BbRae Babysit (I'm bad at names)
What happens when BB and Rae get stuck babysitting?
This may be pretty close to the episode in the original TT where Raven has to babysit, but with a lot more BB. Wrote the beginning as a new in case theres anyone here who hasn't really read or watched anything teen titan related. This is gunna have similar principals to a one shot, but a reallllly long one shot, so ill separate it into just a few small chapters.
Prologue
It was a rainy day in Jump city, the clouds rolling ominously overhead. Our heroes were excited to go bowling and enjoy some time off. These heroes, the Teen Titans, had been working hard all week fighting their enemies, and finally it seemed there was a break in attacks. Robin, the leader, paced back and forth, paranoid that there would be another attack. His gloved hand ran through his spiky black hair with anxiety.
"Dude, chill out," Beast Boy warned, offering his friend a slice of pizza. Beast Boy was completely green from head to toe and was the comedian of the group, he always wanted to make his friends happy and see them smile.
"You know I can't do that, what if something bad happens because I decided to 'chill out'?"
"Robin, perhaps Beast Boy is correct. Maybe the 'chill out' would be good for you," this was Starfire, technically an alien, but a goddess none-the-less. She looked very much like her human friends except that she had pink hair and just slightly orange skin. It looked more like a spray tan than something otherworldly. The only other thing that stood out about her was her clothing, which consisted of a skimpy two piece purple dress and knee-high boots to match, and the way she spoke. She wasn't completely accustomed to the way that today's teens spoke, and there was still many things she had yet to learn about earth and its' customs. Robin had a huge crush on her, and he hoped that she returned the feelings. Upon her comment, Robin relaxed a bit, scooting ever so slightly closer to her.
Cyborg was another Titan, he was the oldest and by far the smartest when it came to technology. Cyborg was mostly robotic, and used this to his advantage against enemies. He was a wiz at gaming, and inventing, and could eat enough to fill an elephant. At the time, he was putting the team's names into the machine at the bowling alley.
Finally, there was Raven. Raven was a goddess in her own way, a half Demon sometimes mistaken for a witch because of her awesome powers. However these powers were hard for her to control, and therefore she had been very reserved her entire life as to never let her emotions go crazy. She sat next to her teammates and friends while reading a book and hiding in her hooded cloak.
Beast Boy, as you may have guessed, got his name from his shape shifting abilities, and while at the bowling alley, he changed into a cat and hopped into Raven's lap. He'd never admit it, but he had a bit of a crush on the emotionless woman, and he was always trying to find a way to make her laugh, but she always detested his jokes.
Beast Boy meowed as she tossed him off her lap.
"Aw c'mon Rae," he said as he changed back.
She rolled her eyes in response and got back to her book.
Cyborg was first to roll the ball and got a strike on the first try. "Booyah!" he pumped his metallic arm into the air and gave his green friend a high-five.
"Nice one!" Beast Boy smiled. He was next to go. On his first attempt, the changeling only knocked three pins over, and his pointed ears lowered in sadness.
"It's okay BB, you'll get the next one," Cyborg assured. Beast Boy nodded and waited for his ball to come back.
When Robin took his turn he rolled a seven split and cursed under his breath. Starfire floated up to the marker on her turn and dropped the ball; somehow it made its way down the lane and knocked over all the pins. Robin, Beast Boy, and Cyborg all had their mouths wide open in shock. How she always seemed to be the best at everything, even though everything on Earth was knew to her, was a mystery to them all.
"Raven, I believe it is your turn to do the bowling," Starfire said, hands clasped together.
Without looking up from her book, Raven used her powers to lift the ball with a form of black energy, and tossed it down the lane. Gutter ball.
"Oh no," Starfire said, genuinely sad for her friend.
"Whatever," was all Raven had to say in response.
Beast Boy sat down next to her and tried to get her to pay attention to him, "hey, are you gunna actually play or are you just going to read your book and ignore us all night?"
"The latter," she replied with a monotone voice.
"Well I think you should perk up, it's our day off!" he sang.
"I don't do perky."
Beast Boy had to be careful not to say that he thought she would look very pretty if she smiled, but he rarely even got to see her face with that hood of hers always covering it. She hid a lot from her friends, and not like secret wise, but just that she never showed any emotion. Her friends understood why, but it still made Beast Boy frustrated. Being the sensitive person he was, he always wanted his friends to feel as though they could tell him anything, especially Raven.
Once Raven's turn had come around again, Beast Boy wouldn't take no for an answer. He was careful not to lose her place in her book, and laid it face down on the booth, then dragged Raven over to the rack that held their balls. He pointed and told her to roll.
"Fine," she agreed.
This time with the minimalist amount of effort possible, she rolled the ball forward. The ball went a ways and just before hitting a pin, went for the gutter.
"See?" She shrugged.
"You'll get it next time," Cyborg repeated.
Raven sat back down and picked her book back up.
Beast Boy crossed his arms, "you didn't even try!"
Raven wouldn't dignify him with a response.
Two hours later they had finished bowling with varying scores, Robin was upset that he didn't do very well, Cyborg, Beast Boy, and Starfire all were pretty pleased with themselves, and Raven of course hadn't seemed to care. They then headed back to home base, a tall building shaped like a T. Each Titan had their own room, and there was a gigantic commons room with a half-circle shaped couch big enough for all of them plus another small group. Their large TV dropped down from the ceiling and had all of Cyborg and Beast Boy's games on it. They played a racing game while Starfire painted her nails, Robin sharpened his weapons, and Raven continued her book. She had just started a new one that day, and was already nearing the end of it. Raven read all kinds of books, fictions of all genres, plus science, psychology, mythology, etcetera; this particular one was about crystals and what each type of crystal can do. She wasn't sure whether she believed in it, but as she was born on Azarath, not earth, she liked to learn about what kind of magic earth had to offer.
After finishing her book, she headed to her room, waving a soft goodnight to her teammates. Her room was all black and a bit of purple and blue, this she felt, helped her remember her control, as her mind wasn't as cluttered with bright colors, it was the same reason she always kept her room spotless. A cluttered desk is a cluttered mind, as they say. To help keep her control, she practiced daily (sometimes hourly) meditation.
"Azarath Metrion Zenthos," She repeated to herself. Doing this was essentially calling upon her home place, tapping into her powers, to ask for help with control. As long as she did her meditation every day and also whenever needed, she usually did okay with keeping said powers in check.
