Chapter 23
Raven knew the only way she could get her disguised self and her gigantic dress bag into the tower unnoticed was through teleportation. She snuck away into the ladies room at Saks and locked herself in a stall before attempting it.
Once home and safe within the dark walls of her bedroom, she hauled the bag into the closet and shut the door, glad that particular experience was over with.
She glanced at the clock, trying to determine what more she could do with herself. She picked up her mirror and smirked. I think this might be the first time I've actually used this as a mirror. Studying her face, she drew her eyebrows together and frowned.
She wasn't completely naive when it came to the business of dating. She'd been forced to watch enough TV and movies to realize that guys wanted someone pretty, outgoing, feminine, and fun. None of which she could apply to herself.
It was an odd and delightful thing to realize that she really, really wanted to see Beast Boy tonight. She craved his warm presence and missed him already. Their relationship, whatever it was, was just getting started; Raven's goal was to not screw it up.
Raven continued to analyze her reflection in the surface of the mirror. Pretty... Her hair, or rather, her black wig, was what it was, as was the state of her face. She didn't own any makeup and she certainly wasn't about to change that status. Today she bought a dress. That was the extent of her feminine capabilities. While she couldn't hold a candle to someone like Starfire, she figured she wasn't ugly. That was one thing going for her.
As much as the notion of her being outgoing or fun made her want to laugh, she knew she had to make some effort. Raven wiped the contemplative frown off her face and slowly arranged her features into a smile. It was small and still a ways from genuine, but it was passable. And hey, she reminded herself, you're going out on a hot Wednesday date with your boyfriend to see a band.
Raven sighed. "Yeah, I'm the definition of fun."
She glanced at the clock. Five minutes left until 7:30. In an attempt to clear her head of her insecurities, Raven went over the logistics.
Disguise, check. Holo-ring, check. She had found it outside her door as promised and had placed it in her pocket. Transportation was also a check. They would be traveling via teleportation. Raven sighed, nervously fiddling with her fingers.
All that was left to do was wait.
Beast Boy stopped a few feet shy of her door. He wiped his palms on his uniform, checked his breath, and raked a hand through his hair one more time.
This is it, he thought to himself. Our first, er, no, second date. He wasn't sure if the first one counted. Although he liked to think it did, he doubted Raven would agree. He took a deep, calming breath. He just didn't want to screw this up.
Three long-legged strides closed the gap between his position and the door. He reached up and knocked. Almost immediately the door slid open.
Beast Boy was surprised and confused when he saw her. The girl in front of him had long black hair with bangs and was dressed in street clothes. It was definitely Raven, but I took him a few seconds to register that this was her civilian disguise.
"Come in," she said quickly, all but pulling him inside. The door slid shut, enclosing them both in Raven's dark room.
He turned to her. "What's with the disguise? Don't want to be seen together?" It was a logical desire for her to have, especially for someone who valued her privacy so much, but it still stung a bit.
Raven smirked. "Don't worry, you've got one too." Beast Boy watched her quizzically as she pulled something from her pocket and placed it in his outstretched hand.
It was a silver band inlaid with a row of stones, a larger one at the center. His brows drew together as he looked up at her. "Umm, thanks?"
"It's a holo-ring, like the one Cyborg had. Put it on and turn the largest stone." Beast Boy followed he instructions as watched as the illusion spread across his body.
He held out his arms, which were now covered by the sleeves of a sharp leather jacket. Underneath was a black v-neck and a pair of dark wash jeans. What was most remarkable was his skin. No longer green, it was now colored a golden tan from head to toe.
"Dude," he breathed.
Raven seemed just as awestruck as he was. She stood there staring at him, mouth ever-so-slightly agape. Beast Boy puffed his chest out.
"How do I look?"
His comment seemed to pull her from her trance. She rolled her eyes, but Beast Boy could see a cute spread of pink rise on her cheeks. She move towards her dresser and grabbed something on top of it.
"Take a look." He realized she was holding out a mirror-that mirror, if he remembered correctly.
