The Deepest Shade of Blue
Chapter Six

)O(

Raven wished she was dreaming. She wished she was hallucinating. She wished she was having a nightmare. At this point, anything would have been better than knowing that Aqualad was pressed against her, his mouth moving slowly over her own, filling her lips with slow, drugging lips. And, Goddess, did he know how to kiss. It was no wonder women swooned when they were around him, he knew how to kiss like a Casanova. And he tasted salty and cool, like sea spray, the taste was addicting. Raven felt her fingers slide into the folds of his shirt, pulling him even closer to her.

Not that there was anywhere for him to go. They were both pinned into the small, sheltered corner next to her bedroom door, and his hands pressed on either side of her, caging her into the space. Raven felt his lips trail from her mouth to her neck, nipping and biting at the exposed flesh. For once she was glad that her uniform was high-necked, because his love bites were sure to show in the morning. His tongue slid along the smooth line of her throat, tracing her jugular.

Raven whimpered before she could stop herself, and his name fell from her lips.

Aqualad stopped suddenly, pulling away to look at her. His eyes were almost wild with emotion, and she could feel his arms starting to tremble next to his side. For a moment, Raven thought it was an indication of his fear, but she quickly realized that it was an indication of his restrain. He was fighting against whatever emotions were coursing through his system right now.

"This…" His voice broke off and he looked down at her feet before meeting her eyes again. Silence wrapped around them until the air became so still that Raven could hear their rapidly beating hearts. "I… I'm sorry, Raven. I never meant for this to happen so suddenly."

I never meant for this to happen so suddenly. Raven had to stop and ponder that for a moment. Did that mean he meant for this to happen eventually? In the near future? Tomorrow? Realization flooded her brain, making her feel lightheaded, and she leaned against the wall for support. He had wanted to kiss her. Did that mean… her mind was suddenly filled with flashbacks of all the quiet moments, shy glances, heated stares, gentle touching, copping a feel next to the river, and of course, the ravaging kisses.

He was trying to court her.

Oh, Goddess.

Raven finally began to understand why Aqualad kept a picture of her in a bikini, and that made her face burn bright red. His expression was a mixture between fear, anger, restrain, and hopefulness, and it was all laced with burning desire.

"Are you going to say something?" Aqualad seemed to sense her emotions, and he watched her carefully.

She wanted to say something beautiful and eloquent, something about his eyes or charm, something about her feelings, but it was all lost on her tongue. And, like the foolish girl she was, all she could mumble was: "You're bleeding."

He was actually bleeding from his bicep, and a few drops of blood had fallen to the floor, but it didn't seem to bother him. Nor did it get in the way of his kissing. Oh, his kissing. Raven's eyes moved to his lips and she could feel herself drawn to them, as if her body was begging to be kissed again.

Aqualad sighed and took a step back, breaking the spell between them. "Yes, I suppose I am. I better go clean up and bandage it." He moved as if he were going to walk away, and something in his gait made Raven panic. Did he think she didn't want him? That her pants and moans had been faked? Without thinking, her hand reached out and wrapped around his wrist, stopping his retreat.

Aqualad turned and looked at her, his head cocked to the side.

"I… I can heal you if you want." Raven motioned to her still open door, and suddenly realized how inappropriate that must have looked to him. Goddess, she was stupid. She was a grown woman, and yet Aqualad turned her into a bumbling schoolgirl every time they touched. "It'll just take a few minutes. Then… you can go… if you want too."

Raven cringed. That definitely sounded like an invitation.

"I would appreciate it if you did, Raven." Aqualad's voice was pitched low, passion still threading through the cadence. Raven's stomach melted and she stared up at him, suddenly wondering if she would be able to control herself. There was no doubt in her mind that Aqualad would be the ideal image of genteel, but she couldn't make any promises about herself. Especially not if he kept kissing her like he did.

Aqualad followed her into the bedroom, and the door closed behind them. The air stilled again, and Raven had to take a few calming breaths before she could look at him. What was she doing? She was inviting him into her room, alone, in the dark, and now she would be touching him? Why did she have to keep making such dumb decisions?

