Difficult Situations. Chapter 2.

"Garfield" the voice whispered in his mind. Beast Boy tossed and turned on his bed in his sleep until his mind reached consciousness at the startling fact that someone knew his name. He woke up in a cold sweat, slightly panting and looking around in his room. It was still dark but his eyes adjusted enough. He removed the cover that had tangled on his legs and walked to the bathroom and without turning on the light, he let the water run, drank some of it and then splash some more on his face a couple of times until he felt wide awake.

He closed his eyes once more, leaning on the sink, trying to recollect the dream that had startled him. It was so silent around him that the only noise was his breathing and the steady sound of his heartbeat. With one more deep breath and his eyes still closed, he flicked the switch and the light came on making him squish his eyes shut at the sudden brightness, then one by one, he opened his eyes and blinked and for a moment stared at the reflection in front of him, something he rarely ever did ever since the time he tried to impress Terra at some point.

Beast Boy looked into the eyes of his reflection. The only evidence he had that he once had been normal. His eyes had always been green and there was certain comfort in that but, what it was more than unnatural, was the rest of him. As if the green skin and hair were not freaky enough, his ears were longer and angular and the fangs could be quite deadly if he were to use them. Many times he had practiced in front of the mirror a suitable smile, something that wouldn't frighten everybody else or even himself from such a sight but many times he failed and that was when he decided not to look in the mirror anymore and to never take his uniform off.

The name had brought all those memories back. A name that he had never used ever since his parents died. His adoptive parents had tried but he had given himself a new name, Beast Boy, because Garfield was no more. Every now and then he would still remember his fair complexion, his light brown hair but it was more of a faint recollection than actual memory since he had been little over six years old when his life changed.

Beast Boy closed his eyes again trying to remember the voice that had called his name but it had been a whisper, difficult to recognize in the brink of consciousness and just as dreams tend to do, the memory of the voice was gone along with any chance of recognition. He sighed again in defeat. Many things had been happening the last 24 hours, curious things that he could not begin to explain.

Beast Boy looked out the door of the bathroom and saw the bright red numbers of his alarm clock. It was only 4 am. He walked to the window next to his bed, leaving the light in the bathroom on. It was a clear sky and the stars shined brightly. Curious groups of stars made him remember Raven once talking about the constellations with Starfire.

Raven. The sorceress was stubborn and moody and short tempered and one could get an easy pass to the harbor when her buttons were pushed just enough. He chuckled at that. How many times had he been the subject of her punishments. Not that he thought he didn't deserved them, of course he did but somehow, one way or the other he would always go back for more and for a while, not even he knew why. After a moment he looked again at the clock then to his bed and back again to the clock and started to walk but the unthinkable happened, he ignored his bed and headed out of his room, it was only 4:15 but he had a hunch she might be awake already.

…

Raven had been meditating for quite a while now. After that afternoon with Beast Boy stammering every other word, trying to accuse her of distracting him from his game had been in a way amusing but of course, she would never admit it. At the moment, there was certain peace in her mind until she sensed something stronger than her own mantra.

Raven sensed shame and fear, anger and even pity in overwhelming amounts but just as quickly as she sensed it, it disappeared. It was hard to tell who it came from without her attempting to intrude in her friends privacy and all those feelings applied to every single one of them, including her but that's why meditation came in handy. It might not be an activity of fun but rather a soothing one. It helped her concentrate better at controlling her own emotions and her powers but that didn't help when the others felt the same and there was nothing she could do about it.

Raven sighed and tried to forget and focused on something more pleasant instead like the way Beast Boy had looked at her earlier. His gaze had been so intense on her and yet lost as if he was looking with great interest at something happening right in front of him. His excuse of course, had been ridiculous but amusing none the less.

By now she was no longer floating above her bed but rather sitting on it. Tentatively she looked at her alarm clock, it was 4 am and decided that perhaps a cup of tea would help her sleep. She didn't need many hours to rest like a certain shape shifter but rest was needed never the less and she was by now wide awake. So she got off her bed, put socks on instead of her boots and threw the cloak over her shoulders and headed to the kitchen.

Once there she noticed the clear sky filled with as many stars as was possible. It was bright enough through the tall windows that she didn't need to turn on the lights other than the one above the sink. She prepared her tea within a few minutes and turned off the light and headed to the window. The city lights reflected on the water below and the low tide made the waves look like small ripples on the shore and she had a thought and lifted her hand ready to open a portal when she heard the doors hiss open.

