A.N. And here it is, the chapter you've all been waiting for from the edge of your computer chairs, I'm sure. This is the culmination of the story thus far: the wedding day. I'm pleased with how it turned out, and I do hope that you enjoy it too. So without further ado, ladies and gents, I'm pleased to give you…
Chapter ten of Like It Or Not, entitled, "Purple and Green"
Friday, May 26; the wedding day
The room was cold and smelled of antiseptic, just as it always did. That dreadful scent was the first thing that filtered into Beast Boy's groggy mind as be began to come to. The second thing that registered to him was the uncomfortable coolness of wherever he was, and then the din of multiple buzzing and whining machines.
Beast Boy carefully cracked open his eyes. He tried to rub at them when they began to water from the sudden brightness, but found that his joints protested when he tried to move. He forced his eyes to open all the way. His whole body was sore. What, had he had an altercation with a brick wall the day before or something?
Oh. That's right, the fight with Johnny Rancid. Beast Boy swallowed and winced. Even that hurt. How the heck had he survived? He was sure that he was down for the count around the time that he started spitting blood and couldn't breathe. He vaguely recalled a ferocious blue light… Cyborg's sonic cannon… and then nothing at all. Darkness had taken over him. He must have been carried here, to the infirmary, but he hadn't the slightest recollection of anything that happened after that.
He glanced to his left, and his neck cracked in protest. Under the digital clock across the room, which proclaimed that it was nearly half past eleven in the morning on May 26, was the room's only other occupant. Raven was slumped over a metal chair, arms crossed tightly over her chest. The girl's head was leaned back against the wall, and even in sleep her face was contorted with a grimace of discomfort. Her hood was pushed back but her cloak was wrapped securely over her body, probably because of how frigid the room was.
Beast Boy couldn't stop a grin from slowly spreading over his face. She must have healed him again. That was the only plausible explanation as to how he could have sustained such a beating just hours before and was a bit sore instead of six feet under. He quickly scanned his body. He was wearing a flimsy, hospital gown-like smock, which appeared to be spattered and soaked in some places with dried blood, and he was hooked up to a heart monitor. Beast Boy brought his hand to his left side, which had apparently bled profusely just hours before. He hesitantly pulled aside his cloth covering, only to discover that there was absolutely no sign of damage to the skin beneath. He blinked in disbelief. He distinctly remembered sustaining injuries from ruthless strike after strike and being sent sprawling to the ground again and again until he had been turned into a bloody pulp á la Rancid. Raven was excellent at healing wounds, but even her work left bruises or scars behind if the injuries were bad enough, and his certainly had been.
The changeling sat up, doing his best to ignore his aching body. This was incredible! He practically felt totally fine. Beast Boy unhooked himself from the heart monitor, causing it to beep loudly until he shut off the machine altogether. He glanced over at Raven, who had jumped at the sudden irregular noise. He looked at her sheepishly as she straightened, adjusting her cloak and standing. At noticing that Beast Boy was awake, Raven moved over to him pensively, hands clasped beneath her cloak and out of sight.
"How are you feeling?" she asked evenly, eyebrows slightly drawn together as she carefully took in his appearance.
"Great! Better than great," he assured her. "Incredible, considering what happened to me yesterday."
"You remember what happened then?"
"Kind of," Beast Boy replied. "I remember the fight, and then laying on the ground, and then…" His eyes widened significantly as he recalled another part of what had happened. "Rancid! He injected me with something. What did he do to me, Raven?"
Raven's carefully even expression never wavered. "You need to speak with Cyborg about that. I will call him up here when we are finished."
"Could it have something to do with why I'm completely healed?" Beast Boy mused aloud, running a gloveless hand through his heavily mussed hair. "It doesn't make sense at all, but how could I be perfectly fine after practically dying yesterday?"
Raven's eyebrows rose. "Your healing was certainly not Johnny Rancid's doing, Beast Boy. I healed you."
"But how? I didn't think you could, I mean, heal wounds like that completely."
The empath smiled wryly. "Do you have any idea how much energy builds up when someone like me is left with no outlet for their power for so long?"
"That's awesome!" Beast Boy said excitedly, but he quickly sobered upon noticing Raven's less than enthusiastic expression. "I mean, thanks for saving my life."
"And in so doing, saving my own," Raven sighed.
The changeling blinked, heart suddenly beating fast as his thoughts shifted. "Oh my God, we're getting married today, Raven."
"You forgot?" Raven smirked.
Beast Boy did not return the grin. He suddenly remembered all the things he had thought and said about the marriage just the day before. How he had wished he hadn't agreed to go through with it, and how he had thought that Raven didn't care a bit about him. And yet she had just rescued him from certain death. Sure, she might have been more fearful for her own life than for his, but there had been an undeniable expression of worry in her eyes as she looked upon him that morning. So just maybe she cared if he lived or died. That thought brightened his spirits considerably.
The changeling looked down at his hands, which were folded in his lap.
"I'm sorry," he said.
Raven looked confused. "For forgetting our wedding day?"
Beast Boy exhaled delicately. "No, for… well, I've kinda made you miserable about getting married since you told me in the first place."
Raven carefully leaned back against the examination table where Beast Boy sat.
"I can hardly blame you for that," she replied.
Beast Boy frowned as he shook his head. "But you don't know what I've said. What I've been thinking."
"You're entitled to say and think what you want," Raven said stiffly. "Neither of us want to marry. Speaking out against it is hardly a crime."
"I hate that it has to be like this," Beast Boy said regretfully.
"It is unfortunate," Raven agreed. "But if we deal with the situation maturely, our lives barely need to change. It doesn't need to be painful."
Beast Boy regarded her thoughtfully, a hint of irritation suddenly coloring his demeanor. How many times had they shared the exact same conversation that he sensed they were at the outset of regressing into? He could feel himself growing annoyed, but was fully aware that she was prepared to take any cross words he proffered and respond with some of her own biting remarks. He frowned deeply. He didn't want that to happen again. Not today, just hours from the ceremony. And what had Cyborg said? He needed to have a positive attitude. He had to be optimistic without being pushy, because if he didn't play his cards right, everything would turn out worse than it was headed now.
