A/N: Your support has been staggering and amazing. Thanks to everyone who left me a review or sent me a message on tumblr. You guys helped get me to update sooner!


Exhibition[ist]


[raw advantage]

It's not her style.

But they'd walked past it — once, twice, three times, maybe more if she counted the trips with Starfire.

It's never been her style.

Raven needed to reassure herself of that. Then again, going to the mall for a wardrobe update with Beast Boy, of all people, was also not typical of her behaviour, either.

"Okay," the shapeshifter stated exasperatedly, drawing her out of her own thoughts. "We've gone around the mall like, seven times. There's got to be a few stores that have caught your eye by now, Rae!"

Beast Boy had stopped just as they'd circled by a fourth time. Truth be told, Raven was surprised at the endurance of his patience with her. Still, she couldn't mask the glimmer of amusement that tugged at a corner of her mouth as she watched him try to keep it together.

"I mean, there has to be something you like!"

Perhaps it was fate — or sheer dumb luck — that they'd paused right by the very thing she'd tried ignoring for the past little while.

It just wasn't her.

Nothing about it made sense, or belonged, but it tugged at her conscience like an omnipotent presence she just couldn't ignore. Raven bit her bottom lip, but she knew that he'd caught the way her gaze had slipped briefly in its direction, as if in silent answer of his very question.

Garfield followed her line of vision, and he seemed to stagger backwards in surprise, eyes widening in alarm as he came to a steady realization. He almost didn't believe her, shaking his head and blinking rapidly between her and the store, as if his own eyes were deceiving him.

Like she could even blame him; Raven could hardly believe any of it herself.

"Uhm, you-you wanna…," he paused to gulp, "go in there?"

Raven coloured, realizing that her teammate had paled at the prospect — emerald green fading into a lighter, minty shade. Stammering, she lied, "N-no! I don't even go in there with Kory most of the time. What makes you think that I'd go in with you?"

There was an icy bite to her tone, and Garfield physically recoiled from the chill, looking like a pouting puppy that had been kicked to the curb by an ice monster. Raven immediately regretted her defensive wording when witnessing the obvious hurt that was deteriorating in his features, but even that wasn't going to be enough to get her to relent.

To think, how far they'd come together, working on their often strained relationship over the past few weeks, and yet, Raven still struggled with being anything short of fierce whenever it was her pride that was at stake.

A bad habit — she knew that — but one that had, unfortunately, stuck.

"I don't mind. Going in, I mean." He was sheepish when he spoke, his voice as soft as his honest eyes, and it might have taken her by surprise if it hadn't had been Beast Boy who'd said it. "If...if you really want to." He still had to clear his throat, as if worried it would unexpectedly crack like it used to during his awkward phase of puberty when they'd been younger.

Raven continued to feel flush — people being kind to her was still a bit of a foreign concept, especially when she'd felt especially undeserving of it — but she was rendered speechless, torn between wanting to give into her curiosity or to tend to her otherwise bruised ego.

Knowing she was very red in the face, she huffed, lowered her head, and quickly beelined past Beast Boy towards the store before she could reconsider her decision. Keeping her head down, shuffling her footsteps as quick as they could go, she thought she might be inconspicuous — blending in amongst the other women shopping inside, despite the ominous, oversized black hoodie she donned that oddly resembled her cloak.

The very last thing she wanted was to be confronted by an all too eager salesperson in a store like this. The idea of the encounter alone was enough to leave her feeling mortified and nervous, the palms of her hands already moist with sweat.

After all, there was only one item in question that had drawn her in there to begin with, and it was currently residing on the body of a female mannequin in the shop window.

Stuffing her hands into the deep pockets of her sweater, Raven eyed it cautiously. Beast Boy eventually bumped into her accidentally, and threw her off focus — and balance. He still looked rather pale — like a zucchini left out in the sun too long — otherwise she might have scolded him for his callousness. However, he seemed to be mirroring her own internal dilemma when she'd first been dragged into the shop by Starfire; when the older woman hadn't taken no for an answer.

Dazed, confused, lost, a little bit intimidated but still mesmerized, and probably overwhelmed by the smell of a fragrant, pungent perfume that could make anyone's eyes water, spritzed all over the store.

"Have you never been in a lingerie store before, Gar?" she whispered through clenched teeth, hoping no one overheard them.