Aqualad turned and looked at her, eyes still dark with from their kiss. "Do you need me to take my shirt off?"

Raven's throat seized. Aqualad half-naked and alone in her bedroom? Yes! Yes, she needed him to take his shirt off, and his pants if he was offering. Her face burned bright red and she looked away, nodding. "If you don't mind. I need to get to the wound to properly heal it." Sure. That sounded like a viable excuse.

Aqualad unbuttoned the dark blue shirt and peeled it off his body, exposing his muscled chest and arms. Raven had to fight to keep her mouth from falling open. Goddess, it should be a mortal sin to be made like that. He wore his scars and wounds like they were medals of honor, and the way his hair fell into his face made him look like the hero in a very steamy romance novel. The air in the room turned thick and heavy as he stared at her, eyebrow raised. "Is everything okay?"

"Your wound looks bad." Stupid comment number two. Here he was, standing half-naked in front of her, waiting for an indication of approval and all she could focus on was his stupid, non-fatal wound? She was really good at blurting words before she thought about them.

Aqualad sighed again and looked away, offering his arm to her. "Go ahead. Knock yourself out." He frowned, but didn't say anything more. Whatever passion or desire had been between them quickly dissipated, leaving something empty and quiet in its wake. Raven cringed under the absence of feelings. She didn't need her powers to know that he was upset, and it was probably her fault.

Her eyes swept up to look at him, but he wasn't even facing her. "Garth… I…" Her words drifted off, and Raven shook her head. Why couldn't she just tell him the truth? That being around him both frightened and excited her. That she liked whatever was building between them, and all she wanted was some kind of indication that he liked it too? Raven sighed. It wouldn't do her any good, there was a reason she was un-dateable.

She wrapped her hand over his wound, feeling the blood ooze between her fingers. She whispered her mantra and her energy spilled into his body, repairing his cells and relieving the pain. He looked down at her, now curious. Raven took a deep breath and stared at her hand around his bicep. "I'm sorry… for the way I'm acting… this is all really new to me."

"Healing?"

Raven glanced up at him to see the smirk on his lips. He was joking at least, that was a good sign that things were being mended between them. She rolled her eyes and returned to healing his wound. "No. I mean… whatever this is between us. I'm not exactly the kind of girl any guy would go after, let alone a prince, and let alone you. Having you… be interested in me isn't something I ever expected. And to be quite frank with you… I'm not sure if I know how to handle it."

"Why not?" There was a long pause and Aqualad reached out to touch her with his free hand, tilting her chin up so she was forced to look at him. His eyes were that deep shade of blue again, the color that reminded her of the sky and midnight. A shiver ran down her spine and she found herself leaning closer to his warmth. "Why don't you think that someone would be interested in you?"

His question broke the trance between them, and Raven pulled her chin away, glaring at him. "Because I'm a demon, duh." She sighed and leaned back on her heels, watching him. "And I'm told that I'm creepy."

"I don't see how being a demon makes any difference as to why someone wouldn't be interested in you. I'm part fish for Poseidon's sake. And I don't think you're creepy." He leaned a bit closer to her, pulling his bicep away from her grasp. "I think you're beautiful, intelligent, funny, and charming."

"Charming? You think I'm charming?" Raven rolled her eyes. Now, he was teasing her, and there was no excuse for that. "Have you ever listened to a conversation between us? I am cynical and mean, charming is definitely not part of my character."

Aqualad's stare told her that he was not amused with her joking, and the weight of his gaze made her feel almost ill. "We've had more than several very involved conversations, Raven, and every time you are charming. Whether you intend to be or not." He crossed his arms over his chest and continued to stare at her, trying to understand the storm of emotions between them. "But I think the first time I found you intriguing was the recon mission in Somalia. Do you remember?"

