71Titans Tower was quiet, no late night alerts, no gaming sessions, nothing to disturb the peaceful night. At least, that's how it was for most of the Titans. The empath of the group, Raven, was having anything but a peaceful night. Her empathic senses were picking up someone else's emotions, that emotion being sadness. But not just the sadness she felt from civillians over petty things like losing their phone. This was something much deeper. She felt loss and remorse so strong it was like something was digging into her chest. It had to be from someone in the Tower, otherwise there was no way she could pick it up. Therefore, one of her friends was feeling this pain.
At first she thought that they were experiencing a flash back in one of there dreams and told herself that when they woke up it would be over soon. But this clearly wasn't a dream. The emotions were not subconscious- too raw and in the moment. It was also lasting a very long time, hours even. It started out around eight, when she decided to go to bed early. It started out as a very strong, overwhelming emotion, and didn't weaken or dial down in the past few hours. Something was wrong, very wrong, with one of her friends. Raven knew she had to do something soon.
Raven forced herself out of bed, straightening her pajama shirt and let her empathic sensor lead her to her troubled team mate. She expected to be lead to Starfire or Robin's room, given those two always seemed to experience the most emotional distress of the team. But, rather, she was lead to the Ops room which she figured would be empty by now. She cautiously stepped inside, not turning on the lights in fear of disturbing whoever was in there. She crept closer to the couch as the aura got stronger. She could've sworn she heard whimpering but it stopped once she got closer to the couch. Raven was so close to the couch that she was now able spot pick up who it was lying there. Who she found shocked her.
"Beast Boy?"
Shit, she heard me. I think, panicking when I hear Raven's voice. How long have I been down here? I don't know, but I can tell it's late enough for her to be in bed by now. How did she know I was here anyway? It wasn't like I was bawling out loud or anything. Did she sense my or something? Or worse, my thoughts. Oh god, no. I can't have her knowing. She'd think I'm some cry baby who should've known better after letting myself be decieved like that again.
"Beast Boy. I know you're there. Why are you down her so late?" She asks, or demands softly is a better way to put it. It's tough lying to Raven especially when she has a built in lie detector in her head. But hey, it's worth a shot.
I fake a yawn. "Oh hey, Rae. Sorry, I must've fallen asleep down here." I say, trying to cover up the sobbing tone in my voice.
She stares at me skeptically. "You do realize how pointless it is to lie to an empath, Beast Boy. I could feel your emotions from my bedroom. What's going on?" She asks. Maybe it's just me, but she actually sounds kind of worried. That's probably just wishful thinking, though.
I sigh and let my carefree guard down a little. I debate whether to tell or not, knowing that Raven can be very persistent when she wants to be. But then again, is telling her really worth it? For all I know she could go straight to Robin about this then he'll give me some stupid lecture about letting my emotions get in the way of the team and all that jazz. So I settle for a safer response. "Why do you ask?" It's a genuine question. I really don't know where this sudden concern for me is coming from. I'm not calling her heartless or anything, but this is not how she normally addresses me about my problems. She usually just doesn't address me at all.
She seems a little taken aback, an un-Raven-like expression on her. Is it bad I'm a little proud of myself for getting something other than a blank face out of her? "Your emotions were keeping me up at night. I wanted to see what was wrong to maybe quiet your emotions down." She says. Given the situation I'm currently in, it hurts to hear that the only reason she cares about how I feel is for her own benefit. I guess my feelings show and she tries to make up for it.
"That and when you or any of our friends feel pain like this it...concerns me... I know I'm not the best comforter but it still bothers me to see you like this." She says, gesturing at me. She must see my slightly wet eyes now. I search her face for signs of a lie, and there isn't any. Raven's always apprehensive when it comes to saying she cares, so maybe it's not all pity.
"Don't worry about me, Rae. I just...I kinda wanna be alone right now." I say, sounding almost as shy as she does.
Raven shakes her head. "I don't believe you grasp the situation. I want to help. Just let me help is all I ask." She says, looking at her feet. I contemplate on what to say to her next. Should I tell her? If I do how will she react? Will she say I told you so? Will she go straight to Robin? What will she do if I don't tell her? Will she use her psychic powers to force it out of me? Now that would be bad. I don't want to relive what took place few hours ago.
"Okay. But...don't tell the others okay? I'll do that myself." I tell her, knowing that I'll probably just tell Cy later on.
"Okay." She says, climbing over the couch and sitting beside me.
"Well, I went to Tara's house earlier..."
A few hours ago...
