One
Knock. Knock.
"Go away. I'm fine," Raven murmured from her spot on the bed. She sat cross-legged, her hands on her knees and her eyes closed, chanting her mantra quietly in an attempt to pacify the turmoil of emotions inside her head. Though she had only whispered the words to the intruder outside her door, she knew his enhanced hearing allowed her words to echo loudly and clearly to his ears. After all, there was only one person who regularly checked up on her following an incident like that.
"Raven, please open the door," Changeling pleaded lowly from outside. She heard a quiet thump on the metallic frame, most likely signifying he had thudded his forehead on the door like he usually did when he wanted to come in. "I know you're not okay. Please, can we talk?"
"There's nothing to talk about Garfield. I'm fine. Just leave me alone," Raven insisted, her voice stern and her eyes shut tightly.
"You know I'm going to come in anyways, so could you at least open the door and save me the trouble of shifting?" he questioned.
Raven sighed, fully aware that he wasn't bluffing as he had done it before. She didn't bother shifting from her spot and instead used her abilities to open the door. She heard him approach her silently as if he were afraid she would snap at him at a moment's notice. His aura emitted gentle waves of concern and affection that enveloped her heart and warmed her soul. She didn't open her eyes to gaze at him—she knew if she did, she would succumb to the shameful sentiments hidden beneath the surface.
The bed slumped when he took a seat, and she could sense his tender warmth beside her, tempting her to give into his embrace and release her troubled emotions once and for all. But she refused.
The room was quiet, and she could only hear the soft hum of the air conditioner appeasing her surroundings. When he broke the deafening silence, the words he uttered were entirely unexpected.
"Did you know ravens were often culturally depicted as evil in the past?"
"What?" she asked, her eyebrows furrowing in confusion but her eyes remaining shut.
"Ravens," Changeling stated like the topic was entirely obvious. "They were often seen as omens. Take for instance, in Celtic mythology, they were associated with the goddess of battle and war or in Welsh myths where they were depicted as harbingers of death. A lot of European cultures also viewed them as pure evil."
Raven wasn't exactly sure of how to reply to that, so she simply let out a low "Oh."
"But I don't believe that, and you shouldn't either," he continued.
"Huh?" she stammered.
"The words those people called you today… They're not true. You know they're not true," he stated.
Raven finally opened her eyes and regarded him with a puzzled gaze, "How do you know that? I am the daughter…"
"Of a demon. We all know that, Rae. Dick knows it. Kory knows it. Vic knows it. Hell, even Batman does! But do you think we see you as an evil witch?" Changeling posed.
"... The woman who said it…" Raven began, her gaze directed to the floor. "The woman I saved. She was terrified of me… There was no malignity in her tone like there usually is in the people who call me that. She really believed I was evil. That I was going to hurt her and her daughter… That I was…" her voice dissipated, and she swallowed the lump in her throat to prevent herself from letting go.
"Rae, you don't have to listen to them. They're wrong. They don't know about the countless times you've sacrificed yourself for this city. They don't know about the unspeakable horrors Trigon put you through," Garfield placed a finger under his girlfriend's chin and gently directed her eyes towards his own. "Don't believe them, Rae. If anything, you're more of an angel than you are a demon."
Raven gave him a small smile, and she let herself be consumed by his aura of undeniable devotion, profound adoration, and most of all, unadulterated love. Garfield wrapped his arms around her delicate frame and pulled her into an intense embrace as if they were the last people stranded in a post-apocalyptic earth.
"You know, some Native American tribes also considered the raven to be the gifters of sunlight to mankind..." Changeling smiled as he buried his head inside his girlfriend's locks.
"And I consider you my gift of sunlight too."
Two
"Thank all the Dark Gods, you are mine!"
"NO!" she jolted awake with an echoing shriek.
"What's wrong?" Garfield jerked up and turned to her in one swift motion. "What happened?" he exclaimed with worried eyes.
