A/N: I'd like to thank all who have read my story and reviewed. It's good to know that there really are people out there who are enjoying it. Even if you're not enjoying it, review and let me know how I can fix it. I'm really flexible. Or I'm just really desperate for reviews. Well, hope you enjoy this chapter. Don't forget to review!

A Thing of the Past, Chapter 5

"Guess who?" a raspy voice whispered as a pair of hands covered my eyes.

It was late at night in Jump City Park where I sat waiting for my date to arrive. I gave a smirk. I already knew it was her, but I thought that I'd have some fun first. Bringing my arms up slightly, I began to stroke my chin in a thoughtful manner.

"Hmm," I contemplated, "this is a tough one. Is it Raven?"

She snickered. "Yeah right," she whispered. "Guess again."

"Hmm," I murmured. "How about Starfire?"

"You're way off," she whispered. "Do you give up?"

"Well, I've got one guess left," I told her, "though it's kind of a long shot. Is it...Terra?"

"Aww, how'd you know?" she whined, releasing her hands from my eyes.

"What can I say?" I boasted as she made her way around the bench I was sitting on, "I'm just that good." She crawled up, straddling my lap, and wrapped her arms around my neck.

"Is that so?" she said seductively. She cradled my chin in her palm and gently tilted my head upwards until my green eyes met her blue. She leaned in and we kissed, tender at first, but gradually increasing in passion and intensity. I slid my arms around her waist and up her back, allowing my hands to wander free.

She moved her kisses from my mouth to my face, trailing them up to my ear and down to my neck. I moaned and sighed, enjoying every second. "You know," I said breathlessly, "I didn't ask you here for this."

"Then why did you?" she whispered between kisses.

I paused. I knew this was going to kill the moment, but I had to tell her. "I kind of told the others about you," I said quickly.

She stopped in mid-kiss. Slowly, she pulled away and only stared at me. Suddenly, I felt the sharp sting of a slap on my cheek. I gasped in both shock and pain, automatically bringing my hand up to cover the sore area.

"What the heck did you do that for?" I yelled as I rubbed my cheek.

"You lied to me again," she hissed as she crawled off my lap and sat beside me, glaring the entire time.

"What do you mean, 'again'?" I said angrily, returning the glare.

She crossed her arms over her chest. "You told Robin that I couldn't control my powers after you promised that you wouldn't. When I returned, you said that you would always be my friend, yet you turned your back on me and left me with Slade. Now, you told the others about me after we agreed that you wouldn't until 'we' were ready. I was not ready, nor am I ready now." She looked away and began tapping her foot impatiently.

"Okay, first of all," I challenged, "I never told Robin you couldn't control your powers. He figured it out on his own. It comes from working with a detective, all right? I could have told you that if you had stuck around long enough rather than running off to Slade. Second, you asked me if I would always be your friend after you had already betrayed us by giving information to Slade about us and our home. If you want friends, you have to be a friend. And third, I 'kind of' told the others about you." I softened my tone. "They were growing suspicious of my constantly sneaking off and lying so I could see you, so I had to tell them something. I told them I was seeing someone 'like' you and they're okay with that. They want to meet you."

She wouldn't look at me. "No," she said flatly. "They want to meet this girl who is 'like' me. If they knew that it was really me...They'll never accept me back. Don't you understand that?" She began to cry and buried her face in her hands.

I began to reach for her but stopped. What was I supposed to say? That everything was all right? That it would all work out in the end? "No," I said quietly.

She looked up slowly as she sniffled and wiped her eyes. "What do you mean, 'no'?" she asked in confusion. She pulled a tissue from her pocked and blew her nose.

"I mean that, no, I don't understand," I explained. "Why won't the others take you back? I took you back, right?"

She sighed. "You're different," she said as though it should be completely obvious.

I thought about that for a moment. "Am I supposed to be flattered or offended?" I asked derisively.

She gave a small smile and took my hand in hers, squeezing slightly. "You're the first real friend I ever had, Beast Boy," she said quietly. "The first one who accepted me for who I am. You're a good person. You were willing to take me back the first time I returned. You make me laugh. You make me feel good about myself. I feel like I can tell you anything. And that's why I love you."

My eyes widened. I was speechless. Did she just say that she loves me? I thought in amazement. "I'm sorry," she mumbled as she released my hand and began to rise. "I'll go now." She had taken my silence as a bad sign.

Quickly, I snatched Terra's hand back in mine and gave a gentle pull so she fell back into my lap with a gasp. I stared at her as a smile played at the corners of my lips. "Terra," I confessed, "I love you, too." I gently caressed her cheek as her expression changed from misery to wonderment. She laid her head against my shoulder with a sigh as I moved my arms around her waist and held her.

"I'm sorry," I murmured after a few minutes, "for telling the others without your consent. If you're not ready to go back, then I won't pressure you." I thought for a moment. "I'll just tell them my girlfriend's shy, and if they don't like it, too bad."

She looked at me. "Did you just call me your 'girlfriend'?" she asked flirtatiously.

"And why shouldn't I?" I teased, giving her a small kiss on her head.

She gave a giggle and lifted her head to look at me. I lifted a hand and gently pushed a stray lock of hair out of her face. I let my hand roam free, down the side of her face until I touched her lips. She leaned in slowly, kissing me tenderly. She finally broke away and rested her head on my shoulder again.

"Thank you, Beast Boy," she whispered.

I rubbed her back soothingly, listening as her breathing slowed and evened out, indicating she had fallen asleep. I sat there for a few minutes, enjoying the peace that surrounded us. I hope the others will understand, I thought drowsily as I leaned my head against Terra's and dozed off.