Beast Boy couldn't help the spring in his step as he walked to his girlfriend's house. It was their fourth month anniversary and he had already set them up reservations at the old pie place they used to go to when they were younger. He had brought it up before, but she always said she had no idea what he was talking about and had never been there.
Terra, or Mariah as she now spelled it, had been dating Beast Boy since this summer. They started out as friends, Beast Boy trying to help her remember her past and Mariah having no memory of who he was. Over time he accepted getting her to remember was going to be a long process and tried not being her friend anymore. Instead he tried being her boyfriend. And he was loving it. Mariah seemed to be enjoying it too. They often met on the weekends when she didn't have school and sometimes after school. Things had been going really well. Except for one thing, Mariah still had no memory of being a Titan. He'd brought her to the Tower, to her old hangouts, and even the desert. But she was still unable to recall any of those places and didn't even like some of them. But Beast Boy never gave up. All he cared about was if he had Terra with him.
He finally reached her apartment. There he would wish her a happy anniversary, announce the plans he'd made for tonight, and see what she'd gotten him for an anniversary present. He couldn't help but daydream about what that might be. After they ate he'd give her the necakalace he'd been saving up for since last month. Beast Boy knocked on her door, knowing it'd be a surprise for her to see him this early. He had mentioned he'd be coming over but he hadn't said the time, nor had she asked. Hopefully her crazy room mate wasn't home yet and he could sneak by without having to hear one of her nature lectures.
Beast Boy knocked again after waiting for her to open the door. He figured she must be napping after a long day at school or taking a shower. He waited a little longer and was about to knock again when the door opened.
"Hey, Mariah." He said, grinning widely. Mariah was still in her school uniform wearing a shorter hairstyle than she had when Beast Boy saw her again after all those years. She looked shocked to see him, as expected, but she didn't laugh or smile like she usually did when he surprised her. She looked kind of terrified, not her usual peppy self.
"Oh...hey Gar..." She said, her voice shaking.
"Here." He said, handing her the white carnation he previously held behind his back.
She took it, her hands shaking and quietly said, "Thank you." He smike seemed weak and even forced.
Beast Boy immediately picked up on her behavior. "Something wrong, M?" He asked, coming inside.
Mariah looked down at her feet, tweedling her flower between her fingers. "Look, Gar. There's...something I need to talk to you about..." She said, turning around and sitting on her couch. He say down next to her, coming up with scenarios in his head as to what was wrong. 'Was she moving? Had she been accepted at a college far away and wouldn't be able to live near him anymore? Had something with Slade or her powers happened?' He wondered.
"What's wrong, baby? Did I do something-" he was about to ask.
"I can't do this anymore." She said, fast and quick.
He felt a large hole open up in his chest and felt himself being sucked into it. This couldn't be happening. Why was it happening? Everything around him seemed to be crumbling. Just when things had been perfect for the first time in his life it was taken away from him by the one he loved. "W-what?" He asked, his voice trembling.
Mariah opened her eyes again and shook her head. Her face went from scared and apprehensive to forward and determined. "Garfield. It's not that hard to grasp. I can't be with you anymore."
"But...but Terra- Mariah, why? I thought you and I were..." He asked, no, pleaded. Gar tried to wrap his head around what was happening, half convincing himself it wasn't. His mind was slowly grasping the fact that there was no more dates, no more having the girl of his dreams by his side, no one there to love him or care about him the way only a girlfriend could. None of it. He had just lost it because of something he did to hurt her.
"Well...we're not anymore, okay? I'm sorry I just..." She stood up, that fear coming back.
"Just what? Terra, talk to me, please!" He begged, standing up and grabbing her hand.
"Don't call me that! Maybe I just have a thing against dating animals!" She shouted, tearing her hand away.
The room was silent, the former couple just staring at each other. Beast Boy's mouth hung partially open as he stared at her. It was as though someone had slapped him in the face then stabbed him in the gut. Tears started to form in his eyes and his lips started to tremble. She had just said the words he hoped would never come from her lips. He couldn't describe how many times he'd been called an animal and how much it teared him apart each time. But being called an animal by the girl he loved was a whole different story. It was rejection like no other. First from his parents, then from society, but now Terra? That was something he couldn't take.
Garfield, on impulse, ran as fast as he could out of the apartment. He heard Tara calling after him but her cries fell on deaf ears. He transformed into a hawk and flew as far away from the building as he could. If hawks could cry, this hawk would be bawling in midair. Gar struggled to stay in the air; he almost turned back into himself from the emotions threatening to escape. By the time the sun began to set he found his way to the roof of the Titans Tower and landed there. Gar morphed back into himself and ran dish the stairs, his vision becoming blurry. That pain in his chest was weighing him down, dragging him to his knees. Finally, he was inside the empty Ops room of the Tower. Now he was safe.
