Beads of sweat rolled down his temple as he hid behind a stack of crates, waiting for the gunfire to cease. He knew he only had a moment once the firing stopped, and he couldn't mess this up now, not after he had come so far.
It had been quite a journey to get here as the thugs were ruthless, and they would shoot to kill. Dodging bullets was not one of his strong suits, and he saw red a couple of times, but by some miracle, he had somehow clung to life.
But the boss was waiting. He knew it. He just had to get past a couple more hired goons, and he would finally take down the face of the organization. He just needed to wait it out for one more minute, get a couple of bad guys down, then he would get his shot.
The break he was waiting for came, and he put his foot down and sprang up from his hiding spot, ready to attack. He usually wasn't a fan of the weapon in his hand, but desperate times called for desperate measures, and it was all he had left in his arsenal.
Bullets were scarce, so he took a moment to carefully aim before pulling the trigger. A shot to the shoulder put one guy down, and a hit to the face put another. He grimaced slightly at the last one as he wasn't one for kill shots, but it was necessary. In his periphery, he could see another goon advancing from his left. He spun round, but it was a second too late. Bullets hit his chest, and red shot up in front of his eyes. This was it- this was the end.
To Continue, Please Insert Coin flashed on the screen.
Knowing he had never gone this far before, Beast Boy frantically reached into his bucket for another coin.
It was empty.
"Damn it!" Beast Boy cursed as he threw his gun back down into its holster.
Fully intending to trade his dollars for more mind-numbing shooting games, Beast Boy reached for his wallet to scavenge whatever spare coins he had left.
Then he felt it.
If he had to describe it, he would compare it to a lasso around his organs, pulling, tugging, and compelling his feet to take him in a particular direction. He instinctively knew if he followed the rope, its ending would be the T-shaped tower on the rocks in the sea.
Crap, why does this keep happening, he wondered, all thoughts of computerized gun fights gone from his mind.
He ran his hand through his hair. The tangy, metallic scent of the arcade coins seemed to linger on his gloves, and he winced in frustration.
Although it surprised him every time he felt it, in the back of his mind, he knew it would happen. It kept happening. It started the day they left Raven- older Raven- standing in the kitchen only hours after being introduced to the team. The alarms had blared around them, and they set out for one of their missions.
It was a pretty simple operation (as far as a double robbery could be), but it was Beast Boy's turn to stay with the police to make statements and file all the paperwork. It was his least favorite job, and he'd usually bribe Cyborg or Raven to take the duty, but Cy was too busy with his car, and Raven was far away from Jump, so he grudgingly stayed behind.
It had taken longer than usual as one of the thieves had made a feeble attempt to escape, thus creating even more paperwork Beast Boy had to sign. He'd been gone for around three hours and was talking to a police officer when he felt the tiniest of jerks from around his centre. It was like a hook was stuck on his belly button, and a fisherman was gently tugging at the line.
He had stopped mid-sentence, and his eyes had bugged so wide in shock that the concerned cop had started patting him on the shoulder to make sure the changeling was alright. Laughing it off as if it were nothing, Beast Boy continued with the rest of the mundane files and statements; all the while, the confusion and alarm got stronger as the sensation continued to escalate. It made him restless, and his mind muddled and was like an itch that he couldn't reach to scratch.
Finally, the officers relieved him of his duty, and he was able to flee from the precinct.
He thought he'd feel relief once he was outside in the sun, but the pulling only compelled him further, and the force seemed stronger.
Trusting his instincts, he had shifted into a bird, and on fast wings, he flew home. The pull got slightly looser, but the odd feeling didn't go away until he did a sweep of the Tower. What he was checking for, he couldn't say, but it seemed to calm something in him, and the sensation finally abated when he found all his friends, as well as Raven, crashed on the couch watching a movie. At the time, he had flopped onto the sofa, munched at the popcorn, and put his feet up as if he hadn't spent the last half an hour evading a mysterious tug to the heart.
He recalled that day as he checked his watch in the retro arcade café. As he suspected, he had been away from the Tower for about three hours. It seemed to be the uncannily precise amount of time he was allowed before the strange urge to go back home would sneak up on him.
He wanted to morph into some fast creature to get himself home, just to calm this pull- this inner itch to get back home. He pondered the idea of pushing himself and seeing what would happen if he stayed away. It had only been a couple of days with this new feeling, and he hadn't fought the urge yet. He knew the logical thing to do was to try and suppress this new-found emotion and test the limitations of it. Perhaps by doing so, he could figure out exactly why he felt this need to return home and the catalyst behind it all.
