For a while, Beast Boy and Robin put all talk aside and played games. The only words they shared were when they were talking trash to each other. Beast Boy was able to beat Robin in the racing game, but Robin got his revenge in the fighting game. After an hour had passed, and Robin had just won another round, he turned to Beast Boy.
"I think we've waited long enough. You gotta bring Terra and Raven out here, and I can give you guys the space to talk."
Beast Boy frowned. "I would do anything not to have this conversation."
"I know it's tough," Robin said, putting a hand on Beast Boy's shoulder, "but I have confidence that you're going to do the right thing."
"That's nice of you to say, but I don't even know what the right thing is."
"I know how that feels," Robin said, "but I think you're strong enough to figure it out. Heroes have to make tough decisions sometimes, and I know that you're a hero, so you'll be fine."
Beast Boy took a deep breath and gave Robin a smile. "Okay, I think I'm ready now."
"Go get Terra," Robin said. "Once you've done that, I'll get Raven."
"No," Beast Boy said. "I'm gonna get Raven first and then we'll both get Terra."
Robin gave that proposal a thought. "I like it. Good luck, Beast Boy, I know you can do this."
"Thanks."
Robin and Beast Boy left the room. While Robin headed for his room, Beast Boy made the long walk to Raven's. When he finally got to the door, he pressed his ear up to it to see if he could listen for any cues to how she was feeling. Instead, the door slid open, and Beast Boy almost fell over.
Raven had had her back to the door, but turned when she heard it open. "Oh. It's you."
"Yeah, it's me," Beast Boy said, giving her what was supposed to be a reassuring smile. Raven merely glared in response. "Hey, look, I think the three of us should talk."
Raven made no immediate response, but then walked over to the door. "Fine," she said.
Beast Boy and Raven left the room, and then he pulled out his communicator.
"Don't know where your girlfriend went?" Raven asked.
Beast Boy shook his head, but otherwise he ignored her. After about five rings, Terra finally answered, still looking incensed.
"What do you want?" she asked.
"Terra, we gotta deal with this issue head on," Beast Boy said. "Can you meet Raven and me at the ops room?"
"I have nothing else to say to you," Terra replied. "Leave me alone."
"Wait!" Beast Boy said. "Maybe you don't have anything to say, but you could listen, right? You don't have to talk if you don't want to, but I want you to at least be there."
Terra looked away for a moment, then back at Beast Boy. "Fine. I guess I could do that."
"Thanks, Terra. See you soon." Beast Boy turned off the communicator, and he and Raven walked in utter silence back to the ops room. They found that Terra was already waiting for them there.
"How'd you get here so fast?" Beast Boy asked.
"I didn't walk far," Terra replied.
Beast Boy waited for her to elaborate, but she said no more. "Um...okay, let's sit down, I guess."
Raven and Terra sat at chairs on opposite sides of the room, and Beast Boy took the couch in the middle. For a moment, the three of them said nothing. Raven had her arms folded across her chest, while Terra was shaking her leg with her hands clasped on her lap.
"So," Beast Boy said, "uh...we're here now."
"Remarkable observation," Raven said.
"Okay, okay, fine," Beast Boy said, "but can we be serious for a sec here? I really do want to hash this out."
"Hash what out?" Terra asked. "That you're a two-faced coward? That you thought you could play both sides?"
"That wasn't it at all," Beast Boy said. "Look, before you guys come at me, can you at least give me a chance to say what I wanna say?"
Both Raven and Terra said nothing for a moment. "That's fair, I guess," Terra finally said.
"Thanks," Beast Boy said. "Look, I like both of you two a lot, and this has been super confusing for me. I wasn't expecting any of this."
"Can you at least tell us what happened?" Raven asked. "Terra and I each only know half of what you did, so I think you need to fill us in at least."
"You know what? That's a good...that's a good idea." Beast Boy said. He took a deep breath and explained to both Raven and Terra what happened over the past few hours.
When he talked about the moment he and Raven had shared earlier, Terra scowled through the whole thing but stayed steadfast. After explaining the sudden kiss Terra gave him and what transpired after that, Raven had a scowl on her face and couldn't look at either of them. When he finally came to a stop, both Raven and Terra stared him down. Beast Boy curled up on the couch and wrapped his arms around his legs.
"Is that actually everything that happened?" Terra asked.
"Well, duh," Beast Boy said. "Why would I be lying when the other girl is in the room? You'd both be calling me out if I didn't tell the whole truth to either of you."
"Oh, that's actually a good point," Terra said.
"I guess you're not a complete idiot," Raven said.
"Well, now the truth is all out there," Beast Boy said. "So what are we gonna do from here?"
"'We?'" Terra asked. "What makes you think 'we' are doing anything? This is your problem, not ours."
"As angry as I am with Terra," Raven said, "I have to admit that she's right. Based on what you told us, the two of us really didn't do anything wrong. You're the one who screwed everything up."
"Yeah, I get that," Beast Boy said, "and I own that. But you don't understand how hard it is for me."
