Anonymoose: I hope to update the other story soon. Finishing up a Social Psychology class in the next four weeks that has been…challenging. And my son currently has hockey, soccer, AND baseball practice running at the same time. And then I'm taking my daughter to gymnastics as well, so writing has been hit and miss these past few months. Hopefully when RL slows down a bit, I can churn something out for the other story. I'm hoping maybe next week. Keeping my fingers crossed.

Sanzojoe: April Fool's Day would have been a good one! That is totally a Beast Boy holiday. Didn't even think of that. I went with Easter instead. Shame on me!

Charmedprincess101: Thank you! I was worried it might have gotten a little too cheesy. I questioned myself on a handful of those scenes, so I'm glad you enjoyed it.

Easter Eggstravaganza

Raven awoke with a startled yelp as the sound of a trumpet call yanked her out of a deep sleep. She bolted upright, her eyes wide, her heart pounding in her chest. Across the room, a glass vase shattered, spilling flowers onto her desk, as magic shot out of her due to the unexpected racket.

It took her a long moment to realize the sound was coming from beside her in the bed.

On her spare pillow sat a small, battery operated alarm clock. She reached a hand out and smacked the OFF button, silencing the shrill wail. "What the hell?" Her heart was still beating frantically in her chest as her eyes landed on the single sheet of paper resting next to the clock.

She snatched it up with a little snarl of agitation. Her gaze perused the paper, then narrowed in annoyance. "Garfield!"

Silence answered her.

With a huff, she read the message again, this time aloud.

"Your mission, should you choose to accept it—I don't— is to complete this very awesome scavenger hunt created by yours truly. It's an Easter Eggstravaganza that I know you're going to love. Your first clue takes you to our fearless leader. You'll find him in the place where he spends the majority of his mornings. His "office". I'll see you at the end of your journey. Love, Gar."

Raven rolled her eyes and tossed the paper to the mattress. "Sometimes it's like he doesn't know me at all," she grumbled. Baffled by what could possibly make him think she would want to participate in a scavenger hunt, Raven slid out of bed and made her way to her bathroom.

She brushed her teeth, washed her face, and combed out her hair. She padded back into the bedroom and climbed back onto her bed. Crossing her legs, she settled in for her morning meditation. But that stupid letter sitting beside her was a giant distraction. It was like it was guilting her for not playing along.

Glaring at it, she shoved it under her pillow and attempted to return to her meditation. But it was still no good. The guilt had already gotten to her.

With an annoyed huff, she snatched the letter out from under her pillow and eased her feet back down to the floor. "Fine! I'll do it already!" Annoyed at how easily she'd caved, she stomped in the direction of her closet to get dressed. Along the way, she snatched a bra from her dresser. Upon reaching the closet, she pulled out a baggy t-shirt that had once belonged to Gar. It featured one of his favorite bands—one she didn't even know—but it smelled like him. And the tear in the neckline let the material slip off her shoulder to hang (what he claimed was "seductively") down her arm. It was a soft, comfy cotton—in black. Therefore, it was practically perfect.

She tugged on a pair of extremely short yoga shorts and slipped into a pair of black flats. She would play his game, but she wasn't going to cave completely. No Easter morning dress for her. No curled hair or perfectly done makeup like she'd seen a lot of women her age doing for the holiday. She was doing this her way…not that he probably expected anything less.

Eyeing the paper he'd left for her with pursed lips, she came to an easy conclusion. "Robin has the next clue in the training room." She rolled her eyes at the easiness of it all before tromping out of her bedroom. She almost stopped at the kitchen for a cup of tea but decided she wanted this scavenger hunt over as quickly as possible.

So she instead continued through to the place where she knew she'd find Robin. As predicted, he was well into his morning workout when she arrived. Sweat drenched his chest, and his shoulders were heaving with the effort of his breaths. He was currently abusing a heavy bag, his fists and heels hitting with force.

"What did he do to you?" she asked with amusement, referring to the bag.

He stopped, reaching a hand out to steady the punching bag. "Telling jokes, are we, Raven? Beast Boy must be rubbing off on you more than I thought."

