A/N: Teen Titans and its associated characters are property of DC. I do not own any of these characters.

Raven had to admit, Victor and Garfield knew how to pick a spot. The restaurant was a 50's themed diner, located right in front of the Pier. From the front windows, Raven could see the dock lined with carnival games and shops, leading up to a small amusement park with a Ferris wheel overlooking everything.

The group found a booth by the back, walking past several customers. Victor and his date went in first, taking up the back of the circular seat and table. Kory and Dick sat down next, taking up one of the outer edges. That left her and Garfield as the last two standing.

"So," Garfield said, clearing his throat, "outside or inside?" He looked at her, waiting for her response. Raven figured he was talking about their seating position, since it would be rude to make the others stand up. They were technically on dates, after all.

"Outside." It made the most sense to her. If she wanted to leave early or found herself not having a good time, she could do so without causing many issues.

Garfield only nodded and grinned, unaware of her internal reasoning. "Sounds good," he said, scooting into the booth first. Raven followed suit, keeping a few inches of space between them as she sat down.

The waiter came soon after, handing them all menus and waters. As Raven looked over her own menu, Kory piped up, quieting all conversation at the table. "Oh! How about we play one of those ice-breaker games? We can get to know each other better!" Victor and Garfield let out groans.

"Kory, no offense, but those games are super lame," Victor said, with Gar giving a small nod of agreement. Dick looked weary as well, but stayed quiet, possibly for fear of ruining Kory's mood.

"Oh, come on, Vic. They're not that bad; the kids I teach love them. What were you thinking Kory?" Victor's date chimed in. Truthfully, Raven wasn't opposed to the idea either, mostly because she had forgotten the young woman's name. Victor had his music blasting on the car ride over and Raven had a difficult time hearing her when she introduced herself. This way, she might be able to avoid the awkwardness of having to ask her name again.

Kory thought for a second before clapping her hands together. Her green eyes were almost as brilliant as the lights. "How about One Statement? You say your name, what you study, and something about yourself. It's up to the others to determine if it's true or not."

"I'm down if you guys are," Dick said, looking over at Victor and Garfield mostly, silently telling them to say yes.

"Fine. Should be quick anyway," Victor said, a hint of reluctance in his voice. Out of the corner of her eye, Raven saw Garfield looking at her. He seemed to be thinking about something, before turning back to Kory and nodding.

"Wonderful, I'll go first. I'm Kory, I'm a Kinesiology major, and I could be a princess one day." Kory sat back, a wide grin on her face. Before anybody could even hazard a guess, Dick spoke up.

"It's true. You're technically from a royal family, if quite removed," he said, a grin apparent on his face.

"Gee, you immediately knew something about Kory. I'm shocked." Garfield didn't even bother to hide his sarcasm. His eyes twinkled with amusement though. For his part, Dick did look slightly embarrassed, rubbing the back of his head.

"Alright, I'll go and to make it fair, Kory can't guess. I'm Dick, forensic science major, and I used to be part of a circus." He leaned back in his chair, his face giving no tells. Raven was slightly impressed. He could give her a run for her money in terms of not showing emotions. However, Kory, with a knowing grin as she looked at Dick, was way easier to read.

"True," Raven said, her monotone breaking the silence. Dick looked impressed, while the others were surprised by her certainty. "You need to work on your poker face, Kory."

"Gotta say Dick, never pictured you wearing clown make-up," Victor said, chuckling.

"Never did. I was one of the acrobats." Dick kept his relaxed position, while Kory shot a mean look Victor's way. "Who's next?"

Victor's date chimed in. "I'll go. I'm Sarah,"— Got it, Raven thought— "I'm an education major, and I've stolen every single textbook I've used in college." Raven blinked in surprise. Sarah's face had been completely serious at the end. Everyone at the table seemed to be as shocked as she was.

Garfield spoke first, "While I'm not opposed to giving the university crap, I'm gonna call a lie." Raven picked up the uncertainty in his voice.

Sarah looked at him, face still stone cold serious. Then her lips parted into a smile and she laughed. "Had you going for a second, didn't I? I've never stolen anything in my life!" Everyone, including Victor, let out a small sigh of relief.

