A/N: I apologize for the atrocious edit before. I just realized how bad it was. So here is a re-edited version! And there's also the original story this was based off of (Coffee Shop). Anyway I am continuing Masks and hopefully a chapter will be out soon. But for now please Read and Review, but most importantly ENJOY!
Disclaimer: It's probably a good thing that I don't own Teen Titans.
White. Garfield Logan was surrounded by it. The walls around him, the glaring cloudy sky, and the white bed across from him. He use to like that color, especially on her but now it was beginning to become a repulsive color. Garfield looked at the white tiled floor, head held in his hands. It was comforting to see the physical floor when the ground of his life was slipping away from him. Garfield couldn't, no, he didn't want to think about that. But what else could he think about. He sat up and ran his hands through his light green hair. Garfield laughed quietly. She always liked how he did those little weird things like always making sure his light blonde hair was a random neon color. But she always favored green. She said it matched his forest green eyes. But now both his eyes and hair were faded. Maybe now wouldn't hurt so much if the memories of her were faded too. He looked at his watch.
12:15 June 15, 2014
Exactly a year from now. Garfield laughed quietly again. "I remembered how we got together. It was so unique. Just like you."
Garfield started putting in the last customer's order. When he saw someone come to the register in the corner of his eye. "Hi, how may I help you? Oh it's you, Rachel. The usual, mama?" Garfield smirked. In front of him stood a woman with glossy black chin length in a black tank top with a blue hoodie, and skinny jeans that, Garfield noted, made Rachel's butt look great. A pale heart shaped face with big almond indigo eyes.
"Black coffee." Her monotone voice was a smooth and was a siren's song to Garfield.
"Coming right up sweetness." Garfield winked at Rachel and turns around trying to pouring coffee like he's James Bond, but he just ended up spilling it. Rachel stifled a giggle.
Garfield didn't know it at the time but Rachel thought Garfield was hilarious but Rachel was a girl that had a hard time showing her emotions because of her abusive father she ran away from. Luckily the police arrested him soon after. When she told Garfield this he understood that Rachel learned that emotions weren't safe. But Garfield was nothing but emotions, yet he was safe. There was also the situation with Mal. He was Rachel's ex-boyfriend but Garfield knew something was up with him. Garfield told Rachel what he thought about Mal, but Rachel just pushed it off as meaningless advice. But Garfield was right, Mal wanted a chase, a challenge. He wanted to break her. Well, Victor broke his nose and Richard broke his bank account. Garfield on the other hand stayed with her. He assured her that she wasn't alone. She told him that was the night she knew he was a possible love interest in her life, but he was her friend. She didn't want to ruin that so she tried not to think about him in that way. But with his wavy sandy locks, forest green eyes, and surfer body, he was in one word, hot. His dorky personality helped attract people to him like a moth to a flame. She didn't have a chance. She fell hard, but she didn't know what to do now.
Garfield had cleaned up the mess and was turning around dramatically to give Rachel her coffee. Rachel composed herself as he did this.
"One venti black for the angel of darkness herself." Garfield winked at Rachel as he gave her the coffee. Rachel just nodded and turned around. Garfield didn't like that. That pun was comedy gold! He jumped over the counter and lightly grabbed her arm.
"Come on Rae, that was good one. Right?" Garfield let her go waiting for her reaction with a small pout on his face. Rachel didn't know what to say.
She liked it when Garfield called her angel of darkness, seeing as that was her favorite song.
Beast Boy could see that Rachel realized that he knew her. Rachel panicked, and when she panicked she went to her default, anger.
Rachel turned around and gave Garfield a seething glare. "Do NOT call me Rae. And shouldn't you be getting back to work?" Rachel spat at Garfield. Rachel swiftly turned around and walked back to her well lit corner, by the window of the shop. Garfield stood in his place looking at her in sadness and sighed.
"One day I'm going to make you smile." He said determinedly. Victor rolled his eyes at his friend and coworker's antics. He stood in the kitchen making the pastries and other food. He watched for the millionth time, his little bud and sis dance around each other.
"Maybe one day two will stop dancing around each other and get straight to the point." Victor mumbled.
"What?" Garfield asked. Garfield turned around to see what Victor, his best friend and chef, was talking about.
"You know you've been pining for this girl for about a year. Even when you dated Terra a couple months ago. Why don't you just ask her out?" Victor cried.
"Well at least we aren't like Rich and Kori. He liked her for about three years before asking her out. actually more like he couldn't get the stupid stick up his butt out." Garfield nervously chuckled. Victor saw how Garfield tried to change the subject and just shook his head.
It did take a while for Richard and Kori to get together, but it took longer for Rachel to open up. She probably never would have if it weren't for Garfield being so, outgoing and persistent, she probably would have never opened up in the first place. That's when he and everyone else saw that the two didn't just like each other, they were made for each other.
"Hello, friends!" Kori and Richard entered the shop that was now mostly empty except for Victor, Garfield, and Rachel.
"Guys." Richard's solemn greeting toned down Kori's but that was how they were. They balanced each other out.
"It's good to see you all here! Friend Rachel, have you been here all day again?" Kori asked kindly. Kori was a foreign exchange student from a small town in Africa called Tamera. She never truly got the concept of the English language.
"Yes, Kori. I'm always here on Thursdays and yes I did get something to eat." Rachel said offhandedly. Victor pointed to Garfield telling Rich and Kori that Garfield used his free food pass for Rachel, again. But Rich, being true to his nickname, Dick, liked to play with Garfield.
"So the food was on the house, again?" Rich said mockingly. Raven just rolled her eyes at him, missing the real point and victim of his joke.
