A/N: The context for this is post-A Simple Misunderstanding, something else I've written, but it's pretty understandable w/o giving that a read, figured this isn't really a tru sequel as much as a natural continuation… Oh, and this'll be a two-parter since it's a bit long to make a one-shot…Also, Raven and Beast Boy have been together more than a few years in this, so there's really no denial of affections to be seen, just a few rather... steamy scenes?... And G. Gordon Godfrey, for those of you who don't know, is a news anchor seen in Young Justice that twists everything to suit his own agenda, as well as a servant of Darkseid
Disclaimer: No, I don't own Teen Titans, and I probably never will... All rights where due! :`(
Dedication: Credit for this idea, where the couple finally snaps as Godfrey takes his coverage of their relationship a bit too far, goes to Allen Blaster, who I've heard writes some pretty lit BBxRae as well. Just thought that merited a shout-out, ya know?
Part 1- If we'd never had cable…
"Wow, today's been… nothing short of wild, Rae. First came Cyborg with his sporks, and we almost died but it was worth it to get a little alone time together… But then our teammates thought we slept with each other while they were "gone" and then Cyborg finally let a moment happen… And then dinner… mmmm…. I'd give anything to have you and I be the only two that touch the stove… Don't even get me started on what comes out of the pot when Star's around… Girl means well, but my stomach doesn't ever seem to think so… It's been lit, Rae, but I think I'm almost ready to turn in for the night, how 'bout you?"
"Eh, I've seen more eventful days… more eventful birthdays…" Raven's voice trailed off. "But it is quite unusual for Robin, Starfire, and Cyborg to think that we would… I mean, you're 50% of this relationship, so…"
Beast Boy attempted to decipher what on Earth she meant by that before sighing and giving up, changing the subject.
"So, Rae… It's been a long day, and well, we're still… here, so I was wondering…"
"Do I have to ask? Is it really that hard to just tell me something? Honestly, if you don't wanna tell me, I'll just read your mind, not like I haven't used my powers for supremely nonsensical purposes already?"
"Fine, then, be that way! I was just going to see if you wanted to sleep on the bed in my room while I took the floor. Since, you know, you let me do that whenever I ask and since my bed is finally clean… You can test it out, see how ya likes it, you know, for future reference," Beast Boy explained, furiously trying to avoid a blush when he thought about what he implied by that last line.
"I'll do you one better… Keep the door unlocked, will ya?"
"As if I had a choice. Door-locking privileges, midnight-snacking privileges, my moped privileges, all killed from my user account control. Kid has a mini-fridge in his room, you'd think the Boy Wonder could share…" Beast Boy said, leaning in to place a parting kiss on her cheek before turning away and walking off in the opposite direction.
Kissing Raven in pouring rain…Mmmmm…. Riding a Moped while Raven embraces me and hangs on for dear life… Storytime with Rae on the couch while the TV's on and it's just the two of us… And adopting possibly the cutest kitten in the world… With Rae promising to take care of it, cuz she thinks I'm too irresponsible, and apologizing for her boyfriend's airheaded nature in advance… These were all thoughts a languid Beast Boy possessed as he detached his arm from an unknown obstacle and began to awake.
Beast Boy then lethargically rubbed his eyes, opening them to find pale skin and black lace, and violet hair strewn about, concealing everything concerning the visage of the person except the traces of a jawline. He blinked once, twice, but the sight didn't change, gazing out the window to find morning peering in; it was probably at least 10. Beast Boy frantically attempted to recall the events of the past night, searching for traces of either drinking alcoholic beverages.
Raven's hand moved, as her thumb moved to… stroke the pillowcase?
"Gar, you know I hate when I have to wait for things," Raven mumbled, her eyelids just barely open.
"Wait? Wait for what?"
"Don't play coy with me tonight, Gar… You know exactly why we're both here in the midnight hours… Why we're both wearing nothing but the air in our surroundings... I can tell what you're thinking, remember? And it isn't hard to see just how intoxicating your lustful eyes are… I guess you're left with two options, Garfield. You can take what you're here for… Or you can leave all hot and heavy like that… Worry about what'll happen afterward, or live in the now? I'll even let you be as rough as you want… Your call, Gar…" Raven murmured singsongingly, a smile forming as the words left her mouth.