"What if it could be painless," he began cautiously, "But not… unnecessarily platonic either?"
The corners of Raven's mouth turned down. "I don't think you know what you're asking," she replied in what he perceived to be a warning tone.
Beast Boy couldn't help himself. He rolled his eyes.
"Come on, Raven, I'm not quite that stupid."
"You're stupid enough to try to take on Johnny Rancid alone when you're severely sleep deprived."
Beast Boy glowered at her. "That wasn't my fault! I had no choice but to fight."
"You could have fled."
"Titans don't flee. Robin would have a fit if I even thought about it."
"Don't worry about what Robin thinks," Raven insisted. "He is one of the few people still around who values honor over their own life."
Beast Boy grinned contemptuously. "Then you agree that's pretty stupid, right? Being too proud to save yourself and do what it takes to stay alive?"
By that time Raven was glaring back at the changeling, not with the same reckless fire, but with an icy sort of chill that somehow burned even more.
"Do not think you have the right to criticize me, Beast Boy," she said, fury growing beneath her calm surface.
"Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't know that I wasn't aloud to return the favor of being verbally ripped into for everything we disagree about."
Raven's hands clenched and unclenched subconsciously. "I think it's time for me to get Cyborg," she said.
"Fine, just leave and refuse to answer me."
"What in hell do you want to know?" Raven spat. "Is this in reference to your request that we break down and be intimate? Or are you waiting for me to confess that you're right, that I really should fall at your feet and gladly ruin my life by submitting to you? Your lack of gratitude is disgusting. I save your life and yet you can't bear to cease pestering me for ten minutes." She pushed herself off of Beast Boy's table, turning around so she could glare down at him.
"I never asked that we 'break down and be intimate'," Beast Boy replied through clenched teeth as he forced himself to stand as well. He slid off the table so that he could look Raven evenly in the eyes again, never breaking eye contact as he struggled not to fall. His legs trembled with so much weakness that he braced his hand on the table for support. "That isn't why we're marrying, and I don't want it to be why we marry."
"Then what do you want from me?" Raven exclaimed, obviously at her wits end.
"I want us both to be happy."
"That's a politician's answer. Tell me what you want."
"I want you to see me as more than a problem, Raven," he replied fervently. "Because I am. I'm too tired to keep fighting with you. I want us to get along and have a relationship deeper than just being teammates. Kisses, hugs – I don't care. They're just ways to express what I am willing to feel for you if you'll let me, and what I can only dream of you reciprocating towards me."
"Kisses, hugs," Raven repeated bitterly. "To start off with, I presume. No male would be satisfied with that forever."
"Is that what you're really afraid of, then?" Beast Boy said, his breath escaping in a disbelieving laugh. "You think I'm going to start demanding sex or something one day if we're anything but enemies?"
"I don't think it would be long at all before you began badgering me for more than kisses and hugs, after we've started down the uncontrollable course of affection."
Beast Boy shook his head and swallowed heavily, finally breaking eye contact and sitting down again. He looked away from Raven.
"Do you know nothing about me?" Beast Boy implored. "Do you think I'm… like that?"
"It's how all men are," Raven replied, keeping her voice strong.
Beast Boy didn't say anything right away. He just fiddled absently with the edge of his thin gown and stared forward. Was this the real reason that Raven so ardently desired they stay as far apart as possible? She seriously believed that he would consider hurting her? When had he ever given her grounds to believe that he was the kind of guy to pressure her into a relationship she wasn't ready for? Did she have any freaking idea how hard he tried to give her the space she needed, especially recently? Jokes and junk were one thing, but he knew his boundaries.
Beast Boy sighed sadly. "Fine, maybe it is. But even if those feelings might always be there," he spoke carefully, "Choosing to restrain or act on them is what sets the good guys from the creeps. I'm far from perfect, but I'm not a creep, Raven."
He searched Raven's face carefully for a sign that she accepted what he had said, but her face remained infuriatingly blank. With a sigh he extended his hand, gloveless and clammy, in Raven's direction. She regarded it warily. Beast Boy's even expression revealed nothing, but when he refused to withdraw it, she slowly took her hand from where it had been clenched tightly beneath her cloak. Raven cautiously placed her hand in his, involuntarily stiffening as he closed his larger hand tightly about hers. His hand was warm but moist with sweat, his grip strong but oddly gentle. Raven couldn't help but observe how totally her hand was enveloped by his, the odd pigmentation of their skin not precisely clashing but making for an odd contrast. Emerald and pale grey. Her eyes drifted back up to Beast Boy's face to find that his gaze had hardly left her own.
"Raven," he began, the gravity of his words not lost on her as he articulated them with complete honesty, "I will never force you to be intimate with me. I respect you way too much to hurt you like that. I can be stupid sometimes, but that's one mistake I swear I'll never make, so don't worry about it."
The empath tried to swallow away the thickness that had suddenly constricted her throat, but her eyes remained enraptured by his and the abnormal amount of seriousness they betrayed.
She blinked and withdrew her hand quickly, bringing it back under the sanctuary of her cloak. She cleared her throat. "I'll go get Cyborg."
With that Raven quickly left the room, and Beast Boy was left alone, dismayed but not entirely surprised at her rapid depart. He stared down at his hand, disbelief over what had just happened clouding his mind. He lay down with a sigh, stared up at the ceiling, and crossed his arms over his chest. God, he would never understand that girl.
Beast Boy wasn't left to his thoughts for long. Cyborg quickly arrived, a relieved smile on his face.
"Good to see you're finally awake. How you doin', little man?" the bionic teenager asked his friend, letting the mechanical door slide closed behind him.
"Great," Beast Boy replied easily. "Raven fixed me up perfectly."
