Disclaimer: I own neither the characters nor the setting. So don't sue me, even though I have LOADS of money and you would get billions of dollars if you did. My hamster also has wings and we regularly let him out of his cage so he can fly around. In a word, I'm lying about everything except for the not owning the Teen Titans part.
Review Replies: Oh my God. I'm still on a high from your ABSOLUTELY WONDERFUL reviews, which were extremely ego-boosting. I checked my e-mail, and was kind of sad there were no reviews, so I just went down cellar to watch Early Edition. I come up an hour later to check again, and I have five reviews, all of them wonderful! I completely spazzed. Then the next day I check again and I have three more great reviews, one from Lain the Fluff-Master, who happens to be on my favorite authors list! So you can see I'm really happy. Anyone remember how I said in Chapter One I'd love you forever if you reviewed? Well I do. Anyway, thanks go to: dana1313, Kestrel, Dark, funvince, Weeble Wobble Chic, Lain the Fluff-Master, Darkfire, and Kelly Caldwell!
Author's Note: So, the Teen Titans go to the beach. By the way, I wrote a rather depressing one-shot centering on Raven called "Wasn't Supposed to be Like This", if you would read it and tell me what you think, that'd be very nice. Anyway, here's Chapter Three!
Timeline: Takes place in late August.
Chapter Three: Water Wars
"Hey Rae! Whatcha readin'?"
"The same thing I was reading yesterday, Beast Boy."
Beast Boy thought. "Oh yeah, that you said was none of my business, and that I should leave you alone?"
"Good job, have a cookie."
He plopped down on the couch next to her. "Is that sarcasm I hear? You've been in a bad mood all week! You know what you need?"
She was curled up on the couch, leaning against the arm. Now she slowly lowered the thick book she was holding, and peered at him over it. "Let me guess. A trip to the beach, which will brighten me right up, and where I'll be able to swim and get a tan, which is the cure for all 'bad moods'?"
He laughed a little. "So I've said it before?"
"Only once a week since summer started."
"But this is our LAST chance to go to the beach! Summer is ending, it's almost September- then it'll get all cold and stuff. Please come with us- it'll be fun!" He changed into an adorable, wide-eyed kitten.
"Beast Boy, that works with Star, not me. You know that. Why do you want me to go so much?"
If Beast Boy had been in his human form, she would have seen him blush. Raven didn't know he'd had a crush on her for a few months now, and he didn't plan on her finding out anytime soon. Instead, he crept along the edge of the couch and leapt over her arm, which was still holding the book. He landed gently on her stomach and mewed at her.
Looking into the kitten's huge, pleading eyes, she softened a bit. She sighed, pretending to be irritated. "If I do, will you get off me and out of my face?" The kitten mewed again, and nodded. "Fine, now off!" He didn't move, and she sighed again. Laying her book on the coffee table, she picked up the kitten and swung her legs over the edge of the couch. Then she dropped him.
"HEY!" He was in human form now. "Not nice! You're lucky cats land on their feet!"
"You said you'd get off, and you didn't."
"Animal abuser. Anyway, I didn't SAY I'd get off, cats can't talk." He grinned triumphantly.
"Whatever. I'm not going to the beach."
"What? Oh come on Raven, I was just joking around a little!" He grabbed her hand and dragged her to the window. "Look at that sun! That water! Isn't it SO tempting? Come on, you know you want to!" He waggled his eyebrows at her.
She raised an eyebrow at him; then she turned her gaze to the window. It was nice out.... "Well, I suppose once couldn't hurt."
Just then, Cyborg came in. "So what are you two lovebirds doing?"
Raven and Beast Boy blinked. "Lovebirds...?" Then they looked at their hands, which were still linked together, and jerked apart. Beast Boy was turning red, which was quite an accomplishment due to his green hue. Raven put her hood up to hide her blush.
"I was just convincing Raven to go to the beach with us today, that's all."
Cyborg smiled mischievously. "Oh really? And how exactly did you 'convince' her?"
"Get your mind OUT of the gutter Cyborg. I'm going upstairs to get ready. Bye pervert. Later, Beast Boy."
Cyborg waited until Raven was out of earshot. Then he turned to Beast Boy. "She totally digs you, man."
"Really?" Beast Boy looked hopeful. "Um, I mean, what makes you think that?"
