YAH...I surprise me...I managed to finish most of this story in one night...I always do my best writing then. Sorry but there's no RobXStar in this chapter...it's just not my thing. I hope you enjoy this though ...
"Okay, here's another one." Beastboy began.
Raven sighed as she lowered her book and stared up at him from across the counter.
"I doubt that this joke will be any funnier than the rest." She stated.
"AHA!" Beastboy jumped up from his seat and pointed a finger at Raven. "So you admit that the other ones were funny."
Raven gave him a strange look before shaking her head and turning her attention back to her book.
"Just admit it," Beastboy persisted, crossing his arms over his chest. "You think I'm hilarious."
"And how exactly did you come to that conclusion?" Raven asked, turning the page in her book.
"Well...I've been telling jokes for almost half an hour now." Beastboy stated.
Raven looked up. "And not once have I laughed...giggled...or even so much as smiled."
"True," Beastboy nodded. "But you also haven't called me dumb...immature...or even yelled at me to stop, which means..."
"That you should quit while you're ahead." Raven replied in her monotone voice.
"Nope," Beastboy grinned. "It means that you secretly enjoy hearing me tell jokes, and that you think I'm funny."
Raven raised an eyebrow.
"Sorry...but no."
Beastboy frowned.
"Aww come on," He whined. "Just one more joke and if you don't think it's funny then I'll stop."
"You promise," Raven asked, peeking up from her book.
"Scouts honor," Beastboy replied, saluting her.
"Though I seriously doubt that you were ever a scout..." Raven said setting down her book. "You have my attention."
"Sweet!" Beastboy exclaimed. "There's no way you won't find this funny."
Raven looked skeptical.
Starfire, the only other person in the room, was currently filling up Silkie's food bowl near the end of the counter. She looked up at her friends and suppressed a giggle as she watched them. Beastboy was leaning over the counter, excitedly in the middle of his joke, and Raven seemed to be half listening, though the slightest sign of amusement played across her face.
'Oh I am most happy for my friends,' Starfire thought as she felt Silkie tug at her leg.
She smiled down at him and set the food bowl onto one of the stools turning back around to fill up his water bowl.
"...And then the guy says 'that's not my dog, that's my wife'!"
Beastboy laughed and looked up at Raven, but her face remained neutral...not even a smile.
'At least smile,' Love suggested.
'Just because I like Beastboy, it doesn't mean I like his jokes,' Raven replied back...it was still strange to even admit to liking him, but denying it would be far worse. Having feelings for him, however, didn't mean she had to act upon them.
"Get it?" Beastboy asked with a hopeful smile. "The guy says..."
"Yes I get it," Raven replied shaking her head. "And that was the worst joke yet."
"Aww come on," Beastboy frowned. "Didn't you find it at least a little funny?"
"No, not at all." Raven stated, lifting her book off the table and raising it back up to read.
"Fine, I give up," Beastboy sighed in exasperation, throwing his arms up in the air. "I've tried every joke I know and nothing seems to work."
Raven frowned slightly at the disappointment in his voice and looked up.
"From now on," Beastboy said. "No more jokes."
"You can't be serious," Raven stated in disbelief.
"Well..." Beastboy replied looking uncertain, "At least, no more trying to telling you jokes."
'Why,' Raven thought, but it never came out...after all, remembering all the times he had annoyed her with his constant joke telling in the past, she should have been grateful.
'Then why do I feel so...sad?' she wondered.
Beastboy frowned in defeat not noticing the look of disappointment on Raven's face as he sat down on one of the nearby stools...
Squish.
Beastboy's eyes widened...Starfire gasped slightly...and Raven raised an eyebrow curiously.
Beastboy stood up, his expression changing from surprise to uncertainty and disgust. Slowly he turned around to check his backside and there the bowl of food Starfire had made for Silkie was spread across his bottom.
Raven looked up at Beastboy's expression and couldn't help but smirk.
Beastboy noticed this and turned towards her incredulously.
"You think this is funny?"
