Jason awoke slowly, his mind muddled and swirling with images of fading dreams and half-formed thoughts. He laid there in the dim light, blinking to adjust his eyes as he strained to recollect where he was. The rogue felt disoriented and confused by the unfamiliar dark colors that surrounded him. The bed didn't feel like his either. His gaze roamed around the room before coming to rest on a thick book lying on the nightstand opposite him; suddenly it clicked.

I'm in Raven's room, he thought, and the memories of the past 24 hours came rushing back into his head.

X winced as he remembered the fight with H.I.V.E— that Mammoth sure had one hell of a brutal punch— and he made a mental note to repay them sometime in the future, for all the injuries. A pale glow was pulsing next to the nightstand book, and he drifted his eyes over to the illuminated alarm clock. 9:45 A.M.

Jason carefully propped himself up in bed, trying to see if Raven was still curled up on her spot on the floor. To his disappointment, no gently breathing body lay on the blue carpet. Just a neatly folded blanket stacked on top of a pillow. He sighed, ceasing the exertion of holding himself upright and falling back against the plush mattress.

The thief folded his hands on top of his chest and stared up at the ceiling. How many nights had she lain like this, meditating on the unfathomable things that occupied her? How many days had been spent here, sifting through the shadowy compartments of her mind? How many of those hours had been consumed contemplating him?

Jason smiled to himself at that last thought. He liked to imagine a good bit of time.

He wondered how long she'd be gone. It was lonely in here, without having her around to tease and irritate.

Red-X closed his eyes and remembered the time he had made the dark bird blush so furiously. That single moment had been the most sublime in his life. The opportunity to stand so close to her, to smell her— she had smelled of lavender and peppermint. To actually to get to touch her…

To press his lips against hers was a bliss even he had not anticipated.

His fingers curled around the pillow beneath his head and he buried his face against it, trying to inhale the faint residue of her scent.

She had pulled back farther into herself after that night. She had been there, in his hands so to speak, not protesting against his proximity, not resisting his soft kiss. He thought for certain that he had overcome her barriers, had chinked her glass wall enough to allow himself to wiggle through. He had been convinced that after that night, things between them would change.

But she had built up three new walls for the chink he had put in the first.

He couldn't understand it. Why was she so… frustrating? She seemed to fight against herself, to imprison herself inside her own mind. Hadn't she practically admitted it to him?

"If my emotions aren't kept under control, bad things happen... It' the only place I can safely be myself."

He gazed at her room, at her world. At every possession of significance that she owned.

What will it take? Jason asked himself. What will it take for her to finally open up, to see I'm not something to fear?

The door slid open with a hiss, and he looked up to see dark hooded figure step in quietly. He grinned.

"Nice of you to drop in, kid. I knew you wouldn't be able to stay away from me."

xxxx

Raven scowled at the boy laying on her bed.

"I'm going to work on healing your ribs some more," she explained to him.

"I know that's just your clever excuse for touching my chest," he winked seductively.

A muscle in Raven's jaw worked furiously. Then she released a deep sigh, relaxing. She should know better by now. Just let it wash over her. He only wanted her to get riled up.

The empath sat down beside him and placed her palms against his ribcage, closing her eyes and beginning the chant.

After a good half-hour, Jason could tell when she was slowing down, about to bring the spell to an end. Finishing the last string of the mantra, she dropped her shoulders and exhaled slowly. Before she could move her arms back, the thief grabbed her hands, holding them tightly in his own, close to his chest. Small, cold fingers enclosed by larger, warmer ones.

Raven looked up at him, surprise showing in her eyes. He gazed back at her intently, pinning the dark titan down with his stare. She was transfixed by the warmth that seemed to lap at the edges of his grey-green irises. Something flamed inside her chest, a burning sensation that traveled down into her stomach and back up again.

"Don't do that," Raven muttered, ducking her head. She tugged her hands away from his, turning her face to hide the faint coloring that had risen on her cheeks.

Jason watched her softly, following her every move.

"I'm not going to hurt you," he murmured, honesty showing in his eyes.

Raven's jaw clenched and her hands balled up, knuckles turning deathly white.

"How do I know that?" she muttered bitterly, not turning around when she spoke.

"You know who I am. You have my face, my name. My whole identity. If anyone should be worried about being hurt, it's me," Jason explained cautiously. He reached out a hand toward her, then thought better of it, pulling back.

"I care about you. As much as I've tried to deny it, to ignore it, I've reached the point where I can't get past it any more—I feel something for you, Raven. I want to be your friend. I want to know you…" He trailed off, then took a shaky breath. She had remained rigid, mutely listening to him.

"Please say something." His voice sounded uncharacteristically pleading.

Raven turned back slowly, head bowed, keeping her face in the shadow of her hood. She opened her mouth to speak, and the first words came out cracked.

"There… was someone named Malchior. I thought he understood me. He listened... He said he cared. We spent a lot of time alone together. I became… very close to him."

Raven took a breath to steady herself, sliding her gaze away from his intense stare to the wall, unnerved by his unwavering observation of her.

"I guess you could say I fell for him."

She lapsed into silence. Ghostly images floated up before her mind. Secretly shared smiles, a warm, trusting touch. These memories no longer frightened her, though. Now they just made a hollowness resonate inside of her.

The titan forced her eyes up and looked directly at Jason.

"He lied to me and used me to get something he wanted. He betrayed me."

Raven's words caught in her throat and a tear escaped her crystalized mask, marking a watery trail down her jaw.

Jason reached out toward her tentatively, and when she made no move to flinch away, gently wiped the salty drop with his thumb.

"I can never forgive him for what he did to you," he said quietly. He took hold of her right hand and pressed it against his heart. Raven could feel the even tempo thudding through his veins.

"Let me help you forget," he murmured. "Let me show you what happiness feels like."

Raven looked down at the hand pressed against his chest, a look of wonder and bewilderment in her eyes. A tingling made its way down her back and she could feel herself shaking slightly, but she was not afraid.

She opened her mouth—

BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!

The piercing wail of the crime alarm shattered the serenity that had begun to fill the dark room.

A heavy pounding resounded at the door, and a voice shouted on the other side.

"It's Cinderblock, Raven! Get a move on, we've gotta go!"

Raven jumped up, startled by the sudden onslaught of noise and calls. She gazed at the boy lying before her, torn.

Jason looked back sorrowfully.

"I'll still be here when you get back," he said, reminding her of his present condition.

Raven hesitated, then nodded quickly before rushing out the room, the edge of her cape whipping around the corner of the doorframe as she disappeared from view.

X

X

I really enjoyed writing this chapter; getting to show X's sensitive side was a treat for me. Please let me know what you guys think! Your support is always appreciated.