First off, I'm sorry! (dodges rotten tomato) I know it's been a looooong wait, and I apologize. Fact is, I've my life has been very hectic as of late, and I've had little time to write. Balancing school, friends, and a fanfic can be murder sometimes. Plus, when I did have some time to write about it, the outlets in my room stopped receiving power. So, I was basically without a computer for three days. My apologies.

But I hope this'll make up for it. And yes, this is another looong chapter. So long in fact, I had to split it into two parts! I'm really sorry about the length, there was a ton of stuff I wanted to fit into one day. Don't worry though, there's enough fluff in this one to choke on. Well, let's get to it, eh?

Disclaimer: I own nothing

Chapter 11: Books, Tea, and Salad

The empath sat on her bed attempting to read a book, the morning sunlight filtering in through her windows. On the outside, Raven looked as calm as always. Inside on the other hand, was a much different story. As hard as she tried, she couldn't keep her attention from shifting over to the little clock, whose hands kept moving closer and closer to eleven. Though she didn't like to admit it, she was starting to have second thoughts about agreeing to do this with Beast Boy. What would the others think if they found out? Knowing Beast Boy, at least one of them probably knew by now. She just hoped to Azar they wouldn't think it was a date, because it wasn't. The only thing Beast Boy was doing was taking her to the bookstore.

'Sure, you keep telling yourself that, Raven,' the little voice in her head said.

"Shut up!" Raven said out loud by mistake. Even though she was alone, Raven felt embarrassed. Anyone looking at her right now probably would think she was crazy. God, maybe she was, considering everything that happened the past few days. At the very least, Raven didn't have any more visions after her nightmarish one of that demon, so she was starting to feel a little better. Maybe she was worrying for no reason.

Raven let out a long breath and set her book down. With her attention no longer on the book, she was able to notice her thirst. Not really in the mood to make tea, Raven decided that water would suffice. As she opened the door and headed to the kitchen, she ran into none other than the gray-cloaked Beast Boy clone, Evad. The wind mage, upon seeing her, sweat-dropped and fell to his knees.

"Pleeeeease don't kill me," he begged, eyes shut and with his hands together in a praying motion. Raven couldn't help but feel slightly amused. For a moment, she was tempted to torture him a little by pretending to still be angry. Unfortunately, her compassionate side actually won through for once.

"Relax, I'm not going to kill you," Raven said, rolling her eyes. Evad opened one eye nervously. "I'm not going to hurt you either," Raven added, since he was obviously thinking that.

"You're – you're not?" he asked quietly. Raven shook her head. "Are you still angry?" Again, Raven shook her head.

"I'm not exactly happy about what you and Beast Boy did yesterday, but I'm past the 'angry' part, luckily for you."

"Raven," the mage said as he got up. "I'm really sorry. I've caused nothing but trouble ever since I came here, and now I've caused you and Beast Boy to fight…."

"Yes, Robin told me about that. Look Evad, granted you did help prank me, but Beast Boy convinced you to do it in the first place. And the fight between Beast Boy and me had nothing to do with you. This was something that was strictly between the two of us."

"Really?" he asked hopefully, but cautiously.

"Yes. Let's just say, you met Beast Boy and I at a very strange point in our…relationship." She hated to use that term, but at this point really couldn't find another word to describe it. "I don't blame you, so don't blame yourself, okay?"

Evad nodded hopefully. "So does that mean you forgive me?"

Raven nodded. "Of course."

The wind mage blushed. "Thank you," he said. "Raven, I'm sorry we got off to such a bad start. It wouldn't be the first time it's happened with me. But please, I'd like for us to be friends, at least these last two days."

Raven rolled her eyes, but shrugged. "Sure, why not?" she said. At this, Evad's eyes widened.

"Really? You mean it?"

"Yes," she answered coolly. The gray-cloaked teen finally cracked a grateful smile.

"Thank you," he said softly. "So, are you and he…?"

"Yes. We talked and we apologized, so you don't have to worry about that either." Raven gave a faint grin. "You know, you can be pretty annoying I'll admit, but you know how to be mature when you have to."

His smile widened. "I owe that more to Eutonos than to myself. Thanks anyway, though. I guess I'll see you later."

