A small, green bird flew over the city, overseeing the area while holding a communicator in a bag he had
"Nothing like a stroll around the city, wouldn't you say so, babe?"
The bird talked to the other person in the call
"If you say so, just don't get too caught up in loafing around. Robin wants to discuss something with us"
Answered a cold, almost robotic voice that somehow kept some sort of charm to it. This was the voice of Rachel Roth, also known as Raven
"You got it, mama!"
And talking to her was her boyfriend, Garfield Logan, AKA Beast Boy
A chuckle came from the girl as a result of his cheerful attitude
"Enjoy your stroll, Gar"
The call ended and the "bird" continued its trip around the city, looking from the cloudy skies and wandering all over the place
For Garfield, there was nothing like flying around the city. The clouds, getting to watch people's everyday lives, and especially, the sensation of freedom that he had while doing so
Having the ability to transform into any animal had more advantages than downsides. This was definitely one of the best parts
However, as much of an animal that he can become, his heart and soul remain that of a pure man. One that would come to the aid of anyone who needed it
Garfield was a free spirit, but above all, he was a hero
So when he heard the distinct sound of sorrow about fifteen minutes in, he stopped in his tracks to help that person
His heightened senses led him to a somewhat empty part of the city, not too far from his initial location
Reaching the floor, Garfield found himself in the middle of an empty street, and in the corner, was a small girl, crying her heart out
Garfield: What's wrong, little sister?
She was facing away from him, on her knees as if she were unable to stand. When he got no response, the teenage hero decided to talk again
Garfield: I'm Beast Boy, a Teen Titan. I can help you with whatever's troubling you
He then took the form of a small, friendly dog to approach her
The girl's sorrow met no end, unfortunately. She hadn't even looked at him since he got there
Garfield: Maybe if we-
Just inches away from her, the hero's advances were abruptly cut by the interruption of a red cloud of dust being blown at him
This unknown mist forced him to stand back and even revert to his human form while coughing aggressively. Whatever this was, it stung him, he could even feel his entire body aching
When he looked again at the girl, however, nobody was there
Garfield: W-what the-
The coughing got worse before he could even get the chance to finish his idea.
Weakened by this, the young hero fell to his knees. His eyes got heavy as the rest of his body burnt through his systems without actually being on fire
And just like that, everything turned dark, no image to be seen, no sound to be heard
Nothing
...
Awaken
...
From your deepest slumber
...
The intoxicating taste of blood
...
The craving for death
...
The crimson glory of the hunt
...
I summon thee
...When there's evil on the attack~
...You can rest knowing they got your back~
...'Cause when the world needs heroes on patrol~
...Teen Titans, go!~
A cold, harsh place surrounded the body, hands feeling the flattened area as the nose soon picked up on a variety of smells. Not all of them pleasant
Finally, Garfield's eyes slowly opened to find himself lying on the pavement, with something making a strange noise that was oddly familiar
It came in the form of a melody that...wait, that was his phone ringing!
Garfield: Y-Yes?...
The teenager barely managed to say. Honestly, he just picked up out of instinct
???: What happened? You just disappeared!"
Garfield: I-I'm sorry for asking but...w-who are you?
???: What the-I'm Rachel! Don't you remember me?
That name rang a bell immediately. It wasn't that Garfield had lost his memory entirely, he just didn't know what just took place
Garfield: Nothing like that, babe, I just... don't know what happened
Rachel: You were gone for two hours. I called you through the communicator and even your phone
Even though the voice was lacking strong emotions, the stress could be perceived in it
Garfield: Aw, you worry about me
He said in joking, but annoyingly cute manner. This earned a groan from the girl, but it was almost a relief that his sense of humor was still there... almost
Rachel: Listen, just get back here and we'll talk
She said her magical words and soon enough, a black portal appeared near the teenager, who decided not to keep her waiting any longer
Garfield walked through the portal and into the arms of a caring girlfriend, and in this case, a hug was a rare delicacy
Rachel: Don't do that again
Garfield: I don't even know what I did, babe
He said returning the embrace, which was short-lived as the goth took his hand and led him to her room, where candles were already lit and a book was floating there
She really was prepared for this
Garfield: Ummm Rae? What's this?
