Yay! Another chapter here… wow I hope I included everything that I needed to in this chapter. Like I said, I'm still constructing bits and pieces, but for the most part this should be done.
A little warning, it gets a little silly in part of this chapter… okay a lot silly. I don't know what I was on, so don't ask! And no, Kry, it was not an entire bottle of red wine!
Starfire made a little muffled noise and rolled over as a ray of sunlight shimmered over her face. Her hand landed on something soft, and she blinked her eyes open blearily. She looked over to see Robin sleeping soundly beside her. She smiled, seeing his jet black hair sticking up all over the place. Her heart swelled at the sight of him, and she couldn't help but gently run her fingers through that unruly hair as his breaths came slow and even.
Robin stirred, making a muffled little moan before settling and falling back to a deep sleep.
Starfire had gone to bed alone the night before. Robin had been up late again, pouring over files and surveillance video, looking for some sort of evidence of Scarecrow. She had been sad and retired to her own room. She was happy to see that Robin had followed her and not gone to his room after he finally went to bed too.
Starfire took a moment to just study him. His face was so peaceful; the muscles all completely relaxed and no longer set in a tight frown. He looked almost younger, his cheeks were soft and swollen from sleeping. His mouth was slightly opened, and Starfire grinned because he just looked so cute.
What really began to interest her though was when she looked down the long lean length of his body. He was sleeping on his stomach, hugging his pillow, and wore only boxers. Starfire studied his strong back, and found she was rather attracted to his perfectly toned arms.
She sat up a little more, and put her arms around her legs. She crinkled her nose for a moment, then leaned down to inspect them. Oh dear! She realized she hadn't shaved in awhile. She glanced over at Robin, embarrassed, hoping he hadn't noticed. She hopped out of bed and tossed off her silky slip of a nightgown next to Robin's disheveled uniform on the floor. She dug in her dresser drawer and found a sports bra and a matching set of panties. She slipped them on, pulled her hair up into a perky ponytail, and headed into her bathroom.
Starfire closed the door part way, and ran some warm water in the tub. Then she rinsed her legs to get them wet and lathered shaving cream on.
Robin meanwhile was subconsciously aware of the fact that the previous warm occupant of the bed was gone, and woke up to the sound of running water. He grunted and moved, resettling himself on the pillow. But when he heard the movements from within the bathroom, he found he couldn't fall back asleep. He breathed in deep and stretched, rolling over onto his back, and scratched his head. Eventually he sat up, still in a slight sleepy daze, and tossed his feet over the side of the bed.
"Star?" he called, his voice hoarse.
"In here, Robin," she called cheerily.
"What are you doing?" he slurred, rubbing his eyes, getting up heavily and walking to the bathroom.
He peeked in the door, and then his eyes widened behind his mask.
Starfire was drawing the razor up those long silky legs, her hair falling down her back from that adorable ponytail. And in just those panties and bra…
She twisted herself around to reach the back of her leg.
"Oooh," Robin said, more than attracted. He stood there for a moment, awed and admiring, then in a stupor turned from the door and mechanically put on his uniform. He shuffled out the door, completely forgetting to comb his hair, straighten his mask, and brush his teeth.
"Robin?" Starfire called, pausing with the razor hovering above her thigh. No answer. Starfire frowned. He was just here a minute ago, and looking like he was going to come in and join her, which she wouldn't have minded in the least bit. Starfire sighed sadly. What was going on with her boy?
--
A little green gecko was sticking to a wall, eyeing up a door he hadn't looked at in a long time, in a hallway he hadn't traversed in ages.
He bitterly expressed his thoughts about his ignorant leader, who had to put the most exciting guest the tower has ever had in the one room he never wanted to deal with again.
Said guest had not come out of the room in four days, at least not when the rest of the tower's inhabitants were around to see. The little green gecko was curious of this, curious that someone could spend so much time alone. His big bright eyes blinked, and he could not even hear movement from the room's occupant within. If geckos could sigh, this one would have.
Finally deciding his hour vigil would be fruitless, the little lizard scuttled along the wall towards the end of the hallway, where he hopped off and in a flash a human landed on his fingers and toes. Beast Boy straightened up and glanced behind him, sighing now that he could, and decided that being lonely was no fun.
He walked down to Raven's room, wanting company, and carelessly knocked on her door before punching in her code and entering, not even waiting for a response.
