AUTHOR'S NOTE: Hello! I am TundraGirl and I humbly present to you my very first fanfiction story. This is just a random one-shot, but regardless, thank you for clicking and giving this a chance. Please enjoy!
DISCLAIMER: Teen Titans and all related characters and elements are trademarks of DC Comics.
Summary: During a break in crime-fighting, the Titans gather together for a movie night. Robin brings up Raven's pajamas and Starfire offers insights on Raven's potential of a promising love life.
The day started like any other. Spring was just around the corner and it had been a slow week for them at the tower. Despite the idleness that most of them weren't really used to – Robin, especially – all five Titans were grateful for the break in crime-fighting.
Cyborg devoted his attention to upgrading everything he can get his hands on – himself, the Tower computers, the defense security, the T-Car, even the gaming consoles. Beastboy had been predictable; he spent his time in front of the couch with a mountain of junk food on the sides. Starfire had finally decided to pick up a cookbook in one of her trips to the mall and began learning to prepare regular Earthen dishes.
As for Robin, the lull in crime fighting gave him ample time to do the necessary paperwork that their hero business required. After he had done that with Raven's help, he spent the rest of his time training. Because even though he was happy with the break, he still got restless with nothing much to do. Training was his only outlet.
Raven spent her time as usual – reading and meditating.
When evening came, Starfire got the team to gather in the common room after a dinner of Chinese takeout. Beastboy put in a movie and everybody settled around the red couch.
It was then that Robin noticed his fellow bird on the other end of the couch. It wasn't her presence that got his attention though. It was the purple camisole and violet shorts that she was wearing.
"Raven?" Robin cannot help himself but call her attention. When she looked at him with nonchalant, violet eyes, the same color as the shorts she wore, he knew it was too late to pretend disinterest. "Are you wearing pajamas?"
Her response was a quirk of an eyebrow. It was Starfire who provided words on her behalf.
"Oh, yes, friend Robin! Those are indeed the pajamas," the alien said with a wide smile. "Friend Raven had so graciously agreed to accompany me to the mall of shopping while I experienced the salon, and I have bought her that set of sleepwear as a token of my gratitude."
By then, even Cyborg and BB had glanced curiously at the dark bird, one in amusement and one in slight disbelief.
Starfire continued, somewhat proudly, "Does she not look endearing?"
Robin cannot help the smile that showed on his face. That was one word rarely associated with Raven, but Starfire made it sensible. Raven did look... endearing.
Raven shifted in her seat and curled one of her legs under her. She flashed a grateful smile at her friend, "Thanks, Star." Then she turned her eyes back to Robin. "As for your question, Boy Wonder, yes, these are indeed the pajamas. They are quite the comfortable pair, too."
Cyborg let out a hearty chuckle. "The peace settling in fine with you, Rae?"
Raven smiled, "I'm not complaining." Then she returned her attention to the movie.
Then Beastboy piped up. "You look cute in lazy clothes, Rae."
Raven shot a surprised glance at the green boy while Starfire exclaimed in agreement. "Yes, indeed, friend Raven looks adorable in normal clothing! That was why those boys in the mall of shopping cannot seem to look away from her. I have told friend Raven so, but she does not believe that she is an attractive specimen of a woman. But now I am proven correct, yes?"
Cyborg only got the part about the 'boys in the mall of shopping'. "What boys?" He turned a sharp glare at the alien.
"The boys that approached friend Raven and offered to help carry her bags and to walk her home," Starfire answered in complete ignorance of Cyborg's protective tone.
"You mean some guys hit on Raven at the mall?" Beastboy asked.
Starfire shook her head. "Oh no, they did not hit or harm her in any way. They merely wished to get acquainted with us, especially with friend Raven. They were even nice enough to buy us lunch."
A nice little vein popped in Cyborg's forehead. "They bought you lunch?"
Robin felt his mechanical friend was going to bust a circuit soon. Starfire's enthusiastic retelling of their trip to the mall wasn't helping at all. He wanted to intervene but he cannot deny that he was interested to hear the rest of the story, too. He chanced a look at Raven and saw her calmly observing the proceedings.
Starfire recounted how the 'boys in the mall of shopping' bought them pasta for lunch as they talked about college, and how the one named Nicholas discussed some good books with Raven. "It has been most enjoyable, making new friends!" She turned to Raven with a big smile, "Do you not agree, friend Raven?"
The boys all turned to Raven with varying expressions on their faces. Robin's remained content, Beastboy's was curious, while Cyborg's vein pulsed furiously despite his effort to feign calm.
Raven was very amused at their reactions. She turned to Starfire and smiled agreeably, "Yes, Star, I enjoyed our day out."
"Glorious!" Star jumped and clapped her hands in happiness. "We shall venture out to the mall of shopping again and enjoy ourselves once more!"
But Cyborg disagreed. "Oh, no, you don't!"
"But friend Cyborg, friend Raven and I had made it our tradition to do the shopping once every fortnight." Star shot a hurt-puppy look at the mechanical man. "It is our own girl-friend date. Are you prohibiting us to do the girl-bonding with each other anymore?"
"No, that's not what I meant, Star!" Cyborg put both hands up, as if to ward off the look the alien girl was giving him.
"Then why do you not agree?"
"Don't mind him, Star," Raven finally cut in. "He can't stop our tradition even if he wants to. Not that he really wants to, right, Cyborg?" She emphasized the question with a warning glare.
Cyborg looked at her in disbelief while BB held back a chortle. "Wha-?"
"Oh, wonderful, friend Raven!"
"Now enough of this discussion," Raven stated. "We've missed half of the movie already."
At that, everyone turned their attention back to the movie.