"She outdid herself this time," Cyborg agreed. "So, no pain? Any residual soreness?"
"A little. I was pretty achy when I woke up, but I'm doing better now."
"Excellent," Cyborg said, nodding. He still hadn't moved from where he stood before the door. Beast Boy finally noticed this and the slightly strained smile on his friend's face, and a sense of fear began to fill him. Suddenly he remembered what Raven had said that Cyborg would need to tell him.
"What did Rancid do to me?" he asked plainly, hoping that his voice didn't betray his sudden worry.
Cyborg exhaled deeply. "We're not sure," he admitted. "I've done every blood test that I am capable of performing, but nothing has turned up. I've sent some samples to Star Labs for further analysis, but I just don't think I missed anything."
Beast Boy's eyebrows knit together. "That doesn't make any sense. I know there was a needle. I felt it."
Cyborg nodded. "And I saw it. But that doesn't mean he injected you with anything."
"Well, what else could it be?"
"That took me a minute to realize too," Cyborg admitted. "But besides putting something into your system, Rancid could have taken something out."
"You mean…?"
"He could have drawn your blood," Cyborg said grimly. "Personally, I would be very impressed if he found a vein, but by the time it occurred to me to check the point of penetration on your arm, Rae had already started healing you up."
Beast Boy made a sour face. "I shouldn't have tried to fight him," he groaned. "I thought I could take him one-on-one, at least for a while, but I was soo wrong."
Cyborg shrugged. "There's nothing you can do to change what happened. All we can do now is wait and hope that this won't amount to anything."
"That would be too good to be true," Beast Boy said dejectedly. "Any clue what my blood could be used for?"
"A whole lot of messed up things, BB," he admitted. "I'll have to do some research. This isn't my area of specialty."
The changeling brought a hand to his face. "I'm such an idiot."
"Yeah, you are."
Beast Boy glanced past his hand at his friend and was relieved to see that Cyborg was smiling.
"There really is nothing you can do now but wait and be cautious for a while," Cyborg said. "That means no more one-on-one fights. And if you ask me, I'd be worrying more about what Robin's going to do to you than what Rancid might."
Unfortunately, Cyborg didn't appear to be joking about that point. Ah crap. Robin had never been Beast Boy's favorite guy, nor was he Robin's. Even if not in conflict exactly, there was always a certain amount of tension between them. Besides Robin's frustrating superiority complex was his unwillingness to trust even his own teammates, as seen plainly when the Beast had surfaced. Beast Boy always got angry when he thought about how easily Robin had threatened to have him kicked off the team and put in jail. He could never look at his leader quite the same way again after that, and there was no way of knowing what Robin was thinking behind that dumb white mask anyway. And now he had given his leader a whole heaping ton of fresh fodder to fuel his fire of doubt against Beast Boy's competency.
Cyborg regarded Beast Boy sadly. "Just try to forget about it while you can, alright? What's done is done. There's no sense in beating yourself up."
"Easy for you to say," Beast Boy groaned. "Some loony tune didn't steal your blood. God, life sucks."
"Did you at least square anything away while Rae was in here?" Cyborg asked.
Beast Boy smiled gloomily. "I really tried," he admitted. "But I think I just scared her away."
"How's that?"
"I was being perfectly civil, I swear. We both were, I guess. Then she just ran out."
"She did look pretty flustered when she came to find me."
"Really? Did she say anything?"
"Nothing. Just told me you were awake and I needed to talk to you about what I thought happened yesterday," Cyborg replied. "Must have been a pretty intense civil argument to shake Rae up like that though. She isn't easy to scare."
"Why can't I do anything right?" Beast Boy lamented. "I just can't win with her, yelling or talking."
"Must have been an interesting talk."
"It's none of your business," Beast Boy said edgily.
Cyborg held up his hands in defense. "Fine, fine. Every couple is entitled to their secrets. C'mon, if you're feeling up to it, I think it's about time to prep for your wedding."
Beast Boy groaned again. "I need to talk to Raven first," he said. "We can't just go and get married now, not after we parted company like we just did."
"Chill out, man. It'll be fine. Star's probably with her now, and something tells me that Rae'll find more comfort talking to Star right now than with you anyway. You'll just have to wait until your wedding night to enjoy each other's company again."
Beast Boy chuckled derisively. "You're hilarious, you know that?" he bit.
"Actually, yes," Cyborg replied smugly. "You hungry? We could drop by that place that always gives us free subs, if you hurry up and go get dressed. Starfire's got the perfect sunset wedding planned for you and lover girl, so we've got a little time."
"Sunset, huh?" Beast Boy said absently, checking the clock again. It was just after noon. Now that he thought about it, he was pretty hungry. His stomach was churning like it was full of crazed eels, but you'd be surprised how much recouping from a near death experience took out of you. "Subs it is," he consented.
TT
Raven was feeling inconsolable as she paced around her bedroom in her wedding dress, Starfire scuttling after her to fix her makeup or hair or to fuss at her dress. She had tried speaking with Starfire about what was troubling her, but she found herself far too embarrassed to speak frankly. And so she was left to her own tumultuous thoughts, checking her bedside clock every few minutes as time crept by slowly.
The afternoon had passed far too quickly. Raven had lost herself in meditation, in a vain attempt to control her emotions. Optimistically her powers would return that evening. After a week of being far too angry, frightened, and worried, Raven didn't want to think about what might happen if she didn't put all effort into checking her emotions before her powers came back.
It wasn't safe for her to feel like this. It wasn't safe for Beast Boy to make her feel like this. Why did he have to go and complicate things with his adamant promises and uncomfortable desire to get along with her? Raven didn't miss the irony of it all; she couldn't stand him when he was whining for her to pay attention to him, and she was spooked beyond belief when he showed her that frightfully deep and intimate side of his. She just didn't know how to deal with any of him. She couldn't take being so close to another person.
"Raven," Starfire sighed lightly as she tugged a stray tendril of the empath's hair back into its place, "Your beauty this day is marred only by your agitation."
