Hey everyone! Welcome back to Stages Of Love Chapter 9. This chapter is a quite long, hopefully compensating for my once again late update, and I worked really hard on it for y'all. If you guys have feedback or suggestions feel free to leave a review, I'm pretty much open to anything. Love you guys, and hope you enjoy! (I don't own Teen Titans. lol)
"Terra?" I whispered to Vic as she came over, a smile and coffee in tote. He gave me a small nod.
"Yeah. Surprising, huh? She arrived a little bit later in the party, and she was the one who found Kori."
"Oh." I regarded her as she sat down next to us, flicking her golden hair out of her face as she peered at her belongings. I had never really talked to her much, simply seen her around and, of course, heard stories from Garfield. My heart panged with jealously. She was stunning.
"Hi, Raven," Terra said, smiling. "I'm sorry I didn't get you a coffee, I didn't anticipate you would be here so early." I suppressed the urge to roll my eyes. Of course I would be here early. Kori's my best friend.
"It's okay." I managed, sending a thin-lipped smile in her direction. Victor accepted the coffee Terra offered with a warm smile, and the two launched into a short conversation about the service at Starbucks whilst I did my best to nod and act interested when they tried to include me. Having her there was just another reminder of my fight. I suppressed a sigh and turned my mind to thoughts of what had transpired this morning. Despite my stubbornness, I knew that I had been overreacting, that Garfield had been doing everything he could and that I was being a brat about it. A wave of regret passed over me, causing me to put my hands in my head. I have definitely fucked up what we had.
"Raven?" Terra asked after a while. "You okay?" Though her words meant no harm, I felt irritation swell inside me briefly.
"Yes."
"If you have a headache or something I'll be more than willing to run down to the drugstore and get you some medicine. I imagine this is really stressful for you." I lifted my hands and turned my head towards hers. Her blue eyes were wide with worry, her hands on either side of her chair, ready to get up.
"No, it's okay. I'm just kind of tired." I said. "Thank you, though." I added, and this time gave her a proper smile. She smiled in return, then went back to her conversation with Victor, who was sucking at the dregs of his drink. As time in the waiting room past, I forced myself to grudgingly admit that Terra was genuinely nice. Sure, sometimes she was a touch ditzy and pointed out the obvious, but she had good intentions. By the end of our waiting, I had joined the chatting and was feeling much better about my position with her. Finally, my phone buzzed, causing all three of us to jump. I quickly pulled out my cellphone, and sure enough, it was a text from Kori saying we could visit. We let out a quiet cheer, quickly gathering our belongings and making our way to her room. Already, Kori looked better. The blue-ish pallor had faded from her skin and her hands shook less as she continued to drink her water. Dick sat by her parents.
"What's the verdict?" I asked her. She shrugged.
"A couple more hours and then I am good to go. I just have to take these next few days very slowly." The group collectively sighed in relief. "Now, if you don't mind, I'm kicking you out of my room."
"What? We've been here for literally less than 20 seconds." I asked, and Kori shook her head.
"Everyone but Raven. For at least an hour. We have things to talk about and plus, the rest of you have been here with me for a really long time. You deserve a break. It's Ravens' turn now." There was a pause, in which Kori's parents stood.
"If you insist." Her mother said with a smile. "We'll just be downstairs if you need anything." And with that, the group exited the room and left the patient and I alone.
"God am I glad you're okay." I said softly, pulling up a chair to Kori's bed.
"I am, too. Scariest experience of my life."
"Once again, I'm super sorry for not being there."
"It's okay, Rae, you know that. The party was a little bit dull anyways, I don't blame you for going home." I sucked in a breath.
"I didn't go home." Kori shrugged.
"Yeah, well, I knew that."
"You did? From who?"
"Best friend's intuition." She tapped her forehead. "Something told me you went to Garfield's house instead." I sighed and threw my hands up.
"Why do I bother hiding things from you?" Kori giggled and lay back on the bed.
"You don't." She replied, winking. "So what did you do? How did it go? Not too well I assume since he isn't here with you."
"Eh, you're kinda right. Things actually went really well last night." Her eyes grew wide.
"Define 'really well'."
"Um, we talked?"
"That's it?"
"Well, no. We also kinda maybe hooked up and he may or may not have said he really liked me." At this Kori let out a high pitched squeal, shooting out of her bed and grasping my hands.
"Raven!" She exclaimed, pulling me into a tight hug.