She scowled at this, displeased with his observation. That wasn't true…was it? She was still the same old misanthropic buzzkill she'd always been. She prided herself on that!

Feeling the need to retaliate, she said, "Not as much as Starfire was "rubbing off" on you last night at dinner." The two had been shamelessly flirting. Starfire had sidled up to their leader and whispered something in his ear. The two had shared a private laugh and excused themselves from the room. It had been so blatant and obvious…and embarrassing to be a bystander of.

Robin cleared his throat uncomfortably. It was obvious he'd thought his actions the night before had been more subtle. "Well…um…perhaps a truce is in order."

Raven smirked. "Seems like." She crossed her arms over her chest, feeling as if she'd won that encounter. "Now…do you have anything for me? Or are you going to make me wait here all day?"

He snickered. "Straight to the point, aren't we?"

She stared at him for a long moment, holding her hand out, her expression humorless. "You know I'm not one for games."

It was his turn to roll his eyes. "No, which makes it even more odd for you to be dating someone whose favorite thing is games." He crossed to a bench and riffled around in his gym bag.

As she watched him, his words filled her with guilt. She tried to keep the intimacies of her relationship with Beast Boy private, and criticizing him in front of the others was not something she wanted to do. "I just…I don't know how to do the games thing. I don't know how to be…normal." She wanted to make sure he understood that her annoyance with the situation was not Garfield's fault. It spoke more to her flaws than his.

Robin straightened back up with an envelope in hand. "You don't need to be normal. You just need to be you. That's enough for him."

She felt her cheeks heat with a blush. "I know. That's why I'm trying…with the whole game thing. I showed up, didn't I?"

He smiled knowingly. "You did." He held the envelope out to her. "And honestly, that says enough if you ask me." He winked at her. "You love him," he said, stretching out the word 'love' to an obnoxious length.

With a snap of her fingers, she'd clamped a black palm made of her soul-self over his mouth. "So what if I do?"

His eyes narrowed and he pointed demandingly to his mouth.

With a sigh, Raven released him. Before he'd even taken a breath, she was ripping open the envelope to get at whatever was inside.

Robin rubbed at his jaw as if her silencing him had hurt—when she knew it hadn't. "Don't get mad at me for pointing out the obvious," he said, a challenge in his voice.

"Obvious?" she asked with disdain. "How have I—"

"You two were on Jump City News last week. Beast Boy called you the love of his life, and you returned the sentiment."

"I did not," she said as she pulled a card from the envelope. "I said, and I quote, 'I don't disagree.' That isn't the same thing as returning the sentiment."

"Really, Raven?" he asked in amusement. "When are you going to wake up and admit that you're totally head over heels in love with him? When you wake up and find yourself with two kids?"

"Don't even joke about that," she said dryly as she opened the card. As she scanned the sappy message inside, she couldn't help but add, "What is this, Valentine's Day? Who gets a card for Easter?"

Robin snickered. "Apparently you do."

Raven rolled her eyes and read it again, her voice barely above a murmur. "Every first with you is like a new excuse to get excited about being together. Even the small ones. I know you don't love holidays, but I'm hoping I can change your mind. Neither one of us have great track records with family, but maybe that makes this all the more important. We deserve a chance to be happy. You deserve a chance to be happy, to have someone in your life that you classify as family. Let me be that person for you. I want to make this first Easter together memorable, so you never forget how much you matter. Love, Gar."

She bit her bottom lip, taking a moment to drink in the words. She wanted to pretend they didn't affect her, that she was still her heartless, uncaring self. But Garfield had found a way to worm his way inside her heart. It would have angered her—this invasion passed her protective walls—if it didn't melt her heart so damn much. "So cheesy," she grumbled for Robin's benefit, but he merely grinned knowingly at her.

With a huff, she read the rest of the letter. "P.S. Your next instruction can be found where our resident alien princess catches her morning rays." She tucked the letter into the waistband of her shorts, at the small of her back. "So…it's with Starfire. On the roof."

Robin nodded. "He didn't exactly make the riddles hard," he said in amusement.

