Beast Outta the Bag - Chapter 7
Disclaimer an' stuff.
Well, BB and Rae seem to be getting together in slow motion. Crazy! Maybe we can speed things up a bit...
When Beast Boy woke up the following morning, he grinned almost straight away, the events of last night replaying in his head. His face felt a little sore...he wouldn't be surprised if he had been grinning in his sleep as well. He hopped out of bed, washed and dressed and strolled toward the common room, feeling strangely compelled to whistle. Butterflies appeared in his stomach as he reached the door, a mixture of nervousness and eagerness running through him. He took a deep breath, opened the door and came face-to-face with Raven herself. Both of them stared with wide eyes for moment and then they both blushed in perfect synch. Beast Boy was the first to break the tension, rubbing his hair and chuckling at their display, though the blush remained.
"Heh...uh...morning, Rae." As he beamed, Raven's own nerves melted away.
"Good morning, Garfield." The buzz again. Best. Morning. Ever. He realised she had been on her way out.
"You're not having breakfast, Rae?" he asked. Raven smirked and raised an eyebrow.
"I've already eaten. You slept late."
"Oh..okay." Beast Boy fought not to be disappointed that she hadn't waited for him. He knew it was a foolish wish, it was far too early to expect-
"I... I waited for a while to see if you would show up but I need to meditate. Meditation is tough if your stomach won't be quiet." Raven grew quieter with every word, looking at her feet and blushing even more. Beast Boy's mouth hung open...
"You... waited for me?" it seemed like a tiny gesture but Beast Boy was thrilled, nonetheless, by any sign she wanted to spend time with him. He smiled that sincere smile - the one which gave Raven that buzz in her stomach - and replied just as quietly. "That was sweet of you, Rae. I'm sorry I was late."
"It's alright." Raven's reply was bordering on a whisper. "I have to meditate now, Garfield (buzz). I'll see you later?"
"Just try and stop me, Rae." He stepped to one side and let her pass. She stopped in front of him and turned her head to face him. He could see she was arguing with herself again so he stood and waited. She clumsily moved toward him and put her arms around his waist, then pressed the side of her face against his shoulder. Before he could even think about returning the embrace, she had let go and quickly marched toward her room, flipping up her hood as she went. Beast Boy stared at the blank spot she had occupied for a few seconds, mumbled gibberish for a few more and finally walked toward the kitchen. When he sat down with his cereal, he was smiling again, rosy-cheeked. Cyborg had missed the display at the door so watched his friend curiously. Starfire had stared shamelessly the whole time and Nightwing had watched from the corner of his eye but neither said a word.
"What's got you so chipper this mornin', B?" The green man only smiled wider as he chewed. Once he finished the mouthful, he pointed his spoon at Cyborg.
"Last night... Raven..."Cyborg's eyes widened. "held my hand." His cybernetic friend narrowed his eyes and glared/pouted at his friend.
"That's all?! Man, you got me worked up into thinking something-"
"CY! Think! Last night... Raven!... Held. My. Hand." Cyborg looked back at his friend for a moment. Then it sunk in. He grinned a grin of his own and held his hand up for Beast Boy.
"Whoa! Meet BB, the green casanova!" Beast Boy high-fived his friend and went back to eating, this time talking through his food. The others waited for a familiar 'chicks dig the ears' speech. That wasn't what they got.
"Yeah... not sure I can take the credit. Raven's the one putting herself out there, I'm just trying to-" as he stopped, he looked guiltily at Starfire. Nightwing whispered in her ear and she floated through the door.
"You were saying?" Nightwing encouraged. Beast Boy cleared his throat and spoke again.
"Remember what we were talking about? Going at her pace? That's all I did. I mean yeah, we talked and stuff... I don't think I'm gonna tell you about that. I managed to not be an idiot the whole time! Then she just...reaches out. She did that. For me!" Beast Boy stared into space, cereal forgotten. The other two men looked at each other for a moment, unsure what to say. Instead, Cyborg snapped his fingers in front of Beast Boy's face.
"You in there, B?" The green man started, then chuckled self-consciously.
"Yeah, sorry. Guess I still can't quite believe my luck!" he said with a sheepish grin. His smile faded as he saw the conflict in Cyborg's face. "Cy?"
"B... you know I'm your friend, right?" Beast Boy nodded. "Thing is...Raven. She doesn't have any family looking out for her." Cyborg looked directly at his friend now, all business. "She has me. You get me?"
