BBRae Week Fall 2015: Day II.
315 degrees.
Beast Boy couldn't help his wide eyes as he exchanged a concerned glance with Cyborg. In return, the half metal man frowned at the resting sorceress.
"Rae, you're burning up," the changeling crouched so he was eye level with the weakened Titan. She offered a feeble smile and reached for his shoulder, giving a light squeeze. Her eyes remained closed and her breathing labored, but she didn't seem to have a care in the world. It was clear that the smallest Titan was downplaying how unwell she was truly feeling but she was only doing what she'd done her entire life as an empath; she'd always placed others' feelings before hers. And as kind as that was, the lack of concern she had for her own mind and body was unnerving.
"You don't seem concerned."
"Hell's six hundred and sixty something degrees…" She trailed off. "I can handle it."
"Yeah, Rae, but you shouldn't have to." Cyborg's deep voice sounded from the doorway. "You… you need to be more, uh, concerned with your health."
"How can I be concerned with myself when Gar's got a broken hand?" Raven's clouded amethyst eyes met Cyborg's as she reached for the changeling again. "Show him." She tugged at his bandaged hand like a child. Upon her insistence, the changeling held up his bruised hand; most of his verdant skin was wound tightly with white gauze, save his purpled knuckles. Seeing his mangled fist, Raven gasped. "What happened, again?"
The fever must have fried that part of her memory.
"It's 'cause he bruised it punching that doctor out." Cyborg chuckled, crossing his strong arms. Raven's mouth formed an "o" and her arched eyebrows raised her next question. "Well… The doctor said that if you're temperature's this high then you should go back to… to where you came from." Beast Boy and Cyborg exchanged another worried glance. "Guess he's not used to working with half demon's," Cyborg stared at the floor, waiting nervously for the empath's reaction.
But she just giggled. "I've been told to go back to the fiery depths before, Cy-guy," her smile was weary.
"Cy-guy?" The mechanical man raised an amused brow and the feverish empath nodded wildly.
"Hey, Cy-guy," Beast Boy's voice sounded light, but there wasn't a hint of amusement on his face. "Give us a minute?" The taller man nodded, closing the door behind him.
In the moment that Cyborg had exited, Raven's eyes had fallen closed once more. Her hand was still folded over Beast Boy's wounded one, the other gripping the fleece blanket around her face. Beast Boy watched her, she seemed so at peace. The beads of sweat on her brow glimmered against the candles of her room and her short violet locks were twisted into a small bun, courtesy of Starfire. After another moment, Beast Boy was convinced she was asleep.
"Rae.. Raven," Beast Boy kept his voice low. She opened an eye and her fingers curled around his hand tighter. "Go back to sleep, sweetheart."
She closed her eye again and smiled. "Gar," she sighed. "Let me heal your hand," she mumbled, a bit of a blue aura surrounding her fingertips.
"Save your strength," he whispered. "Go back to sleep, I'm going to sleep just over here." He watched her face relax once more. She was always so concerned for him, for others, before herself. Beast Boy guessed that was the price to pay for an empath. Her breathing continued to stay slow but steady and he stood from his squat by her pillow. He glanced at the foot of the bed, where his red sleeping bag had been camped out for the past few days. His focus shifted to Raven one more time, with the silver needle taped into her arm and his plaid fleece blanket pulled over her curled body. Sighing, the changeling gently pulled his hand from hers and made his way to the end of the bed. "Goodnight, Rae."
"Wait." She whimpered. "Sleep here," in her lose consciousness, she wiggled her body closer to the side of the bed, making modest room for the changeling. He peered at her from his sleeping bag. Her eyes remained closed but it was obvious that the sickly sorceress wouldn't be sleeping until he was resting beside her. Sleeping in such close proximity most likely wasn't good either of them for as ill as she was and he couldn't quite figure out why she wasn't being sensible but Beast Boy figured if it made her happy, that was all that was important. Nodding to himself, Beast Boy sat next to the half-asleep Raven. As soon as his weight hit the bed, Raven rolled to her back and found his hand once more. He gazed at her for the millionth time that evening, she finally looked as if she was about to sleep.
"I'm here, Rae."
"You're here," she repeated. "I'm here… we're here together."
"Of course we're together." Beast Boy smiled tiredly, dragging a bit of blanket over his legs. He knew the fever was influencing her speech but he couldn't help but think her recent mumbles were only hers. "We'll always be together."
The next morning, Beast Boy noticed Raven's temperature had gone down and his hand was completely healed. Smiling to himself, he turned to admire her wisdom, even in her slumber.
Somewhere beneath the fever and dehydration Raven knew they would always be better off together.