"Thank Azar," she grumbled. "I think he knew I would kill him if he made this any more difficult on me than it already has been."

Robin laughed with a shake of his head. "Well…enjoy your Easter."

"You too."

He snickered. "Sure. Starfire is making me play in a field of bunnies with her later."

This drew a genuine laugh from Raven. She could not envision their fearless leader frolicking in a field of bunnies. It was just too humorous. "How did we get mixed up with people so opposite of us in personality?" she asked him.

"I think we needed it," he said, his voice full of honesty. "People like the two of us need someone to lighten our lives. Otherwise we'd go insane. Or submit to the darkness within ourselves." He paused, then added, "Raven, I'm glad you're happy."

"I'm glad you're happy too."

He offered her a smile, before nodding toward the door. "Get out of here. Go chase down your happy."

OOOOO

Raven opened the door to the roof and headed in the direction of the pool. She could hear splashing and knew it was Starfire. Star always enjoyed getting in a few laps before breakfast. "Starfire?" she called out as she approached.

She was not expecting the sight that greeted her.

Starfire vaulted out of the pool—completely naked. Dripping wet, she wrapped Raven up in a big hug. "Friend Raven! I am most excited to be a part of your mating ritual. It is an honor."

Raven blinked in surprise, feeling chlorine water soak into her t-shirt. "Um…not a mating ritual."

Starfire pulled back to stare down into Raven's eyes. "Easter is a human ritual, is it not? And you have chosen Beast Boy as your mate. Hence—mating ritual."

Unable to argue that logic, Raven simply extracted herself from Starfire's grip. "So…did Beast Boy leave a message for me with you? He's doing this silly scavenger hunt—"

"I am most excited about the hunt of the scavengers," Starfire gushed. "I am very pleased to be included." Still naked as could be, she headed for one of the lounge chairs and lifted up a small wreath of flowers.

"Beast Boy left a large arrangement of flowers for you, but I braided them together into a tiara for you. I figured you would much appreciate having your hands free for your hunting."

Raven eyed the crown of flowers, impressed. "You made that?" She assumed there was some sore of wire in the middle to give the crown support, but around it was a layer of Baby's Breath. The small white flowers made a beautiful base in which she'd braided in orange and yellow roses. "It's beautiful. And it's not often you see orange roses…"

"Orange roses signify passion and intense desire, not to mention a sense of fascination," Starfire said as she perched the crown on Raven's head and began looping locks of hair around the base to keep it in place.

"I'm sure he wasn't thinking that deeply into it. He probably just liked the color."

Starfire shook her head vehemently. "You are the wrong. He told me he picked the colors with you in mind. Passion. Intense desire. Fascination." She smirked. "And yellow roses signify friendship."

She fluffed out Raven's hair, a smile on her lips. "He said this was very important, the fact that you were close friends before you became lovers. It makes your relationship all the more precious."

"Oh." Raven felt her cheeks heating up. He put so much thought and effort into things, and she'd prided herself on simply remembering his birthday. She really needed to get better at this relationship thing.

…Though he hadn't complained last month with the initiative she took in their relationship. Her lips curved into a grin at this. No, he definitely hadn't been complaining. Not then or any of the other times they'd been together over the past month.

And though it somewhat surprised her, she had no complaints either. Seeing as she had so much trouble with intimacy and emotions, she'd thought sex would be a nightmare. She'd thought it would be a stress on her psyche, that she wouldn't be able to handle the intimacy of it. That she wouldn't be able to keep her emotions under control enough. And that had made her assume she wouldn't be able to enjoy it. But she did enjoy it. She enjoyed it a lot.

"Ooh! You're thinking about sex," Starfire accused with a point of her finger in Raven's direction.

Raven jumped, startled at Starfire's observation. "No I'm not." The denial was spoken too quickly, too adamantly. It was a dead giveaway.

"Please," Starfire said with amusement. "You think I do not recognize the expression of someone thinking about sex?" She snorted. "I know I can be naïve at times, but I'm not that naïve."

"Whatever," Raven grumbled, feeling her face heat with embarrassment.

