Thank you so much for all of the feedback! It keeps me writing. Seriously! And I'm so glad everyone is enjoying my interpretation of the characters. I'm trying to portray Raven's more fun and playful side. Sure, she's serious, but she's got feelings buried deep down in there too. She's now trying to figure out how to let them out—and BB is her target. For good and bad! *wink*

New Year's Date

Beast Boy paced the floor of his room, his thoughts a mass of jumbled concerns. He passed the small mirror hanging on the wall and paused to look at himself. "Maybe I should change this shirt. Does it make my skin look sickly?"

Cyborg let out a huff from where he sat on the edge of the bed, watching his friend ceaselessly pace. "Dude, you look fine. I don't get the constant wardrobe changes. You're just going to dinner with Raven."

Beast Boy spun on him in outrage. "Just dinner with Raven? Just dinner? If you know me at all, you know this isn't just dinner. It's a big deal! It's monumental!"

Cyborg rolled his eyes, but didn't comment.

"I've been crushing on Raven hard since…well, since the moment she set me with that first look of annoyance. It was super hot."

Cyborg shook his head and popped a potato chip into his mouth. "That's kinda weird."

Beast Boy shrugged, not bothering to deny it. "I'm freaking out," he admitted. "It was one thing when I thought I never stood a chance. But I'm pretty sure this is a date." His eyes widened in dismay as the reality of that caught up with him. "I have a date with Raven." This second statement hit him hard, and he felt all of the color drain from his face—an amazing feat when one's skin is naturally green. This time, when he spoke, his voice was bland with his fear. "I have a date with Raven." He dropped down to the bed beside Cyborg and leaned over his knees, his head pressed between them. He tried to suck in a few calming breaths, but his pounding heart was making that impossible.

Cyborg let out a bark of laughter. "You're seriously all worked up about this. I'm torn between being amused and feeling pity for you. I don't know why, but I just assumed you'd throw on whatever and go with the flow."

Beast Boy ran his hands through his hair, mussing the strands he'd just tried to tame. "If we were going out for pizza, sure. But this isn't pizza. It's a fancy establishment. And the symphony. I've got one shot to do this right. If I screw up…" His stomach rolled with anxiety and he trailed off, taking a few more deep breaths that felt on the verge of hyperventilation.

Cyborg placed his bag of chips on the nightstand and gave his friend his full attention. "Okay. As I can tell you're one outfit change away from nervous vomiting, I'll give you some of my expert advice." He pointedly ignored the humorless look shot his way. "Go with the dark purple shirt. Raven likes purple. And go with the dark gray dress pants. They suit you better, as they aren't as severe as black. Match it with the dark gray tie. Forgo the jacket, roll up the sleeves of the shirt. Show off some green."

Beast Boy lifted his head to look hopefully up at his best friend, though he worried the expression came off as more desperate than hopeful. "Really?"

Cy shrugged. "Raven isn't going out with you because you're "normal". She likes different. So own it. She's also the type to be skittish, as she doesn't often date. Dressy but casual will put her at ease. You throw on that suit jacket and she's going to have a panic attack…much like the one you're seconds away from."

Beast Boy chose to ignore the teasing comment and instead blinked at Cyborg in awe. "You're a dating genius."

"Don't I know it."

Snatching up the suggested clothing, Beast Boy rushed off into the bathroom to change—again. He hurried into his new outfit and assessed himself in the mirror. Cyborg was right. This combination looked good.

Satisfied, he combed his fingers through his hair. He then spritzed on a little bit of cologne. It was the only one he'd found that didn't irritate his sensitive nose. He used mouthwash for the tenth time—something that was starting to bother his sensitive nose—before ducking back into his room. "Do I go to her room and pick her up?" he asked nervously. "With flowers?" He widened his eyes with horror. "I don't have flowers! What am I going to do?" At this devastating realization, he resumed his nervous pacing.

Cyborg arched a brow in amusement. "Remember, BB, this is Raven. I think if you showed up at her door with a dozen roses, she might knock you out."

Beast Boy skidded to a stop at these words. He tilted his head to the side as he pondered this. Then he nodded in agreement. "You're right. One rose was endearing. A dozen would be over the top and annoying. She probably wouldn't like that."

His short-lived relief was immediately squashed, and he returned to pacing. "What do I do about picking her up in her room, though? Not showing up indicates I don't care. Pounding on her door screams impatience. Should I—"

His sentence was cut off by a knock at his own door.

"Gar, are you ready to go?" Raven's voice called out.

He froze, his entire body going rigid.

Cyborg chuckled. "Your face just lost all its color." He climbed to his feet and headed for the door. "I'll just make myself scarce." He opened the door and offered Raven a wink. "See ya, Rae. Have a nice date."

