Changeling didn't want to get up. He usually stayed in bed at this time of day. But he had stuff to do today so he dragged his sleep craved form from the warm bed & opened his window. & jumped. Mid fall he shifted into a seagull & soared around his island home for a moment before heading to the garden.
He shifted back once he reached the flower section & stood there a moment, soaking up the warming rays of the rising sun. He took a deep breath before going to the lilies.
His sharp ears picked up the sound of rocks being kicked along with his nose picking up the scent of hair gel, sweat & hay. "Sup, dude?"
"Good morning." Nightwing's voice carried on the morning wind.
"Here for your flowers?"
Nightwing stepped into view with a pair of silver scissors. "Yes. I suppose you are, too."
"Yup. I wanted to get them to her before she woke up." Changeling cocked his head.
"What's wrong?"
"I have nothing to cut them with." Changeling ran a hand through his hair before shrugging & using his claws to rip through the stalks of several lilies.
Nightwing gave him a dry look. "I have scissors. You could have used them."
Changeling looked back at him. "Too late now."
The exasperated look stayed on the masked (though not now) leader's face. He waded into the sea of flowers until he reached yellow roses & cut off seven. Her favorite number.
"Got any ribbon?"
Nightwing looked at Changeling strangely. "What? Why would I have ribbon?"
"To make a bow or something." He shrugged.
"No. I do not have ribbon."
Changeling made a considering face before putting the stems of the lilies in his mouth & flipping into the air. Mid flip he turned into a Greater Rhea & flew back to his room, Nightwing shaking his head in amusement the entire time.
When Changeling made it back to his room, he shifted, shut the window & made sure Raven was still asleep. She was so he placed his bundle on her pillow & climbed back into bed.
He decided to put them on his pillow so she wouldn't accidentally crush the lilies then he shifted into a dog & bedded down. He promptly fell asleep.
/3
Nightwing walked calmly back into the tower. He rode the elevator up to the kitchen, where he found a vase & filled it with water before settling the roses inside. Then he found a piece of paper & folded it into a card. He wrote Happy Valentine's Day on it in pink block letters.
Gathering up both items, he went to the elevator & rode down to the barracks. He walked down the hall to their bedrooms, where he used the override code to enter her room & leave the vase of flowers on her bedside table. He leaned the card against it so she could see it upon awakening.
He watched her sleep for a moment before leaving & heading to the roof to do his morning yoga routine.
/3
Cyborg yawned as he went down to the garden. He had ten minutes before Bumble Bee got up so he had to hurry. He'd already picked out the vase he wanted & had strips of yellow & black ribbon tied around the middle. It was even filled with water.
He shuffled forward & found the daisies easily. He cut the white blooms with the scissors, he'd brought. He'd cut a lot so he hoped they'd all fit.
He clutched them in his large fist & made his way back upstairs. He made it & saw that Raven was meditating in the window with a slight smile on her face. He made sure to step lightly & went to the vase & filled it. The blooms fit.
He grinned & put the scissors back before leaving. He went down a level & stepped in front of Bumble Bee's door, where he set the vase on the floor. He made sure that it wasn't in the way if she barreled out but in the middle so she couldn't miss it.
Then he went to finish cooking.
/3
Kid Flash raced to the garden & hurried to cut some sunflowers. He'd overslept! After snipping the blooms, he ran back inside & up the stairs until he reached the top floor. Then went down one when he realized he'd overshot the bedrooms.
He zipped around the corridors until he reached the one that housed her bedroom. He saw the door was opening so he raced in front of it & dropped the flowers so she'd have to see them.
Then he thought about how she might take that then raced back & picked them up. While he was deciding what to do, he'd stopped & by the time he could formulate a plan, her door was wide open.
"Kid?" Her sleepy voice sounded confused.
He grinned sheepishly then thrust out the flowers. "Happy Valentine's Day."
Her pink eyes blinked owlishly before her soft mouth curved into a smile. "Thank you."
"You're welcome."
She took the flowers from him & hugged them to her chest. "They're beautiful."