Cyborg snorted. "Please. I KNOW you like her; it's pointless to deny it. And she's acting a lot less hostile toward you lately."
"You think? Wait, I don't like her! Really! She's just my friend!"
"Yeah, for now."
"Dude, shut up! I'm going upstairs," Beast Boy grumbled, and stalked out of the room.
Robin passed him in the doorway. He looked at Cyborg, then at the retreating Beast Boy. "What's with him?"
"Oh, I just told him he's almost as gaga for Raven as you are for Star."
"He is? Wait, Star? I don't have a thing for Star!" Robin was turning red, and quickly tried to change the subject. "So, uh, Beast Boy likes Raven, huh?
"Dawg, you're less convincing than BB was! And yes, have you gone blind? Or has that mask been just blocking your view?" He chuckled. "I know; you must've been busy staring at Star. Beast Boy's been following Rae around like a puppy after its master. Hell, sometimes he actually morphs into a puppy! And Raven, who's supposed to be all smart and notice stuff, is completely oblivious!"
"Hey, I do NOT stare at- Hey, Star!" He attempted to lean casually against the couch, but failed and ended up falling over.
"Hello Robin!" Starfire approached them, obviously ready for the beach in a large, waist length button-down shirt that was covering the swimsuit underneath. "Are you ready to go to the beach? Who do you not stare at?"
"Uh, it's nothing, really." Robin shot a glare at Cyborg as he righted himself. "Right, Cy?"
Cyborg was trying to suppress a laugh. "Yeah, yeah, sure Rob."
Starfire looked at them with confusion and a bit of suspicion- she had learned to become more observant since she'd come to Earth. It was gone in a moment though, overridden by her excitement to go to the beach. "Oh yes, Raven wishes to inform you all that the beach is pointless, and she is seriously considering not going, due to the attire she is being forced to wear."
"What do you mean? She's not going?" Beast Boy had come up behind Starfire, dressed similarly to Robin in rather colorful swimming trunks and a T-shirt.
"No," came a dry voice. "I just want you to know that I'm only doing this because it will finally get you off my back, I will never be doing this again, and this is completely degrading." Everyone turned to see Raven. She was dressed almost exactly the same as Starfire, except that instead of a yellow shirt she was wearing a light purple one. All the same, it was evident she'd had to borrow it from Starfire. Due to the height difference between the two girls, the shirt came almost to her knees.
Beast Boy threw an arm companionably around her shoulders. "Aw, don't be such a party-pooper Rae, you look great! You should dress like Starfire more often!"
She glared at him. "DON'T make me hurt you...."
He quickly backed away. "Uh...looks like everyone's here, let's go!" He sprinted toward the garage, and the other Titans followed.
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"Hey, B, Rob! You home? Yoo-hoo!" A mechanical hand flew into the gaze of each boy's face. "You guys are drooling..."
They simultaneously blinked. Robin and Beast Boy wiped at their mouths. "Am not!"
"Doesn't matter. B, you do realize if Raven caught you staring at her in a swimsuit, she'd kill you on the spot, right?"
"Yeah but...I mean, come on! Look at her!" He paused, then frowned at them. "On second thought, don't!"
The two girls were both lounging on their towels, Starfire chatting animatedly while Raven attempted to read. They both were wearing two pieces, which was unexpected at least for Raven. When asked, or rather stared at wordlessly, she had told her teammates irritably that the only bathing suit she owned was the one Starfire had given her for her birthday, and it happened to be a two piece. (A/N: The bathing suit, not the birthday! Duh....)
Raven was growing more annoyed. She couldn't read with her friend chattering like this. Sighing, she laid the open book face down on her stomach and leaned her head back, closing her eyes. She blocked out the chatter and tried to think of other things. This would be a good time to figure out these new...feelings...for Beast Boy. The feelings that she had been determinedly ignoring for who knows how long, but was finally forced to acknowledge this morning when they had arrived at the beach. She could only be thankful no one had seen her staring when Beast Boy had pulled off the T-shirt, revealing- well, let us just say it was now obvious how hard Robin was working him and the other Titans. He was taller now too. He may not have grown that much, but now at least he was the same height as her. It occurred to her to wonder why he'd grown so fast in just a few months, but it probably had to do with his animal genetics.
