Just to clarify, there will likely be more one-shots in this collection in the future. I'm not done writing I'm just done with this little 'one word prompt' exercise, haha. Sorry guys. Some of the reviews sounded a little heartbroken. I really appreciate it. But never fear, I don't think my work is done here yet. BUT, I have recently picked up two longtime hiatus-ized stories for two different fandoms, so it might be awhile before I post anything for TT. I know I have two other unfinished stories here but to be fair, the other ones came first haha. And besides, I finished Birds in the Rain which is really more than I ever planned to do haha. Love you guys. Enjoy this one. It felt right ending this exercise on this story, for some reason.

. . .

Immortality

. . .

Beast Boy crumpled up his ice cream wrapper and launched it across the walkway at the trashcan, sinking dejectedly onto the bench when he missed. Raven woke from her reverie in order to move it from the pavement into the bin with a flick of her wrist.

"Okay, what gives?" Beast Boy threw his hands up and rounded on her as she sat by him. "Are you mad at me or what? What did I do?"

"I'm not mad." She folded her arms and waited for him to chill out.

"You haven't spoken a word to me since we got here. You didn't have to say yes, you know, we could've just stayed home today. I wouldn't have minded. If you're not mad then why are you acting so dang withdrawn?"

Her eyebrow twitched. He was really clueless sometimes. "I'm not mad, Gar. I'm just feeling pensive this morning." It was the heavy layer of clouds that had settled low on the city overnight. The skyscrapers left long rippling trails, like islands in the sea. Cloudy days always got her thinking.

His mood shifted as he thought over what she said. "Oh." He scooted closer and threw one arm up over the back of the park bench. "Whatcha thinkin' about?"

She eyed him, weighing her words. He'd been so eager to get outside and enjoy the nice weather. Should she really ruin his day with the depressing thoughts that had been circling her head like carrion?

"Come on," he urged happily. "You promised you'd always be honest with me when we got married. It was in your vows, remember?"

She pinched the bridge of her nose. How could she forget when he reminded her every single day? Why had she ever included that part, again? "Alright," she relented. "I've been thinking about mortality a lot this morning."

He pulled a face. Yikes flashed like a neon road sign behind his eyes. "Mortality, huh? That's some heavy stuff for 10am, Rae."

"Well, I…" Damn, why did she have to include that part about honesty in her vows? "I have to come clean about something else as well. Something I did."

His face grew hard. "You been sleeping with the milkman again? I told you we were finished if you-"

"Can you please be serious for a second?"

He scooted even closer and pulled her into his side. "Come on, lighten up," he laughed. "Go ahead, come clean. It can't be that bad."

"While you were still sleeping this morning I… tried something." She leaned away and threaded her fingers into the hair at the very base of his scalp, where his forest green hair began its subtle fade into peppered gray. It was still relatively new. She'd noticed it last time he'd gotten his hair cut. Of course he'd had a minor meltdown when she pointed it out, but he'd quickly grown used to it and was starting to actually like it. It makes me look more mature than I actually am, he'd joke. Finally, she'd respond. It only took you forty years to grow up.

But that morning when she'd woken to the gray sky she had been overwhelmed with melancholy as she watched him snore. It seemed only yesterday they had been children together, yet here they were with their first gray hairs.

"What?" Beast Boy pulled her hand out of his hair and held it to his chest, growing concerned at her silence. "What'd you do?"

Raven looked away. "I tried to fix your hair. I should have asked first. I'm sorry."

He blinked at her, not understanding. "Fix it? What are you talking about? What's wrong with my hair?" He frantically felt at his head, like he'd find gum stuck fast in there somewhere.

"No, no, I tried to heal your gray patch. I thought maybe I could. It didn't work though, and anyway I should have asked."

He let his hands drop to his lap. It took a moment for him to respond. "Why would you do that?"

She blinked, surprised that her eyes had begun to water. "I wanted to know if my healing powers could heal the effects of aging. I suppose they can't."

"Hey, hey, it's alright." She let him hug her close and closed her eyes as he kissed her on the temple. "It's just a few gray hairs. We still have a lot of time left, Rae. So much time."

"Time is finite."

Beast Boy laughed. "Sure, yeah. So we're not immortal. Go figure. It was a good try, though, I'll hand you that."

"Please be serious."

"I am, love. I am. Everyone grows old and everyone dies but at least I get to do it with you. Maybe we don't have forever, but I'll take what I can get, you know?"

She squeezed his hand and rose from the bench. "Yes," she agreed. "I know."

They walked along in contented silence until it began to drizzle. Beast Boy looked up, squinting his eyes at the sky. Raven let some of the rain pool in the palm of her hand and suggested they turn towards home, but he didn't seem to hear her. Instead he frowned at her. "Hey, you're sure you didn't just try to fix it because you didn't like it right?" He patted his neck self-consciously. "Cause I could dye it if you don't like it."

From an inside pocket of her coat she plucked a small umbrella and pressed the button to release it. She held it up high enough for him to duck inside as well, then made him hold it so she could cross her arms scathingly. "You know I would never do that, and furthermore, that I would never ask you to do that."

"Are you sure?" He leaned toward her with an eager glint in his eye. "Cause... I'm not afraid of dying."

After a long dry moment in the safety of the umbrella, he winked down at her.

"Get it?" he prodded. "Cause hair dye? And we were talking about mortality? Hey!"

Raven had already walked away, taking the umbrella with her. But he beamed as rain dripped down his face and drenched his ever unruly hair; he was sure he'd seen her laughing before she turned away.

P.S. Holy fuck am I proud of that pun. Seriously. I have been basking in this pun from the moment it fell out of my brain onto the keyboard. I am never going to top this. In my whole entire life, I will never again speak such a fitting punchline.