"Clothes? Check. Keys? Check. Wallet full of spare money? Check." Beastboy said to himself, who was currently rummaging through and preparing his stuff for tomorrow's date with Raven. He could feel the excitement building within him; he couldn't wait for it. After one final check, he properly placed the items he needed beside his nightstand, ensuring that he would be able to grab them all at once.
As he finished preparing, he lay down on the lower bed of his bunk bed and looked up, contemplating all of the moments he had experienced with her. With a smile on his face, he took out his T-Communicator and texted Raven. Afterwards, he put it beside him and waited for her reply to come.
"I don't know anymore. These clothes look too pretty and revealing for me." Raven muttered to herself. She was gazing at the clothes she had borrowed from Starfire earlier. The outfit consisted of dresses, skirts, spaghetti straps, shorts, t-shirts, heels, and much more. At this point, not only did Raven not know what to wear, but she also wasn't sure if any of these items were appropriate for their date tomorrow.
Just then, her T-Communicator rang. With a sigh, she grabbed it with her power and opened it to see who it was. It was Beast Boy, and he had sent her a message.
"Hey, hon. Still awake?"
With just a text, Raven's face changed from frustration to a bit of happiness. She then texted him back and waited for his reply.
Eventually, Beast Boy's T-communicator rang again. He immediately grabbed it and read the message's contents.
"Yeah. What about you? Can't sleep either?"
Beast Boy gave a small smile before replying. Later, Raven received another message.
"Just finished my own stuff, but yeah. Still can't sleep." he replied in the text. The texting chat then went on between the two of them.
"Lucky you... I'm still deciding on my outfit here."
"Why? You always look great no matter what you wear."
"I wanted to show you the best. As a woman, not giving my best shot is an insult to myself, and I'll never be able to live another day without forgetting that."
"Okay, but don't overdo it. You in a simple dress is more than enough for me."
"You're such a charmer! I still can't promise that though."
He then chuckled at her recent message.
"Well, see you tomorrow then. Goodnight, my love."
"Good night as well, darling."
The couple can't help but feel loved as they take off their communication devices. For them, this made their night and they can't wait for what's about to come on their date tomorrow.
Saturday had finally arrived, and Beast Boy walked into the common room, wearing a blue-checkered, button-down short-sleeved polo shirt, which accented his pre-developing muscles. It was tucked in with dark blue jeans and a pair of black and white rubber shoes. He also wore a chestnut-brown leather strap watch on his left wrist, checking the time for accuracy; it was already half past eight, and his designated holoring, reflected his normal human skin tone and hair color. His hair was also slicked back, indicating that he used gel to style it.
Robin and Cyborg were also there, playing video games against each other. They looked around and were actually impressed by his transformation.
"Boy, you look different than you did before. Are you going somewhere?" Cyborg teased, causing Beastboy to blush.
"Well, I have a date with Raven, and a man needs to do whatever he can for his woman." Beast Boy said shyly, scratching his cheek with his index finger.
Robin asked him, "Where's Raven anyway?"
He replied, "Oh, she's with Starfire, doing her make-up and everything."
Just then, the doors suddenly opened, and Starfire emerged from it. "Friends!" she said excitedly, "I have come to tell all of you that our friend Raven is ready for the date with friend Beastboy!"
"Hey, Star! Not so loud!" Raven whispered to her, too shy to reveal herself to the others. After much encouragement, Raven was finally convinced and shyly entered the common room, stunning the men inside, especially Beast Boy.
Raven is wearing a violet V-neck slim dress decorated with cream pink flowers, a pair of glittery and creamy white ankle strap heels, a silver cuff brace on her left wrist, a silver necklace, and her own Holoring, which is currently styled in loose waves and projecting a silky smooth, light brown skin tone.
Beast Boy's jaw was still dropped, making Raven turn pink from shyness. She then spoke meekly, "Uhm, what do you think?"
"Ugh... You look... gorgeous and stunning..." Beast Boy complimented, which made Raven blush even more.
"Right!? You are both so the handsome and beautiful!" Starfire added. The couple couldn't help but blush even more at Starfire's compliment.
"Anyway, where are you two going for your date?" Robin asked. Beast Boy then put himself together before speaking, "Well, I actually planned to go to the place we used to live if you want," he said. Then he looked at Raven, "Is that okay with you?"
Raven smiled, "I don't mind wherever we go." Beast Boy gave her a smile in return.
"Okay then. Remember to not stay too late." Robin reminded them. "Enjoy the date!" Both Starfire and Cyborg waved at them, bidding farewell with smiling faces.
"We will!" both of them replied before leaving, her opening a black portal for them to enter, eventually passing through it holding hands before the portal was reduced to nothing.
