So, I haven't posted anything in over half a year, or something. Yay, me, for returning to fanfic? Meh. So, this is...half practice to get back in the flow of fanfic, which I'd love to do more of this spring and summer, and half just because I kind of feel bad reviewing other people's work, when I haven't posted anything in ages.
Hurrah for spur of the moment decisions about what to write, and short chapter inspirations. I wrote this by the seat of my pants, so to speak, so please, review, as it's not something I've really tried before. I took special attention to not making sure the Titans fell into the classic routines so often exhibited in other fanfic, so I hope you like that, if nothing else. Oh, and RabulaTasa, if you're reading this, please note my (hopefully) correct connotation of Beast Boy's name.
With a suppressed whoosh, the doors slid open. Beast Boy hummed quietly to himself as he walked into the main room of Titans Tower, with a slight spring in his step, subtly moving to the beat of the song he was humming. He stopped walking, smiled, and stretched, taking in his surroundings. Today looked to be a great day - he slept well until eleven in the morning, and the sun looked bright and cheery outside, and if there wasn't too much of a breeze, the temperature would be just right.
Cyborg was sitting at the kitchenette's bar with Robin, apparently discussing something or other about cost-effectiveness of some of the tower's security measures. From the good natured looks on their faces, and the relaxed attitude both had, it wasn't a pressing issue. Raven, meanwhile, was standing in front of one of the floor-to-ceiling windows looking out on the bay, unmoving - Beast Boy assumed she was in a light trance, perhaps meditating on her feet, or maybe just appreciating the fine day outside as much as he planned to. Starfire was sitting on the couch in front of the TV, entranced by some documentary or other on human diseases she probably wasn't succeptible to.
Beast Boy, having just gotten up after a long rest, was hungry. He found his way to the kitchinette, nodded a 'morning' to Cyborg and Robin, then rummaged around for something to eat. He decided on a quick snack, so he would still be hungry enough to have lunch with the other Titans in a bit, but wouldn't starve until then. Deciding on a simple banana, he glanced around the room again. Cyborg and Robin seemed to be in a good mood, and Beast Boy knew when he interrupted them, he generally ruined it, and Starfire was evidently in deep concentration on her movie, so Beast Boy chose Raven to be his first company of the day.
Raven stared out at the ocean passively. One of the reasons she liked Earth was the simple beauty. Azarath was certainly beautiful, but having grown up there, it seemed repetitive and boring to her - and Azarath had never had such beauty in simple objects like water. Sure, buildings and clothing were wonderfully decorated, but they never twinkled like salty ocean water, or expressed the calm serenity of fishing boats slowly floating across a bay. Staring at the whole scene's tranquility was, surprisingly enough, just as soothing as her meditation could be.
As she gazed at the resolute halcyon of nature before her, Beast Boy walked up. Normally, she would expect him to tell her a joke, and usually a bad one at that, but today, she suspected otherwise. Perhaps it was in Beast Boy's softer, slower steps, or perhaps it was the aura of calm he was giving off, but she knew today would be different. Beast Boy stopped as he drew even with her, and stood, taking in the scene. Raven waited for him to speak, but it soon became evident that he was content to remain silent.
After a few minutes, Beast Boy spoke, "Penny for your thoughts?"
Raven genuinely smiled. "Do you even have a penny?"
It was Beast Boy's turn to smile. "Probably not. I owe you a penny, okay?"
"Very well. I was just enjoying the calm of the day, I guess. We end up fighting and training too much - peaceful days like this are all too rare."
"Touché." Beast Boy's smile faltered for a bit, and he bit his lip before continuing. Raven, sensing his change in emotion, turned toward him. "I guess I'm the cause of a lot of that fighting." His face fell.
Raven surprised Beast Boy by staring him in the eyes for a moment before responding. "Yes, you are. But...a lot is my fault, too. I can get fairly snappy sometimes, and I really shouldn't. Don't blame it all on yourself." Hearing this, Beast Boy looked up, and met Raven's gaze. His eyes were wide open. "Oh, quit being a fool. You've known that all along, and so have I."
Beast Boy opened his mouth to speak, but shut it again as he considered what he was going to say. Instead, he held Raven's gaze. After several moments, he realized he'd have to say something, so he quickly said the first thing came to his mind. "You really shouldn't wear your hood so much. You don't need to hide from me." He slowly reached up to pull off Raven's hood, but his hand was intercepted by hers.
She simply said, "You owe me a penny," and turned to walk away, leaving Beast Boy to try and figure out what happened. Unfortunately, he didn't get a chance, as a loud, piercing noise burst through the calm atmosphere of the tower. Everyone in the tower's head snapped toward the city.
Robin, being the leader of the team, said it. "That was...a gunshot. Titans, go!"