I own nothing. The Teen Titans belong to DC and their respective creators.
It was a beautiful sunny day in Jump City. The Titans agreed to seize the opportunity and go out since the city's villains seemed to want to enjoy a day off as well.
Except for one person.
"What do you mean you're not going?"
"You heard me Beast Boy," she sighed, "I'd like to spend the day at home. Why is that so hard to understand?"
"But everyone is going!"
"And I'm not." Raven gave him her back declaring the end of their discussion.
He wanted to try to convince her more but he heard his communicator vibrating. "Beast Boy, are you coming?"
He brought it closer to his mouth to speak, "On my way, Cy."
It had been going like this for a while now: Raven constantly refusing every invite from the team and spending more and more time alone. Beast Boy and the others had tried to convince her to go out with them multiple times only to be rejected at every turn.
The whole team gave up eventually except for Beast Boy. It had taken her long enough to open up to them all, especially him, the first time and he didn't mind getting her to do it again even if it took a while.
Their friends believed it was just a phase but he didn't want to risk it. He was not letting her shut herself in and isolate herself that easily.
"I'm going now but if you change your mind give me a call, okay?"
"Okay," she said, still giving him her back.
He sighed but transformed into a hawk and flew through her window down to where his friends were waiting.
"What did friend Raven say?" Starfire asked once he got into the car.
"The usual. I want some quiet time by myself, blah blah blah. You should try it, Beast Boy, blah blah blah." He tried his best impression of her with a frown.
"We'll give her space. Maybe she'll come around." That was Robin's answer every time.
'Next time there won't be any "space"', Beast Boy thought to himself. He would get her out of that room. Not today, though. Raven really hated the sun and it was an exceptionally bright day out.
As they got to the park and started unpacking their stuff, Beast Boy realized he forgot something. "My umbrella! I forgot it at home."
"B, for the last time, it's not going to rain."
"But the weather lady said there's a 60% chance it would."
"But the sun is bright and shiny today," Starfire pointed out, "it does not seem that it will be the raining today, friend Beast Boy."
"You know I hate the rain! Better safe than sorry."
"What's wrong, is the little kitty afraid to get wet?" Cyborg teased.
Beast Boy ignored him and transformed into a hawk for the second time. It would only take him a few minutes to grab his umbrella from the tower and be back. Once he got back to the tower he transformed back into his human form.
The tower smelled different than when he left it, felt different. Was Raven performing some sort of a spell? No, he knew when she was practicing spells. The scent always included herbs and old books. This scent smelled… sweet?
"Stop!" he heard a familiar voice.
Raven.
He ran to the source of the sound only to realize there was more than just her pleading voice. It made him run faster.
"Don't touch her!" Beast Boy yelled when he reached Cyborg's lab.
What Beast Boy saw was the furthest thing from what he expected. He had had all the worst scenarios prepared in his head, only to find Raven holding what looked like a five year old boy in one arm and a girl that seemed just a little bit older on the other.
"What the-" before he got to finish his sentence he was cut off with screams.
"BEAST BOY!" the boy and the girl both jumped from Raven's arms into Beast Boy's.
Beast Boy looked down at the two kids hugging his legs and back to his teammate. She looked like she was barely breathing.
"Raven, you brought Beast Boy!" the girl spoke first.
"It seems like I did." She said nervously. She walked to Beast Boy and held his wrist, "Can I have a word?"
"Of course." He followed her to the hallway leaving the two kids alone in the lab.
"What are you doing here?"
"I forgot my umbrella."
"You do know that it's not going to rain."
"But the weather lady said-"
"Enough with the weather lady!" she threw her hands in the air in frustration. "Take your umbrella and just leave."
"Okay, fine!" After a second thought, he asked, "Wait, who are those kids?"
"They're my… cousins." Raven said after she realized there was no way she could hide it any more.
It was obvious she didn't want him there but he was still confused. Why did she hide that from the team?
"I didn't know you had cousins?"
"I've reconnected with my aunt on Earth a few weeks ago. She had some work here in the city and I offered to take the kids for the day." Raven answered hoping the investigation would be over soon. "Any more questions?"
