A/N: Hey folks, apologies for the delay on this chapter. Life got in the way a bit and I had to think a lot about where I want this story to go. Thank you once again for your feedback and for reading up to this point in the story. It truly means a lot to me to see people enjoy my writing! If you enjoy it, follow/fav/leave aa review. if you think there's something I can improve on, let me know. I always appreciate constructive criticism. With that, let's get to it! Disclaimer: Teen Titans and its affiliated characters are owned by DC and its associates.

"I said no Kory." Raven rubbed her temples, feeling her headache thump louder. The sounds of shoes hitting tile, loud voices, and contrasting music from the overall mall coming into the store wasn't making it any easier to deal with her situation.

"Raven, please! I'm certain this dress would look amazing!" Kory replied, while holding said dress. Admittedly, it could work on Raven. The lace bodice would hug her form with a nice short V-back opening, and the knee-length skirt was designed to flow freely when walking. There was one small, or rather large, problem. The whole dress was just this side of bubblegum pink, which made Raven question Kory's common sense.

"I'll survive, Kory. Can we please look for something else?" Resigning herself to the consequences, Raven walked away from her friend. She did feel a slight guilt gnawing at her for shutting Kory's suggestion down so fast. After all, Raven was the one that approached her for help.

After getting back to the apartment - the events from the library replaying over in her head – Raven realized that her wardrobe was severely lacking in the "formal dress" department. With limited knowledge regarding "date" fashion and a tight budget, Raven decided it was best to call in the cavalry. Enter Kory.

While Raven hadn't fully divulged the reason why she needed a dress on such short notice, she suspected Kory didn't care about the details when the words "trip" and "mall" escaped Raven's lips. In fact, in Kory's own words, she was simply happy the two were spending "girl time" together. Which is how Raven found herself in one of her least favorite places on Earth at the eleven A.M on a Saturday.

The store had been Kory's suggestion. There weren't a lot of customers in there at the moment, eliminating some of the stress Raven had been feeling and allowing the girls to browse at their leisure. Most of the prices were enough to make Raven's heart drop and feel a pain in her wallet, but luckily, a few dresses were on sale. Good prices for two college girls without much spending cash.

"I'll keep it around just in case!" Kory called behind her, looking through the racks once more and humming, leaving Raven to wallow in her own thoughts.

Maybe this was a mistake? It wasn't that she was opposed to the idea of a date with Garfield. But Raven hadn't been on one in a long time. Ignoring the lack of a wardrobe, was she even ready for this? She and Garfield had just met!

Still, Raven couldn't deny that there was something there. When they spent time together, Raven's heart began to flutter faster. Any physical contact between the two of them made Raven's skin feel like it had been burned and frozen at the same time. Denying her crush was no longer an option.

The only question left was if she would be brave enough to act on those feelings.

Taking a moment to collect her thoughts, Raven turned to the clothing rack next to her. She looked around, scanning the area and spotting Kory a couple racks over. She was still carrying that damned pink dress. Raven shuddered. I need to find a dress now.

The rack in front of her seemed as good a place as any to start. Raven began to comb through the hangers, each holding a different style of dress. They were organized by size, making it easier to narrow down her selection. She also decided to stick with colors that matched her fashion sense, even if it meant skipping out on a lovely shade of white that somehow made even her skin look darker in comparison. Unfortunately, her process left her with very few selections.

She studied at each dress carefully, picking apart their features. The first few all had something wrong with them. The skirt was too short. The straps too loose. One dress had too much glitter for her liking, already thinking about the monstrous mess it would create if the chips started falling. One by one, she put them back on the rack without a second thought. Disappointed, she reached the final dress in her selection and pulled it out.

Oh. This could work.

The color was the thing that attracted her to it at first. A dark royal blue, subtle but with enough pop to draw an eye or two. However, this dress did a lot more than match her color palette. It was a one piece with no pattern, the hem resting just above her knees. The bodice was snug and had a gold "belt" fitted around the waist. The neckline was a cold-shoulder style, with straps of fabric that should hold the dress around her neck and lower down her arms. Finally, a small "window" opening at the front would frame her cleavage, and Raven couldn't help but smirk at the idea of teasing her date with the view.

