Disclaimer: I do not own Teen Titans. This is a work of fiction that I am not making a profit off of.

A/N: Here we go update! Here we go!

Flashback

Her nose wrinkled as she tried to hide her amusement. "That isn't cliche." Raven spoke as she turned to hide her grin, but the sarcasm was evident in her voice.

"Oh, really?" Beast Boy laughed, following her down the aisle of the bookstore. He tucked the graphic novel he'd selected underneath his arm as he followed her as if she were prey. "Really now? You wanna go there?"

"I'm just saying." Raven's voice was light and teasing as she picked up a novel. "It's cliche. The whole superhero story?" They lived it. She never understood why he wanted to ready about it.

"And that isn't?" He eyed the romance novel in her hand. He plucked the book from her hand, placing the book against his forehead. "Don't tell me…" Beast Boy's brow furrowed in mock concentration, "Boy meets girl. Boy likes girl, and girl likes boy. There's mutual attraction and chemistry, even if it's the love hate thing or friends to lovers, but…" He paused dramatically as he pretended to struggle, "enter conflict. Boy and girl are separated by conflict, but then are somehow brought back together in a whirlwind of emotion."

"You know-"

"Or one of them dies," he smirked, handing her back the book, "and then there is some bullshit sappy, light hearted feel good ending that eases the main character's suffering."

Raven nudged him, turning her back to him as she focused on the selection of books.

"Don't hate the player, hate the game, mama," Beast Boy spoke, flashing a brilliantly flirty smile at her as he moved rested his chin to her shoulder.

"That's fair," She nodded, looking at another book and ignoring the blush creeping up her neck. "But your comics-"

"Graphic novels."

"Graphic novels," she corrected as she continued to shop for a book, "are just as cliche as any romance novel."

"No, it is no-"

"Name one superhero who doesn't have a tragic origin story," Raven smirked. She casually picked up a book, reading the summary on the back as she waited for a response. The empath felt him stiffen behind her. "I'm waiting…"

"Mama…"

She hated that pet name. "I thought we agreed Rae was acceptable," Raven murmured, more to herself than speaking to him.

"Babe..."

She also hated that pet name.

"A tragic origin is absolutely an essential catalyst in the creation of a hero."

He never ceased to amaze her. Only Beast Boy had the ability to speak so eloquently about comic books. She loved it. "I get that, but it's cliche."

"Nooo…"

"Yea…" Raven teased, imitating his tone.

"It's not the same thing."

"Well you can't have a great love story without conflict," she argued, picking up another book.

His eyebrows raised. "Disagree."

"I mean," she shrugged. "I don't mean fighting-"

"Yea."

"I mean, love isn't easy. In reality, there are ups and downs," Raven told him. "I feel like great love stories have challenges. Things like separations, fights, death, break ups, whatever… makes the love story more meaningful."

"I get it," Beast Boy sighed as he nodded, leaning against the self in front of her, "but…"

Raven stopped. Her arms wrapped around the novel she picked as her eyes rose to meet his gaze. For a moment, his eyes were too green and too vulnerable.

"I'd like to think not all love stories are complicated." His smile was soft.

She nodded, returning his smile. "I'd like to think not all heroes are broken."

Flash Forward

"Do you care if I smoke?"

She wrinkled her nose in surprise. "You smoke?" Raven was really in no position to judge him, but she couldn't help her initial reaction of surprise.

"I know," Roy smirked, placing a cigarette between his lips. He rolled down his window and hoped to bypass the 'smoking is bad' lecture. "It's bad for me," he murmured, lighting it. "I am well aware that it's disgusting, and it's going to kill me."

Raven smirked, fingers wiggling a bit as she continued to drive. "I don't care," she shrugged. "I'm basically the patron saint of the goth scene in Jump." She was practically immune to it.

"The patron saint of the Jump City faction of goths," Roy repeated with a snort. "I love it."

"What?"

He inhaled deeply as laughter bubbled from his chest. "That is probably the greatest thing I've heard all week."

"Not to brag-"

"Please," he gestured graciously. "I need to know about your journey to canonization." He couldn't stop laughing. "Brag."

