Fan Fiction ❯ Power of Denial ❯ Heartache ( Chapter 2 )

Disclaimer: I do not own the Teen Titans, unfortunately. Any views or opinions expressed in this fan-fiction are strictly those of the author, me. The latter statement is probably just a formality, unless I somehow work my love of all things Canadian (GO CANADA) into this fan-fiction. This fic spawned from a post I made on a RaeBB message board I occasionally frequent.

 

Please Read and review. Constructive criticism wanted.

 

Chapter 2: Heartache

 

It was just another day in Jump City. Morning had come and gone, and the sun was just now passing its highest point in the sky. There were no disturbances in the city. There were no criminals to fight, no evil plots to destroy the Earth to stop. It was just an average day for the average citizens of Jump City. They went about their lives as normal, and they were convinced that nothing could ruin their day. They were right. Their day would be nothing but peaceful. However, with the confines of the windowed walls of the tower of those that protected this peaceful city, chaos ensued, and his name was Beast Boy.

 

“AHHHHHHHH!” Beast Boy screamed at the top of his lungs as he sprang up from the kitchen table as soon as he first noticed his five little, red companions. Panic took over his body, and all rational thought completely escaped his mind. He began running around the table in front of him, flailing his arms out above his head like a mad man. “Get `em off! Get `em off! Get `em off!”

 

“Technically BB,” Cyborg said while still rolling on the floor in a fit of laughter, but still watching the comical antics of his green skinned friend, “none of them are actually on you. They're just,” Cyborg laughed harder, “attracted to you.”

 

“I don't care!” Beast Boy yelled, while trying to swat them away. “For all we know, they're the first signs of a brutal alien attack plan. Oh, sure, they look harmless enough, but I'd bet they have orders to pick off the best looking people on the planet when no one is looking. I'm doomed, and what's worse is that Raven could be next.”

 

Beast Boy stopped trying to swat the little hearts away when the laughter around him seemed to disappear. Instantly, the realization of what he just said hit him, and he instantly knew why the laughing had stopped. They were all staring at him. “Uh…,” Beast Boy stammered, searching his mind quickly for any way out. “…along with any of you,” he added quickly, trying desperately to sound like he meant to say that the entire time.

 

Cyborg stared blankly at the silent changeling, seeing through his desperate attempt effortlessly, and then cracked up laughing again. Hoping desperately for the gods to smile upon him and make Beast Boy's day even worse, he glanced over at Raven expecting to see her reaction to Beast Boy almost confession of his true feelings for her. Unfortunately, he was severely disappointed to see that his secretive friend seemed not even to be paying attention to Beast Boy's situation. Her entire face was hidden behind the rather thick book she seemed to read every day. Disappointed, but not defeated, Cyborg turned back to Beast Boy, and his laughter soon returned.

 

Raven, who was currently too distracted to hear anything but her thoughts, sat in her dark corner of the room. The dark Titan pulled her book closer to her a few inches, hoping beyond all hopes that her book would hide her facial expression. Behind her book, she was fuming. When she first saw the five hearts, she was shocked beyond all belief. They were the last thing she was expecting to see, but her surprise quickly turned to confusion and her confusion quickly turned to anger. In her confusion, her mind had refused to accept the first idea that came to mind but willingly embraced the second. Yet, her second idea made her furious, which she could not rationally understand.

 

`It's so obvious!' Raven thought to herself as her brows furrowed. `I can't believe I did not realize it sooner. Someone with powers is in love with Beast Boy, and is trying to tell him with this obvious display of affection. Whoever she is, she's trying to take Beast Boy. MY beast Boy!' Raven's eyes widened. `My… friend. I-I just d-don't want him getting hurt again like with T-Terra, because I'm his friend. Yeah… that's it. I'm sure there's nothing to worry about. Beast Boy will be fine. I'll just go back to reading my book.' Raven's gaze returned to the printed letters on the page she had left off on, but no matter how hard she tried, she could not force herself to block out what was going on around her.

