A/N Gaaaaahhhhhh so many reviews... in one chapter....so happy I can...cry!
Eeep! I thank you all for the reviews.
Keystone: You rock man! Love the poem you wrote in the review! It made me giddy, everyone in the library looked at me funny...
ThedarkAzar: Love the name. I don't like the Raven bashing either to be honest. She's my favourite character. It just sorta turned out that way. Don't worry, she'll get even in her own way. It will get better! Glad you liked the poem.
Philosopher: Thanks. And don't think you can't write a review poem in your fic(s) just because I did. Go for it. Who knows, maybe I've started a trend? That would be cool. You can even use mine if you want so long as you give credit where credit is due.
Scorpio Serpent: Who wouldn't hate them after that?
Ravenn03: I'm so glad you like those parts (it always makes me happy when people name their favourite parts)! They were a blast to write. Thanks for the compliments!
NatashaTeenTitan: Thanks for the CC. Don't worry, this has a slight subplot involving Rob and Star that will develop more in the following chapters but the focus is mostly going to remain on the BB/Rae/Cy triangle thingie.
Rugsrat: Hey thanks! I'm delighted by the compliments and thanks for putting me on your author alert.
CloudedDragon: You'll see (nudge, nudge, wink, wink)
Kuramie and Kaiaramith: 100% original? I've never got that before! Thanks!
neon rose, Raven A. Star, Morierea-Tenshi, Pessimist99, impy, kp: Thanks so much for the reviews! I'm so glad that everyone has enjoyed this and found it funny so far! I appreciate everyones review!
OK, I feel so happy about the reivews but now I guess the pressure is on. There's not nearly as much slapstick humour in the next few chapters as there were in the previous ones, so I hope I don't disappoint but I gotta keep the plot moving. Anyway, please R&R and enjoy!
Exhausted Raven went to her room. She sniffled a bit and coughed feeling terrible. Now on top of her cold, her burns and her sore rump all that choking made her throat hurt and her ribs now ached because of receiving the Heimlich. She decided to put off meditating and instead chose to take a nap. Sleeping off her cold became her top priority. She settled into bed and closed her eyes and except for the occasional cough was about to fall asleep when she heard a knock on the door. She groaned and grudgingly trudged to her door, cursing to herself. That had better not be Cyborg or Beast Boy. She thought bitterly as she answered her door she sighed with relief when she saw Starfire.
"Raven, I just wanted to see how you are feeling," Starfire said.
With a sigh Raven replied, "I feel like crap at the moment. Hopefully after a nap I'll feel better."
Starfire nodded, "Right. Well, enjoy your nap." She lingered a moment.
"Is there anything else?" Raven asked.
"I understand that you are mad at Beast Boy and Cyborg, but I hope that you do not hate them because of what happened today," she said.
"Why would I hate them?" Raven asked.
Starfire bit her lip.
"Star, do you know why they are fighting?" Raven asked.
"I am not at liberty to reveal that to you," Starfire said, "but I can tell you that you are the only one who can end it."
"Too bad that none of that made sense just now," Raven muttered, "Star, I don't know what you are talking about but only they can stop their fighting, not me."
"But they are fighting over...!" she clapped her hand to her mouth.
"Over what?"
"I said too much," Starfire shook her head, "I must go. Please, have a wonderful nap!" With that Starfire flew down the hall.
Raven shrugged it off and settled into bed. She reached for a Kleenex and blew her nose before rolling over and getting comfortable, or as comfortable as she could get considering. The last thing Raven wanted to do was get involved so she tried to forget about it completely. As she drifted to sleep however Raven vowed to avoid them and ignore them until they gave up and stopped fighting. It felt like it was getting to the point where her life depended on them not being at war with each other.
Raven stayed true to her word. She didn't talk to Beast Boy or Cyborg at all the rest of the day, or the next day, or the day after that. She ignored them completely although they attempted to get her attention several times. All she needed to do was see their icy glares at each other and she knew they were still fighting albeit less vocally than before. The tension within the tower was nauseating, and it was felt by everyone.
"Come on Raven, talk to me. Cy and I called a truce after your choking incident," Beast Boy begged one day, "We're not fighting anymore. Honest!"
