Hyuuga Mitha—I was chuckling as I wrote the Starfire mistletoe kiss scene. Because it was such a Star thing to do. I'm glad you found humor in it.
Anonymoose—A marriage proposal? I've got it all mapped out, so I know the answer already, but you'll have to wait and see! *evil laugh*
Golem XIV—Garfield keeping his head above water. Yep, that about describes it. He's managing to stay afloat. Poor guy. So out of his depth.
Mr. Ursine—I plan to do an entire year. A YEAR of small moments. We're only five months in, so I've got plenty more ideas for how their year is going to go. Hopefully the following months continue to be good reads for you!
I had so much fun with this chapter. I recommend all readers go listen to the Struts song "Body Talks" before or after reading this to get a real feel for the one scene in here. This is the second Struts song I've used for a BBRae fic. I'm not overly obsessed with the band or anything, but they are so much fun. Every time I hear one of their songs, it just makes me think it is the type of thing our favorite green changeling would listen to. So go listen to the song! And envision the fun BBRae vibes! I'm serious! Go listen to it!
First Valentines
Raven stared at herself in the mirror and tried not to flinch as Starfire ran a brush roughly through her hair. "Are you sure this is entirely necessary?" she asked, her tone wary. Her hair had grown some over the past few months, and Starfire had insisted on braiding it for Raven's date tonight. She'd insisted on doing a lot actually.
It wasn't that Raven didn't appreciate her friend's help. She did. It was just that…well, Starfire was making her nervous. She wasn't used to it, and she didn't like it.
"Of course it is the necessary," Starfire said as she separated Raven's hair into three sections and began carefully braiding it. "This is your first Valentine's Day with boyfriend Beast Boy. It is the most important Valentine's Day you will have. Everything has to be perfect."
Raven flinched. "But does it? I would be perfectly fine if the two of us just hung out and—"
"No!" Starfire said in horror, yanking at Raven's hair as she tightened the braid. Raven made a face at her that the alien princess ignored. "You will not do the "hanging out". Not on Valentine's Day. This is the night where he will either fall in love with you or he will not. It is most important that things go exactly as planned."
Raven wrung her hands together in her lap as Starfire wrapped a band around the end of her hair. Exactly as planned. Only, she wasn't sure what the plan was. Gar falling madly and completely in love with her already felt kind of…scary. Why did there have to be so much pressure on one stupid day? It wasn't fair that so many decisions seemed to ride on one dinner date.
This past month had been terrifying but amazing. It had been stressful…and wonderful. Things with Beast Boy were better than she could have ever expected. He hadn't lied when he said he wouldn't stop tormenting her, and she actually found she liked it. Sure, she was agitated when he bothered her, but it was nice to know that their day to day life hadn't changed too drastically. But as promised, he'd also given her plenty of reasons to kiss him too. Her mind went to a few of the heated moments they'd stolen, and she felt her cheeks flush. The point was, things were perfect as the were. Why did they have to change?
"Yes, but Gar and I—"
Instead of letting her finish, Starfire let out a squeal of excitement. "I love it when you call him Gar. It's so romantic."
Raven frowned. "Um…that's his name."
"You don't call Cyborg Victor," she said in a sing-song voice as she pressed a few sparkling gems into Raven's braided hair.
She had a point. Not that Raven would ever admit to that. "Am I done yet?" she grumbled instead. She examined her hair in the giant mirror and frowned. She looked like that chick from Frozen, with her big long braid…Elsa! That was it. Her hair looked a lot like Elsa's. Except it was purple instead of blonde. She couldn't picture anyone farther from a Disney princess than herself, so the look felt…odd.
"Just let me finish up your makeup," Starfire said jovially.
"Wait. We already did my makeup." And she'd protested the entire time. It had felt like way too much. Layer after layer after layer…
"Earlier, we did your contouring. Then some coverup. And then I put a sparkly finishing powder on top. I still have to do eye shadow, blush, eye liner, lip liner, and lip stick."
Raven's eyes widened at this. "That's way too many layers."
"It's Valentine's Day."
Raven pouted, which seemed to please Starfire.
"Perfect! I'll start with the lips." And then she attacked Raven with a long, thin, pink stick.
The empath had no choice but to sit and permit the extra makeup, as Starfire had such a strong grip on her face. She watched as pink bloomed on her lips…then her cheeks. And then finally emerald green streaked across her eyelids. She blinked at herself, not sure if she liked the finished product or not. It was pretty. But… "Isn't this a bit much?" she asked when Starfire released her face.
"It's your first Valentine's Day," the alien princess came back. "It can never be enough." Grabbing Raven's arm, she tugged her to her feet. Snatching up a bottle of perfume, she circled Raven, spraying liberally.