He held on to the entrance, refusing to enter the area
Rachel: We're going to check what happened to you
Garfield: I must've passed out. It happens
The way he just brushed it off only made Rachel angrier and determined to know what took place in the last two hours
Rachel: No it doesn't. I want to make sure that you're fine
She looked at him straight in the eyes. That hint of genuine worry was too much for the green kid, who sighed in defeat
He knew that there was no denying Rachel when she was trying to help the people she loved
Garfield:...fine
With a small sense of victory, Rachel nodded and let go of his hand to go prepare everything needed. Once it was done, she kneeled in a corner of the circle of candles she had made
Rachel: Sit there, take my hand and close your eyes
Garfield did as he was told and gave his hand to his lover, but not in a mushy expression of love this time. Rachel began to inspect her boyfriend's very soul
She wanted to confirm that it was nothing supernatural going on. So far, she had found nothing, but a soul was a far too large place for anyone to explore quickly without missing something
So far, she had found nothing that didn't sound like Garfield. The call to help others, both human and animals alike, his joyful nature and hopeful thoughts, as well as... wait, there was something else
Something new
This "new" thought felt different from the others. How so? That was what she was about to uncover...or at least it would have if Gar hadn't let go of her hand
Garfield: A-Alright. I think that's enough for me. Thanks, Rae-Rae
He scratched the back of his neck while saying that, doing little to stop the goth's increasing worry
Rachel: What? Why do you say that?
Garfield: You know this whole magic thing scares the lights outta me, but if anything was wrong, I'd tell ya
He flashed a warm smile at his girlfriend, who, while still not fine with the situation, trusted him enough to tell her. It was just so... unlike him to chicken out so soon
Rachel: ...you promise?
The way her eyes sparkled when asking this, it could rival a child. Chuckling, Garfield reached for her head and gave her a peck on the forehead, above the gem
Garfield: Absolutely
With that, he stood up and left the room, waving goodbye to Rachel. She sat there in silence, pondering the meaning of what had just happened
It could've been that he was really hiding something... or he was just scared of magic like he usually is
With Garfield, it was hard to be sure
The green teenager walked past a certain Tamaranean who was floating towards a door to a particular room
The room belonged to Y/N L/N
She too was worried about her friend, she had not seen him since Zatanna and the other magic users brought him in
Kori was about to knock on the door when she heard a familiar voice behind her
Conner: I'm not sure that's a good idea, Kori. Y/N said he needed his space
The orange girl turned around to greet her friend, but her saddened gaze didn't disappear
Kori: *sigh* I know, I'm just...worried about him, he just returned to being a hero and already something had gone wrong
Conner: It happens sometimes. But he said that this spell was particularly delicate, so he would take some time to fully recover
He could see that words did little to comfort her, but thankfully, he knew of a better remedy
Conner: Hey, what about we go for some food? With the mustard that you like so much
She knew what Conner was trying to do, yet, with a saddened smile, she nodded
Kori: Yes, I would very much like that
While it would take time before she would get to see Y/N again, what Conner said was very much the truth. Y/N's memory was all over the place
The Enchantress's spell placed him and two others in a fake reality and the fragments were still tormenting his mind. So reconstructing memories and getting rid of the bad ones was something that the boy had been doing for a while now
But a memory, being as precious as it was frail, required of absolute concentration and almost a miracle to be restored, hence why Y/N asked not to be distributed until he said otherwise
He was a very skilled magician, he could do this on his own, but it wouldn't be immediate. Magic can't heal everything just by snapping your fingers, after all
Back to Garfield, he found himself playing videogames with Victor, and surprisingly, losing. However, the cause of this wasn't his lack of skill compared to the cyborg playing with him
It was the fact that he was struggling to ignore the voices, worst part of it, they weren't even words, more like whispers, but multiple at the same time and increasing in volume
Victor: Dude, you're way out of your game here! I'm kicking your ass!
His friend taunted him while mashing the buttons on his controller
Garfield: We'll see about that
He took a deep breath and the voices seemed to be weakening...only for a couple of seconds and their return earned a groan from him
It didn't take long for the game's announcer to declare the end of the match and while it was no surprise that Victor won, it was his mockery and even dance that got into Garfield's nerves. It wasn't fair, the guy was already good at games, but he sure didn't have to deal with annoying voices during the entire thing!
