A/N: yeah yeah, me not own Teen Titans.
Eli: The timeline isn't greatly detailed, but this takes place after where Things Change would occur. I'm also going to have to say that Terra was not a Titan in this story. I know I keep making these plot holes and inconsistencies, but I'll do my best to fill them in later on. Just stick around and you'll get some answers. But I've dropped 1 and 1/2 clues so far, more of which will likely appear.
Fourteen: Happy late birthday! And it's so cool that your birthday is exactly a month after mine! Yes, my name is Erik. It's something that I wanted to throw out there for those who have stayed with the story. It isn't much, but I suppose it is something.
I'm glad you appreciated the mention of body issues, and I understand. I'm one of those guys that doesn't work out a lot, so I don't have a lot of muscle, even compared to most of my friends. Stretch marks are natural; embrace them as signs of your growth. And how're things in Florida? Are the hurricanes and storms bad over there?
I'm sorry to hear about your classmates. I haven't lost anyone close to suicide, and I hope I never do.
Thank you for the long review, and I can't wait for your next addition.
Derek: I know, and some squids and octopuses can do that as well.
Eris: I doubt it. Unless BB has been shown to be able to break the 4th wall on a regular basis in a comic series, he can't see "us". As for scars, I don't think she could heal them because scars are actually healed, just with scar tissue. Due to that, there's technically no wound or injury for Raven to heal. So I'm going to say no to that one. But good question.
Chapter 22:
Slender, pale fingers traced scars on a green skinned back. Raven had been awake for a few minutes, but the events of last night were still running through her head. It was less than easy to come to terms with the fact that had Starfire's arrival to Earth been even a few minutes later, or had the team never formed afterwards, the green teen that was sleeping beside her may have ended up dead in an alleyway years ago. What would things be like if that was the route fate had decided to take?
Robin was always a bit too tightly strung for his own good. But Beast Boy had always been there to help distract him with video games when necessary. And his pranks on Cyborg actually got a good chuckle out of Batman's former protégé.
Starfire often required assistance understanding Earthly customs, and Beast Boy was usually the first to volunteer to help her learn to fit in. And his jokes and optimistic attitude often kept the alien girl her happy and care-free self.
Cyborg was on a whole different level. For months he had been ignored and cast aside because of his metal body. The friends he had and the scholarships he was bound to receive had faded into thin air faster than they had come to him. But Beast Boy was the first to not only accept him, but actually show interest in the cybernetic teen. Had the two never met, who knows where Cyborg would be now. Probably living on his own in a run down town or still looking for someone to just talk to. The cheerful, video game loving side of the teen may never have come to light.
But what about herself? Much like Cyborg, Raven had never really had anyone accept her. On Azarath she was often shunned because of her origin and the prophecy that lingered with her presence. Obviously the green teen's efforts to draw her out of her room had been annoying at first, but it was one of those things she appreciated now that she looked back on it. Thanks to him, she had become more open. Less reclusive. He had even done the impossible and made her feel something more than just friendship or camaraderie. Just by being himself. "He does a lot for us. More than he, or you, may realize.". Knowledge had been right, but that was to be expected. It was strange to think that a while ago she could barely tolerate him and now she had woken up in the same bed as him for the third time in less than a month.
She had run her fingers over every visible mark on his back at least once, and was feeling along a line when a voice spoke up. "That was from the Doom Patrol. A bit of debris from an explosion penetrated my skin, and Elasti-girl and Negative Man had to surgically remove small bits that broke off of the main chunk.". Her fingers froze and the changeling turned over to face her. "Some of these are from accidents. Stuff like sitting too close to a burning fire, cuts and scrapes from running through forests, that sort of thing." he said. "And these?" the empath asked as she felt some of the long burn marks on his pecs. "Missions on the Doom Patrol were dangerous. And given most of my combat techniques require getting close I was bound to get stabbed or shot. Sometimes you just have to cauterize it and get back up. Others I would rather not talk about. Not yet at least." Beast Boy responded. Raven looked him in the eye with a sympathetic look, then returned her attention to his strong chest.
"Can you keep this a secret? I don't want to worry the others." Beast Boy requested again as he gestured to the line on his forearm. "Under one condition. I know you said you haven't considered it again, but if you start to feel low or just need someone, come to me. If you do that, I'll keep this our secret. Deal?" the empath offered. "Deal." Beast Boy replied. "Is this why your uniform has long sleeves?" the girl asked. "No. They were just designed that way. It was the closest thing I could get to any sort of body armor without limiting my shifting abilities." the changeling explained, then pulled the girl in closer.
"Beast Boy, you know I have to go meditate soon." Raven stated. Truthfully, she would have rather stayed, but she needed to keep her powers focused. "C'mon, I think you can afford to sleep in at least once." the green teen retorted. "Besides, it might do you some good." he added. Inside Raven's mind, the demonstration Knowledge had put on in Nevermore replayed. Maybe skipping a meditation session wouldn't hurt. "Fine. But if anything happens, it's on you." she stated. "Figured." he offered, then closed his eyes. The half demon placed her head against her teammate's chest and let his warmth and heartbeat lull her back to sleep.