Raven wiggled her nose at the overpowering scent of flowers. "Gar has a sensitive sense of smell. That might be too much—"
"It isn't." Before Raven could protest, Starfire spun her toward the door and pushed her in the direction of the hallway. "Now go find him. He's not going to be able to resist you."
Raven inched into the hallway, feeling somewhat exposed. She rubbed her bare arms, wishing she had a jacket. She missed the security of her cloak. It made her feel safe. The flowy, sleeveless black dress she wore was gorgeous—she would give that to Starfire—but it was rather low cut in the chest area. And from her waist down was just sheer wisps of fabric, looking much like a ballerina or dancer's outfit. If she moved the wrong way, she exposed herself all the way up to her hip. She wasn't sure what kind of message that sent out.
She'd planned to take the walk to Beast Boy's room to collect herself, but she turned the corner and nearly ran smack into his chest. The expression on his face was one of distraction, and he nearly didn't see her. As it was, they still collided and he grabbed her arms to keep from knocking her over.
"Sorry!"
As his hands fell away from her, she noticed his nose twitch, as if he'd just smelled something unpleasant. Internally, she scowled. She'd told Starfire the perfume was too strong! His expression was one of appreciation though as he took in her outfit, so she forced herself to relax.
"You look amazing," he said softly. "I don't know why I let it still surprise me that you get more beautiful every single day. Since the first time I laid eyes on you. You think I'd be used to it by now."
She flushed and ducked her face down toward the carpet. With her head lowered, she snuck a quick look at him. He was dressed formally—like way formally. His suit was black and sleek, the jacket buttoned in the front. His tie was tightly done and tucked into his suit. His hair was slicked back off of his face. He looked handsome—of course he did, he always looked handsome to her—but he looked so…different. And that was making her even more nervous. Was he putting pressure on this date as predicted? Had Starfire been right? "You look nice."
"Thanks. I had Robin's help." The inflection he put on the word 'help' made her wonder if Robin's help was kind of like Starfire's help—forced and kind of unwanted. Before she could ask, he offered her a small smile. "Are you ready to go? I rented a limo to take us to the restaurant."
"A limo?" she asked in surprise. What did they need a limo for? She could teleport them anywhere they needed to go. It seemed like a waste of his hard-earned money. "Oh…okay."
His smile this time was a little tight. Shoving his hands into his pockets, he led the way to the elevator. They rode down in silence…a silence that continued inside the limo.
Raven sat on the stretched seat, her hands tucked into her lap, and stared down at her feet. The silence seemed to stretch uncomfortably. And she suddenly felt like a little kid playing dress up. All of this makeup, the fancy shoes…it wasn't her. It was making her feel awkward. Which it turn was making things with him feel awkward.
She desperately searched her brain for something to say. But she'd never been good at small talk. He usually carried their conversations. A quick glance at him out of the corner of her eye showed him scowling down at his own shoes.
Was Starfire right? Was this the night he either fell in love with her or he didn't? Was he deciding he didn't? That thought terrified her. Their month together had been short, but it had seemed good. And he'd said…
Her mind flashed back to New Year's Eve when he'd promised to do whatever it took to make their relationship work. Had he grown bored of that already? She should have tried harder. She should have—
"Here you go." The driver came to a slow stop in front of a ritzy hotel in the center of the city. It was a fancier place than she'd ever been to, much fancier than their dinner on New Year's Eve—and that in itself had been a nice, dressy establishment. There was a restaurant inside this hotel that cost the proverbial arm and a leg to dine at. He'd apparently gone to a lot of trouble to make sure they had an extravagant meal.
"We're eating here?" she asked, feeling panic start to build in her chest.
He nodded, sliding out of the limo. "Yeah…here."
When he reached back for her hand to help her out of the limo it helped to settle her nerves at least somewhat. Sure, their date hadn't exactly started on the greatest note, but that didn't mean it couldn't improve. They'd just barely gotten to the restaurant. Things would be fine. They'd just needed to let go of those initial nerves. She had to relax. That was always a challenge for her, and she knew this night would be even more so, but she still needed to try.
She licked her lips nervously before shifting her grip on his hand to his entire arm. She pressed herself against it, hoping the move didn't come off as too needy. But damn it, she felt needy. She wanted him to assure her that she was being crazy, that nothing had changed.
She'd never been a needy person. She'd always been self-reliant. But then again, she'd never cared about anyone like this before either. She was coming to realize she cared about Beast Boy more deeply and quickly than she'd anticipated and that was a scary discovery. She didn't know how to deal with the fact that she was developing emotions quicker than she could process them. Where her powers were concerned, such a thing could be dangerous. She needed his assurance that they could handle this, that he could keep her from losing control.
