Chapter 1

Garfield breathed in deeply, considering his next words carefully. Tonight was going very differently than what he had imagined. He had spent all day running around for Robin and Starfire's engagement party, which wasn't a problem. It was something that friends did for each other, and Garfield was accustomed to that. Then he spent the entire evening covering for Cyborg who had gotten more than a little drunk during the night's festivities, even though he was supposed to be the host of the party. Again, this wasn't too out of the ordinary. Heroes always got carried away during these events because they were so few and far between, and that went double for Cyborg. The night hadn't taken its unexpected turn until Robin and Starfire had bid farewell to all their guests, and the team had finished cleaning up after the party.

When all was done, and everyone had gone to bed, Raven unexpectedly showed up at his door. She seemed flustered, and asked to come in. The behavior was strange for Raven, but Garfield let her in, clearing off two chairs for them to sit on. After some awkward small talk, and a drawn out explanation, Raven confessed that she had feelings for him. Garfield was surprised, needless to say. He hadn't picked up on it at all, he thought she hated him. Or at the most, he had to be her least favorite on the team because he always went out of his way to annoy her. Now he had a very unpleasant task before him. He had to turn her down.

"Listen Raven, I'm flattered that you think that way about me, and I appreciate your feelings. But I can't return those feelings."

She sat frozen, staring at him with her emotionless face. "Is it because you like someone else?" She asked in her monotone.

"No, I don't like anyone else." Garfield would've laughed at the idea, but somehow that seemed like an inappropriate response in this moment.

"Don't lie to me to protect my feelings, Gar."

"No really, there's no one else."

"Then, because of my demonic heritage?"

"No, I don't care about that."

She paused for a moment. "Do you just not find me attractive?" She asked tentatively.

"I actually find you to be quite beautiful." It was true, objectively Garfield found her to be more attractive than Starfire, despite what everyone else thought.

"So then," she asked, her composure beginning to break. "Why?"

This was the tough part. He wasn't prepared for a situation like this. With any other girl it would have been easier to just play along for a while, then end it without any mess. Raven would sniff out his secret within a few days if he did that, and Garfield couldn't see a good end for himself in that scenario. Garfield figured it would be better to get it out now, in a controlled instance, rather than it being discovered later and having it blow up in his face. To just one person, rather than every other Titan.

"I," He hesitated, planning how to explain himself. "Can't feel… "

Raven was quiet for a moment, trying to puzzle out what he was saying. "I'm sorry, I don't understand." She deadpanned.

"I mean emotionally. I simply don't feel anything." He said in a voice equally dead.

She chuckled dryly. "Please, you're the most emotional out of all of us. Besides Starfire."

"It's all an act. For the most part I can tell what emotions are appropriate to display in what situations, but I couldn't tell you why people feel emotions."

Raven didn't say anything for several moments. He knew she must be using her abilities to check to see if it were true, and twiddled his thumbs as he waited patiently.

"How have I not noticed this before?" She seemed to be actually concerned.

"Well I do a pretty good job of hiding it, and I don't think you use that particular ability too often anyway."

"But what about Terra, I thought that you loved her? Is she why you're like this?" She asked angrily.

Garfield leaned back in his chair, and shrugged his shoulders. "No, I've been like this for as long as I can remember. She showed up, and seemed into me, so I acted accordingly. The whole situation began spiraling out of control, and I ended up just playing my part."

She pinched the bridge of her nose. "I don't believe this."

"If it makes you feel any better, you're the only one who knows this about me."

"Somehow, I don't find that comforting."

He shrugged his shoulders again. "In any case I hope you understand, it's not that I don't like you. It's that I can't. I'm broken."

Raven stood and took a step forward to stand right in front of Garfield. She bent down to be at eye level with him. "I won't accept this. Do you know how hard it was for me to do this? To come here, and lay myself bare for you?" She grabbed him by the collar with both hands, and pulled him out of his seat. "And now I don't even get a chance because of your stupid problems? I don't think so."

This was odd, was she going to beat him up because he didn't like her? That didn't seem like typical Raven behavior. She could freak out, Garfield knew this because he pushed her buttons almost daily, but she really didn't lose her cool over serious things like this. Oh well. Garfield braced himself for the inevitable. No doubt she would hurl him across the room in her outrage and embarrassment, and then tomorrow everything could go back to normal. He trusted that she would keep his secret.

It never came. Garfield didn't know what was happening for a full ten seconds, and then it dawned on him. She's kissing me. Why is she kissing me? Raven had removed her hands from his shirt, and now was using them to hold him steady as she pressed her lips against his. She had moved even closer, and now stood pressed up against him. Garfield had always enjoyed her particular aroma, and now it pervaded the air around him, enveloping him in lavender and rose. They pulled apart, and Garfield was almost… disappointed. It had been pleasant on some level, definitely confusing, but pleasant. Garfield cocked his head to one side as she opened her eyes.

"Why did you do that?" He asked, genuinely curious.

"It was more for me than for you." She said with a soft smirk. "We'll work on you tomorrow."

Raven let go of his face and walked back to his door. She opened it and stepped out into the hall, turning to look at him. "I'm not giving up, Beast Boy. I don't believe you're emotionless, and I'm going to prove to you that you're wrong. You aren't broken."

The door closed, and Garfield was left in the silence of his room. One hand drifted up to his lips as he played the scene over and over again in his mind. Raven had confessed to him, he declined her, she kissed him anyway. A reasonable person would have excused herself after his refusal and gone to cope in her room, and Garfield had always considered Raven a reasonable person. Now he had to reconsider, because she wasn't acting reasonably right now. And why was his heart beating faster? It was all very strange. He walked over to his bed, and pulled off his shirt. Laying down to sleep, he found he couldn't keep his mind from returning to that moment. Her lips had been soft, and sweet, and unlike anything he had experienced before.

What a weird end to my day.

This is an idea I had, and I think it's a pretty good one. Everyone talks about Raven having emotional problems, but I thought maybe Beast Boy had something to hide under his cheery demeanor. It probably doesn't actually make any sense, but fuck off, this is my fanfic.

-Mocha