Authors' Note: Okay! After the successful run of our first Titans fic "Maturity", Shaun and I present to you the first installment in a short series of short stories, all following the events of the last story. Enjoy!
The Next Teen Titan Fic: "Through the Mirror"
By Invader Sam and Shaun
"Rae? You in here?"
Silence. Good sign, or bad? "Raven, are you still mad at me for the whole 'grabbing-you-while-falling-down-the-stairs' thing? I really am sorry…" Talking to a blank white door wasn't always the easiest thing to do, and the lack of response was making it that much harder. "Come on, don't make me beg…" He pressed the 'open' button on the door and was surprised when it slid open. She had actually forgotten to lock her door?? "Uh…Rae? I'm comin' in, okay??"
The nineteen year old changeling stepped inside. Not much had changed about her room since he'd last seen it. Maybe it had gotten a little creepier. He glanced around. She wasn't there. 'I should probably just leave now,' he thought to himself, 'Then again…now would be a perfect opportunity to…' He glanced at her dresser. Her mirror was in its usual place, now joined on the wood by a clutter that he didn't remember from last time: black lipstick, eye-liner, hair gel (she had recently started spiking it, first as a test to see how long before they would notice and then after he'd complimented her she'd continued doing it), and an assortment of stringed beads that he didn't touch for fear of awakening some sort of demon.
He was familiar with the mirror, however, and picked it up carelessly. He tapped the glass with a forefinger, "Hello? Anybody home in there?" After a moment of ceaseless poking, the mirror activated (as if annoyed at him) shooting out black energy and sucking him inside.
Perhaps he shouldn't have taken Cyborg's comment to heart. True, she had really only told him how she felt once, but maybe snooping in someone's mind to find out wasn't the best way to retrieve an answer. One dizzying journey and hard smack against stone told Beast Boy that it was far too late to be having second thoughts.
He heard a familiar giggle and looked up from his spot on the ground. Happy, the most suppressed of Raven's personality-sides was grinning down at him. Her hair was cropped short and spiked as well now; apparently the personality-sides changed along with the real thing. "Hey B.B.," Happy said, extending her hand towards him, "Long time no see!"
The changeling took her offered hand and managed to stand up quickly, "Hey there…um, Happy Frolicking Raven?" he put one hand on his chin, wondering what the best name for this personality would really be, "Sure has been a while."
"No kidding," she nodded, linking her arm in his and leading him off down the meteor-strewn path, "We've really missed you around here. We've all been hoping you'd come back to see us someday. What brings you down here, anyway?"
"I just missed you all so much," he said, smiling over at her. Manipulating one-dimensional (at least emotionally) people couldn't be too terribly difficult. After a little bit of acting it would be easy to slip in the question casually.
"I'm so glad!" she chirped, pulling herself closer to him, "There's actually someone new around, who I just have to introduce you to!" They passed through the gateway into her sector and the scenery changed to flowery fields and pink trees. Instead of the strawberries he remembered, bright red cherries floated by occasionally. Happy plucked one out of the air and offered it to him, "Want one?"
Beast Boy sniffed, his sensitive nose telling him there was more than a little something different about those cherries. "No thanks," he said, shaking his head.
"Suit yourself. More for me," she said, popping the cherry into her mouth and tossing away the stem, "You know, we've all been doing a lot of thinking about you lately…mostly because of her." She emphasized the last word, as if expecting him to understand whom she was referring to.
"Really?" his ears perked up, "Wait…because of who?"
"The new girl," Happy explained, "Let's just say, she's been making some waves. Timid can show you where to find her," she pushed him through the end-boundary of her realm, "Have fun!"
The changeling stumbled forward awkwardly, looking backwards to try to see where the Happy side of Raven went. As he was no longer watching where he was going, he ran straight into a gray-cloaked being, who blinked down at him, eyes wide. "Um…hi!" he said, blushing and straightening up, "Timid, right?"