For lack of a better word, the dress was hot.

Raven grabbed the dress, carefully pulling it out to make sure it didn't get stuck on anything that could rip it. "Hey Kory," she called out, attracting the attention of the young woman, "where are the dressing rooms?"

I can do this. I can do this.

Despite his attempts at hyping himself up, Gar was a nervous wreck. He had been pacing a hole into the floor for the past few minutes, building up the courage to press the bright green call button on his phone. His window was open, bringing in a relaxing, cool autumn breeze. The city outside was distracting, but it didn't calm him in the slightest.

It's one call. Just say hi, why you're calling, and hang up.

Gar took a deep breath and pressed the button. The "Calling" message was immediately on screen, followed by the incessant ringing of his phone. His hands trembled and he kept bouncing slightly in the same spot. The thought of hanging up crossed his mind. Before he could though, a sweet, warm feminine voice came from the other side.

"Hi honey, how are you? Classes going well?"

"Hey R– mom," Gar caught himself, since Rita actually liked being called her parental title, "yeah, everything's fine. School's manageable. Did get a tutor for psych class, though."

"Oh, and how do you like them?"

Gar paused for a second. "She's…awesome." There was a brief pause from Rita, and Gar couldn't shake the feeling that she was brewing something up. "She's unbelievably smart. Could probably give Steve a run for his money."

"Is that so? Sounds like a special lady then," Rita replied. Suddenly, Garfield's danger sense spiked. "I must admit Gar, I never thought you'd call me for advice on asking a girl out."

For a moment, one could have confused Gar with a Looney Toons character. His jaw dropped comically, his eyes widened to an almost unbelievable size, and his facial tone could only be described as "tomato dipped in crimson paint". He tried to say something, but only managed to sputter out an unintelligible noise. On the other side of the line, Gar could hear Rita laughing uncontrollably.

"Mom! What are you – it's not – That's not even close!" With every word, Rita only laughed harder. "I'm not calling for advice with that!"

Because you already did?

Shut up! Great, now he's arguing with himself.

Gar pinched the bridge of his nose, frustrated. "Mom, can you please just help me out? Is my old suit still there? I need it for something."

"I'm sorry, honey. You're just such an easy target," Rita replied, finally catching her breath. Still, a few small chuckles did escape her. "It's probably in your closet. Do you need me to drop it off or do you want to come by to pick it up?"

"Is Steve there?"

Gar could've kicked himself in that moment. No matter what it was, it always came back to Steve. He heard Rita's sigh on the other side of the line. For a moment, guilt coursed through his veins. They were his parents. For Rita's sake, he tried to make things work between Steve and him. Still, it didn't mean Gar wanted to increase the time he had to spend around his adoptive father.

"He went to Metropolis for a business meeting, Won't be back for a week." Rita's voice was sympathetic, which only made Gar feel worse about his own thoughts. "Garfield, I know Steve can be difficult, but you can't avoid him forever."

"I know, Mom. I'll… do my best," Gar said, defeat in his voice. "I'll swing by later today to pick the suit up."

"Okay, honey. I can't wait to see you. Love you."

"Love you too." With that, Gar hung up. He couldn't remember exactly when he sat down on the bed. But he knew he didn't care; his legs having gone numb and his shoulders heavy.

Great way to start the day.

Raven was having a great start to her day, headache non-withstanding.

Once in the dressing room, Raven decided to try on three dresses, but she only had her sights set on the one she picked out. First was the bubblegum dress, mostly to appease Kory by saying she at least gave it a chance. As expected though, Raven abhorred the color, and switched out of it almost as fast as she got in it. At least Kory's fashion sense for her seemed to be more on the right track with the second one.

A compromise between the two, the second dress was light violet, with long mesh sleeves and an off-the-shoulder design. Beautiful, but it wasn't the one Raven had her heart set on. Still, it might make for a good purchase in the future.

