Should I be working on some other story(ies)? Undoubtedly. But recently, my best friend, who I refer to as Twin because we're so much alike, and I have been having some issues. She's been really obsessed with her new boyfriend, and it isn't that I mind him, we're actually good friends. It's just that feeling of being second in someone's eyes to someone they don't even know that well. Especially when you put that person first almost all the time. It sucks... Until you've got a friend to cheer you up. So this is my story told Titans-style.

Oh, and, again, this is told from Missy's point of view (read Not A Chance for more information on Missy).

AnyWhosen, ON WITH THE STORY!

3:09 pm

Raven sat on the couch in the Titans' common, a.k.a. living room. She had her face buried in her book, obviously wishing not to be bothered. Or at least, that's what it looked like to anyone who wasn't paying close attention. Sure, the book was in her hands, propped up on her knee. But she hadn't turned a single page in at least fifteen minutes, and her eyes weren't sweeping from side to side. They were staring in one specific spot. And on that specific spot, there sat a vibrant purple butterfly clip.

Raven wouldn't blink as she stared at the clip, and soon her eyes began to water from not blinking. So she took a deep breath and blinked once, pushing back the moisture and clearing her blurry vision.

As she sat there, she heard a familiar humming and made both the book, which she still hadn't read any of, and the clip disappear, going Azar knows where. She slouched where she had once been siting straight and snatched up the TV remote and began absently flipping through channels, trying to pretend she hadn't been waiting anxiously for this very moment.

"Friend Raven?" Starfire asked as the doors to the commons whooshed open, her feet floating inches above the floor.

"Yes?" replied Raven, her voice just a little less monotone than usual. In fact, she almost sounded cheerful. Or, as cheerful as she got.

"I was wodering..." Starfire started, drifting over. She continued, "Well, I am meant to be venturing to the mall of shopping later and..." she paused here, as if to make sure Raven was listening. Which she was, of course. Rather attentively, too.

"And?" Raven prompted, her voice showing just a bit of her eagerness.

"Well, I cannot find Robin, and I wish for him to go with me. Have you done the seeing of him?" Starfire asked hopefully.

Raven visibly deflated as she said, "Oh. No, I haven't actually. Sorry Starfire."

"I do suppose that my trip to the mall of shopping could wait until he resurfaces..." she murmured, turning and heading for the door.

Raven turned to glance at her friend. "If you'd really like to go now, you could tell Robin to meet you there and I could go wi-"

"Boyfriend Robin!" Starfire squealed happily, interrupting Raven and throwing her arms around her boyfriend as he walked in through the common doors.

"Ungh!" Robin groaned, unprepared for his girlfriend to suddenly attack him. "Hey, Star. Whatcha need?" he asked, pulling his head back a bit to glance at her.

"I was wondering if you would venture to the mall of shopping with me," she stated, turning her large green eyes to him.

"Of course. Do you need time to change, or..?" he asked, arching an eyebrow slightly.

"I think I'll just go like this," said Starfire, shrugging.

Robin nodded, saying, "Okay then. Lets go." He then did an about-face, heading her back out of the doors and sending a quick wave to Raven.

Sighing at there departure, Raven leaned back into the couch, practically disappearing into it's cushions. "Have fun..." she murmured softly, the butterfly clip reappearing between her fingers. She twisted it and turned it, glancing at it from all angles as if it held the secret to getting her best friend back. She sighed and raked a hand through her hair, which she'd have to cut again soon. It was nearly past her shoulders, but she'd been being lazy.

Almost without noticing it, she slipped the clip into her hair, pulling the right side back so it no longer brushed against her face. She sighed once more and got up to leave the room, her subconscious dimming the lights as she left.

The next day, Raven didn't leave her room.

And, fittingly, it rained all day.

And, for that day, Beastboy came to visit.

First, he tried to coax her out of the room. He claimed she at least had to eat. He saw a plate of spaghetti phase through her door that very same day.

12:06 pm

"Raven?" he asked softly, pressing his ear to the door. It was noon, and she still hadn't left her room. He was getting worried.

"Rae, C'mon. I know you've in there. You missed breakfast and lunch already. Are you sick? Do you need some sort of medicine or something?" questioned Beastboy softly.

Sighing, he pressed his ear to the door, for he wasn't sure that she hadn't gone put while he was still sleeping. But no, he could hear the familiar, even tone of her breathing. But, it wasn't really even. At least, not today.

"Raven, at least come out for a quick bit. You need to eat something," he insisted. He was then startled to see a plate of spaghetti float past his head and go straight through Raven's door.

"Fine then."

Then, he tried to get her to come to movie night. They were watching the 90's remake of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, simply because he knew that she secretly loved the book. He'd caught her reading it on multiple occasions.

7:19 pm

"Raven? We're about to start the movie for tonight. And, I uhh... I know that you don't usually like the movies that I pick, but I picked a good one tonight. Romeo and Juliet. But the not really old one. The newer one, with Leonardo DiCaprio," he said softly, hopefully.

"C'mon, Rae, please? I know you like this one. I've seen you reading the book about a gazillion times. You've got to come watch. Please?" he begged.

"Okay then. I'll see you, err, talk to you later."

But when neither of those worked, he simply resolved himself to sitting outside of her door for hours, talking to her. He told her about his most recent favorite comic book, and the weird comedy he'd gone to see the other day, but most of all, he talked about the rain. He talked about the rain, and how it the smell was so refreshing. How the sound was so comforting. How the feel was so soothing.