Unfortunately, all it had taken was a little bit of social pressure and an awkward limo ride to break down the small bit of confidence she'd felt in this relationship. She'd thought she'd been doing all right, but now she wondered…
She allowed her concerns to dance fretfully in her head while he spoke to the hostess. Then she followed almost blindly to their table. It was only when the hostess gave her a disapproving look that she realized she was still clinging to him.
Embarrassed, she released his arm and claimed her seat.
The woman looked down her nose at Raven, before offering a little sniff. "Your server will be over shortly."
Perhaps it was paranoia, but it seemed as if her words practically dripped with disapproval. And she didn't know why that bothered her so much. She was used to disapproval. Reporters gave her crap all the time—she was too dark, she was too grumpy, she was too emotionless. But she'd never been accused of being too clingy, so the implied look cut deeper than most other insults.
She realized her eyes had been in her lap for a few long moments, so she forcibly drew them up.
Gar was staring at her with a look of uncertainty. He ran a hand along the back of his neck and offered her a small smile that didn't quite reach his eyes.
It was obvious he was just as nervous as she was, but that did little to settle her nerves. What was wrong with them? They'd never been this awkward around each other, not even when they'd been arguing or at each other's throats.
Wanting desperately to eliminate the awkwardness, she attempted conversation. "Gar, I—"
Before she could finish, the waiter appeared at their table, interrupting her. Maybe it was just her projecting things, but he seemed just as pretentious as the hostess. Perhaps it was due to the way his lips were pursed and he was gazing at them as if they didn't quite belong. "My name is Carter. I'll be your server this evening. Can I start the two of you off with drinks?"
Raven caught his subtle glance at Beast Boy's uncovered hands and the hint of disgust that followed. Anger welled instantly inside of her, and her silverware rattled on the table as she fought to control her dark energy.
Garfield shot her a curious look but turned his attention to the waiter. "I'll take a water with lemon."
Carter shifted his gaze to Raven.
"I'll have the same," she mumbled weakly.
"And we'll take an appetizer," Beast Boy said quickly, before the waiter could disappear. He snatched up the menu and perused its contents. "Could we have the fruit salad, please? To split."
Raven arched a brow at him ordering for her but remained silent.
"To share," the waiter said with a tight smile, and this time Raven was sure she heard disapproval. Just what was this guy's problem? There were a few people out there who feared super heroes. They said people with abilities should be locked up. Was this man one of those types? Or was he merely just a snob who looked down on two young adults playing grown up? Either way, it made her deeply uncomfortable.
"I'll be right back for your orders." With that, Carter disappeared.
"He's…uh…a real treat, huh?"
Raven merely grunted.
Beast Boy ran a hand along the back of his neck, his eyes moving away from hers. "Sorry about ordering for you. I just…" He shrugged. "I'm feeling a little…" He trailed off, his eyes locking on hers. "Nervous," he finally supplied in a strained voice. "I just wanted something to…" He waved a hand carelessly in the air. "And I knew you liked fruit, so…"
"It's fine," she assured. She hated that he seemed just as nervous as she felt. Again, she wondered what was happening to them.
He cleared his throat, his fingers tapping nervously against the table. "You really do look nice."
"Thanks. Though Starfire is the one who deserves the credit. She wanted to make sure everything was perfect."
He let out a little snort at that. "Perfect…yeah."
The bitterness he put on that word caused her pause. Was he irritated because of the pressure that had been put on this date? Or was he irritated because it was going far from perfect at the moment?
She never got a chance to ask, because Carter appeared with a small bowl of fruit, which he placed between them.
Happy for a distraction, she reached for her silverware. There were four forks and she had no clue which one she was supposed to use. The fact that Carter was still standing over her practically oozing judgement didn't help matters. Biting her lip, she danced her fingers over them before randomly selecting one.
"That's a salad fork," Carter said haughtily.
"Well, this is a fruit salad," she snapped back. Putting the fork down rather roughly, she reached for another.
"That's a cocktail fork."
Aggravated, she slammed the fork down and placed her hands in her lap. "Could you please point the correct fork out to me then?" she asked. It took everything in her to keep her tone even close to civil. She was reaching her limit. One more nasty comment and there were going to be some shattered plates.
Sniffing, Carter reached toward her silverware, but before he could advise her, Garfield's voice broke into the conversation.
"Fuck this."
Raven blinked, sure she had heard him incorrectly. "Excuse me?"
"I said fuck this." His green eyes lifted to hers. "Fuck this place. Fuck Carter." He shot the waiter a look that gave zero apology. "Fuck things needing to be perfect. Fuck this date. Just…fuck all of it."
Raven gaped at him, not used to hearing such language from him.