She shot him a dirty look and pushed past him into the room. "I thought I heard something about you making yourself scarce," she grumbled in annoyance.

He mumbled a few mocking words under his breath as he disappeared into the hallway.

Raven rolled her eyes before turning to Beast Boy. "So?"

"So?" he asked, feeling nearly panicked.

"So are you ready to go?" She raised her brows at him in question.

His brain unfroze and he was suddenly able to think again, was suddenly very aware of their situation. "Y-yeah. I'm ready. I was about to head over and pick you up."

"Pick me up?" She slowly shook her head. "Unnecessary. I was perfectly fine coming to you."

He nodded. That seemed on par with her character. "I…uh…don't have any flowers."

Her lips quirked in amusement. "I wasn't expecting you to. But that's good to know."

Like most things that involved Raven, he began overthinking her comment. Was she not expecting flowers because she thought this wasn't a date? Or was she just being Raven?

As he'd done with many situations involving her recently, he decided to judge things by her outfit. His gaze swept over her clothing and this time he was positive his brain shorted out.

She was wearing a dress—Raven was wearing a dress—in a deep purple color. It was short enough to show off a healthy amount of thigh, but it was also very fancy looking. He was pleased to note that her dress matched his shirt perfectly. He would have to thank Cyborg later for his suggestion. He really was a dating genius.

His gaze continued its perusal, taking in her loosely curled hair and subtle makeup. Raven was wearing makeup. Holy crap, this was a date. "You look…wow." He could feel his hands clamming up, and it was suddenly hard to swallow.

"You look pretty 'wow' too," she said, the hint of a smile gracing her lips.

He was having a hard time keeping his gaze off of her. Raven was breathtaking on an average day. Even with rubble and debris in her hair, her clothing battle-torn, she sped his pulse. Right now, she was downright ravishing.

"Should we go?" she asked lightly. "Our dinner reservation is in ten minutes."

He nodded, feeling as if a fog was clogging his brain. "Yeah…sure."

Her smirk never left her lips, but she seemed to take pity on him, as he was obviously in a flustered state, and didn't comment on his currently stunted social skills. Instead, she stepped forward, took his hand, placed it on her hip, and tilted her face to look up at him.

He knew she was about to teleport them to the restaurant, but the playful look in her eyes as she sidled up close to him had his heart thumping wildly in his chest. So much for her taking pity on him.

Unable to help himself, he smoothed his hand along her hip, his fingers grazing the fabric of her dress. His heart practically did a somersault when he realized she was wearing the bracelet he'd bought her for Christmas, as her Secret Santa. It had her name engraved on it, only where the 'A' in her name should have been, there was a heart. It had been a risky move, especially the heart, especially as an anonymous Santa, but it had obviously paid off. He'd caught her wearing it a few times this week, though she tried to hide it beneath her cloak.

No matter the warm feelings that knowledge brought him, right now, she was toying with him. Though he'd be lying if he said it wasn't a turn on. Maybe he was a glutton for punishment, but he liked the challenge she presented. He liked the chase.

As if reading his thoughts, she gazed coyly up at him, her eyes dancing with amusement. Then she teleported them off.

They appeared in the small alley on the side of the restaurant. She stared up at him a moment longer with those enchanting purple eyes. Then she stepped back and smoothed out the fabric of her dress. "Let's get some dinner, shall we?"

He held his arm out to her, and she looped her arm through his. She'd done this when they'd gone shopping, so he'd assumed she'd be fine with it now.

She seemed more than fine with it as she snaked up against his side.

It reminded him again that he was on a date with Raven. Holy crap, he was on a date with Raven! Now all he had to do was not pull a Beast Boy and screw it up.

OOOOO

For perhaps the first time in his life, Beast Boy couldn't find his appetite. He and Raven were at some fancy Italian place Robin had recommended. He claimed it was one of Starfire's favorite places to go. The restaurant was dimly lit and romantic. He could totally see Dick and Kory dining here. Robin could pull off dark and romantic. Garfield on the other hand…

"Interesting choice of restaurant," Raven said after the waitress placed their meals in front of them and walked off.

"Yeah…uh…Robin recommended it."

She nodded as if that made sense, then lifted her fork up from her cloth napkin.

He frowned at the inference that he couldn't plan this on his own, but then her foot nudged his under the table and all his worries vanished. Was Raven seriously playing footsie with him?!

"I'm glad you took his advice. This place is nice." Her tone was monotone, almost detached. It was the exact opposite of her foot under the table.

He grinned, enjoying their little game of secret flirting.

She smirked in response and slipped her shoe off to graze her foot against his ankle.