Raven pulled away from Starfire to look at herself in the mirror. She looked like a different person in her light blue dress and heels. Her makeup was liberal enough and her hair was curled loosely. She scoffed to herself. She did not feel beautiful in the slightest. The dark circles under her eyes couldn't be hidden by Starfire's makeup, and her skin was an even more washed out light grey than usual, in her opinion.
"Thanks, Starfire," she replied in spite of her own doubt. "You look nice too."
Starfire beamed brightly at the compliment. The redhead was dressed in a pale pink, ankle length dress, which made her look even more beautiful than normal. Her hair was pinned up simply and she had foregone makeup, in what Raven was convinced was a subtle effort to not upstage the bride (a feat which Raven didn't think would be difficult at all for Starfire to accomplish anyway).
The alien carefully stepped over to Raven's window. The sun was descending in the sky, filling the heavens with the first traces of red and gold.
"It is time," she said lightly, beginning to gently usher Raven from the room. "Tell me, are you excited?"
"I think I'm going to be sick," Raven breathed, resting a hand on her stomach.
Starfire smiled wisely. "I believe such a feeling is normal," she assured her friend. "You will be fine, I am sure."
With that, Starfire gave Raven's hand a squeeze and led Raven out of her bedroom and towards where the ceremony was to take place.
TT
Robin wasn't looking at Beast Boy, and Beast Boy sure as hell wasn't looking at Robin. The two tuxedo clad Titans stood in tense silence in the decorated common room, Robin facing the entrance with unwavering stillness.
Beast Boy did what he could not to make eye contact with his leader, who had been gracious enough not to speak to him, except for easy orders as to where he should stand and when he should speak and whatnot. Starfire really had outdone herself for this wedding. Bouquets of flowers graced every lace-adorned surface, the ceiling was strung with shimmering lights and elegant streamers, and the floor was covered in sleek red cloth to form a makeshift aisle. Even some of the walls were hung with elegant beige cloth.
The changeling cleared his throat awkwardly. "The place looks great," he offered.
Robin nodded slowly. "Starfire has a talent for things like this."
"I appreciate you doing this for us."
"I don't have a choice," Robin replied in a monotone that rivaled Raven's.
Beast Boy chuckled nervously and was silent.
It took far too long for Raven and Starfire to arrive. Cyborg had been out in the hall waiting for them, and when Beast Boy finally heard his friend's muffled but still booming voice, he couldn't help but sigh in relief. He glanced out the window, across the bay. The sun had begun to set.
And just like that, the event, which had for so long (so it seemed) been dreaded as a formidable culmination of the frightful shift in the lives of the Teen Titans, was underway.
Music began to play, and Beast Boy started to sweat. A lingering melody played by violins filled the room to the tune of Here Comes the Bride, and the common room door slid open. Starfire, with much jubilation, emerged first, carrying a white whicker basket of pale rose petals. As she drifted effortlessly down the makeshift aisle with a brilliant smile shining across her entire face, she tossed handfuls of the petals to the red covered floor.
Next came Cyborg, his hologram ring providing him with a sleek black tuxedo, not unlike those worn by the other male Titans. Arm resting on his much stronger one, Raven stepped along carefully beside him as Cyborg slowly made his way down the aisle behind Starfire. Extremely conscious of the attention on her, Raven couldn't help but blush, but she squared her shoulders and attempted to keep her discomfort from her face as she walked. Her eyes drifted upward to the altar, where Robin stood, coolly surveying his approaching teammates, a placid grin turning up the corners of his mouth. Raven's eyes shifted to Beast Boy, and their gazes locked. She couldn't help but blush a bit more deeply and a faint smile found its way to her face. Beast Boy looked downright scared. She could see him fidgeting, shifting his stance as if not trusting himself to stay upright if he stilled. And still – she had to admire his courage – he returned her grin, a pink tinge coloring his face.
Starfire reached the front of the common room and gracefully tossed the last few petals to the floor. She smiled at Robin and floated off to sit on the front pew, which had been ingeniously converted from one of the training room's benches, with the help of generous amounts of beige fabric, lace, and boughs of multicolored roses.
Far too quickly, so it seemed, Raven and Cyborg also reached the makeshift altar in front of the great window. The sky was filled with deep red and pink by then, and the same hues filtered into the common room. Cyborg gave Raven's hand a squeeze as the music faded, and the look in his eye was nothing short of the pride of a father giving away his daughter. He too retreated to the makeshift pews, and Raven was left standing at the altar facing Beast Boy. Their eyes locked again, and Raven was unable to decipher the melee of feelings expressed in Beast Boy's shining emerald eyes.
Robin cleared his throat carefully and took up a sheet of paper.
"Titans," he began slowly, his confident voice resonating through the otherwise silent common room, "We have gathered here today to mark the joining of Garfield Logan and Raven Roth as they embark upon the journey of marriage. In accordance with the holy laws of Azarath and in the sight of all deity, Garfield and Raven are today promising to face the future together and accept whatever may lie ahead."
Robin turned first to Beast Boy. "Garfield, will you take Raven to be your wife, in sickness and in health, for richer of for poorer, during battle or peace? Will you respect her, be honest with her, and stand by her until the day ordained for your marriage with her to be broken?"
Beast Boy inclined his head with confidence. "I will," he replied sedately.
Robin then turned to Raven. "Raven, will you take Garfield to be your husband, in sickness and in health, for richer or for poorer, during battle or peace? Will you respect him, be honest with him, and stand by his side until the day ordained for your marriage with him to be broken?"
"I will," Raven responded evenly.
"And now the recitation of the vows. Garfield, you first."
