Title: Times Change

Authors Note: Written as a response to the newest episode of Teen Titans, "Go".

A young girl sat alone in her room, alone. She looked out the window at her new found friends playing in the water outside their home. Starfire was so pretty, the sun made her hair look like it was glowing. And Robin, he seemed so happy. It made the girl glad to see her friends so happy. Suddenly something in the room shattered and the girl went to her bed and sat down. She could never be happy like that.

Cyborg had asked Raven to come watch a movie but she said it would be best for her to be left alone. Even after the older boy's encouragement she still declined. She instead decided to read a book. She had just unpacked some of her things from their boxes into her room in the newly built tower. She had just sat down with one of the thick volumes when there was a weak knock at the door.

"Raven, ma'am?" came a small voice "Are you in there?" He was obviously a bit frightened.

Raven got up from her bed and walked over to the door, opening it just enough for her to look out with one eye. "Is something wrong, Beast Boy?"

The green boy looked up at her with his eyes half full of fear and half shining with admiration. "It's just, I would like to thank you. I wanted to, to tell you that you're really great… and thanks for saving me the other day."

Raven looked away. "It was nothing. You were in danger. We're a team. Of course I saved you." She glanced at him uncertainly "We're friends…"

His face lit up and he smiled showing his fangs. "You really mean it Raven? Friends?" He looked like it was Christmas morning.

"I guess." She said, opening the door a little more. Beast Boy took it as a sign to come in. He entered the room and plopped down on her bed. He sat with his legs crossed and looked at the book that raven had left open.

"Gee, Raven, these words sure are long… What do they say?" He asked squinting at the text. "They're so strange. As-Az-… Aze-… Azi-…" He was struggling to sound out a word.

"Azarath." Raven said simply. "Its where I come from." She moved over to where he sat. Looking over his shoulder.

He smiled and seemingly pointed at random to another word "What's this one?" He asked enthusiastically.

"Peculiar. It means unordinary." Raven watched as the child's face turned into a small smile. He mouthed the word. "Can't you read?" Raven asked.

"I'm not so good… My mom used to teach me but when I joined up with the Doom Patrol we were in battle a lot and I never learned anymore. I'm not good with big words like these, ma'am." He explained. He seemed unhappy.

"Well, it's not so difficult. It's just the same letters moved around in different order." She scanned over the page. She touched her finger to a word "Acanthous, it means pointed… sort of like your ears." He smiled and touched his ear. Raven looked for another word. "Here, Faux. Fake, like Cyborg's metal parts." She flipped a few pages and then stopped to point to another word. "Vehement. It means strong."

"Like Mister Robin?" Beast Boy asked. Raven nodded and he smiled.

She then pointed out the longest word on the page. "Pulchritudinous, beautiful. Like Starfire."

He smiled at her and his green cheeks turned pink "Or like you, Raven."

The pages of the book flipped rapidly because of dark aura. Beast Boy jumped back a little and Raven pulled up her hood. "I'm sorry, I frightened you. I think it would be best if you left now."

The Changeling pouted a little "I'm not scared, Raven. You're my friend; I know you would never hurt me."

"You don't know who I am… what I am…" Raven said hiding in the shadow of her hood. She was a half demon and was destine to destroy this world, including him.

"But, you said we were friends. That means no matter what. You saved me and I'll save you if you're ever in danger. We're a team." He told her sternly.

"You don't understand. I can't…" Raven began calmly.

"You won't let me understand!" He interrupted "I want to be your friend! I want to get to know you!"

A few books started falling off of the shelves. "Beast Boy, get out of my room. Now."

He got up from the bed and saluted her. "Yes ma'am." He got to the door and turned to look at her "I meant what I said, Raven."

That was over 4 years ago when the Teen Titans were just starting out. But now, things were still very much the same.

There, at the same window stood the girl. She had stood there so often and gazed over the city, the bay, the people. Tired, she sat down on her bed and summoned a book to her from the shelf. Just as she opened it to begin reading there was a knock on the door.