Great, Rae's dreaming, isn't she? Definitely doesn't seem one bit awake… And from the looks of it, it's not one of the dreams I should know about…
When he finished racking his brain for just exactly how the two of them had ended up like this, he reached out a hand, far enough so that his fingertips just barely made contact with her navel, brushing against cleanly-cut muscle. He prodded her abdomen and then used his free hand to touch his own, becoming downright outraged but somewhat aroused as he reached an all-too-obvious conclusion.
"Rae, how the fuck are your abs harder than mine?" he whispered indignantly, taking no care in watching his language in such a private setting, lightly brushing her hair away from her face. Raven stirred a little and Beast Boy made a mental note to ask her the unfairness of it all when she was awake, before his eyes began… wandering, like any normal guy's eyes would if they found a drop-dead-gorgeous girl in their bed first thing in the morning.
His eyes widened as he shifted his gaze lower and they immediately snapped shut, Beast Boy's face furiously blushing with embarrassment as he wondered what Raven would think if she caught him staring… there. Although, in Beast Boy's defense, his brain hadn't fully regained consciousness, thus, primary control rested in the hands of his more… primal instincts.
He opened his eyes and stared at the ceiling for a while, counting the number of dots until the blood had rescinded to where it was before he decided to entertain more… carnal thoughts. After his blush had faded, he glanced around the room, pulling the covers up around his girlfriend so that in the event she roused, she wouldn't catch him ogling her. Not that she would mind much, but Beast Boy had heard about demons and bedrooms, and he wasn't quite sure he wanted to go there just yet.
After all, just the previous day, the couple took a huge step in their relationship by deciding to attempt the final level of Silent Hill 6 together, and their teammates having their minds constantly in the gutter only pushed them closer. Going farther happened to be Raven's area of expertise, and surprisingly enough, it seemed to him like she almost wanted more to happen with Beast Boy.
Raven's approach to even the existence of the relationship ("To hell with it, Gar, if the world's going to end someday, I might as well enjoy myself before it! We're superheros, what could possibly go wrong?) and especially their first kiss ("Garfield, shut up and kiss me… Or I will kiss you. And trust me, as much as you might enjoy it, you will regret having to explain to people that I made the first move"… While pushing him against a tree in Jump City Central Park and pointing a blue-nail-polished finger at his sternum, sadly giving the cameras enough time to catch a few shots in the dimly-lit night) was more than ample evidence of this simple fact, but Beast Boy didn't know if he was prepared for anything of that nature just yet. Beast Boy was fine with pushing the boundaries every now and then, testing the waters, but Raven was, to put it bluntly, far more adventurous.
Although Beast Boy wasn't about to admit he had possessed fantasies akin to the one she was having at the moment, he wasn't exactly keen on making those realities. Yesterday with her and finding out how she felt like she needed to replace Terra was… proof, in a nutshell, that behind her cold exterior, she could still be hurt, and the last thing Beast Boy wanted to do was hurt her. No matter what she seemed like to everyone else, regardless of the fearsome demonic form she could summon in the heat of battle, Beast Boy knew all too well that sometimes, that was all a façade. Besides, Garfield Mark Logan was perfectly content with where they were now, and he wasn't exactly entirely sure he was mentally ready for such an act. 2nd base sometimes bordering on 3rd was more than enough to keep him happy, even if both of them had been legal for 6 of their 7-year-relationship. To put it into perspective, she was scared of engaging monsters in horror games, he was scared of doing things to her that most show's animation budgets couldn't possibly hope to afford, easy as pie, right?
He found a pair of his jeans on the floor and a t-shirt draped over his nightshade, snatching both and beginning to put the t-shirt on first. As he took the first step off the bed, he felt a hand tug at the edge of his sleeve.
"Stay, Gar… Not like anyone's waiting for us… Robin probably knows I'm here and they're probably saving us breakfast… We can take all the time we need. 'Sides, my lips are feeling a little… puckish. They could use a hand from yours," Raven softly articulated, turning him around and moving a hand through his messier-than-usual-hair, then proceeding to skim across the back of his neck and rest a thumb upon the edge of his jawline.
"Come on, Rae, if we stay in here too long, we might get a repeat of yesterday… Unless you want that…? Not like I would mind or anything, but I don't know if you'd be quite ready for something like that?..." He asked, absconding from her grip to stand confidently on the floor, all the while silently begging her to say no.
