The Meaning of Words

"Mmmm. You're beautiful!" Garfield murmured in Raven's ear, his fingers playing with a stray lock. "And your hair is so nice, so violet, like… violets."

Only the years of training and conditioning made it possible for Raven to choke down a guffaw. Her shoulders shook briefly and she masked it by burrowing deeper into his embrace.

"Your lips are so sweet, and so tasty!" he went on, oblivious to her reaction. "Your skin is like whipped cream, and your breasts like ripe peaches, and your –"

"That sounds delicious, Gar!" she interrupted him. "All that talk about food must've made you hungry. Maybe I should…" she moved her head up and nipped his ear, "… offer you something to eat?"

Raven wasn't usually so direct in her insinuations, but first, it would silence him and make him forget this romantic nonsense he's been blabbing about, and second, the concept of getting enough of her green lover was quite alien to her.

"Hmmm? Later," he muttered, his oblivious mind cast adrift on an ocean of romantic fancies. "I want to tell you how beautiful you are."

"You don't have to, Gar!" she said a bit hoarsely, fighting down the giggle that was rising in her throat.

"You're the most beautiful girl I've ever seen!" he ignored her and continued his humming. "Lovely, and beautiful, and…"

"And what?" she hid her face in his shoulder and focused on chasing away the silent laughter that rolled convulsing in her belly.

"You are more than beautiful! You are…" his face contorted for a moment as he desperately searched for words. "You… you're magnificently gorgeous!"

Raven slowly lifted her head to gaze at her boyfriend with an expression of astonished amusement in her eyes. Garfield gulped, realizing he'd blundered, and tried again. "I mean, uh, exquisitely delectable?"

Raven blinked. Garfield scratched the back of his head. "Um… Resplendently statuesque!"

Both of Raven's eyebrows were by now way up and her hands were gripping the blankets in painfully clenched fists. The effort to keep a straight face was overwhelming.

"Uh, how about… impeccably… alluring?" he tried one last time, his voice fading into a choked whine. Raven watched him for a few moments longer before she allowed a tiny smile to light up her face. She finally understood what had happened.

"Garfield?"

His fingers plucked nervously at the blanket. "Uh, what?"

"Is this why my thesaurus went missing a few days ago?"

Garfield felt heat rise over his neck and cheeks until it burned all the way to the tips of his ears. "I… yeah, I… I wanted to…"

Raven propped herself on an elbow. "You wanted to what?" she demanded, her voice raspier than usual.

His shoulders slumped and he looked away. "I'm not good with words, Rae. You know that," he tried to explain. "I wanted… I needed to… to find the words… to let you know. To tell you how much…"

A pale hand interrupted him as it stroked his cheek lovingly. "Garfield."

Still he refused to meet her gaze. "I'm sorry. I never… never found… I'm just not –"

The hand on his cheek moved to lace its fingers through his hair, then pulled his head closer. Their lips touched and slid over each other before fusing together in a tender, loving kiss.

"Azar help me, I'll never understand," Raven gasped as she finally pulled away.

"Understand what?" he managed to ask between heavy breaths.

"What did I do to deserve you," she whispered and kissed him earnestly.