Chapter twenty two
Hours passed, and then days, and weeks. Eventually, all was beginning to pick up. The titans visited Beast boy religiously, every day. Eagerly, they awaited his return.
Since the last incident, Raven hadn't really spent any time alone with him.
'There will be plenty of time for that once he has recuperated,' she told herself sternly. When they went to visit, she merely stood with the others, silent as usual.
Often she wondered whether he was mad with her, for being so laid back – but it was in fact the opposite.
Every now and then he gave her a look. The look was descriptive, in a way that words could never be. It made Rae tingle thinking about it.
She desperately longed for his homecoming. They had chatted occasionally, but it was general. The real problem was, that Raven didn't feel comfortable showing her feelings in front of the other titans.
Not those kind of feelings.
Besides, she wasn't even sure that she could show those to Beast boy. After so long, all those pent up longings and yearnings could be let out.
But, truthfully, she wasn't sure how to release them. Emotions were something so alien to her...so unfamiliar.
But she was damned well going to try – for Beast boy. And his return was nigh, he was coming home the next day.
During some of her 'alone time' Raven had made an assertive decision. Steeling herself for what she was about to solicit she walked over to Robin slowly.
Presently, the other three titans – namely Starfire, Robin and Cyborg – were seated in the television room, each doing their own thing.
Raven took a deep breath as she collected her thoughts. This wasn't going to be easy.
"Robin?" she whispered, gently. Robin turned around. His neutral face turned to one of cheerfulness.
"Raven, hi! We wondered how you were…haven't seen you for a while now…what's up?"
"Uh…not much…listen," gabbled Raven, her eyes darting from side to side anxiously. "I want to throw a welcome home party…for Beast boy."
The other two titans turned around simultaneously. Three jaws hit the floor and the gasps of surprise echoed around the large room.
Raven rolled her eyes. "What? I'm not allowed to do something nice for him? He has been in hospital for weeks…"
Robin was the first to regain himself. He shook his head in disbelief and awe.
"Well, sure…I mean…of course…but…it's sort of unlike you…that's all…"
"Yes, friend," agreed Starfire, squeezing Raven's pale hand and smiling. "Parties are usually not your…uhm…thing?"
Raven looked at Cy expectantly, waiting for him to make some comment. She was surprised to see a slight sense of joyful tearfulness added to his usual appearance.
"Cyborg?" questioned Raven, curiously yet dully. "You okay?"
"Wha--? Oh…yeah…yeah, sure!" nodded the metallic man, regaining himself and sniffling as if he had just watched some kind of soppy movie. "I think it's an awesome idea, girl!"
Raven raised her eyebrows at Cyborg's positive response. He'd been acting like this ever since Raven and Beast boy had…confessed, so to speak. He was full of mirth at the idea of 'best friend' and 'little sister' as he referred to Raven in love.
He had currently leapt up and hugged Star and Robin tightly before yanking the goth into the hug as well.
"Y'all are so sweet…it makes me feel so…fuzzy!"
"CYBORG!" growled Raven, her airflow completely cut off as she was squashed against Starfire's hair. "MPPFHH!"
"Oh…uhh…sorry!"
"That is so nice of you, friend Cyborg!" laughed Star, patting him on the shoulder gently. "You are also…'sweet' to think as you do!"
Cyborg grinned widely at Starfire who giggled gleefully. Raven suppressed a little sigh.
"Can we focus, people?"
"Sorry, Raven," replied Starfire and Cy simultaneously, with deadpan expressions. Raven looked exasperated. Robin laid a hand on her shoulder.
"Easy, Raven…we're listening…"
"Well, Star hit the nail on the head actually—"
"What nail did I hit? I see no nail…" interrupted the Tameranian, looking around herself. Robin silenced her softly with a finger and signalled for Raven to go on.
"—when she mentioned that they 'aren't my thing'. I need some help…please…"
Cyborg pushed the other two titans out of the way and leapt straight over the couch towards Raven, who took a step backwards, shielding herself with her cape.
She lowered it slowly and was grabbed by a metallic hand. She yelped as she was dragged out of the room by the android, who shouted:
"C'mon, Rae! The king of parties is here to help you out! We got a lot to do, girl! Later, Star. See ya, Rob!"
