The two entered the garage and Beast Boy went round to the passenger side to open the door for Raven.
"Hop in, beautiful," he said suavely, pulling open the door and gesturing to the seat.
"Beautiful?" Raven repeated, raising an eyebrow.
Beast Boy grinned in reply. "The most."
Raven gripped her clutch in her lap tightly as she waited for Beast Boy to get in and start up the car. When he did so, he realized that he couldn't reach the pedals; Cyborg's seat was way too far back to allow his bulk behind the wheel. Beast Boy fiddled with knobs until the seat moved up.
He popped in a cd of techno music, and bobbed his head to the beat.
It wasn't Raven's first choice of music, but for her it was better than pop.
Beast Boy opened the garage door and drove out to the bay, where he jetted across on the T-Car's aquatic mode.
He winded through back streets instead of taking main roads, but he was doing it to make the trip to the restaurant more relaxing, not because he was not confident with his driving skills. Raven actually had to admit she was impressed with the way he handled the T-Car. She rarely saw Beast Boy drive anything besides the B-ped, and his own wing of the T-ship when they separated in attack mode. But he was providing a very smooth and enjoyable ride, and Raven felt her nerves beginning to quell. She had to admit it made him seem even more attractive.
She glanced shyly at him; he was looking straight ahead and still bobbing his head to the music, mouthing with the lyrics. But he noticed her staring and caught her eyes, and gave her a toothy grin. Raven gave a small smile back and looked out the windshield again.
She racked her brain for something to say, anything, but the small talk just wasn't rising to her lips. Beast Boy seemed content to be silent, so she fiddled with the snap on her black patent clutch.
They finally reached the restaurant, and Beast Boy drove up to the awning, got out and spoke to the valet. The valet opened the door for Raven and extended a hand to help her out. Beast Boy had pulled out his wallet and gave the boy a healthy tip.
"VIP, please," he said, wiggling his eyes at Raven, who smiled.
"Right, Mr. Beast Boy sir," the boy said, snapping to attention.
Beast Boy tossed him the keys and wrapped an arm around Raven's waist, leading her into the restaurant.
"Beast Boy, what is this place? I've never heard of it before," she commented.
"It's a little place I noticed when I first came to Jump City," he said. "They used to have free drinks and pie at the bar on Tuesday nights and… I took advantage of it."
"Oh," she said. "But this still looks like a pretty posh place; I'm surprised they had an offer like that."
"There were several people who were grateful for that… I knew the manager of the place," he said.
Beast Boy opened the doors of the vestibule for her and led her to the maitre d', a large round man with a black ring of hair around his balding head, bushy eyebrows and mustache, and a white chef's coat on.
"Hey! It's you, kid!"
"S'up, Vinny! I haven't seen you in a long time!" Beast Boy exclaimed, giving Vinny a hearty hand-shake.
"Good to see you again, boy. Haven't been around for free pie in years!"
"I feel bad about that, Vinny. I've been too busy with the Titans, but I always appreciated your hospitality, honest!"
"I know you did, kid. Who's this pretty girl? Don't tell me you actually snagged a bombshell like her!" he laughed heartily.
"Vinny, this is Raven," Beast Boy proudly introduced her as Raven blushed.
"Raven?! You mean the Teen Titans Raven?"
"Of course!" Beast Boy said.
"I didn't recognize you all dolled up, miss," he laughed. "You're a lucky man, Beast Boy," he winked.
"Thanks, Vinny. What's the special tonight?"
"Chicken parmesan with veggie sides and clam chowder soup," he answered. "But I know you'll order something different, my vegetarian friend! I'll take you to your table so you can figure out what you want to eat. And just for you I will prepare your meals myself."
"Wow Vinny, that'd be great," Beast Boy said, following the stout man winding around tables to the back, where the booths were more private.
He and Raven were seated and given menus. Vinny left to get them drinks while they scanned the entrees.
"Is he the manager of this place?" Raven asked.
"Yep," Beast Boy said, a hand on his chin, trying to decide what he wanted.
Raven knew what she wanted while Beast Boy still hemmed and hawed over his menu, so she took a glance around at the décor of the place.
It was a darker place, the walls were stone and small windows let in little light. The lighting fixtures themselves were dimmed to give it atmosphere, and the place was to remind one of an authentic Italian restaurant/bar. There were vines and various plants along the walls, and the tables were thick solid wood. Several art pieces on the walls depicted Italian countryside or villa genre scenes.
