Trip Switch
"Yes! High score! In Cyborg's metal face - booyah that!"
The bright flashing red letters took up the entire screen. He pumped a fist. Yeah, now he could go to bed. He looked around the dark and deserted common room. His pointed ears drooped a little. He dropped the controller. Too bad no one had been around to witness the victory. It had been an impressive feat. Oh well.
No one except...
Raven?
Beast Boy did a double take.
He slowly stood up from the carpeted floor. He walked over slowly, trying not to startle her. He could detect her scent coming in much stronger now. It was definitely her. She was laying across the couch. With her small, darkly-cloaked form in the dim light, she was certainly easy to miss. It looked like the petite girl had fallen asleep with her book in her hand.
That was so like her. That was... so Raven. He chuckled quietly to himself at his bad joke. But then his sock-clad feet drew closer and he was overtaken with the feelings he experienced whenever he was close to her.
"Raven..." he whispered. "What are you doing, falling asleep in here like this?" A little smile peeled across his lips as he gazed down at her pale face. She looked so relaxed. So peaceful.
So lovely.
He couldn't help but watch her. She moaned in her sleep. What could she be dreaming about? She moved just the slightest amount, so she was closer to him. "Gar..." she whispered. His grass-green eyes widened. Before he grinned dreamily again.
He spoke in disbelief. "Me... She's dreaming... about me..." He sighed as he repeated the words. "Raven is dreaming about... me." That was somehow better than the high score. Okay, it was a thousand times better. He reached down to brush a lock of her hair out of her face. Before leaning in. It was a little impulsive, but her lilac and plum scent was hypnotic. Maybe he could just...
And then, a warning interrupted him.
A serious, authoritatively voiced warning.
"What are you doing?" He didn't even have to look up to know who it was, standing over his shoulder.
Boy Wonder - coming to save her. Except once again, she didn't need rescuing. At least he knew that.
She had moved away from him, towards the source of the noise. "Mm..." she mumbled. Her eyelids fluttering. It was as if he had imagined the whole thing. He blinked.
Huh? Was he wrong?
"Beast Boy, I think Raven needs her rest."
"What, but I was just -"
"I know what you were just..." He stared for a long time at the green man. In a way that reminded Beast Boy right away of the difference in their ages, no matter how he usually thought it insignificant. No. Nightwing was putting him back in his place. He sighed. He outstretched his hands to her. "I'll take it from here - I'll help her."
He had been about to do just that until he was interrupted. He still had to try. "Sorry, Dick, but -"
"Good night, Garfield." The younger man's brow furrowed as he looked away for a moment. When he glanced back, Dick had already reached down and plucked her fragile frame from the seat, with ease. "I've got you, Raven." He was taking her away from him. And that was that.
End of discussion.
"Rich..." she mumbled and placed her head to his strong shoulder. He blushed a faint pink, that was barely visible in this light. And to the human eye, it most certainly wasn't.
He frowned as he watched this scene unfolding before him. And his eyes narrowed further, when he heard the quickening heartbeat of his leader.
But...
Beast Boy wasn't exactly human.
And so, yes, he wasn't perceptive in the obvious way - in the ways that were sometimes more certain to others. But, he had other senses and other skills. He tended to notice things. Things other people didn't see, didn't want to see, or didn't want him to see.
And he certainly noticed this.
