Lucky Logan
The moment Beast Boy's eyes opened, he smiled. Today was his day. Out of all of the days of the year, this was one of his favorites. St. Patrick's Day—the day that celebrated all things green.
Jump City loved him on an average day, but on St. Patrick's Day, he was like a god. He received free meals wherever he went. Gifts were often showered upon him. Girls flirted with him ceaselessly—not that he would flirt with random girls anymore now that he was with a certain half demon. People stopped him for pictures nonstop, treating him like a celebrity.
Yes, St. Patrick's Day was his day. He liked to say he was Lucky Logan.
Throwing his blankets aside, he hopped out of bed with a jovial grin on his face—even more jovial than usual. Whistling, he headed into his bathroom for a shower. A peek at his communicator before he took it off told him it was ten in the morning. Often, Robin forced them out of bed early for training exercises, but not today! Today, he was Lucky Logan and as such, he'd gotten to sleep in.
Hopping—literally hopping—into the shower, he turned the hot water on full blast and gave an appreciative groan as it cascaded down his body. Living in the same building as two women (and Robin), sometimes there wasn't hot water left for him when it was his turn in the shower. Today, the hot water flowed.
Humming a tune under his breath, he lathered shampoo between his hands before scrubbing it into his shaggy hair. He knew he should probably get a haircut soon. It was getting long. But Raven had recently taken up complaining about its length. Which meant she constantly had her hands in his hair, fussing with it. Which in turn gave him zero reason to get it cut. He was fairly certain they were both fully okay with his messy hair. It was just an excuse for her to touch him. And that was something they both enjoyed.
Grabbing the large loofa on a stick that hung in his shower, his humming turned into full-on lyrics. He sang into the loofa, suddenly understanding why Starfire had given it to him, claiming it was a life necessity. She was always singing in the shower. Now, he understood why. How could someone be in a good mood, have a microphone shaped cleaning item in the shower, and not sing into it?
He alternated between scrubbing and singing, his mood lifting with each word that passed loudly and off-key from his lips. Once he'd thoroughly cleaned himself—and exhausted enough songs to make his time in the shower feel worthwhile—he turned off the water and leapt out.
Wrapping a towel around his waist, he approached the fog-covered mirror and swiped his hand along it to clear it up enough for him to brush his teeth. As he brushed, he sent himself a grin and a wink. He was confident this was going to be the best day of the year so far—and last month he'd made out with Raven in the ocean. So there was definitely some competition.
Humming once again, he made his way into his bedroom and tugged on a pair of boxer briefs. Then he climbed into a pair of jeans and tugged a t-shirt over his head. Shaking out his wet, messy hair, he exited his room and made his way to the kitchen.
Starfire sat at the counter painting her fingernails. Raven was beside her reading a thick, old-looking book.
He flashed them both a wide smile. "Good morning!"
Raven lowered her book only enough to shoot him a disapproving look over the top of it. "It's practically afternoon." She arched a brow. "And were you singing Gangnam Style in the shower?"
He merely laughed at her open disapproval as he crossed the kitchen to stand behind her. "I love you too." He tugged on her hair to get her to tilt her head back. Then he planted a firm kiss against her lips.
A blush touched her cheeks, and he could tell she was momentarily speechless.
Their relationship was new, and though their friends knew all about his undying love for her, she still got flustered when he kissed her in front of them.
"Yes…well…" She tugged her hood up over her head to hide her blush. "Why are you in such a good mood?"
"Because I'm the man of the hour," he said dramatically, splaying his arms out as if to put himself on display.
"You are?" she asked dryly. "I must have missed that memo."
Starfire blinked at Raven, having missed her sarcasm. "Was there a memo? I too did not see such a memo."
Beast Boy lifted an apple from the fruit bowl on the counter. He tossed it into the air, caught it, and then shined it on his shirt. "Today, ladies, is St. Patrick's Day." He took a large bite of his apple, waggling his eyebrows at them. "National love everything green day." He swallowed, his chest puffing with pride. "They might as well rename it national Beast Boy day."
Before he could elaborate on the wonders of St. Patrick's Day, the Tower's alarm sounded, announcing that playtime was over. A moment later, Cyborg's head ducked into the room. "Grass Stain, think you could take a minute away from your delusions of grandeur? Plasmus is making mincemeat out of main street downtown."
Beast Boy rolled his eyes and took another bite from his apple. "Sure. I wanted to head out anyway. The more visible I am, the more I'm celebrated."
Raven carefully shut her book and climbed to her feet. "I cannot believe I'm dating you."
"Sometimes it does seem like the foolish decision," Starfire said with a playful laugh as she sauntered past them out of the room.
"Aw, mamma, don't talk like that," he said, slinging an arm over her shoulder. "Nothing wrong with a healthy ego every now and then."
"Yours is a little too healthy," she said, though he caught the little smile that tugged at her lips as he guided her into the Ops Room.
He leaned in and pressed an exaggerated kiss to her cheek. "I'm only cocky because my girlfriend is so hot."
A small giggle escaped her before she caught herself and pushed him away. "Stop," she warned, though that small little smile was still there. "You know I don't approve of public displays of affection."
"So then how about a private display of affection in the pool when we get home?" He arched a challenging brow at her, his heart suddenly pounding in his chest at the thought of getting some alone time with her.
She narrowed her eyes and stared at him in silence for a long moment. Then she shook her head at his antics but relented. "Sure. Whatever."
"Told you today was my lucky day."
"That remains to be seen," she said dryly.
"If I get to see you in a bathing suit, then it's a lucky day." With a wink, he strolled ahead of her into the room and flopped down on the couch. He crossed one foot over his knee and stared expectantly at Robin. "You ready, dude? My subjects await."
Robin blinked at him in confusion. "Excuse me?"
"St. Patrick's Day," Cyborg explained.
"Ah." Robin nodded. "I see." He grinned. "Sounds like we're all getting free drinks tonight."
"You knows it," Garfield said, snapping his fingers in Robin's direction.
Raven rolled her eyes and attempted to sit down in the seat beside him. Instead, he grabbed her waist as she was lowering and tugged her into his lap. She gave a yelp of surprise and landed awkwardly. "What are you doing?" she grumbled. "Stop being an idiot."
"You like it when I'm an idiot."
Her lips curved into that hint of a smile. "I do." Then she frowned at him. "But seriously. Stop being an idiot." She carefully extracted herself from his lap and sat with as much dignity as she could in the seat beside him. "We have a mission. It's time to get serious."
OOOOO
Beast Boy went sailing through the air with a holler. His back slammed against the concrete side of a building and he slid down the wall, upside down. He ended up a crumpled mass on the pavement below.
Shaking his head to fight back momentary disorientation, he lunged to his feet.
