Teen Titans Fan Fiction ❯ The Little Cherub by Beautifulpurpleflame ❯ Another Awkward Morning ( Chapter 8 )

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

A/N: I do not own the Teen Titans. No, really, I don't. I swear to you I DON'T! Oh whatever.

Chapter 8

The rain was pouring so hard it sounded like marbles were bouncing off the roof of the tower. It was loud, but just calming enough to help all of the Titans fall asleep. It was late in the night and, other than the sound of the rain, was absolutely silent. Suddenly there was a flash of lightning and a crash of thunder. BOOM!

Raven woke up with a start and looked around. She saw a small figure standing at the side of her bed. She was startled at first, but quickly realized it was Alex. “Mumma,” he said pulling at her arm. “Help.”

“Are you okay?” she asked sitting up. “Are you scared?”

“Yes,” he said raising his arms up. “Hold ya.”

Raven grabbed him and pulled him up into her bed. “It's okay, you don't have to be afraid,” she said as she tucked him in.

“I want daddy,” he said grabbing her arm and hugging it tightly.

“It's okay, I'll protect you,” she said soothingly.

“No, I want daddy too,” he said on the verge of tears.

Raven knew that Alex never acted like this unless he was genuinely scared. “Do you want me to take you to daddy's room?” she asked him. “Do you want to sleep with him tonight?” It pained her to say this, but she wanted him to feel like he was safe.

“I want him here,” he said patting the bed.

“Oh, Alex, he can't come in here,” said Raven. Another flash and crash of thunder made Alex squeal with fright.

“Please, Mumma,” he said burying his face into her chest, hugging her. “I want both.”

She knew he meant that he wanted both her and Beast Boy. He looked up to her with tear-laced eyes. Now those were definitely his father's eyes. It was “The Face” that he had used so many times to get his way. Now Alex was using them. Raven sighed, scooped him up, and climbed out of the bed.

Beast Boy was fast asleep on his top bunk, tangled in his sheets. He still slept on his top bunk, despite all of the years of the other Titans telling him to grow up and get a normal bed. He just really liked to sleep elevated.

“Beast Boy,” Raven said reaching up and shaking his arm. He moaned for a moment and then flipped over. “Beast Boy,” she said again tapping him.

He snorted and jumped up awake. He looked around confused and saw Raven. “What?” he asked, still half asleep. “What's going on?”

“Alex is scared,” she said over another rumble of thunder. “He wants to sleep in my bed with the both of us.”

Beast Boy rubbed his eyes and tried to make sense of what she had said to him. “He wants what?”

“He wants to sleep in my bed, but he wants you there with us,” said Raven slowly.

“Want you,” said Alex reaching for his father.

Beast Boy sighed, did a quick stretch, and crawled down from his bed, nearly falling off the last step of his ladder. He sleepily followed Raven back to her room. Raven grabbed a pacifier that she kept on her bureau and popped it into Alex's mouth as all three crawled into the bed. Alex snuggled between his two parents and soon fell asleep. Beast Boy was back asleep before Alex was. It took Raven a little while before she could fall asleep. But Alex's calm sleeping soon lulled her to sleep.

It was still a bit gray out when morning came. It was lightly raining, but the clouds were starting to disperse. Beast Boy slowly began to wake up. He felt really comfortable for some reason. He noticed that the sheets he was lying on were really soft and so was the blanket. He was definitely not in his bed. He slowly opened his eyes and looked around. He was in Ravens room. It took a little while for him to remember getting up and moving to Ravens bed. He felt someone lying in his arms. He knew it was Alex. He looked down and expected to see Alex's blond little head, but he didn't. He saw Ravens violet head instead.

She slowly awakened from a very peaceful slumber. She felt oddly warm and comfortable. She could feel someone with their arms around her. Memories of Jacob flashed into her mind. She remembered waking up with his arms around her; that had always meant a good morning. Then she suddenly remembered that Jacob was gone. So who was holding her? She opened her eyes and looked up.

Their eyes met and a wave of shock spread between them. For a moment they were completely still. Then they both jumped back and released their grip of each other. As they did they saw a figure pass by Ravens open door. They both looked and saw Alex come back. He was holding a box of cereal in one hand and eating it with the other. He smiled, said, “Morning,” and then continued on.

The two watched him leave and then looked back at each other. They both made sure they were both still clothed, remembering that the last time this happened they had been naked, and were relieved to see they were both still in their pajamas. They let out a relieved sigh and realized that the other had been thinking the same thing.

“I guess he got to sleep alright,” said Beast Boy scratching his head.

“Yeah,” said Raven feeling an awkwardness fill the room.

The awkwardness between them didn't leave that whole morning. They made sure to keep a distance between them. Alex seemed to be quite content that morning. More than usual, that is. He was like having a little Starfire.

“Man, I've never seen the kid so bubbly,” said Cyborg sitting down to brunch. They had all slept in, due to the storm, and figured they would just have a brunch that day. Beast Boy and Raven had been up early, but not as early as Alex. He was sitting in front of the TV watching cartoons and eating his dry cereal.