"Farewell," Raven said. The gray-cloaked teen disappeared down the hallway.

Beast Boy was becoming more nervous by the minute. He sure hoped he could pull himself together by the time eleven rolled around, or he'd make a fool out of himself in no time. He frantically paced his room; the digital clock running agonizingly slow.

"Oh man," he said out loud. A knock on his door interrupted his nervous routine. Curiously, Beast Boy opened up the door. To his sheer surprise, he came face-to-face with their leader, Robin.

"Oh, hey," Beast Boy said instinctively. "You want something?" He immediately gave himself a mental slap for the dumb question.

"Word just got around to me that you and Raven are going out today. I just wanted to make sure you remember what to do," Robin said.

"I know, Robin. Raven and I'll have our communicators on in case any trouble happens," Beast Boy said, as if he needed to be reminded of that. Then, Beast Boy remembered something…

"Oh hey, Robin?" Beast Boy asked.

"Yes, Beast Boy?"

"Look, I just wanna apologize for acting like a jerk this week. I'm sorry I blew up on you that one night," he said.

Robin shook his head. "It's okay, Beast Boy. I didn't make it any better by treating you that way. You were only trying to help Raven and I shouldn't have said what I said," the boy wonder told him. "So, I'm sorry for that too."

Wow, did Robin actually apologize for being a jerk for once?

"Thanks," Beast Boy said, not minding the change one bit.

"Oh and Beast Boy," Robin continued, slightly blushing. "I just want to say, in case you were worried about me and Raven…don't. I can assure you there's nothing going on between us."

Beast Boy couldn't help blushing madly. "Oh…um, okay."

Robin couldn't help chuckling. "Beast Boy, Raven and I are friends, nothing more. If you're worried about me taking her away from you, don't. It won't happen."

"Wait a minute! Who said I felt that way about-"

"-Beast Boy, the rest of us, except Raven of course, have noticed the way you've been acting around her these past few months. It wouldn't take a genius to suspect you've had some kind of crush on her," Robin said matter-of-factly.

"Dude, why would you even think that?" Beast Boy asked angrily, but then, he lowered his head sadly. "I'm always getting on her nerves, and she's always making fun of me. Plus we fight almost every other day! You saw what happened yesterday."

Robin nodded. "True, but you guys do a lot more than just argue and fight."

"Like what?"

"Like…" Robin began, and a slight grin formed on his face. "…How you two always look out for each other, even though you like to fight. You care about the other's feelings, even though you argue a lot. You understand each other, even though you're as different as night and day." He paused. "And you're always there for each other, even though you act like you don't want the other around." He said all this a confident smile that helped reassure Beast Boy.

"I guess…" Beast Boy said, confidence starting to return. "Thanks, Rob."

"Hey, no problem. I'm just glad you and Raven aren't fighting anymore," he said. "At least for the moment," he quickly added. Beast Boy gave a slight chuckle.

"Well, thanks again," he said. The green teen extended his hand, and Robin gratefully shook it. As he shook hands though, Robin happened to glance over Beast Boy's shoulder and look at the clock.

"Hey, I think you'd better get going," he advised the changeling. Beast Boy looked over his shoulder and noticed that the digital clock read 10:50.

"Geez!" he said startled. "See ya later!" Beast Boy closed his door and sped off.

"Good luck!" Robin yelled teasingly as he ran off.

Beast Boy waited in the common room for the empath to appear. Even after all this time, he couldn't keep his nervousness away. If he screwed this up, he'd never forgive himself. Maybe Raven wouldn't show up. Maybe she'd forgotten. Boy, if she did, he'd never live it down. Would she come early? Maybe she would. What if she was late? Raven wasn't one to be late. What if she decided she didn't want to go?!

"Beast Boy?" The changeling yelped in surprise and spun around. There stood Raven with an inquisitive look on her face, also a little surprised (and amused) at the changeling's startled reaction.

"Oh, uh, hey, Raven! Didn't hear you c-coming!" he stuttered. 'Reeeeeaaalll smooth, Beast Boy,' he thought to himself.