A moment later, the pair exited the portal and finally arrived at their designated meeting spot. It was a local park in Massachusetts, and a few people were seen going about their own business; it seemed like the perfect location for the portal and the date. Beast Boy took a deep breath, savoring the fresh air as he filled his lungs.
"It's been a long time since we came here. Finally, we're back." Beast Boy exclaimed.
"Yeah..." Raven replied, looking around, "This place hasn't entirely changed. It's still peaceful and beautiful like it was the last time I was here."
Beast Boy smiled and offered his hand to her, "Shall we?"
She then grabbed his hand, forming a small smile. "Yeah, Let's go." she said. Just then, both of them started walking together.
He wondered where they should go first. As he walked, he spotted an ice cream truck parked by the side of the park. Looking at Raven, he asked, "Would you like to have some ice cream while we walk?"
"Sure." Raven said with excitement. Both of them immediately went to the Ice cream truck and asked the vendor, "Excuse me. We would like to buy two ice creams, please."
"Got it! Just wait for a second." The vendor replied with enthusiasm, maintaining his professional attitude. As he prepared their ice cream, he asked them, "Are you two new here?"
"Well, I guess you could say that." Beast Boy replied sheepishly.
"I see. Are you two on a date? If so, how long have you been together?"
"Yes, and we've just started going out recently." Raven interjects. Their relationship is technically recent, considering they are only counting their time together as it currently stands.
"Is that so? We'll have fun you two." the vendor said as he handed them their ice creams, "That will be two dollars." Beast Boy then took out his wallet, gave him the money, and thanked the vendor before they left.
Raven said, "That must have been Joe, right?"
"He might be." said Robin. "I thought he looked somewhat familiar. After all, he wanted to be an Ice cream tycoon ever since we first met him yearsbefore I was sent to Vietnam."
"I know. He was such a good person during his teenage years. I wonder what happened to him." Raven said, wondering about the vendor's life and hoping he was okay.
"Yeah, me too." said Beast Boy. He then constipated as well. The first part of the date went smoothly. They were walking around the city, looking and pointing at the houses and the establishments that used to be much smaller and simpler than they were now. Reminiscing about their days when both of them lived there in their past lives, both of them seemed to enjoy the sightseeing, wanting to stay longer to remind themselves of their old lives.
"That store used to be a tailor shop." Raven said, giggling softly. "I remember I used to go there whenever we had torn clothes." She paused, then continued, "I also remembered how fascinated I was when I saw how beautiful and attractive everything in the shop was. If I wanted, I could even show you, but you were at war during that time."
Beast Boy couldn't help but look at her intently. He still couldn't believe that she was so beautiful and lovely, not only because of her physical features, but also the way she smiled, the way she told her stories, the way she did everything; all of it. Regardless of who they were and who they became now, he found himself falling even harder, and no one could ever save him from it, not that he wanted to be saved in the first place. After three hours of sightseeing, they eventually stopped and faced each other, caressing their hands.
"So, where do you want to eat, my lady?" He teased, which earned a playful snicker from the empath.
"You know what? Let's go to the usual place." She replied, satisfied with her choice.
"Oh, that one! It's been a while. I wonder if they are still open." he said, wondering.
"Let's find out!" Raven responded, walking away once again. After fifteen minutes of walking and recalling the direction where it was located, they reached a family-owned restaurant built from furnished wood and cobblestone, surrounded by potted plants and flowers. Although it appeared old, it was clear that the owners took great care in maintaining it.
"This might be it." Beastboy said as they went inside the restaurant. Inside, they realized that only a few to moderate number of people were present, quietly and peacefully eating their respective dishes. The interior was entirely different than the exterior. The lighting, the antiques, the tables and chairs gave off a homely and familial atmosphere for its customers. There was also a vinyl player and a jukebox at the side, framed paintings and photographs of old cameras on the walls, and well-displayed musical instruments in the corners.
"This was somewhat similar but different from what it used to be..." Raven murmured, still not getting used to its new appearance.
Just then, a waiter approached the pair and spoke in a very polite tone, "Good morning. Table for two?"
Beastboy replied, "Yes. Just for two."
"Great! Please come with me." the waiter said as he led them to their table. Once Beast Boy helped Raven into her seat and then took his own, the waiter handed them their menus and then asked, taking out his pen and notepad, "What would you like to order?"
Reading the menu, Beast Boy says first, "I'll have the Beefsteak and egg omelette, one cola, and one chocolate mousse."
Raven followed up, "I'll have the Roast Beef and Croquettes, one iced tea, and also one chocolate mouse." The waiter wrote down all of their orders.
"Okay. For clarification, one Beefsteak, one Omelette, one Roast Beef, one Croquettes, one cola, one iced tea, and two chocolate mousse. Coming right up!" The waiter exclaimed professionally, going to the kitchen counter to pass their orders to the chef.
