Raven didn't even pretend to pay attention as Kori kissed her on the top of her head, biding her goodnight. Dick shot her some concerned glances before following his girlfriend to bed.

The empath sat on the common room couch, wet, post-shower hair sending the occasional drop of water down her shoulders. Apparently she didn't dry her hair well enough, which was not surprising, considering that she hadn't exactly been present since the ball. They were called off to fight...who? Someone. About something. She didn't quite remember the details. She did remember the curve of Changeling's shoulders as he jumped through the air, and the pain. He radiated pain.

The sofa springs groaned as Cyborg took a seat beside her, sighing in relief.

"Hard day, huh?" he asked.

Raven didn't respond. She was relieving the moment on the balcony, Garfield holding her hands and pouring out so much earnest emotion that she thought she might explode. The memory shifted to her bedroom, where a younger Garfield leaned in to kiss her, stopping just a hair's length away, speaking sweetly to her.

"Raven," Cyborg said, a little louder this time. She blinked and looked around at him.

"I think we need to talk," he said kindly. Raven merely blinked again.

Cyborg scooted closer and wrapped an arm around his sort-of baby sister. She rested her head on the metal of his chest, hearing the whirring mechanical sounds underneath. It was oddly comforting.

"I'm gonna say what I need to say," he said, his voice low, "You don't have to respond. I just need you to hear it."

There was a pause as he waited to see if she would indeed respond. She did not. She felt numb.

"I've watched you and him - B...Changeling - for years, and I've known this was coming for a while. I've never seen him happier than when you're in the room. That said, you don't owe him anything more than your support as a teammate. That said, I've never seen you happier than when he jokes with you."

Raven closed her eyes. Cyborg rubbed her shoulder in a consoling way.

"I get that things are always going to be more complicated for you than for us, at least when it comes to relationships, but damn, Rae, you both deserve a chance. What's the point of living if you keep yourself from loving? Isn't that why we beat Trigon's big, red butt?"

"You beat him so he wouldn't end the world," Raven mumbled. Cyborg laughed.

"Yeah, there's that, but really, I think most of us did it for you. At least, green bean did. He definitely did. The point is, I don't want you regretting any part of your life. Because it's your life, Raven. You don't owe it to Trigon. You don't even owe it to the people you protect. Do what makes you happy. And if that isn't Changeling, that's alright, but what you do owe him is an answer. Let him really move on if he needs to."

Cyborg squeezed her shoulder. Raven hugged him back as much as she could from her angle. After a moment, he broke the embrace and stood up.

"Now, if what makes you happy is Changeling...just don't hurt him. Because if you hurt him, I'll have to try to hurt you, and you'll probably kill me."

They shared a small smile before Cyborg headed toward the door.

"And if you need him, he's on the roof," Cyborg called to her.

**O***O***O***O**

The cool night air made goosebumps erupt on Raven's skin. She was in her pajama t-shirt and shorts, and had half a mind to go back for her cloak, but if she turned around, her courage might fail her and she wouldn't come back.

Once her eyes adjusted to the dark, she could make out the form the Changeling, laying on his back with one arm under his head, staring at the stars. He was still in his suit, which was covered in a mixture of dust and blood.

Raven softly walked over to him. He must have smelled her or heard her, though he didn't react. She sat down next to him, wrapping her arms around her knees. Neither spoke, and the silence would have once been welcomed, but now was driving her insane. She turned around to look at him and saw that his free arm was bleeding profusely.

"You're hurt!"

Garfield shrugged, "I've had worse."

"Sit up. Let me heal you."

For a moment it didn't look like he would, but he eventually pulled himself up with a groan. He pushed his jacket off gently and held out his arm. Raven slowly rolled up his sleeve (or what was left of it) and placed her hand over his cut, chanting to herself. Her hand glowed for a moment before she pulled it away, revealing freshly healed skin.

"Are you hurt anywhere else?" she asked quietly.

Garfield smiled one of his painful smiles, took her hand, and placed it on his chest, over his heart.

"But I don't think you can fix that," he murmured. He kept his head tilted down, never really looking at her.

Raven swallowed. It seemed that her heart had taken up new residence in her throat.

"Actually, I think I'm the best person for the job," she said, barely making any sound.

Garfield jerked his face up to look at her. She didn't give him (or herself) time to react before leaning forward and pressing her lips against his.

She felt surprise course through his body before he reacted, wrapping one arm around her and kissing back. She laced her fingers through his, still pressing against his heart. He was warm and eager, almost growling into her mouth. Raven pulled back for a moment to catch her breath before leaning back in. Garfield quickly shifted away from her.

"Wait, uh, you didn't just do that because you felt sorry for me, right?" he asked with a nervous laugh.

Raven rolled her eyes before replying, "You vastly overestimate how effective your puppy dog eyes are."

Irritation and amusement blossomed inside of him.

"What?" he scoffed, "Chicks dig the eyes! You don't know how many times they've gotten me lai - "

Gar stopped speaking mid-sentence. Raven raised her eyebrows at him.

"I'm gonna stop talking now," he mumbled.

"Good idea," she replied, pulling him in for another kiss.

Warm. He was always so warm. Raven pressed against him until she decided that wasn't enough and climbed into his lap. He held her firmly in his arms, each Titan trying to pull the other closer than was physically possible. She could feel his mouth smiling against hers and the affection he felt was drowning her.

She pulled away for air again, but he kept kissing, moving his mouth across her cheek and down her neck. Raven shivered and ran her fingers through his hair.

"The world isn't ending," she said, more to herself than anything.

"No blown-up buildings," he whispered, nipping at her throat. Raven gasped at the action and their nearby volleyball net had a supporting pole forcibly ripped from it and flung into the ocean. Both of them stared at the ripples it left behind.

"Ah," Garfield cleared his throat, "Well, noted. Go easy on the biting."

He looked back at her with a self-satisfied smile, thankfully not commenting on her red face.

"Uhm, maybe that's enough for tonight," she suggested, suddenly hyper-aware that she was sitting on him.

He looked disappointed for a moment before perking back up.

"Sooo, more tomorrow night?"

"You're such a stereotype," she chided.

Gar widened his eyes, "Oh, I'm sorry, did you not like it? I can bite your neck again if we need clarification."

He leaned in, baring his fangs and Raven quickly jumped up.

"Goodnight, Garfield."

"Goodnight, Raven."

At the door, she glanced back to see him staring at her, eyes and teeth gleaming in the moonlight. His happiness was pouring off of him, along with some darker emotions. She shivered from something that wasn't cold, and quickly slipped back into the tower.