She nodded, also red, "I didn't think I'd see you again…" she said glumly, "You weren't looking for me, were you?"
"Sure I was! Happy told me to come find you, actually," he told her, grinning as widely as possible. Since he yelled at her all those years ago, he couldn't help but feel bad when he saw her. It was another side of Raven that didn't often show.
"Oh…" Timid said, just a trace of a smile flickering across her sullen face, "She probably wants me to take you to see her…"
"It was somthin' like that," Beast Boy admitted, one hand behind his head, "Who's this 'her', anyway?"
"The new girl…" Timid replied, "She was born right after you kissed us for the first time, and she's been getting more…powerful lately…" She turned and began leading him through her realm. At one time it had been a rigid maze of thick walls. Now it was a labyrinth of mist and shadows. "You'll notice that things have gotten…rather twisted around here…" she added as they entered the maze.
Now standing up-side down, Beast Boy began to look around, "I can see that."
"Things have been changing a lot since she arrived," she said as they passed through a short tunnel, "I don't like her very much…by the way, I'm sorry I'm not as pretty as Starfire is…"
Random, but then a lot of what Timid had to say was random (at least the last time he was here), "Hey, whoever said that?" I hope it wasn't me…
"No one…but we're constantly comparing ourselves to her ever since we started worrying about what you thought of us," she explained, "I've had a lot more front-time than I used to…"
"Well, if you're worried about what I think, shouldn't you ask me?"
Timid turned and blinked at him, then said, "We thought about that…but then we felt silly asking…so we didn't." She continued along the path, her cloak brushing the ground softly.
Beast Boy blinked once, then ran to catch up with the sorrowing personality, "Well, aren't you going to ask me now?" he asked, exasperated.
"I suppose…" she said, as if the idea had never occurred to her, "What do you think of us?"
He stood upright, at least two inches taller than her, "I think that you're just as pretty as Starfire," he told her earnestly, looking right into her eyes, "But there's one difference: I like you, not her."
A tiny smile flickered across her face once again, "Oh…right…thanks. But when you say 'you', you mean the real one, right?"
Every positive outlook that ever approached this personality was shot down before it even had a chance. It made Beast Boy feel a little sad that this was part of the Raven he loved so well, "You're part of the real Raven," the changeling said sternly, determined not to let this Raven put herself down, "So I like all of you!"
Timid nodded, blushing, "I thank you, but I have to ask you to stop making me happy…it disrupts the balance."
Beast Boy blinked, as if only now realizing what would happen if a sad personality stopped being sad. One would tend to worry much less, at the least, "Oh…okay, I guess." These next few minutes of walking would certainly be awkward.
"We're almost at the end of the maze anyway," she told him as they crossed through a hall of mirrors, "See?" she gestured at the dim light at the end of the tunnel. As they exited, she pointed again, directing his eyes towards a path that had not been there the last time he'd visited which jutted out to the right of the main road. "If you go that way, you'll find her…"
"Right," Beast Boy said, nodding. He took not but a step before he tuned around to face Timid again, "Who is 'her', anyway?"
"Well…um...you won't be able to miss her," Timid said, avoiding the question, "Just go that way…you'll see what I mean…"
Never a straight answer. Not much was ever linear in this place, "Thanks for your help," he said, quickly leaning forward and pecking the timid Raven on the cheek. With that, he promptly pivoted on one foot and began to walk down the new, unknown path.
Timid put a hand on her cheek, her eyes wide. Then she frowned, "That was probably out of pity…" she said, heading slowly back into the maze.
It took less than a minute to complete the short trip through yet another door. A wave of hot air hit him as he passed through it, and he glanced around at the new surroundings. It was more of a room than a realm, with a large black-wood bed on one side, draped with red curtains. On the other side was a large Jacuzzi, the source of the heat he was being smothered in. Black and red candles burned, floating around the room of their own accord. He tugged at his collar, suddenly apprehensive. What sort of personality would live here?