Victor: Better luck next time, Beastie!
Garfield: Whatever! This isn't fair anyway!
Like an angry child, he threw his controller to the floor with force. Fortunately, it wasn't damaged by this, but it was this outburst that caught Victor off-guard. Before he could comment on this, however, Garfield left the room
As he walked through the hall, the different voices made sure to keep him company. Their gibberish was starting to provoke a headache
Garfield: Leave me alone already!
This soon proved futile as the voices kept talking in a language that he didn't understand, and how ominous they were didn't help either
Garfield: SHUT UP!!
Suddenly, everything came to a halt, the voices included. Garfield noticed that he had mindlessly kept walking down the hall when this mental battle occurred, but now he realized where he was
Right next to Tim's room, and he had left the door open. Now, he had one of the Bat children looking straight at him with a suspicious look to him
Garfield: Oh, h-hi Tim! What's up!
Tim didn't answer but instead noticed that Garfield's fur was slightly decolored, opting for a grayish tone instead. Connecting the dots, he stood up and walked up to his furry friend
Tim:...Come with me
Garfield was too embarrassed to ask at this point and just follows him in hopes that the young detective could find something
They reached one of the laboratories, where a blood sample had to be taken (despite complaints about it) and Tim began to study it while listening to Garfield's perspective
Tim: So you started to hear voices after you woke up, but don't remember what happened to you in the first place
Garfield: Pretty much, yeah
Possibilities began to appear in his mind. This wasn't the first time Tim dealt with this kind of symptoms, but the cause was still to be determined
Tim: Can't be Scarecrow, he's over at Gotham...
???: What are you doing here?
Rachel asked as she walked down that same hall with some books in hand. This kind of thing happened often if nobody closes the door
Garfield: He's helping me with something
The way he just waved it off forced the goth into the room to look at the screens Tim was using
Rachel: Something? What's wrong, Tim?
Tim: A change in behavior as well as auditory hallucinations. His fur started to change as well
Rachel: I knew something was wrong!
Angered by this, she turned to look at her boyfriend, who raised his hands in surrender
Rachel: Why don't you just let me help you?
Softly, she approached Garfield, uttering something that made her hand start to glow. However, the moment she did that, the voices returned to warn him in a rather aggressive way, some were even screaming for an escape
And escape he did. The teenager quickly jumped up from the bed he was on and headed towards the exit without looking away from his friends
Garfield: Look, I know you mean well but I would rather deal with blood samples than magic mumbo-jumbo
While Rachel did attempt to reach out to him, Beast Boy left the room in a hurry. Before she was able to leave the room, Tim grabbed her wrist
Tim: It'd be better if you don't pursue, Rachel. There's no telling how he would react if you did
She glared at the former Robin but found herself agreeing soon enough and with a sigh, she nodded
Rachel: Just...tell me if you find anything...please
Garfield found himself wandering the halls once again, with science failing so far and magic proving to be too scary to try, he thought that perhaps, going out to fly would help. He opened a window nearby and transformed into a bird before jumping out
His wings began to flap as he did, the rush of cold air was a welcome change compared to the Tower's artificial ambiance. While taking off, he could already feel his worries washing away and being instead replaced with his own instincts as it should have been
But then, he was struck by a drop of water, and then another and yet another one until it became too much for him to move freely and before he even knew it, it was pouring out there. Of course, this would happen when he wanted to go out
Reluctantly, Garfield flew back into the Tower and turned into a human once again to shake off the rain from his...red fur?
Witnessing this unwelcome change turned Garfield's breathing into a growling mess. Why was this happening to him? He hadn't done anything wrong. Hell, he didn't even know what he did!
This was just so unfair, why couldn't this be the fate of someone else? Someone that knew how to deal with this like Tim, or Rachel or...Y/N
That's it! Maybe he knew how to get rid of this!
