Ah, April. Spring might have already started but this was the month when it began to finally feel like spring. Of course, it usually felt the same year round in Jump City, but that was beside the point. And, since it was spring, this meant it was time for the mayor's annual charity spring dance. The Titans always went, since the money always went to a good cause. This year it was going to the children's hospital to fund the research on finding a cure for leukemia.
"Robin, your tie is crooked," said Starfire, fixing her boyfriend's tie for the third time.
"No matter what I do it's always crooked," grumbled Robin. "I hate wearing suits."
"But you look so handsome!" Starfire said with a smile.
"Doesn't make me feel any less uncomfortable," he said, shifting about. "Anyway, you look beautiful."
"Oh, thank you," she gushed. She was wearing a lovely light green floral print dress that matched her eyes. Her red hair was up in a high bun with lovely butterfly clips about it. Starfire liked the stress the point that it was spring. "Would you like to come get something to drink with me?"
"Sure," Robin shrugged and the two made their way over to the wet bar.
Cyborg stood in the corner of the room with Beast Boy, the two trying to fix his malfunctioning holograph ring. Well, Cyborg was trying to fix it. Beast Boy was there to tell him when it was working right.
"How about now?" he asked.
"No, it's still fuzzy," said Beast Boy.
Cyborg grumbled and tweaked it a little with the built in screwdriver in his finger. He put it back on and said, "Any better?"
"Only the upper half part of you is tuxed," said Beast Boy, leaning against the wall, bored.
He took the ring off again and fiddled with it a little more. Again, he slipped it back on his finger. "Now?" he asked.
"Yes! Finally!" said Beast Boy. "Okay, my advice, don't touch that thing for the rest of the night."
"Don't worry, I'm not going to," said Cyborg, converting his screwdriver finger back into a, well, a finger. "Now, where's that girl I was talking to?"
"She's already dancing with a guy," said Beast Boy, pointing her out.
"Aw, man," said Cyborg. "Stupid ring."
"Don't worry, dude, you'll get another chance when the next song starts," said Beast Boy, patting his buddy on the back. "So… have you seen Raven?"
"Not recently," said Cyborg. "Why? You gonna blow another chance to ask her to dance?"
"I'm not gonna blow it this time," said Beast Boy.
"Ten bucks says you do, just like you have for the past three years," said Cyborg.
"You're on," said Beast Boy. "I was just a kid back then, but now I'm all man and I'm totally ready to ask her out, uh, I mean to dance."
"Ooh, what was that?!" said Cyborg, smiling like a madman. "Have a Freudian slip, did we?"
"No!" said Beast Boy.
"You wanna ask her out!" said Cyborg. "You really likeher, don't you?"
"I just wanna ask her to dance, that's all!" said Beast Boy, his cheeks and collarbone burning with a blush. "It doesn't mean anything."
"Yeah, right," said Cyborg, rolling his eyes and laughing. "Just go ask her already. I bet you don't even get three words out before you mess it up."
"You're my best friend!" said Beast Boy. "Aren't you supposed to be supporting me?!"
"Sure, I could be the perfect best friend," said Cyborg. "But where's the fun in that?"
Beast Boy growled, but then he spotted her across the way. She was wearing a simple black spring dress, her hair in its usual way. Unlike Starfire, she could care less about events like these, other than the fact that it was for a very good cause, and dressed up as simply as she could get away with. She wore no makeup or jewelry except for her chakra, which she explained over and over again wasn't jewelry. And yet, even without the paint and glitter, he found her to be beautiful. Just simply, plain beautiful.
"Well, are you gonna make a move or not?" asked Cyborg, nudging the changeling.
"You just sit back and watch," said Beast Boy, who fixed his tie and headed over to the empath.
"This should be good," Cyborg said to himself.
Beast Boy felt his heart begin to race with each step as he got closer to the violet haired young woman. For a while he'd been feeling a secret affection for her that had been slowly growing over the years. They were very different, a fact apparent to everyone, but had a few similar features that couldn't be ignored. At first he felt very put off by her attitude towards him and everyone around her, but as he got to know her he was able to look past it. He realized how much she cared for everyone and how often she saved his butt. One had to really study her to read her and he'd become quite good at it. He knew what each subtle gesture and expression meant and he considered it a second language he now understood.
