#Just relax + smile more. Invest in your own well-being and try to lookout for others' much as you are able to. that's all

[lunasilvis]

1 advice to (too) many people: try to start taking yourselves and life less seriously. really

[cafedanslanuit]

Mysme, Jumin x MC with 38 28 and 26? From the songs lyric please? Congrats!!

Hiii! I only use one song per request, so I decided to go with #38~ Hope you like it, I could see myself writing about this scenario again <3

series: 500 followers event

pairing: Jumin x MC [Mystic Messenger]

song: Crowded Room - Selena Gomez

Baby, it’s just me and you, just us two, even in a crowded room, baby it’s just me and you

Being a heiress in Korea was tiring. Once MC turned eighteen, her mother started introducing her to other wealthy young man, whose families owned companies that could benefits hers. Even if at first she hadn't been in board with the idea of her mother choosing her husband, a vain hope of actually falling in love with one of those men crossed her mind, so she agreed to the first date.

The blonde young man had been a true gentleman, paying for dinner and holding her chair for her. She went on to a second and third date with him where she only managed to fall even deeper for him. Maybe her mother was right, maybe she knew what was best for her.

A few weeks later, while on a drive, she lowered the car windows and managed to see him getting out from a motel. He was alone, but MC knew there was no way he was by himself in a motel room. That same night, she confronted him. Instead of denying it, he agreed he actually had a girlfriend that he met regularly. While he apologized for letting himself be seen getting out of that place and promised be would be more careful the next time.

That was the first time MC got her heart broken.

She gave it two more tries. Third time's the charm, she repeated herself. But between the automobile company heir who pulled her arm harshly just because she refused to go to his place and the heir of an airline company that was gay and needed a cover up, MC decided love wasn't made for an heiress and that she would have to settle for a lonely life. She would maybe adopt later in life as she did want to be a mother, but she got tired of finding decent men in her social circle. MC once thought about going to a bar and meeting someone normal, but the warning her mother gave her about normal people taking advantage of her money and social position scared her off.

She was twenty three the last time she got her heart broken. It had been six years since then and she had refused to date again. Her mother had protested at first, but after all those years, she had finally accepted her daughter wasn't getting married at all.

"Men don't like powerful women. They react better to a wife than a heiress that rules her own company" she had reminded MC.

"Well, I'll make them respect me" MC had answered.

She was a natural at doing business. MC used the perfect balance between flirty mannerisms and strong arguments to close deals. Knowing it wasn't enough, she studied a MBA which helped her take her family's company to a whole other level.

Even if she had lost all hope in meeting someone, MC loved social gatherings. She used them to meet new business partners, positioning herself and her company as a new and interesting investment option. She was an extrovert by default, so she could always be found laughing or posing for the paparazzi as she left the venue for her car.

One night, she was invited to a small event in a penthouse. She knew the owner, as she had done business with him before, so she was happy to attend. She had introduced herself to a good amount of new people and laughed at their jokes, so she felt she had met her goal for the night. Excusing herself, she went to the bar and asked for a drink. As MC waited, she felt a hand on her shoulder. When she turned around, she saw Jihyun Kim smiling softly at her. She hugged him, a a huge smile on her face.

"I hadn't seen you in ages! I think last time I saw you was in this bar mitzvah when we were thirteen" MC remembered, returning to her spot by the bar. Jihyun laughed softly.

"I remember. I stopped going to these events shortly after"

"Yeah, can’t say I’ve seen you in these gatherings recently. Oh, I stopped by your exhibition the other day, actually. I really liked it. Maybe you'll hear from my assistant in regard of buying one of your pictures" she said, a mischievous smile on her face.

"Now you're just flattering me"

"Am not"

"Well then, thank y--- wow" he suddenly set his eyes to the side, focusing on a couple on the other side of the room. "I think my friend needs me".

MC turned around and saw a tall man with dark hair and gray eyes, accompanying an equally tall blonde woman. They looked like one of those rich, successful couples her mother always wanted her to be a part of.

"He seems fine. That's Jumin Han, right?" she asked. Jihyun nodded.

"He's not fine" Jihyun corrected her with a chuckle. "He doesn't really like when women try to seduce him at these events"

"Yeah, I can get that" she agreed with a shrug. The bartender handed her a martini and she thanked him with a smile before taking a sip. "So, you're just going to barge in and rescue him?"