She was smiling. He couldn't remember a time when she'd smiled this much. And he was the one making her do it. That knowledge filled him with pride. She deserved a little bit of happy, and he enjoyed being the one to making it happen. He loved her smile. It was one of his favorite things in the whole world. That alone let him know this wasn't just some silly crush. He wasn't going to have a few dates with her and lose interest. He was fully hung up on Raven.

He nudged her foot with his own, though his big, clunky feet were much larger than her small, dainty ones. He doubted it was likely to drive her as crazy as the gentle tickling to his ankle was doing to him.

She twirled some spaghetti onto her fork, her expression innocuous. Despite her look of innocence, she wrapped both of her feet around his left ankle, hooking them together at the back.

It was such an intimate gesture and completely Raven. Her visual expression never changed, but under the table, where no one could see, she let her emotions peek out. Hard on the outside, warm and gooey on the inside. That was his Raven.

He froze at this thought, his fork halfway to his mouth. At what point did he start thinking of her as his Raven?

It was surprising, but it wasn't an unpleasant notion. His Raven. Smiling, he shoved his fork into his mouth. Suddenly, he didn't feel so nervous. No, he was determined. He wanted to make sure she remained his Raven. And he would do whatever it took to make that happen. So what could there possibly be to worry about?

OOOOO

Beast Boy could not have been more pleased with how dinner went. His biggest fear was not being able to keep up with Raven intellectually. She was so smart, and he knew he wasn't the brightest of the Titans. It didn't matter how attracted they were to each other, at some point, if he couldn't hold an intelligent conversation, she would grow bored of him.

Thankfully, it seemed as if he'd held his own. They'd talked through dinner, and he never felt as if he'd made a fool out of himself…at least not unintentionally. Sure, he'd made a handful of cheesy jokes that earned him eye rolls, but the small smiles that accompanied them let him know his humor was actually appreciated.

They'd arrived at the opera house early. The symphony wouldn't start playing for another hour, so they were hanging out in the lobby, looking at artwork and the lavish architecture until the main doors opened.

He stopped in front of a massive painting of a field filled with flowers. It was bright and colorful, and it called to him on some instinctual level. It made his animals itch to get out and run.

Raven approached, but instead of standing beside him as she'd done for the other paintings, she moved in front of him. "What are you looking at?"

His entire body was suddenly on high alert at having her so close. Her vanilla perfume invaded his nostrils, sending a pleasant tingle through his stomach…and embarrassingly down to his groin. "Um…just some flowers. The detail is amazing, though. Look at these brushstrokes." He leaned forward to point and his chest brushed against her back.

Instead of stepping forward to give him more room, Raven inched back, settling in against his chest. She leaned into him, her eyes on the painting as if she had no idea the effect she had on him. "A bit busy for me, but I could see how someone as bright and positive as you could like it. It's…pretty." She said this as if it was somehow a bad thing.

He stood with his hands in his pockets, gazing up at the painting. He would happily stand here the entire night if she stayed against him like this. They could miss the symphony for all he cared. "Always a critic," he teased, trying to keep his tone light despite the thumping of his heart.

"Always."

As they continued to stand and stare up at the same painting, he couldn't help but smile. He might be totally crushing on Raven, but at least the feeling appeared to be mutual. She was totally into him, too.

After a minute or two, something else caught his attention. He'd noticed at a few of the art pieces she stopped in front of that she'd started swaying her hips to the music drifting through the building's speakers. She was doing the same again now.

He recognized the song as something from Phantom of the Opera—a tidbit of knowledge he only possessed because Starfire and Raven insisted they watch the movie version with Gerard Butler. Not that he could concentrate on Gerard Butler with the way she was rocking her hips against his groin.

It was an innocent reaction, an unconscious appreciation for the music, but it lit a fire in him. Despite his silent, mental warning against it, his body reacted to her movements. He lifted his eyes to the ceiling and counted to fifty. When that didn't work, he counted backward back down to one. Then he pictured Robin in the speedo he liked to do laps in. Nothing worked. The more she moved to music, the more turned on he got. Suddenly, standing in front of this painting all night seemed like a bad idea.

He knew the instant she realized too. She suddenly froze in front of him, her entire body going still. He waited in embarrassment for her to turn around and yell at him for his inappropriate response to her subtle movements.

Instead, she resumed her dancing—with an extra roll of her hips. It was much closer to what she'd been doing on Halloween, and it did nothing to calm him down.

His hands left his pockets, and he placed them on her hips. "Raven," he whispered in warning. Having an erection in the opera house probably wasn't the wisest idea. He was going to get kicked out for public indecency.

She chuckled lightly, as if fully understanding this. Then she rolled her hips back very slowly, stroking her backside against him in a very tantalizing manner.

His grip tightened on her hips and he buried his face in her hair to hide the flush on his cheeks from anyone who might be looking their way. "Mmm, Raven…" The growl in his voice should have been humiliating, but he was too turned on to care.

