Short chapter! Sorry - I just needed to get something uploaded because I felt guilty about the wait. You know how it is. This chapter is a little spicy - I'm hoping it makes up for the shortness and the wait.

Moneneki - It's a hodge podge of genres, but I hope something tickles your fancy. Mr. Ursine - if you woke up loopy, you know it was a good nap. Biyanabee - Uhh, shit rocked in a way, sure. Facebreaker17 - Thanks so much! LilyTimbers - Thank you for all of your reviews! I feel the same way about Gavin, ngl. He's just a complication we'll get rid of, friend. It's a-comin. Blopezb - Right? a lot of them make him way too sweet and doting. Like, he's still a goofball and a screw up. Thank you!

Disclaimer - I own no rights to Teen Titans or any lyrics or songs mentioned.

"Where do I fit in
In this jigsaw of a relationship?
Why should I play the fall guy to your love?
I keep getting snubbed...
What dumb luck, what dumb luck"

- "Butcher the Song", Cursive

Gar had no reason to suspect any foul play when the lights in his room flickered the first time. After all, it was a big tower, and sometimes the wind caused minor power fluctuations. He dismissed the second one for same reasons. And the third one.

In hindsight, his detective skills really were lacking.

It wasn't until two of his light bulbs exploded in a shower of sparks and shadows that he even began to suspect that something was amiss.

He had just enough time to yell, "Oh shit!" before his doors slammed to either side, ripped from the hydraulic hinges that allowed it to open.

Raven appeared then, framed within the hole that used to be his door. She wasn't quite in demon mode, but based on the faint, red, eye-shaped lines above her own eyes, she was close. Gar knew the lines were only a prelude to the real fireworks when her second pair of eyes appeared.

"Well hello, Raven. How are we doing tod- mmph!" The false cheer was torn from his throat as a black tentacle stretched out and slammed him against his bedroom wall. It held him, trapped in place in its restraints.

The experience made him hard, instantly. He didn't know whether to blame it on the Beast (given the snarls the monster was emitted at being held down, it was doubtful) or his own kinky preferences, but either way… Now is NOT an appropriate time, little Gar.

"I am speaking. You are listening." Raven's voice was multi-layered, a low growl and shrieking crow blanketing her usual monotonous vocal patterns. He nodded, as much as he was able to while pinned to the wall.

"Gavin and I had a discussion earlier today."

Another nod, this time because he didn't have anything to say. Instead, he was panicking. Shit. That motherfucker had told her what he said?! What a snitch.

Gar was outraged. Trust the hipster to be a coward that hides behind his girlfriend instead of fighting his own battles.

"You. Do. NOT. Get to go into crazy hyper-animal mode just because someone is finally paying attention to me!" The lines on her forehead were beginning to fill in. Gar gulped, the realities of his constraints beginning to finally down on him. He may actually be in danger, right now. The Beast began pumping into him, thickening his muscles as he started to test his ties. Raven continued her rant, not paying attention to his struggling. "Especially! When you never gave me any indication that you were interested!"

The last of his light bulbs shattered around them as her control began to snap. They sat quietly in darkness for a moment, the sounds of their panting the only thing to fill the stillness.

Raven must have finally realized how much she had lost control, because Gar felt his restraints begin to relax from his form. His sensitive ears picked up the sound of her shifting, and he watched as her form became silhouetted against the light coming in through his open doorway.

Oh no. She did not get to come in here, attack him, drop a bomb, and then walk away like nothing happened.

Gar grabbed her arm and yanked her back into his room. She didn't say a word, just stared at him, eyes wide in confusion.

"I didn't know it was an option, Rae. Believe me, I'd have been breaking down your fucking door to get with you if I thought it meant I had a chance!"

"It's too late, Garfield. I'm not yours, and I'm not the Beast's. Just stay the hell away from me and Gavin."

