Chapter Three: Low Volume Serenade

Blue eyes, bored, calm, and gazing lackadaisically at the scenic white city thru the questionably cleaned windows of a dimly lit café; these were what our Casanova-wannabe-of-a-hero was currently glancing at.

Raven was dressed simply in snug blue jeans that hugged her curves, a black sweater, waistcoat, and scarf.

Joey was in blue jeans with a white long sleeved shirt and a black denim jacket over it.

The two off duty Titans had made an odd entrance a few minutes ago, the quiet, placid crowd had all given Raven an air of respect and recognition. Quite the feet considering they kept emotion, and motion itself for that matter, to an absolute minimum here Joey noticed.

While they had given Raven what could be considered a friendly welcome, they had not been so kind to Jericho, a newcomer in their midst. Perhaps it was his lack of piercings, tattoos or black eyeliner. Or maybe it was his sunny disposition or the fact that he was apparently the soul being in the café with the ability to smile, or indeed show any facial expression besides that of a deadpan or a perpetual grimace.

Needless to say, the tow-head felt… awkward.

One thing he did have in common was silence. Although he did not have a choice in the matter of speaking it was obvious that these people were in love with a constant and well kept lack of noise. The only exceptions were the soft clinking of plates and tea cups and the soft, neutral or negative voice belonging to whichever youth was on stage reciting a poem. Some of theses poems were self-written; some written by others, all of them were dark, and some were even accompanied by an old acoustic guitar up on stage for use by the poetic patrons.

Joey had no problem believing that Raven liked to spend time here.

Joey also had no problem believing that he was going to have to work hard to get any good times squeezed into this date. Not that he couldn't respect poetry, in fact the fair Titan was a decent musician in his own right, its just that he wanted to take Raven someplace were they could bond in a… warmer and closer atmosphere. In order to make the day memorable, and perhaps make him synonymous with a little happiness to her, and maybe to melt a layer or two off the infamous Ice Queen of the Titans, he was going to have to get some interest flowing between them lest this outing fizzle out into a waste of space.

"Your order." Came a whisper so low Joey almost didn't hear it. A thin, pale man set down a cup of green tea in front of Raven and a small glass of water in front of our hero.

"Enjoy." He whispered, again barely audible. Joey watched as the pale man walked back to the kitchen, and took notice of the way he… sashayed?

Joey did a slight double take and mentally questioned which way the man swung.

That line of thought was swiftly and totally abolished as Raven spoke, very softly, to him, "You don't like it here, do you?" her face and nose scrunched slightly as she asked.

Joey's hazel eyes went momentarily wide like a deer caught in the headlights, but he recovered quickly hand signing, 'No! No! This is a very nice place. Quiet, calm, …morbid.'

She raised a brow at the last part, "What did you say?"

'I have not said anything since I was five, Raven.' he smirked.

She rolled her blue eyes, "Don't give me that Joey."

'But you are so cute when you are exasperated.' She raised another brow and gave him a blank look. … Joey tried to fight off the urge to shift in his seat from unease. … Raven continued to stare blankly. … The cafés other patrons sat, oblivious.

Joey lost his fight and shifted slightly in the uncomfortable gothic style chair.

Raven then spoke as if she had been waiting for him to do that, "You don't have to be here if you don't want to." And she turned her head dismissively towards the stage, watching a boy recite Edgar Allen Poe thru the mic.

Jericho could sense the apathy (and was that, disappointment?) in her voice, as if she didn't want to bother him with her habits and was annoyed that he was trying to act as if he was enjoying it.

He reached across the small table, past both their untouched drinks, and held the petite hand that was not propping her chin up.

The hand was cold.

Joey frowned at that. When he looked back up Raven was staring at him as if a goat's ass was duck taped to his forehead.

The blonde paid no heed, and stared with his hazel optics into her blue ones…

… and activated his super power, just slightly, and contact was made.

Their dual existences were now partially linked, adding that with the mystic girl's empathy allowed for a very fluent trade of emotions between the staring, silent pair.

Raven's turn to be the deer in the headlights.

He took his warm palm off her hand, and she slightly fidgeted as if now uncomfortable, but she was soon consoled by what he had to say.

'Raven, I may not be big into gothic cafés. But I'm not being tortured or anything, its not that bad here, even considering the possibly bisexual waiters. Besides, I said I wanted to spend the day with you, and that's exactly what I'm doing. So as far as I'm concerned, this is a hella good time.'

Joey wasn't quite sure she ever even read what he hand signed to her, but he knew for sure that she felt it.

She leaned across the small, small table, grasped his large hands with her small ones, closed her eyes and slowly leaned in for a kiss.

Joey closed his eyes and prepared to receive it when-

cl-clink, SHATTER!

Raven, in her leaning, accidentally pushed the small table slightly, causing Joey's glass of water to fall onto his lap, not only breaking the glass but soaking the crotch of his jeans.

Raven pulled back, blushing and shocked.

Joey stared down at his now wet groin with a raised brow.

The teenage gothics turned to see what had disturbed their sacred sounds of silence.

Raven grabbed the blonde boy's hand and stood up, "I think it's time to leave," and pulled Jericho with her as she marched out of the café.