Raven decided she liked the place; it was cozy and emotive.
Vinny came back with their drinks and his notepad to take their orders.
"Still not twenty-one, eh? I cannot serve you my house wine, though you deserve it!" he laughed as he set down Beast Boy's soda and Raven's raspberry ice tea.
"Still two years to go, Vinny. But when I do turn twenty-one I promise I'll come here and it'll be my first drink of the night."
"Good, good. Now, what will the two of you be having tonight?"
After Vinny had gone, Raven and Beast Boy were left with each other.
"This is a nice place," Raven said sincerely. "And Vinny seems nice."
"Vinny's great. I love this place. Used to come here all the time…" he said, sounding wistful at the end.
"Was that before the Titans were formed?"
"Yeah."
"Beast Boy… what were you doing back then? Where were you living?"
"Raven…." Beast Boy's face became very serious.
"I'm sorry," she said quickly. "I didn't mean to bring up old memories… I was just wondering."
"I wasn't really living anywhere. I stayed at homeless shelters, or if I couldn't get into one of them I would just stay in a park."
"In a park?" Raven repeated.
"Who's gonna care about one more bird in a tree? Even if he was green…"
"Beast Boy," Raven said softly.
"Anyway, I stumbled into Jump City, on this side of town, and Vinny took me in. Let me sleep on a cot in the back of the kitchen. It was warm and he fed me. I didn't stay all the time though… but I'd always come back on Tuesday nights for pie."
"I'm sorry that you had to live like that," Raven said. No wonder when they all first met he had seemed so eager to make friends, had attached himself to Cyborg and was so hurt when they all walked away. She remembered their first days in the newly built Tower, and she had been so annoyed with him. He acted like a stray dog that had been abandoned by his family…
"Ah, hey, don't worry about it," Beast Boy waved it off.
Raven stared at him for a second, seeing his eyes become a little dazed. There it was, that look like something had surfaced inside him… and in a moment it was gone and his eyes were shining in excitement again.
"But hey, why talk about the depressing past? We're here now and I'm really glad."
"About being here right now," Raven sighed. "Beast Boy, I want to say I'm sorry for… everything." She fiddled with her napkin, looking down at the table.
"What are you sorry for? There's nothing to be sorry for, Raven."
"Yes, there is… we haven't always had the best… friendship. I was annoyed with you, and I took out a lot of things on you."
"Yeah, but I pushed your buttons a lot too. I guess I just wanted attention," he said sheepishly.
"Wait… you did all that stuff on purpose? To get my attention?!" Raven asked incredulously.
"Well, kinda," he said meekly, tapping his index fingers together. "I didn't know any other way to… you wouldn't talk to me like a normal person, so I bugged you instead. It got you to talk to me."
Raven sat there for a moment. "Beast Boy, why didn't you just talk to me for real? Why didn't you sit me down and tell me that you wanted to be my friend, and not get into fights like that all the time?"
"I didn't know how to, Raven! I was fifteen, and I didn't know how to talk to girls! The only way I knew how to tell you that I liked you was to bug you and tell you stupid jokes. And then you'd make some dry comment about my intelligence and that was it. I know better now…"
"I really can't blame you, for all this though," Raven sighed, rubbing a hand over her face. "True, you were really immature. I should have seen through that… I've been really blind, and I'm sorry."
"Yeah, well…"
"How… how long have you felt this way about me?" Raven asked.
"A… a long time, Raven."
"And you tried to tell me by constantly annoying me."
"You wouldn't have noticed me or given me the time of day otherwise," he said, sitting back and crossing his arms.
Raven frowned.
"God, Raven there's so many things I wish we could change about what happened between us in the past… do you know how I felt when you were holed up in your room with… I mean… at least that one worked out…" Beast Boy shut his mouth.
"I wondered why you were the only one who was that interested in spying on me."
"I was worried about you Raven, and… I didn't want to lose you."
"Do I need to say her name?"
"No."
"Same situation. My feelings may not have been fueled by a crush back then, but I didn't like it."
"So, we've both been hurt by traitors, and now here we sit."
There was a silence.
"Beast Boy… are you sure you want this? Are you sure you want me?" Raven asked.
"Yes, Raven. I want this. I don't know how to tell you how long I've wanted this. I don't care about your past and who you were… I care about you now."
Raven nodded slowly. "I just don't want this to end up like-"
"Neither do I."
Raven gave him a small smile. He reached across the table and squeezed her hand, genuine kindness in his eyes.