"Rae, You in there?" came a familiar voice. He sounded like he was in a good mood as usual.

She rose from the bed and went to the door opening it a crack. "Why are you here?" she asked curtly.

He smiled that stupid fanged smile of his "Just wanted to see you."

Raven paused for a moment and looked at him skeptically. "Did you forget what I look like?" She asked him sarcastically. She had her hood up as she usually did as of late.

He blushed a little. "So… can I come in?"

Raven opened the door the rest of the way and he walked past her to plop down on her bed. He was lying on his stomach examining the book she was reading. "… 'And then the… mep- mef- mephistophelean mage dissolved into a void. This left the pa- paladin and the damsel alone and out of danger. He took her into an a-am-amative embrace and their lips met…'" Beast Boy read aloud. He looked up "Bad guy melts and the hero gets the girl."

"If you want to put if that simply, yes." Raven said looking out the window. "Robin and Starfire were outside swimming just a moment ago… Wonder where they went…." She said absentmindedly.

Beast Boy continued to look through the pages of the book, he could understand most of it but the words were a bit confusing.

"Gee, Raven, you sure read some weird books." He said deeply immersed in the novel.

Raven looked over at him. Sometimes when they were alone he would talk the way he used to when they were younger. The same innocence and the same childish vocabulary. He would refrain from using the words he usually did, like dude and cool. Raven sometimes wondered if he even noticed this or if he had no idea. She assumed the latter.

He looked up at her. "Raven, could you come over here? I don't know a word." Raven came over and looked where he pointed. "Resplendent."

"Well, that's an easy one. It means beautiful." Raven said simply and sat down next to where he lay.

"Raven, could you take down your hood for a second?" He then asked in the same simple tone he had asked her about the word. "I want to see something."

Raven looked at him puzzled. "What do you want to see?" She asked him but didn't make a move for her hood.

He laughed "Gee, that's an easy one. I wanna see your face." Beast Boy smiled, his fangs shining. Raven reluctantly lowered her hood, showing her face. He looked at her, as if studying her face and then looked back to the book casually. "Just as I thought."

"What?" she asked wondering what could possibly be going on in that green mind of his.

"You're resplendent." He said without looking up. A few books fell off the shelves. Raven didn't say anything but got up and went back to the window.

"Raven, could you come over here?" Beast Boy asked, once again reading the book. He was pointing at a word.

Raven sat down and looked where his finger was. "You know very well, that the word 'kiss' means." She said in an annoyed tone. She was going to get up and walk back over to the window when Beast Boy grabbed her arm and pulled her back down. Slowly, he sat up and moved closer. He put his hand behind her neck and drew her closer causing their lips to touch. A small crash could be heard in another room. Beast Boy gently bit Raven's lower lip. She gasped a little and another crash could be heard. He continued to deepen the kiss.

Beast Boy broke the kiss and pushed Raven backwards so she was laying on the bed with him hovering over her. He kissed the side of her neck. A few small crashes could be heard though out the tower. She watched as he undid her cape and let it fall open. He kissed up her neck and his hands drifted. He kissed her lips just as his one hand reached her breast and the other remained behind her neck. A loud crash could be heard followed by clunking foot steps.

"Raven, why the hell did the TV just explode!" Cyborg opened the door and was shocked to see Beast Boy and Raven just breaking the kiss.

"Cyborg!" Beast Boy said his voice a squeak. He quickly moved his hand and jumped backwards.

Raven sat up and turned around. Cyborg was standing in the door way, shock plastered on his face. "Well, that explains why my TV just blew up…"

"It's… It's not what you think… We were just reading and then… It's not like we…" He paused and took a deep breath "Am I in trouble?"

Cyborg laughed, "Nah. But, next time you two want to make out could you please do it somewhere away from my TV?" He turned and was about to leave. "If Robin finds out and tries to yell at you just question him about why he and Starfire took the T-car to the movies instead of the R-cycle."

Leave a comment if you would like. Flames will be used to burn the whiskers off of small kittens.