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Sometimes, it was really useful having the ability to turn into a mouse. To sneak around undetected without anybody ever knowing that you were there.
It was especially favorable when it was past midnight and he craved a snack after numbing his brain with video games all evening. As a mouse, he wouldn't wake up anybody in the Tower and alarm them.
Plus, nobody could judge him for his questionable life choices.
Once Beast Boy had arrived in the common room, he was about to turn back when he noticed that he wasn't alone. By the large windows stood Raven, watching over Jump City by the shore across the Titans Tower. She didn't notice his presence, deep in thoughts as her hands were clasped around a tea mug - which looked like a skull with a handle, a present from Starfire.
Beast Boy thought about retreating, slithering back into his room and hope to find a snack stuck somewhere between the chaos. But something else compelled him to stay instead, his priorities shifted.
Well, for a while now, they have been dating. Or whatever they would classify their relationship as.
It was still at this awkward stage where they couldn't guess each other's boundaries. Especially Beast Boy was more than anxious to cross said line. After all, Raven wasn't all too familiar with handling emotions like that and he didn't wish to push her; he had enough patience for the two of them.
While he wanted to leave her be, he couldn't deny that he didn't want to be in her presence, too.
Maybe it was silly, but he wasn't ashamed of being love struck. Embracing it all took more courage than others would realize and running away from it didn't help.
"You can turn back now."
Her voice shook him from his thoughts and the mouse flinched before Beast Boy shaped back. Raven peeked at him from the corners of her eyes as she took a sip but didn't add anything. With a sheepish chuckle, Beast Boy joined her side as he ignored his blush.
"S-Sorry, didn't mean to disturb you."
"You didn't."
Once again, her eyes darted outside, back in her pensive state. Beast Boy followed her gaze and wondered if there was anything specific, yet the city was calm as ever. Its lights seemed to replace the stars in the night sky, sparkling along in the dark waves of the ocean. With nothing stirring in the Tower, the silence was deafening, and Beast Boy almost feared that his heartbeat could be heard.
"Like this, you could believe that there was never any trouble", he said as his nervousness took the better of him. To his relief, Raven huffed a laugh even if faint, yet her eyes were still fixed on the horizon.
"That's true. But if that was the case, we'd be out of a job." Another sip from her cup and he could see the steam caressing her pale skin. "Then again, humanity's safety is probably above any salary."
"Guess so."
Beast Boy could slap himself. Talking to girls wasn't hard.
At any other point in time, he would have been able to joke about it or tease her, but now he found himself too nervous to do so.
After all, Raven wasn't just any girl.
He took a deep breath to recollect himself and pushed his shoulders back before he tore his eyes off Jump City. Whatever came to his mind was erased just as swiftly, he was mesmerized once more. There was something surreal to Raven, how the spare lights framed her delicate form. Her eyes were as unreadable as ever and the skin a stark contrast to the dark hair framing her expression. Calm as a lake, a perfect surface where any disturbance could cause waves in the unknown waters.
Beast Boy cleared his throat; this wasn't the time to stare like a creep.
"Why are you awake anyway? It's pretty late", he said, attempting to sound as casual as possible. Raven finally looked up at him and he caught his breath.
"Nightmares", she replied, "it happens."
"You know that you can come and see me anytime you don't feel well, right?" Beast Boy shifted from one foot to another, forcing himself not to bite his lip. Raven gave his words a thought before she lowered her gaze.
"I know, but I didn't want to pester you."
"Y-You never could! I'm always happy to see you!"
Maybe that was too quick, too eager. Should have played it cool, taken a second to think before speaking. In his mind, he was already scolding himself; he was acting like a child when he could do much better.
"How about you?"
"Huh?" Beast Boy's head snapped back up. She didn't return the gaze, her words had been quite low, too. If he didn't know any better, he'd say that Raven was embarrassed.
"Why are you still awake? Something bothering you, too?"
Oh, that.
Beast Boy forgot about his own stomach. He coughed to himself and shifted in place some more.
"No, nothing wrong. Just been playing some Mario Kart, since I want to have a chance against Cyborg in our next match." Better be honest than think of anything else. His mind drew a blank anyway and it wasn't like Raven didn't know of his hobbies.
"You do realize that he's part robot, right?", she snorted, "he kind of has an advantage no matter what."
"That's what I told him, too, but he would only laugh at me!", he blurted out before pressing his lips together. Another rush of heat rose to his face before he let out a chuckle. "A-Anyway..." No point in talking about his quarrels with Cyborg. Instead, Beast Boy gave a light bow and offered his hand with a smirk in hopes to gain some of his confidence back. "Care for cuddling the grim thoughts away?"
Raven looked between him and his palm for a second, then grasped his hand. The mug had warmed her fingers up, but delicate touches like that still had him shiver and smile.
Yet, as soon as he took her hand, his stomach gave a light growl.
Which, at this time of the night, sounded more like his tiger form. Beast Boy couldn't say how fast blood shot up his cheeks, but heat flared across his entire expression and even his ears felt warm.
Raven blinked a bit at that, then managed to put on a grin herself and tilted her head. "I guess, we could have some ice cream to our cuddling? We still have some left, don't we?"
His face lightened up immediately and he couldn't keep from jumping in place. "Ouh Momma, you know what I like!"
Without waiting another second, Beast Boy dashed to the kitchen corner to find them two tubs of ice cream. With five people in one building, there were enough snacks in the freezer.
Meanwhile, Raven made herself comfortable on the couch and placed down the mug. As she folded her legs, Beast Boy leaned over the cushion.
"Cookie dough flavor for the lady? It's not waffles, but a classic!"