"She has us." Nightwing amended. Beast Boy's smile still remained, but had become one of determination.
"I got it, dudes. I won't hurt her." The other two men nodded. Then the three of them moved effortlessly into more pointless conversation, same as every other morning.
Starfire had flown to Raven's room to ask if she could join her in meditation. The sorceress had agreed and the pair spent the next hour hovering and chanting Raven's mantra. After they had finished, Raven opened her eyes to see Starfire staring at her with barely contained excitement, hands clasped together under her chin.
"So?" the alien asked. Raven feigned innocence.
"...'So' what?" Starfire began to float steadily upward, looking remarkably like she was about to throw a tantrum.
"Raaaveennnnn..." she wailed. "You are teasing me and I cannot withstand it!" Raven raised her hands in surrender and Starfire was instantly beside her again.
"We talked last night and it was...nice." Starfire squealed. "I'm not ready to say what we talked about. It was...personal. Then-"
"When did you do the hand holding?!" Raven was almost bowled over by Starfire's volume.
"Garfield mentioned that? I suppose he might not think it was that important-"
"Oh Raven, no!" Starfire interrupted again. "I have given you an impression of falsehood! Friend Beast Boy thought it was very important, he did not speak of it casually! In fact, I believe he might not have mentioned it at all if he had noticed I was there..." Raven looked at her in disbelief.
"Beast Boy, he of the enhanced animal senses, failed to notice you, the flying princess with bright red hair, orange skin and glowing green eyes?!" Starfire giggled and nodded.
"I believe his mind was... 'elsewhere', Raven." The pale woman nodded thoughtfully. She had a confidant in Starfire, it only made sense that Beast Boy had confided in Cyborg and Nightwing. Raven turned to her friend again.
"...'Very important', huh?" Starfire recounted the conversation in the common room up to the point where she left. Raven was pleased to hear about his attitude. There had been no preening, no disappointment in his words and, most astonishingly, no 'chicks dig the ears' monologue. Her train of thought was interrupted by another question.
"Raven, now that you have admitted to finding friend Beast Boy the 'hot'" Raven almost tumbled from the bed at that. "I simply must know!... Do you 'dig the ears'?" Before Raven could answer, the alarm rang throughout the building. Starfire was already in her uniform and Raven, momentarily swallowed by a black raven, appeared now in her own. The pair moved to the door but Raven felt a hand on her shoulder. "You have not answered my question." Expression carefully neutral, Raven opened her mouth to deny such a ridiculous thing.
"Kinda... yeah." Damn it.
When they arrived in the common room, the three men stood around the monitor as the information cascaded down. Nightwing tapped a few keys and muttered a name.
"Doctor Light. He's been on the run for months, in fact we thought he'd left Jump City for good. Turns out he's been hiding out in an abandoned warehouse. It was scheduled for demolition... and they found him. He's been attacking the demo crews. Time we got involved."
"I can handle this," Raven said. "Everyone else can relax." Nightwing shook his head and opened his mouth. But he wasn't the one who spoke.
"No, Raven," Beast Boy said. "No solo outings, remember?" He looked vaguely apologetic as he spoke... but there was no smile. Raven folded her arms and grimaced.
"Fine. Shall we go, then?" Nightwing nodded and issued orders.
"Cyborg, I'll meet you in the garage once I've suited up. Star, Raven, you wait on the roof for Beast Boy to get ready. Go!" The Titans went.
Starfire listened as Raven ranted on the roof.
"He told me off! He doesn't get to do that, even if we're... whatever!"
"Are you upset he told you no? Or are you upset that he was right to do so?" Starfire asked, completely unperturbed by the seething Raven. The woman herself folded her arms again, and grumbled.
"Schooled by Beast Boy and Starfire and it isn't even lunch time." Starfire giggled at her friend. Beast Boy joined them and the alien deliberately took off ahead of them. Before Raven could follow, Beast Boy called after her.
"Rae! Uh...sorry about before." He still wasn't smiling. Raven sighed and looked at him over her shoulder.
"Don't be." He smiled then...there was that buzz again. They both took off and caught up to Starfire, Beast Boy in the form of a raven. She glanced at him with a small smile of her own. "Pff... kiss-ass." The raven cawed it's own amusement and followed Raven closely all the way to their destination.
