Work Text:
There is a certain day of the year when the chilly breeze in the black of the night is welcomed. A day when candles are lit low, dark enchantments are imagined and the macabre is embraced. Every year, this day is marked as one where the veil between the living and the dead is thinned, and demons rise from below to inflict devilry and terrify the living.
But Beast Boy had had his fair share of demons and wasn’t much of a fan.
The spooky, the gruesome, the nightmares and the gloom he saw on an everyday basis. Jump scares from movies didn’t quite have the same effect when you’ve witnessed homicidal killers with death-destroying weapons in real life. Fighting bad guys was not an occupation for the faint-hearted and Beast Boy had seen more death, destruction and paranormal oddities that could last at least three lifetimes.
And while Garfield appreciated those spooky rituals that most would associate with Halloween, he leaned towards the more playful side of the holiday. The carving of the jack-o-lanterns, the pranks, the eating of the candy, the dressing up, the pranks, the bobbing for apples, the pranks. Yet at the ripe age of twenty-one, Garfield felt like he had done it all.
His pranks were legendary throughout the Titans network, and he felt he didn’t need a special day of the year to enact some of his best work. On October 31st, it was practically expected, thus removing the element of surprise. How do you terrify your friends when they walk around every corner with a mirror in their hands?
Even the villains were on to him. This was probably because he had put toilet paper all over the houses and “secret” lairs of the H.I.V.E. Five and Control Freak for a few years running. They got their own back when the Tower was completely covered last year. Nightwing had been less than impressed and made Beast Boy clean the entire thing himself. There must have been thousands of rolls of toilet paper that had gotten soggy in the rain and had littered the island for weeks afterward.
So, for this Halloween, pranks were off the table.
Now that he was old enough to hit the clubs, most assumed Beast Boy would head into the downtown core to ogle at girls who dressed in their underwear and called it a Halloween costume. While 15-year-old Beast Boy would have done just that, the years had made him slightly more mature and the dates he had taken with blondes who giggled at everything he said became hollow and meaningless very quickly. No, tonight was not a night to be sandwiched into a club where the smell of alcohol, perfume, pheromones and desperation would leave him nauseous— he wanted more from this Halloween.
He didn't know what he wanted for this spooky-themed day, but he could tell you who he specifically wanted to spend it with.
The irony was, that although he had had quite enough of demons, he had not had enough of demi-demons— one demi-demon in particular.
When the feeling first started, he had convinced himself that it was a silly crush he would eventually get over and the butterflies he felt whenever he had her attention would eventually go away.
He was still waiting for the feeling to dissipate. After five years it could totally happen… Any day now.
But a couple of months ago things started happening to make him think that she kinda… sorta… might like him back.
It was the way she smiled at him now— an actual, genuine smile that made his knees go weak and his mouth go dry. She listened to him, asked him questions, and seemed to value his opinion. She even laughed at his jokes on occasion.
When they sat on the couch for movie night, they always sat side-by-side and for four weeks in a row, no one saw it, but he had slipped his arm around her, and she didn’t protest— not even once.
When she was around, he felt more confident, more alive, and happier than he ever was without her, so of course he wanted to spend the scariest night of the year with her.
But Raven had made herself scarce every Halloween since the Titans had formed, and he knew this year would be the same. Why she disappeared on this day he could only assume was for some magical, mystical reasons that probably involved crypts, seances, or something of the occult that Beast Boy wanted no part of. He had feelings for the girl, of that he had no doubt, but that mysterious side of her he was okay to stay mysterious.
Of course, asking to join her was out of the question; Raven had been quite clear that her spooky Halloween endeavours were solitary ones.
So, Beast Boy sat in the empty common room, drinking a protein shake and contemplating the holiday. The day had finally arrived and with no plans for the night, he was wondering if an evening of binge-watching not-so-scary movies would be his fate when his crush breezed through the door and shook him out of his thoughts.
He could smell her the moment the pneumonic door hissed open— that intoxicating scent of incense, old books and just a hint of brimstone. This time, like every time she walked through the door, he took a deep, indulgent breath just to be cascaded by her aroma and the welcoming emotions it awoke.
His face felt hot as he realized what he was doing was probably obvious. She must know how he felt about her— she was an empath, for crying out loud and he was not exactly subtle in his emotions. Maybe it was her polite nature or her affinity for confidentiality, but she never said a word about it. A tiny, pessimistic side of him whispered that her silence was down to her indifference to him but the small smile she gave him in greeting made him squash those thoughts back to the hidden corners of his brain.
