Disclaimer: I do not own Teen Titans. This is a work of fiction that I am not making a profit off of.
Author's Note: Got about one half to a third of the next chapter done too! Yay caffeine! Seriously, I've had so much caffeine this week.
Chapter Three: Hey Jealousy
"Are you sure?"
Rachel pushed as smile to her lips as she gently squeezed Garth's thigh in the driver's seat. "Yea, of course."
"I feel like I'm being shitty boyfriend." Garth frowned, tenderly taking her hand and kissing her fingertips. "I'm cutting our vacation short."
"We're going to Gar and Terra's engagement party." Unfortunately. "It's not officially a vacation."
"An engagement party at a bed and breakfast, so it's kind of like a little vacation." Garth shrugged satisfied. "A couple nights away, room service, food, drinks, and I think there is even a beach."
Rachel's thoughts went to tequila. This weekend wouldn't be so bad after all. "They'll understand."
"I'm honestly not worried about them understanding." Garth admitted. "I'm more concerned about my girlfriend understanding."
"Your girlfriend understands." Rachel nodded. "You're finishing up a case with the Coast Guard. Duty calls. You can ride back up with Wally, and I can drive your car back with Jinx if you'd like." The would leave her more time to lay in bed and work out her feelings with some alcohol.
"My girlfriend is too good." Garth gushed with a goofy grin.
'Of a liar.' She couldn't help but think. Rachel pushed a smile to her face and gave his tangled hand a little squeeze.
Terra had decided that it would be fun, it was the blonde's word, to host a weekend long engagement party at a bed and breakfast outside the city.
The landscape was a wondrous blend of sea and mountainside. The villa was located over an hour out of Jumpy City, overlooking the coastline. Even though the air held a wintery chill, the plants looked lively around the estate and the beach below looked inviting.
Rachel sighed as they pulled up. The gate leading up to the villa was decorated with a bright white 'congratulations' banner written in fancy script surrounded by gold and pink streamers with sparkly balloons fitted on the end. "A bit much for an engagement party." She muttered as the car slowly parked.
"Hey." Apparently, it was loud enough for her companion to hear her. "You only get married once, right?" He grinned, planting another kiss to her fingers. "Just wait until it's our turn." Garth winked, exiting the car.
The violet eyes were wide with disbelief as she sat in the passenger seat of the black sedan. He was thinking of marriage. Her stomach fluttered sourly. The commitment would certainly help rid any hope of a 'fairy tale ending', but the thought made her feel hopeless. She didn't have time to think about the future.
Rachel had to focus on the right now. She had to focus on getting through this evening.
With a deep breath, she exited the car pushing a smile to her features. Maybe if she kept her face like this long enough, she wouldn't feel as empty.
Garth stood at the back of the car. Their luggage in one hand and the other stretched out for her to take.
Taking his hand, the pair made their way inside the villa.
"Bout time!" Wally shouted as the pair entered.
"Forgive us for not getting here early." Garth quipped back blandly, dropping the luggage to the floor. "Are we the last ones here?"
"Yea," The redhead confirmed. "Vic just got here to be fair. He said that Bee had some things to finish up, and then she would be here tomorrow."
"Bonfire?" Rachel questioned, hand going to her hip skeptically. "In winter?"
"Technically it's still fall, but," Wally continued. "We've got this whole place to ourselves which means we have dibs on the beach as well."
"In thirty degree weather?"
"Fifty-five, actually. And, we'll have a large fire." He nodded. "Also, beer. Lots and lots of beer to help warm us through the night."
"Whatever." She sighed.
Garth chuckled. "I take it everyone's already outside then?"
"Yep."
"We're gonna drop our stuff upstairs and we right out."
"Aye, Aye Captain." Wally saluted before disappearing into the back of the house.
The bonfire was filled with their usual shenanigans.
Victor stationed at the grill, teasing Garfield with meat and threatening to toss his vegetarian options in the sea.
Richard competitively initiating a game of flag football at sunset, only to be shocked with his wife's team was named victorious.
Wally threatening to throw Jinx into sea. Rachel had to give him credit this time. He actually made good on his promise, and well, surprisingly, lived to tell the tale.
The fire roared, and the friends had settled into their usual round of conversation. Things felt exactly how they'd always been.
She dug her toes into the sand, resting her head against Garth's shoulder. Her fingers wrapped around her beer bottle as her eyes watched the dancing flames.
"I feel like we should do something." Wally commented, picking up another beer from the cooler.
"We are." Terra gestured to the bonfire and the people around it. "Drinking, talking, laughing." She paused. "More drinking."
"I mean like a game."
"So Richard can have some more sour grapes." Victor teased, still feeling the pride of his victory. "Up top Kori!" He raised his hand.
The orange haired woman grinned, slapping her hand to his victorious. "Indeed!"
"Oh, yea still undefeated, baby!"
"Whatever, I'd like to see you defeat me without the help of my wife."
"And break up the dream team, no thank you, sir."
"No more team sports." Wally corrected.
"Drinking games." Gar nodded, knowing exactly what he meant.
"Beer Pong? Jinx suggested.
Terra laughed, resting her head on her fiance's shoulder. "Not drunk enough for that yet." She grinned. "Later."
"Never have I ever is always good." Richard suggested.
"I'm sure that was more fun when we were still teenagers." Rachel insisted, ignoring the affection across from her taking another drink. "I'm pretty sure we'll all end up drunk."
"So we all win." Wally grinned. "Except for Richard cause he's a boy scout." The redhead man saluted.
"I think we're all on an even playing field." Gar looked around the table. His eyes narrowed, sizing up his competitors, his hand slipped down to Terra's thigh.
