A/N: Although it's obvious that I write a lot of Raven and Slade stories, my actual favorite couple is Raven and Beastboy, before I only read them unable to ever come up with an original idea for my own story. But after attending many graduations this year, I finally got hit with some inspiration and hope you all enjoy!
Belonging
It's impossible to be born in this day and age and not know of the Titans.
Everyone relied on them for protection and safety. Everyone had their favorite and one they related to the most. Everyone remembered the original five and how young they were when they started risking their lives for them.
Everyone tended to forget the Titans weren't teenagers anymore. No one knew that today one of the original members was graduating from college and preparing to leave the Titans all together.
"Dude I can't believe we're here," Beastboy smiled in anticipation as the stadium filled with people. Dozens of family and friends awaiting to cheer on their loved ones as they finally received their degrees and start a new life.
"Thanks again Vic for inventing the hologram rings, best invention ever!" said Beastboy showing off a normal tan skin and blonde hair appearance.
"Hey anything to see Raven graduate without people gawking at us or some villain trying to ruin the whole thing," said Cyborg looking un-cybernetic. He out of all the Titans enjoyed the benefits of looking "normal."
"It's crazy to think that Raven's actually made it through college," said Robin proud of his teammate. He was the only one without a ring, without his mask and his baby-blue eyes revealed. "Hell it's crazy to think what we've all gone though these last four years," he added thoughtfully.
Starfire wrapped her arms around him and rested her head against his shoulder. Her orange glow was replaced with tanned skin and her eyes being only green within her irises and not the entirety of her eye. "I have to agree with you Richard, we've all gone through a lot."
When every Titan turned eighteen it was like a shift in the tower. Everyone was suddenly an adult and felt as though they needed more in their lives…a change. Their entire childhood had been compromised by moments of great danger and emotional struggle. Things ordinary teenagers may not make it through.
Robin being forced to work for Slade and becoming more like the enemy he had obsessed over, and nearly losing his team and friends in the process.
Cyborg struggling with his sense of worth, forever stuck in resentment of his cybernetic body and feeling as though he'd never be good enough, always trying to find his place as a teammate or possible leader.
Starfire constantly adapting to a new world and feeling more and more alienated by Robin as she fell more and more in love with him. Seeing humans ignore their feelings and compromising themselves for the hope of something easier.
Beastboy nearly losing his entire family of Titans and the Doom Patrol to the Brotherhood of Evil, losing Terra twice, once to betrayal and death and again to choice.
But all of the Titans could agree that Raven had perhaps had the hardest time growing up. Raven constantly having to control her demons, never allowed to be open or free, fearing the power she held, and haunted by the future she would create.
After defeating her father for good Raven was grateful, but beside herself. She was never meant to live past sixteen and didn't know how to move forward. It had scared her when she learned that her teammates had a similar longing and unknowing of their futures.
When everyone decided what it was they wanted, Raven hadn't decided yet. She felt completely lost and alone.
Robin interrogated more into society by opening his own detective agency. Everyone in public knew him as Richard Grayson, as a smart and charming detective who went out of his way to help his clients.
Cyborg took advantage of the hologram ring and went by Victor Stone in public and became a professor at a university in genetics and engineering. He was one of the most respected professors in the city.
Starfire also decided to see what life would be like wearing the hologram ring and took up the name Kori Anders and almost immediately got booked as a model for a major modeling agency.
Beastboy also took up the disguise of the ring and opened up a charity organization for the protection of endangered animals and occasionally worked with small kids, educating them on animals.
Raven meanwhile floated between everyone's career paths and separate lives. She felt as though she hardly saw her friends anymore and started becoming lonely. Beastboy would often try to get her to join in on fundraisers for his charity, but Raven always felt out of place. It also made her feel useless and like a charity case.
With all her friends being new people and so many new Titans coming into the world, Raven often took it upon herself to mentor the new members, but it wasn't making her feel full-filled. Admittedly she was scared of taking the first step. She was hardly use to living a normal life and had no social life and didn't know where to start.
One day it finally hit her like a ton of bricks, it was no wonder she didn't know what to do when she had her head buried in her books, reading and watching other people live and refusing to actually doing something with her life.
After putting it off and procrastinating for months she finally decided to leave the tower and enrolled herself into college and moved in a very small dormitory with other girls she'd never met.