"I'm serious." Reaching for his wallet, he tossed a twenty-dollar bill onto the table. "That ought to more than cover the fruit." Then he turned to Raven and offered her a hand. "Let's go. This fancy, pretentious stuff—it isn't us. We let social pressures dictate our evening. I say forget that. Let's go have fun. It's our Valentine's Day. No one else's."
She couldn't have stopped the grin that spread across her face even if she'd tried. His words were like music to her ears. "Let's get out of here." She took his hand and let him pull her to her feet.
"You can't just—leave," Carter stuttered. "You made a reservation and—" He broke off with a sharp intake of air when Raven flicked him off as she and Beast Boy took off for the restaurant exit.
Beast Boy arched his brows and burst into laughter. "Oh my god, you just gave him the finger!" He tugged her into the hallway of the hotel, pulling her closer to him. "I've never seen you do that! Not even to jackass reporters! I am amazed." His face was full of delight and he gave a mocking bow. "My hat is off to your marvelous display of aggravation."
The truth was, she'd done it for him. She was used to reporters picking on her. She could take it. But seeing the way their waiter had looked at Garfield's hands as if there was something wrong with them just because they were green—as Gar had warned her people did—it had broken her heart. That man deserved more than a middle finger.
"I think I just witnessed something special. Like finding my white whale. I—" He suddenly broke off, his expression becoming one of downright glee. "I love this song."
His change in topic was jolting and she found herself shooting him a look of confusion. "What?"
"This song! I love this song." He turned and motioned toward the banquet hall farther off into the hotel. "At that wedding."
She stared at him for a moment, her brow raised. It was an odd jump and she wasn't sure what he was expecting from her. "Okay…"
"Come on!" He grabbed her hand and took off down the hallway toward the doors to the banquet room.
Raven had no choice but to follow or be dragged down. "What are you doing?" she asked in surprise.
As he reached the doors, he grinned at her over his shoulder. "I want to dance."
His plans suddenly came to light and she shook her head in horror. "No." At his responding nod and grin, she shook her head again. "Gar, no! We are not crashing that wedding."
"Oh, we totally are." And with that, he threw open the door to the banquet room. He hurried inside, dragging her along behind him.
"Gar! Gar, no! Stop!" She was hissing, trying not to draw attention to them. But it was hard to hide when his skin was bright green and she was causing tables to tremor in her alarm. She noticed heads turning in their direction as Beast Boy hauled her out onto the dance floor.
There were a few proclamations of surprise. People pointed. A few laughed in amusement. And then—to her horror—Beast Boy started singing. Loudly. She would possibly say at the top of his lungs as he battled with the lead vocalist for air space. "I need to know, know, know. What do you need, need, need? What do you like, like, like? Because I'm going to be it tonight."
Then as the music picked up, he grabbed hold of his suit jacket and unbuttoned it to the music. A whistle sounded and a few female attendees began clapping. Gar whipped off his jacket and windmilled it through the air before tossing it to the side. Then he grabbed his shirt and untucked it from his pants. His tie was next. He tugged at it, slackening it until it hung loosely around his neck. "You could be cool, you could be shy. Say what you want, say what you like. 'Cause ooh, your body talks, your body talks. Ooh, ooh your body talks."
His gaze on Raven's, his eyes twinkling with amusement, he began dancing like a maniac. He kicked his feet around. He circled his arm above his head in a dramatic show of air guitar. He whipped his head around, his green hair coming out of its neatly gelled placement, giving him an almost wild look. "You could pretend you don't want it now. But I read the signs from your head to your toes. Yeah you don't need to say a word 'cause ooh, ooh your body talks."
As the singer's voice dropped, becoming seductive and sultry, Gar winked at her. He strutted in her direction, singing along. "Your lips are a conversation. That face is a song." He circled her, teasingly trailing his fingers along her shoulders as he circled back around to the front of her. "If it's my imagination. Stop me if I'm wrong."
One of the wedding attendees gave a laughing screech of delight. Another whistle sounded. Raven could see the bride clapping her hands to the beat. The groom had a wide grin on his face. She was surprised to find they were enjoying this. Then she realized she shouldn't be surprised. Beast Boy had always been known for being the fun Titan. And the city loved him. It only made sense that him crashing a wedding would be a positive thing, not the annoyance she'd been anticipating.
Biting her bottom lip to hide her giddy smile, she shook her head in amusement as he waggled a finger at her. He was incorrigible. He was also downright sexy right now. And he was all hers.
Giving in, she rolled her eyes and began bobbing a single shoulder to the beat as he continued to sing.
"I need to know, know, know. What do you need, need, need? What do you like, like, like? Because I'm going to be it tonight," he sang, to the chanting claps of the wedding guests.
