Beast boy was bored. He was not just bored. He was lonely, too, tired of sitting alone with nothing to do.

Most of the team was away for a "mental health break" after the mental attacks used by the most recent villain they put down. This left him in the Tower with Raven. Not a problem, honestly. It is just that he was just tired of being alone; she hid away in her room as she always did before he would usually provoke her to come out. Yet, he continued playing his video game, knowing she needed to meditate.

After the team's last throwdown with Mister Twister, everyone needed a breath of fresh air. Fighting a literal demon does that to you. The whispers he would leave in their mind, to manipulate them and try to turn them on each other. It was a bit much. Plus, Raven always had an adverse reaction to demons. He felt fine, giving her some space. It is just that… he wanted, no, he needed, someone near him. He was a social creature, just like the many animals he could morph into, and she was the only one nearby for companionship.

He checked his communicator to see if Cyborg or Starfire had messaged him about being home soon. Nada. He picked up his game controller and restarted his match against the computer. Maybe he could finally beat this level now that no one would try to usurp his time with the big screen in the commons room.

His attempts were in vain.

He was bored. Too bored to even enjoy a video game or to give it an honest effort.

Maybe Raven could at least sit out there with him? It would give him some sense of companionship, even if she just silently read her dark and mysterious poems near him. Could he make her agree to that?

No point in wondering when he could ask her.

He morphed into a raven himself and flew to the kitchen, to the leftmost bottom cabinet that everyone knew was where he stored his stuff. Reaching in, he grabbed into a stash of candies that he kept on reserve for bribing Raven. She was a sucker for dark chocolates. So, with candies in hand, he jaunted back to the commons room and into the elevator to go down to the housing floor where all the rooms were.

As he neared her door, he put the candies behind his back so she wouldn't see them when she opened the door on the first two attempts. Only on the third would he reveal them. It always worked.

Knock. Knock. Knock.

"Don't care. Leave me alone."

Except when it didn't work.

That was Raven's way of saying she wouldn't even entertain the thought of opening the door once, so there would be no chance of getting her out of her room. He knew that about her well enough after years of trying to pry at the walls she hid behind.

"Sorry," he started, dejected that his attempt didn't even make it off the ground. "I'll just leave this candy at your door, then. Grab it whenever. I'll be on the couch if you, you know, wanna chill. I wouldn't mind the company. So uh, yeah. Bye."

She didn't respond. He didn't expect her to either. She probably didn't even hear him talk back. He tried not to take it personally as he walked away.

He woke on the couch with drool dripping onto the leather cushion. Oops. He didn't remember passing out, but does anyone really remember the moment they fell asleep?

He raised his head and cleaned his face quickly as he searched for anyone nearby who could have seen that embarrassing moment.

Not a soul. He was alone. Again. Maybe he should have listened to Robin when he suggested everyone take a few days to themselves. He could have visited the Doom Patrol, seen Rita for a little while, and relaxed with Cliff and Larry. Yet, he didn't want Raven to be alone, just in case, she wanted to be around someone. Oh well, he already dug his grave.

He checked his communicator. He had slept through the night and had a new message.

"I shall be back by the third hour after the noon," sent by Starfire.

That would be a little over five hours from now.

Deciding to at least salvage the morning he mostly slept through, he meandered to the kitchen to make himself breakfast. As he threw away the packaging of his microwaveable food, he saw the remains of where Raven had already been awake and serviced herself. She could have woken him.

With a vegan breakfast sandwich in hand, he sat back on the couch again, scrolling through the channels. Mindlessly, he filtered out things that sounded boring. Then he saw it. Hamlet was about to play at the top of the hour a few minutes from now. The perfect amount of time to convince Raven to join him for it. She would love it. After all, didn't she read 'Shookspear' all the time?

He finished his breakfast and grabbed another bag of candies.

Knock. Knock. Knock.

The door slid open, and there she stood. Her face was ever so passive as she stood quiet.

"Movie?" He asked hopefully.

She shut the door.

Knock. Knock. Knock.

A glare had already formed, and her lips were already frowning as she opened the door.

"Hamlet? Two minutes before it starts. Grab your blanket, and let's go."

"Not interested."

He sighed as the door closed once again.

"It always comes to this," He sighed as he brought the candies out.

Knock. Knock. Knoc-

"Look, I got your favorite as usual. Let's do it- "

"What do you not understand about me not wanting to watch a movie? I didn't want to be bothered at all for this weekend, and yet you keep knocking. Are you daft? Does a shut door mean nothing?"

"I just wanted to hang…."

"Well, I don't."

"You never do."

"Take the hint."

"But, you always come around."

"Not today."

"It doesn't have to be Hamlet. I am sure we could find something else," he tried to reason. "I mean, the TV has a zillion options. We could find something."

"You don't understand, do you?" She snarled, and he felt his throat clench. He really disliked when she got like this without reason. "I don't want to 'hang.' I don't want to watch a movie or even a show. I don't want my brain turning to mush like yours is.

"Hey, my brain isn't-"

"I am trying to refocus myself so that I can be ready for any trouble this week. Something that may seem foreign to you."

"Hey! I'm always ready for trouble."

"Really?"

"Yeah! Say what you want, but when it comes to it, I am always ready to go."

"You are always half asleep and end up getting hurt, and I am forced to heal you afterward because you are too lazy and a slouch of a hero to be ready."

Ow. Rude. He wasn't a slouch of a hero…

"I'll have you know. I get hurt because I am jumping first into the fight to deal with the baddie while you and Robin come up with how to stop them. I am always ready."

"Oh really? Then are you ready for this?"