Raven's eyebrows knitted as she recalled the memory. It had been a rather dangerous mission, and her and Aqualad had somehow managed to lock themselves inside a titanium crate for three hours, thanks to an error from Beast Boy's directional skills, or lack-there-of. She glanced up at him and raised an eyebrow. "We were locked in a titanium crate on a pirate ship for three hours. I don't remember our conversation being all that interesting or intellectually stimulating. Let alone me being charming."

"Well… you were. You spent most of the time asking questions about me…" Aqualad took a step closer to her and Raven took a step back, feeling the comforter on her bed touch the back of her thighs. He was trying to back her into a corner and pin her down. Raven wasn't sure if she should be frightened or aroused, but she seemed to enjoy the outcome of the latter more.

Aqualad dipped his head low, so that their noses almost touched. Heat and electricity exploded between them, it was a wonder that Raven didn't melt into a puddle at his feet. "I thought it was cute, the way you kept the topic away from you."

"That is a defensive mechanism so we don't have to talk about me. Which is my least favorite subject." Her heart was threatening to burst from her chest at that very moment. If he got any closer, her heart would break a rib before bursting into flames.

He smiled, as if the excuse was cute or funny. "Do you remember the beach party Cy and Bee threw last summer? In Jump?" His eyes darkened as if he were remembering a particularly fond memory.

"Yes…" Raven swallowed. She knew where this was going, but forced to keep her stare blank. She didn't need to get herself into any more trouble. "What about it?" Aqualad just raised an eyebrow and smiled, and that sent a shiver running through her bones. She tried to pretend nonchalance, but she was sure he could see the emotions in her eyes. "So what?"

"That was the first time I saw you in a bikini… and the first time I saw you soaking wet. I've never seen anything more beautiful in my life." Only Aqualad could turn potentially lewd images into a compliment.

"I don't see how that has anything to do with me being charming." Raven tried to look intimidating, but her hands were shaking and her lips were begging to be kissed. He had to see the emotions in her eyes, there was no way she could hide them now. "Or what this is between us."

His predatory stare softened a little and he leaned back on his heels. "What do you think this is between us?"

Raven blinked up at him, a little taken aback by the question. What did she think was between them? She had spent the better part of the week asuming that there was nothing between them except camraderie. Hell, she had spent the better part of the night assuming that their "excursion" was not a date. "I don't know. I... I thought you wanted to be friends."

"To be closer to you." He sighed and crossed his arms over his naked chest, still staring at her. "You said it yourself, we've never had a chance to become really close friends. I want to be friends, I want to be more... and you're right, every time we get together the world is going to end. We don't get a whole lot of time with one another, we've never even had the a chance."

Raven didn't know what to say, so she kept quiet.

Aqualad sighed and reached out to push hair from her face. "Do you remember the first night you were here? You asked me what Bee had to offer me to wake up at the sound of the alarm?"

Raven nodded slowly. Where was this going?

"It was you, Raven." His eyes darkened and he shook his head, sighing. "She promised me that she would bring you to Steel. And in spite of the fact that she wants you to think this switch was all for herself, it was not."

"Oh." Raven cringed as soon as the word left her mouth. Really? He just admitted to finagling this whole switch between her and Karen, and the only response she had was 'oh'? She was really good at just messing everything up between them. "I... didn't realize."

"That was the intention." He rubbed the back of his head and gave her a long, hard stare. Something in the way he looked at her made Raven's whole being alight with white-hot fire. She had never felt this way in her entire life, and she wasn't quite sure if she liked it yet. It made her feel a little out of control. He sighed again. "Look, Raven... if you don't want anything between us, that's fine. But at least let me know. I need to know."

"I never said I didn't want it." Raven cringed. Her voice sounded almost angry. She took a deep breath and looked up at him. "I never said I didn't want you to be... this. I just thought that you..." She sighed and stared at the ceiling, trying to calm her torrential emotions. "I just thought that... look, Garth. You're a prince. A prince. And Aqualad, protoge to Aquaman... look at me! I'm a half-demon psychopath with the ability to topple dimensions. This isn't a good match."

Aqualad snorted and raised an incredulous eyebrow. "Says who?"