With that, there was one dress left. She began to put it on, facing away from the mirror. The fabric stretched around her curves, hugging them but not constricting her. A good start. The zipper was on the back, which, after some less than comfortable stretching, Raven was able to zip up. Nerves running through her body, she turned around to face the young woman in the mirror.

Whoa.

Raven was not vain by any sense of the word, but as she looked herself over in the small dressing room, a fire ignited within her stomach, leaving her standing taller. The blue contrasted beautifully with her pale skin and blended well with the dark purple highlights in her hair. Each one of her curves was emphasized beautifully, and she couldn't help it as her own eyes traced her shapely behind. The hem rested just above her knees, and made her legs seem longer than possible. It was gorgeous.

Kory's squeal of approval when Raven opened the door was the final push Raven needed to purchase it. After all, Kory was the most fashionable person Raven had ever met. Now, with a bag by Raven's side, the two young women sat in a booth at the food court.

"So…," Kory began, after swallowing a bite of her third slice of meat lover's pizza. It truly was paradoxical. Kory could eat like she had nine stomachs, yet she never had an issue keeping a physique that most trainers would be envious off. No wonder Dick looks dead when they come back from the gym, Raven thought, taking a bite of her own margherita slice.

"So?" Raven replied as she began to take a sip of her water.

"When's your date with Gar?"

A violent hack escaped Raven as she accidentally choked on the water. Kory only watched with a smile as her friend struggled to get oxygen back in her lungs. "Wha – What are you talking about?" Raven managed out between gulps of air; her monotone now raspy.

"Raven, please. Do you really believe I wouldn't connect the dots?" Kory's sweet smile transformed into an impish smirk as she glanced at the bag next to Raven. "It's definitely soon, but Gar wouldn't wait last minute to ask you out. Next weekend then?"

Kory had Raven trapped, waiting for the brunette's response. "Um…," Raven racked her brain for an excuse, anything to throw Kory off her scent, but her mind was blank. "…It's not an official date, Kory."

"You're avoiding the question," Kory countered, observing Raven much like a cat would observe its toy.

With no way out of the questioning that was about to happen, Raven's arms sank by her sides. "Saturday."

Kory's arms shot up with an excited squeal, bringing the attention of some people and making Raven sink further into her seat. Though that was too much to ask for apparently, as in a flash, Kory was sitting next to her as well. Joy was etched into every feature of her face, and Raven briefly feared she would be suffocated to death in one of Kory's bear hugs. Luckily, it never came. "This is marvelous! Tell me everything. How did it happen? Did he ask you or you him? Oh, I can't wait to go on double dates – "

"Kory!" Raven clamped her hands around Kory's shoulders, stopping the barrage of questions temporarily. Still, she could almost feel her vibrating with excitement. "I'll answer your questions, but can you promise you'll sit still?" Kory nodded rapidly, and despite her instincts saying otherwise, Raven let go of her.

For her part, Kory kept her end of the deal, so Raven felt a bit more at ease as she recounted the events from the previous night. As she did, Raven felt some of Kory's own giddiness rub off on her. Or was it her own excitement?

Once Raven finished, Kory spoke again. "It's going to be such a wonderful night, Raven. I knew after our first date that Richard was the one for me." Kory's eyes became glassy as she started taking a trip down memory lane. "Maybe it will be the same for you!"

Raven couldn't help rolling her own eyes. "It's not the same, Kory. You two are basically soulmates. Meanwhile, my experiences have been… complicated, to say the least."

Kory turned towards her. "Have you been in love before, Raven?"

Raven swallowed hard. "Once. At least, I thought I was." She could feel her mouth drying up as she spoke. It's done. Leave it in the past.

However, as Raven tried to calm herself, the same sensation from the Pier overtook her. Dread and malice overtook the air she breathed. "Hey Kory, do you feel that?" Raven asked, looking around hurriedly.

"Is something wrong?" Kory looked around as well, not sure what she was looking for in the first place. For that matter, neither did Raven. What the hell is going on?