He ran in all fours to that particular room. It wasn't so difficult to find, it was right next to Rachel's, but he would rather not deal with that kind of crazy
Just by being there, she had worsened his condition, as if hearing screaming wasn't bad enough already
It didn't take long to reach Y/N's room, which had a note that said "Do NOT disturb"
Normally, this wish would be respected, but right now? Y/N would hear what he had to say. And so, he raised a clawed hand, but right before he could even lay a finger on the door, a voice stopped him, a different one
Rose: The sign says do not disturb, Gar. Some parts even have caps to make it clear
Growling, he turned around to face her. By taking a closer look at him, Rose had finally become aware of his change in appearance
Rose: Woah, red much?
Her carefree nature turned out to be particularly exasperating today. This comment practically made him snarl
Garfield: Why do you care?
Wide-eyed, she approached the distressed Beast Boy. If anyone could joke around with her it was Garfield, but this was clearly not him
Rose: What's wrong?
Garfield: Wish I knew, everything just makes me so...Aghhh!
He growled after that, almost roared. No more words were needed after that
Rose: Alright, I get it, you're pissed
Garfield just nodded after that. One of his hand leaned on the door to Y/N's room
She knew there was no way to help him since everything else just made him worse, but she couldn't et him reacht he room either, things might get lethal for everyone if she did
However, Rose was aware of a method that always helped her relieve stress. She placed a hand on Gar's shoulder to gain his attention
Rose: Then take it out on me. Let's spar
Garfield: ...You crazy?
Rose: Maybe, yeah. C'mon
The smirk she showed him provided a slight moment of hope, one that wouldn't go to waste. He stood up and followed her towards the training grounds
When they arrived, Rose took a staff while Garfield remained unarmed. He never did like weapons, but in his current state, he was more than comfortable using his own hands
They walked towards the same mat, opposite sides. Rose did a couple of swings to familiarize herself with the weapon
Rose: Alright, Gar. Don't hold back
He nodded and without further due. he launched himself at her, throwing his fists to try and land a hit on her, but failing every single time. Rose wasn't honestly trying, she was more entertained dodging her friend's hits
She did notice, however, that there was no real strategy to it, he was just swinging and hoping for the best. It was when he was getting closer that the decided to act, blocking a punch and using the staff to force Garfield to back away. However, his own momentum was used against him and the teen ended up falling down
Rose: Whoops. Sorry there
He got up before she could offer a hand and once again rushed in to attack, this time, with his claws. He was getting more aggressive with his hits, faster even
Rose: Woah, you were seriously worked up, weren't you?
He roared while he kept slashing at Rose. One particular strike sliced the staff in half and sent Rose a couple of steps back but so little time to react before Beast Boy rushed in once again while in all fours
His mouth shapeshifted as well, now being replaced with the jaws of a hungry wolf that launched itself for a bite. The mercenary managed to keep the jaws open with part of the staff, but it was really difficult to do while he kept trying to scratch her
Rose kicked him back with all her might, managing to send her foe into the other side of the mat just to give her some room to breathe
Rose: WHAT THE FUCK WAS THAT!?
Garfield didn't respond but instead got into an aggressive stance, similar to that of a rabid animal
???: Back. off
Garfield's hands were suddenly encased in black energy, but so did Rose's. She looked straight at the goth, who had been attracted by the commotion
Rose: Your boyfriend just tried to bite my fucking head off, tell him!
Rachel saw the malicious intent in Garfield's look, much different from the loving gaze she was used to seeing
Not to mention that he was now red and more beast than boy at this point. Sighing, she whispered a spell she learned from Y/N, and just like that, Garfield was out cold
Rose: The fuck happened to him? I thought that sparring would help him calm down, not the contrary
She explained as Rachel entered the room and kneeled to see her unconscious boyfriend
Rachel: *sigh*...You had the right intension, Rose, but we don't know what's gotten over him and honestly, he doesn't make it easier
She touched him with her palm and immediately, a barrage of voices echoed throughout her mind like a wave of curses
"HUNT, HUNT THEM ALL"
"TASTE THE FLESH"
"CHASE THE PREY"
These words she recognized from an old language Donna Troy taught her back in the day
Rose: Rachel? What did you see?
Her voice startled the young girl. She took a deep breath before looking back at her
Rachel: Take him to the others. Try to keep him sedated
Rose: What about you?
