Ƹ̴Ӂ̴Ʒ
"If you love someone, set them free. If they come back they're yours; if they don't they never were."
Richard Bach
It had been a month.
A month without her. He hadn't seen her since that night. No more laying on his bed watching national geographic documentaries, no more venting about how annoying Vic and Sara were in their lovey-dovey stage, no more cuddling or falling asleep together randomly, no more her telling him about all of Kory's frustrations about her upcoming wedding.
No more them. Together.
He had tried texting her, but she hadn't answered. He had tried showing up at her apartment, but she either wasn't home every time he was there or she refused to answer the door. He had even tried to talk to Kory, but the woman seemingly avoided him just as well as Raven did. Dick hadn't been any help, either, only shrugging at him when he had asked if he knew where Raven was.
"She's taking some time to herself as far as I know. Things have been calm at the office, so I've been managing without her," Dick had explained as they sat in the strip club's bar where Wally had hosted his bachelor party.
"Do you know how I can contact her?" Gar had asked. Dick had raised an eyebrow at him, probably confused as to why he was bringing it up then.
"Gar, Raven is really good at finding people when she needs them." He had taken a drink of his glass before turning away to look at the stage where a new dancer had started her routine. "She's also really good at avoiding people she doesn't want to see. If she wants to talk to you, trust me, she'll find you."
Garfield hadn't even had time to ask him if he could give her a message as Wally had dragged them both closer to the stage where Roy was excitedly throwing dollar bills and Vic was just standing back shaking his head at the drunken red-head.
That night, he hadn't even paid attention to the petite blond who had taken a liking to him and bought him some drinks, eagerly whispering in his ear about how hot he looked. He hadn't even heard Wally scolding him when Dick told them what had been going on. His mind was solely focused on the dark beauty.
But this time, it'd be different. He was finally going to see her, talk things through, or whatever couples did when they talked about their complicated relationship—not that they were a couple. He only wished it'd be true, but the feeling of dread settling on his stomach told him tomorrow could go all kinds of wrong.
He clutched the card with both hands so hard it ripped the sides of the probably expensive paper.
"You've been staring at that thing for a while now. Is it about Raven?" Vic asked as he walked out of his kitchen crunching on a few Doritos from the family-sized bag.
"She's been refusing to talk to me ever since that night."
"Since you kissed her?"
Garfield nodded gently, closing his eyes and sighing deeply. "But I'm going to talk to her tomorrow, whether she likes it or not." He opened his eyes to look at the invitation once more.
We graciously invite you to the wedding of Kory Anders and Dick Grayson!
Saturday, August 8th, 20XX
At six o'clock in the evening
"Gar." Vic appeared to struggle with what to say next. "I think you should talk to her and all, but I also don't want you guys to make a scene on Kory's special day. Dick said she's been so nervous about this for months now."
"I won't make a scene," Garfield assured him. "I won't." He repeated, probably reassuring himself more than Vic.
"Took you long enough! I was getting bored hanging around Dick and his annoying little bros!" Wally greeted them with a bro-shake as they entered the church. "Dick's been freaking out all day! His best man almost couldn't find his shoes! How crazy is that!" he burst out laughing, hitting the top of his thigh like it was hysterical.
"How would he even lose his shoes? Makes no sense. Did he walk in here barefoot or what?" Vic asked with a chuckle, proceeding to adjust his tie and taking Sara's hand again. The blonde looked in between the two of them and rolled her eyes.
"Boys," she muttered while pulling a strand of her hair back.
Garfield didn't say anything as his eyes were too busy scanning the crowd of people for Raven. No matter how hard he tried, however, he couldn't see here in between the crowd of heads. "Have you seen Raven?" he directed the question toward Wally without actually looking at him.
"Seen her?" he huffed and crossed his arms. "'Course not, dude. Her and the bridesmaids have been getting ready with the bride all day. Why do you ask?"
Garfield looked back at him. "Just want to talk to her."
Wally raised a curious eyebrow, and just as he was about to open his mouth to say something, Roy came up behind him and hit him in the back so hard he almost choked.
