Gaming night
The controller felt warm in his gloved hands and the screen stared back at him as bright pixels of colored light illuminated the screen.
Of course it would feel that way if you had to sit for 20 minutes for an opponent worthy of your skills to challenge you to a race off on the newest and hardest racing game yet.
But of course, Beast Boy could also understand if they were scared of losing – or that was what he thought. "Dude, I can totally understand if you're scared out of your wits but how do you think you can beat me if you just chicken out of every challenge?" Beast Boy chastised his best friend who just stepped out of the kitchen.
Cyborg shot him an angry glare. "And who was the one who beat you just this morning in the same game you want to play right now? I think it's not me who is scared but you who is just a sore loser," the half-robot smirked afterwards.
"You cheated!" Beast Boy shouted, pointing an accusing finger at him.
"How is telling you that 'Robin is behind us' called cheating?"
"You know how he acts when the bad guy gets past him. Remember he just shut off the Gamestation in the middle of my boss fight the last time?" Beast Boy cried.
"I just told you that he was behind us, not staring at us. It was your fault for turning back," Cyborg said, visibly enjoying how the shape-shifter pouted angrily. "And its 11:00 at night and I need to recharge," the half-robot mumbled before he walked out of the common room.
Beast Boy scoffed, seeing that even his best friend left him alone. Ok…he asked Starfire and Robin already. So the one that was left was…Raven.
This was one hard nut he had to crack yet – but what could he do after even glue didn't work?
And he certainly didn't feel like waiting for another 20 minutes to give her space to come out of her room herself.
With a sigh, the shape-shifter stood up, making his way towards the half-demon's room and wondering how he possibly could convince her to play.
He came to a stop in front of Raven's room, rehearsing his possible lines of persuasion, starting with the simplest one.
"Hey, Rae! I know you're a night owl and probably don't sleep at night so…I thought maybe you-"
Her door slid open and Raven appeared in front of him.
"No!" she replied curtly and his face fell in utter astonishment.
"W-what are you doing here? I thought you were meditating."
"I was…until I heard your annoying voice from behind my door," she replied and floated past him.
"And you suddenly changed your mind?"
"What makes you think that?" Raven inquired.
"You didn't give me any looks and I'm pretty sure that's the way to the common room," the shape-shifter felt a smirk pulling on his face.
"You know I didn't have exactly a good day, Beast Boy!" she said annoyed and Beast Boy remembered that she almost got crushed under a collapsing roof today. "I'm going to the roof," she replied in her monotone voice.
"For what – watching stars?" he asked confused.
"To get some sleep," she replied before she disappeared at the end of the hallway.
Beast Boy let out a tired sigh as he found himself alone once again before his head shot up. Raven just reminded him that there was someone else who might want to try her luck. The shape-shifter dashed excitedly along the corridor before he came to a stop in front of another door.
"Terra?" he asked carefully, not wanting to wake her if she was asleep.
At first no sound came out…but right before he wanted to turn away, he heard Terra's angry grunt from beneath the door.
He stepped inside the room and saw that Terra sat in the middle of her room, her back facing him. Slowly, he walked around her and he looked on in confusion.
Several rocks of different sizes floated in front of the sixth Titan, circling around each other one by one. One swung to the left and another swung to the right as the rocks passed over or below one another, covered in a yellow glow. And as the rocks kept moving in small circles, Terra's fingers twitched to their movement, directing them to her will.
Suddenly one of the rocks, moved out of its orbit and flung sharply to the front, lodging itself inside the wall next to the door.
Terra narrowed her eyes angrily, realizing that she had lost yet another rock. She closed her eyes.
"What are you doing?"
She gasped before the glow from her hand and the rocks disappeared. She glanced away, not even meeting his eyes. "Nothing," she mumbled as her gaze fell to her clenched hands in front of her.
But he caught the hint of disappointment in them and a smile spread on his face, realizing that this had to do with Raven's mood today. "Wanna know how to get those fingers back in shape?"
She looked up in confusion at him.
"Just trust me!" he said and took her hand.
"Why do you think my fingers-"
"Don't worry! It'll be fun!" he said and pulled the confused girl out of her room.
