-Slightly humorous disclaimer-
Beast Boy was having a nice dream. A very nice dream. Cyborg had built him his own car, with custom everything, while Robin had relieved him of any type of training for being so awesome already. Starfire was healthy and in the kitchen, cooking up something actually edible, Kid Flash had decided to stick around for a video game tournament they were having later, and Jinx didn't exist.
Oh, and Raven was totally his girlfriend.
They were sitting together on the couch, their fingers intertwined while she rested her head on his shoulder. They had just finished their 21-hour-long-movie-marathon, meaning they were both pretty tired, but Beast Boy was trying his hardest to stay awake. Anytime his eyes would flutter shut, Raven would bump his shoulder to wake him back up.
He was really excited for the meal Starfire was preparing, since it was his absolute favorite. Straining his eyes to keep them open, he watched as the last of the credits rolled, before everything slowly went black.
But instead of a gentle bump, Raven was now shaking his shoulder - and it was in no way gentle.
Letting out a pained laugh, he tried opening his eyes.
"Sorry, Rae... didn't mean to fall asleep..." he mumbled tiredly.
"Well, that's the whole point of going to bed," she responded flatly.
Peeking one eye open, he was greeted by the sight of the empath staring down at him inquisitively. Blinking in confusion, Beast Boy slowly sat up, only to realize he wasn't in the common room, cuddling with Raven, but in her room, no longer cuddling. Yet as he looked around, he could tell that it was still dark outside, and that she must have been waking him up in the middle of the night.
"Did something happen?" he asked frantically, sitting up straighter. "What's going on, Rae?"
He turned his attention back to her, confused on why she was staring at him like he was crazy. Letting out a sigh, she shook her head in amusement.
"Nothing's happened, Beast Boy," she deadpanned.
Not following along, the changeling glanced around the room once more.
"Then why are you waking me up in the middle of the night?"
Raven merely snorted in amusement, before using her powers to open her curtains. The horizon was faintly glowing a pinkish color, a sign that the sun was beginning to rise.
"It's morning," she mused dryly.
Still confused, Beast Boy cocked his head to the side. "But why did you wake me up?"
"Because it's morning," she repeated. She then pulled off her covers, before getting out of the bed and stretching her arms above her head, her back facing him.
He watched absently, before the reality of what he was essentially doing set in. Feeling his face flush, he quickly averted his eyes, instead focusing on the creepy figurines the empath kept on her vanity.
He was still lost on why she had woken him up so early, but decided not to ask any further questions. Knowing Raven, she was bound to explain eventually.
He redirected his sights to her when she turned herself to face him, her hands on her hips.
"Do you mind?" she asked impatiently.
Tilting his head to the side, he gave her a bewildered look.
"Huh?"
Raven let out an exasperated huff, before using her powers to pull her blanket off of him and expose him to the chilly air.
Letting out an unmanly yelp, Beast Boy hugged himself in an attempt to get warm again.
"What was that for?" he exclaimed, rubbing his hands up and down his arms.
"I need to make the bed, and you need to move," she demanded casually.
Contorting his face in confusion, Beast Boy ignored her order, and instead attempted to get the blanket back.
"But I'm still tired!" he insisted, grabbing hold of the dark blue comforter and pulling.
But Raven quickly recaptured it with her powers, yanking it from his grasp.
"Well, I'm not," she bit back. "So you need to go."
She then elected to push him from the bed with her powers, causing him to land on the floor with an "Oomph!"
Beast Boy stood up slowly, rubbing his tailbone gingerly and giving his teammate a dirty look, which she promptly ignored as she began making her bed. Undoubtedly sensing his building confusion, she acknowledged his presence with a quick glance as she straightened her pillows.
"I'm sorry for the rude awakening, but there is no way I'm leaving you alone in my room," she explained, smoothing out the wrinkles in her comforter. "So if you insist on going back to sleep, I suggest returning to your room."
Beast Boy sighed in exasperation, knowing not to argue with her when it came to her room. He had already proven himself to be a bit of a snoop, and he couldn't blame her for not wanting him in there alone. Plus, a part of him was kind of scared of the thought, anyway - her figurines were really creepy.
"Good morning to you, too," he mumbled sarcastically, before making his way towards her door. He was about to push the button to open it, but Raven quickly shielded it with her powers.
"Wait!" she called, causing him to turn back towards her in confusion.
She was standing beside her newly-made bed, a concerned look on her face.
"What?" he replied curiously.
A faint blush rose to her cheeks as her eyes darted between him and the door.
"You should probably turn into a bug or something, just in case someone's awake," she suggested awkwardly.
Beast Boy tilted his head to the side, processing her words with his tired mind. Raven expected him to sleep in her room, but wake up and leave every morning? And he couldn't even just walk out - he had to morph into some kind of insect, and what, crawl under the door? Was she serious right now?
"Seriously?" he groaned, giving her a pleading look.
She at least had the decency to look bashful as she readjusted her pillows. "It's just a precaution, Beast Boy... I mean, we both know this is just an arrangement, but to anyone else... I just don't want to have to explain this to someone."