But the pull was getting stronger and a glance at his wallet confirmed that he had used up the last of his cash. There seemed little point in postponing the inevitable, and he felt lighter as his feet turned toward the exit.
The interior of the arcade was dark, and Beast Boy found himself blinking as he adjusted to the bright afternoon sun. He stopped as the light hit his face and closed his eyes to breathe in the city's air. It wasn't a particularly pleasant smell- cities usually weren't. He could pick up the garbage by the alley, the Chinese restaurant down the street, and the hot dog vendor on the corner. It was the smell of bodies, food, and sewage under the hot Californian sun. It certainly was no meadow of wildflowers, but it was better than the dusty, stale popcorn smell that pervaded the arcade, and he welcomed it. He briefly closed his eyes and tried to block out the other smells, honing in on one particular one.
It took a moment, but there it was- the salty smell of the ocean. Within that ocean was a small, rocky island where a gigantic T-shaped building stood, overlooking and protecting the city.
He smiled to himself. Home was beckoning.
The grin still on his face, he made his way down the street and towards the bay. A few citizens waved at him; some gave him fist bumps and high fives, but he was used to attention and didn't heed it.
He let his mind wander as he made his way towards Glen Street. Once he turned the corner, the tower would be in sight, and he knew this would further calm his restless mood.
He suspected that the final hurdle would be to check up on his friends, and he knew exactly where they would all be at this time of the day.
First, he'd check in with Cyborg, who was probably in the garage making upgrades to his car. He wouldn't be surprised to find Raven there as well. Apart from Beast Boy, Cyborg was the first Titan the older Raven had bonded with. Like her younger counterpart, her time with the half-robot was spent in the garage, where her suggestions for upgrades and alterations to his T-car were met with enthusiasm and awe.
If she wasn't getting Cyborg's civvies streaked with grease, he could check Starfire's room. Much to everyone's surprise (and Starfire's delight), Raven was enthusiastic about their 'girl time,' and they would both emerge from Starfire's room with painted nails (yellow for Starfire, black for Raven), hair in loose braids, and a touch of makeup.
Beast Boy tried to suppress the blush as he remembered his reaction to Raven's look when they had floated out of Starfire's room yesterday. He didn't mean to drop his glass of almond milk, but really, who could blame him? Red lips on beautiful women should be illegal.
If she wasn't grooming herself with Starfire, he supposed she might be in the kitchen.
It surprised everyone to see that Raven was attempting to hone her cooking skills. The Raven they knew stayed clear from the kitchen at all costs- which was, in all honesty, a relief to the other Titans. Beast Boy shuddered whenever he thought about those pancakes she had made on that fateful day not too long ago.
But two days ago, she had surprised them with blueberry muffins after one of their more harrowing missions.
They had staggered back to the Tower, fresh off a fight with Mad Mod, and had greedily dug into the muffins, still warm from the pan. With their sugar levels low, the quartet was eager to fill their bellies with whatever Raven offered. However, after only a single bite, all had declared they were full. Even Starfire's hardy stomachs couldn't take in the runny middle or the overpowering taste of nutmeg. How she got the blueberries to turn a hot pink was anyone's guess. The muffins were then hidden away in Starfire's room to be eaten by Silkie, who didn't seem to mind the bizarre smell or grainy texture.
The girl could not cook. Or bake. The fact that she could successfully boil water was a miracle to Beast Boy, and even then she used the kettle.
As much as he hoped she wouldn't be in the kitchen, there was a strong possibility that she was there now, mixing up the batter of her latest concoction, ready to give them all a stomach ache.
The idea of getting food poisoning should slow him down, but Beast Boy felt his steps quicken with the thought of a domesticated Raven, an apron covering her bump and flour smeared on her cheek.
Only five more steps and he could round the corner and see the tower. The top of the T would be like open arms waiting for him to come home.
Grinning broadly, he counted the strides.
Four…
Three ...
Two ...
He was almost-
"OH MY GOD! Beast Boy!" A shrill voice stopped him in his tracks.
"Ummmmm….." he said, turning towards the sound.
A girl with short blonde hair was racing towards him, a wide smile gracing her pink lips, and her green eyes were dancing with excitement.
"Uhhhh…. Hi." Beast Boy said distractedly. The blonde was covering his view and all he could see was a small corner of the Tower.
"I'm Lauren! I'm like, your biggest fan!" the girl shrieked.
