I would sell my soul for the rights to the Teen Titans. Maybe.
Raven let out a frustrated sigh as she attempted to focus on the trashy tabloid in front of her. She was really regretting ever agreeing to "do the hanging of the out" with Starfire. Apparently, what constituted as fun for the alien consisted of admiring the photo-shopped pictures of over-rated celebrities.
"Oh! It is the doppel of your ganger, Raven!"
The empath blinked in confusion as she translated the redhead's words into English. "My doppelganger?"
Starfire nodded her head animatedly as she pointed to the dark-haired actress on the cover of one of the many magazines. Raven knitted her brows together thoughtfully as she inspected the woman's appearance. Despite having denied it days earlier, Raven could see a slight resemblance between her and Cyborg's former celebrity crush (Robin's ill-timed discovery of the resemblance had caused Cyborg to shudder uncomfortably anytime he now saw the girl).
Yes, Raven could acknowledge (to herself) that she did look a bit like the A-lister. Though she'd still stand by her opinion that Ms. Jergens was much prettier.
"Maybe I should suggest to Robin some mandatory eye exams, because it seems as though you all have gone blind."
Starfire merely giggled as she began flipping through the magazine, before gasping in delight.
"Oh!" she exclaimed, as her slender, orange finger pointed to a picture of a blonde actress. "Is that style of hair not most glorious!"
Raven tucked her own hair behind her ear and leaned closer to get a better look. The actress was very pretty, as was her elegant up-do. It was braided at the crown, while the rest of it was tucked to the side in a chiffon bun. A few stray pieces framed the woman's face, giving the whole look a very natural, effortless feel. Raven felt a pang of envy shoot through her when she realized that the style would look absolutely gorgeous on her already stunning teammate.
In an attempt to distract herself, she looked up for a moment, only to be reminded that the changeling was also enjoying some leisurely time on the rooftop. She held back a small smirk as she watched him lazily browse through his comic books. Suppressing the urge to roll her eyes, she redirected her gaze to the picture of the actress.
"It's stunning, Star. You should definitely do that," she replied with a subdued smile.
The alien grinned cheerfully as she bookmarked the page, and Raven let out a small sigh, before her eyes drifted back to her green teammate.
She felt her cheeks heat up in embarrassment as their gazes locked, and she quickly looked away. She could sense a content feeling radiating from Beast Boy, as well as a sudden wave of excitement. Suppressing another smirk, she wondered idly if he had been thinking about her. She wouldn't be surprised if he was; after confessing her crush to Starfire, the alien had been going out of her way to keep the two of them from fighting, since she believed their bantering would never lead to "the romance". Raven had to scold herself silently to keep from laughing out loud at the redhead's logic.
The corners of her mouth tugged upwards regardless as she turned the page of her magazine. Starfire shifted slightly beside her, before letting out a weary sigh.
"Well, I do not wish to do the ditching, but the nature is calling." Starfire punctuated her sentence with a curt nod as she brought herself to her feet. She then cleared her throat awkwardly, before leaning down to whisper, "I believe that is how one politely excuses themselves to use the lavatories, am I correct?"
Raven snorted in amusement at how clueless her alien teammate could be. Her mind grudgingly added adorably naïve to the ever-growing list of comparisons between them. She knew it was unhealthy, but a small part of her mind (most likely consisting of her more subdued emotions) had a habit of remembering all the reasons to be envious of the redhead.
"That's one way to put it," Raven smirked.
Starfire smiled brilliantly, before flying over to the roof's entrance. "I shall return shortly!"
Raven watched as the alien's ever-flowing hair descended through the door and down the stairs, before she let out an exasperated groan. The upcoming ball was just a constant reminder of how dull she was compared to her prettier teammate. It also served as an excellent way to drain any ounce of self-esteem she may have had - at least when it came to her appearance. Honestly, the only upside was the fact that Beast Boy was her date.
With that in mind, she turned her head to catch another glimpse of her green teammate, but found that the spot he was occupying was now empty. Her brows arched in confusion at his sudden disappearance - he hadn't gone back down, since she would have seen him. Perhaps he had just flown away? Or maybe he -
"Whatcha doing, Rae?"
- decided to sit down right next to her.
Raven blinked in surprise as she regarded the changeling. He sat cross-legged in Starfire's spot, a cheeky smile on his face as his hands toyed with one of the magazines.
"Just..." Raven began slowly, suddenly feeling very self-conscious. She was never really one to care too much about her appearance, and she didn't want Beast Boy to think that this kind of stuff was important to her. "Just humoring Starfire," she finished weakly.
Her green teammate nodded absently as he opened the magazine in his hands. He idly flipped through a few pages, before setting it down between them.
"That one," he announced abruptly as his green finger pointed to the middle of the page.
Raven glanced at it, before her eyes returned to Beast Boy. "Seriously?" she deadpanned.
Another cheeky grin consumed the changeling's face in reply.