Raven looked away from him and shrugged, trying to suppress a smile.
"This isn't funny...this is..." Beastboy paused and looked back at Starfire. "What is this?"
"I am sorry," Starfire first apologized. "But that was to be Silkie's lunch."
At the mention of his name, Silkie popped up from Starfire's side, and upon seeing Beastboy's rear, began licking his lips.
Beastboy turned toward him and held his hands out defensively.
"No Silkie...Stay Silkie," Beastboy pleaded with a worried look on his face, slowly backing away, but Silkie immediately started to run toward him.
Beastboy turned to get away, but Silkie pounced and latched onto Beastboy's bottom.
"AHHH!" Beastboy yelled as he ran frantically around the room. "GET HIM OFF, GET HIM OFF, GET HIM OFF!"
Raven watched as Beastboy circled the room in a panicked frenzy, making his way around the counter for the third time. Starfire grabbed Silkie from behind and began to pull, though the silkworm was determined to hold on.
"Bad..Bumgorf," Starfire scolded as she pulled him. "Release.. friend Beastboy.. at once."
Then the distinct sound of ripping fabric was heard about the room, Beastboy let out a startled yelp as he fell forward and landed on the floor with a loud thump, knocking over one of the stools and a half eaten box of pizza -which had been resting on the counter.
Starfire gasped.
"Friend, are you harmed?" Starfire asked in a worried voice.
Raven stood up, also slightly concerned that the changeling might have gotten injured. Slowly and dramatically his hand raised up to grab the counter top and he pulled himself to his feet. The box of pizza that had rested on his head fell off, and a slice of pizza slide down in front of his face and onto the floor.
Beastboy blinked for a moment as if still trying to comprehend what had just happened. Finally coming to his senses, he began to rub the Pizza from his face, only succeeding in smearing the sauce even more.
Raven could feel her lips quiver into a smile, unable to contain the amusement she felt towards the situation. She covered her hand over her mouth to hide the grin and to suppress the laughter that threatened to make it's way up her throat.
Both Starfire and Beastboy heard the muffled noise and looked up at her. Both of Raven's hands were now covering her mouth as she desperately tried not to laugh. Beastboy shot her a puzzled look before noticing his exposed boxers that were covered in little red hearts. He let out a short 'eeppp' before covering his rear with both hands and blushing. Raven was also beginning to turn red from her efforts...
"Friend Raven..." Starfire began with slight concern in her voice from Raven's unusual behavior.
"Oh come on," Beastboy whined. "At least I was wearing underwear."
That was it...the final straw...Raven's hands seemed no longer willing to shield her mouth from the world and so they fell from her face as she burst into laughter.
Starfire and Beastboy jumped back in surprise as Raven laughed...her eyes closed tightly and her side beginning to ache from the unfamiliar feeling. Her cheeks turning a slight red as if she couldn't catch her breath enough to stop.
The sound of the toaster exploding seemed to snap everyone out of the trance. Raven gasped as she placed her hands over her mouth again with wide eyes. Starfire and Beastboy looked back at the toaster and then to Raven.
"That was...most unexpected." Starfire replied.
"You...you laughed," Beastboy said still in awe, not believing what he had just seen and heard.
Raven kept her hands over her mouth as she felt herself blush.
Slowly a huge grin spread across Beastboy's face, like nothing Raven had ever seen before. It didn't matter that he was covered in pizza sauce or that his uniform was ripped...because Raven had laughed...long and hard.
Raven looked down, feeling her friend's eyes upon her and slowly she retracted her hand.
"I...I need to go," She said, her voice slightly above a whisper as she turned and headed quickly towards the door.
"Raven wait...it's okay," Beastboy called to her, but Raven disappeared.
Beastboy frowned for a moment.
"Why do you always run away," he whispered, but slowly the frowned disappeared from his face as he recalled Ravens laughter.
"Friend, perhaps you should do the...changing," Starfire said from behind, blushing slightly from the sight of Beastboy's exposed boxers.