"Not as beautiful as you." He was being sincere.
She stepped forward & gave him a kiss before shyly walking past him to go take a shower.
He was wickedly proud of himself.
/3
Raven brought Charlotte into the kitchen & immediately decided the kisses she'd showered on Changeling wasn't adequate enough. She looked to him but he was arguing the difference of tofu dogs & veggie dogs with Cyborg by the stove so she walked to their place settings.
"What's that, Mommy?" Charlotte asked, pointing to the pink object sitting on her chair.
"I think it's for you." She picked up the rose & gave it to the little girl.
Charlotte touched it but it didn't feel like the ones from the garden.
Raven set Charlotte in her seat then took the faux bloom from her to open it. "It's chocolate. See?"
Charlotte's eyes lit up. "Yay!"
"You can't eat it now." Raven nipped that in the bud. "But you can thank Daddy for it."
Charlotte levitated over to the green skinned jokester. "Thank you, Daddy!"
Changeling wrapped his arms around her & delighted in her kiss. "What was that for?"
"The chocolate rose." She kept pressing her lips to his cheek.
Cyborg grinned. It made sense now.
"You're welcome, princess. Now go sit down so you can eat." Changeling kissed her back.
Charlotte obeyed as Cyborg chuckled. "So you planned on giving it to her for Valentine's Day. You sure know how to make us look bad."
"It's a gift." Changeling grinned.
Cyborg pushed his head down. "Whatever."
"Is breakfast ready yet or are you two gonna milk the cow?" Jinx sassed.
"Hold on, woman!" Cyborg yelled.
"Hurry up, Tin Man!"
"You gets nothing!"
Bumble Bee crossed her arms. "Are you two done yet? Some of us would like to eat without throwing up."
"Alright, alright, keep your braids tight." He grumbled before plating up the eggs. "Soup's on, people! Dig in!"
/3
The doorbell rang so Terra, expecting a visitor, eagerly checked the cameras. It was her hot Atlantean boyfriend. She squealed happily before jumping up & running to the elevator, where she rode it to the first level & rushed to open the heavy metal door. Throwing it open gaily, she stood with her arms outstretched. "Garth!"
Aqualad grinned before giving her a fresh bouquet of buttercups. "Happy Valentine's Day, babe!"
She took them before leaping into his arms. "Happy Valentine's Day!"
/3
Changeling snuck up behind Raven then shifted into an elephant. Right before he blew, her dry monotone cut him off. "If you blow in my ear, I will send you to a dimension that eats people."
His trunk fell in disappointment & he shifted back. "Aww! You're no fun!"
"Whatever." She finished her sentence then closed her book. "Get Charlotte so I can read to her."
"But I have a surprise for you." He pouted.
"No." It was never good for him to surprise her.
"Aww come on, please!"
"No!"
"Pretty please with scary things on top?"
"I resent that."
He grinned before hanging over the edge of the couch. "It's a good surprise. I swear. Nothing's going to blow up in your face."
Now that he'd said it aloud, she was worried. "Def. no!"
"Close your eyes." He ignored her.
She leveled a glare on him that would have a lesser man quaking.
But he just tottered there without a care.
Knowing he wouldn't give up (damn his patience!), she sighed. "Fine. But if anything blows up in my face, I won't even be able to find you!" She closed her eyes.
Silently laughing at her threat that one day could come true, he flipped over the couch & grabbed the items he had for her. He went around the sofa again & sat down beside her.
She started when she felt something cardboard in her lap. "What is this?"
"Open your eyes."
Her eyes flew open like they'd never been closed. She looked down at her lap & saw a box from MaryAnn's. She cocked her head. "What's this?"
"Open it." He couldn't wait for her reaction.
She wished he didn't do this. He knew she didn't like sweets, barring a precious few. She knew he was watching her face intently & was waiting on a reaction. She hoped she could at least fake it.