"I've been expecting you Garfield," said a silky voice. Out of the shadows stepped the new Raven personality, dressed only in a black silk bathrobe, and leaning against a bedpost seductively.
The newcomer's appearance nearly made Beast Boy fall over. There went that question, "Um, heh heh heh, am I interrupting something?" he asked weakly.
"Not at all," she said, sashaying past him to stand on the edge of the bubbling pool, "I was just about to take a bath."
"Oh, well in that case, I'll just wait outside till your-" Wait, what did she mean 'not at all'? This was one of those situations that usually merited a 'yes' response to his question, wasn't it? "-done…" he finished, trying to work out her meanings in his head.
"Oh you don't have to do that," she said, turning toward him and causing the robe to drape off of one shoulder, "I was hoping you'd join me…"
Kinky Raven. That was something that hadn't been here last time, "Erm…" he started, not sure whether it would be right for him to do something like that. He was in Raven's head, after all. But then again, this was technically Raven (or at least one form of her). He walked over to the waters edge slowly, looking down at the steaming liquid, "Nice place you got here," he stated casually.
"It's not much, but it's home," she said, "Nice and quiet, to say the least…and the water's always perfect…" With a drawn-out sigh, she untied her sash and let the robe slide onto the floor.
Beast Boy could feel the blood rushing to his nose at this vision of loveliness, "Ah…Raven?" he spoke up, tugging at his shirt collar. It really was getting hot in here.
"Yes?" she asked, stepping into the pool.
Sometimes, one had to just shut up and take the opportunities life presented you, "Never mind," he said, beginning to get undressed himself, "Just wanted to know your name is all."
"Well, my title would be 'Kinky' or 'Seductive', but you can call me 'Raven' is it suits you," she told him.
"Raven sounds good," he said, climbing in to join her. The water was, as she had predicted, perfect. "You were right, this is nice," he said, closing his eyes and sinking down to his chin in the liquid.
"I knew you'd like it," she cooed, swimming up close to him and snaking her arms around him from under the water, "I've been waiting for a chance like this for a while now."
Beast Boy felt his face grow hot (not from the water), "You have?" he asked, eyes widening at his current view.
"Yes," she nodded, then put one hand behind his head and pressed her lips to his.
* * *
Down in the Tower's TV room, the other four teens were enjoying a quiet summer afternoon. Raven was hidden behind "DOOM…The Inevitability". Star was stretched out on her stomach on the floor with headphones on and a fashion magazine spread out in front of her. Cyborg was engrossed in his Gameboy Advance (the flip-up kind!). Robin was fiddling with a Rubik's Cube.
Boredly, Raven turned the page of her book. Then as if a bolt of lightning shot through her head, her eyes widened and the book fell from her hands. It landed on the floor with a thud that made the others all look up.
"Um…Rae? You okay?" Robin asked.
Her cheeks were slowly coloring and an instant later she bolted out of her seat, tearing towards the main hallway, "I have to go!" She barely made it through the doorway before they heard her moan breathily and almost happily.
"What the hell was that about?" Cyborg said, his one eyebrow raised.
"Um…Star?" Robin turned to the young woman on the floor, "What was that??"
"I am not sure…" Star said, looking puzzled, "I was quite sure that a man had to be involved to cause a reaction of that sort…"
The two males exchanged glances, "Ohhhhhhh…" they said in unison, before shuddering. The android flicked the 'off' switch on his gaming machine and placed it on the coffee table, "Where'd BB go?"
Robin snapped the last cube into its correct place and looked up, "I haven't seen him. Why?"
"I think someone's been playing in Rae's mirror without permission again," Cy explained, "I sense a chewing-out coming. Wanna go listen at the door?"
"Sounds good to me," Robin agreed, standing up, "Are you going to come too, Star?"
"No," Star shook her head, "And I do not think you should invade on their privacy, either."
