WARNING: toxic mindsets.
A.N. - Late-night viewings of old Cartoon Network shows have got me thinking of my favourite Teen Titan.
PLATONIC:
Every time he finds something funny or has an idea for a new prank, Beast Boy desires to laugh about it with his friend. He tries to link them to a perpetual string of conversations so that the interaction is never truly concluded and supplies him with an easy excuse to contact them again. Despite his confidence in approaching them, Beast Boy's goals in the exchange tend to be as simple as giving his friend a favourable memory of him via sharing a pizza and gaming.
The shapeshifter has a juvenile perception of interpersonal conflict with his friend, treating a good laugh as the antidote to any tension that his actions may have inflicted. Although Beast Boy is sincere and would not intentionally damage the relationship, his jovial demeanour can result in thoughtlessness and ultimately hurtful behaviour towards his friend. Not wanting to accept their disinterest and end the conversation, he presumes that the specific subject bores or irritates them in some way, so he switches to a different story in hopes of drawing their attention.
His proficiency in telling jokes and experience in deriving humour from adverse situations are the building blocks of his pride. Beast Boy views laughter as the guide to assuring his friend's loyalty, and he determines the health of the relationship by how much he can amuse them. Stonewalling or a joke falling flat imbues Beast Boy with uncertainty and prompts him to question his worth, while a positive response motivates him to continue with more ambitious stunts.
ROMANTIC:
Beast Boy's predilection for comedy drives him to maintain an optimistic and persistent attitude towards earning their affection, withstanding the urge to fall into an emotional slump after a potential rejection. In his mind, earning the tiniest laugh from them is concrete progress. He strives to ensure an agreement to at least one of his many offers to spend time together, but the details of each rendezvous are flexible and dependent on the wishes of his partner.
If his partner exhibits little interest in associating with him or has free time sparingly, Beast Boy takes the initiative and seeks to involve himself in whatever they prefer to do instead. The fact that he is not an appealing companion to them inspires desperation, and the shapeshifter compensates for this loss of bonding time by invading myriad areas of their personal life. He delivers commentary on their current activity, regardless of his knowledge of it, and aims to regale them with a series of anecdotes about the Titans and his missions.
Invitations to Titans Tower are frequent and often prompted by the slightest indication that they need tech support or a way to fill their time. Beast Boy is eager to flaunt his video game skills and prove that he can be of assistance, and the chance of his partner befriending the other Titans and therefore securing the team's approval of the relationship is a common daydream of his. The shapeshifter harbours a degree of abandonment issues, encouraging his partner to interact with the other Titans out of the belief that having mutual friends will increase the likelihood of them wanting to be around him.