"You have an aunt and you didn't tell us?" Beast Boy paused. "Is that why you haven't been spending as much time with us lately?"
"I.. I wanted-" Raven was cut off by a loud noise.
They went back to the lab to find the boy climbing Cyborg computer set.
"James, get down! Raven is going to be mad at us!" his sister – Beast Boy assumed – tried to reach him using a chair but he was far above her.
"James, get down!" Raven ordered.
"I can't!" James cried. "I don't know how!"
Beast Boy decided to step in transforming into a moose, holding the little boy with one antler and putting him back down.
"That was awesome!" the boy yelled once the changeling went back to his human body. "Do it again!"
"Yes, Beast Boy do it again!" the girl joined.
"Erica, I believe Beast Boy has somewhere to be." Raven gave him a glare.
"Right!" Beast Boy found himself forgetting about the picnic. The truth was he wanted to stay with Raven. "Are you sure you don't need my help?"
"Nope."
Both Beast Boy and Raven tuned at the sound of something breaking.
"Sorry," James said, putting back a remote that was now in half.
Raven sighed. "Why did I think bringing them here was a good idea."
"We still haven't seen the training room!" Erica reminded her.
"I…" Raven was trying to think of a way to get out of this seeing how James causing chaos in the lab just confirmed that he shouldn't be anywhere near all those weapons. Before she got to say anything, Beast Boy spoke up. "Who wants to go to the fair?"
"Me! Me! Me!" Both kids held their hands up high.
Beast Boy turned to his teammate. "You think you can give us a ride?"
Raven was caught by surprise. "Uhm, yeah I think I can. But only once."
She held the changeling's hand with one and Erica's with the other asking her to hold her brother's hand as well.
When they got to the fair the kids immediately let her hand go and ran to see all the games they could play.
"That was a close one," Beast Boy chuckled.
Raven didn't laugh. "What are you still doing here?"
"Helping you?"
"I didn't ask for help. I have everything under control. You can leave."
"Everything under control? Okay then, where are the kids right now?"
"They are right ther-" Raven looked around to find neither of them within her sight.
"They're by the big wheel. You're welcome."
"I knew that."
"No you didn't. Now can you let go of my hand so I can get them some tickets."
Raven looked down to find that she was indeed still holding his hand. She removed her hand from his and hoped that the hood of her cloak was hiding her blush as he left to go get the tickets.
"Can we please get ice cream?" James asked, running to her.
"Sure."
"And I want to get on the big wheel!"
"Whatever you want."
"Is Beast Boy your boyfriend?"
"No," she answered without thinking. "Wait, what?"
"I saw you guys holding hands," explained the little boy.
"No, we're just teammates." Raven blushed. Why would the kids ask her such a question? Weren't they too young to know about this stuff?
"My friend Lily thinks you guys look great together," Erica said after she joined them. "She has all these drawings of you."
"Drawings? Of us?"
"Yeah, kissing."
Raven tried to change the subject when she saw her teammate coming with the tickets. "Oh look! Beast Boy brought the tickets. Go stand in line for your turn."
They ran to Beast Boy to get their tickets and went back waiting at the big wheel.
"At least now we don't have to worry about them getting hurt or killed by Cy." Beast Boy said cheerfully.
"Yeah, great," Raven replied harshly.
Beast Boy turned to look at her. "Are you mad at me?"
She ignored him.
Beast Boy knew she trying to push him away again. Too bad it wouldn't work.
"Why didn't you tell us about your aunt and cousins?"
"It's stupid."
"I like stupid."
"You wouldn't understand. None of you would."
"Try me."
Raven exhaled a long breath. She had a feeling Beast Boy wouldn't be giving up soon. He never knew when to stop.
"I didn't tell you about my cousins because I didn't want them to meet you."
"Are you embarrassed by us??"
"No... the opposite."
"You're… proud of us?"
"No! That's not what I meant. I mean I am proud of you. I just didn't want them to meet you because I know they would love you more."
Beast Boy had never been more confused in his life. "People are usually happy by that."