Plasmus was being more troublesome than usual. The gelatinous blob was refusing to stand down. Whatever his agenda was—which was still unclear—he was obviously not in a surrendering type of mood today.
Turning into a cheetah, Beast Boy raced back into action. Once back in the mix, he circled Plasmus' feet, trying to trip him up or at the very least cause a distraction.
This tactic seemed to work, because Starfire was suddenly there, blasting him with Starbolts and causing Plasmus to stumble back a couple steps.
Deciding he was best utilized as a distraction, Garfield shifted back into his human form and stood before the large blob of a man. He knew Raven had a talent for knocking the villain unconscious with her astral self. All he needed was to buy her some time until she could get an opening.
"Hey, ugly!" He grinned as Plasmus' attention turned fully in his direction. "Don't you ever get tired of losing to us? Why don't you go bother some other city? Or better yet, just stay in your jail cell. You always end up back there anyway."
Plasmus snarled, his nostrils—at least Beast Boy thought they were nostrils—flared with outrage.
"The truth hurts, doesn't it?"
"Beast Boy!" Starfire's voice rang in his ears, but he ignored her.
"I got this, Star," he called over his shoulder, his attention focused fully on Plasmus. "You know, people say I'm not the sharpest mind around, buy you. You're really dumb. Like rocks in your head dumb." He chuckled and shook his head. "Only a fool would continue to attempt such attacks on Jump City when they get defeated over and over again. It's madness, really. That's what it is. In fact, I—"
He was suddenly slammed into from the side. He went flying through the air. Then tumbling into the pavement. His momentum took him farther, rolling over and over until he finally came to a stop.
Raven was perched on top of his chest, her hood fallen down her shoulders, her hair windswept and tangled.
Over her shoulder, he saw that Plasmus was suddenly not alone. Cinderblock had come barreling out of a nearby building. And he'd smashed his fist down into the sidewalk where Beast Boy had been standing only moments before. Had Raven not shoved him out of the way, he'd have been smeared into the pavement. The realization filled him with a momentary sense of cold fear, but it evaporated before he could even process it. He never found it wise to dwell on fear. As per his usual, he instead relied on jokes. "I like you too, Rae, but now's not the time."
"Stop screwing around," she grumbled, climbing to her feet.
"Aw, mamma. That's all I know how to do!" He knew this would irritate her, and the dirty look she shot him over her shoulder as she headed back into battle drew a chuckle from him. No matter how long they were together, no matter how in love with her he was, he still enjoyed annoying her every once in a while.
Turning into an eagle, he flew over Cinderblock—who Robin had extremely distracted—and placed himself above Plasmus. Once he was in position, he turned into a whale. He came crashing down into—more like through—the villain. He found himself surrounded in goop and slime. It shot out in all directions, splashing onto Raven and Robin.
Raven gave a holler of disgust, while Robin's feet slid along the pavement.
Beast Boy returned to his normal form, his nose curling at the stench of the gelatinous substance coating his uniform. "Sorry, guys!" His big plan had been messy, but fortunately for him, it seemed to have done the trick. At his foot lay the unconscious villain.
Raven wiped a blog of red goop away from her face before waving toward the awaiting police officers that would return Plasmus to his soundproof stasis tank. She covered them, making sure Cinderblock never turned his attention in their direction.
Thankfully, he was far too distracted by Starfire, who was flying around his head, blasting him with Starbolts. He snarled, swiping at her, and Cyborg took the opportunity to hit the distracted villain with a shot from his sonic blaster.
Seeing that his friends had Cinderblock covered, Beast Boy rushed in to help the officers. Slipping around on the residual goo from the Plasmus explosion, he grabbed the sleeping villain's feet. He and an officer hauled him up from the pavement and carried him to the waiting police cruiser. He was very careful not to jostle the man any more than possible, for fear of waking him.
Once they had the messy villain secured, Gar gave the officer a salute. "Get him back to his stasis tank. I'll help take down—" His sentence broke off when he saw that his friends had managed to take down Cinderblock without him while he'd been helping the officers. "Well, I guess I'll go pretend to be useful."
With a playful wink, he sauntered back over to where the Titans were talking with authorities. They'd brought one of those giant eighteen-wheeler trucks and were strapping down the unconscious villain for transportation. It looked as if Robin would be accompanying the truck to make sure it arrived safely at its destination.
He shot Cyborg a grin as he approached. "So we're hauling Cinderblock off on Optimus Prime?" he asked with a little chuckle. "Had I known all it took to get a ride from the leader of the autobots was to be a super villain, I might have considered aligning myself with the other side."
Cyborg threw his head back and laughed, but Starfire frowned in his direction.
"Who is this Prime of the Optimus?" she asked in confusion. "I did not know vehicles were living beings on your planet. All this time I have been—"
"Relax, Star," Cyborg said, patting her elbow. "It's from a movie."
As Robin and the officers drove away, Raven turned her attention their way. "Why are you confusing Starfire?" she asked with disapproval in her voice. "That's rude." Her mildly annoyed expression suddenly turned to one of full irritation. "Reporters."
Stepping slightly behind Beast Boy, she said, "You go deal with the press. They love you."
"She's not wrong, Green Bean." Cyborg gave him a shove in the back, sending him toward the approaching reporters. "You have a way with them."
"Oh, I love the reporters of the news. They are always so friendly with me," Starfire said in delight.
Cyborg chuckled and shook his head. "Yeah, cause they're always hitting on you." At her puzzled frown, he patted her arm. "I'm going to do Rob a favor and keep you away from the drooling fanboys."
"I do not understand," Starfire said. "I have never been struck by a member of the press before."
Cyborg rolled his eyes and leaned in to whisper in Starfire's ear. Her eyes widened in surprise and she shook her head. "The shame!"
Cyborg nodded. "I'm surprised you never realized that, the way Robin gets all tense any time the male reporters come your way." He paused thoughtfully. "Some of the female ones too."
As they continued their discussion on how attractive the reporters of Jump City found Starfire, Garfield looped his arm through Raven's and tugged her forward. "Come on, Rae. Remember, the press loves you too, now. Come talk with me."
"They'd turn on me in a flash if we ever broke up."
He snorted in amusement. "Then I guess you'll have to keep dating me then." As they reached the small gathering of reporters, he shot them a winning smile. "Hey, guys."
A woman with a microphone labeled Jump City News One stepped forward. "Beast Boy, the city would like to once again thank you for your service to the community. Could you tell us…did this battle feel different than others? Were you frightened by the fact that you were nearly crushed by Cinderblock?"
This threw him for a moment, but he came back with his usual charm. "Frightened? Me?" He waved a hand carelessly in the air. "Nah. How could I be frightened? I've got the sexiest woman alive watching my back. I'd say that makes me pretty lucky."