As the beat picked up once again, Raven went all in. She jumped forward toward him and kicked her feet as he'd done earlier, dancing and swinging her hips to the pounding drumbeat. She spun in a circle, mocking his air guitar moves of earlier.
Beast Boy gaped at her for a moment, completely missing the chorus this time. The words went on without him, and Raven had to come to a stop in her dancing because she was laughing so hard at the expression on his face.
The moment she slowed, he jumped back in. He grabbed her hand and spun her around, twirling her and twirling her until she became dizzy. All the while, he sang out the words to the song. "You could pretend you don't want it now. But I read the signs from your head to your toes. Yeah you don't need to say a word 'cause ooh, ooh your body talks."
He stopped spinning her and despite the fact that she stumbled momentarily on her feet, she recovered quickly and followed his next series of dance moves, laughing the whole while. She didn't know the song, but when the same word was repeated over and over, she jumped in. "Ooh ooh ooh ooh oh. Ooh ooh ooh ooh oh. Ooh ooh ooh ooh oh. Oooh."
Beast Boy suddenly grabbed her hand and pulled her in tightly against his chest, laughing as he swayed her against him. "Ooh, your body talks, your body talks. Ooh, your body talks."
She idly wondered if her body did talk. Because if he was picking up what was going through her mind, she would have been blushing. She'd never been more attracted to him in her entire life. And it wasn't just because he had to be the most fun person she knew. It was because he could find enjoyment in nearly anything. He'd found it in her, hadn't he? Where most people were unable. He was just so…happy.
As there was a small silence in the song that screamed of the beat picking up again—and hard—his expression became almost naughty and he inclined his head at her. That was all the warning she got before his hands suddenly gripped her hips and he whipped her into the air.
The beat came back as her feet left the ground.
"You could be cool, you could be shy. Say what you want, say what you like," Beast Boy sang as he swung her back down. Much like a swing dancer, her brought her legs down around his hips, dipping her head nearly to the floor.
She clung to his shoulders in surprise, but went along with the movement. She was ready when he whipped her back up and planted her on her feet. The screams of excited wedding guests hit her ears and she sent him a smirk of disbelieving amusement.
As Gar continued his singing, the two of them danced around like maniacs on the floor. She yanked the binding tie out of her hair and raked her fingers through it, freeing her long locks. She swung her head around, letting her now wavy hair whip around her. Through a curtain of violet locks, she saw Beast Boy bopping around, dancing as if he didn't have a care in the world. And who knew, maybe he didn't.
"Shake your hips. It's on your lips. You don't need to say a word 'cause ooh, ooh your body talks," Gar sang the final words and the song came to an abrupt end. Just as suddenly, he was pulling her toward him. "That was amazing!" He cupped her face with his hands, his eyes wide with disbelief. "You were dancing. In front of people. And you…" Unable to find the words, he instead captured her lips with his own.
The kiss was passionate and wild. She could feel his heart pounding against her chest as she wrapped her arms tightly around his waist. This was what their night had been missing. The spontaneity. That Beast Boy touch. The moment they'd stopped listening to what everyone else thought was right for their relationship and started being themselves, everything had fallen perfectly back into place.
She tilted her face up to his and he deepened the kiss, his mouth moving seductively over hers.
When they finally broke apart, she saw the bride and groom staring at them with wide eyed amazement.
As Raven took a step back from Beast Boy, the groom rushed forward. "That was the most awesome thing I've ever seen!" He reached out and vigorously shook Beast Boy's hand. "Have you guys eaten? Tell me you're hungry. We're getting you plates." He turned and yelled over his shoulder to one of the other groomsmen. "Yo, Stan! Get these guys some food!"
The bride stepped in where the groom left off, her gaze glued to Raven. "You have to stay for a little bit. Eat. Dance some more." Then she let out a little squeal of excitement. "You are my favorite Titan. Your hair is just so gorgeous. I keep telling Kyle that I'm going to dye my hair that color, but I'm just not as brave as you are!"
Raven blinked at her in astonishment. Wait…she was getting positive feedback? She never got positive feedback. She jerked back to attention as a plate was shoved into her hands.
"Please eat," the bride said chipperly. "Then we totally want a photo with the two of you." She grinned giddily at them. "This just made my wedding. Seriously." She set them with an approving look. "You two are the cutest couple I've ever seen."
With that, she and the groom took their leave, giving Raven and Beast Boy a chance to eat their dinner.
Guiding Raven to an empty table, Garfield slid into a seat. "Who needs to pay for some overpriced fancy dinner when we can crash weddings and eat for free?"
Shaking her head, Raven slipped into the seat beside his. "You're crazy."
"Crazy for you."