"Uhm…bye…" Raven gasped out as she was whisked out of the room in a flash of white. Robin looked at Starfire.
"You want to go out?"
"Of course!" gushed Starfire, as she pulled Robin close to her and kissed him gently. "But…why do you wish to depart all of a sudden?"
Robin put his arm around her protectively. "Because…knowing what Cy is going to put Raven through today…I really don't want to be the person she takes it out on…"
"Well, alright!" chuckled Cyborg, almost skipping with happiness. Raven walked alongside the metallic man, hunching her shoulders slightly.
"Can we please not go overboard, Cy?"
"Overboard! Raven…you want to make Beast boy happy? Then you gotta throw him the coolest, most vibrant and crazy birthday ever!"
"Yay," muttered Raven, sardonically, rolling her eyes. "Okay…where do we start."
"Hmm, now that's the most sensible thing you've said today!"
Raven glowered at Cyborg before pulling her hood up. She could tell it was going to be a long day.
"First off we need to go sort out some food and cake! Then all the decorations…then the tunes…then the outfits—"
"Whoa, whoa…hold up…" interrupted the Azarathian, narrowing her eyes. "The outfits?"
"You want this to be a proper party…we gotta have a theme…hmm…we could do something crazy like cartoon characters or—"
"How about just black tie?" countered Raven. She didn't want to dress up…but if Cyborg was going to insist, then she decided to pick something mild rather than something crazy. Besides, she only had to get a stupid dress. She could chuck it out after.
However if Cy made her dress up as a…leprechaun or something then she'd firstly and fore mostly freak out and secondly, never live it down.
Besides, she wanted to make a good impression for Beast boy…not make a ridiculous spectacle of herself.
Cyborg leapt about ten feet in the air. "That's perfect! It'll be all hip yet classy…I can't wait!"
"Me neither. The anticipation is killing me," stated Raven, dryly. "…doesn't that mean that Robin and Star will need some clothes?"
"Good point, Rae…I'll just go and phone Robin. Wait here, okay?"
Raven let out a large sigh as soon as Cyborg had left vicinity. Perhaps she had let herself in for too much?
Raven's eyes faltered as she turned away. Opening them again, she saw a shop window, which reflected her face.
There was a healthy glow around the cheeks and the eyes, though tired, looked dazed and happy. Happy. That was something unheard of for the gothic teen.
She was in love. She was contented. She felt safe. More importantly…she felt. That was something which had been lacking for so long she had forgotten how wonderful it was when the numbness stopped eating her from the inside.
"Alright, girl…all sorted and we are BACK ON TRACK!" yelled Cy, suddenly, causing Raven to leap out of her skin. She turned around clutching her chest.
"Are you trying to kill me!"
"Before the party? No way!" laughed Cyborg, patting her on her hood gently. "Come on…lets get going!"
They shopped and shopped until Raven nearly dropped. As the final bag was carried out of a store, and they were seated for a soda at Raven's depressing café – she insisted upon it as all the party stuff was almost killing her – and the gothic teenager let out a huge breath of relief.
"Well, I hate to say this…but today wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. Thanks for all your help, Cy."
"No problem, I'd do anything for ya! Especially now that you are having a thing with my best friend…" added Cyborg, slyly. Raven rolled her eyes as a faint blush covered her face.
"Uh huh…"
"Uh huh," mocked Cyborg, sipping his soda and listening to the dull beat of the gothic music. "What's eating ya, Raven?"
"Nothing in particular," replied the Azarathian. Confiding in people was not her forte. "Just apprehensive about the party…you know…"
"Yeah, I guessed as much. And spending some proper alone time with a certain person is probably playin' on your mind too…eh?"
Raven's head snapped up as if someone had given her an electrical shock. Her eyes were wide in surprise.
"How did you—"
"I just know. I know you…and I know him. I bet he's feeling the same way."
Raven glanced down and sipped the soda delicately. "Right."
"Yeah…and I know you don't believe me, cause you're really stubborn, Rae. But…just take notice of what I'm sayin' this once…yeah?"
