A/N: Hi folks! My name is Cloud Alma and welcome to my first ever Fanfiction story! I've always wanted to write a couple of them here and flex my creative writing muscles, and now I'm finally taking a leap! All it took was inspiration from one of my favorite ships ever: BBRae!

If you enjoy this first chapter and want to see more of this story, please leave a review, follow, favorite or all three if you wish. If you think there's something I can improve or if there are any mistakes that I can correct, let me know as well in a review or message. I always look forward to constructive criticism, but only if it is actually geared towards helping improve. One thing is for certain: I will finish this and any future stories I publish.

Also, disclaimers: The Teen Titans and its characters are property of DC Comics and their respective creators. I do not own Teen Titans or the characters and this story is not canon. Story title and chapter titles are taken from lyrics of the song "Explore This" by Alainite. Check it out on Spotify.

"Early riser" was not a phrase used to describe Garfield Logan.

Sunlight bled through the white, vertical blinds of his window into the bedroom, as the sky watched over Jump City. Without a single cloud in sight, the light blue was speckled with warm oranges and yellows of the morning sun, a light purple coating the horizon as the sun rose. As the alarm blared next to his ear, the young man considered going back to sleep. He never cared for morning classes, much less so when they were general education courses. The combination of the two set his apathy to the highest level.

Gar reached out to the offending noise; his eyes closed in an attempt to squeeze out just a few more seconds of sleep. He searched for his phone, finally tapping the screen and shutting off the alarm. Guess it's time to do this.

Gar rolled out of bed, trying to give his brain and body a needed jumpstart. Unfortunately, only the top half of his body followed his command. His legs stayed on the bed as he landed with a dull thud and a groan onto the carpeted floor. He pulled his legs out of the tangle of sheets, placing them underneath him, and stood up. He rubbed his neck; grateful the impact wasn't too hard.

His room was controlled chaos, as if a small tornado passed through the area, but affected certain parts more than others. The small desk in his room held empty cups and disorganized papers, clothes laid around the laundry basket and strewn about parts of the floor, and a small, filled trash can stood in the corner, candy wrappers around it.

He didn't really mind it, though. It was his way of making the rented room comfier, a way to mark his territory. It was a mess, but it was his mess. He walked over to the closet, more organized than the rest of the room, grabbed his clothes, and headed into the bathroom for a quick shower.

The cold water ran over him, soothing his muscles and jolting his senses and mind awake. He always preferred cold showers growing up; it discouraged him from being in there for too long. The temperature kept him moving, a benefit seeing as how he was almost always late to something. Classes, practice, work; being on time was not his forte. As he shampooed his strawberry blond hair, he chuckled to himself, noting how today was probably one of the only occasions he had woken up on time. Maybe the first day of his last year was something special, after all.

He quickly washed the rest of himself, soaking away any traces of soreness left, and shut the water off. He grabbed his towel and patted himself dry, wrapping it around his waist before walking out. Stepping in front of the bathroom vanity and mirror, he put on his green boxer briefs before sliding on black slim jeans and a purple V-neck shirt. He took a moment to observe his appearance.

Garfield wasn't the largest man around, but he still had an athletic, lean musculature that his clothes accentuated very well. Thanks to a childhood passion with boxing and an unfortunate amount of time hanging out with the wrong crowd, Gar spent a lot of time fighting and running. It helped his body develop into the picture of a healthy 22-year-old. His short hair was a mess until he could brush into a presentable, somewhat spiky, looking style. His slim face and strong jaw line would light up whenever his gave his trademark lopsided smile, giving a peek of his slightly sharper than normal canines.

However, the crowning jewels of his facial features were his eyes.

Bright, warm, and verdant, his irises could put many emerald gemstones to shame. It was as if someone took small sections of a tropical forest and shrank them down into tiny orbs. They enhanced his roughish features, a Hollywood heartthrob ready for his close-up. However, there was no air of arrogance or hostility within them. They invited anyone to talk with him, to extend a friendly hand towards the young man. Gar knew how to present himself as a charmer, a fact that had gotten him out of one or two sticky situations. He quickly brushed his teeth and finished the rest of his morning routine.

