Disclaimer: Teen Titans are the property of DC comics and I am not gaining any sort of compensation for this work. This is purely a work of fiction so any similarities to situations or persons living or dead is purely coincidental.
Author's Note: I made it to chapter 10, so hooray! When I outlined this, I was only expecting like 5 chapters, but now I've doubled it and I still have more. Writing the last chapter became intense, I was like a woman possessed trying to perfect it, and it was longer than I anticipated. Terra will come back occasionally, mostly to show how she no longer has a hold on Garfield. Mal will come in eventually as well, but that's for a later chapter. More fluff this chapter, and some serious mental debate for the pair. Thankfully, I wrote it so they are both fully aware of what they've done and neither regrets it. So without further ado, let's get to it.
10. Teasing the Palette.
The sun rose on the dewy morning, the cool air coming in from the window Garfield cracked open to help air the room out. Not that he minded the smell of their deed, but he didn't think Rachel would appreciate her immaculate room stinking of sweat and their intimacy, and the cool night air felt nice, forcing Rachel to cuddle closer. They spent the night wrapped tightly around each other, naked and worn out from the surge of emotions and exertion of their night's activities. Though Garfield was embarrassed at the short session he'd managed for her, she assured him that she was satisfied and there was nothing to be shy about.
Rachel's eye cracked open, the light slipping in from the curtains blinding her. Garfield's weight held her tight to the bed, and she wasn't sure she even wanted to leave, though, as usual, her bladder won out on her desire to stay wrapped in his arms. She sat up, pulling the sheet around her to hide her nudity, as she felt suddenly very venerable and, well, naked. She pulled away from his arms and sat at the edge of her bed, looking for her sweats and T-shirt she used as pajamas. A small twinge of pain rang through her middle, sore from the attention it was not accustomed to. Garfield stirred when he felt her move, squinting at her back as he watched her stand from the bed and lean to pick up her clothing. A black and blue raven decorating her middle and lower back, ascending upward toward her shoulders, he made a mental note that the next session he would position her to enjoy the view from behind, her thin waste and wide hips beckoning him enticingly.
"Morning Rae, you never told me you had ink." He stretched, her head whipping around suddenly, as she was obviously startled.
"Morning, I'll tell you about it when I come back, have you seen my shirt?" she had her sweats pulled over her hips and was trying to hide her breasts. He cocked an eyebrow and motioned for her arms.
"No need to hide from me anymore Rae, I like what I see, look does this make you feel better?" he whipped the blanket away and displayed his morning, involuntary arousal for her to see. She flushed deeply, smirked and removed her arms, giving up on modesty.
"Do you have an off switch?" she cocked a brow as he eyed his chest and abs, her eyes dipping lower, only for a moment and her heart fluttered, finding that her estimation in the dark of the night before did not do him justice and she quickly realized why she was so sore. He pulled the blanket back over himself and stretched again, a soft yawn escaping his mouth.
"Hurry back and I'll show you." He smirked deviously at her, grabbing her T-shirt from the nightstand and handing it over to her.
"Maybe later? I'm, um, a little sore." She took the shirt and he nodded at her, his smirk turning into a gentle smile. She headed out of the room and into the restroom, noting the party guest sleeping at the other end of the hallway and prayed no one had passed out in the bathroom. Finishing her business, she took a long look at herself in the mirror, the V-neck on her T-shirt dipping low enough to show the small love bite on her neck from Garfield. She touched it, expecting it to hurt, finding that the sensation excited her as her thoughts flashed back to the moment he'd given it to her. She washed her face in cool water and dried it, set to remove the flush before returning to her bedroom. He was right where she left him and she crawled back into bed with him.
"So tell me about that ink." He wrapped his arm around her and tugged at her shirt and pants, wanting to continue lying next to her naked body.
