Oneshot: Caught in the Scene of the Movie!
A/N: oh god its so terribly corny… and fluffy. And laaaaame! But I got an idea; always a horrible thing with me as it either leads to something stupid and/or regrettable or something COMPLETELY AWESOME!... In the eye of the beholder and all that junk I guess… right then. You decide. On with the thingy and whatnot before I embarrass myself more (is that even possible?).
Summary! So, if the Teen Titans have scary movies and such, it got me wondering: "why can't they have Disney movies?!" thus my BBxRae mind began stirring and left me with this fluffy little story about how Beast Boy discovers Raven's secret obsession! And, more importantly, how it brings them closer. A little OOC though.
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"C'mon, Rae, you CAN'T not like Disney classics! It's impossible! Unthinkable! Pure and utter freakishness! It's, it's… UNNATURAL!" the green shape-shifter threw his arms up and his head back to exaggerate his argument to his most recent best friend. It being one year after Robin and Starfire's hookup and seven months after Cyborg and Bee getting together has given the last two single Titans some good bonding time.
"Whoa there, Beast Boy. Stop using so many multi syllable words before you hurt yourself." The dark sorceress smirked before it softened into a small smile- a more frequent occurrence, lately. They still tease each other all the time, but the pair have become inseparably close in a relatively short amount of time. Beast Boy put on a fake pout and crossed his arms like a young child who just had something said to them that they didn't want to hear. This always made Raven's smile grow a little more beneath her eye roll. Obviously to everyone else, the two were just in denial about how they really felt about each other.
"It's love" they would all say quite matter-of-factly behind the pair's backs, but their friends' subtle hints and pushing seemed to be ineffective on the stubborn would-be couple. It soon became apparent that they would have to make the leap on their own, no matter how long it would take. Slightly frustrated, their comrades just learned to give up on them and watch disappointedly.
"Aw, just admit you have a favorite, Rae-Rae!" he pulled out his secret weapon: the nickname she hated most, along with his infamous, irresistible 'the face.' The nickname made her turn and glare which put the face in effect, since her attention was on him now. She held strong against the double threat, but eventually she cracked. [Who wouldn't?]
She sighed and dropped her head, and within an instant, the annoying grass-stain boy was back next to her, pumping his fist.
"That is so unfair, Gar. It's manipulative, sneaky, and pure genius." She sighed again.
"Why, thank you! It's been known to happen." He put on his big, fanged grin that he reserved just for her. "So, which one's your favorite? No, no wait! Let me guess!" he raised his fingers to his chin in thought and stared intently at the floor, unaware of how the girl next to him could only look at him.
His head and hand abruptly shot up with his finger held high.
"I've got it!"
"Oh, yeah?" she quickly averted her gaze and tried to play it cool.
"It's Hercules, isn't it? I'm right, aren't I!" he looked at her hopefully for some kind of confirmation, but instead he got a puzzled look mixed with some sort of satisfaction at his incorrect answer.
"Now, why would you guess that?"
He looked at his hands as he started listing counting reasons off with his fingers.
"Well, you're really smart and it's got to do with mythology and all that stuff. It's got super powered people among humans, so you can relate yourself to it, and it's got some witty, mature humor I thought you'd like."
She was shocked to say the least. So much so at the depth of his answer and his capability to think something through, she didn't even get a chance to blush or get embarrassed at his compliment.
"Wow…" she shook her head to snap out of it. "I mean, I guess that makes sense, but that's still not my favorite."
"Then what is? C'mon, I gotta know!"
"Why would you 'gotta know?'" she asked, hoping secretly for an answer she knew he wouldn't give.
Beast Boy shifted awkwardly at the unexpected inquiry.
"Well, uh… I'm part cat, you know! I'm full of curiosity and junk!" he scratched the back of his neck nervously and a sheepish grin took over his face.
"Uh-huh…" Raven wasn't convinced, but paid her paranoia no mind.
"So, anyway, what is your favorite?"
"Hmm… I would have to say either…" she had never been so glad that Beast Boy wasn't the greatest at deductive reasoning. "The Lion King, 1 or 2, or Beauty and the Beast."
"Yeah, I love those too! Maybe we could watch them sometime!"
'There's that smile again. Azar, it's so hard to say no…' Raven forced herself to look away.
