DISCLAIMER: Don't own Teen Titans. Honest. Nor the songs that were mentioned.

CHAPTER 10

SUNGLASSES AT NIGHT

"Nothin's the matter with me Kole," he replied nonchalantly, "Raven babied me enough. She shouldn't waste her time doing that."

"But what if she was showing how much she cared for you?" Asked Kole indignantly.

"Then she should've taken me to the medical bay. Simple as that."

"You know Beast Boy, there is something awfully different about you. I just can't put my finger on it."

"I'd just got done barfing, and I was passed out. So, different is how I may look right now."

"But you, seem different..."

Beast Boy was rather appalled at the way she said it. That immediately snapped him out of this little phase of his.

"What do you mean?"

"You aren't Beast Boy."

"Okay, Kole. I want you to know something then."

"That is?"

"I like you."

At this moment, yes, she was perhaps his favourite person right now, even when his mind continued to travel to Raven.

"Because I can be honest and open towards you, you don't treat me like filth on a regular basis, you and I can relate, and you laugh at my phoney jokes. You know, Jericho hasn't realized how awesome you are. He's seriously dumb. I'll agree with Lightning on that one."

Kole blushed. "Beast Boy, same goes for you. You're pretty awesome yourself. Raven hasn't seemed to notice."

"But Beast Boy, there's something I haven't told you..."

"What is it?" He got off the bed. "Have those men come back?"

"No, but I think my mother is still alive."

Beast Boy looked surprised. "I thought she was dead."

"Me too, me too." she once more began to pace the bedroom. "But the thing is, before ever joining the Titans, I saw my mother... I think I did."

"Is this before the team and I met you, or–"

"It was before." She stopped pacing the room , sitting down on the bed. "But I still didn't know it was her. You know, my mother had turned insane from taking these pills that made you morbidly immortal. And she had gotten insect-like features."

"So that explains.." Beast Boy looked at the top of her head.

"Yeah, these antennas." She smiled sadly, "but the thing is, I'm not immortal. My parents tried so freaking hard to make me immortal, themselves immortal that they became insane. Wouldn't you hate living in this world forever? Watching everyone die around you as you're being succumbed to seeing world disasters, and never seeing a glimpse of Heaven. Beast Boy do you believe in Heaven, and that there is a man from above who may take you there once you pass?"

Kole gave Beast Boy a look of curiosity, her eyes filled with such hope. Even when, most certainly indeed, he was caught off guard he couldnt recall ever being asked such a question. After his parents died, where had he hoped them to be?

When he was younger he cried after their death and he kept on telling himself that they're with the safest and kindest man they've all ever known in their lives which were to be in Heaven...

"Yeah, I can say I do." He smiled at her. "And I'm guessing you do too?"

She nodded, but then tears began to fill her eyes. "But that's something I don't get. My mother, my father. Why did they want to live immortally when they know that's not how a lifespan should be, if you're greeted with death, you should hope to expect paradise. But you know what, I think that that device Lightning unhinged yesterday will answer the question about my mother."

"Wait, but what about Jericho? Why was his name highlighted?"

Kole shook her heard, her face expression thoughtful. "I honestly don't know why, I haven't dwelled on that too much. My guess is because of his powers. But I sort of feel like it's more than that. But you know Beast Boy, you should apologize to Raven, and perhaps I should too before I leave."

Kole wiping her eyes and at the door about to slide it open, Beast Boy stopped. "But WHY do you need to apologize? Sure you were in the room when I did raise my voice at her, but I still don't see why there is a need for you to apologize?"

"Beast Boy are you sure there is nothing wrong with you?" Her hand was on her hip.

"No, but if you feel the need to unnecessarily apologize, be my guest."

-/-/

Beast Boy and Kole's arms were linked as they walked down to Raven's room, but to their surprise she hadn't answered the door, because she wasn't in her room, they had come to realize that after five long minutes of knocking and saying her name.

"I guess, we'll check if she's in the common room," said Beast Boy.

"Sure, she might be in there."

Walking to the common room they were surprised to find Raven and Jericho sitting on the couch, talking. Wait, no, Raven talking and Jericho signing, as usual. And at that moment was Jericho to have kissed Raven square on the cheek.

Kole felt no need to apologize anymore. Beast Boy didn't either. But they decided to anyway, despite the little green monsters lurking within them.

"Oh, Jericho!" Exclaimed Kole. "I didn't expect to find you here."

Raven had her usual face expression on as she turned to look at the two. She didn't say anything, she just nodded and focused her attention back on Jericho. He signed hi to both of them.

"Hey, dude!" He exclaimed. "You been rockin' on your guitar and staring at goat?"

The guitarist sort of laughed and nodded. Of course, you've seen where I live haven't you?