"Oh, you're good. My turn!" Garfield said loudly. Raven winced at his volume. Did he have to be so loud? The table wasn't that big.

Garfield didn't seem to notice or care. "Name's Gar, bio major, and…Oh! And I'm a TV star!" He leaned back when he finished, resting his arm on the back of the seat. This also caused it to cross behind Raven. She shot him a small glare, unsure if he did it on purpose or not. She cleared her throat. Garfield looked at her, then saw what happened. Needless to say, his arm didn't stay there much longer.

"Gar, I believe you're supposed to make it hard for us to know if it's true or not," Kory said from the other side of the table. Raven's eyes widened.

"Wait, it's true?" As she looked around the table, she saw both Victor and Dick nod. Was Garfield some famous actor she'd never heard of? Shouldn't there have been some commotion when they walked in the restaurant? Raven couldn't help but feel uncomfortable all of a sudden.

"What show are you on?" Sarah chimed in.

"I was on Space Trek 3016 when I was younger. Got the gig thanks to my mom."

Raven felt the pressure in her chest lighten. A child actor. That explained the lack of interest when they walked in. People probably didn't recognize him as much anymore. Her relief turned into genuine curiosity. "Is your mom a producer or something?" Raven asked.

The change in Garfield's mood was subtle but instantaneous. Raven noticed his shoulders drop, his face becoming less cheery. He held the smile still, but some of the warmth was gone. Victor leaned slightly forward, turning everyone's attention to him. "Want to go next, Raven? I'm curious to know more about you."

Shit. Raven wasn't stupid; she knew Victor was trying to draw attention away from Garfield. She just wished it didn't bring everyone's focus on her. To make matters worse, she apparently just touched a sensitive nerve regarding Garfield. Raven tried to think of something to say as she looked around the table.

"Same here." Garfield's voice brought her gaze back to him and what she saw genuinely shocked her. His face was as warm and friendly as ever. Whatever was bothering him was gone, as if the past minute hadn't happened. His emerald eyes sparkled with curiosity and his grin was prominent, showing off those sharp canines. If Garfield was mad at her, he didn't show it. Raven felt the butterflies in her stomach again, making it harder to think straight.

"Um, sure. I'm Raven, psychology major, and…green is my favorite color." It was boring, but safe. She didn't want to delve deep into her personal life or past. Plus, it should be somewhat difficult to guess, considering her color scheme most days was a combination of purple, blue, or black.

"True." Garfield responded.

So much for that logic. "What gave it away?"

"Nothing, actually. I just think you don't like lying."

Once again, Raven was stumped by the young man sitting inches away from her. It was true; she hated lying immensely. If she didn't want someone knowing something, she simply chose not to say anything. How did he guess such an intimate detail about her? He barely knew her!

They looked directly at each other, his eyes sending a chill down Raven's spine, which she ignored for now.

Who was Garfield? On the surface, he appeared to be a friendly goofball with an energetic personality. However, Raven knew, probably better than anyone at this table, that the best mask could be the face one put on every day.

She had caught glimpses of what lay underneath, the side he kept buried. The dullness in his irises, the small break when she asked the wrong question, and the perceptiveness to look past her own mask and pinpoint one of her feelings. Her resolve in her goal strengthened. She would figure out who Garfield was, no matter what. She looked away first, turning to Victor.

"Looks like you're up," she said. Victor sat back, putting his arm around Sarah.

"Nah, I'm good. You can learn about me next time we hang out."

Raven raised a quizzical eyebrow. "Next time?"

"Of course, girl. You're a part of this group now; you ain't getting out that easy." Victor gave her a thumbs up and a big grin. Kory was smiling from ear-to-ear, her hands clasped together, and Dick gave her a cool smirk. Even Sarah looked happy for her.

Raven leaned back, hoping to catch Garfield's reaction from her peripheral. What she found was the same focused expression he had at the bus stop. It looked like he was hoping for something. Did he want her to say yes? To be around more often? Well, I don't want to disappoint.

"Sounds like a plan." She returned Victor's smile with a small one of her own.

With a grunt, Gar released the ball in his hands, his last shot. Clang! The ball hit the corner bottle of the stack he was aiming for, knocking it down and making the whole structure fall. Raven stood to his right, arms crossed and leaning against the kiosk.