"Is he any good?" Starfire asked with mock innocence.

Raven gaped at her friend in astonishment. "I'm not telling you that!"

Smirking, Starfire merely raised a brow.

"Fine," Raven said in breathless embarrassment. "He's good. Really good."

"I thought so," Starfire said with a playful smirk. "You've been smiling a lot more this past month. I figured that was why."

Raven pressed her lips together but refused to answer. She was embarrassed enough as it was. "So do you have a clue for me or what?" she finally asked.

Starfire jumped to attention at this question. "Oh yes! Your message. I was to give you the flowers then relay your next stop on this quest."

Raven rolled her eyes at the term "quest". This was far from a quest. It was more like a leisurely walk around the house. "Lay it on me."

"Beast Boy told me to relay this to you word for word." Starfire drew in a dramatic breath. "You will find your next clue where my best friend spends his leisure time. The place you two often bond together." After delivering her line, she beamed. "Do you know where it is?" she asked in excitement.

Raven lifted a brow at her friend's enthusiasm. "I think that one's quite obvious. I've got to go see Cyborg in the garage."

Starfire clapped in delight. "Most magnificent." She grabbed Raven by the shoulders. "Do give friend Beast Boy a kiss on the cheek from me. He is most romantic." Then she planted her lips firmly against Raven's cheek.

Raven squirmed slightly, but she'd gotten mostly used to the alien's outward displays of affection. "Will do." She extracted herself from Starfire's grip and backed toward the door. "Um…enjoy your Easter."

"Oh, I will," Starfire called merrily. "Robin has promised to take me on a recovery mission to find eggs stolen by the magical bunny. I hear it is an Earth tradition."

Raven chuckled at this. She often forgot how excited Starfire got over simple things she'd never gotten to experience before—things like an egg hunt. "Sounds awesome. Have fun." And with that, she headed for her next clue.

OOOOO

Raven entered the garage to find Cyborg under the hood of the T-Car. She smiled affectionately as she approached. "Hey there."

He leaned over her to peer around the hood. "Hey. It's about time you got here. I've been going crazy."

"Oh?" she asked, raising her brow. "Didn't realize my presence meant that much to you."

He snickered. "There's that…and the fact that BB left me an Easter basket for you full of goodies. I've been trying to behave myself, but I've caved a few times and stolen some chocolate."

She burst into laughter at his predicament. "You poor thing. I'm sorry. I didn't realize I was putting you through such a hardship."

"Well now you know."

Raven made her way around behind the car and lifted up the large, ornate basket on the workspace behind him. "Aren't I a little old for an Easter basket?" She rifled around in its contents, noticing boxes of her favorite tea mixed in with other sweets. Pulling out a handful of individually wrapped chocolate eggs, she handed them to Cyborg. "For your troubles."

He took the offered candy. Unwrapping one, he sent her a teasing smirk. "Grass Stain predicted you'd say you were too old for a basket." He popped the chocolate into his mouth and chewed. Upon swallowing, he added, "He also told me to ask you how many Easter baskets you've gotten in your life."

"Well, seeing as my father is a demon and pretty much the opposite of all things Easter… Add in that I was raised by Monks…"

"So none."

"So what?" she asked, feeling slightly defensive.

"He said it's time you finally got to experience some of the human cultures you were deprived of growing up."

"I'm not Starfire," she grumbled. "I'm not bursting at the seams to experience all humanity has to offer."

"Well, he's bursting at the seams for you."

She let out a huff. "Human stuff is lame."

"Says the girl clutching that basket to her chest like it's full of gold."

She hadn't even realized she was holding it so tightly. Relaxing her grip, she stared into its contents again, a warm and fuzzy feeling filling her chest. "Maybe I like the basket a little," she relented. "There's tea in there."

Cyborg burst into laughter. "He sure knows you, doesn't he?"

She shrugged and leaned against the T-Car. "I suppose."

He rolled his eyes at her reluctance. "That boy thinks you're the most fabulous thing in the world." He sent her a pointed look. "Just be good to him."

"I will."

He leaned over and ruffled her hair. "I know you will."