"Fine, Gar, but I really don't see why it wouldn't hurt to live a little once every now and then… But if you leave before I get my goodbye kiss, I will cut you, Garfield Mark Logan... That wasn't a threat, Gar, it was a promise," Raven lazily replied, yawning and getting up to sit on the bed, looking at Beast Boy with a raised eyebrow, then at the sheets, and back to Beast Boy, smirking the entire time.
"Raven, that is so yesterday," Beast Boy rolled his eyes. "The one time I clean my room…" he muttered, walking a few paces and reaching for the door handle.
"Ah, ah, ah," Raven wagged her finger, "I still haven't gotten what I wanted from you…"
"Rae, it's not much of a goodbye kiss if we'll see each other within the hour…"
Beast Boy nonchalantly walked back, much to the annoyance of a cross-legged Raven who had already begun her morning eye-rolling exercises. Rachel Roth was not someone you wanted to keep waiting; if she said the words, "at your earliest convenience", it usually meant "ASAP, and 5 minutes earlier than now, if you can make it happen!". Beast Boy looked down for a moment when he reached the bedside.
Wait… She meant that since I'm half of this relationship and cuz I'd never go farther than I'm explicitly allowed, we'd never… Oh, she's gonna pay for that one…
Well, I do wear the pants in this relationship now…literally… If there was ever a time to take initiative… Deep breaths, Beast Boy, you can do this. Channel the Beast within, as they would say. Let it take you over, envelop you, ensnare you, become you. Let your wildest fantasies come true…
Armed with overconfidence and the power of dark blue jeans, Beast Boy leaned over a little and looked her square in the eye. His smile returned, then changed into a grin as he pushed her down onto the bed and placed his lips gently on hers. Raven realized what was going on and instinctively parted her lips, letting her tongue glide back just enough to allow him easy entry. As their tongues touched, or rather, locked, Raven realized that her winning streak was over as she found Beast Boy's sheer fortitude overwhelming. Breaking the kiss, he paused for a brief moment to glance at Raven, who noticed a small bridge of saliva forming between them, her eyes brimming with sheer curiosity as she wondered what Gar's next move would be. Her heartbeat pounded through her head as she wondered just what exactly made him do that… And how she could replicate it… However, her time to think was cut short by a nibble on her ear that moved on to her lower neck.
"Gar…" Raven attempted the words in between slight moans. "I thought you didn't want to-"
"You're right, Rae… I don't, thanks for reminding me… In fact, I didn't even hear a "please" out of you… But if you ever want more… You'll just have to use your manners and try to catch me!" Beast Boy laughed maniacally, jumping off the bed and out the door before she could even form words.
"I fucking hate you! Did you have to fucking- Azar, why am I even with you? The one time you actually-" She screamed, reaching for a book off a nearby table and hurling it avidly at the door.
"Doubt you don't know why, Rae, with the way you stayed the night in my bed in nothing wearing nothing but your underwear... Black lace suits you well," Raven heard from the hall.
She glanced in the full-body mirror Beast Boy kept in his room for post-workout use as her eyes widened. Wondering just how much he had seen, Raven retrieved her own articles of clothing strewn about and began to put them on before walking out of the room alone, noticing a sheet of rolled paper and a small envelope beneath her feet.
Unraveling it, she found an 18" by 24" pin-up of… herself?
"They aren't that big… Are they?" She asked herself, glancing down at her chest. "Whoever Beast Boy found to draw this must have been nothing short of… extraordinary… Must be part of the shrine he mentioned earlier… Wonder if I can get one of Garfield dressed in something this revealing?…"
Hot-and-fresh breakfast just happened to be one of the many perks of waking up around 10:30 AM in Titans Tower, and Beast Boy and Raven were given a little bit of reprieve for not having aided in its preparation, due to rather… extenuating circumstances. However, they were strictly warned and disciplined by given charge of dinner that night, much to their delight. Having a kitchen to themselves for a few hours wasn't as same as actual alone-time, but it was much better than date night… Not with each other, of course, but speed-dating with every news station in the metropolis, where neither could get a single word in edgewise.
After the Titans had each had their fill (save Cyborg, who had constructed himself a nearly-bottomless stomach), Robin, Cyborg, and Starfire relaxed on the couch for some mid-morning news. Raven, however, had a burning question on her mind…
"So, Garfield, any idea where I could find me one of these?" She inquired innocently, bringing out the rolled-up poster she found earlier and offering it to him.