Raven's eyes flickered upwards slowly. She saw the honesty in the cybernetic face, and could sense his truth. After all…she was an empath.
"Cy, of course I believe you," she reassured, in her dull tones. "It's just that I don't trust myself to do what's right. This…thing it's…strange to me."
"But you do love him…don't you? And you know that he loves you?"
Raven closed her eyes, crimson seeping onto her sullen cheeks. "Of course. But that's not the point…"
"Raven, if that's not the point…then what is?"
This made the telekenetic ponder for a few seconds. Perhaps Cyborg had a point – perhaps it was all that mattered. But she knew herself better than that. Love was all very well…but it had complications…
"I want this party to be…nice," said Raven, in response. "I want it to be perfect. Beast boy deserves to be happy."
"Yeah, it will be perfect. Don't you worry your little lilac head about it. I'll sort everything…all you need to do is get the cake and get him a present…and get ready!"
"Speaking of which…I have no idea what to get him…and I have no idea what to wear."
"Well…we can go and look for clothes or somethin'…but maybe you'd prefer to do that with Starfire."
Raven thought about this for a moment. Snippets of pink and other vibrant and fluorescent colours flashed across her mind causing alarm bells to go off in her head.
Cyborg seemed to have the same thought pattern. He looked back down at the girl softly. "Maybe not…"
Raven couldn't suppress a small laugh. "Yeah…we've got different tastes. You can help me Cy…on two conditions."
Cyborg pushed his soda away and put a business-like, and extremely fake, serious face on.
"Now, I'm a reasonable man, Miss Raven. What are these terms?"
Raven rolled her eyes at his mocking charade, but decided to humour him.
"Well, Mr Cyborg, first off you don't laugh…even if I look ridiculous. Secondly, you tell no one about what you've seen. Finally, you under no circumstances take any photos to use in future blackmail. Do we have a deal?"
"Consider it done!" laughed Cyborg, amicably. "Maybe you know me as well as I know you…"
"You'd better believe it," replied Raven, in monotone. But her face gave a small smile. "We'll find you something too."
"Deal. Same terms apply, though…"
"Naturally," agreed Raven. It made her laugh internally, how much they taunted each other yet bonded…it was a mere case of sibling rivalry.
It wouldn't be so bad letting him see her in a dress…besides…he'd have to see it at the party anyway.
The two wandered around in different shops trying on outfits and different bits and pieces.
Raven grabbed her latest dress slowly and wandered into the changing rooms.
"PLEASE LET THIS BE THE ONE!" hollered Cyborg over the wall. Raven rolled her eyes to the heavens, but she agreed with him completely. Shopping for dresses had proved to be a supremely hard task for Raven. She sighed gently as she eyed up the latest garment.
It was long and silky in the sense of it's tactile nature. It was extremely simplistic, and what one might call a 'classic' look.
It was black, naturally, but had a white band around the top, which slotted around the shoulders. The dress could then hang to the floor with ease, held up by the white silken strip.
Raven pulled it on in a rather haphazard way, getting lost in all of the layers and growling in contempt.
"I…HATE…DRESSES!" she yelled out loud. Through the folds of the dress she could hear Cyborg laughing and, with a sense of frustration swelling in her mind, wanted to kick him. However, that was impossible, considering she didn't know where her legs were.
Sighing she pulled one loop and managed to find the top. Slowly but surely, she eased herself into the outfit, and tugging at bits and pieces before glaring at it disdainfully.
Eventually, she managed to relax into the dress, and turned to look at herself in the full length mirror. She caught her breath.
It fitted her wonderfully, outlining her figure, and making her look chic and sophisticated. Were it not for her tousled hair and red face, she would have said it was a faultless look. But that could be sorted out in the privacy of her own room.
"Cy!" she yelped, happily. "I've found it! This is the one…"
"About damn time! If we haven't seen every damn dress in Jump City then my name isn't C—"
He stopped as he opened the door to the room. Raven turned around a little self consciously, with a glare on her face.
"One bad comment and you're going straight to Azarath."
Cyborg let out a slow breath. "If I could think of something bad to say…I would…but damn! Why don't you wear dresses more often?"
