Despair & Discovery

by Grey Rain

Raven loves a certain green Titan, who happens to love her back. One problem: they haven't told each other! Sparks fly & plans form as they struggle with their emotions. Pairings: RaeB.B. & RobStar. Flames accepted.

Despair & Discoveries

Chapter One: Tofu & Tears

Beast Boy was sitting on Terra's bed, curled around the small, heart-shaped, 'glue-covered' box that he had given her before she was turned to stone. The green shape-shifter was in bloodhound form, ears drooping around his wrinkled face. He was the embodiment of sorrow, just lying there. If he were in his normal human shape, tears would have been spilling out of his big green eyes. He hadn't moved from that spot for a month, aside from to use the bathroom of course. He just couldn't stop thinking of his blonde, blue-eyed, stone-moving love. How she'd laughed at his jokes, & flashed him her signature bright smile, & always ate his tofu, no matter how disgusting it was. He was caught up in one of those daydreams about the girl he'd loved when he heard the door open quietly. 'Go away,' he thought, believing it to be Starfire, a kind, cheerful alien girl, with another attempt to cheer him up. He would've spoken the words, but he just didn't have the energy to change back into human-form. A female figure glided silently over to him anyway. Since his back was turned on the girl, he couldn't see who it was until she walked, well, hovered actually, in front of him. He lifted his ears in surprise. It was Raven. The violet-haired girl looked at him with concern in her equally violet eyes. It was an unusual thing to see Raven worry, because her emotions were connected to her powers. If she got too emotional, she lost control of them. Such occurrences, though rare, were violent & unforgettable. So, for the safety of others, she kept her emotions locked away, hiding them from the world. That was probably why she was a Goth. But now, as she looked down at her despairing friend, she forgot all about her Gothic image, her powers, & her pride, & was truly worried. Even in dog-form, she could tell that he'd lost most of what little weight he had, wasting away to almost nothing. And in his eyes, she could almost see the heart-wrenching thoughts that had previously been occupying his mind.

"Hey Beast Boy," she said in her normal monotone, though it was weighted with worry. He forced himself to change back. It wasn't an often event to see Raven when she wasn't yelling, & he didn't want to miss it.

"Hey," he answered, in a thin voice. "What's up?"

"Well," she said, "I could go with your answer & say nothin' but the ceiling, baby." She looked horribly embarrassed, another rare occasion. B.B. almost smiled. "Though I'd rather say that I just came in to check on you. You have us all worried, you know."
"Yeah, I know," he sighed. "I just miss her so much. I-I loved her Raven. A-And I never really got to tell her." The tears that he could withhold so well in animal-form now gleamed brightly in his dark-green eyes. It nearly broke Raven's heart.

"I think she already knew, Beast Boy," she said. It was the most touching thing that B.B. had heard since the night Terra died. "She had to know." Resting a pale hand on her friend's shoulder, she sighed & said, "Come on Beast Boy. I'll go attempt to make you some tofu." He considered turning down the offer, but he knew that if he did, Raven would force-feed him using her powers. He sighed & got up, bones weary. Raven smiled to herself. She'd done it; she'd succeed where all else failed. She'd gotten Beast Boy out of Terra's room. Robin, a martial-arts master & teen genius, was standing by the counter & smiled when he saw Raven walk in with B.B. in tow.

"Nice to see you're out of her room," he said smugly, but with a touch of sympathy.

"Raven's going to cook me tofu," the changeling answered. "And I knew that if I didn't come, she'd force-feed it to me," he added, almost grinning. Raven rolled her eyes & pulled the container of tofu out of the fridge. After a few moments of cooking, a horrible smell filled the Tower.

"Eew, man! What's that nasty smell?" asked a tall, half-human & half-robot teen called Cyborg, walking into the room where the smell was emitting the strongest. "It smells like---B.B.!" he said in surprise, spotting his little green buddy through a haze of tofu fumes.

"Hey!" Beast Boy exclaimed, pretending to be offended. "I don't smell that bad!"

"Speak for yourself," Raven said jokingly.

"Who is speaking and why must they do so for themselves?" a bright voice asked from the doorway. Starfire floated sharing of pizza and unhealthy junk-foods!"

"That's okay, Star," Beast into the room & squealed when she saw B.B. "Beast Boy! You are well! Come! We must celebrate with the Boy said to the redheaded, bright-green eyed alien. "Raven's making me tofu. I don't know if I could handle anything else right now. My stomach's too empty." Star looked slightly disappointed but smiled & nodded anyway.

"How can you even handle that?" Cyborg asked, disgusted. He was a major meathead & hated Beast Boy's vegan habits.

"How can you handle hunks of semi-raw flesh rolling around in your mouth?" Raven shot back at him. "You know it's practically the only thing he eats!" The others looked at her in surprise, shocked that she would stick up for the boy she so often dubbed as the 'most annoying life-form in the face of the universe'. Robin recovered from his shock first.

"She's right, Cyborg. At least he's eating."

"Fine," Cyborg said, resigned. "Just don't expect me to eat any of that junk."

"You wouldn't be able to anyway. I only made enough for two people. That way Beast Boy would know I didn't poison it," she explained. "But if anybody else wants it, go ahead & be my guest."

"I do not understand," Starfire said. "Are we your guests? I believe that we live here."

"No, Starfire," Robin said patiently, "it's an expression that means 'I don't really care.'"

"Oh," Starfire said, comprehension dawning on her face.