"Oh, don't be such a killjoy," Cyborg waved her off and headed towards the hallway. Robin paused, looking back and forth between Cyborg's retreating form and Starfire, unsure of what to do. "Come on, Birdman, you're not backin' out on me now!" Cyborg cried, grabbing the Boy wonder by the arm and dragging him off.
"Sorry, Star!" Robin called as he vanished through the doorway.
Starfire sighed, put her headphone back up over her ears, and upped the volume of her CD. If they were caught, Beast Boy would not be the only one getting chewed-out that afternoon.
* * *
Back in Raven's mirror, Beast Boy and Kinky were lost in an intense lip-lock, still submerged in the Jacuzzi.
"What…is…going…on…in here?!?!" Through the steam filling the room stepped the true Raven, seething.
Beast Boy's eyes flew open, panicked, but was unable to speak. 'I'm dead…'
"Hey girl," Kinky said, putting her elbows up on the edge of the pool, "We were just thinking about you."
"I'll deal with you later!" Raven growled at her newest personality, "And as for you…" she said, turning back to Beast Boy, "Get your damn clothes on and get out of my head!!"
The changeling went bright red and morphed himself into a fly, swirling around the room for an instant before managing to squeeze under his pile of clothing. When he changed back into his normal form, the garments assimilated back onto him, "Ah…this is gonna be really hard to explain," he said, waving his hands in front of himself in a mock-shield motion, "But you'll let me try, right?"
Growling, Raven grabbed him by the pointed ear and dragged him towards the door. Kinky pulled herself out of the Jacuzzi and waved, "Bye Garfield! Come back and see me some time."
He waved, happily enjoying what he knew could be the last thing he'd ever see if Raven was pissed enough at him. The return trip to Raven's room wasn't nearly as sickening as the twisting, turning, falling trip into her head. Beast Boy, however, was feeling ill in a different way. Invasion of privacy was one thing (and not a good one), but maybe that had been going too far. At least he got the answer to his question…
As soon as their feet hit the floor, Raven shoved him back against the closest wall, gripping his collar with both hands. "Do you have any idea what you just did??" she half-whispered, half-shouted.
"I…went in your mirror?" he asked, trying to contain sniggers of fright.
She was so close that he could feel her quickened breathing on his face. "You nearly made me have an orgasm in the living room!!" she hissed.
"Really?" he asked, before his better judgment could stop him, "I mean, um- sorry." He put his hands in front of his face, waiting to get pummeled.
"What were you thinking? What could have possibly possessed you to do that??" she asked him angrily.
"I was-, well I was just-" Beast Boy stuttered, trying to find the right words, "I just wanted to see how you felt about me, that's all! Honest! It was all her idea, I swear!"
"That I don't doubt…" she said turning her eyes to his chest, "Men are so weak-willed…" she swore under her breath and then looked back up at him, "If you had doubts about my feelings, why didn't you just come and talk to me?"
"But that was my idea! See, I did go to talk to you. It's just easier to talk to you one personality at a time. I didn't realize things had changed so much in there..."
"It's been about four years since the last time you were in there – of course thing's have changed," she said, her grip on his shirt loosening, "I've changed…"
"I'm kinda glad for that, actually," Beast Boy admitted, "I used to think that I'd never have a chance with you. You were always so uptight and concealing. Now, at least, I can tell you care because you're angry with me."
"I have a sinking feeling that it was something before my appearance today that put the idea in your head," she said, turning just a light shade of red.
"Well," Beast Boy started meekly, still wary of physical punishment, "You are a really good kisser, Raven."
"Me? Or her?" she asked.
"She is you, remember. So either way I answer, the answer is still you."
Raven sighed, letting her head fall upon his chest, "Why can't I ever stay mad at you?? A minute ago I wanted to punch your face in and now I just can't…"
"Is it because you decided to forgive me?" Beast Boy asked hopefully, using one hand to pat her back.
