This is... incredible, Raven thought; her eyes pouring across the old worn papers; the knowledge of the most powerful shamans of the other realms, the greatest conjurors and warlocks under Azar, written on the aged yellowed pages with painstakingly perfect script, bits and pieces in unfamiliar languages; long twisting lines of ancient symbols and rites. In her minds eye, she envisioned the ancient words uttered, the changing energy of Magicka moving through air, the spell's immensely powerful creators. It is truly-

"Hey Rae, you wanna play videogames with me?"

The visions of awe were sucked away immediately and Raven was back in the Tower's main room. "No." she snapped the book shut. "And don't call me that."

Across the room, Beast Boy turned and stuck his head over the back of the couch. "You sure? It's Mega Monkeys Eight Thousand..." He waved a second controller at her, as if the prospect of trying the game's new two-player feature would be too much for her to resist.

When she declined his offer again, Beast Boy pouted. "C'mon, Raven, you need to have some fun once in a while, its- hey, wait!" Raven had made to leave the room. She was almost to the door when he caught up with her and blocked her way with his skinny green arms.

So much for that. Raven made no attempt to hide her rising impatience. "What is it now, Beast Boy?"

Beast Boy was frowning at her, his odd snaggle tooth poking up over his lip. "I'm not going to let you leave until you tell me why you..." He pointed dramatically. "...don't want to have fun!"

"I just don't want to play Mega... whatever it is."

"Well, then what DO you want to do?"

"I just want to read."

Beast Boy shook his head. "Nu-uh. Right after the guys get back with pizza, w-" He was cut off when the Tower alarm sounded and a pulsating red light filled the common room. "Huh?"

Raven pulled out a T-emblazoned communicator and flicked it open. The round screen flickered and buzzed, and the face of the Teen Titans' leader appeared. "Robin."

"Beast Boy, Raven, get out here!" In the background, Cyborg, burdened by stack of pizza boxes, was desperately charging away from... Plasmus.

Beast Boy nearly pulled his hair out. "Dude! Again?"

Robin nodded. "Hurry." He slung his metal rod across his back, and turned. The screen went black once more.

"Dude, I hate Pla..." Beast Boy looked up from the communicator- and promptly bumped his head against Raven's chin. She winced. "Sorry Rae..." his words trailed off.

Raven blinked. "What?"

Beast Boy returned the blinks. "I, uhm.."

Their faces were very close, eyes wide. Beast Boy could feel Raven's warm breath on his lips, even make out the intricate violet patterns of her irises, his own reflection in the chakra on her forehead. A strange knotting feeling rose in his chest. The already microscopic space between them was closing fast, Beast Boy shut his eyes, felt Raven grasp his hand, and...

"YO! WHERE THE HELL ARE Y'ALL!"

The dream-like haze shattered instantly and they both stumbled back, as if a small explosion had occurred between them. In Raven's free hand, the communicator buzzed angrily. Cyborg's fury-contorted face had filled the screen, so close up that they could make out a nose hair or two. Beast Boy was visibly frightened and raised his arms in front of his face as if to shield himself from Cyborg's wrath. "Ohh, dude..."

"DAMN RIGHT, 'OH'! GET OVER HERE BEFORE THAT BLOB OF GOO-"

"Plasma," interposed Raven.

"FINE! BUT IF THAT BLOB OF PLASMA GETS HIS GOOEY HANDS ON MY PIZZA, I'M GONNA-" Beast Boy quickly slapped the communicator shut. "We, uhm... should probably get going." He looked down and Raven realized she was still holding his hand, and let go quickly before turning to the main doors. "Right."

Outside, a blue cloaked blur and a bright green eagle shot across Go City's grey skies.

2 HOURS LATER

"I STILL DON'T GET WHY THE HELL Y'ALL WERE SO LATE! THE PIZZA PLACE IS LESS THAN A MILE AWAY FROM SHORE!"

The T-Car was crammed with five titans, already exhausted from another long fight with Plasmus. Now they were growing headaches from the pizza-defensive Cyborg's rant. In the backseat, Beast Boy slouched with his face in his hands "Dude, Cy, we already said sorry."

In the front seat, Cyborg drove precariously, cradling the stack of (cold) pizzas in his lap. "Fine," he huffed. "But pull any of that again and you two'll be cleanin' my room for a month."

"A MONTH?"

Cyborg swerved and narrowly missed a head-on collision with a civilian Ferrari. "Maybe longer."

Beast Boy bounced up and down on his seat, close to ripping his hair out again. "DUDEEE-"

Across the backseat, Raven couldn't help but crack a half smile at his antics, but the confusing emotion still remained, a knotted anxiety in her chest that made her almost nauseous. "Why do I feel like this...?" She pressed her palm against her chest.

Cyborg squinted over the pizza tower into the backseat mirror. "You say somethin' Raven?"

Raven glanced at Beast Boy. When he met her gaze, the knotted feeling doubled and she turned back towards the window. Her answer was in her usual monotone. "Nothing."

Wellllll... what do you all think of my first chapter? I tried desperately to keep each character in character, with their reactions and all. Especially Cyborg's temper, haha. If you think there's something out of line with how they react, or a tip or whatever, please tell me. :) I'm very open to constructive criticism and it's one of the reasons I joined the site! I'm planning to expand to the story to some more action and adventure beyond the romance in later chapters.