"I-" Raven clutched the bedsheets tightly, adrenaline pumping through her veins, her whole body trembling, and her breaths coming out in short pants. Her eyes surveyed the room distrustfully.
Empty.
"I had a bad dream…" she stuttered. "That's all."
She lied back on the bed and watched the ceiling with wide eyes. Trigon's words blared inside her mind like an echo chamber. Garfield enveloped her waist with one arm and pulled her tightly against his heated torso.
"Nightmare?" he asked after her breathing returned to normal.
"Trigon…" she whispered, fear still evident in her tone.
"You know he's gone," Garfield reassured her.
Raven nodded, "I know, but his influence… His nightmares… They've never really gone away. He'll always be with me."
Garfield considered her words carefully before replying, "He might always be inside your nightmares, but you know you'll always have me here to console you after you wake up. I'll always be here too."
Raven shifted to face him and wrapped her arms around him before burying her face into his chest, "I know that too."
"You want to learn another fact about ravens?"
"What?"
"Wolves and ravens have a special friendship. Wolves share some of their prey with ravens while ravens help them identify nearby threats at a kill site. They always look out for each other," he rubbed her back consolingly. "And you know I'll always look out for you when you're having a nightmare because I love you, and I'm never letting you go."
Raven smiled, and she suddenly felt the changeling shift beside her—his skin growing a thick coat of green fur and his frame bulking up. The wolf turned to its side and nuzzled into her, transferring the fervent warmth of its body and letting her envelop herself into its coat like a gigantic fluffy pillow.
"I'm never letting you go either," she whispered the words into its pelt before descending into a deep and comfortable slumber.
Three
"Come on Rae! Are you going to join us? You'll enjoy yourself! I promise!" Changeling insisted, letting himself fall to his knees and clapping his hands together as if he were praying. "Please!"
Raven rolled her eyes and slammed her book shut, "I said I don't want to Gar. I thought you were over this childish phase of pleading for me to do stuff with you."
Garfield feigned offense, "It's not childish for me to try to include you into a group activity!"
"I'd hardly classify this as a group activity. Plus, you know I'm not fond of being out in the smoking sun swimming. Isn't it enough that I'm sitting out here?" Raven responded in a rather irritated tone.
Garfield pouted and crawled under the umbrella next to her. He lied on his back and stared at her with puppy eyes, "Pleeeeeaaaase?" he begged.
Raven sighed and pressed a hand to her temple. "Azar, you are irritating," she muttered. Then, she got up and crossed her arms, watching him expectantly. "Well? Are you going to lead the way?"
Changeling abruptly perked up and jumped to his feet. He grabbed his girlfriend's hand and pulled her towards the water where Kory was insistent on playing Marco-Polo with Dick, Victor, and Donna.
"Woah, you actually managed to convince her?" Dick uttered as the two lovebirds joined them at the shore.
"You owe me a twenty Vic," Donna grinned in a sly manner while Victor simply groaned.
"Really, Rae? You had to agree with the green bean precisely today? You rarely come over any other time!" he pouted.
Garfield waved his hand, "It's part of my charm."
Raven huffed and crossed her arms, "He wouldn't let me read through his exaggerated begging."
Kory giggled and brought Raven into an embrace, "We shall play Marco-Polo to celebrate!"
"Kory, I told you Marco-Polo is a kid's game," Donna repeated. "Though I guess now that Raven's over here, we might as well play."
"Oh, X'Hal! How joyous of an occasion!" Kory jumped around and splashed the water at her feet. "Let us go!" she gripped Raven's wrist and dragged her into the water.
After a few hours of playing in the water, the sun began to set in the horizon.
"We should start heading back to the tower," Dick pointed out.
"Aw! One more game, I have a great idea!" Garfield submerged himself into the water.
Raven began to follow the others to shore, but she stopped short when she felt something latch to her legs. "Azar!" she exclaimed before Garfield rose from underneath her and lifted her on his shoulders.