He wouldn't have gotten one anyway, because when he called out his girlfriend's name she was not there to answer.
Beast Boy glanced around her room, curious. He truly never did get to look at Raven's room up close, not even when he and Cyborg fell through Raven's meditation mirror so long ago.
Beast Boy looked around wondrously at all the books and paraphernalia, creepy statues and large trunks. Her room always smelled peculiar. Not a bad peculiar, but it was a tingly spicy scent, almost like she burned incense often. He stopped up short by her bed. When he looked down, he saw something interesting just sticking out from underneath Raven's pillow. Looking around shiftily, he snatched it up and gazed at the cover of a little journal.
The cover was unassuming enough; it was gold and the spine was edged in red fabric. It had pretty black graphic design swirls on the front and back.
'Raven keeps a diary? That's crazy as all get out. Who'd a thought?' Beast Boy ran his fingers over the cover as he mused.
'Should I open it? No BB, that would be invasion of privacy,' he told himself firmly. 'But, one little peek couldn't hurt, right?'
A little Beast Boy dressed in a white robe with a halo over his head and a lyre in his arms appeared in a poof over his right shoulder. He straightened his halo and brushed out his robes, his little wings flapping.
"Dude, you so totally know this is wrong," the little doppelganger said, poking him in the cheek.
"Who are you?!" Beast Boy asked, bewildered.
"Duh, I'm your conscious, dummy," he said, scoffing. "And you so know what Raven could do to you if she ever caught you reading her diary."
"True," Beast Boy said, nodding slowly. "But what if she doesn't find out? Hey… isn't there supposed to be another guy?"
A red poof appeared over Beast Boy's left shoulder, and another little doppelganger stood there, this one dressed in a red shirt and pants, complete with pitchfork, devil tail, and horns.
"Ugh, whoever decided red was the main color to represent Hell seriously didn't think about people who are green. I look like freaking Christmas," Devil Beast Boy shuddered.
Angel Beast Boy snorted.
"Shut it, wings, you look like a pansy in that dress."
"Says you. It's not a dress, idiot," Angel Beast Boy snapped.
"Whoa, whoa guys, calm down. Aren't you like, supposed to help me make a huge moral decision?" Beast Boy asked.
"Sure, after spikes over there revamps his fashion statement," Angel laughed.
"I'm so going to take this pitchfork and ram it up your-"
"Oookay!!" Beast Boy broke in. "Don't you guys have any advice?"
"Don't peek. It's an invasion of Raven's privacy, plus she could totally do some bad things to you if she catches you," Angel said, shaking his lyre at Beast Boy.
"Exactly. Think of all the 'bad' things she could do to you, B," Devil said in a suggestive tone, wiggling his eyebrows.
"Ooooh," Beast Boy said, thinking about the implications of that for a second.
"Quit it! That's not what I meant!" Angel protested. "She would get really angry, and then she'd take it out on you!"
"Mmmhm, she would definitely 'take it out' on you… in bed," Devil nodded approvingly.
"Gah, quit turning everything I say into a sexual innuendo," Angel yelled. "You always do that!"
"Heh, nice one. I see what you did there," Beast Boy laughed, giving Devil Beast Boy a high five.
Angel crossed his arms grumpily. "You know what, whatever dude. If Raven sends you to another dimension where you keep falling on your face in a continuous loop, don't come crying to me."
"Cause like, it just makes everything so much funnier when you put 'in bed' on the end of any sentence," Beast Boy laughed, slapping his knee while cackling.
"Are you even listening to me?!" Angel Beast Boy shouted, waving his arms.
"Wait wait wait, try this one: Raven got up this morning and decided she wanted to try a new meditation position… in bed. Ha!" Beast Boy laughed.
Devil Beast Boy hooted, clutching his sides.
Angel Beast Boy humphed as his halo fell over his head, sticking his ears out. His wings fluttered anxiously, irritated.
"You know what? Go ahead and peek at Raven's diary. I hope you get in trouble when she finds you, and she punishes you good!" Angel yelled.
"IN BED!!" Devil BB and Beast Boy yelled simultaneously, dissolving into another fit of laughter.
Angel Beast Boy disappeared in an offended puff of white smoke.
As Devil's laughter started to die down he picked up his dropped pitchfork and reigned in his cackles.