Rachel: I'm going to look for a way to undo this in the library
With that, the white-haired took out her communicator to request for assistance, while Raven opened a portal to the library
She knew she had the book somewhere, but amongst this massive collection, that would take such a long time to find
Rachel: Azarath Metrion Zinthos
With her hands in the air, she invoked some help that allowed her to see through the books until she managed to find the one she was looking for
She opened it and immediately began to read. In chapter 73 was the entry for a ritual called "Inner Beast summoning"
This was practiced by the Amazons of Themyscira long before Hippolyta was even a child. The witches used this ritual to enhance their sisters before a hunt
It said that it was a spell employed to bring out the basic instincts of a predator, including the blood lust. However, it could sometimes backfire and was eventually deemed as too unstable for use
...yeah, no kidding
But, where was the cure for it? It didn't say anything about it!
Then, a cloud of red smoke began to flow from the book and attempting to overtake Rachel, who immediately flew back and tried to contain it. That's when the lights flickered, the result of a small explosion taking place upstairs
Just what happened?
Raven flew up to try and see what had happened, but she froze at the mere sight waiting for her in the halls
It was a monster resembling a werewolf, with fur red as the blood itself, teeth sharp enough to pierce bones, and twice as tall as her. Around it, the walls were scratched, some even burnt or stained
The beast suddenly stopped as well, as a new scent had approached him... Rachel's
When it saw her, saliva started to drip from its jaws as it got into position. There was no turning back now
In a matter of seconds, it launched itself at her, only for black energy to throw it into the wall and keep it there
Rachel began to fly away as fast as she could to escape this newly found enemy, knowing that this wouldn't hold it forever, but just enough for her to reach the upper floor
She chanted another spell to help her locate her friends, but something was terribly wrong. Nobody was in the building!
Well, just one person... he'd have to be her silver bullet for this one. With a new direction, Rachel flew straight to where her room was
Suddenly, a piercing ache overtook her for a second, she could sense that the monster had broken free right away, but it was alright
She had reached Y/N's room
With a wolf rushing behind her, she summoned a barrier and passed through the door
In the middle of it, was Y/N himself, floating while in the middle of an important meditation. The pale teen placed a hand on his forehead before saying
Rachel: I'm sorry, Y/N, but I need you right now
Her eyes glowed white and suddenly, everything disappeared in a flash of light
When she opened her eyes, Rachel found herself floating in a sea of stars, with so many pieces of crystal inside as well
Each of these pieces served as a portal to a different memory. From childhood to the last mission with the Titans, it was all there, although some were still a bit broken
One of them caught her attention, however. It was a shard of glass that glowed with an F/c colored aura. The girl reached out and was sucked into the portal
And now, she found herself in the same hall she was in, but who was inside, was Y/N, not her
The young man conjured a rade bouquet decorated with black roses and violets. He was so proud of this
Weird, she had never seen Y/N bring flowers to anyone. Why would he conjure something like that, and so eccentric as well?
He took one deep breath and walked out of his room. But he headed straight into Rachel's very own room
...only to be stopped by Garfield, who was also holding a bouquet
However, when you got there, you spotted Garfield, that green teenager that you hadn't seen in all day, holding a bouquet as well
She remembered those flowers, it was such a pleasant gift from him... although, she was more intrigued by Y/N's plan
You: Oh, hello, Gar...wait, are those flowers?
Garfield: Yup! For mah lady! One year together, can you believe that?
You: Huh, that's nice. Who is the lucky lady?
Garfield: Right, forgot to tell you...Rachel's my girlfriend
Suddenly, Y/N lost all the confidence he had, like breaking a mirror into a million pieces. Rachel could see it in his eyes and found herself placing her hands on her mouth as she realized that those flowers...they were for her
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Y/N talked again, with venom in his words
You:...Rachel?
Garfield: Yeah, I know, who would have thought, right? Yeah, she's pretty secretive about it, don't tell her I told you
You: How...how did you manage to charm someone like her?
Garfield: That's the best part dude, C'mere
He whispered something into his friend's ear before laughing at his own joke and Y/N, well, he looked as if he were about to kill him, but Garfield was far too naive to even notice
The fact that he later asked who was Y/N's bouquet for did nothing to heal the wound, and while he was able to lie, his eyes told a very different story
Rachel couldn't believe what she was witnessing. Did...did Y/N really held her in such a high esteem?