She tried not to think of it, but her mind- and eyes- kept drifting toward Beast Boy. Finally she decided to be brutally honest with herself. It wasn't like anyone could hear her thoughts, so thinking about it could do no harm. She was getting better at harnessing her emotions. So, brutal honesty? She was somewhat...attracted to Beast Boy. There, that wasn't that hard, was it?
"Hey Raven, what's up?" She opened her eyes to see Beast Boy standing innocently above her. "So, you trying to get book shaped tan lines, or what?" Her glance flicked down to the book still resting on her stomach. Then it went to her surroundings. Starfire was burying Robin under the sand- she hadn't even noticed Star get up. Cyborg was...nowhere. Beast Boy was still looking down at her, looking as if he had just asked something.
"Sorry, what?"
"I said, can I see the book for a minute?" She narrowed her eyes, partly from the glare of the sun and partly from suspicion. Then she handed the book to him. "Thanks." But instead of looking at it, he just grinned at her and bent down, placing the book next to her feet. Then he grabbed her ankles, and she felt arms hook under her own arms. Judging from the feel of metal, they were Cyborg's.
"What are you guys-?" They were picking her up and running toward the water, carrying Raven between them. Her eyes widened as she realized what they were doing. Before she could react, the boys had splashed halfway into the water, and were swinging her.
"One..."
"I'll kill you for this!"
"Two..."
"I swear to you--"
"THREE!"
She let out a small scream as she flew through the air, and landed with a huge splash. Cyborg and Beast Boy doubled over laughing as she came up, gasping for air. (A/N: She was gasping for air, not them. Well, fine, they were too). "Man, that was priceless!"
"Did you see the look on her face?"
Then the laughing and high-fiving stopped abruptly as they saw Raven rising above the water and into the air. Her hands began to glow with a familiar black energy, and Beast Boy and Cyborg panicked as they became encased in it. They rose above the shallow water and floated towards Raven. Her face was deadly serious.
"Aw, Rae, come on, we were joking!"
"Yeah, PLEASE don't kill us! I still have one level to beat on my game!"
"Put us down! I'm begging you!"
Her look softened. "Fine," she sighed reluctantly. Then the black energy disappeared, letting them fall at least ten feet to the water below, making an enormous splash. She smirked. "But you were really asking for that one."
Cyborg came up almost immediately, sputtering about how nasty salt water tasted. But Beast Boy didn't come up. Growing a little concerned, Raven lowered herself down so that she was just above the water. "Beast Boy...?" Suddenly, a green dolphin came shooting up, changing into human in midair, and then grabbing her waist on the way back down into the water. She was pulled down, and only had a second to breathe in a lungful of air before she was underwater. Struggling against the boy's grip, she couldn't wiggle loose.
When his air was almost gone, Beast Boy judged it was time to resurface, figuring Raven hadn't had enough time to get as much air as him. He swam up, still holding on to her waist. When they broke the surface he let go. When he turned to look at her though, she was floating limply on her back, eyes closed. "You okay, Rae? Raven?" Cyborg and Beast Boy swam over to check on her. Suddenly her eyes snapped open, glowing white. She stared straight ahead, trance-like.
"Oh God, is she okay?"
"I don't know...."
Then her eyes seemed to focus on them, though still glowing. "Look up."
They looked up.
"AH!" Gallons of water, which had been encased in Raven's black energy, dumped down on them, effectively pushing them under the water once again. By the time they came back up, caught their breath and started swimming toward shore, Raven was way ahead of them. Beast Boy got on land first, having changed into a seal for most of the way. But by the time he got there Raven was sitting on the sand again, wrapped in a towel and reading. She had a small smile on her face. Beast Boy, still dripping water, raised an eyebrow. "You in a good mood now?"
Cyborg had reached them. "Raven, you suck!"
Robin, now free from the sand, and Starfire looked up at him with confused looks. They had obviously not been paying attention to what was happening. "What?"
Raven chose to answer only Beast Boy. "Yes, I am. There's something about getting revenge on people by soaking them with water at an unsuspecting moment that does that." She returned her eyes to the book in her hands, but let her smile grow a little wider. "You know- we should go to the beach more often."
Final Author's Note: Reviews are now my happy drugs- um, my legal, non- health threatening happy drugs. They confiscated my real ones. Joking! So review to help get Lisa high!