"Remember what I told you, Raven? You're not alone…"
At this moment Vinny came with their dinner.
After dinner and a wonderful strawberry cheesecake for dessert, Beast Boy escorted Raven out after saying goodbye to Vinny and a promise to come back soon, and waited for the valet to bring them the T-Car. Raven had to admit it felt nice to have his warm hand resting on her hip; his arm slinked around her waist. He had shot up in the last year, now being several inches taller than her. His chin was becoming stronger, less child-like, and his body was filling out more too, still very thin, but more toned and less lanky. His voice was beginning to deepen, and Raven had to admit he was becoming an extremely handsome young man. Looking down at herself, she had filled out a little more too. Her hips were more pronounced, she had stopped growing taller but her figure had become more womanly, and she even had gone up a bra size. Her face was losing the baby fat too, becoming more fine-boned. Time really had a way of changing things…
Beast Boy opened the door for her and got in himself. He waved goodbye to the valet and headed back into the city.
"So… where are we going now?" Raven asked.
"You'll see," he said mysteriously. "But I will say this, one for me and one for you."
Raven pondered over this as she watched Jump City's night life, people crowding on streets in front of clubs and bars.
"The arcade?" she asked when they finally pulled up in front of the brightly lit building.
"Not just an arcade. There's bowling and a bar too. We can get in 'cause we're over eighteen, just can't drink."
"This is the one for you, right?" Raven asked, really really hoping it wasn't the surprise for her.
"Of course, don't worry," Beast Boy laughed. "This is my pick. After you survive this, I'll take you to your surprise. What's wrong, Raven? Don't like bowling?"
"Oh I love bowling. I go every Thursday night with the Pink Streaks in the league. You know, the old ladies with blue hair and their own bowling shoes and matching jackets," she said sarcastically.
Beast Boy chuckled. "Really? You'll have to introduce me to them sometime."
"Sure. Ethel and Pearl are just dying to meet you."
Beast Boy led them in, and paid for a game of bowling and rented two pairs of shoes.
"Do you realize how incredibly dumb I'm going to look with these clown shoes and this dress? I don't bowl or do anything that has to do with sports," Raven said, crossing her arms.
"Humor me a little, come on," Beast Boy said, handing her a pair of socks from the rental counter. "Don't worry; you get to keep the socks."
"Oh good, because I really needed a new pair of socks." She rolled her eyes with a small grin.
She sat down in a seat and crossed her arms.
Beast Boy knelt down suavely in front of her, wiggling his eyebrows, and began taking off her dress shoes.
"Oooh, I see Star gave you a pedicure, too. Nice toenails."
"She was rather excited to make me over."
"She did a good job. You look beautiful tonight," he said, smiling up at her while he put on her socks. "But not that you don't every day."
"Okay, Romeo, don't over-do it," she said, cheeks flushing.
He put her bowling shoes on and grinned as he got up to change his own shoes.
Beast Boy set up the game on the kiosk in front of the lanes and grabbed a green and white marbled ten pound ball. Raven stared at the bowling balls, not quite sure which one she should select. She grabbed a ten pound ball, but decided it was way too heavy. Beast Boy came up behind her and picked up a purple and black swirled ball that was six pounds.
"Here, this one will work for you."
"Thanks," she said, hefting it into her hands.
Beast Boy went first, and sent his ball flying down the lane, knocking down eight pins. He waited for his ball to be returned, then neatly scored a spare.
"Wow… I didn't know you could bowl, Beast Boy," Raven said, impressed.
"I'm not too shabby," he said, leading her up to the platform.
"I don't know how to do this at all," Raven admitted.
"Okay, first you need to hold the bowling ball like this, with your fingers in the holes like this." He grabbed her hands and placed them. Raven flushed at the contact, her back pressed up against him and his arms around her, demonstrating.
"Now, swing the ball backwards, walk up to the line and throw it straight at that mark on the floor right there."
"Okay…" Raven said hesitantly.
She did as told, threw it as best she could, but her ball still went in the gutter.
Beast Boy chuckled. "It's harder than it looks. But it's your first try, don't feel too bad!"
Raven retrieved her ball and tried again. This time it made it down the lane and took down three pins. Beast Boy clapped, and Raven gave a mock bow.
Beast Boy stepped up to the line and threw a clean strike.
"Who hoo!" he cheered, pumping his fist. Raven smiled.
"Your turn again, Rae," he said.