He took in a deep breath as he approached her and told himself to relax. She could sense emotions and if he wasn't careful all the secrets of his heart could be given away in a single breath. He found her standing against the wall, staring into her glass of water and looking very bored.
"Hey, Raven," he said casually.
"Huh?" she said, looking up from her glass.
"I said hi," he said. "You okay?"
"Yeah," she said. "I've just got a headache, that's all."
"Oh, really?" he asked. "You want me to get you some aspirin? I'm sure Cy's probably got some in one of his compartments."
"No, that's alright," she said, wincing as her brain ached. "If I concentrate hard enough I should be okay. It's just from all of the emotions in the room. They're a bit overwhelming."
"Ah," said Beast Boy. "Well, maybe you should go get some fresh air."
"I would, but it's raining," said Raven.
"Oh yeah, April showers," said Beast Boy. "Hey, April showers bring May flowers, but what do May flowers bring?"
"Allergies?" said Raven.
"No," he laughed. "Pilgrims! You know, cuz the Mayflower brought pilgrims to America a hundred years ago."
"Beast Boy, the pilgrims came… oh, never mind," she sighed. "If you're going to make jokes then take your business elsewhere."
"Sorry," said Beast Boy. "I bet if you ask around someone's bound to have an umbrella you could borrow."
"That's okay," she said. "It'll go away." She let out a soft, barely audible, moan and closed her eyes.
Beast Boy saw her pain and looked around. "I'll be back," he said and left. He went around and began to ask if anyone had brought an umbrella with them. To his luck, a woman had one in her purse. He asked to borrow it and headed back over to the suffering empath. "Here you go."
"You didn't have to," she said.
"I know, but I wanted to," he said with a smile. "Come on, let's get you outside."
Raven was in no position to argue with him, so she followed as he led the way through the ballroom. Weaving in and out of all of those people only caused Raven's head to throb even harder and she longed for relief. As she passed each person she knew exactly what they were feeling and that gave her a pretty good idea of what they were thinking. There was a couple who were fighting and avoiding each other, an alcoholic man finishing off his second drink, a guy doing his best to impress a girl he liked (woops, that was Cyborg), the mayor was nervous that something would happen to ruin his event, a woman was worried about her children who were at home with a babysitter, and many many more.
They made it out of the ballroom and walked down the hallway to the door. He opened it for her and she walked through. He quickly followed after her and opened the umbrella, holding it over her. The night air was cool and made them both shiver for a moment.
"So, you wanna stand here or walk a little farther away?" he asked, sticking his free hand into his pocket in an attempt to keep himself warm.
"The farther away from the hotel the better," she said, placing a rogue violet strand of hair behind her ear. "I can take it from here." She held her hand out for the umbrella.
"Don't worry, I'll hold it," he said. She gave him an odd look. "J-Just until your headache's gone."
Her odd look towards him didn't leave, but she began walking down the steps that lead up to the hotel, nonetheless. He quickly followed after her, holding the umbrella above her to keep her dry. He didn't care one bit that the rain was slowly soaking him.
Raven walked a good distance away from the hotel to the decorative fountain that sat in front. She breathed in a sigh of relief as the tension around her brain lessened. She closed her eyes and held her arms close to her, trying to keep herself warm against the cool air.
Suddenly she felt someone placing a coat on her shoulders. She turned sharply and saw that it was Beast Boy's suit coat. He pushed his wet, green hair back and gave her a small smile.
"What're you doing?" she asked. "I don't need your coat."
"Well, you looked cold," he shrugged.
"So you're going to stand there in the cold rain?" she said. "For goodness sake, at least stand under the umbrella."
"W-With you?" he said, his heart beating a little faster.
"What do you think?" she said, rolling her eyes. She moved closer to him, causing him to hold the umbrella over the two of them. Now his heart was beating very fast and he felt his hands growing sweaty.