"Nice shot," she said, watching the woman working there pick up a small, green teddy bear and hand it over to him.

As Gar grabbed it, he raised an eyebrow in Raven's direction. "What can I say? It's all in the wrist." He struck a pose, imitating the throw he just made.

Raven rolled eyes, not impressed. "Oh really? The first two were just warning shots then?" She shot him a mocking smirk.

He stood normally again. "Heh. I was…warming up?" Ego thoroughly checked, he walked towards her. "Here," he said, handing her the stuffed toy.

Raven looked at it, then back at him. "I'm not a teddy bear kind of person."

"Really? Figured you would have had a collection," he said, giving her an amused look. A smile then appeared on his face. "I just wanted to say thanks."

"For what?"

"For your help. For coming tonight. For being a generally great friend."

Raven said nothing, concentrating on the bear again. His throat went dry, and he shifted on his feet. Did he mess up by saying that? Maybe it was too much. He wasn't sure why he said those things, but it felt right to say them. It felt right to tell her. And he usually trusted his gut. That didn't mean it was always right, though.

Gar turned his attention to her face, looking for any indication that he crossed a line. Her eyes were focused on the bear only, not paying attention to him. A slight red color adorned her cheeks. Was that embarrassment or anger? It could also be that she was just cold. Even for a September night, the ocean breeze was chilled the night air slightly. She gave nothing away.

As he started to mentally kick himself, he felt her grab the bear from his hands. He focused on Raven, who went back to crossing her arms, only the sight was less intimidating now that she was holding the small toy. She still didn't make eye contact with him, looking off to the side. "You're welcome," she said, before beginning to walk away.

He felt a sense of relief wash over him. He gave the worker a smile before catching up to Raven. Raven was looking around, taking in the scenery.

When Gar fell into step next to her, he glanced at her for what felt like the thousandth time that night. No matter how many times he did though, his jaw hit the floor without fail. She was stunning, no other way to put it.

He didn't know when it started. Maybe it happened when they entered the Pier, its lights highlighting the glint of amusement in her eyes and small smiles that she hid. Maybe it was in the restaurant, how effortlessly she fit in their group, the final piece to a puzzle. Her quick wit and elegance left him hanging on her every word, afraid he would miss any detail about her. For all he knew, it could have happened the first time he met her, how beautiful she looked glaring him down.

Whenever it was, he knew one thing for sure: He had a crush on Raven. A big one. And that absolutely terrified him.

Raven was trusting him. Enough trust to say yes to hanging out tonight, to agree to help him in class. He wouldn't betray that trust by making her think he only wanted a romance.

Besides, she was too good for him. Even if he eventually found the courage to ask her out, she would only reject him. He couldn't go through another heartbreak. Not again. That bitter taste rose in the back of his throat again. He swallowed it down, along with any memories of that time.

Hopefully, his crush would fade. For now, he would only focus on being Raven's friend and getting to know her. And I know right where to start, spotting a snack cart out of the corner of his eye.

"Hey Raven, want some cotton candy?"

Raven looked at him in disbelief. "How are you still hungry? You scarfed down an entire veggie burger plus fries."

"Cotton candy isn't food, Rae. It's an experience. A sugary, cloud of deliciousness."

"Okay, first, did you just call me Rae? Second…I've never tried it."

Now, it was his turn to look at her in disbelief. "What?! You've never had it?"

She shrugged. "Like you said, it's pure sugar. Not my type of candy."

He gave her one of his trademark smiles. "Well Rae, tonight's your lucky night. We're fixing that right now."

"Why do you keep calling – Garfield!" she said, as he took her hand and pulled her over to the cart. Gar looked back at her, giving her a wink. Raven almost dropped the bear, then tightened her grip on it.

When they got to the cart, Gar let go of her hand, ignoring the daggers she was shooting in his direction. "Could we get one of the purple ones, please?" The man working the cart gave him a nod and grabbed one of the bags at the top of cart filled with the candy.

Gar paid quickly. "Thanks." Gar turned to Raven, meeting her glare with his smirk.

"What do you think you're doing?" she asked.

"Like I said: fixing the fact that you've never tried cotton candy." Gar looked around, trying to find a well-lit area as he took the plastic off. A small bench underneath two small lamp posts quickly drew his attention. "Come on. Can't wait to see your face when you try it."