"Um, are you ready?" she asked. Beast Boy quickly glanced at the clock and noticed that it was precisely 11:00.

"Oh! Heh heh. Yeah, I'm ready," he said with a red face. He tried to mask his embarrassment but was having little success. Given her usual unreadable expression, he couldn't tell if Raven was annoyed or amused by his reaction. "So, where are we off to?" he asked quickly.

She looked at him inquisitively again. "I thought you knew. This was your idea, after all," she reminded him. Suddenly Beast Boy remembered that he really didn't know where they were going. Having never really read a book, he had no clue where any of the bookstores were.

He laughed nervously again. "Oh, right. Well, I uh, I don't really know where you go for books…"

Raven's lips curved upward slightly. "Relax, Beast Boy. I know where to go. Just follow me."

"Oh! Okay. Lead on then!" Beast Boy said cheerfully. He was smiling on the outside, but on the inside he felt like a total idiot. First, he practically leapt out of his skin when Raven appeared, and now he had to deal with the embarrassment of not even knowing where they were supposed to go. They hadn't even gone out yet and already he was making a fool out of himself. This was not off to a good start.

"So, is Cyborg letting us take the T-Car?" he asked. Raven looked back at him.

"Are you kidding? He won't even let me drive that thing unless I absolutely have to, which is practically never," she said.

"So, how are we gonna get there?" he asked.

"How else, grass stain? We'll fly," she rolled her eyes and kept walking.

"Oh. Heh heh. Right." Beast Boy's blush returned full force, mentally kicking himself for not thinking of that in the first place. He now felt like even dumber than before. 'Alright, Beast Boy. Get a hold of yourself. Just be cool.' He took a deep breath and summoned his confidence. There was no way he would ruin this.

At last they came to the roof. The sun shone brightly, and it had warmed up a bit since yesterday. It was almost like a spring day, even though it was February. As Raven stepped out, a breeze blew and knocked Raven's hood back. For a moment, Beast Boy saw her face glow in the sunlight, and her hair blew back in wavy strands, almost like out of a painting. She promptly pulled it back up, but Beast Boy stood, transfixed.

"Hey, you coming or what?" she asked. Beast Boy shook himself out of his daydream.

"Right behind you!" he said back. Raven rolled her eyes and lifted off into the air. Beast boy promptly turned into an eagle and followed her into the sky. Not a word was said as the mage and shape-shifter flew toward the city, mostly due to the fact that Beast Boy couldn't talk as an animal. He figured it was probably a good thing, since he needed time to collect his nerves, though he was unaware that Raven was just as nervous as he was.

Finally, they came to a crowed part of the city and touched down right outside a large building. The outside of the structure was lined with columns and was almost perfect blend of modern and classic architecture. Over the large structure was a huge sign that read "Jump City Books".

"Creative name," Beast Boy observed after he morphed back into human form. "I didn't even know this existed."

"It's new, actually," Raven said. "It was finished only last month. It's even bigger than the old bookstore."

"Wow," Beast Boy said as he took in the structure. Heck, he didn't even think bookstores were made this big! The two of them walked up the stone steps and stopped just outside the entrance.

"You know Beast Boy, you really don't have to do this," Raven said to him. The changeling firmly shook his head.

"Nope. I promised you I'd buy anything, and I meant it. Anything you want is fine by me," he said confidently.

Raven gave a sly grin. "Well, you won't get off that cheaply," she said. Beast Boy couldn't help laughing as they entered the building. The inside was large and spacious, and even Beast Boy couldn't help marveling at it. The walls were lined with shelves upon shelves of books, and the floor was occupied with even more. Upon further inspection, he could see that there was more than one floor to this building.

"Wow…" he said, not really able to think of anything else.

"Easy, there. Don't faint," Raven said sarcastically.

"So, where to?" he asked.

Raven motioned with her hand. "This way." She led him through the wide (and sometimes narrow) isles, with Beast Boy gaping at the plethora of shelves that surrounded him on every side. Raven however seemed to look completely at home here. Eventually they came to – what else – the classical section.

"Dude, how often do you come here anyway?" Beast Boy asked curiously.

