A/N: The aftermath of "Overdrive" ( Season 4, episode 9 ). You don't necessarily need to see the episode to get the references to it… except to know that Beast Boy is freakin' amazing at origami, the Max 7 is a computer chip thingy that completely turned Cy into a sleep deprived robot, and that Beast Boy is SERIOUSLY freakin' amazing at origami. Also, please note that this takes place after "The Prophecy" but before "The End."

Strolling through the entrance of Titans Tower, Beast Boy didn't bother to hide a yawn from his teammates. "So, after what happened with the Max 7, I feel like I need to get to bed early or something."

Beside him, Cyborg tapped into his biotic arm, checking on his power levels. "After I lockup the tower for the night, that's where I'm heading."

"Agreed," Leaning against Robin's side as she walked, Starfire snuggled into him as her protuberant eyes began to droop. Blood surged to his cheeks as her lips purred into his hair, "Fighting the numerous amount of Billy's is most tiring."

Recognizing the overworked expression on their leader's masked visage, now slightly blooming with discomfort at Starfire's embrace, Raven quietly piqued in from behind them all, "I'll fill out the report."

Securing his gloved arm around the alien princess, Robin was quick to fall behind and match Raven's careful pace as fatigue overwhelmed Starfire's sluggish footfalls. "Thanks. I can move combat practice back a few hours if you're up too late."

Nodding in appreciation, a faint smile tinged her pale lips. With violet eyes, she watched the pair veer off down a hallway as Robin led Starfire to her room. Remembering how the alien girl had used a lamp post as a pillow the previous night, Raven's slight smile was quick to vanish as she realized that was yet another thing to file away with the account on Billy Numerous. Glancing forward, she continued to follow the remaining Titans to the common room. A content silence draped over the trio like a blanket, surprising her with each passing second Beast Boy managed to keep his mouth shut. She embraced the serenity, however, for these tacit moments were rare, especially in the changeling's presence. She blamed it on their fatigue.

The double automatic doors hissed as they entered the common room. The massive bay window offered a view of the harvest moon that seemed to light up the entire span of ocean. A habitual practice, she levitated towards the kitchen and began to search for her tattered tea kettle. Starfire had dishwashing duties last and had the tendency to misplace all dishware. Given that the girl now knew where each individual piece of silverware should be properly placed in a drawer, she had improved. Raven was irked, nevertheless, that she failed to simply keep her practical tea kettle out on the counter directly next to the sugar jar as asked.

With a monolithic yawn, Cyborg set up the nighttime lockdown on the building, making certain that all security systems were up and running. "G'night ya'll. I'll see you in the morning."

"Goodnight, Cyborg," Raven returned, turning away from the stove to see her friend take leave. From the kitchen table, Beast Boy echoed her. Once the robotic Titan exited for the night, Raven levitated towards the changeling, provoked by curiosity. Noting that papers were spread across the table's surface before him, a nerve near her temple twitched, pinched by irritation. "Beast Boy, I said that I would fill out the report for tonight. I don't need your help."

Not even bother to acknowledge her with his eyes, he took a sheet of paper in his gloved hands and creased it down the middle. "Sheesh, I'm just doing some origami. Don't get ahead of yourself, Rae."

Cramming a retort down her throat, she shot an inquisitive glance over his shoulder. As his gloved fingers smoothed down a fold, Raven recognized the beginnings of another paper hat. Previously that day she had ripped up his last hat in retaliation to a well placed jab. A pang of guilt collided with a spark of fury inside her, causing a teabag to burst within the simmering kettle on the stovetop. She thanked Azar he was too concentrated to take notice of her faltering powers. "How long have you known how to waste even more of your time with yet another mind numbing, idiotic activity as this?"

Scoffing, he glanced up from his handiwork and faced her, casually tilting back in his chair. "What, are all of my hobbies 'mind numbing' and 'idiotic' to you?"

"Basically."

A fang slid out and over his full bottom lip, caught by the moonlight. "My foster mother taught me when I was a kid. She always made me feel special when she'd make my favorite animals." The pigment of his eyes clouded over with memories and a small chuckle fled his lips, "Then Mento would use them as figures for battle tactics and Rita would—" suddenly, the fog lifted from his distant gaze and his expression morphed into a cold, disciplined look.

"Beast Boy…?"

He abruptly turned away back to his origami. "Sorry… I shouldn't have mentioned them."

The vacant seat beside him shifted as she hesitantly seated herself. "Maybe," she began while watching his meticulous folding, "it's good for you to talk about them. It is unhealthy to bottle things up."

The fibers of the paper began to split at his hands, "You're one to talk."

"I never said that I live a healthy lifestyle."

The strident tea kettle pierced through the stiff silenced that clogged the air. Rising to retrieve her soothing remedy, she rummaged through the cupboards for her drinking mug. She was so focused on finding the blasted object that she barely caught her teammate's next words. "Well, what do you want me to say about them?"

Sighing, she gave up her search and turned off the stovetop, settling for one of Cyborg's coffee mugs. Returning to the table, she noted Beast Boy's slumped shoulders and the deflated tone of his voice. "It's not that I want you to. I just want what's best for you."

