A certain intuition lead Raven to the great room where she found two teammates and an atmosphere full of fresh, intense emotion.
Advanced empathetic ability wasn't needed to know that the two Titan boys had previously been talking about her. She'd already seen Beast Boy and tried reading him for some indication of what they'd been discussing. But with no luck, as only nervousness and a twinge of hope rolled off the changeling; his emotions weren't telling nor any different from an ordinary day as Beast Boy was always jumpy and optimistic. Robin was seated in the living room, flipping channels for the brunch-time news. Flicking her eyes briefly to the television screen, Raven noted the daily weather report and immediately knew that if she wanted to know what the boys had been discussing, Robin was her source.
Beast Boy caught her wondering eyes, which were still lingering over Robin. She turned to the where the changeling sat at the bar stool at their kitchen's island, sensing his nervousness amplifying upon her approach. Offering a nod, Raven turned her attention back to Robin.
The alpha Titan's mind always held a sense of secretiveness but today an overbearing wall guarded his emotions. Raven tried to pinpoint a distinct feeling from him and follow the emotion's trail to the source of his thoughts but his tangle of emotions impossible to unravel. Robin's guarded mind was at it's strongest as he was well aware of how easily Raven could slip from mind to mind.
The scent of gentle jasmine and antiqued oil filled Beast Boy's senses. He lifted his eyes to her, the beautiful sorceress who was currently making her way down the stairs and towards her tea kettle. She wore only a sloppy charcoal colored sweater over her black uniform leotard. Sheer black stockings stretched over her knees and her toned legs were relaxed as she levitated towards the counter.
Beast Boy couldn't help but think Raven was most adorable in the mornings.
"Morning Rae," His eyes still trailed over her as she pulled her favorite mug from the cabinet. She fell into her routine of brewing the mint chamomile tea and rinsing the black mug of any dust particles. Raven acknowledged his presence without turning around. For a moment, Beast Boy was disappointed that they hadn't shared a morning smile until he remembered his box. Suddenly a miniature panic overwhelmed his senses as he formulated a fool proof game plan.
Raven finger combed her messy lavender locks and watched her kettle brew. Calming his nerves and placing a weak mental wall, Beast Boy tried to keep his riled nerves to a minimum. Keeping eyes on her at all times, Beast Boy slowly stood, silently picked up his box, and tucked it behind his back. The large circular container was particularly difficult to grasp but somehow he managed to make it past Raven and to the sliding double doors. Slipping out undetected, Beast Boy made his way to his bedroom to stash her gift.
Once he was sure the present was secured, Beast Boy wiped his brow and reappeared in the living room.
The automatic doors opened, revealing Raven and Robin sitting shoulder to shoulder on the couch. These birds never chattered but always seemed to enjoy each other's presence. Raven was curled to Robin's right, and his wing was rested loosely over the back of the couch. Beast Boy frowned. He wasn't quite sure the best way to ask Raven on a date was in front of their team leader even if he'd just spilled his heart to Robin just an hour earlier. Beast Boy himself wouldn't have minded asking her on a date in their living room but knowing Raven, his chances of getting her to go on a date with him were better if he had her alone.
"Hey guys," Beast Boy skipped down the stairs, hopping over the couch, and landing on the black cushion beside Raven. The changeling and Robin had sandwiched the tiny sorceress. Robin's arm subtly fell away from the back of the couch, replaced by Beast Boy's.
Raven brought the dark porcelain to her lips as her violet eyes found Beast Boy's in greeting.
"You're up quite a bit earlier today, Garfield."
He nodded, running his right hand through his bedhead. "Yeah, I had something to take care of."
He noted her inquisitive furrow but Raven wouldn't push him on the matter. Eyes wandering back to the screen, Raven found the local news. Across the panel, an image of an animated full moon was displayed. Robin commented on the evening's predicted moon, and Beast Boy took his advantage.
"Full moons are you favorite, Rae." The changeling nudged her shoulder playfully, careful to avoid getting caught in the large cable knit loops. She nodded, squinting at the bay window. Although the sun had just risen, she could faintly see the moon, like a dissolving mint among friendly blue water. "Do you have plans tonight, or are you gonna stay up and enjoy the moon?"
Raven shrugged. She was never talkative but mornings seemed to make her voice dissipate completely.
"Well, if you don't have anything to do tonight..." Beast Boy trailed off, suddenly lost on how exactly to ask her out on a date. His emerald eyes searched desperately for Robin's assistance but the masked Titan had moved to the kitchen undetected. Sighing, Beast Boy pressed onward with his awkward invitation; there was no going back now.
"Do you want to go out with me this evening?"
Large violet eyes met masked ones briefly, but not brief enough for Beast Boy to miss.
Her sentence of silence was broken. "A date?" She did her best to remain owlish and innocent but her heightened intuition and empathetic abilities were almost too good for her liking.
"A date with you..." Beast Boy clarified carefully.
Raven's eyes finally met his. "A date with myself?" A ghost of a smile found her lips.