The reporter's expression softened and she gave him an approving smile. It quickly returned to its professional appearance as she turned her focus on Raven. "Raven, does the fact that you're now dating Beast Boy make you come to his defense in battle more often?"
"No," Raven said dryly. "It has nothing to do with romance. When anyone on the team is being careless, I'm there to point it out to them. He's no different."
The reporter frowned, her disappointment at the response quite evident.
Raven let out a little sigh of defeat. "On the other hand," she said, obviously conceding to give the reporters what they were obviously looking for, "today is St. Patrick's Day. It's Beast Boy's day. I don't think he needed my help. He's lucky enough all on his own. Surely, he would have figured it out in time without my interference. I guess I was just looking for an excuse to roll around in the dirt with him."
As soon as the words were out of her mouth, her nose curled as if she were questioning why she would ever say such a thing, why she would ever agree to this interview at all.
Laughing in amusement at her discomfort, Beast Boy slung an arm over her shoulder. "Or maybe I'm just the luckiest guy in the world because I'm dating a kick ass super hero who always has my back."
"You two are so adorable," the reporter gushed.
He tightened his grip on Raven's shoulder when it felt as if she might pull away. "We sure are."
The cameraman behind the reporter lifted his camera and snapped a quick shot of the two of them, Beast Boy's arm draped so casually over Raven's shoulders.
Raven turned to him, her lips parting as if she was about to protest his actions in front of reporters.
He halted whatever she was about to say by grabbing her face in his hands and capturing her lips with his. He kissed her briefly but passionately. When he pulled back, he kept his lips lightly against hers, the contact the barest of grazes.
"Why?" she asked breathlessly against his lips, her violet gaze seeking his.
She didn't have to explain her question. He fully understood what she was asking. Why kiss her like that in front of witnesses? Why allow the reporters to snap such an intimate photo of them—which they most certainly had. The camera's flash had gone off four or five times during their kiss. Why do such childish things for the enjoyment of nosy people? It wasn't as if their relationship was anyone's business but their own.
"Maybe I want the whole world to know how crazy I am about you," he whispered against her lips.
Raven rolled her eyes. "That was cheesy."
But as he pulled back, he couldn't help but notice the pleased expression she was unable to hide. Or the slight blush on her cheeks. Fight all she wanted, he knew she enjoyed his little displays of affection. She'd waited her whole life for someone to treat her as if she mattered, as if she were special, as if she were meant for more than just opening a portal for her father. He would never grow tired of reminding her how important she was to him.
Turning to the reporters, he offered his brightest smile. "As you can see, I'm the luckiest guy in Jump City."
OOOOO
"Another tray of nachos, boys? On the house."
Beast Boy grinned up at the waitress who'd stopped in front of their table. "I can never say no to more nachos."
The waitress winked as she set the tray down, her eyes lingering on Cyborg. She gave him a shy little smile before directing her attention back to Beast Boy. "The best for this city's St. Patrick's Day good luck charm." With another wink, she set off back toward the bar.
Raven frowned after her. Then she turned her attention to the steaming plate of nachos. "That's the fourth plate you guys have been given. Aren't you going to get sick?"
"It's in a man's genetics to be able to consume mass amounts of nacho cheese," Robin explained, peeling away a chip doused in in the orange liquid. "It's kind of our thing."
Starfire groaned and wrapped her arms around her waist. "I have nine stomachs and all of them agree that last plate was more than enough."
"Agreed. Three plates of free nachos seemed like plenty." Raven scowled in the direction of their waitress.
Chuckling, Beast Boy threw his arm over her shoulder and pulled her into a one-armed hug. "Aw, don't be jealous, Bae. I've only got eyes for you."
"Ew. Don't call be Bae." She snuggled closer. "But good to know."
Garfield snickered. "Besides, I'm pretty sure she's got the hots for Cyborg."
"Whaaaaaa?" Cyborg asked with exaggerated surprise. "I hadn't noticed." Climbing to his feet, he took his full drink and switched it with Raven's empty one. "Excuse me while I go ask for a refill." And with that, he was gone. Off to charm their waitress.
Robin reached for another nacho, and Starfire placed her hand over his.
"Robin. The no." She shook her head. "I fear you are going to get sick if you do not take a break." She turned her head in the direction of the small dance floor that was mostly filled with elderly couples shuffling to a slow song piped into the bar/restaurant. "Let us do the dancing instead." Without giving him a chance to protest, she tugged him to his feet and dragged him across the room to the dance floor.
This left Garfield alone with Raven, a place he never minded being. He loosened his grip on her shoulder and ran his fingers lightly through her hair. "So how does it feel to be hooking up with the luckiest man in the city?" he asked teasingly.
She gave him her classic eye roll, which sent his stomach tumbling with pleasure. Man, he loved those eye rolls.
"Hooking up. Is that what we're doing?" she asked with amusement.
"Something like that."
She laughed lightly, a sound that was music to his ears. She never used to laugh. She used to hide herself away in her room, the weight of the world on her shoulders. Now that Trigon was gone, she was finally free. That had been the start. But realizing that she was actually worth loving had been a process he watched unfold with their relationship. It broke his heart at times, to realize she'd never been loved before, but it also made him love her even more because she'd taken a chance with him on something so unfamiliar to her.
Unaware of his serious thoughts, she quirked a brow at him. "So…luckiest man in the city, do you want to dance? Or do you want to keep bragging about how awesome you are?"
"As much fun as it is to bolster my own ego, dancing with you sounds better." He slid from his seat and took her hand. He led her along behind him to the dance floor before pulling her dramatically into his arms.
She smirked, shaking her head. "Do you always have to make a scene?"
"I think you know the answer to this." He wrapped his arms tightly around her waist. "Do you always have to be embarrassed when I make a scene?"
"Always," she retorted with a little smile.
"I wouldn't want it any other way," he said with a chuckle. He let out a content sigh and carefully guided her to the music, half of his thoughts consumed with the movement of his feet. He might smile and make a show of being cool in public, but in reality, he often felt as if he had two left feet. It was all about the appearance of seeming casual and carefree. Then people didn't notice your mistakes as much. That was why he was so popular with the citizens of Jump City. They didn't see him often enough to realize what a disaster he could be at times.
Raven had seen him at his worst, though. She'd seen him screaming in agony after being injured in a fight. She's seen him puking his guts out when he'd gotten the flu. She'd once caught him crying after a phone call with Rita in which she'd been shakily telling him of some new injustice Mento had put her through. She'd seen him mourn the loss of Terra, something that now felt like a blessing, because if Terra were still around, he might not be here with Raven. Not that he really ever thought his tenuous relationship with her would ever last, but losing Terra the way he had…it had forced him to grow up. Without that, he never would have been worthy of Raven's affection.
