this fic was originally written for a bbrae zine back in december, 2019, but it's been cancelled. i'm putting it in honorary tales since it features the tyke titans.
A Feeling She Hasn't Realized
"Okay, Timmy let's see if you get this one!" Beast Boy exclaimed, squatting in front of the young hero and rubbing his hands together. "What do you call a sleeping dinosaur?"
Timmy furrowed his brows. He tucked his chin to his chest and twisted his treasured blanket between his gloved hands. Tilting his head, he felt Teether tugging on his leg, his bright blue eyes wide and wondering.
"Want a hint?" Beast Boy offered, and Timmy nodded, pursing his lips. "What do people do when they sleep? If you get that, you'll get the pun."
As Timmy groaned, Raven glanced at them from her spot on the couch. With the flu plaguing the nunnery in charge of taking care of the Tyke Titans, Raven didn't want to risk them catching it. She decided to have them live in Titans Tower with her until the illness passed. As the nuns recovered, she found finding herself accompanied by Beast Boy on a particularly lazy Sunday filled with endlessly bad puns, all of them laughed at by Teether and Timmy.
"Raven?"
She quickly pulled her attention back to Melvin. Her fingers were woven through her soft blonde hair. Continuing to braid, she asked, "What is it?"
Melvin folded her hands on her lap, giggling. She flicked her attention to Beast Boy before turning back to Raven, her grin stretched with unspoken knowledge. Kicking her legs out, she said, "I want to ask you something."
Raven sensed her eagerness, a palpable, airy change in the space between them. Whatever it was that she wanted to ask, it filled her with giddiness, prompting Raven to say, "Well, that's obvious. What is it?"
"Oh! Oh, I get it!" Timmy interjected, cutting off Melvin. He clenched his fists, Teether staring up at him as he exclaimed, "A dino-snore! A sleeping dinosaur is a dino-snore!"
Beast Boy threw his arms out, Teether quickly imitating him as he shouted, "Ding ding ding! We got a winner!"
Timmy cheered and jumped in place. He bounced up and down, Teether mimicking him as best as he could. He thrust his hand out, shouting, "Prize time, prize time!"
Digging into his pocket, Beast Boy frowned. He pulled out lint and a paperclip, stuffing them back inside when Teether tried grabbing them. He patted his bodysuit, beads of sweat dampening his brow, Timmy's growling growing louder and more threatening as he searched.
"How about some candy?" Raven offered as Timmy sucked down a harsh breath, silencing him before he could scream. "Beast Boy has a chocolate stash in his room."
The color drained from his face. Beast Boy gawked at her, her smiling expression the picture of calmness. "Dude, how do you know about it? I kept it way hidden! Not even Robin knows!" he squeaked, his shoulders hitching to his pointed ears.
"When I was on cleaning duty last week taking care of your nightmare of a room, I found your stash mostly melted in your dresser." She leaned back against the cool leather of the couch as Beast Boy yipped, streaking his fingers through his short hair. "That's not the best place to hide candy, you know."
"Aw, man! I haven't checked it in a few days. It better not all be melted!" He moaned, appearing as if his soul would leave his body. Noticing Timmy's cocked head, he flashed a bright grin at him. "I said you were the winner, Timmy, so I'm gonna get you that reward no matter what! Just sit tight!" He shot his pointer fingers at Raven, winking. "You hold down the fort! I'll be right back!"
As Beast Boy leaped over the couch and dashed out of the living room, Raven sighed. She shook her head, feeling the couch crease as Timmy set Teether by Melvin and hopped up next to her. Her hands hesitated by the sides of Melvin's head when she noticed a twinkle in her eyes, her unasked question still buzzing between them.
"I know something about Raven," Melvin announced to the boys, rocking from side to side.
"You do?" Timmy asked, Teether tilting his head.
"I sure do! It's a big something! It's as big as Bobby!" She grinned at her massive bear friend, who was slumbering in the corner of the room.
Raven rolled her eyes. She knew Melvin too well to not take anything she said lightly. Curiosity empowered her, allowing her to observe and understand subjects beyond her years. Raven never doubted that spark in her. When she said she knew something about Raven, she made sure to listen with her ears wide open.
"Well, what do you know about me that I don't?" Raven asked, a ghost of a smile on her face.
Melvin drummed on her thighs, building up the anticipation. She straightened her back and bounded off Raven's lap after clapping her hands on her knees. Throwing her arms into the air, she spun on her heels, aimed her finger at Raven, and shouted, "You have a crush on Beast Boy!"
It was so silent that a pin could have dropped, and everyone would have heard it. Raven's mouth fell open, Teether and Timmy copying her. Melvin never dropped her pose even when Bobby rolled in his sleep, his heavy form slamming into the ground with the force of an aftershock.
At a loss for words, Raven could only stare through Melvin. She moved her lips and worked her jaw, but she couldn't speak. Words tried crawling out of her throat, but they were monosyllabic, unintelligent sputtering. Gulping them back down, the only noise she found herself capable of understanding was the dull hum droning in her brain.
