Chapter 2: Getting to Know You
Starfire made it back to the tower with Luna in tow, bringing her into the living room. "Tomorrow is Christmas Day, my friends and I exchange gifts in the morning so I'm not sure how long you can stay, but you will stay for dinner. We will talk to Robin soon."
Luna nodded and looked around. She walked to the kitchen and made herself some tea.
"Excuse me, but how did you know where everything was?" Starfire asked, Luna froze in her motions.
She couldn't think of an answer, but was saved when the doors whooshed open. Both girls turned to see Beast Boy walk in. He had bags beneath his eyes, and wasn't in uniform. He wore instead a dark purple sweater and black jeans.
"Star, why you up so late? Who's your friend?" He looked between the girls, and noticed the new girl was making tea.
"Her name is Luna, she will be staying here until she can make her own way," Starfire said, though she wasn't quite ready to give up how Luna knew where everything was. "How are you?"
Beast Boy sighed heavily. "I wish you would all stop asking me that."
"I'm sorry, but it's the anniversary-"
"I know what today is!" He snapped, then drew in a breath. "Sorry."
Luna signed to Starfire. "What is today?"
"The anniversary of the day we lost our friend," Starfire replied softly, glancing at Beast Boy afraid he'd yell again. "Why don't you finish that, then come with me to my room." Luna nodded in reply, finishing making her cup.
Luna kept glancing over at Beast Boy, he pulled something from the cupboard. It looked like a present. "Who's that for?"
"Beast Boy, she wishes to know who that's for?"
"No one," he shook his head, before placing it under the tree.
"I see," Starfire noted sadly. "Come Luna, I wish to get my mind off of what today represents." The girls left the room, Luna watching Beast Boy over her shoulder as he slumped on the couch. "He does not sleep much anymore."
They entered Starfire's room, and sat on the bed.
"Please I wish to know something," Luna's muscles slumped as she waited for the inevitable. "How did you…" Luna looked up, her blue eyes meeting Starfire's green. Starfire inhaled sharply as the familiar blue eyes stared back at her. "Raven...but how?"
"When I died I met my Lady Azar, she offered me a deal. I have until midnight on the 31st to win Beast Boy, and I get to come back."
Starfire's eyes watered, she pulled Luna into a tight hug. She pulled back. "I cannot believe this. I am so happy...Beast Boy will be so hap-"
Luna shook her head frantically. "You can't tell him! He has to fall for me on his own."
"Oh I see," she nodded. "How do you intend to-" Luna shrugged, her face falling. "Well you have been introduced, do you know how to flirt?"
Luna face palmed, shaking her head. "I've never been able to show emotions before. I've never flirted in my life!"
"Well Robin and I have been together for a while now, I can help." Starfire smiled. "We have the rest of the night to practice."
The sun came up and the girls yawned, neither having been able to sleep.
"Let's go to breakfast," Luna nodded and followed the alien out to the kitchenette.
"Morning Star...who's your friend?" Both girls looked up to see Cyborg and Robin eating breakfast. Luna looked around and realized that Beast Boy was gone.
She signed to Starfire. "It's ok to tell them."
"It is friend Raven, but she is now known as Luna." Starfire said quietly, a small smile on her face. "Friend Beast Boy cannot know, but we need to let them bond and fall in love, by the new year."
"That's a lot to take in," Cyborg said shaking his head. "But ok, weirder things have happened." Luna smiled at him. "Now that I'll have to get used to." He wrapped the small girl in a hug. "Good to have you back."
"The new year, that's not a lot of time." Robin said as she was then passed into his embrace. She shrugged embarrassed. When she was free she was blushing.
"Did you all miss me that much?"
"Of course we did," Starfire said with a large smile. "Now let us commence with the gift opening. I'll be right back."
She returned moments later with an armful of gifts.
"These are yours from last year," she handed the stack to Luna. Luna in turn shook her head.
"I can't, I'm not technically myself." She signed. Starfire looked crestfallen, but nodded.
"I suppose you may open them when you are truly back." Starfire moved them into a small cupboard near the kitchen. "Seeing as our friend would get suspicious and it would ruin everything."