She wrenched away from him with a laugh. "Starfire will kill you if you mess up her flower crown."

"Well, I wouldn't want to mess with your flower crown." Cyborg let out a chuckle.

Raven rolled her eyes good naturedly. "Yeah. We wouldn't want to mess with that."

He laughed again before nudging her with an elbow. "What are you doing still hanging around here? Shouldn't you be off celebrating your over-the-top Easter?"

She sent him a pointed look. "Aren't you supposed to be telling me where to go next?" she asked in return.

"I kind of forgot about that part." He winked at her before snatching another piece of chocolate up, unwrapping it, and stuffing it into his mouth. "The Grass Stain told me to have you meet him on the beach. He said you would know the spot." He sent her a curious look. "He said something about you throwing him into the ocean there."

Raven let out a laugh of surprise. "How can I forget about that? Of course I know the place he means."

Cyborg shook his head with a chuckle. "You two are so weird."

"Yeah," she said affectionately, pleased by his observation. She knew most people envisioned her with the gothic type. Someone bleak and dark. Someone who wore all black. But what she really needed was a cheesy goofball to keep her brooding nature in check. With a little wave, she headed for the doorway. "I'll see you later."

"See ya. Enjoy your holiday."

"I will." And for the first time, she truly meant that.

OOOOO

Raven approached the instructed spot on the beach with a little grin on her face. She could see Garfield from a mile away as he sat on a blanket, staring out at the ocean. He looked lost in thought, his gaze captured by the ocean.

When she reached him, she placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. "I got your messages."

He looked up at her with one of his classic grins, one of the ones where the corner of his eyes crinkled in pleasure, one that always caused her heart to patter more forcefully in her chest. "It didn't drive you too crazy, did it?" he asked hopefully.

"The right amount of crazy," she said as she plopped down onto the blanket beside him. She stared out at the ocean herself for a moment before asking, "So what is this all about?"

He grinned, shrugged a shoulder, then followed her gaze to the ocean. "I like making things special for you."

"You mean over the top," she corrected warmly.

"It's kind of what I do."

"I noticed." She rocked her body into his in a show of affection. "I like the basket. That was sweet of you." She paused a moment, then added, "You're too good to me."

He lifted an arm and draped it over her shoulder, hugging her in against his side. "There's no such thing."

She turned her face toward him, looking up at his profile. She opened her mouth, unsure of what to say to that. So instead she merely gaped at him.

Garfield chuckled and turned to face her on the blanket. "Stop looking so astonished that someone wants to shower you with affection. You're great. You deserve it." He brushed a loose strand of hair behind her ear before ducking down to brush his lips against hers. His gaze heated and he turned his attention to her exposed shoulder. Lowering his mouth, he pressed a kiss against her bare skin. "I love you in this top," he murmured as his lips grazed her collarbone.

When he pulled back, his eyes were glittering with amusement, as if he was fully aware that her choice of wardrobe had been done in pure stubbornness. "Now," he said with authority. "What do you say to some breakfast on the beach?" He motioned toward a basket behind him.

She glanced at the basket, at the pot of tea that sat beside it, at the rose petals decorating the blanket. And at the wrapped gift that was almost hidden behind the basket. He'd put in a lot of effort. It once again made her feel guilty. She loved him. She thought about him constantly when she wasn't with him, but she still wasn't to that point where she was able to do…things like this. They just didn't come naturally to her. She never thought to plan things or do something special for him. That all still felt beyond her social capabilities.

Then a memory popped into her head. With a gasp, she sat up straight. "I totally want some breakfast on the beach. Just…give me a minute." She hopped to her feet in a hurry. Then she dropped back to her knees, placed a hand at the back of his neck, and gave him a firm kiss. "I'll be back." Then she hopped back up and teleported into her room.

Once there, she rushed over to her desk and yanked open the center drawer. Sitting there was a small stack of comic books. There was a green ribbon holding them together that came to a bow in the center. She did think of him. Maybe she wasn't as bad at this girlfriend thing as she thought. Because she'd snuck a peak at his list of comics and made a note of a few rare ones he was hoping to find. It had taken her a bit of searching, but she'd eventually come across them.