"Hey Robin, are you up for a game of 'Mutant Ninja Racing Spies', loser on garbage & dish duty?" Cyborg asked, grinning wickedly.

"You're on!" Robin shouted, running to the GameStation.

"I shall engage in the leading of the cheer!" Starfire called brightly. Raven groaned & Beast Boy shook his head.

"Here," Raven said, setting his plate down on the table & seating herself across from him. B.B. looked at it warily, hesitated, & took a bite.

"Is it safe?" Raven asked him.

"A little dry, buy not bad for your first attempt," he said after swallowing. Raven smiled & took a bite. By the time they had finished, the sun was completely hidden behind the watery horizon. (You see, the 5 friends all have special abilities: Cyborg had been fitted with a state-of-the-art defense system, Robin designs his own gadgets & awful lines, Starfire can fly, shoot high-energy lasers out of her fists & eyes, & lift things impossible to move without her alien-strength, Raven can fly, move inanimate objects by chanting her spell-words, Azarath Metrione Zinthos, & heal others, Beast Boy, like mentioned previously, can change into the shape of any animal. Together, they make up a kick-butt super-hero team called the Teen Titans. Therefore, they get lots of stuff free & live in a 'T' shaped, window-covered tower on an island.) Yelling was still present in the living room, & Raven was slightly annoyed by it. Any other time, she would've been meditating on the roof or reading the Book of Azar, or some horror story, but tonight she wanted to make sure that her broken friend would be all right.

"So, what do you want to do?" she asked as she washed the two plates & forks.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that I'm willing to participate in almost any activity you might have planned, though I doubt that you planned anything." He looked slightly surprised at her willingness to sacrifice her free time for him.

"Uh, I don't know. What do you want to do?"

"I want to participate in the activity of your choice," she said coolly.

"Uh…I dunno…wanna go watch a movie?"

"Only if you want to," she answered him. He nodded. "Well, let's go then. Shall we invite the others?" He shrugged. They walked into the living room. "Hey guys!" she shouted over the din of mutant ninja espionages racing cars. "Would you like to come to the movies?"

"No thanks, Raven," Robin answered. "I'm kinda busy."

"Yeah, busy getting whooped!" Cyborg retorted, furiously pushing buttons.

"No thank you. I am currently occupied with cheering the lead," Starfire said cheerfully. Raven shrugged & left with Beast Boy out into the cool night air as they headed towards the city.

Chapter Two: At the Movies

Beast Boy & Raven had agreed on seeing the latest horror movie, 'Demon Blood', & were watching the beginning. It was about an orphan teen girl who discovered that her blood was black & acidic, & the she had strange powers. After joining a cult, she discovered that she was a demon. It was actually proving to be really scary. So as not to lose control of her powers, Raven shrieked openly when she was really scared & admitted her fears freely. Such emotional freedom with Raven was still strange to Beast Boy, but he enjoyed seeing her terrified. Her violet eyes would get wider & her already ghostly white face would pale even more. She would cover her open mouth with her pale hands & shriek with such a high voice that he was surprised that it was hers. It was good to see her let go of her pride & trust herself enough to be afraid. B.B. was also scared of the 'evil' movie, but it was usual for him to admit to fear. In the scariest part of the movie, when the girl went on a killing spree & came face-to-face with another demon, they both screamed. It was so scary, in fact, that they each grabbed the other's shoulders & knocked over their popcorn, soda, & gummy-worms. After the scene ended, they both let go & looked down, embarrassed. When the movie was over, they walked outside in silence. Finally, it became so awkward that B.B. had to talk.

"Wasn't that awesome!" he asked his Goth friend to make conversation.

"It was pretty cool," she admitted. "And incredibly scary."

"Dude, I haven't seen you scared since…well…never! Even 'Wicked Scary' wasn't that scary compared to this! It rocked!"
"It was pretty wicked," she agreed. "But, do you mind not telling the others how scared I was?" He looked at her skeptically.
"Why?"

"Because I can trust you. …Not to bring it up, I mean," she said, looking slightly red. She didn't want to give the wrong idea about what she had meant.

"I get it," he said, grinning slightly.

'Of course he gets it!' Raven screamed at herself. 'Are you forgetting your identity? There is no way anybody could think that you like them more than a friend. You can't feel! Remember? Especially not for him! Not for Beast Boy! He's in love!' At the same time, he'd been having a personal talk himself.

'You had better get it B.B.! She doesn't like you! She couldn't, can't, &, most importantly, won't! Keep your comments to yourself! She doesn't want to hear them!' They walked in silence for the rest of the journey.

Chapter Three: "I Forgot the Question"

Beast Boy had finally started playing video games again. Though it was a relief that he was going back to normal, it was no less annoying. It was a few days after the movies, & B.B. had just seriously kicked Cyborg's 'big metal butt', so he got to pick what they were going to do.

"I say…it's TV time!" he decided. Cyborg shrugged.

"So what are we watchin'?" he asked.

"Whatever I want. That is…as soon as I find the remote!"

"Good luck with that one," Cyborg said laughing. "Robin's been in the Slade-room all day & Star's been at the mall. I haven't seen it for about a week. Maybe you should go ask Raven."

"Uh…okay," he said, gulping. After he entered the elevator, Cyborg laughed.
"I can't believe he fell for it!"

B.B. got out of the elevator & walked to Raven's door, hesitating. He considered just turning around & declaring it tofu-day when Raven opened her door.

"Yes?" she said, peering out into the hallway. Her hood was down, so he could actually see her face. "What is it Beast Boy?" she asked impatiently. Suddenly, the remote question completely slipped his mind.

