Chapter 29
Cyborg checked his watch again, growing more concerned by the minute. Starfire told him to pick them up at 4:30. It was now 4:55, yet neither Raven nor Starfire had emerged from the spa. He sat parked under the expansive awning directly in front of the doors, as he had been for the last thirty minutes. He debated what course of action to take.
Okay, if they're not out in the next five minutes... suddenly the doors swished open, much to Cyborg's relief. He really didn't want to have to go investigating in a spa. As Starfire and Raven emerged, his eyes grew wide.
Starfire looked gorgeous, but that really wasn't much of a shock. Her hair cascaded down her back in flowing, flaming curls from where the top was pulled back in some complicated, braided pattern. Her skin glowed radiantly and her smokey purplish eyeshadow made her green eyes pop. Cyborg grinned. Robin was a lucky guy.
The real surprise came with Raven. Cyborg followed her every movement as she slid into the backseat of the car, halfway convinced that it wasn't really her. She caught his gaze in the rearview mirror as Starfire slid in beside her and shut the door.
"What?" she ground out.
"Nothing. You just look... different. I mean, different in a good way, in a really good way."
"Thanks," she drawled, a hint of irritation in her voice. Cyborg knew it wasn't directed towards him. He chuckled at her obvious disdain for their trip to beauty land.
"Did you have fun at the spa?" he asked jokingly. Raven shot him a look.
"Oh yes, the afternoon was most enjoyable, was it not?" Starfire gushed, fortunately not waiting for Raven's answer. "I was most pleased with the application of my makeup. They used the most fascinating methods!" She continued to detail the events of the day as Raven looked out the window, entirely uninterested. Cyborg made sure to nod and reply at the right times in Starfire's monologue, though he kept most of his attention on the road. Before long they were back at the tower.
"Now remember Starfire that the party starts at 6:00," he said, looking into the now empty backseat. What the... he looked around the garage and just caught a glimpse of Starfire pulling Raven through the door, yammering about something undoubtedly feminine. He smiled as he watched the door close. He felt slightly bad for Raven, as she seemed completely uncomfortable with the girly stuff, but he figured it might do her some good, break her a little further out of her shell.
As he got out of the car he thought ahead to what he had to do within the next hour. He sighed, realizing what came next. "Alright Cyborg, time for the monkey suit."
Raven sat at Starfire's vanity, studying her reflection in the mirror nervously. Her natural inclination would be to bite her lip, but she had already been chastised by Starfire for messing up her lipstick. Instead she fiddled with one of Starfire's hairbrushes while she listened to the girl talk.
"Do not worry Raven, I have brought your dress here so we might get ready together," she elatedly informed her as she slipped her dress on. "Oh, I am most excited! You must be as well Raven, are you not?"
Raven hesitated with how to respond and Starfire caught it. "Oh, you are nervous as well?" Before she knew it a fully dressed Starfire was standing behind her and placed a hand on her shoulder, meeting her eyes in the mirror. "Do not worry Raven. You are beautiful. Beast Boy will find you most enchanting." Raven turned her head away to hide her blush.
"Thanks Star, but... it's not Beast Boy I'm worried about." Raven stood and Starfire guided her towards her dress and a fabric partition to change behind that she had procured from who knew where. Taking Starfire's cue, she slipped behind it and began to change.
"I see. You fear that others will judge you."
"No," she began, but stopped herself. "Actually, that's exactly what it is. How am I supposed to handle myself around all of these strangers? What if I screw something up?"
"You will not," Starfire said confidently. At least one of them believed in her social abilities. Raven was only concerned about the other events of this evening, but now that Starfire had brought it up this was a whole other thing to worry about. "Do not forget Raven, we will be there beside you. You are not alone."
Raven shut her eyes for a minute, remembering the last time someone had told her that. She had a flashback to a dark night, a deceitful romance, and those comforting words from her friend. That had been after her affair with Malchior. Suddenly she remembered what she still had to do. She hastily pulled herself into the dress, almost tripping in the process.