Gar opened the blinds of his window fully, allowing more light to filter in. On the street below, the city was waking up as well. Pedestrians walked to and from work. The low hums of car engines filled the air, and various shops were opening up for service. He grabbed his backpack, congratulating himself for having the foresight to have everything thrown in the night before, and checked his phone. The clock read 8:07 AM, giving him just under an hour to get to his first lecture.

He exited his bedroom, the small kitchenette of the apartment placed almost directly in front of his room. Light wood cabinets and black faux marble countertops gave the place a modern looking vibe. Gar's apartment was smaller than most, but considering he only had one roommate and the fact that it was an extremely affordable rent for a two-bedroom, two-bath, he couldn't really complain. The open floor plan allowed enough space in the middle of the apartment to separate the living room and dining room area, even if the only thing separating was about a foot of floor. He briefly wondered if Victor was sleeping in or at the gym. The lack of jet engine loud snoring from across the apartment clued him in that it was probably the latter. He grabbed a granola bar and a banana and headed out, putting on a pair of purple and black sneakers.

Jump City University provided a lot of comforts to its students, one of which was a reliable bus system, allowing students to get to and around the campus relatively quickly. Garfield walked to the bus stop about a block from his apartment, munching on his light breakfast. He saw that he hadn't missed it yet, but students were quickly getting on. He picked up his pace, going into a slight power walk, and was the last person to board. He found a seat towards the back; once sat down, he put in two ear buds and let his music drown out the engine.

With the bus moving now, Gar looked around at the other people. Many of the students were struggling to stay awake, as Gar noticed slumped shoulders and droopy eyelids. Can't really blame them; no class should be this early. A few of the students did look very much awake, though. He even saw two girls towards the front animatedly chatting. Ugh, morning people.

A small ding from his phone interrupted his people watching. He turned over the screen, noticing it was a text message. It was Rita.

Morning honey! Have a wonderful day today; make sure you take notes and eat lunch at some point. I can't believe it's your last year!

A small smile found its way to his lips. Another vibration alerted him to another message.

Oh, and Gar…Steve wants to hear from you. I know you don't want to, but do you think you could talk with him? For me? Love you.

And with that, the smile vanished from his face. It left behind a tightened jaw and a growing feeling of anxiety in the pit of his stomach. Suddenly, the music sounded quieter and his fingers shook as he typed a response. He hit send before he had a chance to think it over.

Love you too, Mom. I'll think about it.

He relaxed a bit into the seat, the sudden tension within him not completely leaving, but subsiding enough. As far as unpleasant activities went, Gar couldn't really think of anything that topped holding a conversation with Steve Dayton. He'd rather be forced to eat raw meat or spend an entire day in a hospital with doctors injecting needles into him. Both sounded less painful and frustrating than having to talk with his adoptive father. A successful lawyer and business owner, Steven threw himself into his work. He was distant and judgmental, which made Gar's attempts to find common ground between them fruitless. It definitely didn't help that Gar eventually got fed up and decide to rebel, further straining their already rocky bond.

The bus eventually drove onto campus, allowing Gar to mentally table the issue for later. Students would get on and off as the bus made periodic stops, eventually arriving at Gar's stop. He rolled his neck and shoulders as he got off the bus, trying to drive away any remaining tension. The campus itself was fairly large, but most of the educational buildings were clustered in a central area. On the outer edges, on-campus housing, an arboretum, and nice trails through wooded areas, and even a park, allowed students to mentally recharge outside of class. It was surprising how much green was right in the heart of the city, but nobody complained about it. After all, who didn't enjoy a nice stroll once in a while?

Gar checked his phone again. 8:40 AM.

"Hey, Garfield! How are you?"

Gar turned to his right, his lopsided smile in full force as he recognized the voice. "Dick! I'm good, dude. How's it going?"

Dick Grayson walked towards him, extending his hand. Gar took it and gave the other young man a bro hug. Where Gar was an open book, Dick was the aloof bad boy. With a constantly on poker face, Dick never betrayed his thoughts or feelings. His posture was always perfect, but relaxed, a benefit of gymnastics and martial arts training. Jet-black hair and piercing blue eyes completed the "mess with me and I'll put you in the hospital" look with a flourish. Gar, however, picked up on the slight smile that formed on his lips.