"Hey guys. What's up?" Jinx greeted as she walked into the kitchen. "Morning Jinx." Cyborg replied. "You didn't happen to see Raven on your way in, did you?" the Boy Wonder asked. "Nope. Want me to check?" the pink haired girl asked. "If you don't mind." Cyborg responded. It had taken a while, but the sorceress had successfully learned the halls throughout the tower. She wound up at the empath's door and knocked. "Hey Raven, you up yet?". There was only silence, indicating she was still sleeping for some reason or had moved to somewhere else in the tower. "Friend Jinx, do you require Raven's assistance?". Jinx looked up the hall and was greeted by Starfire floating over. "Nah, the guys were just wondering why she wasn't awake yet." the sorceress explained.
Understandably puzzled, the alien girl decided she should take over. "I shall see what is keeping her. You can return to breaking the fast if you like." she kindly offered. "Thanks. See you there." Jinx replied before returning to the kitchen. "Friend Raven, are you the up yet?" the alien girl asked. The door would have given more of a response. "Friend Raven, I do apologize for my intrusion, but we are concerned for your well being." Starfire said. She opened the door, but was very unprepared for what she saw.
Raven and Beast Boy were sleeping together. Not as in the euphemism. Raven still had a shirt on, and only Beast Boy's shirt was on top of the sheets. No, they were literally sleeping in the same bed, cuddling up to each other very affectionately. It took everything the Tamaranean had not to release an overjoyed squeal or other noise of happiness, so she opted to fly out as fast as she could. Once the door was closed, she was left with what to tell the others.
It probably wouldn't be smart to tell them what she saw, but lying was never one of her strengths. But then again, she didn't actually need to lie. The alien girl made her way to the kitchen and was welcomed by three teammates. "Morning Star. How's Raven?" Robin asked. "She is still sleeping." she replied as she did her best not to give anything away. "I'll go wake her." Cyborg said as he stood up, but was stopped by the alien girl. "Would it not be best to let her wake up on her own? After all, we have seen her when she is not in a pleasant mood." Starfire questioned. Robin and Cyborg had seen enough of Raven's reactions to Beast Boy's antics earlier when the team formed, and decided that she had a point. They could wait, but they were going to get answers.
Raven awoke with a yawn and opened her eyes to end up staring into twin emerald orbs. "Well well well. It's about time you got up sleepyhead." Beast Boy chuckled. "How do you feel?" he asked. "I feel...well rested." she replied. That was a bit of an understatement; she felt better than meditation and tea could ever make her feel. "I should hope so. It's past 9:45.". Her eyes widened and she rocketed into a sitting up position. She already knew Robin would practically interrogate her, and she telling them she slept with a teammate would definitely be taken the wrong way. "Don't worry. I have a plan." Beast Boy offered as he sat up. "What is it?" the empath asked, hoping he knew what he was doing. "Simple. We had a lesson and I had you levitate a few too many objects in your room and hold their shapes. The immense energy usage knocked you out, and you just woke up.". It was a convincing lie, but there was one issue Beast Boy would soon pick up. He had pulled his shirt back on and was heading to the door when his nose picked up something.
Raven saw him freeze in his tracks and take sniffs of the air. "Starfire was here." he said. He opened the door and took another few short sniffs. "And Jinx was outside at one point.". "So now what?" Raven asked. "All you can do is go with the plan and hope she doesn't blow our cover." the teen replied. "All I can do?". Beast Boy saw her confusion and realized he had left something out. "I'm normally not awake yet, so I'll wait in my room for a few minutes." he explained. Raven mouthed an "Oh." and started pacing. Would she be able to convince Robin? And what would happen if Starfire blurted out what she had seen? There were a few too many variables to be comfortable with. She was stopped by two hands on her shoulders.
"You can do this. Just try to keep your tone level. Pretend you're trying to keep a secret from the old me." Beast Boy offered. She could admit that was decent advice, but she was still unsure as she stepped out the door. "Good luck. I'll be there soon." her teammate offered before returning to his own room. "Steady breaths, steady breaths." Raven repeated over and over in his head. The doors to the commons room got closer and closer until they opened for her.
"Morning Raven." the cybernetic teen welcomed. "Morning." she replied as she walked to the counter and got her kettle. "You're up really late. What's wrong?" the leader asked. "So this is how Beast Boy felt keeping his secrets." she mumbled internally. "Beast Boy gave me a lesson and we pushed it a little to far. I drained myself and I guess I passed out." the empath replied. She did her best to keep her focus on the tea she was preparing in an attempt to prevent eye contact. "Are you sure you're ok?" Jinx asked. "Yes. I just need some tea." Raven replied with a level tone. Somehow she managed to convince her friends, but failed to notice a questioning glance shot her way by Starfire.
