Shuffling nervously from foot to foot, Beast Boy stared at the metal door before him. It was an ordinary door, not unlike the others in the tower. Tall, sleek, and cold to the touch. And it would open for him, no problem. All he had to do was push the little button beside it. An ordinary button. Chrome. Designed by Cyborg - and the metal man had great taste. It was the perfect chrome button to accompany a very fine chrome door. A sliding door. A door that would slide open with just the push of a button (and what a button it was!).

Easy, right? Push the button; enter the room. Piece of cake.

But beyond that door? No cake in sight.

Despite Cyborg 'sound-proofing' most of the rooms in the tower, Beast Boy's sensitive ears could pick up the sounds of labored breathing from the room before him. A gasp, a grunt, an occasional curse-word; barely muffled by the metal between.

Shoving his hands into the pockets of his gym shorts, Beast Boy continued to stare ahead, his eyes hardly registering his distorted reflection before him as his ears strained to hear the ongoings in the room.

Raven hadn't been lying about the extra training.

He could hear her mumble another curse beneath her breath as Robin lightly lectured her on her form. It seemed their dutiful leader had expected more from the empath, if the disappointment in his voice was anything to go by.

Raven, herself, was beginning to sound rather annoyed. And, in what had to have been one of the unhealthiest thoughts to ever pass through the changeling's mind, Beast Boy found himself kinda jealous. Annoyed was an emotion strictly reserved for him, thank you very much.

Pushing aside that thought, Beast Boy glanced at the button to his left. Raven had invited him to workout with her, and she surely was expecting him. It was a date, after all (or so she had so eloquently put it).

But, well, there was one tiny little detail that his pretty little half-demon forgot to mention: Robin would be joining them.

Further cementing the fact that this date was just a poorly-chosen phrase on the empath's part, Beast Boy felt his resolve weaken. He had trekked down to the gym with every intention of enjoying his workout with Raven, and doing so without dwelling on the mad-lib noun she had so carelessly used. But knowing that Robin was in there, too, and hearing the way he was barking orders?

Yeah, suddenly this workout sounded more like training, and training didn't sound nearly as fun. Though, the thought of seeing Raven in her workout clothes was something to look forward to.

With the image of a flushed, panting, scantily-clad sorceress creeping into his mind, Beast Boy jumped as the door before him slid open.

Watching as two heads whipped in his direction, he sent his treacherous finger a stern look. How dare it press buttons without his explicit permission!

"Uh, hey, Beast Boy..?"

The surprise in the Boy Wonder's voice was enough to distract the changeling from mentally scolding his finger. Steeling his resolve, Beast Boy directed his sights back towards the two titans before him, who were currently in the midst of some slow-mo, half-baked defense maneuver.

"H-hey," the shapeshifter offered sheepishly, ignoring the sharp pang in his chest at the sight of Robin pinning Raven's arms behind her back.

His teammates' expressions were unreadable as they slowly separated, Robin tentatively releasing his hold of Raven as she stepped away from him, before gingerly rubbing her wrist. Robin hadn't hurt her, right?

Tearing his eyes from the empath, Beast Boy shot his leader a forced grin as he slowly crept into the room. "What's up?"

He watched as Robin stepped off of the wrestling mat, his workout shoes squeaking loudly against the linoleum floor. "Just teaching Raven some self-defense tactics," the masked titan answered after a moment, his hand reaching for the sports drink on the bench before him.

Beast Boy nodded absently, mentally berating himself for the sudden possessive feeling that the sight of Raven standing so close to another male brought. It wasn't necessarily something he felt that often; in fact, it really only reared its ugly head when the contact was rather unexpected. Like, for instance, anytime Adonis would corner her in battle, or the way her grimy fan-boys would cling to her during photo-ops. It also didn't help that she was dressed in tight spandex leggings and a loose-fitting maroon tank-top, with the grey material of her sports bra peeking through.

Swallowing nervously, Beast Boy tried to ignore the bead of sweat that slowly trailed its way towards Raven's cleavage, and he instead forced himself to look at her face.

Her cheeks were flushed a deliciously pink color, with a thin layer of sweat coating her forehead. Her violet locks were pulled back into a braid of some sort (courtesy of Starfire, he assumed), and her mouth was resting in a small pout.

Again, it was unreal how nice she looked, when he knew for a fact that if it had been him all sweaty and flushed, nice would be the last description anyone would use.

"Care to join us?" Robin mused, taking a swig of the blue liquid and bringing the changeling back to reality.

Beast Boy opened his mouth to respond, but the empath beat him to it.