"Oh, no. I'm not touching that," he said with his hands up. Raven let out something halfway between a laugh and a snort but held up the mirror so he could have a look for himself.
His normally shaggy green hair was now blonde, though his eyes remained their usual green. He smiled at himself. He looked good. He just hoped Raven thought so.
After a few seconds she returned the mirror and moved a hand towards the wall, opening another one of her swirling portals.
"Ready?" she asked softly.
"We're not flying?" he asked. He wouldn't dare tell her, but he hated using her powers for transportation. Her magic gave him chills, and not the good kind.
"Fly? And risk messing up my hair?" Raven asked sarcastically. Beast Boy couldn't help but laugh. She put so little thought into how she looked but was so damn beautiful.
"I wonder why I even asked." Grinning, he boldly took her hand and walked right in.
The portal deposited them into an alley. It was narrow, abandoned, and smelled rather unpleasant. Beast Boy looked down at his companion with one brow raised.
"We have to arrive here so no one will see us." She turned towards the mouth of the alley and gestured. "We're headed this way."
As they neared the street Beast Boy saw the glow of evening lights and heard the faint lilting of music. When they emerged he realized they were in the artsy district of town. Eclectic shops, restaurants, and galleries lined the street. She led him down two more blocks, the music growing louder as they approached their destination. Wordlessly, Raven stopped in front of the music's source.
It was a nicely-sized cafe and bar whose sign read Ree's. All of the doors and windows were open, giving some fresh air to the overflow of people inside.
Beast Boy felt a tug on his hand and realized that Raven was still holding it. She pulled him forward and through the door.
The place was crowded and loud with music and chatter. It had a lively, vivacious atmosphere that he didn't think Raven would enjoy. I hope she didn't bring us here just for my sake...
"Rachel!" one of the waitresses called while balancing a tray of food on her shoulder. It took Beast Boy a second to register that she was addressing Raven. "Your usual table is reserved!"
"Thank you," Raven called back before moving further inside. Never mind, he thought with a shake of his head, apparently she's a regular.
Raven made her way across the crowd. Her "usual table" was a booth halfway between the stage and the door with a white sign warning that it was reserved. Raven slid into the booth and Beast Boy took the seat across from her. He looked at her with both eyebrows raised.
Her lips turned up slightly. "This is my favorite cafe. They make the best tea in Jump City. Usually it's subdued and mellow. The rest of the week they have poetry readings and book clubs. But on Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday nights it turns into this," she explained, gesturing to the scene around them. That did make more sense to him, because the way it was tonight didn't seem like Raven at all.
"You must come here a lot for them to reserve a table for you."
She shook her head. "Not exactly. The owner, Ree, knows who I really am. We saved her once and she recognized me. She was an art major. She has a keen eye for faces. I called ahead and told her we were coming." Raven looked uncomfortable talking about it, like she didn't merit the favors. She was truly the most grounded, humble person Beast Boy knew.
The band finished the song they were playing to a round of applause. The lead singer was a tall, tan brunette with an abundance of eyeliner. She spoke with an obvious British accent.
"Thank you. We're moving a little closer to home for me with this next one. You know what it is." With that they moved into the soulful rhythm of Adele.
He kept his attention on her for a few more seconds before returning it to Raven. She seemed uneasy. When he reached across the table to grab her hand, she jumped in surprise.
"Nervous?" he teased.
"Of course not," she quickly supplied, only further proving that she was indeed a little apprehensive about their first real date. She even threw in a forced smile that he had to laugh at.
"You know your real smiles are much prettier."
"I don't do real smiles."
"Yes you do. You smile a lot. Well, not a lot, but more than you used to." She had a contemplative look on her face that told him she hadn't realized she was doing it. Beast Boy took the opportunity to flag a waitress.
"Do you have a wine list?" he asked politely. "Actually can we just have a bottle of your best red?" he amended, in what he knew was probably a weak attempt to impress Raven. He was surprised she didn't ask for ID until he remembered who he was sitting across from. He didn't know how old "Rachel" was, but he doubted it would matter.
