A/N: Hey guys! I wasn't expecting to be writing another story so soon, but am pleasantly surprised when this idea came to my mind. I really hope you like it. Please review and tell me what you think so far. I'd greatly appreciate it. Love, Ellivia22

Disclaimer: If I owned Teen Titans Season 5 would've been different. It's my least favorite season, to be honest.

Just The Way You Are

By: Ellivia22

Prologue

Beast Boy

"I'm sorry, Beast Boy. I know this must be hard on you, but I have made my decision."

The screen on the floating TV goes black. The TV then lands on the ground. I lose all feeling in my legs. I collapse onto my bottom bunk, my head buried in my hands. I can't stop shaking, either from devastation or anger.

Don't cry. Don't cry. Don't cry.

Despite my mental mantra the tears flow fast from my eyes anyway. Since it's almost 3 in the morning I do my best to keep my sobs at a minimum. I'm 18 years old and here I am sobbing. Pathetic. Yet I can't seem to help it. I haven't felt this amount of loss in my heart since my parents died.

It takes a long while before I am able to calm down. I clutch onto my chest, struggling to breathe. The pain is so bright that the one simple action is nearly impossible. How could Mento do this to me? He is like a father to me, despite always being tough on me. And after everything I did to help the Doom Patrol defeat the Brotherhood of Evil two years ago this is how he's going to treat me? I never thought that he could be that cruel.

I suck in a breath and wipe my face. It stings as if I had been slapped. I've got to pull it together and force the pain down. It's what I've had to do for so long. It's the only way I am able to put my mask on. A mask as the idiotic joker of the Teen Titans, or rather Titans as we are now called. I long for my teammates, the world, to see the real me, but I can't. Someone has to be the positive member on the team. Someone has to keep the morale up. I am that person, even if I'm constantly breaking on the inside.

I leave my room. I make my way to the kitchen, trusting on my night vision to navigate in the dark. There is only one thing that can cheer me up now. I pull out a teacup from the cabinet and a packet of lavender flavored tea. Then I place a pot of water on the stove to boil. If Raven found out that I was drinking her tea I'd be disintegrated into ash in a matter of seconds. So far I've been doing it for over a year and haven't been caught yet. Drinking her tea makes me feel close to her and calms me in a way no one else can.

I sit at the table a few minutes later with my newly brewed tea. Before I can take a sip I feel my emotions fall apart once more. My head falls into my arms on the table. I can't believe that I'm never going to see her again. Worst part of all this, I never got to say goodbye. Just like when I lost my parents.

I try to think of happy memories of growing up with Rita as a surrogate mother while I was on the Doom Patrol: all the times she stood up for me when Mento was being too hard on me, when she helped me understand my powers better. And how she was a brave hero and wonderful person. This doesn't make me feel better. In fact I feel the exact opposite.

"I'll never forget you." I mumble in my arms.

I can't think about this anymore, otherwise I'll never get it together. I need to think about something more positive.

The mysterious empath enters my mind once I finally take a sip of my surprisingly still warm tea. My chest no longer feels so tight. I've had a crush on Raven ever since we met and have been in love with her since I ventured into her mind. Knowing that there is more to her than what meets the eye makes me feel like we're more alike on the inside. She keeps getting more beautiful as the years pass by too. I love how she's keeping her violet hair longer now, almost to the middle of her back. I've tried so hard to get her out of her shell, but she always pushes me away.

I gulp down the last bit of my tea then rinse the cup and put it back in the cupboard as if nothing had happened. I do the same with the teapot. I feel almost back to normal. It is much easier to force the pain down. Now the only way to keep the pain down this time is by trying my hardest to get Raven to smile at me at last.

Yeah. If you like sunshine. And the beach.

You know, you're kinda funny

That laugh, that sweet melodic sound warms my heart every time I think of that memory. I long to hear that laugh, to see that smile only for me.

Once I crawl back into bed I am more determined than ever. Nothing is going to stop me this time-even if she throws me in another dimension again. I'm going to make her smile even if it kills me. My heart and soul depends on it.

Raven

When my eyes snap open I realize that it's still the middle of the night. It's not from a nightmare or nature calling that woke me. Instead I'm overwhelmed with an intense sadness. Sadness so strong it's like my heart is literally breaking.

I hastily wipe the tears that are stained on my cheeks as I sit up. I sigh sadly. One of my teammates must've had a nightmare again. A really terrible one this time. Unfortunately it's a common theme in the tower. I recall several times that I've had to comfort Nightwing, Cyborg, Beast Boy, and even occasionally Starfire during moments like these. That might seem unlike me, but just because I can't show emotion doesn't mean I can't be there for my friends. I wonder who it is this time.

I throw my cloak on. It looks like sleep is going to be out of the question. I decide to make a cup of tea then go help whoever it is that had the nightmare. Plus a cup of tea is the perfect remedy to lull me back to sleep.

I stop dead in my tracks. My eyes bulge out of my head when I see Beast Boy walking to the kitchen table. In his hands is one of my tea cups.

How dare he touch my tea cups! If he's drinking soy milk out of it I'm going to kill him.

A sweet smell of lavender enters my nostrils. He's drinking my tea. My personal favorite- one that I'm running low on. That explains why it seems like I'm always running out faster than usual. I wonder how long he's been doing this. I never knew that he liked the stuff.

I warm my hands, preparing to send Beast Boy into another dimension. Then it occurs to me that I found the person who had woken me from a dreamless sleep. Painful vibes are emitting from his body. He is absolutely crushed. Something big happened and I have feeling that it has nothing to do with a nightmare.

Before he takes a sip of the tea however, Beast Boy puts his arms on the table and buries his head in them. Quiet sobs escape him, making his shoulders shake. I struggle to keep my own tears back. It's difficult to do. I can feel his pain-pain so intense it's as if his heart has been shattered. It's like he's a totally different person. True I've seen Beast Boy serious in several different occasions, but something is different this time. I feel like I'm seeing the real him for the first time ever. His walls are down. No longer is he the green joker of the group, but a truly broken soul. He's more like me than I originally thought.

I summon my courage. Not only am I not going to kill him for touching my stuff, I'm going to try my best to be understanding and maybe even affectionate. Truth is, I've had feelings for Beast Boy for a while. My attraction for him continues to grow every day, especially now that he's taller than me and has more muscle definition. He's not the scrawny boy I met years ago. Even though he's older now he still has his terrible sense of humor, which I secretly adore. I pull my hood down. I'm not going to exactly tell him that I really like him, but at least hold him in my arms and let him know that everything is going to be all right.

"I'll never forget you. " Beast Boy mumbles in his arms.

His words bring me crashing fast back into reality. I should've known. Today marks two years since Terra told him to leave her alone. That explains the heartbreak he's feeling, the sadness. The fact that he's still hung up on Terra is the exact reason why I never told Beast Boy how I feel about him. I know that I'll never be like her and that's the type of girl he wants: blonde, outgoing, someone who can freely laugh at his jokes. I know I shouldn't assume that's why he's upset, but what else could it be?

I decide against going to comfort him. I'll just be subjecting myself to my own pain. Before I leave the kitchen though I silently use my magic to warm up the now cold tea cup. Then I go to bed, hoping that things will be normal once the sun rises.

To Be continued...Please review :)