"No, seriously dude," he said, a chuckle still in his voice. "Just drop the thing on the floor. It 'accidentally' opens and you, like the good boyfriend you are, pick it up for her. You can't help it that the page is turned."
"Huh. Really?"
"Sure! Go on, do it. You're curious," he smirked.
"In bed!" Beast Boy said, pointing his two index fingers with a waiting grin.
Devil shook his head, holding up his hand. "No no, it's old now."
"Oh, oh okay," Beast Boy said, nodding. He looked at the diary and then glanced around the room before dramatically tossing it on the floor.
"Oooops," he said, not sounding sincere in the least bit.
"Thatta boy," Devil Beast Boy grinned before winking out of sight in his puff of red smoke.
Beast Boy leaned down and picked up the little diary, and closed one eye as he turned it over, as if it would bite him or Raven would suddenly swoop in and slap his hand.
His eyebrows knit together in confusion when he saw it was not passionate confessions of her crush on him or even just about Raven's day, but a poem.
'Raven writes poetry? Figures, I guess.'
Beast Boy read the words on the page, not really understanding what the poem was about, but was amazed at the touching words and the general flow as he scanned through it.
"Huh… Fiction…"
Fiction
--
Damsels in distress, knights in shining armor
Did they ever really exist?
Maybe it's all imagination, the vivid detail
of a passionate lovers tryst
--
The real world gets oppressive, dark
The nights get so much colder
and fairytales become distant memories
as we all grow older
--
But to be involved in such passion,
the world is sunny; colors become brighter
Love is a game that will never be lost
in the hands of a talented writer
--
The comedy, the romance, the lovers' scene
Every kiss and touch in great detail
But when tragedy strikes and all is broken
Does love always prevail?
--
I sometimes see myself there, in the story
Until the characters suffer such infliction
I must always then reassure myself
That gladly, some things are merely fiction
--
"Huh," Beast Boy mused. Why would Raven want to write about fairytales? Beast Boy snorted. Raven was the last person on Earth he would associate with fairytales. When did she write this? There was no date listed. Hmmm… knights in shining armor…
Suddenly there was shuffling at the door and Beast Boy had to bite his tongue to keep from making a surprised yelp. He fumbled with the little journal before hastily shoving it under Raven's pillow and turning around with the guiltiest looking smile ever plastered on his face as Raven entered her room.
She knit her eyebrows, a little confused as to why Beast Boy was randomly in her domain.
"Beast Boy," she said carefully in greeting.
"Hiya babe!" he replied, a little too exuberantly.
"What are you doing in here?" she asked.
"Waiting for you."
"Okay… well, I'm here now."
"I see that," Beast Boy nodded.
There was a pause.
"Did you need something?"
"Nope!"
Silence.
"Okaaaay, this is the weirdest conversation we've ever had, and we've had a lot of weird conversations," Raven stated.
Beast Boy shrugged, and walked up to her. Being the kind of guy that he was, he didn't know how to distract her from the awkwardness other than kiss her senseless.
Raven's eyebrows shot up at his sudden move, but Beast Boy wasn't letting her think or letting her go, and he moved her backwards and broke the kiss for a second to toss her onto her bed.
"Beast Boy, what are you doing?!" Raven asked, bewildered at his odd behavior.
"Repaying Lust a favor," he grinned, jumping on top of her.
--
"Raven?"
Raven looked up from her book of Grogorian poems and glanced up at a restless Starfire, who was tapping her index fingers together.
"Yes?" she asked.
"Could I… speak with you? In my room?"
Raven's eyebrows knit together. "Is something wrong, Starfire?"
"No! No, not at all. I just… wish to spend the time with you."
Raven set down her book and stood up, a confused and slightly suspicious look still on her face as she followed Starfire to her room.
"You sure there's nothing wrong?" she asked as Starfire slid the door back and entered her room.
"Well… no, kind of… maybe," Starfire looked down.
"What did he do?" Raven asked with a small knowing smile.
Starfire looked mopey. "He has been very tense and snippy with me lately," she said sadly. "He is in the evidence room currently, and every time I try to make him come out he says something hurtful and tells me to go away."
"Robin's been acting this way since Batman said he was coming, though," Raven pointed out. "Don't worry about it Starfire, it's not you that he's grumpy over."
"Yes, I know, but it is me that he is taking out his frustrations on," she said, wringing her hands in her lap. "How am I to spend time with him when he is acting so mean?"