"Huh?...Oh right," Beastboy replied turning around to face Starfire and hide his backside.
He smiled sheepishly as he backed towards the door.
Swoosh
The sound of the door opening behind him caused him to freeze.
"Uh...Beastboy." came Robin's voice.
Cyborg's laughter followed. "Man what did we miss?" he asked
Robin chuckled.
Beastboy's face lit up and he turned towards his friends, any kind of embarrassment forgotten.
"Dudes, you won't believe it!" He exclaimed.
"You're probably right." Robin replied with a smirk.
"But I can't wait to hear about it." Cyborg chuckled.
Beastboy took a deep breath.
"Okay, I was trying to get Raven to laugh and I was all like 'one more joke and then I'm done'...and so I told her a really good one and she was all like 'that's the worst joke ever'...so I was like 'I give up'... and then I sat down, but ended up sitting on Silkie's food bowl and so I stood up and was like 'what is this' and Starfire's like 'Silkie's lunch' and then Silkie just ups and attacks me, and I'm all like 'aaahhh', and then Starfire grabs him and pulls him off, but my uniform rips and I fall and knock over the pizza which fell on my head, and then when I got up Raven covered her mouth and I'm thinking 'Oh no she's embarrassed cause she saw my boxers' so I try and hide them and I tell her 'well at least I wore underwear today' and that's when the most unbelievable thing happened," Beastboy exclaimed trying to catch his breath.
Robin and Cyborg blinked, not quiet sure they caught all of the story due to Beastboy speed...they looked up at Starfire, who simply nodded.
"Well...what happened?" Robin asked, almost afraid that Beastboy would go off again.
"Yeah man...I mean that whole story sounds unbelievable to me." Cyborg gave a questioning stare as he smiled.
"Dude, you won't believe it," Beastboy repeated. "Even I don't."
"Seriously Beastboy," Robin replied. "What happened?"
Beastboy gave a big grin.
"Are you ready for this?" he asked.
"Would you just get on with it," Cyborg said, getting agitated .
"Raven...the one and only...Ms. Rarely-Smiles...always calm...actually laughed. at. me." Beastboy said dramatically, "And not just a little laugh, a big laugh, so hard that the toaster exploded."
The two titans blinked in surprise.
"Dude, you serious?" Cyborg asked.
Beastboy nodded.
"You guys should have heard it..." he replied eagerly. "It was amazing, it was..."
'Beautiful'
The thought seemed to drift across his mind so distinctively that he could not dismiss it. The sound of Ravens laughter was undeniably beautiful...it was perfect.
Beastboy's excitement settled down and a warm fond feeling seemed to over take him. He felt his face break into a dreamy smile, now trying desperately to cling to ever moment that had seemed to go by so quickly before; the way her checks had blushed and her eyes had squinted shut...the way her laughter had been filled with softness and power all at the same time...and that feeling that, even if just for that one moment, he had made her happy.
"Beastboy?"
"Huh...what...?" Beastboy asked looking up at Robin, who had just adressed him.
"You just kinda zoned out there for a second," Cyborg replied.
"Oh...right," Beastboy nodded slipping past the two and walking away.
"Yo, Bb? Where ya go'in?" Cyborg asked.
"Uh...gotta change my clothes." Beastboy yelled back.
Cyborg smirked
"Nice hearts Man!" he yelled, and him and Robin laughed as Beastboy covered his rear with his hands again and disappeared down the hall.
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Raven sighed as she looked out onto the ocean from her spot on the roof.
She had always been good at hiding her emotions...she had excelled at it...perfected it, but somehow it had broken through today. The only time that ever happened was when one emotion dominated the others -such as Rage when she got very angry.
In order for her not be able to control something as simple as 'laughter' would mean that each of her emotions would have had to find what happened funny.
Raven looked down, it was funny, there was no denying it, especially now...so why did it feel so wrong to laugh in front of her friends, in front of Beastboy, who had always tried so hard to get her to do just that.