"Usually about once a week," Raven answered as she scanned the shelves. Like a curious kitten, Beast Boy himself couldn't help looking around as well.

"Who's Dante?" Beast Boy asked as he saw what Raven was looking at.

"A very famous medieval poet," she answered simply.

"Oh, sweet!" he exclaimed. "Is that the guy who wrote…what do you call them? The Canberry Tales?"

"Keep it down!" she whispered harshly. "That's Chaucer, and they're called the Canterbury Tales," Raven corrected. She gave him a teasing grin. "I'm impressed, Beast Boy. I didn't even think you would even have known they existed."

"Hey, I'm not that historically oblivious," he said with a wide grin. "Plus, living with you for years kind of rubs off after a while."

"Well, glad to see I'm having at least some positive effect on you," she said. "Here, take this." She pulled a thin paperback off the shelf and handed it to him.

"Macbeth?" he asked, reading the title. "Dude, this is that same guy who did Romeo and Juliet!" he said, looking at the author. "Is this some kind of romance?"

"No," Raven replied flatly. "It's not a romance at all. It's about a warlord who seizes power for himself through murder and deception."

"Oooo! Wicked!" he said out loud again, prompting Raven to hush him again. "Alright, so are we going now?" he asked.

"Go? You've got to be kidding," she said with a mischievous grin.

"But you already got something!" Beast Boy said.

"You said you'd buy me anything I wanted. You never said it had to be one thing," Raven reminded him. Beast Boy groaned. "Come on, this way," Raven said as she led him over to the History section.

Moments later….

"Wheeeeeee!" Beast Boy exclaimed as flew through the air.

"Beast Boy, cut it out!" Raven said in a loud whisper. The changeling ignored her, and pushed off on the wheeled ladder again down the row of shelves. "Beast Boy, stop it now!" She felt like a mother yelling at a child. Well, he wouldn't be Beast Boy if he didn't act childish.

"Aaw, why?" he asked as brought the ladder to a halt.

"Because it's stupid, it's immature, and you're making a scene!" she said harshly. Deciding to not try her patience, Beast Boy declined to press any further.

"What's that you're looking at?" he asked, referring to the large, hardback book she was eyeing.

"A history of ancient Mexico," she answered.

"Oooh, neat!" he said. "Is that about the Aztecs and Mayans?" he asked.

"As surprised as I am that you even know about such a thing, yes," Raven answered.

"Hey, like I said, I'm not that oblivious," he said. "Besides, I've been to those ruins before. My parents took me there once." Realizing what he had just said, he shut his mouth instantly.

Raven looked at him curiously. "Your parents?"

"Heh heh…yeah," Beast Boy said. He turned away, but not before Raven saw the red pouring out of his expression.

"Beast Boy, what's wrong?" she asked.

"Nothing," he quickly answered.

"Beast Boy-"

"Just drop it." He said this rather forcefully. For once, Raven obeyed and decided not to pry – yet. Wisdom was right, she really didn't know anything about his past, and that was a mistake she intended to rectify. Deciding which book she wanted, she tucked it under her arm.

"Hey, that looks kinda heavy. Want me to carry it for you?" Beast Boy offered.

Raven politely shook her head. "I can manage." But just as she said this, a book slipped out of her grip and fell to the floor.

Raven quickly knelt down to retrieve it, but at the same time so did Beast Boy. As soon as she touched the book, Beast Boy's hand landed on top of hers. Suddenly both stopped, and there was an awkward pause as both of them stared at their now-joined hands. Slowly, they both looked up at the same time and saw that they were both blushing. Beast Boy was the first to snap out of it and quickly withdrew his hand.

"I, uh, sorry," he quickly apologized. Raven didn't reply, and picked up the book.

"Well?" he asked with a cocky smile.

"Fine." She rolled her eyes and handed him the large books, and he took them eagerly. She and Beast Boy then continued through the bookstore, eventually coming to a section that really got Beast Boy's attention.

"Dude – they have a comic book section!" he said excitedly.

"Yes, they actually sell comic books at a bookstore," Raven said dully.

"Cool!" he said as he went over to the nearest rack. "I wish I knew these were here."

"Well, it's not as if comic book stores are the only places that sell comics," she said.