Yes, Raven had seen him at his worst and she still loved him. That was what made him concentrate hard not to tromp on her toes. It was what made him strive to be better, to not screw things up with her. She deserved the best version of himself, and he was trying very hard to give her that.
He shook his head with a little chuckle at that thought. Even the best version of himself was going to be goofy. He was going to pull pranks and get into a little bit of trouble, but that was okay. She needed that bit of childishness in her life.
"What are you laughing at?" she asked, tilting her face up to him, her brows pinched in confusion.
"Just how different we are."
"And you find that amusing?"
"I do." He shrugged as he swayed her to the music. "When we first met, I used to wonder if you were going to kill me before the week was finished. Now I wonder how many times I can convince you to make out with me before the end of the week."
"You don't need to do much convincing." A blush tinted her cheeks and she lowered her gaze to the floor.
He removed one of his hands from her waist and tilted her chin up so he could gaze into her purple eyes. "Don't be embarrassed. I like that you enjoy making out with me." He flashed her a crooked grin. "It reminds me of how undeniably sexy I am."
Raven groaned and dropped her head to his chest. "How did I end up with you again?" she mumbled into his shirt.
"I do believe it started at that Halloween party," he teased. "You got really drunk and decided to grind up on me on the dance floor."
Her head popped up off of his chest so she could narrow her eyes at him. "Okay, first of all, you got me drunk. You lowered my inhibitions and then dragged me out on that dance floor. That was all your doing."
"Yeah…maybe. But then you were the one who took your cape off and did all that sexy secret spy stuff on that mission we had right before Thanksgiving. What guy my age is going to be able to "keep it friendly" when a girl that looks like you is…doing what you were doing?" He shook his head at the memory of her ducking and slinking through those security laser beams. The mental image of her ass perked up in the air as she slid under that one particular laser close to the floor had been forever burned into his brain.
"No one made you look," she shot back cheekily. "But let's say for argument's sake that I was perhaps trying to get your attention that day, it was still you who bribed Cyborg to switch you Secret Santa's so you could have me. You manipulated things so you could give me flowers, and a bubble bath, and a bracelet. Which, by the way, had a heart engraved into it."
Beast Boy sucked in a breath and gaped at her in surprise. "You knew about that? How?"
Her cheeks flushed. "I…uh…I kind of heard you begging Cyborg to switch people with you."
"Wow." His brow rose in astonishment at this realization. "So the whole time…you knew?" He wasn't sure what to make of this news. She'd known. That whole time he'd been so nervous about her finding out about his feelings for her, and she'd known the entire time. She'd known he was behind each gift, each surprise.
"I knew." Her arms moved from where they gently rested on his shoulders to his waist and she hugged him tightly, her cheek moving to his chest. "I'd never felt more special in my entire life. That was when I knew this was worth being vulnerable for. That you would be worth opening myself up to."
"I guess I'm lucky you heard that conversation then."
She didn't remove her cheek from his chest, but she tilted her head so she could gaze up at him. "You're the luckiest guy in Jump City, remember? If you hadn't won me over then, surely you would have today. Right?"
"Good point," he said teasingly. "Then it wouldn't have cost me all those Christmas gifts."
With a snort, she extracted herself from his arms and elbowed him in the side. "Shut up, you weirdo."
"I love you," he said cheekily.
"Yeah, I love you too." Her lips were curved into a pleased grin, but she rolled her eyes in an attempt to hide it. "Now get me a drink, Mr. Lucky—and not one that previously belonged to Cyborg. I'm thirsty."
OOOOO
Beast Boy sat in a lounge chair by the pool at Titan's Tower. He had a pair of sunglasses over his eyes as he soaked in the sun. It was a nice evening, a little chilly, but the pool was heated. His plan to get Raven alone in the pool hadn't happened, but this was nice as well. He enjoyed spending downtime with his friends, just behaving like normal teenagers.
Starfire and Robin splashed around in the pool, playing a game of volleyball. Raven sat directly across the pool from him, a book hiding her face. He took a moment to study her. She wore a simple black bikini, something much more muted than the hot pink one Starfire sported. It was cut less revealing than Star's as well, but that didn't make it any less hot. He pale legs were on display, her curvy figure taunting him from across the pool…
"Stop ogling Raven."
Beast Boy jumped in surprise. He'd been so wrapped up in doing just that, he'd almost forgotten he'd been chatting with his best friend. "You don't know what I'm ogling. I've got sunglasses on."
"Trust me, I know." Cyborg's tone was less than amused. "You zoned out on our conversation and your tongue is practically hanging out of your head. If you want to stay the luckiest guy in Jump City, you'd better stop doing that in front of me."
Beast Boy flinched. He knew Cyborg viewed Raven like a little sister, so he tried his hardest not to flaunt his relationship with the half demon in front of him. But when Raven was clad in a tiny bikini, it was hard to keep that in mind. "I wasn't ogling," he lied. "I was just contemplating inviting her for a swim before we head inside for dinner. That's all."
"Uh huh." Cyborg was far from convinced, but there was amusement in his voice. "Go have fun, Green Bean. I'll stay here, keeping my circuits dry."
Beast Boy climbed to his feet and gave his best friend a mocking salute. "You do that." He chuckled at Cy's grumbled response as he headed around the pool in Raven's direction. He reached her chair and stood above her, his shadow falling over her form…which she totally ignored.
She was so absorbed in her book, he was fairly certain they could get attacked by the Hive without her realizing. With a smirk, he cleared his throat. Nothing. "Hey, Rave?" When she still didn't look up, he leaned down and ran a finger up the bottom of her foot.
She gave a little yelp and jumped. Lowering her book, she glared up at him. "Don't do that!"
"How else am I going to get your attention?"
"How about don't?" Despite her harsh words, she lowered her book to her stomach and gave him a hint of a smile. "What do you need, Garfield?"
"I was hoping I could convince you to go swimming with me before dinner."
Her eyes slid to the pool. She watched the game between Robin and Starfire with a frown. "I don't play sports."
"Wasn't asking you to. Maybe I just enjoy the thought of you all wet and slippery against me." The words were off of his tongue and out of his mouth before he could stop them. The mental image those words brought had him fighting back a groan of arousal. Damn. Now why did he have to go and plant that idea in his head? His request had started off innocent, but it had taken a turn for the erotic somewhere without his realization.
Raven's cheeks reddened. "The things that come out of your mouth."
He could practically see her mentally asking herself why she was dating him again. Wanting to fix his blunder, he shuffled his feet sheepishly. "Sorry. That wasn't what I was going for. I just…thought you might like to swim for a bit."