"Why's that?" Timmy asked, Teether sucking his thumb.
Melvin rocked on her heels, explaining, "'Cause every single day we've been here, Raven always asked Beast Boy to join us, and when he's here, she always seems a little bit happier."
"We don't make Raven happy?" Timmy blurted, his lips quivering and eyes welling with tears.
"No, no, we do," Melvin quickly said, rubbing his shoulder, "but Beast Boy gives her a special-er feeling."
"Oh! Okay." Timmy smiled, and Teether bobbed his head.
The Tyke Titans gazed at her. They refused to look away and waited for her answer. Melvin's eyes shone like little stars, her energy palpable as she bounced on her heels.
"I-" Raven swallowed down what she was going to say. Spreading her hands on the couch, she leaned forward, her short hair brushing against her jawline. She narrowed her eyes on Melvin, saying, "I asked him because he was the only one around."
Melvin frowned and crossed her arms. "Nuh-uh. You were really happy when you asked him to babysit us with you, and you were smiling super wide when you and him-" She sucked down a quick breath. "-were giving us piggyback rides on the roof, and when we went swimming, you were watching him teach Timmy how to doggy paddle-"
"It's true!" Timmy piped up.
"-and whenever Beast Boy around, you can't stop looking at him with this little smile on your face." Melvin snickered, the corners of her eyes crinkling. "Bobby noticed it first and told me all about it. That's why I know you like him."
Raven stumbled for a response. Melvin's proclamation and evidence cut right to the heart of the matter. No one would have had any chance to refute such a claim on the spot. Not even Robin had come up with an intelligent answer when Cyborg teased him about Starfire being his girlfriend on that strange planet some months ago.
Clearing her throat, she tapped her knuckles against her chest. She shifted her gaze over her shoulder, expecting Beast Boy to return and said, "He's just a friend. I picked him because he's great with kids." She sighed. "When we visit schools, Beast Boy's always clowning around and turning into animals. The kids there get a kick out of it. I thought he'd be the best fit to help me look after you three, especially since Teether loves his transformations." She patted Teether's tuft of blond hair, the boy beaming in agreement.
"Suuure!" Melvin and Timmy sneered at each other, Raven's eye twitching in response.
"I'm serious. We're only friends. Don't bring this up when he comes back," she said, and as if on cue, the door slid open behind her. She jerked around and felt as if her jaw disconnected from her face from how far open it hung down.
"I got the good stuff!" Beast Boy shouted, lugging in a massive trash bag by his side. With a grunt, he launched it over the couch. It bounced off the table, sending wrapped candies and chocolates scattering on the floor. He hurried around the couch as the Tyke Titans dived into the bag, Raven paling upon realizing she would have to deal with their sugar rushes as Beast Boy sidled up next to her.
"Found a second bag in my closet. Guess you missed it," he said, cheekiness coating his words.
"Because your closet is filled to the brim with old jumpsuits that have begun to stand upright from the stench alone," she said, her usual deadpan causing him to grimace. "I think you've gone nose blind."
He pressed his hand over his heart. "What? No way, Raven! I've started spraying my room with Star's air freshener."
"And what kind of scent is it?"
"It's that new brand called 'Rosy Posy.' It's the best floral scent around. Really gives off the vibe of being in a botanical garden." When her eyebrow arched, he chuckled. "You know, it just reminds me of nature. It's a real home-y feeling."
"Hey, hey, Beast Boy!" Melvin cried, popping her head up from the bag. She licked her lips free of chocolate and asked, "Do you know that Raven-?"
Summoning a wing made out of her soul self, Raven gently stuffed Melvin back into the bag. She would have protested, but Timmy snatched a chocolate and peanut butter wafer out of her hand. Melvin pounced on him, her legs wiggling out of the bag as they wrestled, Teether none of the wiser as he quietly unwrapped a candy bar and munched on it.
The cackle from her teammate quickly caught her attention. Out of the corner of her eyes, she peered over to Beast Boy when he wrapped his arms behind the couch, grinning at the Tyke Titans. There was a sparkle in his eyes, a gleam of pure joy from making them happy with his candy as if it was Halloween night without the tricks.
"Man, look at them go. I guess the nuns don't give them sweets too often, huh?" Beast Boy wondered, cocking his head at Raven.
"They're not ones to indulge," she said, shrugging, "but I do think you gave them too much."
Before Beast Boy could protest, brightly colored candies hit his cheeks and landed in his lap. He rubbed his mouth, a yelp ghosting past his lips. They found Teether staring up at them, his bag of chocolate torn open right down the middle. Teether's eyes watered, either from hitting him or losing his precious sweets. Raven assumed he had tugged too hard on the packaging, causing the candy to spray forth and hit Beast Boy.
