Teen Titans

At the Groceries

Raven’s POV

I didn't know why we agreed to this. A simple trip to the grocery store shouldn’t have felt like the beginning of some chaotic quest, but with this group, it was bound to go wrong. I looked around the aisles.

Starfire was sitting in a cart with an infectious smile, ready for Cyborg to push the cart around the store.

“You ready for blastoff, Star?” Cyborg grinned.

“Go faster, friend!” Starfire squealed, throwing her arms into the air like she was on a roller coaster.

I sighed. There was no point in intervening. Every time I thought about putting a stop to the insanity, a tiny smile tugged at the corner of my lips. Maybe… just maybe, a little fun wouldn’t hurt.

“Yo, Rae, you good?” Beast Boy asked, suddenly appearing next to me, his voice softer than usual. His concern threw me off for a second, but then I remembered, it’s just him being him.

“I’m fine,” I muttered, trying to shake off whatever this... weird fluttering feeling was. We continued walking in silence, but the air between us felt heavier. Like something unsaid was hanging there, just out of reach.

Beast Boy’s POV

Okay, so why does it feel weird just walking next to her? It’s Raven. We've walked next to each other like a million times, but today... I don't know, something was off. Or maybe it was just me.

I glanced at her. she had her usual bored, slightly annoyed face on, but I swear I saw her steal a quick glance at me too. Could be my imagination. Or not. Ugh, why am I overthinking this?

Suddenly, something quacked.

“What the…” I stopped mid-thought, seeing a duck waddling out from an aisle like it owned the place. I grinned, my attention completely stolen by the little guy.

Raven’s POV

I almost...almost..thought about him differently for a second. He was quiet, which was rare. And then… the duck happened. I shouldn’t have been surprised. Of course a random duck would show up and immediately capture all of his attention. Why wouldn’t it?

Beast Boy crouched down, his goofy grin spreading wide as he started talking to the duck. “Hey, little guy! What’s up? Don’t worry, you’re safe with me. I’m vegan, so no one’s eating you today.”

I rolled my eyes. Of course. The vegan speech.

“Raven, look! Isn’t he cute?” Beast Boy looked up at me, holding the duck like he’d just found a new best friend. And just like that, whatever fleeting moment we might’ve had disappeared, replaced by the familiar awkwardness.

I sighed. “You do realize we’re in a grocery store, right?”

Beast Boy’s POV

Okay, maybe I got a little carried away with the duck, but come on, it’s a duck in a grocery store. That’s not something you just ignore! I turned the duck around and whispered, “Don’t worry, man. We’re in the non-vegan section now, but I won’t let anything happen to you. Just stick with me.”

Raven was watching, arms crossed, looking like she was deciding whether to be annoyed or amused. I hoped it was amused. “We should probably find Robin before he freaks out,” she finally said.

Just as she said that

Robin’s POV

“Beast Boy!” I groaned as I spotted them with a duck. “We’re here to buy groceries, not collect animals.”