Remembering that this was for Raven and not for him, Beast Boy put down the comic book he was holding and turned to her. "So, anything else?" he asked with a smile.

"No. All done," Raven said. She and Beast Boy headed toward the front of the store where the cash registers were, but the shape shifter stopped abruptly.

"Hey, they sell CD's and movies here too?" he asked in amazement. Raven nodded.

"Yup. You'll be hard-pressed to find any large bookstores that just sell books," she said. The finally reached the cash register, and Beast Boy set the books down at the counter.

"Hello, Raven!" said the cashier cheerfully. She was a brunette who looked to be in her early thirties.

"Hello," Raven said back.

"You're popular here, aren't you?" Beast Boy said teasingly.

"And you must be Beast Boy!" the lady said excitedly. "I didn't think I'd ever see you in here! Welcome!"

"Thanks. Nice to meet ya!" he said back politely.

"What's the occasion, if I may ask?" she asked. "Buying her a belated Valentine's Day present?" Both Beast Boy and Raven turned beet red at the question.

"I uh…no…she's…" Beast Boy stammered.

"Just kidding!" the cashier said. She cheerfully rang up the books and gave Beast Boy the amount. The changeling let out a loud groan and opened his wallet.

"Boy, I didn't know books were this expensive," he said.

"Says the guy who spends $50 a week on videogames," Raven said teasingly. Beast Boy was true to his word however, and paid for them without complaint. The lady put the books in a bag and Beast Boy took them. After exiting the store, he looked at his watch to check the time and saw that it was almost twelve. "Hey, it's almost noon. Why don't we go and get something to eat while we're here?" he asked hopefully.

"I don't know, Beast Boy," said Raven uncomfortably. "We should probably be going back."

"Please? I promise we can go somewhere you like. I won't pester you to go somewhere vegetarian or anything!" he said anxiously. Raven still was torn. She was slightly uncomfortable with the idea of going anywhere with Beast Boy, mostly due to the fact that anyone watching them would think they really were going out on a (gulp) date. But then, she saw his eager-to-please smile, and even her own resolution started to weaken.

"I guess…it wouldn't hurt," she said quietly. Beast Boy gave a cheer on the inside.

"So, got any ideas?" Beast Boy asked. He had a few of his own, but wanted to go somewhere Raven wanted.

After a moment of thinking in silence, Raven looked back up at Beast Boy. "There is one place…"

A few minutes later saw the two in a quieter part of town. It was away from most of the heavy traffic, though not really cut off from everything. They stopped just outside what looked like a small café, over which a bright neon sign advertised the name.

"We're here," Raven said.

"Here?!" Beast Boy asked, reading the sign out loud.

"Yes. That's the name," Raven said with a certain hint of pride. "Creative, huh?"

"I guess," he said. "What's this place like, anyway?"

"They have great tea," Raven said almost manner-of-factly. "Plus they have a vegetarian menu," she quickly added after getting a confused look from Beast Boy.

"Alright!" he said excitedly. He and Raven walked up to the door, and Beast Boy opened it before giving a dramatic mock-bow. "Ladies first!" he in a fake British accent.

"Gee, thanks," Raven said half-sarcastically. The inside of the café was rather quaint. It was small, but not cramped. It was quiet, but not deadly silent. The only sound coming was from quiet conversations from the few customers and the soft music playing in the background. With Beast Boy close behind, Raven selected a red-lined booth in the corner, and they both sat down.

"So, how did you discover this place?" Beast Boy asked her. The mage gave a slight shrug.

"Sort of by accident. I just stumbled upon it on my way from the bookstore one day," she explained. Beast Boy nodded, putting the pieces of the puzzle together.

"I see."

"Yes. Finding a nice, quiet place in the city can be hard. It's also a great place to read in," she said. Beast Boy gave a look that simply screamed 'Wow, who would've thought?' Ignoring him, Raven pulled out a menu from the side.

"So uh, what are you having?" Beast Boy asked.

"Same as usual. Tea," she replied.

"Boy, do you ever eat anything solid?" Beast Boy asked in amazement.