"I---uh----um---well, uh---duh, yeah," he stuttered. Why did she have to stare it him like that? It was making him all nervous. She tapped her foot & folded her arms. "Um…um…um…! I forgot," he said sheepishly, looking down so as not to let Raven see the blush creeping up his face. "S-S-Sorry," he said, practically running down the hall & back into the elevator. She shrugged mentally as she heard the elevator door closed & went back to her book.

"Well?" Cyborg asked.

"Well what?"
"The remote?"

"Remote? What remote? Oh! Oh yeah!" Beast Boy said, embarrassed.

"Well…has she seen it?"
"I dunno. I forgot the question," B.B. answered, blushing. A question mark appeared above Cyborg's head. "Raven just does that to me! She makes me all nervous! I wish she would just cut it out!!" B.B. yelled. A sly grin made it's way across Cyborg's face & he smiled devilishly. "What?" B.B. asked him. "What's so funny?"

"Are you telling me that you're afraid of Raven?" he asked, to give his green friend the benefit of the doubt.

"No! Of course not! She just gets me nervous, that's all!" Beast Boy said, & Cyborg grinned wider. It was a miracle that his half-metal face hadn't split yet.

"Then you like her," he said tauntingly. Beast Boy looked mortified.

"No! No, I don't! Me? Like Raven? What are you thinking?"

"Well, a: she makes you nervous, b: you're not afraid of her, & c: you'd only come out of Terra's room for her."

"W-W-Why would you think that? I mean, seriously!" the green boy defended himself, trying not to blush, as his voice got higher. Cyborg grinned wider still.

"Come on, man!" he said. "You can't even tell me that you don't! I know you too well! Besides, if you don't like her, would you mind explaining why you sound like a murdered rat?"

"Rats?" screeched Starfire, walking into the room. "I do not like rats! And who is murdering them?"

"Nobody's murdering rats, Star. B.B. just sounds like one," Cyborg said. Beast Boy shook his green head vigorously.

"I do not understand? Why would Beast Boy sound like he is being murdered by rodents?"

"Because Cyborg's accusing me of stuff that's not true!" the shape-shifter shouted. Cyborg laughed hysterically.

"What is it that he has accused you of, Beast Boy?" Star inquired. Beast Boy blushed like a sunburnt tomato & Cyborg stopped laughing long enough to tell her.

"He likes Raven," he said, gasping for breath. Starfire looked even more confused.

"And he should not? I believed that we all liked each other? Are we not friends?"

"Not like that, Starfire," Cyborg explained, oblivious to Beast Boy's protests.

"I still do not under---oh!" she exclaimed, a smile breaking over her own face. "I understand now! Beast Boy wishes to partake in the 'going out'!" Beast Boy looked like all the blood in his green body was in face at once.

"What's going on?" Robin asked, entering the room. "I heard Beast Boy shouting."

"Beast Boy likes Raven," Cyborg & Starfire choused. Robin looked more confused than Star had.

"Is this true Beast Boy?" he interrogated. Beast Boy hesitated for a moment, & then nodded slowly. Star & Cyborg laughed so hard that looked they were going to suffocate. "And when did this happen?"

"Uh…I dunno," the green shape-shifter answered truthfully. Raven had almost always made him nervous. "I guess I just found out today." Robin smiled a little wider.

"Have you always been nervous around her?" he asked. B.B. started to nod, but then he realized something. He hadn't always been like this.

"Ever since that day in her mirror," he replied truthfully. For some reason, this didn't surprise Cyborg.

"I knew it! I knew there was somethin' goin' on when you put your hand on her shoulder!" he shouted. Robin & Starfire looked blank.

"You remember the day after the Doctor Light incident? Well, uh, me & Cyborg went into her room, and…uh…I, kinda went through her stuff," Beast Boy began. The other two gasped while Cyborg glared at him. "And I found this mirror & started looking at my reflection, and two big black & red hands grabbed me & started to pull me in. Cyborg grabbed on to my ankle & we were both pulled into her mirror. Inside of it was this freaky place. It was all dark & you could see other planets & stars & stuff in the sky, & there were these dead trees floating around on rocks, and everything was kinda reddish. We were stranded on this one rock until a whole bunch of others, like, lined up with it & made a path. So we walked on it. I asked where we were & Cyborg said that maybe it was Raven's way home. I said that it was definitely creepy enough & then these little black birds with big red eyes started calling 'turn back', at us. Then I went up to them & asked them for directions"

"Like an idiot!" Cyborg interrupted him.