Terra let out a gasp of laughter. "Oh really? This is hard for you? You're the one playing two sides here."
"Just please let me explain," Beast Boy said. "It's hard for me because I love both of you."
"You what?" Raven asked.
"I love both of you!" Beast Boy repeated. "I didn't really get it earlier, but it makes more sense now. Raven, you and I have known each other for so long, of course that means a lot to me. Terra, it's just...even when you were working under Slade, I know you and I cared a lot about each other, and it was so great to see you come back. I...damn, you know, I don't think I can do this."
"Can't do what?" Terra asked.
"I can't choose between you two," Beast Boy said, "which means only one thing."
"No, you're not going to get both of us," Raven said.
"No, no, of course not," Beast Boy said. He then looked at the two of them and gave a small smile. "Unless…"
"No!" Terra and Raven both yelled.
"No, you're right, sorry, sorry, that was a joke," Beast Boy said. He then stopped and took a deep breath. "No, this is the only option. If I can't choose between you two, then I can't have either one of you. No matter what, I'm gonna end up ticking one of you off, and that's the last thing I want, so that's it."
For the first time since they started talking, the expressions of Raven and Terra softened. They were even able to look at each other without seething with jealousy. "That's actually a mature choice," Raven said. "Didn't think you had it in you."
Beast Boy chuckled. "I can do the grown up thing when I need to."
"Now, wait, hold on," Terra said. "This is silly."
"What's silly about it?" Raven asked. "He doesn't want either of us getting hurt. This was the only good outcome."
"Maybe for you two it's a good outcome," Terra said, "but it doesn't, I don't know, make sense logically."
"Logically?" Raven asked.
"Think about it," Terra said. "Instead of two of us being happy, none of us get what we want? That math doesn't add up to me."
"Terra," Beast Boy said, "it's not that I'm unhappy. I'd rather be friends with both of you than hurt one of you by picking the other one."
"No, dammit," Terra said, "I can't just leave it like that. You don't understand."
"What don't I understand?" Beast Boy asked.
"You don't understand what it's like...what it's like for me. You don't have any idea how desperately I've wanted to be loved."
"Terra, what are you doing?" Raven asked. "Beast Boy made the best choice for all of us."
"No he didn't!" Terra yelled. "He didn't make the best choice for me."
"Huh?" Beast Boy asked.
"I love you, too!" Terra said, tears coming to her eyes. "You don't know how badly I love you. I'm not gonna let you abandon me!"
"No one's abandoning anyone here," Raven said, her previous anger at Terra giving way to concern. "The fight is over." Raven tried to walk closer, but Terra stepped away from her.
"Stay away, Raven. You don't get it. You don't get what it's like to be a freak everywhere you go. You don't know what it's like to meet new people and then, just as things are starting to go well, screw it up by starting a landslide, or an earthquake, or a volcano eruption. All my life, I've been chased away, rejected, shunned as a witch. This team is the closest thing I've ever had to a family, and this boy," Terra pointed at Best Boy, "this infuriating boy is my best chance at finding love. I'm not going to let you," Terra pointed at Raven this time, "take that away from me!"
"Easy now, Terra," Raven said, but Terra's eyes began to glow yellow.
"Do not tell me to relax! Do not tell me to settle down, take it easy, or anything! You don't get it!"
"Listen to me!" Raven yelled, her voice doubling up for a moment and echoing off the walls. Terra finally stopped yelling, and her eyes returned to normal. "You think you have no idea what it's like to be an outcast, a freak, a witch. You are talking to the only other person in the world who knows exactly what that's like. I was banished from Azarath when the prophecy of my father's return was revealed. I was a nomad, just like you. If I didn't learn to control my powers, there is no way I would have ever felt safe enough to find a home. I am lucky that I finally found that home here. Robin, Cyborg, Starfire, and Beast Boy are my family, and so are you, Terra, like it or not. We are more alike than you think, and if you just drop that cragged exterior of yours, you might be able to understand that."
Terra did not respond for a moment, but then Beast Boy walked over to her and gave her a hug. Terra began sobbing into his shoulder. "I don't know what's...what's wrong with me," she sputtered.
"Nothing's wrong with you," Beast Boy said. "Nothing. You're perfect."
"I'm not perfect," Terra said. "I screwed everything up like I always do. I'm a fucking freak and I don't belong here."
"That's not true," Beast Boy said, pulling away from the hug but keeping his hands on her shoulders and looking her square in the eye. "This is the one place in the world where you are free to be yourself," he said. "How much of a freak am I? My skin and hair is green and I can turn into animals. Raven can summon, like, the powers of the devil or something. I don't even get it, and I've known her for years. Star's an alien, Cyborg's half metal, Jinx literally brings bad luck wherever she goes, and Robin...well, nothing's really 'freaky' about him but he's his own type of insane. We're all freaks here, which means this is where you can actually belong."
Terra made no response for a moment, but turned tentatively to look at Raven. Raven sighed and gave her a small smile. "Beast Boy's right," she said, "and look, I'm...I can't believe I'm saying this...but if the two of you want to be together, I don't want to stand in the way."