She remained seated, her brows knitted thoughtfully. Her gaze scanned his body, lingering on his bare chest. After a long moment, she sighed. "Sure. I suppose I could swim for a little." She climbed to her feet, lowering her book to the chair she'd just vacated. Then she sauntered off in the direction of the other end of the pool, away from Starfire and Robin.
As he followed her, Beast Boy couldn't keep his gaze from straying to her backside. It was still hard to believe that he knew exactly what it felt like to run his hands over those luscious globes, that he knew what it felt like to have those pale legs wrapped around his waist.
He felt his body react and gave a small yelp. He needed to stop that train of thought or he was going to embarrass himself. Glancing worriedly over his shoulder, he was relieved to see Cyborg engrossed in his laptop, video chatting with their waitress from this afternoon. It hadn't taken his friend much effort to get her number.
He turned back to the pool in time to see Raven sliding carefully over the edge into the warm water. He watched the muscles of her bare stomach tighten as she lowered herself down. Damn. Maybe this whole swimming thing was a bad idea.
He lowered himself to the ground at the edge of the pool and dipped his legs into the water. He paused there, silently telling himself that he needed to behave. He needed to keep his thoughts clean. His friends were around…though none of them were paying he and Raven any attention… That didn't matter though! He was not going to—
"Are you getting in or what?"
He looked up at Raven's bored tone. If only she knew the effect she had on him, how much he struggled to remain a gentleman. He'd been failing for months to keep his thoughts from being dirty. But in his defense, he was a virile guy with a smoking hot girlfriend who wore skimpy bikinis and—
Raven treaded the water to him and lifted up on the lip of the pool so she could drape her arms casually over his knees. She gazed up at him, her purple eyes dancing with amusement while her feet kicked lazily in the water. "You were the one who wanted to get in."
In that moment, he was fairly certain she did know the effect she had on him. Because what she was doing right now was torture. He shifted uncomfortably, but instead of backing off, she moved in closer. She placed her arms on either side of his thighs and lifted out of the water so her face was near his. Her ribs brushed against his inner thighs as she moved, her breast bumping his arm.
He closed his eyes with a soft groan. She was going to kill him. Plain and simple. He was trying his hardest to be good and she was doing her best to break him. "You're doing this on purpose."
"You were the one who wanted to get slippery and wet," she whispered against his lips, causing him to jump. As his eyes had still been closed, the contact of her lips had been unexpected.
When she pressed her lips more firmly to his, he didn't fight it though. He only had so much restraint, and this was beyond his capabilities. Instead, he slid closer to the edge of the pool. In response, she pressed forward as well, her stomach brushing up against his groin.
His grip on the lip of the pool tightened to the point he thought he might crack the cement. She was going to kill him. He had no question about it now.
"Pizza!"
At the new voice that called from the entrance of the pool area, Raven pushed away from him back into the water, her head disappearing beneath the surface for a moment.
He looked over at the new arrival with a pained expression. "We, uh, we didn't order any pizza."
The delivery man shrugged. "Compliments of the shop. My boss said it was for the luckiest guy in the city and one of our favorite customers."
Robin hopped out of the pool and jogged over to the delivery man. "Sweet!" He took the stack of pizzas, careful not to lean them against his wet chest. "Tell Julio we'll be in again in a couple days, no worry."
The delivery man sniggered. "There's never a worry. You guys love your pizza." With a wave, he headed off back the way he'd come.
Raven lifted herself suddenly out of the pool. "I'm starved. Let's all get a quick shower and meet in the kitchen, shall we?" Snatching the boxes of pizza out of Robin's hands, she sauntered off toward the Tower, dripping water after herself.
Everyone else jumped at the suggestion. They gathered their things and headed inside, but Beast Boy lingered at poolside, telling them he would be in shortly. Once he had the space to himself, he lowered his head and took a few calming breaths. He was sporting a very uncomfortable erection that he did not want the others to see. He just needed a moment…
Pushing off of the lip of the pool, he propelled himself into the water. Sinking to the bottom of the pool, he stayed there a long moment, hoping the water would cool him off. Beyond his limited stint with Terra—which felt like a frozen tundra to the fire Raven elicited in him—he'd never had a serious girlfriend before. He hadn't known what to expect. He was coming to think of it as delicious torture. He wasn't sure how much more he could survive, but he didn't want Raven to stop either. No, he never wanted her to stop.
Surfacing, he swam to the edge of the pool and hauled himself out. Shaking out his shaggy hair, strode in the direction of the Tower. What he needed right now was a cold shower and some pizza.
OOOOO
As he closed his bedroom door behind him, Garfield reflected on the day. It was no lie that it had been his lucky day. He'd been saved by Raven in battle. He'd gotten free nachos after the battle. Later, he'd gotten a free lunch at the sandwich shop the Titans often visited. He'd been given a few free comic books from a fangirl—new comics, from his favorite series. The local news station had run a flattering piece on him. He'd been delivered free pizza. Then there'd been that smoking hot kiss from Raven in the pool. The list of his luck went on and on. As he'd expected, it had been a good day. Probably the best yet.
Smiling to himself, he went to unzip his uniform to change for the night when a portal suddenly opened up in front of him and Raven popped into his room. He froze, staring at her for a moment in astonishment.
She stared back, her purples eyes wide, as if she couldn't believe she was there either.
"Um…what are you doing?" he asked uncertainly. They'd parted ways about fifteen minutes ago, bidding each other goodnight. Her appearance now was quite unexpected. They were usually fairly upfront about wanting to spend time with one another. She'd never just popped up in his room unexpected like this.
As if his uncertainty bolstered her confidence, she took a step toward him. "You're the luckiest guy in the city," she said, the comment coming seemingly from out of nowhere.
"Yeah," he said slowly, feeling nervous and not knowing exactly why. "I know that. It doesn't explain why you're—"
"How would you like to get really lucky?"
"What?" He was certain he'd heard her wrong. There as no way she'd said… No way she could possibly mean…
She nodded her head, as if silently affirming in her own mind the decision to ask her bizarre question. "We should do this." Closing the short distance between them, she pressed her hands lightly to his chest, gazing up at him. "I don't want to wait anymore."
She stared at him expectantly, but he stood frozen, unsure of what to do. He was certain he understood what she was asking of him, but he was too stunned to react. And despite his surety, there was still that fear he'd misinterpreted her request. What if he made a move and was incorrect?
Biting her lip, she lifted a hand to lightly grasp the zipper to his uniform between thumb and forefinger. She tugged at it gently, slowly drawing it down to expose his chest. The sound of his uniform unzipping filled the silent room, sounding much louder than it should have.