"S-So," he began, his voice cracking slightly, "how's your headache?"
"Fading fast," she said. "We can go back inside in a minute."
"But won't your headache come back?" he asked.
"Not as long as I make sure to block everyone's emotions from myself," she said. "I would have done this earlier, but I thought I could handle it this year. Guess I'm not quite ready yet."
A cool breeze passed and the two shivered. It might have been spring but it still felt pretty chilly outside at night. Raven brought Beast Boy's coat around her a little more tightly, making him smile. He didn't even care how cold he felt, since he was soaked from the rain.
"Alright, let's head back inside," she said, turning and beginning to walk back towards the hotel. He quickly followed after her and stayed as close to her as she would allow.
They walked up the steps and paused before the door, which was partially covered by the roof, keeping them dry. Beast Boy closed the umbrella and shook it out the best he could. Raven took his coat off and handed it back to him.
"Look at you," she sighed. "You're soaking wet."
"Eh, I don't mind," he shrugged through chattering teeth.
"And you're freezing," she said with a furrowed brow. "You really didn't have to come out here with me."
"I know, but I wanted to make sure you were okay," he said, pushing his wet hair back again.
"Well, let's go inside and hope you dry off," she said, opening the door and going inside. He quickly followed in after her and was glad to feel the warm air on his chilled skin.
They went back to the ballroom and Beast Boy gave the damp umbrella back to the woman he'd borrowed it from. Unfortunately, he lost sight of Raven. He'd spent nearly twenty minutes with her and hadn't gotten to ask her his question yet! He just hoped Cyborg didn't…
"Hey, grass stain!"
…spot him.
"Hey, Cy," he said.
"Jeez, what happened?" he laughed. "Did she get so upset she splashed all of the water in the place on you?"
"Long story," Beast Boy sighed. "And I haven't gotten to ask her yet."
"Where is she?" asked Cyborg, looking around.
"I dunno," said Beast Boy. "She was here a second ago and the moment I turned around she was gone."
"She's a sneaky little thing," Cyborg chuckled.
"Beast Boy," said Raven, walking up behind them.
"Oh, there you are," said Beast Boy, smiling.
"Come with me," she said, grabbing his wrist and leading him away. He looked back at Cyborg, who gave him a thumbs up. Now his heart was really racing and he wasn't sure what was going on. She led him out of the ballroom and down a different hallway. Finally they came to a stop and she turned to him. "Take off your shirt."
"E-Excuse me?" he squeaked.
"I've asked the hotel manager to put your shirt into one of the dryers," she explained. "Now take it off and I'll go give it to him."
"Okay, but why do I have to take it off over here?" he asked, unbuttoning his shirt.
"Do you really think it's appropriate for you to walk around a nice event like this without a shirt?" she said. "He said it'll only take a couple minutes." He handed her his wet shirt and said, "Stay put, I'll be back."
He watched her walk away with his shirt and stood there in his over coat, his bare chest showing. Now he really wished he'd worn an undershirt like Robin had told him to. He stuck his hands in the pockets and ignored the odd looks the hotel employees gave him. He saw Starfire and Robin across the way and they also gave him an odd look. He mouthed, 'Don't ask,' and they continued on to wherever they were heading. A minute later Raven returned.
"Well, it should be done in ten minutes," she said.
"You really didn't have to do that," he said.
"You were kind enough to stand in the rain while I relieved my mind," she said. "Drying off your shirt's the least I can do."
"Well, thanks," he said.
"No problem," she replied.
"Beast Boy, Raven," said Robin, walking over to them. "They mayor's about to give his speech."
"Well I kinda can't go anywhere at the moment," said Beast Boy. "You can go, Raven."
"I'd rather stay here than hear another one of the mayor's speeches," said Raven. "You can tell us about it on the ride home."
"Okay," said Robin, giving the two an odd look for a moment then going back to the ballroom.
"Y-You'd actually rather be here than hearing the mayor's speech?" he said.