"I guess so…" she said smiling up at him, "You're lucky you're so damn cute." She kissed him gently.
* * *
Outside in the hall, Cyborg pushed away from the door, looking disgusted, "Man…what a let-down. Where'd he ever learn to charm his way out of a pounding, huh??"
"Dunno. Must get awful close to a pounding a lot and learned to escape them," Robin shrugged, folding his arms across his chest.
"Man, there have been times where I woulda liked to pound him."
"Maybe he practices…"
"Anyway, no reason to stand around here anymore," Cy shrugged, turning and heading back down the hallway towards the stairs.
Robin stared at the door for a moment, imaging how Beast Boy and Raven would look as a couple (if they ever decided to officially declare themselves one). He smiled slightly, then followed his large friend down the hall.
* * *
Behind the closed door of her room, Raven pulled out of the kiss. "How was that?" she asked, "As good as her?"
The changeling faked thinking hard, "Hmmmm, ya know," he told her, "It's kinda hard to tell from just one…"
"You're evil…" she said, "Alright, fine." With an almost-demonic grin, she steered him to the right and pushed him down on her bed, climbing up on top of him and kissing him passionately. After a long moment, she broke away, licking her lips. "How 'bout now?"
"That," he said, trying to catch his breath, "was as good- no, better!"
"Just thought I'd try to show her up," she said, face flushed with unplanned excitement, "Looks like it worked."
"Yeah, you won."
"Not really sure what got into me…" she admitted, running a hand through his already tousled hair, "But I liked it."
"I think someone is letting their kinky side get to them," Beast Boy said, grinning and shaking a finger at the Azarath.
She shrugged, "You liked that side of me, didn't you?" Before he could answer, she covered his mouth with hers, making sure she gave him a little tongue before pulling back once again to await his response.
"After living with me for five years, you sure have got me pegged pretty good, Rae," he told her, enjoying her friendly presence.
"What can I say?" she said, "I'm an observer. You're the only one who's ever provoked me into action." She slipped one hand under his shirt, tracing his stomach and then chest muscles teasingly.
His body tingled at her touch. Beast Boy was beginning to wonder just how much her kinky personality had gotten hold of her. Still, at least he was finally getting some time alone with Raven…that didn't involve him being harmed, "Lucky me."
"No…lucky us," she corrected. Then she grabbed the bottom hem of his shirt with both hands and began sliding it up off of him. She felt vaguely certain that her timid side was being suppressed by her kinky side, but at the moment her brave actions were exciting her, empowering her. She'd never felt so in-control before, and she didn't want to give it up just yet.
He made no move to resist. Whatever would make her happy was perfectly fine with him for now. Beast Boy slid his arms out of the sleeves of his shirt, the heat of the enclosed room beginning to remind him a bit of the time he had spent inside Raven's mind, "I suppose that's true."
She leaned in close, kissing his neck softly. "You are enjoying this, too, aren't you?"
He grinned, "Of course I am! Why wouldn't I be?" Beast Boy asked, acting confused, "The girl of my dreams is showing interest in me."
She pushed herself into a sitting position, blushing. "Girl…of your dreams…?" she repeated, "Really?"
He nodded vigorously, then turn his face into that of a large canine and licked her face, "That's right!"
She laughed, and stroked his head as it returned to normal. "It's funny…I never would have thought I'm who you pictured yourself ending up with."
"Well, after Star's little description of the future, I kinda pictured myself as a fat, balding old guy with no life. But I did always like you, even right from when we first met," he chuckled softly, recalling aging memories, "I think it was probably a while before that feeling was mutual, eh?"
"Not as long a while as you might think," she said, "It probably started the last time you broke into my mind." She slid back down on her stomach beside him, "You made us breakfast for dinner, and if I remember right, I actually ate some of it…"
"Yeah, while we were at the table even," the changeling laughed, "I think that was a first."
