Afterglow

By: Roxeant

Hello, faithful readers! Or new readers. Whatever. Roxeant has come up with another one-shot for y'all! This takes place shortly after Haunted, though some things are different than in the series. I know that Raven and Beast Boy aren't together yet (THEY WILL BE!), but in this story, they are, 'cause otherwise nothing fits.

So, I'm using my creative lisence.

I hope that you lot enjoy this story. And no, no matter how much you beg, there will be no more chapters to this. It's just a sweet little one-shot. Like 'Guardian Angel'. .. except. . . more. . . PG-13ish.

By the way, I don't own the Teen Titans. If I did, I'd be rich! But I don't own them, so I 'm not.

But, I can still write about them! And so, I am content.

Raven picked up her mug of warm tea and lifted it to her lips, closing her eyes and savoring the taste. Sometimes, she thought, her tea was the only thing that kept her going. It was the only reason she had gotten out of bed.

And she hadn't wanted to leave bed that morning, though for a different reason than usual.

As she walked out of the kitchen and into the living room, she passed Cyborg and Robin for the second time. They had been playing videogames for the past hour, their eyes fixed on the screen.

Robin, since his strange visions of Slade, had slowly been returning to normal. Raven would see a haunted look cross his face once in a while, but he was quickly recovering with the help of a certain Tamaranian princess.

Instead of retreating to her room, Raven sat down beside Cyborg, watching as Robin tried to pass the robot's blue racing car.

"I'm gonna kick your butt, Cyborg!"

"How can you kick my butt if you can't even catch me?" the robot taunted. "You're too slow, man."

Robin froze for a second, shook his head, and returned to his video game. This time, with gritted teeth, he passed Cyborg's car and won the game. Cyborg was in shock.

"Man! This is my game! NO ONE beats Cyborg at Racercity: Ultimate Challenge 9!"

"I just did," Robin said coldly, and walked off to the kitchen.

Raven shot Cyborg a glare that was almost palpable in its intensity. She softened it after seeing his face. "Cyborg," she said, "don't feel bad. You would have beaten Robin if you hadn't made him remember. . ."

Cyborg nodded. "No one can beat Robin once he gets in his uber-competitive mode. . ." Turning towards Raven for the first time, he arched an eyebrow at her. "What's with you, Raven? You look. . . you. . . look. . ."

Raven shrugged, taking a sip of her tea and shivering with pleasure. She turned towards Cyborg once she was finished, arched an eyebrow as if to say: 'I dare you to utter another sound, lower life form,' and walked off.

Unfortunately, she was met by Starfire in the hallway. Robin might have been oblivious, and Cyborg might have been confused, but Starfire knew. Starfire was a girl.

"Did you. . ."

"Yes, we did."

"Since when. . ."

"Since last night."

"Do you need me to cover for you?"

"Of course."

"Is he still. . ."

"Yes."

"When will he awaken?"

"Soon. I always get up early, but. . . "

"You are tired?"

"Yes."

"And you are happy as well?"

Raven paused. "You can't imagine," she said, a warm glow illuminating her face.

"Do you think that friend Beast Boy will tell the others?"

Raven shook her head. "No, he won't. Garfield knows Cyborg would give him grief about it. Besides, the Jump City police would probably arrest us or something. We're supposed to be superheroes. . . this wasn't part of the plan."

Starfire nodded. "If the press were to find out, they would completely twist the story and make you seem like a terrible person."

Raven nodded. "I don't want to think about the names they'd call me," she said bluntly. "We would most likely be fined, and quietly dismissed from the Teen Titans. Worst case scenario, he'd get put in jail. Keep it quiet."

"Of course, friend Raven! But, I do have one more question. . ."

Raven gave her a 'don't even think about asking me' look. Starfire was quelled.

"Find out for yourself," Raven said eventually.

Starfire, torn, decided that she would make sure to keep her nose out of Raven's affairs from now on. She did not want another rebuke like that. She blushed crimson to the roots of her bright red hair.

"Friend Robin?" Starfire whispered, entering the kitchen on silent feet. "You are alright?"

Robin, his head resting in one hand as he sat limply at the kitchen table, glanced up weakly. "Yeah, I'm fine."

Starfire walked over to him, putting a soothing hand on his shoulder. "You are not alright. You do not act as Robin should. You act as if you are being chased and cannot rest. But you can rest. No one is chasing you."

"Someone sent that signal," Robin said bluntly.

"And when they come, we will defeat them. But, for now, you must rest so that you will be ready for them. Relax."

Robin put his head back in his hands.

"Do you wish for me to help?"

