Thorns

-o-

Garfield tapped his fingers along the wood of his worn kitchen table, practically flopping down into the seat as he stared out the window. The sun was just barely peeking through the trees, letting little streams, of golden, slanted light slip through the leaves and onto the earth below. His flowerbeds seemed to light up with excitement of a new day, and his morning glories began to yawn and stretch and open their petals.

His eyes flicked up and down the little, quiet street, taking in the early morning sight. A few of his neighbors were out this morning - Dick and Kory walking with their new baby girl, and Victor was walking Megabyte, his enormous wolfhound - but none of them were the culprit, Garfield knew that much at least. Letting go of a long, deep breath, he took a big gulp of his coffee and settled back into his chair. Today had to be the day. He was determined to find out who had been pilfering his plants all spring.

Once or twice wasn't such a bad thing, but now Garfield noticed a few of his roses were missing and he worked too hard on getting those stupid things to bloom. If this person wanted to steal his precious flowers from right under his nose, then he was going to put up a fight. He was ready to defend his flower bed any day of the week, no matter what it took.

Garfield took another long drink, drenching himself in the smell of fresh coffee and the toast he had made for breakfast. He felt like a sniper, laying in wait for his target. He was going to catch the little thief and make them pay dearly. He snorted and rolled his eyes at his own thoughts. Okay, maybe he wouldn't make them "pay dearly", but at least he would give them a stern talking to and remind them that his flowers were not public property.

He gulped down the rest of his coffee and waited patiently, watching the street with rapt attention.

Minutes slid by in strained, patient silence, until… there.

Garfield practically lept from his spot at the table, hands tightening against the bright yellow porcelain of his coffee mug. He pressed his face against the window and watched as the small, petite form paused outside his fence. It must have been a she. Maybe. He couldn't really tell. The figure was hidden by an oversized blue hoodie, shielding her face and eyes from his stare. He could see a pair of too-soft lips, a little scar near her chin, and that was all.

Garfield felt strange, her nerves suddenly buzzing and his head spinning as he stood perfectly still, watching her as she stared at his flowers. He wasn't sure what was drawing him to her, whether it was the fascination that someone would actually steal flowers from his own yard, or the fact that there was something almost somber in her demeanor. She didn't walk as if she had a kind of cocky confidence at her theft, but moved as if there was something weighing her down. It looked as if the entire world sat perched on her shoulders and she didn't know how to shake it off.

His heart twisted a little at that thought, and Garfield could feel a bubble of remorse rise into his chest. Maybe letting her have a few flowers wasn't such a big deal. But did she have to go for the roses every time? He licked a few drops of coffee from his lips and watched with bated breath as she looked around. Well, that was a good sign, at least it meant that she had some kind of remorse for what she was about to do.

He watched as she pulled a pale hand from the pocket of her sweatshirt, her hand reaching out to a pale, white rose. Garfield's fingers twitched and he clenched his jaw shut, fighting against the sudden war inside himself. Did he stop her? Did he try and keep her from ruining his prized flower bed? A soft groan rumbled inside his chest and he watched as she pulled a small pocket knife from her jeans, raising it to the stem of the rose.

Garfield sighed. Yes, he had to stop her. It was the right thing to do. He walked to his front door and threw it open, watching as she picked up her head in surprise. A soft, shocked gasp escaped her lips, and Garfield walked up his short, front path to where the woman stood, her hand still wrapped tightly around the flower. He saw her swallow nervously, and her deep blue eyes flicked up to meet his own, lips trembling in surprise. She had been caught red-handed and there was nothing she could do to talk her way out of it.

So, they just stood there in silence for a good minute. And it was the most awkward minute of Garfield's life.

Her mouth opened, and soft breath and half-apology started to tumble out. "I'm-"

"Look," Garfield sighed and rubbed his hand over his face, cutting her off before she launched into an apology he wasn't sure if he wanted to hear anymore. "I'd be fine with you sneaking away the pansies, even the gladiolas, but do you have to pick the roses? Out of every flower in my garden, the roses? I mean, I spend a lot of time making them bloom. It's not easy keeping them happy in this spot you know."

"I… didn't know."

Her voice sounded like a hymn of broken bells and Garfield found his chest tightening at the sound. His stomach twisted and he wanted to hear that sound again, if only for a few minutes. Without fully realizing what he was doing, his eyes darted down to her left hand, still wrapped around the stem of the rose, and looked for a wedding ring. Naked. Well, that was a plus he supposed.

Wait. What was he thinking? He hadn't even met the girl yet!

"Yeah." He nodded, trying to shake the thought of her from his mind. "They don't like this spot, but they look nice here… so I work very hard at making them grow right." He leaned forward, resting his arms on the white, picket fence. She shifted her weight, glancing away from him for a second before looking back. A second skipped by and he stepped closer to her, leaning against one of the slats and looking into her endless blue eyes. He could get lost in those eyes.

Wait. Focus, Garfield. He needed to focus. Keep the conversation moving and don't look like a complete idiot.

"Anyway, he better be cute." He paused for a moment, and pushed his hair out of his eyes. Was it him or was it suddenly getting very hot outside? Oh god, he hoped he wasn't blushing. He would feel like a complete doofus if he was blushing. Garfield forced another awkward smile. "Or she. Whatever happens to float your boat. I'm not here to judge."

"W-who better be cute?"