"Yeah…you were starting to wear me down even then," she said, closing her eyes and smiling, "I can still remember your ridiculous expression that morning when I made the tofu blow up in your face."
"That wasn't cool!" Beast Boy said, feeling slightly annoyed, "That tofu didn't do anything to you!"
"I didn't do it on purpose," she said, eyes open again, looking worried that she might've brought up the wrong thing, "You remember what was happening, right?"
"Yes, I do," he nodded, eyes closed, "Sorry, didn't want ta sound mean."
"It's okay…I didn't want to make you mad…" she said, resting her chin on her folded forearms, "I don't think I've ever told you, but I really like the way we are now, better than when we were younger – when we didn't get along. I like it this way much better. It just feels…right, you know?"
He put one arm across her back and hugged her close to him, "I know exactly what you mean," Beast Boy said, kissing her gently on the forehead.
"I love you…" she whispered, reaching up to touch his face with one hand.
"Really?"
"More than anything," she nodded, "I never expected to be this happy…ever…I never thought I deserved it."
"Well why not?" the teenager asked, one eyebrow raised.
She swallowed hard, "Because of who I was…who I still am…there'll always be a dark side of me…It's under control now, but I always worry that it'll break loose again," she sat up again, hugging herself, "It took me so long to come forward about my feelings because I…I was afraid of being too happy. I can't help worrying what'll happen if I ever lost you…I don't know if I could control myself if that happened. That's why I was hesitant – I didn't think attachments were a safe thing to have…"
"Sheesh," Beast Boy said jokingly, "Get kidnapped once and you hear about it the rest of your life," he began to rub Raven's back gently, trying to relax her, "Nothing's going to happen to me, I promise."
She flung herself at him, holding him tightly. He thought she might start to cry, but the tears seemed unable to escape her. He should have known she was too strong for that. Instead, she raised her head and kissed him long and hard. When she pulled away, she was smiling again, "Talk about crazy mood-swings, huh?" she said embarrassedly, "They must be having a party in my head…"
"I think someone's going a little overboard with their cherries."
"I wish they would make up my mind already," she said leaning back and shaking her head, as if trying to rattle the personalities inside, "This is getting a little too strange, even for me."
"Strange is fine," Beast Boy said, closing his eyes again, beginning to realize how tired he was. It had been a long day, after all, "Any Raven is fine…"
"I'm glad for that," she said, stroking his face, "You okay?"
He yawned, "Yeah, I'm okay…" normally, his common sense would have told him to get up and leave now, but he seemed to have lost it to the drowsy haziness of Raven's room. Damn summer heat.
"Uh oh…look's like I wore you out," she said with a laugh, "You wanna rest for a while?"
His eyelids had already failed on him, unable to bring themselves to lift and see Raven's happy, smiling face again, "Sure…that sounds good…"
"Okay…" she said, grabbing her pillow and setting it under him as she pushed him back down on the bed, "You do that. I'll be right back." She kissed his forehead then climbed off the bed, trying to brush the wrinkles out of her T-shirt and jeans.
"Okay…"
She shut her door quietly behind her and headed down to the kitchen. She wasn't really hungry, but she felt like she needed a brief change of scenery. Maybe she would find something to bring back up for him when he woke up. The image of his adorable near-sleeping form still lingered in her mind as she glided past the living room and into the kitchen, treading so softly that Robin (the lone remaining Titan in the vicinity) didn't even look up as she passed him.
A lucky break on her part, all things considered. She wasn't exactly ready to try and explain her outburst to them at the moment. The kitchen was filled with the red-orange light of the afternoon sun, and she paused, leaning against the counter, just letting it seep through her pale skin. Quickly it dawned on her that she had never once prepared any food more complicated than toast and coffee, and she sighed. 'There goes that idea…' she thought to herself ruefully, 'Great…now I came down here for nothing.'