"I actually invited him to join," she admitted dryly, her eyes leisurely trailing up Beast Boy, as if she were silently scrutinizing his outfit. Suddenly feeling very self-conscious, the changeling glanced down, hurriedly scanning his baby-blue t-shirt for any wrinkles or forgotten stains.

"Huh," Robin replied, arching his brow, before a small smile tugged at his lips. "Good thinking, Raven. Beast Boy's height and build are more similar to yours, which means a fairer fight."

Scoffing at the implication, Beast Boy narrowed his eyes at his leader. "What is that supposed to mean?" he snapped, having half a mind to be offended. It wasn't like the Boy Wonder was some kind of behemoth; he barely surpassed Starfire in height.

But Robin only shrugged. "I'm just stating the obvious," he answered simply. "You guys are closest in size, as the two smallest. No offense."

Still feeling the urge to defend himself, the changeling huffed. "Small? Dude, I've got like, three inches on Rae, and like, thirty pounds!" he insisted, stepping further into the room while gesturing towards the empath wildly. "If anyone's small, it's her! I mean, she's so tiny!" Again, he found his eyes drawn to her, though he took full advantage of checking her out (under the guise of comparing them, of course). Had he ever mentioned how much he loved leggings?

Raven merely rolled her eyes in response to his comment. "I'm of average height for my age and gender," she deadpanned, crossing her arms over her stomach.

Beast Boy waved his hand dismissively, grinning despite himself. "Not for a superhero - you're, like, way tiny for a superhero," he pointed out teasingly. Although, if the changeling were to be honest, he kinda liked that Raven was on the smaller side, seeing how he was also rather short for a hero. Plus, knowing how much power was hidden within that petite frame of hers? Kinda hot.

Though, obviously, Raven was unaware of his sentiments. "Sorry my body isn't up to your standard," she replied, her voice flat and uncaring.

Beast Boy could feel himself blush as he bit his tongue, not trusting himself to speak. Truthfully, Raven's body was the standard - she was lean yet curvy, her body shape best described as an athletic hourglass. She was like, straight-up bombshell status. A total babe.

But, naturally, telling her that would be highly inappropriate and would most likely result in him being tossed into the bay. So, again, he refrained from speaking.

Luckily, Robin kept them from falling into an awkward silence. "We can't do anything about your height, but we can increase your strength," their leader began, setting his drink back down before stepping onto the mat. "Okay, Beast Boy - I need you to stand here." He gestured towards the middle of the mat, giving the changeling a pointed stare through his mask.

His shoulders slumping as he sighed, Beast Boy shyly made his way towards his teammate.

"Okay, Raven," Robin continued, beckoning the empath with the wave of his hand. "I need you to stand directly in front of Beast Boy," he ordered.

Beast Boy stiffened slightly as Raven stepped in front of him, the smell of her heady sweat and lavender shampoo wafting towards his nose as she turned her back to him. He inhaled greedily, allowing himself to momentarily enjoy the intoxicating aroma, before tuning back in to his leader's instructions.

"Alright, Beast Boy, I need you to hook your arms under Raven's, like you're trying to drag her away," Robin explained, motioning with his own arms what needed to be done.

Beast Boy nodded slowly, before hesitantly doing as told. The feeling of his forearm making direct contact with the half-demon's skin sent a pleasant jolt through his body, though he did his best to ignore it as he pulled her towards him.

Raven idly leaned into his hold, her head bobbing slightly as she waited for Robin's next step.

"You can be a little more forceful - she's not gonna break," the masked titan mused lightly, giving the changeling a smirk.

Beast Boy swallowed down the lump in his throat as he nodded, before warily pulling the empath flush against him.

His heart was beating against his chest so hard, he wondered if Raven could feel it. Again, she seemed nonplussed by their position and continued to wait patiently as Robin mimed her next move. Beast Boy, on the other hand, didn't pay their leader any attention, for every part of him was currently preoccupied with the fact that Raven was so close.

She was colder than he had expected, though the shapeshifter tended to run hot. Still, it was a stark difference to most people's body temperature, and Beast Boy found he kinda liked it. She was also incredibly soft; her pale skin smooth and unblemished. Like porcelain. Soft porcelain. Was that a thing? Probably not.

Raven shifted slightly as she listened to Robin, and Beast Boy suddenly found her a lot closer. Despite being taller than her, she had incredibly long legs, so when she adjusted her position against him, her backside rubbed against a certain part of the changeling's anatomy that he held near and dear.

A certain part of his anatomy that he was hoping wouldn't realize his teammate's proximity.