The boy gulped, shaking his head slowly, still staring up at various scantily clad mannequins like they were about to come to life, step down their displays and walk towards him in a sultry manner.

Raven couldn't help but be amused by this. "Really? You? So, all that bragging about dating lingerie models was a lie?" She gasped, pretending to be shocked by the revelation of his farce. "How could you?!"

Beast Boy frowned, brows furrowing as he narrowed his gaze at the empath. "When did you…" But before he could finish his train of thought, the pair were immediately interrupted by Raven's one worst fear; a sales associate.

"Hi there!" the girl chirped cheerily next to them, making Raven almost jump out of her skin. "Was there anything I could help you with today?"

Raven averted her gaze, hoping that by not making any eye contact, she could be ignored — or that, somehow, she'd blend with the background. Her lips becoming a tight line, and her face going as white as a sheet, she stared helplessly at Garfield, and waited for him to do the talking. Only, the changeling was looking right back at her expectantly, eyebrow quirked. That was when Raven realized that the woman was speaking to her.

It was a woman's lingerie store, after all.

As if to fill the awkward, budding silence that enveloped them, the salesperson pressed on somewhat forcefully. "We're having a sale today on underwear. All the underwear and thongs over here are five for twenty-five dollars, and if you spend more than seventy-five dollars, we throw in a free tote and complimentary body spray! If you need help with a size, or a bra-fitting, just let me know! My name's Jenny." All that, and with a smile.

"Uh yeah, th-thanks," Raven stuttered under her breath, self-consciously tucking her hair behind her ear.

She didn't want to be rude, but there was nothing more in the world that she wanted in that moment than for the other woman to simply go away. Politely, of course.

Thankfully, she never had to wait long when Beast Boy was around. He always did have an uncanny knack for stealing the spotlight and enjoying every second of it, while Raven would be free to skulk away into the shadows before anyone noticed.

"We're just browsing! Thanks, though!" It was like he could sense her immediate unease and had decided to chime in before she could phase through a portal back to her room. Raven couldn't tell if it was the awkward connection she'd unintentionally created between them, or something else entirely that had clued him in to her plea for help. Either way, she was always silently grateful for how good Beast Boy could be in most social situations, no matter how estranged or tense. It made her life of having to deal with the press that much easier.

"No problem! If you change your mind, just let me know!" The saleswoman smiled at them both before turning her attention back to a messy display of push-up bras that was in dire need of fixing.

Beast Boy and Raven locked eyes again, and it was a silent, mutual agreement of relief being conveyed from them both. Beast Boy then glanced up at the mannequin Raven had been transfixed with, and then back at her, his lips forming the most curious of quizzical smiles.

"Shut up," she snapped, her cheeks reddening.

This was met with a chuckle. "I didn't even say anything."

"You didn't have to. I know what you're thinking."

"Are you telepathic now, too?" Beast Boy might have been jesting, but there was serious consideration in the question he'd posed.

She smirked, teasing him without answering directly.

"Raven? Seriously...are you...oh God, are you reading my mind right now?!"

She ignored him, and turned her attention to the hanging article of clothing she'd been drawn to instead — if one could even call it that, what with the limited amount of actual fabric— to look for her size and a price tag.

"If you are, just so you know, I can't help it if I'm surrounded by pictures of half-naked beautiful women, okay? Everything in here looks so delicate and expensive, and my claws can get super sharp! It's a totally valid concern!"

Raven had tuned him out, too busy gawking at the ridiculous numbers beside the dollar sign symbol to pay attention to his muddled attempt at preserving character. She then spun on her heel,put up her hoodie and stiffened, colour draining from her face.

"Nevermind. We should leave. I forgot how overpriced this place was," Raven urged in a hissing whisper, meaning to leave before any other associate asked her if she wanted a bra-fitting.

Beast Boy blocked her path, and she nearly collided into him. "Woah, ease up. What's something like that even cost?"

Raven glared up at him, desperate to get moving. "It doesn't matter. No way we can afford it on the Titan's budget. Robin would kill us both, and like hell am I explaining to him why I spent so much on...undergarments, of all things." Trying to visualize how that conversation would go was making her toes curl.

Raven then attempted to go around him but he sidestepped and got in her way again, this time bringing his hands to rest atop her slender shoulders. "Rae, chill. Who said anything about using the team money, anyways?"

She lifted her brows at that. "Do you have another job that none of us are aware of? I could swear you quit working at that burger joint."