Raven didn't reply, she merely turned the page of her latest reading material, Carrie by Stephen King. She caught a glimpse at Cyborg and saw him shoot a wicked glance at Beast Boy. Raven continued reading.
Later Cyborg came up to her while she was reading. "Please talk to me Rae, BB and I called a truce. I'm really sorry about what happened before. We both are. We're not fighting anymore, believe me."
Raven ignored him, catching a quick glance at a jealous looking Beast Boy in the distance. She continued her reading.
And later, while everyone was eating lunch together Beast Boy offered Raven the last slice of pizza. She rose to her feet and began to walk away without a word upon seeing Cyborg's resentful expression.
Even later during Raven's mid-afternoon meditation Cyborg managed to get a slight reaction when he offered her a cup of tea. Remembering what happened last time someone gave her tea Raven jumped slightly then closed her eyes and continued her meditation as though he was never there.
Finally, Robin had enough. Later as everyone except Raven was in the living room Robin gave the feuding friends his advice, "Just give it up and apologize to one another for real or Raven's never going to talk to you again. There's no one in the world better at ignoring someone than she is."
Starfire agreed, "Yes, perhaps you can save your friendship and in turn rescue your friendship with Raven. Do you think that maybe you are all better off being just friends? The silence between you three over the last couple of days is sickening, it is better than constantly arguing but..."
"We can't stand it anymore!" Robin snapped.
"Hey you guys are asking me to give up on Raven? Never! You try giving up pursuing the girl of your dreams and then you'll see how impossible it is!" Beast Boy exclaimed. Cyborg nodded in agreement, one of the first things they agreed on in days.
"Raven has to choose one of us," Cyborg said stubbornly, "We've called truce for Raven's sake, but we will not apologize and make up until she picks one of us."
"You mean you'd be willing to apologize even if she chooses me?" Beast Boy asked.
"Sure, because I know she'll pick me," Cyborg replied, raising his voice.
Robin shook his head, "Here we go again." Starfire banged her head on the wall in frustration.
"Yeah right! You are so full of yourself!" Beast Boy exclaimed, "Everyone knows I am far more charming than you could ever be!"
"Well why don't we find out then?" Cyborg asked.
"Fine!"
"Fine!"
"Let's go then!" Beast Boy challenged as they headed to the roof where Raven was still meditating.
Starfire and Robin exchanged glances and decided to follow just in case it got ugly and they knew it would be.
"All right Raven," Cyborg exclaimed, "We want answers and we want them now!"
Raven opened her eyes and seeing the urgency in their faces she decided to finally acknowledge them. "What?" she asked flatly.
"Who's it gonna be, Cyborg..." Beast Boy asked, saying Cyborg's name with a disgusted frown, "Or me?" he asked sweetly.
Finally it clicked and Raven cast them an icy stare, "Wait a second, let me get this straight, this stupid childish fight of yours is over me?" She was dumbfounded.
"Yeah, so who's it gonna be?" Beast Boy asked as he and Cyborg both gave her their most charming smiles.
That was when Raven did something completely unexpected and freaky. She began to laugh. It was the scariest laugh they ever heard, and not just because it was coming from Raven, although that was part of it. Her laugh sounded like it was coming from two different people and it evoked a blazing fire of black energy that surrounded her. Her laugh was angry and frustrated and yet slightly amused. She closed her eyes and threw her head back in a fit of laughter. Suddenly she stopped laughing and lowered head and opened her eyes which now had a freaky red glow. There was a fierce look on her face.
"You mean to tell me that because you two were fighting...over me...that I was scalded, caught a cold, bruised my tailbone and nearly choked to death?" Raven demanded as she appeared to grow slightly taller, her cloak seemed to grow slightly longer and darker and everyone ducked for cover. Her voice sounded like two people talking in unison and despite her frustrated anger, there was an underlying sadness in her voice and expression. "Over the past couple of days I suffered at your hands because you two think that you like me? If you really do like me as you seem to think you do, you would've stopped and considered how I feel about all this! And now you expect me to choose one of you so we can live happily ever after? Ha! Dream on!"
Raven's eyes returned to normal, her expression became placid and the swirling black energy surrounding her subsided. "I have to go," she whispered in her normal voice. She ran back inside and into her room without making any eye contact with anyone; she looked betrayed.