"And they grew big teeth & started attacking us so we fought back. And then Cyborg shot the ground & we were falling. So he grabbed onto a ledge & we saw Raven, standing up on the bottom of the rock like gravity had no effect on her. And she was wearing pink!" he exclaimed. At those words Robin looked shocked beyond all reason & Starfire looked delighted at the thought of her Goth friend becoming more like her. "And then everything turned right-side up & we saw a gate-lookin'-thing & asked if that was the way out. She said it was but we wouldn't want to go there, 'not now' she said. We didn't listen. As soon as we walked through, we were in this weirdly happy place with golden grass & pink trees & strawberries floating around in mid-air. I said that I thought I found where air-fresheners came from and Raven laughed! Not just laughed, giggled! And I said 'you laughed? At one of my jokes?!' And she said 'I've always thought you were funny B.B. But hey, looks aren't everything!' And then she walked away laughing. And she ditched us! In that freaky pink place! And then we came up to the door-thing again & walked through & then we were back in that dark place. Then we saw Raven again, but this time she was wearing grey. And I yelled at her & she started crying. I tried to make her feel better when Cyborg saw another forbidden door & started to walk to it, but a maze popped up out of nowhere & Raven had to lead us through it. And the entire way she kept apologizing for things that we forgot she did, & saying that when we reached the end we wouldn't like her anymore & that I already didn't like her. It was so annoying! And then we reached the end & came face-to-face with statue thingy that had two faces, one happy & one sad. And they tried to attack us & Raven said, 'I told you wouldn't like me when we got here' & disappeared. Then she reappeared in a green cloak & fought of the monster thing & asked for high-fives. Then yelled at her to make up her mind & asked her who she was, & then three Ravens popped up out of nowhere! Then they all said, 'I'm Raven' at the same time & Cyborg figured out that we were in Raven's mind & she comes down outta nowhere & all the other Ravens disappear. Then I asked what was going on & she told me that her temper had gotten out of control when this big red dude comes outta nowhere & starts blowin' things up. And we fought him, oh; by the way, it was Raven's dad. Or his shape anyways. Then he grabbed Raven & Cyborg blasted him & she got knocked out & started to fall. Well, I turned into a bird & put a talon on her shoulder & woke her up & set her down. Then she said 'I thought you didn't like me' & I said 'I thought you didn't like me.' Then Cyborg came along & we fought some more before Raven decided to combine with her other sides & we fought him more & we won. And that's when I started to get all nervous around her," Beast Boy said, panting. He'd said most of the story as fast as he could because he didn't want any questions. Now that it was over, Starfire & Robin looked even more confused than when he started. Cyborg laughed harder as they stood with blank looks on their faces & Beast Boy blushed more than humanly possible.

Chapter Four: "Don't tell anyone!"

Raven sat on her bed, the book in her lap, & wondered why she'd been so rude to her friend. She didn't hate him, or even want to be rude to him, but she couldn't help it. It was like every time she tried to say something, her mind would twist it around & say it before she realized what she'd said. She wasn't a mean person, but around B.B. she seemed just like a high-school bully. But that wasn't the way she was. She might not have been the kindest of people, but the way she'd been acting lately to him made her normal self seem like a saint. She'd just clam up around him. 'Why can't I say what I want to say to him?' she wondered. 'It's not I like I like him or anyth---no! NO! I refuse to let you even think that!' she yelled at herself mentally. 'Okay Raven, calm down. Let's look at this logically. What could you possibly like about Beast Boy in a way that seems even remotely more than friendly.' Suddenly, dozens of thoughts flooded her mind at once. 'How he's always trying to get you to smile, how he always knows what you're feeling; even when you won't admit it, how he always tries to be nice to you; even if you're being mean, how he refuses to eat meat, how he always cares about how you're feeling, his laugh, his smile, his deep green eyes…' it was that thought that made Raven jump as if she'd heard a loud noise. She'd just realized that she liked Beast Boy. This was definitely not something she could handle on her own. She needed to talk to somebody, somebody who could understand her dilemma. So she left her room & knocked on Starfire's door. Her bright friend opened the door & smiled.

"Raven!" she squealed. "It is good to see you. Even though we reside in the same household I do not see you often. Come in!" Raven did as she was told, looking over her shoulder in case someone was watching. Star patted a spot on the bed next to her & Raven sat down, looking troubled.

"Is something the matter, friend?" she asked.

"I need to talk to you about something…"

"Are we to have a 'girl talk'?" Star asked hopefully.

"Sure," Raven said, not wanting to discourage or upset her. She really needed her friend's advice.

"Then let the talking begin!" Star said cheerily. Raven looked down.

"I---um---I---think I have a---crush…on somebody," Raven said, blushing.

"A crush?" Star asked loudly.

"Ssh! Not so loud," Raven hissed. Star obediently nodded & repeated the question quietly. "It's when you like somebody…more than friends," Raven explained. Star smiled hugely.

"Who? Who? Who?" she asked excited. Raven blushed even harder & pulled her cloak tighter around her shoulders.

"Beast Boy," she mumbled.

"I did not hear," Starfire said.

"Beast Boy," Raven repeated, looking down. "I like Beast Boy. There! I said it, okay?" Starfire squeaked & danced around the room. After a few minutes, she sat back down on the bed.

"Then why are you in need of a 'girl talk'?" she asked, slightly out of breath. "On Tamaran, love is the best thing that can happen to a girl of our age." Raven blushed more.

"I'm not in love," she hissed. Starfire looked confused.

"But…you just said…"

"I said I had a crush on him. I didn't say I was in love."

"I still do not understand. Is this 'crush' not attraction & affection for a certain person?"

"Yes, but-"

"Then you are in love!" Star exclaimed. Seeing no point in trying to correct Starfire if she wouldn't understand, Raven sighed.
"If that's what you want to call it, then fine, I'm in love," she said, shocked at her own words. Could she even feel love? Her mother had died when she was young, so love wasn't an emotion that she could remember feeling. "But…I don't know, it's just that…when I'm around him I get so…so…mean. Like I won't like him if I act like I don't, & then no one will get hurt. But that's not how I want to act! I like him; I don't want to be mean to him! And I want him to like me, too, but I know he doesn't, he can't with the way I treat him now. I-I just, I just need to show him how I feel," Raven finished wearily. "Did you understand all that?" Star nodded her head & sat quiet for a moment, thinking. Suddenly, her face lit up.

