"I'm tellin' ya, I was made for picnics, dude! A Beast Boy is a boy of the wilderness! No—Better yet, of the dusty plains and wide-open fields of America! HA! That's where it's at, man! I've got grit!"

"… … ….," I end my long sip of tea and look up from the picnic tabletop with a slight curve to my lips. "Excuse me?"

"Say What?.?" Cyborg tilts his head over from where he's grilling baby-back-ribs. "Lil man, what in god's name are you rambling about?"

"Hehehe….I'm having fun just listening to him," Terra smiles softly.

"You would," I drone.

She sticks her tongue out at me before giggling.

"I mean it!" Beast Boy dramatically leans back and kicks his feet up onto the picnic table in 'cowboy' fashion. "I've got grit! If I wanted to be a rough rider, I could be!"

"Hehehe….says who?" Terra smirks.

"Says me! I've been a bucking bronco! I should sure as fluff know how to ride myself!---Er…. …Okay, th-that didn't sound very good…."

"Beast Boy….," Robin grumbles, trying to control the flaming artery in his upper forehead. "…feet off the table—"

"Dude! Cy's still makin' half the food, and it's not like my feet are dirty—"

"Didn't you turn into a pig along the way here?"

"Pigs are a lot cleaner than you think, man!"

I sip again. "Try convincing people that on Shabat…."

"Please… …," Starfire leans forward with pleading eyes. The wind of the City Park kicks her red follicles into a slight flutter befitting her curious optics. "Do tell me, what is this 'grit'?"

Robin yawns and leans back in his seat, arms folded. "It's an excuse for people in modern times to continue smoking, spitting, and maintaining that every Civil War battlefield have at least two names."

"Oh please, Robin," Terra rolls her blue optics. "What do you know about being Southern? You're the metaphoric son to a butt-kicking man in a batsuit."

"Would you know any more than I have?" Robin yawns again. "The most you and I have ever done then has been sleeping in caves."

"Heh….," Terra smirks. "Touche."

"I'm serious, dudes," Beast Boy plucks a random toothpick out from the center of the table arrangements and chews on it stylishly through the side of his jaw. "All I need is to order some boots and chaps from a magazine and call it a sunset!"

"You do realize most boots and 'chaps' are made of leather, right?" I remark.

"EEP!" Beast Boy falls back onto the ground. Thwomp! "KAFF!—Nngh….How could I be so stupid? Stupid-Stupid-Stupid-Stupid?"

"It boggles the mind…," Cyborg rolls his eyes as he bastes the ribs in BBQ sauce.

"BB!" Terra hops down on the ground and kneels besides the green elf's collapse figure. "Are you all right?"

"(Sniff)—Uh, yeah. I'm fine. Why do you ask?"

"… …Beast Boy, are you crying?"

"(Sniff) Huh? What?"

"I said, are you—"

"Jeez! No, Terra! Why on earth would I be crying from a silly little fall? (Sniff) Cowboys don't (sniff) cry!"

"Awwwww, you ARE crying!"

"I am not!"

"C'Meeeeere!"

"Dah! I don't need a hug! Darn it, I'm not crying! Robin! Tell Terra that cowboys don't cry!"

"Too… …much… … …sun… …in eyes…. .. … …feeling…sleepy…"

"Dang it, Robin! Songbirds like the sun!"

"And cowboys don't cryyyyy," Terra cuddles the green elf below the picnic table's benches.

I shake my head. I hold the teacup and take a breath as the wind and the sun and—

"Hey Rae…."

"Hmm?" I turn and glance up.

Cyborg is dishing out plates of baby-back-ribs. He even has an apron, for the love of Azar— "I just wanna say, it's nice having you join us for once."

I shrug. "For once in an eon, I was bored at the Tower."

"I swear…," Cyborg winks with a smirk and silently confesses to my side of the table alone. "Ever since Terra's joined us.. … …everyone's been a whole lot more cheerful. Especially you."

"Heh…."

"Dare I say I almost saw you smiling a minute ago?"

I swallow. I shift about in my seat….and finally decide on a nonchalant: "So what? I……'ve got grit."

"….heh….really now….YOU, Raven?"

"Well….," I shrug. "More than Beast Boy will ever have in this life at least."

"Hah hah hah!"

I hide my curved lips in the last empty recesses of my teacup.

"Hey! What're you two laughing about up there?"

"None of your business, buckaroo! Ha ha ha!"

"Ugh…. …Pass the tofu ribs, Terra."

"Reach for the skyyy!"

"….Huh? What are you talking ab—DAH! HEHEHE! STOP TICKLING ME!"

"Hehehehe! Make me!"

"Vamoose ya little varmit! You here me—Whoaaaah!"

"Egawds…hahahaha…."

"Heeeee! Picnics are glorious! Are they not, Robin?… .. … …Robin?…. … .. .. ….R-Robin?"

"Zzzzzzzzzzzz….."