Beast Boy swallowed and after a moment began. "Raven," he said somewhat hoarsely. He winced and cleared his throat quietly. "You're everything I'm not. You're brilliant, beautiful, brave, clever, and wise. I want to be there for you, for as long as you let me be, to ground you and feel everything with you. I want to be the one you turn to for comfort and joy, and I promise to be the best husband I know how to be. Even though we can drive each other crazy, I promise to try not to let that get in our way." All these words he spoke while looking into Raven's eyes, and her breath was taken away again by the deep sincerity they betrayed. A numb feeling had begun to creep through Raven's body, and having Beast Boy's profoundly earnest attention upon her filled her inexplicable nervousness.
"And Raven," Robin prodded gently.
"Garfield," Raven began just as quietly, trying madly to organize her thoughts. She paused. "You're also everything I'm not. You're lively and outgoing, adventurous and spontaneous – in short, we're opposites. They say that opposites attract, but I don't know what to think anymore. I want to be a good wife, even though I don't know if I have that capacity. I promise to do what I can, though, to make our lives as happy as possible, given the circumstances. I promise to try to tolerate your idiocy, and in return, I hope you will try to tolerate mine."
Robin was grinning even more by the end of their vows. "Gar," he asked, "You've got the rings?"
"Sure do," Beast Boy replied, producing the two wedding rings from a pocket in his tux. He handed one of them to Raven.
"Garfield, Raven, please exchange rings now, and they will forever serve as a reminder of the commitment you make today."
Hesitantly and somewhat awkwardly, the betrothed exchanged rings. Raven noticed how much Beast Boy's hands were shaking as he tried to slip her wedding ring onto her finger, and she hoped that she at least appeared more confident as she delicately reciprocated the action.
Robin took a deep breath. "As Garfield and Raven have expressed the mutual desire that they be joined this day in holy matrimony, by the power invested in me by God, as their leader and friend, I now declare them man and wife." He paused, the grin on his face growing a bit more still. "Garfield, you may kiss your bride," Robin announced, looking between the newlyweds.
Raven and Beast Boy exchanged a tentative glance, and the urge to bolt became strangely tempting to the empath. But, alas, before she worked up the motivation to flee, Beast Boy decided to take charge. The changeling flashed a mischievous smile at his bride before taking a step towards her and suddenly wrapping his arms around her, dipping her back and leaning in. His lips met hers with confidence and gentleness, and there they lingered while Beast Boy savored the intoxicating beauty that had suddenly become his.
Starfire squealed and clapped her hands in excitement. Cyborg chuckled and looked away from the couple, making a motion as if to wipe a tear from his eye. Robin sighed lightly through a smile, and even with his mask in place, it was obvious that he was rolling his eyes.
Beast Boy and Raven didn't notice the reactions of their friends whatsoever. When their lips met, the room seemed to dim around them. And unfortunately, that feeling couldn't be attributed totally to the purely physical sensation of their embrace.
From their simple connection, Raven felt Beast Boy's warmth flood through her, and her eyes fluttered closed. His touch was respectful, his arms gently supporting her back but managing to keep the space between their bodies that she needed to keep from having some sort of breakdown. As he pressed his lips more tightly to hers, however, she could distinctly feel a bizarre stirring within her body, as if something deep inside her was moving, awakening. When the strange, rustling feeling did not subside, but instead seemed to be rising, Raven suspected that it wasn't just her nerves acting up. She sharply took in a breath as she felt her essence, her soul-self, lifting upward on its own accord, through the connection between them, and somehow she sensed that the same was happening to Beast Boy. Even with her eyes shut, she could feel their spirits coming together, purple melding with green, before the combined spirit divided into two and fell back into their bodies.
As suddenly as the sensation had begun, it ceased, leaving Beast Boy and Raven utterly disoriented. Raven pulled away from Beast Boy and he no less than stumbled backwards. They shared an identical stunned expression, neither knowing how to verbalize the mutual question that hung in the air between them.
Robin, Starfire, and Cyborg looked on in confusion, not understanding why the ten-second embrace had left their newly married friends in such a stupor.
"Something wrong?" Robin asked when no one else made an attempt to break the uncomfortable silence.
The trance holding Beast Boy and Raven captive broke, and they both turned to look at Robin, who still stood before them at the window. The sun had almost completely set, and shadows had filled the common room.
Raven, fearing that something was indeed quite wrong, wasn't certain of how to answer her leader.
"Something… changed," she replied, voice wavering, as she pushed back the hair that had fallen over her face during the kiss.
"Something other than the fact that you two just got married?" Robin asked incredulously.
Raven shook her head, not knowing what to say. "I'm not precisely sure," she admitted. "I need to meditate."
"Please, Raven," Starfire begged her, "You must wait until after the reception party to do the meditating, for I have spent much time preparing your celebration."
The empath swallowed. She really couldn't refuse, knowing how much work Starfire had willingly put into this event. Still, she would never be able to enjoy herself during this unfortunate predicament, especially not now that she had burning questions that needed to be answered. But she would just have to grin and bear it, or at least bear it and leave the grinning to her blissfully unmarried friends.
She reluctantly nodded her agreement and Starfire smiled brilliantly.
"Come, my friends! A glorious celebration has been prepared for this joyous occasion in our room of dining," Starfire said, floating over to the new couple and taking each of them by the hand. Raven didn't turn to look at Beast Boy as they were ushered out of the room. She knew he was as dumbstruck as she. She knew that something was radically different and very wrong indeed. And, Azar help her, part of her didn't even want to know what had happened.
"Well Raven certainly doesn't look happy," Robin remarked to his bionic friend as the other three Titans retreated from the common room.
"I'll say," Cyborg agreed, obviously worried. "Any clue what's up with her?"
"Beats me. She would tell us if it was something… critical, right?"
"Maybe," Cyborg replied halfheartedly. His expression changed and he smiled, clapping Robin warmly on the back. "You were great up there, man. Couldn't even tell it was your first wedding."
Robin smirked. "Well, I hope it was my last."
"Maybe the last one you officiate, but I'll give ya three years tops before you're the one walking down the isle with Starfire," Cyborg teased his friend.
The Boy Wonder blushed slightly but ignored his friend's comment. "Come on," he said. "Starfire's probably wondering where we are."
