may force you to go to sleep, but be thankful I didn't shove an apple down your throat." She slowly raised her right hand. I was enveloped in black and was being lifted off of the chair.
"Rae, no! Just put me down! I need to stay here! Rachel!" I yelled and clutched the armrest, while my legs were levitating. Her magic ripped me off the chair and I drifted to my room. I kept on with my protests, even though there was nothing I could do. Rae laid me down onto my bed and covered me with the sheets.
"Rachel, I don't need to sleep! I need to watch Roy!" I struggled, but she just tightened the sheets and tucked the edges under the mattress.
"I'm only saying this one more time: Roy is going to be fine. Also, do you think Roy would want you to stop eating and sleeping just because he's in a coma?" She asked.
"Well, still-he...might-" My stuttering was cut off, because the rubies on her belt and cloak were blinking. Now the city was under attack.
"You stay here. By 'here' I mean your bed." Rae ordered. I thrashed, even though escaping was hopeless.
"I have to help! You guys need me!" I shouted. They can't just leave me here!
"You're weak. You need to rest. Trust me, we can handle it without you. Everyone doesn't always need the Boy Wonder... Now go to sleep." She said.
I realized that resisting was useless. She's right, without sleep I wouldn't be much help. Maybe I have been a little obsessive over Roy. Don't let love distract you from your responsibilities- Another Bat quote.
Rae smiled vaguely, then withdrew her powers and floated out of my room. I gently shut my eyes and relaxed; trying to rid my mind of all distractions.
Okay, sleep, sleep...
OoOoOoOoOoOoOo
PANG
"Aw, shit!"
I instinctively rolled off my bed and onto the floor with a thud; already alert with my adrenaline pumping.
Someone was in the tower. The voice was a man's; too high to be Vic's, too low to be Gar's. The other Titans could not be back yet or I would have heard them coming in.
The clock read 7:42 pm.
Four hours of much-needed sleep should do me good in combat. Who would want to sneak into the tower? And how could anyone ever get passed Cy's security system?
I clipped on my utility belt, then silently walked down the hall. The vast, empty tower was extremely quiet.
He either ran away, or I'm expecting an ambush.
I slinked down the stairs, then stopped by the doorway of the kitchen. Hiding behind the door, I peered around the doorway to look inside.
The pot of stew that Victor had made, was spilled on the kitchen tile. No movements detected.
Suddenly, a fast hand came out from behind the kitchen island and snatched a knife from the countertop. I flung a dart from my utility belt, but it pinned itself onto the wooden cabinet. The person already had the knife and was ducking behind the kitchen island.
I have to admit, whoever is faster than one of my darts, they're obviously well-trained.
I removed my retractable Bo staff from my belt. I ran and jumped on top of the kitchen island, with staff ready to attack, but the man wasn't there. In that short amount of time, he managed to slip away. There was only one place where he could be.
The island had one wall that reached to the ceiling. He had to be behind that wall, there was no where else he could go. I smiled.
I got 'em.
I sneaked up to the wall. I knew he was on the other side. I could hear his faint breathing. My staff tightly gripped in my hand. A few deep breaths.
I rapidly swung myself around. The shining knife blade passed over my head. Everything was moving quickly and looked blurry. My staff knocked the knife out of his hand. He groaned as my long staff held him against the wall.
For the first time in three years, a pair of beautiful, dark green eyes gleamed back at me.