Raven took the spoon and ice cream with a chuckle and watched as the other jumped over the cushions to sit next to her. Then Beast Boy grabbed one of the stray blankets by the side to drape it over their shoulders. They nuzzled close to each other's side, though didn't dare to say anything about it. Instead, they popped open their tubs and both ate a spoonful as they let the silent togetherness sip in.
What if there was no crime anymore indeed?
All the bad guys defeated, anything otherworldly minded its own business somewhere in the universe. With Jump City before their eyes, Beast Boy couldn't help but wonder what the future would bring. Surely, it was naive to think that they'd be out of a job soon, but the idea that they wouldn't have to worry for each other's lives anymore...
He couldn't keep from wishing for it.
A regular, boring life together with those he loved. Going out to parties, joining some sports team at college, fussing over assignments. And yet, they were destined to be anything but normal which was why they received this duty in the first place. Beast Boy wasn't going to throw this away though. Knowing that he could protect the innocent fulfilled him, no matter if that power kept him from having a normal childhood.
Besides, he wasn't one to complain when the others suffered the same fate. Among them his girlfriend who is a literal spawn of Satan.
Beast Boy couldn't keep from eying her as she fed herself some more ice cream, unaware of his track of thoughts. It took her a second to feel his gaze on her and looked up herself.
"Are you okay?", she asked as she watched him shove another spoonful in his mouth. Beast Boy shrugged at the question, stared at the brownie pieces in his ice cream before digging for them.
"Yeah, just thinking about stuff."
And Raven left it at that.
As much as Beast Boy respected her boundaries, she did the same. Instead, she leaned against his side some more and rested her head on his shoulder.
"You know that you can come and see me anytime you don't feel well, right?", she said, her gaze lost in the room. Beast Boy recognized his own words and blushed as soon as he realized that much. Yet, he nuzzled back and placed his head on her, too. His hand grasped hers, and their fingers entangled, he gave a light squeeze as if to show that he had listened. A faint smile curled on his lips, enjoying the warmth between them for another moment.
"I know, but I didn't want to pester you."
Raven snorted at that and nudged his side with her elbow but didn't add anything to it. For now, their ice cream was forgotten, and his eyelids were getting heavier. With her gentle breath as the only sound beside his ear, her frame so close and them wrapped by a blanket in the dark, tiredness began to wash over him.
And with that, he figured, his Mario Kart training could wait for another sleepless night.
"Hey..." Beast Boy's voice was low as if he didn't wish to wake her. "You wanna take this to my room?"
"What...?" He noticed that her eyes had fallen shut just the same. Raven was practically falling asleep and quite comfortable in her position somehow.
"O-Only if you want to...", he replied and swallowed thickly. Raven let out a long sigh and shifted in place.
"Sure... I wouldn't go back to sleep on my own anyway..." She didn't sound convinced, but Beast Boy figured that it was her tiredness getting the better of her. "Can't sleep on the couch like this..." His heart leapt in his chest and he pushed the tubs unto the table, his high spirits energizing him.
Beast Boy slipped from his position, which was more difficult than he liked to admit, and got up to lift Raven up between his arms. He might not be the strongest Titan on the team, but both belonged to the lightweights anyway. Raven let out a little sound and her arms wrapped around his neck, stammering a bit as if unsure if she should accept this gesture or protest.
Yet, Beast Boy wouldn't hear any of it and made his way back to his room, a wide smile across his lips. To be honest, he could accept losing to Cyborg some more if he got to spend his nights with her like that instead.
"Oh, you're quite nervous."
Raven's hand had slipped across his chest, her palm pressed against it. Beast Boy was only now becoming aware of his heartbeat. It had quickened and it didn't get better with her noticing. He hid his initial embarrassment with a laugh.
"Is it any wonder though when I'm carrying the girl of my dreams?" He couldn't even sound all that smug even if he wanted, so he pressed a kiss upon her head, and she huffed a laugh in response.
"Right. That's why."
Didn't seem like Raven was to reject his words or even scold him for this. And Beast Boy counted that as a little victory in his mind, his smile only brightening.
At that point, they had already arrived in his room and the mechanical door clicked shut. When he placed her down, Raven turned to face him. Before he could even give the next minutes a thought, she leaned in to press a kiss to the corner of his mouth.
Beast Boy froze in place in an instant and he blinked at her in disbelief. His face felt hotter than ever and he had to remind himself to breathe.
Her hands wandered over his shoulders, down over his arms before she took hold of his hands even if the grip was light.
"Thank you...", Raven began, unable to meet his eyes, "for, you know... Being you."
What a strange way to show gratitude, he thought, but it was honest nonetheless. Beast Boy squeezed her hands back before pulling her close.
"I-I can only say the same thing about you! No matter how you see yourself, you're wonderful to me!" Raven turned her gaze down; her hair would hide some of her expression. Yet, Beast Boy could tell that she was positively flushed. He would love to tease her some more, but that could wait for some other time. "Care to join me under the blankets then?"
"I-If you insist..."
The two of them crawled under the covers. It was all shy at first, not knowing how close they could edge to one another. But Beast Boy figured that he could be a little bold. He pulled her closer so that she could lay her head on his shoulder while he was on his back. He could feel how Raven froze, but then draped her arm across his torso and nuzzled to his side while his other arm wrapped around her, too.
"Maybe I can get used to this...", Raven whispered as if thinking to herself, her hand drawing circles on his chest. "Good night, Gar..."
His eyes fell shut as the warmth wrapped him ever so pleasantly. "Me too..." Another kiss to her head, a gentle gesture that he enjoyed sharing and got used to quick. "Sleep tight, Rae..."
Perhaps, they could deal with this whole dating situation after all. Couldn't be too hard and it all felt natural. They've had tougher situations to deal with after all. It only took some time to understand and explore, some patience as well.
And maybe some more nights of whispers and ice cream.