When all five members gathered in a quiet spot near Light's hideout, it was decided that Raven would draw his attention, then the team could get in close and, hopefully, neutralise him quickly. Getting his attention was even easier than expected: all Raven did was land outside the door and Light burst out from the old manager's office.
"YOU!" he cried, face contorted in fury.
"Me." Raven replied, lacing her voice with disdain. Light marched toward her but stopped ten yards from where she stood.
"I've been waiting for a chance to see you again. You made a mistake if you thought you could handle me on your own. This time, I will be the one to break you! You ghoulish thing, you evil litlte harpy! You-" Light was silenced as a green mouse crept up behind him, transformed into a green tiger and knocked him to the ground, face down. The tiger's forepaws each stood on Light's forearms, meaning he couldn't use his weapons. The villain cried out in agony at first but was silenced by the low snarl at his ear. He was able to turn his head enough to see the teeth bared only inches from his face: he started to tremble but no sound issued forth. Nightwing arrived and Beast Boy shifted back to himself, allowing his leader to secure Light in restraints designed to suppress his abilities. Raven frowned slightly: it seemed that Beast Boy had perhaps been...overenthusiastic in apprehending Doctor Light. She let it go for now. As usual, the Titans were joined by the police and, slightly more unusually, the press. Raven, much to her displeasure, found herself being interviewed when a familiar face appeared. This journalist was one of a few who, after discovering Raven's short temper, delighted in trying to make her lose it in range of their cameras.
"Raven! Do you ever wonder why Doctor Light, a villain, has powers over pure, white light while you, a "hero" (he had even done the inverted commas gesture with his fingers) have powers that are dark, spooky and just plain creepy?" Well, he wasn't wasting time today. Before Raven could articulate a response, the man's face paled as he stared over her shoulder. From behind her, Raven could hear that same low snarl tiger-Beast Boy had made earlier. When she looked, however, Beast Boy stood behind her, still humanoid. The journalist hurriedly excused himself. Raven got Beast Boy's attention.
"You. Follow me." She levitated up onto a nearby roof top and was joined by a familiar green raven. The bird looked at her... she stood with her arms folded, tapping her foot impatiently. The raven bit wasn't working this time. He morphed back to himself.
"Rae, I-"
"Stop. I know we're..." She indicated herself and Beast Boy. "...whatever. But I don't need a 'big, strong man' to protect 'little me' from petty muckrakers."
"I wasn't-"
"Yes, you were. With Light as well, even back at the briefing at home." Beast Boy stared at the ground, fists clenched. His hands relaxed as he let out a sigh.
"You're right...about Light and the briefing. I know in my head you can look after yourself. Heck, you're way more powerful than me anyway. I just...I just-"
"It's alright, Garfield." Even now, there was that buzz. He wasn't finished talking, though.
"That creep reporter, though... You were right about me overreacting at home and with Light but that guy... It wasn't that I thought you couldn't handle it, even subconsciously. It was that I decided you shouldn't." He hurried on before Raven could stop him. "I can't protect you from bad guys and danger. That's your job. But that guy... he said those things just to hurt you. He set out today to make your life a bit more miserable. You don't deserve that, Rae... you deserve to have someone take the misery out of your life and try and fill it with... well, happiness I guess. And I guess I kinda want that to be my job." Beast Boy wasn't smiling but that same sincerity shone in his eyes.
"Garfield..." Raven began. Beast Boy could see she was struggling. Time to rein it in a little...
"Besides, Rae," he asked cheekily, his grin returning. "I bet you woulda said something if he called me a green idiot." There was no way she could let that one go.
"Before or after I completely and wholeheartedly agreed with him?" Beast Boy clutched at his heart in mock offence. "Well... I suppose I might have offered to turn him inside out with my mind."
"Aww Rae, you say the sweetest things." Beast Boy said. Raven finally smiled back. She noticed Nightwing signalling them from the ground, indicating it was time to go. Starfire joined them and they flew home, Cyborg and Nightwing travelling in the T-Car. Once again, Raven was accompanied by a green raven. When she saw it, she shook her head slightly and smiled.
"Kiss-ass."
Well, a cameo from Doctor Light, there's another box ticked on the 'BBRae fic checklist' lol. This one was a bit tougher to get right: I wanted them to have a disagreement but not an argument. I hope I've succeeded. Enjoy, dudes!
-Jack