When he leaned over to kiss her again, she didn't even hesitate. She didn't care who was looking. There was nothing more she wanted in the world than to kiss this man.
OOOOO
Raven slid across the limo seat, making room for Beast Boy. "I can't believe you paid this thing to wait for us to finish dinner."
Garfield rolled his eyes. "Yeah, well, Robin told me that was the gentlemanly thing to do."
Raven took his hand and tugged him closer to her on the seat. "You don't need to do that sort of stuff with me. I don't need a fancy limo. I can teleport us anywhere we want. I'm just happy being with you."
"Ditto."
From up front, the limo driver shot them a curious look. "Where to?"
"Back to the Tower," Beast Boy instructed. Once the privacy window was back up in place, he turned in his seat to face Raven. Then his mouth was on hers.
She was caught by surprise by the sudden show of affection, but had no objections to it. Smiling against his lips, she moved closer, easily responding. As his hand grazed affectionately along her waist, she marveled at the fact that every bit of awkwardness had evaporated, like it had never existed. It made her vow never to let their friends interfere in their relationship again. She knew Starfire meant well and held no hard feelings against the alien princess, but the others didn't understand that there was nothing normal about herself and Beast Boy. They would never have a normal relationship, nor did they want one. They were going to do their own thing, even if it caused a few raised brows.
Garfield deepened the kiss, tugging her closer.
She pulled her feet up on the seat, tucking them behind her as she leaned into his chest. Had anyone told her six months ago that her favorite hobby would be making out with Beast Boy, she would have cursed them to a trash hole. But it had most definitely become her favorite hobby.
Her lips parted and Beast Boy immediately darted his tongue into her mouth to brush against her own. The sensation was new and surprising, but it wasn't unpleasant. She leaned closer and gripped the front of his shirt in a fist. She lost herself in kissing him. It was still so new to her, and she still found it surprising how much she enjoyed it.
The privacy divider came down and the limo driver looked at them in his rearview mirror. "I do hate to make you two come up for air, but we've arrived at your destination."
Blushing, Raven pulled back, covering her mouth with her hand. She could only imagine her lipstick was smeared.
Garfield merely laughed and gave the diver a thumbs up. "Thanks a lot, man." With a little wave, he exited the limo. Grabbing Raven's hand, he tugged her out beside him. He gave the driver a generous tip, then pulled her away from the street.
As they started the short walk to the Tower, he glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. "Let's not go in just yet. Let's take a walk on the beach."
There was probably no one home. Starfire and Robin had their own plans to celebrate the holiday, and Cyborg had a date. They would have had privacy inside, but the beach sounded nice. It was something calm and peaceful after their rather hectic night. "That sounds nice." She smiled when he linked their fingers together and followed him around the side of the Tower toward the water.
"I still can't believe I got you to dance," he said with a laugh, breaking the silence.
"Neither can I," she said dryly. "You're completely ruining my reputation as an evil badass." And no doubt by morning the entire world would know they were an item. She was usually a very private person, but it didn't bother her as much as she'd thought it would.
"There's no way anyone could ever doubt how much of a bad ass you are. That will never be in question." He winked playfully at her. "But maybe they'll start thinking I'm more menacing than I am since I was able to land you."
She snorted with laughter. "Somehow I doubt that will ever happen either."
He chuckled, leading her along to the edge of the water. "We're just proof of the old saying that opposites attract."
Opposites they were. And there was definite attraction.
As if he'd suddenly found the perfect stretch of beach, Beast Boy dropped to the sand and stared out at the ocean.
With a little smirk, she kicked her shoes off, tucked her dress underneath her, and sat down beside him. For a few minutes, they stared silently into the horizon. The sun had long set, but the moon was full and bright, reflecting off of the water to give her just enough light to see him in.
She glanced at his profile before giving a content sigh. "This is really nice." Months ago, she hadn't known if he was able to be quiet, to be calm. Now, she saw the moments of peace in him. She knew there were times where he was serious. All these years he'd merely been annoying her to get her attention. It was kind of cute.
"It is nice. I'm glad we ditched that pretentious date. This is much better," he said, draping an arm over her shoulders.
"It is. And getting to hear you drop the F-bomb was rather amusing." She snickered at the memory as she leaned in against his side.
"Yeah, well, I didn't like the way he was treating you," he said softly. "Guess I do have a darker side to me after all."
"I'm not into all of that damsel in distress stuff, but it was really nice to have someone defend my honor. So thank you." She fell silent, staring out at the gleaming ocean, listening to its dulled roar. It was nice just to sit in peaceful silence and enjoy his company.
After a moment, Gar turned to her. With a finger under her chin, he tilted her face in his direction. He stared into her eyes for a long moment. Then lowered his mouth to hers.