"Finally made it, didn't you?" He gestured toward Garfield, Vic, and Sara. "Kory made sure to reserve the second row for us, well besides Wally here who's gonna be walking Bee down the aisle." He sent him a wink. "You're gonna look great, man. I'm sure all the girls will be fawning over you after."
Wally rolled his eyes. "They'll probably be fawning over Garth over me. Guy has every girl wrapped around his finger with one look."
"Oh yeah, Garth is walking too, huh? Next thing you tell me is Kent's kid is also walking."
"Connor? Nah. I think he was going to, but Tim took his place. He wanted to experience his big brother's wedding first hand."
"Who else is walking?" Victor asked.
Garfield lost interest in the conversation as he continued scouting the crowd with his eyes.
"Let's see, on Dick's side, Garth is last, I'm right after, then Tim, and Jason's the best man. I was honestly real surprised, him and Dick didn't get along for a long time but I guess they made up. Jason and Tim are Dick's younger brothers. Then for Kory." He thought for a moment. "I think it's Jade first, then Bee, then Donna, I don't think you've met her since she couldn't make it to the party, but she's a close friend. And then… Oh, yeah! Raven's the maid of honor."
At the sound of her name, Garfield instantly turned. "Raven?"
"Yeah, Jason's walking her."
"Jason?" Garfield narrowed his eyes at the new name. "Who's that?"
"Dude, were you even listening?" Roy jumped in with a laugh. "He's Dick's younger brother. Boy Wonder's got a big family, man, and basically all adopted. Wayne has an addiction to adopting strays, I guess."
"Wayne? As in Bruce Wayne?" Vic questioned.
"You didn't know? Why do you think Dick has a position so high up in Wayne Industries? His old man is Bruce Wayne," Wally explained.
"Oh, wow. Kind of shocked then. Didn't realize Dick was keeping that a secret."
"Dick's not the sharing type of guy if you haven't noticed."
"Wally!"
"Speak of the devil," Roy muttered as they all turned and spotted Dick walking over.
"Oh, hey guys, glad you could make it," he greeted his new guests then turned to Wally. "Why aren't you in position? We're about to start!"
"Chill, dude. I've got five minutes and you know I'll get there in less than a second." Wally waved a dismissive hand. Dick glared daggers, grabbed his wrist, and dragged him away while Wally sent them a two-finger gesturing good-bye.
"We should go take our seats, babe. The ceremony is about to start," Sara told Vic.
"Oh, yeah. Of course!" She locked his arm with his and started walking toward the front rows, Garfield and Roy following behind shortly after.
"Say, do you have a thing for Raven?" Roy inquired with a curious glance.
"I just need to talk to her is all," Garfield said, his tone indicating that was the end of the matter.
They took their seats, and a few minutes later, the music started to play. Everyone turned to watch the aisle's entrance.
The officiant walked in first, a tall dark man with a kind face.
Then, Dick walked in donning his dark blue suit and a red rose pinned to his chest, his hair slicked back and his face fully uncovered. Garfield realized it was one of the only times he had seen Dick without his dark shades. Truthfully, he was a very good-looking and successful guy, leaving Garfield feeling a little jealous and inferior to him. Here he was barely holding his job as a barista and his new gig as a side actor, and Dick was already managing his own company. Not to mention he had a beautiful woman he loved by his side. In addition to having Raven too, perhaps not romantically, but Garfield had certainly noticed how close the two were during his time with her.
Behind him, the groomsmen and bridesmaids were slowly making their descent toward the front.
First, it was Jade and a handsome guy he didn't recognize. The bridesmaid attire certainly showed off Kory's love for fashion. It was a backless soft pink mermaid dress with a silver sash across the front along with a silver necklace. Jade's black hair was pinned up with a combining silver clip. She was slightly smiling, looking forward, her arm locked with the guy, he assumed it was Garth by Wally's description.
The groomsmen's attire were grey pants with two blue suspenders and a light blue bow tie. Garth's hair was slicked back in a similar manner to Dick. His skin was much tanner than Dick's, and he had a surfer kind of look to him.
