Summer Beach Read

Chapter Seven

Raven sunk down to the floor of the shower and stared at the water trickling down the drain in the faint light of candles that she used to light the bathroom. She had come in from the storm, sopping wet and uncomfortable in ways she couldn’t fully describe. So, she jumped into the shower, choosing to empty the hot water tank to try and save her sanity.

Her body felt heavy, as if it was stretched and abused, but her heart even more so. What in the world had she started with that stupid, silly war? It was beginning to take a toll on her, and she wasn’t sure how much longer she would last. But she couldn’t give into him, not yet. She didn’t want to lose the game, that was for certain, but she certainly didn’t want him to know that after all their episodes of… er, play, that maybe she was finding him far more attractive than ever.

She leaned back against the shower wall, forearms dangling from her knees as the last ten minutes of the hot water dripped down her fingertips. What in the world had she gotten herself into, and how was she going to find her way out?

The door creaked open a crack, and Raven heard someone shuffle inside.

"Hey, Rae?"

What in the world was he doing in the bathroom while she showered? She bit back a curse and decided that he probably couldn’t see her nakedness through frosted glass and the dim light cast by the few candles, so what did it matter anyway?

"What, Beast Boy?"

"Can we talk?"

"Now?"

Shuffling. “Yeah. Before the others get back.”

Raven stood up and reached for her shampoo, which smelled faintly of tea and fresh linen. She loved that smell, it made her feel beautiful and clean. “What do you want to talk about?”

"Um… what’s happening between us." He paused and chose to reiterate his statement. "I mean… what is happening between us?”

Raven’s hands paused in her lathered hair, and she looked at his shadowy form through the frosted glass, eyes wide with surprise. He posed a legitimate question, what was happening between them? There was clearly some kind of physical attraction, that was for certain. But they had both been caught up in the attraction and the game that neither one of them had even paused to consider what it might actually mean. Or, what it might do to the other.

"Rae?"

She realized she had been silent for too long, and forced herself to respond. “I… I don’t know.”

She rinsed her hair, listening to Beast Boy’s questioning silence before she continued. “So now what… do we both just admit defeat and go back to our previously scheduled programming?”

Something in that thought saddened her.

"No." Pause. "Yes?" Pause. "I don’t know.”

Raven washed herself with a plain bar of soap and rinsed quickly, feeling the water start to cool with each passing minute. The last thing she needed right now was a cold shower. When she was thoroughly clean, she turned the water off and stood in the darkness of the shower for a moment, still looking at Beast Boy’s silhouette through the glass.

"What do you want?"

"I don’t know, Rae… I kinda like this kinky foreplay." She heard his embarrassment tremble in his voice before he continued. "I like you… a lot, and maybe I feel like this weird war we have between us is something that helps me get closer to you.”

"You… like me?" Raven clutched her wet washcloth to her chest.

"Well, yeah, Raven.” She could hear the eye roll in his voice. “I thought that was pretty damn obvious by the way I was eating you out. Jeez.” There was a slow pause, and Raven could feel his emotions change. “Although I won’t lie, you taste amazing.”

Raven’t blush crept up her neck and she stared at her feet. “That’s kind of crass.”

He shrugged. “I’m not sorry.”

"I wasn’t asking you to be."

"Oh?"

A few more seconds ticked by and Raven asked the ultimate question: “So, what does this mean?”

"I don’t know… should we… keep playing?" He sounded legitimately lost at the concept of what exactly was the next step, and Raven didn’t blame them. They had spent the last two weeks teasing each other with silly games and stolen moments, and now neither one of them knew how to actually move forward.

But was that such a terrible thing? They had moments of joy and excitement. Minutes of lust and debauchery, and all of it felt fine to her. She was excited by it, enthralled with the chase. She knew that soon, one of them would cave under the pressure, but until then, she was going to keep playing just a little bit more.

"Yes." Raven opened the shower door and stood there, undoubtedly looking like a short-haired Lady Godiva. Even in the thin light from the candles, she could see Beast Boy’s face darken a few shades. She smiled sweetly and closed the few steps between them.

He looked up at her, trying to keep his eyes on her face and not any of the other parts that might be exposed. He licked his lips, and Raven found the subtle movement incredibly arousing. She leaned forward and captured his lips before he had a chance to protest. He groaned under her mouth and leaned forward, his hands tightening on his hips.

Raven nudged his mouth open and ran her tongue along his fangs. He tasted faintly of cool, clean water, and she was happy to drink him up. He shifted against her, and Raven delighted in the mewls that escaped his throat, and thoroughly enjoyed that delightful bulge that started to press against her lower stomach. She bit his lip and pulled away, listening to the sound of his breath coming in short, heated gasps.

"I think…" She slid her hand over his clothes until it rested over his erection. He groaned and his head fell back  against his shoulders, whispering her name between clenched teeth.

"…that we should…" She unfastened his pants and pulled down the zipper, his erection was straining at his boxers. With a low laugh, she tugged them down, and wrapped her hand around him fully. He was impressive that was for sure. She had only caught glimpses of him during their games, but here in the faint light of the bathroom, she found herself completely entranced by his body. It fascinated her.

But now was not the time for exploration. Now was the time for games.  

"…keep playing." She leaned back over his body, capturing his mouth again in another heated kiss, sliding her tongue over his lips as her fingertips danced over his erection. He pushed against her, rubbing his body on hers in some kind of desperate motion for release. Raven just kissed him harder, delighting in the animalistic sounds he made under her touch.

As he pulled away to gasp for air, Raven dropped down onto her knees in front of him.

Game.

"R-raven…?"

She grinned up into his shocked stare as she opened her mouth and swirled her tongue over his head in an exploratory taste. His body responded instantly, hips thrusting forward as his erection jumped in pleasured surprise.

Set.

“Fuck, Raven…” His claws unsheathed and bit into the Formica counter top, shredding it.

Match.

She pulled back from him and smiled. “Is that a request, Beast Boy?”

A second passed between them as he stared down in shock, as if he wasn’t expecting her to keep playing. When he couldn’t find the words to answer her, Raven pulled herself back to her feet and grabbed her towel hanging next to the shower.

"Well, I suppose that’s the trouble of war, isn’t it?"

With a coy smile, she waved her hands and extinguished the candles, walking out of the room with a newfound spring in her step.

"This isn’t over, Raven!"

"I’m planning on it."