Chapter 3 - Touchy, Touchy

               Disclaimer:

            I do not own Teen Titans

Beast Boy's point of view:

When Raven looked at me and smiled like that, nothing in the world could have made me care more about it than her. I've never seen her smile, let alone at me. I saw her blush and tilt her head downwards, still looking at me. I heard and saw her move a little bit closer to me, and I sat down, just as everything becoming a blur. I could have been hallucinating, but I though I saw her look at me with a shy face.

Her hand slowly moved towards her bruise. She reached down slowly and touched my hand. I turned it over and she moved her hand onto mine and squeezed, ever so slightly. Right then I didn't care for anything in the universe except her. I felt my heart explode and dance with joy. She leaned in, watching me as she did. She grasped my other hand, and I didn't care that my room was cleaner than anyone else's. I leaned in, and then…            Robin stepped in.
            "Hey Beast Boy! Cyborg wants to know if you want to play-" He stopped and looked at us. We immediately pulled our hands back and retracted.

"R-rav-ven f-fell!"

"I t-tripped!" we said at the same time." Oooooooooooookkkkk…  I'll leave you two alone," he said, as he winked at me.

            "I'd better go," Raven said.

"No! Don't! I mean…uhhh...Your side is hurt!"

"No. It feels just fine." She smiled and got up.

"I'll see you." She started towards the door.

"Wait! I… uh………made this for you." I unlocked my drawer and took out the bracelet. I handed it to her.

"Oh……thanks." She left with it in her hand, but I caught a glimpse of her slipping it on. I waited after she was gone until I got up. I took out the picture I took of her.  In the picture, she was floating on the roof, meditating. She had her eyes closed, and she never saw me. I set it down on my desk and started to go. I stopped and took one last look at it. It made me feel so happy. I entered the living room, where Cyborg was watching TV.                                                                      "Hey dude! How'd it go?" he said turning around to face me. "H-how did what g-go?" I said, stuttering slightly.

"You know ……the whole thing with Raven. Robin told me."                                                                                                             "What 'Thing'? I was merely helping her get up after she fell."

I realized my mistake too late.

"AHA!" Cyborg jumped up. "You never say 'merely'!"

" You like her don't you?"    

"Who? Raven?" I faked a scoff. I knew he wouldn't buy it though.                                                                                               "Come on, dude. What's on?"

I flopped down on the couch and reached for the remote, but Cyborg saw what I was doing and got to it before I did.

" I know you're hiding something," teased Cyborg.

"Am not! Come on, maybe Raven's on." Oh no. What have I done?

"Ha! Proves me right!"

"Come on! Raven's too serious. Who could like her?" I saw Cyborg look past me and gape in horror. He ran out of there saying,

"Bye! See ya! And I most certainly don't wanna be ya!" I heard him mutter the last part under his breath.

I whirled around to see an angry Raven standing in the doorway.

            "No! I didn't mean that!" She ran to her room, sobbing. The pictures of everyone on the wall shattered behind her, leaving picture frames scattered on the floor. I ran after her, yelling,

            " No!! I didn't mean it that way!" (Beast Boy's POV stops)

            Raven's POV:

            I had ventured out of Beast Boy's room, and entered mine. After awhile, I left for the living room. I heard shouting. Then, as I arrived, I heard Beast Boy shout,

            "Come on! Raven's too serious. Who could like her?" I saw Cyborg leave, and Beast Boy turn around.

            "No!! I didn't mean it that way!" he said. But who cares? I thought it was real. I ran to my room and slammed my door. I didn't even care that everything shattered behind me and Beast Boy was running after me. I locked the door and sat down on my bed. I burst into tears, and didn't pause for breath. I took off the bracelet he gave me and threw it onto my night table. Then I heard Beast Boy pounding on my door.

            "I didn't mean it that way! I'm sorry! Please! Let me in! Let me in. I'm sorry." But I did nothing of the sort. I just took off my cape and threw it on the side. I heard him give up and sit down right outside in the hall.

            "Fine. You leave me no choice."(kinda dramatic, I know.) Oh no. I knew what he was going to do.

 He rammed my door in bull form, knocking down the door like it was made of toothpicks. He resumed his own shape, and was just about to enter when I raised a hand and the door sealed shut in his face.

"All right. Be that way. Maybe I was right when I said no one could ever like you." He left my doorway and went into his own room. I heard him shut the door behind him with a loud BANG.

How could he do this to me? He knew it was all real when we were in his room. I thought he really liked me. Now he throws this at me, making me think that it was just a joke.

I cried and cried, and I didn't sleep for one minute. I did not agree to come out for anything, not even to eat. I did nothing but cry, and even though they tried, no pleading from Starfire, Robin or Cyborg could make me come out. I thought once or twice about coming out if Beast Boy asked didn't even try after me, but he going through the other time. Then, two days later, Beast Boy came to my door at 3:00PM and cautiously opened it a few inches, just enough to see out of.

            " Hey. I'm sorry about what I said. Here. I brought you some tea." He opened the door wide, came in and handed me the mug. This time, I didn't stop him. I looked down into it and saw my reflection. I was pale and thin. My skin was practically white, and you could see some of my cheekbones. I looked away. Beast Boy must have read my thoughts or something, because he said,

" Don't worry. You look as beautiful as ever." And with that, he sat down beside me and draped a cloth over my shoulders.

