A Note from the Authors: We'd like to thank everyone for their feedback! And for everyone who's been begging to get to "the good stuff"...here it comes!! Major Ra/BB at the end of this chapter and serious Ro/SF in the next installment! Enjoy! I've also been doing some very rough sketches of the chars @ the ages they are in the fic. As soon as I get them scanned and up on-line, I'll be providing the links!
New Note: Again, only the title changed.
Chapter 4
"Sore Tempers and Unplanned Confessions"
"Why couldn't you go the last ten yards and put this thing in the garage for us too?" Robin groaned as he, Beast Boy and Cyborg begrudgingly pushed the Hummer up the long driveway into the garage outside the 'T' tower.
"Seeing it was neither my fault we crashed, nor my idea to go on that pointless drive in the first place, you should be grateful that I didn't make you push the car all the way back here," Raven said, arms folded across her chest as she and Starfire followed the boys.
"Yeah…but since you were charitable enough to get it all the way to here, what's the point of not seeing it all the way through?" Beast Boy asked, shooting an annoyed look at Cyborg. This was all his fault, but still…
The Goth smirked, "Maybe just because I get such a nice view from where I'm standing…"
"Raven, I never knew ya cared," Cyborg spoke up, grinning at Beast Boy.
The changeling growled low in his throat, while Robin snickered.
Raven seemed a bit taken aback at first, but then smiled. "You caught me, Cy," she said, "The secret's out. Oh no."
"I knew it all along," Cyborg told her, swiveling his head to look back at her. He winked with his good eye, "We should really be more open with each other about such things."
"Maybe we can discuss that tonight," she told him teasingly.
"Um…Cy," Robin cut in suddenly, "Maybe you'd better…um…stop now…"
"But Raven's confessed her feeling for me," Cyborg protested, still running with this act, "I can't ignore that, man. What do you take me for? Some sort of insensitive guy?"
"Um, I'm thinkin' more of a dead guy…" Robin said, nodding towards Beast Boy, who was breathing heavily, his pointed ears sprouting fur and his teeth growing substantially.
"Aww…" The android turned around again, smiling, "Look honey, a dog for our family!"
That was the last straw for Beast Boy. He completed his transformation into a pure-blood wolverine and lunged at Cyborg, teeth and claws bared. He hit the android square on the chest and they hit up against the back of the Hummer. "No!" Cyborg shouted, panicked, "No fightin' on my baby! She's been through enough today!" Grabbing the animal by the scruff of the neck he flung it off into the front yard and turned to the others. "Ok, who wants to handle this?" They all silently pointed at him. "Aww man…" he groaned, "Oh all right, but I advise those of weak constitutions to go inside. This ain't gonna be pretty."
* * *
"How'd a bee get in my baby anyway?" Cyborg grumbled, a small spark of electricity in a tear that went several inches down his back causing his left arm to spazz wildly.
Robin hurriedly tended to the sparks and Cyborg's arm fell limp at his side. "Raven opened her window," he said, rummaging through the special tool kit they reserved for work on the android only.
"Hey, I was hot, okay?" Raven said, applying Bactine to a large scrape on Beast Boy's cheek. On the changeling's other side, Starfire was silently bandaging a cut down his forearm.
"So guys," Robin said, looking up from his work for a moment, "After we brutally pound each other, what do we say?" When speaking to those of low maturity and sore tempers, a reprimanding voice like that of a scolding teacher is usually best.
"He started it!!" both combatants said, pointing at each other.
"No…"
"Drop dead."
"Screw yourself!"
"Nooooo…"
Beast Boy turned his head, bringing his hand up to his still sore mouth as if to attempt to wipe away some of the dried blood around it, "Sorry…"
Cyborg stuck his nose in the air, "Yeah, yeah, whatever."
Annoyed, Robin poked Cyborg with an extra-thin screw driver. "Ow! Okay, okay…Sorry…"
"I'll never understand men…" Raven muttered, "I mean what brought that on anyway?" She moved Beast Boy's hand away from his face so she could place a band-aid over his scrape.
"I was just kiddin' around, but apparently Mr. Tell-A-Joke-At-Every-Opportunity can't take what he hands out."
Robin poked his large friend again, "Let's keep the verbal abuse to a minimum, please. It makes it hard to concentrate."
"Just answerin' a question."
Beast Boy growled low in his throat, but received a smack upside the head from Starfire in response, "No more mean threatening animal noises!"
He blushed and fell silent.
Robin picked up Cyborg's detached right arm and began easing it back into place.
"Man, I hate dislocated joints…" Cyborg complained.
"You talk about me crackin' the bad ones…"
"Just hold still…" Robin told him, pulling out the hand-held welder.
Raven wiped the anti-septic from her hands onto her jeans carelessly. "Did we get everything?" she asked Beast Boy.
His face turned a slightly deeper shade of crimson than before and he simply nodded. The reason for the recent brawl with Cyborg was actually quite embarrassing, but at least no one seemed to care about that as of late.
