music speaks
Disclaimer: I do not own the Teen Titans or the movies mentioned in this chapter.
Chapter 1,
It was quiet in the tower today. There wasn't any interruptions with the alarm, Cyborg was working on the T-car, Robin was training with Starfire, Raven was sitting and hovering by a window as she meditated, and as for Beast Boy-
"ACHOO!"
Well, Beast Boy had a small cold. He got it after a fight with the Hive Five, when his tiger form got knocked into the body of water. Raven didn't think much about this until she noticed that Beast Boy was under the water for a while. Raven fished him out and woke him up before going back to the fight.
"ACHOO!" Beast Boy sneezed again.
Beast Boy was more annoyed by his sneezing than anything else. He also didn't like that Raven kept turning down the TV as he played his videogame. He couldn't understand why he had to keep it down when, on a normal day, Raven could ignore the TV when it was on full blast and even it if bothered her she would just go to her room.
He looked over at the hovering girl and wondered where she went when she meditated like that. Raven felt a pair of eyes on her and it became harder to concentrate on her meditation.
"Stop it." She said quietly as she tried to return to Nevermore. Beast Boy blushed, embarrassed for getting caught and returned his eyes to the game.
Soon after that Robin entered the OPS room with his arm around Starfire's waist.
"Greetings friend Raven and Beast Boy." Starfire said.
"We wanted to know if you two wanted to go see a movie at the theater. Starfire wants to make sure everyone gets the chance to go before we leave." Robing said with a smiling redhead next to him.
"Sure, I'll go. I hope they got something really funny to watch." Beast Boy said as he paused his game.
"Wondrous, I will go ask Cyborg if he would wish to attend us in the watching of a movie." Starfire said before leaving Robin's side. Robin watched her until the door slid behind her and turned back to the other Titans.
"How about you Raven? I think there is a horror movie right now. You could see that." Robin suggested. Raven thought about this for a moment.
"No." She said simply in her monotone voice. She figured with the Titans out of the tower, she could have some fun.
"Ah, come on Raven. I know it's been a while since you have been to the theater." Beast Boy said as he approached her.
"And how do you know that Beast Boy?" Raven said as she opened her eyes and looked at him.
"Because the last movie you saw at a theater was the one you saw with Starfire on your girls night. You complained for a whole week and that was a while ago." Beast Boy said. Raven had looked over at Robin but he was putting away Beast Boy's game and obviously wasn't paying attention. Then Raven looked at the kitchen and had an idea.
"Beast Boy isn't today your day to do the dishes." Raven asked, to which he nodded.
"Well, if you stop pestering me, I will do most of your dishes while you're at the movies and you finish later today." She said quietly. Beast Boy thought about this and even though he always tried to include her, he did like the idea of most of the dishes being done.
"Fine, just put on a movie while we are gone ok, you should relax too." Beast Boy said as he left with Robin. Raven watched them pile up into the T-car and drive down the road. When they were truly gone, she phased up to her room and pulled out a box from under her bed. She smiled as she lifted the lid.
"Hello, old friends."
At the theater, Robin, Starfire, and Cyborg had bought their tickets and went inside to buy drinks and snacks. Beast Boy looked at the list of different movies. He had seen several of them and others he just didn't want to see. He went inside and told Robin that he was going to fly home.
Beast Boy grumbled as he approached the Tower. He didn't like the thought he wasted a trip into town and would have start the game he had on before, at the beginning. When he walked into the tower he remembered that Raven was still there. She was probably taking his advice and was watching a movie because he heard soft music playing.
The music didn't sound dark and he was trying to think of a horror movie that had such chipper music. Perhaps he could crawl under the OPS door as if it was one of the bedroom doors and take a peek at what she was watching. After shrinking down to the size of a beetle and crawled through, he stood in shock at what he saw.
Raven was doing the dishes but she had a small radio that was playing soft country music, the TV had a movie called Matilda, which was a kid movie, not a horror movie, but the most shocking thing of all was that Raven was singing along with the music and smiling. Raven looked really happy and when she sang her voice was clear, smooth, luscious and far from monotone. He never heard her voice like this before.