Shifting off the couch, Beast Boy knelt in front of Teether. He patted the back of his head, saying, "Aw, it's okay, Teether. Wanna find another one? I totally got more just like that one for you, little dude."
His tone caught Raven by surprise. The gentleness in his voice was an unheard delivery which piqued her interest. She leaned forward as Beast Boy lifted Timmy and Melvin out of the bag, their cheeks stuffed with lollipops. He lowered the bag, giving Teether full access to the candy, and Teether crawled forward, tentatively batting through wrappers as the other Tyke Titans watched, noisily sucking away on their lollipops.
Raven crossed her ankles and rubbed her thumb along her fingernails. Beast Boy was giving the children his full attention, making sure they were settled and happy. He hadn't gotten upset with them once. Compared to how she reacted with their natural immaturity when they first met, Beast Boy was an ideal caretaker. He knew what to do and what to say, breaking the ice and playing games whenever they wanted. He also understood their limits such as when he noticed the faintest hint of red burning in Timmy's cheeks when Melvin was hogging the Gamestation. His solution had been to set up multiplayer in one of the Mega Monkeys games, letting them battle against each other to share the same amount of time playing.
As she observed Beast Boy evenly divide some wrapped caramels between the Tyke Titans, she hummed to herself. Beast Boy had been the perfect partner to have around the kids. They adored him. He was like an older brother to them, someone they could play with whenever Raven was meditating or reading. He took the initiative, something she had noticed been happening more often after he led the assault on the Brotherhood of Evil's base, rallying the Honorary Titans to save friends they hadn't met yet.
Though, it wasn't only that. He had changed, matured. While he still retained his natural goofiness and humor, she sensed courage within him that hadn't been there before. It was a feeling that he had come to terms with himself and what had happened over the course of his life. Numerous hardships had plagued him, and he overcame them all, even when his smile seemed strained and his eyes welled with tears because of people who harmed him.
Reaching into her cape, she curled her fingers around the penny he had given her safely stored in a hidden pocket. It had fallen from her grasp when she summoned Trigon, but she tracked it down after the world had been restored. He believed it to be a lucky charm, and even though that luck couldn't counteract fate, she had been compelled to find it again, using her exhausted soul self to search for it throughout Jump City and considered it one of her treasures when she located it, the coin radiating warmth in her palm until she tucked it back inside her pocket.
"Hey, Raven, catch!" Beast Boy called, tossing something onto her lap.
She jumped in her seat. Raising her eyebrows, she lifted the treat he had thrown at her and ran her thumb down the red velvet wrapping. A pink satin bow, which would have looked nice in Melvin's hair, made her eyes widen as she carefully pulled it off. The treat popped out, the heart-shaped dark chocolate as big as her eyes, and her cheeks bloomed a deep rosy pink as she tapped her pinky finger against the bottom point of the candy.
"Thought you might like that one," Beast Boy said with a cheeky grin. "Y'know, since it's not really sweet."
"Gee, I'm flattered," she replied, smirking. Taking a small bite, she marveled over the richness and lowered her shoulders. She expected something expired or filled with too much nougat, but it melted on her tongue and delighted her taste buds.
"Wow! A heart-shaped chocolate," Melvin said, the corners of her lips pressing into her cheeks. She cocked her head at Beast Boy. "Why'd you give her that one?"
Beast Boy blinked, looking down at her in blank wonder only to heave out a sharp gasp. His cackling pierced an octave thought to be impossible for mankind. He rubbed his hand through his short hair, his grin seemingly frozen on his face as he blurted, "B-because it-it, you know, it's dark, and Raven likes dark stuff!"
"Riiight," Melvin sang, Timmy and Teether laughing through mouthfuls of candy.
Groaning, Beast Boy smiled back at Raven and asked, "You know what I meant, right, Raven? Right?"
Raven tilted her head and set her finger to her cheek. She seemed to be deep in thought. Tapping her foot on the floor, she let her mouth twist into a smirk. She levitated off the couch and sat next to Beast Boy, the Tyke Titans keeping their eyes on them. Straightening her back, Raven crossed her legs and weighed her chocolate in her palm as Beast Boy implored her for an answer.
"You know what, Beast Boy?" She patted his knee. "I think I'm understanding a few things about us."
He brightened and quickly gave her a thumbs-up. "Awesome! I-I'm glad we're on the same page."
"Oh, we are. We definitely are," she said, nodding and leaning closer to him. "How's the park sound for a date?"
"Great!" Beast Boy exclaimed only to scream seconds later when his mind registered what she asked. He flailed his arms for a moment, the Tyke Titans laughing at him. As his face darkened to a brilliant scarlet, he stared at her amused, earnest expression and felt the corners of his lips twitch into his cheeks. His screeching slowed down to become a giggling fit, delight glinting in his eyes and reassuring Raven she had made the right decision trusting her unknown feelings.
Bowing her head towards Timmy and Teether, Melvin giggled and whispered, "I told you so."