"I was 17, I lied to the guy and said I'd just turned 18 and wanted a new piece, he never bothered to check my ID and I got this. At the time, it was macabre to me but as I've gotten older it symbolized knowledge and wisdom I've gained throughout my life. It's so big though, and its placement is a little strange, almost like a tramp stamp." She finished pulling her shirt off and he ran his fingers over the expertly detailed feathers coming from the wings. She'd spent quite a bit for this caliber of art, and should very well be proud of it.
"It's far from a trampstamp, its art." He ran his finger up her spine enjoying the shudder it solicited. She turned around and ran her finger over the script across his chest.
"Who's Marie?" no hint of any jealousy in her voice, Rachel was genuinely curious about any woman he held so dear to tattoo her name across his heart.
"Oh, I never told you my parents' names have I? Marie is my mom's name. I got that when I was 13, back when I was still a little rough around the edges. That's when I got this one too." He turned over and showed a stretched and warped tattoo across his shoulders, stretched from his growth. She couldn't make out the words, though the first one resembled a local street name.
"Didn't think that one through, did you?" she chuckled and ran her finger over the tattoo on his forearm. "This one is my favorite." She said, staring at it and tracing the lines.
"Mine too." He kissed her forehead and pulled her close again, lifting her chin to reach her lips. His kiss was tender and her hand rested against his cheek.
"I should get up and workout. I haven't in the last few days." She said, though she showed no sign of getting up.
"Do you have to Rae? I was thinking we could lay here for a bit, maybe get some food, come back here and maybe watch a movie alone. I don't really feel like socializing today, I had enough last night. I just want a day to catch up with you." She couldn't help but smile at Garfield's words; she'd never heard someone say they wanted to be alone with her for more than a few hours, other than Kori.
"Let me make some tea at least, start my morning a bit, I'll come back her and we can relax until you're ready to leave." She pulled away and started sitting up again.
"Then I'll go to the bathroom while you're gone. We can shower right before we leave." They headed out of the door, Rachel heading into the kitchen to brew her tea. She found more than a few people strewn about her house, some using jackets as pillows and a lucky few snagging the couches or a recliner. She smiled at a few displaying marker on their faces, their shoes being left on their feet, house rules dictated they suffer the consequences. She quickly brewed her tea and headed back to her room, surprised when the bathroom door opened and she was pulled in, nearly spilling her hot beverage.
"I wanted to shower now and thought maybe you could join me? I'll warm up the water and get started while you enjoy your tea." He smiled sheepishly, and rubbed the back of his head, a clear sign he was nervous.
"You didn't have to kidnap me to ask." She mocked annoyance and sipped her tea, feeling like maybe she shouldn't drink it in the now dirty bathroom. He turned on the water, a nice steam cloud billowing from behind the sliding glass. The luxurious bathtub in the corner calling for Rachel's sore muscles would have to wait for another time when she was less rushed. She turned around to find Garfield standing naked in front of the glass, testing the water before heading in. She took one last sip of her tea before dumping the remainder into the sink and decided to join him.
The shower was large enough for two people, with two shower heads, one in front and one in back, wondering if the original owner designed it for the sake of two people sharing the water, Rachel climbed in behind Garfield, stealing the rear shower head to rinse off. She reached for her shampoo to find it was already taken, and turned to find Garfield pouring a small amount into his hands, gesturing for her to turn around. His hands gently massaged the cool liquid into her scalp, creating a luxurious lather, as the instructions on the bottle would call it. When he finished, he rinsed his hands in the water stream and grabbed her conditioner.
He ran the goo through her hair, following the instructions on the bottle. Terra had never let him join her in the shower, saying he would just waste her time, so he savored the fact that Rachel seemed to be more accommodating. When he was done, she put her hair up into a bun and turned to face him, requesting he turn around as she reached for his shampoo. The feeling of her fingers in his scalp relaxed him and he wondered if she would be willing to shower with him every day, knowing the daily scalp massage would do wonders for his tension. When he rinsed, she grabbed her soap, looking for her loofa to wash herself.