"A date with me!" Beast Boy's sweat broke and a sheepish grin replaced his serious face. His palms began to dampen and his thigh settled into a tremble. "Would y-... a date... Would you like to go on a date with me tonight, Rae?"
Her pale complexion faded a shade lighter. She'd hoped he'd get lost in fluster like she'd witnessed so many times before and that he would finally give up and save his question. Raven blinked, trying to find an appropriate response while desperately holding onto her monotone.
"I... I can't, Beast Boy." Beside her, Raven felt both boys' emotions go rigid. "I promised Star I'd go... do something with her." The sorceress sighed. She hated disappointing Beast Boy, and even worse, she could feel the heightened irritation from Robin. Biting her lip, Raven spoke in a lowered voice. "I'm sorry."
"I understand." He clasped his hands, rubbing them together slowly as he digested her response. Finally, he shot her a curt smile, stood, and briskly left the room.
From the kitchen, Robin frowned. He didn't know if what Raven had said was true but regardless, her answer was rather quick. Not one to interfere with his teammate's affairs, Robin stayed quiet as the uncomfortable aura spewed from Beast Boy's quick exit spread through the room. Robin shook his head and returned beside Raven on the couch, subtly lowering the volume on the news. After the confession Beast Boy had given just minutes ago, Robin couldn't let the changeling be disappointed. After all, Robin had all the clues that Raven liked Beast Boy. The stubborn sorceress just needed to admit it.
For a while, the only sound heard was the murmur of the weather report. Robin's face stayed void of emotion, but he didn't bother shielding her of his unpleased emotions. Fidgeting with his mask, he finally decided to take it off and lay it on the coffee table. His sapphire eyes then refocused on the television, a grey storm reflecting in his eyes. Five minutes had passed before Robin finally decided to speak.
"You don't have anything going on tonight."
Raven knew it was coming. A passive aggressive chastisement. Which, she hadn't found herself guilty of any particular sin. Beast Boy had asked her on a date. And she didn't want to go... Well, that's what she'd convinced herself anyway. So she'd lied. Well, maybe that's what Robin would say. Maybe he'd condemn her on her honesty. Well, if he was going to play that card...
"And you watch the weather report at 6am."
Robin bit his cheek. Sometimes Raven's wit could be regrettably sharp. Regardless, he pressed forward with his speech.
"You should apologize."
Raven paled, a mixture of embarrassment and frustration bubbling inside. Robin wasn't usually one to interfere with her life outside the Titans and now couldn't have been a more inopportune time. It wasn't that she minded because of her feelings, or lack there of, for Beast Boy but because she didn't like anyone to interfere with her relations. Her emotions were her business and she didn't have any tolerance for others to be muddling around with her mind, no matter their intentions.
Narrowing her eyes, Raven shifted to face her leader. "Apologize?" She crossed her arms. "Why?"
"I think you know, Raven... I think you've known for a while." Cluing that she'd somehow not admitted something, Robin's eyes fell to hers. Her crystal lavender irises seemed a shade rosier and her body language told him she was ready to hold her ground. But Robin knew that when the dark Titan finally met his eyes, his message would be clear. Eye contact was his most effect form of communication.
His eyes seemed to turn navy with the grey of the thunderstorm. Raven frowned. So she'd declined Beast Boy's offer to go on a date. It wasn't the first time she'd decline an outing with the changeling but Robin didn't usually interfere. Yes, she'd known about Beast Boy's slight crush on her. But maybe Robin knew more. In fact, the longer his blue glare lingered on her crystalline eyes, the more Raven was convinced that he knew a vital tidbit of information regarding Beast Boy's feelings towards her. But his crossed arms clued that he wouldn't give up those details, so she'd have to find out herself. Which meant...
"Fine." With a wave of her midnight blue cloak, Raven phased out of her room.
Smirking at the television, Robin replaced his mask over his eyes. And then he changed the channel.
"Beast Boy," Raven delivered another set of light taps to his steel door. "I know you're in there, Gar."
Thirty seconds later, the changeling appeared. His deep emerald eyes held the same storm as Robin's, the only difference being a bit of rain filling his stormy clouds.
"I... I misspoke earlier." Raven talked slowly, choosing her words carefully. She knew she couldn't face Robin, or herself, until she somehow scored this date. Keeping a cool demeanor, Raven kept her eyes on his. "My plans changed, so if you'd still like to go-"
"Save it, Raven." The sorceress stiffened at the sound of her full name. His voice was frigid and waves of hurt flooded from his whole aura. "If you don't want to go, I don't want to either." The sliding door swished close.
Staring at the dark steel, Raven let out a long sigh.
"Great."
a/n: So I know this wasn't a particularly juicy chapter and it's been forever since I updated! I was really toying with the idea of leaving this ficlet here to fade away but I also really have been meaning to write a chapter fic. I hope that you'll all continue to follow me on this bbrae adventure, we'll see where it takes us! Stay tuned for their date next chapter... It should be a slightly more eventful than this one. As always, thanks for the reads friends! Please read and review - more reviews mean I'll be more encouraged to update quicker... (: xoxo!