"Do you have a better plan?" Jihyun asked. MC pursed her lips, her mind going through different options.

"Can I try?" she asked.

"I don't think he remembers you. You two didn't really talk back then"

"That just makes it more fun" she grinned as she gave her glass to Jihyun. MC fixed her hair and walked towards Jumin with a slight away on her hips, shoulders back and emanating confidence, just as she had been doing her whole life.

She put her hand softly on Jumin's arm, making him turn and look at her with a questioning look.

"Oh dear, I'm sorry to interrupt but you asked me to remind you about the Mr. Kim's proposal?" she innocently asked. Jumin looked at her confused, so she tilted her head towards Jihyun, who waved at Jumin from the bar. He visibly relaxed. "I'm sure you don't mind I take him away for a second" she smiled at the woman, who looked like she wanted to hit her. MC kept faking her smile, not expecting to enjoy this. She just wanted to have some fun now that she had met with Jihyun after all those years, but it was like she couldn't stop herself anymore. "Thank you for keeping him company" MC added as she linked her arm with Jumin and guided him towards Jihyun.

Once they reached Jihyun, MC let Jumin's arm go and laughed softly. She positioned herself on Jihyun’s right side as Jumin took his left.

"I'm sorry, I couldn't help but tease her" MC apologized as she let out her hand for Jumin to take. "I'm MC Belmont, from Belmont Enterprises"

"Ah, the ones that have all those clinics and medical equipment, yes. I'm Jumin Han---"

"From C&R, yeah, I know" MC interrupted him with a smile. She shook his hand firmly and then went back to her drink.

"Oh, you know about us then. Did she want to make a deal?" he asked Jihyun.

Before he could reply, MC chided in. "No, I don't really like C&R"

Jumin's neck turned to her direction so fast he was surprised when didn't get whiplash.

"I'm sorry?"

"I don't like its seriousness. We've currently working with a more organic and creative mood to our workplace and I've seen great results. The employees are really happy. I'm not saying C&R is a bad company, I really admire your work; it's clearly distinctive from your father's. I just rather not do business with your company as I can’t see your company working in sync with mine" she explained.

Jumin looked at MC with an arched eyebrow.

"So, which studies have proven your kind of work environment--"

"Mr. Han, please, I'm not here to discuss business" MC excused herself. "But please, have a drink with us. I was just telling Jihyun how it has been ages since I last saw him at one of these events.

It took a while before Jumin could rejoin the conversation. He ordered a glass of wine and then listened to their friend’s conversation with MC. While he did his best to not let his mind wander, he couldn't stop thinking about what MC had said. While he knew other companies made their employees wear casual clothes, had tennis tables, and all that jazz, he had always avoided that line of thought. He thought it was nothing but an excuse to slack off. He clearly must have been misguided, because in front of her was this woman, who he had seen in events before, and she had managed to make her company crawl to the top while using that method.

The waiter gave him his drink and he took a sip. Impressive.

"Also, let me say sorry again for introducing myself that way back there" MC said, making him put his attention on her. "But I know how stressful it can be to deal with people that are on the lookout of relationships and marriages just for the sake of business".

MC pulled out the tip of her tongue, making an disgusted face. Jumin couldn't help but chuckle, finding her facial expression adorable.

"I assume you've had experiences of your own"

"Yes" she sighed, twirling the contents of her glass as she pouted. "It's a cruel world out there, Mr. Han. There is very little hope in finding a suitable partner that doesn't have their eyes on your company"

"Now, that's a very sad way of looking at it, isn't it?" Jihyun commented with a concerned look.

"But she's right" Jumin said, nodding. "You know what I've been through, Jihyun. Also..." he looked at the woman, for the first time taking notice of her pearl necklace. It gave her a nice, classy look. "Jumin is fine" he said.

MC smiled at him, a sharp contrast of the hopeless words that had just fallen from her mouth.

"Thank you, Jumin. You can call me MC as well"

Once they had that exchange, their conversation flowed naturally. They didn't intend to exclude Jihyun, but suddenly it seemed they were the only ones in the penthouse the gathering was at. They shared stories, debated about recent political events and even took part in a little bit of gossip. Jumin couldn't help but be fascinated at how sophisticated that woman looked. She was wearing an off shoulder black dress that made some men turn their heads when they passed by, yet her eyes were fixated on his as he talked. She commented on everything he said, challenged him to find an argument for his opinions and even managed to laugh at one of the jokes he cracked.