"All right good," she said, shutting the first-aid kit. She handed it to Star who took it back to the main level bathroom. Once she was gone, Raven leaned closer to Beast Boy, speaking softly, "I don't think I've ever seen you lose it before…was this…my fault…?"
He gulped, tugging at his slightly-frayed T-shirt collar, "Ah…that… well, erm… it was kinda- it was just- maybe," the changeling finished, one hand behind his head.
Her expression softened, and she reached out and put one hand over his. "You wanna…um…go talk somewhere else…?"
"Uh…um…sure."
She got to her feet and headed out of the living room, not glancing back at him. A few seconds after she had gone, he rose (as inconspicuously as he could manage) and left through the same door. As soon as he was out in the corridor, he felt someone grab his arm and found Raven backed up against the wall, grinning at him. She put a finger to her lips and then led him by the hand up to the roof.
* * *
"That should do it, Cy," Robin said, shutting the tool kit, "You can run a scan on yourself to make sure I didn't miss anything."
He closed his eyes, the self-diagnostic of his cybernetic body running through his mind at amazing speed, "Nope, nuthin'. Thanks, bird." The android hopped up off of the table and walked towards the door, "Now if you'll excuse me, I have to see my baby about a windshield."
Robin waved him off, "Good luck." Footsteps behind him made him turn, and he watched as Starfire reentered the room. "Hey Star," he said, crossing the room to meet her halfway, "You've been awfully quiet this evening – is something wrong?"
She blushed, clasping and unclasping her hands nervously, "I cannot help feel responsible for all of this…" she said slowly.
"What are you taking about?"
"It is because of me that we went off that cliff," she started, "And if that had not happen, then maybe –"
"Whoa, whoa, wait a minute," Robin put a hand to her mouth to quiet her, "You can't beat yourself up too badly about that. The whole day could've gone smoother, but I don't think it ended all that bad…"
"What do you mean?"
"Did you notice the lack of Raven and Beast Boy in the room?"
Starfire looked around quickly and then brightened considerably, "Oh…I see! Where do you suppose they have gone?"
"Somewhere I don't wanna look for them," he told her, "So let's not worry about it for now. Wanna see what sort of dinner we've got in the kitchen?"
"I would like that very much," she nodded, linking her arm in his.
"Okay then, let's shall," It was only when they arrived at the kitchen that both remembered that neither of them was proficient in the art of cooking. This option being gone, both implored the lesser art of microwaving and 5½ minutes later, sat down together to enjoy their TV dinners.
* * *
The sun was just going down as Raven pushed open the door leading out onto the roof. The heat of the afternoon was receding slightly with the approach of twilight and she was grateful. She released Beast Boy's hand and gestured towards the sunset, "Strange how something so common can be so beautiful."
"Yeah." He wasn't really thinking about the closest star to Planet Earth at this moment, but it was pretty.
"Do you have any idea how many times I've run up here because of you?" she asked, turning back to him, the fading light causing her to appear almost as a silhouette to him.
The changeling scratched his head, "Maybe once or twice…"
"So many I've lost count," she corrected him, "Didn't realize you drove me that nuts, did you?"
"Naw, but I did notice that you liked to lose arguments to me," he told her, grinning ear-to-ear.
"Lose??" she said, fire blazing in her eyes and then dying just a quickly, "Maybe I just let you win out of pity."
"I doubt that," he knew he was pressing his luck, but was willing to take that risk. For sport, more than anything.
"What? You think I don't pity you?" she asked him, turning away and taking a seat on the edge of the building, nearly in the same spot she'd been that very morning.
"I think that you think that you pity me, when in fact," he paused, leaning down close to Raven's ear, "You're arguing with me to avoid your real feelings for me."
She kept her eyes forward, towards the red horizon. "How do you know what my feelings are?"
"I have a hunch, but it'd be easier if you'd tell me." Truthful words, but did he deserve the reply he wished for? Technically, he had never really told Raven how he felt about her…
She swallowed, feeling the blood rush to her pale cheeks. Brushing her bangs out of her face, she considered her response quickly. Starfire's words echoed in her mind, If you would only open yourself to him, he would do the same. You two have been playing games with each other for much too long. She looked up at him suddenly, years of hidden vulnerability now written plainly across her face. "I…I want to tell you…" she said in a voice barely above a whisper, "But I'm…not sure I know how…"
Beast Boy leaned down and placed one hand on her chin. It was an unfamiliar movement, but centuries of finely-honed genetic instinct were on his side. It was an interesting experience, that first kiss, whether she was expecting it or not. At least he had not yet been flung off the top of the tower. Scant seconds later the animal-hybrid pulled back, her exhilarating taste still fresh upon his lips, "I think I know what you mean."
She smiled and, for the first time in her life, a few tears rolled down her cheeks. As a dam within her heart slowly crumbled, she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him close, rubbing her nose against his in a fashion that was sure to arouse some familiarity in his animalistic-subconscious. "I think you stole my words just then," she said softly, "If you don't mind, I'd like them back." She pressed her lips against his and then whispered, "I love you…"
"I know."
