Disclaimer: I don't own the Teen Titans. For a list of other things I don't
own, please ask.
* * *
Raven walked toward Beast Boy's room. She was concerned – she could feel the anger in the back of her mind, waiting to spring forward.
What was wrong with Beast Boy? He wasn't even listening. Just because it's something you don't want to hear, reflected Raven, that doesn't mean you should ignore it. Why was he so stubborn?
Reaching the entrance to Beast Boy's room, she knocked. A minute's wait provided no response.
"Beast Boy?" she called softly. "Are you in there?"
Again, there was nothing but silence in the room.
It was just as well, decided Raven. This discussion would be easier once she had calmed down, anyway. With that in mind, she decided to go to the roof to meditate in the company of the sun's last rays.
Raven opened the door to the roof and cringed slightly – the setting sun shone right into her eyes. She blinked away the discomfort and surveyed the roof: there was no one. She settled into a lotus position and closed her eyes.
Raven was roused by a rustling sound nearby. She opened one eye to see a sparrow perched on the edge of the roof, not five feet away from her. This was not a normal sparrow, she gathered: it was green.
"Heya, Ray," said Beast Boy sadly, having returned to his normal form.
Raven looked at him. Even in the low light, she could see that his eyes were rimmed with red.
"I guess I overreacted in there," he continued. "A little. But I'm okay. I needed a few minutes alone, you know?"
"I do know," said Raven.
"Yeah," said Beast Boy, managing a smile, "I thought you might."
"So you're calm?"
"More or less."
Raven took a breath. This was probably her best chance.
"Will you let me explain?" she asked.
"Explain away," said Beast Boy.
"Emotions affect my powers," began Raven, watching him carefully. "Intense emotional events tend to make me lose control. The best thing for the team," she said, "would be for me to have complete control of my powers. The best way for that to happen is for me to be emotionally detached. That's what I meant," she concluded.
A pause.
"Ah," said Beast Boy, filling the silence.
"It's nothing about you as Beast Boy," pressed Raven. "It's not as if I'm waiting for Robin to ask me out. Or Cyborg."
"I would think not," said Beast Boy. "Who in their right mind would pick Cyborg over me?" He smiled slightly. He had made the joke, it seemed, out of sheer habit.
"That's the best explanation I can give."
Beast Boy studied a pebble.
"Thanks," he said. "I guess I should explain, too, eh?"
"You don't have to," said Raven.
"I think I should."
He took a breath.
"Raven, I love you."
This took a moment to register.
"What?"
"I love you. I always have. You think I'd go this ballistic over a date? Trust me: if I asked Star, and she rejected me, I'd shrug it off. With you, it's different."
"You – love me?"
"It sounds ridiculous, I know, but –"
"It's not ridiculous. In fact," said Raven, "it explains a lot."
"Well," sighed Beast Boy, "I guess it's unrequited love."
Raven raised an eyebrow.
"'Unrequited'? Did you look that up just for me?"
Beast Boy looked defensive.
"Maybe."
The beginnings of a smile on Raven's face abruptly faded.
"I can't," she said. "I can't love you. It's impossible."
Beast Boy looked at her.
"I know. I get it. But," he added, "I can't not love you."
Raven said nothing.
The half-daemon and the changeling watched the red disk of the sun slip below the horizon.
"The others are worried," observed Raven.
"Let's go in," agreed Beast Boy. "Anyway, they already know. I told 'em."
"You told them you love me?"
The two headed for the door.
"Yeah."
"And you didn't tell me."
Beast Boy was silent.
In the stairwell, he suddenly spoke:
"But as long you know, I'm not gonna hide it," he said.
Raven noted his tone had returned to its normal setting: annoying.
"It'll be great," continued Beast Boy. "I'll write you notes and put chocolates on your pillow –"
"Enter my room and die," said Raven.
"Aw, you're just saying that."
Raven sighed inwardly. Things were getting back to normal.
Great.
* * *
Raven walked toward Beast Boy's room. She was concerned – she could feel the anger in the back of her mind, waiting to spring forward.
What was wrong with Beast Boy? He wasn't even listening. Just because it's something you don't want to hear, reflected Raven, that doesn't mean you should ignore it. Why was he so stubborn?
Reaching the entrance to Beast Boy's room, she knocked. A minute's wait provided no response.
"Beast Boy?" she called softly. "Are you in there?"
Again, there was nothing but silence in the room.
It was just as well, decided Raven. This discussion would be easier once she had calmed down, anyway. With that in mind, she decided to go to the roof to meditate in the company of the sun's last rays.
Raven opened the door to the roof and cringed slightly – the setting sun shone right into her eyes. She blinked away the discomfort and surveyed the roof: there was no one. She settled into a lotus position and closed her eyes.
Raven was roused by a rustling sound nearby. She opened one eye to see a sparrow perched on the edge of the roof, not five feet away from her. This was not a normal sparrow, she gathered: it was green.
"Heya, Ray," said Beast Boy sadly, having returned to his normal form.
Raven looked at him. Even in the low light, she could see that his eyes were rimmed with red.
"I guess I overreacted in there," he continued. "A little. But I'm okay. I needed a few minutes alone, you know?"
"I do know," said Raven.
"Yeah," said Beast Boy, managing a smile, "I thought you might."
"So you're calm?"
"More or less."
Raven took a breath. This was probably her best chance.
"Will you let me explain?" she asked.
"Explain away," said Beast Boy.
"Emotions affect my powers," began Raven, watching him carefully. "Intense emotional events tend to make me lose control. The best thing for the team," she said, "would be for me to have complete control of my powers. The best way for that to happen is for me to be emotionally detached. That's what I meant," she concluded.
A pause.
"Ah," said Beast Boy, filling the silence.
"It's nothing about you as Beast Boy," pressed Raven. "It's not as if I'm waiting for Robin to ask me out. Or Cyborg."
"I would think not," said Beast Boy. "Who in their right mind would pick Cyborg over me?" He smiled slightly. He had made the joke, it seemed, out of sheer habit.
"That's the best explanation I can give."
Beast Boy studied a pebble.
"Thanks," he said. "I guess I should explain, too, eh?"
"You don't have to," said Raven.
"I think I should."
He took a breath.
"Raven, I love you."
This took a moment to register.
"What?"
"I love you. I always have. You think I'd go this ballistic over a date? Trust me: if I asked Star, and she rejected me, I'd shrug it off. With you, it's different."
"You – love me?"
"It sounds ridiculous, I know, but –"
"It's not ridiculous. In fact," said Raven, "it explains a lot."
"Well," sighed Beast Boy, "I guess it's unrequited love."
Raven raised an eyebrow.
"'Unrequited'? Did you look that up just for me?"
Beast Boy looked defensive.
"Maybe."
The beginnings of a smile on Raven's face abruptly faded.
"I can't," she said. "I can't love you. It's impossible."
Beast Boy looked at her.
"I know. I get it. But," he added, "I can't not love you."
Raven said nothing.
The half-daemon and the changeling watched the red disk of the sun slip below the horizon.
"The others are worried," observed Raven.
"Let's go in," agreed Beast Boy. "Anyway, they already know. I told 'em."
"You told them you love me?"
The two headed for the door.
"Yeah."
"And you didn't tell me."
Beast Boy was silent.
In the stairwell, he suddenly spoke:
"But as long you know, I'm not gonna hide it," he said.
Raven noted his tone had returned to its normal setting: annoying.
"It'll be great," continued Beast Boy. "I'll write you notes and put chocolates on your pillow –"
"Enter my room and die," said Raven.
"Aw, you're just saying that."
Raven sighed inwardly. Things were getting back to normal.
Great.