They reached the common room and Beast Boy dropped himself on the couch, pulling her into sitting position next to him.
"Beast Boy!" Terra cried annoyed before a controller landed in her hands and her annoyance changed to confusion.
Her eyes shifted to the TV and saw that the shape-shifter already chose his car from the roster.
"This might help," she heard him say and her eyes lowered in sadness. "I-I'm not sure," she murmured, her fingers running along the various buttons on the controller.
"You won't know unless you try, right? And I think you might be a worthy opponent," he smirked smugly.
She managed a smile, hearing the word 'worthy'. Her head moved towards the screen and the shape-shifter's mood lifted when seeing her choose a car as well before the race began.
"Ready, set…go!"
Terra immediately pressed down onto the button on her right, propelling her car forward, Beast Boy's car following close behind. The track was straight at first, the two cars passing each other at close intervals before the first curve came up. "Just stay away from those falling boulders," Beast Boy said, his car moving closer to the outer part of the curve.
"What boulders? I don't-"
Suddenly rocks of large sizes rolled down from the mountainous side along the track and one of them slammed full force into her car, almost causing her car to skid off the track and down the canyon.
But Terra managed to gain control with rapid button mashing and followed the changeling's car along a sloping street now.
"You could have told me about those," Terra said but the changeling shrugged it off.
"And risk losing to you? Nu-uh."
Terra frowned upon his reply and pressed onto a button to her right side of the controller. Suddenly her car burst forward as the car's exhausts burst with blue flames. Her car rammed his from the side as she was about to pass him along another sharp curve. But the changeling kept his control on his vehicle, slowly forcing her towards the mountain to her left.
Her car rammed the rocks once before Beast Boy pressed the same button she still had her finger on before his car shot forward for a moment. Terra's car though made a sharp turn after having hit the rocky mountain wall, currently speeding towards the edge of the track.
The shape-shifter snuck a peek at her and saw that her concentrated expression vanished as she let out a frustrated groan. "Don't tell me you want to give up now? You might still make it…that is if you can make it to me," he said self-confident.
Terra, once again managed to make the car obey her and stop the spinning before she pressed the button for the nitrous boost again. It didn't take long for Terra's car to be again behind the changeling's, fighting for a way to pass him. But as the two vehicles sped down a sharp slope, Terra loosened her grip on her controller after she ran out of nitrous and the shape-shifter caught on that.
She had felt her fingers' movement increase in pace and precision when she pressed the various buttons alternatively ever since she stated playing with him and she realized what Beast Boy meant when he said he found a way to help her get her hands under better control.
But he also showed her that she still had a long way to go – just like with her powers.
If only she could beat him, then maybe…
"Incoming!" she heard the shape-shifter cry out in panic before she saw that the changeling's car made a full stop as a boulder rolled past the front of his car.
Terra clutched the controller in sudden motion before her car made a sharp turn, hitting Beast Boy's car from behind in the process. And her eyes opened wide, as his car made a sharp turn to the left…before she saw that it disappeared as it tumbled down the canyon.
The words 'Game Over' flashed on his side of the screen.
The shape-shifter felt a warm feeling spreading through him, seeing a smile spread slowly on Terra's face. "What just happened?" Beast Boy cried, 'devastated' that he had been taken out half-way in the race.
Terra glanced at him before her eyes wandered back to the screen, the moments just now replaying in her mind. "Yeah. How did that happen, Beast Boy?" she asked and faced him with a scrutinizing look.
"Huh? How should I know? Your car just rammed me full-force and-"
"You know this game better than I do. You knew on what side of the track to drive to avoid those boulders and you always kept me on your tail, once even almost shoving me off the track – all without even breaking a sweat," she said, her voice hinting at suspicion.
"I guess…you're a worthy opponent," he smiled and she realized that he was lying to her.
In one sudden movement, Terra wrapped her arms around him in a tight hug, causing him to drop his controller. "That's the nicest thing somebody has ever told me,' she smiled before she removed her arms from him and came across his blushing face. "And I guess I can tell those rocks now who's boss," she smirked.
Beast Boy's blush faded, hearing her sentence.
She was lying.
He smiled at her, seeing her hopeful expression.
Sometimes a little lie is all one needs to make someone happy.