"Hey Starfire, can you finish zipping this?" she asked, already searching around for her shoes. Thankfully Starfire approved the same ones she had worn the other night, the ones she could, arguably, walk in.
"Of course," she answered as she rushed to match Raven's pace. "Raven, you look—"
"Yes, thank you," she said, cutting her off. She located the shoes and quickly jammed her foot inside with the help of her powers. Standing a little unsteadily, she turned to Starfire. "Thank you Star, but I need to go for just a minute."
Her bottom lip quivered in disappointment. "But I thought we would do the getting ready together," she said meekly. Raven couldn't help but cave to her pitiful look.
"We will," she assured her. "I promise. I'll be right back." She hurried to the door, feeling a little guilty for leaving Starfire hanging. But this was important. It had to be done.
Raven turned down the hallway and headed back to her room.
Beast Boy tilted his head to the side, examining the statue. It's glistening red eyes seemed just as deceptively cute as they had in real life. "Stupid bird," he muttered, moving on to examine the rest of Raven's room.
He hadn't meant to break in while she wasn't here. He'd learned his lesson about that a long time ago. But he really needed to find her before the party started and he figured she'd be in here. After a few unanswered knocks at the door, he took the liberty of peeking inside. Seeing as how she wasn't here, he figured it would be wiser to wait than trying to hunt for her within the tower, especially now that guests had started arriving.
He meandered throughout the room impatiently, thoroughly examining it's unique contents. He had to admit that it seemed a little more inviting now that, well, he was actually welcome here. It was dark and strange, sure, but now it seemed to be a little more comfortable. Peaceful, even.
He was glancing at her expansive collection of books when he heard the door slide open. He snapped to attention as he turned to face Raven.
He tried to keep his shock under control. The girl standing at the door was not the Raven he was used to. This girl had skin so pale and flawless and luminous that it seemed to glow in the dim lighting of her room, catching the light from her lamps and reflecting it back like the moon to the sun. She had sultry purple eyes rimmed in smokey black shadow, her face just as ethereally luminescent as the rest of her body. Her violet hair was curled and shaped into a voluminous, glamorous coif that was parted on the side rather than down the middle, her bangs swept up to frame her face. What shocked him the most was the silky black fabric that hugged her torso and flowed out from her waist, creating a gorgeous gown.
She looked divine.
He stood there watching her for a moment, mouth slightly ajar, as she raised a perfectly arched brow at him.
"Can I help you?" Her lip curved up in a smirk.
"I, well, I came, sorry, didn't mean to be creepy." Wow. I've reached a new level of stupidity. He gave her a shy smile as he watched her hold in laughter. He took a deep breath and tried again.
"I came to give you your birthday present. I'm sorry that I just barged in but I couldn't exactly wait at your door, you know?" His brain seemed to be slowly adjusting to her, as it now had the ability to form coherent thoughts and sentences.
"Oh. It's fine, I assume you've learned your lesson about touching things?" He could tell she was only half-kidding, and she had a right to be. There were probably some dangerous objects in this room.
"Of course. And now," he said, diverting her attention to an area he felt a little more competent in, "I have a present for you." He moved over to her dresser where he had left the black box.
Raven looked curious as he brought it closer. Beast Boy just hoped she liked it. He was nervous picking it out, knowing that Raven wasn't really a jewelry type, but when he saw this one he was instantly reminded of her. He was saving up for a flat screen TV to put in his bedroom, as Robin had told him such a purchase wasn't in the budget (it never was when Beast Boy wanted something), but Raven was far more important.
He took a few steps closer to her, close enough to smell the perfume she had been sprayed with, and slowly opened the box. Inside was the necklace, a pear-shaped onyx pendant artfully rimmed with diamond accents.
Raven just stood there, completely unmoving. With every second that passed Beast Boy's nerves grew. "Um, I can take it back if you don't like it."
That seemed to snap her out of her trance. She shook her head and stepped forward to lightly touch the pendant. "Beast Boy, it's beautiful. I can't believe... how did you—"
He waved his hand dismissively to cut her off. "Here," he said, removing the piece from its box and circling behind Raven. He looped it around her neck and fastened the clasp, letting his fingers softly brush her shoulders as he did so. He saw the goosebumps that rose on her skin when he did so.