"You might just have to back off for a little while," Raven said. "Robin gets so obsessive, and then he won't listen to anyone or be any sort of fun to be around."
"Yes, this is true," she said. She looked at Raven with her big green eyes. "So… would you mind doing the hanging out with me?"
Raven thought longingly of her book of poems, but saw that Starfire was feeling put out by her boyfriend's thoughtless actions and took pity on her.
"What did you have in mind?" she asked mildly.
Starfire instantly smiled. "There is a new delightful café down the town, which serves the tea and baked goods, and has large stuffed chairs with arms. I thought we might go and participate in the 'girl talk' for a little while." Starfire lowered her eyes. "I am confused over something, but I cannot talk about it with anyone else."
"That actually… sounds like fun," Raven said kindly. "We can go, Starfire."
"Oh thank you, Raven!" Starfire exclaimed, hugging her. "Please, may we go now?"
"Sure. Just let me tell Beast Boy where we're going."
"Okay!"
The two girls walked towards Beast Boy's room. As they passed Raven's door however, Beast Boy was just coming out of it.
He yelped in surprise as he almost walked right into the two girls.
Raven narrowed her eyes. Yesterday, and now today? "Beast Boy, what were you doing in my room again?"
"Um, nothing! Nothing at all, Rae!" he said, waving his hands in front of him in a defensive gesture.
Raven looked a little annoyed. "Look, I know we're dating and all, but my room is still my room. Ask me before you go in it."
"Duly noted," Beast Boy said, cowering a little before her.
Raven's eyebrow remained raised. "Ri-i-ight. Star and I are going to a café downtown. I just wanted to let you know where we'd be."
"Sounds cool. Have fun babe," he said quickly, pecking her on the cheek and dashing down the hall.
He peeked around the corner and watched the two girls walk away.
"Whew. That was a close one," he murmured, wiping his forehead with his arm.
"Strange little boy," Raven muttered, rolling her eyes. "And I have the pleasure of calling him my boyfriend."
Starfire giggled. "He was acting very suspicious, was he not?"
"What do you mean 'suspicious'?" Raven asked curiously as the two continued down the hall.
"Did you not see the look on his face?"
"Well, yeah, I did, but…" Raven's face looked thoughtful. "Why would he be in my room?"
A sneaky grin crossed Starfire's face. "Perhaps he was looking through the drawer containing your lingerie."
Raven's face drained into a blank stare. "No. He wouldn't. Would he?" she sounded slightly panicked at the end.
"Perhaps he has already taken a souvenir," Starfire continued, giggling. "That is why he was in such a rush to retreat to his room."
"Stop it, Starfire!" Raven protested as the two climbed the steps to the roof. "Beast Boy wouldn't do that!"
"How do you know? We should go back and take inventory to see if anything is missing," she said slyly.
"He wouldn't," Raven insisted.
"Maybe he was so enthralled with the corset you modeled for everyone, he decided to find it for himself," Starfire giggled as she did loops in the air, flying towards the café.
Raven shook her head. "Real funny, Starfire," she drawled.
Starfire flew on her back underneath Raven.
"How are you and Beast Boy fairing?" she asked gleefully.
Raven looked down at her with an eyebrow raised. "Good."
Starfire raised her hands to her lips and suppressed a giggle. "Do you enjoy the 'scoring' with him?"
Raven rolled her eyes and gave a long-suffering sigh. "That expression means more than what you think it does."
She looked confused. "Does it not mean the making out? What does it mean, then?"
"How best to put this? If I were to say I 'scored' with Beast Boy, it would mean I had sex with him. Which I didn't," Raven added on hastily.
The teasing smile drained off Starfire's face. "You mean… Robin and Cyborg were talking about you and Beast Boy doing the… Oh!" Starfire looked indignant on Raven's behalf. "I will have to have a scold with them!"
"That reminds me, I still have to get them back for that," Raven muttered. "So many possibilities…"
Starfire dropped away then and let the breeze whip through her hair as she dipped and dived for sheer pleasure of flight on the way there. Raven remained flying straight towards the city and downtown, smiling to see Starfire cheer up.
The two girls landed in front of the new establishment, and Starfire led them inside.
They perused over the selections of coffees and teas, snacks and pastries.