Her hands tightened on the pilfered roses to the point where the thorns bit into the palm of her hand, cutting open tender skin. He tried not to pay attention to it, it was her own fault anyway, but something strange and protective seemed to twist and turn inside him. She was so small and little and he just wanted to keep her safe… Oh, god. That sounded so… dumb. He let go of a quick breath of air and his nostrils flared just a little as he tried to keep a handle on his emotions.

"Whoever you're bringing those flowers for, miss…?"

"Raven." Her voice skipped a bit, eyes never leaving his face. "My name is Raven."

Raven. He rolled the name around on his tongue for a moment, tasting it. It was like dark chocolate and secrets and shadows, and his heart sputtered again. He cleared his throat and nodded.

"Alright, Raven. I'm Garfield." He held out his hand for her, waiting patiently until she slipped her slender fingers into his palm. She seemed so delicate and breakable, and he found himself wondering how she had managed to survive without someone protecting her all her life. And why wasn't he the one that protected her? He gave her a bright smile and leaned over the fence again, pushing those thought back to the dark corner of his mind where they belonged. "Whoever you're bringing those flowers for better be worth the attentions of a pretty girl like you."

He really was an idiot.

Raven flushed again and took a step back, her eyes widening. Shit. Shitshitshitshit. He could safe himself from this snafu, he just had to think for a moment. "Erm… sorry. I didn't mean to seem weird or anything, it's just… you know, I put a lot of work into growing those flowers. I just want to make sure they're being put to good use."

"T-they are." Her voice skipped again. "I promise."

Whew. Okay, she might have thought he was weird, but at least she was still talking to him. That was a plus. Garfield smiled again, his expression softening as he opened the gate to his little garden. He saw Raven's own eyes dart down to his left hand, and his practically leapt from his chest. Was she checking out his marital status? Oh god. Was she single? No. No. Couldn't be single. She hadn't denied that the reason she was stealing his flowers was to give to someone else. Of course, she hadn't confirmed it either. So… what should he do? Just get her to say it outright?

Garfield blurted out the question before he could stop himself. "Mind if I tag along?"

Raven blinked, her expression a mixture of shock and surprise. She tried to say something, but nothing seemed to come out, and Garfield was left scrambling to try and save his face.

"You know, to make sure he's cute." He paused again and forced what he knew was an incredibly awkward smile. "Or she… like I said, I'm not here to judge, Raven."

Her hands tightened even more over the roses, and she took a step back, trying to walk farther down the sidewalk and away from him. Her steps weren't rushed as if she was trying to get away, but slow and tentative, as if she had an appointment to keep. Garfield questioned himself for a moment, trying to weigh the options of following her versus not following her. On one hand it was kind of creepy to just walk with her to her date, and on the other hand… well… look at her. She was beautiful and so small and delicate. What in the world was he supposed to do? He knew the answer to that. Ultimately, following her won out, and he walked behind her, doing his best to keep a respectable distance.

Raven pulled the hood of her sweatshirt over her head, as if trying to shield herself from him. Her shoulders hunched again and she held the few roses she had taken close to her, as if they were precious. Well, at least she was treating them with respect. They were obviously important to her, and that was something.

Garfield tried not to dwell on the silence too much and he found himself desperate to fill it. "So… what's their name? The person you're bringing the flowers for. They've got to have a name, right?"

Raven glanced over her shoulder and took a shaky breath. "A-arella."

Dang it. She did have someone. Well, at least he could spend these next few minutes with her.

"Ah, okay. A she. Pretty name." He shoved his hands in his pockets and tilted his head to the side, still watching her back as she moved down the sidewalk. "And how long have you known her?"

Raven fidgeted and looked ahead, choosing not to look back at him again. "My whole life." Pause. "She's my mother."

"Oh."

Okay! Now we're getting somewhere!

"So, you bring flowers to your mother?"

"As often as I can…" She paused and shuffled, her fingers fidgeting with the torn hem of her sweatshirt. "I know that taking your flowers is wrong, Garfield, but I have to admit that they are the nicest ones I've ever seen, nicer than anything I can buy."

Garfield thought his chest might explode with pride, and he grinned at the back of her head, waiting for her to continue.

"And, I'm ashamed to admit… I… don't exactly have a lot of money to spend on flowers for her." There was a secret hiding between her words, but she kept it locked tightly in her heart and just out of the light. "But, my mother does deserve them." Pause. "I am sorry."

Garfield blinked, his curiosity piquing again, but this time he chose not to pry. He wanted to know more about her, that much was clear. She was, after all, one of the most interesting people he'd had the chance to meet in a while, but he didn't want to press too hard against her barriers. If she was cautious towards him, there was a reason and he should choose to respect it. He let the silence fall over them and after a few minutes, Raven stopped in front of the cemetery, her hands now pricked with blood from the thorns of the roses.

"W-why are we here?" He looked down at her, eyes wide as he realized what was happening.

Her mother…

"I… I'm here to give your beautiful flowers to my mother," Raven whispered, not meeting his stare. "This is… where she's rested."

…was dead.

"O-oh…"

I am not a hundred percent sure if I am going to continue this, but I have been sitting on this AU for like... EVER, and wanted to get it out. I'm on the fence about where it goes from here, but I do like it, so there is that. Anyway, thanks for putting up with me, and thanks for being awesome.