Scars

Masks

Since their talk, Raven noticed that Beast Boy was now back to his old self. Playing jokes on Starfire, eating tofu and challenging Cyborg to race. But somehow Raven still got the feeling that there was more to the story than what Beast Boy told her.
"If Beast Boy wanted me to know, he would have told me." She scolded herself as she walked into the living room.
"You can want! You can try! But you can't catch Cy!" Cyborg taunted as he raced past Beast Boy's car.
Beast Boy slowed his car on purpose. He had to keep his character up or the others would get suspicious. He knew Raven was already suspicious enough.
"Take that!" Cyborg crossed the finish line. He stood up and began to do a victory dance. "Oh yeah! Go Cyborg! Go Cyborg!"
Beast Boy lowered his ears. "Aw man."
"Told ya you couldn't catch me." Cyborg said with a smirk.
Beast Boy playfully punched him in the arm. "Yeah you got me, Cy." He smiled. "I'll see you guys later." Beast Boy stood up and headed into his room.
Raven watched as he shut the door slowly behind him. "Hmm." She muttered to herself as she followed him. She was about to knock when she heard voices coming from the other side of the door. She stopped to listen.
"What are you talking about?" One voice asked. Raven recognized it as Beast Boy's.
"Come on Garfield, you can't really keep this up forever. The others will find out."
Raven bit her tongue. Who was the owner of the other voice? And why did it sound so...familiar?
"The won't find out. I'll make sure of it." Beast Boy argued.
The other voice whispered something so low that Raven could not hear it. She took a step closer and strained to hear what was being said. The floor beneath her creaked and the voices stopped. Raven mentally cursed herself.
A few shuffling sounds were heard before Beast Boy opened the door. His eyes looked at her hard. "What are you doing here?"
"I-uh I was just.." Raven stammered. She couldn't think of a good enough excuse to be eavesdropping on him like that. She took a deep breath. "Who were you talking to?"
"I wasn't talking to anyone."
"Come on Beast Boy, I heard you. Who was it?"
Beast Boy looked angry. "Why can't you just stay out of it?"
Raven pushed her way past him into his room. "I heard voices. I know I did." She turned to him. "So tell me who you were talking to."
Beast Boy groaned and motioned for Raven to have a seat on his bed. She did. Beast Boy stood in front of her. "It was my other half."
Raven raised an eyebrow. "You're other half?"
"Yes, the animal part of me." Beast Boy looked away. "The Beast."
Raven folded her hands uncomfortably. "I didn't know the Beast could...talk."
Beast Boy nodded. "He can talk all right."
"What did he tell you?"
Silence.
"Beast Boy?"
"That I couldn't keep hiding behind my mask." Beast Boy faced away from her. "That I couldn't keep cracking jokes and playing games forever."
"But you love those things." Raven protested. "It's who you are."
Beast Boy clenched his fists. "No. It's not."
"What do you-"
Beast Boy turned around to face her. "I'm not a jokester. I don't like doing pranks. And I'm actually really good at video games. I'd kick Cyborg's ass if I wanted to."
Raven was speechless. She stared at the person she once thought she knew.
"Everyone thinks I'm this child, but honestly.." Beast Boy met Raven's eyes. "I'm more like you."
"Like me? How?"
"I like reading. I enjoy being alone and thinking quietly to myself. It soothes me."
Raven stood up in a huff. "Well if you hate acting like a prankster all the time, why do you do it?!"
"To balance out my other half." He looked at his hands. "To keep the Beast at bay."
Raven shook her head in disbelief. "But you acted like this even before the whole Beast incident."
"I always had another half. An animal side. The Beast just made it stronger."
Raven put her hand on his shoulder. "I..I don't know what to say."
"You don't have to say anything, Raven." Beast Boy shook her hand off. "The animal half of me comes from so many years of being treated like one." Beast Boy grabbed the hem of his shirt and pulled it off, revealing his scars. "I know you saw my scars the other day. I've always been so afraid to tell anyone."
Raven covered her mouth. There were so many, lining his chest, arms and especially his back. She hesitantly reached out her hand and ran her fingers over a particularly deep scar going across his chest.
Beast Boy flinched.
Raven drew her hand back, "Sorry." She mumbled. "So these are all from people who..."
"Who treated me like an animal? Abused me? Yes."
Raven shifted to one side. "Do you...wanna talk about it?"
He shook his head. "No..not really."
Raven nodded in understanding. She still couldn't get over the fact that the person she thought she knew, was a lie.
"If you don't mind Rav, I'd like to be alone."
Raven nodded. "Oh yeah, sure." She turned and began to head out. She stopped once she felt a hand on her shoulder.
"I don't think I have to tell you not to tell anyone, right?"
Raven smiled. "Of course I won't tell."
Beast Boy smiled back. He drew his hand back and was about to shut the door when he stopped suddenly. He looked at her.
"Beast Boy? What's-"
Raven was suddenly cut off as Beast Boy pressed his lips against hers. He was kissing her. Beast Boy was kissing Raven. And Raven was kissing back.