Wally and Karen walked in next. They wore the same attire though Wally's hair was spiking up, a little more arranged than usual, and Karen's hair was down in its natural curls, only pulled back with a silver clip.
Behind them were who he assumed were Donna and Tim. Donna was a medium-height woman, probably standing between Kory and Raven in height. Her hair was fully down and completely black. She was smiling widely with her teeth, a beautiful smile almost radiating light. Tim looked like a kid next to Donna. He was a few inches shorter than her, and he had a younger-looking face like he was in his late teens. His dark hair was short and in spikes similar to Wally's. He had a slight smirk as he walked like he was genuinely happy to be there.
Finally, Raven walked in behind them in all her glory, arm interlocked with this new Jason figure. Garfield didn't even realize he instinctively clenched his fists when he saw them walk in. Though they softened once he took in her appearance. She was breath-taking. Her dress was the same color and style as the bridesmaids, but her sash and necklace were a rose gold that complimented her wonderfully. Her hair was pulled up with cascading curls coming down to frame her face. While she wasn't smiling like Donna, her subtle hint of a smile was enough to tell him she was happy to be there. Jason was a taller, buffer dude, even bigger than Dick himself despite being his younger brother. He looked like the kind of guy you wouldn't want to bump into in an alley in the middle of the night.
Right behind them came the ring bearer and flower girl. The ring bearer was a small boy with messy red hair whose expression appeared completely petrified as he walked. The girl beside him was taller than him with blonde hair pulled up in pigtails. She was smiling widely in comparison to the boy. Their eyes were focused on someone in front of them. As Garfield followed their eyesight, he realized they were staring at Raven whose smile seemed wider as she watched them with amusement like they were her own children walking. The boy walked up to Jason and raised his pillow. Jason slightly smiled and took the two rings before the boy instantly ran to the girl's side, and they walked over to stand by Raven. Though it was quick and subtle, Garfield noticed how the boy instantly took Raven's hand, and he seemed to calm down a little when he did. He felt a burst of butterflies in his stomach as it happened, unsure why the sight made him feel so warm all around, so much he even forgot about Jason.
The music faded, and after a few seconds of silence, the Here Comes the Bride theme started to play. As Kory stepped in through the archway, everybody stood up. Garfield struggled to see her in between all the people until she started walking forward. He could only imagine how Dick felt considering he momentarily stopped breathing himself.
Kory was naturally gorgeous at any time, but today, she appeared a goddess. Her long, red hair cascaded down in curls, and the veil was nearly as long. Her gown was long and puffy from the bottom like a princess dress, a few flowers stitched near her waist. It met at the top with a halter strap that resembled those old Greek togas. It was pinned to her left shoulder with a silver hoop. Most of her back was exposed, showing off her glimmering skin. She literally appeared to shine like gold. The attire complimented her body perfectly.
There was a man with hair color similar to hers walking her. He was a monstrosity of a man, even taller than Kory, and Garfield could tell he was extremely muscular even with his suit on. He could only imagine what he would do if Dick were to ever hurt Kory (which he highly doubted considering the man was completely love-struck).
The wedding officiant said a few words, which Garfield totally missed considering he was focused on Raven the entire time and what he would say to her. Then, Kory's father left her next to Dick at the altar. She stood directly in front of Dick giving him the widest smile Garfield had yet to see her in.
After a few more words from the officiant, Dick started on his wedding vow. "I know I might be a little cold at times and maybe a little too serious. Before I met you, I really didn't know how to live. I was too stubborn on succeeding in my career, I forgot life was about living and loving. Then you came in like a comet, and you brought brightness like I've never seen before. You taught me how to smile more, how to be a little more spontaneous, how to love someone to their fullest. You brought me life, Kory Anders. And now, I promise to do the same for you and love you unconditionally. You're my forever."
