There were roses.
A whole bouquet to be exact. Just sitting there. In front of her door.
Roses.
Raven didn't mind the flowers. In fact they were very beautiful. They were a deep, bright shade of red, the perfect shade for such a flower.
No, it wasn't the flowers that irked her. It was what they were for.
Today was Valentine's Day, Raven's least favorite day of the year. She had never liked the holiday, with its eccentrically commercialized good being thrust from one lover to the other. It was a holiday full of emotion. Sickly, thick, oversweet emotion. And Raven was not an emotional person, thanks to years of regulating them. However, in the time since the Malchior she especially despised the holiday. After all, it was a somewhat painful reminder or what could have been, if he hadn't been an evil dragon.
Raven stared at the flowers. They taunted her with their sentiments, screaming 'Happy Valentine's Day' to her poor, lonely heart.
She scowled and reached for the bouquet, fully prepared to chuck them out the window when a note dropped from the safety of the bed of petals. At this she was puzzled.
Her immediate thoughts to the flowers was that they were a taunt, a joke from one of her friends. So why was there a note?
After a moment's contemplation, Raven bent down to pick it up. She glanced over her shoulder at the empty hallway, and decided to retreat into her room. If it was a joke, she didn't want to satisfy the prankster with her reaction. She unlocked her door and swiftly strode inside, propping the flowers against her mirror above her dresser. Note in hand, she plopped down onto her bed.
Roses are red, violets are blue.
This poem is lame, but I like you.
Sincerely, your secret admirer.
Raven was confused. This was starting to look less like a joke, and more like someone actually wanted to give her flowers. Because they liked her. Romantically. The idea in itself was almost preposterous to the sorceress. How could anyone like her? After all, she was well, her. The girl who never let anyone in. How could someone possibly fall for that?
A flash of green eyes came unbidden into her mind. Perhaps...no. No he couldn't. Impossible. Right?
Raven sighed, her gaze landing on the bouquet of roses on her dresser. They needed a vase. As reluctant as she was to admit it, Raven loved the pretty flowers. She left the note on her bed and went to go find a vase.
The common room was quiet when she entered. Robin and Starfire were out on an extravagant date that Star had talked Raven's ear off about for a month prior to the holiday. Boy Wonder had taken her out on an all day excursion to places like the aquarium, the theatre, a very fancy restaurant, and the like. As happy as Raven was for the alien princess, she was even happier that she no longer had to listen to Star go on and on about what the date might entail. Unfortunately, she'd have to hear about how amazing the date was, and how 'boyfriend Robin' was so romantic.
Ugh.
Something on the counter caught her gaze. It was a simple glass vase, with a rose-red bow tied around it. Propped up against it was an envelope with a heart shaped sticker sealing it shut.
Oh.
Raven gently picked up the vase and turned to the sink to fill it with water. She glanced about the common room before grabbing the envelope and disappearing back to her room. She placed the vase on her dresser and gingerly placed the bouquet into it. The sorceress stood back a moment to admire her work. It was a pretty set up, the bow matched the roses perfectly. Her gaze was drawn away however, by the neat little envelope laying beside the vase.
Raven hesitated. Should she open it? She was very curious now, and the envelope was making her curiosity grow exponentially. What if she didn't like what was inside? What if she did? She would never know unless she opened it, and the thought propelled her to grab it.
The demoness tore it open with great care, as if it was the most delicate thing in the world. She reached inside and tugged out a crisp piece of paper, folded neatly across the middle. With a deep breath, Raven unfolded it.
Roses are red, violets are blue.
I'm not good with words, so here's something for you;
Come up to the roof, and I'll show you.
Sincerely, your secret admirer.
Raven laid the note down. This was interesting. But should she go? As much as she wanted to hide in her room, some part of her craved to see what it was this...person...had for her. That, and she really wanted to know who this 'admirer' was. She sighed. Why do I do this to myself, she thought. With that, the sorceress went up to the roof.
The sun was setting. It made for quite the sight as Raven stepped out onto the roof, her gaze scanning the varying shades of pinks and oranges that danced across the sky. She had to admit that she rather enjoyed the pretty backdrop. She turned her attention away from the view and gasped.
There on the roof was a blanket, neatly laid out. On the blanket sat a feast of waffles and other breakfast delights. A flush spread unbidden across Raven's cheeks. It was an exceedingly sweet gesture, as waffles were one of Raven's favorite foods. Even for dinner.
"So...do you like it?"
Raven spun around at the voice. There, blushing shyly, was a very nervous Beast Boy.
She should have known. The changeling had been acting just a tad bit different in the past few weeks. Pestering her more, touching her more, telling her lame jokes more. She'd also catch him staring at her at odd times in the day before blushing profusely and turning away. She should have realized, but she'd been so convinced that she was unworthy of such affections, that Raven hadn't noticed what was staring right in front of her.
Until now of course.
"You did all of this for me?" she asked, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear nervously. Beast Boy smiled at her, his eyes twinkling with affection.
"Well, yeah. You deserve something special every now and again," he said with a shrug. A smile spread across Raven's face. It was such an innocent gesture, but that only made it all the more sweet. The two teens sat for their meal and Raven couldn't help but enjoy herself. She found herself laughing at Beast Boy's lame jokes, and the two talked for hours. They watched the sun sink into the waves, and Raven surprised herself my grabbing a hold of Beast Boy's hand. In a moment of bravery, the shifter leaned in and kissed her on the cheek, causing her to blush bright red under the evening sky.
"Thank you," she whispered quietly, loud enough only for him to hear. He smiled at her and squeezed her hand.
Maybe, Raven thought. Valentine's Day isn't so bad after all.