TT
Sure enough, Starfire, Raven, and Beast Boy were already in the dining room when the other two boys arrived. The alien was graciously soaking up the impressed remarks of her friends as they examined the room.
It only took a cursory glance about the dining hall to tell how much effort Starfire had put into making the room look beautiful. White cloth covered the dining table and vases of beautiful white and red roses laced with baby's breath decorated every available surface. Gold streamers had been carefully hung from the ceiling, and white balloons were scattered about the expansive room. On one table, several packages wrapped in metallic gold paper sat on a pile, and on another table, a crystal punch bowl glinted under the bright lights. A table was filled with a buffet style line of serving trays, each with a different food offering within. Even the flatware had been carefully chosen to match the festive gold and white theme.
"Oh good, you are here!" the alien exclaimed upon seeing Cyborg and Robin at the entrance to the room. "Raven has expressed desire that our party not last long, so I am anxious to begin."
"Then let's eat," Cyborg remarked. "I'm starvin'. I guess watching your little girl get hitched really works up an appetite."
The Titans proceeded to eat supper, and Raven and Beast Boy proceeded to feel uncomfortable around each other to the point that Raven didn't think she could look him in the face without blushing. It was completely ridiculous, really, but if her recently developed hunch about what had taken place when they kissed was correct, then she had plenty to feel awkward about with him.
The meal was excellent, even though Raven for one hardly noticed what she was ingesting, so tumultuous were her thoughts. She was aware enough of her surroundings, however, to raise an eyebrow at Cyborg when he pulled a bottle of champagne from the fridge and proceeded to fill five crystal flutes with the stuff.
"What? It's a present from the mayor left over from last New Year's. Suit yourself if you don't want any," Cyborg declared in Robin's direction in response to his leader's skeptical look.
"Dude, I'll have his," Beast Boy piped up from where he had been twirling the same section of now cold spaghetti around his fork for five minutes straight.
"No you won't," Raven interjected. "You're crazy enough without alcohol in your system."
"Well one glass won't kill me," Beast Boy said sullenly, taking the proffered flute from Cyborg's hand.
Everyone, even Robin, ended up taking a glass of champagne.
"To our dearest friends Garfield and Raven Logan," Starfire toasted joyfully. "May they find true happiness and love and all that is good and enjoyable to share together from this day forward."
"Here, here," Cyborg replied, raising his glass, and his teammates followed suit.
"What about the wedding cake?" Beast Boy asked, swirling the alcohol around in his glass. "For going though all this I sure hope I at least get a damn cake."
"Of course!" Starfire exclaimed. "Cyborg, would you like to retrieve the wedding cake from the kitchen while I clean up from supper?"
Cyborg consented and departed momentarily, retuning quickly with a massive wedding cake in tow.
"Where d'ya want this, Star?" he asked, face almost hidden from sight by the five-tiered confection, which was covered in white frosting and adorned with pale green and pale purple lace and flowers. "This thing weighs a ton!" He plunked it down on the dining table where a space big enough for it had been cleared.
"Dude!" Beast Boy exclaimed, sitting up, "That thing's huge!"
"Robin and I picked it out with utmost care," Starfire beamed. "And I believe you will be pleased to know that there are absolutely no animal products hidden within it."
Robin smirked. "Yeah, Starfire kept quite an eye on the bakery to make sure they didn't forget to keep it vegan friendly. She drove them nuts, actually."
"I call first piece," Beast Boy spoke up, obviously torn from his lapse of worried silence by the towering confection.
"Don't tell me you forgot?" Cyborg began mischievously.
"What?" the changeling inquired.
"Come on, you've never seen a cheesy wedding movie before?" Cyborg chided good-naturedly, "The newlyweds always cut the cake together and feed each other the first bite."
Both Raven and Beast Boy couldn't help but blush at this (for the umpteenth time that evening), and different parts of the ceiling suddenly became incredibly interesting.
"Not happening," Raven said in a finalizing tone.
"But it's tradition," Robin spoke up.
"Yes, well there's a lot of tradition that Beast Boy and I are breaking with this wedding," Raven replied.
"Speaking of which…" Robin began.
"Don't get ahead of us, man," Cyborg cut in, perceiving where Robin's line of thought was going. "Cake first. And maybe more champagne."
"Sounds like a plan," Beast Boy consented, holding out his champagne flute to Cyborg for more.
Fifteen minutes later found the Titans full of cake (which Starfire ended up cutting), the empty champagne bottle in the recycling bin ("What?" Robin defended, "No day is a holiday from our responsibility to the environment."), and all five Titans seated around the recently cleared, cloth covered dining table.
"Well, not that I don't just love celebrating events that I wish I could forget about," Raven spoke up, crossing her arms over her chest, "But is there anything left on the evening's itinerary, or am I free to go attempt to drown my sorrows in meditation?"
"Sheesh," Beast Boy replied, "Usually people mellow out after imbibing alcohol, not get even more nasty."
"Yes, well, I'd say that I have something to be nasty about, Beast Boy."
"And just what the heck is that supposed to mean?" the changeling demanded.
"Ah true love," Robin sighed sarcastically.
"Bickerin' like an old married couple already," Cyborg added. "How cute."
"In regards to your question about the rest of our planned celebrations, Raven," Starfire spoke up, wishing to forestall the argument she saw coming, "I believe we only have your wedding gifts left to open."
"We get presents for getting married? Sweet," Beast Boy replied, turning his attention from the empath.
"Weren't you wondering what the pile of gifts was sitting on that table for?" Robin inquired.
"Oh. I guess I wasn't paying attention," Beast Boy responded lamely.
"Give the man a break, Rob," Cyborg said, "For Pete's sake, if I just got married I wouldn't be thinking about presents either."
Starfire effortlessly carried the entire stack over to the dining table and hefted them down between Raven and Beast Boy.