Sneering, he set his design down and looked her right in the eyes. "And bringing up old stuff is what's best for me? Do you even know what's best for me?"

She sighed deeply into the balmy steam of her mug, savoring the distinct scent the herbal blend breathed into her pores. The warmth radiated into her palms and swarmed her fingertips with blood that shaded her insipid flesh purple and white. "I know enough to see through all your ridiculous jokes." Bringing the rim of the cup to her lips, she blew out to alleviate the burn of the murky liquid. A swirl of steam drew towards the boy beside her until it evaporated into nonexistence. "I'd say our survival strategies are both extremely unhealthy."

Now, the craft in his hands seemed only useful for a distraction. He wanted to escape this conversation, especially now that Raven was on the receiving end of his past information. "Yeah, well, I don't want to talk about them."

"Yes you do." Drawing out a sip of tea, she allowed the heat to surge through her body after scalding her taste buds. "Someone needs to hear you out, Beast Boy, and I happen to have enough patience for you right now." He opened his mouth to interject but she still had more to say. "You want to talk about them, you just do not know how to approach the subject. I can empathize with you. Your pain is my pain…" Setting her mug on the table, she made certain he did not avert her sharp gaze, "literally."

"How about you go first, hmm? What I just told you about my foster 'rents is way more than anything I've heard from you about your parents."

The shadows on her face seemed to suddenly distort her expression into jagged features. "You already know about my father. I'm the daughter of a demon."

"Yeah," He rushed, completely wary of the flash of red that seized the violet in her eyes, "But what about your mom?"

The edge of her glass returned to her lips as she drew out a long, savory sip. Her eyes sought him out from behind the rim and shot him a pointed look.

"Okay, I'm guessing you two don't get along?"

"She may have had her humanity but she was just as bad as my father."

"Was?"

Another raw pause settled between the two.

He glanced at her beverage, aware that the stream of steam had halted. "I wasn't always green, y'know."

Nodding, the empath took another swig from her drink.

"My real parents were scientists testing out in the African safari. I was just a baby with a weak immunity and caught a sickness that could've killed me. They saved me, though… that's how I turned green. They tried to cure me and succeeded, only to leave a curse behind."

This got a rise of an eyebrow from her. "Curse? Are you referring to your ability to shapeshift?"

His eyes were still trained on her mug. "Ownership over me has been swapped around a few times. In some instances, I was only wanted for my powers. There are some sick and twisted bastards out there…"

"You think that I don't know that?"

"To have people after you only for what you can do? No, I don't think you do."

With a slight tug at the corners of her pallid lips, despite all the truth to his words that hit close to home, a dim smile surfaced. "Congratulations, Beast Boy. I never thought you were capable of sarcasm."

Finding her rare grin contagious, he flashed a toothy grin. "I never thought we were capable of holding such a serious conversation." Pleased by her reaction, he leaned forward in his chair. "Thanks, by the way. Talking about them helped a little…"

Replacing the cap back over her pen, Raven gathered her paperwork concerning that night's crime. The cover sheet was stained with a crude blot of her tea, the aftermath of yet another attempt of Beast Boy getting a rise out of her. Glancing at the clock on the stove, a wave of exhaustion overwhelmed her sleep deprived body as the numbers 3:26 glared back at her. Beast Boy had long since taken his leave of the common room to get some shut eye, yet the effects of their conversation felt like freshly made wounds. He was starting to bleed onto her, what with opening up to him and all. Querulous remarks bated by her breath, she discarded her empty mug in the sink and began the trek to her room.

By the time she reached her door she was practically dragging her feet with each step. The wall opened up before her and she trudged through. Unfastening her cloak, the material billowed around her feet, swallowing her ankles, and nearly caused her to trip. Levitating out of the snare of fabric, she glided towards her vanity until something on her bed caught her eye. Adrenaline spurted through her veins, heightening her awareness. She guardedly soared towards her bed only to be taken over by relief upon recognizing the object. Perched upon the slightly rumpled cover was an intricately crafted piece of origami undoubtedly created by Beast Boy. Upon further inspection, however, her heart seized. Each crease and fold ultimately created the figure of a raven made from paper of her favorite color. Tenderly, she gathered the delicate craft in her hands, marveling at the boy's skill. Of all things elaborate, a dragon ( 1 ) had been the more convoluted craft for her teammate rather than a raven. Nevertheless, the fashioned paper nestled in her hands felt all too personal.

Fingering the beak of the creature, she smiled at the message scrawled upon the flimsy wing, almost forgetting to be mad at the boy for entering her room without permission. Almost.

Rereading the note again and again, she figured she had time to scold him in the morning. She could afford a smile for now.

( 1 ) If you look closely during the scene where the Titans fix Cyborg and discard the Max 7, you can see a paper dragon and a paper swan sitting next to Beast Boy as he's folding his paper hat. I honestly don't know where the "slow, tiny" turtle came from.

Thanks for reading! (: