𝐌𝐘 𝐈𝐍𝐍𝐄𝐑 𝐃𝐄𝐌𝐎𝐍𝐒 ❪ 𝘣𝘣𝘳𝘢𝘦 ❫

Twenty-eight

I walk down towards the kitchen, sipping the remainder of tea, long since gone cold, out of my cup, admiring my freshly cut stray strands of hair falling in front of my face. 

I put my empty cup on the side, turn the kettle on, summon a teabag from the black jar labelled 'Herbal Tea', and wait patiently for the familiar 'ping!' indicating the kettle has completed its cycle. 

''Hey, Rae.'' 

''Hey, Beastboy.'' I instinctively say, without turning around, recognising the tone of his voice and the fact that no one except him calls me by my shortened nickname.

''Too focused on your herbal tea to notice me, huh?'' He chuckles, and it is then I turn around to face him, seeing the shapeshifter leaning against the counter, chopping an avocado into a few pieces, along with a handful of strawberries. 

I'm about to reply when I am interrupted by the sound of the kettle, telling me the water has finished boiling. I grab the cup from where I left it, and I pour the liquid into it, looking back up towards Beastboy.

''Can you pass the tofu over?'' He points at the fridge, and using my powers, I open it, surrounding the packet in a purple aura, sending it over to land next to the chopping board. 

''Thanks.'' He puts everything on a plate, and once he has grabbed a fork, he finally looks up to give me his full attention. 

''So... how's...'' He stops, his eyes darting across my features. ''Woah! You've changed.''

''Just realised?'' I sigh, with a slight laugh, removing the teabag, and taking a sip of the herbal drink. 

''Your hair... It's different.''

I raise an eyebrow, moving over towards the table. 

''Like a good different. It looks great, really suits you.'' He smiles, just before stuffing a cube of tofu in his mouth. 

''Thanks.'' Taking another sip of my drink, I sit down at the table, placing the cup down on the surface. A brief silence overcomes us for a few minutes before I look around, realising I haven't seen any other of the team members today. ''Have you seen anyone around today?'' 

''Not really.'' Beastboy sits down on the chair opposite me. ''I saw Cy in the morning, but he left to go somewhere, and as for Robin and Starfire, who knows where they are.'' 

My eyes dart towards the clock, and I realise that it has just gone 6 pm. ''When did you wake up?''

''About 11 am.'' He pauses. ''Early... I know.''

''Soo early,'' I answer.

''It is early compared to you! You woke up at 2!'' 

''2 pm is so early for me,'' I reply in my typical sarcastic monotone.

''Now that's what I've been missing!'' he shouts, and I stare at the changeling in confusion, watching his hand waving about, ready to catch the strawberry if he drops it. 

''Missing what?''

''You!'' 

''Uh...''

Beastboy's face blushes bright red as he realises what he's said.

''No, I - I mean the sarcasm!''

''Yeah right.'' I laugh, and he joins in with me, chuckling awkwardly. 

After we've settled down, he waves one of the strawberries left on his plate in front of my nose. 

''Want one?''

I shake my head.

''Come on, Rae! You used to love eating this all day long. Remember? In the summer?''

Yeah, I do remember. The strawberry he is waving in front of me is perfectly red, decorated with small cream coloured seeds, just like the ones I remember all those years ago. I used to go with Starfire in the summer, picking only the best, only the sweetest crimson berries. 

''Eat it! Eat it!'' He pushes it into my face, laughing whilst doing so, and all the while I can smell the sweet scent forcing its way up to my nostrils, making me relieve those sunshine-filled afternoons, but also relieving the hunger my body has been ignoring for so long. 

''Raven...'' He coaxes, leaning towards me, and I snatch the single berry out of his hand before I can change my mind, placing it on my tongue, and immediately the sweetness contained in the little heart-shaped fruit explodes, awakening my tastebuds.

''Ah... so you want more now?''

I laugh, running up towards the fridge, grabbing a new box of them, dashing off, and watching as Beastboy follows me.

''Hey, Rae! Wait up!''

As I run up the stairs to the roof, I can't help but notice this new, very alien, but slightly familiar emotion that has been lost for so long. It's like inviting an old friend back into my life. 

For the first time in forever, I can feel it. 

That emotion that feels like you are finally with peace in yourself, like a golden beam of sunlight awakening your soul and that feeling that causes a smile to creep up onto your face.

You have no control over it.

But it's there. 

And when it is there, you don't want it to leave.

Happiness. 

Aww, the cuties. Adorable chapter if I do say so myself. I love it when Rae and Beastboy joke around. Raven's favourite drink is herbal tea. I'm quite plain in terms of drinks. My favourite is just water. I hate fizzy drinks and fruit juices. What's your favourite drink?