There was an unmistakable heat and intent in his kiss. She could tell instantly that it was different than any other kiss they'd shared. It held promise of so much more. Understanding exactly where he was headed with this, she saved him time and climbed into his lap, straddling it. Her mouth moved possessively over his, her hands smoothing along the collar of his shirt.
His hands caressed her back, toying with the ends of her hair.
A giggle escaped her when he nipped at her bottom lip with his fang, but she quickly grew serious again when he deepened the kiss.
His mouth became more demanding, and his hands went to her thighs. His fingers deftly disappeared beneath the flimsy material of her skirt to caress along her bare skin.
She gave a soft sound of surprise at the heat that pooled in her stomach from that simple touch. She was normally so chilly, so cold, but he managed to set her skin on fire. Her body acted on its own, and her hips rocked against his. She could feel his budding arousal and it spiked her desire for him.
As her hips rocked into his again and his fingers danced along her inner thigh, she realized she was going to need to visit her doctor soon. As embarrassing as the thought might seem, she needed to get on birth control. Things between herself and Gar were progressing, and she knew where that led. The thought frightened her, but it also excited her as well. She was surprised to find she wanted to take that next step. She wanted to have sex with him.
It was something she'd thought she'd never experience. Her powers were too out of control, her emotions too venomous. But things had changed over the years, and the things she once thought she could never have might actually be within her reach.
Of course, she would need to be careful. She would need to proceed cautiously. But there was no one she trusted more than Gar. There was no one else she could ever envision herself doing that with than him.
That thought cemented in her mind, she allowed herself to give in to the act of kissing him. She was allowed to do this. She was allowed to enjoy herself and feel sexy. She was allowed to be human.
Gripping her waist tightly, Beast Boy rolled. She found herself suddenly underneath of him, one of her legs slipped precariously through his. He gave her a wicked grin and lowered his mouth to hers for a searing kiss.
She'd just barely begun to respond when a wave crashed up onto the beach. Chilly water went up her dress, along her back, and into her hair. She gave a shriek of alarm and arched up off of the sand.
Gar had already leapt to his feet—just before the wave hit—and he stood over her laughing.
Raven gaped up at him in astonishment. "You did that on purpose!"
"What are you going to do about it?" he asked with a snicker. And then he took off racing down the beach.
She stared after him for a moment in utter surprise. Her mind had been so completely consumed that she hadn't even stopped to consider he might play a prank on her. His words of things not changing between them, of him still occasionally aggravating her, filled her mind.
With a shake of her head, she climbed to her feet. Instead of racing after him, she chanted her mantra under her breath. A fist of black energy escaped her, reaching out for him. It wrapped around his waist, lifting him off of his feet and into the air. Then she tossed him into the ocean.
He gave a yelp of shock a moment before the waves swallowed him. When he surfaced, he was sputtering and laughing. "Aw, come on, Rae. You don't play fair."
With a smirk, she inclined her head at him in agreement. "Never claimed I did."
He slapped at the surface, sending a spray of water that came nowhere near close to her. "Well, now that I'm completely soaked and in here for a full swim, you might as well join me."
"Oh really?" She tiptoed toward the water's edge and dipped a toe in. "I think you're mistaken about that. It's too cold for me."
He narrowed his eyes at her as he tugged his tie off and tossed it onto the sand. Then he worked on the buttons of his shirt and it followed. "It wasn't too cold to toss me into," he accused.
Licking her lips, she stared at the well-defined muscles of his chest. They'd been clearly visible through his wet shirt, and they'd instantly made the water seem more inviting, but now that the shirt was off... "You deserved that," she said, even as she waded toward him into the water.
"Can't deny that."
As she got closer, she splashed him. "I can't believe you rolled me into a wave."
"I can't believe how sexy you look all dripping wet."
She arched a brow at the heat in his voice. "I could say the same thing about you."
Grabbing her waist, he pulled her toward him. Their bodies melded together and she could feel every inch of him. When his hand went to the back of her neck to pull her in for a kiss, she tilted her face up to him. Her hands ran up the expanse of his chest, taking their time to appreciate the muscle there.
When his hands went to her hips and lifted her ever so slightly, she immediately wrapped her legs around his waist. She clung to him, and he supported her with his hands carefully against her lower back. Her hands went to his face and she trailed her fingertips along his jawline.
She never even went swimming with the others when they came to the beach, and now here she was wrapped up in his arms in the water as the waves lapped gently at her back. She gave a sound of contentment and pulled back to look at his familiar face.
It was then that he whispered something she was pretty sure neither of them expected.
"I love you."
She saw his eyes widen in alarm, saw the color leave his face. She was fairly certain he hadn't meant to let the words escape him, but in this perfect moment, it was hard not to.