"He gives the same boring speech every year and I can only handle one headache a night," she said, giving him a small smirk. "Besides, it wouldn't be right to leave you here all alone since I'm the reason you're currently shirtless."
He smiled and leaned against the wall. "So, um, apart from the headache, how's your evening been?" he asked.
"Fine," she shrugged. "It's no different than any other event we're forced to show up at."
"Yeah, that's for sure," he chuckled. "At least it's for a good cause."
"If it wasn't I'd be at home with a good book right now," she said. "You?"
"Playing Mega Monkeys with Cy," said Beast Boy. "And then settling in to watch an awesome zombie movie."
"I guessed as much," said Raven. "Well, I'm sure you'll have time to watch a movie when we get back. I can't imagine it's going to last much longer."
Beast Boy realized that she was right! If he wanted to ask her to dance with him it'd have to be soon if not now. Time was running out. So, he cleared his throat, and decided to get on with it.
"Hey, would you maybe share a dance with me?" he blurted out. She whipped her head towards him and raised an eyebrow. "Cuz, you know, it's almost the end of the night and neither of us has gotten a chance to dance with anyone."
Raven stared at him for a few more seconds then relaxed and said, "Alright."
"Really?!" he said, excitedly.
"Why not?" she shrugged. "It'd be nice to end the night on a good note. Wait…" she turned back to him, "…you don't have a bet with Cyborg, do you?"
"Uh, to be honest, he did bet me ten bucks that I wouldn't ask you, but I wanted to ask long before that," he said then realized what he'd admitted to.
"Well, as long as it isn't on a bet," she said.
He felt an enormous amount of relief wash over him and let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding the entire time. And he could've sworn he saw Raven slightly smile. He wasn't sure what that meant, but wasn't about to bring attention to it.
A few minutes later Raven left to get his shirt. She returned with it, warm and dry, and he gladly put it on. Once he was dressed the two headed back to the ballroom. Beast Boy couldn't help but feel nervous about the impending dance. But as they entered the room everyone else was exiting. They stepped aside, rather than be trampled, and found their three friends leaving as well.
"What's going on?" asked Beast Boy. "Don't tell me it's over!"
"Yup, time to go home," said Cyborg, stretching.
Beast Boy's shoulders dropped and his ears lowered. He'd missed his chance. He'd finally gotten the courage and the opportunity to ask Raven to dance and the night was over. He sighed and put his hands in his pockets as he followed the others out of the hotel.
On the ride home he stared out the window feeling very miffed. Starfire went on and on about how wonderful the night had been and Cyborg bragged about how he'd danced three times with the young woman he'd had his eye on. Robin had gotten some alone time with the mayor and had convinced him to think about raising their budget. Raven remained as quiet as he, but that was how she usually was.
When they got back to the tower they were each happy to get out of their nice clothes and back into their usual dress. Beast Boy decided not to watch a zombie movie and opted to go in his room for the rest of the night. He was feeling quite depressed at the thought of having to wait eight months for the Christmas ball to ask Raven to dance again.
He lay on his bed and thought back to those few nice moments when they were standing out in the rain. She'd been standing the closest she'd ever been to him then. He thought it a shame that she had no idea how much something as small as that meant to him. And she'd worn his coat for a few minutes. He knew her scent would reside in it until he washed it.
There came a knock on his door and he was startled out of his thoughts. "Yeah?" he asked.
"It's Raven," her voice said through the door. "Are you busy."
"Uh, no," he said, sitting up quickly and banging his head on the ceiling. He grabbed what was sure to be a lump and clenched his teeth in pain.
"Are you okay?" asked Raven.
"Yeah," he said, rubbing his head. "Fine."
"Well, I need you to do me a favor," she said. "Could you come to my room in a minute?"
"Y-Your room?" he said, his voice cracking. He quickly cleared his throat and said, "Uh, sure, no problem." He then heard her walking away.
He climbed down from his top bunk and rubbed his head some more. He tried to think of what favor he could possibly do for her. She was a very independent person and, if she did need help, she certainly would never go to him for help. Well, whatever it was, he was thankful she was asking him.