"Did you bring your guitar?" Kole inquired. She didn't see it anywhere by him, until she saw that he was pointing towards the TV, where a guitar stand (that the guitar was held in) stood by.

"Oh, well, would you mind playing a song?"

Any request?

"Hmm..." She thought for a bit, but decided against it. "You know what Jericho, you don't have to play anything... Oh look at the time!" She looked at an invisible watch on her wrist. "Gnarrk will probably want me home. Bye."

"I'll walk you out." Beast Boy said nonchalantly. Oblivious to the look Raven kept on giving him, and Jericho's perplexed face expression that was following Kole's retreating figure.

Once outside the tower Kole began to speak in a hushed tone, her cheeks becoming less red, going back to a normal color.

"Well, meet me at the park at 2 am again, Thunder and Lightning will meet us at the community gym. Sound good?"

"But what are we doing tonight exactly? More patrolling?"

She shook her head. "The device we hacked into yesterday, has details of what factory it came from. We're going to go there."

"Okay, well see ya."

About the same time Beast Boy didn't see Kole, now out of sight, was the same time Robin and Starfire came back.

-/-/-

Beast Boy wouldn't have said that he had just experienced the most agonizing moment in his life, but it was pretty close to it.

Okay, and he wouldn't dare come close to admitting that he'd been jealous of the way Raven was looking at Jericho on the roof.

There they'd been. Sitting very close to each other, Jericho with that stupid guitar of his, strumming it softly, Why couldn't he himself learn an instrument? He could recall someone telling him once that he looked like a drummer, but that wasn't a serenading instrument.

Then Raven did something that shocked him, she was kissing Jericho. Nothing was exploding! They weren't making out, nor she was she jamming her tongue down his throat, but she was showing signs of affection he had dreamed of her showing towards him. And maybe a mere little, eh, satisfactory kiss was in those dreams.

Taking slow little breaths he stopped looking through the little slit on the door, and walked to the common room to play some more video games.

No Beast Boy you aren't angry... He kept telling himself.

When Jericho finally left, Raven sat down on the couch and took out the familiar looking leather bound book.

So she wants to read in here, fine. Then she can read. I just wanna turn up the volume of the TV a bit more. It ain't a crime.

Grabbing the remote beside him he pressed the button that maxed the volume, and viola!

He was getting what he wanted.

Yet, he didn't hear anything. Nada. Zilch. From Raven.

How long had it been since they argued? A week?

Turning up the volume some more, he turned around and still saw that Raven was not affected.

This would've made her frustrated by now. He stalked to the kitchen and grabbed a bag of chips. He went back to where he was, and he munched away, smacking, showing bad manners. But she wouldn't budge, nor show any signs of annoyance. To his utter annoyance she turned a page in her book!

Why was this effecting him so much? He didn't know, but it went from humming obnoxious sounds to hitting his foot against the floor making a thumping noise. But it's like she chose this day to not act her usual self.

Not taking it anymore he walked towards her and grabbed the book from within her hands. Yeah, he succeeded now. Though he hadn't seen it then.

"Raven, what's wrong with you?" He exclaimed, throwing the book somewhere across the floor.

Yeah, he did the trick.

The empath looked up at him with a raised eyebrow. "Beast Boy I don't know what you're talking about, but if you want to live it's wise you hand my book back to me, and continue to play your obnoxious video game, and leave me alone." Her tone was at menace.

"No, not until you tell me why you didn't do it?" He was giving her an accusing tone, but there was no shown sign of being scared. He was so focused on wanting an answer he didn't notice how angry she was starting to look, not noticing he was getting what he wanted. "I did all the things that did the trick, but you didn't do it."

"Do what?!" She threw her hands up in exasperation, maybe a lamp broke? "Beast Boy you aren't making sense. Just bring my book back to me and continue to play your game."

"Raven, you didn't flinch, or sigh annoyedly at the sound of the noise?" He asked, "especially, when the TV was turned up so loud... you could still read?!"

"Beast Boy..."

"Why didn't you get annoyed?!"

Beast Boy could remember the red eyes, but other than that he didn't remember anything else. He was just now waking up in the medical bay.

Headache. Oh, it hurt so bad. The pounding, the vibration of a shriek he still heard. He now saw three Titans staring at him. But they hadn't realized he awoken.

"You don't think he could've awoke, when we were out kicking the butt?" He knew it was Starfire to ask such a question.

"No, Star. On this built in perimeter we would've known he'd woken up from being unconscious for... four hours." Robin.

"Robin, it was three hours, I don't think I hurt him that bad." Raven, the cause of him to be unconscious. He felt extremely dumb.

"Didn't you say he made you angry, he provoked you?"

"Yeah, but still..."

"Still, he made you the angry, the four eyes of evil, and he to have learned his lesson?" Countered in Starfire.

