No Excuses 7 - Changes
Okay then, we got a look in Beast Boy's head and Raven's imaginings became a lot less symbolic. Let's see what happens next!
Beast Boy awoke with a start. Someone was shaking his shoulder. With blinking eyes, he stared up at his attacker: red and green uniform, spiky hair and domino mask.
"Robin?" he asked, groggily. He glanced at his bedside clock. It read 5:00 am. He groaned into his pillow. "Dude! Why do you hate me? Why are you even in he-"
"I've found out where the letters came from," Robin interrupted, quietly. Beast Boy stopped complaining in a heartbeat. Several of his more savage animal instincts reared their heads inside him, rendering him wide awake.
"You found him?" Beast Boy asked. After Robin had acquired Raven's offensive fan mail, Beast Boy had scented all of them: they all smelled the same. There was only one target. Robin nodded to answer his question and Beast Boy swung out of bed, grabbing a uniform while Robin waited in the corridor. As they made their way to the garage, they were silent so as not to wake the others. Especially Raven. Thinking of her, Beast Boy suffered a flash of doubt: she would be very upset with them when she found out about this and he was certain she would. She was extremely perceptive. He fought it off, however. After all, it wasn't like he could hurt his chances with her - he didn't have a chance. Besides, it was easier to ask for forgiveness than permission. Once they were in the elevator, away from the bedrooms, Robin began to speak.
"We're in luck. This guy is right here in Jump City." To Robin's surprise, the information only seemed to upset the changeling even more. "Something wrong, Beast Boy? Besides the obvious, that is?" he asked.
"If he's here, he knows what Raven does every day to safeguard this city. He's probably seen it up close once or twice or on the news. And he still does that. Man, I'm totally ready to get this guy," Beast Boy growled, fists clenched. Robin said nothing. He felt much the same way himself. Soon they were on the back of Robin's R-Cycle, speeding toward the city. Beast Boy noted they were heading for the suburban outskirts as his thoughts, inevitably, drifted toward the sorceress herself.
Raven entered the common room, unsurprised to see no one there. She made her way to the kitchen and prepared her tea. As she waited for the water to boil, she eyed the garish packaging that surrounded Beast Boy's cereal. With a thought, a few pieces flew from the box and into her waiting hand. She casually munched on them while leaning against the countertop. A few minutes later she sat in her spot on the couch, watching the sky and sipping her tea. Once the tea was gone, she assumed her typical lotus position and floated into the air, reciting her mantra as she meditated. Robin had still not arrived but she paid it little mind. Her mind was drawn back to the real world when the doors opened and Cyborg walked in, studying a scrap of paper in his hand. Raven, having checked the clock and seeing she had meditated for a good hour, finally deemed it unusual for Robin not to have shown himself.
"No Robin? That's unusual," Raven said. Cyborg simply waved the scrap in his hand as he started his breakfast.
"Apparently he took Beast Boy and went on some tracking mission. No risk but BB's powers might be useful, it says. You want waffles, Raven?" Cyborg was already preparing his ingredients.
"Yes, please," Raven replied. She returned her gaze to the window, pondering what or whom Robin had Beast Boy searching for. Her eyes widened a little when an idea popped into her head: the letters. She couldn't ask Cyborg, he didn't even know of the letters. But hadn't she persuaded Beast Boy to leave it alone? She told herself she had no proof, that they could be doing any number of things... but she was still very quiet while she ate her waffles. As she ate, she tried to locate Beast Boy with her empathic senses, searching for the beacon that represented his aura. Her eyes snapped open when she couldn't find it. She sighed in frustration: the covert nature of his actions meant Beast Boy must be subconsciously suppressing his emotions again. She couldn't find him. She recalled the anger she had felt from him and from Robin regarding the letters and, despite the things that the sender had written, found a shred of sympathy. Her greatest concern was Beast Boy. Robin wasn't just a hero but a vigilante, used to the grey areas between justice and retribution. Beast Boy didn't have Batman guiding him and she hoped he wouldn't stray too far from his ideals in her name. She finished her waffles but barely tasted them, staring out the window. Unable to quell her suspicions, she pulled out her communicator and dialled Beast Boy...
Slight rewind for more of BB's perspective.
There he was. Sitting in his apartment. Beast Boy had tracked his scent all the way from the post office. It had got pretty confusing, this guy clearly walked around this area a lot, but he had found him at last. As confirmation, he had entered the apartment as an insect, briefly shifting to a small dog to check the scent. It was him. He exited the same way he had entered and returned to Robin, waiting on the roof of the building across the road. Robin's eyes held a silent question. Beast Boy nodded.