Robin turned back. "How could you possibl-"

He was cut off as Star briefly pressed her lips to his before backing away. She tried to look relaxed and in-control, when in reality her stomach was churning. There was a long pause.

Robin stood up. He put a hand on Star's shoulder and, just as suddenly, pulled her into a gentle hug.

"Thanks, Star. . ." he whispered as he hugged her. "You know? You're the light that chased Slade away; out of my mind . . . you're probably the reason I. . ."

He paused, looked down at her, expecting her to tell him how stupid he sounded, and was surprised to see that she understood what he was saying.

She smiled.

"I will always be there, even if Slade or someone connected with him returns. You are not alone, Robin. Always remember that."

"Wake up. . ."

The gentle voice whispering in his ear made him shift slightly, his lips opening in a contented sigh.

"Garfield, wake up. . . You've already slept in, and the others will be looking for you soon. . ."

Beast Boy blinked. A wavy, purple form floated in front of him. He blinked again, and the world snapped into focus. Raven.

"Your bed is comfy, though!" he protested, trying to wriggle back under the covers.

"That's because yours is never clean."

"You aren't gonna make me clean it, are you?"

Raven shook her head. "It's not worth it."

"What did you tell the others?"

"Nothing."

"We're safe?"

"Star knows, but she won't tell. And no, don't look at me like that, Garfield, I didn't tell her, she asked."

"Dude, sometimes I think she can read your mind!"

Raven shot him a wry smile. "No, she can't, but it's close enough. She knew after one look at me."

". . . Seriously?"

"It's a girl thing."

She sighed, climbing onto the bed and flopping down next to him. "We should get up," she muttered.

"You were the one who made things worse. Now we're BOTH too tired to get out of your bed."

"I rather like this," Raven said with a small smile.

"You like being practically trapped here?"

"I like the fact that. . . that things aren't too different."

Beast Boy nodded. "Yeah. . . we haven't changed. It's like, it's not over now. It's just beginning."

"What's beginning? The sneaking around? The teasing? The secret-keeping?"

Beast Boy stared. "You told a joke? Well, not a corny one, but it was funny, in a. . ."

"Twisted sort of way?"

He nodded. "Do you think they'll figure it out?"

"No doubt," Raven said.

"Robin might not. He's a bit. . ."

"Distracted," they said together.

"Star knows already," Beast Boy continued. "How long do you think it'll take Cyborg? When he does find out, he'll make my life a living hell."

"No, he won't," Raven said, sincerity in her eyes.

"What's gonna stop him?"

"Me."

"It feels weird, you know? Having your girlfriend protect you from your best friend."

"You'd rather fend for yourself?"

"No way! He'll kill me just by pointing and laughing!"

"I'm glad you don't think you're all. . . you know. . . macho now."

"Yep. Cyborg humbles me."

"You're allowed a little pride," Raven whispered. "I don't accept second best."

Beast Boy grinned. Then, his ears drooped and he sighed. "We really do have to get up. . ."

"Now?"

"Now."

"Can't we just wait for them to find us here?"

". . . I'm not moving."

"Same."

"The Alarm couldn't get me to leave! I'm so not used to such a comfortable bed!"

"Well, get used to it."

At around three in the afternoon, Cyborg was beginning to worry. Beast Boy had still not gotten out of bed. And so, he decided to go looking for him.

First, his room. The same moldy tofu, the same messy bunk bed, the same dusty shelves. It was just like before.

Or was it?

The bed sheets hadn't been tossed onto the floor, and there was no fresh tofu from last night. Beast Boy's bed looked (relatively) untouched.

No one would have noticed this but Cyborg.

Where could he be? Not in Star's room. Why would he be in there? Same with Raven's room. Beast Boy knew what would happen to him if he trespassed. Robin's room? Naw. Pointless. He wasn't in the kitchen. The gym? The room where they kept the possessions of various super villains?

Thirty minutes later, Cyborg's search had borne no fruit. And so, he decided to ask Raven to locate him with her powers.

Five minutes later, he was standing outside of Raven's room. Taking a deep breath, he knocked.

"Yes?" Raven called.

"Hey, Rae! It's Cyborg. Have you seen BB?"

"Garfield's in here," she said bluntly.

"Well, tell him to come out! Why's he been in your room all day."

"I'm too tired to get up," Beast Boy called.

Cyborg's head was whirling. "Wha. . . why. . . "

He hadn't made the connection.

"Raven, be honest. . . did you hurt him?"

Laughter from inside.

"No," Beast Boy said. "I'm not dying. I'm just too comfortable to move."

". . . So, Raven didn't trap you under a dresser? She didn't stuff you in a drawer?"

