BBRae Week 2015 2 - Second Kiss

He found her on the roof. Not that he would admit he had even been looking for her, mind you. He had just been wandering the Tower for an hour and just chanced to bump into his teammate who also happened to be the most beautiful girl he'd ever seen. She sat, in civilian clothing (grey jeans and a black turtleneck) with her feet dangling over the edge and seemingly staring into space. She had, of course, been out with the goth guy tonight. Beast Boy never remembered his right name and had quickly given up trying. Just labeling him "Goth" made it easier to dislike him. A real name might have made him a real person in Beast Boy's mind. Tired of thinking of the man he secretly regarded as his competition at best and mortal enemy at worst, Beast Boy slowly walked to the edge of the roof and plopped down next to Raven, elbows on his knees. He stared at the city, much as she did, not saying a word. He had learned that she would talk on her own terms and at her own pleasure, instinctively resisting when questioned, even by her friends. She glanced at him for a moment.

"We broke up tonight," she said, finally. Beast Boy showed heroic restraint and remained still.

"What happened?" he asked, gambling that she would answer now that she had initiated conversation.

"We kissed... for the first time," she replied. Beast Boy regretted asking. He studied her for a few moments. To most people, Raven would have appeared calm and collected, utterly rational. To those with experience of Raven's subtlety, like Beast Boy, she was truly miserable. The way her shoulders sat slightly lower than usual. The almost imperceptible tremor in her voice. Her eyes... her eyes always gave it away. He bit his lip to quiet himself, unsure if he would burst into sympathetic tears or into a furious tirade ending in vengeance against "Goth". His brain picked apart her words, realising that her first kiss with Goth would likely be...

"Your first kiss?" he whispered. She nodded. "Why does that make you so sad?" he asked desperately. It didn't occur to him that he was potentially aiding his enemy, he just wanted her to stop hurting. She flashed him a curious smile, concerned yet thrilled that he could read her so well.

"When we started dating, I made a conscious effort to control my empathy. It seemed unfair, somehow. Anyway when we... made contact, it all came flooding in. Everything he felt," she explained, trailing off. He shuffled an inch closer.

"And?" he prompted gently. She faced him.

"He doesn't love me," she confessed, even-tempered to most, practically wailing in sorrow to Beast Boy. "I'm not sure he can love anyone."

"Oh, Raven..." he muttered, distraught.

"I know it's silly but I can't stop thinking about it: giving my first kiss to someone who is incapable of appreciating it..." She turned to watch the city again and the pair fell silent for several minuted. Resolved to help, Beast Boy spoke, more than a little nervous.

"Y'know, it's not such a big deal. First kisses? Meh. Now second kisses, they're the ones you remember," he said. Raven turned and regarded him curiously.

"Second kisses?" she asked. He nodded.

"Yeah! The first one is kinda like an experiment, right? You're just working out how to do it and you wanna see what it's like and stuff. Now the second one... you're less about what and more about who. So you see, you save the second one for someone who really deserves it, which makes it at least a billion times better than the first!" He was waving his arms now, warming to his speech. Raven listened, a small but growing smile on her lips. She knew he was essentially talking nonsense to make her feel better. And that knowledge did just that: make her feel better. Goth was in the past and, though the memory would hurt for some time, she knew her friends would soothe her pain. Especially the green one. She found her heart swelling with feelings for the boy and reached out to him, halting his monologue.

"Someone who deserves it? Right now I can only think of one person," she said, planting a gentle kiss on the changeling's cheek. Her eyes snapped wide open and so did his, hers with astonishment and his with realisation: she had made contact. She knew what he felt. He stammered uselessly.

"Rae! I-I-I-I-I-I-"

"You love me..." she breathed. He gave up speaking and nodded, face flushed. She stared back. She had believed, at various times, that she had developed a crush on the green teen but had always kept it to herself, unsure of even her own feelings. She knew now that the connection between herself and Goth had been a pale imitation of a true relationship. Through the lens of Beast Boy's emotions, she saw her own feelings clearly. Without another word she lunged forward and pressed her lips to his, her hands on his shoulders. She pulled back, pink in the face, and watched him. He shook his head.

"Wow... I totally undersold first kisses," he said. Raven cocked an eyebrow.

"Your first?" she asked. With a hint of embarrassment Raven didn't fully understand, Beast Boy nodded. "You know, I have it on good authority that second kisses are even better, though they should only be shared with someone wh- mph!" Raven's words were lost , intercepted by the lips of Beast Boy capturing her own.

Ha ha! Finished writing with three minutes to spare!

-Jack