"No ma'am, I'm finishing the job I started, and that doesn't end until you're squeaky clean from head," He met her gaze and ran his eyes slowly down her, appreciating the way she looked in the stream of water "to toe." He gave her a crooked smile and she turned around to comply. He took great care to scrub her skin, firm enough to clean her, yet gentle enough she seemed to completely relax. He tugged on her shoulder, requesting her to turn around. Using the loofa, he washed her front, using his hands as well as the abrasive sponge to wash over her curves, needing to stop himself before things turned and he became tempted to do more than scrub her body. She flushed and rinsed off, enjoying the feeling of his hands on her, almost wishing he hadn't stopped.
When his turn came, he had only a wash cloth to scrub himself with and she lathered his soap into it, taking care to scrub over his scratch marks gently. When she washed his front, she took the chance to enjoy running her hands across his chest and down his abs, avoiding his eyes when she washed his groin, feeling it change under her touch. She knelt to wash his legs and it took all of his control to avoid getting too excited. He rinsed and she set to leave the shower, realizing she'd never done this before, finding comfort in the whole experience. It was oddly erotic, while still being completely relaxing, if Garfield could agree to wake up earlier, she may just invite him more often.
They dried off and made their way to their rooms, set to get dressed and ready to leave, Rachel was thankful the hallway guest had since left. Who sleeps in a hallway anyway she huffed at herself. A knock at her door drew her attention away from the shirt she was tugging over her head, her pants still unbuttoned and unzipped.
"Gar?" she asked, she'd again forgotten to lock her door. He walked in, dressed and hair combed, ready to go out to breakfast. She looked startled as she pulled it down quickly.
"Sorry, should I have waited outside?" he put his hands up and instinctively turned around. She chuckled softly, something he was not expecting and the sound of her placing another shirt on drew his attention back.
"Didn't you tell me just this morning not to hide from you? Don't tell me you've changed your mind since doing the walk of shame back to your room." She laughed, though she did feel a pang in her chest, worried that maybe this was all they'd get from each other, one night of passion and a morning full of awkward.
"No not at all, it just caught me off guard." He smiled back and watched her put her shoes on. She'd made her bed and her room looked as pristine as when they'd entered it, the smell of sandalwood from a nearby candle clearing out the smell of the previous night. "Ready to go?"
"Sure." She walked to the door and exited before him, ignoring his waiting lips as she passed him, her quick pace making him jog to catch up to her.
Breakfast was awkward, just as she'd expected. She half hoped they would be able to eat together, relaxed and enjoying each other's company, though she knew that it wasn't likely given their night's encounter. She didn't regret her choice to be so aggressive, nor did she regret that she'd laid herself bare in regards to her feelings, but a part of her didn't want anything between them to change. Too late for that Rachel she thought to herself as she sipped her tea, her waffles long since forgotten.
"Something bothering you Rae?" Garfield was staring intently at her, though her silence was normal for her, her aloof nature this morning was not.
"Hm? No not at all," she smiled at him and set her tea down, "Sorry, I kind of dazed off for a second there." He smiled back and grabbed his juice.
"That sigh says otherwise. Tell me what's on your mind." His expression turned gentle, urging her to open up.
"Well, to be completely honest," she said, "I was kind of hoping we wouldn't change. I like how comfortable I am with you, but this morning I'm an awkward mess. I'm sorry Gar, it really isn't your fault, I guess I must be a little shy."
"Oh thank God." He sighed in relief and she looked at him incredulously. "Sorry, it's just, I'm glad I'm not the only one, I was so nervous when I woke up this morning. I think I overcompensated a little." He ran his hand through his hair and smiled, looking more relaxed.
"We certainly are a pair aren't we?" she smiled, lifting her cup in a cheers motion and sipped her tea. He chuckled and stretched in his seat, the easy smile returning on his face. The ping from Rachel's phone drew their attention to her bag.
New Message from Kori: We are all going out to eat, we will be back later. Please reply with any requests you and Gar have for food.
Reply: We've both eaten already. How did you know we're together?
