Ehehe… for those of you that adore, love, and cherish the show called Avatar, I have a little something to make your day. Hopefully, anyways.
The Avatar Magazine is in stores now at your local Walgreens.
And my mom bought it this afternoon. I am so happy! FIRST EDITION!
Okay, I'll make it up for last chap by answering some reviews…
Blueyedgirl – I absolutely love Avatar! Obsessed! Kataang or Zutara supporter? I have some juicy stuff if you're a Zutara shipper! Read the A/N after, though!
The Striker - Nah, I think I'll leave Cy by himself for the time being. But I have an epilogue pretty much mapped out--anything goes!
Mothman X - Glad you liked it! And I hope the date is fulfilling, if a little quick... (apologizes beforehand)
……………
Raven couldn't decide what to wear.
She was serious. Shopping with Starfire resulted in a ton of pink and purple, and although Raven liked purple, she didn't like the neon grape version.
And pinks were intolerable. Any shade—rose, plum, magenta, blush, anything made her shudder.
She was leaning towards black and some purple or even red, but she was afraid it would clash with Garfield's green. She wasn't much of a fashion expert, but she knew better than to wear red with black and green.
Besides, if she wore purple, it would be the same as Beast Boy's costume, and she didn't want to make him think she was in love or anything. People who color-coordinate are in love, typically. (A/N below)
So she settled with jeans and a gray top, adding an amber necklace. The result was quite nice—the colors didn't clash as she'd thought they would.
Taking a deep breath, Raven tried to immerse herself in a book. But the impending clock and the thought of Garfield's thoughts made her lose concentration. Frustrated, she shut the book and stared out the great window.
Cyborg came in, chattering with the maid, who was shuttling grocery bags back and forth. He saw Raven, waved, did a double-take, then asked, "Why the change of…attire?"
Raven glared at him but otherwise grumbled, "Date."
Cyborg grinned evilly. "With whom?" he asked with an I-can't-wait-to-see-who-it-is expression.
Raven snorted out, like an angry bull, and snarled, "You'll see."
Cyborg pouted, but shrugged. He went to help the maid put the groceries away in the kitchen.
For the remaining twenty minutes till seven, Raven tried various relaxing exercises. She tried tensing up her body then letting go, meditation; nothing worked.
She was so focused on trying to relax she didn't hear the doorbell ring. Then, she heard Cyborg's voice ask, "Garfy? What're you doing here?"
Garfield replied, "I'm here to pick up Raven."
Pause. Then maniacal laughter.
"Garfy's your date!" he shrieked, jumping up and down. Raven seethed. Cyborg howled with glee and ran circles around the room. "This is so cool! I can't wait to tell Richard and Starfire and Bee and Aquafag and Mas and Menos and Speedy and…" he sang on.
Raven did her best to drown him out. She walked briskly out to the hallway, slamming the door shut behind her.
Garfield was speechless, staring at Raven. Her efforts to look good weren't straining or futile—they were definitely gratifying. It gave him comfort that she could dress normally and still be stunning.
Be still, my beating heart, he whispered to himself. Cliché, yes, but it fit.
Raven scowled. "Ready?" she grunted.
Garfield composed himself and offered her his arm, which she took grudgingly. She led her down the hall to the elevator, and they went down to the garage, where Garfield parked his car.
They drove in silence, passing countless lights and people. Finally, they pulled into the parking area of an Italian restaurant. Getting out, Garfield rushed to open Raven's door, which she opened by herself anyway.
Garfield offered his arm again, which Raven took not so grudgingly. They were seated, their reservations under the name "Logan."
He ordered a bottle of their finest wine, and they waited for the menus. Raven fiddled with her necklace and Garfield stared at her.
Despite her efforts to be as low-key as possible, Raven was still beautiful. Her longer hair dramatized her whole appearance, making her seem more ethereal, in a way. Her body was perfect, no doubt. Her eyes were deep and mysterious and he loved them.
If he gave it any more thought, Garfield might even be in love with her.
Yes, that was it. It surprised him how easily it came to him, that he loved her. He thought the words "I love her" and everything made sense. Well, everything became clearer, at least.
When one is in love, one does not need a reason for love. But Garfield had so many reasons—her face, her body, her personality, the way she read, the way she meditated, the way she spoke, the way she fought, the way she turned a page in a book. He had so many reasons, but he didn't need one.
"I think I love you, Raven," he blurted, then slapped a hand over his mouth. She was staring off into space, and for a split second he thought she didn't hear him. But then her eyes widened and she slowly drew her gaze to his.
"What did you say?" she whispered.
Garfield gulped. Now he had to repeat it. Mentally, he beat himself up. It wasn't as if he wasn't going to tell her, but he didn't need to blurt it out before the night even started!
"I said…I think I love you," he mumbled.
……………
Raven blinked. This was amazing.
"You love me?" she repeated. He nodded.
Surprisingly, nothing blew up or no one's hair flew off their head. She gazed at the ceiling, letting it sink in.
Raven thought that she would feel depressed or even a little mad if anyone had told her this. But instead she felt…happy.
She was happy. Ecstatic, giddy, whatever. The thought of Garfield loving her was next to impossible, and downright strange. But he said he did and Raven learned that Garfield usually meant what he said.
She looked at Garfield and said, "You mean it?"
He stared her straight in the eye for a long minute before nodding.
She smiled, a true, sincere smile. And he smiled back.
He reached over and took her hand, grasping it loosely. Their wine arrived and they toasted each other.
The night went perfectly.
……………
The perfect night ended inside Cyborg's many hallways. He took her hands and pulled her into a hug, smiled into her long lavender hair. She sighed happily. All her emotions were cheering inside. Rage even smirked.
She pulled away and Garfield took it for an invitation to kiss her. She wasn't ready for it, and was blown away by how nice it was.
He wasn't pushing, but still letting her have space, waiting for her to make the move. But she didn't. She didn't want it to turn into anything; just a kiss after a date.
She pulled away once more and smiled softly. "Night," she whispered.
"Night," he said and left, smiling into the darkness as he strolled.
She smiled as well. This was quite possibly the greatest night of her life.
……………
(A/N) Okay, this is something of a stereotype. I'm sorry! I have to make Raven biased.
Okay, info on ATLA. A direct quote from Katara's bio in the Avatar magazine:
"A fortune-teller has predicted that Katara's true love is a very powerful bender. Will it be the Avatar, or will fate lead her in another, more fiery direction?"
NOOOOOOOO!
YES! I finished this chapter finally! Expect at least two more.
And I have an idea to keep me busy when I finish this fic.
What about…. Drumroll please….
A RedRaeBB story?
Face it. Both pairings are cool, and it doesn't matter which one she ends up with, because I LOVE THEM BOTH!
But all I need is a set up, or even a time or place. OOH!
I have one!
But I'll save it for next chappie! (evil smile)
Remember to Review!
-Midnight-