"It's him. No doubt." At Beast Boy's answer, Robin's eyes narrowed slightly. They both moved, ready to stealthily make their way across the street. Beast Boy had no idea what they might do... likely just scare the guy, let him know he wasn't anonymous any more. His hand shot out and grabbed Robin's arm, who looked back at him curiously.
"Beast Boy?" The green teen's eyes were squeezed shut and he shook his head.
"I can't, Robin. I just can't. I'm going home," Beast Boy finally said.
"What? We spent all this time finding the guy and now you change your mind? I thought you, of all people, would want to put a little fear into this guy," Robin returned.
"I know... I do! But I shouldn't. Remember what Raven told me? She said 'that's not what heroes do.' And she was right. I couldn't bear to see her... disappointed in me like that. She'll feel even worse if you do something, Robin," Beast Boy said.
"What? Why me?" Robin asked. Beast Boy grimaced a little, like the words he was about to say tasted bitter.
"Because you're not just a hero. You're her hero... and she needs that." Robin looked back at the apartment, all the purpose and anger drained from him. He quirked a smile at Beast Boy.
"You really like her, huh?" he asked.
"I do... but that isn't why I said all that," Beast Boy replied.
"Then why?" Robin asked. Beast Boy was quiet, then he smiled a wistful smile and looked up at the sky.
"Because she's my hero," Beast Boy sighed. "I think I'll fly home. I'll see you back at the tower." Robin nodded, discreetly noting the apartment number and address before disappearing from the roof. Beast Boy looked back up at the sky, feeling oddly pleased with himself. Then his communicator rang. He flipped it open.
"Beast Boy?" said Raven's voice, her face appearing on the screen.
"Raven?! Uh... hey," Beast Boy said, weakly. Raven frowned at him.
"You and Robin, you didn't go looking for that guy, did you?" Beast Boy's heart sank. Despite his last minute change of heart, he was still about to disappoint Raven.
"We did, Rae... but we changed our minds. We left the guy alone." He kept his gaze away from the communicator, avoiding her eyes. Even so, he caught her sigh of relief.
"That's good. That's good, Beast Boy," Raven answered. Cautiously, Beast Boy looked back at her: there was no disappointment, just that tiny smile that made his stomach warm. "Are you coming back home now?" Raven asked.
"Yeah, I guess. I might fly around a little, it's a nice day," Beast Boy said. Raven nodded.
"Okay... I'll see you soon." With that, she was gone. The way she had spoken those last words... Beast Boy fought to squash the spark of hope that appeared in the back of his mind but it stubbornly refused to vanish. Sighing, he took to the air as a hawk and took a scenic route home. Raven, closing her communicator, blew out another relieved sigh. Her face creased into a frown again, however, as she recalled the gymnastics her heart and stomach had been doing while she worried over the changeling. She stood and walked to her room, reluctantly picking up her meditation mirror and letting herself be pulled inside. When she arrived, she once again found herself with a group of emotions: Happy, Timid, Affection, Knowledge and Brave. When they saw Raven, Affection stepped forward.
"I think you're probably looking for me, yes?" the emotion asked. Raven folded her arms grumpily but nodded.
"Yes... Beast Boy. I... We... You..." Raven grumbled incoherently. Why was this so hard to say? Affection spoke for her.
"I like him. We like him. Because you like him. And before you backtrack, I mean to say you are romantically attracted to him." Raven stared at her emotion tiredly... yet she didn't seem surprised.
"How did this happen? I never felt anything like this for him before!" Raven said, tensely.
"Things change..." Knowledge supplied, helpfully. Affection laughed and shook her head.
"How does it ever happen? It might not have been entirely by choice but he bared his soul to you and you liked what you saw. And, while we're all being so honest, you've always found him slightly adorable... when he wasn't being obnoxious anyway. His immaturity meant you never gave him any serious consideration beyond that. Looks like you've been considering a lot in the last few days." Raven sat on the ground, head in hands.
"Me and Beast Boy? I can't wrap my head around this!" Raven said, Timid whimpering in nervous agreement. Affection knelt by Raven's side, hand on her shoulder.
"You've hit the nail on the head, Raven: You and Beast Boy. You should tell him." Raven gave her emotion a glare, letting her know exactly what she though of that. "But why not, Raven? You know he won't reject you. He loves you!" The other emotions waited for Raven's reply. She was quiet for a long moment.