"I thought I might find you here" came the quiet voice of Beast Boy from across the room and although it was dark, she could see his silhouette approaching, so she turned back to the window and held the mug with both of her hands.

"I was basking in the peacefulness of the moment" she said almost sarcastically.

"I swear I come in peace Rae"

"And I didn't think I had declared war. What are you doing up so early… or so late. Have you even gone to sleep yet?" she said as she turned her head slightly in his direction. He was standing next to her now, looking out the window.

"Yeah, I did but I couldn't sleep anymore. I think I had a nightmare but, I don't remember" he said almost as if the subject didn't matter but that's when it occurred to Raven that it was him, his feelings she had sensed earlier and by what she remembered, they had been quite strong. She could only imagine how overwhelming must have been for him.

"Is there something bothering you that you'd like to talk about?" Raven asked in a slightly softer tone which took him by surprise for a moment. This was not the subject he wanted to discuss with her at this hour.

"Um… not… really. Like I said, I cant remember. Probably it wasn't important"

"I beg to differ, that's not what I sensed and before you accuse me of invading your privacy, let me remind you that I'm an empath, I sense things without me trying and usually I try to block them out but there are times, unexpected moments when those feelings on others are so strong that I cant help but notice them"

For a moment panic washed over him. Did she know what he felt for her? Would she ridicule him and make fun of him? Or simply ignore him and don't even give him the time of day?

He looked at her face rather than her eyes while she looked at him and patiently waited for a reply. "What… did you sensed?" he asked almost embarrassed.

"Anger, fear… shame and even pity. What bothers you so much?"

He held her gaze for a moment longer and then looked away " Nothing" he said quietly before he started to walk away from her.

"Beast Boy wait" Raven said and quickly reached for his hand before he was too far. He stopped rather shocked. She was holding his hand with one of her own while the other one rested on his arm.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to intrude"

Once again her tone was softer than usual and intrigued him more. "Its ok Rae, its not something I'm used to talk about with anybody" he said almost embarrassed as he rubbed the back of his neck with his other hand.

"So there is something that bothers you" she asked as she came a little closer. Did she know she was still holding his hand? But he said nothing and instead, held her gaze for as long as she let him.

"You know you can tell me anything, right? And I'll do everything I can to help you, just…talk to me"

Unconsciously he closed his hand around hers and leaned in ever so slightly and towered over her a good five inches but didn't move anymore and said above a whisper "I'll tell you when I'm ready"

Raven nodded once and whispered back "Ok" and held his gaze unable to look away. In the shadows and the soft light coming from the city lights, he seemed more handsome than she remembered. His voice was deeper and she couldn't help but bask in the warmth of his hand on hers. Inadvertently, she licked her lips and slowly realized how close they were, so, to break the silence that had engulf them, she asked "What did you come here for?"

Her question distracted him slightly for he simply asked "What?"

"Earlier, when you first came in, you said you knew you'd find me here. What did you want me for?" she asked quietly.

For a moment he thought she would walk farther away, even though he still held her hand. For a split second he considered his next move but only for a moment because he leaned in closer and whispered "This…" and without hesitation found her lips. Soft and sweet, she tasted like chamomile and mystery just as he remembered or rather, he imagined she would be. It was such a thrill when she started to kiss him back.

It was not a passionate kiss rather a sweet, exploring one. Nervous and shy as first kisses ought to be.

After a moment they pulled away from each other slowly as if they were afraid to break the spell. Beast Boy leaned in again but this time rubbed his nose slightly on hers and then rested his forehead on hers, both with their eyes closed, breathing each other's breaths, listening to each other's heartbeats and he thought he heard her sigh and a sweet warmth enveloped him and couldn't help but let a sigh escape him.

Suddenly the alarms sounded throughout the tower and Beast Boy opened his eyes with a start only to close them again as the bright light from the day shone directly on his face. He blinked repeatedly until he could see again and looked around. He was in his room, on the floor next to the window. He got up, shook his head and for a moment he was so confused he didn't even hear the alarms blaring louder and louder.

"Beast Boy, we require your presence in the common room immediately" came the voice of Starfire over the intercom. He looked down at his clothes, he was still in uniform and was only missing his shoes which he picked up from the floor and run out the door towards the others all the while thinking what the heck is going on, almost desperately, his mind fussy yet remembering clearly.

When he arrived at the common room, everyone else was already there, gathered in front of the computer. He was putting his shoes on as he approached them and stood next to Raven who had the hood over her head listening to what Robin was saying.