Cyborg set her up with a hologram ring that gave her jet black hair, pale white skin, and blue eyes.
It had given her a chance to meet new people, normal people. It gave her a chance to be social and independent. Most importantly it allowed her to be young, something she had never felt in all her childhood and teen years.
What surprised and delighted her most was finding that she wasn't as different as she thought. There were so many people similar to her in personality and sense of purpose. All young people trying to find their way in life and finding others to relate to.
She went through four years of English and Liberal Arts classes and had complained about homework, dorm life, and the challenges of maintaining your personal and school life all at once. She was going to miss it all.
Perhaps not as much as the Titans though…
Even though she had technically been taking time away from her super hero life, she still kept close with her friends like no other student could. Beastboy would constantly visit her on campus and flirt with the other female students while Raven rolled her eyes.
She would invite Cyborg over to do lectures for other classes and would even visit him at his own university where he taught.
Robin and Starfire would always invite her back to the tower for the weekends and listen to all the stories she had about her college life.
All in between Raven did her studies and gained a whole new appreciation for learning and missing your family, but mostly she realized… she wasn't finished.
Now that she had the education, what was she going to do with it? What was the next move? She wasn't ready to go back to being Raven, she liked being…
"Rachel Roth."
Her name vibrated in the stadium as she hazily made her way across the stage to grab her diploma. She had to blink to realize that people were clapping and hollering for her.
She glanced lightheartedly to her friends who were making a scene at her expense and embarrassment, to which she chuckled with a swelling in her heart.
Everyone else also starred as the blonde man of the group pulled out a blow-horn and got himself kicked out by security.
The party back at the Tower was full of nearly every Titan you could think of, all there to congratulate Raven for all her accomplishments. She couldn't have felt more special and lucky, this was her family, more family than a half demon, half hero deserved.
"Hey! Hey! I have a speech prepared! Speech everyone," everyone groaned in unison as Beastboy jumped up and down frantically on the couch getting their attention and making Raven cringe in awkward embarrassment. She still hated being the center of attention but had to admit she wanted to hear what Beastboy had to say on her behalf.
"I just wanted to say…Raven," he looked down at her directly in the eyes and for a moment Raven wished he didn't have the hologram ring on.
"You're one of my best friends, one of the creepiest and smartest people I've ever met."
Everyone chuckled, even Raven let a smirk grace her lips.
"You're brave, funny, and unbelievably sarcastic!"
She arched an eyebrow at him muttering back, "Don't be such a kiss-ass." Again everyone laughed as the two of them became absorbed in each other.
"But on a serious note," he said watching Raven predictably roll her eyes. "Raven… you're more than all that, not just to me, but to everyone here. You're family and we will always be there to support… and love you…no matter what."
Raven couldn't even process the clapping behind her as her heart beated hard in her chest and her breath went shallow. She couldn't explain why, but just the way Beastboy looked at her when he spoke the last part of his speech, made her feel…strange.
The party continued to go on heavily with everyone talking and laughing so loudly that Raven started to get overwhelmed. She quietly sneaked off towards the roof, not noticing the green changeling following behind her.
Looking out across the waters always gave her a sense of relief. Even knowing of all the crimes about to be committed, all the dangers awaiting them, it was a sense of belonging. This was her home, hers to protect and watch over. Now it was finally hers to be a part of.
"Raven," a deep and gentle voice said behind her. Raven turned to see Garfield in his natural form. Green and fang toothed with scruffy hair and pointed ears. She'd never say it out loud to anyone, but Garfield looked more handsome as himself than as his hologram self.
"Hey," she said lowly looking away from his gaze. She wasn't ready to tell anyone just yet, and seeing Beastboy put a pang in her heart.
"Are you having fun at your party?" asked Beastboy taking a seat next to her on the ledge of the roof.
She gave him a weak smile, "Of course I am, it's just a lot to take in right now."
He didn't say anything, he just smiled thoughtfully back at her as though he were thinking about all the things they had gone through together. Raven was thinking about it all too. The way she had fought with him the most and somehow trusted him on a level even she couldn't explain. But more importantly Raven found herself in complete happiness to know how much he really did care for her.