"Oh, hey," she said in her usual monotone. "There are drinks over there. We should get something before the show starts."

She took a step away from him toward the beverages, and he gave a squeak of horror. He tightened his grip on her hips, keeping her protectively in front of him. "Sure," he said in a strained voice. "Just give me a minute to…just give me a minute."

She laughed at this. Then in a completely knowing voice, she asked, "Whatever for?"

It was his turn to roll his eyes. "You know very well what for."

She leaned back against him for a moment, turning her head so she could look at him over her shoulder. She must have seen the strain on his face, because she pushed off of him and put a little distance between them. She remained close, but not touching, and turned to face him. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done that. It was inappropriate."

He gave her a wry grin that spoke of complete forgiveness. "I'd be lying if I said I didn't it enjoy it when you get inappropriate with me."

"I enjoy it too," she admitted, her cheeks flushing pink.

He couldn't help but tease her in response. It was just in his nature. "Why, Raven, are you blushing?"

She narrowed her eyes at him. "Don't test me, Gar. I will walk away and let everyone in this room see just how excited you are by this art piece."

Knowing she was only joking, he laughed. Taking her arm, he pulled her in against him. "I apologize. No more teasing. Though we both know art had nothing to do with my…predicament."

She nodded in agreement and settled in against him, getting comfortable while she allowed him a moment to collect himself. Staring up at him with an expression of contentment, she said, "I find myself almost surprised to admit that you're actually acing this date."

"So this is officially a date then?"

"Absolutely."

It was such a relief to finally hear those words, to know for certain that he wasn't just imagining the chemistry between them. He slipped his arms around her waist, keeping her close. "So what are the odds of me getting a second date?"

"The odds are astronomically in your favor."

"Astronomically, huh?"

"Despite you getting an erection in the lobby before the symphony…yeah, the odds are in your favor."

"Maybe the odds are more in my favor because I got an erection in the lobby," he said with a self-depreciating, wry grin.

She slapped him on the chest with a little laugh and pulled away. "It's what every girl dreams of on a first date," she said over her shoulder. With that, she walked off toward the beverages.

Sheepishly, he followed.

OOOOO

Beast Boy stared across the Tower's main living area at Raven and felt his heart jump in his chest. He'd just spent the most amazing evening with her. They'd had a fantastic dinner, followed by some hardcore flirting in the theater lobby. Then they'd listened to the symphony, his arm around her shoulders and her head tucked in against him. Everything had just felt so…right.

She was currently busy helping Starfire arrange sleeping bags around the room, but she still glanced over her shoulder at him and gave a small smile.

When they'd returned to the Tower, Starfire had fallen on Raven to assist with her idea to do a giant slumber party for New Year's Eve, as the Tower was currently full of guests—something he'd forgotten about. He figured it was also just an excuse to get Raven alone and grill her about their date.

They were busy setting up the bags so everyone could ring in the new year, hang out together, and fall asleep in the common area. Raven was still in her date attire, and he couldn't keep his eyes off of her.

He watched her move about the room with longing. Their time at the symphony had been picture perfect. Every last detail—until they'd gotten back to the Tower. As always, he wasn't sure how to behave now. They'd officially had a date. Things were different now, but he still wasn't sure how public she was ready to go with their relationship. And the fact that he still hadn't kissed her was driving him insane.

He'd seen her under the mistletoe on Christmas Eve. He'd wanted so badly to just cross the room and do it. But the other Titans had been around. Would she have been angry if he'd kissed her in front of them? Especially since it had been before they'd officially had a real date? But she'd been under the mistletoe with such a determined expression…

By the time he finally worked up the courage to do it, Starfire had jumped in and kissed her instead. He'd dragged his feet and missed his opportunity. After that, he'd been too spooked to try again.

Then tonight… There'd been a moment just before intermission. The theater had been dark, the music fitting. He'd turned to her and their gazes had caught. It was the perfect moment. But again, he'd hesitated too long. Just as he'd finally been leaning toward her, the house lights had come on, and he'd missed his moment. Again.

Why was he finding it so hard to kiss her? He knew she wanted him to. He was just too afraid to take that plunge. It was a major step and he was terrified of screwing it up.

"So how'd the date go, Green Bean?" Cyborg asked from beside him as if reading his thoughts.

The Tower was fuller than usual. Members of Titans East had chosen to join them for the festivities—Kid Flash, Bumble Bee, Speedy, Aqualad. Jinx was there as well. Hence the big group pow wow for sleeping arrangements. It was bound to be a fun time. He just wished Cyborg hadn't mentioned his date in front of all the guys.

"You had a date?" Aqualad asked.

Beast Boy narrowed his eyes at the doubt in Garth's tone. "Yes, I had a date."