She ambled over to the fridge and peered inside, having never often ventured into its chilly depths before. It was surprisingly less disgusting than she had imagined it would have been. She pulled out a pitcher of iced-tea and poured herself a tall glass, then sidled along the counter, sliding up onto a stool and staring out at the late afternoon sky, silhouetting the city skyline.
"Hi Raven," said Robin, not even looking up from his spot on the couch.
Damn the lack of walls between the kitchen and the living room. "Hey Robin," she said, staring down into her drink.
"How's it goin'?"
"Alright. You?"
"Fine." He paused for a moment, trying to word his next sentence
carefully, "You alright? From before, I mean."
"Yeah…" she said, blushing, "Gar was having some…adventures in my mirror…But I'll get over it. Sorry if I freaked you out."
"No, we figured beast Boy was involved somehow. Weird things happen around here all the time. The most surprising thing was probably that this latest event involved you. Kinda reminded me of when you burst out laughing for no reason five years ago when I told you that your door had been knocked down. Guess this was just a notch or two up from that." The Boy Wonder flipped the page of his book in a bored fashion.
"Outbursts like that are to be expected when one of my personified emotions gets too…stimulated," she said, swirling the contents of her glass lazily.
"Stimulated, eh?"
"Are you really going to make me go into detail about it?" she asked, turning a deeper shade of red.
"No, you don't have to if you don't want to." How would he like it if someone went and messed with his head then had to tell all of his friends about it?
"Thanks," she said, "And Beast Boy will probably be bragging about it tomorrow anyway, so I'll let you wait for that…"
"Why would he do that?" Robin asked, slightly startled. Beast Boy usually kept his mouth shut in matters involving him and Raven, but maybe she didn't know that…
For the first time, Raven turned to look at Robin, also surprised, "What do you mean why? Hasn't he been telling you everything? He could never keep quiet about anything before."
"BB hasn't said much of anything about you two. Kinda surprising, but he avoids that subject."
She put her glass down slowly, "Hmmm…" she said with a smile, "That's something I didn't expect…"
"Neither did Cyborg. It still kinda irks him."
Raven rose from her chair, half-empty glass in hand and climbed over the back of the couch so she was sitting beside him, legs folded Indian-style. "Thanks for telling me that," she said quietly.
"No problem. Where is the green-haired menace, anyway?" Robin asked, noting the change in her location.
"Upstairs in my room, sleeping," she said, "Guess I tired him out."
"Sounds about right. You two were alone for quite a while."
"It was nothing that serious," she said urgently, "I swear – we're not at that stage yet…I'm not actually sure what stage we are at, to tell you the truth."
"You'll figure it out eventually," Robin replied. He and Star were quite aware of what stage they were at, but he remembered this type of problem.
"I hope so," she said, "I don't like being uncertain about things."
"I don't know if Beast Boy likes it much either. Is that why he was in your mind today?"
"I suppose," Raven said, then she blushed, "He certainly got a straight answer from in there…"
"You don't have to say anything if you don't want to," Robin told her, looking up from his book.
"Let's just say he met my sex drive, and leave it at that," she said, grinning at the absurdity of the statement. It was actually a bit of a relief to finally let it out in the open.
"I never knew you had a 'dirty' side, Raven. Just doesn't seem like you," the apprentice of the Dark Knight said mildly.
"She's a little too forward at times, but I wouldn't go straight to 'dirty'," the Goth said lightly, "It's not like I don't have hormones – I just hide them better than most people. Anyway," she said, rising again from her seat, "It's been real, but I've gotta go check on Gar. See ya later." With a friendly wave, she headed back towards the stairs.
* * *
When she returned to her room, it too was now filled with the reddish glow of approaching evening. Beast Boy was sprawled across her mattress, snoring softly. She sat down beside him, smiling. What she'd ever done to deserve him, she'd never know, but she thanked the fates for the blessing. She leaned down and kissed his cheek, then laid down beside him. As she closed her eyes, letting sleep descend upon her, she felt for the first time in a long while, that she was exactly where she belonged.