A Holiday Wish
Tough, you think you've got the stuff
You're telling me and anyone
You're hard enough
You don't have to put up a fight
You don't have to always be right
Let me take some of the punches
For you tonight…
The alarm clock rang. Beast Boy reached for it and threw it across the room. "Morning already?" he croaked. He got out of bed and got dressed. He went onto the roof of the tower as a rooster and crowed, waking up the rest of the Titans.
Robin woke up and unplugged Cyborg. Raven was awoken by Starfire's shouts of, "Another joyous day!" Everyone got dressed and went into the kitchen for breakfast. Except Raven; it was her time to meditate. Beast Boy was waiting for them in the kitchen. "Is Rave meditating?" asked Beast Boy. "Yeah, she'll be out in about thirty." answered Robin.
Beast Boy ran outside to get the paper and brought it back as a dog. "Good boy!" cried Starfire. "Here," she offered him a slice of bacon.
He transformed back and gave her a raised eyebrows look. "Oh, I am sorry Beast Boy. I forgot about your eating habits." She instead gave him a fresh pancake. "Thanks Star."
Breakfast had ended. Raven was still in her room and the other Titans did their various things. Robin went to train some in the practice room. Starfire was cleaning up the breakfast dishes. "Wanna play some video games BB?" asked Cyborg. "No thanks, Cy. Maybe when I'm done with the paper."
Beast Boy looked at the comics, laughing at today's Pearls Before Swine. He perused through the entertainment section looking for an article that didn't involve some angsty new teen drama. Then he found what he was looking for: the advertisements. Specifically, he found the jewelry store ads. Christmas was coming up and he was looking for a ring. He wanted to propose to her this year. He went out with her a few times but knew her for years. She felt no one understood her, but she was wrong. Then he saw it. A 14-karat diamond ring. $149.99. "It's perfect." He muttered.
"What's perfect?" inquired a voice. Beast Boy jumped. Robin entered the room. "N-n-nothing," Beast Boy stammered. "I was… I mean…" Robin took the page that Beast Boy had failed to obscure. He read the ad and looked up at Beast Boy. "Raven?" he asked. Beast Boy nodded.
Robin sat down at the table and looked at Beast Boy. "Does she have the same feelings for you?" he asked. "I'm not sure. She hides her emotions well. I know she doesn't hate me. But I love her. And I want to show her that I've never met anyone like her and never will again." he replied.
Robin nodded. "Well, as long as you know what you're doing. I support your decision. Your secret's safe with me. I won't tell the others."
"Thanks Robin." Robin got back up. "I forgot I came here for a drink before I went back to training. Good luck."
Robin left the room and Beast Boy put the ad back with the rest of the paper. He was about to go join Cyborg in the TV room when Raven entered. "Oh, Raven! You missed breakfast. Star put the leftovers in the fridge. I could heat you up some pancakes before I leave." This was much more civilized than Beast Boy usually was in the morning. He was usually groggy or cracking jokes. "No thanks, I'm not hungry." She replied in her usual low monotonous voice. She sat down at the table and proceeded to read the paper, not noticing the jewelry ad.
Listen to me now
I need to let you know
You don't have to go it alone
And it's you when I look in the mirror
And it's you when I don't pick up the phone
Sometimes you can't make it on your own…
The next day, Beast Boy set out to do his holiday shopping. First he stopped by the local sports equipment store. Cyborg broke the basketball hoop a few weeks prior and he was going buy the equipment for a new one that wouldn't break as easily as the last one. With one down and three to go, he proceeded to the next person on his list: Robin. He went to the karate school and bought a brand new complete set of weapons: stars, nunchuks, a bo staff, sais, and had them engraved with Robin's name so they'd be personalized. He went to the mall and took care of the last two people on his list: Starfire and Raven. He spent the longest on Starfire's gift. He wandered up and down the mall two or three times. "I have no idea what Starfire wants" he thought. Then he realized the perfect gift for Starfire. He ran to the main information booth in the mall and got her a $100 gift certificate to any store in the mall. It wasn't limited to one store either, which was even better.
That left one name. Beast Boy didn't want to think about it. It was completely nerve-wracking. He went to the store advertised in the paper and looked for the ring in the picture. "Excuse me," he called to the woman behind the counter. He pulled the ad out of his pocket. "Do you have this ring?" The woman looked at the picture and said,"I'm sorry. We sold the last one yesterday." Beast Boy's heart sank. "I can order one and it will be here in one week" she added. Today was the 17th. One week would mean Christmas eve. It was cutting it close. "What time do the shipments usually arrive?" he asked. "Around noon, usually." Beast Boy paid for it in advance and left for the tower in high spirits. Hopefully, it wouldn't be too late.
He took his gifts one at a time through his bedroom window incase anyone was home. He locked the gifts in his closet and went downstairs to see who else was home. Starfire was in the TV room watching The Princess Bride and crying. "Oh, Beast Boy! I did not hear you come in. Did you find everything you were looking for?" Beast Boy nodded. They didn't have Christmas on Tamaran so she had only celebrated it for the first time last year. "Would you like to finish this wonderful movie with me?" she asked. "No thanks Star. I only like the Fire Swamp scene anyway. Where's everyone else?"
"They have all gone out. I do not know where they all went. Possibly shopping," she replied. "Okay. I'm going to go lie down for a bit, Star."
"Okay." As Beast Boy started up the stairs, he heard her shout,"She does talk about you." Beast Boy came back looking slightly confused. "I am sorry to say I overheard your conversation with Robin yesterday."
Beast Boy's face reddened slightly. "She has said that out of all of us here, you were the one that understands her the most." He looked at her and simply replied, "Thanks, Star. That means a lot." He went back up to his room and thought deeply about what he would do and how he would do it in one week.