Lifting the comics up into her hand, she grinned. She might not have a basket for him, but at least she had something. She had some proof that she thought of him when he wasn't around, that he mattered to her.

She was about to teleport back to the beach when she faltered, another thought entering her mind. "No," she said softly, internally chastising herself for even thinking it. There was no way she would possibly… "Damn it," she grumbled. She would.

Dropping the comics to her bed, she tugged the t-shirt over her head and tossed it aside. Then she slipped out of her shorts, placing the card she'd tucked into the waistband onto her desk. Moving to her closet, she rifled around in the back—way in the back—and tugged out a lilac sundress. It was calf-length, a spaghetti strap type of deal. Starfire had bought it for her long ago, and she'd vowed never to wear it, even though Starfire repeated told her how pretty the color was on her, how well it fit her form.

Was she really about to wear this? After just this morning saying she wouldn't? With a groan at what a girl she was becoming, she pulled the dress over her head and smoothed it down over her hips.

She approached her mirror and stared down her own reflection. Her hair fell in loose waves, with the crown of flowers braided into it. Her face was void of makeup, but she liked it that way. It gave everything a more natural look. The lilac dress hugged her curves nicely before flaring out around her calves. She looked…pretty. She'd never considered herself to be such a thing. She was too pale. Too short. Not girly enough. But as she stared at her reflection, she couldn't deny it.

She smiled at herself, pleased with how far her self-confidence had come in these past few months. She was not the type to place her worth on what a man thought about her, but she was finally starting to see herself through Gar's eyes. She was beginning to see more than just a half demon with a massive amount of baggage. She was seeing someone with potential.

Backing away from the mirror, she picked the comics up and teleported back to the blanket where Beast Boy waited.

The instant she appeared, his eyes widened. "Wow. You look…beautiful." He quickly corrected himself. "I mean, you looked sexy before, don't get me wrong, but…wow."

She smiled at him, then rolled her eyes. "Whatever. I'm wearing a dress. Let's not talk about it." Plopping down beside him, she thrust the comic books into his hands. "I got something for you."

His eyes widened once again—this time in surprise. "You got something for me?" His puzzlement quickly turned into delight, and the boyish grin on his face made her vow to do things like this more often. She suddenly understood why he enjoyed doing things for her so much. It was nice to make someone smile.

She placed her hands slightly behind her on the blanket and leaned onto her straightened arms as she watched him untie the green ribbon. The eagerness in his eyes was something she'd rarely seen outside of the bedroom, and it made her laugh lightly.

He lifted his gaze to hers, giving her a little grin, before tossing the ribbon to the side. Lifting the stack of comics into his hands, he shuffled through them, his grin widening with each one. "How did you… Where did you find… I can't believe…"

Once he reached the last comic book, he carefully tossed the stack to the side and lunged across the blanket at her.

She gave a little squeak of surprise as his arms wrapped suddenly around her back and he leaned down over her, on his knees slightly above her. His mouth was on hers an instant later. He kissed her firmly, passionately. "I love you," he whispered against her lips.

She smirked against his lips, his affection never getting old. "I take it you like them," she said when he finally pulled back.

"You know I do." He kissed her again. "But I like you even more." And again.

As each kiss grew in intensity, she found her elbows sinking toward the blanket. She found him lowering over her. Their bodies moved in tandem, in fluid motion, and before she realized it, he was on top of her.

She moaned into his mouth, arching against him at the familiar sensation of his muscled body fitting perfectly against her curves. It had been over a month since they'd first had sex with one another, but it still felt new and exciting each time. She hadn't grown bored of the act—she was fairly certain she never would.

But it was still a bit surprising the control he had over her body. He could elicit a fire in her with a simple touch. He could have her wanting him with a pointed look in her direction. With a little shiver, she wondered when she would stop being so easily swept away by him. Would she ever learn to control her desire? For someone so used to having her emotions under control, she was at a loss on how to reign in her hormones. It was alarming and exciting all at the same time. He had an effect on her that had been completely unforeseen.