Wally crossed his arms over the lightning bolt logo emblazoned across his chest, intrigue written plainly in his features. "Do we know her? She a super hero?"

Beast Boy hesitated to answer his speedster friend. He hadn't been the one to bring it up, but he still didn't want Raven to think he was running his mouth and bragging about their date. "You know her…"

"It was Raven," Robin supplied in an even, almost uninterested voice to imply it was no big deal—something Beast Boy appreciated. If the news was going to be out there, playing it cool was probably the best way to go about it.

"Raven?" Roy asked with surprise.

Jinx sauntered over with a fancy glass of grape juice in hand. She rested her free arm on Wally's shoulder and stared Beast Boy down. "No way you had a date with Raven," she said sassily, cocking a hip.

Aqualad smirked. "Was she aware this was a date scenario? Or was this one of those delusional, wishful thinking type deals where the girl is oblivious?"

"Hey!" He and Garth had always been a bit competitive, but this teasing felt unnecessary. He shot Cyborg a dirty look for bringing the topic up, but his best friend merely smirked in amusement.

"Sorry," Wally said, not sounding all that sorry. "But Raven is super hot. And crazy picky."

"And totally out of your league," Jinx felt the need to add.

"She got dressed up," Robin supplied, trying to give Beast Boy an assist.

"But are you sure it was a real date?" Speedy asked. "She could have just been dressed up to fit the atmosphere."

Beast boy opened his mouth, but never got to defend himself.

Raven and Starfire were suddenly there.

Raven grabbed his arm and looped hers through his. "It was a real date," she said in her bored monotone. Then she tugged on his arm. "Come on. The ball is about to drop."

As one, the group headed over to the large monitor screens to participate in the traditional viewing that brought in the new year.

Wally was watching him with interest, while Garth frowned in his direction. It was obvious they hadn't been expecting Raven to back up his story.

"Hey…uh…sorry about that. I didn't bring up the date in front of them. Cyborg did."

She shrugged a shoulder, her eyes on the television screen. "It's not a big deal. I'm fully aware of how stupid guys get when they sense a reason to tease one another. And it's not like I'm embarrassed to be going out with you. It's fine."

He stared at her profile for a moment longer, feeling oddly surprised and more than a little touched that she wasn't at all bothered by their teasing, before following her gaze to the monitor. Two minutes. The ball would drop in two minutes. And he knew what was expected when that happened. He could already see couples gravitating toward one another. Starfire had a death grip on Robin's arm, as if she was afraid he might wander off. Wally had his arm over Jinx's shoulders and was whispering something in her ear. It seemed many people were pairing off.

One minute. In one minute, he would need to kiss Raven. Oh, he wanted to. More than wanted to. But he was terrified. What if the spark they felt just wasn't there? What if he missed? What if it was sloppy? He was out of practice, after all. What if… There were so many fears and "what ifs" running through his head.

Thirty seconds. And there were so many witnesses around. What if he messed things up and everyone saw? What if he'd misread things and she shoved him away? What if…

"Ten…nine…eight…seven…"

A countdown to their first kiss. That doesn't add any pressure or anything, he thought sarcastically. He should have just kissed her on Christmas Eve. He should have kissed her at the symphony. There were a million instances when he should have kissed her, and he regretted each missed opportunity.

"Four…three…two…one! Happy New Year!"

He turned to Raven and knew his eyes must be wide and full of fear. "H-happy New Year, Raven."

"Happy New Year, Gar."

They stared at each other for a long moment. He was frozen. It was the moment of truth, and he couldn't move. She was going to think he didn't like her, when in actuality, he was crazy about her. She was going to think he'd changed his mind. She was going to think—

She let out a huffy sigh and shot him an impatient look. "Are you going to kiss me already or what?" Then she decided she was done waiting. Because she grabbed hold of his tie and tugged his mouth down to hers.

The instant their lips met, every worry flew from Beast Boy's mind. Sparks shot down his spine and energy crackled along his skin. The intensity in their kiss left no question as to whether they had any chemistry. They had so much chemistry it nearly made his knees buckle.

Her lips moved under his as she took control of this first exchange, guiding him.

But too soon for his liking, she was pulling back. She gazed up at him, her eyes wide. "Wow," she whispered.

"Yeah." He grinned. "Wow." Curving an arm around her waist, he pulled her toward him and captured her mouth again. There was not a single doubt in his mind—he was totally head over heels for Raven.

Her arms slipped around his neck and she arched up against his chest with a small whimper. Neither seemed to care that they were surrounded by their friends or that their kiss had turned into two…which turned into three. Let the others look. He'd waited too long to rush this moment. And it was, in a word, perfect.

OOOOO

"I still can't believe you're dating Raven," Wally said with a shake of his head.