"Pretty good. Just got out of a lecture," Dick replied.

"Seriously?! You got stuck with an 8 AM?"

"Nah, TA; my actual classes don't start until eleven. Though, I don't mind the early shifts."

"Please don't tell me you're a morning person too."

Dick shrugged, "It gives me something to do and I get paid for it. Plus, it frees up my afternoons and nights."

"Oh, and I'm guessing that it lets you hang out with a certain Ms. Anders as well," Garfield said, teasing the young man while waggling his eyebrows.

A slightly raised eyebrow and a tint of red coloring on his cheeks were the only signs Dick gave to Gar that his tease made any impact. Just as quickly though, Dick relaxed. "I can't wait until you get a girlfriend so I can finally get some payback on you. Might want to get on that," Dick replied, giving Gar a light shove on the shoulder.

Gar laughed. The two young men weren't best friends; Gar was probably closer to Vic. However, they were close, and he viewed Dick as a slightly older brother. And as a slightly younger brother, it was his duty to annoy the living daylights out of him.

"Speaking of getting on things, I'm guessing you're not up this early because you want to be. Might want to hurry; it's 8:53," Dick said, looking at the silver watch on his wrist.

"Crap. Gotta go; say hi to Kory from me."

"Don't fall asleep in class!" Gar gave him a slight wave as he ran off.

The lecture room was in one of the older buildings on campus, something Gar noted as he rushed inside. The inside was illuminated with soft, warm lighting, which Gar appreciated. However, he could have done without the musty smell in the hallways. He ran past a couple of classrooms and offices before finding the stairs in a back corner. He ran up, taking two of the steps at a time.

Slightly winded as he rushed out, he reached the classroom, slowing his pace down as he entered. He looked at the clock on the wall. Sweet! One minute to spare! The room had rows of seats going up at a slight incline, with steps on either side to reach the back. The floor was mostly carpeted and sound dampening panels lined the walls. Most of the empty seats that were left were towards the front of the room, the ones in the back taken by students who just wanted to take a nap in class. Hell, one or two already were. He took a spot in the second row, close to one of the exits.

The professor, at least that's what Garfield assumed, stood behind a small black podium. He was an older man, probably around his 70s. He peeked at the clock before shifting his focus to the class. "Well, I'm assuming most are here, so let's get started. Hello everyone, I'm Mr. Drake and welcome to PSYCH 160: Human Life Span Development. I will be passing out the syllabi in a moment, but before I do that, I wanted to talk about what this course will…"

It really wasn't Gar's fault that he zoned out for a quick minute. The professor had a soft and raspy tone, not ideal for holding attention spans. It took a good amount of his willpower to shift his focus back onto the professor.

"…there will be study sessions each week on Wednesday evenings, including this Wednesday, led by our TA. Ms. Roth, would you like to introduce yourself?"

At that moment, the girl sitting directly in front of Gar stood up. His jaw dropped slightly, and his eyes widened when she turned around to face them. She was wearing a navy-blue hoodie that was just a tad too big on her, black jeans, and black Converse sneakers. Her posture gave an air of control and confidence, with just a hint of intimidation. With a heart-shaped face framed perfectly by natural black hair in a bob cut and fair, almost pale, flawless skin, she could have passed off as Snow White's more beautiful, annoyed sister. She wore a neutral expression, mouth set in a tight line and eyes almost glaring at the room. Gar paused on her eyes for another striking reason, though.

They're violet! He couldn't help but be drawn into them. They were serene, reminding him of photographs of lavender fields. Yet they demanded respect, and God help you if you were on the wrong side of them when fully scorned. How something could be so intimidating and alluring simultaneously, Gar did not know, yet he wanted nothing more than to find out. Gar noticed small, dark purple tips in her hair, matching and bringing out her eyes even more, like beautiful amethysts.

"Morning, everyone." Her voice was smooth and monotone, sounding slightly irritated. Gar could have listened to her for hours on end.

As she sat back down in her seat, only one thought ran through his mind.

Guess morning classes aren't so bad.

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