"And I've been down here since." I say in a melancholy voice. I can feel my eyes getting watery again and I fiercely wipe them away. Crying in front of Raven is the last thing I want. I dare to glance at her. Rather than her usual passive or sage expression she looks surprised and angry. I'm, oddly enough, not at all angry. I kind of blame myself for the break up really. I mean, who wants to date a green freakazoid? Terra didn't and I doubt anyone else will.
"Beast Boy... You may not want to hear this, but I'm glad you two broke up." She says.
"What?! How could you say that! I was happier with her than I'd ever been!" I shout. How could she be glad that my main source of happiness is gone? What was I thinking telling her anything?
"Because you deserve so much better than she could ever offer, Beast Boy." She says, her voice showing as much emotion as her face, which is a lot for her.
That response threw me way off. "What?"
"No one deserves to be with someone who treats them the way Tara did to you. You deserve someone who makes you feel happy and better about yourself. And never someone who thinks of you as less than you are." She said. I've never heard her speak so passionately about something before. For a second I'm not sure if this is real. Did the calm, stoic, forever outcasted Raven just say something that deep and emotional about relationships? But despite how strange it is to hear her say that I like it. I want to see more of it. This is knew and strange coming from Raven, but hey, change can be good sometimes.
"Do you...really mean that?" I ask, still stunned.
I swear I see her blush. "Every word. And you are not an animal, Garfield. Never think like that." She says, her even voice returning, but not as blank as before. Her hand is on my shoulder now, another un-Raven-like thing she's doing. But once again, I like the contact. It makes me feel like she's being sincere about this.
"Um... Raven? I was wondering..." I ask. She nods, taking her hand off my shoulder. "Well...why are you doing this?" I risk insulting her by asking. I have to know.
She looks shy once I say it send even a little saddened. I feel bad for asking and try to make up for it. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't've said it like that- I mean-"
"No. Don't apologize. I know I don't say it enough, but I do care about you. You're my friend and if you need someone to talk to about something like this I'm here for you, okay?" She says, a nervous edge in here voice. Once again I'm taken aback by what she says, but I'm happy about it none the less.
I finally smile at her. "Thank you, Raven. It means a lot." I say.
"You're welcome. Now..." She gets up off the couch. "It's nearly midnight and we've got training first thing tomorrow morning. So I think getting to bed would be optimal." She says, smirking down at me.
I slap my hand to my forehead. "Shoot! I forgot we had that! If I'd remembered I'd have moped around in my room." I say, my jokester self returning.
"That would have been wiser in case Victor came down for his nightly midnight snack." Raven said. I stand up and we walk together towards the door and into the hall.
We walk for a little while, neither of us saying anything until we reach my door. "Thanks for looking out for me, Raven. It means a lot." I tell her.
"Any time, Garfield." She says. When she starts to turn away I groan.
"Gah. I hate that name." I say. I always have hated my name. I know my parents loved me, but couldn't they have named me after something that wasn't from a cartoon?
"Then what else should I call you? Beast Boy seems too..formal. After all we call Cyborg Victor now, don't we?" She says. I think for a moment. There was another name I used to go by, but it's not much better then my real name. Oh well, it'll have to do.
"How about Gar?" I suggest.
She faintly smiles again. I've seen her smile more times today than I ever have. Or have I? I can't remember. "Sounds good. Goodnight, Gar." She says, then turns to leave.
"'Night!" I call after her, grinning to myself. I know I'm not over Terra and I probably won't be for a while, but Im still happy, for the moment. I liked what happened back there. I liked talking to Raven and talking to someone about stuff like that. Something tells me she did too, but maybe that's just wishful thinking. I go into my room, change, then climb up to my top bunk. I'm about to fall asleep when it hits me: I just wasted $105 on getting that necklace.
Hello my loyal readers, I'm not sure what this story's future will be yet, but hopefully you've enjoyed what I have. This may remain just a one shot since I've already got so many incomplete stories up, but if this story goes into high demand I'll try to find the time and inspiration. I have ideas for future chapters but they're only ideas right now. Once again I hope you've enjoyed reading and that you can forgive me for disrespecting Terra (Sorry Terra fans! I'm not making her an all out villain, I promise!)
Peace.
Themadzlove