Her words caused his chest to tighten uncomfortably, though he made no outward reaction. He knew that the thing between them was nothing more than an outlet for her, but hearing her say it out loud didn't feel very good. It was kind of like a blow to his chest; his heart felt heavy, and his lungs couldn't get enough oxygen. But only for a moment - he knew how to put on a brave face. Or in his case, a happy one.
"Wow, Rae - way to make a guy feel wanted," he joked. When she neglected to acknowledge him, he decided to take it a little further. "Do I even get a kiss good morning?"
Holding back a laugh as she whipped her head towards him, he quickly swallowed down any mirth when he saw the irritation in her eyes.
"J-just kidding!" he squeaked sheepishly, before morphing into a fly and squeezing under her door.
"Is this supposed to be a challenge?"
Beast Boy rolled his eyes as he attempted to ignore Jinx's taunts and focus on his own training. Robin had left specific instructions to train at least twice every day, and even pre-programmed several sessions. But, naturally, the former villain had shown up late, causing her to miss the more vigorous challenge at the beginning.
"It's the cool down," Raven deadpanned, dodging a fake missile flawlessly, all the while not breaking a sweat. "Maybe if you elected to show up on time, you would feel more challenged."
Snorting in amusement, Beast Boy glanced over at Jinx to gauge her reaction.
Surprisingly, she seemed unaffected by the empath's words, and was instead grinning as she rolled under a falling "building", before dodging a few missiles of her own. "Ha, maybe," she mused, dusting off her shoulder nonchalantly.
Beast Boy let out a low growl of frustration, before focusing back on his task. Robin had made the course quite simple - get to the other end without getting killed. He had Cyborg rig a few missiles and lasers, and though they weren't in any way lethal, it still hurt like hell to get hit by one. Which Beast Boy had learned the hard way. But he was starting to get the hang of dodging them, even in his human form. There was just one more "attack" to get through before he made it to the end, where Kid Flash was already waiting, rather impatiently. Naturally, the speedster had blown through the course in under a second.
"What's taking you guys so long?" he called from the finish line with a small smirk. "Hurry up!"
"Shut your mouth, Wally," Jinx bit back, barely ducking under a laser in time. "Oh my god, I think I just burnt my hair!"
Suppressing a rather loud chuckle, Beast Boy morphed into an eagle and successfully dodged the last of the lasers, finishing the course alongside Raven. Giving her a small smile after he transformed back, they both turned around to watch Jinx finish up.
Her pink hair was singed slightly at the top, which she didn't look very happy about, but she did manage to pass the last obstacle, a frown firmly etched upon her face.
"When Robin gets back, he's gonna get a piece of my mind," she declared, balling her hands into fists and stomping her foot angrily.
Kid Flash attempted to calm her down, while Beast Boy and Raven shared an amused look.
"I think that's enough training for now," the changeling announced carefully, not wanting to direct Jinx's anger towards him. "We'll do another session before dinner, unless we get an alert or something."
"Sounds good," Raven agreed, giving the former villain a skeptical look. "We can focus on more recreational activities for the time being."
"Sounds like a plan!" Beast Boy enthused, before following Raven out of the training room. Once the doors shut behind them, a hearty chuckle escaped his lips as a small smirk tugged at hers.
"Oh my god, I hope that happens again!" Beast Boy laughed, holding his stomach as he doubled over. He could tell Raven was attempting to keep her composure, but a small giggle slipped from her lips as well.
He tried straightening himself to see her smile, but she was successfully hiding it behind her hand. Feeling a little disappointed, he began to calm himself down as he stood back up. Making eye contact, he sent her a small smile, which she almost returned, before she seemingly came to her senses.
Clearing her through awkwardly, she quickly reverted back to her usual blank expression. "Well, we should probably get started on lunch," she suggested dryly, though the smile remained in her eyes.
Arching his brow skeptically, Beast Boy gave her a pointed look. "We?"
He bit back a smirk as she sent him a glare. "Fine. You should get started on lunch, and I'll -"
"Stay as far away from the kitchen as possible?" he teased.
"- and I'll go meditate," she continued, opting to ignore him. "Or, something."
Curious about what "something" could be, Beast Boy was about to ask her to elaborate, but the training room doors opening interrupted him. Suppressing another fit of laughter, he watched as Kid Flash unsuccessfully tried to console his seething girlfriend.
"You can't even tell, babe," he insisted, lying through his teeth. Her hair hadn't been completely burnt off, since the lasers weren't all that powerful, but the tips of her pigtails were definitely scorched - at least, according to the smell.
"Shut up," she growled, pushing past the empath and changeling and heading straight for the elevator. Kid Flash followed behind helplessly, obviously praying for an alert or something - hell, probably anything that would save him from the wrath of the pink-haired heroine.
Turning his attention back to the half-demon, Beast Boy decided to be a little daring.
"So, uh," he began, feeling his confidence falter slightly as her amethyst eyes met his, "d-do you wanna watch a movie or something? A-after lunch?"
"No, thank you," she answered almost immediately, causing the changeling to physically deflate. She must have noticed his disappointment, for she hastily added, "But maybe later; I've been wanting to catch up on my reading, and I just got this new book that I've been dying to start."