"Uhh, huh." Beast Boy glanced at the girl. She was about his age and had honey-blonde locks that would have curled just under her chin but was pulled back by a pink hairband. Her pink cheeks matched her pink lips, which also happened to match her pink nails, which were now digging into his arm.
If only he were two steps to the left then he could get a better view…
"... meet you!" Beast Boy attempted to listen to what the girl was saying. "I heard a rumor that you were in the arcade, and I just HAD to come find you!" she squeaked.
"Arcade?" Beast Boy repeated, trying to look over her head and picking up on the only word he heard in her sentence.
"Ummm hmmm!" she said with a giggle. "I have lots of tokens! We can totally hang out!" She batted her long eyelashes and gave his arm a quick squeeze.
Beast Boy absentmindedly nodded and continued looking over the girl's head, "Ya we hang out all the time! The Titans are like family!"
He was so busy trying to get a view of the tower that he missed the confused look on the girl's face.
"N-no." She shook her head, baffled. "I mean me and you! Or you could come to mine! My parents are out of town and-"
"Sorry!" Beast Boy interrupted, not even pretending to listen anymore. "Gotta run! Superhero stuff!"
"But-" She exclaimed, but he was already peeling her vice-like hands from around his arm and maneuvering his way around her.
Because there it was, the giant 'T' was blinking in the sunlight.
Finally, remembering the girl- Lisa, was it? He turned back to her and flashed his wide grin, "Always nice to meet a fan!" He waved before morphing himself into a seagull and heading towards the sea, the bewildered fan already a distant memory.
With each flap of his wide wings, he could feel his restlessness subside ever so slightly. It wasn't gone completely, but it was as if the volume was slowly being turned down a notch with each passing moment.
He gave a squawk in his delight of flight and the slow passing of this bizarre feeling. Knowing what would remove it, he tried to plan his route to finding each of the Titans. Starfire and Cyborg he covered, and the kitchen he would cover, he knew this wasn't Raven's regular nap time so if she wasn't in any of those places she would most likely be…
He faltered and found himself dropping towards the ground. With a curse towards the non-existent gust of wind, Beast Boy angled his tail wing and steadied his feathers to right himself.
Balance now restored, he gave off a birdy sigh. If she wasn't handing Cy tools in his garage, putting on a face mask with Starfire, or attempting her latest culinary pursuit, Raven would be in the one place that she seemed to spend hours and hours holed up in; the evidence room with him.
It was the reason he found himself leaving the tower for a couple of hours these past two days. He was happy to leave her with his best friend, as Cyborg loved Raven like a little sister. Or maybe big sister in this case. Starfire was one of her only female friends, and he would never begrudge the girl time they had.
But Robin. Ugh.
He had no idea what they could be discussing at such lengths, and he knew it was none of his business, but what the hell were they talking about for 3 hours at a time?!
He didn't want it to affect him, he really didn't. He knew that she'd want to spend time with a younger Robin, as apparently, who wouldn't, but try as he might, he couldn't distract himself away from that damned closed door to that damned room.
He had just about talked himself into shifting as a fly and hiding in the room's vents when he realized that was the literal definition of a fly on the wall and was probably a little on the creepy side. Sure, he'd done it once before, but that had been for her safety- really, it was! Robin could be a dick, but the worst he would do is annoy the woman to death. Besides, this Raven was much more powerful than he probably gave her credit for. If she didn't want to be there, she wouldn't be.
And that was the problem.
Although he wanted her back in his room, eating at his desk, talking with him, and giving him hell when he needed it, she preferred Robin's company. Indeed, since bringing her out to his teammates, she hadn't come back to his room once. She hadn't bantered with him once, she hadn't given him "constructive criticism" once, hell, she hadn't even insulted him once.
While he didn't think she was avoiding him, per se, the connection he thought they shared was clearly only one-sided. He chalked up the protectiveness he had of her as nothing beyond the fact that he was the first to bear her secret. Nothing more, nothing less.
He still wanted to know what they were talking about though.
As he mused over these thoughts, the Tower had come into full view. Although he had planned to land on the roof and make his rounds from there, he spotted a lone figure by the rocks of the obstacle course, fiddling with the control box. Readily, he changed course with a quick flap of his wings, and within a minute, he shifted back to himself and discreetly landed next to his friend.
"What you doin', Cy?" he whispered into the bionic man's ear, making him jump a foot in the air.
"GAH! What the hell, B?" Cyborg cried.