“Mornin’ Rae,” he beamed at her, “Getting ready for tonight?”
Raven nodded as she busied herself with the kettle. “I think so. What about you, Beast Boy? Do you have enough toilet paper?” The gleam in her eye as she asked made Beast Boy think that she didn’t necessarily disapprove of the escapade.
“Nope. No pranks this year. I have learnt my lesson.” Beast Boy smiled and leaned against the counter, purposefully getting himself closer to her.
“Oh?” she asked as her eyebrows rose.
Beast Boy nodded and took a not-so-hidden delight in watching her as she took a moment of (what looked like) deep concentration as she stirred her tea.
After far too many turns of the spoon, Raven’s delicate features seemed to come to some sort of conclusion, and the ting of the spoon, as she tapped it along the edge of the mug, echoed loudly throughout the room.
“So,” she said slowly, “You’re going to go dancing with half-naked women instead?” She took a sip of her tea and Beast Boy found it odd that she hadn’t looked him in the eye as she asked.
“No,” he said firmly with a frown. “Those girls don’t want me as a person; they want someone famous. I have zero interest in being around those people— even if they are beautiful.” Beast Boy observed Raven as he said this and was surprised to see her cheeks flush with colour.
“Besides,” he quickly added, emboldened by her response, “I live with one of the most beautiful women on the planet— all those other girls could hardly hold a candle to her.” He tried to ignore the butterflies flitting around his chest as he grinned at her.
This kind of flirting had become a commonplace occurrence between the pair and quite predictably, Raven playfully rolled her eyes. However, Beast Boy noticed her blush glowing a deeper shade of pink and his stomach started to do flips.
Suddenly soaring on the surge of adrenaline, Beast Boy grinned at Raven. “I think I’ll just stay in, watch mildly scary movies and eat candy ‘til I burst. Care to join me, Rae?” He knew her plans were already solidified due to the spooky, psychic energy of the date but he couldn’t help but ask.
“Sorry, Beast Boy,” she said regretfully, her lips curling up in a smile that made Beast Boy’s heart tap dance around his chest. “It sounds nice, but I have plans for this evening.”
Not to be discouraged and wondering whether it was a full moon that night, Beast Boy decided to end the conversation on a high. Standing from his chair, he gathered his empty glass and traipsed past the empath to put it in the sink.
“Not a problem, Rae. But the offer is open if you change your mind.” He gave her a wink and turned to head out the door when her hand touched his shoulder.
Her fingers on his uniform were as light as a feather, but he could feel the sensation as if it was liquid heat that had branded his skin. How she had this effect on him he would never know, but he wasn’t going to start complaining now.
He turned to her with the brightest of smiles and she must have felt his adoration as she coyly looked up at him through her dark lashes and tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear.
Beast Boy’s mouth went dry at the sight. She was so undeniably gorgeous and the tender way she was looking at him made him feel a little lightheaded.
“Are you really staying home tonight? On Halloween?” Her question broke him of his happy daydream about sunsets and holding hands and leaning in for a…
“Yep!” he said with a dazed smile. “Just me, a family-friendly movie and WAY too much chocolate. Maybe I’ll invite Silkie– the little guy can eat all the wrappers.”
Raven nodded. “You could,” Raven slowly and apprehensively said. “If you want to… come with me tonight,” Raven tentatively asked, not looking at Beast Boy.
Visions of dark cemeteries, unearthly spectres and pits of life-consuming fire came to his mind.
Beast Boy swallowed hard at the thought and had to remind his knees to not buckle at such terrifying images.
Beast Boy licked his dry lips, feeling suddenly cold, and with only a little hesitation said, “Sounds like fun, Rae.”
Her genuine smile made the fear lessen… slightly.
He tried to reel in the anxiety (so she couldn’t pick up on it), and he plastered a tight smile on his face. Raven didn’t seem to notice as she got out her communicator and started punching buttons.
“I’m sending you the coordinates. Meet me there at 3 pm? We won’t be back until late tonight. I’ve got to get ready, but I will meet you there.”
She smiled at him before brushing past Beast Boy and making a hasty exit out the door.
Beast Boy watched her go.
Was that a chill or a thrill that ran through his veins?
He contemplated that it might just be his last day on earth. But his last day on earth on a sort-of date with Raven on Halloween?
He could live with that.
After pacing his room in nervous anticipation for the last several hours, he had travelled to the destination as a hawk and had found the address easily enough.