Speaking of Rachel, she was giving him a look.
"What?"
"Nothing."
"Then why the look?"
She sighed. "I suppose there's nothing wrong with it, I'm just not a fan of drinking."
"It's wine Raven. In don't think it even counts. You look... like you could use a drink." He was about to say uncomfortable or tense but they had already established that she was "not nervous."
She raised a brow but didn't comment further. They sat in silence again, listening to the music. It was a good thing that was there; otherwise they would have to keep up a conversation, something neither of them seemed adept at right now.
The wine came, serving as a distraction. Beast Boy poured them both glasses, swirled his quickly, and took what would be better described as a gulp than a sip. Raven continued to swirl hers quietly, staring into the glass.
"I think it's done Rae," he offered.
She looked up quickly, pulled from whatever she was thinking about. "Thanks."
He nodded in return. The band moved into another song that he recognized as Imagine Dragons' Demons. He liked the song, but he liked Raven more. He willed his mind to come up with a topic of conversation and ended up spitting out the first thing that came to mind.
"Interesting song choice. Demons." He nodded his head as she narrowed her eyes. "You know, 'cuz your half..." he trailed off, catching the incredulous look on her face. Man, where was I going with that? He tried again.
"So what have you been up to lately?" A fairly straightforward question, but she pursed her lips like she was debating her answer.
"I had to buy a dress today." The look on her face was so disdainful that he had to crack a smile.
"Did Star take you?"
"No. And don't tell her I went. I might have lied to her about already having one."
Beast Boy smirked. That sounded like the Raven he knew. "Did you go to the mall?"
"Unfortunately no. I found this place downtown. I think it had the word 'sack' in the name. Anyways, it was like Starfire's definition of heaven."
"And your definition of hell?"
Raven nodded with a grimace. "I'm still trying to get the stench of perfume out of my clothes."
Beast Boy chuckled at the anecdote while reaching over to pour himself another glass. Seeing that Raven was done with hers, he filled her glass as well. She sighed but accepted it.
"How did the cleaning go?"
"We'll it only took six cans of Lysol, a bottle of Windex, five rolls of paper towels, 13 garbage bags, and one of Cyborg's handheld blowtorches but it looks... presentable."
Raven smiled at this, a big one that almost, almost showed teeth.
"See? There's a smile," he said lightly. Raven rolled her eyes. "I gotta say, I'm getting kinda excited for this party Friday night."
Raven's grin faltered. Oops, right, sore subject. Beast Boy figured that although she was more accepting of it, "excited" would never describe her feelings towards the event.
Her reply confused him more than anything. "It'll be nice," she said softly.
Nothing about her facial expression, voice, or body language indicated that she really thought it to be "nice." She must still be trying to please everyone. Beast Boy didn't say anything, figuring she didn't really want to talk about it. Instead he changed the subject.
"How did you get Cyborg to make me a holo-ring?"
Raven frowned. "Not tactfully. I told him you needed it for party planning and that I lost a bet that required me to help you for a while. Thus the reason I was asking for the ring."
"That's not a horrible excuse."
"No, but he was suspicious all the same. Oh well," she sighed, tipping her glass up to catch the last few drops.
"I really like this place," Beast Boy offered after a moment. It was true; the cafe had a vibrant atmosphere yet wasn't too overwhelming.
Raven grinned. "You should see it on a holiday. I accidentally came here on St Patrick's Day last year and the place was like a zoo."
"How did you 'accidentally' come here?"
Raven threw her hands up in defense. "I didn't know it was St. Patrick's Day. Otherwise I wouldn't have come." She seemed a lot more relaxed. Her lips rested in a small smile and her speech seemed immensely more expressive.
"You don't celebrate on St. Patrick's Day? It's the best holiday of the year! Beer, kissing, pinching, and green. You should have at least stayed for a Guinness."
Raven raised her brows. "Do I even want to know?"
