Starfire fixed the cowl on Christopher's head. "There! You are the most adorable!"
Christopher beamed.
"Let us find our friends so we may travel to the party." Starfire scooped him up & flew out of her room to the common room. She set him down on his feet behind the sofa. "Friends?! Where have you gone to?!"
Raven melted up from the floor. "Relax, Starfire. We're here." She carried Charlotte in her arms & Changeling had his wrapped around her waist with his chin on her shoulder.
The common doors opened & a trio walked through. "We're here, too."
Starfire smiled at Bumble Bee's outfit. "What are you supposed to be?"
"A throwback." Bumble Bee grinned. "I'm a dancer from the 70s." She wore shiny yellow hot pants with a silky multi colored shirt with bell sleeves & high heels. Her hair was in an Afro with a matching scarf tied around it & she wore gold hoops in her ears.
"You are most inventive!" Starfire clapped.
"That is some dedication." Changeling put in. He was in a vampire's costume. It basically was a black suit with a two toned cape. He used a chain for the enclosure & lip balm on his mouth so it would be easier to keep open & show off his fangs. His hair was slicked back.
"Who are you supposed to be, Cyborg?" Raven asked. "Sherlock Holmes?"
"Yes!" Cyborg cheered. "I told you people would get it!"
Bumble Bee sucked in a breath & rolled her eyes. "She's smart. She doesn't count."
Cyborg was indeed dressed as Sherlock Holmes with the tweed overcoat, hat & pipe. He even outlined his mechanical optic so it would look like a monocle.
"I think it does." He got a good look at the spell caster & laughed. "You're a witch!"
"I am." Raven figured if people were going to call her a witch, she might as well dress as one. She was wearing a black dress with a short black judge's robe over it. She wore pointed boots & purple striped socks with a witch's hat.
"It's cute, Rae." Bumble Bee smirked. "So's Charlie."
Charlotte waved her arms at being acknowledged. She was wearing a princess dress. It was medieval themed & purple.
"Your highness." Cyborg bowed.
Charlotte pressed her hands to her face in pleasure.
"Is Cal a sailor?" Raven asked.
Bumble Bee turned him so they all could see him. "Yes, he is!"
Calvin wore an infant's version of the classic white uniform worn by the United States navy. He even had on a hat but he kept flicking it.
Bumble Bee looked at Christopher. "Oh my! Are you-?!"
The common doors opened & Kid Flash raced in with Jinx on his back. "Holy crayons, Batman! Someone stole a toy dinosaur!"
Jinx slapped at him as she climbed off him. "Leave him alone! You're too big to tease him!"
"Aww come on! He's Batman!" He continued laughing.
Christopher waved his arms. "I'm Batman!"
Jinx picked him up. "Yes, you are. Don't listen to him. He's a mime."
Which was true. Kid Flash was in black pants & shoes, a black & white striped shirt & black beret. He had white makeup on his face & white gloves on his hands.
Christopher stuck out his tongue at Kid Flash before realizing what Jinx had on. He wrapped his arms around her neck & kissed her bare arm.
Kid Flash stopped laughing instantly. "Hey, little man! Not cool! Keep your lips off my lady!"
"Jealous of a three year old." Cyborg murmured. "Shameful."
"I am-" Kid Flash sighed. "Just stop it, kid."
Christopher leaned his head on her side. "Okay, Uncle Wally."
"Thank you."
Starfire took Christopher back & looked over Jinx. "Are you not sure you are showing enough of the skin?"
Jinx, in a genie's outfit, looked at her. "You're a cheerleader!"
Starfire was wearing a blue & gold cheerleader's outfit with the classic skirt & sweater combo. Her hair was in two ponytails. She even had pompoms. "I am."
"Awesome!"
"It will be a surprise for Nightwing. I have not told him what I nor Christopher were wearing tonight."
"He's going to love that." Bumble Bee muttered.
Changeling snickered. "Where's Terra? We should be going soon."