Garfield's heart stopped. He was sure of it. "Raven…I…" He backed up slightly, surprise filling him when the zipper reached his navel. He'd been shirtless in front of her countless times. In fact, he'd been shirtless in the pool earlier. It was merely the intent behind her action that startled him, that caused him to back up in surprise. As he did, the back of his knees bumped against the bed, halting his retreat.
Raven pressed her palm against his chest, and he found himself sinking down onto the mattress. Placing herself between his knees, she stared down at him, her expression questioning. Grabbing his left hand, she held it between both of hers. "You do want this…right?"
"Raven…are you asking me…?"
Her grip on his hand tightened and she whispered in a breathy voice, "I want to have sex with you." She hesitated, as if rethinking her words. Then, in a firmer voice, she corrected herself. "I want us to have sex together."
An electric shock of pleasure zipped through him at her words. As much as he might have been dreaming about have sex with her, he'd taken things very slowly…well, as much as he humanly could. He'd not brought up the topic of sex, as he didn't want to rush her. So her request caught him totally off guard. "Are you sure?" he asked. He was frozen in place, afraid to move. He wanted this so much—so damn much—but he wanted to know she was sure. He wanted her to be positive, completely and thoroughly.
She lowered her eyes and a blush tinged her cheeks. "I…" She took a deep breath and lifted her gaze to his. "I don't want to frighten you off, but…"
He squeezed her hand. "You could never frighten me off."
She smiled faintly at his assurance, then pressed on. "I realized that you're it for me."
When she hesitated, he arched a brow at her, encouraging her to continue.
"I don't like most people. But I like you." She shrugged. "I never wanted a relationship. But I want one with you. You're like this big life-contradicting anomaly. No one else is ever going to be able to do for me what you do. No one else would ever measure up to…to the way you make me feel. You're it for me. You're…everything. So why am I waiting?"
Garfield extracted his hand from hers and wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her in against him. He let his chin rest against her stomach as he hugged her, wanting her to understand how much her words had touched him. "So let's stop waiting."
She shivered in his arms, then slowly nodded her head. "Okay. Let's stop waiting." She reached one of her hands behind her and gripped the zipper on her uniform. Then she tugged it gently downward, exposing her back.
Beast Boy's fingers grazed over her now exposed skin, reveling in the silky softness of her.
She lifted her hands to run her fingers through his messy hair before tugging his head back. With a shaky, nervous exhale, she lowered her mouth over his. She kissed him gently, tentatively.
He groaned at the innocence in her kiss. The side of herself she showed only to him differed so much from the face she showed everyone else. He loved that she was uncertain, that they were both wading into undiscovered territories with each other.
Reaching his hand up, he lowered the shoulder of her uniform, sliding it down.
He felt her freeze in his arms, as if she was concentrating on the action, but a moment later she relaxed and resumed kissing him. Her lips became a little bolder, pressing a little more fiercely to his. Her hands traveled down his face, his neck, until they disappeared into the opening of his uniform. She caressed his chest, widening the gap as her movements drew his zipper down even farther.
His other hand joined his first, pulling her uniform down her arms. She helped him free her upper body of the tight garment and once it was free of her arms, he eagerly slid it down over her hips. The bodysuit was still trapped by her thighs, but her hips were exposed, as was the black panties she wore underneath her uniform.
With a soft hiss of appreciation, he ran his palms along her hips, over the thin strip of fabric there. He'd never seen her in anything less than her uniform before, and just feeling her bare skin under his palms had his body reacting.
Finally, he could take it no more. He broke their kiss so he could pull back to look at her. He hungrily took in her pale skin, her curvy figure in nothing but her bra and panties.
Raven shifted uncomfortably from foot to foot, then ran her fingers nervously through her hair. After a moment, she rolled her eyes at her own nerves and slipped the uniform the rest of the way down her legs. Then she kicked it to the side. Once free of the garment, she placed her hands on his shoulders and climbed carefully into his lap.
Beast Boy wrapped his arms around her waist again, holding her so she didn't fall backward. He was still at the edge of the bed, so she was balanced precariously above him.
She stared down at him, her purple gaze roving over his face. "You want this, right?" she asked breathlessly, as if still needing his reassurance.
He swallowed thickly, feeling very distracted by the half-naked empath on top of him. "Yes." He nodded firmly. "More than anything."
She nodded and her expression softened, as if that confirmation solidified her resolve and cemented her conviction. "Me too." She caressed her fingertips down his face, her exhale hot against his lips. She studied him, her eyes following the path of her gently stroking fingers. "How could anyone think your green skin is off-putting?"
Her question surprised him, but a warm sensation in his chest quickly followed. She might claim there was no one for her but him, but he felt it worked the other way around. Sure, people pretended as if the green skin didn't bother them, but he'd had dates flinch away from his touch before. And though some girls had "tolerated" it, none had ever caressed him with such tenderness as Raven did right now. None of them had ever fully accepted him. Not like this.
He placed a hand at the back of her neck and drew her mouth to his for a forceful kiss. He didn't just kiss her—he devoured her. His mouth moved hungrily against her own, claiming her, demanding submission.
She whimpered, her arms slipping around his neck so she could cling to him. "Gar…"
He kissed away whatever she might have been about to say. Hearing his name on her lips was enough. Being careful not to let go of her, he smoothed his hand along her bare back, his fingers caressing her silky flesh.
She made a soft mewing sound in the back of her throat and arched herself against him. Her hips rotated against his, and he groaned into her mouth. He shifted his hips toward her, wanting greedily to feel her grind against him again.
She did not disappoint. She pressed down into him once more, shuddering in his arms. Her hands slid down his chest, then ran up over his shoulders, pushing the sleeves of his uniform down and out of the way. As she continued to move on top of him, continued to kiss him, her hands explored his chest.
Overwhelmed with the need to feel more, Garfield tightened his hold on her with one arm and lifted her slightly off of his lap, moving her knees more firmly on the bed on either side of him. Then he used his hands to frantically tug his uniform over his hips and down his legs.
He toed his boots off, then used his feet to maneuver his uniform the rest of the way off. Left in nothing but his boxer briefs, he tugged her back down on top of him. The instant their bodies made contact, he groaned. Through the thin material of their undergarments, he could feel so much.
As she settled against him, Raven finally pulled her mouth away from his. She rocked contemplatively from side to side on his lap, then stared at him with wide eyes.
He flushed slightly, knowing she was reacting to the sensation of him hard underneath of her. Over the past few months, they'd engaged in their fair share of intimate exchanges. They'd made out on the couch. They'd stolen kisses in the pool. And one glorious night while snuggled under a blanket watching a movie, Raven had slipped her hand into his pants. She'd run her fingers over him, exploring him while he sat frozen in shock. And while all of that had been awesome, it didn't compare to this. They'd never been so intimately pressed up against one another before. Especially not with an end game in mind.