Garfield's fingers tiptoed slowly up the inside of her leg, disappearing beneath her dress. He caressed her inner thigh, slowly continuing upward. He braced himself up high on an elbow so he could get his hand between them, could continue on his tantalizingly slow trail upward. When his fingers reached the front of her panties and he caressed her through the thin material, she gave a whimper of need.

He groaned into her mouth, never breaking their kiss as he gently stroked along the fabric with his fingers, touching her in a way he knew would get a reaction from her.

But just as she was arching her hips up in reaction to his ministrations, he was suddenly pulling away. He sat back on his heels. Then taking her hand, he pulled her back to a seated position. "We need to stop this immediately," he said with a chuckle.

When she blinked at him, still in a daze, he chuckled again. He lifted a finger and pointed at the Tower behind them. "All it would take is one of our friends looking out the window and they could easily see everything we're doing down here." He leaned in and pressed a kiss to her forehead. "As much fun as I was having, I don't want the others witnessing…that."

His words were like a bucket of ice water being dumped on her. "Oh!" He was right. She did not want their friends to see them sprawled on a blanket with Gar's hand under her dress. Her cheeks flushed in embarrassment at the thought. "Good call."

He winked playfully before leaning over to grab the wrapped package hidden behind the picnic basket. "Besides, I wanted to give this to you. It's only fair since I opened your gift."

Raven accepted the small package and placed it in her lap. "Okay. But you know… You don't have to buy me things all the time, Gar. I—"

He cut her off. "Just open it."

Behind his amusement, she could see nerves. Puzzled at this, she ripped a corner of the red wrapping paper and tore it away. Once the paper was gone, she was left with a simple box. Lifting the lid, she set it aside and pulled out the small, folded piece of cloth.

She frowned in puzzlement at the chocolate brown material. It wasn't large enough to be clothing. But she wasn't quite sure… Unfolding it, she lifted her gaze to his in confusion. "Is this…is this a pillow case?"

He nodded. He licked his lips nervously before speaking. "I-I want you to move in with me."

"Move in with you?" she asked, not following where he was going with this.

He rushed to explain. "I know that sounds kind of silly. We already live in the same house together. We've lived together for years. But…" He shrugged. "I don't like sleeping without you."

He offered her a nervous smile. "My bed feels empty. I toss and turn. The nights you sleep in bed with me are amazing. I want that. Every night." He held up a hand to silence her before she could speak. "I get that maybe it's practical for you to keep your own room. It's only a few doors down from mine anyway. We've both got a lot of stuff, and I know you like your own quiet, private space. I'm not asking you to uproot everything. I'm just asking you to sleep with me. Spend your nights in my bed. I don't want to be without you anymore."

After letting that all out in one quick string, he expelled a nervous exhale. "So…what do you think?"

The hopeful expression on his face melted her heart. He'd cemented her decision with his admittance that he didn't like sleeping without her. She didn't like sleeping without him either. She'd been having trouble sleeping in her own bed lately. She'd blamed it on the bed, going as far as considering getting a new mattress. But he was right. The problem wasn't the mattress. The problem was that he wasn't there. "I hope you have a spare pillow to put in this thing, because I'll be there tonight."

He grinned in excitement before swooping forward and claiming her lips in a kiss. When he pulled back, there was a teasing, playful grin on his lips. "I can't wait to spend every night with your cold feet curled up against my ankles and those chilly fingers of yours under my t-shirt."

"Shut up," she said with a laugh. She did have a habit of snuggling up to him for warmth. And warm he was. Her hands always fit nicely up his shirt, where she could steal some of his heat. "You love it."

"I do." He gave her another kiss before leaning back and grabbing the picnic basket. "Now that I'm not so nervous I feel like I could vomit, how about we have some breakfast?"

Raven nodded, a small grin on her lips as she settled in beside him. She knew life would always have its challenges, but right now, it was as perfect as it could possibly be.

Foreboding. Bum, bum, bum. I spent the first half of the year building up their relationship. Now I'm going to test it. Some challenges coming their way next month.