She grabbed her ball and stepped up to line up her shot. Beast Boy admired the view of her back and shapely figure, and the way the dress hugged her curves and rear end. And he had to admit, she was soo cute in that beautiful dress and those corny bowling shoes. He was too busy eyeing her up that he didn't notice what she scored her first turn, and there was an embarrassing moment when she turned around and caught him checking her out.
"Beast Boy!" Raven exclaimed, holding her arms around herself.
"Sorry, Raven," he said sheepishly. "I couldn't help myself." He grinned.
Her first ball had taken out five pins, and her second took down three more.
"Way to go!" he clapped.
His next throw took down all but one pin.
"Aw!" he cried, stepping up again. He missed the last pin. "Damn!"
Raven gave a small giggle.
"Hey, you're laughing at me!" Beast Boy exclaimed.
She quickly schooled her features back to expressionless.
"No I'm not."
"You so were," he teased.
Raven shook her head, but she did smile a little.
"Aw, well… your turn," he said, pointing a thumb toward the lanes.
Raven stepped up, tried her hardest and managed to knock down all but three pins… as they wobbled, a sneaky look came over her face and then she 'innocently' made the other three fall, which did not go unnoticed by Beast Boy.
"Hey!! That's cheating!"
Raven turned around to look at him in mock astonishment. "Me? Cheat? I would never," she said huffily. She walked down past Beast Boy and gave him a cheeky smirk as she sat in her chair.
"Right, it's so on!" he exclaimed. "But you can't use your powers!"
Raven huffed.
The two finished up their game, Beast Boy ending with a score of 142 and Raven coming in at 48, even with her one 'strike.'
"Wow, that's a pretty lousy score," she said, looking up at the score board.
"Actually, you did better than my first time bowling," Beast Boy admitted. "I got a 30."
They returned their shoes and Beast Boy pulled them over to the arcade.
Raven looked around at all the blinking lights.
"Watch this, Raven!" Beast Boy called and dragged her over to a karaoke machine.
Beast Boy grabbed the mike and mused through the selections.
"Oooh! Totally doing this one."
He made his selection, music started playing and then the words appeared on the screen.
"Hey hey little razor blade
Girl you're so so dangerous Hey hey little razor blade
You say you wanna try and get away
And that's just so obvious
But I've got the keys so let's put it into drive
Girl you're so so serious But don't call it a crush
You're only pretty when you walk away
And you act oblivious
But I've got the keys so let's put it into drive
Don't call it a crush baby
You know I love you too much
To be crushed like that!"
"Give me back my heart tonight And you're right that it's wrong
I'm sick of never smiling cause you're so uptight
Cause we know it's not alright
When neither one of us is putting up a fight
To spend the night alone
You stand on the shore as I'm treading water
and wave as I sink like a stone…"
Raven gave a small giggle as Beast Boy finished the song.
He was out of breath as he hung up the microphone, a crowd of people around them now clapping and laughing as he took a dramatic bow.
Beast Boy stepped off the little platform and slung his arm around Raven's waist.
"How was that, babe?"
Raven raised an eyebrow at the 'babe' usage but chose not to comment.
"Wonderful. You should be expecting a record deal any day now from that riveting imitation of The Pink Spiders," she said, pursing her lips in a smirk.
"That was sarcasm, right? I'm never sure, 'cause you don't use it very often," he replied, grinning.
Raven crossed her arms.
Beast Boy spotted something next that grabbed his attention.
"Ooh! A crane game; let's try and win something!"
He dragged Raven over.
"You do realize these things are rigged, right? You'll be sitting here all day putting in quarters until you get a stupid stuffed animal for ten dollars when it cost seventy five cents to make," Raven said, peering through the glass. "It's the most pointless game ever."
"Aw come on, Raven. It's supposed to be fun. It's the thrill of the game. Is it going to grab it? Will it make it all the way to the drop slot? And think of how cool it is to say you won one of these from the crane machine? You're like the king of the arcade when you win one of these. The victory is so much sweeter!"
"Yeah, a king to a bunch of sweaty geeky little kids. With a stuffed toy."
"Awh, you'll see," Beast Boy said, waving her off. "Now, what do you want out of here? Tell me which one to go for."
Raven looked in. "I don't care."
"Aw, come on Raven, you didn't even hardly look at all! Tell me which one," he urged.
Raven gave a heaving sigh and peeked in again.
"That one," she pointed, to a black stuffed cat with a red ribbon bow around its neck.