Beast Boy ignored her jibe and went to examine the strappy lingerie top Raven had been transfixed with. "Aw, it's not even that bad," he told her. "What, er, size are you?"

He was making it a point not to stare brazenly at her chest, but the notion was lost to no one. Although the decorative, black straps and lace choker harness combination did not come with a cup size, it was still required for Raven to admit to being either an extra small, small, medium, large, or extra large. She glanced down self-consciously at her own humble breasts, currently obscured by the baggy attire of her hoodie.

Finally, she glared at him with a newfound resolve. "You're not buying me lingerie, Gar." Raven was very much flustered by the entire ordeal, but she wasn't going to show it. Not even Starfire had ever attempted to purchase her any new intimates. Suggestions were one thing, but gifts? Kory knew better.

"It's not...technically lingerie," he commented with a shrug of shoulders, pulling out one of the bra harnesses up into the light to examine. "Besides, you clearly liked it enough to brave this store." He paused and sniffed the air before making a jarred, repulsed face. "Not to mention, the perfume. It's like a sexy unicorn took a dump all over this place."

The truth was Raven didn't know which part of his statement to pick apart first — almost all of it was unnerving. Beast Boy scrunched up his nose and waved his hand before his face, as if to magically dilute the spicy ardour wafting into his sensitive nostrils.

"Fine. You can buy it, but only if you tell me how the heck you can afford it first," bargained Raven, arms folded protectively over her chest. Curiosity somehow won out over her common sense sometimes, and right now, she was far more interested in her mysterious teammate than the act of him purchasing her sexy clothes.

Beast Boy sighed, but otherwise, he was fairly compliant with her demands. "Inheritance...Just don't tell anyone, please?"

"An inheritance?"

He nodded, but instead of gloating — which was partly what Raven may have been expecting — Beast Boy appeared almost ashamed.

"I came into it when I turned nineteen. Well, some of it, anyways. I'll get more when I'm twenty-five, but basically, I have an allowance I can use."

Raven wanted to make light of the situation, because it was difficult to believe that Beast Boy didn't like the notion that he was coming into a lot of money. "What? You mean you haven't blown it all already on videogames and junk food?"

Her playful smile vanished when Beast Boy said, "Not at all. I don't want to use it and risk having the others ask questions...Being entitled to a lot of money has caused me a world of trouble before. There are...people who'd love to exploit that, and in the process, they'll hurt anyone who gets in their way, too."

She didn't need to be a telepath to understand his meaning; something awful and traumatic had obviously transpired before in his life due to his fortune, and Beast Boy was speaking directly from that experience. This was another one of those moments that left Raven feeling like she'd only every scratched the surface when it came to Garfield Logan. And to think, she was supposed to be the mysterious one with all the secrets.

Softer now, she said, "Why waste it on me?" And she meant it — Raven hardly considered her nonsense hobby worth stirring up any trouble for her teammates. There was also a much quieter, smaller, cruel voice that whispered to her, telling her that she wasn't worth it and that she never would be, either.

"Waste?" Beast Boy perked up at this, and chuckled at how preposterous he found her sentiment. "I don't consider it a waste at all. I'm building up my photography skills, and you get some nice clothes and pictures out of it. I'd call it even."

"Now, if you don't tell me your size, I'm going to have to guess and I'm pretty sure neither of us want that."

Strangely enough, Raven didn't feel any embarrassment or timidness about divulging that particular information. At least, not around Garfield. The sales associate was a stranger who would know her face, but Beast Boy?

Beast Boy was her teammate.

No — Beast Boy was her friend, and no matter how much she tried to search within her for a hint of discomfort or self doubt, she found no trace of it.

"I'm not sure. A small or a medium, I'd think." Her fingers shrank into the sleeves of her oversized sweater, but other than that, Raven didn't bother with any obvious tells of bashfulness.

"Oh. Did you...did you want to try it on?"

"I probably should, since it costs a small fortune and isn't refundable," she replied with a shrug. "Unless there's somewhere else you need to be." She gave him a cautious glance from beneath heavy lashes, and knew that her misgivings were for naught. Still, she had to be certain. Or maybe she just really needed the comfort of security.

Beast Boy shook his head before turning around to dig out two hangers with her aforementioned sizes. "Nope! My schedule is pretty open these days after I broke it off with the underwear model girlfriend. Actually, there's probably a poster of her in here somewhere, but don't ask me to point it out. Wounds are still a bit raw."