"Chicken fight!" Garfield shouted loudly.
Kory clapped her hands excitedly and jumped on her boyfriend's back. Dick's eyes widened as he realized what was happening. Meanwhile, Donna and Vic simply shook their heads in amusement and headed towards shore together.
"Let me down!" Raven exclaimed.
"Not until we play one round!" Garfield smirked.
"I don't want to play your stupid water games!" she proclaimed.
Kory seemed to dismiss Raven's exclamations as she excitedly began to wave her arms around in an attempt to knock her down while Dick struggled to keep her from falling off his shoulders. Raven had no option but to comply with the game.
Eventually, Garfield tripped back on a hidden rock under the water and otherwise caused Raven to plunge into the water with a loud splash.
Kory exclaimed in victory and flew off her boyfriend's shoulders.
"Well that was certainly something," Dick declared as Raven ascended from the water, admittedly amused. "But we have to head back before it gets dark."
"Oh!" Kory abruptly yelped. "We must not be late for the programming of the true wives in their homes!" Then, she grabbed Dick and pulled him towards the shoreline, leaving Raven and the changeling alone.
"I can't believe you made me go through that," Raven snarled at her boyfriend who simply floated relaxingly in the water.
Garfield grinned and placed his hands behind the back of his head, further aggravating Raven, "Relax Raven, you should be more like your counterparts."
"Say what?"
"Your counterparts. You know, the birds? Did you know ravens are actually extremely playful birds?"
"I'm starting to think you're making up all of these facts up for the sake of your being. Where did you even get them from?" she crossed her arms and scrutinized him with a suspicious glare.
He snicked and replied, "National Geographic, duh. And no, they're not made-up facts. Ravens are natural pranksters and they love to mess around. That's why they were often depicted as tricksters by Native American tribes. Some of them even make toys!"
"How interesting," Raven answered with a poker face and her signature sarcastic tone. "Now let's go."
Changeling captured her in his arms before she could walk away, "Don't go yet, Rae! You know what else they like to do?"
"What?" Raven grumbled.
Changeling pushed his lips onto her own and gripped the sides of her waist to pull her closer. Though she was stunned at first, Raven gave into the kiss and buried her hands into his messy and damp green hair. She wrapped her legs around his waist and allowed her tongue to explore the inside of his mouth the moment his lips parted. Changeling let his hands drift across her body eagerly and began to stroll towards the shore.
Alas, the moment was interrupted as Garfield, once again, tripped forward on the same rock and sent them tumbling into the water. Raven reemerged to see Changeling in what appeared to be the middle of a laughing attack. She only glared at him.
"Always ruining the moment…" she muttered.
"Aw, don't worry, Rae," Garfield placed his hands on either side of her waist. "How about we just continue in your room?"
Raven frowned at him before rolling her eyes. She let the dark aura of her soul-self indulge them before teleporting them to her room to further resume their playful activities.
Four
"Ready?" Garfield poked his head inside Raven's room which was now full with boxes and exceedingly empty.
"Not really…" Raven admitted as she stared at what used to be her overtly dark bedroom. She gripped the side of her bedstand and pursed her lips nervously.
"What's up?" Garfield stepped beside her.
Raven shrugged and turned to look at him, "Aren't you… Nervous?"
"For..?"
"You know…" she regarded her bedroom with a saddened glance. "We've lived here for almost a decade now. This place has been our home for so long, and we found a family here. And now… We're leaving, with no idea what the future has in store for us… It makes me feel scared," she confessed, her eyesight descending to the ground.
Garfield sighed, "I know what you mean. It's been my home for so long too, but life has to go on, you know? We haven't been the Teen Titans for a while now, and we've run our course as the Titans. It's time to let others take the mantle. Cassie, Conner, Rose, M'gann… Everyone else who's moving in next week… It's soon going to become their home, and they're going to learn everything we did. It was going to happen eventually."