After an hour of chatting, Jihyun cleared his throat, making both of them notice how he hadn't been participating before.

"I'm sorry, I got riled up with Jumin's anecdote" MC apologized. Jihyun shook his head with a kind smile.

"It's okay. I'm glad you both get along. I actually should get going, I promised Haneul I wouldn't be home late"

"Haneul?" she asked.

"Jihyun's girlfriend" Jumin clarified. "She's an opera singer". MC opened her mouth in surprise.

"That's amazing! Please, don't let us stop you. Go be with her" she encouraged him.

Jihyun smiled and said his goodbyes. After he left the penthouse, both MC and Jumin kept their eyes on the door in silence, a small smile playing on their lips.

"He seems happy" MC commented, looking at Jumin.

"He is" he agreed. "I don't want to share more than I should, but I'm sure you already know about his ex fiancée"

MC pursed her lips and nodded. She knew about her. Gossips travelled fast in her social circles and even if Jihyun didn't make his presence known in the past years, his father still did, so it was understandable people still talked about him. MC had heard about Jihyun falling into depression after ending his engagement. She didn't know the details but figured they weren't important. She was happy he was feeling better already and had met someone new. It gave her a little bit of hope. That maybe... maybe her love life wasn't doomed at all.

She looked at Jumin from the corner of her eye. It had been years since she had felt a true connection with someone else. Jumin was ravishingly handsome, smart, and had a sense of humour that stroke her as funny. He had made pretty clear he wasn't interested in relationships based on economic interest or deals in between companies. Even if there was a chance he might have been lying, MC would have lied if she didn't slightly hope he was telling the truth.

It would be complicated, that she was sure of. He could be afraid of the same thing, he could think her actions from that night were nothing but an act to get him to trust her. And MC wouldn't blame him. It was sadly natural to get paranoid when you had a background like theirs.

"I should get going too" MC suddenly said. She cursed herself for letting her fears take over her mouth. She didn't want to leave. She wanted to stay a little longer getting to know him. She would hate herself if Jumin ended under the impression she was only talking to him because he was an acquaintance of Jihyun.

"Sure, then have a g--"

"Wait" MC interrupted him. Taking up courage, she opened her purse and took out one of her contact cards and a pen. She put them on the bar and quickly scribbled down something. Before Jumin could ask, she handed the card to him. "Uhm... this is my personal number. So, if you ever want to talk… you know, anything but business, call me. I... I'd like to talk again".

Jumin looked at her blushed cheeks and her tense position as she held a white card between her fingers. He was surprised to say the least, as he was half expecting her to say goodbye and never look back. He nodded as he took the card and put it in his pocket.

"I will" Jumin said, and he really meant it. MC gave him a final smile before she put her pen back in her purse and turned around to leave.

As he watched her go away, he felt the strangest of feelings on his chest. Is this what Jihyun always talked about? He wasn’t sure. The only thing Jumin Han knew was that he was definitely calling her the next day.

--------

a/n: Did Jumin ever text MC? You can look at MC’s phone here.

[elhassanlove]

How To Be Pretty (Inside And Out) ?

What makes an individual beautiful? Is it their outfit? Plump lips? or even it’s their confidence? While this stuff might help, there are other, more meaningful ways of being more beautiful! Most folks want to understand the way to be pretty, and that I realize it sounds so cliche, but tons of it really does come from within!

Ever notice that ‘average’ looking woman enters an area and lightweight it up?! Everyone’s drawn to her energy. That’s because attraction is far quite skin deep.

Feeling beautiful, inside and out improves your self-worth and your self-worth. We are all beautiful, but sometimes we just need a touch help seeing it!

What Makes an individual Beautiful?  

Beautiful people lookout of themselves! once you lookout of yourself, you’ll be happier, more confident, and therefore- more I gorgeous!

When Was The Last Time you actually Felt Beautiful?

What were you doing? What were you wearing? Where were you? Who were you with? And why did you are feeling beautiful?

Chances are you indulged during a little self-care, felt confident, and were SMILING! All things that cause you to feel- beauty! Your clothes probably made you are feeling great, and perhaps you were with people you love! Surround yourself with people that cause you to feel beautiful and confident! Beauty may be a feeling that really comes from within. It’s not a look!

Here are 8 tips which will have you ever feeling and searching great!