But he questioned everything about it.
He got out his communicator to double-check the coordinates.
No, he was in the right place, and it wasn’t a graveyard, a haunted ruin or a dilapidated home.
He was in the driveway of a semi-detached home in the suburbs of Jump City. He glanced around him, assessing the area and taking note of the neighbourhood.
He looked upon rows and rows of neat homes with well-maintained grass and single-car garages. Right now, the street was a quiet one, but by the discarded bicycles that decorated the lawns and the happy, Halloween-themed wreaths that adorned the doors, he knew that in only a few hours the shrieks of candy-filled children would soon echo through the block. It was not the most affluent neighbourhood in Jump, but it was by no means an underserved community. Just regular people with regular jobs and regular lives lived here.
With a shrug, Beast Boy walked to the front door and gingerly rang the doorbell. The door was an older one, with textured glass that allowed the person from outside to have a hazy view of the person coming to the door. As someone approached, he half expected it to be opened by a grizzly old woman who would either read his fortune or sacrifice him to some kind of satanic altar. He mused on the idea of leaving, but decided that for Raven, he was willing to take the risk.
Luckily, the face of the person who opened the door was a familiar one.
“You made it,” Raven said as she stepped aside to allow Beast Boy to walk into the hallway.
Feeling quite bewildered, Beast Boy walked through the hallway to what looked to be the living room, judging by the stiff blue couches and the dusty television sitting in the corner. The walls were bare except for a couple of nature prints that looked like they had been purchased from a big box furniture store. The whole room had an air of neglect to it.
He was about to comment on this when he spied a trunk filled with strange objects with others scattered about on a dining room table.
The black fabric hanging out of the boxes intrigued him and without asking permission from his host, he hurried over to investigate.
“Rae,” he said, as he dug into the materials, “what on earth is all this?” He pulled out some dark candles, a dusty witch’s broom and was that… Bones?
He swallowed down his panic. This was Raven, his teammate, his long-time crush. He would know if she had gotten herself mixed up in dark magic.
Wouldn’t he?
But the more he looked, the more he had trouble holding back his tremors of fear.
He brushed past an ancient grimoire, the leather old and weary, only to grab a voodoo doll with pins stuck within it. Beast Boy could swear it winked at him. Dropping the creepy figure, he balked away only to find the eerie eyes of a stuffed, black cat peering at him from under the legs of a large cauldron.
He slowly stepped back from the trunks of horror, eyes glued to the nightmares within it, his heart racing in his chest.
“Raven,” he said, his voice shaky, “what is this?” He couldn’t look away, but he felt her presence beside him, so he knew she heard.
The silence that met him was the most terrifying thing of all.
Still staring intently at Raven’s gruesome possessions, he was about to turn himself into a small animal and race out of this strange home when he spied something in the corner of his eye that made him go still.
It was in the kitchen, piled high on the counters, spilling over the sides, and falling onto the floor in pools.
Beast Boy’s eyes bulged, his mouth went dry, and an alarm went off in his head.
What was going on here? What had possessed her to do such a thing?
It was everywhere, every nook, every cranny- he couldn’t even tell the colour of the granite countertops as it was completely covered.
Beast Boy had never been more confused in his life.
For in this random kitchen, in this random semi-detached house on the outskirts of Jump City, Raven had hoarded piles and piles of….
Candy.
He had to blink several times and pinch himself on the arm to ensure he wasn’t dreaming. But sure enough, it was still there after several painful seconds.
There were lollipops, chocolate bars, cookies, bubble gum, licorice, and even packs of chips. And all, he was astonished to see, were his vegan-friendly brands that he knew and loved.
Seeing the home with fresh eyes, he quickly turned back to the boxes of witchy paraphernalia.
Quickly grabbing the ancient grimoire, he opened a random page to find a recipe for shortbread cookies. The voodoo doll that looked so menacing before, had a tag hanging off it for half-off from a bargain store. He touched the plastic of the cauldron and the black cat that was hissing beneath it was, on closer inspection, a cute stuffy with diamonds on its pink collar.
The black candles had plastic flames that lit up when he flicked the switch, and the dust on the witch’s broom was in fact, glitter that had littered the floor with sparkles. The bones, however, …
“Rae,” he exclaimed, “is this a 20-foot skeleton?”
Raven peered over his shoulder to look at the contents of the box. She bit back a smile and shook her head, “No. This one is 25-feet.”