His face flushing furiously, Beast Boy attempted to put a little space between himself and Raven; at least before nature took its course and his hormones acted without his consent.

Unfortunately, it seemed the empath was entirely unaware of the predicament she was causing, and again pushed herself against him.

He tried to ignore the feeling of her ass (firm, yet soft, and wow, it was so totally - wait, NO!), and instead directed his focus towards their leader.

Robin was still miming to the empath, who had begun to tentatively mimic the masked titan's moves as she rolled her shoulders against Beast Boy's chest. Again, the sensation sent another jolt through his body, and he felt a telltale twitch in his nether regions.

Suppressing a whimper, Beast Boy discreetly tried to separate their bodies, while still keeping a firm hold, lest Robin call him out on 'taking it easy' on the empath. He could feel her shift again, but he barely had time to register her placement when he suddenly found himself flipping forward, before landing on his back with a solid smack.

The air rushing from his lungs, the changeling stared at the ceiling above him in confusion. "...Ow," he croaked after a moment, his mind finally registering the pain. Yep, that was gonna bruise.

His vision of the ceiling was soon obscured by the faces of his teammates, who were looking down at him in amusement.

"I told you to brace for impact," Robin stated plainly, giving the green titan a smirk. Raven just regarded him coolly, her eyebrow arching as her eyes slowly drifted over his face, down his torso and towards -

An unmanly yelp escaped Beast Boy's lips as he hurriedly rolled onto his stomach, effectively hiding his rather embarrassing... guest. Luckily, his teammates seemed unaware of their new companion, and continued to stare bemusedly at the shapeshifter.

"You okay?" Robin asked hesitantly, though his smirk persisted.

Beast Boy could only nod as he laid the side of his face against the cool, flat surface of the mat. Inhale... One, two, three... Exhale... Inhale... One, two, three... he counted mentally, hoping to dispel any lingering emotions that the empath could potentially pick up on. Although, it wasn't necessarily his fault that he had gotten a little excited. After all, Raven was the one shoving herself all up against his business. It was basic math: Raven's ass, plus physical contact with it, equaled the need for a long, cold shower. And finding that she smelled so fucking good when she was all sweaty and breathless also contributed to the equation, further cementing the fact that Beast Boy's reaction was totally out of his hands.

So he popped a boner? Sue him! He was young, healthy, and in the presence of Raven. It wasn't the first time, and it sure as hell wasn't going to be the last. He was just gonna lie here until it was gone. No biggie.

"Are you planning on getting back up?" Robin mused after a moment, lightly nudging the green teen with his foot.

"Nope," Beast Boy replied bluntly.

The titan's leader merely chuckled, before the sound of his retreating footsteps met the changeling's ears, along with the whooshing of the door.

Raven, on the other hand, remained rooted in her spot. He couldn't exactly see her face from his current location, but her feet were in his peripheral vision. She was wearing a simple pair of black sneakers - nothing fancy or overly athletic. Her socks were peeking out around her ankles; a crisp white, most likely cotton. Basic.

Plain socks and sneakers. Dark, pattern-less clothing. Mundane. Boring.

Boring. Like her books. Or one of Robin's lectures. Or watching the weather channel.

Feeling his problem slowly subside, Beast Boy warily lifted his head, his eyes hurriedly passing over Raven's body before meeting her inquisitive gaze.

"Having fun?" she deadpanned, her violet eyes tinted with mirth.

Beast Boy forced a winning smile. "Oh, tons," he replied, borrowing a pinch of her dry wit.

Raven merely arched her brow.

Beast Boy continued to smile as he propped himself up on his elbows, his head resting in his hands. "We should totally do this again sometime," he suggested, his tone dripping with sarcasm.

His breath hitched slightly when Raven smiled in response, and though it still wasn't a grin, he could have sworn he saw a hint of teeth. But before he could dwell on how pretty she looked when smiling, reality slapped him in the face. This was Raven. And thinking those things about Raven was not allowed. She was his teammate. His friend. His best friend's younger 'sister'.

She was off-limits. Sooooo completely off-limits. No matter how pretty she looked with a smile. Or with a frown. Or just in general.

No, he growled internally. Stop it. Do not think of her like that.

His brows furrowing, Beast Boy pushed himself off of the floor and back onto his feet. He still felt slightly winded, but the smell of the unclean wrestling mat was beginning to aggravate his sensitive nose. His eyes avoiding Raven's, he quickly dusted off his clothing as he took a step away from her, giving him some much needed space.

Space between them was good. Normal. Less confusing.

