"I can't believe it... They actually trust me!"
I stared down at the little black and yellow communicator in my hand. Something so small and innocent with such a weighty meaning. I was part of the team. Or, at least that's what the Titans thought. Phase one of the Plan was officially a success. The hardest part was over. I was in. I just had to stay in.
I looked around at my new room, admiring the work they'd probably put into it for me. If they weren't a bunch of traitors, I might actually be touched. The desert mural, the stars... And it had been a while since I had a real bed. I made my way over to it and ran my hand over the blankets. It had been a long day of acting and rock-slinging. Time for a nice, relaxing rest.
I looked groggily at the clock for what felt like the thousandth time. Four-thirty. Ugh. My brain just wouldn't shut off. My mind was buzzing with.. well, everything. The Plan, everything that had happened today, what the next few weeks would be like... Or would it be months? I was supposed to learn enough to weaken them from the inside out.
Did they suspect me at all? Sure, they had technically "accepted" me back into the team, but did any of them have doubts? I was sure Raven did. She didn't trust me as far as she could throw me. I would have to work extra hard on her. Star was naiive, she'd be easy to deal with. Cyborg was pretty chill, but Robin always had his guard up. And Beast Boy... Well, he was probably putty in my hands.
His elated face flashed into my memory. How he'd looked when he first recognized me on the roof earlier that day. My stomach suddenly felt all... tingly. I slapped a hand against it quickly, kneading my fingers into my gut and trying to chase the feeling away. I let myself flop back lazily onto my pillow. I took a deep breath, but the tingles still wouldn't go away.
Exasperated, I kicked my covers off and headed for the door. This was hopeless. I was just too restless, I had to do something. Clear my head.
I wandered through the halls and found myself in the main room. The view through the floor-to-ceiling windows at the front of the room was dazzling. The glittering stars mingled with the few pinpoints of light from the city over on the mainland. I tiptoed across the floor, feeling swallowed up in the grandeur of the room. Laying my hand against the cool glass of the window, I watched as my breath gathered in a small, misty circle, and a halo of mist clouded up around my fingers. I stared up at the stars for another moment, and then let my forehead rest against the glass. The icy sensation was soothing against my face, and I could feel my anxiety draining away...
"Terra?"
I whipped around, heart pounding in my ears and hair on end. I reflexively took a defensive stance, fists out at arms length, feet planted firmly in position.
It was Beast Boy. He looked just as startled as I felt. I yanked my arms down and tucked them behind my back, heat flooding my face.
"Sorry!" He squeaked, "Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you! I just... Couldn't sleep?"
I hastily cleared my throat. "Um... yeah. Yeah, just..." I searched his face for signs of distrust, but he looked just.. like Beast Boy. Ever the trusting, naiive little boy. The jokester. He looked almost helpless. I noticed he was was in just a t-shirt and some athletic shorts. It was strange to see any of the Titans in anything but their usual uniforms. Usually Beast Boy's arms weren't exposed like they were now, and his muscles were surprisingly defined and toned...
I gave my head a quick little shake. "I'm just, you know, really excited to be back!"
That seemed to do the trick. His face relaxed into an easy grin, and his eyes lit up like they had when he first saw me yesterday. I felt my stomach start to tingle again.
"Well we're excited to have you back!" He chirped. For a few seconds we just stared at each other, not sure what else to say. He scratched nervously at the back of his head. Out of nowhere, I wondered what it would feel like to run my own fingers through that hair. Wait, what?
"Um, hungry?" He broke he silence. He grinned sheepishly, flashing a few fangs. He bounded over to the kitchen counter and started rummaging through the fridge.
"As long as it's nothing with tofu!" I settled on a stool at the counter. "How about some cereal?"
"Sure!" He scrambled to gather up the supplies, rapidly shifting into a few different animals to help him reach into high cupboards and carry everything at once. He set a bowl, spoon, and a box of cereal in front of me, and his own bowl and spoon in front of himself. He poured my cereal for me before I could even reach for the box. He passed me a jug of almond milk. Right. Vegan.
"So," He said, reaching for the milk after I was through, "you've really gotten better since you left" He looked up at me with eyes shining.
"Better?" I asked.
"You know," He stirred his cereal, "You finally have control of your powers! You've gotten way good!"
My fist clenched at the last word. "Oh, I guess.." I forced a casual chuckle, and dipped my spoon into the bowl, dunking cereal chunks under the milk. I prayed inwardly that he wouldn't ask what had helped me get better.
"I.. uh, I kinda missed you."
I was much less prepared for that. I made the mistake of looking up at him, and the look in his eyes brought on that tingling feeling yet again. His lips were parted in a tentative smile, and one lone fang winked through the gap.
"Tch, Beebs," I teased, and he seemed to like his new nickname. I jabbed playfully at his shoulder. He smiled even wider and took a heaping bite of cereal. Then, I had an idea.
I swept my long, blonde hair over one shoulder and tilted my head to the side. "I missed you too, you know." I let my voice come out low and soft. He stopped chewing.
"Really?" He asked, mouth half-full of milky mush.
"Of course," I purred. "Honestly, I think you're the only one who really understands me around here. I mean, I'm sure everyone else likes me, but... You're the only one really excited to have me back."
"Well," He gulped. "I think Cy likes you, and Starfire just loves making new friends. Especially girl friends. Raven isn't exactly little-miss-girly, you know? She hates shopping and doing hair and... What else do girls do?"
"Well whatever it is, it sounds like I'm going to have to start doing more of it from now on!" I laughed. "Apparently Star needs someone to do all those things with."
Beast Boy's ears perked up. "Yeah!" he said, a little too loudly. His voice echoed around the spacious room. We looked at each other, cheeks puffed, and then exploded in fits of giggles. I couldn't help myself. His laughing spurred me on more, and soon we were both red faced and teary-eyed.
The night beat steadily on, with the two of us talking until we could barely hold our eyes open any longer. We were drunk on sleepiness, losing our inhibitions, and chatting about things that barely even made sense. He laughed too hard at my every joke, whether or not I even tried to be funny.
And even though his eyes were bloodshot and drooping, there was so much hope there. So much anticipation. I could practically look through them like windows to see a scene of what he must think the future would entail. All six of us, a happy family, finally complete to him. He wouldn't just be the sidekick anymore. Someone finally would see him as a team member. As a true friend. And maybe more.
I let myself forget about the Plan, about any alterior motives. I was too tired to focus on much but the wandering, easy conversation. I couldn't think about Slade, or training, or being stealthy. All I could think about was the way Beast Boy's mouth moved in the dim light, and the smooth lines of his neck, the way they dipped into his shirt collar.
But as the first powdery light began to seep into the windows, an uneasy feeling began gnawing at the pit of my stomach. I could practically hear Slade reprimanding me in his velvety snarl. You can't afford to let your guard down, aprentice. Every moment you spend in their company must be used wisely.
I had to get my head together. Beast Boy wasn't my friend. He had betrayed me. He had exposed me to all the rest of them. They weren't my family, and this wasn't my home. Slade had helped me. He had given me what I had been after my entire life. He had fixed me, and I owed him.
Starting today, I kicked things into high gear. From now on, I was all about strategy. The Plan. My revenge.
No more games.