"Says normalcy!" Raven threw her hands into the air and cursed. "Says society. Says superhero propriety... I don't know. But look at me... I'm not a good match. Not at all."

"I want you." His eyes darkened as the word "want" fell from his lips. "And I've wanted you for a long time. Raven… believe me when I say, that I am very interested in you… and you will know the full extent of my interest… even if it takes me all night."

Raven's face burned red at the implied actions and she tried to glare up at him, but she was positive she looked weak. And she knew her resolve was failing. "You're talking as if I'm going to let you stay."

He smirked and leaned forward a little more, so that his lips ghosted against hers. "You're looking at me as if you are."

He knew. There was no doubt in her mind that Aqualad knew exactly what was on her mind. Since the first time she met him all those years ago, she had been falling for him bit by bit, until all she loved was the deep shade of midnight blue. Raven looked into his eyes and tried to say something, but nothing came out. So she did the only thing that made sense, she kissed him.

)O(

What the fuck was that beeping?

Oh right. Her communicator. Lifeline to the Titans, or whatever bullshit Robin called it. Raven rolled over, crawling over Aqualad's body to the night stand next to him. He groaned and wrapped an arm around her waist, trying to pull her back under the covers. She cursed and pushed his hands off her as her fingers tightened around the yellow device. She flipped it open and yawned at the image of Bee.

"Raven speaking."

Bee blinked back at her, confused. "Raven… what are you doing with Aqualad's communicator…?"

"Er…" The events of the night came rushing up to her and Raven had to fight back a scream of horror as she looked down to see Aqualad smirking up at her, looking entirely too pleased with himself. Had she really done that with him? His mouth opened, and he spoke before Raven had a chance to stop him.

"Sorry, Bee. We must have gotten them mixed up. I'm right here."

"Oh…" There was a moment of slow realization that passed across her face before pure terror sunk in. "Oh! Oh my god, I am sorry you guys… I'll… I'll call back in a little bit." She paused and shook her head. "I'll call back tomorrow." And the image fizzled out.

Raven turned and glared at Aqualad. "She's going to think we were having sex."

"Let her." His hands yanked at her hips and pulled her back under the covers. "Back to sleep."

"Garth… it's almost noon."

His eyes slid closed and he pulled the covers over their shoulders. "We were up late last night."

Raven blushed but continued to glare. "I'm serious. Get up."

"I'm serious too. Go back to sleep."

Raven picked up a pillow and struck his face. "This is absurd!"

He pushed the pillow out of the way and glared back at her, a frown tugging at the corners of her mouth. "You're telling me." His arms slid around her body and he yanked her against him, forcing her movements to still. "For the love of Poseidon, Raven… go back to sleep."

"But I…" Raven didn't have a chance to speak, his lips closed over her own and she suddenly forgot everything she was mad about. Her fingers threaded through his hair and she pulled him closer, breathing in the warm scent of his hair. His hands traced the smooth lines of her back before resting on her bottom.

"I like the lace panties."

Color flooded her face again and Raven hid in the folds of her pillow. "Bee made me bring them. She said they were for a last summer fling."

"Ah…" Aqualad settled deeper into his own pillow, looking at her. "And do you have many of those?"

Raven glared. "You know the answer to that."

Aqualad gave her a slow, sultry smile, and it was no mystery to Raven why she had fallen for him. "Nice to know I'm the only one." There was a heavy pause, and his fingers reached out to stroke her face. His thumb slid along her lower lip. "Although I hope I'm not just a summer fling."

Raven felt herself be lulled into sleep by his touch, and she smiled at him. "Me too."

)O(

I know it's not exactly much of an ending. But there's supposed to be a bit more, but in a different piece. There was a piece that I was working on that inspired me to write this "Gone to Sleep" which I may or may not write. It is, however, available on my blog Running With Toilet Paper and a Princess Wand. Choose to read it or not, but be advised it is NOT complete.

Thank you again for reading it! And please let me know how you feel! If I need to make corrections or tie up loose ends, I need to know from the readers! You're the best part of writing!