"Begin with this one, please," she said, thrusting a medium sized box into Beast Boy's hands. And, of course, this action had the desired effect on the changeling, whose face suddenly lit up with a glow like that on a child's face on Christmas morning.
Hardly ten minutes later, there was a pile of shiny wrapping paper in tiny pieces on the floor (thanks to Beast Boy, of course), and a pile of unwrapped gifts on the table. All in all, they were nice presents. There were books and comic books for the two of them, a monopoly set and a chess set, classic monogrammed towels, organic chocolates, a purple and green striped bedding set (it really was amazing that Cyborg didn't have holes burned into his head yet from the glares he received for that one), and a few picture frames with decent pictures of the two of them that had been taken over the years.
"Well," Raven said, obviously impressed by the unexpected generosity of her friends. "Thank you all for the presents, I suppose." She watched as Beast Boy tried to fold their new towels into perfect squares.
"Yeah, they're nice," he grinned in agreement.
"And there is one gift we have yet to present," Starfire proclaimed happily.
"You see," Robin began, taking his cue with a sly smile upon his face, "Star was talking to me about this, and at first I was dubious, but after a little consideration and in light of… certain recent events, she managed to convince me."
"Convince you of what?" Raven asked, a distinct feeling of unease growing inside her.
Robin's grin grew. "Well, we figured that we'd never be able to get you two to go on a honeymoon, so we decided to bring the honeymoon to you. For the next week, we're excusing you two from all Titan duties, unless a serious emergency presents itself."
"You lovebirds are free to go wherever, and do whatever you want for seven whole days," Cyborg added. "We'll try to stay out of your way," he winked.
"Dude, not funny," Beast Boy whined, crossing his arms and staring in aggravation at the table.
"Are you trying to make our lives miserable?" Raven demanded, affecting a similar posture to the green Titan's.
"Oh, certainly not! But I have learned that this moon of honey is a very important time of bonding for new Earth couples," Starfire protested. "Do you not wish to bond with friend Beast Boy?"
Raven blinked. She regarded her best female friend carefully. "Believe it or not, that's not on my most pressing to do list," she answered.
"Well, that sucks for you then," Robin shrugged indifferently, "Because you're out of a job for the next week. Looks like you'll have plenty of lonely meditation time now."
"And I'll be able to sleep," Beast Boy said, almost dreamily.
"What about patrol duty?" Raven asked. "How are you going to get by with only three people?"
Robin shrugged. "Kid Flash and Jinx agreed to help us out."
"You didn't," Raven said murderously.
"What?" Robin laughed, "Tell them about you and Beast Boy? No. That's another thing we'll have to talk about sometime. I'd be extremely surprised if we could keep your wedding a secret from the likes of the rest of the Justice League and all the Titans for two years."
"Just watch," Raven replied determinedly.
"Hang on," Beast Boy interjected. "All you had to do was call up Kid Flash and now he's helping us out? Why didn't you do that before we started doing killer half-night patrol shifts?"
"Relax, Beast Boy. I'm sure that he keeps busy enough with his own duties as it is. I told him that you two will be indisposed for a week or so – stop glaring, Raven, I'm sure he'll just assume you're sick – and that I would appreciate him looking after the city for a while. That leaves the rest of us to warehouse district patrol, and after a certain unfortunate incident, I would feel better if we doubled up on that patrol shift anyway."
"Well, it's late," Cyborg yawned, eager to escape before the growing tenseness in the room grew any greater. "I should go… do some research before recharging."
Beast Boy sighed morosely at this, remembering yet another thing he was supposed to be worried about. He didn't speak, however, as Cyborg stood to leave.
"Goodnight, y'all. And all the best to the newlyweds," he said with a grand bow in the direction of Beast Boy and Raven.
"Yes, I believe it would be a good idea to allow our newly wed friends to enjoy each other's company," Starfire said innocently with a gentle smile. "Perhaps you would like to help me clean up the common room before we go on patrol, Robin?" she asked.
Robin agreed and they left the dining room together, parting company with Raven and Beast Boy with well wishes.
And just like that, Raven and Beast Boy were left alone in the dining room, sitting side by side at the table in silence, still clad in their respective wedding attire.
"It's a pretty dress," Beast Boy said offhandedly after a minute of awkward silence, not even looking directly at her as he spoke. "It looks really… nice on you."
"I've never seen you in a tuxedo before," Raven mused aloud. "I suppose you look… nice too."
Beast Boy smiled broadly. "You know, that's the first thing resembling a compliment that you've paid me in a long time."
"You're welcome," Raven shrugged. "I should go. I need to meditate."
The changeling looked wounded. "You're just going to leave me here alone? On our wedding night?"
Raven couldn't decide if he was being sarcastic or not. "Come on, Beast Boy," she sighed. "You knew this was coming."
"Aren't we at least going to talk about what happened when we… kissed?" He blushed, apparently at the memory of their kiss at the altar that evening.
The empath looked at her lap. "I don't know what happened. Your guess is as good as mine."
"It was really, really weird," Beast Boy said thoughtfully, "Like something… moving, then… God, I don't even know how to explain it, but it scared the crud out of me."
"And that's why I need to meditate," Raven said. "So I can hopefully find some answers."
"Raven," Beast Boy begged, "Don't you have a hunch at least? You're the empath."
"The powerless empath," she sighed.
"They haven't come back yet, then?" Beast Boy asked quietly.
Raven shook her head.
"Are you scared?"
"No reason to be," she replied evenly. "I've done everything asked of me in accordance with Azarathian law."
"Then why haven't they returned?"
Raven shook her head slowly. "One of the mystical qualities of all things Azarathian," she said, "You never can understand them completely."
"That's for sure," Beast Boy agreed. "So, you don't have a clue what happened?"
The dark girl turned to him thoughtfully. "You really want to know? Even with the possibility that I could be completely wrong?"
"Definitely, yeah."