His mouth opened and Beast Boy began stammering, attempting to come up with a plausible explanation. "Um, well… er… You see, Rae, when I saw this, I, uh, hanging in a store immediately thought that it would be, well, a terrible mistake not to buy it. I mean, come on, what kind of guy would allow that poster to hang there on the wall to be bought by some other guy who would then hang it on his ceiling and wake up to it every morning? Honestly, you should've been mad if I didn't buy it. So, um, yeah, that's the story of how something like that ended up in my room.
Raven held up the envelope. "Hard to believe that it was hanging in a store when the artist said he drew this as a gift for your birthday… Never knew you wanted to see me in something like this," Raven teased as Beast Boy's cheeks flushed bright red; not only was he caught in a lie, but visualizing the real Raven scantily clad, laying on a bedside did a wonderful job of bringing out the Beast within.
"All right, Rae, you got me," he admitted, raising his hands in the air. "Lock me up and throw away the key! I'm just happy that this is the only one you found from the shrine… If you saw any of the others…" Beast Boy jokingly articulated, grinning.
"The others from the shrine?" Raven asked, cocking an eyebrow. Beast Boy's grin vanished faster than a plate of Raven's chocolate chip cookies placed in front of Melvin, Timmy, and Teether.
"Ummm…. Hey-look-at-that-over-there-it-looks-more-interesting-than-this-conversation-let's-go-sit-down-on-the-couch-and-pretend-this-never-happened?" Beast Boy hurriedly spoke, partially afraid for dear life as he knew Raven wouldn't appreciate artwork of her in rather… compromising positions, particularly those with multiple tentacles in multiple orifices. At the thought of these, Beast Boy might have even been slightly aroused, if he wasn't fearing for his life. After all, there's a huge difference between a Raven that's mad at you, and a Raven that's more-than-a-little jealous of things you've thought of doing to a poster.
"Garfield, you know I'll see this shrine eventually, right?"
"You'll never find it, Rae… It's impossible to get to without me. And I don't have a death wish, not planning to get one anytime soon, so…"
"I have a feeling you'll see things my way after today… After all, I know your every weakness, Gar… Including that one spot on your neck that happens to be eternally black-and-blue" Raven mischievously answered, smoothing out a couch cushion before sitting upon it.
"Any idea what channels we should watch?" asked Robin, who for once, was completely open to suggestions, not willing to waste the slightest drop of effort of care into the question.
"BBC News," Raven smirked, letting out a wry laugh as she looked out of the corner of her eye at a mildly-embarrassed Beast Boy.
"Well, I think we should, you know," Cyborg began between mouthfuls of a pancake laced with maple syrup, "watch that one news parody act… I couldn't stop laughing the last time we turned that on! I don't think it was that funny even when I played that video of Robin singing Party in the U.S.A in the shower… What was it called again?... The G. Gordon Godfrey Show or something?" Cyborg scratched his head, inadvertently letting the plate tip over and drip maple syrup on his lap.
"Aw, man! Now I gotta clean out my armor again! Do you have any idea how much time that's gonna take me? I have to be somewhere at 6 o' clock, on the nose today and I can't just go out in this. Just- I guess I'm gonna have to replace it with my spare," Cyborg said, glancing at his teammates.
'Y'all are lucky that you're human," Cyborg started before Raven pointed a finger in the air, "Okay, okay if you wanna get technical with me, half-Azarathian, half-demon, a freak of nature who exists through a miracle-and-a-half, Tamaranean princessss, and the Powerless Wonder himself… At least all of you can take a shower and be done with it! You know when the last time I had a shower was? Huh? Guess? I'll tell you! The last time I had a shower was freaking… 11 years ago!" Cyborg finished, as he shoved the rest of the pancakes into his piehole and set the dish in the sink atop the already-forming mountain of plates, going to wash his hands and grab a change of armor.
"Well, you sure smell like you haven't had a shower in that long," Robin joked, only to find a cricket's chirping in response.
"All right, how did that even get here? Our windows aren't open, our doors are locked… I- How is there a goddamn cricket in Titans Tower?" the Boy Wonder inquired.
"For your information, friend Robin, his name is Maxwell McFarland the Third, and he is not doomed to damnation!" the Tamaranean spoke.