He walked down the hall to her room and paused at her door. He let out a long breath and knocked on the cold steel of the door. He felt his heart begin racing and he focused on calming it down. He heard the door unlock and move aside, revealing the empath within.
"Uh, you needed a favor?" he said.
"Yes, please come in," she said, moving aside.
He looked at her for a moment, making sure it was really alright to go inside, then entered. She had her light on and for once it wasn't nearly as dark as it usually was. He heard her close the door behind him and he grew a bit anxious.
"So, what's up?" he asked. "What's the favor you need?"
"I was wondering if you'd like to help me finish off my night on a good note," she said, going to a small radio and turning it on. The sound of soft, pleasant music began to fill the room.
"What do you mean?" he asked.
"Come on," she said, going over to him. "We're going to have our dance."
"W-What? Now?" he said, his heart jumping.
"Of course now," she said. "As they say, it's now or never. So would you care to dance or not?"
"W-Well, um, I g-guess," he sputtered.
"Good," she said and grabbed his hands, placing them around her so he could hold the small of her back. She wrapped her arms around his neck and began to sway back and forth, forcing him to sway as well.
Beast Boy's heart raced and he wasn't sure what to think, let alone what to do. Here he was, finally holding her in his arms, finally sharing in a dance. And all the while she was looking at him, gazing at his face. He wasn't sure if he should look at her and, if not, where should he look? This was far more complicated than he thought it would be.
And then she did something that nearly caused his heart to stop. She moved in even closer and rested her head on his shoulder. His arms were still loosely around her while she was holding him quite snuggly. He slowly wrapped his arms around her a bit more tightly, hoping she wasn't going to snap at him. When she didn't, he then decided to be a slight more daring. He leaned his cheek against hers and suddenly felt extremely light headed.
"I can't believe you actually did it," her voice said softly.
"Did what?" he asked.
"Asked me to dance," she said. "I know you've been wanting to for a while now."
"Y-You knew?" he said, feeling very embarrassed.
"Of course I knew," she said, a slight chuckle behind her words. "I feel emotions, Beast Boy, or have you forgotten?"
"Oh," he said, feeling the blush returning to his cheeks and collarbone. "Well… if you knew, how come you never called me out on it before?"
"Because I knew you'd tell me, or rather ask me, in your own time," she said. "I have to admit, it took a little longer than I thought it would."
"Well I wasn't sure if you'd say yes or not," he said. "I'm glad I finally asked."
She lifted her head slightly and whispered into his ear, "I'm glad, too." He felt a shiver run down his spine as her soft breath tickled his ear. She then kissed him softly on the cheek and took a step back. She went over to the radio and turned it off. "Well, thank you for doing me this favor."
Poor Beast Boy was still in such shock from the kiss he just stood there, dumbly. He was blushing so much it seemed painful. She gave him a small smile and helped him to the door.
"I'll see you tomorrow, Beast Boy," she said, escorting him out and then closing the door behind him.
He stood there for a moment then realized he was outside of her room. He turned back and looked at her closed door. He thought about all that had happened for a moment and then began to smile. He turned and started walking back towards his own room.
"Hey, BB!" Cyborg's voice called behind him. He paused and let his friend catch up to him. "You owe me ten bucks, man. You never asked her to dance."
Beast Boy opened his mouth to tell that he did, in fact, ask her and that she'd said yes, but knew that would just result in an argument. So he reached into his pocket and pulled out the only money to his name.
"You know what, dude?" he said, handing over the money. "I don't really care." Cyborg looked at him queerly, but took his money. "Hey, you wanna play some football tomorrow?"
"Sure, but let me see if it's still gonna be raining," said Cyborg, accessing the computer arm. "Sorry, B, it's gonna rain all day tomorrow. Oh well, you know what they say. April showers bring May flowers."
"No, they bring miracles," Beast Boy said softly, staring off dreamily.
"Huh? What was that?" asked Cyborg, not hearing him.
"Oh, nothing," said Beast Boy with a slight smile and continued on to his room.