How To Be Pretty De-stress. Beautiful people skills to manage stress! Stress wrecks havoc on your appearance.

Our skin reacts to worry with inflammation, decreased blood flow, allergies like hives, acne, rosacea, and weight gain.

Your skin also becomes dry and thin, and more susceptible to damage. Source.

Meditation and relaxation can help calm your mind and body. If you suffer from psoriasis or rosacea, you recognize the facility stress has over your skin condition- causing flare-ups… and more stress:( Beautiful People doesn’t let the small things get to them! I do know, easier said than done!

These Essential oils help me de-stress!

Get Adequate Sleep. Beautiful people make sleep a priority! You can’t feel gorgeous when you’re groggy! this is often so important when it involves your overall health and well-being.

It’s hard to feel beautiful with dark circles and bloodshot eyes. Poor sleep quality can cause increased stress, breakouts, anxiety, and even depression.

Hydrate. Beautiful people hydrate! If you’re thirsty, you’re probably already dehydrated. confirm you carry a bottle of water around to sip on to remain hydrated throughout the day.

Hydrated skin is plump, glowing, and gorgeous! you ought to aim for 8 cups each day, and no coffee doesn't count– sorry:(

Take care of your body. Beautiful people look out of their bodies! Ten minutes of exercise each day is best than none!

If you don’t have time to travel to the gym, just put aside 10 minutes each day to try to an easy stretch, or choose a walk around the block. Get your body moving! Eat healthy, vibrant foods. you're what you eat!

Give a compliment. Beautiful people make other’s feel good! TRY IT!

When you compliment somebody else, somehow you instantly feel better about yourself! Helping others may be a beautiful thing!

Proper skincare. Beautiful people look out of their skin.

When it involves beauty products – I make my skin, my top priority before fashion, makeup or hair care, etc. I consider it an investment because I’m getting to be in it for the remainder of my life and great skin, unlike shoes, never goes out of favor.

We aren’t all born with a great skin gene. Many folks suffer from acne, oily skin, dry skin, wrinkles, or psoriasis causing embarrassment, low-esteem, and stress. Which, successively wreaks further havoc on our skin and hair. It’s a vicious circle.

Want to understand the way to get clear, following skin? inspect my fave skincare routine products:

Vitamin C and Retin a piece for nearly all skin types, except super sensitive skin! They both work to exfoliate your skin to reveal fresher, brighter, healthier skin!

Be confident! Beautiful people are comfortable with themselves. Wear what causes you to happy! Try new things and find your personal style.

Confidence isn't just something you are feeling inside, it shows on the outside! What causes you to unique is what causes you to beautiful! Own it!

Smile! Beautiful people smile! You’ll instantly look prettier with a smile! And if you're taking proper care of your teeth, even better! Pearly whites will certainly cause you to look healthy and vibrant!

What causes you to feel beautiful? When does one feel your best? Want to understand the way to be pretty? For me- it’s once I get an honest night’s sleep and awaken on the proper side of the bed (I’m not a morning person). And when my skin is obvious and therefore the sun is shining and I’ve just had a cup of coffee, I feel my best:)

[annzybwrites]

“Reading Together” Ch 2. Learning More

Chapter 1 | Chapter 3

Ms. Dimple was absolutely ecstatic to have Beast Boy be another permanent reader - she said the constancy was a wonderful thing for the kids. Since he was going to be regularly working with kids, however, he had to attend this one-day certification class which was basically about how to spot the signs of possible child abuse. It was… kind of heartbreaking to sit through, since the class showed videos of survivors talking about what they went through. He could understand why it was necessary to attend, though, and he vowed to himself to definitely be on the lookout for any signs of a child being hurt.

After that, every time he read to the kids he had a great time. He and Raven would decide together which parts they would read. Generally, Beast Boy was in charge of most of the dialogue while Raven narrated, but in dialogue-heavy books they’d take turns - it always made the kids (and Beast Boy) laugh when Raven broke out her “mom” voice, which was basically just a slightly higher, more drawled version of her normal speaking voice. In books where there was no dialogue, Beast Boy would just act out what was happening, either in animal form or human form. And, to be honest, he also acted it out when he was reading the dialogue, too, a prime example being when he ran around the room calling out, “Run run as fast as you can, you can’t catch me I’m the Gingerbread Man!”