Robin realized that his comedic career may have been destined to fail from the start, but his relationship with Starfire was not something he would so easily sacrifice to salvage his comedic reputation. Thus, at Starfire's behest, the cricket was given its own room, much to the anger of a certain team member.
"So you're telling me that if I leave for… 6 minutes now," Cyborg said, looking at his internal clock, "We find out a cricket lives in our house, let it stay, and give it a room to boot? What kinda world do we live in where a normal, average half-human, half-machine can't get fair treatment without staging a goddamn intervention? You know, when I was getting my room set up, you said we had no space! That's why I let you use half of it for storage! Now we have extra rooms? You wanna show me your personal magician, Robin? I'd like them to make me a new room too, and while they're at it, how about making me full human, huh? Cept give me superpowers or something? Yeah, that'd be jacked up!..."
"Uh, Cyborg… We still don't have any spare rooms rooms," Robin attempted to point out nervously, raising his index finger.
"What are you getting at, Boy Wonder?" Cyborg asked indignantly.
"You see, the room that we gave the cricket… is your room. Now, don't get me wrong, you can still stay in the garage and we'll make sure to keep it at optimal temperatures. And with the lifespan of a cricket, you won't have to stay there for long at all," Robin explained, a bit too cheerfully for Cyborg's tastes.
"Why can't the cricket stay in the garage?"
"Well, uh… He wanted the room, so…"
"ugh, fine… How long are we talking here?"
"Only around… three months," Robin said as casually as he could.
"Three months? I'm not sleeping in the garage for three months! I want my room back, I want my life back, I want Beast Boy back… on the GameStation. Without her… Why can't everything just go back to the way it used to be? Why?"
"I-Well, since Beast Boy and Raven already are… And I'm sure Starfire wouldn't mind… I'll sleep in her room 'till the cricket's hit the dust, and you can take my quarters," Robin said resignedly, wanting to move on with the morning events before the criminals were up and at 'em.
"Great, first I lose my nigga Beast Boy... Now I'm losing Robin… Soon, Titans East is gonna hate me and I'm just gonna end up in the Tower all by myself, aren't I?"
"Don't be silly, Cyborg… In the event we all die, the Tower goes to Wally and Lucky… At least, that's what we outlined in the latest version of the will…" Beast Boy mentioned, chuckling softly while Raven punched him in the arm and told him to play nice.
"There's a will now, too? What else do you wanna tell me about? Are Raven and her father best buddies now? Are Robin and Starfire getting married?"
"Damnit, I knew we forgot at least one invitation," Robin swore underneath his breath.
"Rae, do you think we should tell-"
"Next week, Gar… Next week at the earliest…"
Cyborg threw his hands up in exasperation. "Just turn on the goddamn TV! GBS better be especially hilarious today!"
Robin pressed the remote and switched to the proper channel. "Now we can sit back, relax, and enjoy!"
"And there you have it, ladies and gentlemen, after the former villain Jinx helped bring down the Brotherhood of Evil for the 7th time this year, the Justice League has decided she will be inducted to the Justice League later this month…-"
"Wait, she gets an induction to the Justice League? My dream? I've worked for the past decade and then some to make it come true and she basically gets a free pass?" Cyborg exclaimed.
"Cy, you know if you wanna join, the invitation is basically open, but I thought we said none of us would because we wanted to stay a team, right?" Robin nonchalantly murmured.
"What invitation? I didn't get any invitations to-" Cyborg wailed.
"Forget I said anything," Robin agitatedly spoke, waving his arms in the air to convey that for all practical reasons, nothing had come out of his mouth at all.
"And in other related, our favorite couple is entering new territories. G. Gordon Godfrey has the story! Over to you, OG," came the introduction from who appeared to be Godfrey's secretary, from the way he treated her.
"Marie, I'd like to think I have more self-respect than an "OG", whatever that refers to. It's so difficult to keep up with the younger generations in this day and age. However, it isn't hard to keep up with these two lovebirds. I think we should play an audio clip taken from Beast Boy's bedroom. Camera, roll tape…"
"Rae, ever considered it might be a game?" Beast Boy joked, never the one to take anything seriously.
"This isn't a game, Beast Boy, it's life or death. This is an experience to treasure for the rest of our lives!"