"Gar, I'm too old to be watching Disney movies…" Denying a movie night with him was hard for her. It hurt her, and, judging by the change in his expression, him too.
"Oh. Okay then." His ears had drooped, and a disappointed silence hung in the air around them until a call erupted from the doors to the common room.
"My friends! Won't you join us on our journey to the mall of shopping? It will be most glorious!" Starfire's boundless bliss was contagious in the way it sliced through nearly all negative energy in a room. Beast Boy smiled again, albeit a small one, and his ears perked back up to normal height as he turned to his alien friend.
"Actually, Star, I've got a game I gotta return at the store, so I'm in! You comin', Rae?" he faced her again.
"No… thanks." She replied half-heartedly.
"Very well, raven. Come my delightful green friend! Our friends Cyborg and Robin await us! Please, Beast Boy, share with me another of those jokes that you have!"
Beast Boy looked back at the doors as he was being dragged away.
Raven sat awhile in silence, still on the couch, her arm draping lazily over the back, staring at the doors. I sigh escaped her lips.
"… Now what?" she asked nobody. She wandered around the Tower subconsciously until she found herself in front of her bedroom door. She walked inside and started looking around for something to do when her eyes stopped on a particular section of her bookcase. She strode up to the row of Latin encyclopedias and stretched her hand out to stroke off the dust. She took one last step forward before she pulled out the third book from the left…
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Beast Boy sat in the passenger seat of the T-car and watched the city fly by in a blend of colors. Cyborg was driving, of course, and Starfire took the back seat of Robin's R-cycle, clinging quite contentedly to her beau's waist. Cyborg had been busily gloating about his "baby's" new features for most of the ride, but Beast Boy hadn't noticed. Once Cyborg finally realized his friend had other things on his mind and wasn't shouting "Lemme try!" as usual, he switched to "brother mode."
"Yo, B! Helloooo? Come on man, snap out of it!" Cyborg pinched him until he squealed.
"Dude! What was that for?!" he rubbed his shoulder and scowled at his robotic friend.
"I had to make ya stop moping, man. You were bringing down my mood. But what's up? You're always about the smiles and lame jokes." He teased, hoping to get his best friend to lighten up.
"I dunno… I was just thinking how it sucks that Raven never hangs out with us…" he rested his chin on his fist.
"Ya gotta be kiddin' me." Cyborg said under his breath, forgetting Beast Boy's animal senses could hear him loud and clear.
"What do you mean?" Beast Boy furrowed his eyebrows.
"Quit playing with me, man. You've loved her since forever! Y'all have been driving everyone who knows you crazy cuz we ALL see it, but YOU TWO have the worst case of denial, or fear, or blindness, or I DON'T EVEN KNOW! And don't take this the wrong way. All of us just wantcha to be happy already! I mean GEEZ! Even Star can see it!" Beast Boy stared, eyes wide and mouth gaping.
"You done?" he said, blinking every few seconds. Saying he was shocked would be an understatement, as would be saying Cyborg was anything short of freakishly relieved.
"Yeah, but more importantly, are you ready?"
"For what?"
"The Three step solution: 1, admit it, 2, face it, and 3, do something about it! Cuz you're gonna have to eventually, and why put something that'll make you happy on hold?"
"You're right… But I just don't know how to do that! I highly doubt someone as smart and cool as her would like someone dorky and lame like me, and even if she somehow does, I just know I'm gonna screw everything up like always!"
Cyborg ignored the strange feeling from hearing his little goofball talking like that and tried to sound supportive. "If ya like her that much, I know you've got the guts in ya to take that chance. And, trust me, man. She likes you too."
Beast Boy's grin spread from ear to ear just thinking of the possibility.
"Thanks, Tinman! Looks like you've had a heart the whole time!"
"Alright, I'm gonna let that one slide cuz at least you're not moping anymore, and, as much as I hate to admit it--and I mean REALLY hate to—that was kinda clever… Oh, and if you want some more of my oh-so brilliant advice, here's what I think you should do… Today, got it? Ok so here's the plan…"
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For the last ten minutes, Raven had been sitting on her bed with the unopened book on her lap, trying to decide if she should actually go through with this. She stared intently at the cover another few moments until one of her slender hands crept to the edge and began to pull. She opened the encyclopedia, and, inside, a rectangular hole had been cut into every page, leaving just enough space to fit two ingeniously hid VHS cassette cases. She lifted out the one on top, blew off the thin layer of dust, and stared at the front of the case, marveling at the glowing illustration of a girl and a scary looking creature dancing in a beautiful ballroom, with a kettle, clock, and candelabra behind them. She looked to the top of the case and couldn't help but smile at the words neatly printed in elegant cursive: "Beauty and the Beast."