Beast Boy turned into a fly and perched himself onto the wall. Several of his eyes watched Raven, while the others watched the movie. At first it seemed very out of character for Raven to watch this kid movie, but this Matilda girl was a lot like Raven. Her powers are driven by her emotions and concentration, she is an outcast in her own family, and given the chance, will mess with people's head.
Raven looked happy- no more content. He never saw her this calm unless she was meditating but she never looked this content. Beast Boy smiled seeing Raven like this, that is however until Raven's communicator went off. Raven turned off the Radio and paused the movie before she answered. Beast Boy decided that it was better for him to get off the wall now, in case he had to run off somewhere.
"Yes" Raven said with an emotionless face and monotone voice.
"Hey Raven, just thought I would tell you that Beast Boy is on his way home since he didn't see a movie that he wanted to watch." Robin said and Raven nodded.
"Enjoy your movie." Raven said before hanging up. Raven sighed and immediately she picked up her radio and put her movie back in it's case. She received the movie from a fan and had kept it ever since. She quickly hid her items back in her room and put in a horror movie and fast-forward the movie until it was about thirty minutes in.
She had returned to the sink just in time, for Beast Boy walked into the room at that second.
"Hey Raven, bet you weren't expecting to see me back so soon." He said, knowing full well that she had just talked to Robin.
"Very unexpected, Beast Boy." She said, not really feeling like she should mention the phone call.
Beast Boy blinked which caused Raven to raise and eyebrow.
"So, I see that you are indeed watching a movie, what is it?" He said turning to the TV and was surprised to see a different movie. He had went back to the front door and walked back in to appear as though nothing was unusual. But he had still hoped that he would have been fast enough to caught her watching Matilda.
"The movie is called Candyman, and it's a scary movie so you wouldn't like it." Raven replied as she finished the plate in her hands and went over to the couch. Beast Boy looked at the sink behind him and saw several dishes done, but most were still dirty.
"Stop that, the agreement was while you were at the theater but now you are not." Raven relied as she became defensive.
Beast Boy shrugged and sat next to Raven. Raven glanced as him while she was trying to understand him. Beast Boy liked comedy, not horror, but here he was watching scary movie with her. She was trying to focus on his emotions and was regretting her musical session.
After coming to earth she learned that country music was a safe way to control her emotions as she released them. All music has different ways of effecting people, but traditionally country music had more feeling put into it. If she hadn't played the music then she would have a much easier time in knowing exactly how Beast Boy felt.
Beast Boy glanced at Raven and it looked like she was concentrating on something, but it wasn't the movie. It is true that he didn't really like scary movie's because he didn't like being scared. But he wanted to see if he saw that same girl. That same Raven that was smiling and singing to the music from her radio. He wondered how long Raven had the radio and how he had never heard her playing it with his sensitive hearing.
Soon Raven had finally sensed Beast Boy's curiosity and was thankful that she could relax a little to watch the movie. She had put on the movie to scare Beast Boy into leaving the room as soon as he entered but he didn't leave, and now she only felt curiosity rolling off him.
"If you are going to stay then I can play it from the beginning." Raven said to the unsuspecting green boy. Beast Boy smiled.
"Don't worry about me, mama. I should get started on those dishes anyways." He said as he rose from the couch.
The Titans remained silent as the movie played. Well, it was silent when Beast Boy didn't cringe or even muffle a scream as he watched the movie. Raven tried not to smile at his fear and she believed she was doing well to remain emotionless to her teammate.
Hold up she just smiled, Beast Boy thought when he looked at Raven.
She smiled when I screamed? She likes it when I am scared? Or does she find it cute that I am watching the movie despite the fact that I am scared? Beast Boy wondered to himself.
When the movie was over, Raven popped it out and began to walk to her room. Beast Boy looked at her and didn't want her to leave. He wanted to see that happy Raven again.
"Uh, Raven?" He called out gently to her, she stopped and looked at him.
"What?" She said in her monotone voice.
"Well, I was thinking, since we have nothing better to do, how about we talk. I can do dished and you can sit here and drink your herbal tea." He suggested.