Again, the empath seemed unbothered by his actions, and he watched from the corner of his eye as she idly inspected her fingernails. They were unpainted, unlike her toenails. Was that weird? Did girls do stuff like that? Starfire's nails were always manicured, weren't they? Sure, he didn't inspect the alien nearly as much as the half-demon before him, but he did find his attention wandering towards the redhead every now and then.

Not in like, a pervy way, though. Starfire was absolutely gorgeous, sure, and he sometimes found himself in awe of her alien beauty. But it was in a friendly, appreciative sort of way. Like looking at a sunset, or a flower. He could acknowledge her beauty without feeling guilty.

With Raven, though? Ugh, he felt way too much.

...

Guilt! He felt way too much guilt! Nothing else!

His heart-rate quickening, Beast Boy refrained from mentally chastising himself, and instead repeated his breathe, one-two-three thing. He knew Raven wouldn't actively try to sense his emotions, but the thought of her picking up on even a hint of what he was feeling terrified him.

Wait! Scratch that! He wasn't, like, feeling anything for her! Aside from companionship. And panic. Sparing her a quick glance, he could feel the color drain from his face as she returned his gaze with a pointed look.

She wasn't reading him right now, was she? Oh, god - if she was, she was totally going to get the wrong idea!

Inhale, one-two-three, exhale. Inhale,onetwothree,exhale.

Raven cocked her head to the side as she continued to observe him. "Are you feeling okay?"

He tried to smile, but his mind was too busy freaking out to properly control the muscles of his face. "Yep!" he answered squeakily. Okay, his voice still worked. That was good.

Raven looked unconvinced, taking a small step towards him.

Not so good.

"Are you sure?" she pressed, her voice devoid of the concern she was possibly feeling, if her slight frown was any indication.

Beast Boy took a step backwards. Space. "Yeah, I'm fine!" he insisted, though his body betrayed him as he nervously rubbed the back of his neck. "Just, uh, a little dizzy, is all," he added awkwardly, forcing a smile. "It's only been, what, a day since my concussion?"

Raven seemed unaffected by his disarming grin. "Perhaps sparring so soon after your injury was a bad idea," she deadpanned, her eyes searching his skeptically. "I shouldn't have suggested it."

He watched as her eyes fell to the floor, the frown on her lips becoming more apparent. Suddenly feeling guilty for a whole new reason, Beast Boy animatedly waved his hands in front of him. "No, no, no!" he exclaimed, taking a small step towards her. "This was fun! I mean, not the whole 'getting thrown on the ground thing', but, like, the hanging out with you! I like hanging out with you, Rae! We don't do it nearly as much as we should."

He blushed slightly as the words left his mouth, though everything he said was true. And friendly.

Raven's gaze hesitantly met his, though nearly a minute of silence passed between them before she spoke. (Why did she do things like that? It made everything so awkward. Did she not know how to have a normal conversation?)

Still, it took her a moment to mull over his words. "Huh. You're right," she concluded, crossing her arms over her stomach. "We don't hang out very often. We should change that."

A genuine smile split the changeling's face into two. "Totally!" he agreed, his enthusiasm undeniably apparent.

Raven gave him a curt nod, her eyes boring into his in a way that probably should have scared him (or, at the very least, prepared him for what she was about to say). "Maybe we can get dinner some time." It wasn't a question.

Beast Boy's smile waned as he attempted to quickly process her statement. Still, it took several seconds for her words to sink in fully, before the changeling felt his entire world come to a sudden, crashing halt. "Uh... wha... huh?"

But Raven remained stoic. "Tomorrow?" she continued, unaware that Beast Boy's brain was no longer working. "Your choice of restaurant, of course. I'm not sure what is 'Garfield-friendly'," she admitted, shrugging.

The use of his real name threw him off even further, his mouth opening and closing as he searched for something - anything - to say.

"D-d-dinner..?" he repeated dumbly.

Raven nodded once more, seemingly unfazed by his bewilderment. "I'll let you think about it," she offered, before slowly making her way towards the exit. "Where we're going, that is," she quickly amended, her hand hovering over the button beside the door as she regarded him from over her shoulder. "The dinner part is non-negotiable."

Again, his ears were met with the whoosh of the door, before he found himself standing alone in the training room. The synapses in his brain slowly firing back up, Beast Boy's face twisted into a scowl.

...Dinner?

What the hell was happening?

Thank you to everyone who has reviewed, faved, and followed! I'm thrilled to see your excitement for this story, and I hope I am able to deliver! Stay tuned? :)