Beast Boy headed off to bed not long after Raven. His room was the only one in the same wing as Raven, and he was right across the hall from her. However the big difference in their rooms was that Beast Boy's was as you would imagine someone who has animal blood would be, messy and smelly. No one ever went into his room for fear of inhaling it. Beast Boy lied on top of his covers with his hands behind his head, he had trouble sleeping at night, the animal side of him being more nocturnal. The best time for him to sleep was about 3am to at least noon. Not always was he able to sleep so late though. While unable to sleep, Beast Boy had plenty of time to think. During the day, while with his friends, he's so outgoing and ecstatic about everything that rarely did anyone take him seriously, but little did they know that every night, as he lies awake, he actually had very intellectual thoughts, ones that sometimes just made him more confused than anything. Like how he felt about Raven for example. He knew he liked her, there was no doubt about that, but how much and why? He was always teasing her, and she was always ignoring him. She was never mean per-say, but she sure didn't show any interest.
It tormented him sometimes; he was the kind of person that couldn't stand it if someone didn't like him. Not in an arrogant, everyone-loves-me, kind of way, but a-I want people to be happy-kind of way. He was sweet and genuine, the kind of person you don't meet every day, and it broke his heart to think that his friend was hurt or depressed, or really anything negative.
Beast Boy had very good hearing from his large, animalistic ears, and because of that, he could tell that Raven was having a hard time sleeping as well. Her breathing wasn't calm, and neither was her heartbeat, and she was tossing and turning restlessly. He wanted to go knock on her door and see if there was anything he could do to help, but he knew the door would just be shut in his face, so he left her alone.
Across the hall Raven was nearing anger at her lack of ability to sleep. She knew that allowing herself to become angry would only make it worse, but she had tried for many hours and sleep had still not come. Eventually she sighed and sat upright. She replayed the days' events in her head, trying to figure out if there was anything that was bothering her that maybe she could meditate on and then move on from. There wasn't anything out of the ordinary that she could place, but she did find herself stuck on the image of Beast Boy giggling with Cyborg at the bowling alley. With much determination, she tried to put the image aside, but it just kept coming back. He is pretty cute, she agreed with herself, but so annoying. She recalled looking into his big puppy-dog eyes and sighed, wondering why he always looked at her like that. The only time he ever did that with anyone else in the group was when he really wanted something. The team may not have realized this, considering she always had her face in a book, but when she wanted to be, she was actually very observant. She knew he had an amazing heart, but being the emotionally lacking person she was, she had never thought of him in a romantic way, only in a friend way. However, one of her inner selves, (and there were many) had. She never let this inner self have a chance to speak, but she knew she wanted to.
Chapterish 1
The next morning was rough for both teens since neither of them got much sleep. Raven was up with the birds, as usual, but Beast Boy was up too, which was unusual. The green man with messy hair yawned and took his place at the kitchen bar. Cyborg was making pancakes, Raven was sipping on herbal tea, Starfire was doing yoga on the commons side of the room, and Robin was downstairs in the gym, training.
"Morning green bean," Cyborg smiled, "want some pancakes?"
"If you make mine the right way I suppose," Beast Boy smiled back. Cyborg didn't agree with the way he ate, and always teased him about it, but always respected it. Cyborg got the soymilk out of the fridge and began a new batch just for his best friend.
"Morning Rae" Beast Boy stretched, turning to his very pale, purple haired teammate. She never wore her hood to sleep in, so at the time she was just wearing a black cami and shorts. She nodded to Beast Boy and took another sip of her tea. The green man smirked and tried to not make it obvious that he accidently checked her out. Her skin, while an odd-light grey color, was flawless, her legs were long and smooth looking, her waist slim, arms muscular, and her face, well her face he could marvel at for hours; especially her uniquely purple eyes, a color that perfectly matched her hair. He looked away quickly as not to arise any suspicion, and luckily he was in the clear. Raven had been too busy focusing on her tea to notice.
Robin entered the room after Beast Boy and Cyborg finished their breakfast, he got a water bottle and filled it up, then poured half of it into his mouth. Once satisfied, he sighed and wiped the sweat off his forehead.
"Okay who's ready for training?" he asked.
Everyone but Starfire rolled their eyes and sighed.
"I'll take that as a yes, let's go!"
Beast Boy rubbed his belly, "I think I may need a moment."
"Everyone except Beast Boy to the gym!" Robin lowered his eyes, his mask moving along with his brows.
Grumbling and Mumbling, the team followed their leader to the training room, where they were put through rigorous exercises that not only helped them stay fit, but also helped them win battles without their powers-if it were to ever come to that. Robin didn't technically have any super powers, but he was raised and trained by the best, and his skills surpassed many with super powers.
At the end of their training session, Raven retreated to the roof to meditate. It was her favorite place to do so since it was quiet and peaceful. Nature was always better than anything manmade. From the roof, she could see the whole town in all its' lights and glory. Their tower was on an island near town, where they would be secure and safe. It had a great view of the city, but an even better view of the large body of water surrounding it, and the crashing waves upon Titan Island helped sooth Raven into her meditation.
Beast Boy wanted to join her up on the roof, the sky was a relaxing place for him too, but he didn't want to bother her, and knew that if he did, he would probably just be tossed off the building with her black energy anyways. So it was off to play video games with Cyborg instead.
After a few rounds of call of duty the Titans' emergency alarm began to go off with a loud siren and bright flashing lights. Everyone was in the commons room within seconds; Robin pushed a button that pulled up a control table, and the TV showed exactly what was happening and where.
"There's trouble at the…Smiths' house?" Robin was confused momentarily. Usually they didn't make house calls, and left that to police, but apparently this particular house was being attacked by one of their enemies, the H.I.V.E.
"Titans Go!" Robin yelled, pointing a finger into the air. The team jumped into action and arrived on the scene quickly.
The H.I.V.E. was rummaging through the house, and the scared family was hiding in a closet/ panic room. Beast Boy approached the family and told them everything would be okay, and then asked them to explain what happened.
Apparently the man of the household was basically a genius, and had invented a very useful machine that Gizmo, a member of the H.I.V.E. thought he needed, and so he and his team broke into their home to steal it, but the man had hidden it so well they started tearing the house apart to try to find it.
"Okay, well let's get you guys out of here," Beast Boy tugged on the family, hoping to get them out of the house just in case things got ugly. Apparently this was the wrong thing to do, has they had to pass through the fight to do so. Gizmo knocked the Dad out with one of his laser weapons, and the mom handed Beast Boy the child that she was holding so that she could kneel beside her husband. Beast Boy looked down and gulped as the child began to cry. Gizmo screeched, annoyed by the child, which only made the other kid begin to cry too. He aimed at shot at them, but the mom looked up and jumped. She was hit by the ray and knocked back.
"Oh great," Robin sighed, "now they're both unconscious."
Cyborg called the cops for an EMT. The rest of the team fought until the H.I.V.E. was under control and ready to be picked up by the cops.