"Kori... rest...breathing..." I managed, squirming so my pelvis wasn't pressed into the metal side of the bed.
"Oops." She released me. "Rae, I just can't believe it! Well I mean, I can, because I always had faith in you and Garfield, but, you know, I'm happy. I knew it, I knew it, I knew it!"
"Hate to burst your bubble but the story isn't over yet." Immediately her face fell.
"Don't tell me you fucked it up."
"I fucked it up." She threw her hands down in exasperation.
"What happened?"
"We got into a fight in the car on the way over here. To be fair, I was being kind of a brat. I was really nervous about you, and he was my only outlet, so I yelled at him. Told him he didn't understand me. That he was a mistake." I looked at Kori. "He isn't a mistake."
"I know, sweetie, I know."
"In the end, I got out of the car, and he stormed off. He's mad, Kori. I made him really mad." For the second time in the hour, I put my head into my hands. Her hands immediately went to my back, stroking me.
"We'll figure this out. " She said confidently. "Come on, let's stand up." Even though that was the last thing I wanted to do right now, I lifted my head up and stood. Kori made me bend down a little and leaned in, scanning me, before fluffing my hair and wiping at my nose. "What you're going to do is go talk to him."
"What?!" I exclaimed, jumping away from her. "Kori, did you not just hear me? He hates my guts!" She crossed her arms.
"Are you sorry?" She asked.
"Of course."
"Well then I think we both know what you have to do to make him hate you a little less." When she put it that way, it was simple. I sighed, defeated.
"Fine." She nodded definitively.
"Great. You can go when my family comes back."
"Okay," I said, slightly exasperated. "Is there any other reason you kept me in here?" An eyebrow was raised.
"You sound like I've chained you to me." I let out a small laugh.
"You already have. Do you not remember those puzzle-shaped friendship necklaces you bought that got stuck with each other that time we fit them together?"
"That was six years ago!" She exclaimed, throwing her hands up in the air. "Well, you better get used to it."
"I've long since adjusted." We smiled at each other, and I reached out to touch her hand with mine. "Glad to have you here. I know I said that before but I really mean it."
"Glad to have you here too." Kori replied. We paused for a moment, before Kori suddenly remembered a story and launched into it with full force. Stories were traded with laughing and banter, and the hour passed as fast as it does when you're with your best friend: in the blink of an eye.
I didn't even hesitate when I reached his house. Instead, I walked swiftly to his door and knocked before I could think better of my actions. As soon as I finished, my hand withdrew to my side and my posture became stiff. Feelings of worry swelled up in me and I resisted the urge to run. The doorknob turned and I braced myself, yet it remained half twisted for a second before it reverted back to its original position. I stared at the knob. Did Garfield... ignore me? The next few seconds passed by without another movement. My eyes narrowed and my hands clenched into fists. I stepped closer to knock again, a fierce look on my face, when the door swung open. I replaced my furious expression with a surprised one as I regarded Garfield standing in his doorway.
"Sorry, my dad got to the door first." He said, looking behind him. His voice was even and controlled. We both knew that his parents weren't particularly fond of me for reasons unknown. I quickly dropped my poised hand and regained my composure.
"It's okay." There was a pause. "May I come in?" He moved out of the doorway slowly and I walked in. I heard some talking from the kitchen and wondered if I should say hi to his parents, but when I looked at Garfield he was already walking up the stairs, so I followed him. We got to his room and I slowly closed the door before turning to face Garfield, who sat on the edge of his bed.
"I'm sorry." I blurted out. He raised an eyebrow and said nothing, so I continued. "I'm sorry for the things I said in the car. You were right. I was mad at myself, and I took it out on you, which is in no way okay. I hope you know that none of the things that I said were true because you are not a mistake; you're the best thing to happen to me in a long time." I stopped abruptly and let my words float through the air. I could tell he was surprised at my burst of usually concealed emotion. There was an extended pause before he breathed out a sigh of air.
"Come here." Garfield said, gesturing to the space next to him. With a bad feeling in my chest, I walked over and sat down hesitantly next to him. Even now, when he was about to break up with me, he gave me butterflies. My heart started pounding erratically.
"Is Kori okay?" He asked. I looked at him, a little surprised.
"Well, she's in the hospital until tomorrow." I said quietly. "But she'll be fine."
"If she's still at the hospital why are you here with me now?" I broke eye contact to focus on my fidgety foot.
"She forced me to come." I admitted. "Truthfully, if she hadn't I would have came tomorrow. Or maybe not at all."