"As hard as that is to believe, yes," she said while rolling her eyes. "I'd try their fruit salad if I were you. It's very good," she suggested.

"Really? Sure!" Beast Boy said. After the waitress came, both of them placed their orders. The first couple minutes were spent in awkward silence, neither of them really sure what to say. As usual, it was Beast Boy who broke the long pause.

"Sooo…come here often?" he asked.

"Not really. Just whenever I want to read a new book or don't want to hang around the Tower," she explained.

"I see," Beast Boy said quietly. The conversation seemed to drift naturally from there. Beast Boy would ask a question, and Raven would answer it, then somehow in the process she started talking all by herself without Beast Boy having to prod her. It was very refreshing for the changeling to see her relaxed around him for once. During their little conversation, the topic somehow drifted from Jump City, to the other Titans, and eventually to the way things had changed after their fight with the Brotherhood of Evil. For the longest time, they sat there talking about anything that came to mind. But to Beast Boy, there was only one thing on his mind, and that was the fact that he and Raven were just simply talking. It was something that happened rarely, and thus it was special; something to be appreciated.

"…So Cyborg and I both pretended to that we liked Starfire's Tamarianan pudding just so Robin would taste it. Of course we both spit it out immediately, but the look on his face when he took a mouthful was priceless," Raven said with a slight smirk. She thought that was sure to make him laugh, and Beast Boy did crack a smile, but Raven looked at him with concern when she saw that something seemed to be bothering him. "Beast Boy? Beast Boy, is something wrong?"

The changeling looked up as if he had snapped out of a daydream and put on a fake smile for her. "Oh, nothing."

"Yeah right. Come on, Beast Boy. What's wrong?" she said a little forcefully. Beast Boy sighed and his ears drooped as he poked his salad.

"It's just…Raven, I'm sorry, but I just gotta ask this." He looked up at her. "Do you like me? I mean, do you really like me as a friend, or do you just put up with me?"

Raven looked at him sadly. "Beast Boy, you're my friend. Of course I like you."

"I know, but...I don't wanna insult you, Raven. It's just that the way you act sometimes, I really can't tell. With everything you do and say…"

Raven frowned. "I know I haven't really given you many reasons to think otherwise, especially given these last few days. And I know I can come across as a little hostile sometimes."

"That's an understatement," Beast Boy said.

Raven cracked a faint smile. "I know. But look Beast Boy, being all sarcastic and gloomy is more my style. And I know I make fun of you a lot, but I honestly have a lot of respect for you."

Beast Boy's eyes widened. "Really? You mean it?"

Raven nodded. "Does that surprise you?"

"Well yeah, actually. I never really thought you guys thought of me as anything except an annoying little comic relief." He sighed.

Raven felt a wave of guilt wash over her. Beast Boy really was so much more than that, but none of the Titans, especially her, really gave him the credit he deserved. He had shown his real capabilities more than once, but none of the other Titans had really shown that they had ever really thought of him as anything more than a little green clown. It was no wonder he had confidence issues.

"I know," she said sadly. "None of us really gives you the credit you deserve, Beast Boy. Especially me. But you need to know, we all have a lot of respect for you deep down. And dare I say it, even Robin does too."

"But why?" Beast Boy asked. His eyes narrowed. "I mean, look at me! What have I ever done for the team? It's always you guys saving the day, not me! Just look at what happened with Trigon! It was all Robin. I'm not the one who saved you from falling of that building. I'm not the one you trusted to help you through it. I'm not the one who saved you from Trigon. It was all Robin, Robin, Robin!"

He unexpectedly slammed his fist down on the table, startling Raven. She didn't have to use her powers to tell he was getting angry.

"I just…I felt so useless! Like I couldn't do anything about it! It's always Robin. He's always the one figuring things out, beating all the bad guys, and hogging all the glory. It's all about him. It's like we're not even the Teen Titans, more like 'Robin and his band of Sidekicks'!" He scoffed and rested his head on his elbow out of frustration.