Just over ten minutes later Beast Boy made his entrance, and the usual greetings occurred. Instead of heading to the fridge, he made his way towards the girl sitting on the couch. She noticed him giving a hidden thumbs up that he twisted from up to down. She realized he was asking if they bought the lie and gave a quick thumbs up with the hand holding her cup of tea. "Hey Rae, how you doing?" he asked with a convincing worried tone. "I'm fine. Just needed some tea and meditation." she replied. "Look, I'm really sorry about pushing you too hard last night, and I would understand if you would prefer to skip a lesson today." he offered with a barely noticeable nod. "It's ok, you didn't know whether or not I could manage it. But I think it would be best if we skipped the lesson today." she responded.
He gave an "Ok." and went to make his own breakfast. There were a few glances his way, but for the most part everything went as usual. "So Rob, you got a plan for today?" the green teen asked. "I would like to have a training session before lunch, but aside from that I think we can afford to take a break unless someone attacks.". "What about Raven? She's not in the best condition." the sorceress replied. Robin turned his attention from Jinx to the mentioned empath. "If you're up to it you can do some physical training." the leader offered. "Sure." she replied with a shrug before taking another sip of tea.
Breakfast came and went, prompting each of the Titans to do their own thing. Cyborg went to put the finishing touches on the new T-car and Jinx went down to watch, Robin got a bit of extra training in, Starfire took care of Silkie, and Beast Boy and Raven went to the roof. Beast Boy took his place on the ledge and rolled up his sleeves to increase solar absorption while Raven sat a bit behind and read a book. She had gotten through seven pages when she felt some weight rest on her crossed shins. She moved her book aside to reveal Beast Boy using her lower legs as a pillow. "Do you mind?" she asked. "Not at all." he replied with a smug grin, eliciting a somewhat amused scoff. She bookmarked her page and put the novel down so she could ruffle his hair.
"You got this big guy. It's now or never." the green teen chanted internally. He had already gotten this far; there was no going back. He quickly raised his arms and gently grabbed the back of her head before pulling her down and lifting himself up, causing their lips to meet for a quick second. He could still taste some of the tea from this morning, but realized she was probably only getting a taste of tofu. When she pulled back she already had a blush as red as Anger's cloak. "Why...wh-what was...". She was far too surprised to make any logical sentence, and he realized he probably made a huge mistake. "I'm sorry. It just came over me. I hope you're not mad. I really didn't mean to cross a line." he rattled off as he sat up. "N-no, it's fine. But, why?" she managed to spit out. "Because I really wanted too." he truthfully replied.
The feeling had been wonderful. For that second she felt so much appreciation and happiness. It was like when they cuddled up in bed, but less physical and more emotional. But the sudden affection had overloaded her system, not to mention the affect on, well, Affection. His face portrayed worry and regret at the action, and if she didn't act soon he might not try it again. "Just give me a heads up next time." she requested before pulling him back down. She could feel the relief wash over him, but could also feel someone approaching. "Cyborg's coming." she stated, and the green teen quickly got up and positioned himself next to her then rolled down his sleeves. Half a second later the metallic teen opened the door to the roof.
"If you two lovebirds don't mind, Robin wants to start the training session." he said before returning down the stairs, not realizing how accurate the teasing actually was. The two got up and followed their friend. "Will you ever show them?" the empath curiously asked. He didn't need her to clarify what she was talking about. "Maybe. I'm actually surprised Cyborg hasn't seen yet." he responded. "To be fair, I do heal you all a lot.". "Yeah, that is true." he murmured. He still wasn't overly comfortable with his marks, but Raven had a point. They had to find out eventually, and he would prefer it be his choice instead of out of necessity. Before he knew it the two had arrived in the training arena.
"Ok, I would like to try something new. Today we'll do one versus four rounds. It'll be a test of your ability to manage multiple foes with varying capabilities." the leader stated before turning to the half demon. "Raven, you can still skip out for physical training if you wish." he offered. "Actually, I'll see how I can do." she replied. "Ok, first will be Starfire, then Beast Boy, Raven, Cyborg, Jinx, and me.". Jinx shuddered at the idea of going against the green teen again, but also figured she had a better idea of what she would be facing. "Any restrictions or limitations?" the changeling asked. "Anything goes, but if anyone tags out or is beaten they are no longer a target." the Boy Wonder replied.
Starfire floated to the center of the room and was circled by her five friends. "And start." Robin ordered. The alien girl quickly dodged a multitude of energy attacks and projectiles but was grabbed from behind and thrown by her green teammate. She quickly recovered from the surprise attack but wasn't given any time to breathe before the assault continued.
Seven minutes into the round the alarm went off. Raven instinctively teleported the team to the commons room where Robin read the alert. "Mumbo Jumbo. He's uptown." the leader quickly stated. "Apex or T-car?" Beast Boy asked. "T-car." Robin and Cyborg declared in unison. The empath once again teleported the team, this time to the new T-car. For the first time in a while the team was treated to a gentler ride on the way to the villain.
A/N: There may not have been much in this chapter, bur I have a surprise planned for the next chapter. I hope you all enjoyed. Stay safe, stay healthy!