Raven thought about this and shrugged. Beast Boy was sincere but she still had the feeling that he only wanted to talk to her because she was the only one in the tower. She looked up at Beast Boy and saw that he was already putting a kettle of water on the stove. She walked over and sat in front of him.
"What did you want to talk about?" Raven asked. Beast Boy shrugged as he started to do the dishes again.
"Well, I have always wondered where you go when your meditating?" Beast Boy asked calmly. Raven blinked at the simple question. She was expecting him to bring up a random topic such as 'where do babies come from?' and have it followed by a joke.
"Uh, I go into my mind, I call it Nevermore. You and Cyborg went there a few years back." She said. Beast Boy nodded as he remembered the battle with Raven's father.
"Alright, now you ask me something." Beast Boy said.
"I always wondered why you wear your Doom Patrol outfit even after you joined the Teen Titans." Raven said plainly. Normally she wouldn't ask, but if Beast Boy truly wanted to talk then she might as well ask now.
"Well, I got use to wearing it, besides it's really comfy." Beast Boy said and Raven raised an eyebrow, not believing him. Beast Boy just wanted to see Raven happy again. Is what he saw earlier the only reason why she loved being alone in the tower?
"How long have you liked country music?
Beast Boy heard someone say. Unfortunately for him, he was the one that said it. Blushing he looked up at a shocked Raven.
"What?" She said surprised, but it was quickly turning into anger.
"What do you mean by that?" She asked, standing up and walking into the kitchen. Beast Boy blinked.
"I, um... Well, I didn't... What I mean to say..." He swallowed heavily. Just rip it off like a bandage and get it over with, Beast Boy thought to himself.
"I saw you singing to country music and watching Matilda on the TV." He said quickly. Raven's eyes widened, her mouth dropped, and she was blushing. She thought that she felt something different earlier but brushed it off when she didn't hear any alarms.
"You... You What?!" She said grinding her teeth, trying to control her anger.
"Raven don't look at me like that, you looked so happy then." Beast Boy said in defense.
"I can't believe you." Raven said. Beast Boy was scared until he realized that he did nothing wrong. All he did was come home and just happened to see what he saw.
"Well, I can't believe that I am the only Titan to see you that happy. I mean what's your deal, Raven, why don't you act like that more often?" Beast Boy said loudly. His tone made Raven more angry then she already was.
"Well, Beast Boy, why don't you take off your gloves? You even wear those to bed. Why don't you show your hands to the Titans more often?" Raven said as she got closer to him.
Beast Boy wasn't afraid anymore, he took a full step closer and now they were face to face.
"This isn't about my hands Raven, this is about you not letting your teammates get to know you!" He screamed. Raven pushed her face closer to his.
"Well, maybe if you show your hands more then I will smile more!" Raven screamed back. Beast Boy got closer, their noses were less then an inch apart.
"Why should I show my hands when your never going to let anyone near you!" Beast Boy screamed.
"Yeah? Well then, how about you-" Raven suddenly stopped when their noses touched. Neither of them realized just how close they had gotten.
They didn't pull apart, their noses were soft and they weren't angry anymore, in fact they felt extremely happy in this close space that each of them felt. Beast Boy looked up and down Raven's face, making his nose rub against hers and Raven blushed. Beast Boy and Raven, both caught up in the moment, began to lean in. Both getting closer and closer, lip about to touch.
The door to the OPS room opened and Raven grabbed Beast Boy's face and looked at his eyes, examining them.
"I'm telling you Beast Boy, there is nothing in your eye, now let me finish my tea and go to my room." Raven said before letting go, Beast Boy watched her go to the stove with no intention of walking back to him to finish what they started.
"Want me to look at your eye, BB?" Cyborg asked his green friend. "I think I'm fine now, it's not hurting anymore." Beast Boy said as he started the dishes again.
"Dang, I don't know what you did to get him to do the dishes now, but thanks Raven." Robin said as he went over to the couch. Raven said nothing as she left the room with her scolding hot tea in hand. It was scolding for the water must have become a broil during her fight with Beast Boy. She entered her room and sat on the bed.