"Starfire and I will go will the police," Robin began, "Cyborg, you go with the EMTs, make sure those guys are okay and that they'll make it back home, and Raven, Beast Boy, you guys stay here and hold down the fort."
Beast Boy lowered his ears and Raven lowered her eye brows, "but-"
With a flick of his cape, Robin was gone, and taken with him were Raven's choices. She growled and turned to Beast Boy.
"Okay here's how this is going to go down, you're going to watch those snotty nosed little people and I'm going to sit on the couch and wait for their parents to come back."
"But Raven I don't know anything about kids!"
"And you think I do?"
"Well you are a woman!"
Raven rolled her eyes, "just because I'm female doesn't mean I know anything about kids."
"Well just cause I'm goofy doesn't mean I know anything about kids either."
"Fine, I guess we're just going to have to work together then."
Neither of them would admit it out loud, but both of them were secretly excited to get to work together; Raven just wasn't really sure why she felt that way. Raven looked down at the two children, one was about three years old, and it must've been nap time when H.I.V.E. arrived because she had a blanket in hand and a pacifier in her mouth. Her eyes drooped and her little blonde curls were matted to her head. The other child was just an infant, a little boy Raven guessed from his blue clothing. He also had blonde curls and a pacifier in his mouth, but he was dead asleep. Beast Boy has set him down on a blanket in the living room the second the parents were gone.
The little girl came up to Raven and tugged on her cloak. Raven kneeled down to her height and cleared her throat, "hi."
The girl didn't say anything.
"What's…your name?"
"Abby," she replied, taking her pacifier out.
"And how old are you?"
"Free." Raven nodded, she meant three.
"And what's your brother's name?"
"Tommy."
"Thank you."
"You Superhero?" she asked, looking at Raven, and then turning to Beast Boy.
"Oh heck ya!" Beast Boy Replied.
"Fight bad guys"
"Mhm," Raven nodded.
She tugged on Raven's cloak again. Raven Tensed, she knew she needed to be gentle and sweet if possible, "yes…little one?"
"I'm hungry."
"Hm, I guess it is about dinner time," Beast Boy observed, how about I call for a pizza?"
"I don't think the baby can eat pizza Beast Boy."
"Oh yeah."
Raven and Beast Boy went into the kitchen to find the kids something to eat, there was lots of fruits and veggies in the fridge so they got those out and cut them up very tiny for Abby, and got some formula out for the baby.
"How do I do this?" Raven asked.
"Heck if I know," Beast Boy responded, "are there instructions on the can?"
Raven lifted the can up and followed the instructions, putting hot water into a bottle, and then pouring the correct amount of formula into the bottle."
"Raven, I think you have to shake it," Beast Boy reminded.
Raven looked down and the water with a cloudy look to it and shook it up.
"Now what?"
"Now you have to give it to him." As if on cue, in the other room the baby started crying, ready for his after nap bottle. Raven and Beast Boy went into the living room, Raven bending over to pick up the baby.
"Be careful of his head and neck!" Beast Boy warned.
"How do I do it then?"
"Like this." Beast Boy gently put one hand around the back of Tommy's neck and the other arm around his waist, pulling him to his chest so that his head rested in the crease of his arm.
"How did you know that?" Raven asked.
He shrugged, "something my parents taught me. a friend of theirs had a baby and they came over sometimes."
"Oh." Raven suddenly felt solemn then. She knew he didn't like to talk about his parents, just like most of them, he didn't have the best background before the Teen Titans either, "I'm sorry I didn't mean to-"
"It's okay. I guess I'm not that horrible with kids, oh I do know that kids like jokes!"
Beast Boy tried to tell a joke but that only made Tommy cry harder.
Raven shook her head and took the baby from Beast Boy, careful of his head, and cradled him in her arms. Beast Boy looked at Raven with the baby, he had instantly calmed down once she put the bottle in his mouth, and Raven held him with all the grace and beauty of a model.
"What are you looking at, BB?" Raven asked, noticing his staring, "go check on Abby.
Beast Boy nodded and went back to the kitchen. After a few minutes Raven, still holding the baby, walked into the kitchen to check on them, and found Beast Boy making silly faces at Abby, and Abby was dying of laughter.
"See, you're not bad with kids," Raven said, she found herself having to fight back a smile, something that recently hadn't been too hard, but at the moment was very difficult.
"Hey, yeah I guess not." Abby started fussing then, they guessed because she was done with her food.
"…until they do that."
"Why do they always have to cry?" Raven asked half sarcastically. She did know enough to know that they didn't have the words to communicate what they are feeling, and so they have to cry in order for you to understand what they need.
Beast Boy put the high chair tray on the table and picked up Abby, she wrapped her legs and arms around Beast Boy and laid her head on his shoulder. Raven watched as he patted her back and looked at her to make sure she was comfortable. Something bubbled inside of her and she had no idea what it was
"We like him!" a thought immerged in her head, and she shook the thought away. It's not like that, it's just hormones, it has to be.
"I do not!" Raven whispered to herself.
"Don't what?" Beast Boy asked, his acute hearing very accurate.
"Nothing," Raven blushed, something that was not missed by Beast Boy, but he decided not to say anything, assuming that if he did, he may just get tossed out a window.
'She's cute when she blushes, she should do it more often,' Beast boy thought to himself. He wondered then exactly how someone could make the queen of darkness blush.
"Hey Rae."
"Raven."
"Rae-" he started to say something, but sighed, unsure what would work. He didn't want to flat out tell her she's drop-dead gorgeous, he'd never admit that he thought of her that way, but he couldn't make her blush with say, a dirty joke for example, because one, she would probably just get upset rather than blush over it, and two, there were children that he didn't want hearing dirty jokes.
"What is it Beast Boy?"
"Ah-never mind."
"Don't waste my time Beast Boy, if you have something to say, just say it."
"I was just gunna tell you a joke, but I changed my mind."
"That was a smart move."
"Yeah I figured," Beast Boy said, arching his back and putting his hand on the back of his head nervously. He was still holding Abby so he walked into the living room and sat her down. She quickly went over to her toy chest and pulled something out, then sat on the floor and played with it quietly.
"I must admit, they haven't been too misbehaved yet," Raven shrugged.
"Yeah, this will be easy," Beast Boy laughed.
Or so they thought. It wasn't long before the baby started crying again, and it took Rave and Beast Boy a few minutes before they realized what he needed this time.
"Oh no," Raven stammered, smelling something nasty coming from the baby. She handed him off to Beast Boy, "that is your job for sure."
"Why is that my job?"
"I don't do diapers."
"Well neither do I."
"Well someone has to change him, he smells like my father's dungeon."