No wonder why he retreated into his room for a week and later avoided everyone like the plague. How was he supposed to continue?
A lone tear rolled down the pale teen's cheek when she saw that in his anger, Y/N incinerated that same bouquet
She didn't know how to process it. It was true that she had a boyfriend that she loved dearly, but discovering this from you? The man that finds it easier to be sarcastic than try to understand others?
That same man that saved her from a bunch of demons in disguise when they first met?
It all made so much sense now. The invitations to read, or hanging out just because, maybe if-
???: Rachel Roth, what a pleasant surprise
She turned around to find you, the real you
Rachel wiped away her tears the moment she spotted you. However, she found out that you weren't angry or surprised, you were just smiling
Rachel: Y/N? I-I'm so sorry, I-
She was startled when you placed your hand on her shoulder
You: It's fine, whether I like it or not, this is a real memory, and it is now restored. It might not be pretty, but my memory
You looked at the scenery when suddenly, she snaked her arms around you
Rachel: I-I didn't know. I'm sorry for making this so difficult for you
If this had come about a week ago, then maybe it would've had a bigger impact, but you had more than enough time to yourself for that. Hell, you even solved a couple of cases that made you reflect on this
You patter her back gently without actually returning the embrace
You: I told you, it's alright
She let go, just enough to get a look at you
Rachel: You sure you don't want to talk about it?
This suggestion caught you off-guard. It wasn't particularly necessary, but perhaps it would give you the closure that you needed so much
You: Well...maybe, but later
She nodded and continued with the hug. It was haunting her to know that she left you to grieve like that while she went out on a date with Garf...wait
Rachel: Garfield!
She broke the hug in such a hurry that it demanded your attention
You: Come again?
Rachel: Garfield is under the influence of the ritual of the Inner Beast! I need your help to stop him
You: That's one old ritual, it's going to be difficult, but it's possible. Where is he now?
Rachel: Trying to get into your room. I placed a barrier as a precaution
You: But you already knew that a second out there is like an hour in the mindscape. Clever girl
She smiled at this praise. She had missed this feeling of calm and security that came with talking to you, something that, unfortunately, hadn't happened in a long while
With one decisive slash, the beast managed to get through the barrier, and the door slid open on its own, allowing him passage through the room. However, when he stepped in, he only saw a reluctant Raven standing there
The beast launched itself at her when suddenly
???: I summon Etrigan's hellfire
From the left side, an infernal blaze blew straight at him, burning like nothing else and forcing the beast to retreat into the hallway in an attempt to heal itself
You walked out of your room, with your trusty sword in hand and looked straight at the terrified animal
You: Give me the boy, you wanker
I tried to lunge at you, only for the sword to be thrust into its stomach. The creature cried in pain as it was slowly being burnt by it
However, it didn't end there since you pushed the sword upwards, impaling your foe with it until you pushed it all the way down, slicing vertically until there was nothing left in the way. It was quite the gruesome scene
Rachel: GAR!!
You motioned her to stay back before muttering something and blowing cold wind to help with the fire that had burnt him previously
Rachel: What was that!?
You: That's what the books don't tell you, Luv. The only way to undo the spell is by killing the monster you summoned in the first place
You kneeled in front of the corpse and sighed before reaching into it, pulling something else with you and as you stood back up again, you were carrying an unconscious Garfield in your arms
Needless to say, Rachel was beyond confused. She thought that you had killed the teen and while it wasn't a bad idea, it wasn't something worth trying either
You:...I know, really bloody weird
Needless to say, she is all speechless
As for you, you had just forced yourself out of that ritual and jumped into action so recklessly, it was already weighing on you. You placed Garfield on a wall and you lied next to it, regaining your breath
You: So...That's taken care of
Rachel put Beast Boy in the infirmary to recover and you retrieved the rest of the Titans. Fortunately, none of them had died during the incident
Turns out, while she was studying the ritual, Garfield had torn open a pocket dimension. One without the people he remembered
Fortunately, you were safe from the effect due to your own reality anchor spells in your very room, but that was just lady luck smiling at you
As for the Titans, they were alive and mostly unharmed, but unconscious, so you took them to the infirmary as well and made sure everyone got their rest before calling it a day yourself
When the smoke cleared and recovery for everyone had started, Rachel and you decided to take the opportunity and have the talk that she mentioned. Currently, you were sitting on the edge of the building, making use of the rooftop
Before you even knew it, the sky was bathed in orange and purple. You had spent almost the entire day meditating
Rachel: So...About that memory...