"I'm glad you could finally join us Beast Boy, we have two robberies happening at once and I need you and Raven to take care of the one of them. Doctor Light is down town, Cyborg, Star and I will take care of Cinder Block. Titans go!" Robin said and left running with Star and Cyborg close behind.

Beast Boy stood on his spot, still confused by the commotion when a hand on his shoulder startled him.

"We have to go" said Raven in her dry monotone and without waiting for a response of any kind, she teleported herself and Beast Boy nearby the scene of the crime where Dr Light was still terrorizing the civilians. Raven started to walk towards the disturbance when Beast Boy stopped her.

"Raven, wait"

"Beast Boy, in case you're still not caught up with the news, there is a villain that is putting civilians in danger just down the street, what can possibly be more important at this moment than doing our job?" she said urgently and with a menacing glare.

Beast Boy was about to speak when the scream of a woman stopped him short. "You're right, this can wait" he said and the moment he turned around he transformed into cheetah and run as fast as his legs could carry him with Raven gliding her way not far behind.

The villain was perched atop an armored car, fending off the police officers and their guns with ease with another one of his inventions, this time he was using lasers over his shoulders and wrists from a contraption attached to his back. Many police cars were on fire, the people coming out of the surrounding buildings were trying to make their way to safety while the police officers and paramedics were trying to show them the way.

The skinny villain was laughing in amusement. How powerful he felt, having the opportunity to show the city how much destruction he could create and how much power he held over everyone else. The screams that came after every explosion gave him a gratifying feeling in which he basked immensely in, until he caught sight of his nemesis. The one member of the Titans that could make him shiver at the sound of her voice and go pale at her sight.

He swallowed hard but with renewed courage, he aimed his weapon at the newcomers and fired. Raven and Beast Boy avoided the laser easily, instead, the laser cut through the pavement and cut in half a truck that had been abandoned, luckily the cargo was not flammable and what was left was an empty shell cut in half.

"Give it up Doc, you already know we are going to win, spare yourself the butt kicking and surrender" said Beast Boy as soon as he turned back to his human form across the street from the villain.

"Ha! Overconfidence is never a good thing my boy"

"Is not overconfidence, just a fact, now for the last time and for your own good surrender now and you wont have to suffer the consequences"

The villain laughed again and shot another barrage of lasers at the changeling who barely escaped unscathed. Beast Boy transformed into a falcon and gained enough speed and got ready to attack but the villain once again shot his weapon as he too jump off the armored car and landed on the street. He watched how the green falcon broke into a glass window and watched him from afar as the unconscious form of the changeling took his human form again.

A giddy laugh overtook the villain. How easy it had all been but then he remembered, the green titan had not come alone. The now paranoid villain looked around trying to find the caped titan but to no avail. She was nowhere in sight but when he looked in the direction of the fallen green man Dr Light discovered his prey was gone.

His eyes went wide open and nervously took a few steps back as he looked from one side of the street to the other and pressing a number of buttons on a small pad attached to his left wrist. A soft humming was heard and the villain was enveloped in an electricity bubble. The low noise brought him comfort and he smiled at the prospect of finally being able to escape the witch's punishment with the one thing that weakens darkness, light.

The villain sighed in relief and for a moment he felt victorious and this time he started to laugh hysterically until he felt a chill run down his spine that raised goose bumps all over his body and an involuntary shiver made his teeth chatter the moment he decided to turn around but when he did, he found Raven with her eyes glowing an eerie white just under the darkness of her hood. Darkness, started to disperse within the bubble in slow motion, until only her eyes were the only thing he saw.

"You will pay for that" she said in her cold monotone and tendrils of dark energy were wrapping themselves around the villain's limbs but as afraid as the Dr was, he managed to press another button of his invention and a shock of electricity dispersed the tendrils momentarily making Raven give a step back but that only served to infuriate her further and this time her dark energy enveloped the villain once again muffling his screams.

Outside, across the street, Beast Boy gained consciousness and slowly sat up and rubbed his head. For a moment he felt confused and looked around him. The chaos soon made him remember and frantically searched for the villain and Raven.

Finally he noticed the energy bubble that hovered above the ground just around the corner. He saw the surge of electricity run through the walls of the sphere and heard Raven grunt in pain. Beast Boy was already in front of the bubble but with way through. It was black and only the thin surges of electricity that kept the sphere alive, were visible.