She rolled her eyes at herself and stood up to bring the tape to the common room and watch. She shook her head at herself nearly the entire walk there, criticizing herself for giving in to her long time guilty pleasure, but once the movie began, she brought her knees to her chest and hugged them, forgetting all about the outside world…
---
Beast Boy shot out of the T-car and thanked his friend once more for the advice and encouragement. He was nothing short of ecstatic as he started off with their plan. He bolted to the game store in a minute flat and, panting, told the clerk he wanted to return his game. The poor, confused man hadn't even nodded before Beast Boy swiped his "Valued Customer" card and was out the door again. He sprinted to the nearest alley, changed into his favorite bird: a raven, and began flapping vigorously towards the Tower in the bay.
--
Raven was completely enveloped in the moving pictures in front of her. She was so out of it, she didn't feel the new presence in the tower determinedly running straight for the common room. She also didn't realize she was singing, loudly and beautifully; something she only did when she was alone, but she had gotten careless watching her favorite movie.
--
The changeling was merely a green, black, silver and purple blur in the halls as he scurried towards the common room. As he got closer, his sensitive ears picked up very faint, soft yet sweet and beautiful singing. He slowed down to a walk and tilted his head curiously.
"That sounds like…? The 'Beauty and the Beast' song, but… who's singing with Mrs. Potts?" he crept down the rest of the long hallway slowly and quietly until he reached the big sliding doors. He put his pointed ear up to the thick metal and listened. The song had already begun and he really had heard somebody sing the first stanza. He opened the door a crack and snuck inside as a fly, steadfast on not disturbing the person singing before he got a good listen. Once through the kitchen, the second stanza had bee sung and he morphed back into himself. He stared in awe at the unmistakable head of purple hair singing on the couch.
"Barely even friends,
Then somebody bends
Unexpectedly."
He couldn't move as he was lost in the flow of the amazing voice that was filling the room.
"Certain as the sun
Rising in the east.
Tale as old as time,
Song as old as rhyme,
Beauty and the Beast!"
With every note, she nearly broke his heart. He closed his eyes, smiled, and allowed the song to envelope him. He thought this was pure bliss until she began to pour her soul into every verse and raised her voice the perfect amount for the best part.
"Ever just the same!
Ever a surprise!
Ever as before
And ever just as sure
As the sun will rise!"
His eyes burst open again and he couldn't help his shocked expression. He never expected Raven to be such an amazingly incredible singer since she usually spoke in monotone, if at all.
"Tale as old as time,
Tune as old as song.
Bittersweet and strange
Finding you can change
Learning you were wrong!
Certain as the sun
Rising in the east.
Tale as old as time,
Song as old as rhyme,
Beauty and the Beast!"
He listened blissfully to the rest of the song, and he didn't glance once at the movie. He was too busily staring dreamily at Raven. He let his eyes close and his head tilted back as the song slowed and Raven's voice softened respectively.
"…Tale as old as time…
Song as old as rhyme…
Beauty and…
The Beast…"
He was thoroughly impressed to say the least, and didn't even notice Mrs. Potts's voice come in to tell Chip to go to the cupboard.
'She just keeps finding ways to make me love her more…'
As the song concluded, Raven lowered her head and smiled. A nostalgic sigh escaped her lips.
"Azar, I can't remember the last time I did that…" She let out an airy chuckle and stood to remove the tape, still oblivious to her little audience, who, for once in his life, was speechless. On a normal occasion, a hundred things to say would have been flying around in his head, crashing into each other and fighting for space, but not today. He dazedly cantered over to the back of the couch and leaned himself against it, smiling like a moron at the blissfully unaware sorceress. She hummed softly as she began to put the cassette away. Finally, she stood and turned around, dropping the case in shock from the sight of her unexpected company.
"Wha-?!" was her intelligent response. "BEAST BOY?!"