Raven ordered green tea and a slice of lemon bread, and Starfire decided upon chai tea and a square of cinnamon crumble.
The two girls took their beverages and snacks over to a secluded corner and settled into large comfy armchairs. Starfire tucked her long legs underneath her and Raven sat cross-legged.
"This is a really nice place," Raven commented, looking around. "I like it."
"Me too," Starfire nodded. "I thought it would be nice to come here with you. It reminds me of the rukta gort'hop on Tamaran. I used to go there with my little…" Starfire trailed off, growing sad. "Anyway, they are small establishments that serve food and beverages, much like your Earth cafés."
"So, what was it that you wanted to talk to me about?" Raven asked, blowing on her hot tea before taking a cautious sip.
"Oh, yes," Starfire said, staring intently into her cup. She sighed.
"I am most confused, Raven…" she looked out the café's window. A blush spread across her cheeks. "I suppose this may be the 'information of much,' but I need to talk to someone."
"… Too much information?" Raven said, deciphering what Starfire was trying to say.
"Yes. The 'too much information'," Starfire said, nodding.
"Oooh Azar," Raven said, sensing the awkwardness that was about to come.
"Robin and I have been… very… close, as of lately," Starfire started.
"Let me guess, you mean physically," Raven said.
"Yes," Starfire said, cheeks flushing pink.
"And?" Raven asked, waiting for Starfire to continue.
"I am most confused by his behavior. Robin was very shy at first, but then after the Batman came he…" Starfire stopped, her face knitted in a frown.
"He what?"
"He was very forward with me. He was not shy," she said, shaking her head.
"He didn't force you into anything, did he?" Raven said, suddenly alarmed.
"No, no!" Starfire said vehemently. "I would never let him push me into doing something that I did not want to do. It is just, the night we came home from shopping for your date with Beast Boy, and I… that is, we… and he was so shy and nervous…"
Raven knitted her eyebrows, trying to remember. Then it dawned on her.
"Oh my, the dice."
Starfire's eyes went wide as saucers. "You knew I had purchased the dice?!" she squeaked.
Raven smirked. "After your little session, I saw Robin in the kitchen. Whatever you did to him, he was pretty worked up over it. I guessed, he confirmed the fact that you had bought them."
"What did he tell you?" Starfire asked, her eyes still wide.
"Nothing at all, but the poor boy was blushing the entire time we talked. What did you do to him, Star?" Raven chuckled.
Starfire grinned. "I did what the dice told me to do."
Raven shook her head with a smirk. "I asked him what it rolled, and his face went red as a tomato. You going to enlighten me?"
Starfire gave a naughty smile. "Let us say, I tried to do what the dice told me to. He was so nervous I kissed only above his pants."
"Whoa," Raven said, her eyebrows raising. "No wonder he was squirming."
"Yes," Starfire giggled. "It was very endearing! He turned such a lovely shade of red."
Raven shook her head. "So… what is the problem again?"
Starfire sobered. "He was so nervous before, and very gentle. Right before the Batman had arrived at our tower we were engaged in the making out, only it… progressed very quickly. He was so… aggressive." She sighed. "I understand he was under much pressure, but it is hard for me to understand such a dramatic shift in his behavior at the same time."
"Huh… I don't mean to pry, but how quickly is 'quickly'? I mean, honestly the incident with the dice is pretty quickly by most standards anyway…"
Starfire fluttered her eyes down, embarrassed. "He removed my clothing."
Raven's eyebrows shot up in surprise again. "Um, wow… all of it?"
"All of it."
"Were you okay with that?" Raven asked, concerned.
She nodded. "Yes, I am most comfortable with him. I have been waiting a long time to be intimate with him," she said, scarlet dusting across her cheeks. "But because of his behavior I became a little… frightened. I am just concerned that he would be so forward with me after being so painfully shy the first few times, and now he is so grumpy and angry he barely gives me a kiss. Yesterday morning he saw me doing the shaving of my legs in the bathroom; I could tell he was aroused, but he did not even come in! I do not understand," Starfire said mournfully.
Raven rubbed a hand over her face. "Well, I would guess he's super stressed over Batman being here."
"This is what is causing the drastic change in his behavior?"
"Stuff gets under Robin's skin easily, and then he gets all moody and obsessive about it. When he gets stressed he gets aggressive. We've seen that before."
"True. Perhaps this is the reason he has been acting strange, then."