"Gross. I'll do it if you help me."
"Can't you do anything on your own?"
"Can't you?"
"Beast Boy."
"Come on Rae, let's just get it over with." Beast Boy stood up and patted Tommy's back, heading to the nursery to use the changing table. Raven helped him undress the child, change his diaper, and redress him into Pajamas.
"There, all clean little guy," Beast Boy smiled down at the baby and the baby smiled back up at him. Raven looked over Beast Boys shoulder and couldn't help but smile herself. He was a really cute kid. Raven had never really thought about children before. Her father, being a demon, had prophesized her death at the young age of 16, so she never thought she would live long enough to be able to have kids. Looking at Beast Boy then made her wonder what having a child with him would be like. She assumed quickly that he would be a good father, but then just as quickly removed that thought. Have a kid with Beast Boy? How ridiculous!
Abby started crying from the living room and Beast Boy and Raven dashed into the room, worried that something bad had happened.
"Are you okay?" Beast Boy asked.
Abby stuck her little finger up and there was a small indent, not even so much as a scratch.
"Boo-boo," she cried.
"Will a kiss make it better?" Beast Boy asked.
"Mommy and Daddy have to both kiss it to make it better."
"Mommy and Daddy still aren't back yet; will Raven and I be okay?"
Abby sniffled and nodded; Beast Boy bent over and gave her finger a tiny kiss. She then held out her finger to Raven who groaned.
"Raven, I believe it's your turn," Beast Boy grinned.
"Do I have to?"
"Please?" Abby cried, her lower lip trembling.
"Fine." Raven got down on one knee and held Abby's tiny hand in her own, and gave her finger a quick kiss, "all better now?"
Abby grinned and nodded, "can we go on a walk now?"
"Why would we need to go on a walk?"
"Mommy and Daddy always take us on a walk after dinner."
Raven sighed, "Okay, let's just get this over with."
Raven and Beast Boy took the kids outside and set them in a two-child stroller. Suffice to say it was not the baby's favorite thing, as he cried the whole time. Abby was enjoying it to no end however, and when they arrived back at the house, she began to cry too.
"What do we do?" Raven asked. Beast Boy turned the stroller around and started walking again. Abby squealed with joy but Tommy screamed harder.
"Here Rae, why don't you hold Tommy while we walk, maybe he just needs a cuddle."
Raven rolled her eyes, "please no one needs to be cuddled."
Beast Boy stopped momentarily, "everyone needs to be cuddled, especially children."
"I've never been cuddled in my life."
"Which is why you're always such a big grump."
Raven crossed her arms, "how dare you. You don't know anything about why I'm always grumpy."
"I know enough. I know you have struggles with your powers Rae but that doesn't give you the right to shut everyone out and be so cold to everyone all the time."
Raven didn't have a response. She knew he was partially right, she shouldn't treat her friends as though they mean nothing to her when in reality; she knew she wouldn't be alive today if it weren't for them.
"I…I'm sorry…Beast Boy."
"Raven…I'm sorry too. I didn't mean to say that."
"No…no you're right…mostly."
"Hey Rae, did we just have, dare I say, a moment?" Beast Boy wiggled his eyebrows and twirled.
"A moment which you then ruined," she said in usual monotonous voice.
"Aw," Beast Boy whined.
The baby was still crying, and Raven decided to take Beast Boy's advice by picking up the baby carefully and laying him upright against her chest so that she could rub his back. Instantly he laid his cheek on her shoulder and stopped crying.
"Hey that worked," Raven whispered.
"I told you, everyone needs to be cuddled," and before Raven could protest he added, "even you will one day need a cuddle. But be warned,"
Beast Boy turned into a tiger momentarily and nudged Raven in the leg before changing back, "even the biggest of animals can be the best cuddlers."
"Ew," was all Raven had to say in response.
The couple went as far as they could but eventually became so exhausted from pushing and carrying the kids that they had to go back, and it was getting dark by then anyways. Abby was upset, but they could tell she was getting tired to, as she didn't cry or protest too much. Once they got back to the house Beast Boy suggested they just watch a movie and just calm down for a bit. Raven wasn't really one for movies, but she didn't have any of her books on her and she was too tired for anything else anyways, so she agreed. She and her green teammate sat on the couch together with Abby in between them and Tommy in Beast Boy's lap.
Beast Boy flipped through the channels until he found something suitable to watch with kids around, and settled on a Disney channel movie. It was no one's favorite, but at least there was no violence or sexuality in it. Abby passed out within minutes, slouched over into Raven's lap, and suddenly there wasn't much between her and Beast Boy.
Raven pulled out her communicator and paged the team.
"Robin in."
"Robin, when are you going to come and take these kids?"
"No can do Raven," Robin said, shaking his head, "there's a lot going down at the police station and I just received word that the parents are going to be in the hospital for the next two days."
"Two days!" Beast Boy and Raven synchronized.
"Yeah, sorry guys, hope you're doing okay!"
"These kids are so needy!"
"Of course they are, their infants, they can't do anything on their own, that's why I was born an adult."
Raven didn't laugh at Robin's joke.
"Anyways," he dragged out, "I gotta go, Gizmo's causing trouble. Robin out."
Raven closed the communicator and sighed, "whelp I guess we're these guys' parents now."
"Not that I don't like kids, but I got my own stuff to do man! Two days, really?"
"And what better things do you have to do, play video games?"
"…maybe. Doesn't matter."
Raven smirked and decided to do a bit of meditation, or at least, as much as she could do with a sleeping child in her lap. After an hour or so it was impossible for both Titans to keep their eyes open any longer. After a night of not being able to sleep, and then a long day of underage parenting, the teens were exhausted, and both passed out on the couch. Unknowingly, while in slumber, they had both inched closer to each other, until they were asleep leaned up against each other for support, the kids still sleeping peacefully in their laps.
Chapterish 2
In the middle of the night, Tommy started crying, and it woke up both Beast Boy and Raven. It took them a moment to realize what position they were in, but when they did they both shot upright. At some point throughout the night they had snuggled up together, with the kids snuggled up with them. Beast Boy stood up and rocked the baby in his arms while pleading for forgiveness. Abby remained sleeping and Raven tried to keep calm so that she didn't wake her up.
Raven gently laid Abby down on the couch alone and followed Beast Boy into the kitchen so they could talk while getting another bottle for Tommy.
"Raven, I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to fall asleep like that."
Raven didn't want to admit that she actually kind of liked it, "I suppose I'll let it slide this time, for the kids' sake."
"Thank you."
"It's three in the morning, why is he awake?"
"Because that's just what babies do, I don't know! I'm not a dad!"