Raven and Ms. Dimple both informed him later that he should refrain from running around the room, because it makes all the kids want to run as well.

His favorite time by far was free time, because usually the kids wanted him to dress up and play pretend with them, either as a human or animal character. He tried to refrain from turning into a horse, though, since Ms. Dimple didn’t want the kids to climb on him and accidentally fall off since there’s no saddle. He was kind of amazed how quickly Ms. Dimple could think of safety issues with certain activities, even activities involving superpowers.

When Beast Boy wasn’t succumbing to the whims of the children and pretending to be a knight, or a doctor, or even a princess, he found himself listening to Raven reading more books to the children who were really interested in reading. He didn’t mean to make a habit out of it or anything, at first he just wanted to figure out what these “Katie Kazoo” books were and, well… he kind of got invested into the fun little stories and kept coming back to listen. Besides, Raven’s voice was really soothing to listen to - he kind of wished she spoke more back at the Tower.

The most interesting thing, however, was whenever he sat down to listen to Raven read, a few other kids would come over to listen as well - some wanting to sit on his lap while she read. Not only that, but some kids even came up to him with a book, wanting him to read to them personally, or help them read. Of course he could never say “no,” and sometimes he would end up reading five or more kids’ books in a row, and he only stopped because his voice started to get hoarse. Doing all those voices could get hard sometimes! But he didn’t mind reading to the kids - it could actually be a nice break if their dress-up time started to get too intense or argumentative.

And of course, every week Beast Boy turned into a turtle for Jax before the boy had to leave. He couldn’t help it - Jax always looked so happy being able to hold him as a turtle.

As for the song and dance time Ms. Dimple had wanted to implement, she sent him a whole list of fun kids’ songs he could teach, his favorite by far being “Boom Chicka Boom” because it was just plain fun. Or maybe he just like onomatopoeia? In any case, what he really enjoyed was seeing all the kids get up and “dance.” Most of them weren’t coordinated enough yet to really dance, but the older kids could follow along with the simple moves. And occasionally he got to show off with some break dancing, as long as he reminded the kids not to try this at home.

For the next few weeks, that was how things went. He and Raven read some fun books for the kids, they helped with crafts (Beast Boy being more careful with the glue after that first time), He danced with them, and then he either played with or read to them again. He found himself looking forward to it every week, because not only did he have a blast with all the kids, but he and Raven were becoming closer, too, something he had always kind of wanted but never knew how to achieve. After each session, they always walked most of the way back to the Tower and picked up a cup of tea and hot chocolate, talking about the kids and how silly they were that day. Or teasing each other on how they handled certain situations.

“So,” Raven looked at him out of the corner of her eye, her cup of tea held up to her smirking lips. “Couldn’t tell the children what your favorite animal was, huh?”

Beast Boy groaned and pulled at his cheek in agony. “That’s like asking a parent to pick their favorite child!”

Raven chuckled softly, and it made him smile. He really liked how relaxed she was after spending time with the children. “I suppose I reacted much the same when they asked me what my favorite book was.”

“Thank goodness they haven’t asked me that,” Beast Boy laughed before drinking his hot cocoa. “I’d probably just say a comic book.”

“Or Katie Kazoo?”

“Hey, those are fun!”

Raven took a moment to sip her tea before responding. “Sarah got Jax to put down his turtle book today for a Katie Kazoo.”

“I saw that!” Beast Boy grinned, remembering how Raven had mentioned two weeks ago that she wished Jax would read about something other than turtles. She had hoped Beast Boy could convince him to pick up a different book, but it looked like Jax needed someone else to persuade him. “Hey, do you think they like each other?”

“Yes.” There was no hesitation as Raven nodded. “They have that… budding feeling, that Robin and Starfire used to have.”

Beast Boy snorted. “Not so “budding” anymore, huh?”  

“No.” Raven scrunched her nose up. “It’s insufferable sometimes.”

“Really?” For a moment, Beast Boy wondered what it must be like to be an empath. Ever since Japan, the team’s designated lovebirds rarely slept in separate rooms, and sometimes they could be quite loud about it. He mainly just had to handle the noise and smelling their aroused hormones two to three times a week at night (and sometimes during the day), but Raven actually felt all of that. He shivered and couldn’t help but ask, “How do you stand it?”

Raven was silent, and for a moment he worried that he crossed a line.

“You don’t have to answer -”

“I don’t,” Raven replied softly. “Sometimes I sleep on the roof.”