Beast Boy plopped in a quarter and concentrated with his tongue poking out the corner of his mouth, trying to get the claw positioned just right over the stuffed cat.
He dropped the claw and it clamped over the cat, but grew weak as it drew up and proved the turn fruitless.
"See? So rigged," Raven said.
"You gotta keep trying," Beast Boy said, digging in his pocket again for more quarters.
He tried again, with similar results. Raven just shook her head.
Beast Boy kept trying, each time getting closer and closer, one time the claw actually hooked the cat but it fell right next to the drop slot.
"Oooh! Cheap!!" Beast Boy cried, knocking on the glass pane and Raven gave a cry of dismay as well. He gave her a side glance, and was pleased to see that she was getting into it too. He smirked. She was definitely starting to come out of her shell.
"Well? What are you staring at me for? Put in another damn quarter!" she admonished him.
"Right away, lovely!" he exclaimed. He dug in his pocket. "Uh oh, I'm all out."
Raven sighed and opened her clutch and found one.
"It's the only one I have. Win it," she said, handing it to him.
Beast Boy dramatically put the quarter into the machine, squared his shoulders, and expertly maneuvered his claw over the cat. He wiped a bit of sweat threatening to get in his eyes off his brow, and his tongue poked out, his utter concentration focused on getting the perfect grab.
The claw lowered… it hooked the cat by the body… it was a perfect position… it began to rise up…
But it slipped off the cat's body and the toy fell back into the sea of stuffed animals.
"Nooooooooooo!!!!!" Beast Boy cried, and Raven snapped her fingers in disappointment. She shook her head, feeling slightly bummed. Then she spied something shiny just peeking out from under the machine. She reached down and picked it up, finding it to be a quarter.
"Beast Boy, look," she said, holding it up in front of him.
"Dude, where'd you find that?" he exclaimed.
"Under the machine," she said, pointing to the place with her toes.
"Well, let's try it," he said, determined.
They plopped in the quarter. He carefully positioned the claw once more, watching it as it dropped over the cat. Raven held her breath as the claw began to rise up, the cat caught in its clutches. The two of them gazed intently, eagerly, as the claw moved over and dropped the cat into the slot.
"Whooo hoooo!!!" Beast Boy cried and pulled Raven into a hug. Raven grinned as he let go and reached down to grab the cat and present it to her. Raven took it and hugged it to her chest, smiling.
"See? What'd I tell ya? Now don't you feel good?"
"I suppose, but it still doesn't overshadow the fact that you just spent eight dollars to get this cat," she said.
"You pay for the thrill, love," he said. Then he looked at his watch. "Oh! Hey we gotta go. We're not done yet," he winked.
"Hmmm," Raven answered as he rested a hand on the small of her back and lead her out the door to the parking lot and T-Car.
"Okay, you have to close your eyes now, and no peeking! It's a surprise, and I don't want you to know where I'm taking you," he said. "Don't make me put a blindfold on you!"
"You don't have to resort to that," she said dryly. "I'll keep my eyes closed."
She put her hands over her eyes as Beast Boy pulled out of the lot and onto the road. In a couple of minutes he parked and told Raven they were there, but not to open her eyes yet. He got out of the car and opened her door and helped her out. He guided her to the door and opened it. Raven instantly recognized the ding of the little bell that sounded whenever the door opened, and the smell of specialty coffees, spices, and incense that tickled her nose.
"Oh Beast Boy," she said, taking her hands away from her face and smiling at him.
"One for you," he said, grinning.
Raven looked around her favorite coffee shop, The Black Rose Café and waved to the manager behind the counter.
"Raven, good to see you again!" the stout woman called. "Want the usual?" she asked as the two approached the worn counter.
Raven nodded. "Sounds good, Mauve."
"And I'll have a mocha latte with extra cream, please," Beast Boy requested, digging out his wallet to pay.
"Sure thing, honey," Mauve said, getting their coffees ready.
After receiving their beverages Raven led them to her favorite booth and the two sat down to relax.
Soft jazz music played in the background, and the décor was dark, with darkly stained wooden tables and booths, black and red paint, and interesting art and metal sculptures on the walls. The place was worn but cozy, and it was Raven's favorite haunt to read a book or write or just come and enjoy coffee and a snack.
"How did you know I like to come here?" Raven asked.
Beast Boy grinned but didn't answer.
"Come on, tell me," she asked again.