Beast Boy plopped a fresh bottle into the baby's mouth and he started gulping it down.
"Beast Boy…"
"Yes Raven?" he asked, curious where she was going.
"Do you ever think about being a dad? One day I mean."
"Oh yeah. I mean, I can't ever picture a mom for them, but I know I want to be a dad someday. I want to be as great to my own kids someday as my father was for me."
That's sweet, Raven thought. She nodded, "why don't you picture a mom?"
He shrugged, "just…guess I've never really been able to picture someone that can put up with me. Someone that would truly love me for who I am."
"You mean like telling bad jokes?"
"HEY!" Beast Boy playfully nudged Raven, "I meant because…well mostly because I'm green."
"Why does that matter?" This question briefly confused him. Did it not matter to her? Did it not matter to those who really cared?
"No normal person wants to date someone that's green."
Oh Beast Boy, how could anyone not want to date such a kind-hearted person?
"Don't date someone normal then," she shrugged.
Beast Boy raised an eyebrow, "just who should I date then, Rae?"
"I just meant like…don't give up so easily. Any girl would be lucky to be your…wife." She almost struggled to say it. It surprised her, not because she struggled from talking 'all mushy' but because she struggled from thinking about Beast Boy being with someone that isn't her. Beast Boys ears perked up when she said that then and he slid closer to her, wiggling his eyebrows.
"Any girl?"
"Get your mind out of the gutter! I'm your friend, remember?"
"Could be more than just your friend if that's really how you feel Rae."
"Raven."
Beast Boy didn't really believe that Raven liked him, he was only teasing, or at least, he wanted her to think he was only teasing. Of course he actually did want them to be more than friends. Spending the whole day together he has realized this.
"Chill girl, I gotchu."
"Oh my, what have I gotten myself into? I don't like you like that Green Bean, I was merely saying that someone else will," she lied.
"Whatever, you liiikke me," Beast Boy sang, careful to not sing too loudly.
Raven rolled her eyes, knowing it was not an argument she could win.
"So what do we do now?"
"Change his diaper and then go to sleep I guess."
"Where? We can't sleep in their bed."
"Back to the couch then I guess? I promise I won't fall asleep on you again, we can put the kids in their beds and sleep on separate sides of the couch."
"Sure, I guess that would be okay."
Beast Boy handed Tommy over to Raven and picked up Abby, careful not to wake her. Together they put the kids in their own beds and tucked them in with a hug and a kiss, and then they headed back to the couch.
"It's…kinda chilly," Raven stammered. She was still only wearing her uniform and it wasn't a very warm one. There was a blanket on top of the couch and Beast Boy pulled it down and unfolded it. It wasn't big enough for the two of them to use it if they were on either side of the couch.
"But I'm cold too Raven."
"If you swear never to tell a soul I suppose we could…share it…just this once."
"I swear!" Beast Boy crossed his heart and lied down next to Raven on the couch. The only way they both fit comfortably was to spoon with Beast Boys arm around Raven's waist, she allowed him to keep his arm, but not for the reason he thought.
With Beast Boy's arm wrapped around her, Raven fell asleep more quickly and more deeply than she had ever before, and it was the same for him.
Once again Raven was awakened by a screaming baby, this time at the more reasonable time of 7 in the morning. Raven sat up and blushed, seeing Beast Boy's arm still wrapped around her. He was in a deep sleep and she let him continue sleeping, she knew he needed it.
Tommy took his bottle and drank it quickly, and then Raven bounced him gently on her knee, patting his back to let any extra air out. When the time came for the baby to burp, some excess formula came with it, and Raven snatched it up with a black orb, her powers, before any could get on either her or the baby's clothes. She was lucky to catch it in time. After that she changed the baby's diaper all by herself. Of course it still grossed her out, but she understood that it needed to be done and obviously he couldn't do it himself, so she got it over with and set Tommy on his play pad afterwards. He happily began chewing on a toy and drooling everywhere, content as could be.
Raven entered Abby's room and she was still asleep, and Raven was in no mood to allow her to be cranky all day, so she let the child get her beauty rest. Beast Boy stepped up beside her then, asking how the kids were while yawning. Raven put a finger to her lips, "they're quiet right now, don't change that."
Beast Boy nodded in understanding. "How about you, are you doing okay?" he whispered.
It was a very genuine question, not a hint at a tease, and Raven was surprised at this, "uh…yeah, I'm fine thanks."
"Oh good. Listen, I was thinking we could take the kids to the animal sanctuary today, what do you say?"
"You sound like we're married. Beast Boy, these aren't our kids, we can't just take them anywhere. We don't have a car and even if we did we don't have car seats."
"I know they're not ours…" Beast Boy whispered. Raven noted the odd way he made the statement, and ignored her second comment. Beast Boy looked at Raven, really looked at her, and became lost in her violet eyes. She returned the look and got lost into his forest-green eyes.
For a moment, only a moment, both of their hearts stopped beating and the world blacked out around them. It was a moment of realization, one that Raven knew she would have to meditate on later. Beast Boy suddenly became exceptionally aware of his feelings for Raven but still questioned whether he should admit it.
"Beast Boy…"
"Yeah?"
Raven forced herself out of their bubble; she couldn't afford the let her emotions run wild. Who knew what would happen if she did. She shook her head and walked away from Beast boy. The green man lowered his ears, he thought for a second that maybe she reciprocated the feelings, but he guessed he must've been wrong. He didn't follow his friend, as he knew she probably needed her space, but in that, he couldn't have been more wrong. Raven had hoped he would follow her, approach her, kiss her. She wanted to not care about her powers, she wanted to be able to feel emotions without worrying about everyone else, she wanted a reason to live. Suddenly she wondered if truly, Beast Boy was that reason.
So what should we do today?" Beast Boy asked once both kids were awake.
"We should probably watch these kids," Raven replied sarcastically.
"Yeah, I know. I meant what should we do with the kids?"
"Again, no car, what do you think we can do?"
"Ah I don't know."
Raven looked out the kitchen window, their backyard had quite a bit of toys, including a very large jungle gym.
"How bout we take them out in the backyard?"
"That'll work...for maybe like five minutes."
Raven shrugged," no harm in trying."
Beast Boy found a baby carrier, one of the cloth kinds that holds the baby in the front, and handed it to Raven. It took her a while to figure out how to fasten it, but once she did, Tommy was all nice and snug against her chest. Abby ran over to Beast Boy and asked to be picked up. He did so and the foursome headed outside.
It was the perfect weather to be out, 75 degrees and not a cloud in the sky.