Feeling a little better, but also kind of embarrassed, Beast Boy sheepishly avoided eye contact. "Right, well... maybe later, then?"
He could feel her eyes on him, but he couldn't risk her seeing the sadness in his, so he continued to stare at the ground awkwardly.
"See you at lunch?" she offered hesitantly.
"Mmm hmm."
He listened to her footsteps as she walked away, before daring to look back up. He was barely able to catch sight of her as she phased through the ceiling, electing not to wait for the elevator.
Sighing in defeat, he made his way towards the end of the hall, pushing the up button on the elevator and waiting for it to come back down. He knew that his offer was completely innocent, but the fact that she turned him down kind of stung. It wasn't like he was breaking the rules or anything, and she had claimed that they were friends, but he couldn't understand why she didn't want to hang out with him. Did she really consider him a friend, or only when she needed one? Because it was starting to seem like she didn't even understand what being friends meant - it was a give-and-take kind of thing.
Shaking his head bitterly, he dragged himself onto the elevator as it opened, before slumping against the wall and pressing the button for the main floor.
"Sorry, dude, but Jinx is still pissed about what happened during training, so I promised I'd take her to lunch."
Beast Boy tried not to growl in frustration as he glanced down at all the pasta he had just made. Though it probably didn't seem like a big deal, he was a little miffed that he had made so much for just two people.
"Really?" he groaned, running his hand down his face in exasperation. "And you couldn't have told me sooner?"
Kid Flash sent the changeling a sheepish smile, before backing away towards the exit. "Like I said, I'm sorry," he replied, holding his hands up innocently. "Look at it this way - you made lunch and dinner! Just throw it in the fridge for later!"
Letting out a heavy sigh, Beast Boy reluctantly agreed. "Yeah, yeah..."
The speedster shot him a quick smile, before rushing off in a gust of wind, right as Raven entered the common room.
A look of surprise crossed her face as her hood flew back, before she caught sight of the changeling.
"Am I allowed in the kitchen yet?" she asked sarcastically, making her way towards him without waiting for an answer.
Beast Boy gave her a halfhearted smile, still a little upset with their conversation from earlier.
"As long as you don't touch anything," he replied lightly.
She shot him an unamused glare, before leaning over the counter to see what was in the pot.
"Pasta?" she questioned, arching her brow curiously.
Already a little pissed-off, Beast Boy couldn't help but snap at her seemingly dismissive outlook on lunch.
"Yeah, Rae - pasta. Freaking pasta!" he exclaimed, throwing his hands in the air angrily. "Let's see you make something better!"
He watched as the empath took a step away from him, obviously taken aback by his harsh words. He was starting to hate pasta.
"Pasta is fine, Beast Boy," she deadpanned, somehow remaining calm, despite his sudden temper-tantrum.
Feeling a little embarrassed, as well as kind of guilty for snapping, he sheepishly avoided eye contact.
"Well, that's good, 'cuz I made a ton," he mumbled, stirring the noodles around the pot absently.
"Well, I've very hungry, so that's probably a good thing," Raven replied in a somewhat upbeat tone, undoubtedly unsettled by seeing the changeling so downtrodden. He almost smiled at her attempt to cheer him up, but their earlier conversation was still getting him down.
Passing her a plate, he watched as she leaned across the counter and served herself a generous helping, before heading towards the table. He followed behind with a plate of his own, watching her skeptically.
She was sitting across from him, her brows furrowed slightly as she twisted her fork into her meal. She seemed to be troubled by something, though he wasn't sure what, but she was trying really hard to seem nonchalant. Which was a pretty big sign that something was wrong.
"You okay?" he asked hesitantly, idly playing with his fork as well.
Raven glanced up at him quickly, before darting her eyes back towards her plate. "I'm fine," she replied dryly, bringing a forkful to her mouth.
Beast Boy watched as she tentatively chewed her meal, before her eyes returned to his as she swallowed.
"You okay?" she threw back.
Beast Boy stared at her in shock, his mind taking its time on finding a reasonable response. No, he wasn't okay. He was confused, upset, and a little hungry. And his stomach fluttered needlessly every time he so much as looked at her, so her presence alone was making him not okay. Hell, he was the exact opposite of okay. He was un-okay.
"I'm f-fine," he lied, bringing his focus back to his meal. He was so un-okay that it hurt; like, it physically hurt him. But he forced himself to ignore the pain, and instead sent her a reassuring grin as he brought his fork to his mouth. Ugh, he hated pasta.
So it looks like the pressure is finally getting to him! What a sucky day, eh? Nothing seems to be going right! Hopefully things will start to turn around for our little Beast Boy!
Oh, and I know some of you want a chapter in Raven's point of view, but this whole story kinda revolves around the mystery of her motives, and I can't exactly write in her POV without giving away any major plot-points. So, I'm sorry! Maybe when everything comes to light, I can do a chapter with her, but I don't see it happening in the near future!
Anywhoo, we're at like 199 reviews, so I'm gonna round up and say 200! Two hundred reviews, guys! Omg, thank you so so much! And almost 100 follows? That's amazing! You guys are awesome!
Feel free to make those numbers go up - I really don't mind ;)