Chapter Text
"NO!" Beast Boy's eyes snapped open, his heart racing, he looked around but the people he was looking for are nowhere in sight.
He sighs,
He had fallen asleep in the common room while watching a Sci-fi movie with his best friend Cyborg, not that the movie was boring he was just really exhausted from their battle with Cinderblock this afternoon.
Beast boy wiped the cold sweat off of his face and started to make his way to the kitchen to grab a glass of water before heading back to his room to try and sleep a bit more, though, he'll probably spend the rest of the night tossing and turning until the sun comes up and it's time for him to get ready for the day.
Beast Boy opened a cupboard to get a glass when he heard the door swoosh open, he immediately turned his head around to see who it was but he could only make out a slight figure that looked much like his older leader.
"Robin..." The teen questioned
"Oh...hey Beast Boy" He paused for a second "I didn’t think anyone was up so late"
Beast Boy's eyes made his way to the clock that read the time 3:14 AM and then turned back his gaze to his leader who was now standing next to him.
"Yeah...um, me neither" He rubbed the back of his neck "What are you doing up so late?"
Robin raised a brow "I could ask you the same thing"
"Uh uh... I asked first!" Beast boy smirked
"Slade" Robins expression turned serious which was enough for the young hero to know what was keeping his leader up at this time of night, but Beast Boy wanted to reassure Robin that they were going to catch him, that he'd try his best but "Oh..." Was the only word that managed to escape his mouth and boy did he feel dumb for saying it.
"So?" Robin asked suggestively
'So...' Beast boy gave the older boy a questionable look
Robin rolled his eyes behind his mask, "Why are you up at three in the morning?"
'Oh right,' Beast boy thought to himself.
"Um, well you see, I was watching this movie with Cy and um I fell asleep...but then I uh had this nightmare which woke me up so yeah... I was just gonna get some water and head to bed" He stumbled through his words with his face to the floor trying not to look at his leader, he wasn't sure why but he always felt slightly intimidated and shy towards the older boy, it could have been because he's his leader, or maybe because they're not really friends, oh and he kicks ass without any superpowers which always made Beast boy gush while watching but something in his stomach told him there was more to these weird feeling, he just wasn't sure what they were yet...
"A...Nightmare?" Beast Boy felt embarrassed when the words came out of Robin’s mouth, it sounded so childish to be woken up late at night because of some thoughts and situations that most of the time didn’t even exist, but this time they did exist and all of that embarrassment washed away when his thoughts drifted to his dream, the loss of his parents....he missed them so much, and even though he had lost them so long ago, he always had the occasional dreams about them, good and bad, but no matter what he did in his dreams they always ended up leaving and the thought of his parents leaving him was enough to start making him tear up.
"B..Beast Boy?" Robin hesitated to put his hand on his teammate’s shoulder, he was never one for showing affection or comforting people since he had also lost his parents early on in a trapeze accident and grew up raised by Batman, probably the least affectionate person in the world, but Robin still cared enough for all his teammates to ask, "Are you okay?"
The weight of his words only made Beast Boy feel more helpless, he wanted to be okay, he knew Robin had also lost his parents, he knew he'd understand what he was feeling right now, but Beast Boy felt weak, he was only 2 years younger than the Boy Wonder but somehow Robin was so much wiser and skilled even without powers!
Beast Boy tried to lift his head to meet the older boy’s eyes and tell him that he's fine, grab a glass of water and leave, but something inside him made him throw himself into Robin’s arms, wrapping his own arms around the older boy's waist he started sobbing uncontrollably into his Leaders chest.
This shocked Robin and made him inhaled sharply but he loosened up after a few minutes and started rubbing the smaller boys back in an attempt to comfort him, he had never been put into this position before and had only seen Beast boy cry once before when he was badly hurt in their battle against Brother Blood, and even then his teammate didn’t come to him for comfort, so he knew whatever was bugging him right now, he was going to be there for Beast boy.
In an attempt to reassure him, he lowered his head and whispered into the younger boys pointy ear who was currently nuzzling his face deeper into Robin’s chest, where he was making a giant wet spot from all his tears "It's okay, I’m here now, nothing bad is going to happen"
His Leader’s words echoed in Beast Boys mind while Robin’s hot breath sent shivers down his spine causing him to squeeze tighter around his waist.
Could he really protect him from all the bad and the evil?
The answer was unclear but one thing he knew for sure was his impression of Robin had completely changed, he was no longer just this uptight, strict, mission crazy leader because even though Robin was still all of those things Beast Boy had experienced a softer side of him, he was caring and protective and even though he could feel his leader’s hesitation in all of his comforting he still felt safe.
Beast Boy's crying had come close to a stop when he lifted his head to look into the older boy's masked eyes, and with a sniffle, he whispered...
"Thank you..."
"Anytime"