His admission of his feelings had been unexpected but welcoming. She only felt weird because it made her realize that he had never said it before, but his past actions made the words all that much more powerful. She was having trouble remembering a time she had ever done something so grand as to show him that she also cared for him in return.
Knowing Beastboy though, it didn't really matter. He didn't need her confirmation for him to know that she cared, he paid better attention than she realized and had his reasons for knowing what it was she truly felt.
It was the way he was so uniquely different from her that made her appreciate the way humans could learn to live and love each other despite the dysfunctional chaos it created.
Raven noticed Beastboy was holding a small gift box in his hands.
"I'm leaving," she blurted out. It might've been guilt that made her feel the need to say it out loud. Here he went and got her a gift and she was ditching the Titans.
Beastboy only chuckled and said. "I know."
She looked at him surprised. "You knew? How'd you know?"
Beastboy shrugged his shoulders and looked out at the water as the sun started setting. "I always knew one day you'd go off on your own and start a life outside of this."
Raven felt the weight and tension lift off her shoulders. She found herself completely comfortable in Beastboy's presence.
"Like I said Raven, you're creepy, you read too much, and you're way too mysterious to fully figure out." He paused to look her directly in the eye. "And we all love you for it, and want you to have the chance to have your own life."
There was so much she wanted to tell him, but the words got stuck in her throat as he handed her the gift box.
She smiled shyly at him feeling nervous.
She opened it tentatively, fearing it might be some kind of joke gift. Instead she saw a round shiny penny laying in the center of the box.
She grasped the small round coin shakily in her hand unable to find the right words yet again. Beastboy looked at her uncertainly and waited. She finally muttered out, "Why?"
He looked at her confused. "Why what?" He started to worry he had made a mistake.
"Why did you choose to give me this?"
He felt a wave of embarrassment, did she honestly not remember? "I thought you'd remember the time-''
"I remember," Raven interrupted with a small smirk on her face. How could she not. It was the moment she had given up, given up on her life, on her friends, on her world. It was the last thing she held before dyeing and becoming a portal for her father.
It was a strand of hope she held onto tightly as the inevitable happened. It was what she had to believe, that somehow she would actually be lucky, that her friends would survive and defeat her father. That maybe luck really did exist out there for someone like her.
In the end that had all happened and more, she got another chance. Another opportunity to start over, and wouldn't you know it, it was Beastboy who constantly reminded her of that fact.
That no matter how bad things were, how scared she was, that no matter what she chose to do, the Titans would always be there for her.
Raven smiled widely and folded the penny tightly in her hand and held it to her chest. "Thank you Garfield."
He smirked at her and said cheerfully, "No problem Rachel." He punched her lightly in the shoulder, to which she punched him back harder. The both laughed as he rubbed his arm and fully wrapped it around her shoulder and brought her close to him.
She didn't object or fight back. She wanted to remember this moment, have a memory of his touch and giving him a chance to have her be open and free with him. That would be her way of saying "I love you and I'll miss you."
Beastboy accepted it and soaked it in as much as he could, knowing he may not get another chance to relive this.
His ears perked as the people inside began to get more rowdy, it made sense, the sun was now fully set and the sky was turning dark.
"Let's get you back to your party," he said eagerly grabbing her hand and leading her back to her friends.
As the night came to a close many people sleepily began to leave the tower and return to their own homes. All the original Titans decided for old time's sake to sleep in the tower together, no going to their private homes, but staying in their childhood home, their true home.
Raven immediately fell into her old habit of boiling herself some tea. Her friends all sat at the couch talking amongst themselves, it shouldn't have been nothing more than a random moment of déjà vu or simple sentiment, but as Raven looked at her friends all sitting on the couch…she felt much more.
She felt appreciation and pride. She felt glory and wholeness for the family she had found and fought beside. She felt unconditional love and respect for them in a way that made her willing to lie her life down for them and sacrifice all else.
The steam released from her kettle, and it took the noise to make her realize that tears were forming in her eyes. She frantically wiped her eyes and poured her water in a mug and dipped one of her tea bags in.
She cautiously approached the couch as though the moment might disappear, like she might somehow disrupt the happiness of her friends. As they all continued to laugh and talk Beastboy looked up at her and moved over motioning her to join them.
Raven sat down closely to Beastboy and felt right, felt like she belonged, like she always belonged.
-FIN-