“Yeah, he's been singing and skipping around,” said Robin.

“Perhaps he has had the sugar,” said Starfire.

“Don't you think he's really happy this morning?” asked Cyborg to Raven and Beast Boy.

They looked at each other for a quick moment, and then looked away. “He's just a happy kid,” said Beast Boy.

“I can't believe he didn't get scared during the night,” said Robin.

“I was scared,” said Alex with his mouth full of cereal and catching all of their attentions.

“You did get scared?” asked Robin.

“Yeah,” said Alex, not averting his eyes from the screen.

“Well you're a brave little man to stay in your bed all night,” said Cyborg. “I would have gone to my parents to sleep in their bed.”

“I did,” said Alex, still not looking away from the screen.

“Who's bed did he sleep in?” asked Starfire looking at the two.

“My bed,” said Raven.

“See, he still loves you as much as Beast Boy,” said Robin. “When he got scared, who'd he go to?”

“Well he came to me, but then he asked for Beast Boy,” said Raven looking at her cup of tea and plate of food.

“Oh,” said Robin.

“Then you denied him from seeing Beast Boy?” asked Starfire.

“No,” she said hesitantly.

“So… how does that work?” asked Cyborg.

Raven really wanted to get out of the conversation. Beast Boy had had enough and decided to just tell them. “I slept in Ravens bed,” he said calmly. “Alex wanted the both of us with him, so the three of us slept in her bed.”

“Oh, well that makes sense,” said Cyborg.

Raven was relieved that they didn't make anything more of the situation. For the first time in a long while she was happy that Beast Boy had spoken. He sounded so casual, so “it's no big deal”.

“Raven, I wish to do the babysitting of Alex,” Starfire announced.

“Oh, well thanks Starfire, but I don't need a babysitter at the moment,” said Raven.

“I know, but I was wondering if you could leave so that I might,” she said with a smile.

“Well, even if I leave, Beast Boy would take care of him,” said Raven.

“Then can you both go out so that I might do the babysitting?” she asked.

“Why do you want to baby sit Alex?” asked Beast Boy.

“I wish to practice the taking care of a child,” said Starfire. “Robin says that taking care of a child is different from taking care of Silkie. So I wish to learn how to take care of Alex so that I might be ready to take care of my own children someday.”

The two thought about this. They really thought about this. Could they trust Starfire with taking care of Alex? Robin would be there to make sure she didn't poison him with one of her meals, but then again he didn't exactly know all that much about children either. And if they left, did that mean they had to leave together?

“I don't know Starfire,” said Raven.

“Oh please!” she pleaded. “I will do a good job, I promise.”

Raven knew that this was a big deal to Starfire. She really wanted to do this. So she looked to Beast Boy, who gave her a look that said that he was thinking the same as she.

“Okay, you can baby sit him tomorrow night,” said Raven sipping her tea.

“Oh thank you!” she screamed and lunged across the table to hug her. “I will do the best babysitting ever!”

“I'm sure you will,” said Raven through her crushed lungs.

That day Raven and Beast Boy took Alex to the park. It was a little wet because of the storm and rain that morning, but little boys were meant to get wet and dirty. Raven had figured this out a while ago and designated Alex a set of play clothes. He watched as both Alex and Beast Boy got wet and dirty as they played on the playground. There was virtually no one else there, since it was wet, and that gave them the whole playground to themselves.

“So where do you want to go tomorrow?” asked Beast Boy as he pushed Alex on a swing.

“What are you talking about?” asked Raven, who was leaning on one of the legs of the swing set.

“You know, when we go out tomorrow night so Starfire can baby sit.”

“I hadn't realized we were going together.”

“Well I just assumed that if we both had to leave we might as well go do something together,” he said giving Alex a good strong push.

“I was just going to go to a coffee shop or something,” said Raven, watching Alex go back and forth.

“We could go see a movie.”

“I don't know, Beast Boy.”

“Oh come on, is spending one night out with me really going to be that bad?”

Raven thought for a moment. “I guess not.”

“Cool, we can go to dinner and movie.”

“That sounds suspiciously like a date.”

Beast Boy gave her a smile. “Yeah, but it's not.”

“Slide!” said Alex as he came back towards Beast Boy.

“You wanna ride the slide?” asked Beast Boy slowing the swing down.

“Yeah,” said Alex kicking his feet. Beast Boy stopped the swing, helped him off, and the three headed over to the slide. Alex quickly began to climb the steps while Beast Boy stood behind him to make sure he didn't fall. Raven stood at the bottom of the slide and waited for Alex to come down.

As he slid down he let out a little scream of happiness, which Raven and Beast Boy made with him. Just as he slid off the end Raven scooped him up and twirled him around, making him laugh and giggle. Beast Boy watched from the ladder as Raven kissed her son on the cheek. He had never seen her so… happy. She would never have acted like this before, but now she seemed quite content with him near her. It was true, when Alex was with her she could let out as many emotions as she wanted and nothing would happen. Watching her smile and giggle with their son made him feel so happy for her.