[1]
It would seem the warm front was but wishful thinking as great nimbus shadows neared the setting sun. Beams of light persisted across the choppy bay waters while projecting brilliant hues of tangerine across the scattered storm clouds. Meanwhile, a dubious wind brought in a timid rain over the city as if the sunlight made it second-guess its direction.
Raven was grateful for the balcony's overhead and the various heat lamps and fire pit, allowing her to comfortably lean against the railing to observe with care the beautiful uncertainty of the present weather.
Beside her, Roy spread himself across the lounger, and Vic tinkered with the fire pit's gas ignition. Raven turned her head briefly when Kori reemerged from inside with a look that begged for revolt.
"I just do not understand why everyone seems to dislike mustard so much."
She was ushered by Garfield, who carefully guarded a lone dumpling impaled on a fork.
"What did she try to put it on now?" Vic asked as he revived the fire, its flames now reaching heights that were more acceptable to him.
"My stir fry, dude," Garfield said abhorrently as he walked over to Raven.
Kori crossed her arms and sat on the bench by the fire. "Well, I will not apologize for having more evolved gustatory cells."
"Dude, you've never heard of honey mustard soy sauce?" Roy said as his thumb scrolled mindlessly across his phone screen. "You're missing out."
"Thank you!" Kori exclaimed and quickly stood back up, addressing Garfield with bright, imploring eyes.
"Yellow mustard is not honey mustard, but whatever, just...keep it on the side. And don't overdo it?"
"I do not know what that means," Kori squeaked, and bolted for the kitchen before he could change his mind.
As she shut the door behind her, Garfield held the fork out to Raven, whose amused gaze was still fixed across the water.
"Here."
Raven gently pushed his hand away, "You know I don't want-"
"You said you'd try it," he complained and held the dumpling out to her again, "come on, it's getting cold."
"Alright, fuck," she growled and took the fork from him.
"Eh?" he was encouraged by the absence of her revulsion, "Wouldn't even know it's tofu."
"Meh," Raven shrugged playfully as she chewed, "Could use some mustard, I think."
"Funny," Garfield squinted and took the utensil back. Smugly, Raven returned her eyes to the view before them, and he copied with a great breath of petrichor.
After a moment, he leaned against the railing beside her, "When I was little, the rangers working the research site, they'd always say that if the sun shines when it's raining, it means that somewhere hyena cubs are being born."
Raven regarded him wryly, yet a small smile still played on her lips. "Why hyenas?"
"I, uh, don't know, just something they'd tell us. I guess it stuck, for some reason." As his eyes grew distant, Raven was confused by his quiet chuckle. "Sometimes, I can't even remember what my mom looked like, but I remember dumb shit like that."
She recognized the bitter sadness that carved channels between his brows, for it was always the same when he mentioned his parents this way. Like he was annoyed by any residual grief. As if it was unjustified by time.
"Well," Raven cleared her throat, anxious to deflect, "Azar once told me, that sunshowers were nature's great show of balance. An equilibrium of the dark and light in the skies."
Garfield snorted. "Really?"
"No," she simpered, "but it feels like something she'd say."
"Right," his shoulder brushed her own as he laughed, kindling a warmth beneath her skin.
Raven held the flesh memory of his surprised but smiling lips against hers uneasily, for now, she had this heightened and disruptive awareness of him. Of his scent mixed with the briny earth or the sound of his voice like stroking velvet. Though she knew there was no real reason to be embarrassed for what she did, her cheeks still felt hot each time Raven remembered how his hands pressed against her when he wrapped her up in him, holding on for fear she'd let go.
Then there were these scattered moments of the afternoon, filled with otherwise ordinary things, where Raven found herself daring to sweep her fingers against him. From scanning the isles in the store or sitting beside each other on the train, Raven wondered if the lightest touch might reignite the fever of him, and all afternoon she fought that urge that buzzed from her center like a phantom itch. Because within this strange want for him was an intensity that scared her.
Even now, Garfield looked at her as if he knew exactly how her thoughts spiraled around him, her gaze unsteady between his smirking lips and eyes.
And his long, knowing look turned into her bashful dismissal of him, a moment of faith that was interrupted by Victor.
"B," he called for the second time and nodded inside.
Though muffled through the glass, Kori's pleas for Garfield sounded desperate. Afraid for his stir fry, he hurried back inside, cussing beneath his breath.
"Nice to see you and beastie all cozy," Roy mumbled from behind his phone.
When Raven slowly twisted her neck to glare at him, he set his phone down on his chest and arrogantly wiggled his eyebrows.
"We talked about this, man. Don't spook her." Vic laughed, and Raven eyed the cyborg sharply.