"I want them to love you. I just don't want them to love you more than…. More than me." Her insecurity finally broke through and she looked almost ashamed despite her defiance.
"Rae, I'm sure the kids love you. You're an amazing person."
"Yeah That's how it felt before you came." Raven knew she was being immature about this but she couldn't help it. "I know I say I don't care about fans but it's always the same. Kids usually like you, guys like Cyborg, girls like Robin and boys like Starfire. No one likes me."
"That's not true!"
"Yeah right. How could I forget? Only creeps like the creep."
Beast Boy gave her a sad look. He hated when she thought of herself that way. That was not who she was.
"Anyway," Raven continued, "it felt nice to find my cousins and for them to see me as their favorite hero."
She waited for him to tell her how childish and petty that was, how selfish she was to be hiding her whole family for the sake of being a kid's favorite. But she heard none of that.
"Then I have to tell them about all the times you saved our asses."
"What?" Raven gave him a confused look.
"Come on." He took her hand and went to the kids as they just left the big wheel a little dizzy. "Who wants ice cream?" he asked.
Once they got their ice cream –strawberry for Beast Boy and Erica, chocolate for James and blueberry for Raven – Beast Boy proceeded to tell the kids every time Raven saved the team. He started to sound like a bigger fan than the kids were.
Every time he finished one the kids would turned amazed at Raven and ask to confirm Beast Boy's story.
They seemed to forget all about the games they were first excited about. Her aunt called to check on them and agreed to pick them up at the fair later on.
Erica noticed a costumes tent that offered face painting as well and asked if they could get one.
"What costume do you want?" Raven asked.
"Yours! " cheered Erica.
"Me too!" followed James.
Raven was shocked. She thought at least James would want to dress as the changeling or maybe Robin.
Both of them ran to the tent to look for costumes their sizes.
"I'm gonna go pay for them," said Beast Boy as he walked after them.
She waited for them until they came out wearing blue cloaks and running around her. "Look Raven, now I'm Raven!"
She smiled at them and then looked up to see Beast Boy grinning at her.
They met her aunt not so long after. "I left one Raven only to come back to find two more!"
The kids ran to hug their mother. "We're helping Raven save the city!"
"Hey, I'm Beast Boy." The changeling offered his hand.
"Hi, I'm Selena, Raven's aunt, " Her aunt replied as she shook his hand. "Raven talks a lot about you!"
"Really?" Beast Boy glanced at Raven to find her face flushed.
"Aunt Selena, aren't you late for your subway?" Raven reminded her.
"Right, right, I'll talk to you tomorrow. Thanks for watching the kids! And it nice to meet you, Beast Boy."
"Likewise."
Beast Boy couldn't miss the opportunity to tease her once her aunt left. "You told your aunt about me?"
"You're a superhero. She already knows about you."
"Yeah but it's not the same as from you."
She tried to stop herself from hitting him because of the stupid grin he was giving her but he was making it very hard.
Suddenly, Raven felt something funny on her nose. She touched it to find her nose a little wet. Then again on her cheek. She looked up to realize it was raining.
She expected Beast Boy to complain, or say he was right. Instead he said, "Want to go on the big wheel? I saved us tickets."
"You don't want to go home? It's raining."
"No, I don't mind."
The ride was quiet at first but then Raven spoke. "Thank you, for today. I admit, I wouldn't have made it without you. It was... Fun."
Beast Boy only smiled.
On their wedding night, during one of the many danced they shared as husband and wife, Beast Boy reminded her of the day they spent with her cousins who were now older but still as excited to see their older cousin married. "When we went to get the costumes they asked me to marry you and I promised them, I would." Beast Boy told her.
"I guess we make great part-rents together." He moved his hand closer to hers, gently squeezing it, hoping she wouldn't take it away. She didn't.
"So you're saying you're with me only because you promised my cousins you would marry me?"
She laughed at his attempt at mashing partners and parents together. Then with a thought to his second statement she replied softly, "I guess we do."
Beast Boy leaned forward and kissed her on the forehead as they swayed to the soft music. "I always knew I'd be with you. After that day I only wanted you more."
