Chapter Two
Raven glared at Beast Boy in disbelief. 'This isn't happening." she though. 'He didn't really just say he loves me. Did he?'
"This is a joke, right?" she asked.
The changeling scoffed. "Do I look like I'm joking?"
Raven saw a tear streak down his face.
"Okay, so you're serious." She rubbed her temples. "Why now, Beast Boy?"
"What do you mean?"
"Why is it just now you come out with these feelings for me?"
"Well, I...wait a second! You're not already attached to someone, are you?"
"No! What makes you say that?"
"Well, it's just that the way you asked me about why I'm telling you my feelings made me think you might already have a boyfriend."
"Uh huh. Well, that's not the case, Beast Boy. Now, back to my original question..."
"Right, right." He sighed. "Well, I accepted my feelings for you now. I denied them, because I thought Terra would come back, somehow. When she was still stone, I mean."
"Even after all our efforts failed?"
"Yeah, even after that. I had a gut feeling about it. But now that she doesn't want to be a part of my life anymore, I've accepted it."
"Why just today?"
"What do you mean?"
"You've been sulking for three days about Terra, Beast Boy. Why just now with me?"
"Because I realized that...well, I love you."
Raven was unsure what else to say, since Beast Boy caught her off guard! "So, I guess I'll call it a night, huh?" She stood up.
"Where are you going?" Beast Boy asked, also getting up.
'Damn!' Raven thought.
"Well, we had our talk, right?"
"Hell no! I still want to talk about my love for you!"
Sighing, Raven sat down again. Beast Boy joined her.
"So, why do you love me?" she asked.
"What kind of a question is that?" he replied.
"Is this going to be like 'Questions Only' from Whose Line is it Anyway?"
"Is it looking like it?"
Raven groaned. "This is why I wanted to turn in. Whenever we talk serious, you suddenly lapse into 'funny guy mode'."
"I'm sorry, Raven. I can't help it! It's my nature. Like the fox and the scorpion."
"What?"
"You never heard the one about the fox and the scorpion?"
"I must have missed it."
"Okay, it goes like this: a scorpion was walking around when he came to a river. He needed to get across. Then a fox shows up. The scorpion says 'Can you carry me across this rive on your back?' The fox replies 'If I do, you'll sting me, and I'll drown.' The scorpion says 'If you drown, so will I.' Seeing the scorpion's point, the fox agrees. So, he's swimming with the scorpion on his back, when suddenly in the middle of the river, he gets stung. 'Why'd you do that?' the fox asks. 'I couldn't help it.' the scorpion replies. 'It's my nature'."
Raven blinked in surprise. "That's a neat story, Beast Boy. I never knew you were so cultured!"
He smiled. "Yeah, well, I heard it on an episode of Star Trek: Voyager. Watched it with Cyborg."
"Oh." Raven said. 'Should've known TV played a part in this insight.' she thought.
"The point is, Raven," Beat Boy continued, "That I'm naturally a funny guy."
"Yeah, yeah, I know." Raven remarked. "What made you like that, anyway?"
"Guess it was how I was raised."
"What do you mean?"
"I was taught to see humor in everything. I'm sort of free spirited."
"Was practical education included?"
"Like math and stuff?"
"Right."
"Sure. I just wasn't too interested in it."
"But you knew enough to destroy that quantum generator of The Brain that one time, right?"
"Geography was a better subject for me."
"What about biology?"
"Just the stuff on animals."
"I see."
"What does this have to do with anything?"
"Just getting to know you better."
"Huh?"
"Well, that's part of love, isn't it? Knowing your lover?"
Beast Boy blushed and had an expression of elation. Raven could only smile at him.