She shrugged keeping the smirk from her lips, adjusting the rear view mirror. "It's not that exciting." Her eyes drifted to the clock docked between them. They were only a few hours into their cross country drive, and she welcomed the mindless conversation.

"I beg to differ," Roy disagreed taking a puff. His head and eyes tipped in her direction as he wiggled his eyebrows. "I have to hear this."

With a chuckle, she exhaled loudly as she adjusted herself in the driver's seat. "Okay."

"Excellent," he grinned.

"There's a club in downtown Jump called Nyx and Erebus that, I may or may not have frequented regularly."

"I honestly can't decide what's more amusing," his grin grew wider than the Cheshire Cat. "The fact that the goth club is named after the Greek deities for night and darkness or that you go clubbing."

"I don't go 'clubbing'." She rested her wrists against the wheel to ensure she could quote him properly. Raven didn't even have time to express her delight and shock at his Greek mythology knowledge.

"Regularly attending a venue for the purpose of debauchery-"

"No!" Raven laughed. "No debauchery. Just a bunch of goth kids raving with glow sticks and smoking." Not mention some drinking and drug use.

Roy sighed, his smile ridiculous. "I gotta say," he gave her a little shrug as he leaned toward her with a pout. "I'm hurt that you've never mentioned this to me or haven't taken me."

Whatever.

"I mean,you let your team know this part of you, and I get it they're your team, but," he paused dramatically as he took another drag. "I am your grilled cheese buddy. We've broken bread together. The fact that you've never shared this information with me hurts."

"Actually," she corrected, eyes glancing to the GPS for a second as she continued her drive. Raven couldn't help but wonder how their conversation drifted to this randomness, and she wouldn't admit how much she was enjoying this. "My team never went to Nyx and Erebus with me."

"Seriously?"

She nodded. "Seriously," Raven confirmed.

"How?"

Her shoulders shrugged as she turned onto the interstate. "Honestly? I didn't think they'd be into it." Her teammates had nothing against clubs. The often frequented bars and clubs during their team nights, and Raven knew they wouldn't object in joining her at her usual venue.

"Bullshit," Roy chuckled. "Starfire finds the delight in everything, so the fact that Starfire is happy would make Nightwing happy. Cyborg wouldn't complain even if he wanted to…"

"That's fair."

"And I'm sure Changeling and Terra would all over the dance floor…"

Raven felt her heart sink at the mention of that particular couple. "I know, I just-" The thought of those two evading her personal space made her irrationally angry. For a brief moment, the easiness of their conversation caused her forget some of the things that plagued her. "I just-" What would be safe answer?

Roy's eyebrows raised.

"Nyx and Erebus is my place. It was something away from the tower and the team. I was some girl with purple hair would just wanted to dance." Partly true.

"I dig that," he nodded, eyes examining her closely. He pushed his questions back and favored optimism. "We'll find you a place all your own in Steel," Roy smiled.

"I can't wait." Her excited smile was accented with sullen eyes.

Hell was freezing over.

Or had already frozen over.

Green eyes darted around the kitchen as he slowly brought another mouthful of cream of wheat to his lips. Still observing, he reached for another piece of toast as he tried to process the scene.

First, he'd woken up at a reasonable hour.

Early.

Changeling, by some miracle or divine intervention, managed to open his eyes before the chime of his alarm. He'd kissed the sleeping blonde next to him and gotten an early start on his day. After a refreshing shower, he made in record time to the kitchen.

NIghtwing was up, no surprise there. He was at the kitchen table brooding over what Changeling could safely assume he was on his second or third cup of coffee judging by pile of newspaper in front him.

He gave the masked Titan a little nod, before getting a large pot of water on the stove for breakfast. Since he managed to beat Cyborg to the kitchen, he figured he might as well make breakfast for everyone.

He smirked curled on his lips as he pulled the ingredients for breakfast.

Cream of wheat, toast, and fruit sounded perfect to him.

While he waited for the water to boil and the oven to heat, Starfire and Terra entered the kitchen. Starfire greeted him with a seemingly half hearted chirp,and Terra kissed him sweetly before taking her seat. Changeling finished cooking and promptly served breakfast before taking his own seat. With a happy sigh, he tossed some blueberries into his hot cereal and buttered his toast.