 

Robin, despite the fact that he was on the verge of falling into another fit of laughter, was able to repress his own hysterics down to mere chuckles every few seconds. With all the chaos going on inside the common room right then, he realized that Beast Boy did bring up a good point, even though he over exaggerated like he normally did. The floating, red hearts were by far not a normal occurrence in the tower, and they had no idea who sent them or why they were around Beast Boy. As harmless as they looked, they could still be dangerous and a threat to the team.

 

“Uh, Cyborg,” Robin tried to sound serious, but the sight of Beast Boy cowering at the foot of the table with a look of pure fear in his eyes made him laugh again. It would not have been so funny if the very thing he was afraid of was the symbol of love. How ironic. Struggling, Robin regained his composure and forced his laughter down. “Could you try to pull yourself together and scan those… hearts? I want to know exactly what they are and what they do before something happens.”

 

“Fine… fine,” Cyborg said still snickering as he sat up and raised his arm toward Beast Boy. He pushed a few buttons on his arm with his spare hand, and the screen instantly flashed on with a picture of what was happening in front of him displayed on it. Some beeping was heard along with some very high tech whirring before Cyborg raised a confused eyebrow above his one human eye.

 

“That's strange,” Cyborg stated confused, before glancing up at Beast Boy. “Well, the good news is I know what they are.”

 

“Please,” Beast Boy pleaded as he cowered under the circling hearts, “tell me you know how to get rid of them.”

 

“Uh,” the mechanical Titan stated hesitantly, “that was the bad news. Sorry. All I can tell you is that there are five red hearts floating around your head that do not seem to be made of anything. As far as I can tell, they shouldn't really exist. The really good news is that they are completely harmless. You can stop cowering now, Beast Boy. You're not in any immediate danger. Although that comment about Raven earlier could have gotten you killed if she actually cared about your situation at all and was listening.”

 

“What comment about me?” Raven questioned as she snapped her book shut, frustrated that she could not ignore the situation any longer. She slowly stood up, and walked towards the chaos.

 

Beast Boy's eyes widened, and he watched in horror as Raven walked towards them. He knew that Cyborg practically lived off of making fun of him or taunting him. He'd surely take this time to tell Raven exactly what slipped out in his moment of panic. He needed something that would change the subject. Anything would do, but he needed it quickly. Just then, an idea popped into his head. It was desperate, but he just had to hope it worked.

 

“Oh,” Cyborg spoke as a sly grin came over his face. “Hey Raven. It was nothing before. It wouldn't interest you, but if you must know, I guess I could fill you in. See, BB just panicked and basically told everyone that he considered you to be the -” Cyborg stopped in mid sentence when he felt collide with the metallic side of his face. Curious, he looked over towards the direction the object came from to see Beast Boy in a position like he had just thrown something. Looking down, he saw what had been thrown. One of the five red hearts lied limp on the floor.

 

“Um,” Cyborg stuttered confused. “That should not have been possible. You just… threw that? I-It should not have any mass at all. It's made of nothing!” Cyborg bent down and poked the heart, which instantly reacted by shooting itself straight back into the circular alignment with the other four hearts above Beast Boy's head. “Well, they may not be made f anything, but they are here. It shouldn't be possible, but… well… there they are. I guess they just like you, BB.” Cyborg laughed, but Beast Boy just stood with a look of utter annoyance on his face.

 

“That is it!” beast Boy yelled at the top of his lungs. “I'm getting rid of these things right now!” Angrily, Beast Boy reached out and plucked each of the hears out of their rotation and gathered each one of them in his arms. Fumbling around with the hearts, Beast Boy managed to open the closest drawer to him and shove the five symbols of love inside before closing the drawer with a loud bang.

 

Sighing contently, Beast Boy leaned against the counter where the drawer was. “Whew. Thank God that's over. I just need everyone to do me a huge favor and never open this drawer aga-” The changeling's eyes went wide as an unseen force rigorously pushed the drawer painfully into the back of Beast Boy. Desperately, he put all his weight against the drawer to keep it closed, but every few seconds, the mysterious force returned harder then before to try and push it open from the inside. Helplessly, Beast Boy glanced at the other Titans pleadingly. “Help.”