"You should tell him how you feel about him, friend!" Starfire exclaimed. Raven shook her head violently.

"No, no, no! I will not tell him! What if he doesn't like me? What if I say something wrong? What if I mess up our friendship?"

"I am sure that he feels the same way towards you, Raven," Star tried to reassure her, but Raven didn't buy it.

"I don't know. I don't want to tell him, not yet anyway. Not until I can say what I want to him."

"Well Raven, perhaps you should attempt to be more kind to him & be more friendly. He will not 'reject' you if he knows that you love him," Star reasoned. Raven nodded.

"I'll try," she said. "Thank you, Starfire. I knew I could talk to you." Star beamed at the compliment. Praise was not common when coming from Raven.

"You may always talk with me friend!"

"I know."

"It is so wonderful that you are in love!" Star squealed quietly. Raven smiled dreamily.

"Yes, it is. But don't tell anyone! I mean it! No one is to know. No one!"

"I understand," Starfire said. "I promise not to disappoint you." Raven smiled & nodded.

"Well then," she said, "I should go." Starfire watched Raven walk out of the door & waited until she was sure that Raven couldn't hear her, & then began dancing around the room, singing about love.

Chapter Five: The Argument

Raven was sitting on the rooftop, meditating, when Beast Boy came up. She opened one eye to look at him, and then continued meditating. Though he didn't notice it, as soon as she'd seen him she'd blushed & repeated the words louder. He sat down beside her & watched the moon rise, not wanting to disturb her. Raven was growing more anxious by the minute. 'Why won't he go away? I can't meditate with him around!' Then she remembered her conversation with Starfire & decided to try to be nice.

"Are you okay?" she asked her unusually quiet green friend. He looked at her in mild surprise for a moment, & then blushed.

"Yeah," he said, "I'm okay. Are you?"

"Fine," she said coolly, then realized how arrogant she must have still sounded. "I'm okay, Beast Boy," she corrected herself. "I'm a little sad, but okay."

"What are you sad about?" he asked, concerned.

"You," she answered truthfully. "Well, sad for you, not about you."

"Why?"

"Because you lost Terra. You lost the only girl you ever loved," she said. "And I feel really sad for you." Suddenly, she realized how true her words actually were. She felt a deep, deep, pity for his pain that made her want to cry. "Y-You've had it harder than all the rest of us, & then your girlfriend dies. I just---I just don't know how you do it," she said, turning away so he wouldn't her eyes glisten. She knew that at any moment, something would blow up, or break, or shoot across the rooftop, & she didn't want him to get hurt. So, without even looking at him, she stood up & phased into her room, leaving Beast Boy sitting on the roof, alone & confused.

Fifteen minutes later, Beast Boy came downstairs, still dazed. The others took immediate notice.

"Beast Boy, are you feelin' okay?" Robin inquired.

"Yeah man, you look like you just came outta Calculus class," Cyborg said.

"Friend, tell us what troubles you," Starfire said. He sat down & told them about what had happened on the roof, his story leaving them as confused as he was, all except Starfire that is.

Raven was in her mirror, grey cloak on her shoulders, crying heavily. Though it wasn't technically her, she still felt what the Grey girl was feeling. At that moment, she wanted nothing more than a way to make Beast Boy happy again. Somehow, she had to help him, but she couldn't think of how.

"He deserves someone better than Terra ever was," she thought suddenly, & found herself in a red cloak. "She never treated him right. All she ever did was take, take, take! She didn't care about his feelings until she realized that she was going to have pay for her stupid mistake! She was never good enough for him!"

"Then we should find someone who is," said Raven in her Yellow, dorky form.

"I could be good enough!" her Pink, happy said exclaimed.

"Not if he doesn't like you," Grey moaned.

"I, er, we could make him like me…I mean, us," her Green-cloaked, brave side suggested.

"Violence is not the answer," scolded Yellow.

"We could tell him how we feel," said a light, airy voice from behind a satin, light-purple hood. "That we, I, Raven, love him." Everyone stared. It was not often that Love had any part in their conversations. Then Brown, her nervous, fearful side spoke up.

"But what if he doesn't feel the same way?"

"He will, trust me," said Love. Raven, the normal Raven, threw herself out of her mirror & landed headfirst on the floor by the table. She rubbed the bump that was already forming as she thought over her options. She could: a) find some one else for him, b) try to make him feel better, c) ignore it, or d) tell him that she liked him. She was currently aiming towards b. She didn't think that she could stand the embarrassment, or the pain, if she told him & he didn't feel the same way. 'This must be how he felt when Terra was around,' she thought absentmindedly. Suddenly, a stupid idea came to her. She knew it was stupid, & risky, but her logical side couldn't stop her out here. (And yes, her plan was stupid. Incredibly so.) She phased out of her bedroom & into the living room, where the others were sitting quietly on the couch. If she hadn't been so pre-occupied, she would've realized how strange their silence was, but she didn't.

"B.B.," she said. "Can I talk to you?" He looked shocked, but followed her outside. "I've…uh…got a bit of a problem. You see I---I've kinda got this, uh…this crush…on somebody. And I need your advice," she said. He stood dumbstruck for a second. 'Whom could she possibly like?' he asked himself hopefully.

"Why are you asking for my advice?" he asked finally.

"Because you had a crush on somebody," Raven said coldly. "And Robin or Star would never admit that they like each other, so I thought I could talk to you. But if you're just uncomfortable with this, I'll just go at it myself," she said, knowing full well that he wouldn't let her handle something like this without getting all the details.

