"Beast Boy?"
Terra threw another cartwheel. Beast Boy smiled at the sight. He liked the way her blonde hair flowed when she threw cartwheels. And it made her seem so human. Her cartwheels were the good kind. Down-to-earth. Far from perfect like one of Cheshire's or Jinx's cartwheels. Terra never managed to stretch out her legs completely and she always landed a bit unsteady on her feet. But she didn't care. Nor did Beast Boy. Terra threw cartwheels just to throw cartwheels. A normal girl trying to have normal fun. And then that long blonde hair...
"Yeah?" he replied. He jumped three steps to catch up with Terra where she had landed after her cartwheel.
"Will you visit my grave when I'm dead?"
Beast Boy stopped and sent the geomancer a "are you nuts?!"-look. She turned her head and saw his floored expression. She beamed at him and giggled, making her long fair hair wave back and forth along with her head's small jerks.
Beast Boy smiled sheepishly.
"Of course Terra, but... why do you ask that? We're still so young and such..."
Terra giggled knowingly and threw another cartwheel. Beast Boy failed to hear the bitter undertone in her laughter.
Beast Boy gave a small snort and scratched his ear. She had been like that ever since she had joined the Teen Titans. Asking him... strange questions. One day she had asked him what he imagined death to be like. He had answered truthfully that he didn't know and that he, to be frank, would rather concentrate on what was for dinner. Terra was still his smiling, the-only-person-laughing-at-his-jokes, angel. But she had gained a certain interest in ... dark topics after her arrival.
"Will you plant ivy on it?"
"Terra, stop. Please?"
Sometimes he wondered if he had fallen in love with a nutcase. Her way of asking those questions... as if... they were normal. And her way of laughing at absurd thoughts of death and destruction. Like a total maniac. But then the girl-wanting-to-have-fun surfaced again and Beast Boy wouldn't have to change the subject all the time to avoid her weird questions and speculations.
"Okay..." she shrugged and threw another cartwheel. Beast Boy breathed a sigh of relief and joined her in a clumsy attempt at a cartwheel.
"Come join me!" she squealed joyfully and did another weird hop.
They both laughed and jumped around like 9-year olds until they finally collapsed on the grass, sprawled as if trying to make a pair of snow-angels, laughing like children beside each other.
"Terra, I promise, I will plant ivy on your grave if you die first," he said with a wry smile. He could play her game for a little while. As long as she didn't get too crazy.
Terra beamed at him. But then her expression got more thoughtful.
"You don't have to plant ivy on it, if you think that's a boring plant. A bouquet of roses will do too..." she said and straddled his stomach. Beast Boy spluttered when she swayed her head from side to side, getting her blonde mane to tickle his face. She laughed out loud as he tried to push all her yellow locks away from his face. His nose twitched as he did so. Beast Boy laughed too, but inside he was getting a bit nervous. In her current state Terra was sort of erratic.
"Okay, then. If you die first, I promise that I'll set a bouquet of roses on your grave," Beast Boy surrendered and lifted a bit up in her blonde hair that shaded her face like a giant curtain. He revealed a devilish grin and a little nose. She giggled and bent down over him.
"Red ones... just like your face," she whispered teasingly, her warm breath tickling Beast Boy's already heated face.
"What? My face?" Beast Boy immediately flushed a deeper tone of scarlet.
"Yeah. That colour," she smirked and nuzzled him gently on the cheek with her nose. Beast Boy let out a weird sound between a gasp and a squeak but didn't push her away. Terra straightened up again still straddling his stomach. For a while she admired her "work". Beast Boy stared dazedly at her, not knowing what to do or say. After a while she got up from him and threw another cartwheel as if nothing had happened.
"So are you coming or what?" she asked when she had landed (un)steadily on her feet for the second time. Beast Boy was still laying sprawled on the grass staring dreamingly up into the air.
She had kissed him.
Well, she hadn't, but Beast Boy was sure that her lips had brushed a little against his cheek as she had lifted her face from his. He was sure.
She had kissed him. Sorta.
She rolled her eyes and laughed, while poking his shoulder.
"Huh?" he sat up straight within seconds staring right into her pale blue eyes. "Oh yeah sure..."
"Let's go to the lake," Terra said expectantly, taking his hand, softly leading him the right way, "the sun makes the water look so beautiful..."
She was sitting on a rock her boot lightly touching the surface of the water.
"Beast Boy?" she asked in the same tone as before she had asked him if he would visit her grave.
"Yes?" Beast Boy answered, planting himself beside her on the rock.
"What colours shall your roses be?" she asked in a happy, but serious voice.
Beast Boy sighed hopelessly.
"Terra, I..."
"I know, I know! But seriously, what colours would you choose?" she looked insisting at him and took his hand to emphasize her words.
He thought about it for a while. Then he smiled.
"White," he said.
"White?" Terra repeated, "Why white?"
"What do you mean 'why'?" Beast Boy asked and cocked his head.
"I wanted red roses to remind me of your blushing face. Why do you want white roses?"
Beast Boy rolled his eyes and laughed. He actually had a specific reason to choose white roses. And it was probably odd enough to go in the Terra-category.
He looked at the girl smiling expectantly at him.
Weird or just misunderstood?
"Because... it will remind me of your white grin," he said and gave her a small thrust with his elbow, "and your flaxen hair,"
Terra blushed.
Beast Boy kept smiling wryly.
"Did I just choose white roses because of the colour of her teeth? Dude..."
Hm. Terra was crazy. And maybe he had that little hint of craziness himself. He could play along to her... special games.
With a broad grin he got up from the rock and offered Terra his arm.
"But since none of us will be needing neither white nor red roses in the nearest future, the lady would maybe be so kind to escort me back to the Tower?" he said in a fake affected voice.
Terra looked away almost shamefully and Beast Boy got a feeling that she knew something important that he didn't. But her sad frown lasted only a few seconds before she giggled and got up from the rock. She didn't take the arm that was offered her but threw another cartwheel.
"Ha! This rock-and-roller only escorts cool guys who can throw proper cartwheels!" her voice wasn't mocking, but friendly and cheering.
"Okay then, here goes!" Beast Boy sing-songed and ran after her.
She was weird. And he found himself playing along in her little world of weirdness.
Terra laughed as Beast Boy caught her leg in midair and they both stumbled to the ground. Terra was quick to get up singing "Catch me, catch me, catch me if you can".
"Was it red roses you wanted?" Beast Boy laughed jokingly and got to his feet sprinting after her.
... At least they could be weird together.