Beast Boy knew she wasn't one for drinking, but this was unacceptable. "Seriously, you've never had a Guinness? It's beer Raven, not some weird Irish custom."
"Sorry. I know I don't get your references and social protocol." She said it with a bit of an edge.
Beast Boy sighed. She didn't get it, did she? "No, you don't. You don't get my jokes, my slang, my references, any of it. We grew up in two different worlds." Her face fell with every word. "But that's what makes you who you are. That's why I like you."
"How?" She interjected softly but intensely. "How do you see my cynical and... dark personality and find attraction?" She sounded incredulous. Beast Boy stared at her for a few seconds before responding.
"Look around. There are dozens of pretty, social, outgoing girls in here. But you... You're not pretty. You're beautiful. You're not social with strangers, but I'd rather spend all day talking with you than anyone else. Everything you say and do is unique and deliberate and different. Believe it or not Raven, you're the funniest, kindest, and most interesting person I know. And you being cynical is bullshit. You're an optimistic, hopeful romantic and everyone knows it. Raven, how could I not like you?"
Apparently the wine was having an affect on him as well. She stared at him. She blinked. She opened her mouth and closed it, taken aback by his speech. He saw a taint of pink in her cheeks.
"Oh," was all she managed to get out. Beast Boy wasn't sure if this was a good reaction or a bad one. He didn't want to overwhelm her so early in the night. He redirected the conversation back to lighter territory.
"So you've never had a Guinness, huh?" Raven relaxed her posture a bit and shook her head no. A smile crept onto Beast Boy's face. "Well we'll have to fix that."
Raven finally found some words. "No way. I've already had two glasses of wine. I don't need a beer on top of that."
"Oh, relax. You have to try one. It's my favorite kind of beer. You have tried beer, right?" With Raven's track record, he had to ask.
When she pursed her lips and narrowed her eyes, he knew the answer was no.
"Oh, now you have to try it. Come on, just a sip won't kill you. Succumb to peer pressure!"
She rolled her eyes. "Fine. But only because of your usage of 'succumb.'"
Beast Boy grinned. Finally, English was coming in handy.
Two songs later the beers arrived, delightfully chilly in their mugs. Beast Boy held his up in a toast. "To... to the Titans," he decided on. Raven smiled and brought her mug to his.
"To the Titans."
Raven took a tentative sip of the stuff and scrunched her nose. "It's strong," she commented.
Beast Boy laughed. "You get used to it." Surprisingly enough, she went in for another sip. Beast Boy watched her drink to an excellent acoustic rendition of one of his favorite club songs.
"Have you seen the guest list for my party?" she suddenly blurted. Beast Boy figured it was her attempt at conversation.
"Yep. Other than the five of us and pretty much the entirety of Jump City's upper-level government, they've invited the Titans East, all of the honorary Titans, the governor of California, some big-league businessmen, a handful of celebrities, and like, fifty members of the press."
Raven frowned. "The president isn't coming?"
Beast Boy burst into laughter. Surprisingly, that wasn't all Raven had to say about the matter.
"This should be one hell of a party. And not in a good way. Did you see the common room today? It looks like a war zone. I think we might regret giving Starfire decorating duty. There better be alcohol there. Did you order alcohol from that restaurant?"
Speaking of alcohol, Raven was halfway through her Guinness. That explained why she was suddenly so chatty. Beast Boy felt fine-he'd had years to build his alcohol tolerance. Raven didn't have all that experience under her belt.
"Are you implying that I, Beast Boy, could somehow manage to forget the most important element of a party?"
Raven shrugged. "Just making sure."
"And to answer your question about the common room, you'll just have to wait. I've seen Star's sketches. That place is going to look amazing." Raven looked a little skeptical.
"I hope so. We need something to distract from my lack of social prowess."
"Oh, you'll do fine. I'll be right there with you." She opened her mouth to say something but he cut her off. "But not too close, because I doubt you want all of Jump City to know we're... together."