" You look cold," he said and he was right. I just noticed it because I was too busy crying. I sipped the tea and realized it was my meditation tea.

"Thanks," I said in a hoarse whisper.

" You're welcome Let's get you something to eat. Come on." He stood up and motioned with his hand for me to come. I put the tea down and tried to stand up. Immediately I sat back down.

"I-I don't think I can walk. I haven't used my legs for a long time, and they're weak. I can't fly because I can't concentrate."

"Just like me when I'm around you," I heard him whisper to himself. " That's okay. You can ride on me." And with that he changed into a horse. I climbed on his back with much difficulty, but I managed to slip on. I patted his horse head and smiled a little.

"Thanks," I said. He nodded his little horse head and trotted out the doorway. He went in to the kitchen and stopped. He resumed his own shape, and just as I fell, he caught me in his arms and picked me up. He set me down on the counter.

"What do you want to eat? Let me guess, you want to eat my famous tofu bread with zucchini on the side."

" No thanks," I said, but then I saw his disappointed face and just had to say,

"Fine, I'll taste it, if you put me down somewhere else. I'm going to knock all these plates down," I said, pointing to the mounds of dishes piled up on the counter. He grinned and put me on the living room couch.

" One Super Deluxe Tofu Bread coming right up!" he said gleefully.

I flipped on the TV, just when Cyborg came in. I wanted to scare him.

"Hey, Raven. What's on?" He sat down next to me. Then… "Ahhhh! Raven?! Out of her room?! Watching TV?! This is horrible! Oh! Oh!" He jumped up and ran in circles.

"Beast Boy!" He ran into the kitchen. "Did you know that Raven is sitting on the couch," he said in a whisper, "WATCHING TV!"

" Yes. I got her to come out," said Beast Boy smugly.

" How?"

"You know… I can get anyone to do whatever I want them to."

"Yeah? Prove it."

Beast Boy winked at me and said,

"Ohhhhhh Raaaaaven! My tofu bread is ready! Want to taste it?"

" Ok! I'll be right there!" I said. I walked into the kitchen wobbling slightly and said," Where is it?" Beast Boy pointed to a bunch of nasty greenish bread. I pretended to take a bite, but instead ripped off a piece to make it look like I bit it. Cyborg looked at me like I was from another planet.

"Yum! Mmmm!! Cyborg, you should try this! It's really good!" I said, and Beast Boy beamed. I handed Cyborg a piece that I hadn't 'bit' off and he tasted it.

"EEEEEEWWWWWW!!!!!!" Cyborg spit it out onto the ground. He went over to the sink and rinsed his mouth. I laughed a little and they both stared at me.

"What? Now I'm not allowed to laugh?"

Robin and Starfire came in. "Hey Beast Boy!" He took one look at the green bread and said, "Let's eat something that tastes better than this bread," Robin said after seeing the look on Cyborg's face. They took out some chips and junk food. After five hours of eating and watching TV, Robin became aware that I was there.

" Raven! You're out of your room!"

"You just noticed."

"Great!" Robin said.

"Yes, this is truly wonderful! I will go make happiness pudding!" said Starfire and she left.

"I'm going to work out. Cyborg, you want to come?" Robin pointed to the training room.

"Sure!" said Cyborg and turned the TV off. He followed Robin to the training room, and seconds later they both were heard straining to lift the huge weights. 

Now only Beast Boy and me were left.

"So… What do you want to do?" Beast Boy asked me.

"I don't know. I would usually read a book, but this is a special occasion. Nothing to eat, because I'm full. I'm still a bit weak, so nothing really active." Only weak from being with you, I added silently. "So… what fits these options?" I asked, hoping he wouldn't refuse to do something with me.

"Well…We could…No…That's stupid."

"Tell me! Come on! Please?", I coaxed. I certainly had no ideas. Like I said, I normally read a book.

"Oh...  Well fine. Maybe we could go down to the river?" he asked hopefully.

"Okay," I managed to say. He grinned and he got a blanket from his room.

"Let's go!" Beast Boy said as he changed into a bird. We flew there and spotted a grassy field. It was 7:45 and still pretty warm. We got a seat right next to the river, facing the east (don't ask me how they knew it was east) and the horizon was the outline of a hill. The river's current was not that fast; it glided smoothly until hitting round stones, which then formed tiny, white, foaming bubbles. There were many drops in the riverbed, forming small waterfalls. I took off my boots and dipped my feet in the water. Beast Boy sat next to me and did the same.

"This is wonderful," he said. "Look." He pointed to the sky. The sun was setting, sending a gold glow across the field. Then a few moments later it had disappeared beyond the horizon. (Raven's POV stops)

Beast Boy's POV:

 The sunset was so marvelous… Like Raven…So beautiful.  The moon came out, shining so bright, hitting her at the perfect angle. Her lavender hair gleamed brighter than the sun itself. I caught her staring deeply at her reflection in the river. She put her finger into the water and stirred it, making her reflection blur. Then she looked up at the moon.

"Beast Boy… Thanks for coming here with me. It means a lot to me," she said.

"You're welcome. Coming here means a lot to me too." But in my mind, I was saying, This means a lot more to me that can ever be described. This is much more than I ever dreamed of. And all of it was true.