Raven preferred thunderstorms to clear days, but for the kids' sake she knew to be happy with the sun. Beast Boy on the other hand was enjoying basking in the warmth while pushing Abby on the swing. Raven watched the two while rocking the baby, enjoying seeing Beast Boy look so happy. She wished she could be so excited and carefree all the time, but the empath in her knew there was more to him than that. There was a side of Beast Boy that he didn't want anyone to know about, that he didn't think Raven knew about. A side of him that kept him awake at night, lonely and depressed. The more she thought about it, the more she realized they actually did have things in common. He wasn't the complete airhead that she had originally thought. When it came to the green Teen Titan, there was more than meets the eye.
It was very eye-opening to watch the (what she had once thought) man-child, actually around a real child. He was so gentle with them, so generous. Raven wondered if it was similar to the way he would treat a girlfriend if he had one.
She blushed at the thought right as Beast Boy glanced over, and she averted her eyes, pretending to be tending to the baby.
Beast Boy grinned, he was happier than usual, and he was usually a pretty happy person. Being there with Raven and those kids then gave him a sense of family and belonging. He momentarily forgot that this wasn't his family. He wasn't married to Raven and he wasn't a dad. It was odd to know that that's what he wanted in life, and he began to think about what kind of wife would be a good fit for his future kids. Someone who was strong and brave, someone who cared about him and laughed at his jokes, someone who made him feel wanted, someone with purple hair maybe, someone who's his best friend, someone like...Raven.
He looked up at her again and she was pacing, bouncing the baby to sooth him. He imagined himself going up to her and just planting a kiss right on her lips, and he imagined both scenarios, the one where she passionately returned the kiss, and the one where she pushed him off and walked away. He guessed which one would happen in reality and decided to stay right where he was. But he waved at her the next time she looked at him, and she just rolled her eyes.
Beast Boy sighed, wondering whether she would ever return his feelings.
But the thing was that she did, she just couldn't show it. Her inner selves were practically screaming with different emotions, and she was trying very hard not to let them out.
The baby started crying then, ready for lunch, and she headed back inside to make him a bottle. She was grateful that the family had recently gone shopping as there was no shortage of anything they needed. Especially if they were going to be there for another 24 hours. Beast Boy and Abby followed Raven in after a few minutes and started lunch too.
Once everyone was full and happy the group moved to the living room where the baby was laid on the play mat and Abby bounced around with her toys.
Although their fun didn't last long when all of a sudden Abby became very upset.
"What's wrong Abby?" Raven asked.
"I miss Mommy and Daddy!" She cried.
Raven and Beast Boy opened their arms to her and she hugged them both at the same time. Their three-person hug only lasted a few seconds, but it made everyone feel a lot better. Abby jumped into Raven's lap and wrapped her arms around her.
"I'm sorry," Raven said, hugging her back.
"When are they coming home?"
"Tomorrow sweetie," Beast Boy assured, rubbing her back soothingly.
"Can you be a strong girl for us just until tomorrow?" Raven asked.
Abby sniffled and nodded.
"That-uh girl."
Beast Boy decided to call Starfire and see how they were doing, just so there were no surprises.
"This is Beast Boy, Starfire, you in?"
"Starfire here!" She grinned, appearing on the tiny communicator screen.
"How are they?"
"About the same. Sorry Beast Boy, but I'm sure you are doing a fantastic job!"
"Uh, yeah, thanks Star."
Star hung up.
"That's weird." Raven observed.
"Yeah normally she won't shut up."
"She must be busy with them or something."
"Is it weird that none of them have really talked to us in the past two days?"
Raven shrugged, "I haven't noticed nor do I care."
"I think it's odd. Almost like their keeping something from us."
"I'm sure you're just over thinking Beast Boy, don't worry so much."
"I guess."
Raven turned to Beast Boy, Abby passed out in her arms. Tommy had fallen asleep on the play mat so she figured she could talk freely.
"You okay?" She asked.
At first Beast Boy thought she was speaking sarcastically, as sometimes she would ask him that as if meaning "what's wrong with your brain?" But as Beast Boy observed her expression he realized she was being sincere.
"Yeah, I'm great! Why wouldn't I be?"
Raven shrugged, "just...had a feeling. Is there anything...you need to talk about?"
It was so unlike Raven to want to talk, to act as if she cared like that. Beast Boys heart melted, his ears drooped, and his cheeks flushed.
"You really want to listen to MY problems?"
"Don't make me regret it."
"Okay well, I'm kinda torn because I can't sleep at night, I'm always thinking about everything that upsets me throughout the day, like how I miss my parents, how I hate being green, how I just want to fit in and have a family, but mostly...because there's this girl I have a crush on...and I'm not really sure what to do about it."
"Oh," Raven blushed, hoping it was her, but assuming it wasn't, "And does this girl like you back?"
"I don't know, that's the problem. I don't see why she would, she always says my jokes suck, and that's like my thing man soo."
"That's rough," Raven nodded, not wanting to admit that she actually did sometimes find his jokes funny, but what she found she liked more than his jokes was the fact that he told those jokes because he wanted to makes his friends happy.
"Soo there's my dilemma."
Raven knew shew wouldn't get away with no response after what he said, "well if it's any consolation, I had think any girl would be lucky to have you. Don't sell yourself short."
"Is that a height joke?"
She rolled her eyes, "you know what I mean."
"Raven, I'm gunna be honest, it's you, do you find me funny?"
"Oh...oh!" Raven got it then.
So it was her he was talking about. Raven blushed, it all made sense finally. Beast Boy looked into Raven's eyes, pleading for their return. It was difficult for her, and she turned away.
"Beast Boy you know I can't."
"Can't, don't, or won't?"
"Does it matter?"
"Of course it matters."
"Cant."
"But you can. You think you're alone Rae but you're not. You've got me and the rest of the Titans. And if you'd let me, I'd really like to be there for you as more than just a friend."
"Even if I wanted to I can't, I just can't."
Raven wanted to run from her problems, but Abby sitting in her lap made that impossible. She wondered if Beast Boy had planned that.
"But you can. You're worried about your powers, I completely understand that, but I want to help you. I want to be the one that is there for you and helps you figure that out."
"That's sweet of you, but you don't want to be with me."
"You don't know that. Would I be saying this if it weren't true? Raven, I feel like I've felt this way for a very long time, but being with you these past couple days has made me realize it, and even though I'm terrified that you don't feel the same, I still needed you to know."
Raven shook her head, "I'm sorry B."
Beast Boy sighed, "I'll wait for you Rae, if it takes the rest of our lives, I'm going to be right here."
Raven thought about that, she had never had anyone say something so meaningful to her before, not even her own mother. She wished she could just jump into his arms and kiss him but her fear consumed her.
If it weren't for the child in her lap she would've stood up, headed to her room and locked the door.