"Who'd ever thought you'd be so passionate about- about something like this? You are just full of surprises, Rae…"
"Well…" Raven's voice trailed off, and she looked away, hoping Beast Boy didn't catch sight of the fierce blush she now sported.
"Okay, I think that's enough of the boring stuff," Beast Boy announced, breaking the silence that had long endured between the two due to their high levels of concentration. "It's time for some action! I'm going in!"
"Ah, w-wait for me, Garfield! Do you ever think of someone besides yourself?" She cried. "G-Gar, you're going too fast! Slow down so I can actually keep up! Sheesh, not everyone is an animal like you…"
"Sorry, Rae… Sometimes I just lose myself and… Anyways, I won't be trying that out again anytime soon, I guess.."
"W-What was that, Garfield? Some… technique?" She gasped, incredulously, unable to comprehend how such a thing was even possible.
"I came up with it and developed it myself. Was that too much for you? "
"A little..." she admitted reluctantly, unwilling to confess that she may not be able to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Beast Boy, of all people, at something.
"You know, if you wanted…I could teach you, sometime... Whenever you're free?"
"No, it's futile! I'd never be able to do something like that… Let's just… talk about something else, okay?"
"And if that little bit of audio wasn't enough to convince you, let's take a look at just this morning! There, you see, Beast Boy pushes her down onto the bed, and then we see him doing some rather illicit things to her body while she makes some lewd noises. Let's skip ahead in time a little, past the more graphic parts to… There, you see it? Raven's putting her clothes back on, indicating that they were taken off. If that isn't proof enough that they aren't up to something, I don't know what is… I have no idea what these two irresponsible teenagers are thinking, trying to bring such a child into this world! Have they no morals? Have they no self-respect? I tell ya, folks, if we let superheros get away with nonsense like this, next, our own kind will be among them, and then no one will be safe from these aliens. Just look at that green skin and unnatural purple hair! If the two of them aren't ashamed of what they've done, how can we, as a society, even dream to function properly! I will not rest until these two youngsters are brought to trial for their heinous crimes upon society! I mean, my kid looks up to that green, putrid menace! I mean, I'm personally terrified of wearing the color green myself, but that shade is just- I feel bad for whoever his parents are. Unless his parents are aliens, which they just might be! Kid's survived Sakutia,for Christ's sakes, how many people have done that? How did he do it? You expect me to believe some brain-dead scientists mixed a few random chemicals together in a tube and it all magically worked out? For all we know, the kid's a goddamn Martian. And maybe not the good kind either. Has anyone ever considered how many of our so-called superheros could be potential threats? We let them freely waltz around our society like one of us, but in recent years, it's clear that they'll never be… one of us. It's not possible. They're different, and what if they suddenly turn on us? Little-miss-violet over there nearly tried to destroy the world as a parting gift, and it's no secret who taught her that. The apple doesn't fall far from the tree here, folks. Oh, and come on, does he even comb his hair? I've heard through the grapevine that his showering habits are sub-par, but even with the so-called busy schedule of a superhero- seriously, I bet these kids are watching my show- you'd think that the guy would have at least a few minutes to spare to wipe off the sweat from what they'd call a "hard day's work". Apparently not, since I've been around him on more than one occasion to report back to my loyal viewers. It's a wonder how the pathetic loser even has a girlfriend, but then again, we are talking about Raven here. Girl's so desperate, she'd take anyone's love, even a malevolent dragon's. Sure, she tried to play it off like she didn't know, but honestly, how is anyone supposed to buy that bullshit? She's basically like the daughter of all freaking evil! What kind of example is are these two setting for my boy Jimmy? What about our kids, people? Our young, impressionable, future leaders of society? What is my kid gonna be saying to me if he finds out that his favorite superheros are out and about in the bedroom instead of saving the world? Just yesterday, there was a guy who stole a toothbrush from a Wal-Mart! Oh, sure, today, you'll say that it's just a toothbrush, but tomorrow, he'll be breaking into our houses and stealing our televisions! But I digress, folks, the point of the matter is… We cannot let this transgression of our society's sacred laws to go unpunished! That's why I've established a public petition to rid this city of them once and for all, at my website: ! This is G. Gordon Godfrey, signing off!"
"Oh, boy, was that the best 15 minutes of my life!" Cyborg chuckled, shoving another mouthful of popcorn into his mouth (apparently he thought G. Gordon Godfrey's segments merited munchies). "We should do this more often, right? Might help Beast Boy out with making Raven laugh, eh?" Cyborg continued, ribbing the changeling until Beast Boy conceded the point.
