It had never really dawned on her that she was in love with him. Not until this particular moment, of course.

It was around eleven at night when they'd gotten back to the tower, bruised and bloodied after a tousle with Cinderblock that had taken far too long... Or wait, maybe it had been Plasmus. The point was that it was too late and her mind was too foggy to remember which hulking creature she'd had the pleasure of spending her Thursday evening ripping to pieces. Raven rolled her eyes. Sending her soul self was always such a feat, leaving her mind as worn as her body. When she'd finally dragged herself to her room, there were only two thoughts occupying her weary mind, and one of them had been getting that foul purple goop out of her hair.

Oh right... They had definitely fought Plasmus. Disgusting.

If she had to guess, Raven would say it was midnight now. After tending to the wounds Robin had begrudgingly allowed her to heal, she'd been wandering aimlessly around the boys' corridor, silently hoping to run into a certain teammate. Of course, he didn't disappoint, (he never disappointed her), which lead to their current situation.

"How're ya holding up?"

His playfully hushed tone crossed the bridge of her nose, and her arms tightened around her chest. "M'fine," her gaze faltered, "Robin's wounds were minor, so I figured while I was over here, I'd-"

"Thanks for worrying," he pressed a kiss to her temple, "but you should get some rest."

She really should. Pure exhaustion had a way of tearing down the strict structure she filed her emotions into so neatly. It would be wrong to abandon her structure for a single, foolish urge. Then again, his hands were so warm around her waist... No, no, no. No. Anything she thought she wanted tonight were trifles at best, poorly filtered thoughts that would fade with the morning light. Swallowing her desires, Raven peered into those gorgeous emerald eyes, glinting ever so kindly against the dim hallway lights. "I'll see you tomorrow, then."

Beast Boy nodded, leaning forward one more time. The kiss was simple, meant to be a parting gesture, but it knocked her mental resolve over like a clean row of dominoes. Raven couldn't help it. Rising to her toes, she pressed back, a firm message delivered directly against his lower lip. The boy froze, shocked as he caught her earnest gaze. Shifting his grip on her waist, Beast Boy offered a goofy grin before slamming her back against the carpeted wall.

"Umph!"

The strangled sound left her lips before she could choke it back, her hands flying over his one, which now had a slightly looser grip on her thigh.

"R-Raven?!" Beast Boy gasped, muscles tensing. The girl shot him a guilty glare, withdrawing her hands just as quickly. "What the hell?" His tone lowered to nothing more than a grumble grazing her earlobe. "You said you were fine!"

"I am."

"Shut up," he sighed, resting his forehead against hers, "you're totally not fine, Rae." His eyelids fell closed and his guilt overwhelmed her senses, sending an undeniable message blaring in her mind: I don't want to hurt you.

Raven scrunched her nose, staring up at him with the slightest of pouts. It wasn't fair how gentle he was with her. Since they'd started this whole... whatever it was, he'd been nothing but nice. Unbelievably polite, with the exception of taunting remarks laced with affection. To the untrained eye, it was cute to see Beast Boy act like such a gentleman, but Raven knew better. They'd been teammates for years, after all. She'd seen him fight, she'd seen him protect, she'd seem him possess; he had passion. And she only wanted a little taste. But instead, he coddled her with butterfly kisses that were so gentle they felt like a tease. Of course, that hadn't quite been his intention... And yet, she'd fallen for the bait.

It wasn't like she didn't like how he kissed her. When he tilted her jaw, just so, his lips fit perfect against hers and it made her head so light she could float. It was flattering how much respect he'd put into their relationship. But this... The way he'd resorted to treating her like a fragile little bird was infuriating. Like a bruised hip could stand in the way of throwing her up against the wall and kissing her senseless. Hell, she was still Raven. She was still the daughter of an intergalactic demon, and still a member of the most esteemed team of heroes in Jump City. She wasn't fragile... Not in the slightest.

"So that's..." Raven finally spoke, eyes trailing lazily up and down his torso. "That's all I get?"

"You've at least got a bruised hip and knowing you, it's probably actually broken. Someone's gotta look out for you, Rae, if you're not gonna look out for yourself."