There was a small and timid voice in the back of her mind answering her question, but she didn't want to believe that there was truth to the words.
'If we laugh...he might stop trying,' Timid said.
'He was already going to stop,' Raven replied.
'Then why hide it?' Happy asked, 'That's just silly!'
'She's right,' Knowledge agreed. 'there's no sense to it.'
Raven sighed and closed her eyes to rub her temples.
"Hey, Raven," came Beastboy voice from behind her.
She jumped and looked over at him as he made his way to stand beside her.
"Beastboy..." Raven replied, uncertain as to what she wanted to say. He smiled over at her.
"I was thinking..." he said.
Raven opened her mouth to say something but Beastboy intervened.
"Yeah I know. It's a shocker," he mocked himself.
Raven gave him an amused look.
"I wasn't going to say that."
"You weren't?" He asked, surprised.
"No," she shook her head. "I was going to say 'That's new'."
Beastboy smirked and Raven turned her head away.
"Why did you leave?" Beastboy asked, more seriousness in his voice.
"I was...embarrassed," Raven admitted with a frown.
"Why?" Beastboy asked. "I was the one with a face full of pizza sauce and my underwear showing...besides..." Beastboy paused and looked the other way.
"You...you have a very pretty laugh." he mumbled slightly.
Raven felt that now familiar feeling bubble in the pits of her stomach and her face flush ever so slightly.
"You think it's pretty," Raven asked softly, looking at Beastboy from the corner of her eyes.
A warm smile played across his face as he nodded.
"Is that what you were thinking?" She asked.
Beastboy nodded again and then stopped.
"Uh...well yeah and no..." he said turning to face her. "I was thinking that, but that's not the only thing...and it's not what I was going to say...I just..."
Raven put her hand up for him to stop.
"I get it" she replied. "Now go ahead and tell me what it is you want."
'Ouch,' Love replied. 'A little harsh, don't you think?'
"Sorry," Raven's expression softened as she looked at Beastboy. "I'm listening...go ahead."
Beastboy seemed to pause and study her for a second.
"Ya know..." he began. "You were laughing pretty hard in there and pretty much nothing happened."
Raven realized where the conversation was headed and looked away.
"I don't understand..." Beastboy continued. "When you told me your emotions were more powerful, I figured that meant they were not only harder to control, but also more dangerous."
Raven nodded slightly.
"Is that true," Beastboy asked. "Or are you allowed to express them without something really bad happening"?
Raven paused, but knew she couldn't lie...Beastboy already knew the truth anyway and was just waiting for an answer.
"Yes,..I can."
"Then why..."
"I just don't know how." Raven answered before Beastboy finished the question. She closed her eyes, as if to block everything out.
"What do you mean?" Beastboy asked.
"I've spent so much time learning how to control my emotions..." Raven began in a sad tone, "That I'm just not sure how to express them anymore."
A slight chuckle from Beastboy caused her to glare over at him.
"That's not funny," She snapped.
"Sorry..." Beastboy apologized with a smile. "It's just that...you'll never learn how to show emotions if you keep trying to hide them."
Ravens glare vanished.
"Raven, if something makes you sad then cry..." Beastboy replied, taking a step towards her. "If you're angry, yell. I know you can do that."
Raven smirked some and he stepped closer.
"If you're happy, smile..." Beastboy paused, then smirked. "And if you think the sight of my underwear and pizza covered face is funny...then laugh."
Raven smiled softly and looked down.
"You make it sound so easy," She said after some time.
"It is," Beastboy replied. "You just need some practice."
Raven made a 'hmm' sound as she looked down at the ground, and Beastboy couldn't help but smile at her thoughtful expression.
"So..." he said with a sly smile. "Do you really think I'm funny?"
Raven looked over at him condescendingly.
"Come on, Raven." Beastboy whined. "No way are you going to tell me that I'm not funny."
Raven sighed and turned towards him.
"Okay Beastboy, I'm only saying this once, so listen and listen closely."
Beastboy nodded eagerly and Raven sighed again.