"Come on now, let's open presents." Cyborg placated, gesturing to the large tree near the couch.
"But friend Beast Boy-"
"I'm here," he said softly from the door. He made his way silently to the couch. The other Titans and Luna followed him, Luna stayed toward the end farthest from them and let the others have their moment. She wished desperately to join them, but sufficed to stay at the sideline, watching their happy reactions. She watched Beast Boy as he pretended to be excited about his gifts, but she could see the pain plastered all over his face.
"Friend Luna, I am sorry had we known you were coming we would have-"
"Don't sweat it," Luna signed with a small smile. She glanced at the tree and saw a small gift still under the tree. "What's that?"
"She wishes to know what the last present is," Starfire explained to the others.
"It was supposed to be my present to Raven last year," Beast Boy replied solemnly. "Now she'll never get to open it." Luna watched him sadly as he walked away from them all. Starfire stared at her meaningfully.
"Go after him," she muttered so the changeling couldn't hear.
"What do you expect me to do, he doesn't understand ASL." Luna signed irritated. Starfire jumped up and searched the small kitchenette. The noise from her search stopped Beast Boy in his tracks, he watched her strangely, as did the others.
"Star what are you-"
"Aha!" She shouted triumphantly, brandishing a pen and pad. "Beast Boy, Luna would like a tour." She handed the utensils to Luna, who stared at her in shock.
"Why don't you-"
"I cannot, Robin promised to take me out," she grabbed his arm and dragged him toward the front doors. She shot Cyborg a deadly look.
"Well my baby needs a tune up, check you later."
"Subtle guys," Beast Boy sighed, he glanced at Luna. It was actually difficult to look at her considering her eyes reminded him of Raven's and that sent a pang through his heart. "Well come on I guess."
Luna followed him around the tower, even though she knew where everything was, she pretended it was her first time. She put on an awestruck look at everything that he showed her.
"So you've already seen Star's room," he said motioning toward the aliens room. "But these are the bedrooms. You're welcome to look at any of them, except that last one on the right. No one goes in there anymore."
Was it your lost friend's? She wrote for him.
His gaze turned hard at the mention of Raven. "Yes, so don't go in there. All right, I think that's everything. If you'll excuse me." He disappeared into his room abruptly.
Luna sighed heavily, wondering why none of them had gone into her room in the last year. She glanced at his door, and hoped he wouldn't come out any time soon. She pressed the button to open her door, it was as clean as she'd left it the morning before she died.
She walked over to the bookshelves and ran her fingers along the familiar spines. She smiled as she found a very worn spine, she pulled it from the shelf. It was a scrapbook Starfire had insisted on helping her make. She'd been very against the whole idea, but secretly had loved doing this with her best friend.
She opened the black leather cover, to the first page which was a group picture of the Titans. The picture itself had been taken at the park, Cyborg was giving Beast Boy bunny ears, the changeling himself had a huge smile on his face with an arm around the shy looking empath, who covered it with a forced annoyed look. Next to her was Robin who had a shocked look on his face, which was red as Starfire kissed his cheek. She ran her finger over the picture, a single tear falling onto it's surface.
"I told you not to come in here!" His angry voice caused her to jump violently. She turned and glared fiercely at him.
It's not a crime to be curious!
"Maybe not, but I told you-"
She might be gone, but you can't keep people out of here! Maybe they want to know about her and remember her!
Those words struck him silent, he stared at her. He realized then, he was the reason the others no longer came in here. "It's been a year, but it still feels like yesterday...I didn't even get to…"
"Luna, Beast Boy...where are-" They turned to see Starfire was in the doorway looking surprised. "I didn't know…"
"We were just finishing," Luna signed to Starfire, giving Beast Boy a meaningful look. She scribbled down a note and shoved it at him, before following the alien out of the bedroom.
Grief is fine, just don't let it consume you. Maybe it's time to move forward.
Beast Boy stared ashamed after the two girls. He hadn't meant to lose his temper with Luna, but whenever it came to Raven his emotions ran high.