"I know, but it doesn't mean it doesn't hurt. With Cyborg joining the justice league, Nightwing going solo, and Starfire going back to Tamaran… It's like everything's falling apart."
"Or it's falling into place," Garfield corrected. He placed his hands on his girlfriend's shoulders and massaged them gently. "You know, ravens are adaptable creatures."
"I don't think this is really the time-"
"They can live in a variety of environments. From snow to mountains to forests to even the desert. Their diet allows them to scavenge for anything from meat to fruit to garbage. They also don't have too many predators, and they often experience long lives," Garfield explained. "So, I think you'll be okay, Rae. I think we'll both be okay. As long as we're together..." he pulled her into his grasp.
"We'll always be okay."
Five
"Okay, you can open your eyes now!" Garfield delightfully exclaimed.
"I can't open my eyes when your hands are covering them…" Raven deadpanned.
"Oh!" Garfield chuckled awkwardly and removed his hands. "Sorry about that."
Raven's eyes widened as they explored the inside of their new condo. "Gar…" she murmured as she ambled around the room examining every detail. The color of the sofas and seats was a mix of grays and blacks. The walls were painted a pale gray and adorned with beautiful scenery of natural landscapes. The furniture was neither modern nor antique, just in the middle. However, what really caught her eye was the two portraits set atop the corner desk.
One portrait was a picture of their old days as the Teen Titans with all members (Kory, Dick, Vic, Gar, and her) dressed in their old attires, back when Richard and Garfield still went by Robin and Beast Boy respectfully. They sat on their old curved sofa in the living room watching in excitement (well, everyone but Raven who only had a small smile playing out in her visage) as Garfield blew the candles on his cake during his eighteenth birthday. The picture had been taken by Wally who had been assigned a spot as a temporary titan during a particularly rough hunt for a specific villain (who didn't really matter now).
The second portrait was of Raven and Garfield perched upon a rock in the island that overlooked the city and the ocean. Garfield had his hand above Raven's as they watched the blend of warm colors in the horizon as the sun set into place. That picture had been taken by Victor's robotic eye who had been spying on them from behind a bush (though Garfield had known he was there as he later admitted). It was their first day as boyfriend and girlfriend at the young age of nineteen. Five years ago, she realized.
"It's perfect…" she managed to stutter, her eyes never leaving the picture in front of her.
She could feel Garfield's presence a few inches behind her, his aura revealing a sense of contentment, incitement, affection, and… apprehension..?
Why did he feel so nervous?
"Did you know…" he began, and in an instant, she realized where he was going. Her stomach dropped—not in disappointment nor fear but in undeniable and uncontrollable delight and pure love.
Love for him.
"I know," she interrupted before he could continue. She turned and regarded his bewildered countenance. She stepped forward and pressed her lips to his with a force that could rival Superman's. When she pulled away, he appeared dazed and opened his mouth to continue, but she didn't let him.
"Ravens mate for life," she uttered.
It took a moment for Garfield to process what had just occurred. But when he did, he got down on one knee and pulled out a small black box from his pocket.
"Will you marry me?" he asked.
Raven didn't even answer as she instantly pulled him into another ecstatic kiss.
And at that moment, she didn't feel ashamed of her heritage. She didn't feel fearful of her father's influence. She didn't feel saddened by the team's break-up. She didn't doubt her future.
Raven only indulged in the passionate and intense feeling of her eternal love for Garfield.
The End.
A/N: Hey y'all! I took a break from Broken because this little gold nugget popped into my head, and I just had to write it! The details are mixed between the cartoon and the comics if you guys didn't notice. There are a few easter eggs to certain moments in the comics. Most notably one from back in The Tales of the New Teen Titans and one from my favorite BBRae moment in Johns' run of the Teen Titans Volume 3. I hope you guys liked it. I know I enjoyed writing it a lot! Thank you for reading!
And if you like AUs, check out Broken if you haven't! I promise it's worth your time.