Author's Note: I wanted to take a moment to thank all of my reviewers. You are the reason I keep writing :) Thank you, lovely people.
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Beast Boy knew exactly where he was the moment his feet had touched the ground. Raven was nowhere in sight, and he felt his body move of his own accord as he relived his memory. It came as no surprise that the memory was so clear, seeing as it was his most painful.
He wanted to look away. He wanted to run from this place. The waterfall from above seemed to pound in his ears; the green of the vines and leaves under his feet were too bright.
In a daze he walked to the pool of water where the waterfall continually spilled. The wreckage of the boat was clearly visible; it was scattered all across the water. Beast Boy fell to his knees, exhausted from searching for them. His voice was hoarse from calling their names, and his fingertips were bloody from gripping the ground. He continued to hang on despite the pain in his hands, for he was sure it was the only thing keeping him anchored.
Finally succumbing to his reality, he lifted his face and let out a wail. Tears streamed down his green face until they became part of the water that had taken so much from him. He sat there for hours, simply because he had nowhere else to go. He sat there even as it started to rain, soaking his clothes to his skin. He sat there until he could no longer sit, and just like that his animal instincts began to kick into gear.
Fight or flight. It was a common mentality.
He had fought when that snake had lunged for his mother. His transformation into a mongoose had come naturally. Now there was no one to fight.
So he flew away.
The memory began to fade, and Beast Boy was reminded that the visions he saw were no longer apart of his present. Raven had said they would visit his most painful memory. She had also said they would visit the memory that had taken over his subconscious. This was the memory that was the cause of his emotional imbalance. It was the reason he had wanted to change into the Beast and never return.
Beast Boy straightened his chest. Nothing was worse than that last memory. He was almost positive if the lab's chemicals had affected him before his parents' deaths then he would never have been able to change back from the Beast. That being said, it didn't make reliving this memory any easier, especially since it only happened a few months ago.
He saw her standing there at the end of the hall. Her back was to him, but he could make out her hair. She was hunched over slightly. Her arms were crossed in front of her as she held her academic books.
"Things change, Beast Boy," Terra said. She turned around. "The girl you want me to be is just a memory."
She doesn't want to see you anymore, Slade's voice rang out in his head.
Beast Boy stared back at her, willing it not to be true. His hope was fading though and she knew it. He suspected she had wanted it to fade.
Robin's voice rang in from his communicator then, but he barely gave it a thought.
"Come with me," he said, his voice wavering with emotion. This was his last chance.
But she shook her head.
"You go. You're the Teen Titan. That's who you are. That's not me. I'm not a hero. I'm not out to save the world."
She backed away from him then.
"I'm just a girl with a geometry test next period, and I haven't studied."
And then she was just another student in the hall, gone from his live forever. The pain of losing someone who isn't dead is a strange feeling. With his parents, there had been finality. There was with this too, but it was different. Knowing she was alive, that she was here, living and breathing in the same city as him, and yet they couldn't be together. It was a whole new kind of pain.
So he finally let her go.
~0~0~0~
When Raven opened her eyes again she was back in the cave. Her eyes were wide with surprise as she looked at Beast Boy, whose eyes were still closed.
It really was her, she thought.
None of the other Titans had confirmed Terra was actually alive and well. At the time they had had the white alien creature to worry about, and they had foolishly chalked Beast Boy's recognition of her as wishful thinking. The realization that he was right all along just made her feel guiltier.
Not only that but to feel his agony over the loss of his parents was almost too much to bear. Raven could recognize loss-her mother had died after all-but she wasn't at the scene the same way Beast Boy was. She was able to mourn her lost parent from a distance.
She brought her attention to their hands as Beast Boy squeezed hers. She looked up to see that his eyes had opened and he was staring at her with a calm smile on his face. She almost didn't understand how he could be so content after having those memories rip into him. There was one positive thing about the whole experience though, and it was clear Beast Boy recognized that.
"It's over," he breathed, the smile still on his face.
Raven mimicked his smile and leaned forward, so her forehead lightly rested against his.
~0~0~0~
"When do you think we should tell the others?" Beast Boy asked later, as they leaned against her bed.
Raven was still getting used to the idea of him regularly being in her room, so they sat on her floor rather than her bed. She didn't think she could handle two earth-shattering realities twice in the same month.
"I don't know. Do you want to tell them?" she said, turning to him. Her fingers twined with his.
Beast Boy shrugged. "I mean eventually yeah, but I kinda like the idea of us just knowing. It's like our own secret." He looked up at her with that goofy grin, and she felt herself melt a little.
Raven nodded. "Me too."
The changeling sighed, leaning his head on her shoulder. "Besides I don't think I could handle a double date with Robin."
"Agreed."
"Can I tell Cy?"
Raven raised her eyebrows at him. "I thought you wanted to keep it a secret."
Beast Boy looked at her sheepishly. "Well yeah, but it's Cyborg. I tell him like everything."
"Very well," she replied, giving him an affectionate smile.
Beast Boy perked up suddenly. "Hold on," he said, rushing out of the room.
Raven stood up, frowning. What could he be up to? Her internal question was answered a few moments later as Beast Boy raced back in, holding the small, silver, heart-shaped jewelry box he had given to Terra all those months ago. Raven stared at him.
"Uh…"
"I let go of Terra in that school," Beast Boy explained, scratching his head. "This is the final piece of her that I need to let go. And I-I wanted you to help me…if you're okay with that!" he added quickly.
Raven looked at him for a moment, and then a mischievous grin sprouted on her face. Murmuring her words she opened a portal into an unknown abyss. Beast Boy peered into it curiously.
"Where does it go?" he asked, turning to her with a raised eyebrow.
"The same place I banished that wretched 'stank ball,'" she quipped, her voice dripping with amusement.
A large grin spread across Beast Boy's face and with a hearty toss he launched the box into the abyss. Raven sealed the portal shut and a moment later found Beast Boy's scrawny arms latched around her in a bone-crushing hug. When he released her, his eyes glowed.
"You're so amazing, Rae."
Raven smiled at him, and it was peacefully silent for a few moments.
"So," he continued, "I guess now that I've officially conquered my Beast you can really start calling me Beast Man!"
The smile faded from Raven's face. "We were having another moment. Don't ruin it again."
Beast Boy's smile was a mile wide as he threaded his fingers through hers.
"Babe, now that you're mine we're gonna have so many moments for me to ruin!"
And without another moment to lose he tugged her out of the room, so they could inform Cyborg of the big news.
The End.
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Author's Note: Just a short, cute story that I really had fun writing. Thank you guys for sticking with me! Again, I would have made this longer, but I really want to continue planning "After Things Change" which will by far be my longest story yet. I've already finished a few chapters! It will be mostly BB/Rae focused following Raven's POV in third person. I really want to take my time with it, so I won't start posting until it's finished so I can post every day! I always like to update my stories frequently because I know how frustrating it can be waiting for that next chapter. The chapters for this next story will be much longer, and more carefully written.
If you guys would like to learn about the details of "After Things Change" or if you have any questions feel free to PM me. I would like to finish it by the end of the summer, and I think if I write a chapter every day I can do it! I will be incorporating some ideas from the TTG comic that was based on the series. Here's a potential summary to give you a sneak peak of what I plan to write:
After Things Change
(Rated M for violence and adult content) –
A continuation story. Raven is mortified to discover she has developed an attraction to Beast Boy. Some things change for the better.
Mostly BB/Rae, minor RobStar and Cy/Sarah
That's it for me for now guys! I'll keep you posted. Thanks again and always feel free to reach out!