". . . Well, she's got me trapped, you could say."

"I'll rescue you!" Cyborg said heroically, charging through the door. His circuits almost fried at the sight before him.

Beast Boy was sprawled lazily on Raven's bed, with Raven partially on top of him. Both looked half-asleep.

"We've been talking," she said lazily, snuggling further into her pillow.

Beast Boy nodded. "Yeah. And I'm too lazy to get up. My bed is so not comfortable."

"Did. . . did. . . what. . . did you. . ."

Beast Boy looked away.

"Yes," Raven said, perfectly calm.

Cyborg fainted.

"When do you think he'll wake up?" Beast Boy asked.

"Hopefully not for a while," Raven said. "I'm comfortable, and I don't want to have to get up to slam him into a wall for you when he regains consciousness."

"Where do you think they are?" Robin asked Starfire about an hour later. The pair had spent the day relaxing together, talking, playing games, and generally being in each other's company. The kiss was unmentioned, but not forgotten.

"I am not sure," Starfire said nervously.

"You know, don't you," Robin said, arching an eyebrow.

"I have a guess. I am not at liberty to discuss it. However, I think that Cyborg is probably hiding and, as you say, 'sulking', unconscious, or has left the tower to clear his mind."

"Why would you say that?"

"He is not here. This means that he is alone. Cyborg does not like to be alone. When he is, it means he is unhappy. We have not heard him, he might have left."

"Where did you get the unconscious part from?"

". . . Friend Raven might have thrown him off of the roof of the tower. Or into a wall. Yes, a wall, I think. Raven does enjoy throwing people into walls."

Robin winced. "Yeah, she does. . ." He shook his head. "But what could he have done to make her angry?"

Starfire looked away.

"Star?"

She didn't turn.

"Star? What's going on. . .?"

Starfire shook her head.

"Starfire! Tell me!"

The Tamaranian looked at Robin after a long pause. "Ask Friend Raven yourself. If she wishes for her secret to be divulged, allow her to tell you. I promised not to."

Robin stood up, took Starfire by the hand, and both of them went off to Raven's room.

When they got there, the door was open, Cyborg was on the floor, and Raven and Beast Boy were on Raven's bed, talking in whispers and almost unmoving.

"Go away," they both said as soon as Robin and Starfire reached the door, even though they were both looking at the wall. Beast Boy had acute hearing, and Raven had telepathic powers. She could sense where everyone in the tower was.

Robin stared. ". . . Titans, care to explain what's been going on?"

"I did not tell him," Star said truthfully, though she did look guilty nonetheless. "I told him to ask you himself."

Raven turned around, nodded, and half-closed her eyes.

"Tired?" Robin asked.

"Not really," she said. "I'm actually well-rested. Catching up on sleep. I just don't want to move right now."

Beast Boy nodded. "Yeah, I feel great. Better than before, actually." To prove his point, he stood up, got out of bed, and offered a hand to Raven, who took it and followed him.

Robin pointed at Cyborg. "Care to explain this? Does it have anything to do with your lack of sleep?"

Raven shrugged. "We didn't hurt him. He fainted. His own fault."

Beast Boy nodded. "He'll wake up soon. He woulda found out sooner or later anyway, and it was funny to see him faint, so I'm not too upset."

"Found out what?"

Starfire's face turned a bright shade of crimson. Robin noticed, but he was still in the dark.

Raven looked at him coolly, took Beast Boy's hand, and dragged him by Robin breezily. After they had gone a few steps down the hallway, she turned, letting go of Beast Boy's hand.

"Don't bother asking Beast Boy to clean his room anymore. He won't be using it," she said, a slightly proud glint in her eye. She grabbed his hand again, and they walked off down the hall.

Robin stared.

Starfire blushed an even deeper shade of crimson.

"So. . ."

"Erm. . ."

"They. . ."

"I. . ."

"You knew?"

"Yes."

"How? Did she tell you?"

"No. I knew."

"How? Did you find him?"

"No. As friend Raven would say, it's a girl thing."

". . . I don't want to know."

Starfire suddenly grabbed Robin's shoulders, lightly, and stared straight into his eyes. "Friend Robin, let us not discuss Beast Boy and Raven any longer. We have problems of our own to solve."

Robin shook his head. "Not really. We don't have anything to discuss."

Starfire's face looked hurt, betrayed. "Nothing? Nothing is. . . different?"

Robin smiled, wrapped an arm around her waist, and shook his head. "No! Everything is different. Better. I just don't see what we have to discuss."

"But, Friend Robi-"

Robin neatly cut Starfire off with a kiss, and this one was much longer than their first.