"Aw, alright. I followed you one day, and other times I've seen this place in the background when you answer your communicator."
"Well, it's very sweet of you to recognize my favorite place," she said.
Beast Boy looked at his watch. "Almost nine o' clock. Open mike night."
Raven looked up at the ornately decorated clock above the counter. "You're right."
A light lit up a small platform where Mauve was setting up the microphone.
"Hello everyone," she said, wincing when some feedback screeched.
"It's time for open mike. If anyone has some readings, poetry, prose, or their favorite soliloquy to share, have at it!" she stepped down as everyone in the café clapped and waited for someone to step up.
A man dressed in all black took the mike and read Hamlet's soliloquy. He did a marvelous job and everyone clapped when he was done. Several other people shared poems and stories, and then there was a lull. Beast Boy shifted, and Raven noticed that he looked nervous. Why would he be nervous?
Suddenly he stood and squeezed Raven's hand, tugging on his collar and loosening his tie, and stepped up to the stage to Raven's astonishment.
"Um…" he said into the microphone, wincing too when there was a little feedback. "I want to share a poem, which is dedicated to a wonderful girl, who's my best friend."
He cleared his throat as Raven watched in a trance.
Beast Boy looked out into the small crowd, barely able to make out faces against the bright spotlight, dust flying through the rays. The light was warm and making him sweat even more, and he tried to calm himself as he pulled a folded piece of paper from his pocket.
He opened it, took a deep breath, and started.
"Resting here, in the silence suppressing
The threats, fates worse than death made null and tame
And she is left in the void, the pain etched
Too deeply to ever forgive, forget his name
I know intimately the things she's seen
And the hard times she's had to overcome
It's not fair to chastise her hollow stare
The real devastation has left her numb
It's understandable; she's still unsteady
To be sure, I'm down here on bended knee
I'm patient; I'll wait until she's ready
Hoping she'll finally recognize me
I would compare her to a summer's day
But she's more at home in a winter's night
With snow falling silently to the ground
Cold, dark, and not a single soul in sight
I wish she'd realize, I'm here, I'm trying
Please forgive me for the trite metaphor
But she's just oblivious, and it hurts
My heart is waiting like an open door
It's not a silly little lie this time
As she's looking her future in the face
And I can only hope it includes me
'Cause she's someone I could never replace."
Everyone clapped and cheered, and a few whistled as Beast Boy finished his poem. He took a small bow and looked up into Raven's face, noticing her expression for the first time, since he had nervously kept his eyes on his paper while reading.
Her eyes were watery with unshed tears, and she had a hand over her mouth. She was so touched by his attempt to do something completely for her, to get up in front of a crowd and read poetry to show his appreciation for her. She knew that while he was often a ham for attention, reading poetry was a different story and he had been extremely nervous.
He stepped down and came back to his seat. Raven stared at him, a sweet expression on her face and Beast Boy ducked his head embarrassed, scratching the back of his head.
"Raven, if-"
"Beast Boy, that was beautiful," she said, grabbing his hands and squeezing them tight.
"Thanks," he said, smiling genuinely.
"Did you write that yourself?" she asked curiously.
Beast Boy looked sheepish. "I kinda found it on the internet. But when I read it, it reminded me of you."
Raven smiled. "It was still really good."
The two listened to more people who came up to read for awhile, and then open mike hours were done.
Beast Boy looked at his watch.
"It's almost eleven o' clock. The café closes soon. Want to go back to the tower now?" he asked.
Raven shrugged. "Sure, I guess."
"Great. Let's go," he said, picking up their empty cups and tossing them in the trash. They waved goodbye to Mauve and Beast Boy walked Raven out to the car.
Okay. I was going to try and get the end of Rae and Beast Boy's date into this chapter too, but it was just too long. So, you get it next time. A word of warning, the next chapter is going to contain makin' out. If you don't like those kinds of scenes, don't read it, although I will say it's not going to be as intense as Rob and Star's was, because I can't see Raven and Beast Boy doing that stuff so soon. They'll get there eventually.
Song used was "Little Razor Blade" by The Pink Spiders and the poem was written by me. I'm still not happy with it, but at the moment I'm too frustrated to change it again (I've changed the entire poem twice now). Sometimes I have a flair for poetry and other times the words just won't come. And the fact that the editing feature on here won't save the stanzas. There are supposed to be stanzas. Each group of four lines is supposed to be a stanza. Grr. Oh well.
Next up, the end of Raven and Beast Boy's date. Wink!