"Yes Beastboy...I think you're funny."
"But not those jokes you tell." she added.
"Do you mean I look funny then...or smell funny..." Beastboy asked with a confused stare.
Raven closed her eyes with a sigh and shook her head.
"DUDE, are you saying I'm gay?!" Beastboy asked, looking outraged.
"What!" Raven exclaimed looking up. "No Beastboy, not like that."
'Thank Azar,' Love piped in.
"Oh," Beastboy said calmly. "Then what."
"Some of the things you say...and the way you act," she mumbled. "You're a lot funnier when you're not trying to be."
"I am?" Beastboy asked, "How do I do that?"
Raven looked up at him, gently.
"Just be yourself."
'Just be myself...' Beastboy thought .
Raven frowned as Beastboy looked down in deep thought.
"What if ...I'm not sure who I am." Beastboy asked.
"I can help you there," Raven replied as Beastboy looked up at her.
"You can?" He asked and Raven nodded.
"You're Beastboy."
Beastboy smirked. "Way to be descriptive," he replied.
"Okay then," Raven said. "You never run from a fight, you're always more concerned about your friends than you are yourself, you seem to find the humor in even the worst situations, you're faithful to those you care about, you're smart even if you don't act it sometimes, you're funny, but you'll smile even when you're hurting inside."
Raven paused and her voice lowered some.
"And you're…my best friend."
Though surprised by Raven's rather specific description of him, Beastboy smiled kindly at her, feeling more than a little honored that Raven thought that much of him. Beastboy knew that she didn't hate him, but for her to say that he was her best friend, well, that meant the world to him.
He looked at her and smiled softly.
"I thought you were only going to tell me I was funny once."
Raven rolled her eyes.
"Come on," she replied turning to walk away. "Lets go inside. It's getting late."
"Whatever you say," Beastboy shrugged, catching up with her.
"Oh...I almost forgot," Beastboy said.
Raven looked back at him questioningly and he grinned.
"You're my best friend too, Rae."
"It's Raven," she replied softly, though her smiled seemed to suggest that she didn't mind.
"Yeah, I know," Beastboy nodded and Raven shook her head and turned back around.
'What are you wanting for?' came the voice in Beastboy's head. 'She's yours for the taking...'
Beastboy stopped walking and frowned angrily.
'Shut up!' Beastboy mentally screamed. 'Raven's my friend and...'
'She's more than that and you know it,' the voice snarled back.
"Beastboy?" Raven asked, looking back. "Are you coming or not?"
"Yeah..." Beastboy said, "You go ahead and," he paused, still frowning. "I'll catch up."
Raven nodded with a slightly concerned look and then turned to leave.
Once he was sure he was alone, Beastboy sighed.
"Okay Beastboy, calm down," he told himself. "You were not just having an argument with yourself over Raven."
Beastboy frowned as he looked down at the ground. Raven had been making him feel really strange lately, but not exactly in a bad way. Actually, the feeling was really nice. He couldn't quite place it though, almost like he..
He shook his head and grinned to himself. "No, I can't. Raven and I are just...just friends."
'Just friends' he frowned with slight doubt. 'Right?'
"I mean, she's a great person and all- she's smart and understanding, she cares about her friends..." he said to himself. "She's even funny, not to mention easy to talk to, and a lot of fun to be around lately, and of course beautiful..."
Beastboy paused and his eyes widened.
"Oh, man...I, I like her, don't I?"
He paused again, the panic that had jolted through him slowly easing.
"Is there something wrong with that?" he wondered out loud.
An image of Raven flashed before his eyes, the memory of her kind words echoed through his head, and the feeling of warmth that he felt when near her returned.
"No." he replied with a goofy smile. "Nothings wrong with that."
Owwww...Now Beastboy knows how he feels about Raven...what will happen next...I'm not sure ...I make this stuff up as I go along...Hehe.
Thank you secondrate...you did a great job fixing my mistakes...I appreciate it...
Everyone please review.