“What??” Beast Boy looked at her in horror. “That’s awful! Don’t you get cold?”

“Better than the heat I feel in the Tower,” she replied quietly, her cheeks coloring.

Beast Boy felt his own cheeks grow hot as well, trying not to think about the kind of heat she was referring to. “What are you gonna do in the winter? Or when it rains?”

“I have backup plans,” Raven sighed. She turned to give him a look. “Don’t worry about me - I’m fine.”

Beast Boy frowned and looked away. “You can’t stop me from worrying.”

“It’s not like I’m dying.”

“You don’t have to be dying for someone to care about you, you know.”

It looked like he had gotten through to her for a bit. She cast her head down, holding her cup against her lips again. “... I know,” she mumbled.

“Tell you what,” Beast Boy spoke before he completely thought his idea out. “The next time you go on the roof at night, grab me first - I’ll keep you company.”

“What?” Raven’s eyes widened before she turned to look at him. “You don’t have to do that.”

“I want to do that,” he replied. “Besides,” he grinned, wanting to ease some of the tension, “you could read me a bedtime story.”

Raven knit her brows together, searching his face for a moment. “... You… want me to read to you?”

“Kinda?” Beast Boy looked away from her, ignoring the way his heart suddenly increased its tempo. He didn’t think he had gotten that upset with her, so why did he feel all tense?

“I thought the audio books didn’t work out?”

“They didn’t, but,” he struggled to find the right words to say, “I like the way you read.”

He didn’t dare look at her, but if he had she would have seen her cheeks gain even more color to them.

“... I like the way you read, too.”

The soft-spoken words should not have affected Beast Boy so strongly, yet as he walked he suddenly felt his throat constricting, his limbs gaining at least five pounds, and his head buzzing and feeling light as a balloon. He had to swallow thickly before replying, “So, we could… read to each other?”

The faint buzzing and his pounding heartbeat accumulated in his ears, forming a deafening combination and making him want to rip them off as he waited for Raven to speak.

“... I think I would like that,” she replied after what felt like a half hour. She turned to look at him with a soft smile. “I’m interested to see what books you would read to me.”

“Don’t get too excited,” Beast Boy replied, relaxing as they moved into more comfortable territory. “I’ll probably just pick something random at the library.”

“That could be dangerous depending on the section you pick the book from,” Raven warned him.

“What do you mean?” Beast Boy gave her an odd look, having no idea what she was trying to say.

“Never mind.” Raven didn’t want to explain and just sipped her tea. “I have just the book I could read to you.”

“You always have book recommendations, don’t you?” Beast Boy realized. He had seen her write down new titles every week for a lot of the older kids to check out.

“Does that honestly surprise you?”

“... I guess not.”

She smiled softly again, facing forward as she asked, “You like zombies, right?”

“Um, yeah? What kind of question is that?!” He only requested they watch zombie movies at like every movie marathon the team ever does.

“Just double checking.” She chuckled. “There’s a lot of books about zombies.”

“Really??” Beast Boy’s eyes widened with surprise. “And those are the books you’ll read to me?”

“If you’re serious about this.”

“I am!” He grinned. “Let’s have a sleepover tonight!”

“Slow down,” she told him, but she seemed amused if her small smile was any indication. “Our voices need some rest today. How many books did you read, seven?”

“Eight, but who’s counting,” Beast Boy joked. He sipped at his cocoa again, watching Raven out of the corner of his eye. He could tell she wanted to say something by the way her fingers idly scratched against her styrofoam cup.

“... I was…” she hesitated before starting over. “Thank you, for helping Jimmy today.”

“Of course.” Beast Boy chuckled as he recalled the little boy who threw a book down in frustration during free time. He didn’t yell or anything afterwards, he just curled up and buried his face into his knees, but that was enough of a scene to cause some alarm.

-----------------

“Hey, Jimbo,” Beast Boy made his voice soft and quiet as he squatted next to him, hoping to entice Jimmy to look up at him. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.” Jimmy curled up more, not wanting to talk.

Beast Boy looked over at the book he had thrown down. Click, Clack, Moo: Cows that Type. Huh, interesting. He picked it up gingerly before sitting next to the little boy. “Do you want me to read this to you?”

“No!” Jimmy turned away from him, face still buried against his knees.