"Beast Boy, if you don't mind I'm going to meditate for a few minutes."
Beast Boy nodded and picked up a magazine that was on the coffee table. He would've watched TV but he didn't want the noise to disturb Raven, who had closed her eyes and started whispering her mantra.
Later that night was the same as the last. They swallowed their pride and shared the couch together after putting the kids to sleep. And like the previous night, even though they had had a talk that didn't end the way they wanted to, they both fell asleep within minutes of lying next to each other, only waking up to Tommy when he cried.
Surprisingly, it was Beast Boy who woke up first that time, as he felt so much more rested than he had in a long time. Raven on the other hand had so much to think about that her mind was exhausted and her brain decided to take the time during her REM cycle to figure things out. The green Titan made breakfast for everyone including Raven, and he brought the food to her, then gently woke her up. He enjoyed seeing her sleep, she seemed so peaceful and happy, she even smiled for a few seconds. When he nudged her awake she groaned.
"Five more minutes BB?"
"I got you breakfast Rae, you should eat."
Raven sat up slowly, and even though it wasn't bacon and eggs, she was grateful for the food. She ate quickly then asked where the kids were.
"Tommy's napping in the swing and Abby is playing with her dolls in her room."
"Ah so...we're alone."
"Momentarily...should we talk?"
"I don't think that's a great idea."
"Yeah, okay, maybe some other time then," Beast boy scratched his head, "I'm here...if you need me."
Raven nodded and put her hood up. She had to admit to herself that it was sweet of him to make her breakfast and all, but it didn't make her want to say yes any more than she had yesterday. And although she wanted to be with him, she felt she couldn't for obvious reasons.
They decided that they would temporarily forget about their squabble the night before and just enjoyed each other's company. Throughout the day they played games with the kids, watched movies, and went for another walk, and by the end of the day they were tired but happy. Since they had decided to forget about their conversation the night before, Raven and Beast Boy were able to relax and get back to their normal, bickering (in a way that for them they now realized was flirtatious) like they usually do.
By the end of the day they finally got the call they were waiting for, Robin saying the parents were on their way. At first Beast Boy and Raven were relieved, but when it came time to leave they realized they would miss the kids.
"We cannot thank you enough," the woman cried.
"Yeah I can't believe we had real superheroes save us and our kids!" The dad laughed.
"It was no big!" Beast Boy waved, "they were little angels."
"Oh I'm so glad they were good for you, can we pay you? We don't have much but-"
"No need, we were just doing our jobs as good citizens of Jump city," Raven assured.
The parents hugged both of them and thanked them again. Abby went up to Raven and tugged on her cloak, "you're leaving?" She cried.
At the beginning of the mission, Raven had thought she hated kids, but after spending so much time with them she started to fall for the little people.
Raven knelt down and hugged Abby, "don't be a stranger okay?"
Abby nodded as if she understood, "I'll miss you."
She hugged Beast Boy then, "bye bye!"
"Aw we'll miss you too Abby!" He said, nearing tears.
They then gave the baby a hug and he giggled in response, "we'll miss you too little guy."
The two said their final goodbyes and headed home to Titan Tower.
When they got home they expected the rest of the team to be out continuing their missions, but they were actually just sitting on the couch waiting for them to get home.
"There you are!" Starfire smiled.
"Where have you guys been? Why didn't anyone come help us?" Raven asked.
"We figured you could handle it," Robin replied.
"How did it go?" Starfire wondered.
"Fine," Raven mumbled. She was back to her usual self and was slightly upset that the rest of the team hadn't been concerned about her spending two days with kids, so she walked away after that. Immersing herself in water, Raven thought about the last couple days and she showered. She sighed, wondering what to do about Beast Boy. Once out of the shower she sat on her bed, feeling very lonely without him and the kids.
Is this what my life is now? She wondered to herself. Missing Beast Boy and some kids I'll never see again? Why did I feel so...complete...when we were together?
Raven thought about how it felt when Beast Boy had his arms wrapped around her, and she longed for that again. Little did she know that across the hall, Beast Boy was thinking the same thing.
That night was hard for both of them to sleep, as they were each having trouble not thinking about the other. Beast Boy knew what he wanted, that he had already figured out, he just had to wait for Raven to feel the same. Raven sat wondering how she could have both a relationship and control her powers at the same time. After hours and hours of wondering what to do, she decided maybe she should just try it out. If anything started to happen she could just immediately cut it off. Beast Boy would understand.
Raven stood up, ready to tell Beast Boy everything, when she heard a knock on the door. Raising a sly eyebrow, she opened the door just far enough to see who it was and was only half surprised to see Beast Boy standing there.
"Hey Rae I'm sorry to bother you but I was wondering if we could talk."
Raven looked to see if there was anyone in the hallway and then pulled Beast Boy in and shut the door.
"I was thinking the same thing," she admitted.
Beast Boy quickly did without thinking and kissed Raven right on the lips. She was shocked at first, but then leaned into it, but only momentarily. Worried about what could happen, Raven tore herself away from him and took a step back. Raising a hand to her lips, Raven blushed.
"Why?" Was all she said. She wasn't angry, buy she wasn't happy either. Although she had to admit, he was a pretty good kisser.
"Because spending the last couple days with you has made me realize that I don't want to live in a world where we're just casual friends. Raven; I need you to know how much I care for you."
"Beast Boy...I...don't know what to say."
"Say that you feel the same way, or that you at least want to be my girlfriend."
Raven nodded, "it's not that I don't want to be your girlfriend, because I think I do, I just..."
"Say it Rae, either tell me I'm too much of a goofball and way too far out of your league, or tell me that you care for me too and you want this."
"I do...care for you, Beast Boy. I'm scared is all. I'm worried that being happy will make my powers go crazy, I don't want to blow up or lose control. I don't want to hurt you."
"Raven..."
"What?"
"I know you, you could never hurt me."
"Not on purpose, no."
"Raven, don't you realize?"
"Realize what?"
"I just kissed you…nothing happened."
Raven looked to Beast Boy and thought about what he said, and he was right. They had kissed, and she hadn't lost control of her powers. In fact, it was quite the opposite. Her mind was racing but her powers seemed calm, almost…happy. Maybe there was more to it than she thought. Maybe instead of anger being the lead emotion, maybe it was…love.
"Beast Boy…can I…"
Beast Boy raised an eyebrow, curious what she was thinking. Instead of finishing her question, Raven just went for it. She wrapped her arms around Beast Boy's neck and pulled him in for a kiss. It started out very slow and cautious, Raven just waiting for something bad to happen, but when nothing did she decided to allow herself to feel, to really feel for the first time. She let go of her anger, of her anxiety, and of her frustration, and allowed herself to feel love and joy and it was elevating. Beast Boy wrapped his arms around her waist and deepened the kiss. To him it was everything; he had never felt happier than when kissing Raven, his best friend. After their little make-out session, Raven was the first to break away. They were both breathless and elated.
