Fan Fiction ❯ Raven's First Love and Beast Boy's Folly ❯ The Gift ( Chapter 1 )

Chapter One: The Gift

It was a dark and dismal night in the city where Titans Tower stood watch. Lightning played games over Titans Tower and heavy rains slid down its metal sides. Inside Raven sat on the couch reading one of her arcane books, so engrossed in her book she took no notice of either the thunder or Beast boy. Beast boy was in the kitchen making a tofu and pickle sandwich. He then slithers up to Raven with his sandwiches.

He plops the sandwich down on her book. "Try this Raven!" says Beast boy. Raven looks up in alarm and anger. Her brow furls into bunches and fire burns hot in her purple dusk eyes. "Azarath Metrion Zenthos," Raven says sharply. Her power sends the sandwich and Beast boy flying across the room. Beast boy pulls the sandwich off his face and smiles at Raven. "What do you call a person who won't try my sandwich?" Raven replies tartly, "A person with good taste." Beast Boy whines, "Raven, come on that was mean. By the way, where is everyone else?"

Raven gives him a look of exasperation. She wonders how he could he be so oblivious. "Robin and Starfire are out on a training session on Tameran. Cyborg is in a secret location getting upgrades. How could they leave me here alone with you, I don't know." Beast boy looks down, "Do I annoy you that much, Raven?" Raven looks down at her book and doesn't respond. Beast boy slinks off looking very depressed. Raven looks up and then down thinking that finally she would get some reading done.

An hour later, Raven stretches and looks up. "I wonder where Beast boys gone?" She walks over to the kitchen to make some herbal tea, only to find it already made. Raven looked puzzled and wondered if Beast boy had made the tea. Then she noticed there was a note by the tea. The note read "Dear Raven, I have gone to the Mystical Shopping Arcade to find you a gift. I know I annoy you sometimes and I just want to find away to make it up to you. If you liked me more, it wouldn't hurt too. What do you call a platypus who crosses the road? A mutant chicken. Yours, truly Beast boy.

"No, he couldn't, he wouldn't!" Raven stared in disbelief at the note. Why would anyone want to buy her a gift…..let alone beast boy the one who was doing the buying? She didn't deserve any gifts; a half-breed like her doesn't get gifts. She sought to control her emotions that surged through her with such ferocity. Why she was having such trouble she didn't know. Besides didn't he know, hadn't she told him that with out training the Arcade was dangerous? She worried and fretted for his safety. If something happened to him, she would be responsible. One more dark deed for a soul already shrouded in so much darkness. She found that the thought of harm coming to Beast boy was unthinkable, causing her great pain. That only caused her more confusion and her control was slipping. It was only Beast boy, he annoyed the heck out of her, always trying to make her laugh, eat weird foods, and play with her when she only wanted to read her books. So why couldn't she shrug it off? Even her famous Azarath chant couldn't get that green, awkward, silly boy out of her head.

"I must have drank too much herbal tea", Raven thought. Thunder crashed, making Raven jump. "Get a hold of your self, Raven", she mumbled. Hours passed with no word from Beast boy. Raven was thinking about going in search of him, but the Arcade was another dimension in itself and it could take years for her to even find a whiff of his aura. Just as she thought she would scream, a knock sounded off her door. She opened it, but no one was there. She looked down and saw a tiny package. It was white with a purple ribbon rapped around it. The tag was made out to the Lady Raven. She bends down and tenderly picks up the package. She holds it to her breast, too afraid to open it and too afraid that it wasn't real. He really did it. He got her a gift! She couldn't breath and she thought her heart would pop out of her chest. She felt dizzy as she slowly undid the ribbon and gently slipped open the paper. Inside was an ivory box of the purest kind. Not a single mark was on it except the form of a raven in gold. Her purple dusk eyes turned watery and shined with an abnormal happiness. She held the box in her hand for a moment treasuring the feel of its smooth sides and its weight. She slowly opened the lid and her jaw dropped in shock. "Impossible!" Raven yelped in surprise and amazement. "How, how did he come to acquire this item of worth?" It was an onyx necklace with an amulet of the purest Azarath crystal. (The crystal was said to bring complete control of ones powers, good luck, and happiness to the one who wears it) It was of immeasurable value. To obtain it, the buyer must sacrifice something that he or she loved more than anything. What could he have sacrificed? Why would he do this for her? He didn't even really like her….or so she thought.

Tears gently fell down her pale cheeks. "I can't let him do this…" Raven muttered. Joy, sadness, anger, and love, rolled through her heart as a hurricane beats against a city. She sat there for a long time with her head in her hands. Her feelings were a mess and she didn't know how to untangle them. Then she noticed that there was a note of gold leaf paper. It read "Raven, I searched for a long time for this item. I know I am not someone you like to hang around with and I hope this item makes up for all the times I have annoyed you. I…um...Ah…....have feelings for you. I wish we could be closer. Your eternal friend, Beast Boy.

Raven dropped the note as if it burned her. She spiraled down into despair. It was like an abyss of darkness and pain. There seemed to be no way out. She realized that she had feelings for Beast boy too but that only made it worse. She didn't want to hurt him as she knew that she would. She didn't deserve his love. No one must love her, a demon half-breed. "I….don't deserve this. I can't accept this. I…..I am so lost" A voice of one of her past mentors sounded from beyond the ether, "What is life with out risks? A moment's happiness is worth the risk. Raven, my dear. Do not fear yourself. He has given you the chance to live a happy life. The crystal will control your powers for you. Risk hurting him, for if you don't you will end up hurting him more by not doing anything." The voice faded into the darkness. She gingerly slipped the necklace over her head.

Raven took a deep breath and walked out of her room, slowly searching for Beast boy. She found him sitting at the table reading a comic book. She walked up behind him and gave him a hug. Beast boy jumped with a yelp. "Raven!" whispered Beast boy breathlessly. "Thank you so very much for your gift", Raven muttered into his ear. "It means so much to me. It is the first gift anyone's ever given me." With that she turned him around and gave him a kiss, his lips eagerly responding to hers. A white glow wrapped slowly around her, her cloak slowly turned to white. The glow continued to cover Beast Boy and increased both his and Raven's pleasure. Raven's hand slowly slid to slip into Beast Boy's pants when suddenly Beast Boy pushed her away. "No, Raven, it's too fast." Raven looked at him with a confused and scared look on her face. "What……happened….no…..I am so!" Raven turned bright red, covered her mouth, and ran crying from the room. Beast Boy frowned, plopped down back in his chair, and wondered about what had just happened. He touched his lips where he could still feel the satiny touch of her lips. "Did it really happen? Or was this one of my Raven dreams again?" He sat there for what seemed to be an eternity, treasuring that brief kiss given by his dark lady.