Ten Seconds: Chapter 2

Chapter Two
Day breaks on Titans Tower, and Beast Boy slowly awakens as the sun kisses his face. He goes to move his hand so he can rub fatigue from his eyes, but he finds that there is something pinning that arm down. As his eye sight focuses, he notices a head of blue hair laying peacefully on his chest. Pale arms rest on his shoulders and a leg firmly sets over his.

He blinks a few more times as if to try to awaken from this dream, but finds that he he has long since left the realm of sleep.

"Raven..." He calls gently. She doesn't respond. Sleep still holds her tightly in its grasp. Beast Boy can't help but notice how even her pale skin glows when the sunlight hits it. The red gem stone on her forehead sparkles in the sunlight. And her lips... Those lips... Mere inches from his. Tantalizing, begging him to steal a kiss... But would he dare? The sun had already risen and the others were sure to be awake soon... More importantly, he knew the wrath he would face if he even dared to get any closer... But still... He desired those lips. He had carved them for so long, but since last night, it seemed as if they had become his tormentors, refusing to leave him be. Calling out to him. Calling him to them.

"... Rae...?" He calls again. No answer. With his heart pumping at full power and his head so pumped up with courage that it feels like it will burst, he leans in. Slowly, to avoid waking her up. Just as his lips are about to brush against hers, he stops. He sees the remains of dried tears on her face. That's right. She had cried last night... But that was just one tear. She had brushed it away as if it was nothing. Or had she? Could what he had said really meant that much? She couldn't show much emotion awake, but she also couldn't possibly control those same emotions while dreaming... Sleep, it must have been her only release from the unfeeling nightmare that was her life.

Now, that urge to kiss her, is replaced by guilt, and simply an urge to support her...  Instead of her lips, he settles for her forehead. He inhales as his lips meet with her soft skin. Though not what he originally wanted, the passion he feels is not lost, and his tenderness still says everything he wishes he could. "I want to know you. I want to be there for you. I want to be with you."

As he pulls back, he notices Raven has begun to stir. Fear now takes over where awe once was. What would she say when she awoke in his arms? What would she do if she found out he had kissed her? What would happen to their friendship if she woke up this way?

Before Beast Boy can think anymore, Raven's eyes are open. He quickly does the only thing he can think to do: He plays dead... Or in this case, asleep. Raven rubs her eyes as she starts to lean up, and a mixture of confusion and disgust overtakes her as she realizes where she has been all night.

She quickly withdraws from Beast Boy. She pulls back her face, her hands... But not her leg. She quickly stops and then after a long pause, she places her hands back on his chest.

"What...?" He thinks.

She looks at him, mulling over what has occurred. How could she lay with him? Him of all people! This green buffoon, whom she couldn't stand. This emerald idiot, who couldn't tell a good joke if the fate of the world depended on it... This... Man who told her... She was beautiful... Who spoke those words: "I love you..."

She found her attention drawn to his lips. Though they were green and mildly chapped. They still spoke to her. She thought about how he had been with Terra... How he had shown her so much affection. How he had loved her, even after her betrayal... And how even now, he loved her, though she couldn't even recall who he was. He loved her enough to let her go... To have a life without him. She felt a spark of jealousy ignite.

Could someone ever love her like that? Could he show her love? Should he? Before she could even think straight, she finds that she has already leaned down just above his lips. Beast Boy could feel the warmth of her breath. The sweet smell of tea leaves overcoming him. "IS SHE GONNA KISS ME!?" He thought. His heart begins to race even faster.

Raven's eyes locked firmly on Beast Boy's face. "What am I doing...?" She asked herself aloud. "I should hate you..." She says to his motionless form. "You enrage me... You're loud... You're obnoxious... You're... You're... The only one... To ever look at me... And accept me for me..." Her internal struggle was now becoming an outward one.

She leaned farther down. Now she was beginning to feel nervous. Her cheeks flare a bright red, her palms began to sweat, and she was now becoming incredibly dizzy. Their lips almost touch, but almost as if on cue,  her powers start to act up. The tea cup she had been drinking from glowed a black color, then shattered on the desk. Beast Boy jerked up, scared. Raven, jerked down, surprised.

And their lips met. In an awkward but still tender kiss. Raven's eyes widened as she felt Beast Boy's warmth rush into her. She had never been kissed before. She had never felt another person like this. Every thought in her head screamed for her to pull away, but she couldn't. This feeling was nothing like she had ever felt before. She closed her eyes and leaned more into it, resting her hands on his chest.