Starfire approached Beast Boy and Cyborg calmly and smoothly. She looked them right in the eye and stated, "I do hope you are happy. I am sorry for suggesting that you compete for her affections. I did not think you two would blow it completely. Good luck getting Raven to even speak to you again, let alone go out with one of you. I do not think I wish to speak with you right now and I will not until you learn to be less selfish!" Starfire turned on her heel and stormed back inside, it was clear she was on the verge of tears.
"I knew this would be a bad idea, but I didn't think it would be this bad," Robin said in contempt, "Congratulations. I think you two just managed to break up the team." Robin followed Starfire inside leaving Cyborg and Beast Boy alone on the roof.
They stood in silent guilt for a few moments when once again they began throwing the blame. "Way to go Cyborg!" Beast Boy hissed.
"Hey man this is not my fault. You're the one who insisted we confront Raven!" Cyborg retorted.
"Nuh-uh robot boy! You did! And you made me drop the hot water on Raven, and you made her catch a cold and..."
"Well you're the one who pushed her on her butt and made her choke!"
"No you pushed her! And it was not my fault Raven started choking!"
"Well you weren't much help! You didn't even notice she was choking!"
"Neither did you!"
"Touché." Cyborg frowned. Unfortunately that did not stop their fight. "You know I wouldn't have made you spill that water if you didn't cheat!!"
"So you admit it!" Beast Boy snapped. "What I did was fair game! There were no rules, remember?"
"I don't care! I thought 'no cheating' was a given!"
Once again their argument became physical, Beast Boy transformed into a gorilla again so the fight was fair game against Cyborg, but just so he could continue arguing he transformed everything but his head. He looked pretty funny that way, but he didn't care. There was nothing funny about the harsh words and punches that were thrown between the former best friends.
Even from her room Raven could hear their argument. She shut her window and that helped drown out some of the noise. She took out her meditation mirror off her dresser. She needed to meditate some more this time with the help of her mirror to get over her temper tantrum. She couldn't remember the last time she felt so upset. Why would they do that to each other? What did they see in her anyway? The worst part was that they destroyed their friendship and were practically killing each other because of her. She would try to break them up but lacked the strength, motivation or control to try.
Meanwhile Starfire and Robin sat in Starfire's room. She was so upset and felt so guilty for what was happening. Uncomfortable, Robin reluctantly found himself comforting her. He didn't know how to act around sobbing girls, but he put his arms around her and stroked her hair and whispered soothing words in her ear. "It's not your fault Star. They should've been more mature about this. Don't blame yourself for their selfishness."
"But it is my fault. This would not have happened if I did not make such a suggestion," Starfire cried.
"You know," Robin said, "Somehow I think this would've happened anyway whether you brought it up or not."
"I was told never to meddle in other people's lives when it came to matters of the heart. On Tamaran that is an unwritten but generally accepted rule," Starfire sighed.
Without knowing what possessed him to do it, Robin gave her a quick peck on the cheek, "You only did what you thought was best."
"Thank you Robin," Starfire said solemnly. She dried her tears and gave Robin a quick hug and put on her happy face. "Who knows, perhaps things will work out in the end anyway."
"I hope so."
Unfortunately it didn't seem like things would ever turn out all right. Beast Boy and Cyborg refused to speak to each other, Robin and Starfire refused to speak to them and after finding out about Starfire's proposition Raven refused to speak to anyone. Titans Tower had quickly become an eerily quiet, unfriendly place to be. If anyone came to visit, they would immediately sense the strong unyielding tension among the Titans.
Later that night after everyone went to bed Raven had a nightmare. She found herself standing between Beast Boy and Cyborg. They each took one of her hands and pulled in the opposite direction. "She's mine!" "No, she's mine!" they exclaimed as they pulled and pulled and poor Raven felt herself being jerked back and forth. She could feel her shoulders become dislocated as Beast Boy and Cyborg pulled her towards them with all their might. She felt defenceless. Raven woke up before they could tear her arms off. When she opened her eyes she caught her breath and shivered. Raven lay in bed wide awake the rest of the night the whole situation was driving her mad. Now she knew what a rope in a ferocious game of tug of war would feel like if it had any feelings. Everyone wants possession of the rope, but no one ever really considers what the rope has to go through.
A/N Remember dearest readers: A kiss on the hand maybe quite continental, but reviews are a girls best friend...