"Yeah…"
"I just wish there was something I could do to help him feel better," Starfire said.
"Well… think of something nice to do for him. Not that he deserves it, really, if he's being grouchy, but maybe if you calm him down we'll all feel better. Maybe he'll stop snapping at everyone," Raven said mildly, her eyes half lidded.
Starfire looked thoughtful. "That is a very good idea, friend Raven. Thank you!" She bit her lip and looked up towards the ceiling. Then she became excited. "I believe I have just the tradition. It will be perfect," she clapped her hands.
"Wonderful," Raven droned.
"Thank you for allowing me to do the girl talk with you," Starfire said, pleased. "I feel much better now."
"Meee too," Raven said, trying not to be facetious, but not being very successful.
After the girls chatted some more as they finished their drinks, they got up and stretched before heading home.
--
As Raven and Starfire landed on the roof, Raven suddenly straightened and looked pensive.
"Thank you Raven, for doing the girl talk with me. I believe I shall try one last time to talk to Robin," she said, hugging Raven and interrupting her thoughts before zipping down the stairwell.
Raven pursed her lips and her eyes narrowed. She concentrated for a moment. Then her face twisted into a frown.
"That little…" she growled under her breath. She phased through the floor and into her room.
Beast Boy was sitting on her bed, his back turned to her. He was intently reading something and was not aware he was no longer alone.
"Beast Boy," Raven said severely in greeting.
Beast Boy yelped and fumbled with the object in his hand, turning around to stare at Raven with a guilty look on his face.
"Raven!! You're back already?!" he squeaked, hiding the object behind his back.
"Uh huh. What do you have there?" she asked, already knowing the answer.
"Oh, uh… nothing…" Beast Boy stuttered sheepishly.
Raven sneered angrily. "My journal is not nothing," she snapped.
Seeing he was found out Beast Boy brought the little book out in front and rested it in his lap. He looked down, guilty.
"Sorry, Raven," he mumbled.
Raven waved her hands in an exasperated gesture as she angrily spoke. "Damn it, Beast Boy! I'm trying to trust you, I'm trying to go with this, but you invaded my privacy! How could you do that?!"
"I was… curious, and… really Raven they're very good…" he said, trying to make himself as small as possible.
"Gee, thanks," she snipped. "But you still shouldn't have read them. I'm really really angry with you right now."
"That one, that one called Fiction… it's about Malchior, isn't it?" Beast Boy asked mournfully.
Raven drew back a little. She sighed. "It doesn't matter anymore. I wrote that a long time ago."
"Yeah," Beast Boy said morosely. "You really felt for him, huh?" He turned his sad green eyes up to her face.
"Don't even start with this. You really felt for someone too."
Beast Boy looked back down, hanging his head.
"Beast Boy, why did you read them?"
He shrugged, embarrassed. "Dunno… I guess I wanted to see if you wrote about me," he smiled ruefully.
"About you?" Raven asked, puzzled.
"Yeah," he said, a small grin on his face. "I wanted to see if you wrote about having a crush on me. Isn't that what girls write about in their diaries?"
"First of all, it's a journal, not a diary. And second of all, I don't do 'crushes.' You forget, I'm not like a normal girl."
"Sure you are, Raven. You had a crush on me. That's why Lust took over you."
Raven wrinkled her nose. "Still don't know what she was thinking," she said, annoyed.
Beast Boy looked hurt. "But, Raven-"
"Look, just go, Beast Boy. And stay out of my room for awhile. I can't trust you now."
Beast Boy looked close to tears. "What?"
"You heard me. Maybe I'll forgive you… but right now I want to be alone." She pointed to the door.
Beast Boy stared at her in shock.
"Am I speaking in a different language? Go!" she jabbed her index finger towards the door again.
Beast Boy got up, his mouth still hanging open, and shuffled out the door. Raven clenched her fists and tried to keep her temper under control. She glanced at her little book, then in a fit tossed it against the wall. She flopped onto her bed and buried her face into her pillow.
--
Raven did not appear for the rest of the night, or for most of the following day. When she finally came out for some of Alfred's dinner, she completely blew off Beast Boy and didn't even look at him. Beast Boy had been moping around all day. The poor boy was very much in the doghouse. Any attempts at speaking to Raven were unsuccessful, and Beast Boy refused to talk about what had occurred between them.