He was grinning toothily as he spoke, dimples more profound in his genuine, happy nature. Raven scoffed and rolled her eyes, but as she grabbed the two articles of clothing from his outstretched hand, she couldn't help but let out the smallest of chortles. "Alright, alright. I overheard you bragging to Cyborg about it. Not to mention, it's all over your social media."

Beast Boy's smile somehow grew wider. "You've been on my social media pages? Rae, I'm flattered, but also kind of offended that you didn't add me!" He clutched at his chest where his heart was, feigning a look of utter betrayal and hurt.

It didn't take Raven long to understand that she wasn't the only one growing more comfortable in their developing relationship — Beast Boy's relaxed and joking attitude resembled the more jovial behaviour he exhibited around Starfire and Victor; the two Titans on the team he was always more open with. With Robin and Raven, every exchange he'd had felt a lot more superficial somehow. Forced, even. Probably because they were the only Titans who were not as receptive to his one-liners. Maybe that was why she hadn't found most of his jokes funny half the time — he wasn't really ever trying. Either that, or he'd matured enough to understand her sense of humor better than he'd had when they'd been younger.

"I'm picky about who I follow," she stated dryly, and then turned to go find the change-rooms, leaving him with jaw dropped and a million more questions.


Overall, Raven would have said that the shopping trip was, predominantly, a success — more so than most of the ones she'd had with Starfire. Although, that probably had more to do with Kory being the one in want of new clothes while Raven had just been grateful for the brief reprieve it gave her from all the testosterone in the building. Whereas with Beast Boy, she was the centre of attention, no matter how much she grumbled or protested along the way.

After the lingerie store — where he'd certainly whipped out a fancy looking credit card to purchase the sexy harness bra and choker combo — Beast Boy had insisted on visiting a few other designer stores to look for photoshoot worthy clothing. As it stood, neither of them had the courage to broach the giant, looming elephant between them — the boudoir shoot Raven had obviously wanted and had in mind. Instead, Garfield had suggested summer dresses, carefully glossing over any hint of conversation regarding when she'd want to model her newest piece of underwear for him, for fear of sounding lecherous. Which was just as well for the empath; she wasn't entirely sure she was ready for it yet herself.

"I was thinking something flowery, y'know? Colourful." He eyed a lemon-yellow halter dress, with a cute ribbon on the front, and poofy pleats that would have reached her shins. There was white lace detailing and trimming that added to its spring-like charm."I know how much you don't care for pants."

Raven had staggered at his bold assumption, blinking in surprise before narrowing her eyes at the changeling in suspicion. "Whatever gave you that idea…?"

Beast Boy flicked through the hangers before finding an appropriate size, and swiftly freed one of the dresses from the middle of the rack. "Um, the fact that you never wear any? Leggings don't count, so don't even bother with that lame excuse."

She opened her mouth to retaliate — or in the least, defend herself — but quickly realized that there was no point in denying an inarguable fact no matter how good she was with words. It was true; Raven certainly opposed pants, and avoided wearing any if and whenever possible. She often went to sleep in just a sheer spaghetti-strapped tank top, and her underwear. By the time she was required to leave her room, she was typically in uniform.

The fact that Beast Boy had actually been observant enough to pick up on such a small detail about her had both slightly unnerved her and caught her off guard, although not entirely in an unpleasant way. The more she thought about it, the quicker she realized that this wasn't the first time he'd been surprising her lately. Still, his keen attention to detail was difficult to get used to. She'd never warranted such information about herself to be worth knowing, anyways.

"What do you think?" He held up the dress after fluffing the skirt a bit and straightening the wrinkles in the tapered waist.

With tongue in cheek, Raven tried not to overtly expose her feelings on it. "It looks more like a Starfire dress, if you ask me."

Beast Boy frowned, and gave the sundress another hard once-over. "You don't like yellow?"

She shook her head. "That's not it. I just mean I probably wouldn't look good in dresses like that."

"You can't say that for sure until you try it on, Rae. Who knows? You might like it!"

"Is that what you told yourself when you bought those small, leopard print swim shorts?"

"Ha ha, very funny," he mocked, but Raven couldn't stifle the slight giggle that slipped from her lips. Those had been the backup trunks Starfire had grabbed for him when he'd ripped the others via transformation. None of the other Titans had ever let him live it down, and Raven figured the moment was as good as any to shift the focus away from herself. "Just try on the dress, please? And while you're in the fitting room, I can grab a few more things for you!"