They were all going to a costume party at Titans East.
At that moment, Terra walked through the doors with Nightwing. She was wearing scrubs & a face mask, indicating that she was a doctor. Nightwing was dressed as a race-car driver. "You guys ready?"
Cyborg teased the leader. "What up, Dale Jr.?"
"Hey, you be around the batmobile & don't get addicted to cars." Nightwing didn't care what they said.
"Do you see what your son is wearing?" Changeling twisted left & right, making Raven & Charlotte twist, too.
Nightwing scanned the common room. His eyes widened. "You're Bat-!"
"Batman!" Christopher yelled.
"Star!"
"Is it not the cute?!" She squealed happily.
He cocked his head to the side. "Are you a cheerleader?"
"Yes!" She stuck a fist on her hip.
"Wow."
It was quiet until Changeling, Kid Flash & Cyborg started laughing.
The girls rolled their eyes. "Come on before we're late!"
(\/\/_\/\/)
The party was hopping by the time they'd made it. Everybody was in costume & happily dancing it up. Titans & honorary Titans alike were partying like the teens they were.
Raven already hated the loud music so she strode to a corner that was relatively quiet. Her boyfriend followed with their daughter before going to get refreshments for the trio.
Bumble Bee handed Calvin off to Melvin then pulled Cyborg to the dance-floor, Kid Flash & Jinx on their heels.
Starfire let Christopher loose & she pulled Nightwing to the edge of the dance-floor to watch the others.
Terra slumped to the refreshment table to grab a glass of punch before sitting next to it in the chair provided. It was like this all the time, living with three couples & a pseudo one. She was always left out.
She sat there sipping her drink for thirty minutes, waving to various partygoers & conversing momentarily with ones that stopped to get food. Most of whom had dates. She sighed as she sat down from refilling her cup. It was going to be a long night.
She felt a finger tap her shoulder & turned around. Aqualad was behind her with an easy smile. It was out of place in this dark, loud place.
She moved a chair over so he could get by but he didn't move. "Aren't you trying to get by?!" She had to yell over the music.
He shook his head. "I wanted to see how you were!"
She blinked in shock. "Um… I'm okay! You?!"
"It's a little loud!" He admitted.
"Yeah! But the music's good!" She did like the tunes.
He dipped his head before taking a seat next to her. "I prefer stuff that doesn't split your eardrums!"
She laughed. "Let me guess! You like easy listening?!"
"Blues!" He scooted a little closer.
"I've never heard blues! Is it good?!"
"Very! Very relaxing & stimulating! So why are you here by yourself? There's a party going on!"
She sighed. "I don't have a date!"
"Neither do I!"
She looked at him, surprised. "You don't?!" He shook his head. "But you're you!"
He grinned. "That doesn't mean girls want to be with me!"
She could have bonked him over the head for that one. Every girl she knew had had a crush on him at some point or another, herself included. "Really?!"
"I don't have much luck with girls! They just stare at me!"
She blinked. Were they sending out the wrong signals to him? "I'm sorry!"
"It's okay! I figure someone might like me someday!"
She wanted to shout that someone liked him today. But she would never have the guts to do that. "The last guy I liked has a baby with another girl so you're not doing too bad!"
"How is that going anyway?! I could never see Changeling being mature enough for kids but he seems to be doing it!"
"He's really good with Charlie!" It impressed Terra. "She really loves him!"
"I could tell he was good with kids though! He's still five!"
Terra laughed.
"But the serious stuff?! I didn't think he'd have it in him!"
"He doesn't really tell her no but he's fiercely protective over her! It makes me wish he was my dad!"
"How's their relationship?! That must be hard to deal with!"
"I knew it was coming! I could see it before so after I blew my chance with him, it became quite clear! But I think they're made for each other! She's not as uptight & he sits still!"
He laughed. "When does he ever sit still?!"
She grinned at being able to make him laugh & felt the familiar butterflies in her stomach. "When she reads! He lays his head in her lap & he's quiet!"