She seemed relieved. "I hope you don't mind, but I'm just not ready to tell anyone yet. You haven't told any of the others, have you?"
"Nope," he reassured her. "I understand. You need your privacy." He smiled sincerely at her to enforce the statement.
She returned it. "Thank you." He realized that she was pouring herself a third glass of wine. Her mug was empty.
"I take it the Guinness wasn't too bad?"
"No. Normally I don't drink this much, but tonight I just feel, I don't know, alive."
Beast Boy grinned. "It must be me."
Raven giggled. Giggled. Her eyes turned towards the band and the crowd forming in front of the small stage. "Want to go up there?"
Beast Boy was surprised, but only responded with a "sure."
She took his hand firmly and led him through the maze of people to the front. Beast Boy had no idea what song it was, but it was upbeat and catchy. The people around him swayed and sang along.
Raven finally stopped weaving her way through the crowd. They were front and center. The music reverberated in his chest and the crowd pulsated with energy. Raven turned to face him instead of the band. They were forced into close quarters by the sheer amount of people around them. Beast Boy wasn't complaining.
As the song ended the crowd gave their usual round of well-deserved applause. When the music started again Beast Boy smiled. It was a song he knew. It had such a peppy, fun sound that people around them started dancing. Beast Boy, feeling full of energy, joined in. Raven, as expected, did not.
Beast Boy brought his lips to her ear and shouted. "I dare you to dance with me!"
Raven immediately shook her head.
"Come on Rae!" Another shake.
Beast Boy decided to make this interesting. "If you dance with me right here, right now, I'll teepee Robin's room right before the gala on Friday. I do believe it's stop number five on our little tour."
Raven's eyes widened. "You wouldn't do it. Robin would be furious."
"Oh, I'd totally do it. It would be hilarious and you know it. Come on Rae. Dance!"
She sighed and took a step back. Beast Boy took it as a sign that she was backing down from the challenge. His jaw dropped when she started to do it: she was dancing.
He was ashamed to say he didn't have very high expectations of her dancing ability. It was Raven. Whether it was some hidden natural ability or the alcohol, she was moving around freely and rhythmically, her hips swaying to the beat. She laughed when she caught Beast Boy's look. He shook his head and joined her.
When the song was over they decided to move back to the table. Raven plopped herself across from him, grinning.
"I'm thirsty. Do you see a waitress?"
Beast Boy flagged one and ordered himself a vodka tonic and a water for Raven.
"Actually, I'll take what he's having," Raven said to his surprise. He turned their attention back to the events in front of the stage as the waitress scurried away.
"You just danced. You."
"Yep. You better stock up on toilet paper."
Beast Boy frowned. "To be honest, I made that deal under the impression you would never do it."
"Well that was your mistake."
Beast Boy groaned and turned his head skyward. "The Mayor's going to kill me."
A few seconds went by without a word from Raven. He turned his head back to her. She had a vaguely forlorn look on her face. When she noticed his gaze she blinked it away.
"What?"
"Nothing," she replied smoothly, "I was just imagining your funeral. I would have to stand there and explain that you were slain over a bunch of toilet paper."
"Ha ha," he shot back at her. Before he could say more their waitress appeared with the cocktails.
Beast Boy held his up again. "Bottoms up." Before he took a sip he was distracted. Raven took his suggestion a little too literally and tipped hers up, downing the drink with a few large gulps. He stared at her slack-jawed.
"You've gone from refusing wine to chugging vodka."
She shrugged. "I think I'm getting used to it."
Not a good sign. "Okay, you're officially cut off."
She pretended to pout. "You've had just as much as I have."
"Yeah well I've had years to perfect the art of drinking. I can hold my liquor."
She rolled her eyes. "I'm going to the bathroom," she suddenly blurted. "I'll be back in a few minutes."
"You better be," he teased as she moved away. She shot him a look.
Raven...
Beast Boy was still incredulous that she was here, with him, laughing while on a date. It was probably the alcohol, but she was really coming out of her shell now.