"No, I'll-I'll help you," he said. Secretly, he was half-devastated & half-ecstatic. If he knew who this boy was, & why Raven liked him so much, then he could see what he was doing wrong. Not only that, but it would be a chance to spend more time with Raven, therefore more chance of him saying or doing something to make her like him. "What's his name?"
"I'd rather not say," she said, blushing. 'Maybe it's somebody I know,' he thought.

"That's cool. Where'd you meet him?"

"At the coffee-shop," she answered, hoping he wouldn't see through the lie.

"Does he like you?"
"Probably not. I don't even think he likes me as a friend," she said, frowning slightly & narrowing her eyes as she leaned against the wall. 'I don't believe this,' B.B. thought. 'Raven's pouting! I'm seeing Raven pout!' She looked angry, but at the same time, a little sad. 'She's so cute when she pouts,' he thought, & was so shocked from thinking it that he slapped his hands over his mouth. Raven looked up at him & started to frown, but quickly changed it into a smile & small laugh, barely loud enough to be heard.

"Stunned that I actually have a crush on somebody?" she asked slyly.

"Yeah," he admitted, more stunned that she was being nice to him. 'Must be somebody special,' he thought glumly. "So what's he like?"

"Oh, he's wonderful. He's sweet, & kind, & caring, & could make me laugh if I could feel. And he always knows how to cheer me up…or as cheery as I get," she said, dreamily. It would stun Beast Boy to know that she was talking about him, as mushy as she was sounding. "I mean, he's just…incredible," she sighed, & stared into space.

"I didn't know you could love," Beast Boy said casually. "Or feel anything like it for that matter." Raven looked offended.

"I can be in love!" she exclaimed. "I'm not some kind of…of… lower life-form!" she shouted. "I have a soul!"

"I never said that you didn't," Beast Boy said, slightly alarmed.

"You didn't have to! No of you have to! You all act like I'm some kind of monster that could attack & kill you at any given moment!"

"No we do-"

"Yes you do! You all do! You're all afraid of me! Like I'd hurt you on purpose!"

"We know you wouldn't do that on purpose, but you can't always control your feelings."

"So you think I'd hurt you?"

"No! Of course not! Not on purpose! It's like I said before, your emotions…"

"So you think that I just let them run rampant? Do you have any idea of what I go through to make sure that they don't? Do you have even an inkling of what I deal with every single day, without fail? Some people think that I shouldn't be allowed to exist because I'm such a threat to others! They think I should die! Do you know what it's like to have people wanting you to die? I hate it! I hate all of it! I can't even think like a normal person in order to keep other people safe! I've sacrificed almost my entire existence & I'm not allowed to fall in love?" she screamed, tears falling freely from her eyes. Things were flying everywhere & B.B. had to duck to avoid being hit. "The only thing I've ever really wanted I can't have!" she said, running into the elevator with Beast Boy chasing after her. Much to both of their surprise, they passed Starfire on the way there. She'd heard the whole thing.

Chapter Six: Star's Dilemma

Starfire stood on the rooftop, shocked. Raven had just admitted to loving someone, though she hadn't said whom, to the one she loved! And then Beast Boy had said that he was surprised with her love when he loved her! And then came the argument. It was ridiculous. If one would just admit that they liked the other, then this mess would be cleared up, along with any others like it. 'I should tell Beast Boy how Raven feels about him,' Star thought, then shook her head. Raven had trusted her with the most important, & shocking, secret that Star had ever been told. There was no way that she was going to ruin that trust. She took a deep breath & waited for the elevator button to show that it was on her floor again, & then went down-stairs to the living room. Cyborg & Robin were sitting on the couch, looking confused.

"What was that all about?" Robin asked with wide eyes.

"Beast Boy had offended Raven," Starfire explained wearily.

"He does that all the time & she never lost it like this before. What'd he do?"

"You did not hear?"

"We could only hear Raven screaming, not what she was saying," Robin said & Star nodded. After explaining what had happened (though casually leaving out the parts about Raven being in love with Beast Boy), she left the two boys to their video games & question marks to go to her room. In the bedroom hallway, she saw B.B.'s open door & knocked.

"May I come in?" she asked politely.

"Sure," came Beast Boy's tired response. Star entered & looked around for a place to sit for a moment before deciding to levitate as she looked down at B.B., who was lying on his messy bed.

"Friend, are you well?" she asked.

"I didn't get hit with anything if that's what you mean," he answered. "I don't get it. Why'd she freak at me so bad?"

"Lately she has been…facing a new experience, & is in a very fragile state."
"You mean she's never been in love before? Wow, that's a surprise," he said, voice reeking with sarcasm. He paused & then said, "It hurts. Knowing that she doesn't, can't, & won't like me as anything more than an annoying friend, I mean."

"She may one day," Star said, voice slightly higher.

"Yeah right."
"You should tell her about your love of her," she pressed. She knew that she couldn't tell either one about the others' love, but if one admitted it, she knew that the other would do the same.

"And risk being mutilated? I'll just try & get over it thanks," he said stubbornly. Star sighed.

"Well, I must go Beast Boy," she said, leaving the green boy to his pain.