Beast Boy just chuckled in response. Although Cyborg had sensors and advanced technological hearing, when he was concentrating on one of his gadgets, he was deaf and blind to the rest of the world. If Beast Boy couldn't exploit this for his amusement, what kind of friend would he be?
Cyborg gave a shake of his head and went back to soldering a screw or tightening a nail. Beast Boy didn't pretend to understand the intricacies of mechanics.
"I'm tryna' do some adjustments on this thing. A few days ago, some idiot tried to murder himself on it, and now I have to reprogram the whole goddamn system." He gave Beast Boy a pointed look.
"Yeah," Beast Boy said, scratching the back of his neck, "Sorry about that."
Cyborg shrugged and continued with his work. "It could do with an upgrade or two. Not a big deal."
Beast Boy nodded and watched his friend work for a few minutes in comfortable silence.
Seemingly satisfied with his progress, Cyborg closed the panel and started putting away his tools.
"So," he said, wiping his hands on an old rag, "Where have you been?"
"Shooting up bad guys," Beast Boy said with a smirk.
Cyborg raised a questioning eyebrow.
"Time Crisis 3," Beast Boy shrugged.
"Ah. An oldie but a goodie. Next time I want to hide, I'll try that one as well."
Beast Boy frowned, "Dude, I wasn't hiding."
Cyborg put down his tools and the rag and splayed his hands over the consul. He took a minute to assess Beast Boy before asking, "Then what were you doing?"
"I…I…" Beast Boy stuttered. He felt a tightening in his chest, and he knew his eyes were wide and alarmed.
"Listen, B," Cyborg said soothingly, picking up on Beast Boy's panic. "I'm gonna level with you here, alright?"
Beast Boy nodded as he calmed himself down.
Cyborg waited for a beat to make sure his friend was back under control, then sighed as he rubbed his bald head, "Having Raven- future Raven- here is hard for me, too."
"It- it is?" Beast Boy's eyebrows furrowed.
"Yeah. I mean, the future is…" he hesitated- as though fighting for the right words. "In our line of work, it's not a luxury that I allow myself to think about all that much. There is always a villain to defeat, a crisis to avert. For all we know, we could be one mission away from the end of it all. Having a physical reminder that there is a future is both gratifying and terrifying. I'm happy to see that one of us had made it through, but I'm also…apprehensive because the person who came back isn't me."
Beast Boy watched as Cyborg stared at the ground and clenched his jaw. He had never thought about how the others would react to seeing Raven and what the significance of it would be to them. His whole intent was to make Raven comfortable for the time she was here, but it never occurred to him that his other friends could need him as well.
"Cy," he said, determined to be there for his best friend, "I know Raven plays her cards pretty close to her chest, and she's reluctant to talk about life in the future, but I don't think she has anything like that to hide. I get the sense that we are all still in each other's lives, laughing and annoying each other. Heck, we'll probably be doing that for the next 80 years!"
"Hmm," Cyborg hummed through a crooked smile. "She say anything about you, B?"
Beast Boy smiled before answering, "Actually, ya she did. She said that I'm really happy." He met his friend in the eye and beamed at him, "And dude, there is no way I can be as happy as she made it sound if I didn't have my best bud there with me."
Cyborg shook his head and rolled his eye in mock humor. "Alright, B. I believe ya. Thousands wouldn't, but I do." He raised his fist, and Beast Boy met with his own for a bro-approved bump.
"Now," he said, putting the last of his tools away, "Maybe we should go find the woman herself and make sure she hasn't gotten into much trouble. Last I heard, she was baking some kind of cookie in the kitchen."
The reminder brought about that familiar tug in his gut.
"What's the chance that she won't make it vegan-friendly?" He asked Cyborg, despite already knowing the answer.
"Pretty slim, Greenbean," Cyborg said with a laugh. "She has made it quite clear that she wants to bake something that everyone- including vegan weirdos, can eat."
Grumbling to himself, he helped Cyborg with his tools and headed towards the tower.
Making small talk, the pair set aside the equipment, and after punching the button for the elevator, they were surprised to see that the doors opened to Robin, clutching a paper bag and sporting helmet hair.
The hairs on Beast Boy's neck bristled slightly, but he wiped them away and planted a smile on his face.
"Hey there, Rob! How's it goin'?" Cyborg pleasantly said as he pushed the button for Ops.
Robin eyed the duo as if expecting some kind of prank was being schemed. When neither party acted suspiciously, he shrugged and cleared his throat, "It's been pretty quiet the last couple of days," he said, and Beast Boy knew he was referring to the lack of crime. "I'm thinking that maybe we will set up a patrol tonight for a couple of hours each."