Rachel ignored the heat of the green eyes making their way around the circle. She blamed the flushing on her face on flames, and the nausea of his affections on the beer.
"It's pretty even."
Wally sneered playfully. "Noooo, it really isn't."
"I don't even want to know." Victor decided.
"Me either." Garth decided quickly.
"Oh you guys have too." Wally called out.
"What have you done?" Maybe if she played the part of girlfriend, she'd become it. Rachel wrapped her arms around Garth's, resting her chin to his shoulder. She tilted her head playfully.
"Good question." Garth agreed, pressing a quick kiss to her lips.
"Let's find out." Wally insisted, pulling a bottle of whiskey from his bag. "You lie, penalty shot. After each round we all do a shot."
"Seriously, Fireball?" Jinx frowned remembering her past experience with the whiskey.
"Oh yea, and that's not all!"
The game began as it always did.
They laughed.
They drinked.
It was as it always was.
But anytime Rachel felt the warmth of normalcy, the flicker of Terra's engagement ring and bright white bride sash from across the bonfire would catch her eye and the cold reality would set in all over again.
They weren't just hanging out. They weren't just getting together and playing a game.
This was an engagement party.
They were celebrating.
That silly piece of jewelry made it unbearable to witness the couple's affections. That piece of jewelry reminded her why she felt so empty.
She took another swig of her beer feeling her chest tighten.
"I'll be back." Her hand gently touched her boyfriend's shoulder.
Garth pulled himself away from the current conversation. A playful frown crossed his lips. "You okay?"
"Yea," Rachel lied, putting her bottle in the sand. "I was gonna go dig out the hoodie I packed. It's a little chilly out here." Believable enough.
"Alright." He accepted, kissing her forehead. "Hurry back, so you can take your shot."
"I will." Rachel nodded, standing quietly. Seemingly unnoticed, she moved away from the bonfire and walked up the path that led to house.
She slammed the door behind her. Dropping her sneakers to the dark hardwood floor, she slid to the floor.
"I can do this." Rachel reminded herself.
She'd honestly had years to prepare for this moment.
Rachel could remember when the two reunited as teenagers. Terra was living outside of the world of being a superhero, and Garfield had seemed to have given up them rekindling. So you can imagine the surprise on everyone's faces when the blonde reached out to him.
"I can handle this." Violet eyes closed as she reminded herself that she'd been through worse.
She could deal with this disappointment even though she, truthfully, never expected the couple to last. It was terrible for her to admit it, but it was the truth. And it felt worse that their relationship endured and thrived.
"You've been through worse." Rachel whispered, remembering that at she'd, literally, survived going to hell and back. "You can deal with this." Her eyes closed and all she could see was that engagement ring glimmering in in the light of the campfire.
She couldn't remember if her jealousy had been this unforgiving before they were engaged.
It was times like this she wished for her old emotionally restrictive life. "I can deal with this." Rachel decided, giving herself a firm nod. "With alcohol."
Surely this place had to have an extensive liquor cabinet. At the very least a well stocked wine cellar.
Rachel stood, exiting the kitchen and making her way to the large dining room. Past the formal table, she spotted a sidebar cabinet stocked with liquor.
"Of course." She cursed, pulling on the locked cabinet door. She stepped back from the cabinet, eying the furniture thoughtfully.
Well, the little pillow in their room said "Our Home is Your Home", so that applied for the liquor too. Her eyes glowed white with power as the energy fizzled at her fingertips. With a click, the door swung open.
"I forgot you could do that."
Rachel whipped around to see Garfield standing in the doorway with an amused smirk. "I can do a lot more than that." She quipped. "Do you also forget you're green as well?" She played off her embarrassment turning back to the cabinet reaching for a bottle of vodka. It wasn't tequila, but it would have to do.
Gar chuckled, looking down at his pale hands. "I actually do. I hardly ever take the modifier off anymore. It's almost like it never happened."
"I'll say."
He took another step into the dining room. "I noticed you've been gone awhile. Are you alright?"
"Peachy." She answered refusing to look at him or to acknowledge the warmth spreading on her face. Rachel focused on unscrewing the cap. "I got tired of drinking beer. Needed a little quiet." And watching the public displays him and his new fiancée, but he really didn't need to know that part.
"So you went searching for," Gar walked over to her, inspecting the label on the bottle. "Vodka? Hm, I thought you'd be more of a wine girl. Red specifically."
"Occasionally." She corrected, taking a swig.
"Really?" He seemed genuinely amused.
"But this will do nicely."
"Want some company?"
She shook her head. She didn't need to sulk with the object of her affection. "I'm good, I'd hate for you to miss your party."
He shrugged. "They're already two steps from wasted. When you left they using the Fireball instead of the beer. We have a lot of kinky friends, let me tell you."
She laughed taking another swig.
"I think they're playing beer pong now with Jager penalty shots."
"Beer pong?" She asked, wrinkling her nose. They were getting too old for that shit. "How's that going to work with all that sand?"
"I, honestly, didn't want to know. I think that's the point of the Jager penalty shots." Gar admitted. "And, I think they are too drunk to care."
"Why aren't you drunk?"
"My metabolism is still off the charts even though I can't remember the last time I shifted." He smirked. "And I avoided the Fireball."
Rachel nodded with a small laugh.
"Why aren't you drunk?"
She took another swig of vodka. "Half demon, remember? I'm a little buzzed. My alcohol tolerance with quite high." Unfortunately. She sighed. "You don't have to stay with me. I'm in good company." She motioned to the bottle of vodka.
Gar chuckled. "And leave me to babysit them outside?" He took a seat on the rug next to her.
"It is your party after all."
"So," He took the bottle of vodka from her hand, taking swallow. "I'll do as I please."
To be Continued