You Snooze, You Lose

Another tumblr prompt but I'm gonna have it take place in the same storyline as my All Is Fair stories. If you haven't read them (why not?) click the 'All Is Fair' at the top of my blog and get cracking! If you have and don't remember it well or can't be bothered, Raven and BB are together and slowly trying to get Raven used to physical closeness with the eventual goal of intimacy with Beast Boy. This is set some time between Beast Outta The Bag and A Friend In Need. Let's go!

Raven felt great. She felt warm, safe and loved. In the past, she had rarely had such a positive sensation when she woke every morning but on this occasion, the feeling smothered her. It seemed to have happened in stages: she first started to feel truly safe some weeks after their defeat of Trigon, the reality of her freedom taking time to sink in. Around the same time, she allowed herself to realise the truth of her friends' love for her and, far more recently, had been confronted with the passionate and seemingly infinite love Beast Boy felt for her. This morning brought a new feeling for her growing collection: warmth. That isn't to say she was usually cold in her bed but on this morning, it somehow felt warmer than it should be. Like the warmth wasn't all her own. She dozed, comfortably, still wondering but not anxious about the warmth around her. Then her pillow gurgled. Above her head, a sound that uncannily resembled a quiet belch was heard. Raven opened her eyes and saw...

"Garfield?" she whispered to herself. Indeed, her pillow turned out to be the torso of the aforementioned shapeshifter, also and more widely known as Beast Boy. Raven glanced at her window: Sunlight peeked around the edges of her thick curtains. They had slept all night like this, much to Raven's surprise and lasting satisfaction. In an attempt to grow accustomed to being close to Beast Boy, in every meaning of the word, Raven had implemented a plan which would move them forward in stages. The end point was... well, it was sex. Azar help her, she wanted to have sex with her boyfriend and so had embarked with him on a necessarily and frustratingly long journey, pushing her limits one step at a time. They were already more or less used to holding each other, holding hands and kissing (though there were occasional lapses) but the last week had been new. They held each other, as they often did, fully clothed. The crucial difference was that they were in Raven's bed with the lights out. It had been enjoyable and they had managed it on five nights without incident, simply revelling in the closeness, talking, kissing... all that stuff. And it was working. Raven felt more at ease with the situation yesterday than she had when they began. That was very encouraging progress. Afterward, Beast Boy would extricate himself, regretfully, from the warm bed and warmer embrace of Raven and head to his own room while Raven meditated (first two days) or merely slept (the last three days). Except for last night. Apparently, after their usual time, the pair had simply drifted of, unaware. And there they remained until this very morning. Raven smiled at the green visage... in fact, she seemed to be on the verge of giggles.

Beast Boy lay on his back, left arm above his head and right arm hanging over the edge. Raven, tucked into his left side, stifled another laugh. His mouth was wide open and was fixed in a sleepy smile, his expression rather blissful. She could hear his breathing, that odd sound that was just short of actual snoring. Raven concluded he looked utterly ridiculous and, somehow, was also the most beautiful sight she had laid eyes on: the man she loved, at peace in her arms. Bliss. Just as she was wondering whether to wake him or not, his eyes flickered and his breath hitched: he was awake. Raven watched patiently as he took in his surroundings with bleary eyes. He saw her and smiled, dazedly.

"Mornin', Rae," he mumbled. Raven smiled.

"Good morning, Garfield. Sleep well?" she asked. He nodded, eyes closing again as he yawned widely. He smacked his lips together a few times and stretched... then his eyes snapped wide open and focused on Raven.

"Morning?! We slept here? I slept here? Oh man... I'm sorry, Rae! I didn't mean to fall asleep I hope I didn't steal your covers or drool on your pillow or chew your hair or-" Beast Boy stopped when Raven held up her hand.

"Stop, Garfield. It's alright, I fell asleep too. In fact, I slept rather well, as you did," she admitted. Beast Boy grinned.

"Well, even if it was an accident, I can't say I hate the idea of waking up to this," he said, gently tapping her nose with his finger. Raven's nose wrinkled at the contact, eliciting an amused laugh from the changeling. "Now... give us a kiss!" he mock-growled, dipping his head toward hers, stopping abruptly when Raven pinched his lips closed with her fingers. She laughed.

"Not with that morning breath, mister," she chuckled. Beast Boy shrugged.

"Well, I woulda brushed my teeth last night if I hadn't been tempted into bed by a beautiful superhero," he said, waggling his eyebrows. Raven smirked.

"Go brush now. Get that taste out of your mouth and maybe I won't object to tasting it in mine," she said. With raised eyebrows, Beast Boy sat and swung his legs out of the bed. As he began to walk, he put on a look of exaggerated sadness and started to... narrate?

"And so our young, dashing hero, rejected by the fair princess, went in search of the only thing that might win her heart: oral hygiene. Who knows what dangers he might face on this treacherous quest as he seeks his prize, journeying untold distances in unknown lands..." his voice grew too quiet to understand as he left and walked down the corridor. Shaking her head, Raven licked her lips and, deciding she could return the favour, moved to her own bathroom and brushed her teeth. She made her bed and picked a few odds and ends up off the floor when she heard an approaching voice.

"Garfield?" Raven muttered. He was still narrating.

"...and weary from great hardship and uncounted dangers, our brave hero finally returns home, prize in hand, seeking the favour of the princess," he finished, gently holding Raven by her waist and smiling down at her. Rolling her eyes but smiling with him, Raven tilted her head and met him half way in a gloriously slow kiss.

"Satisfied, O weary traveller?" Raven drawled after breaking the kiss. He chuckled.

"Nope. We'll have to try again later," he joked. Raven examined him for a long moment, clearly in deep thought about something. Having seen this before, Beast Boy waited patiently.

"How would you feel about spending some nights here with me?" she asked, plainly. Beast Boy's eyes widened, though he kept his smile.

"Triumphant," he answered, garnering a smirk and chuckle from Raven. He giggled to himself, getting a curious look from his girlfriend. "I was just thinking that we do everything different," he said. Raven continued to look confused. "I mean, people always say 'you snooze, you lose', right? Well, I snoozed and I kinda feel like I won!" he explained. Raven gave him an odd look before shaking her head and making for the door.

"Azar..." she muttered. Beast Boy seemed bemused.

"What? I thought that was pretty smooth! Rae?"

And there you have it. Utter nonsense, as usual lol. Enjoy!

-Jack