"It is a little weird," Cyborg agreed. "The protective older brother in me wants to punch you in the face every time I see you eyeing her up. But the best friend side of me wants to congratulate you, because I know this is something you really wanted. It's a very confusing feeling."

Beast Boy laughed and sheepishly ran a hand along the back of his neck. "It's not a big deal." He looked at the girls across the room. They were all giggling at some joke Jinx had just told, no doubt at Wally's expense by the way they glanced over.

The Kid Flash grimaced and shook his head. "The dangers of dating an ex-villain. She can be vicious when she wants to be."

Garfield figured Wally could use a bit of teasing to keep his ego in check, so he didn't feel all that sorry for him.

"It is a big deal, though," Robin said, bringing attention back to Beast Boy. "Raven's a complicated person, and she doesn't open up easily." He shook his head with a little sigh. "Just…be careful with her. Okay?"

"You think she's going to hurt me?" he asked in surprise. Raven possessed immense power. She could crush him if she wanted…but he never feared that she would. Even if things fell apart, she would never hurt him.

"No. I'm worried you'll hurt her."

Beast Boy turned to his leader in surprise. "Me?"

Robin gave an apologetic shrug. "Like I said, she doesn't trust easily. And she's opened up to you. Just…don't hurt her."

"I would never hurt Raven."

Robin's lips quirked into a half smile. "I knew you'd say that. It's one of the reasons I told her she should go for it with you."

"You told her she should…"

Robin nodded. "I did. I think you can make her happy. Just…don't screw it up."

Beast Boy realized he was getting the "big brother" speech from Robin. It was amusing. But it was also endearing that both he and Cyborg cared so much. "I'll try my best."

"Well, you better," Cyborg said gruffly. "Or you'll have us to deal with."

Raven appeared from behind the largest Titan. "Stop giving him crap," she grumbled. Then she reached out and took Beast Boy's hand. "Come here. I want to show you something."

He shrugged at the others and followed her out of the kitchen, grateful for the reprieve. Robin and Cyborg could be scary when they were pissed off, and he did not want to be on the receiving end of their ire. "So what did you want to show me?" he asked jovially as he followed along beside her.

"That this room is empty." She tugged him into the main room, where all of the sleeping bags cluttered the floor. The television was still playing images of people celebrating across the country. It caused colored light to flicker around the darkened room.

"You wanted to show me that this room is empty," he repeated in confusion.

"Yeah." She spun to face him, a small smile on her lips. "We haven't had a moment alone since we got back. When I realized everyone else had converged in the kitchen…"

He smiled at her, suddenly understanding. The darkened room was intimate, and it would offer them at least a few minutes alone together without the prying eyes of their curious friends. "So…what did you want to do with these precious few minutes alone?"

"I think you have an idea," she said wryly.

He loved the dry tone of her voice, her muted humor. "I do have an idea," he confessed. When she made to move closer to him, he took a playful step back and motioned over his shoulder. "I'll find a piece of paper and we can start a competitive game of hangman…"

"Gar," she said warningly.

"Hmm?"

"Just shut up and kiss me."

"I thought you'd never ask," he said with amusement. There was less fear in him this time as he closed the distance between them and tugged her into his arms.

She came easily, sinking in against him. She tipped her mouth up toward his, and he immediately kissed her. It was a gentle and slow kiss. He wanted to take his time experiencing the wonder that was tasting her lips and feeling her feminine curves pressed against him. Each kiss with her was something he wanted to savor and cherish. He'd waited so long for this and he was going to relish every moment of it.

A soft sigh escaped her and she nuzzled closer, holding him tighter. When they broke apart, she kept her eyes closed for a long moment, as if she too wanted to memorize each gentle brush of lips. Finally, she blinked her eyes open and stared up at him with worried purple eyes. "I want this to work," she whispered.

"It will," he said easily.

"How do you know?"

He took her hand, leading her deeper into the room. This was a private conversation he didn't want anyone else to happen upon if they approached the doorway. "Because I'm willing to do anything to make sure it does."

"I'm not…normal. It won't be easy."

"I'm not normal either. I like that we're not normal. Normal is boring."

Her pleased expression glimmered in the light from the television. "I'm not much fun."

"You're plenty of fun." He leaned in and kissed her, reveling in the easy way she responded to each gentle brush of his lips to hers. "That right there. That was all kinds of fun." He sent her a look of amusement. "Besides, I'm not the easiest person to be around either. You may be surprised to hear this, but sometimes I can be rather annoying."

"No!" Her voice dripped with sarcasm. All he cared about was that he'd taken that worried look from her eyes. She didn't need to worry, because wasn't going to ever let her go. Not without a fight.

"And with my skin tone, wearing the color yellow is pretty much out for you. We'd look awful standing next to each other if you wore yellow."