Slowly, cautiously, Raven leaned forward. "Beast Boy, look at me," she said softly, so she didn't agitate him even more. To her relief, he looked up to meet her gaze. "I know it's easy to think it's all about Robin and we're just along for the ride, but we're a team. We do things together. Robin's the leader, so of course it's going to seem like he hogs all the glory, but we're all in this together. Plus, you're forgetting all those other times you've helped us out. Don't you even remember what happened with the Brotherhood of Evil? All of us had lost hope, except for you. You were the one who brought us back and lead us in the final stand against them. If it weren't for you, heck, the Brotherhood might have won!"

"Besides," she said gently. "You and the others mattered to me just as much as Robin did with my father. Robin may have hung around me all the time, but I couldn't have made it through without your support."

Beast Boy looked surprised, and his cheeks turned slightly pink. "Really? You mean it?"

"Yes," she said nodding. "Every word."

Beast Boy lowered his head. "I'm sorry, Raven. I didn't mean to snap at you, or anything. It's just so easy to feel useless when you got Robin around, you know?" His fists clenched. "And when that whole final fight with Trigon happened, we all got injured and it was Robin you ran too! And then afterward, you ran up to him and even hugged him, but when I hugged you, you still treated me like the plague! Do you have any idea how much that hurt, Raven? Do you have any idea how painful it was to watch you run up to him and shout 'someone believed!'? Did you ever stop to think how the rest of us felt?"

Raven lowered her head sadly, more guilt coming over her. It was true, she really did treat him pretty badly, especially considering they had just avoided end of the world. She should have at least shown him some kindness, some gratitude, even if just for that one moment. Instead, she did the only thing she knew, and brushed him off. She hadn't even bothered to thank him for all his help either; it was only Robin, just as he had said.

"I'm sorry, Beast Boy. I…I didn't know how much it hurt you," she said sadly. She couldn't bear to look him in the eye. Everything he said was so brutally true, she just couldn't face it.

"Even us jokesters have feelings too," he said with a small, sad grin, fang poking out. "And yeah, it did hurt my feelings, but at that moment, I didn't care. It was the end of the world, Rae! I was so scared that you were gone forever that when you came back, nothing else mattered. The only thing that mattered was that you were there, and you were okay."

Raven raised her gaze, both surprised and at the same time touched by his words.

"And Raven, I just want you to know…" He leaned forward, smiled warmly, and placed a gloved hand on hers. "I never stopped believing in you."

Raven could only stare at his outstretched hand wide-eyed as her pale cheeks turned a furious shade of pink. A mixture of guilt, shock, and yet happiness rushed over her as he uttered these simple words. She wanted to tell him a million things, to tell him how thankful she was, how wonderful he was...

All that came out was, "You mean it?"

"Every word," he said, quoting her.

"Beast Boy, I…" for once, she was speechless. She felt her affection for the changeling start to surge within her, and she had to struggle to keep it under control.

"Thank you," she said after all that time.

"No problem," he said. "Hey Raven?" She looked up at him in response. "I like this," he said softly. "Where we don't fight or argue, we're just…friends."

Raven looked down again, but her lips curved upward ever-so-slightly. "Me too," she replied quietly. "And Beast Boy?"

"Yeah?"

"I believe in you, too," said Raven. "I know you might feel useless, but you're not. We all appreciate you, and even though you might think you're not a hero, you are to me."

The last line caused both of them to pause. She had actually meant to say 'us' instead of 'me', but the words had just slipped out.

For once, Beast Boy didn't say anything, much to Raven's relief. Instead, he gave her reassuring smile and gently squeezed her hand, which she knew was his way of saying "thank you".

After a moment of sitting there, basking in the thankfully-for-once-uninterrupted moment, Raven glanced up at the clock. To her utter shock, they had been there for almost two hours!

"We should probably get going," she suggested. Beast Boy silently agreed, and after paying, they exited the café and started heading home. On the way, Raven and Beast Boy (again in eagle form), were flying over their city, on their way toward Titans' Tower. However, halfway along, Beast Boy suddenly veered and headed toward the ground.

"Beast Boy?" Raven called. The eagle continued to descend. Then she saw where he was heading and groaned. "Beast Boy, no!" she shouted, but he either didn't here her or wasn't listening. Sighing and clutching her bag to make sure nothing fell out, she flew off after him.

Continued in next chapter.