Hey it's me, BlueCowl54! This is my second fanfic, it's quite a bit bigger than my first, Grass.

Disclaimer: I wish!

Garfield tossed and turned in his bed, his hands flashing into claws. Guilt hunted him down every bend, every turn. All the things he should've done…

He lurched out of bed, breathing heavy, ripping his ruined shirt off. The walls of the room seemed to be slowly crushing him, squeezing the air out of the room. Tears burned within his eyes. Throwing the window open, he threw himself out of it, into the open space beyond. His body twisted and churned as feathers sprouted from his skin, and his frame became smaller as he morphed into a hawk.

The feathers receded into his skin as he stepped onto the concrete roof of Titan's Tower. He sat at the edge of the roof, his legs dangling in the air, and his body slumping forward into a slouch.

…

Raven sat in a tangle of lavender sheets on her bed. The still air felt stuffy and stagnant, making Raven feel as if she was choking. Bookshelves lined the room, but they seemed to be looming shadows. Shadows that jumped out at her, red eyes a-glow.

She nearly jumped as a green blur flew past her window, leaving a salty taste in her mind. Raven closed her eyes; a dark form rising up behind her that enveloped her in its darkness before shooting up through the ceiling.

…

Garfield rubbed angrily at his burning eyes. He stared out at the lights that constantly illuminate the city, trying to forget it all. A dark form sat next to him, cross-legged. Her cloak covered her, like a blue shield surrounding her form, and her hood was up, making it even harder to see her face.

Raven stared down at the ocean. The crescent moon looked terribly fragile on the rippling surface. Garfield wasn't looking at her, his face half turned toward the city to his right. A soft cloth rubbed against his face, soaking up some of his escaped tears.

His face turned toward her sharply, his eyes shining with unshed tears. Raven was looking at him, one hand holding a corner of her cloak.

"Garfield," was all she said, leaving the word to hang in the air. He seemed to shrink within himself, his eyes burning fiercely.

"What are you doing up here, Rae?" He asked, as he absently picked at the edge of his ratty shorts.

"You're crying inside," She said bluntly, letting go of her cloak and spreading her hand on the cold cement. "You're feeling incredibly guilty."

He stared at her before saying, flatly "Empath, right."

Raven swallowed thoughtfully, brushing off the unusual sting of his words. Her thoughts twisted and churned as she tried to find the right thing to say.

"Gar," She began hesitantly. "You can tell me anything, you know that, right?" Raven bit her lip before continuing. "Everyone feels guilty about something, but you shouldn't let it consume you. Trust me, I know."

"What do you know about guilt?" Garfield lashed out, his voice cutting. "For all I can tell, you don't feel a thing! All you do is meditate, drink your nasty tea, and act creepy!" He looked like he was going to add more, but Raven's glare and stony countenance cut him off.

"First, I came up here to help you, not be insulted," She glowered. "Secondly, I'm still human; I have plenty to feel guilty about. Thirdly, you of all people should know why I act 'creepy' as you so put it." Raven moved to get up, but Garfield grabbed her cloak.

"I… Raven, I'm sorry. Don't go, please," He looked up at her, contrite. "It's just that… I feel overwhelmed and I just can't think of someone actually understanding."

"I understand, I get like that too, sometimes," She settled back down on the ground, a little closer to him. She stared up at the stars; Garfield looked up also, but looked back at her. His head tilted slightly.

"Raven?" He asked softly.

"Yes, Gar?"

"What do you feel guilty about?" Garfield tugged her hood off, so he can see her face. Raven raised an eyebrow at him as her hood fell back behind her.

"You really want to know?" Raven asked. He nodded vehemently. Softly she sighed, "Well…" She began, licking her lips nervously. "The first thing I ever felt guilty about was being born." She glanced at Garfield and saw that his eyes widened slightly in surprise. "I feel guilty about because…" Biting her lip, she paused.

"Rae," Garfield scooted closer to her, close enough that his warm breath brushed along her skin. "It's okay. You don't have to tell me."

"I know. It's just… I've never told anyone anything," She said looking at him. A blush crawled up her neck as she realized how close he was. "One reason I came up here was because I was seeing faces in the shadows."

Garfield tilted his head slightly, staring into her violet eyes. "Me too," He picked up the edge of her cloak, playing with it.

"I felt guilty because my mother… She was disgusted by what I was. If we were in the same room together she'd disappear with a mix of emotions trailing behind her." Raven stared at the concrete ground intensely. "And then there was the prophecy…"

"You shouldn't feel guilty about that. There was nothing you could do then." Garfield said, gripping her chin between his index finger and thumb. He pulled her head up, so that he could look into those eyes of hers. "We always feel guilty about things we can't change or control."

Raven stared at him, surprised. "Garfield. That actually sounded kind of… Wise."

"I have my moments," He grinned, letting go of her chin.

"Aren't you cold?" Raven's eyebrows furrowed into a V as she noticed he was shirtless and bare-foot. His skin was covered in goose bumps and his finger left a cold, although tingly, spot on her chin.

"A little bit," He smiled sheepishly. "I didn't notice it till you mentioned it." Raven felt the corners of her mouth twitch. A grin erupted on his face and a mischievous twinkle shining in his eyes like a star. "Why don't you share your cloak with me, Rae?"

Before she could respond, his thigh was smashed into hers, and his face mere centimeters from her own, with the cloak wrapped around them. Raven stared at him in shock, a blush dominating her face as a shirtless Garfield pressed up against her for warmth.

"What?" Garfield asked innocently, trying not to smirk. Raven's eyes darted anywhere and everywhere but him as she stuttered and stammered out her unintelligible protests. Garfield smiled, amused at how flustered and red she was. Her hood came up by itself and hid her blushing face away from view.

"Raven? I know it's cold… But why the hood?" Garfield actually felt quite toasty within the cloak. His blood felt alive underneath his skin. Electricity seemed to be leaping from every accidental brush and touch they made.

"There are better ways to keep warm!" Raven said, starting to wriggle uncomfortably from the heat and proximity, but stopped as lightning ran across her skin, making her heart beat race. "Though they are less pleasant," She added under her breath.

"What was that?" Garfield grinned, wrapping his arm around Raven's waist.

"Nothing," She said, trying not to move as his arm cause almost painful tingles run up her back.

"Why won't you look at me?" Garfield asked, tilting his head slightly. Raven glanced at him.

"Well, er…Uh," Raven turned and looked into his soft, emerald eyes. "Happy?" She asked, flatly, a heavy blush rushing to her cheeks.

"Always," He grinned. "Well, mostly," He added as an afterthought. Garfield removed his arm from her waist and pushed her hood down. "You blush a lot, don't you?"

Raven's face only became redder and she tried to glare at him, failing miserably.

"Aww, you know you love me," Garfield teased.

"Don't push it," Raven threatened as the sun chased the shadows away.

Please review! Reviews make me burst out into happy dances.

~BlueCowl54