"Take a picture next time! I'd love to see it!"
She giggled. "Done!"
They were quiet for a moment before he tapped her shoulder & pointed to Bumble Bee & Cyborg. "What about those two?! They can't stop arguing for nothing!"
She agreed. "But when they do?! they're making out hardcore!"
"You're joking!"
"Nope! They believe in PDA!"
"I can't wait to tease her! What about Wally & Jinx?!"
"They spend their time making out & bickering over his flirting!"
"He still does that?!" Aqualad looked dubious.
Terra nodded. "Yeah! & she doesn't mind yelling at him over it either!"
"Understandable!"
"The couple that really tickles me is Starfire & Nightwing! They play like they don't like each other but it's so obvious!"
"You must have noticed Hot Spot & Argent!"
She laughed. "Yeah! They're just as bad!"
"Sometimes I think they're going to just go for it in front of us one day! That's why whenever they get too close, I leave the room!"
She threw her head back. "What about Speedy & Cheshire?! They can't be that bad!"
"They make out all the time but they're not "official"!" He rolled his eyes. "I don't get that! Why play games?! If I like a girl, she'll def. know!"
Her cheeks flamed at the way he looked at her. "What if it was really soon?!"
"Even then! Life's too short to waste it not being happy!"
He had a point. "What would you do if there was a girl you liked?!"
"I'd tell her that she had the shiniest hair I've ever seen! That her eyes were the purest blue! How her voice sounded like kids giggling!"
Was he describing her?! Her heart almost stopped.
"How healthy her skin looked! That she was the nicest girl I met in a while & I would do anything to chase away the shadows in her eyes!"
Terra gulped; her eyes wide & unblinking as he stared at her. "I uh- what about Kole & Jericho?! They must be a fun couple to live with!"
He looked at her for the longest time. She didn't think he was going to answer until… "They're the best! Not too much PDA, no fighting!"
She nodded before looking around the room as a means to escape his eyes, which were a dark purple instead of the black everyone assumed. "What about the twins?! They never seem to have steady girlfriends!"
"They date fangirls! Every night's a new one!"
"They're going to run out of girls in a minute!"
"That's what I say! But they're fifteen & like girls!"
"Weren't you the same at their age?!"
"I've always been a one woman man!"
She froze. His voice was louder than a moment ago. She turned to find he had moved closer. "I- I..."
"Let's talk a walk!"
She could do nothing but follow him since he took her hand & led her outside. It was immediately cooler & quieter.
"There's this cafe that has really good coffee."
She turned to look at him. They'd been walking in silence for ten minutes. "Coffee?"
"Would you like to get coffee with me?" He stated straight out.
Her eyes widened. "Aqualad-"
"Call me Garth."
Her cheeks flushed. "Garth."
Her breathy sigh seemed to encourage him because he stepped closer. "I like you."
It was too good to be true. "I can't believe that."
"Why not?" He brought their hands up & kissed hers.
"Because! The last relationship I was in, I tried to destroy the guy!"
"You were lost then." He took both her hands. "You're not that girl anymore & it's time you stopped punishing yourself. Everyone's forgiven you. Why haven't you?"
Tears slipped past her lashes. "I don't know."
"You've changed & grown. Why can't you see that?"
"I guess I feel like I'm still that lost little girl." She shook her head. "I don't want to feel like that anymore."
"Then let me take you to coffee. I can't promise to solve all your problems but I can promise to never let you solve them alone."
She buried her face in his chest & sobbed. She nodded her head slowly & he grinned.
"Come on. It's not that far."
(\/\/_\/\/)
Terra laughed. "He does not!"
"Yes, he does!" Aqualad laughed, too. "He says that with Bee at your tower, he needs someone to harass so he picked Argent."
They'd been drinking coffee & exchanging stories about their teams for an hour & wasn't in the mood to leave yet.
"Okay. I can beat that." She swore. "Changeling is so jealous."
"He is not."