"Wow," Beast Boy exclaimed, "so I guess you do like me, huh?"
"I guess so," Raven nodded.
"What does this mean?"
"I…I want to try this Beast Boy. I want to try…us."
"I would like that," he grinned and gave her a peck on the cheek.
"But…can we keep this to ourselves? Just for a while, till we figure out whether this is going to work?"
"Whatever you want, Rae, I'm just happy to have you in my life."
"I'm happy too."
"I promise I'll do whatever it takes to keep you that way Raven."
She nodded, "so…you couldn't sleep?"
Beast Boy shook his head, "I was too busy thinking about this pretty girl. I was feeling kind of lonely without her, how 'bout you, you couldn't sleep either?"
Raven blushed, "I was feeling kind of lonely too."
Beast Boy hugged Raven for a while, then let go, assuming she probably wanted some space to figure things out or to meditate.
"Would you…stay?" she asked.
Beast Boys ears perked up. He'd been waiting what felt like forever to hear her say something like that, "of course."
Raven nodded and climbed into her bed, scooting over so that there was room for Beast Boy. At first he was very cautious, he didn't want to upset her or offend her in anyway, so he just lied next to her, but not touching her. Just being there with her was enough to make him feel so much better and he immediately felt tired. Raven wondered why he hadn't come to spoon her like they had on the couch, so she turned around and laid her head on his chest. When she did this Beast Boy's heart began to race. She had come to him. He stretched out and wrapped his arms around her and rested his chin against the top of her head, and they both fell asleep in minutes with smiles on their faces.
Epilogue
In the morning, they were surprised that they both woke up at the same time. They sat up in bed; they had stayed in the same position the whole night and were still cuddling when they woke up. It had been the best nights' sleep for both of them in a long time, and they felt rested and ready to take on the day. It was only awkward for a few minutes but then they got back into a happy groove and they were just excited to be together. Raven was just extremely happy that she was able to be happy, and not have to worry about her powers. Surprisingly, she felt more powerful and more in control than ever before. Is this love? She wondered. Her head was swimming with positivity and she surely wasn't used to that.
Looking over at Beast Boy, she took his hand in hers and squeezed it gently. Beast Boy smiled in response and gave her a quick kiss.
"You should probably sneak out," Raven said, forcing herself into reality.
He nodded, "unfortunately."
"Hey, we will tell them, when we're ready, but for now let's try to keep this a secret."
"Sure thing. I love you-" Beast Boy said it without thinking, it was just like when he would leave his mom for school and he'd say a quick I love you, but this was different because he was IN love with the woman, and they had JUST become official. Raven blushed at his remark.
"I mean I like you, I didn't mean to say love!" he stammered.
"Oh, so you don't love me?" she asked. Beast Boy had climbed out of bed, ready to sneak back to his own room, but Raven was still in bed in a t-shirt and PJ shorts.
"I do! Of course I do! I just…didn't mean to admit it so soon."
"It's okay. I love you too."
Beast Boys body went cold and stiff, "wait, really?"
She nodded, "it's hard to explain BB, but I do."
Beast Boy smiled from ear to ear and he jumped back in bed and hugged raven, his arms around her tightly.
"Cant. Breathe." Raven laughed.
"Oops, sorry, guess I just don't know my own strength," he smiled, flexing his sleeveless arms.
Raven laughed at his joke, probably one of the first times she ever had done so without sarcasm. She realized that maybe it was just her blocking her emotions that kept her from seeing how funny he actually was. And now that he wasn't trying to impress anyone, he was just being himself, and she loved him for that.
Beast Boy kissed Raven for what felt like a very long time before Raven pulled back and reminded him about needing to get ready for the day. He nodded, breathless, and headed off to his own room to get ready. Raven took a shower and put on her usual leotard and cloak, making sure to keep the hood up, and headed out to the commons room.
"Good morning friends!" Starfire exclaimed, "Did you sleep well?"
"Uh, yeah, thanks," Raven said, trying to hold in her joy. She knew she needed to pretend that nothing had changed, so she needed to be her normal, monotone, brooding self. She sat on the couch and started reading a book, and after eating breakfast, Beast Boy began playing video games with Cyborg as usual.
"Raven, I'm gunna make some coffee, do you want a tea?" Robin asked, getting the Keurig ready.
"Sure, thanks." Raven got up and went to kitchen to help. Once her tea was ready she stood facing the commons area, stirring her drink with a spoon. Beast Boy beat Cyborg in a round of Mario Cart and in between rounds he looked over to the kitchen, Raven was watching him and he fought the urge to wave at her or to just walk over to her and plant one on her. He settled for just smiling at her, and while she didn't return the smile, she couldn't hide the blush that appeared on her cheeks. She looked down and took a sip of her tea, trying to hide her face in her hood and cup.
The Teen Titans' alarm went off then and they all jumped into action. A few weeks and a dozen fights later, Raven and Beast Boy were finally ready to tell the group. The two were standing in Raven's room, they had spent every single night together since the first, and at that point they both agreed that they'd never be able to sleep alone again. Raven held Beast Boy's hand and held it against her cheek, breathing deeply.
"It's going to be okay Rae, I mean what is the literal worst that could happen, they could make fun of us?"
"Yes."
"Don't worry about what they think. I just want to be able to kiss you and not have to worry about them seeing."
"You're right, what's the worst that could happen?"
They let go of each other's hands momentarily and walked into the commons' room, where everyone else was doing their own thing. Raven put her hood up, still very nervous, but ready.
Beast Boy cleared his throat to get their attention, "everyone, there's something I'd like to announce."
Robin braced, ready for bad news, Starfire giggled, ready for good news, and Cyborg raised an eyebrow. He had noticed small changes in his friend and was wondering if this would reveal why he'd been acting so funny.
"I want everyone to know…that I am in love with Raven!" Beast Boy exclaimed.
"Whoa," said Robin.
"Yes!" screamed Star.
"I knew it!" yelled Cyborg, pumping a fist into the air.
Raven blushed and tried to hide, but she had nothing to hide behind. The three ran up to them and gave them a group hug, Starfire the most excited for them.
"I'm so happy for you!"
Raven took Beast Boy's hand to show that she returned the feelings, and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. It was the beginning of a beautiful life together. Finally Raven felt at home, like she was part of a family, and not just a group of teens with powers. Beast Boy had already felt the love from his family, but now they were all together and they could just be themselves. Love was no longer a stranger.