Hello readers, a few quick notes. Blah Blah I don't own anything in here that is copyrighted material, all the songs I mention are real songs. This story is BBxRAE fluff, I may continue it if the readership desires for me to. And finally I put this story up as a dedication to pisceanchic101 who out of the blue gave me some very kind reviews, many thanks dear.
It was a sticky July night earlier this year, the lights of Jump City blotted out most of the stars from the night sky. The waning crescent moon hung dimly in the black blanket overhead. Night life bustled along the street, young couples talking excitedly, clubbers dressed in revealing clothes hopped from bar to bar in a drunken reverie.
The whole city seemed to be alive with the scents of the evening, the sizzling food of street vendors, spilled booze, somewhere beneath the rest of the smells the faint hints of sex, death, and desperation.
I was walking in downtown with my date, Beast Boy, I was in a good mood. I was smiling slightly, not an obscene toothy grin, but a nice upturning of the lips. As we walked I could feel the waves of emotion all around, crashing into me like liquid neon. The emotions of the night were super-charged, rife with energy fueled by alcohol and lust.
Music was everywhere, techno, hip-hop, R&B, all blending together in a single cacophony that raised spirits and caused people to pay exorbatant door charges to get closer to it.
Beast Boy was talking, he had been talking all night, since before we even left the tower. He was so excited that I had accepted his invitation to come out tonight.
"Come on Rae," he had said that morning at breakfast, "You should come out dancing with me." He had put on his best charming grin. He had even turned into a kitten to pout at me with huge kitten eyes.
This is one thing I love about my interactions with Beast Boy, he doesn't even realize it, but he gives me complete and total control.
Peering over a steaming white mug of green tea to feign disinterest I asked him where we would be going.
He had transformed back into his humanoid form to reply, kittens can't speak English.
"A place called...." He paused for a moment to be dramatic, "the Dungeon!!!"
The Dungeon I had thought, what sort of club is that? An underground haven for tattooed hipsters? A S&M club? A seedy punk and psychobilly hideout? Or perhaps even a little alcove for aging "elder goths" to listen to deathrock and blacken their lungs with cloves? Any of those had seemed mildly tolerable to me so I agreed to go with Beast Boy.
We had walked for what seemed the better part of twenty minutes, but had seemed so much shorter, time always seems to move too fast when I'm with Beast Boy. The entire walk I had enjoyed the atmosphere and stimulation of the city while Beast Boy had chatted excitedly. It was a good twenty minutes, it was a nice time that I hope to remember until I die.
Being destined to end the world is a heavy burden, it's an even harder secret to keep. Everywhere I go, everything I do is held through the ugly gray filter of pessimism that is part and package of keeping a secret like that. Every alley seems to have prophecies scrawled in the graffiti, every book I read seems to allude to the coming end. I can't not see it, certain things once seen can never be unseen. Certain things once known can never be forgotten.
But!
That night was not a time to be fettered down by such ugly thoughts, it was my first date ever. I know what you are thinking, but my lifestyle had not lead to many chances for dating until I was seventeen. A bit late in my life perhaps? Yet I was not ready for it until then, and I'm really happy to have had my first date with Beast Boy.
We had arrived at a looming brick structure, faux iron lattice hung over the door with a sign on it that read "The Dungeon" in red neon. From inside I could hear the Sex Gang Children's "Funny Man" playing.
"It's so hard, it's so hard..." Andi Sexgang whines. I'm wasn't exactly sure what he is referring to, but it sounded sexy.
Beast Boy and I approached the bouncer at the door, a burly man with an afro and a handlebar mustache (an interesting combination).
"How much is the door charge?" Beast Boy had asked. I could tell from his body language that he was excited. I was to, I couldn't wait to get into the club.
The bouncer eyed Beast Boy, he looked at him through half-lidded eyes.
"It depends," The bouncer had said, "Are you the real Beast Boy? And is she the real Raven?"
"A matter easily settled." Beast Boy said, his smile got wider. Beast Boy loves to show off his powers when he can.
In a matter of moments Beast Boy transformed from a bear, to a hawk, to an octopus in rapid succession. Everyone around broke into applause, the trendy youth dressed in black clapped loudly and whistled cat calls. People shouted requests of different animals they wanted to see Beast Boy transform into, he indulged a few of them. It felt good, it was nice to see people treating Beast Boy with admiration and awe. In all honesty I admire Beast Boy, I admire almost everything about him, and I see that I am not alone in this admiration.
It was then that it struck me, that Beast Boy's place in the public was a good one. The public, the crowds they indulged an extrovert like Beast Boy in a way that I couldn't. He was the green diplomat that showed the rest of the world that we weren't a bunch of supermen sitting in the clouds indifferent to everyone else. He showed Jump City that even though we were gifted we were still human... or at least humanoid.
I was watching Beast Boy change from form to form, much to the delight of the audience, but I could tell that he was tiring of the game. We had left tonight to get to know each other a bit better, and we wouldn't get a chance to do that if Beast Boy spent all night turning into animals for everyone.
Luckily the bouncer, used to dealing with celebrities knew how to handle a situation like this.
"Everyone show's over." He announced, "Let Mr. Beast Boy and Ms. Raven enjoy their night in peace. If I hear that anyone's bugging them I'm going to kick them out of the Dungeon."
The crowd quieted and resumed their previous pointless chatter with one another.
The bouncer turned to us, he procured two VIP passes for us. "If there is anything that can be done to make your night better just flash the pass."
"Thank you," I said.
Beast Boy gave the bouncer a wink and a thumbs up and we walked into the entrance of the Dungeon.
The atmosphere of the club was electric, gothic beauties writhed on the floor like wraiths, the pulse of the bass shook my spine and caused my heart to race. The DJ was spinning Cannibal Commando's "BTK", a song that I find a tad repetitious but is good for the dance floor.