"Why?"
"Because I hate confrontation."
"And?" I hesitated.
"And because I'm sad about what's about to happen. Not coming to see you would prolong whatever we had to some extent." I said. He was very quiet, but I could feel his gaze upon me. I shifted away from him subtly. "Well?" I asked.
"Well, what?"
"Now is the time."
"For what?"
"For you to... end whatever we have." I said. To my utter surprise, Garfield let out a chuckle.
"Raven, look at me." I turned my head. "If we let arguments end all of our relationships, we would be alone. I wouldn't be friends with Victor, you wouldn't be friends with Kori. We've all had our issues and arguments, but in the end it isn't those that count. It's how we move on from them."
"So..." I said softly, and he smiled.
"So, I forgive you. Of course I forgive you. I've only had you for a couple days, not even. I'm not letting you go, Rae." My heart swelled as I peered into his eyes, warm with forgiveness. "Okay?"
"Okay." I whispered. We stared at each other for a long time before he suddenly cleared his throat.
"Hey," Garfield said. "Let's go on a date tomorrow."
"Tomorrow's Monday, Gar." He rolled his eyes with a smile.
"I'm aware."
"What are we gonna do, flirt during English? Make out during lunch?" Garfield scoffed.
"You have no faith in me." I shrugged. "After school. I'll pick you up and we'll go somewhere."
"Where?"
"Telling you would ruin the effect."
"I think you don't actually know yet."
"I think you're going to be surprised." I raised my eyebrow, and he in turn raised his. "I'm full of secrets, Raven Roth."
"I'm sure."
"Now I hate to kick you out, but you arrived at a bad time. Parents want to go out to dinner." He grimaced.
"Pleasant." I said as he got up and went to his closet. "Where are you going?"
"Some Italian restaurant to celebrate them returning." Garfield swung open his closet and proceeded to pick out a button up shirt. "Turn around."
"Why?"
"I'm changing." He looked at me and winked. With a small smirk, I did no such thing. Instead, I stood up and made my way over to him, pushing him against his closet with my body. He paused, and I flicked away his hands on his buttons and replaced them with mine, slowly undoing each one. I could feel him breath in and out deeply, controlled, as I reached his last button. I released him slightly in order to take off his shirt before I pressed him against the closet again and ran my finger up the center of his chest, stopping at his neck. He suppressed a shiver, and tried to wrap his hands around my waist, but I knocked his hands away and held them against the closet. We stared at each other again for a long time, both breathless. His bare skin burned against mine, and I was once again reminded that only two layers of clothes separated us.
"Well," I said, drawing back suddenly. "I guess I better get going. Bye!" With that I walked out the door, suppressing a laugh. Inside his room, I heard Garfield groan, and soon he was in the hallway with me, still shirtless.
"You can't do that, Rae." He said, his voice scratchy. Garfield moved closer to me, and I let him.
"Who says?" I questioned, and he shook his head.
"Let me rephrase that," Garfield said, grabbing my arm and pulling me into him. "You can't let me do that without doing this." And with that he dipped me backward, causing me to suck in a breath, and kissed me.
Lord was he a good kisser.
When we broke apart, he gave me a smile, pulling me upright.
"Now you can leave." He said. I smiled and wriggled out of his grasp.
"You know, I feel like you're too good to be true sometimes. Like this entire thing is just too goddamn perfect."
"Our fight this morning proves opposite." He pointed out.
"But now you're kissing me like there's no tomorrow and it hasn't even been 14 hours." I sighed and poked him in the chest. "Are you real, Garfield Logan?" He looked at himself, lifting his arms and inspecting them, tugging at his clothes and hair, wriggling his toes and fingers.
"It would appear so." He concluded, looking at me with a goofy smirk. I rolled my eyes.
"You are such a dork sometimes."
"Yeah, but I'm your dork." Garfield said with a smile, and despite my groan my heart warmed immensely. I stared at him for a bit before I was brought back to my senses by someone yelling downstairs. Garfield grimaced.
"Parents are calling. Now I'm really late." I gave him a sympathetic look.
"Have fun at dinner." I said. "You'll survive."
"I have to survive. We have a date tomorrow, remember?"
"Yeah, yeah." I said, turning around to walk down the stairs. "See you tomorrow, Gar."
"Bye, baby." He called.
"Don't call me that!" I yelled back.
I left Garfield house's with two things I hadn't expected: a date tomorrow, and a glowing smile on my face.