11:35 pm

"Well, yeah. So that's why I thought that movie was so weird. I mean, it was funny, but it was weird."

With that said, he sat there for another hour or so, just listening to the rain pitter-patter on the roof and pling-plop on the windows, leaned comfortably against her door.

"The rain is nice, you know. Have you ever smelled it? Like, really smelled it?" he asked, turning his head as if he expected her to answer. Which, of course, he didn't. "I mean, I know that you've never smelled it like I can, with my animal senses and all, but even without them, I'm sure that the smell is fantastic. The sound is nice to. It's calm. Smooth. Even. Y'know?" he asked quietly.

"But do you know what the best part is? The best part of it is the feeling. Especially in the Summer, like now. It's warm without being hot. It relieves you of all of that stress. Washes away your problems and the like."

And then, exhausted from his day of trying to convince her to join civilization, he went to his room to retire for the night, but resolved to return the next day.

12:57 am

Beastboy glanced at his watch and, seeing that it was practically one in the morning, stood, stretching. He glanced at the door mournfully, saddened by the fact that he hadn't gotten any sort of response out of her. Not even an angry "go away, Beastboy." He wished that he had gotten something, if only to know that she was alright. The last time Raven didn't want to come out of her room, Malchior had broken her heart. He didn't know what had happened to make her so upset this time, but it had to be something serious.

"Well, goodnight, Raven. I hope to see you tomorrow," he said, placing his hand against the door, as if he was going to say something else. But, as if he thought better of it, he took his hand from the door and sighed, shaking his head.

And with that, he walked down the hall, thinking of a way to get her out of her room for the next day.

When Beastboy came back the next day, it was still raining. of course, he didn't mind. He quite liked the rain.

He had a plan, one that was bound to get Raven out of her room.

But when he got there, the door was open a crack, and Raven was no where to be found.

So, of course, he went on a search.

10:13 am

Beastboy walked down the hall, a sly grin on his face.

This has to work, he thought, smiling to himself. If this doesn't work, then absolutely nothing will.

He finally reached her door and raised his fist to knock, only to see that it was open.

"Raven?" he asked gently, pushing the door open. But Raven wasn't in there. "Raven?" he asked again, heading from her room and down to the commons. Perhaps she'd just felt sick yesterday and was feeling better today. Good enough to be out and about.

But she wasn't in the commons.

"Raven!" he yelled, heading back to her room.

Beastboy was worried. Beyond worried, even. Where could she have gone?

He had to find her. So, he turned into a blood hound, following the scent of lavender tea and old books all through the tower. The scent lead him to a door. The door to the roof.

He initially thought that she could be meditating. But she never meditated on the roof in the rain.

So, of course, with Raven's recent behavior, Beastboy thought the worst. So he returned to human form and sprinted up the stairs, pushing open the door to the roof.

He opened the door slowly, worried at what he'd see. Even more worried and what he wouldn't see, but what he would smell.

But when he opened the door, what he saw was more astounding than anything he could have imagined.

He saw Raven.

Dancing.

In the rain.

10:37 am

Beastboy eased the door open slowly, taking deep breaths through his mouth. He was afraid of what he'd smell if he took a breath through his nose.

"Raven?" he asked softly as he opened the door enough to step through it. And, thank Azar, there she was, in one piece.

But there was something... odd. "Raven?" he asked again. This time, to make sure that it was her. It seemed impossible that this girl could be Raven, his Raven.

I mean, she was dancing.

Actual dancing.

In the rain.

And she was laughing.

She wasn't wearing her uniform, either. she had on sweat pants and a gray t-shirt, which was odd enough as it is.

But on top of that, she was dancing.

Beastboy watched her glide across the wet roof, bare foot, having no obviously beat, routine, or style of dance. She'd do a few turns here, a leap here, a cart wheel there... she was like a little kid. And it was a while before she noticed him.

But when she did, she stopped her dancing, staring at him with a slight smile dancing on her lips.

"Raven..?" Beastboy asked for a final time, his eyes wide.

Raven's eyes were wide as well, though not in surprise. They were wide with excitement. Like a child's eyes on Christmas day.

"Yes?" she replied, her voice lacking it's usual monotone. she was drenched, and her violet hair, which she still hadn't cut, dripped down her back.

"Are you... okay?" he asked, eyes wide as he continued watching her skeptically.

She nodded, saying, "The rain. You mentioned the rain. The way it sounds, the way it smells, the way it feels."

He just kept watching her warily.

"I had to experience it. At first I was just standing here but then... then it started to feel really nice. I wanted to move. Something weird came over me, but I didn't fight it."

He didn't take his eyes off of her, but his face, so startled, began to break, splitting into a smile.

"I'm glad you're okay."

"Yeah. Me, too."

Yes, it was sappy and cheesy, but I thought it was cute because of the holidays, and I wanted to write a story about how, even when they don't know what's wrong with you, a guy best friend will always know how to cheer you up, even if they don't know that they did it. I hope you enjoyed it, because I enjoyed living it and writing it.

Also, I know that Raven seemed vary OOC in this, but I feel like, after as many years together as they've had, she's kind of grown to depend on Starfire's little-sister-like quality. It's something she'd grown to love. And when Starfire almost... ignores her completely, Raven doesn't really know how to deal with it. I mean, if you were a recluse who's best friend was her little sister, and your sister stopped needing you altogether, how would you handle it?

Happy Hanukkah, Merry Christmas, and Happy New Year!

Always with love,

~LBB