"Azarath Metrion Zinthos, Azarath Metrion Zinthos, Azarath Metrion Zinthos…" Raven had been meditating for forty-five minutes, and thus far it had been unproductive to say the least. Her emotions refused to settle, feeding her frustration, thus turning the next few minutes into a struggle just to get back to square one. Even more frustrating was that she knew the reason for her sudden emotional uproar. It was green with pointy ears, fangs, and a love of terrible puns.
Now, this wasn't the first time Beast Boy had sent her emotions out of balance, but it was still a new experience. She was used to being angry with him, although in the three and a half years since she'd dealt with Trigon, that had become a less frequent state of affairs. She was also used to worrying about him, a fact that she'd only admit to when things with him got bad, something which happened more frequently as she learned more about him and came to understand the depths of pain he hid behind his smiling facade. But despite the curious sensation of heat she felt when she thought about his big cheesy grin, she knew she wasn't angry. And even though her heart sped up in a burst of adrenaline whenever she recalled those moments when he let the mask slip and showed her what lay underneath, she knew she wasn't worried.
No, she knew what it was, and that was what bothered her the most. As she gave up on meditation for the time being, she cast her mind back to her first meeting with Aqualad, and knew that she'd felt strangely warm back then. And as she headed to the kitchen, pinning her hopes of achieving some semblance of calm on a cup of herbal tea, she recalled the way her heart had raced when Malchior had charmed her. "I can't believe it," She groaned. "I've got a crush on Beast Boy." Shaking her head at the absurdity of her situation, strolled out of the hall, stopping only when she heard a voice coming from the common room.
"And it's just not fair, y'know? Like, what am I meant to do now?" Raven froze in place as she recognised the voice coming from the common room. Because of course it was Beast Boy. "I mean, I get that she's way out of my league, but c'mon dude! I can't just turn my feelings off!" And just like that, all Raven felt was cold and empty, like she'd been cored with an icicle.
"He has feelings for someone else…" She whispered to herself, blinking back tears that she'd never admit existed, even to herself.
"Like, she's smart, she's funny in her own way, she's beautiful, and I'm basically just green and funny-looking." Every word out of Beast boy's mouth made her hurt just a little more, but she listened anyway.
"And rich." A new voice chipped in. It was familiar, but Raven couldn't quite place it.
"Come on Eddie," Beast boy responded. "She's way too classy for something like that to help me."
"Fair enough," The voice that Raven now knew to be Kid Devil's conceded. "I'm just saying, you've got some stuff going for you."
"I'm with Eddie." A third voice that sounded like Speedy's interjected. "You're a good man, Gar. I know that better than most." Raven knew that Beast Boy had helped Speedy overcome his heroin addiction, and that he also liked to downplay his part in doing so.
"If anyone should be pissing and moaning, it's me." Kid Devil (Raven usually felt more comfortable referring to her friends by their superhero aliases, real names were too intimate) said. "No way in hell is Rose ever gonna waste her time with a loser like me. What does a guy like me have to offer a confident, sexy badass like her?" He sighed. "That's what out of your league looks like." Although Raven was sympathetic towards Kid Devil, at that moment she wished he'd just keep his mouth shut and let Beast Boy talk some more so she could work out who his mystery girl was and what made her so special.
"Dude, you look like a cheap romance novel banged a heavy metal album!" Beast Boy quipped, forcing Raven to choke back laughter (he was funny when he just let it happen). "Plus you can raise your body temperature super high, and you're a total softy. There's no way you're not ticking at least one box in Ravager's big book of kinks!"
"Oh, and you think you're any different, mister fangs and occasionally claws?" Speedy chuckled. "You're fetish fuel same as Eddie." Raven blushed faintly as she found herself agreeing with Speedy; Beast Boy's fangs were just… damn.
"Great, just what every guy wants to hear." Beast Boy muttered.
"If anyone's got it bad, it's me." Speedy continued. "I mean, come on! Donna's a demigod or something, and I'm a former addict single father who's good with a bow. Pipe. Dream."
"At least people don't look at you like you're a freak!" Beast Boy shot back, unknowingly causing Raven's heart to break, just a little.
"Yeah!" Kid Devil yelled his assent. "You've got it easy!" For a few painfully awkward moments, silence reigned.
"So…" Beast Boy started in his up-to-no-good voice. "We all know which girl is the best looking, right?"
"If you're trying to start an argument, it's not going to work." Speedy replied simply.
"How about this then?" Eddie offered. "Let's go feature by feature."
"Fine by me." Beast Boy answered. "Roy?"
"...Fine." Speedy grudgingly acquiesced. "Donna has the best bone structure, and I'm ready to die on that hill."
"I'll give you that one," Kid Devil conceded. "But Rose definitely has the best hair; long, silky and platinum blonde, unbeatable. Gar?" This was it, she'd finally learn who the heck Beast Boy was so infatuated with.
"Eyes." He answered plainly. "They're dark, they're mysterious, don't even try to fight me on this one." Damn it! So close, and yet so far. "Now, are we gonna keep to the classy stuff, or are we gonna make this interesting?"