"If I do, everything..." Raven started, falling quiet again.
"Everything will change," Timid finished for her. Knowledge knelt with Affection.
"Things change," she repeated. "In fact, things have already changed. You may wish for everything to go back to the way it was before but wishing won't make it so." Raven listened in silence. Abruptly, she stood and vanished, exiting her mindscape. The emotions looked at each other.
"You think she'll go through with it?" asked Happy. Knowledge shrugged.
"I do not know, which means she doesn't know either." Affection remained quiet. From her viewpoint, she had seen that Raven, despite her worry, had worn a tiny but genuine smile.
Raven emerged from her room, her questions answered but no less confused. Not knowing what else to do, she returned to the common room, intent on another cup of tea. When she arrived, she saw that Robin had returned home, his expression becoming mildly contrite when he saw her, mainly because her frown left him in no doubt: she knew where they had gone. He walked to her side so they might speak without Cyborg overhearing.
"Judging by that look, I don't have to think of a cover story for this morning," he said.
"You judge correctly. I spoke to Beast Boy. He told me everything," Raven responded. Robin's eyes widened. Beast Boy had been adamant she wouldn't discover what they had done.
"I'm surprised he came clean so easily. Especially after what he said..." Raven quirked a brow at Robin's words.
"What did he say?" she asked. Believing she already knew the bulk of it, Robin related their actions and conversation, having the decency to blush when Beast Boy told him he was Raven's hero. Raven, to her credit, maintained her usual demeanour, though her heart swelled at his consideration. Just as Robin finished, the doors opened again and Beast Boy walked in, looking between Robin and Raven. Robin made himself scarce, collecting Cyborg as he went. Left alone, Beast Boy quailed under Raven's lingering gaze.
"Um... hi, Raven," Beast Boy tried. Raven remained silent. A few long and uncomfortable moments passed until she finally spoke.
"Robin told me about this morning. His account was a little more... detailed." Beast Boy winced a little, hoping that didn't include his little speech. "You were only half-right, though, when you called Robin my hero..."
"He told you about that?" Beast Boy whined. Raven nodded, expression still neutral.
"He did. But, as I was saying, you were only half-right." With that, Raven drew the astonished changeling into a gentle embrace.
"H-Half-right?" Beast Boy stuttered.
"Yes. Because, I am lucky enough to say I have more than one hero," Raven finished, pulling back to look into his eyes. Her eyes and expression had softened, a little playfulness showing itself. Beast Boy blushed as her compliment left him with stinging eyes. There were no tears but only because he actively resisted. He grinned and chuckled nervously. Then, to his further surprise, Raven moved away from him and stared out the window. "You're right, Beast Boy: it is a nice day. If you're up to it, would you like to come flying with me?" Beast Boy stared dumbly for a moment before nodding so violently he almost broke his neck. The pair made their way to the roof, Raven feeling almost as nervous as her green companion. Once they reached the roof, they wasted no time and took to the air, Beast Boy switching forms as it pleased him, weaving around Raven's flight path. He noticed that, while she smiled, she didn't seem to be especially enjoying herself. He shifted back to a human in front of her and, reacting quickly, Raven conjured a disc for him to stand on.
"Everything okay, Raven? You don't look like you're enjoying yourself..." Raven raised a hand to stop him.
"I am, as much as I can. Flight requires focus so, while I can take pleasure, I have to remain calm or I drop out of the sky." Beast Boy pondered this for a second. Then, a burst of nerves and indecision rocked Raven's empathic senses as he fidgeted.
"What if... What if I carried you?" he said, blushing again. He was already arguing with himself over saying something so stupid, Raven could see the turmoil in his aura.
"Okay," she responded simply. Beast Boy goggled at her for a few seconds, not quite believing his luck, before shifting into a pterosaur. Raven lowered herself onto his back, wrapping her arms around his neck, letting him take off before allowing the disc to fade away. While Raven still had to maintain enough control to keep her powers in check, she permitted herself to indulge in a little fun, smiling and even occasionally laughing as Beast Boy swooped and dove through the air. He would have happily kept flying for the rest of time but, inevitably, he tired out and flew them back to the tower. Raven hopped to the roof and the green dinosaur was replaced by a fatigued Beast Boy, exhausted but grinning.