But not really.
In his seat, Cyborg was still stewing about the thought of some college boys hitting on his girls, especially his little sister. Beastboy shot amused glances at his robot friend while Robin just shook his head at his team. Starfire had settled beside Raven and began whispering furiously with his girl-friend.
Then Beastboy seemed to remember something and piped up, "Who's Nicholas?"
As expected, Star bit the bait. "Oh, Nicholas! He was the one who offered us lunch! I saw him approach friend Raven as she stood by the store of books and they engaged in small conversation. Then he and two of his friends offered to carry our bags for us and take us home, but friend Raven had wanted to partake of the lunch first, so we initially rejected them. But then, Nicholas said that he was quite the hungry too and asked friend Raven if she would not mind if he and his friends joined us for the lunch. I must be honest at this point and admit that I was the one who gave the answer of approval," Starfire admitted with a sheepish grin. "I had the feeling that friend Raven would not be so accommodating to strangers. But I cannot help but feel that Nicholas very much wanted to converse with friend Raven some more. He had this look in his eyes," and Starfire turned to look directly at Cyborg with wide, enchanted eyes, imitating what she thought might have been what Nicholas looked like. "It pleaded with friend Raven to give him a chance."
"It did not," Raven deadpanned at her friend's dramatics.
"Oh, but it did! Did you not notice? He cannot take his eyes off of you," Starfire giggled and scooted closer to Raven. "They were quite the prettiest eyes, too."
Cyborg's vein had branched. "Prettiest eyes, huh," he gritted out.
"Indeed, friend Cyborg! It was the most peculiar shade of amber. It glinted beautifully in the light."
At the wistful tone that Starfire adopted, Raven quirked an eyebrow and smirked. "It sounds like you're the one with a crush, Star."
Starfire giggled at Raven's statement. "Oh, no, friend Raven. If anything, we both know he was very much taken in to you."
"Oh, Rae-Rae's got a boyfrieeeeend!" BB sing-songed with a teasing grin directed at the dark bird.
Cyborg had been forgotten amidst the discussion, but it was then that he erupted. "WHAT!?"
Both Starfire and BB were easily silenced at the outburst. "Oh, no! That pretty-eyed college boy ain't laying one paw on my little Raven! No!"
"Cyborg!" Raven exclaimed. "Calm down!"
"But-"
"Yes, friend Cyborg, be of the calm." Star patted him on his metal shoulder.
"But-"
"Friend Raven is of the adult age already, correct?" Star directed her question at both Cyborg and Robin, who until now, had contented himself in observing the discussion of Raven's supposed love life.
Cyborg answered Star. "Yes, but-"
"It is not wrong for her to do the socializing with other people, correct? She is of the right age to interact with the male humans outside of our team."
"Yes, I know. But-"
"And Nicholas is one of those people who have taken the liking to our friend Raven. And I believe he is just one of the many. Because despite what you may believe, Raven," at this, Starfire turned her attention to the other girl, "You are most beautiful. Boys cannot help but be enchanted by you."
Raven was stunned into silence, and she cannot help the blush that crept over her face.
"So tell me, friend Cyborg. Was it wrong for Nicholas to be captivated by friend Raven?"
Cyborg felt bad. "No, of course not, Star. I know that Raven is beautiful."
Raven's blush deepened.
"And I know that there are a million guys out there just dying to meet and greet my little sis." Cyborg turned his sorry face towards the still blushing Raven. "I'm sorry, Rae. It's just... I'm your big-bro, y'know. I can't help being protective of you."
Raven answered with a soft smile, "I know, Cy."
"So friend Raven can still be friends with Nicholas?" Star asked the now calm Cyborg.
Raven quickly saw that Cyborg was about to erupt again at the mention of the name so she quickly intervened. "Star, we won't be meeting him and his friends again. He's in college, remember? He will be busy and won't have time to visit Jump City just to see us."
"But he wished for you to call him, did he not?"
Raven was surprised at that. She didn't realize that the alien girl was very aware of everything that took place in that impromptu lunch.
"Yeah, but..." Raven thought back to the phone number scrawled on a napkin. "I don't have his number."
Starfire then smiled slyly. "I am aware. I have saved the phone number after you accidentally dropped it in the recycling bin."
"WHAT?"
"I have put it in the pocket of your jacket," Starfire beamed as if she had done Raven a huge favor.
Raven didn't know what to say to that. So she settled with a smile at her alien friend.
Starfire nodded appraisingly. "Nicholas would be very delighted to hear from you. It might be the start of a promising friendship."
Raven smiled back at her alien friend. She knew Starfire only meant well; despite the aneurysm she might have given Cyborg.
As Starfire turned to settle back to the movie, the others had deemed to quiet down as well. Cyborg took a couple of deep breaths before focusing on the movie rather than the echoing of the name Nicholas and the word boyfriend on his head. Beastboy, who had been uncharacteristically quiet, shot Cyborg a funny look, before looking at Raven thoughtfully. Then he turned his eyes to the TV and remained quiet. Starfire had taken one of Raven's hands in hers and squeezed it affectionately.
The team watched the rest of the movie in comfortable silence, despite the fact that only Robin actually knew what happened in the whole of it. But it was the company of each other that mattered.
As the ending credits rolled, everyone stirred and stretched, ready to clean up before going to bed.
Before stepping out into the hallway, Starfire looked back at Raven, who was cleaning up the dishes in the sink.
"Friend Raven?"
The dark girl looked up at Starfire, and so did both Robin and Cyborg who were shutting down the TV.
"I think Nicholas would make a wonderful boyfriend for you!"
"OH, NO, HE WOULDN'T!"
"CYBORG!"
FIN.