"Rose has the best… y'know." Kid Devil muttered, sounding embarrassed.
"Pervert." Speedy deadpanned. "But if we're going south of the neck, then I'm going shoulders, arms, belly, just the whole 'warrior woman' physique for Donna. Dick definitely has the right idea there with Kori."
"Well, I'd say we now know more about Roy's fetishes than we would have liked." Beast Boy chuckled. "And you guy already know what I'm gonna say."
"Legs." All three men said as one. And yet again, Raven was denied the information she craved.
"Well, I guess that means they're tied." Kid Devil said. "They're all equally beautiful."
"But there's one more big question guys…" Beast Boy said, sounding pensive. "Who has the best smile?"
"Donna." Speedy answered immediately, sounding utterly certain. "Bright, reassuring, full of affection."
"Have you seen Rose smile?!" Kid Devil half-shouted, sounding outraged. "Cool, mischievous, and dead sexy."
"You're both way off." Beast Boy said in an authoritative tone. "Raven's smile is the the best, no contest." And just like that, the cold, empty feeling was gone, and Raven felt like she'd had her blood replaced by scalding hot coffee.
"How would you even know?" Speedy quipped. "Raven never smiles."
"Dude! That's what makes it so special!" Garfield (okay, maybe real names weren't always too intimate) exclaimed. "You gotta work for it, but when she smiles, it's like the sun peeking through on a cloudy day. I could be having the worst day ever, but if I get to see that smile, it's like everything's okay."
"Garfield Logan, ladies and gentleman." Kid Devil said, sounding like a circus ringleader. "Shape-shifting, crime-fighting, and now poetry! Is there anything this young man can't do?"
"I can't get the girl." Gar sighed. "Never have, never will."
"Yeah, well there's a lot of that going around." Speedy muttered.
"Hey man, don't take this the wrong way but… why Raven?" Kid Devil asked, unknowingly giving voice to Raven's thoughts. "I mean, I get that she's smart, witty, good looking; but what else? Those qualities aren't exactly unique."
"She's kind." Gar stated simply. "She tries to hide it, but she is."
"Rose is the same." Kid Devil murmured.
"She's the bravest person I know." Gar said. "She fought her destiny and won; I can't even imagine doing something like that." Hearing Gar sing her praises left Raven feeling a little light-headed; if she wasn't careful, she'd get addicted. "What can I say? She's Raven. One of a kind."
"Fair enough." Speedy replied. There was another moment of silence, which Raven used as an opportunity to collect her thoughts. She was the girl? The one Gar was infatuated with? She couldn't quite believe it. What was she going to do? Tell him how she felt? It was the logical answer, but the idea scared her witless.
"Wise men say only fools rush in, but I can't help falling in love with you..." Gar began to sing, breaking the silence.
"Shall I stay?" Kid Devil picked up the tune.
"Would it be a sin..." Speedy crooned.
"If I can't help falling in love with you?" Raven finished, stepping into the room.
"R-raven?!" Gar squeaked, looking like a deer in the headlights. "You heard that?"
"I did." She growled. "Speedy! Kid Devil!" She snapped. "Out!"
"Yes ma'am!" They answered in unison, bolting out of the room.
"And as for you…" She snarled, closing in on a frightened-looking Gar… and pulling him into a hug.
"Uh… Raven?" Gar sounded confused. "Not that I mind, but why are you hugging me?"
"Because I heard how you feel about me," She answered simply. "And I'm too classy to just start making out with you before we even start dating."
"Y-you mean…?" Gar trailed off, his question sounding more like a prayer.
"Yes Gar, I mean 'awkwardly trail off into silence'." She answered sarcastically. "Now are you going to ask stupid questions, or are you going to hug me back?"
"Oh, definitely option two!" He exclaimed, wrapping his arms around her. For a moment, they were silent, just enjoying each other's warmth, but then… "Okay guys, I can smell you out there! You might as well just come on in." Speedy and Kid Devil awkwardly filed in.
"We were just, uh…" Kid Devil trailed off, apparently unable to think of a decent excuse.
"Worried about you, man!" Speedy finished smoothly. "Raven looked pissed, so we wanted to make sure she didn't hurt you or anything."
Raven sighed. "Roy, Donna's had a thing for you for at least a year. She hates Cheshire in a big way for having a kid with you, although she loves Lian, and hates her even more for abandoning you." The way Speedy's face lit up at this revelation made Raven wish she had a camera handy. "And Eddie, Rose once told me that if you ever change your costume to include a shirt, she thinks she might go back to being a villain, just so she can cut it off of you." Kid Devil's face was similarly illuminated. "As soon as you leave this room, I'll send them a message telling them what you said about them. I leave the rest up to you." She doubted that Kid Flash could have left any faster. "Now, she muttered. "Where were we?"
"Right about here." Gar grinned, pulling her into his arms.
"It won't be easy," She said after a minute. "Dating me, I mean."
"If I wanted easy," Gar replied. "I wouldn't be in this line of work. What I want is you, no matter what it takes."
"... So, you really like my legs that much?"