It was barely ten seconds after walking through the door that I realized something that doesn't happen to me very often. I was enjoying myself, I felt happy, I felt alive, I felt like.... I felt like I had the most handsome man in the world standing next to me.
"Thanks for bringing me here." I told Beast Boy.
"What?" He said pointing at his ear.
"Thanks for bringing me here." I shouted over the din.
"Pretty cool huh?" He shouts back.
We made our way to a lounge section of the club, gazing at the oddities that people become when let out of their white collar cage. In the corner next to the bar there was a set of leather couches and a black coffee table with a marble ashtray on it. I sat down on a couch, it was comfortable there was a gay couple on the couch across from it. As I sat down I smiled at them, "I'm gonna get us some drinks." Beast Boy said to me.
"But we're not twenty-one." I told him. It's not that I hadn't ever had a drink before, teenagers are bound to experiment with alcohol at some point. I'll admit that I've never been drunk before, I'm too afraid of how it might affect my powers which are dictated by my emotions, but I just didn't know how he wasn't going to get IDed at the bar.
"Don't worry." He said, flashing his heart melting devil-may-care smile at me.
I sat in silence for a few moments listening to the music, they were playing a great tune by Gary Numan titled "Haunted". I had heard it argued that Gary Numan was the David Bowie of electronica, I don't know if I would go as far as to agree with that, but Numan is good.
The lights were flashing, blue, green, red, yellow creating a fantastic light show that complimented the music, flat screen TV's were hanging from the wall playing clips from old sci-fi and horror movies. Beast Boy came back as I was studying Vincet Price's features leering from the screen.
Beast Boy was holding a gigantic mug of beer in his right hand, in his left hand he held a screwdriver (which is vodka and orange juice for those of you who don't know). He handed me the screwdriver and sat down next to me, once he was on the couch and grinned and nodded at the couple across from us.
"Hey," One of them said, a young man with bleached hair. "You're Raven from the Teen Titans aren't you?"
I nodded my head in confirmation.
"I'm Fredrick, and this is Ace," The guy said, "We love your work, and your style."
"Thank you." I said and then took a sip of the screwdriver, it was very strong and burned my throat.
The song stopped playing and the voice of the DJ echoed through the speakers like the voice of God. "Hello all of your prisoners in the Dungeon," it said, "I hope your having a fantastic evening, I heard from the horses mouth that we have some very special guests tonight.... this next tune is dedicated to them. Beast Boy, Raven will you start off this next dance?"
I couldn't believe my ears, I didn't want to dance with everyone watching, I felt nervous the world seemed to cave into itself. I was distantly aware of the Cure's "Lovesong" beginning to play. Beast Boy grabbed my hand, "Come on Rae," he said.
"No." I replied there was no chance in hell that I would dance on that dance floor that had been emptied. The polished wood looked intimidating, like a lake of ice that would cause me to slip in front of all those expectant faces. Battling evil was easy, slow dancing with Beast Boy in front of the entire Jump City counter-culture seemed like an insurmountable task.
Beast Boy stood up pulling me to my feet.
"Don't be nervous, they'll love you." Ace said to me in a reassuring voice.
"Just chug your screwdriver." Fredrick suggested.
I took Fredrick's suggestion and gulped down the drink. My stomach flipped, my head spun, my throat and chest felt like they were on fire.
'It's now or never' I thought, and took the bravest step I ever have in my entire life. I made my way to the dance-floor with Beast Boy, "Lovesong" was in full swing. As the crowd saw us the erupted into cheering, every pierced mouth in there was open in excitement.
"Whenever I'm alone with you
You make me feel like I am fun again."
Robert Smith sings through the speakers. I don't realize it just then, but I'm enjoying myself, I love the song, and I love being around Beast Boy.
We step on to the dance floor, Beast Boy put his arms around my lower back and I put mine around his neck. We began to move in time with the music, my heart was pumping so fast I feared it would burst.
"However far away I will always love you
However long I stay I will always love you
Whatever words I say I will always love you
I will always love you"
I felt the affects of the screwdriver, like a curtain drawn over my brain. I was perspiring, I felt dizzy, I felt like the queen of the world. I was taking note of every detail, this had to have been the best time in my life that I had ever had.
The rest of the crowd paired off and jumped onto the floor, Beast Boy and I took no notice of them it was like we were the only two people in the whole world. I felt connected to him in a way that I had never ever felt connected to anyone before.
He leaned his head in close to my ear, "I'm having the most amazing time Raven." He said.
I couldn't agree with any statement as much as I could agree with that one.
I don't know what I was thinking, it must have been the vodka, but I didn't verbally reply to him. No instead I turned my head to meet his face and I kissed him, it was my first kiss. My world was like a field of roses that never ended, my body was alight with so much physical and emotional excitement, I had to do everything I could to prevent my powers from skyrocketing out of control.
"I have to step outside." I said to Beast Boy.
I reluctantly broke away from the dance and headed outside, just outside of the club there were a couple of people smoking cigarettes. I ignored them and stared up at the moon.
'Azarath, Metrione, Zinthos.' I chanted in my head over and over again. I focused on decreasing my heart rate, blood pressure, I focused my chakra into good circulation and gentle breathing.
Beast Boy exited the club and walked up behind me, I heard his footsteps even though he walks very quietly.
"Are you okay Raven?" He asked.
"I'm the best I've ever been." I say quietly.
"Then why did you run out like that?"
"I just had to calm down, that's all, my emotions were running wild." I replied.
"Oh okay, what were you feeling?" He asked.
"Absolute and complete euphoria." I said, and it was true. It was as true as anything has ever been.
"Great!" Beast Boy exlaimed, "Wait...uh... what's euphoria?"