Beast Boy’s mouth was open and for one of the first times in his life, he was utterly speechless. He stood there, gaping at Raven, feeling full of so many different emotions he was likely to burst.
Probably sensing this, Raven hesitated under his perplexed state.
“Ummm… this is only half the candy,” she said, gesturing to the piles in the kitchen. “I thought I’d take out the ones you could eat, in case you get hungry as we decorate. The candy to hand out is in the bedroom upstairs.”
More seconds ticked by as Beast Boy stared at Raven.
“I… I also give out these.” Raven turned around and thrust a pile of coupons into his arms. Beast Boy frowned as he stared at the cheerful white writing on the black card.
“Good for one free book?” He read aloud.
Raven nodded. “The first year I only gave out these and didn’t give out candy. While the parents were happy, the kids were… not. I’ve learned to give out both. They can take this to the local bookstore and the owners will charge everything to the Titans account and the kids can have their candy as well.” She seemed nervous as she talked; evident by the way she avoided eye contact and the way she fidgeted with her hands. Beast Boy found the action odd as he had never seen Raven so out of character.
He licked his lips as he processed this new, baffling information and pondered what to say.
Probably sensing his puzzled state, Raven carried on, “I don’t go to the same house every year. We have several safehouses all around the city. The decorations are new as well. In the beginning, I just carved a pumpkin but over the years, I’ve embraced some of the more creative aspects of the holiday. I do admit that I have enjoyed it…” she trailed off and her face went red.
The gesture confused him at first but as he watched her, this silent, seemingly stoic and sarcastic woman, he realized this secret was incredibly important to her. All those years he had believed that she was up to some sort of dark witchcraft every October 31st when in fact, she had been handing out candy and coupons for free books to the children of Jump City.
He couldn’t help himself. He took two bold steps forward, pulled her into his arms and lifted her off the floor in a tight embrace.
“Raven,” he said as he spun her around, “this is the most amazing thing I have ever heard of in all my life.”
He set her down after two turns and breathed in her scent. This latest information was overwhelming and electrifying and he couldn’t believe he spent all those years thinking the situation was far more complicated than it was.
He smiled and closed his eyes as he exhaled. He felt dopey under the intoxication of her scent and spontaneously breathed out, “I love you.”
His eyes flew open as he realized what had just passed his lips and the wide eyes that stared back at him confirmed that this wasn’t one of his lofty daydreams.
“THIS!” he practically shouted. “I… Love… this. Obviously!” he said as he gestured to the decorations and the candy. He rubbed the back of his neck, which he was pretty certain had become bright red in the last three seconds.
“Umm…” he frantically searched for another topic but couldn’t stop staring at the girl in front of him.
Raven seemed to glow from the light of the afternoon sun pouring out of the windows and it highlighted her parted lips and shining eyes. The way she was looking up at him, all tenderness and admiration, made his breaths quicken and knees weak.
Kiss her! Kiss her! A little voice inside his head cried.
“Uhhhh….” was what he said instead.
He stood there, in the middle of this safehouse in this dusty room, feet glued to the floor, feeling like he had just been handed a million dollars but strictly told he had to wait to spend it. He had no clue how to proceed but the clock was ticking, and the moment was ending.
“How…. ummm… how did the papers never find out about this?” he lamely asked, cursing himself for not only missing his shot, but setting it in flames.
The question did have merit, though. The Titans were forever in the papers, forever being photographed and if a story like this were to ever be let out, the press would have a field day.
At least one part of his brain was somewhat working.
Raven’s joyful luminescence seemed to simmer down before she plucked a witch’s hat from one of the boxes and placed it firmly on her head.
“It's still Halloween, Garfield,” she smiled.
He grinned back at her, loving the way the black hat made her even more adorable than he already thought she was.
“Got anything for me?” he said, finally feeling his toes as he moved to the boxes and their mountains of Halloween decorations.
“Of course,” she said, coming up next to him and handing him a black cape. “Hope you like vampires.”
“Oh Rae,” he laughed as he twisted the cape around the back of his neck. “I happen to love vampires.”
The next two hours passed by in a happy blur for Beast Boy. He gleefully filled his face with candy while helping Raven make the little house a kid-friendly, slightly spooky home for the children of Jump City.
And while they had their moments; the brushing of hands, the lingering eye contact, the hesitant smiles– there was never the same amount of loaded intensity that there was before, and Beast Boy cursed himself over and over for not taking the opportunity when he had it.
But throughout the course of the evening, he had made a major decision: He was going to kiss Raven, and he was going to do it tonight.