You chuckled at that comment. If it wasn't because the mindscape was a calm place, you would probably have freaked out like a madman when you spotted her
You: Just my luck, out of every memory you could have walked in, it was this one
Rachel: I'm sorry, there just wasn't any time
She became embarrassed upon hearing that. It wasn't like she meant to enter at that specific moment either
You: I know, it's just...curious
She sighed to calm herself upon discovering that you weren't all that mad about it. It wasn't her fault anyway
Rachel: So, those flowers...they were for me, weren't they?
You: Yeah, they were
A sigh left your lips when an idea came to you. You figured that now would be as good of a time as any
You: You see, I...I was in love with you, Rachel. Couldn't really help it since you were the first one to leave a good impression on me, you know?
She might have already be aware of it, but hearing the declaration straight from you still surprised her. She could empathize with how you were feeling as well because that's exactly how she felt when she first fell for Garfield
Being an outcast in this strange new world and to be suddenly greeted by someone that actively tried to make her feel welcome was such a nice change, especially when this person understood what you did or your area of expertise like she did with you
Rachel: I'm sorry that you had to find out like that. I-I didn't know that you saw me, well, like that...but we still could have talked about it, you know?
Both of you were looking at the horizon, but she was the first to break that to look straight at you
Rachel: You don't have to hide from me
You returned the look but were more surprised than anything. Rachel was one to hide feelings, but maybe that's why hearing her say this was so significant
And yet, all that came from you was a saddened smile
You: I know, I'm just not good with the whole romance thing, you know? The feelings that come with it
Rachel: I get you, it can be so scary, but...sometimes it's worth it, you know?
Her purple eyes returned to the horizon, with a genuine smile this time
Rachel: I mean, there is no guarantee that it'll work, but don't suppress your emotions like that. Take it from me, it doesn't end well
She remarked her point by knocking on the gem in her forehead with a smirk...did she just make a joke about the apocalypse?
You: At least we'll get the best view, and for free
She couldn't help but laugh at this, with you following suit. There was no denying that you shared a special dynamic and a very particular sense of humor
But even if your relationship wasn't romantic, who was to say that you couldn't laugh at the end of everything once in a while with her?
It was your job to prevent it, so might as well make the most of it
Once the laughter was over, she fixed her gaze on you
Rachel: But in all seriousness, just because you're not my boyfriend doesn't mean that you're not special to me, Y/N. Please don't forget that
A nod came from you rather than an answer, you also snaked your arms around her just as a reaction to her kind words
You: Thank you, Rachel
The goth happily complied and so, you finally embraced both Rachel and the reality that you found yourself in.
One that, yes wasn't the one that you might have desired, but it wasn't bad either
...
But then again, it was a reality that demanded just as much as it gave you
"I hope I'm not interrupting anything, kid, but we need you right now and-"
A familiar voice entered the scene at the same time that a door materialized out of thin air in front of you both. From it, came John Constantine himself
.... needless to say, he was just as surprised as you were. Just by seeing him, you broke the hug with Rachel and stared at the man who had just crashed your breakthrough
Constantine: Allo, Raven
She awkwardly waved at him. There was no way to explain what just happened, not to your father
Fortunately for everyone, you were taking none of that nonsense
You: What's wrong?
Constantine: Right, Zee asked to see you. Says you can help in this case
You: Seriously? I just recovered!
He smirked at your annoyed answer
Constantine: You look fine to me
Groaning, you stood up, there was no denying this request anyway
Rachel: Go, I can take care of the others
You: *Sigh*...Ain't no rest for the wicked, I guess
Then, you turned to Rachel, snapping your fingers to instantly change into "uniform"
You: Bee seeing you, Rachel
She flashed a smile one last time to send you off. You practically walked to the door, making Constantine sidestep
"This better be important, dad, or I swear to the Presence that you won't hear the end of it"