Over the next few, interaction between Raven & Beast Boy grew rare & cold. They would say as little as required, & appear to hate each other, but Star knew better. She saw the sad, longing glances that occurred when one thought nobody else was looking. It was ruining their friendship & tearing them farther apart. But Starfire would not take the destruction lying down. 'I must do something!' she thought to herself. And suddenly, she got an idea. If they wouldn't admit that they were in love on their own, then she would make them…

Chapter Seven: The Trick

Starfire got up early the next day, even though she really didn't need to. Since she had plenty of extra time, she decided to review her plan. She was almost positive that it would work, & it was practically foolproof. She knew what she had to do & she knew exactly how to do it, & that made everything so much easier. When she heard the boys stomping off down the hall, she decided that it was time to put her plan into action.

"Good morning friends!" she called cheerfully as she opened her door & walked down the hallway to the elevator with them. Raven wasn't them, but that didn't disappoint her. She knew that Raven would be either meditating in front of a window or drinking tea while reading her horror novel. She'd gotten a new book this week, The Greatest Work of Edgar Allen Poe. Starfire didn't know whom Poe was, but if Raven was reading it, & the stories in it had such gruesome names, she was sure that she didn't want to read it. Her & her teammates crammed themselves into elevator & listened to the terrible music as they waited for the familiar jerk that told them they had arrived at the desired floor of their T-shaped Tower home. When it finally arrived, Robin & Cyborg headed straight for the couch, Beast Boy made a dash for the kitchen, & Starfire flew over to Raven.

"Good morning friend Raven!" she exclaimed cheerfully, breaking the girl's concentration. She had, indeed, been meditating.

"Good morning," she replied grumpily. When her friend showed no sign of getting up to bother someone else, she grew a bit impatient. "Yes, Starfire?" she asked.

"I was wondering…"
"What is it Star?"

"I merely wanted to ask…"

"What?"

"Umm…"

"Would you please get to the point?"
"Will you now tell Beast Boy of your feelings towards him?"

"No, Starfire, I won't. And I would appreciate if you would leave me alone about it," Raven answered, going back to her meditation. Starfire knew what she needed to do next, but she felt a little guilty about being so sneaky about it. However, when Raven got up a few minutes later & sat at the table & glared at Beast Boy, Starfire lost all of it. She had to do it. She waited for Rave to leave the table & walked over to Beast Boy.

"Good morning!" she said.

"Morning Star."

"I believe that you should talk to Raven."
"Talk to her! I'm not even going to look at her!"

"Then perhaps I could…"

"No!"

"Well, then I shall leave you to your cooking," she said, gliding over to the couch. About twenty minutes of watching the videogame competition, she flew over to the spot where Raven was sitting, reading the morbid book.

"Will you tell him now?" she asked the violet-haired girl. Raven almost spilled her glass of tea.

"No! I will not! And neither will you!"

"All right," Star said, pretending to be disappointed. She waited a few minutes & then looked over at her friend again. "Now?"

"NO!" A few minutes, perhaps ten, Star looked at her again.

"Now?"

"No!" Raven shouted, attracting odd stares from the boys. She got up & left the room. Star followed her, & ended up on the roof.

"Now?"

"No!" Raven said. Five minutes later, Star asked again & received the same response. "Would you please quit asking me that?"
"No," Star said brightly. Raven got up & went into her room. Starfire knocked on the door. "Will you tell him now?"

"No!" A minute later, Star asked "Now?" again. "For the last time NO!!!" Raven said, opening the door & walking out, shutting it rudely in Star's face. Raven stormed out of the Tower & down to her favorite spot in the park, Star repeating the question all the way.

"Now? Now? Now? Now? Now, now, now, now, now, now, now, now?"

"No! No! No! No! No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Star opened her mouth to ask again when Raven threw her hands into the air. "Why won' t you tell Robin that you like him?" she asked.

"Why do you not tell Beast Boy that you like him?" Starfire retorted.

"Will it make you shut up?" Raven asked tiredly. Star nodded. Everything was going exactly as planned. "Then you tell Robin first," Raven said, with a mischievous grin. Star gasped & then looked at Raven defiantly.

"Fine," she said. "I will! But you must then tell Beast Boy! Then I will 'shut up'." Raven groaned.

"Fine," she said. "But if I end up making a big idiot of myself back there, I will never forgive you." Starfire frowned a moment, then nodded. She knew for sure that if Raven confessed her love, then he was sure to do the same. He wouldn't risk hurting her like that. Her trick had worked perfectly.

Chapter Eight: The Truth Shall Set You Free

Raven stepped in the living room looking harassed & embarrassed. Starfire walked in looking nervous.

"Robin," Star asked in an unusually squeaky voice, "may I speak with you for a moment?"

"Sure Starfire," Robin said, looking slightly confused & worried. Star had started to leave the room but Raven glared at her & motioned for her to stay with her hands. Cyborg & B.B. looked profusely confused & Robin wondered to himself at what was going on. He got up & followed Star out into the hall, where she was standing. "Yeah, Starfire?"

"Robin, I have something to tell you. For the longest time, I have…felt a special way around you. I…have a relationship stronger than that of friendship towards you. I believe that you would…call it love," she confessed, looking down to hide the blush. "Forgive me."

"Forgive you for what?" Robin asked, shocked.

"I believe my feelings will be a distraction and make you uncomfortable around me. We may even lose our friendship, and it will be all my fault."

"No it wouldn't Starfire," Robin said, reaching up to wipe the tears that were streaming down her face. She looked at him with confused, shining eyes.

"It would not?"

"No, because I love you too," he answered truthfully, smiling at his beautiful friend. She smiled & blushed deeper.

"I am glad," she said. "I did not wish to lose our friendship."

"I'm hoping we can have something deeper than friendship, Starfire."

