Preparations
Raven never thought she'd live to see the day when she'd go dress shopping. With Starfire. Starfire could see she was not looking very pleasant. "Raven, is something the matter? You seem to be looking downtrodden considering that this is a happy occasion." Raven shrugged her shoulders. "I guess I'm just so used to this outfit, I'm not sure how I'd look in a dress."
Starfire looked at her grim friend. "If you are worried that you would not look beautiful, you are most incorrect," she reassured. "I am sure we will find the perfect dress to make you look absolutely radiant." Raven smiled. "You think so?" she asked. "I know so, friend Raven."
They reached the dress shop and went inside. Starfire couldn't be any happier. She ran around the store looking at dresses and feeling the fabrics. Raven had never seen so much white in her life. It was almost too much for her to take. The woman behind the counter walked up to the two. "May I help you?"
"We need to be fitted for proper wedding attire! My dear friend is to be wed next month and we need to find beauteous garments to wear," she cried. The woman looked at the two of them. "Well let's get you fitted then."
Another employee came over to help. They pulled a few dresses out and tried them on the girls. Starfire liked all of them, but it was torture to pick just one. Raven was not as impressed. White just wasn't her color. Then she saw it. It was beautiful. A sleeveless white dress with a long train and a veil. It had a lace-up back and the skirt went down to the floor. "May I try on that dress please?" she asked one of the women. They dressed her in it and it was perfect. "I'll take this dress, but I have a request." The woman was listening. "Do you think I could get this dress in this color?" She showed her the robe she was wearing. The woman took the robe in the back to match it with the same color fabric. She came back with the robe. "Yes, we should be able to make a dress in that color. It will take three weeks." That would put it at one week before the wedding. The group would leave for New York after they picked up the dress.
Starfire picked her dress and volunteered to pay for the dress purchases. "I wish to record this purchase on the card of credit." Raven looked at her. "When did you get a credit card?" she asked. "It was mailed to me." They made the transaction and went back to the tower.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the spectrum, Beast Boy and Robin were trying to get Cyborg fitted for a tux. He was too big to wear anything in the store, so they needed one custom made. Robin and Beast Boy found tuxedos easily. They were not built at all like Cyborg. It took them a while because Cyborg refused to stand still, but the reminder of flower girl got him to cooperate.
The tuxedo would be ready in a couple of weeks. They made their purchases and went back to the tower as well. The girls were already there and noticed how tired Robin and Beast boy looked. "What happened to you?" asked Raven. Beast Boy sat down. "Cyborg was throwing a tantrum." Starfire giggled.
Robin went upstairs and hung up the tuxes in the closet and labeled which one was whose. He went back downstairs to get a drink. He noticed what the girls were doing. They were finishing the last of the invitations. "It is a shame that your parents are not with us to be at the wedding," observed Starfire. It didn't bother Raven as much as it did Beast Boy, who was very close with his parents before they died.
"Even if no one showed up except you guys, it wouldn't matter. As long as I get to be with Raven, that's all I need," Beast Boy said. Starfire's eyes were watering and Raven looked like she would cry herself.
A few more weeks went by. The invitations were sent out and the people R.S.V.P.'d. Reservations were made at a great hotel near Central Park. Both the tuxedo and dress people called and said they had finished making the custom-made outfits and they were ready to be picked up. Robin and Starfire took over that job.
Everyone was finishing packing enough things for a week in New York. The suits and dresses were neatly folded in their suitcases. Beast Boy was so excited. He couldn't wait to be walking down the aisle with the girl he loved.
After the packing was finished, they put all of their suitcases in the Titans plane. When everyone was inside the plane, Robin set up and took off. A few hours later, they arrived in New York. The airport allowed them to have hangar space for about a week.
They got a couple of cabs to drive them to the hotel. Robin paid the drivers and they walked into the hotel. After checking in they walked in to their rooms. Robin and Cyborg shared a room. Starfire and Raven shared a room. Beast Boy had a room to himself. He needed his own room because that nerve-wracking feeling he was having during that week before Christmas was coming back on him.
While the others (especially Starfire) went shopping or touring the city, he was in his room trying to write his vows to Raven. He knew exactly how he felt about her, but he just couldn't put it in words. He decided to sleep on it and worry about it tomorrow.
"Beast Boy? We're going out for lunch. You wanna come with us?" asked Robin. "No thanks." Robin opened the door. "Is everything alright? You've been in the room since we got to the hotel."
Beast Boy did not look well rested. "I've been trying to write my vows to Raven. I know how I feel, but I just can't write it down." Robin looked at his friend and said, "I can't really help you anymore. The only advice I can give you is the same I gave you before you proposed. Go from the heart." Beast Boy smiled and nodded. "Thanks Robin."
"Anytime. We'll bring you back some food okay?" "Okay." Robin shut the door and Beast Boy could hear him and the other Titans' voices as they were walking down the hallway. He went back to his desk and pondered what he was going to say. He remembered the first time he met Raven… He fell asleep at his desk.
He woke with a start. He knew what he was going to say. He quickly wrote everything down that was in his head before he forgot and finished just as the others were coming back from lunch. He put his paper in the desk just as a knock could be heard. "Come in."
Raven opened the door. "Hey, are you feeling alright? Robin said you weren't acting like yourself. Is everything okay?" Beast Boy walked to the door, kissed Raven, and said, "It is now."