"Looks good." Terra smirked, placing banana slices in her own bowl.

Starfire gave a smile smile as she nodded in agreement. She sprinkled a bit of sugar in her bowl before stirring it absentmindedly. "Indeed," she added.

The changeling hadn't even noticed when Cyborg entered the kitchen; but when he saw the gleam of metal from the corner of his eye, Changeling couldn't help the devious smirk curling on his lips.

"I already made breakfast," he tried to keep his tone even in the midst of him intentionally antagonizing his friend.

Changeling was surprised at the metal man's silence when he approached the stove, and he was down right bewildered when joined them at the table with his own bowl. Changeling watched wordlessly as Cyborg ate the cream of wheat without complaint.

He counted on him at least making a couple slices, or a pack, of bacon to go with the meal. But, Cyborg settled for a few slices of cantaloupe and some raspberries to go with his hot cereal and toast.

Unsure of what to think or say, the Changeling kept eating in the silent kitchen. The scratch and squeak of spoons against the ceramic bowls echoed off the walls and unnerved him. His eyes settled on the empty chair across from him as slowly realized they were short a Titan.

"Where's Raven?"

"That's gross."

Roy raised an uninterested eyebrow as he took another bite of the massive sandwich in front of him. "It's delicious," he told her, mouth full of melted cheese as he stuffed a few ketchup soaked fries in his mouth.

Raven shook her head, eyeing her own sandwich strangely. How the hell was she supposed to eat this thing?

The sun had just started peeking over the horizon when the bright neon lights of the diner came into view. They'd been on the road for a little over six hours, and Roy insisted this place had the best grilled cheese sandwiches in town.

Raven looked at the long stretch of empty road, darkness, and dust around them. She quickly insisted that this diner must be the only thing in town. Placing the car in park, her violet eyes looked at the diner curiously. The seafoam wood panel walls were weathered and faded below the bright pink neon sign. Raven noticed small signs in the window hanging in front of discolored blinds. There were a few trucks parked in the dirt lot and lights on inside.

They were open, but would they serve grilled cheese at this early hour?

Her question was quickly answered. Before they could settle in booth, Roy flashed the waitress a dazzling smile and ordered two grilled cheese specials with extra cheese.

The grilled cheese special consisted of several selections of cheese melted between two thick slices of bread with a large serving of fries and coleslaw.

"My arteries are clogged looking at this thing," Raven sighed wondering how her companion was able to unhinge his jaw to bite his sandwich. How many much cheese did they use?

"You're being dramatic," Roy smirked as he continued attacking his sandwich. "What the hell are you doing?"

Raven looked down at her sandwich, gesturing with the knife and fork in her hands. "There is no way I can bite into that thing."

"You haven't tried," he dismissed, taking another bite to finish off the first half of his sandwich.

She dropped the cutlery with a sigh. "I'm gonna be covered in cheese." Raven delicately dipped a fry in ketchup, nibbling on it.

"Rae," Roy started, messily eating his own french fries covered with ketchup. "We're on a road trip. Calories don't count, and junkfood is a must."

Raven gave a theatrical sigh as she picked up one of the halves of her sandwich. "This is going to be messy." Her lips twisted into a little frown.

Roy shrugged with an obvious lewd smirk. "Some of the best things in life are messy."

She took a large bite in the sandwich, struggling to catch and control the strings of cheese that stretched.

She shrugged. "It's good though," she decided, chewing as delicately as she could. "Crap," she commented, rushing to chew. Dropping her sandwich to her plate, she picked up a napkin.

"What?"

"Phone's ringing," she informed him, pulling out her phone. "And my hands are covered in grease."

He shook his head. "No phones during grilled cheese breakfast time," Roy told her. "If it's important, they'll leave a message."

True.

Ignoring the screen, she placed her on on silent before sliding it back into her pocket. She picked up her sandwich resuming her breakfast. "This is a lot of cheese," Raven commented, hand covering her full mouth as she struggled to chew. "Probably too much cheese."

"No such thing," Roy told her seriously pointing one of his fries at her.

To be Continued...