"Do you really want to pull at that thread?" replied Raven, icily. She was trying to maintain her composure – disliking the flattery. She sighed and looked down.
"Anyway, it will do…let's just get on with finding your outfit, okay?"
Cyborg laughed at her stubbornness, but submitted. "Alright, alright. I can take a hint. Meet me outside when you've paid and everything."
Raven nodded curtly as he left, glaring at herself in the mirror.
'Why can't you just accept that Cy thinks you look nice?' she asked herself, angrily.
'Maybe it's cause you're not worried about what Cy says but more what Beast boy will say…' whispered a voice which was barely audible. Raven glowered internally at it as she changed back into her normal garb.
'Who asked you?'
'No one,' replied the voice, feebly. She knew it was her timid side. 'But I was just saying…'
Raven considered the statement. Perhaps there was some truth in it…but she didn't care…she was going to try for Beast boy…no matter what it would take.
After having dealt with the payment, she met the android outside. He gave her a grin.
"Yo, Rae. All set to go then?"
"As I'll ever be," replied Raven quietly.
Two hours later, they'd found an outfit for Cyborg. A simple white jacket with some dark trousers, and shined shoes.
As they hadn't bought the T-car, Raven had to transport them back to Titans Tower.
The sun had begun to set and she was exhausted. Beast boy's homecoming was tomorrow, and they had to sort out the house and the cake and get ready…
As Cyborg and Raven appeared at the bottom of the island, and began to wander up towards the front door, Raven let out a small gasp.
"What about getting Beast boy here?" she questioned, in a sudden attack of shock. "If one of us goes he'll know by what we are wearing…but if we go wearing normal stuff then we won't have time to change…"
"Ooh…good point!" gasped Cy, frowning as they approached the large doors.
"Actually…something's just struck me…" added Raven, smiling. "I've got a…friend who can help us out."
"Cool…you sort that and I'll sort the rest. Raven, I think this is the best idea you ever had!" whooped Cyborg, patting her shoulder as they entered the tower. "I'm heading off to bed…see you in the morning, little lady."
"Goodnight, Cyborg."
As Raven made her way to her room, she wondered about all this 'fuss' she was starting to make. Was it really necessary…was it her?
Smiling, she realised that today hadn't been so bad. As she hung her dress up so it wouldn't crease, she felt strangely at ease and almost a slight twinge of excitement about the days to come.
She wasn't going to let him down.
YAY! I updated again…with a chapter that I vaguely like in my strange way. Though it was supremely hard to keep Raven in character. There's a few more chapters left…and I'm not going all soppy on you…
Again, I'm here with my appreciation of the Cy and Raven relationship. Besides, whenever Rae goes shopping in fics it's always with Starfire. I wanted to do something different.
As for the party idea…I don't want to say too much…just read on.
There isn't going to be a sequel to this story…because I've already got another story sorted out to put up as soon as I've finished this one…which will go by the name of 'Shadows of the past'…but more about that later…
I hope you've enjoyed this chapter. Here are some quick replies:
Quillmaster14 – Trust you to be the first review! (: Glad you liked my theory…and thanks for the general kawaiiness in your review. Buzz!
Raven Sugara the Tenken – Thanks! I liked doing that chapter…almost as much as this one!
DarkShadows – That's fine. I'm open minded to other people as well. I think of it like this…pairings are a matter of opinion. And opinion is bound to be different. Thanks for being so kind, and I'm glad you're enjoying the story. I did keep BBxR going…if you kept on reading…
SparkyX – I do feel pity for Terra hence what I did in Miss Independent with all the justification and stuff…but the problem is I don't like the character…it has nothing to do with the BBxR relationship…I just don't like her! Glad you're likin it though!
LatinaMewTitan – Same, lol…I love the BBxR relationship. Keep reading!
Moonchild10 – I LOVE YOU! You're just so sweet…just…stay the same okay? Thanks for cheering me up with your really sweet review…and I hope you enjoyed this chapter…
Starlit Moonshadow – Thanks! Yay for fluff!
cRiTiC123 – Glad that you liked it! I hope you'll check out my future stories…REALLY excited bout my next one (:
Okay, that's all for now…will update before I go on holiday, woo!
Love you all,
xChibix