"Beast Boy, you're awake." Raven looked down at him, and he looked up at her with a look of annoyance. He didn't know why he was so annoyed of her, but he personally didn't want to be around any of his teammates right now, and he still needed to meet with Kole, and the Storm Bros.

"What time is it?" Was the first thing he said.

A bit miffed Raven replied, "It's eight o'clock."

"PM?"

She nodded.

"I need to go on a date with Kole. We're goin' to a movie. See ya guys later," Beast Boy said annoyed, he sat up. "I have to go, like now."

"No, Beast Boy," said Robin sternly, "you have to stay here because you might not be okay. Kole wouldn't mind you having to postpone the date. You have a headache don't you?"

"No, Rob." He gave him a careless face expression. "I'm fine. I haven't seen Kole for awhile, so no, she probably would mind me having to postpone our date."

"Beast Boy," Raven touched his arm. "Kole came by today, remember?"

He flinched at the touch, but didn't pay no mind to her. He looked at Robin, "see ya."

Getting up from the examining table he was almost to the door, but Robin stopped him. "Beast Boy, you're acting different... You aren't feeling like shifting into that beas–"

"No. I'm not." His body went rigid. "If there is any crime to occur, my communicator will be with me. I'll show."

His teammates allowed him to leave. But what were he to expect when he got back?

-/-/-

Kole was nostalgic and melancholy. Especially when The Dream Academy's Life in a Northern Town was playing out of the speakers of the cafe.

And through an open window came, like Sinatra in a younger day...

Taking another sip of her vanilla and grape smoothie she felt a tap on her shoulder. Turning her head around to look at the person who touched her, she saw that it was Jericho.

She wasn't wearing her holo ring, so of course he'd recognise her.

Her eyes glowing she immediately hugged Jericho. "Hey, Jericho! How ya been?" She pulled back from the hug.

He shrugged. Same.

She nodded. "So, are you and Raven happy together, things good?"

Yeah.

"Um, do you want me to order you a drink? I got some change."

Sure.

Kole tried telling herself to stop shaking, but how nervous she felt. How could she? Her and Beast Boy were fibbing a relationship. She felt like she needed to admit it out loud to Jericho because she didn't want to keep a secret. They were friends weren't they?

"So, what would you like to drink?"

Tea sounds nice.

After ordering the drink for him she didn't really know what else to say to him. She kept on thinking so hard on what to say but nothing came to mind.

You and Beast Boy are dating? He asked, with a curious look.

"N- yeah we are." Hopefully he hadn't noticed her slip up.

Sighing, she took another sip of her smoothie. Why did she feel so lame and melancholy?

Jericho touched her arm again, and signed to her. You want me to play you a song? He then took out his guitar from the new guitar case he'd just bought at the music store around the corner. He hoisted the instrument on his leg.

Thinking, Kole didn't know at first. But then she thought of a song she saw in this movie once.

It fit the mood to her. She loved how hopeful and dreamer-like it sounded.

"Moon River."

So, if you were to see a sight of a guitarists strumming to a girl he saw with admiration, would you stop and simply marvel at the scene? People watching hadn't even seemed to notice Kole's rather odd appearance. For they only thought of her outfit as a costume.

Some people in the cafe just gawked at them. A worker in the cafe even turned off the stereo and listened. So lovely was the sound.

At first, Kole didn't look at him. She just shoe gazed; looking down at her feet. But she didn't really know, her eyes were drawn to Jericho's.

She never really realised how green his eyes were.

You could say it felt like the world stopped as cliche as that may sound, I don't necessarily know what you would say to describe a moment like this. Dream-esque maybe?

There, Moon River was in the back ground, they were floating down a very wide river, on a raft, they were like Huckleberry Finn. They didn't know where they were going, but were it to be a place that signified something. A special moment, that felt right. Like this was how it was supposed to be.

They continued to look into each other's eyes, yet that not stopping them from becoming aware of how glowing the moon was. So big and round. So light, aglow!

But then it ended. Like that.

Snapped out of a spell the two were. Jericho hesitantly put his guitar back in it's case, immediately and said his adieu to Kole leaving the cafe. Kole turned in the stool she sat on, focusing on sipping the smoothie she ordered thinking with a melancholy sigh, He was good company.

Everyone in the cafe stopped staring, and went back to doing whatever.

Looking at the time on a clock that hung on a wall, she saw it to be 8:30pm. Her and Gnnark needed to gather some supper. After dinner, Gnnark would go to sleep, and then she'd meet up with Beast Boy. Setting the money down on the countertop she quietly stood up from the stool she sat on, and began to walk away.

The cafe had been bustling when Kole left out the door of the cafe. She hadn't seemed to notice that Jericho had been searching for her with his eyes, then soon on foot.

When you're in love, you don't look back.

She continued walking, hoping to find a bus that'll take her home.

-/-/-

What do you think about this chapter? How do you feel about it? Replies, part 2