"Well, the crew here is quite just as friendly as ever."
"They should be. I've been waiting to go back here with you all this time after all." Raven said, giving him a gentle smile. "Food is better shared with company." Beastboy smiled in return.
After approximately forty-five minutes, the waiter returned with their dish. "Here are your dishes. Enjoy your meal!" The waiter exclaimed before going to another table.
"Let's eat!" Beast Boy said excitedly, to which Raven nodded. They both took a piece from their own dish and eventually ate it. Their eyes widened in surprise. "It's so delicious as always!" they exclaimed in delight.
"Even though times have changed, their food is still the best. I want more!" Beast Boy thought, still eating his food and melting in delight.
"I've been cooking for years now. But even so, it's so good I can't help myself!" Raven thought to herself.
It took them a while before thee,y finished their meal and felt satisfied, rubbing their full stomachs in pure bliss.
"Ahh… That's the stuff!" Beastboy exclaimed.
"Yes. They haven't lost their touch yet." Raven agreed as well.
After a satisfied sigh, they happened to glance toward the upright piano and the violin on the corner. With a thought in mind, they looked at each other and smirked.
He said, "Shall we, just like old times?"
"Oh, definitely!" replied Raven.
Both of them immediately stood up and walked over to that corner. As they did, they asked the nearest waitress they saw, "Excuse me. Are these instruments allowed to be used?" Raven asked.
"Yeah, they are. You can use those as much as you like. But if you broke it, you have to pay for it." the waitress replied before going back to her current task. With a single glance, they both nodded and went to their respective instruments. Beast Boy sat down at the piano, while Raven took up the violin and her bow. Upon closer inspection, both instruments appeared to be in good condition, and the pitch of each string was neither sharp nor flat. They then silently began their warm-ups.
"Can you even play the piano right now? You might be rusty and won't be able to keep up with me." she teased him.
"Ha! You should worry about yourself. Perhaps you'll just slow me down." he replied. "What should we play by the way?"
"Do you even need to ask?" she smirked.
"Pachelbel's Canon? We've already done that many times. Isn't it getting boring by now?"
"No, not at all. I actually like it a lot."
"Okay. Pachelbel's Canon, it is. Let's go with D Major for something different." He ended in dismay.
Just then, after taking a deep breath, he began playing the piano. He started off slowly, allowing his fingers time to adjust. It had been a while since he last played the piano in his previous life. Despite this, at times, he couldn't help but feel nostalgia welling up within him. Nonetheless, for each note, rest, section, sharp, flat, rhythm or tempo change, he made sure to play with precision and emotion.
After the eighth note was played, Raven started playing the violin, slowly sliding the bow across the strings as if she used to play it before. She were familiarizing herself to the instrument once again, having not played for many years. Just like him, she hit every note with precision and gentleness, ensuring that the sound emitted from the violin did not sound overly shrill or harsh.
The customers within the restaurant noticed the music and looked in the couple's direction. They found it so good and touching that they couldn't help but be mesmerized, as if they were the snakes being lured by a snake charmer.
As their music goes on gradually and smoothly, the said couple began to feel the gentle and simple emotions the composition evoked. Either moving around or playing their instruments a bit harder by pressing them down a bit, just like in their good old days, they had absolute fun not only in playing the instruments but also doing so together.
Eventually, the song came to an end, the notes gradually fading into silence until it stopped completely. Both of them took a deep breath and looked at each other with a satisfied smile on their faces. Suddenly, the crowd gave them a round of applause, instantly shocking the pair into looking at them. Some were also whistling and others shouted compliments at them loudly. Both of them were confused, as they looked at each other, unsure of what to do. Sure, they've played at the same venue many times before, but this was the loudest cheer they'd ever received.
"Everyone, stop clapping!" An elderly man's voice resonated within the restaurant, causing everyone to look at the owner of the voice, particularly Beastboy and Raven. The old man, who wore a chef's uniform and had a toque on his head, slowly made his way towards the pair. Eventually, he approached them, and then spoke to them.
"Did you two play those?" The old man asked, still staring at the two in question.
"Uhm, yes sir." they both replied in unison.
"Is that so? Would you like to come with me for a moment?"
Beast Boy and Raven looked at each other first before Beast Boy replied, "Uhh, yeah sure."
The three of them started walking, the pair tailing the old man as the crowd went back to their previous seats and continued eating. They passed the kitchen first before heading towards the back door, exiting the establishment. Just then, all of them stopped and the old man turned around to face them.
"What do you want to talk about, sir?" Raven asked, confused as to what was the matter.
"Are you John and Hannah Smith?" The old man's question, however, would shock both of them to the core as none of them expected this outcome.