New Message from Kori: ;)
New Message from Kori: I'm happy for you, enjoy it.
"Humph, sometimes even I forget how perceptive Kori is." She smiled at her phone and placed it back in her bag.
"Why's that, and yeah she plays dumb so well it's scary how smart she is." He sipped the last of his coffee and called the waitress over for another and the check.
"It's the accent, I'm certain she can speak without it, but refuses to. It makes her come off as defenseless and a bit spacey and I think she uses it to her advantage. She's really very capable." Rachel thanked the waitress for clearing the table and continued to sip her tea.
"That has to be it, she seems so innocent but there are times when I can see how devious she can be. Especially when someone slights her." Garfield said around a laugh. "Should we go home?"
"Sure, that sounds great," she said, placing her mug down and pulling her wallet out to pay for her breakfast. "Breakfast is my treat today." she smiled at him and he smirked.
"Sure, thanks, I know better than to argue with you." he said.
"Though you insist on doing it anyway every day." she smirked back and placed some cash into the bill fold, leaving an ample tip for her attentive waitress.
"I'll get the movies though." he said standing and offering his hand to help her out of the booth. Though she was shocked at his chivalrous gesture, she accepted it and even allowed him to help her with her coat. They headed out and walked toward the car, Rachel's thoughts and worries rushing back to her. She wanted to know what the night meant to him, and was figuring out what it meant to her. She knew she cared about him, knew she could even want more than friendship from him. What she didn't know was just how much she wanted from him. Friends with benefits? No that was too non-committal for her taste. Hook-up? Worse than friends with benefits. Dating? That would imply going out together and she would rather spend time alone at him with him. Boyfriend? Was she asking too much too fast wanting to call him her boyfriend? She reached her car and squashed her thoughts, deep down where she could revisit them later.
Choosing a movie that both of them would enjoy proved difficult, leading to both of them picking their individual favorite movies and agreeing to show them to each other. Stopping quickly at the grocery store for snacks and easy food, they headed home and got comfortable, Rachel in a pair of sweats and a T-shirt, Garfield in a pair of shorts and his undershirt. Rachel changed her sheets and put them to wash, stopping only to greet her roommates.
"Hey Rach, you want to go for a hike? Gar is in his pajamas and said 'no way' so it's me, Kori Vic and his date." Dick asked Rachel as she grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge.
"No thanks, I plan on relaxing today, I had a long week." She said, cracking the seal on the bottle and taking a sip.
"You're not hungover are you? You and Gar disappeared and I assumed you'd gotten drunk and he put you to bed." a knowing smile crossed his face, "he didn't take advantage of you did he?"
"Jesus Dick, I'm not that dumb and no I wasn't that drunk, I just went to bed. I was tired; I had enough to drink and went to bed. What time did you finally go to bed?" she said in an accusing tone.
"Around 1AM, I was planning this hike today, to be honest, I'm surprised Vic is good enough to even stand right now." he chuckled, "I guess he deserved his last hoorah, he said he's quitting drinking from now on. Kori and I also decided to quit partying. She's graduating soon, work is getting hectic for me, I guess it's just time."
"Everyone has to grow up sometime I suppose. That works for me, I barely drink anyway." she smiled genuinely, thankful parties would no longer happen in her home. "I think it would be good for all of us. Even Gar was saying the other day that he's not really enjoying drinking anymore. He says it reminds him of his relationship with Terra too much."
"Makes sense, that girl is crazy, more when she drinks. Have a good day Rach, I messaged you the location we're hiking at, but we should get good service throughout." he grabbed a backpack and started walking toward the door. Rachel headed toward the hallway when Richard called out to her "Oh and Rach, I'll text you when we're heading back so you two have a chance to get decent and finish up your business." he said with a smirk on his face, hiding a laugh.
"Hey!" she called, but her words were too late. "Who says that's what we're going to do today? It's not like we're even together." she mumbled to herself, staring out the window as her friends drove away. Arms wrapped around her from behind and she smelled Garfield's cologne.
