"I'm getting antsy," Beast Boy said from out of nowhere.
Raven glanced up from her book, peering at him from her end of the couch. He was stretched out to the limits of his diminutive stature which left ample room for her to sit with only minimal, largely accidental contact. The only other Titan in the room was Cyborg, sitting low and easy in one of the chairs. "Antsy?" she asked. "Is this some kind of prelude to you turning into an ant?"
"No," he said, nudging her with his foot, which she tolerated with good grace. "I mean I feel like doing something."
"So do something," she said, going back to her book.
"No," he said. "I want to do something with you."
Raven put her book down and sort of shrugged, "What do you want to do?"
"Well," he said, slightly drawing out the word. Raven felt a now famaliar combination of mild amusement, annoyance and affection. She knew quite well that he had something in mind that he felt he would have to persuade her into. "It occured to me a few minutes ago that we've only been on two dates."
She gave him a look that he read as easily as she had him. She thought that what he was saying was patently ridiculous but she had learned exactly how often there was a method to his madness. It made him grin. She replied with the smallest eye roll. "What do you mean? We're together constantly. Too constantly sometimes."
"You love it," he said dismissively. Cyborg chuckled but both ignored it.
"We have not just been on two dates," she said dismissively.
"Have so."
"We've done tons of stuff. Eating out, you know... stuff."
"Group activities don't count. I mean a real date. Just the two of us and pre-planned, romantic activities."
"We stayed at that B&B. That was nice," she said.
"That was a stakeout. We neither used the bed nor did we eat breakfast." That was the first part of this conversation that caught Cyborg's full attention. As much as he made an effort to be a good friend and respectful neutral party, there were certain things that he simply didn't need to know about Raven and BB as a couple. Not that it was any of his business but you can't help being curious about your friends and their happiness. Yes. That worked. This was in no way an unseemly curiosity. Did they... use beds?
Raven made an acquiescent half-shrug. "Okay. That's true. What about..." she trailed off, thinking. She was dangerously close to being forced to admit he was right. "Group activities don't count?" He shook his head. "OK, if you insist, we've only been on two dates."
"Two dates in four months," he said plaintively. "I feel I'm being taken for granted."
"I gotta say," Cyborg interjected, "two dates in four months is not impressive."
"Oh, no," Raven replied sarcastically, "What will we do? We only became a couple in order to impress you. We worry about it constantly."
"Good. You two clearly can't be trusted on your own," Cyborg said. "You better step it up. You're dropping the ball and I got a biannual performance review planned."
Raven rolled her eyes and very deliberately picked her book back up. Beast Boy opted to just ignore it. Starfire had walked into the room in time to hear Cyborg's remark and asked "What are we reviewing biannually?" she asked.
"Mine and Rae's relationship apparently," Beast Boy said, becoming a bit annoyed now.
Starfire looked confused "Would a biannual review not be for two more months?" Raven tried her best to hide her annoyance and exasperation. She failed. "Also, they have been out on a real date only twice and that would make for a very poor review." For once, the powerful, beautiful, innocent alien contrived to look just a little too innocent. Cyborg enjoyed a belly laugh, Starfire covered her mouth and tried not to giggle. Beast Boy grinned despite himself and Raven again tried to mask her response and failed.
Now it was Robin who came in and inserted himself into the conversation. He leapt gracefully over the back of the couch and landed neatly, his laptop under his arm. "What's funny?" he asked.
"Apparently, Gar and I," Raven said acidly.
Robin's eyebrows went up but he didn't respond. Cyborg spoke up hesitantly. "I'd say that's a radical interpretation of the subtext."
Raven stood abruptly and spoke to the room in general. "I'm sorry. No one has said anything out of line. I'm just having a bad day. Excuse me." She left the room amidst quick apologies from Cyborg and Starfire acknowledged with a tiny wave. As she passed Beast Boy, he raised one hand from where he lay and she took it quickly, releasing it as she passed. It was really more of a handshake than anything else but it was as public as their displays of affection got.
Starfire watched her go, concerned that they had upset her. Robin opened his laptop and began working intently. Cyborg watched Beast Boy. The younger hero had smiled up at her as she took his hand in passing and then relaxed with every sign of unconcern. "Not going after her?" he asked.
"Nah, not yet." Beast Boy said. "Something's bugging her but it isn't you guys kidding her. I'll let her get the edge off and then I'll talk to her."
Cyborg considered his friend and made just a little adjustment in how he thought of Beast Boy and of his two friends as a couple. "I take it back. You guys are just fine."
"I'm aware," Beast Boy said, not without some asperity.
A bit less than an hour later, Gar stepped into Rae's room. She came out of her meditations and settled onto the bed. "Are they upset?"
"Of course not." He stepped towards her and they exchanged a quick hug. He sat on the bed near her. "So, he said, "It seemed to me there was more going on then the obvious."
Rae nodded and sighed. "There was more." He started to speak but she knew very well it was going to be some variant on "If you want to talk, I'm here and if not that's OK" so she forestalled him. "It's just..." she hesitated, formulating her words and he waited silently. "You were talking about us having only been on two dates. After two comes three and you know what the romantic comedy, bad sitcom trope about third dates is."
"Oh," he said, sounding distressed. "Rae, I hope you know I didn't mean it like that."
"I knew. You would never be so cavalier." She hesitated and actually opened her mouth and shut it. Gar waited. She shook her head and chuckled ruefully. "There is no way to say this without sounding either maudlin or stupid." Rae reached towards him and he moved to hold her. She settled comfortably with her back to him. "I think it would be nice if we did go on a third date," she said softly. "A real third date." His eyes opened wide enough that had they been in nearly any other situation she would have laughed. "Gar... that B&B actually was really nice."
He nodded slowly, letting her words and their implications sink in. "Yeah," he said quietly. "It was." They shared a slow, sweet smile and Gar waited to see what she would do. Rae could be hard to predict and he had quickly learned that when she was like this, it was best to let her have her head. It was just as likely that she would need to pull back and meditate as anything else. She turned in his arms and touched his face. She wanted to say something but felt flustered and embarrassed. It bothered her that she still felt that way with him sometimes. He leaned in, sliding his hand into her hair and kissing her. They separated after a long, wonderful moment.
"I like your hair," he said, amusement in his voice. That got an honest smile out of her. "I have for a while."
"You're weird," Rae said fondly. She had quickly realized exactly how much he liked her hair and while she would never say anything and embarrass him, it privately both amused and pleased her... mostly the former. Since they became a couple, she had let her sensible, short bob begin to grow out.
They kissed again, resting their faces very close together on her pillow. "Am not," he whispered. His hand settled on her hip and began moving slightly, stroking her side and back. She smiled her barely-there smile and he pulled her in close.