Beast Boy wasn’t sure what to do, but he couldn’t just leave the kid like this. “Well… I kind of want to read it. Do you mind if I read it out loud?”

“... No.”

“Okay.” He cleared his throat before beginning the story. “Farmer Brown has a problem. His cows like to type. All day long he hears click, clack, moo. Click, clack, moo. Clickety, clack, moo.” Every time he got to the “moo,” he did his best to imitate a real cow, hoping it would make Jimmy smile. He wasn’t sure it was working, since the boy still hadn’t lifted his head, but Beast Boy had to try something to get him to open up. Maybe he should have let Ms. Dimple handle this…

As he got to the last page of the book, Jimmy finally looked up at him, wiping at his eyes and sniffling. “Can you read another one?”

“Sure!” Beast Boy agreed eagerly, standing up. “I’ll be right back, okay?”

“Okay.” Jimmy was still curled up, and his voice sounded a little choked up, but at least he had raised his head.

Beast Boy went over to the bookshelf and grabbed the first book he saw - The Cat in the Hat. Perfect, he loved rhyming ones.

“I’m back.” He sat next to Jimmy, opening up the book. “Hey, maybe we can read together?” he suggested casually, since he had been told it would be good to have the kids read for themselves sometimes. “I can read one page and you can read the other.”

Jimmy seemed hesitant, and for a second Beast Boy worried he would decline and just run away. But, surprisingly, the boy scooted closer to him and rested his head against his arm. “Okay. You start.”

Beast Boy smiled and began reading, trying to go slow and even pointing to each word as he read it so Jimmy could follow along. When it was Jimmy’s turn, he copied him and also pointed to the word as he tried to say it. He read really, really slowly, seeming to second-guess himself with each syllable, and Beast Boy noticed that sometimes his eyes wandered across the page. He had been told the best thing to do was be patient while the kids tried to read, only speaking to correct them if needed, but only now did he get why Raven had said that was difficult sometimes. Beast Boy was definitely not as fast a reader as his cloaked teammate, but right now he felt like the fastest reader alive.

Still, he stayed silent and just smiled at Jimmy as he read, glad he wasn’t curled up and crying anymore. When he was done with his page, Beast Boy told him, “That was really good.” Encouragement was also a thing he was supposed to give the kids, which he was all for.

“Really?” Jimmy frowned and buried his face against Beast Boy’s arm, obviously not believing him. “I’m slow.”

“You’re learning,” Beast Boy told him quietly. “Hey, I bet I was ten times slower at reading when I was your age.”

“You were?” This seemed to make Jimmy hopeful, and he looked up at him with big, wet eyes.

“You bet.” He laughed softly, confiding, “And I spelt my name wrong all the time.”

“How did you write it?”

“I wrote the “G” the wrong way.”

Jimmy looked confused, knitting his brows in frustration. “There’s a G in Beast Boy?”

“What? Oh,” Beast Boy laughed, realizing his mistake. “Um, no, I meant…” he decided to make this exciting and leaned in to whisper, “I meant my secret identity name.”

Jimmy gasped, eyes widening at the mention of secrets. “What is it?”

“Promise not to tell anyone?” Beast Boy grinned at him.

“I promise!”

“Okay.” Beast Boy looked to the left and right, as if to make sure no one was spying on him before he leaned in to whisper as dramatically as possible, “My name… is Garfield Logan.”

He chewed at his lip to keep from laughing when Jimmy gasped, looking as if his entire world had changed. “Woah…”

“Yep.” He laughed and gave him a wink. “This is just between you and me, okay?”

“Got it!” Jimmy actually smiled, which was a huge success in Beast Boy’s eyes.

“Let’s get back to the book,” he chuckled, flipping the page.

“Okay,” Jimmy beamed before leaning in to whisper right into his ear, “Garfield.”

He tried not to laugh, but he couldn’t help but give a little snort. He was so not used to hearing that name anymore. He cleared his throat before reading again, still going slow as he pointed at each word.

-----------------

“It was really sweet of you,” Raven told him, smiling at her tea. Her face evened out as she added, “Ms. Dimple and I think he might have dyslexia, but his mom doesn’t want to believe it.”

“Oh.” Beast Boy thought about how unconfident and distracted Jimmy was while he read. He hadn’t put it together at the time, but, “I guess that makes sense.”

“Yeah.” Raven sighed, glancing sideways at him. “Would you mind continuing to help him read? I’ve been trying, but… I think he’s intimidated by me for some reason.”