She looked down to study it as it rested on her chest. Beast Boy eyes had started on the pendant, but somehow ended up moving downwards to where the straight square neckline of the dress dipped down and pulled into her chest, showcasing her milky white skin and her, well... assets.
Eyes up, he commanded himself. They rose to meet the wide violet eyes of Raven herself. Judging from the crimson on her cheeks, she knew exactly where his eyes had been. Awkward.
"Thank you," she said softly as her gaze trailed to the floor shyly. "It's perfect."
Beast Boy smiled, glad he had at least gotten the gift right. "Are you excited for tonight?" he asked, trying to start a conversation.
She made a face. "Not exactly."
He grinned. "Hey, I'll be right there with you. You'll be great. Some smiling and waving, a few dances, a slice of cake and you'll be out of there before you know it."
She had a hazy look in her eyes. "Sounds nice. Though I'll skip the dancing."
"Even with me?" he asked in mock offense.
"Sorry, I don't dance," she said with finality. It was a glimpse of the old, more guarded Raven coming through.
"Don't dance or can't dance?" he teased her. He wasn't letting her off the hook that easily.
She pursed her lips for a moment as if debating what to say. Finally she sighed with the weight of the decision to tell him the truth. "I've never done it before, so I suppose that qualifies as can't."
Not exactly shocking news, but Beast Boy plastered an expression of surprise on his face that garnered a playful eye-roll from Raven. "Well we'll just have to remedy that. Can't have you going to the ball if you don't know how to dance, can we?" Before she could argue he took hold of her arms and swept her into closed position. For the first time in his life he was grateful that Rita had insisted he learned to dance properly.
"Now this is a waltz. You move in a box step to a three count. Just follow my lead." Despite Raven's wide eyes and nervous expression, he began to move, pulling her along with him.
At first her steps were heavy and unsure but as they continued to move around the room she relaxed, letting Beast Boy's natural rhythm and steady hold guide her. Though he knew his hand was supposed to rest underneath her shoulder blade, he let it slowly slide down to the small of her back and pulled her close to him. She looked up at him with her deep, shining eyes and he couldn't resist. They stopped moving entirely as he brought his lips down to hers.
She tasted different this time, or at least her lipstick did. At first she seemed a little hesitant to lean into the kiss, but Beast Boy wasn't having any of that. He used the hand on her back to pull her hard up against him and tangled the other in the hair at the nape of her neck. He parted her lips with his tongue and slipped inside of her mouth.
Even when they had to come up for air he stayed near her, holding her bottom lip between his teeth. Her breathing hitched, enticing him to go further.
He backed her up against her bedroom wall, feeling slightly guilty when he heard her back slam into it. That was until she pulled him towards her, letting him know that she was enjoying this just as much as he was.
As they once again locked lips, he slid the hand at her neck down over her breasts. He moved his mouth from her lips to her neck, kissing the skin there. He let his hand roam over her, taking pleasure in every sigh, moan, and gasp he elicited from her. She was extremely sensitive, which only made it better.
After a minute he dropped to the floor, grabbing hold of the multiple layers of fabric at the hem of her dress.
"Beast Boy, what are you—"
Her question was cut off with a hitch of breath as he moved his hands up her thighs. He could feel her muscles clench under his light touch. His fingers played with the edge of her panties, pulling them out and letting them snap back against her skin. He brought his lips to hers again as he pulled them down.
Raven seemed to melt into his arms. He could feel her shiver against him as he moved his hand lower.
"That's it," he said softly, noting how deep and raspy his voice had become. "These are coming off." With one hand he slid the panties down and with the other slid a finger inside of her.
Hearing her gasp only encouraged him. He stroked her as his lips crashed against hers again. He brought his free hand up to her waist, holding her steady. He could feel a strain in his pants.
"Beast Boy," she moaned. He loved hearing that on her lips. "Beast Boy," she said again, this time more urgent. "My communicator is ringing."
