Chapter Twenty Three

Copyright © 2019 by S.M. TOZER

He stared at Carson's face while his lips got closer, a terrified chill ran down Raven's spine reminded of the kiss that happened the last time they were this close. He was scared knowing it was going to happen again.

In a panicked fashion he smacked Carson's hand away. "Back off!" He blurted out in rage, pulling away from Carson quickly stepping back.

Carson shook his head realizing what he was doing bringing himself back to reality. He brought his hand back to his chest as he was told and peered down at her, "You sure you're not twins separated at birth? you even react the same to my teasing" He questioned while pretending to have only been joking just then with his actions.

He glanced at his hand that was slapped away with an arched brow wondering why he would kiss her yet again. Even after finding out she were related to Raven, he quickly became very bothered by the similarity of the two even more.

Raven cursed at himself for slapping Carson without thinking. He reacted just like he usually would when Carson invaded his personal space and though it was normal for him to do, being in this body it felt like he should have reacted differently.

Thinking about it for a moment he had to remind himself that even if it seemed that way, not every female actually wanted Carson to kiss them. This thought relaxed him for a moment, after all it wasn't like he was a total lady killer.

Raven caught what he said about being twins and knew he had always thought the same about his dream girl. But even so he still didn't like the thought of Carson looking down at the girl in front of him and seeing Raven. He didn't need Carson looking at him as a woman anymore than he already did before he obtained the body of one.

"I look nothing like him, don't insult me like that" He snarled actually feeling a bit insulted for him to say he still look the same even as a girl that hurt his pride as a man all the more.

Raven clenched his fist looking down to the ground again not being able to glare at him any longer after that close call. While Carson looked him over once more as if he were really taking in the details now trying to figure out what it was about that reaction that bothered him to not believe they were related when they were so much alike.

Carson noted what she had said and shook his head no in a playful manner as he ignored the strange feeling he got from her, "You misunderstood" He corrected but suddenly snapped his fingers as if he finally realized what it was that bothered him and begun to explain, "Now that I know that you're related it explains why I don't feel like I'm with a girl..."

He closes one eye and placed his hand into his view blocking the view of Raven's long hair up to the length it was when he was a male. Separating his fingers he was able to see the face without the long hair. Though he knew she still had significant differences it really was becoming stranger to see what she would look like with short hair.

"It's like I'm with Raven, even now looking at your face in his clothes, if you cut your hair I could hardly tell the difference" His continued in a more playful manner trying to pass off what he did before like it was nothing but even he didn't believe his own words. He knew he would never feel this uneasy around a girl just because they were one of Raven's family members.

"Tsk," Raven hissed, these word only made the insults worse but Raven knew he needed to hold his anger being that a normal person wouldn't be so insulted when being compared to a relative. "Aren't you only rubbing the insult in deeper?" He grumbled looking back up at Carson only to receive an taunting smirk on his face.

"Only depending on what you think about Raven's features" He responds covering himself well not defining whether she were boyish or Raven were girly in features.

Raven huffed knowing he was right, it depend on how someone looked at him as to whether it would be an insult. Though he hoped that it was because he looked like a boyish girl he looked Carson in the eyes staring at him with a blank expression. Glancing him over he was sure Carson just insulted him with this statement having always looked at Raven as a weaker man than him.

"Then you're implying Raven looks like a girl?" He grumbled curious now of which way he meant wanting to confirm what he suspected.

Carson shrugged as he barely gave a response, "I didn't say that."

"Then..." Raven snarled a little bothered with the way Carson still left it vague, "Doesn't saying this mean you would kiss him too?" He claims trying to bring up what he did not sure if he even wanted to know the answer but his curiosity wondered why he'd kiss the female version if he thought they looked alike.

"Oh, yeah" Carson muttered falling short of words as he glanced away from her in that moment reaching up to his face thinking hard about the question. Having already kissed her before then almost kissing her now while he still thought of how strange she was, this made him curious too, "I did do that..." he mutters lightly finally giving a vague acknowledgment.

Raven scoffed being so aggravated that he was dumbfounded by how forgetful Carson was acting, "You just mentioned it not even five minutes ago, how did you already forget?" Raven exclaimed in frustration knowing he even brought it up while they were having lunch though he couldn't use that as his defense in this body.

"No, I mentioned saving you from the team," He corrects with a grin crossing his arms over his chest knowing he didn't regret kissing her only saving her from what he still didn't understand happened last night.

Raven rolled his eyes throwing up his hands in disbelief, "You know what, I don't care you just insulted me... you should apologize for everything you've done" he ordered giving an attitude in his response.

"Oh..." Carson arched his brow finding this reaction amusing but quickly ignores it, "What's your name?" He inquired.

"Ugh, what?" Raven froze as his mind went blank to the question. He didn't expect Carson to ask that let alone being a counter to Raven's request of an apology.

Carson huffed as he quickly became impatient with her reluctance to give up a name. After not believing her story up to this point he was sure this should be a simple task. "Either give me a name or I turn you in and they find your name" He threatens making it clear he was done playing games.

Raven panics with the thought of being turned in not knowing what would happen from there, "R..." he stopped himself from saying his real name before it was too late.

Of course Raven knew he couldn't give him his real name or the lie would no longer work, it would just be too strange for relatives to have the same name. He needed a different name something that he could use that wouldn't be suspicious. Though, with having very little interaction with women he panicked when trying to think of one so he looked back to Menay for help.