Raven had extended her arm towards him in a vain effort to stop him, but the changeling was already zipping down aisles, his eyes having already scanned for a few designs and patterns he had liked. Raven sighed defeatedly and took the yellow dress to the change room.

It should have been a weird environment, showcasing individual outfits to Beast Boy one at a time while the sales representatives at each store had mistaken him for her boyfriend on several occasions. They'd both grown flustered and awkwardly denied it at each interval it had happened, but for some reason, Raven wasn't entirely sure the staff were always convinced. After all, this was typical behaviour of a couple, what with Beast Boy picking out lovely clothes to try on and gushing about how great they all looked on her.

"You aren't lying just to spare my feelings on this, are you, Gar?"

Truthfully speaking, she didn't think he was the type, but ever since Malchior had lied and used her in the worst of ways, Raven had become skeptical of genuine compliments from the opposite sex. The first boy to have ever called her beautiful used it as a way to exploit her weakness via her insecurities and desire to be loved. It was no wonder she had intimacy issues now as an adult.

"What? No!" Beast Boy cried out in protest. "I've got nothing to gain by lying to you! Not only would the pictures come out terrible, but I'd have wasted money on expensive clothes that don't look good. Besides all that, why would you think I'd do that to you, Rae?"

Raven unfolded her arms and tried to steady herself in the strappy, black felt, open-toe heels she was trying on with a high waisted, fitted denim skirt that reached her knees, and a thin, cropped tank top in the shade of a dark plum. Of all the outfits she'd tried on and bought, it was probably her favourite, so she knew that it was her genuine mistrusting nature that had so apathetically posed the question to Beast Boy. The salesperson had even approved genuinely, and a few other customers had offered her compliments on the look, with one girl suggesting she add dark shades and a dark, ruby lipstick to match.

Beast Boy had been right; she did look good, and she had no idea why she'd doubted him in the first place. Perhaps it was merely a defense mechanism she no longer knew how to turn off.

"Nevermind," she said under her breath with a brief shake of her head, feeling somewhat silly for her juvenile behaviour. She absent-mindedly picked at the fabric of the sheer, new top — anything but having to look directly at him in that moment.

"It shouldn't even matter what I think, Rae. What matters is how you feel in it. The truth is, I could dress you up in everything in here and think you pull it off, but if you don't feel good in the clothes, then what's the point?"

He was right, she knew that deep down, but her pride always did get the better of her. "Look, are we done here? I'm pretty sure you're about to max out that card."

Beast Boy frowned. For a moment, it appeared like he was about to put up a fight, but eventually he sighed and nodded in agreement. "Sure. If you want to go. I think we've got plenty of outfits for the next few shoots anyways."

Just as he went to hail down the salesgirl and Raven was going to usher back into her dressing room to don her familiar clothes, she caught the eyes of another man waiting in the lobby area of the fitting rooms. He was sitting on the couch, surrounded by various shopping bags — not unlike Beast Boy had been while Raven was trying on various outfits, she imagined — except, unlike Garfield, he did not appear too happy to be in the predicament he was currently in, and had spent most of his time focused on the screen of his phone rather than his poor girlfriend.

Except for now, that is.

He was busy ogling Raven instead of his phone, his jaw dropped and expression insatiable, and he didn't seem to care in the slightest that she'd caught him in the act. Raven narrowed her eyes at him, a muscle in her jaw twitching as anger roiled beneath her very skin. But her intimidation factor seemed to be lost in the appealing clothes she was wearing, and the man remained undeterred, like a starved wolf on the prowl for his prey.

"Take a picture, it'll last longer," she barked venomously.

The man — who appeared to be in his early thirties with sandy brown hair, crows-feet wrinkles around his eyes, and a tan that said he spent a little too much time on vacation — only smiled at her reaction. "I swear I think I've seen you before."

Raven blanched.

She was a Teen Titan; it was natural of her to be recognized, especially when hanging out with Beast Boy, who had a knack for forgetting his holo-ring at home. In fact, they'd already been stopped a few times for idle chatter, selfies, and some autographs, most of which Raven had left Garfield in charge of. It was hard not to notice a green-skinned boy wandering around a mall, no matter who he was.