"Nosy little prick, no wonder Kori likes him so much, he's just as perceptive as she is." he held her tighter and nuzzled his face into her neck, his stubble tickling her neck and sending shivers down her spine. So maybe that is what we'll be doing today. She thought to herself relaxing into his embrace.
"Oh and Rae? No need to concern yourself with that. You know you're mine, right? I'm not a hit it and quit it kind of guy. When I sleep with someone, it means I want to be with them. Of course, that's if you want to be with me too." he pulled her even tighter and placed a small kiss on her cheek. She shuddered when his lips grazed her ear and smiled to herself.
"I guess that's settled then." she turned around and faced him, kissing his lips gently before he deepened it in return. They stood there, kissing and clutching to each other as if nothing else in the world existed, and in this moment, nothing did for them. She didn't allow her mind to wander to the what-if, only enjoyed the moment, a rare course of action for her; however, things with Garfield were always easy. He never allowed for her to overthink things, often taking action into his own hands. He was spontaneous while she carefully planned her every move. She got caught up in her own thoughts all too often, and fell to the side of inaction while he rushed ahead.
In all logical reasoning, their relationship was not likely, though, the same applied for their friendship. Yet Rachel found nothing but peace and happiness from the time she spent with Garfield, and he felt as though he healed with her, her kindness soothing the burn of his past romance. They were both unlikely yet completed suited for each other and Rachel wondered just how long their relationship would last before problems arose. Pulling away from him, she smiled and looked at ground. She care deeply for him, even as a friend, to further their relationship had not ruined things like she'd worried, only added a deeper intimacy to their bond and she hoped she wouldn't screw it up.
"Let's go watch our movies before I choose something else and we waste my money." Garfield smiled and pulled away from her. He headed into her room and settled himself on the floor, snacks in hand. Rachel padded in behind him carrying the water bottles she'd nearly completely forgotten. She sat next to him, handing him one of the bottles she carried.
"Let's watch yours first." He said and placed the disc into the small player she kept under her TV.
"Just in case it's boring and you need a pick me up after?" she smirked at him, wondering if he'd ever had a chance to peek at her movie choice. No, it wasn't necessarily her favorite, though she adored it, choosing it to keep Garfield from getting too bored their first lazy day together. "Did you even look at the movie you put in?"
"Nope, I wanted it to be a surprise." pressing the menu button and play button quickly to avoid the title menu. His eyes still closed while a small screen of text popped up onto the screen.
"Forget it, it's too risky." an actor lit a cigarette on the screen and Garfield's face lit up. Though he'd never seen the film, he immediately recognized it, having watched the scene in a film class in high school. By the end of the short dialogue, and even midway into Dick Dale's rendition of Misirlou, his face held a shocked expression.
"It's one of my favorites." she smiled back, shocked as he suddenly wrapped his arms around her.
"You are by far the coolest girl I know. I'm lucky I got you." he said, nuzzling into her neck and placing a small kiss onto her cheek.
"Correction, lucky that I caught you." she smirked again, watching the movie and enjoying the scene following the opening titles.
"Well, you did basically pounce on me." he goaded back, earning him a playful slap on the arm.
They spent the rest of the day snacking, watching movies and relaxing. Coming out only for major meals, the spent the day isolated with each other, thankful there were no questions from their roommates regarding their absence. When the sun finally fell and the night air chilled the room, the lay next to each other in Rachel's room, Garfield barely able to contain his excitement of his new found affections. This time, however, he made sure he was given a full view of the intricate lines of ink on her back, as well as the irresistible view of her body it elicited.
Afterward: I'm so sorry this took so long, I got very sick on Friday while I was editing and only today did I feel well enough to even work on this. Next chapter is written and as soon as this is uploaded it's going to be edited. Let me know if you have any requests, from here on its going to be a bit of peace for them, with hints of oncoming drama. I'll give a shout out to the person who can guess the movie Rachel chose from the vague hints I gave.