Her eyes darted back to the page skeptically. The picture in question was actually of her and Starfire, adorned in their regular, superhero attire. The magazine had written a short article on the two heroines, much to Starfire's delight. She had deemed the whole thing "a most joyful experience", and had coveted several issues of the magazine as "the reminding token". Raven had simply put the occasion in the recesses of her mind, for her experience was less joyful. Like she had observed earlier, the magazines were nothing but trashy tabloids, catering to the beautiful. Starfire, being the definition of gorgeous, was treated like a queen on the set of their little photo shoot. They had waited on her hand and foot, while treating Raven like the alien's assistant. Sure, Raven's tea was made to her exact specifications, and her chair was no less comfortable than Starfire's, but she could sense the discrimination. One brave soul had even made the claim that the empath was a diva - though the mouthy brunette had apologized after a verbal-lashing, courtesy of Robin, who had tagged along (at Starfire's request).
Regardless, Raven did not enjoy her time. Nor did she care for the picture they had chosen for the article. Starfire was, of course, flawless; her orange skin practically glowing through the picture, and her perfect red hair shining brilliantly, along with her smile. Raven, on the other hand, looked rather pissed - though her face at rest tended to look that way. But still, it wasn't the most flattering picture - especially with the way her hair had been that day.
Which lead the empath to ask herself a befuddling question: Why the hell would Beast Boy suggest that?!
Her expression must have displayed her confusion, for the changeling was suddenly chuckling to himself.
"What's so funny?" Raven cringed internally at how harsh she sounded, but the unwavering smile on Beast Boy's face assured her that he hadn't been offended.
"You," he smirked, shrugging his shoulders in a way that Raven shouldn't have found cute. Ignoring her more girly responses, Raven narrowed her eyes.
"I don't do funny, Beast Boy," she deadpanned. "Care to elaborate?"
Her green teammate let out a labored sigh as his finger traced along the magazine absently. "I just think it's funny how you claim to hate all this stuff, yet when I suggest that you just keep your hair the same, you look at me like I'm crazy."
Raven berated herself silently for a minute at his valid reason. She had hoped that she wasn't so transparent, but Beast Boy obviously saw right through her act. Sure, appearance wasn't at the top of her priorities, but it still made the list. She was, after all, a teenaged girl. Her self-esteem tied in with how others viewed her, and always being compared to a girl like Starfire really took its toll.
"It's different," she supplied lamely, knowing that her teammate wouldn't buy in to her excuse.
"How so?"
She wanted to phase through the roof, or maybe blast him into the bay - anything to avoid this conversation. Especially since she could feel his friendly affection pouring off of him and onto her. Usually she'd bask in its warmth, but today she preferred her icy exterior un-melted.
"It just is," she defended weakly. "This is a... formal occasion. And we all have to look our best, and my usual hairdo just won't cut it."
She watched as Beast Boy nodded his head slowly, obviously mulling over her words.
"Well, can I be completely honest right now?" he asked suddenly, his voice taking on a more serious note. Raven could still see the warmth in his green eyes, and wasn't sure whether or not he was actually being serious.
"If you must," she replied monotonously.
Beast Boy's hand immediately began rubbing the back of his neck - a sure indicator that he was nervous. A sudden wave of anxiety washed over Raven as well, justifying her assumption. She could feel her own excitement rushing over her skin as she anticipated his words. Could he perhaps be confessing his feelings to her? Seeing her so self-conscious must not be something enjoyable for him, since he thrived on making her smile.
"Well, I-I mean, we've established that you're, uh... pretty," he began shyly, his eyes suddenly avoiding hers. Raven felt the all-too-familiar fluttering in her stomach at the pang of embarrassment that hit her senses as the green teen shifted uncomfortably in his seat.
"So, I... I just figured that since you're... you know, pretty," he continued, fumbling over his words in an incredibly endearing, yet slightly frustrating way, "you, uh... you wouldn't need to do much to look good."
He finished his confession with another shrug as his eyes met hers for a moment, before darting away again.
Raven wasn't sure what to say. Sure, it hadn't been the confession she was hoping for, but it helped solidify her suspicions. Beast Boy had to feel something more for her than just friendship; there wasn't any other explanation for his timidity and awkwardness. Well, there was, but she didn't want to acknowledge it.
Instead, she focused on all of the signs that pointed to him returning her feelings.
"Thank you," she whispered shyly. It wasn't often she received unprovoked compliments from him. But despite his incredibly flattering explanation, Raven knew that her limp, pin-straight hair wouldn't make the cut. "But I still need to do something different with my hair. It is a special occasion, after all."
Thankfully, Beast Boy accepted her reasoning with a defeated sigh. "Alright, Rae - you're the girl. You obviously know more about this kinda thing than me!"
Raven smirked at his submission as she returned her sights to the magazine she had been previously looking through. Before Starfire had left for the restroom, the empath had found a style that could possibly work. It was simple enough for her to do herself, but still incredibly elegant. She was going to wait for the alien's approval, but seeing how her date was conveniently beside her, she decided to ask his opinion instead.
"What do you think of this one?"
His surprise was shown clearly on his face as his eyes widened slightly. It wasn't often that Raven asked his opinion, so she wasn't offended by his reaction. His eyes scanned over the picture she was pointing to quickly, before a subdued smile crept onto his face.
"That one's nice, Rae."
Cutesy-bonding is cute! And a stuttering BB is cute! And a flattered Raven is cute! And a litter of fluffy kittens is cute!
I hope this chapter was cute! Cute enough for a review, even! I mean, dudes! We're almost to 500! That's insane!