Breakfast
~
Raven traced the glowing tattoos along her legs. Being reborn into a new body had changed nothing. She was still half-demon down to her very soul. Only her powerful determination and extreme control of her emotions kept the evil at bay.
Azarath had been destroyed by Trigon. The souls of those he slaughtered released on Earth. Her mother and Danny had sacrificed themselves to cleanse the souls and they had all combined into Phantasm. He lived in Titan Tower off and on, mostly to check in on her. She was sure a piece of her mother's soul was ever present, even though Phantasm preferred to use the name Danny Chase as an alias.
She was able to feel emotion without destroying things now, but not without a great deal of control. She had to constantly be cautious that she was not accidentally controlling the emotions of others around her as well. After Flash could hardly stand to be in the same room with her after she unintentionally caused him to fall in love with her because she had developed a crush on him and she had a technopath intentionally manipulate her feelings, she had sworn off using that piece of her powers entirely. Her empathic abilities were even stronger than before now, pushing directly to the full emotions of those around her without her trying and no amount of control could prevent it.
While standing with Gar as he brought flowers to Terra's grave, she had felt the grief lessening, but the love only grew. There were even new strands of an underlying lust coming off of him in waves. There was a pant of guilt too. She hadn't wanted to ask him, since there wasn't a subtle way to ask if he had suddenly developed necrophilia.
She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, releasing it slowly. She was no longer possessed by her father, but that didn't change her nature. She had to remain vigilant.
~
Gar yawned loudly as he made his way to the common area of Titan Tower.
All night video games was fun until he slithered into bed at 5:30AM only to be awakened at 7:00AM to a proximity alert. Couldn't Phantasm call first? Did he have to just show up at the crack of dawn?
He entered the kitchen to see Danny sitting at the counter silently enjoying some herbal tea from Raven's mug. His long orange hair hung in his eyes, but his glasses had become a thing of the past since he became Phantasm.
Gar nodded at him when there gazes collided, but made no further attempt at socializing. While he was usually outgoing and enjoyed conversation and being the center of attention, he disliked Danny on nearly every level.
Danny always found a way to one-up Gar at every chance before becoming Phantasm and now he would randomly stay at the Tower and soak up Raven's time while simultaneously being praised by the team for his heroics.
He hated being this triggered by prior behaviors, even as he was leaving his teenage years behind and transitioning to adulthood. He had plenty of his own fans now. He had nothing to prove. And Danny had been less... Danny since the transformation. Still, old scars take the longest to heal.
He took a drink of almond milk straight from the carton. No one else in the Tower had a taste for it. He cast a sideways glance at Danny, who now had his attention pointed at the newspaper in front of him, Raven's mug held softly to his lower lip absentmindedly.
Gar had to look away as the memory of Raven's lips on the same cup not the morning before came unbidden into his thoughts. It didn't count as an indirect kiss when the cup had been washed, right?
"Mornin'!" Vic said as he entered the room with an annoying amount of energy, considering he had the same amount of sleep as Gar. Must be nice to have batteries.
Gar made his breakfast, desperately avoiding seeing Danny or that mug again.
Raven and he had taken a long time to become friends. They were too different. Him the fun and games goofball. Her the stoic and measured mystery. But they had gotten around to being friends. Actually, they had managed to become the best of friends lately. Raven went with him each time he put flowers on Terra's grave. She never missed one. She never spoke or touched him. She was just... there. She would even tolerate his hugs now. As he healed from the loss of Terra, he continued to go, specifically because he knew she would come with him. Then there were several nights where they would sit on the rooftop, watching the sky or the city lights without ever speaking. Usually silence made him uncomfortable, but with Raven it was... peaceful. Just having her near was enough.
Raven hadn't had a demon transformation in a while, and he didn't want to ask her about it if she didn't feel like sharing. He had noticed the tattoos glowing a bit more. They weren't exactly subtle. And they made him think terribly naughty thoughts.
The last time they went to Terra's grave, he had noticed them glowing from the corner of his eye and felt horrible for where his mind went while standing there. Partly because Terra didn't deserve to be used like this and partly because Raven would have smacked him in the head if she had been listening to his thoughts... or watching them. Had she felt his emotions then?
Ugh! She's going to think I can't visit my dead girlfriend without thinking of sex!
Almost on cue, Raven stepped into the common area. Since her re-birth, she had shed her cloak and had been wearing more jeans. This particular set was ripped and Gar felt physically exhausted by the effort it took to pull his eyes away.
Raven glanced at him from the corner of her eye, but didn't speak. She opened the cupboard and frowned. She turned to survey the room and her eyes landed on Danny, still making out with her mug.
Danny noticed her glare and looked at the cup as thought it had just appeared in his hand. "I'm sorry, Raven! I don't have a designated cup here. You want it?"
Raven raised her hand and shook her head. "Keep it," she said, not as monotone as she used to, but still very flat. She turned back to the cupboard and grabbed another mug. "Can I borrow yours, Beast Boy?"
Gar felt his heart jump into his throat. "I...uh..." That would be indirect kissing! She might as well be sharing a straw with him!
"You can say no," she told him, misunderstanding his stammer.
"No!" Gar caught her before she put the cup back. "I mean, yes. Yes. Use my cup."
Raven smiled at him as thought she were laughing at his odd behavior. That was about as close to a laugh as she usually got. "Thanks," she said as she poured herself some hot water.
Gar felt eyes on him and turned to see Danny watching him.
"Smooth," Danny mouthed soundlessly.
Gar frowned at him and turned back to Raven. "Want to go to the bookstore today?"
Raven looked up from making her tea as if he had slapped her. "You want to go to the bookstore today?"
Gar shrugged. "I haven't been in a while."
"Or ever?" Vic said as he grabbed the orange juice from the fridge and walked away.
Thanks for the assist, Buddy...
He could still feel Danny's eyes watching his entire display of pathetic. "There's an old book I'm looking for." It was a lie he would never be able to sustain once he got to the store, but maybe he could throw some generic plot out and say he only saw the cover and not the title?
"I'll go," Raven told him, raising his cup to her lips and leaving him struggling to breathe.
"I'll go too," Danny said. "Can't miss the chance to see Raven in her natural habitat."
Gar frowned at him. He knew perfectly well that he didn't want him to come along and now he would look like a jerk if he said anything.
"Is this burning?" Raven asked.
Gar quickly remembered his tofu bacon and rushed to save it.
Raven left the kitchen and went to sit on the couch with Vic.
"Might want to practice in the mirror first," Danny advised him. "You'll stutter less."
Gar turned off the element and glared at Danny. "I didn't stutter." I stammered. There's a difference, right?
Danny gave him a knowing look and then took Raven's cup with him as he headed to join her on the couch.
Gar turned back to his overcooked lunch. One date. Was that too much to hope for?