"Are you sure?" Beast Boy asked. "Are you really willing to do that?"
"Beast Boy, you're good," Raven said, "but you're not that good. I don't mean this in a rude way, but I think Terra needs you more than I do."
"Um...thanks, I guess," Terra said, "but maybe I'm not in a good place for this right now. Beast Boy, I do love you, but I don't think needing you is a good thing for me. Maybe I should be the one to step aside."
"Oh man, now you're fighting the other way," Beast Boy said. "What am I supposed to do?" He sat down on the couch and buried his head in his hands. "I'm so confused."
"That makes two of us," Raven said, sitting on Beast Boy's right and putting a hand on his shoulder.
"Three," Terra said, sitting on Beast Boy's left. "If I could suggest something, maybe none of us should make any decisions right now."
"Huh?" Beast Boy asked.
"Well, think about it," Terra said. "We thought there were only three possible outcomes: you picking me, you picking Raven, or you picking neither. I'm saying you take a fourth option: delaying the actual choice. When we're all feeling more calm, maybe we can revisit this."
"I still don't really know," Beast Boy said. "I don't like the idea of picking between the two of you."
"I don't either," Raven said, "but waiting to make such an important decision until we're all calmer and more rational sounds like a good choice to me."
"Except now I'm gonna be tossing and turning between the two of you," Beast Boy said, "and I don't want to do that. We need to settle this now."
"How about this?" Raven asked. "We're all tired from everything that happened last night. Let's table this discussion for the rest of the day, sleep on it, and when everyone's feeling more well-rested and more rational, we can revisit this conversation. Beast Boy, I can cast a sedation spell on you if you're having trouble sleeping."
"And I can take the couch tonight," Terra said. "I wouldn't want my presence in your room to unfairly affect your decision."
"I guess that's okay," Beast Boy said. "Dang, this was a good talk, ladies, but nothing really ended up happening. Feels kinda like something shoulda happened."
"Not every serious conversation has a climactic outcome," Raven said. "Sometimes the best decision is to wait."
"Yeah, especially when I'm hungry. It's way past lunch and I'm way past starving. So we're cool for now?"
"Yeah, we're cool," Terra said.
"Cyborg, you and Jinx can come in now," Raven said.
"What?" Beast Boy asked.
The door to the ops room opened, and Cyborg and Jinx slinked in.
"How much of that conversation did you overhear?" Raven asked.
"Uh...not much," Cyborg said.
"They're not gonna believe that, metalhead," Jinx said, playfully punching him in the arm. "Sounds like Beast Boy's in the middle of a classic love triangle and he has somehow convinced you two to wait on bated breath who he picks."
"That's not how it happened," Beast Boy said. "You and Cy should get your ears cleaned out if you're that bad at eavesdropping."
"Whatever, man," Cyborg said. "You've still got a hard decision to make. I don't envy you."
"Oh, come on, Cyborg," Jinx said. "What if you were in the middle of a love triangle with Bee and me?"
"Why does everyone insist that Bumblebee and I have a thing?" Cyborg asked. "I've never felt like that about her."
"Maybe you never did," Jinx said, "but when we were at the academy, there were all sorts of rumors going on about how she felt about you."
"Yeah, and that's all they were," Cyborg said, "rumors. No way in hell that was ever gonna be a thing."
"Well I guess we'll never know now," Jinx said, kissing Cyborg on the cheek. "Anyone know what Robin and Starfire have been up to?"
"I think that's a topic for a different day," Cyborg said. "Beast Boy's right, I'm hungry and it's time for me to cook up some grub." Cyborg activated the communicator built into his wrist. "Rob, Star, it's chow time. Get dressed and get your butts down here for some good ol' fashioned Cyborg cooking."
"How does Cyborg know that we are not—" Starfire began to ask.
"Never mind," Robin said quickly. "Let's just get going."
"Okay, Cyborg out," he said. When he turned off the communicator, he, Jinx, Beast Boy, and Terra burst into laughter. Even Raven allowed herself a small smile.
"Dude, I was just making a joke," Cyborg said. "I didn't know that…" He couldn't finish his sentence, instead doubling over with laughter.
After a few moments, the laughter died down. "Nice one, Cy," Beast Boy said.
"Okay, I'll get the grill started," Cyborg said. "Make sure Rob and Star get double the sodas. Sounds like they need the extra fluid." He started cracking up again.
"You're awful," Jinx said, wiping a tear from her eye.
Robin and Starfire finally entered the ops room after a few minutes. "Nobody. Say. Anything." Robin said, his cheeks flushed red.
"We'll behave," Cyborg said, but when Robin and Starfire turned away, he winked at the other Titans.
When lunch was served, all of the discussion and laughter died down, giving the team time to reflect. Love proved to be a difficult concept to grasp, leading to confusion, indecision, and embarrassment. Still, there was one kind of love that they all shared with each other that made the rest of the questions so much easier. Whatever Slade was planning next, whatever happened with Red X, whatever any other villain had in store for them, the Teen Titans knew that they would be ready for it.