The packaging was beautiful though. She could admit that. The box wasn't made of cardboard like she originally thought but a thick paper that was a rich chocolate with light brown (think dulce de leche colored) swirls. MaryAnn's was emboldened on the top, tied with the same dark chocolate colored ribbon.
She pulled on a section of the ribbon & it unfurled. She checked the sides for flaps & pulled them out then up, thus opening the box. Nestled inside were rows of large, plump juicy dark chocolate dipped strawberries with long stems. The dark red berries had designs on them, some with extra chocolate, some with nuts, some with cocoa nibs.
She gasped, delighted. "These are beautiful!"
His entire face shone as if a beacon. "You like them?"
She picked up a stem & bit into the juicy flesh at the bottom. Her eyes flashed happily & a button popped off the remote. It was just how she liked it. The berry was indeed sweet but still had the right amount of tart & the chocolate was dark, the bitterness cutting through the sweetness. The salty cashews were the perfect touch.
"Yeah, you like them." He grinned before picking up another box & setting it beside her. This box was red & pink striped with Sherri's Berries on the top.
She knew what was in this box. The same as what she was already enjoying but different flavors. She hurried to open the box. She picked up another berry stem & bit into the fruit at the bottom. Picking up the habit from Christopher, she danced a little in her seat.
Changeling almost passed out from holding in his laughter. He'd never seen her do that before! He wanted to see what she'd do next about his next surprise.
She was busy eating from the tips of the strawberries in each hand to pay him any attention & was soon finished with both. "Thank you, Changeling!"
"I got one more for you." He set the last box between his feet & opened it, taking out a piece of paper.
She set the discarded stems in a box then set both aside to read the page. "Mark? Who's Mark?"
He flashed his devilish grin as he pulled out the scholarly lion. "Rae, meet Mark. Mark, meet Rae."
Her eyes widened slightly. "You bought me a lion?"
"I made you a lion." He gently corrected.
She took it in her hands & turned him every which way, marveling at the craftsmanship. "Why a lion?"
"I'm a Leo." He said simply.
She stopped perusing the cat & peeked at him.
"I wanted you to think of me when you saw him."
A corner of her mouth turned up. "I will."
"He's been to college!"
"Thank you, Gar."
He leaned forward. "Can I taste?"
"I suppose." She picked up a strawberry for him but he dipped & kissed her on the mouth.
"Mm. Delicious."
/3
Starfire went into her room to change after her shower & found something on her bed. Three somethings actually.
She recognized MaryAnn's box right away so she opened it & was delighted to see chocolate covered oranges inside. She popped one into her mouth & floated in midair. It tasted better than she remembered.
She opened the other box she recognized. Sherri's Berries. She'd seen it on the television so she was eager to see what was inside. More chocolate covered oranges!
She nearly bumped her head on the ceiling, she floated so high!
She treated herself to a few more oranges before spying the box that looked like a house. She opened it carefully & pulled out a slip of paper. "Princess Sarah?"
She set the paper aside & pulled out a tiger. She squealed & hugged it tight. "I adore you, Princess Sarah!"
After hugging the stuffing out of the striped cat, Starfire noticed a sheet of paper the box was hiding so she picked it up & read it out loud. "Dear Koriand'r, I humbly request your presence this evening for dinner & dancing at seven o'clock. Dress for such & meet me in the common room at the provided time if you agree. Happy Valentine's Day. Richard."
The paper fluttered to the ground as she sped through dressing & finding a shade of bright pink lipstick. It went unnoticed as she flew out of the room in search of her valentine.
/3
"What are you doing?"
Kid Flash started. He didn't mean to get caught (twice in one day!) but he'd been unsure of how to present his gifts.
Jinx leaned against the opened doorway & folded her arms across her chest. "I can see you."
He popped up & took a page from Changeling's book & rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "Hehe. I know."
"So what are you doing?"
He twitched before coming clean. "I got you some stuff. For today."
"Like what?" She was genuinely interested.
Seeing that she wasn't throwing him down a flight of stairs, he went on. "Sherri's Berries." He leaned over to grab the box.