"I told you I was fine, Garfield." She retorted, running her fingertip along a tear in the fabric of his uniform. Slender fingers stroked the fresh scratch stretched over his ribs with an aqua glow, and Raven sighed, "I'm fine."

"You're stubborn," he corrected, peeking an eye open. "What's up with you anyway? Y'seem a little antsy tonight."

"Maybe because you won't kiss me."

"..."

"Wha-what?!" Pressing a palm to her forehead, the changeling offered a nervous chuckle. "You're definitely worse off than I thought, Rae. We literally just-"

"No... I... Not like that, idiot."

"I don't really get-"

"I want you to kiss me like you mean it, Gar."

"But you're hu-"

"I know, I know," Raven swallowed back another irritated sigh, waving his protests from the air like a obnoxious smell. "But..." Trembling fingertips traced his frame, higher and faster until they laced around his neck, fidgeting with the damp forest hairs at the base. "But if you're the one to hurt me... I don't think it would be so bad."

Emerald eyes flashed.

"You... You don't know what you're talking about," his voice went serious, "once I start, it's not so easy to quit," hands curled around her waist, "so if you want me to stop... Tell me now."

Amethyst hues met his, answering his warning with all the disregard in the world.

His knee shoved between her legs, pressing her up and back against the wall. Raven swallowed. "Or now." His movements were fluid, one hand gripping firm around her waist, the other snaking up through the swell and dip of her curves until his grip had locked firm against her neck. "Or now." His lips were against her cheek, caressing carelessly down her jaw. The pressure of his knee against the thin sliver of uniform was agonizing against her core, his fingertips forming new bruises along her jawline. She felt his canines, ghosting dangerously over her veins, followed by the sweltering slick of his tongue at the base of her neck. "Or," he paused, his greedy stare striking hers with enough fervor to drop her jaw, pretty lips parting just for him, "now."

And then, he pressed his lips against hers.

It was rough and unrestrained, and in that moment, Raven decided she was in love. And being in love felt like Garfield's calloused hands rushing beneath the tears in her uniform, it tasted like the tip of his tongue, it sounded like desperate gasps and quiet hums beneath a familiar cloak of darkness. A slight gasp escaped her throat as his tongue slipped across her lower lip, twisting her own into knots as tight as cherry stems. It was an experience more intoxicating that a case of the finest wine; Raven could drink in the experience forever.

He was breathless, lost in her flavor, moans so guttural she could feel the vibrations between her thighs. Raven shuddered, eyes slamming shut as he yanked her up against his mouth. "Sorry..." he murmured, brows threaded in concentration as he blindly tucked a lavender strand behind her ear, "your, ah, bruises..."

What bruises? She could only feel him. His touch was territorial, hands claiming every curve and swell of her body as his mouth lurched further against hers. His abdomen, clenched as she ran the naughty trail between his hips, the his slight weight against her thigh. Ragged breaths pushed against her chest, the rise and fall forcing her heartbeat into the same rhythm as his own.

Garfield... He had much more power over her than she'd care to admit. Just his lips, supple and gentle as they pulled against hers with insatiable hunger before curving blissfully against hers, made her weak in the knees. The hungry metallic taste to his breath, needle-like trace of his canines against her tongue sent her heart fluttering. He was a wonderful kisser in every sense of the way.

She could kiss him every second of every day until the end of time, and even that infinity wouldn't be enough.

When he pulled away, he cupped her face like his masterpiece, admiring the way he'd nipped and tugged her lips into a wonderfully supple swell, the way he'd planted burning red roses along her neck that would surely bloom into a gorgeous violet garden atop her silvery skin.

Beast Boy stared down at the breathless sorceress, wiping the corner of his slightly puffy lips with the edge of his wrist. God, why was that so hot? Raven bit the inside of her cheek.

"Are you..." he touched the tip of his nose to hers, a nervous smile playing his lips, and not a bit of remorse in his gleaming green eyes, "did I hurt you? How, uh.. How was it?"

"Let's just say we're going to need to replace some light bulbs in the kitchen."

"How many?"

"...All of them?"

"Shut up."


a/n: Beast Boy didn't stop smirking for a week.