Beast Boy, half expecting to be blasted through the floor, tensed up. He was scared of what was going to happen next. But as he felt her relax into the kiss, that fear quickly lifted. He had noticed that she had closed her eyes and was actually enjoying it. She had placed her weight on him. He couldn't get up, even if he wanted too, and considering that this may very well be his last moment alive, he was determined to try his best to enjoy it. Her lips were soft, and sweet. Even though she was always cold towards him, he feels a warmth that calmed him and helped him to relish the moment. Before long he found himself falling into a dazed bliss.

The only thing he could do to keep himself conscious was count. "One... Two... Three..." He thought in his head. "Four, five, six..." She was still pressed against him. "Seven, Eight, Nine, Ten..." He was about to pass out. This surge of emotions was too much for him. His heart was beating faster than it ever had before.

Raven slowly pulls back and opens her eyes. She's still so close to him, their noses still touching. Beast Boy opens his eyes and stares into hers. What has just happened has not quite registered. Then, a flood of realization comes rushing to them. She jerks back, embarrassed. She had not meant to kiss him. Or had she...? She was already down in his face. Had she not been so close, this kiss would not have happened. And more importantly, he had kissed back.

Beast Boy stared, obviously not sure what emotion to show. He knew the kiss was accidental, but she had stayed there so long. She had stayed long enough to realize what she was doing, and yet, she still didn't move. Ten seconds... Sometimes, ten seconds is all it takes to completely change something.

She pressed her hand to her lips, obviously still dazed from what had just occurred. She rubbed them gently... They tingled, still buzzing from their encounter with Beast Boy's.

He stared at her, still confused and scared, but now a look that seemed to ask "What next...?" Took over his face.

"... Beast Boy... I-" She began.

Just then, Cyborg entered the living room. He was headed for the kitchen when he noticed the two. "Well you two are up early. What's goin' on?" He asks cheerfully.

Raven quickly covers her face with her hood to hide her blushing cheeks and exits the room in a hurry. Cyborg watches as she leaves. "What's up with her, BB?"

Beast Boy stares at her as her form disappears from sight. "She didn't kill me... She didn't even get mad..."

"Yo, Earth to BB! What's going on? You two have a fight or something?" Cyborg yells in his ear. Beast Boy looks up, still dazed. "Yeah... Something like that..."

Robin and Starfire walk down the corridor to the living room. Talk of training and practice already fill the air around them. They almost don't notice as Raven quickly passes by. "OH, Friend Raven! How are you today!?" Starfire exclaims.

Raven, whose face is still bright red, attempts to hide herself. "I'm fine..." She says without stopping.

"Hey, Raven..." Robin says. "We're about to start our training... You coming...?"

"I have to meditate." She quickly responds, still not stopping.

"...I... Ok..." He says as he watches her fade from sight.
"Something troubles her...?" Starfire asks.
"Yeah... But what?"

Raven finally makes it to her room after what feels like ages. She shuts her door and immediately slumps to the floor. Her heart still racing, her lips still tingling, her face, burning.

"What is this... This feeling?" She asks. She tries to calm herself. As she takes her meditation pose, she begins to recite her magic words. "Azarath... Metrion... Zinthos..." He body stars to return to its normal state. "Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos..." She now has full control of herself. She begins levitating.
"Aza-" She tries to continue, but as she attempts to focus, all she can think about is Beast Boy. His kiss forces itself to the front of her mind. She gasps as she falls to the ground.

"This is... wrong... This is all wrong... I shouldn't be thinking about him! All this from a kiss!?" She thinks. "It was just a kiss!" She tells herself... But she knows better. It wasn't just a kiss. It was her first kiss. She had never been so close to another person. She had never felt so warm... So... Accepted... As she looked out her window, she noticed the newfound object of her affection training with the others.

"Beast Boy, you're up..." Robin says as Cyborg returns victorious from the obstacle course. He doesn't move. He is far to wrapped up in his thoughts.

"BEAST BOY!" Robin shouts. "HUH!?" He snaps back to reality. "You're up!"

Beast Boy quickly realizes it is his turn and takes off from the starting line, he attempts to turn into a cheetah but trips over his feet and falls flat on his face in human form.

Raven sees this and can't help but giggle... "I smiled!" She gasps. "What is happening to me...? I'm not supposed to smile..." She says aloud. She again looks at Beast Boy who is dusting himself off. He looks up, as if guided by instinct to her window and locks eyes with her. She looks back. He smiles, catching her off guard. She blushes but still keeps her eyes focussed on him. Again he takes off for the course as if to avoid looking foolish in front of her. Slowly, she closes her blinds and sits on her floor, hugging her legs.

Fight it as she may, she can't help but to smile... After all, he had smiled first.