She tried to pull her arm from his grasp, but he didn't release her. Instead, powered by his and the Beast's desires, he secured his grip on her arm and pulled her to him. He leaned in and kissed her, a punishing kiss that she responded to immediately. Her hands flew up to tangle in his hair as their lips moved together. Her body molded against his as though it was made to fit there. He pulled her somehow closer still, growling as her nipped at her bottom lip. She made a mewling sound in response, a sound he never would have associated with her but that made so much sense in the moment, and then she ground herself against his thigh, which had somehow made its way between her legs.

Their passionate embrace lasted what felt like both a second and an eternity to Gar, before he was roughly shoved back and away from Raven.

"No. No. You don't get to do this now. It's too late."

No? How could she say no to what they had just done?

Gar knew he wasn't alone in their experience together. Other than the fact that he was never actually alone, what, with the Beast and all. She had been just as into it as he had been — he'd never had a kiss like that, never had a woman respond so eagerly as she just did to him. There was something between them, and she could tell him no, and he'd listen, because consent was important.

But he was going to make sure that she knew how much she meant to him.

And it wasn't over jealousy. It wasn't just because of some stupid pissing contest between him and Gavin. She was his in more ways than one, and was going to prove it to her, no matter how long it took.

"Rae, I—" He started to argue, started to protest her anger.

She cut him off with a slice of her hand. "I said no, Gar."

And with that, she was gone, a trail of shattering lights following her stead.

Raven was furious with herself. First for losing control of her temper so completely, and second for letting Garfield kiss her. She'd tried to meditate to soothe herself and had only gotten broken pottery for her efforts. Now she was in her mirror, surrounded by a summoned council of emotions. She paced back and forth across the stone before them, alternating between swiping her hand angrily at her mouth (as if that could erase his taste) or tugging at her own hair in frustration. What had she done? Sure, he had made the first move, but she had not only allowed it to happen, she had reciprocated.

Azar, she had more than reciprocated.

"Girl, you were two seconds away from stripping that boy naked," Lust purred.

"Can you not? You got us in enough trouble."

"She's just an emotion. The actions were all you." Logic pointed out, not at all helpfully.

Raven chose to ignore that statement. Of course the actions were Lust. She would not have reacted like that without the pesky emotion fueling everything along.

"Shame we didn't get our hands on that perfect bubble butt of his, though." Lust pouted, crossing her arms and sticking out her bottom lip in a pout.

"Don't." Raven warned.

She couldn't talk about this with them right now. Because honestly, she was close to agreeing. Which scared the shit out of her. She was not this person. But if she was being frank with herself, sex with Gavin never felt anything close to what she had just experienced with Garfield.

And they had only kissed!

"It's because we have more than just sexual tension between us." She argued with herself and her emotions. "We have an actual relationship. Garfield and I are just always so angry at each other. It came out in a good kiss. That's it."

Logic and Lust both let out twin snorts, but wisely did not say anything else.

"It was wrong. I just essentially cheated on Gavin. With Garfield!" Her voice rose in pitch as her pacing grew more and more frantic.

"It was only a kiss." Logic pointed out.

"And what a kiss it was." Lust and Love both sighed out dreamily. Happiness giggled at their antics.

"Should I tell him?" Raven asked. Bravery nodded, but Timid was frantically shaking her head.

"I cannot imagine it will do anything but cause tension between you and Gavin and Gavin and Garfield. Best to just ignore it." Logic finally said, with a sharp nod of agreement with herself. "It is not like you are going to leave Gavin for Garfield, and you cannot leave the team over this, so you are always going to be around Garfield. It would just upset Gavin to know."

"It feels wrong." Timid said softly, her eyes beginning to water.

The collective group ignored her, agreeing with Logic's reasoning over Timid's moral struggle.

Chapter Titles Playlist

1. Feel it Still - Portugal the Man
2. Oh, to Be an Animal - Murder by Death
3. Kill Everybody - Skrillex
4. If You Want Love - NF
5. Red River - SALEM
6. Side Effects - Carlie Hanson
7. When I Get Home You're So Dead - Mayday Parade
8. Lie to Me - Tate McRae and Ali Gatie
9. Butcher the Song - Cursive

That's it so far! More to come as the story progresses!