"Don't look to me I got nothing, you're going to have to give him a name... and I'd suggest quickly" Menay insisted though he didn't help at all.

By Menay not even trying Raven narrowed his brow in anger to the cat then slowly looked back to Carson with a blank expression. Raven almost cursed knowing he wasted a few moments looking back to the cat even when he had a feeling Menay would be useless in the current scenario.

Even knowing this though he had to try not being able to think of anything he needed some form of assistance. Starting to feel anxious to run he knew it was because of Carson's eyes looking down at him with suspicion clearly becoming aggravated with him.

"So what, are you not going to tell me?" He persisted pushing her to tell him a name using his body as a form of intimidation leaning closer to her.

Invading what little space there was between them this made Raven step back a bit out of fear from what kept happening to him. Unfortunately this fear went noticed and Carson cracked a smile feeling confident that his threats to the girl in front of him were working.

This frustrates Raven all the more, so much that even his attitude started to come out as a defense, "Why should I? You've done nothing worth me giving you my name, you haven't even apologized, in fact Raven has a terrible taste in friends" He growls standing his ground hoping to change the subject so that Carson would forget wanting to know his name.

"I'm his only friend..." Carson snorted in an arrogant manner as he arched a brow to her continued attitude, "Yeah I'm definitely going to talk to Raven about kissing you later but ugh where is he by the way?" He asked ceasing the opportunity since she brought Raven into the topic.

Raven became speechless once again he had been kissed by Carson, insulted, and his personal space violated multiple times yet Carson's only concern was to talk to his male version. Who of which he didn't care to talk to earlier unless it was about his female version. It was like no matter the version Carson didn't care to speak with Raven, only mess with them.

"What about me?" Raven snapped stepping back towards Carson without thinking being influenced by his attitude once again.

Carson looked down at the woman before him, his eyes ventured over her expression knowing exactly where it came from causing him to scoff, "What about you? I don't even know who you are" He shrugged still inquiring about her name.

"Think of something similar to Raven so you don't forget it" Menay suggests finally trying to give his assistance. Though Raven was hardly grateful for it being that he still didn't provide a name.

"You..." Raven almost spoke to Menay but stop himself, having him in his head only made things more difficult when he was trying to think.

Carson looked at Menay then back to her as she wasn't looking at him finding it strange how she kept looking to the cat, "Me, what?" Carson questioned with a wave of his hand at her face to call back her attention so she would continue what she was going to say about him.

Raven flinched looking back to the hand then to Carson's face and huffed knowing he couldn't say the first thing that came to his mind in response to Carson's misunderstanding.

Thinking about it a little more he knew he had to try to prolong the argument he started a little more while he thought of a name, "You're avoiding the bigger issue and I'm not giving you my name for a reason" he snarled in response knowing this was a point to argue.

"What's bigger than breaking and entering?" Carson scoffed but nodded softly looking at her finding this entertaining but he was tired and didn't have the energy to play anymore.

He reached into his pocket pulling out his phone to make it clear he knew what Raven was trying to do now and he wasn't about to play up the game knowing he didn't plan to apologize.

"What... are you doing?" Raven stammered out almost flinching again as Carson moved to his pocket not sure at first what he was going to do till he seen the phone.

Carson glanced up for a brief moment, "Calling Raven, he'll tell me your name" he answered while searching for Raven's name in his phone. "That's if you're telling the truth" he adds with sarcasm.

Raven glances down seeing how long it was taking him to get to the R's in his phone wondering just how many phone numbers of random women he had in there. At least until he noticed that he was doing this intentionally to allow Raven to give him a name instead of having to call him. Raven rolled his eyes looking away from the phone not worried knowing it wasn't like he was going to answer his phone anyways to confirm anything.

In a subtle manner he reached into his pocket planning to put his phone on silent so that it wouldn't be heard. When his phone wasn't there he remembered he had changed his shorts before Carson entered the room. Since he was in such a scrambled rush he forgot to take his cell phone out of his pocket. That meant his phone was under the bed in his manager shorts with the volume still turned on.

Raven could barely come up with a name or excuse as to why he was there now. He didn't know how he was going to explain wearing every single piece of clothing Raven had on. Even if he had a cousin he would never strip down all of what he was wearing to lend them something to change into.

Left with no choice Raven knew he had to stop him from making that call. Reaching up he grabbed and pulled down on Carson's phone, "You can't" he declared while doing this hoping he could come up with a reason fast.

Carson paused the moment his hand felt her touch while she grasped his phone trying to pull it down. Almost losing his grip on the phone he carefully lowered his hands turning off the screen once again though not putting it up just yet leaving the threat remain.

Looking back up giving a confident grin assuming he caught her now, "That's a pretty suspicious reaction" he taunts her for the reaction he got.

"Shut up," Raven sneered hating the look he was receiving in response to his panic, "Just don't call him" he grumbled regretting every second feeling like he were actually about to beg Carson.

Raven was irritated by Carson, of all people, he couldn't tell what was with him ever time he was in this body it was like Carson became a different person around him. Not only did he treat Raven differently than any other girl but what really bothered Raven now was how weak he was and still putting up the effort to intimidate him.

Even though Carson didn't appear so while he was blocking the path Raven could tell his stance wasn't firm and when he pulled on the phone just then he barely fought back to keep his phone up. If Raven wasn't aggravated with him at that moment he would even debate on being concerned for his friend.

"Then... tell me your name." Carson insists with a smug expression not willing to let it go until he found out her name.