She took it from him & opened it to reveal chocolate cordials. She ate one & smiled. "Splendid."
Having never heard that word cross her lips, he hoped it was a good thing. He picked up the box from MaryAnn's. "Here."
She went into her room to set down the cherries. "Come in."
He happily followed with the other boxes. He joined her on her bed. "I think you'll like these."
Her eyes lit up at seeing the familiar brown box & she tore to get inside. "Turtles?!"
"I know how much you like them."
She threw her arms around his neck. "Thank you!"
He was filled with warmth at her display. He rarely got things right so when he did, he was proud of himself. "I got you something else, too."
She leaned back & ate a turtle, her face awash in pleasure.
He hoped Cyborg was right about this… He opened the box & handed her the certificate.
She finished the turtle in her hand before gripping the page & reading. "Shiva?"
"I think it's Indian but I'm not sure. I don't know the difference."
She frowned in confusion until he took the elephant out. Then she laughed.
He scowled. Dammit, Cy!
She laughed for a long time before she hugged it to her chest. "Thank you, Wally."
His face evened out. "You don't hate it?"
"I love it. & yes, this is an Indian elephant."
He cleared his throat & got down on one knee, ignoring her widening eyes. "Would you do me the honor of going out with me tonight?"
She calmed her racing heart & nodded. "The honor is all mine."
He got up & lightly kissed her, his head dizzy from his varying emotions.
"So? Shiva? Racist much?"
/3
"Today has been great." Terra held Aqualad's hand as they sat on a branch in a tree in the grove.
"Why do I hear a "but" coming?"
She loved that he was so smart. "But I made a deal with the guys to watch the kids tonight."
"& you think it'll cut into our time?"
"You came to spend time with me. Not do chores."
"I did come to spend time with you & I can do that if other people are around or not." He tilted her chin his way so his obsidian eyes could stare into her cerulean orbs.
She brightened. "You're the best boyfriend ever."
"It's easy to be when you're the best girlfriend ever." He brought his face down to lightly kiss her.
She smiled when he backed away & blushed a little. "I was thinking we could order Thai & watch a movie in my room after we put the kids down."
"I think that's a great idea."
She kissed him again. She really did love him, fish smell & all.
/3
Cyborg knew Bumble Bee was slightly miffed at him for breakfast so he decided to use their son to make her get over it. He stood Calvin in front of her door & made him hold the box from Sherri's Berries.
"Stay there." Cyborg whispered before banging on her door then running around the corner.
Calvin teetered, still not good at standing when he wasn't holding onto something more solid than a box of chocolate.
The door hissed open & Bumble Bee flew out, looking pissed. "Who-?! Cal? How'd you get here? What's that you're holding?"
Calvin held up the box as if planned (Cyborg loved that).
Bumble Bee settled on her feet before crouching down & taking the box from him. She opened the box & gasped. Lifting a chocolate covered pineapple on a stick, she bit into the yellow fruit.
Calvin opened his mouth & leaned forward on her knee.
She let him gum up the rest of the stick in her hand before she noticed something taped to his shirt. "What's this?" She mumbled the message, the gist being an invitation for dinner that night.
She looked up & down the halls but they were deserted (to her knowledge). She picked up Calvin & the box of fruit. "Yes!" Then she took both into her room.
Around that corner, Cyborg fist-pumped. "Booyah!"
/3
Raven looked up as a note came sliding under her door. She had laid down for a pre-training nap but was too happy with her gifts from her sweet boyfriend to fully settle down.
The sound of crinkling paper drew her attention so she sat up just in time to see it slide all the way through. She got up & went to the door to see the page was blank. She picked it up & turned it over. It wasn't blank; it was just turned over.
The correct side had a picture of her holding a lily & smiling shyly. The words roof dinner 7 were written in bubble letters & outlined in colored pencils.
Changeling's standard signature was at the bottom, the "G" & "L" looped together beautifully.
She tacked the picture onto the cork-board on her wall before going to her closet. Just because it was the roof didn't mean she had to look bad…