 

“Move,” Raven commanded emotionlessly, but Beast Boy just stared blankly at the gothic girl in front of her. “You won't like it if I repeat myself, beast Boy,” Raven stated irritably. This time, Beast Boy's fear of Raven outweighed his fear of his five little friends, and he quickly dove for cover getting as much distance between him, Raven, and the drawer he was fleeing from in the few seconds he had before Raven acted.

 

“Azerath Metrion Zinthos!” Raven chanted her mantra as she concentrated on her objective. The drawer was suddenly engulfed in a black aura and it slid out without resistance. Seconds later, a separate aura broke itself away from the first as the drawer was gently placed back where it came from. The second aura floated silently above the center of the dining area table, now safely containing the things that had brought chaos to an otherwise peaceful tower today.

 

The dark empath smiled contently to herself as she watched the five hearts float close to the edge of her aura and stop. They weren't going anywhere, and perhaps now the tower could return to the silence she had enjoyed just moments before Beast Boy's arrival and the madness he inadvertently brought with him. Suddenly, and eerie feeling swept through her body, like she was being watched. No, it was more than that. It was like she was being laughed at. However, within mere moments, all that left her mind when she watched on in shock as the hearts effortlessly passed through her barrier and returned to their rightful place above Beast boy's head.

 

“Well,” Robin stammered dumbfounded, “that's never happened before, at least not to my knowledge.” The team fell silent, and all watched curiously as the hearts continued to circle above they one they had laid claim to. Well, four of them watched curiously. Starfire, however, was still enchanted by the overly cuteness of the tiny intruders to their household. The silence continued to reign in the tower as each of the clear headed Titans contemplated their situation.

 

“Dudes,” Beast Boy said as calmly as he could manage. “I think Cyborg was right… about them not being dangerous at the moment.” His statement was clearly forced, and even he did not fully believe it, but the more he forced himself to calm down, the more sense it made. His prior fear of the annoyances was only because they were new and unknown to him. `Everyone fears the unknown,' the changeling thought trying to justify his overreaction. `It's all going to be fine.'

 

“You sound pretty calm for someone who was running around like a headless chicken a few minutes ago,” Raven said dryly. It was a lot more spiteful than she meant it to be, but it seemed that beast Boy did not notice. Either that or he had become used to her sarcasm and empty threats, which made sense when she thought about the multitude of times he chose to annoy her and only her. But none of that mattered now. She immediately brushed off her thoughts and focused back on Beast Boy and the task at hand.

 

The emerald changeling continued to stare at the hearts without reaction despite the snickering from Robin and Cyborg at Raven's remark. `They're not doing anything,' he thought hoping it would make him feel better. It did, in a sense. He was still concerned about why they were attracted to him and if they were going to do anything other than just float there, but he was convinced that at least for now he was safe from any harm.

 

“I guess I'm just stuck with them for now,” Beast Boy sighed loud enough to inadvertently grab everyone else's attention.

 

“So… you don't want us to try and get rid of them?” Cyborg asked confused as to why anyone would willingly volunteer themselves to be cursed with something that would without a doubt make them a laughing stock wherever they went.

 

“No! I want you to get these things as far away from me as possible,” Beast Boy said rather quickly. He in no way wanted to be stuck with hearts above his head for the rest of his life. Although, judging from Starfire's reaction, there had to be a group of girls out there who would find them irresistible, but he really did not need the help. `The ladies still love the ears,' Beast Boy chuckled mentally and let a smile cross his face. `These hearts have to go.'

 

“What I'm saying is that as long as they aren't trying to suck out my brain, I shouldn't worry about them.” Beast Boy laughed nervously and rubbed the back of his neck. I guess I kind of overreacted a little.”