"That was fun, Rae. We should do this again," Beast Boy said. There was no reply. He turned to look at Raven: she was giving him an unusual look. It felt eerily similar to the look she gave him in her room before she apologetically rejected his feelings. He suddenly regretted his words, thinking they sounded too much like asking her out. His nervousness reappeared, growing in the silence until Raven finally spoke.
"Beast Boy. Garfield," she started. Beast Boy frantically wondered if the use of his real name was a good or bad sign. "I know we've talked before about things changing... because that's what things do sometimes. They change. And if and when they do change, we can't change that." Beast Boy was now thoroughly confused. Even Raven seemed a little bemused by her own words. "And sometimes, one of those things that changes can be thoughts. Or opinions. Or feelings. Or all three. And sometimes people don't realise those things are changing. But they can change. So we shouldn't assume they won't." Beast Boy was totally lost now.
"Is this your way of telling me I'll get over you one day? Cos I'll be honest, Rae, you're losing me here." Raven rubbed her temples. Despite her calm outward appearance, whenever she spoke it felt like Timid was choking nonsense out of her.
"No, not that..." Raven considered trying again but instead turned and headed toward the door, leaving a troubled Beast Boy behind her... until a green cloaked emotion took the reins and gave Raven a much-needed jolt. Raven turned back towards the changeling, hands on hips and an amused smirk on her lips. She marched toward him and, unconsciously mirroring the event that started everything, pulled Beast Boy into a kiss. His eyes were wide and unfocused, his hands in the air. When Raven pulled away, sporting a satisfied smile and a light blush, she caught his eye and spoke. "Was that clear enough for you, Garfield?" she asked, a hint of humour in her voice.
"Um... uhhh?" Beast Boy answered, though his eyes finally focused on hers. She shook her head and sighed, her blush intensifying a little.
"As I thought. I suppose I'll just have to repeat myself." WIth that, she leaned in again, more slowly this time, and planted a lingering kiss on Beast Boy's lips. Finally, reality sank in and he returned her kiss, his arms cautiously finding her waist. When they eventually broke the kiss, Raven was pleased to see Beast Boy's beaming smile, which was quickly accompanied by quiet but overjoyed laughter. "It looks like I finally made myself understood," Raven said, affectionate sarcasm lacing her words. Beast Boy's grin morphed into a mischievous smirk.
"Oh, I dunno Rae, you know me: sometimes it takes three or four attempts for me to understand you. Or five. Or six. Or fifty!" Raven laughed with him then.
"No excuses, Garfield. If you want to kiss your girlfriend, just ask and, if she's in the mood, you will probably receive," Raven said. Beast Boy would normally have laughed at her rather conditional response but his smile had vanished into yet another stammer.
"G-g-g-g-g-girlfriend?!" he spluttered.
"Of course... unless you think I'm the type of girl who just goes about kissing random superheroes." Raven accused. Beast Boy forced a laugh through his nervous smile and raised his hands in surrender.
"Okay, I give! I surrender..." Beast Boy said.
"And?" Raven encouraged.
"And... I would really, really like to kiss you." Beast Boy whispered. Raven's smirk transformed into a smile.
"Then what are you waiting for?" Raven challenged. Beast Boy blew out a nervous sigh: as far as he remembered, he and Raven had now kissed three times, all initiated by Raven. Rather than her waist, his right hand landed on her shoulder, his left moving up to brush a lock of violet hair behind her ear before moving to the back of her neck. He tipped his head to the right and leaned in, seeing Raven do the same. Their lips met and Raven's empathic sense was almost blinded by the explosion of joy and desire in his aura. Their bliss was interrupted however, when the door opened. Starfire, feeling in the mood for flying as well, had caught them in the act.
"Oh my!" she squeaked, causing the pair to break apart and stare at her. "My friends have found the romance with each other. How wonderful! I must tell the others." Before Raven and Beast Boy could even articulate a response, Starfire was gone again to spread the word. Beast Boy chuckled sheepishly.
"If you like, Rae, we could tell them I got hypno-fried again..." Raven shook her head.
"What did I say, Garfield?" she asked, pointedly. He grinned.
"No excuses." With that he bravely clutched her hand and they headed for the door to face their friends.
THE END
So there it is! When I started writing this chapter, I had no idea it would be the end but, when the idea popped up, it seemed perfect! It did make it slightly longer than my average chapter, however. Meh. I actually really like how it worked out, we've had this really slow build up and then... SNAP! It hits a critical point where Raven consciously realises what's going on and everything just snowballs. Let me know how you like it, peeps!
-Jack