Great. Sure enough he heard the faint beep of the device echo through the room as he pulled away from her. He had been too preoccupied to notice. Using her powers, Raven brought it towards her from where she had left it on a shelf.
"Who is it?" he asked.
"Cyborg." He was more than pleased to hear annoyance in her voice at the interruption. The feeling was mutual. Cockblock, he directed towards his friend. "I'm sorry, but I better take this."
A grin spread across his lips as an idea came to him. "That's fine, go ahead," he replied casually. Raven attempted to compose herself and flipped the communicator open.
"Raven."
"Rae! At least someone answers me. I've been trying to call Beast Boy for the past half hour!" Raven kept her stony facade perfectly in place as she waited for him to continue. Beast Boy was glad he left his communicator in his room.
"Anyway, the party's started and I'm the only one of us down here. Where are Starfire and Robin? And Beast Boy?" With the mention of his name Beast Boy slid two fingers inside of her, letting her know exactly where he was. He saw her face tighten and her jaw clench, but he had to give her credit: she kept her face damn near stoic considering the circumstances.
"Why would I know? I'm on my way to Starfire's room now. We'll be down in a minute. If I see Beast Boy or Robin I'll send them down as well." With one hand she held the communicator, with the other she gripped Beast Boy's shoulder like she was trying to injure him. She groped around until she found his ear and twisted it. Beast Boy tried hard to keep silent despite the pain. Raven clearly wasn't pleased with his decision to finger her while she was talking to Cyborg.
"Alright." Cyborg hesitated. "Hey Raven, is everything okay?" Beast Boy had to bite back a laugh.
"I'm fine. I'm just nervous," she lied in return, though her voice rose a half an octave. "I'll see you soon."
She flipped the communicator shut and slumped against the wall. "Beast Boy," she gasped. "What is wrong with you?"
He pulled his fingers out of her and smashed his lips against hers one final time. He realized it was time for them to stop, especially with the other Titans on the hunt for him.
"I'll see you later Raven." He turned and walked towards the door, intent on heading towards the bathroom before making his way down to the common room. It was probably best if he cooled himself off before making his entrance to the common room.
"Beast Boy, wait—" he heard her call after him, but he walked out the door and let it slide shut. If it were up to him, he would spend all night in Raven's bedroom. As it was, he needed to be in the common room attending the party, and thus needed to get his head in the game and out of the place it was currently in. Just looking at her made him want to take her here and now, a course of action neither of them were prepared to take.
Though she showed no qualms about the speed their relationship was progressing at, he realized she might regret it if they went any further this quickly. That was the last thing he wanted to happen. I'm finally with her and there's no way I'm fucking that up, he thought with resolve.
He shook his head to clear it as he approached the bathroom. The point was getting his mind off Raven, he reminded himself. He had to grin though. That was a hard thing to do. She was irresistible.
Raven stayed with her back against the wall long after Beast Boy had left. Truthfully she didn't trust her legs to support her without any help. Her mind swam in a pleasant, warm fog, but as reality set in what she and Beast Boy had done, what Beast Boy had done to her, registered fully.
It wasn't that she hadn't enjoyed it. God, she had enjoyed it. She just couldn't help the feeling that they were doing something wrong. I mean, here we are, dating a whole three days, and I'm about to give it up. But the more she thought about it, the more the idea grew on her. This was her best friend, her boyfriend, whom she trusted with her life. Tonight was the last night she would be with him, or anyone for that matter. She quelled the sting of emotion that surged whenever she thought of that.
Sex was this distant, irrelevant concept that she thought (and often feared) may never happen for her. Her powers were uncontrollable (looking around now, her room was a mess), she was so terribly introverted she thought she would never have a partner, and she was grossly inexperienced. But tonight she had a boyfriend who was clearly willing and a spell that would leave her powerless, which was a good thing in this situation.
Shit. Speaking of the potion, she had approximately ten minutes to make it. She pushed herself off the wall, attempting to get her mind off the topic. It was difficult when Beast Boy made her feel the way he did. She bit her lip in a smile as she got to work.