Cyborg shrugged, "Works for me."
Beast Boy only nodded.
"We're about to see what our empath is cooking up for us," Cyborg grinned as the elevator gave a ding and the doors swooshed open. "You coming?"
All three stepped out of the elevator and started making their way down the hall.
"Actually…" Robin held back, leaving Cyborg further up ahead. Curious, Beast Boy turned toward his leader.
"Go ahead, Cy. I want a minute alone with Beast Boy." The boy wonder gestured his chin towards Cyborg, who gave them both a wave before heading round the corner and through the automatic door.
Once the door hissed closed, Robin sighed and put a gloved hand through his hair. "Beast Boy, listen. I've been talking with Raven and doing some thinking, and I'm wondering if I've been too harsh on you recently."
Beast Boy gaped at the older Titan. Out of all of the things Robin would say to him, this was one of the last things he expected to hear. It was down there with Robin admitting to moonlighting as a pop star or him confessing that he wore gloves to hide his super small baby hands.
"Um… okay," was all Beast Boy could get out, still flabbergasted at this new twist.
Robin seemed to share his discomfort as he shifted his weight from foot to foot and continued, "Raven explained some things, and well… thanks for looking out for her for those first couple of days. She's grateful for the help and uhh…" he trailed off, looking incredibly uncomfortable with his next words, "and I am too," he said, looking anywhere but at the changeling.
Beast Boy wasn't sure how to feel. A part of him was elated as not only was Robin finally admitting to his dumbassery, but he now had some kind of inkling as to what the two birds had been discussing behind that office door. But a tiny part of him was disheartened at the idea that Raven had probably put Robin up to this -like he was a dog being petted for being a good boy.
But no. That was probably not the case. Although Robin was awkward about it, it was probably down to the fact that the Boy Wonder was uncomfortable with admitting that he had been wrong. He refused to think otherwise.
"No worries, man," he clapped Robin on the back and gave him a lopsided grin. "I'd do the same for you. Titans together, am I right?"
"Thanks Beast Boy. C'mon, let's see what Raven is going to poison us with today," he gave a low chuckle as he headed towards Ops. "Maybe I can distract her with these spell ingredients she asked me to get."
Robin didn't notice when Beast Boy's steps stopped keeping in time with his own.
"Maybe you can- Beast Boy? Are you alright?" Robin asked, finally detecting the change in his green teammate's demeanor.
Beast Boy was quiet as he sadly eyed the package in Robin's hand.
"Beast Boy?" Robin repeated, concern laced through his voice.
"It's nothing, dude," Beast Boy sighed as he shrugged his shoulders. "When Raven first got here, she asked me to get those ingredients- that's all."
"Oh," Robin replied, "She probably just forgot or something."
"Yeah. Forgot," he said with heavy sarcasm, his sadness now replaced with anger. As he said it, that pesky lasso around his stomach gave a mighty tug, and he knew he had to continue in search of the rest of the Titans, or the sensation would only continue to irritate him. This thought only fed fuel to his anger, and he couldn't help stomping his feet as he brushed past Robin and headed toward Ops.
As soon as the doors opened, he was surrounded by the scents of chocolate and caramelized brown sugar, and despite his aggravation, his mouth started to water.
He clenched his teeth in exasperation. Although he wanted to deny it, the smell made him feel like he was getting wrapped in a warm hug and it wasn't meshing well with his wrathful vibe. Stupid olfactory senses. Its attempts to warp his attitude were not endearing.
Shaking his head, he stuck with the vengeful stomping and made his way toward the kitchen and the source of the enticing smells.
A cheerful, "Good day, Beast Boy!" was heard from the table as Starfire happily sipped mustard. Beast Boy ignored his optimistic teammate, and from his periphery, he could see Cyborg frowning at the negative attitude Beast Boy was exhibiting.
Robin was taking audibly tentative steps behind him, which meant he only needed to see one more person then this stupid pulling could be put to rest, and he could go and mope in his room.
He saw violet hair and indigo eyes and he immediately felt calm. The tugging ceased, and his treacherous mind relaxed.
It only pissed him off even more.
"Beast Boy! Have you had a good day?" Raven beamed at him. "Your timing is impeccable. My first-ever batch of chocolate chip cookies is about to come out of the oven. Don't worry- I used only vegan ingredients. I'm so excited! Don't they smell delicious?" Her smile was wide, and her eyes shone
"Sure. They smell great, Rave. Excuse me," he curtly replied before sharply turning around and heading back towards the exit.