"Yes, he is." She promised. "I know you called Raven last week for a book on Atlantis because they had a fight about it. He was hot because he said you were trying to pick her up discreetly."
He fell back in his booth, laughing hard. "I only asked for that book because I wanted to show Speedy something. We had a bet going on but I couldn't prove my point without the book."
"He didn't see it that way." Terra giggled. "He swore that she liked you better because you read more books than he does."
"Maybe if he put down the video game controllers…?"
She smirked. "I play video games."
"So do I but it's not the only thing I do."
She smiled. "To stop him from coming here to fight you, she promised to play a video game with him."
He laughed. "He's so easy!"
"That's what Cy said, too. That he would have asked for some big things. Bee got offended & they started fighting."
His wide grin made her feel good. "It doesn't take much, does it?"
"Not at all." She took a sip of her espresso. "But I am happy they're all together though. They were so stressful when they were hopping around each other!"
He laughed. "I had to live with Bee before she got with Cyborg. I know exactly how stressful she could be."
"Not as bad as Nightwing. Gar is jealous but so is he. We were fighting Red-X a couple weeks ago & he started flirting with Star like he always does & Nightwing blew his top like he always does."
"I had heard that X had a thing for Starfire. Didn't think much of it."
"It's true. It doesn't help that she giggles at whatever he says."
"That would make him crazy." He acknowledged.
"I've only ever seen Changeling get mad at a villain like that. That Adonis guy? Yeah, he hates him."
"Why?" Aqualad tried to recall the bad guy.
"He says disgusting things to Raven. At least Red-X is respectful. Adonis is a nasty thing. I can understand why Changeling hates him."
"I would never let someone say disgusting things to you. Gar's right."
She flushed. "Thank you." They sat in companionable silence for a moment. "Are you ready to go back? I'm sure they're missing us."
He snorted. "I doubt it."
"I prefer to think so."
He grinned. "That would make more sense if you were wearing Charlie's costume."
"She's a pretty princess." She giggled. "& you're a dashing pirate."
He tipped his hat to her. "Let's get out of here."
(\/\/_\/\/)
"There they go!" Kole pointed.
Raven, Argent & Bumble Bee turned. Aqualad & Terra were walking through the door.
"Aww! They're so busted!" Argent laughed.
"I'm so teasing him!" Bumble Bee couldn't wait. All the grief he gave her over Cyborg was going to come back to him tenfold.
"We should mind our business!" Raven couldn't care less but was happy for her friends if they were.
"Boo! You're no fun!"
"Hey! A pirate & a doctor walk into a party!" Changeling ambled over.
"Who saw that coming?!" Hot Spot asked.
"They are two of the last singles left!" Cyborg noted.
"It's cute that they're together!" Kole cooed.
Jericho signed before wrapping his arms around her waist. "As long as they're happy."
"I don't see how she'll be happy with him!" Changeling argued.
Raven rolled her eyes. "Let it go!"
"Never!"
"Let's go find Charlotte! You obviously need to be around someone your own age!" She pulled him by his cape.
Cyborg & Hot Spot laughed.
"Come on! Let's dance!" Bumble Bee had been dancing all night & only took breaks to quench her thirst & check on Calvin.
Cyborg spun her out into the crowd & they disappeared.
"Ready to get out there & shake it out, little mama?!" Hot Spot asked Argent.
"Let's shake it, Big Daddy!" She took his hand & led him out to the dance-floor.
Kole rocked with Jericho. "Do you wanna stay here or go upstairs?!"
Jericho grinned & his green eyes burned. He used her fingers to sign upstairs before walking her to the elevator.
(\/\/_\/\/)
"Do you want to dance?!"
Terra's eyes lit up. "Yes!" They had yet to dance so this was a treat.
Aqualad pulled her to the dance-floor & started moving to the beat.
It was a pop song with a heavy bass. Terra put her arms above her head as she danced. Around her, her friends were having a good time & with her was a hot guy that wanted her attention.
It didn't get better than this…