But somehow, Raven didn't think that this man was that sort of fan. Not with the way he was shamelessly staring at her body, like a pervert studying a pornographic image. The hairs on the back of her neck stood up, and she got chills all over, forcing her to fold her arms over her chest as she shivered.

"I'm sorry, I can't say the same," she quickly told him before shutting the door and locking it behind her. Raven's heart was racing, and she was having trouble controlling her breathing. The walls around her felt like they were closing in, and the small, confined room seemed to spin around her.

There was no way he recognized her from the blog. No way. She didn't even have that many followers the last she'd checked, and she'd been so careful with the pictures. What were the chances of something like that even happening?

A gentle rap on the door sent her nearly jumping and reeling from her thoughts, only Beast Boy's voice filtered through moments later, and Raven found herself easing up at his familiar tone. "Rae? I already paid for the stuff if you want to keep it on."

She leaned her forehead against the cold wood — as if it would somehow keep her grounded to reality — and rested the palms of her hands on either side of her as she tried to steady her breathing by focusing and repeating her mantra. The panic attack was mild, and seemed to be subsiding with the comforting presence of her teammate just on the opposite side. One of the reasons Raven had stayed with the Titans at all was because of the deep, calming solace she found when around them. They had a strange way of pacifying her very soul, unknowingly, and ever since the events with Trigon...she'd never felt safer with anyone else. Even now, as the panic seemed to leave her body — albeit shaken — she knew it was true.

"I'll be out in a minute," she told him after taking in a deep breath to mask the jitters in her voice.

"Alright, I'll wait for you outside."

"Wait!" The fear that undoubtedly laced her tone made her plea almost come off as a shriek; high pitched and desperate. She already knew that the sound alone would cause Beast Boy to hesitate. She could already see the shadow of his shoes just beyond the opening on the floor. Raven took a minute to calm her anxious, erratic heart before she had to face his impending concerns.

"Everything okay, Raven?"

She gulped. "I'm fine. I'll come out now."

Originally, she didn't want to leave the mall in such an outfit, but given the circumstances — and her insufferable pride — she'd make the smaller sacrifice if it meant less questions from her green-skinned accomplice.

Carefully, she undid the lock on her door, and slowly opened it. She looked past Beast Boy, her heart in her throat and her mouth dry, but found the couch across from her room no longer occupied. Both the man and all of his girlfriend's shopping bags, had vanished. A sigh of relief left her lips, and Raven visibly slumped from her previous, tense posturing. The walls were no longer closing in, and her fingers weren't shaking as much, but the adrenaline continued to course through her veins, leaving her still on edge.

"Uhm. Raven, did something happen? You look like you just saw your dad's ghost or reflection or something. Or maybe just your dad in general, actually." Beast Boy was trying to catch her attention but her eyes were darting about, scanning the vicinity for a glimpse of brown hair and a baby-blue shirt anywhere nearby, just in case.

"Earth to Raven?"

She snapped her gaze in Beast Boy's direction then, blinking like a deer caught in headlights. "Yeah, I'm okay. Everything's okay," she finally reassured him, but wasn't convincing in appearance whatsoever. The words fell from her lips in a way that was practiced, but Beast Boy never got a chance to fully investigate.

By the time he'd opened his mouth to say something, Raven had already grabbed her clothes and shoes, stuffed them into a nearby shopping bag, and strutted towards the exit somewhat awkwardly in her brand new heels.


"What the heck was that all about?"

Raven should have known better than to assume that Beast Boy would let go of the day's strange events, no matter how quiet he'd been on the way home. "Nothing."

"You do know I have a great sense of smell, right? So, do you really think that I wouldn't pick up on bullshit when I smell it?" He tapped the side of his nose with an index finger to help emphasize his point.

Raven groaned, removing the pinching shoes the minute they'd walked back into the Tower, and rubbing her aching, swollen feet. "I saw a spider, that's all," she lied after taking a moment to relish in the cold, flat ground beneath her aching toes.

Beast Boy scoffed. "Wow. Really? Since when were you afraid of spiders?"

"Who made you the expert on all of my fears suddenly, anyways?"

The shapeshifter opened and closed his mouth a few times, obviously recalling the events of the night of horror he'd helped inspire when he'd forced Raven to watch a scary movie with the others. "Okay, fine. I'm not an expert," he admitted finally. "But, you're a demon. How can a demon be afraid of spiders, of all things?"

"I just am, drop it already!"

