Hey, everyone. Random bit of fluff between Raven and Beast Boy. It's all sweet, kind, and friendshippy, ya know? I own nothing.

"To the devil!" came his savage response, as-

"BOO!"

"AAUUGH!"

"OW!"

"Oh."

"Say you're sorry!"

"Why should I?"

"You just blasted me into the wall, that's why!"

"You deserved it. You... startled me."

"Scared you is more like it. Ha!"

"Shut up."

"Nope- OW!"

"You deserved it."

"Did not."

"I'm not getting into one of these things again."

"What things?"

"Those annoying arguments."

"What kind?"

"The 'did not, did too, did not, did too' kind."

"Yes, you are."

"Am not."

"Are too."

"Am not."

"Are too."

"Am... I hate you."

"I love you, too... What, you aren't even going to respond to that?"

"I'm reading."

"Whatcha reading that's so enthralling it distracts you from me?"

"Nothing."

"Ooh... Slamming the book shut, covering the title? Are you reading alooooovestory, Rae-Rae?"

"No! And don't call me that."

"And now you're acting all 'lobstery'. That's kind of suspicious, Raven."

"Shut up- HEY!"

"Just curious..."

"Give it BACK!"

"If I die, the book goes down with me!"

"Please, Beast Boy, just give it back?"

"Woah, you said 'please!' I'm amazed."

"Give it back, Garfield!"

"Fine! Let me just see... Little Women, huh?"

"It's a classic."

"It looks like a love story... Let's see, where were you? 'Oh, Teddy, where are you going?' Jo cried. "To the devil!" was the savage response, as...' Are yousurethis isn't a love story?"

"Part of it is and part of it isn't."

"Well, that part must be pretty- Are youblushing?"

"Just... give me back my book."

"All right."

"Thankyou."

"So what's it actually about?"

"Four young woman growing up during the Civil War."

"Which one was that again?"

"The war between Russia and Switzerland."

"Then how come the book's written in English?"

"Because there never was a war between Russia and Switzerland. The Civil took place here; it was about states' rights."

"Oh, you mean the one about slaves?"

"No, the one about states' rights. Slavery was added to the list of reasons later on."

"Oh. So it's four chicks growing up during a war. Gotcha."

"Right. I'm going to try to actually finish this, if you would be so kind as to let me."

"Right. I'll be quiet as church mouse."

"What, you mean you're actually going to just sit there and watch me read?"

"Well, why shouldn't I? You're pretty when you read."

"Oh."

"You're blushing again."

"Could you do something other than try to embarrass me?"

"Probably."

"But you won't."

"Wel, you're fun to bug."

"Gee, thanks."

"You're welcome."

"I'm trying to read."

"And I'm trying to talk. Who do you think is going to win?"

"The book."

"Come one, Rae-Rae, is that book really more interesting than me?"

"Incomparably so."

"That hurts."

"I'm glad."

"You're mean."

"Only because you're annoying me."

"Have I ever done anything else?"

"Only in my dreams."

"What, youdreamabout me?"

"Wipe that look off your face. I dream about you sitting still, saying nothing, and keeping out of the way."

"Yeah, but you stilldreamabout me."

"I dream about waffles."

"Yeah, I don't blame you for puttin gme in your dreams. I am incredibly handsome, so I suppose it would be very difficult to-"

"Did you even hear what I just said?"

"Yeah, you said you dream about me."

"I said I dream about waffles, and many other mundane things."

"Oh. Does mundane mean incredibly interesting?"

"Do you really think I find waffles incredibly interesting?"

"More than life itself."

"Would youpleasestop? This is a really good part..."

"Why's it so interesting?"

"Laurie just proposed to Jo but got turned down."

"Wait, the girl proposed to the guy?"

"No, Laurie is short for Theodore Laurence, and Jo is short for Josephine."

"Oh. So why did she turn him down?"

"Because she doesn't really love him, and I don't think he really loves her, either. It's more of a childhood friendship, a very strong bond, and a foolish crush."

"So they were friends from the time they were kids?"

"Well, not reallykidskids, but fifteen."

"Who's older?"

"Laurie."

"How old are they now?"

"Twenty and twnety-one, I think."

"I thought they were the same age."

"Well, they weren't born on the same day. He's a few months older."

"Oh. You really think this is interesting?"

"Yeah."

"How come?"

"It's a good story, fairly realistic, written in an interesting manner, and the characters are easy to relate to."

"Would you read it to me?"

"Would I... wait, what?"

"Read it to me. It sounds interesting."

"You don't even know what it's about."

"Chicks."

"No."

"And, from what I've gathered, it's a story that gets into the minds of four young women growing up in the middle of a war that's tearing their country apart, shows how they view the world and how the events change them both for better and for worse. Oh, and some romance stuff tossed in because the author's name is Louisa, and anyone with a name that's as much of a mouthful as 'Louisa' isn't gonna have much luck with guys, so she just writes about other people's love lives."

"And I was just about to be amazed at that remarkable insight. Did you read that somewhere?"

"The part about Louisa? Nah. That was just genius burning."

"Genius... Have you... read this before?"

"Um... No? Maybe! Yes..."

"Wow."

"It was a school assignment!"

"You told me you were raised in Africa and never went to a 'real school.'"

"Okay, fine! There wasn't much to do when we were traveling. So I read. A lot."

"What did you think of Little Women?"

"Too much romance for my taste, and I was only nine or ten so I still thought girls were gross. I preferred Little Men, but Jo's Boys was even better."

"I can't believe you. So you don't even like the book, but you want me to read it to you."

"I like the story okay, but I never feel like finishing a book, especially one as long as that."

"I really don't want to read to you."

"Why not? You're not, like, embarrassed or anything, are you?"

"No, it's just that it's kind of hard to read when you're staring at me like that. It's almost creepy."

"How's this?"

"...A cat?"

"Meow."

"Fine."

And when Robin walked in almost an hour later, he found Raven reading out loud. He was confused for a moment, until he saw the tiny green kitten in her lap.