He watched in slow motion as her eyes went white and her powers activated. A portal below his feet opened up, and he felt himself falling through it, arms flailing. His feet hit the ground, and he felt his legs buckle as a shot of pain lanced through his body. His face proceeded to follow the pull of gravity, and he smacked into the wet sand of the Tower's beach, just near the rocks where Raven once comforted him after Terra.

"Ouch," He monotoned, unmoving as the water licked the tips of his hair as the tide pushed and pulled.

Why did she always have to be like this? Why did she always have to hurt him, physically and emotionally?

He forced himself to sit up and out of the tide, ignoring the glancing pains in his legs. He would need to get them checked once he got back inside. He would have to grab a bag of ice or some Tylenol from the med bay, at least. No point bothering Raven. She'd probably try to snap his legs.

Raven… They sometimes got along in their own ways, but she always seemed to be rude more often. It was becoming taxing trying to include her in everything. She always wanted to lash out at him whenever he tried to make her feel happy or included. What was the point?

He sat there a little longer, resting his head on the jutting outcrops of rocks. It wasn't comfortable, but it didn't include him being thrown through portals mid-conversation.

Before he knew it, someone was speaking to him and poked his cheek.

"Oh, sleepy head, wakey-wakey," Starfire sing-songed. "Beastie boy."

"Hmmm?" He moaned as he opened his eyes to the glaring light. A bent-over figure was before him, her hair nearly touching the ground. "Oh, hey, Star. You're back."

"What are you doing out here?" She asked, confused as she hovered above the ground. She must be in a good mood, but when was she not?

"Oh, you know, just catching some sunlight."

"I see," she started, pondering as she tapped a finger to her lips. "Perhaps, you'd like to join me in the mornings when I, too, catch the sunlight."

"Yeah, yeah, sure," he responded good-naturedly, not realizing what he agreed to as he adjusted himself on the ground. As he stood up, he proceeded to get his feet beneath him, moaning in discomfort and pain from the weight of his body on his legs.

"Are you okay? Are you hurt, friend?"

"I'm fine, just fell out of a tree. No need to sweat it. I'll be fine tomorrow."

She paused and looked around, not seeing any trees nearby, before she looked at him again with a slight squint in her eyes. She knew he was lying.

"Then let us depart to see Raven. She can-"

"NO!" He shouted before calming. "That isn't necessary. I can go to the med bay for a few minutes and treat myself.

"I thought it smelled weird to you?"

"It'll be fine."

"I shall carry you then."

"Come on, Star. I'm not that bad," he tried as he took a step and winced. He honestly wanted to hide it from her from seeing his pain, but before he knew it, she scooped him up into her arms like he was a bride. He struggled to hide his blush as he struggled to break free for a moment. Her grip was too firm.

He met her gaze and realized he wasn't going to break free no matter how hard the struggle. Her cheshire smile teased him. He settled into her arms.

"We shall depart for the med bay at once, you silly goose bird."

"It's just silly goose. You don't add the bird to it."

"Of course, silly goose," she responded without missing a beat.

As they rode the elevator, he realized he didn't mind being carried. It felt nice having someone blatantly care for him instead of hurting him. Starfire, meanwhile, was humming along with the elevator music swaying slightly as she floated as always.

"Are you sure you do not want to see Raven?" She asked once again.

"Yeah, it's no biggie. I need some ice and some pills for the swelling from the med bay. I'll be good to go by tomorrow."

"Okay."

The doors proceeded to open on the medical floor. It was a floor designated to being a condensed hospital. Although, with Raven, it hardly got properly used. It was just there to store the medical equipment and medication, just in case. Beast boy hated it. He hated all hospitals; they burned his nose with the foul odors of cleaning supplies. Plus, having a turbulent history of being in the hospital never helped.

As Starfire floated the two into the room, from the shadows emerged Raven.

"There you are, oh. Star, you're back."

"Yes! I had the most splendid time while I was away. Perhaps after I help Beast Boy, we can have a 'Girls' Talk' about it?"

"What is wrong with Beast Boy?"

"He somehow fell from a tree on the treeless beach."

"Oh… I can heal him."

"He said it was no biggie. He can handle it."

"Then why are you carrying him?"

"Because the silly goose was hurting to walk."

"Are you sure you don't want me just to heal it?" Raven asked Beast boy.

"Yeah, I am sure. I wouldn't want to bother you anyways."

"It wouldn't be a bother."

"It's fine. Onwards, Star!"

"Wee!" Star cheered as she flew forward and closed the distance to the pills cabinet, leaving Raven to stand there and watch as Beast Boy turned from her aide. A thing he never did before.

Raven melted back into the shadows that took her to her room.

"Hey, Star?"

"Yes, friend?"

"Would you like to watch a movie or something? I've been incredibly bored and alone."

"Oh! Can we watch one with the Brendan of Fraser?"

"Him? Absolutely. I know, just the one. It's about this mummy that comes back from the dead."

"Should we invite friend Raven, too?"

"Nah, she wouldn't want to anyways."

"Are you sure?"

"There was a reason I was outside."

"I see. Well, shall I carry you there too?"

"I mean, you don't have to."

"I do not mind."

"Then let's go, my Warrior Princess!"

"Wee!"

Beast boy couldn't stop the smile that formed on his face.

AN: First story! A short one with small chapters. Just trying to get used to doing all of this as I work on larger projects.

For this story, I want to preface that this won't be a story about BBRae, but rather a take at separating them and their friendship and exploring the dynamics of their friendship by looking at its emptiness when they have a fallout.

I hope this works out as well as it does on my roadmap, so here is to executing it and learning along the way.

Also, join the Emerald Library on discord to talk to and explore a server full of FF writers from all sorts of fandoms. You can always reach out to me there. My handle is the same on FF and Discord; just find me on the server roster.

-Manke