"Yeah, alright," Roy grunted as he stood up and stretched his arms. "I just didn't know demons could blush so much." He boldly booped her nose with his finger before scurrying inside to safety.
Raven rolled her eyes away from the coward to Victor, who she had believed to be intentionally ignorant of this whole thing. But, as she waited for him to look up at her, it occurred that she might actually care what Victor thought about her and Garfield. Maybe more so than the rest of them.
"What?" Vic asked once she caught his straying eye.
"What did you mean by 'spook me'?" she asked as she saw a small, teasing quirk pull up the side of his mouth.
"Nothing, just knowing you don't like to be teased, that's all."
Raven nodded suspiciously and took a seat opposite of him.
As she studied the chaos of flames dancing on a bed of glass marbles, she thought of the fight between Garfield and Dick, remembering it was the cyborg who put Terra's name on her radar in the first place. It was the very same cyborg who may or may not have omitted important information from her in his retelling.
From there, it wasn't so difficult for Raven to connect a few dots, like, perhaps it was actually her name that was brought up in said argument. Which might also then try to explain Dick's strange and redundant parting "love" advice.
So, she eyed Victor shrewdly with this consideration and repositioned her legs a few different ways while anticipation built between their muteness and what she wanted to ask.
Victor noticed her fidgeting with slight amusement but was ultimately bothered by it.
"What's up, Rae? You're making me anxious."
"Sorry," she crossed her arms, "I guess I am a little anxious."
"Yeah? And why's that, I wonder?"
"Oh, you know, just the same old...climate change, supervolcanoes, famine," she paused when Vic chuckled, "the usual stuff."
"Yeah, well," he grinned, "what can you do?"
"Hey, Vic?" Raven straightened her spine and attended him bravely, "can I ask you about the other night? When they got into it over Terra?"
"Yeah, okay," Vic said agitatedly, fearing his chicken was heading home to roost.
"It wasn't about just about Terra, was it?"
After a carefully drawn moment, the cyborg laughed. "See, I feel like you already know...or else you wouldn't be asking, right?"
"Vic," Raven pleaded, only slightly amused.
"Listen," Vic sighed, "Garfield's my boy, and this isn't my place. But I know you get what's happening."
Raven examined how her pale fingers laced around each other, round black nails lightly shaping small frowns along her knuckles.
"It's been a little hard to wrap my head around, honestly. It's Gar, you know? It feels weird. He's different."
"He's not, though, you're just catching up. I mean," Victor squinted his eye doubtfully at her, "you really haven't known this whole time?"
Raven scrutinized his question. "'Whole time?'"
Victor lowered his eyelid with impatience before standing.
"Okay, I'm not playing this with you, so hear me, don't overthink it. Otherwise, don't drag it out. Either way, my guy has too much love to give, alright?"
"Vic, I don't want to hurt anyone."
"Good," he nudged her shoulder before approaching the sliding glass doors. "Don't."
She found it a little funny how earlier Karen remarked how direct this man was, yet he avoided her question so efficiently. She would be impressed if she wasn't so vexed by it.
And so, Raven let out pacified frustration from swelled cheeks before sauntering inside behind him.
[2]
Karen's suggestion of a potluck dinner had been a bit messy, but successful, even if she and Garfield were the only ones that didn't just buy prepared appetizers at the store. Kori's honey mustard soy sauce was also an unexpected triumph, and she and Roy made Garfield admit such on numerous occasions.
As they finished the mochi that Raven had picked out for the desert, Roy suggested a quick game of spoons back out on the balcony.
The night suddenly enlivened as the one game ultimately developed into a full-blown tournament, the prize of which would be chore immunity for the next month.
Unfortunately for Raven, who has relentlessly trained throughout her lifetime to resist a competitive nature, she lost the first round, landing her with immediate dish duties. The real kicker was the ban from using her powers, which Karen cleverly
proposed.
However, as she started washing the casserole encrusted pan, she decided she didn't mind taking advantage of the escape the kitchen provided. Because while they all continued to rage outside, Raven was finally allowed to collect her thoughts after a...stimulating day. So, she took her time to abate the mountain of dirty ceramic and very much stained stainless steel.
In fact, she found it quite meditative, being able to only focus on the dish. She'd rinse the bubbles from the plates beneath the stream of hot water, so did she cleanse herself of agitating energy, built up over hours of indecision.
Raven hadn't topped reevaluating herself, trying to figure out how a simple apology turned into making out with Garfield on the beach.
I've seen you do amazing things.
She didn't have a lack of sleep or fear of mental invasion to blame this time. Her actions were
her own, and she couldn't stop thinking of how nothing horrible happened.