Beast Boy was really worried when Raven didn't show for breakfast again the next morning. His ears drooped and a frown played on his lips. The other three had eaten and gone already.
Alfred set a plate of tofu bacon and eggs down in front of him.
"Miss Raven is not coming for breakfast again?" he asked softly, feeling bad for the down and out changeling.
Beast Boy sighed and rubbed a hand over his face.
"Probably not. I really screwed up, Alfred," he said mournfully.
"May I ask, Master Beast Boy, just what happened between you two?"
"I read Raven's dia- journal, and now she's angry with me and doesn't trust me," he moaned.
"Ah," Alfred said, bustling in the kitchen, a slight curve in his lips. "I would like to know why you thought it was a good idea to read it in the first place?" he asked lightly.
"Well, see there were these two… um… I dunno. The devil made me do it?" he said sheepishly.
Alfred smiled. "You were curious as to what girls write about in diaries?"
"Yeah. That's all. I never meant to invade her privacy or anything, but I was just so curious."
"Sometimes the things people write about in journals are extremely private and aren't written for an audience. When it is 'accidentally' viewed, they feel very vulnerable and embarrassed."
"I didn't mean to make her feel that way," he mumbled. "No wonder she's mad at me."
"She may need some time to cool down. I'm sure she will be fine after that."
"I dunno. She kicked me out of her room. She said that even though we're dating an' stuff I can't just go in there whenever I want now. I want her to trust me again, Alfred. Any time I knock on her door and try to apologize to her, she ignores me. She knows it's me even before I say anything; it's no fair dating an empath!"
Alfred chuckled. "I think a very sincere apology will go a long way. Perhaps you could do something nice for her. You know, go over the top, show her how much she means to you."
Beast Boy sighed. "See, Raven's not like other girls. I can't buy her off with flowers…"
"Are you sure about that?" Alfred asked, eyebrow raised. "Has anyone ever given her flowers before? Maybe she would like it."
Beast Boy started to brighten. Raven admitted to him before that sometimes she did appreciate all that romantic stuff. Maybe she would like it if Beast Boy went all out. "You know, that's true. Maybe Raven would actually like that girly stuff if someone took the time to do it for her. Wow, thanks Alfred!"
"You're welcome Master Beast Boy. All finished with the eggs?"
"Oh yeah. I am… I can wash my own plate, though. You don't have to."
"Nonsense. That's what I'm here for," Alfred said, taking the plate from Beast Boy.
"You are seriously the best, Alfred," Beast Boy smiled, his tooth poking up over his grin.
Beast Boy handed him the dish, turning to go, but on a second thought he abruptly turned around and gave Alfred a quick awkward hug before scampering off.
"Any time," Alfred chuckled, taking the dish to the sink.
--
"Starfire!" Beast Boy pounded on Starfire's door.
After a few seconds Starfire appeared. "Friend Beast Boy?" she questioned.
"I need your help!" he said breathlessly. "Can I come in?"
"Of course," Starfire said, moving aside.
"Okay, Raven's like totally mad at me cause I was sneaky and read her diary and then she kicked me out and now I feel really really bad and I'm really really sorry and I want to show her that I'm sorry, so I totally have an idea and I need your help," he said in one long gulp. Starfire's eyes looked glazed.
"Um… what?"
"Raven's mad at me. I want to show her I'm sorry," Beast Boy shortened it.
"Oh! What do you have in mind?" Starfire asked curiously.
"Do you have a dress that would fit her?" Beast Boy asked. "And, do you think we could go to the mall?"
Starfire's eyes gleamed excitedly at the mention of the word "mall."
"Why friend Beast Boy! I would love to journey to the mall of shopping with you!"
"Awesome. Oh, and I'll need Cyborg and Robin's help too…"
Starfire looked sad for a moment. "Robin may not be much of the help. He is currently with the Batman, trying to locate the Scarer of Crows."
"Oh. Well, whatever, we don't need him then. But anyway, here's what I'm gonna do…"
Naughty Beast Boy! Reading Raven's journal… but, curious to see what he's planning to make it up to her? Next chapter, my friends!
It did get a little silly, see?! Yeah… don't know where those two little BB doppelgangers came from at all. I swear I wasn't drunk; isn't that sad? I can't even blame it on alcohol…
Poem was written by me, and actually I've gotten it published. Pretty cool, huh?