"I'm-I'm not sure. I think I'm done with lunch, though. Do you mind if we head back home?" Raven remained as calm as she could, but there was a hint of unease in her voice. One that Kory picked up on quickly. Nodding, the redhead slid out of the booth, keeping an eye out around them. Raven followed, grabbing her bag.

The air of dread did not leave Raven until they got back to the apartment.

"Let me guess: you and Raven?" Victor asked, catching Gar by surprise as he walked in, suit in hand.

"What?" Gar's mood had improved since his morning conversation with Rita. A shift at the zoo helped him clear his head; the animals bringing a smile to his face. Right now, though, he was slightly afraid things might go sideways.

"Come on, man, don't play dumb. You came back last night with one of the dopiest grins I've seen on you, and now, you come waltzin' in with a suit. Which probably meant going to your parents' house and, well, we both know how you feel about that," Vic said. "So? Where are you going with her?"

Knowing that he was not getting out of this conversation, Gar moved to lay his suit over the small dining table. "Charity dinner at the zoo," Gar replied, hopping over the couch, "it's on Saturday."

Vic nodded, staring at the TV intently. Wicked Scary 5 was on, but the volume was low. A habit that Vic had when he was thinking about other things. "Sounds fancy. I'm surprised you asked her to go."

Gar was instantly worried. Did Vic not approve of Raven? "Why wouldn't I? She's beautiful, man. I mean, yeah, guess we're a bit different personality wise, but opposites attract, ya know?" Gar could feel his hands become clammy, his leg bouncing up and down.

"I agree, though she ain't really my type." A small pause reverberated throughout the apartment. "What I mean is, are you sure you're ready for this?"

Gar paused for a moment, racking his brain as to what Vic meant.

"You sure you're over Terra?"

Oh. Gar went deadly still, letting Vic's question sink in. "I'm fine."

"That's not good enough," Vic said, turning off the TV. "Gar, listen. I can count the number of dates you've been on in the past four years on one hand. Every single time, you'll find the tiniest excuse to never see them again. Does that sound like someone who's over his past relationship?" Vic stared Gar down, a tense but understanding look etched on his face. With his arms crossed, he looked like a disappointed dad lecturing his kid. "I just don't want to see you get hurt. Or worse, hurt Raven."

Gar's head snapped towards Vic. "Vic, I'd never hurt – "

Vic silenced him by holding his hand up. "I know, man. You'd never hurt her on purpose. But do you think she's going to see it that way if you go out and then never call her again? She likes you, bro. But you have to be committed to her. That's the only way relationships work. So, I ask you again: Are you over Terra?"

Only the muffled soundscape of Jump City could be heard in the apartment. Unfortunately, Gar could not distract himself with the noise anymore. Vic was right. Relationships only worked when both people were fully emotionally available. In those dates, Gar always felt an emptiness inside him. One that the beautiful girl in front of him couldn't fill. They asked him out, only for Gar to throw their kindness right back in their face.

Suddenly, the realization hit him like a truck. They had asked him out. Not once did he walk up to one of those girls and said the words "Do you want to go out?" He hadn't been ready to move on back then, the icy grip of Terra still clutching at his heart.

The past two weeks had been different. He approached Raven first in class. He was the one who had asked her to the dinner. And he was the one who hadn't thought about Terra at all in the past two weeks. Gar felt the pressure lighten in his chest. He would probably never forgive Terra, but he could certainly make sure she held no power over him.

"I am." Gar stood up from the couch, his back straight and chest held out a bit more than usual. "Thanks Vic. I needed that." He gave the larger man a sincere smile, one that Vic observed carefully before returning it with his own.

"No problem, string bean. Just remember she's one of us now. You hurt her, I gotta put you in the hospital."

Gar laughed as he picked up his suit from the table. "Get in line, Vic. Raven would kick my ass into next week first, and if there's anything left for you, it's because Kory showed mercy." Gar opened the door to his room; hearing Vic laugh as the TV was turned on again.

A/N: Thank you for reading!