We fight all the time
You and I…that's alright
We're the same soul
I don't need…I don't need to hear you say
That if we weren't so alike
You'd like me a whole lot more
Listen to me now
I need to let you know
You don't have to go it alone…
Over the next few days, the Titans took over their various holiday shopping needs. While the others were out, Beast Boy took the time to wrap (or in Cyborg's case, build) the presents he bought. Every day, he went back to the jewelry store, hoping that the ring came in early. No such luck. Every day, he became more and more edgy. Only Starfire and Robin knew why. Cyborg and Raven just assumed it was typical holiday anxiety.
Finally, December 24th rolled around. Beast Boy ran to the mall and the woman behind the counter was waiting for him. She placed the ring in a little box and handed it to him. "Thank you so much!" he shouted as he ran out the store and continued on home.
This was it, he thought. The only thing left was also the hardest of all. He pocketed the ring as he went past the other Titans eating lunch. When he got upstairs to his room, he placed the ring in his desk drawer and went back downstairs to join the others for lunch. "Did you find what you needed?" asked Robin. Beast Boy reddened again. Robin and Starfire glanced at each other.
That evening Beast Boy went into his room and lay awake on his bed. He tried to sleep, but he couldn't. He decided to put on his music. Maybe that would ease his tension.
I want to trip inside your head
Spend the day there…
To hear the things you haven't said
And see what you might see
There was a knock on the door. "Come in." Robin. He walked over to the bed. "How are you holding up?" Beast Boy shrugged. "I'm a complete nervous wreck." Robin patted him on the back. "Whatever you do tomorrow; as long as it comes from your heart, you'll be fine."
"Thanks Robin," said Beast Boy. "Anytime." Robin left and went to his own room. Beast boy lied down on his bed, pulled the covers over him and finally fell asleep.
And it's you when I look in the mirror
And it's you when I don't pick up the phone
Sometimes you can't make it on your own
I know that we don't talk
I'm sick of it all
Can-you-hear-me-when-I-
Sing, you're the reason I sing
You're the reason why the opera is in me…
Beast Boy went out early to set up the basketball hoop so it would be surprise to see out of the window. He thought to himself, I'll let the other sleep in for a bit. At nine, he woke up the rest of the Titans. Starfire was so excited. She was flying around shouting, "What a glorious Christmas morning!" Raven decided that this only came once a year; she'd postpone her meditation until after the gifts were opened. As they all went downstairs, Beast Boy was waiting for them with an enormous grin. "It's about time!" he shouted. "I was going to start without you guys!" Cyborg shouted, "You better not have. I'd have to kick your scrawny little butt!"
They all proceeded to open their gifts. Cyborg saw the hoop outside leaning at a forty-five degree angle. "I appreciate the gift BB, but next time let me assemble it." Beast Boy laughed weakly. Starfire loved her gift. "Yay! A mall shopping certificate! Many thanks Beast Boy!" Robin saw his gift. "You always know what to get us." Raven looked a bit upset. She didn't see a gift for her.
Beast Boy waited to open the presents last. Cyborg gave him an Acting for Dummies book. They both had a good laugh. Robin got him a case of the Harry Potter jelly beans. "Anyone want to share?" he asked. The only person who volunteered was Starfire. He gave her a dirt flavored bean. She ate it, ran into the other room and got a drink. Raven had given him a book on rare and dangerous animals. "Awesome Rave. Thanks!" She just looked at him and turned her head away a bit. He opened Starfire's gift. Jurassic Park on DVD. "Starfire, no offense, but this is what you got me last year." She looked positively gleeful. "I know. You liked it so much, I decided to buy it for you again!" Robin explained to her that you buy the person different things each year.
Raven went to her room looking slightly hurt. As the others were cleaning up the wrapping, Beast Boy followed her. This is it, he thought. He knocked on her door. No answer. "Rave?" he called. She opened the door. "What?" she asked. "Can I come in for a bit?" she reluctantly opened the door for him.
She sat in the corner and meditated. "You're probably upset because I didn't get you anything, huh?" She glanced over her shoulder at him. "The holiday is too commercial as it is. Still, I think it was rude that you didn't even give me a card. All of the other Titans got these perfect gifts and you completely left me out."
"Raven, you are a good friend. You're also an awesome person. You're the most important person to me in this whole place. If you're upset at times, it makes me upset. And if you're in a good mood, it makes me feel complete. Sure we've had our share of fights, but everyone fights. You are someone I want to know for the rest of my life. I only have on thing left to say."
He went out of the room to his and grabbed the ring. He flew into the room as a raven with the little ring case in his beak. He placed it on her lap and morphed back into his human form. She opened the case and her eyes widened. "What is this?" she asked with the slightest tone of surprise in her voice.
And then it happened. "Raven, will you marry me?" He felt as if his insides vanished. Raven looked as if she were at a loss for words. "Beast Boy," she said looking down at him. "This is the best Christmas present anyone has ever given me. Yes, I will marry you." Beast Boy got up shakily, and gave Raven a big hug. This was the happiest he had ever felt. She pulled away from the hug and drew him into a kiss. It was the perfect way to end the perfect gift.
A muffled "Awwwwww" could be heard through the door, but they didn't care that the others taking turns listening through the door. There wasn't anything in the world to ruin the moment.
Where are we now?
I've got to let you know
A house still doesn't make a home
Don't leave me here alone…
And it's you when I look in the mirror
And it's you when I don't pick up the phone
Sometimes you can't make it on your own
Sometimes you can't make it
The best you can do is to fake it
Sometimes you can't make it on your own