More importantly, she was here with him, as his date. Raven was perfect. He was in awe that she actually agreed to be in a relationship with him.
He thought back to their conversation about the gala. Not only was Friday the big night for that, but it was also Raven's actual birthday. He knew he needed to get her something special, but he didn't have a clue what.
As he puzzled over it he saw her returning out of the corner of his eye. In her hand she had another drink.
"I thought I said you were cut off," he reminded her, only half-joking.
"This really nice guy gave it to me on my way back," she reported perkily. "He said he didn't want it."
Beast Boy tried not to laugh at her innocence. Being the responsible person he was, he took the glass and sniffed it. Brandy. Thankfully it was only brandy, his heightened sense of smell would detect anything else. He was starting to get a little worried. She wasn't acting like her usual, reserved self at all. She seemed relaxed and cheerful, which would be great if they were of natural cause, but Beast Boy suspected they were not.
He handed the half-drank glass back to her where she finished it before he could protest. She seemed okay other than the attitude change.
Raven nodded to the band with a gleam in her eye. "Wanna dance again?"
He nodded, moving with her once again to the front of the crowd just in time for another song to start. Beast Boy didn't recognize it, but it had a heavy bass and racy beat. He looked at Raven, who swayed her hips with abandon and grinned at him. Beast Boy faced her squarely. She had a gleam in her eye that drew him in. Her eyes mesmerized him, the music urged him on.
They were still for a heartbeat. Then they sprang forward.
Beast Boy smashed his lips to hers as he frantically grasped for her. She clung to him, pushing herself against his body like this was the last kiss either of them would ever have. After a few seconds she parted her lips, allowing him to further taste her liquor-laced mouth.
He pulled away from her and heard her gasp for air. He moved his mouth down, planting kisses along her neck and collarbone. She tasted so good. She felt so good. He nipped her skin, causing her to jump slightly and let out a soft moan. He moved back to her mouth.
Something registered in Beast Boy's brain. He was suddenly aware that the song had ended. He pulled away from her quickly, though he kept his arms around her waist. A few people around them were watching with amusement. Beast Boy turned back to Raven, whose cheeks were a deep crimson.
"Wanna go back to the table?" he asked breathlessly. Raven nodded. He noticed her swaying slightly, but he was too caught up in the adrenaline rush from the kiss to pay much attention. Hell, he was probably swaying from the high.
He did notice when she reached their table and kept walking, slamming into the side of it like she didn't notice it was there. She stumbled backwards, moving like a drunk. Oh. She was drunk. Oops...
He had made a rookie mistake, letting her drink even more because she was fine in the moment. Whereas before she seemed to be functioning just fine, she now looked a little dazed and uncoordinated as she finally found success trying to slide into the booth. Beast Boy felt pretty bad. Although he certainly would like to press the resume button on their little make out session, he felt like he was taking advantage of her. Who knew if sober Raven would approve. He hoped so, but right now his first priority needed to be getting her home before she hurt herself.
"Raven?"
"Yeeesh?" she slurred. Shit, shit, shit...
"Okay, that came on fast. I think it's time to get going." While most of him felt bad, there was a small part that just wanted to laugh. Here was the confident, cool, collected Raven—usually a force to be reckoned with—looking like a college girl at her first frat party. But this wasn't a college girl, this was Raven. And right now she needed him to take care of her when she couldn't take care of herself.
"Why?" she pouted. "We're having so much fun. You wanna have more fun?" She asked seductively, throwing her swaying body a little closer to him.
Yes. "No. I want to go back home now. Come on," he said, mustering all his willpower to keep pulling her towards the door. She stumbled along after him.
He caught sight of the waitress on the way and handed her a wad of bills.
"Nope, on the house for Miss Rachel," she smiled brightly. He shook his head.
"At least accept a tip." The waitress thanked him as he guided Raven away.
"Rachel?" she asked. "Oh yeah, my name is Rachel now. I'm Rachel!" she slurred with a soft intensity as they walked through the door. Oh my God...