"I'm sorry," she said with an embarrassed little laugh. "I…I didn't know what to expect. I wasn't exactly sure what it would feel like… I like it."
With a devilish grin, he grabbed her waist and rolled her to her back, placing himself on top of her. Wanting to give her more to like, he rocked his hips firmly into hers, grinding their bodies together.
Raven gave a sharp gasp and arched underneath him, her eyes closing in pleasure. A soft sound of desire escaped her and it prompted him to repeat the action. He knew he'd never seen a more beautiful sight in his life than Raven underneath him, her eyes closed in pleasure, her breath coming in pants because of things he was doing to her. It was…perfect. He wanted more. He wanted it all.
Climbing up to his knees, he fumbled with the lamp beside the bed until he was able to pitch them into darkness. Then he lowered himself to her, the only space between them where he propped himself up on one elbow.
He kissed her gently while his right arm snaked underneath of her. When he fumbled with the hooks of her bra, she arched up slightly to assist him. With a little bit of struggling, he managed to get the garment free and tossed it to the side.
He trailed his fingertips along her chest, marveling at the fact that he was able to touch her like this. Sure, like her, he'd snuck a few caresses in. He'd had his hand up her shirt, had touched her through her bra. But he'd never done anything like this.
His fingertips caressed over her hardened nipple and she shivered. The combined sensations had his dick hardening even more. It was still hard to believe that this amazing woman wanted him, only him. He'd once thought she hated him. Now…
He lowered his mouth to hers, kissing her gently, taking his time with the kiss. He wanted her to feel relaxed, unrushed. What she'd asked of him—it was a big deal. He was about to lose his virginity. He knew most guys his age had done that years ago, but he wasn't most guys. His life wasn't normal. Finding someone who accepted him for who he was, who wasn't just with him because they could get their picture in the paper, was difficult. And just because he gave off a happy-go-lucky vibe did not mean he didn't have body insecurities. He was fricking green. He was filled with his own concerns, so he imagined she was as well. Losing your virginity was always made out to be a big bigger deal for women. He just wanted to make sure she was one hundred percent certain it was what she wanted.
"Are you sure you're ready?" he asked quietly. As she was nodding her head in assurance, another thought popped into his mind, a hindrance he hadn't even considered. "Shit! I don't have condoms! I—" It wasn't anything he'd ever given much thought. He'd had no use for them before. He cursed under his breath as he climbed up onto his knees. His body was fully worked up and the thought that there might be an obstacle to their plans had him feeling jittery. "I suppose I could ask Robin…" He shuddered at the thought. He so did not want to have to ask Robin for condoms.
"Relax," she said in her calming, unaffected tone. "It's fine."
He shook his head vehemently. "It's not fine. I really, really want to do this with you. But I'm not risking…" He trailed off, his heart pounding in horror at the thought. He was so unprepared for parenthood. He had trouble keeping plants alive. He was not prepared for a human being.
"I meant it's fine because I started taking birth control." Her words came out sheepish and it drew his attention back to her.
"You did?"
Though it was dark, his decent night vision allowed him to see her nod. "I wanted to be prepared. It seemed quite obvious that we were both interested in sex. Getting on birth control seemed the logical next step."
That was his Raven—always logical. "That's awesome. But what about—"
"Demons don't really get STDs," she said slowly. "And I think that might be the same with most people who have super powers. I mean, I've never seen any hard facts about it, but I'm fairly certain—"
He pressed his mouth firmly to hers, silencing her. "Let's stop talking about STDs," he whispered into her mouth. She was right. There shouldn't be any worries about diseases. Their genetics kept them protected, as did the fact that they were both extremely unexperienced.
She laughed lightly, giving him an answering kiss. "Deal."
He was still half kneeling above her from when he'd gotten up in an attempt to race off for condoms. Raven used this position to reach her hand between them and stroke him through his briefs. Her palm cupped him, her fingers exploring his hard length. "So are we going to do this or what?" she asked with a playful challenge.
"We are." With anxious, trembling hands, he tugged his briefs down. At the same time, Raven wiggled out of her panties. In a very short time, they were both naked at staring expectantly—if nervously—at each other.
She gave him an encouraging nod and he responded with a crooked grin. They were really doing this. Leaning down, he brushed his lips gently against hers. "I love you." Taking himself in hand, he guided himself very carefully toward her. He pressed at her opening, the head of his erection sinking inside of her. She wiggled beneath him, but didn't give any indication she was in any pain. Taking that as encouragement, he sank slowly into her, inch after slow inch. The snail's pace with which he moved had a drawn-out groan escaping his lips.
When he was finally seated to the hilt, he let out a shaky exhale. "You okay?" he asked.
"Perfect."
He figured she would be. The two of them were used to being thrown into buildings by bad guys. Pain wasn't anything new to them. Raven was tough, and he had been as gentle as possible.
"Stop looking at me like I'm going to break," she said with amusement. "I'm good. Better than good." She placed a hand at the back of his neck and drew his mouth down to hers. She nipped lightly at his bottom lip before capturing his mouth with hers.
Arousal overwhelmed him and his hips began to move subconsciously while his mouth concentrated on kissing her in return. He rocked forward into her, his thrust deep and firm.
She moaned, her thighs clenching at his hips. She arched up into him, trying to draw him deeper.
He complied with her wishes. Each time he shifted back, he pressed into her harder, deeper. The sensation of her warm and inviting around him had his hands clenching into fists beside her head. The pleasure was almost too much, threatening to consume him. Adding to that were Raven's arms wrapped around him, her tiny hands clinging to his back.
He'd never felt particularly masculine. He supposed that came with being the smallest guy in the house, from working in the gym with Cyborg and Robin. But right now, he felt it. His beasts were roaring almost triumphantly in his head and the soft sounds Raven made were filling him with a sense of male pride he'd never had before. He thrust harder, a little quicker.
Raven cried out softly—she actually cried out! He grinned, thrusting again. Who would have thought he'd be actually halfway decent at this? His next thrust had her nails curling into the skin of his back.
"Like that," she whispered in his ear. Her eyes were squeezed tightly closed, something that drew another grin from him. He was definitely doing okay.
He lowered his nose to her jaw and nuzzled against her for a moment before placing a kiss against her throat. His hips continued to move, driving her higher—driving him insane. He wasn't sure how much more he could take. He was in sensory overload. His genetics made it harder. His ears were filled with her panting whimpers. His nostrils were filled with her scent. His heightened senses were making it increasingly difficult for him to hold back.
"I…I'm…close," she whispered. "So close."