But Beast Boy didn't seem to have heard her as he continued to speak over her. "I mean, every movie I've watched that has demons as the main baddy usually involves a creepy spider scene, or cockroaches, or maggots. Sometimes all three. So, I just figured bugs and demons kind of go hand in hand, kind of like ghosts and dolls. Besides, you never had an issue taking out Kitty's creepy spider boyfriend, and I'm pretty sure you've squished one for Starfire before-"

"Sweet merciful mother of Azar, I was having a panic attack, okay?!"

The silence that followed was unnatural, and Raven could almost feel the beginnings of a new fear settling in. She took in a deep breath through her nose, and exhaled through her mouth, retaining her calm after her small outburst. "Some creep might have recognized me, and I didn't know what to do. Maybe...maybe I'm having second thoughts. Maybe, I'm not cut out for this sort of attention. Happy now?"

"Rae, you're a Titan. People are going to recognize you because you're a hero."

"That's not how he knew me." She shook her head, closing her eyes, too embarrassed to admit to what they both already knew.

"...oh."

Another brief moment of silence, and Raven couldn't find the strength to look her friend in the face.

"But I thought you were being careful…," Garfield cooed, trying to be gentle in his attempt to console her.

"I was! But you weren't there! You didn't see the way he...looked at me." It was enough to send her skin crawling all over again, and she hugged her bare arms just as goosebumps trailed her pale skin.

"Shit. I'm sorry, Rae. I really am. We can take the photos if you still want, but you don't have to post them anywhere."

Raven wanted nothing more than to indulge in a moment of weakness; she wanted to be held by a friend, comforted even. The warmth of another person, and the intimate closeness of bodies, would have calmed her fears and temporarily drove away all the negative thoughts already swirling in her catastrophic mind. More than once, she'd exhibited this feeling of deep, unsatiated wanting. Even as a child, she'd longed for her mother's touch, or a friend's embrace, and all throughout her life, she was always denied such a luxury. To the priests, it conveyed nothing but cowardice, and it only served to enslave her to emotion, therefore making any and all possible human connections Raven formed dangerous. This had been instilled in her mind from the day she'd been born and, despite all the Titans efforts to persuade her otherwise, remained a very difficult mentality to alter.

So, instead, Raven did what she did best when confronted with such overwhelming emotion — she closed herself off. "You don't have anything to apologize for, Beast Boy. I just need some time to...think."

The changeling looked a little crestfallen by her change in tone — back to her staple, gravelly, emotionless tenure — but did not argue or push the point. Instead, he nodded once. "Right. Cool. Yeah. Meditation, of course. Take all the time you need. Shopping can, uh...it can take a real toll, and you've been through a lot today. I'm pretty starved myself, heh." He patted his abdomen as a low gurgle emanated from his bowels just in time.

Raven, not knowing what else to say for fear of betraying her emotions, simply turned on her heel and picked up the various shopping bags that they'd strewn all along the floor.

"If you change your mind, or need to talk or anything...you know where to find me. I'll be here," he added quickly before she was out of earshot.

She knew he wanted her to open up to him — to use him as a shoulder to lean on, a soul to confide in. It was important to him that she realize he could be a serious friend when she needed one, too.

But Raven needed to rethink things on her own, first. She also needed to get out of the unfamiliar clothes, too, and spend some time figuring out what she wanted to do.

Nonetheless, it seemed rather...cruel to leave Garfield hanging, probably already assuming that it was his fault somehow.

Raven turned to give him an apprehensive glance. "Thank you," she started somewhat demurely, looking away when their eyes locked. "For both the nice clothes...and the company."

"You...had fun? Y'know, before that creep ruined everything, of course." There was a smidge of muted hope in his features despite the bit of displeasure that creeped in at the mention of the stranger from the fitting rooms.

Raven paused, as if to carefully mull over her answer before giving it. "Yeah, I guess I kind of did. It was no opera or ballet, or trip to a museum or old bookstore, but...I think it was pretty okay as far as mall outings go." And she actually meant it.

Beast Boy whooped — literally jumped into the air, fist extended over his head, and cheered resoundingly, his voice carrying throughout the Tower. The sudden movement startled Raven, but she figured it was better not to take away from the moment. Instead, she shook her head at his shenanigans, brandishing a secret smile as she took her bags and disappeared down the corridor towards her bedroom, all the while still listening for the happy echoes of her skin-changing friend's elated cries...


A/N: As per usual, thank you for reading and the support!