"Well not all of us are rich, Dick." Garfield growled. He hated it when Richard pushed him . He wasn't subtle, at all. Kori and Richard went to a separate table near the counter. Probably to tease Garfield some more.
"But you know he's right Gar." Victor said quietly. Garfield looked at Victor like he just yelled from a bullhorn.
"Yes, friend Garfield. You cannot know how Rachel feels for you if you never ask." Kori said softly. Garfield looked over at Rachel. She was drawing in her sketchbook again. He never knew what lay in that sketchbook. Just like he would never truly know what lies beneath the tough exterior Rachel puts on, but he desperately wanted to know both. He took a deep sigh. After Terra was caught cheating on him with Richard's rival businessman Slade Wilson, Garfield was a little hesitant about pursuing Rachel. But he knew that she would never do something like that to him, but he didn't want to fall on solid ground again. He loved Rachel, but he didn't know if he could take her not loving him back.
"You might have her already." Now Richard was one of the best businessman in Jump City. Garfield couldn't understand why he would say something so ridiculous. He looked at Richard who just shrugged. But then Garfield thought about it, Rachel and him started out with a love-hate relationship but now they were friends. Maybe just maybe he would try. Garfield started to go to Rachel, their friends behind him holding their breath. He walked toward Rachel slowly, he was trying to figure out the best way to ask her out, but he stumbled on a chair. Rachel looked up at him and Garfield looked at her. Each of them drowning in the fears and possibilities of something as dynamic as them, together. They were both hurt and scared, but Garfield loved Rachel, and seeing her gentle eyes that were more beautiful than the night sky showed him all that he would lose if he didn't take the next step. Garfield straightened himself up, breaking their stare, and opened his mouth to say something. But before he could Rachel looked down and ran past him to the back of the shop. Garfield just stood dumbfounded. He could've sworn that there was a blush on Rachel's cheeks but she had ran too fast for him to even register why she ran. He looked at the table where Rachel sat.
"Dude, you can still-" Garfield held a hand for Victor to be quiet. On the table was Rachel's sketchbook. She never left it lying out for just anyone to see. This was for him. He knew it. He picked up the dark blue cover and the first thing he noticed was that the only thing on the cover was the raven he drew on it when they first met. He opened up the sketchbook. In it were pictures of the their friends but most of them were of him. He realized that she watched him as much as he watched her. In the back of the book was a note in her elegant handwriting.
"You know what to do." This was her invite. With a new confident determination Garfield went straight to the break room. When he was in front of the door he took a deep breath.
Garfield took a deep breath and stood up.
Rachel's back was facing him. But he knew by the way she tensed that she knew he was there.
Even though her eyes were closed, he knew she could feel him. She was special like that.
He walked slowly towards her, in fear that she would run away from him, from their future.
Garfield walked slowly toward Rachel's prone form, he was afraid to face the present.
He touched her warm hand lightly and said, "Hi." His voice was unnaturally husky.
He put his hand on top of her cold one. He couldn't say the truth so he decided to repeat the past, hoping that whatever spak was left from that memory would animate her. "Hi." It probably would've worked if his voice wasn't so unnaturally empty.
Rachel turned around. Her big indigo eyes brimming with tears. "Garfield, I'm scared. What if-"
"I'm scared Rae." Garfield muttered sadly.
"There's no what if's that we can't get through together Rae." Garfield said determinedly.
What if you leave me? What if you were taken from me? Garfield thought bitterly.
"Then you're promising me that we'll be together through thick and thin, better or worse, sickness and health, past, present, and future?" Rachel asked seriously.
"Can you promise me that Rachel?" Garfield asked harshly.
"I do." Garfield smirked but he hoped that Rachel could feel the sincerity in his voice and bright green eyes.
Garfield looked at his reflection in the metal bar-rails on Rachel's bed. His eyes were the dark forest green they always were, but they were vacant and distant.
Garfield looked at Rachel's plump lips. He wanted to kiss her badly. He didn't know who made the first move but all of the sudden they were doing just that, kissing. The years of fighting and caring were summed up into a mere seconds. Garfield pulled her closer to him. In that moment she was a necessity, more important than air. She tasted like tea and the cinnamon muffin she ate. The smell of vanilla and lavender filled his nose. They separated to take a breath. Garfield enjoyed looking at her ample succulent lips panting for breath and her silky hair wild from him running his fingers through it. But the best was her eyes. They were a dark obsidian color, full of lust, passion, want, and love, for HIM. Garfield knew Rachel was beautiful, but he never knew that she could be this phenomenal. All he could say was, "I love you."
Garfield stared at Rachel's battered body. Her paper pale skin, littered with bruises and scars. One of those bruises was intent on letting her never open her shining eyes. People said it was just an accident. The driver was drunk, he could have never stopped their car from flipping, he was blessed to survive. Garfield was always blessed to survive. He survived his parents' accident that cost them their life, his foster family's accident that almost claimed their live (he left without a scratch), Terra's accident that cost her, her memories, and now Rachel. Garfield hopes to never be blessed again.
"Why did you give her to me just to take her away?" Garfield yelled. "I know she's your angel God but she's my angel too! I need he!" Garfield was furious. All he wanted in his life was love. He finally found that someone who was made for him. Now it won't be the future just memories. Garfield looked at Rachel. She was also a survivor, but what if she didn't need to survive, what if she needed peace. If she needed that then he needed to let her go instead of chase her. He looked at his beautiful angel one last time. She was just as phenomenal as she was that day.
"God, she needs you this time not me. Take care of her." Garfield pressed his lips tenderly on Rachel's lips. Her smell was faded but she still tasted sweet. "I love you Rachel Raven Roth." Tears flooded Garfield's eyes as he heard the life monitor flatlining.