The thought made him nervous, of course. His palms were sweaty under his gloves and a sheen of sweat decided to take up permanent residence on his brow. But she looked so beautiful as she tugged a fake spider’s web across the doorframe and this night had been so much unexpected fun, how could he not?
They were carving pumpkins at the dining room table, Hocus Pocus on in the background as they chatted and laughed when the doorbell rang and the happy “Trick-or-Treat!” by young voices was heard.
Both froze as they looked at each other in horror. In all of their decorating and talking, they had forgotten to change into their costumes.
Not missing a beat, Beast Boy leaped off his chair. Turning to Raven, he gave her his most dashing smile as he held out his open palm for her to grasp.
“Milady,” he said.
Katrina Mitchell liked to say that she was much too old for following her grandchildren around as they went trick-or-treating, but the truth was that she was remarkably spry for someone nearing their eighties. She did, however, like to keep up the pretense that she was an old lady whose body and mind would be breaking down any day now.
When her daughter and her partner could not get the evening off, she lamented the fact that she would be traipsing around town, chasing after twin five-year-old’s high on sugar.
Though in reality, she didn’t mind.
Katrina liked her gossip the same as her tea; sweet and fresh and the first to taste it. Halloween was always a great treat as it offered a rare glimpse inside the homes that she passed every day on her morning power walks. She knew most of the neighbours up and down this stretch of Jump City– having waved at them or stopped for a chat in the three years since she’d moved up from Georgia to live with her daughter and her wife. They were a nice bunch– even if they were from California.
But there was a mysterious house that always threw Katrina off. This house rarely had occupants except a few young people who would occasionally come and go through its door. She suspected the owners went away on business trips and put the house up for short-term rentals, but she was never quite sure.
As her grandchildren raced to the mysterious house, she took a moment to appreciate the carefully placed Halloween decorations dispersed over the lawn. Even with the giant skeleton that graced the front, and the orange lights that twinkled around the garage, the decorations added a charm to the house that was missing before. Katrina could tell that the people staying here had joyfully assembled every piece with care and attention.
She had never been more curious as her grandchildren rang the doorbell and hollered “Trick-or-treat” to the closed door.
A couple of seconds passed and her granddaughter, June, was about to knock when the door swung open to a young couple dressed as–
“Beast Boy and Raven!” Katrina cried.
The couple quickly looked at her, their eyes wide in fright.
“Well, I never!” she chatted on, ignoring their surprise. “I am so glad couples are finally dressing up as these two! I think we saw it before they did, don’t ya think?” she let out her southern drawl, finding that people on the West Coast always took kindly to her accent.
She smiled at the couple, noting how authentic their costumes looked.
“Sorry– what?” the young man asked. His girlfriend, who had gone an odd pink colour, started shovelling candy into her grandchildren’s outstretched hands.
“The ladies and I have been saying it for years,” Katrina grinned. “Those two are meant to be. You mark my words; we will be hearing about their relationship any day now.”
The young man looked flustered at her words and darted his eyes from Katrina to his girlfriend, and back again.
“Ummm… you think so?” he squeaked out.
Katrina frowned at his ignorance. Surely the man knew that the person he was dressing up as was clearly in love with the witch-girl.
“We have a bet going, me and the ladies from bridge. If they come out as a couple before Christmas, I win three hundred dollars,” she beamed, feeling particularly good about her odds. “I’m going to have a spa day,” she leaned in as if this was a secret.
“Oh.” the man said, staring deeply into his girlfriend's eyes.
Katrina was about to ask about their names, occupations, and whether they were thinking about having children anytime soon when June started pulling her along, eager to get to the next house.
“It was nice meeting ya’ll!” she called out as she walked away from the door. She thought it was slightly rude that the pair completely ignored her departure, but they seemed so busy staring longingly at each other. She shrugged-- she could forgive young love.
She turned away, excited to tell her friends about the adorable couple and their adorable costumes when she realized her grandchildren hadn’t said the very important thank you’s for the candy.
Twisting back round to the house, she was surprised to see the door was shut tight. Her eyesight wasn’t what it once was, but she swore that through the beveled glass panes, she could see the couple locked in a tight embrace. No… when she squinted, she could definitely see that they were lovingly and passionately… kissing.
She chuckled to herself as she walked away. As she followed her grandchildren to the next house, she started to mentally run through the various nail polish colours that would suit her toenails best.
She was fairly certain that she just won a spa day.