"Wait!"
A black barrier of magic materialized in front of him, blocking his path.
"I know my cooking hasn't always been consistent, but I'm trying-"
She was interrupted by the timer signaling that it was time to take the cookies out of the oven. She gave the changeling a hopeful look before taking down the barricade at his silent nod.
He crossed his arms and gave off a huff of air through his nose. He knew she could sense his negativity and decided to make no effort to hide it.
"I'm trying to learn how to do all those things that traditional mothers do," she continued over her shoulder as she raced towards the oven and donned the oven gloves. "I just want to be a regular mo-"
She didn't finish her sentence, and her silence piqued Beast Boy's interest. He unfolded his arms and walked toward the empath and her baked goods.
He looked at Raven before looking at the cookies. Her eyes were wide, her eyebrows raised, and her mouth was rounded from the letter that had died off her lips.
He then turned his gaze towards the baking tray and understood her surprise. The cookies were completely flat.
He let out a cathartic laugh. He couldn't help it- he really couldn't. This woman before him was one of the most powerful people on the planet, capable of tearing down worlds, dissecting the human mind, and bringing a population to its knees, but she couldn't follow a recipe to save her life.
The others had crept up from behind him and were all giving their encouragement and commiserations to the shaken empath, but Beast Boy only continued to laugh.
He laughed at the cookies that were nothing more than pancakes with sad mountains of chocolate chips poking out of them.
He laughed at the absurdity of an avid reader who forgot to read the line about flour.
He laughed at his anger, now drizzling away, and the wonder at how he could ever really be mad at her.
He laughed so hard tears were forming in his eyes, and his gloved fingers were damp from brushing them aside.
Finally, with his sides pained and with a loud snort, he came up from his hysterical laughter to face the shocked expressions on his teammate's faces.
Shame flared his cheeks, and he cleared his throat. "Sorry. I mean, this is Raven, right?" he said, addressing the others. "She can't ever be a normal mom, can she?"
One look at her, and he immediately knew he had said the wrong thing.
The first clue was the flash of hurt in her eyes. Eyes that only moments ago were so bright and full of anticipation. The second clue was the slump of her small shoulders and the way she slowly put down the tray of pancake cookies. The third and final clue was like a stab in Beast Boy's heart as tears started to gather in the corner of her eyes.
Oh Shit.
"Rae- I-" he tried to get out.
"It's okay, Beast Boy," she interjected, nodding slowly and looking towards the door, clearly intent on escaping. "I'm going to meditate in my- in Terra's room."
Before a protest could escape his lips, she had levitated herself to the end of the Ops and was out of the door. The mechanical door closing was the only sound left as the rest of the Titans gave Beast Boy silent accusatory glares.
"I didn't mean it like that," Beast Boy said slowly.
Cyborg gave him a sympathetic pat on the shoulder. "I know B, but you know what you gotta do."
Beast Boy frowned and immediately looked towards his leader. "No. Robin should go talk to her," Beast Boy asserted.
"I believe it needs to be you, Beast Boy," Starfire said quietly, placing a hand on his arm.
Robin silently agreed with a nod.
Without another word, Beast Boy turned from his friends, filled the kettle, and flicked it on. A cup of soothing tea would have to suffice as an olive branch.
The others dispersed behind him as he gathered the mug and tea bag and waited for the water to boil.
He gave the disastrous cookies the stink eye before rubbing the back of his neck. He had about ten million thoughts trolling around in his head, but they all came crashing down to one simple confession: I have royally screwed up.
Authors Note:
Chapter 9 and I had a lot of fights. There were a lot of rewrites, severe writer's block and I nearly gave up on the whole thing, but I'm marginally happy about this chapter. I read somewhere on the internet that male wolves are very protective of their den when their pregnant mates or young babies are inside. If it's on the internet it must be right…right? Anyway, I wanted to do my own, lighter version of this protective nature in Beast Boy, so this is my interpretation of that animalistic trait.
Unfortunately, due to conflicting IRL schedules, I am going to have to put Chapter 10 back by one week. This means that Chapter 10 will come out in two weeks on March 10th. At least it makes it easy to remember! After that, it should be back to weekly updates. Sorry for any inconvenience this may cause!
I do hope you come back for Chapter 10 as Beast Boy and Raven have a heart-to-heart and some unanswered questions are finally revealed! See you in two weeks!