Beast Boy laughed a little, replying almost automatically, “Most guys are intimidated by pretty girls.”

He felt like a giant exclamation point smacked him in the face when he realized what he said. It just slipped out naturally! He immediately tried to tell himself that he shouldn’t feel weird or embarrassed from saying that - friends tell each other they’re pretty or handsome all the time, right?? Yeah! It was a normal thing to do!! He glanced at Raven, hoping she hadn’t taken his comment the wrong way.

“Uh…” she was definitely blushing, which was also normal - she probably wasn’t used to random compliments. Hell, who was? She ducked her head down, her short hair falling forward to cover her eyes. “Thank you?”

“Yeah,” Beast Boy laughed nervously, his mouth speaking without consulting his brain. “And guys are intimidated by smart girls, so that’s like 2 for 2!” He bit his tongue to stop himself, but thankfully Raven took that one a bit better.

“That might be it,” she mumbled. “I do talk about how I’ve read thousands of books… that could be intimidating.”

“I find that intimidating,” Beast Boy admitted, trying in vain to even imagine that many books in one room. “I’ve probably read, like, less than a hundred. If we’re talking novels.”

Raven didn’t know what to say to continue this line of conversation, which was usually fine for Beast Boy. He was used to saying something and being met with silence, signalling the end of dialogue - especially when it came to talking with her. Yet this time the silence felt awkward to him, like he should keep talking even though that’s what kind of what made him feel awkward in the first place. “Um, anyway,” Beast Boy laughed,rubbing at the back of his neck. “Yeah, I'll help him read.”

“Thank you.” Raven nodded.

Another cold stop, and he still felt awkward. Beast Boy took a long sip of his cocoa before starting again. “It’s amazing - we’ve only been called away from the library once on a mission. It’s like the villains support reading.”

“I’ve thought about that, too,” Raven admitted. “I’m not complaining.”

“Too bad they can’t be like that with other volunteer work,” Beast Boy chuckled a little. “Remember that time I was doing that charity play when Mad Mod attacked?”

“Of course I do.” Raven gave him a look. “Robin was angry you turned off your communicator.”

“I thought it might interfere with the play’s speakers!”

Raven chuckled softly, shaking her head. That seemed to be the end of that conversation, too, but Beast Boy felt a bit less awkward now and didn’t mind as much. Instead he started thinking about the kids, smiling as he recalled the way Charles wanted Lola to be the Viking and he would be the princess, but Lola didn't want to give up the princess dress. Or how Claire, their oldest at twelve years old, tucked herself away to draw in a flowery, spiral notebook, but would put it down occasionally to join the other kids for a puzzle or to help a kid read when he, Raven, and Ms. Dimple were busy. And, of course, he loved remembering how eager Jax was to talk turtles with anyone that dared to ask. That was how Sarah had made her move, the smart girl; she walked up to him all hesitant and shy, since according to Raven she doesn't have many friends her age, before asking what he liked best about turtles. After a long explanation she had nodded and asked, “Can I show you something I like now?”

The way Jax had looked, as if it was impossible for someone to like something other than turtles, still made Beast Boy want to burst out laughing. Then he turned shy and ducked his head down before mumbling an “okay.” In a few minutes, Sarah and Jax had huddled close, reading a book together and looking adorable.

Thus, Sarah succeeded where the adults had failed. Beast Boy looked forward to seeing those two become better friends; Sarah could broaden his interests and Jax could -

Oh, my god.

“I just thought of a joke!” Beast Boy exclaimed to Raven, brimming with excitement.

“Oh no,” Raven teased with a roll of her eyes.

Beast Boy didn't let that deter him as he started preemptively laughing. “Okay, so I was thinking about how Sarah can help get Jax interested in new things, right?”

Raven raised a brow, curious as to where this was going. “Yes?”

“Well,” Beast Boy could feel his cheeks starting to hurt from his smile. “In return, Jax can help get Sarah out of her shell.”

He didn't care if Raven groaned in displeasure - he knew that joke was hilarious.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

SPECIAL NOTICE: I got the idea of Raven being unable to sleep well on certain nights due to Robin and Starfire’s *ahem* lovemaking from Ava Chanel’s BBRae fanfic “Black Honey,” which you can read the first chapter of here.

Click here for Author Notes and Readings of the books mentioned