"And I love the color yellow so much," she said dryly.

"See? So life with me isn't going to be easy either." He got a foot tangled in one of the sleeping bags as they moved deeper into the room. He gave an embarrassing cry of surprise and nearly toppled to the ground. He had to grab onto her arm to steady himself. It totally ruined his "playing it cool" act. He'd thought he was handling things fairly well, keeping it light but conveying his opinions on the matter like a mature adult. Now, he just looked silly. He kicked his foot, trying to untangle himself from the bag. "Stupid thing," he grumbled.

She giggled lightly and with an easy display of her powers, untangled his foot. "I must agree, they seem rather stupid. I just didn't want to hurt Starfire's feelings, so I agreed to help set them up. Honestly, I don't see the point in sleeping on the floor when my own bed is a thirty second walk away."

"Really?" he asked in surprise. "You don't like sleepovers?"

"I've never been to a sleepover," she admitted. "But everything I've heard sounds stupid. Pillow fights and girls in revealing pajamas, gossiping and playing useless games like spin the bottle. None of that holds appeal to me."

"Okay, that doesn't sound all that bad to me…" He let out a playful laugh. "But you've got it all wrong. That's a male fantasy of a girls' slumber party. And probably not all that accurate. This one is not going to be like that. It should just be a lot of fun. I promise you—no pillow fights." He waggled his eyebrows at her. "And come on, the sleeping bags could be fun. They're pretty intimate, right?"

"How could they possibly be intimate?" she asked dryly. "I'll be wrapped up like a burrito, unable to move."

"You could join me in my sleeping bag." He felt his face flame the instant he made the offer. The mental image of Raven snuggled up in his sleeping bag… Now that the thought was in his head, he wanted it more than anything. He didn't care that they'd only just had their first date earlier this evening. Or that they'd only kissed for the first time an hour ago. He couldn't get enough of her. The thought of having her curled up against him all night—

"How? Two of us aren't going to fit in that thing."

"Have you never heard of zipping them together?" he asked in amazement.

"Now why would I have ever heard of that?" she asked as he dropped to his knees and began tugging the zipper on one of the bags all the way open.

"It's a little tricky, but it will totally be worth it." He grabbed a second bag and undid the zipper until the bag lay all the way open. Then he brought the two together and began zipping them back up into one giant sleeping bag. Once he was done, he sat back on his heels to admire his handy work. "Voila! A double wide sleeping bag!"

Moving to a seated position, he kicked off his shoes and then shoved his legs into the bag. When he looked up, Raven was starting down at him with an unconvinced expression on her face.

"And what exactly is the point of this?"

"Come in here and I'll show you." His lips quirked into a grin, though his heart pounded wildly in his chest. The others were right. He was totally out of his league here. Raven was super hot, super picky, and super serious. She wasn't the type to find amusement in things like double wide sleeping bags. Was he out of his mind for trying to convince her to do this?

She stared down at him for a long moment. Then with a put-upon sigh, she kicked off her shoes. Careful not to kick him, she slid into the sleeping bag next to him.

He grinned, feeling ecstatic that she'd at least given it a try. "So what do you—"

Before he could complete his sentence, she surged forward and kissed him.

The sudden movement caught him by surprise, but he was quick to respond. Her kiss, though she'd lunged at him, was tentative and cautious. It brought a smile to his lips and had him curling an arm around her waist to tug her closer.

She melted against him, her body tucking in against his as if they were pieces of a puzzle. He ran his palm over her hip, along her waist. Raven was like an addiction to him, one he could never get enough of. Like he'd told Cyborg, he'd been crushing on her since that very first eye roll. It was why he bothered her so much, because even her eye rolls sped his heart. He'd always thought she was super hot when she was agitated. And all he wanted was her attention. He knew perhaps that was a bit messed up, but he was a strange guy. And now, he didn't need to direct her irritation his way. He had something better.

He deepened the kiss, his fingers grazing the skin of her back where there was a gap between her tank top and sweatpants she'd changed into after the ball dropped. It boggled his mind that her skin could be so soft. She was so tough in a fight, so powerful, but her skin felt like silk. She was unbelievably soft and feminine, something no one would ever guess if they only witnessed her in battle.

She brought his attention back from his wandering thoughts when she ran her foot along his ankle, drawing a small groan of appreciation from him. He'd been wanting to do this for months and now here he was, making out with Raven in a sleeping bag. How the hell had he gotten so lucky?

He kissed her again, his mouth exploring hers—something he could do all night. He knew kissing her was something he would never grow tired of. Feeling a little daring, he curved his palms over her backside.

As he did, her hand snuck under his dress shirt. Her own palm grazed along his abdomen, her fingertips delving in the grooves of his stomach muscles. It was almost an overload of sensations. He wanted her closer. Unable to resist this desire, he rolled onto his back and tugged her on top of him.

