Teen Titans: Apocalypse

~Eight~

Richard lead the Titans into the dinning room soon after leaving Bruce on the balcony. The weak and exhausted team made their way down the stairs and into the dusty, dark room in silence.

They could recall the many meals they shared before the illness. The muffled laughter as a joke was made in silence so Bruce wouldn't hear. The tails of a patrol the night before when not everyone had gone. The conversations they'd have after returning home from school, or the events of a sleepover at Titans Tower. Or the many celebrations of holidays and birthday parties they'd all enjoy. Those times had ended as soon as the sickness began.

The teens solemnly began to take seats around the giant, oval-shaped, dark wood table, sniffling or drying tears. Richard, Olivia, and Theo did not join among the ones who sat. Richard excused himself to the kitchen, to which Jason and Scarlet bolted up and promptly followed. Olivia and Theo stood still for a moment.

"I don't know how to do this, Livie." Theo admitted, whispering to the taller girl beside her. Olivia glanced sideways at her, confused and giggled. "Do what? Eat dinner?" The girl asked, regretting doing so immeadietly after as Theo's expression turned from embarrassment to hurt.

"I'm sorry." Olivia apologized quickly, grabbing the shoulders of the thin girl beside her. "I didn't mean it in an offensive way. I forgot."
Theo shrugged. "It's okay." And looked away to the side.

Destiny watched the two girls from over Lloyd's shoulder, trying to ignore his hacking coughs next to her. To her it sounded like an old, sick man hacking up a lung. Blood dribbled down the boy's lip. She tried to ignore it so he wouldn't be embarrassed, but the sound was unpleasant enough to worry her into staring.

"I know," Lloyd coughed, "I sound like crap."
Destiny shook her head. "You sounded like crap before this." The comment made the boy smile. "Shut it, Rainbow." He laughed, using her old nickname. Destiny smiled back halfheartedly. She hadn't been called Rainbow in so long, the girl had almost forgotten about it.

The name brought unpleasant memories back to the girl of her days in the tortures mental institution known as Arkham Asylum. The only positive experience was when she had met Lloyd, and he took to calling her Rainbow because of her hair.

"If you thought I sounded horrible before," Lloyd began, turning his head in her direction, "you should hear y-" But he was suddenly silenced by her lips meeting his.

Olivia and Theo fell silent as they watched the two teens gently pressing their lips together, before slowly growing slightly rougher. Theo's face burned bright red and she looked away. A pang of jealousy tugged at her gut. She knew she'd never have that.

"Livie, can we leav- Livie?" But Olivia was on her way to the hall already. Theo quickly hurried after the girl, leaving Lloyd and Destiny at the dinning table.

Olivia just made it to the stairs before sinking to her knees. It wasn't fair. She'd never have what Lloyd had. She'd never kiss someone. She'd never know what love felt like. Olivia growled and slammed her fist down on the step before her.

"Livie, are you okay?" Theo asked as she timidly approached the angry girl. Olivia grunted and whipped around to face the other teen. "Yeah, I'm fine!" she snapped, glaring. "Go away." Theo flinched at her friend's outburst, but made no move to leave. Instead, she drew nearer.

"I don't want to go away. I want to stay with you. For as long as we still have."

Olivia blinked, gazing up at the girl in bewildered silence. "You wouldn't understand." She mumbled bitterly, folding her arms over her knees to pout like a child that hadn't gotten their way. "I won't understand what?" Theo inquired, kneeling beside the other girl.

The teen's short, blue streaked black hair slipped from behind her elf-like ears to fall over her eye as she moved to position herself beside the other girl. Her head tilted in curiosity; giving her the look of a small puppy. Olivia unfolded her arms.

"You wouldn't understand what it's like to watch all your friends fall in love, while you are still alone." Olivia admitted, glancing away. "You wouldn't understand what it's like to watch them look at each other with those lovestruck gazes, while you're watching from the sidelines. You wouldn't have a damn clue what that's like!"

Theo fell backwards at Olivia's sudden outburst with a small gasp. Her hair lit up bright blue, taking over the black strands completely. Olivia shrunk back with a mumbled apology. Silence fell between them.

"I do know what that's like." Theo whispered, trembling. Her gaze was glued to the floor while she spoke. Olivia looked over. "I do understand. I watch them together all the time, Livie. I see the looks they give each other. I see the way Richard looks at Scarlet and you. I see the way Lloyd looks at Destiny. I do understand, Livie."

Olivia was surprised to hear it. She had always seen Richard and Scarlet gazing lovingly at each other, and knew she didn't have a chance. But to hear that he looked at her like that, too... it couldn't be true. But if it were, what did that mean? Did he like her, or Scarlet more?

The girl shook her head of dark hair and stood. It was too much to think about. She had moved to take a step, when a gloved hand shot up and grasped hers tightly. Olivia looked down at Theo in alarm. The girl in the long blue shirt kept her gaze still to the floor.

"Do you know what it's like to like someone, but know you don't have a chance with them because they like someone else? Do you know what it's like to be confused about those feelings, because you have never experienced real love before?"

"Yeah." Olivia nodded, sitting back down beside the girl. "Yeah, I do."