 

“A little,” Robin stated in disbelief. “I'm surprised you didn't try stabbing them with a knife, and before that even registers in your mind, don't. Like Cyborg said, they seem to be made of nothing, which would explain why they were able to pass through Raven's shield. I doubt a knife could kill something that is pure nothing.”

 

“I wasn't going to try anything like that anyway,” Beast Boy shrugged. “I'm not that stupid. I'd just be giving them a reason to hurt me and just the thing to use. Right now, I just want to keep them harmless and hope they don't get any ideas.”

 

“That actually sounded like you thought it through completely,” Raven stated slightly shocked and slightly impressed. Although, the fact that they were all hesitant to take action against a little red heart completely ruined the moment for her. “I was expecting you to run around the tower to see if you can loose them.”

 

“Naw,” Beast Boy laughed. “I thought of that before I tried to tuff them in the drawer. Even if I did manage to get away from them, they would not stop until the caught up with me again. I would have to constantly be running in circles, and I wouldn't want to deprive you of my company Raven.” He grinned feeling the same courage he had felt earlier that morning. Only this time, it was not because he was too tired to think rationally. “I know just how much you love my company.”

 

That one word echoed in raven's mind, and it lingered in her heart far after the sound ceased. That word stung her heart, and tugged at her soul. Underneath her hood, Raven blushed a deep shade of crimson unbeknownst to the rest of the Titans. Her hood raised a blanket of shadows over her face, keeping her reaction from the team, especially Beast Boy. But it could not keep it from herself.

 

`Why am I blushing?' Raven thought to herself. `I should be angry, angry at that little green shrimp. He should be tugging at my last nerve, but he isn't. Why do I feel this way. I don't feel this way. No, I don't. I can't! I won't.' Yet, no matter how much Raven fought against it, what had been stirring in her heart was growing stronger by the day. Raven could deny it all she wanted, but that would not bring her satisfaction. Sooner or later, she had to accept the fact that deep down, she knew what Beast Boy said was true, even if he did not truly mean it. Until she did accept it, however, she would only unknowingly cause more trouble to Beast Boy and whoever else Denial felt like taking her abilities out on, and it did not seem that she would be forced to stop any time soon.

 

Doing her best to repress the swell of emotions within her, Raven forced an angry glare in beast Boy's direction and watched as he recoiled fearfully. She could see the fear in his eyes, and the regret that soon followed, but she did not stay long enough to hear any kind of apology from him. Before any of the Titans knew it, Raven was already through the doorway leading toward her room.

 

Beast Boy watched sorrowfully as the door slid shut hiding her figure from his gaze. He let out a sigh of despair before walking over and fell backward onto the couch. Leaning his head back, he closed his eyes blocking out the world around him. For the moment, the five troublesome annoyances were long forgotten in his mind. Raven, was all that mattered at the moment to him, and he just screwed up for the second time in one day. `Why can't I just keep my mouth shut around her?' The changeling questioned himself roughly. He was almost yelling, and from past experiences, it would have progressed into that if his thoughts had not been interrupted. Once again, Beast boy heard Robin and Cyborg burst out laughing, and he was convinced that it was at him again.

 

“Guys,” Beast Boy yelled without opening his eyes, “shut up! I get it. There are freaking hearts above my head. We've been through this. It's not funny anymore. Knock it off!”

 

“It's not that, BB” Cyborg said in hysterics. “It's… it's… oh man. You're going to have to see this one for yourself, dawg. Look at the couch, man. It's… oh man this is priceless.”

 

Beast Boy opened his eyes and turned around on the couch, shooting a confused glance to his mechanical friend, but something caught his attention out of the corner of his eye. It was something… bright and completely out of place. “You've got to be kidding me, dudes,” beast Boy whined as he shot up off of the couch in panic.

 

The dark colored couch the Titans had always had had gone through a sudden change. Its color was no longer dark, but a very vibrant pink, but that was not the worst of it. In the center of the couch along the cushions, a design seemed to have been carefully sewn in. needless to say, it was not there before. Across the couch, I <3 Beast Boy was spelled with bright, bold letters.