Lowering her mouth back to his, she whispered against his lips. "I love you too, Gar."
OOOOO
After her eventful evening out, Raven had awoken early to meditate. Even though she loved every moment she spent with Garfield, he was a ball of energy. And she…was not. After a date with him, she needed to recuperate and get herself centered again.
She'd spent a few hours meditating and letting go of all the excess energy that had been following her around. Now, she felt more relaxed and able to handle the day.
She was fairly certain the others had just headed into the kitchen for breakfast. She'd heard them moving about. With a little smile, she headed in that direction to join them.
She entered the kitchen to find the rest of the team seated at the table while Cyborg and Beast Boy elbowed each other for room at the stove.
"Hey, Rae," Cyborg called out. "I'm making bacon. Want some?"
"No way!" Beast Boy called. "She doesn't want your greasy animal meat. She'd rather have some tofu bacon."
Raven crinkled her nose at this. "Sorry, B. I'm going to have to go with Cyborg on this one."
Beast Boy rolled his eyes with a playful grin. "Well, you win some, you lose some. I still feel like I'm ahead of the game."
"So it would seem," Robin murmured from behind the morning paper.
Beast Boy paused, spatula held in hand. "What is that supposed to mean?"
"You see the paper this morning?"
When the others shook their heads, Robin flattened the page he was reading for the rest of them to see.
Raven stared at the headline in horror for a moment.
"Jump City's favorite wedding crashers," Cyborg read over Robin's shoulders. "Grass Stain, you didn't."
Beast Boy snickered. "We did."
But Raven was too busy reading the article to comment, her gaze sweeping over the page with concern. "The Titan's cutest couple was spotted at a local wedding…" There was a picture of herself and Beast Boy on the dance floor, looking more than a little chummy. "They treated the bride and groom to an unforgettable memory…" Her gaze flicked over the second picture, one of herself and Gar stealing a kiss in between bites of wedding cake.
"Cutest Titans couple?" Robin said with a casual laugh that was far from casual. "I don't know about cutest Titans couple."
Ignoring Robin, Raven looked up at Beast Boy in surprise. "It's positive."
He snorted in amusement. "Of course it's positive."
"But the media never says anything positive about me. It's usually negative. At best, it's neutral."
"Keep hanging out with me, baby, and they'll soon love you."
She sent him a warning look. "Don't call me baby."
"Wouldn't dream of it."
Starfire broke into the conversation, looking at the paper in puzzlement. "So you did not stay at the fancy restaurant?" She frowned. "And you took out your braid?" She eyed the picture of Raven and Beast Boy on the dance floor, more specifically at Raven's hair falling down her back in a long wave.
"I…"
Before Raven could explain, Robin took over. "Star, different things work for different couples. What they're doing, it's obviously working for them." He shrugged a shoulder, shooting Raven a quick grin. "You'll have to save the fancy dresses and makeup for our dates."
Starfire frowned thoughtfully. Then she glanced at Raven. "You would rather do the crashing of the wedding?" she asked in bewilderment.
It was such an odd thing that Raven was forced to pause before she answered. Was she really ready to sign up for a relationship of spontaneity, excitement, and impulsiveness? These were all things she despised. But a quick glance at Garfield told her the answer. "I guess I would." She could hear the astonishment in her own voice.
Starfire shook her head. "I do not understand." She smiled brightly. "But I am most happy for you. Perhaps once we do the dating double, I shall better understand."
Raven winced when Starfire pulled her into a bone crushing hug. "Yeah…sure. We'll do that soon."
"Most glorious!"
"Yeah, I guess it is," Raven said with a little smile in Beast Boy's direction. This was a path she'd never expected her life to take. She'd never thought it at all possible. But now that she'd had a taste of it, there was nothing she wanted more.
Feeling more than a little embarrassed at letting her friends see her smile, she flipped her hood up over her head and covered herself in protective darkness. She knew she still had a long way to go, and that things would never come easily for her. Opening up had always been—and always would be—an effort. But it was finally an effort she was willing to make. And with the least likely person.
As Cyborg placed a heaping plate of bacon, eggs, and sausage in front of her, she lowered her face over her meal. She kept her hood up, her face hidden. And as she'd hoped, the others returned to their own things. Robin lifted the paper back up and continued reading. Starfire chattered about a dress she's seen at the "mall of the shopping". Cyborg concentrated solely on shoveling food into his mouth.
When Beast Boy slipped into the chair beside hers, no one paid him any attention either. He dug into his own food, audibly complimenting himself on his tofu cooking skills—which earned him a groan from Cyborg. Everything was back to normal.
Under the table, Gar looped his foot around one of hers in a subtle show of affection. She smiled into her breakfast. She was happy things could still be normal…but better.