Dr Light's screams were heard momentarily before all was silent and Beast Boy started to scream Raven's name, urging her to stop and not hurt the villain to badly when once again, Beast Boy heard Raven scream in pain again and the villain laughing and saying how stupid she had been thinking he wasn't going to be prepared for their next encounter and how he was never going to get caught again, but as the villain was basking in his short success, a loud, savage roar was heard just above his head.

The sphere was still in semi darkness and prevented him from seeing where it came from but then, a massive arm and claws ripped through the bubble and ripped the device attached to the villain's back. The sphere disappeared instantly while the darkness dissipated around him. Dr Light blinked a few times as it had become too bright suddenly when another sound caught his attention. A heavy breathing behind him, just above his shoulder and a low growl, that was too wild to ignore.

Slowly the villain turned around, teeth chattering and eyes wide open in fear. He was met with a vicious roar and mouth full of serrated teeth. Dr Light's body was shaking uncontrollably as his legs remembered how to move but as soon as he gave a step back, the Beast noticed Raven on the ground, not moving. The villain followed the Beast's gaze with his eyes that soon went back to his attacker that was now growling and approaching menacingly and before he could give another step, a massive arm flung him across the street, crashing through a window and on to a wall.

The Beast soon disappeared and Beast Boy, a bit confused from the transformation, staggered over to Raven, who was finally regaining consciousness.

"Raven! Are you ok?" he asked, his tone drenched in panic as he helped her to a sitting position on the ground.

Raven was rubbing her head for a moment before answering. "I think so. I thought I had caught his hands but he managed to get to that device and expelled more electricity than what I anticipated" then she looked around, seeing pieces of the mentioned artifact in pieces nearby then across the street to the unconscious form of Dr Light. "The Beast?" she asked.

Beast Boy nodded sheepishly. "You know I cant control him when you're hurt" he said quietly, looking away in embarrassment.

Raven blushed momentarily, glad that he was looking away and not notice. "Thank you" she replied just as quietly to which Beast Boy nodded, still avoiding eye contact when her communicator rang.

"Raven, Beast Boy. Are you guys alright? Is Dr Light detained?" asked Robin as soon as Raven opened the device.

"He's out cold and we're fine. Minor scratches but nothing I can't heal. What about you guys, everything ok?"

"Yes, Cynderblock is being secured for transport as we speak. Make sure everything is taken care of and we'll meet at the tower. Robin out"

Raven allowed Beast Boy to help her up and then watched him walk away towards the unconscious villain. He tied his arms and legs and both waited for the police to arrive. Raven had managed to heal the bruises on her legs and arms and noticed Beast Boy sitting close by, rubbing his left wrist as he looked around, thoughtful.

"Allow me" opening her hand in expectancy. He moved closer to her and reluctantly gave her his hand. A soft blue light surrounded his hand while a soothing cold run through it and suddenly he felt much better.

He finally made eye contact with her and gave her a genuine smile, one that caught her a bit by surprise because it was so real, stripped from any goofiness and immaturity that actually made her smile back. The healing process was finished but she still held his hand a little while longer, neither one wanted to look away afraid to break the moment, that was until the sirens of the police car and ambulance made their appearance that made her brake eye contact and let go of his hand. They both got up and addressed the police officers.

Back in the tower an hour later, they related almost the entire battle, they had agreed on not letting Robin know about the Beast making his appearance for fear that Robin might not feel at all comfortable with the behemoth being able to come out at any time, even though it was only at certain circumstances that it did, but that would have been too embarrassing a subject for Beast Boy to explain.

Once all the evidence and final notes and comments were made and filed, they decided to retire to their rooms, too tired to even consider dinner. It was hours later, almost in the middle of the night that Beast Boy had decided to get up and make himself something quick to eat, when he got to the common room and had a bite of some fried tofu and veggies. He was sitting at the table, facing the window when something on the floor caught his eye. He walked towards it and crouched to pick up the object and was in fact the mug with traces of the tea that Raven had been drinking the night before, right before they kissed.

But it didn't make sense, it had all been a dream, right? Earlier, when she had held his hand a little longer had been the first time she showed something… could it be? No, he shook his head but that little voice inside his head was debating because at closer inspection on the carpet, he found the stain of tea and the faint smell that depicted a very real incident.

So, What do you think is happening with Beast Boy? How do you think Raven will react if he decides to confront her? So many possibilities. Anyway, hope you enjoyed it and I'll be posting the next chapter next weekend. As always, thank you for reading And thank you in advance if you decide to review. 12.13.14