Her legs slid around his hips, her body curved along his. But in that instant, as he took in the shocked expression on her face, her widened eyes, something monumental occurred to him. Something he'd never paused to consider before—he was fairly certain Raven was a virgin.

He could see it in the nervous way she shifted on top of him, in the blush on her cheeks, in the awkward way her hands slipped against his chest as if she didn't know what to do with them. And in that instant, every beast inside of him flared to the surface. He was hit with an overwhelming desire to claim, to dominate.

With a hand to the back of her neck, he tugged her mouth down to his and kissed her roughly. It didn't matter that he himself was a virgin as well. Sure, he'd stolen a kiss here and there on dates, but living the life of a super hero didn't really leave much room for serious relationships. His experience was just as limited as hers, but his beasts didn't care. They wanted her. More than they ever had before. His intimidating, strong, and confident Raven had one part of herself where she wasn't completely knowledgeable. She might be scary as hell on a battlefield, but here she was timid and uncertain. He didn't know why, but that was a complete turn on. Perhaps it was knowing that no one else had ever known her as intimately as he did right now. Or knowing there was a part of her that was still vulnerable and soft, a side only he saw.

She offered a small, helpless whimper of desire into his mouth, and her legs settled more comfortably around his hips. She rocked against him, her mouth responding with just as much enthusiasm as his.

He ran his hands down her back, caressing her spine as she cupped his face and kissed him again. He really could do this all night…but as she rocked her hips against his again, he knew he had to stop. He couldn't let himself get carried away. This was not the time or place for such a thing, especially if neither of them had ever…

"Raven," he whispered against her lips. With a gentle hand to her shoulder, he pushed her slightly away from him. "We should stop."

She blinked down at him, her eyes slightly unfocused. "W…why?"

"Because I don't think we want our friends to walk in on us like this." It was bad enough his erection was pressed up against her hip. He did not want anyone else to realize just how excited he was to be around her. "And because I've never…done anything like this before." He'd been hesitant to admit his lack of experience, but he didn't want her to feel awkward about her own.

"Oh…" Her eyes widened in surprise. "Oh! I'd just assumed… I'm actually glad that… Well, me either."

"And I don't think we want to go much further than this…on a floor hoping our friends don't walk in on us."

She licked her lips and shook her head with a little laugh. "No. We do not." Then she sent him a mocking little glare. "Though I don't know why you thought things were heading any further. This was only a first date, after all."

He snickered. "I will fully admit that if you kept kissing me like that, I was going to embarrass myself. You've got me…" He closed his eyes in mortification. "All riled up," he finally confessed.

"Gee, I didn't notice," she said wryly. For effect, she wiggled ever so slightly on his lap.

He gave a groan and gripped her hips, holding her still. "You're going to kill me if you keep doing that." With a gentle movement, he guided her to lie beside him once more. His hand curled around her waist and he pulled her in against his chest, but it was a more innocent position than before. Leaning down, he gave her a soft, chaste kiss. "I do enjoy kissing you though."

She smiled against his lips, snuggling closer. "I enjoy kissing you too." She proved this point by doing just that. "Though this is going to be quite an adjustment. Much of the time I want to strangle you. Now the other half I'm going to want…this. It's an odd combination."

He chuckled lightly. "I can't promise to annoy you any less. It's far too much fun." He nuzzled his nose against hers. "But I do promise to try to give you plenty of reasons to make out with me too."

She let out a huffy sigh that was ruined by her grin. "I suppose I didn't really expect anything less."

"Look on the bright side, our relationship will never be boring."

She rolled her eyes. "I can't believe I'm agreeing to this."

"What can I say, I'm irresistible." He kissed her following frown away.

She gave a soft sound of contentment and wrapped her arms around his neck, her fingers threading through his hair. Her next kiss turned into a second one Which turned into a third. Each one was lazier than the last and more spaced out. After the fourth kiss, she moved her head to his shoulder and exhaled tiredly.

His gaze flicked to the clock to discover it was nearly two in the morning. With a content sigh, he wrapped his arms around her and held her close, allowing her to drift off. He was nearly asleep himself when he heard voices from the doorway.

"Should we do the waking of our friends?" Starfire asked.

"Nah. Let them sleep," Cyborg said in return. "Pretty sure BB would have our heads if we interrupted this."

Starfire responded with an excited little giggle. "They are most adorable. I cannot wait to do the date of the doubles."

Their voices drifted off back down the hallway. With a content smile, Beast Boy snuggled in deeper into the sleeping bag and allowed himself to drift off with the girl of his dreams pressed up against his side. They both understood their relationship might be difficult at times, but it was going to be totally worth it. He would make sure of that.