Kory was seemingly trying to clean up the few tears on her cheeks so as to not ruin her makeup. She took a deep breath and spoke. "Richard Grayson, I have to admit when we first met I could not believe a person could ever be so aggravatingly stubborn and boring." The crowd chuckled at Dick's dumbstruck face. "But I came to find out there was more to you than I first thought. I realized you are an incredible leader, that you are extremely loyal to those you care about, that you would gladly sacrifice yourself for them, and that you are a hero. My hero. I was so lost when I started a life in this country, but you managed to steer me in the right direction and did not try to do it in efforts to woo me like other guys. Even after I kissed you on our first-day meeting because it is a casual greeting in my country." The crowd laughed again. "And slowly, I fell in love with you. And now I promise to love you unconditionally until my last days. You are also my forever."
As happy and touched as Garfield felt, he couldn't help but also feel sadness. Had Tara been in his life right now, he would've probably already married her. He would be standing in that altar next to her telling her how happy she made him. But now, he realized he no longer felt sad he didn't have the chance to marry Tara, but he did feel a void in his heart that only one person could fill. He took his eyes off the couple and glanced at Raven. His gaze widened as he realized she was also staring at him, her expression unreadable this time like she was trapped in her thoughts. She didn't look away when they locked eyes like someone ought to do when they're caught staring, but instead, her stare seemed to deepen like she was trying to stare straight into him or straight through him.
"You may now seal your vows with a kiss," the officiant pronounced, and everybody started clapping and wooing at what Garfield could only assume was their kiss. Yet even with the crowd around him, he didn't take his eyes off Raven. And for a second, she didn't either, until he saw her sigh and turn away to smile and clap at the newlywed couple.
Suddenly, We are Family started blasting through the venue and the party started their exit. Kory and Dick walked out dancing and singing to the song while high-fiving a few of the guests on the sides of the aisle. The flower girl and ring bearer practically dragged Raven while jumping and dancing while Jason walked next to them with a slight smile. Donna and Tim strolled through casually with arms interlocked smiling at the guests. Bee and Wally walked out with a synchronized dance and big smiles. Finally, Jade and Garth walked through, also happily moving to the rhythm of the song.
"Dude! Were you crying?" Vic asked Roy.
Roy played it off cool by wiping his face and muttering something about there being something in his eye before standing up along with the rest of the people who were now walking toward the exit.
"Ready for the reception, Gar?" Vic's voice pulled him out of his thoughts.
The blond looked up at him and smirked. "'Course I am." Even though he felt his insides melting.
"Friends!" Kory embraced each of them as they walked into the venue, even Sara who she had yet to meet. She had changed out of her wedding dress and was now wearing a white mermaid dress with a similar style to her bridesmaids.
"This is my fiance Sara," Vic introduced her.
"So nice to meet you." Sara raised her hand to shake hers.
"You as well!" Kory glanced at the hand but instead took her into a second hug. "Any loved one of my friends is a friend of mine!"
"Can't believe you're finally married to my boy, Dick, Kor! Good luck with that," Roy teased with a laugh.
"Thank you, Roy! I very much appreciate it. I believed a friend of mine saved you a seat at our table." She smirked slyly and pointed at Jade who was sitting by the other groomsmen and maids of honor. Garfield searched through the faces before realizing neither Raven nor Jason were there.
Roy's face reddened and headed into the ballroom followed by Vic and Sara after they gave their congratulations.
"Hey, Kory. Do you know where Raven is?" he asked.
Kory smiled warmly at him. "I think she might be in the changing room? But I am not completely sure."
"Alright, thanks! I'll see if I can find her." He started walking away before turning around momentarily. "Oh and congrats! The ceremony was great and you look beautiful!"
"Gar!" she called after him.
He stopped again and glanced at her. Her smile was seemingly smaller, and she bit her lip gently before shaking her head. "It is nothing. Thank you. I wish you good luck."
Garfield had the sense she wanted to tell him something, but he decided to push it aside and headed for the hallway with the signs 'Bathroom' and 'Changing Room' marked above it. He made a left turn, the music fading a bit as he walked down it. When he found the changing room, he gently knocked once. When no one answered, he got impatient and decided to barge in (which was probably a bad idea but he just wanted to talk to her).
