Exchange
I know I've been very quiet this year but here, have a tiny idea for a festive story I had.
Christmas morning in the Tower was a paradoxically quiet and colourful affair. The common room was festooned with decorations across every square foot of wall and ceiling space (easy to reach when you could fly), only growing denser every year as Starfire would discover more and more baubles she needed but hadn't the heart to disregard the ones they already had. Not that anyone tried to dissuade her or even minded. In fact, it had become Raven's traditional role to follow the princess around the room, levitating the impressive 'Trunk of Festivity' behind her.
In the middle of this glittering, shining display, next to a tree so heavy-laden with trinkets Cyborg seriously though about reinforcing the floor, the Titans sat in a blissful oasis of calm, a time of rest from their typically chaotic lives. Even Beast Boy, though full of joy, were happy to bask in the simple atmosphere of togetherness. There were laughs and smiles and hugs as gifts were exchanged, and Raven found her gaze lingering on Beast Boy, as did her thoughts.
"Once I give him this, there'll be no going back. It won't last but... There will be change", she thought. In the pocket of her comfortable and delightfully unfashionable pajamas, she clenched a small box in surpisingly tense fingers.
"What if he doesn't want it? He might just laugh and throw it back in my face. Maybe he wouldn't want to be with me..." She ignored her increasingly jumbled thoughts, turned to Beast Boy, and waited for him to look at her.
"What's up, Rae?" he asked, brightly. Raven took a breath, and revealed the box in her hand.
"Open it," she said. Giving the box an appraising glance, he took it, and gently opened it. He looked up at her, wide-eyed, then back down. Then back at her. And Raven's stomach twisted as he laughed. Her initial reaction was confused when he dragged her into a jofyl embrace, still laughing. He let her go and took a step back, shaking his head. He stood and went to the tree, a few gifts beneath it yet to be given, and retrieved a red envelope before handing it to Raven.
"Open it," he said, wiping at his eyes. Raven did so and pulled out a small card, her mouth curving in a slight smile as comprehension dawned in her eyes.
The card read: "I.O.U. 6 hours free of Beast Boy" with little check boxes for each hour she used. Raven looked up in wry amusement as Beast Boy raised what she had given him: a card that read: "Good for six hours of complaint-free time with Raven."
"So did our gifts cancel each other out or what?" Beast Boy laughed. Raven artfully studied the card in her hand.
"Well... it's a nice gesture but needs a few changes," she said. With a thought, a pen from her desk in her room phased through her door, flew down the corridor, phased through the common room door and alighted in her open palm. She scribbled a few alterations and showed Beast Boy the edited card.
[I.O.U. 6 hours XXXX of Beast Boy's time.*]
"Ha! What's the asterix for?" he asked.
"Asterisk. Look on the back," Raven said. He did so, tried to frown but gave up entirely when his grin just wouldn't quit. The back of the card stipulated "QUIET hours".
"I love it. Merry Christmas, Rae."
"Merry Christmas, Garfield."
"The only question is: which do we use first?" Raven shrugged at him.
"We're going to visit Batman tomorrow, aren't we? Maybe Starfire can flip his giant coin for us."
END
There you go, just a tiny little thing to hopefully bring you a smile for Christmas. Whatever you celebrate and however you celebrate it, I wish you well.
-Jack.