First, a note or two:

This is the second of my stories, and once again, I beg those of you who know everything about the included series not to complain. I am not trying to be as faithful to the comics or TV series as possible, so if you want accuracy, I suggest you look somewhere else.

KEY:

'Blah' = thought

"Blah" = speech

I don't own the Teen Titans or any of the undermentioned items. Teen Titans is a trademark of some large comic company and Cartoon Network. Risk of fire – use 50 watt or smaller bulb. Do not throw in fire. Orient correctly. May explode or leak if installed incorrectly.

Please review if you've read this story. I will not continue to update unless I get reviews.

The description of the phoenix is, of course, from the Harry Potter books.

I don't know Raven's real name. I got that her name was Metrion from another story, so it's not official. However, I expect that her name is something completely not English-sounding. Her mother is (I believe) Arella, and her father is of course Trigon, and naming her Raven would be like Thundar the Terrible and Frizzelda the Viking getting together and naming their kid Sally. "Raven" seems just a little too ... normal. Plus, we know Beast Boy, Starfire, and Cyborg are all nicknames, so why not Raven also? Whatever...

There are lyrics imbedded here (and the title) from the Eagles' "Lyin' Eyes." If you haven't heard this song yet, you are as of yet uneducated in the finer musical arts. If you have heard it and don't like it, I regret to say that you are a savage vulgar in my view.

And now, on with the show.

The small green man nicknamed Beast Boy had made a decision, and nothing was going to keep him from that. He had decided that he would talk to Raven. He walked up to her room, took a deep breath, and repeated the ritual that had before only gotten him Starfire's apologetic face. This time, however, he was rewarded with a pair of correctly-colored purple eyes. He smiled.

Raven, having read Beast Boy's mind as soon as she opened the door, knew before he spoke what he intended to ask. She decided to have fun with him however, and acted as if she hadn't a clue what was on his mind. She raised an eyebrow at the green changeling, and spoke. "Yes, Garfield?"

"Um," began Beast Boy with a nervous that was wholly not his own, "I was wondering if, uh, you wanted to go out to get a bite to eat?"

"Sure," replied Raven, still playing her game with his mind, "I'll go get the others."

She brushed by Beast Boy and started to run down the hall, when he grabbed her hand. He pulled her back, and look her straight in the eye. She didn't read his mind this time – she didn't have to. Raven could tell just by looking into Beast Boy's eyes that he had one thing on his mind. She let her act drop, and smiled slightly. "I'd love to."

A little while later, Beast Boy and Raven were sitting under a florally-decorated umbrella at Dante's Italian Oven. The green changeling was dressed casually in a pair of baggy cargo pants and a white t-shirt, and the purple-eyed sorceress was wearing a pair of old jeans and a black t-shirt that looked like they hadn't been worn in years. They were slightly small on her, tight in some very inconvenient places. Beast Boy, however, was not about to suggest a change of clothes, judging by the slight grin on his face.

Raven saw his face, and, completely uncharacteristically, giggled. Suddenly, the wall next to them exploded. Beast Boy turned, his face hard, set for battle. Raven too turned to receive an incoming attack, her eyes glowing. Then she realized: it was her. She had caused the wall to explode in her moment of mirth. Her heart sank lower than she ever thought possible as she realized what she had to do. She touched Beast Boy on the shoulder, and spoke in a saddened voice. "There's no one there Garfield. It was me. My emotions. Garfield" – she took a deep, shuddering breath – "this isn't going to work. I can't love. It's not you. It's me. I am too dangerous if I don't keep my emotions in check. I'm sorry."

Beast Boy opened his mouth to argue, to try to convince her otherwise, and then closed it again. He looked at her. "Is this what you want, Raven?" he asked.

"It doesn't matter what I want, I can't love," she replied sadly.

"I thought by now you'd realize," said Beast Boy, a touch of anger in his voice, "honey, you can't hide those lyin' eyes. You do love. You are just unwilling to admit that to yourself. You are my universe, Raven. Why do you think I joke all the time? To try to make you laugh. I can't stay with the team if we are to be kept apart by your fear of love."

And before Raven even had time to register what her friend had said, Beast Boy changed into a large bird with a long, feathery tail. He opened his mouth and let a single long wavering note – a note that sounded as pure and forlorn as drops of water on harp strings – escape into the darkness. And then he flew off into the night.