He let out a silent 'thank you' to the universe. Doubling his efforts, he thrust deeply, purposefully grinding his pelvic bone into her. He might have little experience, but that didn't mean he hadn't done a little research. He'd been curious, after all…
The tip from one of Starfire's girly magazines seemed to work, because Raven's nails tightened against his back. His name escaped her lips.
He lost himself in the movement of his hips. His teeth bit into his bottom lip. He was fighting to keep himself from completion until he was sure she made it there first. It was like the most torturous and addictive goal in the world.
Mid-thrust, she gave a sharp cry. He felt her walls tremble around him, felt her legs shake. Yes! He congratulated himself in his mind, euphoria filling him. He'd done it. And now…now he could let go.
He thrust half a dozen more times, her whimpers driving him on, until pleasure like nothing he'd ever experienced flooded through him. He gave a growl into her neck, clenching his teeth tightly together to fight back the urge to clamp down against her flesh. Animal desire drove him at times, but he understood he should probably see where she stood on biting before doing it.
His body shuddered, emptying inside of her. He clung to her, his nose buried in her long hair, his hands clenching fistfuls of it. It took him a few long breaths to collect himself, but he finally managed to fill himself with enough sense to pull back to gaze down at her. "Are you…are you okay?"
Her breath was still coming in pants, her eyes were still closed, but she nodded. "Yeah. That was…good. Really good."
He grinned. "Better than good." He closed his eyes as well, lounging against her, allowing himself a few moments to simply bask in the sated feelings traveling leisurely through his body.
He lay still, soaking in the feel of her feminine form beneath his, of her scent, which mingled erotically with his. His senses were still working hard, committing every little thing to memory, but it was more bearable now. It was warm and comfortable instead of overwhelming, and he felt he could stay like this forever.
A few minutes later, Raven tapped lightly at his shoulder. "We should get cleaned up."
It was a thought that hadn't occurred to him, but now that she mentioned it, his bladder felt as if it might explode. "Yeah. Good idea." He pressed his lips to hers. "Meet back here in like five minutes?"
She nodded. "Yeah. I'll be back."
He carefully lifted off of her and stood. She followed him, slipping off the bed. She reached out to squeeze his hand, staring silently up at him for a moment. Then she opened a portal to her own bathroom and disappeared.
He stared at the spot where she'd been, his mind still questioning if what they'd just done had really happened. It felt so unreal. With a grin and a shake of his head, he made his way into his bathroom.
Flicking up the toilet seat, he leaned his left forearm against the wall and gripped himself in his right hand. He made sure his aim was on before he closed his eyes. He relieved his bladder while his mind whirled like a tornado inside his head. He'd just had sex. Holy shit, he'd just had sex. He was trying very hard to keep his cool, but his lips pulled into a cheesy grin despite his efforts. He'd just had sex. With Raven. She'd had those amazing legs wrapped around him. He'd given her an orgasm, and a good one too if her reactions were anything to go by.
Feeling more than a little proud, he flicked the toilet lid down and flushed. Then he went to the sink to wash his hands. Once there, he made quick work of tidying himself up.
When he was sure he was decent, he made his way back to the bedroom and sank down onto the bed to wait for her to return.
After a minute of waiting, he felt a little silly sitting naked, so he tugged on his briefs and pulled the blankets up over his legs so it pooled at his waist. Another minute passed and started feeling anxious. Raven had said she was coming back… She would be back…right?
Another minute passed and he was just about to walk over to her room and check on her when she suddenly stepped through a portal back into his room. She wore a short nightgown that left the majority of her thighs bare. The sight had arousal pulsing through him despite their recent actions.
"Hey," he said.
"Hey." She ran a hand self-consciously through her hair. "Um…well, I guess… I guess I'm going to go to sleep." She offered him a small smile. "Good night. And…thank you."
"Sleep sounds good." He arched a brow. "But I hope you don't think you're going anywhere."
She blinked at him, her silence giving away her confusion. "You…you want me to stay? Stay the night? In here?"
"Duh." He smirked at her narrowed eyes. "Of course I want you to stay in here. Surely you had to realize that I'm a snuggler. All of those animal instincts…my inner cat alone is purring at the thought of getting you in this bed."
Raven rolled her eyes and crossed the room to him. "I'm not sure demons are supposed to be snugglers."
He pulled the blanket back, permitting her entrance. "It's a good thing you're only half demon then, isn't it?" He grabbed her hand and tugged her down beside him into the bed.
She came willingly, despite her mock expression of annoyance. "I'm not sure half demons should be snugglers."
"Well, this one is." He wrapped his arms tightly around her and pulled her in against him. He smiled as she settled in, her cheek coming to rest against his chest. "Thank you," he said to the top of her head. "For suggesting we do that."
She tilted her face up to him and he took the opportunity to press his lips to hers. When he broke away, she gave a content sigh. "It seemed silly to wait. Especially when…when I know what I want."
He heard the hesitation in her voice. He understood her worry. They'd only been together a few months, but it hadn't taken him long to know he never wanted to be without her. It didn't matter that neither one of them had much dating experience. It didn't matter that they sometimes drove each other crazy. Sometimes something felt so right there was no doubting it. "I know what I want too."
He understood their lives might never be normal. In fact, they probably wouldn't. They might not get the house with the white picket fence and two point whatever kids. But he didn't care. Being with her was enough. That was what he wanted. Anything else would just be extra. They didn't need anything else figured out beyond the fact that they were in this together. "I love you."
She flushed, but nodded her confirmation. "Despite my best efforts, I love you too," she teased.
He laughed and tightened his hold on her. Silence stretched for a long minute and he couldn't help but add to his sentiments. "You know, today might have been the best St. Patrick's Day I've ever had. I got saved during battle by a really hot super hero. I got free nachos. I got free pizza. I had an awesome day."
She smiled lightly. "It was a good day."
She was missing the point of his comment and it made him smile. "The point is, despite all of that, despite every little detail of the day going perfectly…this was the best thing that happened." He kissed her forehead. "This wasn't just the best St. Patrick's Day for me. It was the best day of my life. You made every other lucky thing that happened seem trivial. The luckiest thing to ever happen to me was you."
"Don't be silly."
"I'm being serious. You are the best thing to ever happen to me, and I'm the luckiest man in the city." He clasped one of her hands, linking their fingers together. "As long as I have you by my side, I will always be the luckiest man in the city. It doesn't matter what day it is."
"Lucky Logan, huh?" she asked with amusement.
"Yeah. Lucky Logan."
"I think you're going to have to get used to that nickname, because I'm not going anywhere. You're just going to have to keep being lucky. Every day."
"Good." He pressed his lips lightly to hers. "Now, before we go to sleep…would you like to have sex again?"
Her lips curved into a grin and she shifted in the bed, sliding a leg over his until she was straddling his waist. "I thought you'd never ask."