Outside, it had grown a little chilly. Beast Boy took his jacket off and wrapped it around Raven, who didn't seem to notice. He held her hand as he approached the edge of the street to hail a cab. Strangely enough, the street was dark. He looked up and discovered why.
Every one of the streetlights was busted.
There was no way that was a coincidence. He looked at the girl beside him. Was it the kiss? While that seemed the likely explanation, he didn't have time to analyze it; a cab pulled up in front of them, ready to transport him and his incapacitated cargo.
He slid into the vehicle and pulled Raven along with him. She snuggled up beside him, stretching out into the vehicle's interior.
"Where to?"
Beast Boy hesitated. "The Pier, please." The cab lurched forward.
Raven snickered a little. "Hi," she called to the front seat. "My name is Rachel. See, I have black hair." She held up a lock of it to prove her point.
Beast Boy sighed. The cab driver was giving him a look in the rearview mirror that people give irresponsible parents. "Sorry, Rachel here had a little too much to drink."
"Just don't let her puke in my cab," the driver said flatly.
Raven was content with looking out the window for a while, but then turned her head towards Beast Boy. "That was fun," she commented. "We should go again." She had lowered her voice to a whisper only intended for Beast Boy.
"Yeah," he drawled. "Remind me that you have a one drink limit on Friday." He played with a few strands of her hair as he supported the head rested on his shoulder. It was kind of soft, but nothing like Raven's real hair.
"Oh," she sighed, her lips turning to a frown. "I forgot, the gala."
"What," he teased her, "still not looking forward to it?"
"I have a big surprise for you all. But I can't tell you. It's a secret." She spoke in a low, quiet voice for emphasis.
"I'm sure I'll love it." Thankfully they were almost to the Pier.
She shook her head. "No, you won't. You won't like it at all."
Before he had time to question her further, the cab stopped. They had arrived. Beast Boy paid the driver and helped Raven out of the cab. He waited until the driver was gone and checked to make sure no one was around.
"Okay Raven, I need you to fly. Can you do that?" There was no way in hell he was letting her teleport them back. He feared only half of them would make it.
Raven flapped her arms in response. "Nope." She looked disappointed.
Okay, plan B. He transformed into a Pterodactyl and grabbed her under the arms as gently as he could. Then he took off over the bay. Surprisingly, he didn't hear a peep from her all the way to the roof of the tower.
When he landed he realized it was because she had fallen asleep.
Turning back to his human form, he picked her up and carried her to the roof entrance. He continued down flights of stairs and the familiar maze of hallways, peeking around the corner before entering each one. Finally, he arrived at Raven's room.
He laid her down gently on the bed, placing her head on a pillow and brushing the hair from her sweaty face. He decided take the wig off, as well as her shoes. She stirred as he did so.
"Beast Boy?" She asked groggily.
"Shh, we're home." She looked around slowly to confirm that.
His job done, he leaned down and kissed her on the forehead. "Goodnight Raven." He stood to leave, but felt a tug on his hand.
"Stay with me," she whispered. "I don't want to be alone." She looked so beautiful laying there, with her milky skin glowing in the moonlight and her violet hair splayed across the pillow. He couldn't resist.
"Okay. I'll stay for a little while."
He sat down on the bed, leaning his back against the headboard. Raven snuggled into him again, resting her head on his chest.
After a while her breathing slowed. Beast Boy could tell she was asleep. He himself was tired, letting out a few yawns. Another minute and I'll go back to my room, he kept telling himself. Tomorrow morning would be hard enough for Raven without an extra person in her bed.
He took the holo-ring off and placed it on Raven's nightstand. He liked to see his skin turn back to it's normal green.
He looked back down at the girl in his arms. He played with her hair as he studied her face. She looked calm and serene, her usual guarded expression dissolved with sleep. His fingers moved down to lightly trace her facial features. He sighed. She was beautiful. He kept stroking her soft, violet hair until he too fell asleep.