Chapter 117
"In that dream—which Ron, Hermione, and Harry also seemed to experience—Gray and Hermione were sort of... an item," he said hesitantly, scratching the back of his neck. Rachel nodded slowly, piecing it together. "So that's why Hermione's been looking at you like that," she said, smirking. Gray frowned. "But I don't have feelings for her, not like the Gray in my dream," he added defensively, as if confessing to a crime. Rachel giggled, her shoulders shaking. "You don't have to explain. It's not like I'm accusing you of anything," she teased, making Gray exhale in relief.
"So, who do you have feelings for?" Rachel asked with a mischievous glint in her eyes. Gray froze, looking dumbfounded, before standing abruptly, frustration flashing across his face. Rachel grabbed his wrist, pulling him back down. "Alright, I'm sorry. Please, sit back down," she said, smiling warmly. Gray hesitated but couldn't stay mad at her. "You're an empath; don't ask me that question," he grumbled. Rachel tilted her head, her expression softening. "Why do you seem happy, though? I missed my little bundle of darkness," he said, making her sigh and glance at the horizon.
"In my White Raven form, I don't have to keep my emotions in check, fearing my dad might take control of my body. I'm free to express myself," Rachel explained, her voice tinged with a mixture of relief and sadness. Gray studied her intently, his smile faint but genuine. "So you can express all your emotions," he said softly. Rachel looked at him, raising a brow. "You know I'm three years older than you, right?" she pointed out. Gray shrugged. "Age is just a number," he replied with a sly grin, making her frown. "Not when that number is below eighteen. No matter how I feel about you, nothing is going to happen. Gosh, I feel like I'm grooming you," she muttered, shaking her head. Gray reached out to pat her back, but she dodged. "No touching! What, are you trying to get me arrested?" she asked with mock indignation. Gray sighed, his smile returning. "Why are you smiling?" she asked, narrowing her eyes. "It's just two more years. Anyway, I've waited longer," he said, his tone light. This made Rachel smile genuinely. "Why do you like me this much anyway? Even waiting for me?" she asked softly.
Gray's smile faltered for a moment before returning. "Well, you died for me. That was a big factor," he admitted. Rachel's expression softened further as she looked at him. "What about you? You sacrificed your superhuman strength, speed, and even your ice and star powers just to revive me," she countered, her voice tinged with guilt. Gray exhaled deeply, gazing at the shimmering waves. "It was necessary, but it allowed me to unlock my domain, so I'm happy with the result," he said with quiet conviction. He leaned back on the warm sand, letting the grains shift beneath him as a gentle breeze carried the scent of the ocean. Rachel watched him for a moment, then joined him, both of them lost in their thoughts as the sun dipped lower, casting golden hues across the horizon.
Suddenly, Gray got up and rolled on top of her. She lay perfectly still beneath him and sighed, "What are you doing? I literally just told you nothing would be happening between us," she asked, her tone exasperated. Gray had a huge grin on his face. "Yet. Plus, I'm not touching you," he smiled, looking down at her. Her white hair spread across the sand while his fell around his face. "You have feelings for me? Me?" he said, still not believing what had just happened. Rachel sighed, "Is that so hard to believe? Do you have low self-esteem? That's not the Gray I know."
Gray chuckled and said, "I guess you're right. I mean, look at me. I am very, very, very hot." With each "very," he leaned lower until he was inches away from Rachel. Her face reddened as she looked into his eyes. His usually dull and lifeless gray eyes were now brimming with life. He smirked, "So, technically, you're my girlfriend, right?" Rachel groaned before pushing him off her. "Pipe down, okay? We are not official," she said with a sigh. Gray, suddenly struck with an idea, asked, "Tell me, what was your life like back in your world?" Rachel looked taken aback and asked, "Why the sudden interest? You never asked me about my world before." Gray sighed and said, "I always thought I should keep my distance from you. I tried to form no emotional connection since you might eventually return to your world."
This surprised Rachel, and she smiled as she ruffled his hair. "Don't worry. I won't leave—not suddenly, anyways," she said as the atmosphere grew somber. "Anyways, my world is quite similar to this one. Except not only is there magic, but there are also people with powers called metahumans, as well as aliens and other supernatural creatures," she explained. This elicited a surprised reaction from Gray, who asked, "Aliens?" and gave her a curious look. "Yes, aliens. In fact, one of the best heroes in my world is Superman—an alien who crash-landed on Earth and was raised by two humans," she continued, her tone filled with nostalgia.
"There are even gods. Anyways, I was born in Azarath, a realm of peace and tranquility, raised by monks who taught me to control my emotions to keep my demonic heritage at bay. My father, Trigon as you know, is a powerful demon who seeks to conquer and destroy. To prevent his influence, I joined the Teen Titans on Earth." Gray looked at her with a smile and said, "I knew you were a superhero with the way you judge me when I deal with bad guys." Rachel sighed as she explained, "Killing your enemies is quite frowned upon in my world." Gray gave her a strange look before saying, "Well, I can't judge your world," and she continued.
"When Darkseid, the tyrant of Apokolips, launched a devastating attack on Earth, the Justice League's attempt to counter him ended in catastrophe. Many heroes perished, and the planet was left in ruins. Superman, stripped of his powers, sought me out as I struggled to keep my father's essence imprisoned within me. Together, we enlisted John Constantine's help to locate Damian, who had taken refuge with the League of Assassins. Determined to save his father, Batman, from Darkseid's control, Damian agreed to join our mission." When she mentioned Damian, she smiled a little, which Gray caught on to as he said, "I'm guessing with the way you're smiling that you were in a relationship?" He asked, but he already knew the answer. Rachel sighed, "Yeah," before turning to Gray and asking, "You're feeling jealous, aren't you?"
Gray replied, "You might not believe this, but I'm possessive when it comes to what I hold dear." The moment he finished, Rachel smiled as she patted his head. "I didn't know you were this cute when you get jealous," she said, which caused Gray to smack her hand away as he said, "From now on, you are banned from patting my head. Anyways, continue." She smiled before continuing, "We allied with Lois Lane and the Suicide Squad to infiltrate Apokolips and confront Darkseid. During the battle, Damian was mortally wounded perished, and my anguish weakened the barriers containing Trigon. Seizing the opportunity, Trigon possessed Superman, turning him against Darkseid. With Constantine's assistance, we managed to restore Superman's free will and grant Trigon a physical form to battle Darkseid directly.
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A/N yeah, rachel is from that world, which were going to visit after the sixth year.