Raven nodded and bit her lip. "When we… kissed, I felt the same feeling of movement that you spoke of. I felt my soul-self – the same thing I use sometimes during battle to destroy things I could never otherwise reach – lifting. Then it… well, it combined with yours and broke apart again–"
"But not the same way, right?" Beast Boy guessed.
Raven bowed her head. "I'm afraid not, Beast Boy."
"Hang on… you think our souls split?" the changeling said in disbelief, mind whirling to try to comprehend it. "Like, I've got half of yours and you've got half of mine?"
The empath nodded.
"That's wicked awesome," Beast Boy said, a devilish grin on his face.
Raven glared at him sharply. "That isn't exactly how I would explain it, myself."
"So, what? This is what it's gunna be like for the whole time we're married?"
"I don't know. That's why I need to be alone. To look for answers."
Beast Boy appeared thoughtful for a moment, then looked sheepish. "You know," he said slowly, "All this started with a kiss. Maybe if we kissed again it would switch back."
Raven looked at him in agitation. "I'm certain that wouldn't work, you know."
"It's worth a try," Beast Boy prodded.
Raven grinned cynically. "Are you that desperate for another kiss?"
"Rae, babe, this is our wedding night," he smiled, eyes twinkling playfully. "Nothing wrong with asking for a kiss."
"What was I just saying this morning about the uncontrollable course of affection?" Raven scowled.
"Oh, that's right. You did say something like that before you ran out of the infirmary."
Raven shifted uncomfortably. "Even you should understand why I left."
"Even me? Gee thanks, Rae. Let's see…" he pretended to think deeply, "Nope, I still don't get it. I try to be nice, tell you what I know you want to hear, and you rush out like I morphed into Trigon anyway."
"Cool down, or I assure you that you won't get that kiss."
Beast Boy stopped dead in his tracks. "You're actually considering it?"
Raven shrugged. "If it will shut you up. You did raise a good point about this being our wedding night, and I do hate to completely snub you. Besides, you are being… relatively understanding given the situation, so I do owe you thanks for that."
Beast Boy grinned and stood, bidding Raven to do the same. "Yeah, you do owe me," he replied, snaking an arm around her waist when she rose.
Raven tilted her head down, hopeful that he wouldn't be able to see her swallowing heavily in response to his warming touch.
"Rae," he said softly, gently, and she looked up at him. "I meant what I said in my vow. I want to be the one you come to for everything. I want to be the best husband I can."
She knew it was a mistake to allow their gazes to lock, but once she did, she couldn't pull hers away. His eyes had the same strange deepness as when they had been together before the altar. Before she could completely register what was taking place, he had leaned forward, using his arm around her waist to pull her closer, and their lips met again. And for the second time that day, Raven found her mind going blank as the changeling's soft, warm lips pressed against hers.
Raven immediately felt a bizarrely giddy feeling tingle up her spine, as the musky scent of the changeling clouded over her. She could feel that stirring feeling deep inside her again, a warm, euphoric aura that just made her feel that this was right. Raven brought a hand to his shoulder, subconsciously splaying it across the back of his neck to deepen what was supposed to be a simple, chaste kiss.
Regardless of that strangely delicious feeling that the kiss brought, Raven broke apart from him after a few moments, retracting her hand and trying to pull away. Beast Boy's arm kept her near him, however. Her stunned gaze met his again, and upon his face was the most innocent, amazed look she had seen on him in a very long time.
"Did you feel…?" he began breathlessly.
Raven brought her hand to where his was latched at her waist, and she carefully tugged herself free of it. Beast Boy withdrew his arm and took a step back from Raven, blushing quite a bit.
"I sure felt something," she admitted. "I… need to meditate."
"Huh? Oh, fine," Beast Boy replied, shaking his head as if to clear his senses.
A hint of a smirk found itself to Raven's face. "What, you look like you've never kissed before."
"My first time was this evening at the altar."
Raven's eyebrows rose in surprise. "I just supposed that with Terra you might have…"
"Terra and I were never," Beast Boy struggled to find the right words. "Well, lets just say we didn't have a chance to… ah, be more than we were, I guess. If I knew we had as little time as we did, I might've…"
Raven shook her head. "I didn't know," she said.
"Well, how about you and book boy?" Beast Boy inquired.
Raven couldn't help but scoff. "Malchior? I'm just as virginal as you are, apparently," she admitted.
Beast Boy grinned. "Well good," he said. "We're right for each other then."
The empath couldn't help but roll her eyes. "I think that champagne has gone to your head, Beast Boy. I'm going to bed."
"Do I get a goodnight kiss?"
"You just got it," Raven replied, and her warning look told the changeling not to ask again. "You should get to bed too. You look pretty bad. Besides, I have a feeling that the rest of our team isn't going to be quite as respectful of our space as they would have us believe. It might give them the wrong idea if we're in here too long."
"Of course," Beast Boy sighed. "Hey, are we still roomies? You haven't gotten your powers back yet, and you would have them if the curse was gone, right? What if you have another attack for some reason?"
"You think I want to risk getting caught by one of them in the hall while sneaking to your bedroom?" Raven smirked.
"Your room then?" Beast Boy asked. "They'll never spot a fly in the hallways." He grinned at her. "I'll even bring my own sleeping bag."
Raven hesitated for a minute. "You swear not to make a habit of it?"
"I swear."
"And you swear not to ask for another kiss?"
"For tonight, if it means that much to you, I swear," Beast Boy replied gallantly.
"Then alright," Raven consented.
"Really?" Beast Boy said in disbelief, a smile suddenly lighting up his face.
"Sure. But if you try anything funny, you're mincemeat, lover boy."
"A risk I'm willing to take," Beast Boy chuckled happily, "Any day."
--
A.N. Well, I hope this chapter didn't disappoint. I even got it up relatively quickly, thank you very much. There's still much fun ahead, I promise. I know this chapter was a little long. I'll try to cut them down a little more in the future.
If you have questions, comments, ideas, or anything else you feel like sending my way, don't forget to leave me a review and make my day.
Thank you for reading.