Inside, Raven was sitting on the sofa with a paper in her hand with Jason glancing over her shoulder. They both looked up at him, Jason with a puzzled expression and Raven with an irritated one.
"I, uh-" Garfield glanced in between them, his stomach dropping completely. He felt like a cord had just wrapped around his heart and squeezed it so hard it burst. "Sorry if I interrupted you," he stated before heading back out, closing the door, and leaning against it, unsure of what to do next.
The door opened, and he almost fell back except Raven pushed him back. Momentarily stunned, he turned as quick as lightning to stare at her. She looked even more beautiful up close. Though she'd look even more beautiful if she were smiling. But right now, she was glaring daggers into his skull.
She slammed the door behind them and dragged him further into the hallway into another empty room. She closed the door behind them and crossed her arms. He had a feeling she was infuriated with him, though he wasn't sure why. Shouldn't he be the angry one?"
"Haven't you ever heard of knocking?" she finally asked.
"Well, I don't know, Raven. I guess I was just so desperate to talk to you because you've been ignoring me for weeks and then I find you with someone else." His voice turned aggressive, more than he meant for it to be.
She was still frowning at him. "First of all, I've been so busy with Kory's wedding preparations and recital, I had to take some time off. Second of all, I was helping Jason review his best man speech, and third of all, even if you had found me with someone else, we're not dating at all so I don't understand why you're acting like this."
Garfield's face turned a little red at her explanation, and he ran both his hands through his hair nervously. "Look, Rae-"
"It's Raven."
"Raven," he said her name with a frown. It felt so wrong going back to this back and forth arguing they had started their relationship with. "You can't pretend there's nothing between us. And even if you had been busy, a text or a quick call would've been nice, you know?"
Raven nodded and slightly bit her lip. "I do admit, at first, I was trying to get a handle of my emotions before talking to you. And after that I forgot in between all of the responsibilities and other issues coming up."
"You forgot?" Garfield gave a laugh of indignation. "How do you just forget we kissed? How do you just forget all those times we fell asleep together in my bed? How do you just forget we had fucking sex!"
Raven avoided his glare, and for some reason, it made his blood boil. Even here, she was still avoiding facing him.
"I am sorry."
"Is that all you have to say?" he huffed, turning around and pacing around, suddenly aching to move or do something physical.
"What do you want me to say, Garfield?" He tensed at hearing his full name and frowned at her. "That I want us to be together? That I want to open up again like I did with Mal? That I finally found someone I love even though I wasn't look for that after being hurt by so many people in my life? That I'm in love with you?" She had taken a step closer with every word, and she was now standing only a few inches from him, both eyes searching him so thoroughly he felt she could read his mind.
"If that's how you feel, then yes." He searched the depths of her eyes, all of his anger faltering within the span of a second replaced by the need to love and protect her. How did she do this to him?
"Well even if it's how I feel, I made a decision on whatever our relationship is." She turned away and walked back. Garfield suddenly ached to have her face so close again. "We can't be together. Not now."
"What? Why not? You just admitted you want me as much as I do you!" He stepped forward to reach for her hand, but she pulled it away before he could.
"Garfield, we're both in a bad place in our lives at the moment. We've been hurt by somebody we love, and we've lost something so valuable to us. I realize now we were relying on each other to keep ourselves afloat."
Her voice cracked, and he thought she might be crying, but he couldn't see her face. "I have made enough mistakes like that to realize it's not what I want. You can't put your faith in someone else when you don't even have enough faith for yourself in the first place. We need to figure ourselves out before we try anything, no matter how much we want to be with each other. It might not end well if we do."
Her voice faded after the last word, and for a few moments, neither said anything. Garfield didn't know what to say. "So that's why I decided we can't be with each other right now. And I can't be around you right now either. I know you're a bright person, and you bring happiness to those who surround you. Hell, you brought light into my life during such a dark time," she gave a humorless chuckle. "But we can't rely on each other for happiness because we don't know at what moment this fucked up world can take the other away. Because you and I both understand what losing someone can do to you, and if you can't face that on your own, there's no telling what type of darkness can take hold of you."
