Disclaimer: I don't own Teen Titans, still plain and simple.

Author's Note: Sorry that it took me so long to update! Being out of town and sick at the same time doesn't give me a lot of time to write. I try to at least update my profile to let everyone know how the next chapter is coming, for future reference. Thank you so much to those of you who reviewed! I mean it! It really helped to motivate and encourage me to continue

Chapter 1 - His Thoughts

Several hours after his brief conversation with his unemotional teammate, the changeling found himself sitting on the rocky shoreline just outside of the tower, oblivious to most of the noise around him. This was a place where he came to think. He had only been there for about half an hour so far, having left the common room when some of the other Titans had come in. Robin had insisted that he needed to watch the news for some reason or another, so he abandoned his channel surfing for something that appeared to be even less productive. This was only after placing an order for dinner, since Cyborg had suggested ordering out for pizza. (The truth of the matter was that Starfire had offered to cook, but none of the others knew what they would have been in for had they agreed to it.) Thus, Beast Boy found himself contemplating the only meaningful interaction he seemed to have had that entire afternoon.

Contrary to popular belief, or what he thought to be popular belief, he did take time out of his schedule to actually sit and think on a regular basis. Today, there were several thoughts that were swirling around and around in his head. Most of them were questions without answers, which seemed to happen a lot when he talked with Raven. She appeared to have a natural ability to make him question himself or his actions. Exactly why this was so, he was almost entirely uncertain. There was a lingering, suppressed voice in the back of his mind that provided an answer, but he refused to listen at that point in time. He was better off wondering about the subject than wrestle with an idea that lay within his subconscious and was not yet ready to be exposed.

There had been a point where the changeling wished he had not started up a conversation with the empath, then he would not be subject to his current feeling of doubt. Initially, he had every intention of spending the day outside, where he was now, but then the television became more appealing. If he had listened to himself earlier, there would not have been any basis for some of Raven's comment, or for that matter, any of her words. Nonetheless, it had all happened and therefore he was forced to contemplate everything. This force came in the form of his own previous worries, which had been brought to the front of his mind due to his teammate. Somehow, it had all begun with the television.

'Perhaps, I am spending too much time in front of the big screen. Perhaps, Raven was right about how I invest my time. Perhaps... Perhaps, I am thinking too much...' Beast Boy bit his bottom lip in thought, hoping that his pizza would come soon so that he did not have to endure anymore confusion. That is what he felt right then. Confusion. He did not understand how or why, but for some reason, his mind kept going right back to one subject. Trying to stop the cycle only proved futile. Her words would not leave him.

The sliding doors to the common room parted, only to close once more as a teenage red-head breezed through. She was holding several boxes of pizza atop the palm of her uplifted left hand. Allowing her emerald gaze to sweep the room, a puzzled expression spread across her bronzed features. "Where is Beast Boy?", she asked the other occupants of the room, although it was directed to noone in particular. "I have not seen our friend since we first called for these pizzas."

Looking up from his position on the curved sofa, the Boy Wonder gave her a slight shrug of his shoulders. "He hasn't been back in here since then. Maybe he's in his room."

"He's outside," the cloaked girl spoke up from her seat on the opposite side of the couch, book in hand. When she realized that she had the attention of her teammates, she elaborated, "That is what he said when he left."

"Then I will go and inform him of the arrival of our dinner," Starfire announced enthusiastically as she placed the boxes onto the counter, upon which Cyborg began opening them to find out which one was which.

As the alien female left the large room, Robin placed the remote back down on the coffee table after turning off the large screen television. He had been watching several different news stations for the past half hour looking for something. Just anything. With an exasperated sigh, the leader of the Titans rose from his seat and headed toward the counter where his partially mechanical friend was already devouring some of the food. "There has to be a glitch somewhere," he murmured to himself.

"A g'itch 'ere?", Cyborg questioned, his words clearly muffled from his mouth full of pizza.

"In the alert system," the masked teen answered as he took a slice for himself. "It has been too quiet for something not to have happened."

"And here I thought I was the one who was pessimistic," Raven commented as she joined the two males at the counter. "We only recently finished a few tough cases. It is possible to have a lull every now and then."

Before the Boy Wonder had a chance to answer, Cyborg cut in, "There is not a glitch in the system. I would know about it." He glared mildly at Robin, having then felt the need to respond to his teammate's previous words.

Taking a bite of his pizza slice, the black-haired youth sighed inwardly. 'Something just doesn't seem right...'

'Why do I care so much about what she thinks?' It was the question that had been running through his head for the past five minutes or so. He dared not provide himself with the answer that lingered in the back of his mind, although it did present itself as the truthful one. The shape-shifter refused to even think the words, let alone say them aloud. Hoping to change his train of thought, he grabbed a few small rocks that lay at his feet and began to skip them across the water.

After a couple of minutes had passed, his pointed ears suddenly perked up at the sound of approaching footsteps. He turned his head so that he could see who it was. "Oh, hi, Star," the changeling greeted his friend quietly.

"I have come to tell you that the pizza has been delivered, if you wish to join us for some," she replied with a slightly concerned expression. There was a moment's pause before she continued, "Are you feeling alright? You seem to have dispensed of your jokes since this morning."

"I'm fine, really. I just needed some time to think," he answered her in a sincere tone, knowing that she would not be one to tease him about his last sentence.

"So, you will come in and partake of the food with us?" Her eyes were touched with a look of hope at her most recent question.

Giving her a small smile, he nodded, "In a minute."

"Very well then," Starfire grinned back before turning to re-enter the large building that served as her home.

Once she had left, Beast Boy let out a barely audible sigh and rose to his feet. As he dusted himself off, he allowed himself one last glance over the calm water before following in his teammate's footsteps. Anymore thinking and he would go crazy. Figuratively speaking, of course.

When the green Titan entered the common room, he noticed everyone already seated at the counter and eating. Wordlessly, he made his way over to them and got himself a few slices of one of the pizzas. (That is, the one without any meat toppings.) Looking up, he saw that the others' gazes were directed toward him. He paused in mid-bite, "'hat?"

"Nothin', man," Cyborg replied, his mouth free from food at the moment. "You're just quiet." He paused and a hint of smirk formed on his features, "Sure you're feeling alright?"

Beast Boy sent a glare in his direction. "Why is it that everyone thinks something's wrong with me when I choose to be quiet?" His tone was more indignant than anything else.

"Because we rarely see you with your mouth closed," the violet-haired girl remarked without missing a beat.

Placing his pizza down on a plate that he had just grabbed, he proceeded to fold his arms in front of his chest. "Ha ha, very funny," he replied sarcastically. A few moments passed before he resumed. "I just have a lot on my mind right now," he offered up more truthfully, hoping to bring the topic to a close.

It worked, at least for the time being, seeing as how the others chose to drop the subject after his last sentence.

Note: Thank you to everyone for reading! Please review if you have the time, as it does help me write faster, even if it doesn't seem like it... The romance will become more noticeable soon, and so will the plot. Trust me, there is one!