You're always taking care of us.
Even if she wanted to believe that nothing ever would, throughout the years, the Magistrate's cold warnings of her emotions' consequences never strayed far. Cautioning that acting on such passions would ultimately hurt those she affected.
I hate that you do this to yourself.
Ironically, he was kind of a drama queen, as her mother would always tell her in moments of
doubt, but as one of Azar's footmen, his words carried significance. Even to this day.
I wish you'd see yourself the way I do.
Yet, as the butterflies persisted, Raven dared to be optimistic. What horrors could possibly come from letting this man make her feel wanted? Fuck the Magistrate, he was a drama queen.
"Don't overthink it," she warned herself.
"Overthink what?" Garfield asked, scaring Raven enough to drop the pan into the sink.
"Fuck! You," she blurted and turned off the faucet.
"Maybe later," Gar winked and picked up a dishrag and gently whipped her leg with it as she turned the tap back on. As her cheeks burned, Raven kicked his shin. "Easy, mama, I'm kidding."
Raven shook her head, unable to stifle her mortified amusement. "What do you want?"
"You just looked so peaceful in here," he said as he began to dry off clean pots and put them away, "so I thought I'd come and ruin that."
"How kind of you."
"I know, right?"
"Boys night!" Vic shouted as he emerged in from the deck with Roy close behind, "Beastie, we're going out!"
"Yeah? Where we going, Cy?" Gar yelled with parallel enthusiasm.
Roy threw his hands up and bellowed. "Dirty Trax!"
"Dirty Trax?!" Gar gasped, and Vic's best impression of an airhorn was obnoxious enough to project a vein from Raven's forehead.
"Do I even want to know what that is?" She grumbled as she stacked the last of the clean pans on the drying rack.
"Just the dopest superbike track in the Bay area," Roy stated as an indisputable fact. Raven sarcastically widened her eyes in awe before fixing the kettle to make tea.
Vic began listing off with his fingers, "Raceways, stunt tracks, pizza...this place is all time, Rae."
"Sick dudes," Raven teased as she lifted the whistling kettle from the stove.
Vic puffed at Raven's sarcasm before clapping both Roy and Gar on the shoulder.
"Let's do this," Roy roared avidly, and pointed at Gar, "tell your girl sweet dreams, 'cuz it's..." Roy cued Vic, and they both shouted in Raven's direction.
"BOYS NIGHT!"
Raven's face twisted at their intrusive energies and massaged the irritation from her forehead. "Alright, I get it, just go, please."
Very much humored with themselves, Vic and Roy vacated the kitchen, with Gar lagging behind, scratching the back of his head timidly.
The steam from her green tea soothed her tired skin, so Raven held the mug near her chin. "You better go," she told him between cooling breaths, "wouldn't want to keep the scoot jockeys waiting."
He softly chuckled before closing the space between them, slowly trapping her between his arms and the counter they leaned against.
Raven's eyes advised caution, but he remained unfazed.
"Will I see you later?"
"Well, considering we live together, I'd say it's pretty unavoidable." Her eyes gave away a smile that she hid behind the brim of her mug.
"Oh, yeah, smartass?" he derided, "what, I say that you're kind of funny one time, now all you've got are jokes for me?"
"What, worried I'm funnier than you?"
"Pfft, fat chance."
"You sound scared," her eyebrow perked derisively as she lowered her mug.
Gar's demeanor strangely softened as he bowed his head and smiled, "Do I?"
His breath fluttered off her lips, quickening her pulse to offensive levels, but she remained still as he lowered his face to hers.
"LOGAN!" Roy's voice boomed down the hallway, and Garfield gruffly staggered back, planting his hand against the hot burner Raven's kettle had been on.
Raven covered a guilty smirk behind her fingers as he exhaled sharply through the pain, checking the raw, darkened skin along his palm.
"You okay?"
"My hand? Yeah," Garfield shook his wrist and sighed, "my pride, not so much."
Raven grinned and reached out for his hand, which he hesitantly surrendered. To her bemusement, her hands faintly shook as she cloaked his palm with her healing glow. When Gar noticed this, he steadied his other palm beneath hers for support. At this gesture, her eyes flickered to his.
As the sharp ache diminished from Garfield's palm, Vic reappeared around the corner, regarding their hands suspiciously, "Boys night?"
"Yeah, I'm coming," Gar answered and kept his eyes on Raven as she shyly recoiled her hands.
Vic smirked angrily at them both before disappearing back down the hallway.
"Thanks, uh," he smiled meekly at Raven as he made slow steps towards the hall, "I'll see you later."
Raven agreed softly, "See you."