She sighed. "I'm sorry, Gar. I really am. But right now, you're not what I need." Her demeanor faltered, and he could tell by her broken voice she was definitely crying. "And I'm not what you need."
She walked out.
He didn't attempt to chase after her nor did he call her back. He didn't even make a gesture to move.
He just let her walk out.
"Need me to drive you?" Vic asked as they stood outside the venue by the parking lot. "You don't have a ride. And it looks like it's about to rain."
"It's fine. I'll take the train. I want you to enjoy your night with Sara." Garfield sent him a small smile. "Tell Kory and Dick I was feeling sick. Had to leave early."
Vic examined his friend closely, frowning. "Are you sure you're okay? What did you two talk about?"
Garfield hesitated before telling him, "I'll tell you later. You just enjoy your night." He turned toward the street, hands in his pockets.
"Hey, dude," Vic called before he could walk off.
Garfield glanced back. Vic was smiling at him. "I love you, man, okay? Promise you won't do anything I wouldn't approve of?"
Gar huffed, somewhat touched, and nodded. "Promise."
And he walked off.
Ƹ̴Ӂ̴Ʒ
Six Months Later
He nearly slipped as he rushed into the building clutching the pizza bag with one hand. He hurried into the third elevator to the right of the main reception area, and once he reached the office on the eighth floor, he stopped for a moment, supporting his hand on his knee to catch his breath.
"Do you need something, sir?" The lady at the front desk raised an eyebrow at him.
"Gimme a sec," he managed as he took a few deep breaths and stood up straight. "I, uh." He scrambled for the paper in his pocket. "Delivery for Angela?"
The lady gave him a once-over (most likely silently judging him for his disorganized appearance) for a second before pressing the call button on the side of her desk and saying, "Arella. The delivery guy is looking for you."
Arella. The name echoed in his head.
Arella. Where had he heard it before? He must know her somehow.
He heard a door open and heels clicking to his right. "That's for me."
When he turned, it hit him in an instant.
Arella.
"That's a beautiful name," he told her as he took out the pizza from the bag and handed it to her.
The woman with dark hair and beautiful indigo eyes furrowed her eyebrows at him. "Thank you," she said while handing him the money and watching him suspiciously.
Garfield took her hand as opposed to taking the money and didn't let go. The expression of indignation she made was so familiar to him. He had seen it in her face all those many times. She opened her mouth to say something, probably because she thought he was flirting with her, but he beat her to it.
"I'm sure Raven would be interested to know how you ended up in Jump City of all places after all these years."
She froze, staring at him in befuddlement. Garfield put the money in her left hand and used his other to shake her right hand. "Garfield Logan. I'm a friend of your daughter's."
Arella composed herself, taking the money, and shaking his hand. "Garfield," she said his name like she was memorizing it, her serious tone sounding oh-so similar to hers. "Would you have a moment to speak?"
He sent her his signature sly grin, "Sure thing."
A/N: Wow, that was hard to write. Sorry for the delay, I just finished finals week and I was majorly exhausted. Good news is no more school to keep me from writing! Schedule on my profile seems to be going smoothly so far! Next chapter is the last one. I promise there will be a happy ending for this one. Might not be a perfect happily ever after, but it will be happy in retrospect. Thanks for the support from all of you! We've reached over 10k views and 100 followers! This is the highest I've had for this fandom so I'm really happy! I'm glad people are enjoying it! Love you guys, see you next time!
(PS: My next fanfiction announcement is up on my profile and my Tumblr so you can check the cover and summary for that there! Also, Hiraeth is very close to being released ;) Toodles!)
Sanzojoe: You're so right except that was a little delayed for this chapter, haha! I'm sorry! Hope you like it still!
Break Blade: It will be happy! I promise! :) Thanks for the read and review!
LilyTimbers: All of your reviews always make me so happy! Thank you so much! I really appreciate your continued support and messages! :)
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