Raven removed herself from Beast Boy's lap, smoothed out her uniform, and stood up, cape thrown on the couch, cowl down.
"Right, guys?" Cyborg repeated weakly, the energy appearing to drain from both the human and machine halves of his body as he noticed Raven's death-inspiring stance.
"He's done it, Gar, he's sent this one over the edge…"
"Yeah, Rae, but it's not like there's much we can do. Godfrey took some things out of context, being a complete-and-utter-asshole, just business as usual for him… But it's not like we can just change it or try to clear our names… The video manipulation is solid, and the guy's had the public hypnotized for weeks, don't know how he gets them to believe it! Speaking of which, Robin, you haven't performed your usual uptight-check on the security mainframe, have you?" Beast Boy inquired, raising an eyebrow.
"Uh, no, no I actually haven't… I was a bit preoccupied with…" the Boy Wonder's voice trailed off, turning to Starfire. "Anyways, I'll get to it immediately". Robin opened a menu on his communicator and began to sift through the options.
"Beast Boy, it looks like there was a breach in security… around the time we left, in sector 5- Delta… Your room…"
"Then… Only possible explanations are that he hid a camera, right?… But he'd get better quality with one of those, seriously, it was like black-and-white fuzz central… Not that it mattered since Rae was in black-" Beast Boy began, receiving a swift toss out-the-window-and-into-the-ocean. As he climbed back up and through the broken window (one that would take at least $125 to pay for, according to Robin's estimates of the damage), Beast Boy glanced hopefully at Raven for a repeat of the previous day.
She raised an eyebrow before opening a portal and grabbing something she proceeded to hurl at Beast Boy violently.
"Dry your own goddamn self off," she articulated through gritted teeth as the towels hit him one by one. Beast Boy sulked and Raven finally relented, dissipating some of her anger and opening another portal, shoving him into it. Mere seconds later, she opened the rift, and he came howling out, his hair slightly singed at the tips.
"Rae, you didn't have to throw me into a fire pit!" Beast Boy cried.
"You're dry now, aren't you?" she replied impishly, pursing her lips. "Think of it as… payback for your little stunt this morning…"
Putting out rogue sparks, Beast Boy returned to his train of thought. "The hourly scanner checks would've noticed something like that… So… he got to my GameStation, didn't he? They probably used the failsafe identification camera that they put in for security... Explains why the quality was terrible enough… That prick… No one touches a man's GameStation without his express permission!" Beast Boy warned.
"Even then, how could he have known that the two of you would… You don't think?-"
"Please don't say it," Cyborg pleaded on his knees, hands in a prayer formation.
"It had to be residual data Sporks… Hacking into the world's databases wouldn't have been easy, but if it worked out, they'd be able to trace it… Then, it wouldn't be hard to find out a few vital pieces of information and since Sporks is still around…" Beast Boy finished, raising his eyebrow at a concerned Cyborg.
"I'm going to take my nap in Robin's room. If anyone needs me, tough," Cyborg sobbed, running off into the distance, none of the remaining Titans too keen on stopping him.
As the television ran in the background and Godfrey's voice could be heard in the distance, Raven seethed with anger just looking at his very appearance. As he went on and on making causal small talk with his co-anchors, her eyes filled with a sense of distaste, and she began accumulating enough power to nearly shroud herself fully in the darkness, demon eyes on the verge of appearance. In short, Raven had finally snapped.
"That son-of-a-lily-livered-one-eyed-raging prick! When I get my fucking hands on that bastard, he'll be so sorry he'll wish his ancestors weren't born! I'll feed him his own intestines drenched in his fresh blood and garnished with his retinal fluids! There won't be enough Xanax in the world to prevent him from panic attacks. I'll rip out every last one of his internal organs and attach them to his back so I can use them as the reins to ride him like some sort of meat toboggan in freshly-poured snow while his entrails christen the hills of Jump City as his eyes beg the same question as the petrified children in his wake!-" Raven began, demonic power rampantly raging at her newly-clenched fists.
The room shook, and for a moment, the Titans thought that they were experiencing a minor earthquake until they saw the darkness- no, sheer absence of light- gathering around Raven's body.