H

Speedy and Aqualad, dressed casual and to be called by their real names, Roy and Garth, were prowling a rare day-time party. The pair was followed closely by a few of the newer Titans, also in off duty attire. These followers consisted of Kid Flash (Wally), Herald (Mal), and Hot Spot (Isaiah).

"So, when do the chicks come and force themselves on us?" Mal said cockily.

Wally and Isaiah laughed with the horn-freak and they all pounded fists.

The red headed archer glance over his shoulder with light blue, unmasked eyes and growled, "Tch, man, could you be any more of a virgin?"

Mal quieted down.

"D-dude. You're a virgin? After all that talk! HAHAHA!" Wally cracked up.

Girls nearby looked on and giggled, guys laughed and shook their heads.

Mal about died from embarrassment.

Wally continued, "Ah, its Ok Mr.Igetnopussy. We understand. Or at least we would if we were virgins too! HAH!"

Roy and Garth turned around, saw the danger, and grabbed their lackeys and quickly drug them to an unseen corner of the party.

"What do you think you're doing?" Roy roared.

"I was making fun of Lil' Mally over here." Wally said, drunken in the fever of humor.

Garth bitch slapped him across his face, "Fool! Being a dumbass doesn't impress chicks." The Atlantean sighed.

Wally brought a hand to his cheek, "Dude, did you just bitch slap me?"

Neither of the senior Titans paid attention to the fastest teen alive.

"Ok, ya see over there?" Garth said, pointing to an uninhabited section of bar.

"Yea…" Isaiah, Wally, and Mal said.

"Well, we're going to stand over there, posing but at the same time looking casual." Garth explained.

"How do we do that-" Isaiah started, but was cut off by Roy's foot in his crotch.

"Fool! Don't ask how, just do it." Roy growled.

"OK, now that you all know that there is only one more thing you need to know." Garth said and leaned in close to the lackeys.

The lackeys leaned close to Garth as he whispered, "When we get over there and start our pose/non-pose… don't forget to look like you're gay."

The party raged in the background as the ground shared an awkward moment of technicolor silence.

"WHAT!" Mal screamed.

"THE!" Isaiah continued.

"HELL!" Wally finished up.

Roy grinned at their reaction, "Heh, cute."

"No, seriously guys! Acting gay but not being gay is about the sexiest thing that a guy can do! It'll get all the chicks to notice you."

"R-really?" Isaiah asked.

"Really." Roy and Garth said at the same time.

"Besides, how do you think all those rumors about me and gill-face here got started?" Roy said as he led them to the bar.

Once there Garth and Roy took natural poses, and the others looked like they were trying way too hard to look cool. Which they, of course, were.

Pretty soon, girls came over and started flirting with them. Roy and Garth flirted it up, Roy grunted and acted the rebel. Garth spoke fluently and acted the intellect.

The ladies giggled and swooned, spilling their estrogenical obsession all over the two.

Wally and Isaiah stood there and felt awkward. Mal made a fool of himself.

"Hey babe," Mal started to one girl, "you like animals?"

"Ya."

"Well, did you now I've got a pet with me here? He's real cute and fuzzy."

"For reals?" She giddily asked, interested. "What it is?"

He got in close and said, "It's a trouser snake."

She frowned, stepped back, and bitch slapped him.

"Wow, there sure is a lot more bitch-slappery going on here than I would have thought." Roy grunted.

"Oui, beaucoup si.." Garth mumbled.

The swooning harem of girls reacted.

"Hahaha, oh Roy! You're so funny!"

"Hehehe!"

"Wow, speak French again Garth! Multi-lingual men are so sexy!"

The girls all laughed and cooed, nearly smothering the two.

Pretty soon both Titans headed off in different directions with their respective harems.

Roy, being the brash guy he was, gave the lackeys the finger and strutted off with two hot girls under each arm.

Garth, similarly burdened, was kinder. The Atlantean turned his head and mouthed back to them, 'Don't forget to act gay!'

A few of the left over girls that were lingering started to leave.

Isaiah, desperate, choked and piped up, "I LOVE BOYS!"

Mal gave him a horrified look and Wally put his face in his hands.

The remaining girls left to different and more interesting realms of the party.

H

Roy strutted masculinely towards the bay outside the party, mysteriously lacking a harem.

His light blue eyes looked out on the sparkling bay reflecting the late sky. The sun was drawing closer to the horizon and the corners of the sky were starting to turn purple.

… and strong, muscular arms pulled the archer backwards onto a firm chest.

"Hey, Baby." said an Atlantean, also lacking the hordes of women, as he bent his neck down and kissed the archer.

The archer returned the favor.

Just as Mal was leaving the party, quite bummed out because he had no lady-skills, he turned and saw the two, very male, Titans sharing a very… intense moment.

Shocked by the discovery and nervous with realization, Mal did what anybody with the responsibility, will power, and grace required to be a superhero would have done, "OMIGOD! YOU GUYS REALLY ARE GAY! ... W-wait... THAT'S WHAT THE STAIN IN THE BACKSEAT OF MY CAR IS?.!"