"You mean, like 'dating'?"

"That's exactly what I mean," Robin said.

"That is what I was hoping for as well." They held hands for a moment, and then Star remembered her & Raven's deal. "I must go," Starfire said suddenly. "But I shall see you soon." She kissed him lightly on the cheek & ran back into the living room. Robin stood stunned for a moment, then, beaming, went to follow Star.

During the romantic scene, Raven had been sitting stiffly on the couch, legs & arms crossed, not wanting to move. The two boys stared at her, wondering what she could be so uncomfortable about. They'd noticed her shaking hands even before she did, & were worried that she may lose control of her emotions. That was the last thing they wanted her to do, so they still & tried not to look at her. That only made her more nervous. 'I just know he doesn't like me. He had Terra, & before that, he still hated me! And now he won't even look at me! What did I do wrong?' Then another voice in her head screamed at her. 'What didn't you do wrong would be the more appropriate question! You acted like you hated him! What do you expect him to do!' She wanted to cry. Not only was she going to embarrass herself, but also his actual rejection would crush the only little spark of hope she had that he might like her even a tiny bit more than a friend. But she'd made a deal with Starfire, & she couldn't go back on it. Then Star walked in, beaming. Raven knew that everything went well with her, & that only made her more nervous. Robin walked in a moment later, also outshining the sun. Raven moaned. She couldn't do this, no way. She would just have to tell Star---

"Raven!" Star said expectantly. "I believe you had something to say?" Everyone looked at Raven, who groaned yet again. Then, defeated, she stood up.

"Beast Boy," she said, "could you come with me please? I promise I won't hurt you," she added, seeing the hesitant look on his face. At those words, however, he reluctantly stood up. She walked out of the room & down to the very end of the hall; he followed. They stood there for a moment, in a very awkward silence. Then she looked down.

"I'm just going to say this & get it over with," she muttered to herself.

"Get what over with?" Beast Boy asked, his curiosity getting the best of him. Raven saw it as a perfect opportunity to say what she needed to say, & took the shot.

"To confess my huge crush on you," she said, still looking down. She held her breath. Beast Boy took in a sharp breath.

"Who told you?" he asked, attempting to be calm. This made Raven look up.

"Who told me what?" she asked, confused.

"Don't play dumb with me! That's just really shallow, Rae!"
"What do you mean, don't play dumb? What's shallow?'

"Somebody told you that I like you, & then you go off & toy with me! I would've thought I could trust you not to do that stuff, Rae!" he said, voice slightly raised, disappointed. She looked at him.

"You---you l-like me?" she asked. "You're not just messing with me?" He stared at her, and then suddenly realized what was happening.

"Oh! I'm such an idiot!"

"No you're not," Raven said, then pondered this. "Well, mostly." He smiled weakly.

"So nobody told you?"

"No. Except you of course."

"So…y-you really do like me?" he asked hopefully. Raven smiled & nodded. "Cool!" he shouted, dancing around the room. Raven rolled her eyes. He seemed to realize what he was doing, & stopped in his tracks. He stood back where he'd been standing & looked at his feet. Raven smiled inside & shook her head. After a few moments, he still hadn't looked up, so she lifted his head by taking his chin in her hand. She made him look at her. He was blushing incredibly. She smiled at him this time, & he smiled back. She let go of his face & kissed his cheek lightly. He stood in stunned silence for a moment, giving her time to blush & look away. He smiled at her reassuringly & they walked down the hall, holding hands. When they got back in the living room, they found Starfire & Robin staring at each other dreamily, & Cyborg staring at them, confused. Beast Boy laughed, & Raven shook her head. Cyborg noticed that they were standing there at the laughter, & looked over at them. A slow, sly, 'I-told-you-so' kind of smile spread over his face.

"What?" Raven & Beast Boy asked, and then looked down. They were still holding hands. They blushed, but didn't let go. They looked back up at Cyborg, (and now also at Robin & Starfire, who'd stopped staring at each other long enough to notice what was going on) & smiled again.

"What can I say?" Beast Boy said, shrugging. "She's just too beautiful, I couldn't help but tell her," he said playfully. Cyborg, Star, & Robin smiled.

"Yes, I know. Who would've thought? The skater & the Goth. But hey, I like him," Raven said, smiling a small smile. The others laughed, and then Starfire looked slightly confused.

"I do not understand. What are 'Goths' and 'skaters'? And did you not tell me that this feeling was love?" Star asked. Raven blushed, & Robin & Cyborg laughed.

"I'm a Goth, Beast Boy's a skater," she explained. B.B. closed his eyes, hoping. "And yes, Starfire, I did say it was love. It still is," she added. She looked over at Beast Boy, who had opened his eyes. "Is that okay?" she asked hopefully.

"Okay?" he asked, incredulous. "It's better than okay!" he exclaimed, smiling brightly. "I love you, too!" She beamed at him, & pulled him into a kiss. After a moment, she pulled away; Beast Boy had weak knees. Everyone was staring at her oddly.

"Sorry," she said, looking down & blushing.

"Wow," Beast Boy said, staring at her dreamily. She blushed again. Starfire & Robin stared at each other with that very same look. A teardrop appeared in the corner of Cyborg's eye.

"Aw! That's so sweet!" he said, crying. "Come 'ere y'all!" he shouted, pulling them all into a tight hug. They all smiled. Cyborg let them go & they all sat down & turned on the latest horror movie. Star & Robin, and Raven & Beast Boy, hugged each other, scary part or not.

The End