"Gee, Rae, thought that anger-management specialist was the bomb, but apparently even his magics aren't strong enough to keep you in check," Beast Boy said, seizing her right wrist and squeezing it until she released her fists to let her fingers interlock with his.
"They shouldn't care what the hell we do in our free time… There are people out there a goddamn decade younger than us that have kids, but you didn't see good old G reporting on those, did you? We aren't children anymore, and the public should get that! It's not like we go into people's bedrooms and keep an eye on what they do! It's- It's not right to just spy on people like that! At least before, he'd let us get away when we got inside Titans Tower. Maybe I'll put a few cameras in his house, see how he likes that?" Raven fumed, letting go of Beast Boy, bending down and lifting the coffee table to knock it over in frustration.
"Rae… You're going critical now… Do I have to start tickling you?" Beast Boy mischievously inquired, relinquishing a futile attempt at recapturing Raven's hand and instead raised his fingers, pretending to play the piano, albeit very poorly with absolutely horrific hand position.
"Garfield, you promised," Raven whined in mock agony. "At least not while they're around?"
"Finally, you're cooling off a little. Don't get me wrong, you are cute when you're mad. It's just cuter when I'm the one you're mad at, you know? We're in a very committed relationship, Rae… Can't have you getting mad at other guys, now, can I?"
"I'm not angry, Garfield Mark Logan," Raven replied, emphasizing each part of his full name while gritting her teeth. "I'm-I'm… absolutely livid! He- He's gone and sprinted clear over the line this time, Gar, and I'm not letting him get away with it"
"We could've killed him a long time ago, Rae. We could've made him suffer if we wanted to… But it wouldn't change anything, Rae… We're the heros here. He isn't. What would doing any of that prove? That we're bad people? That we are exactly what Godfrey thinks we are?"
"Oh, so what do you think we should do, genius? This will put us all out of our misery, Garfield, and it's not like you can stop me anyways…"
"Rae, it isn't like you to get so mad over petty things like this… I thought we always took the high road? Yeah, Godfrey was pretty mean this time, but it really doesn't seem like something you'd be mad about… Something that you should be mad about…I'm handling it. I'll file a few complaints, call in a few favors, pull a few strings with the JLA, see how it works out. Nothing to get your hands dirty with, kay, mama?"
"You're wrong, Garfield. It's usually about us, but it's never…" Raven began, emancipating her hand from Beast Boy's own. "Look, Gar, there is exactly one person on this planet that gets to make light of my boyfriend, and that happens to be me! I don't know why you're calmly sitting around while they trash everything we tried to make of ourselves? But I'm not just going to stand idly by while someone throws shade on you. This… isn't hero work anymore… this… is personal now. He made it personal. And I'm going to end him..."
"You know, hacking through our systems to get that footage is probably a crime in and of itself," Robin declared.
"For once, Rob's got a point… Although I have no idea how the whole justice system works since we just catch the bad guys, that probably isn't legal for normal people… Come on, Rae, we're heading down to the station after we have a…strategic meeting…" Beast Boy sighed, placing an arm around her shoulder. "I'll drive… We'll fly," he corrected himself, remembering his moped privileges were gone and thus, choosing a much better option than testing out his skills, or lack thereof, on the road.
"Godfrey will suffer dearly for what he's done this time. But just this once, I'll trust your judgement… Can't wait to hear what brilliant plan my little boy genius whipped up today…" Raven's voice dwindled off, trailing her hand leisurely down his spine before swiftly brushing her lips across his and abruptly rushing off, leaving Beast Boy to deal alone with the tingling sensation he now experienced across his entire form.
A/N: Is the news-casting reign of the Glorious Godfrey finally over?... How does Beast Boy plan to deal with this menace of society? What'll happen to Beast Boy after Raven sees his "collection"?(Just kidding, his shrine's for another day). Will the rest of the Titans ever respect Cyborg and his wishes? Anyways, part 1's over, hope you enjoyed it! Part 2 (where Godfrey and the couple exchange blows) will be up when after the finishing touches have been put on it, probably Friday-ish. If you have any thoughts, critiques, life advice, reviews are appreciated, and if you want to see Cyborg not killing the moment, check out its predecessor, A Simple Misunderstanding… And sorry for bashing on Cy too much, but I promise I'll make it up to him someday, maybe when I explain just why he's deathly horrified of sporks?
Review please!
~Lefauxlucifer