Raven softened her glare, following close as they started walking. Once they reached the bench, Gar sat down, holding out the cotton candy. She looked around, then back at the candy; doubt written on her face. "It's not poisonous, Raven." To prove his point, he took a small chunk out and ate it. "See? Perfectly healthy."

"Healthy is a stretch," she said, sitting down next to him. She followed his example, taking a small piece out for herself. "I should also mention I'm not a fan of grape."

"No flavor. Purple's just my favorite color."

Raven looked at him, taking in this new information. With a deep breath, she popped the piece into her mouth. Gar's eyes were glued to her face, watching her features with intrigue. Then, he saw it: a slight raise in her eyebrows.

"Sooo, what do you think?" he said, wagging his eyebrows.

"Well, it certainly tastes like sugar," she said, giving nothing away.

Gar wasn't going to let up so easily. "And?"

"…and it's good. You happy?"

"Yes!" Gar did a small fist pump, before taking a second piece for himself. Raven followed his example, and he tried to ignore the way his heart fluttered at the small signs of delight on her face. Once again, his gut told him he had to say something. Ignoring the warnings his brain gave him, Gar forged ahead.

"I'm glad you decided to come tonight," he said. Raven looked down at the bear in her hands, then at the cotton candy.

"I'm glad I did too." Raven wasn't looking at him, but he could tell she was being genuine. Those words sent Gar's spirit over the clouds. His body felt like it was in a constant tug-o-war, with one side trying to pull him out of his crush and the other telling him to sink deeper into the void. And he didn't know which side to listen to.

He was about to grab another piece when Raven turned to him, determination burning in her eyes. She took a deep breath before she said, "Can I see your phone?"

His head tilted slightly, confusion setting in as he grabbed his phone from his pocket. "Sure. Did something happen?"

"No. I'm putting my number in there. If we're going to be studying and meeting up, we'll need to be able to contact each other." Raven's face kept her determination, but Gar heard a small shake in her voice.

On the outside, Gar knew he looked like an idiot, his mouth opened slightly and his arms refusing to move to give her the phone in his hands. It felt like his body short-circuited, excitement stampeding through every nerve. His spirit was no longer in the clouds; it was over the moon. He mentally reigned himself in, knowing she was expecting him to do something. "R-right. You're right. G-good call."

Garfield unlocked his phone before handing it to her. He forced his arm to stop shaking as Raven grabbed it. He watched as her delicate fingers danced over the screen, quickly finding his contact list and hitting "Add". Even the way Raven typed screamed elegance, quick and precise. As she finished typing and was about to hand it back to Gar, a slight ding rang out from his phone.

"Who is it?" Gar responded, wondering if it was Vic asking where they were.

Raven's eyes scanned the screen. "It says it's Rita."

Garfield's spirits were shot down back to Earth, plummeting hard into the ground. Of all the fucking times— He stopped himself, taking a deep breath. Gar forced the smile back onto his face, pretending he didn't already know where this was going.

"It's my mom. What did she want?"

Raven had a look of slight confusion on his face. Gar knew he wasn't doing a good job hiding this time, but he tried to keep up the act. Raven's eyes focused on the message again. "She wants to know when you wanted to have dinner with her and Steve."

Are you serious?! When the hell – Focus. Keep cool, he thought bitterly. "Oh that. I'll text her when I get back. No worries."

He took a big bite of the cotton candy, which suddenly tasted extremely sour.

For the most part, Raven had been able to ignore the feeling that someone was watching them. The moment they separated from the group, a chill ran up her spine. Garfield's joy and energy allowed her to push it to the side, however; to keep it at bay. Now, in his withdrawn state, that feeling crept back up with a vengeance.

Raven shook her head, choosing to focus on Garfield instead. Her suspicions were right: Garfield didn't like mentioning his parents. Or at least one of them. Rita was her first guess, but when Raven mentioned Steve, Garfield's whole body tensed, ready to run away.

Raven was out of her element. She didn't know what to do to comfort him. Hell, she didn't even know if he wanted comforting. He's not okay, though! Do something!

As she raised her hand to touch his shoulder, a second ding from Garfield's phone rang. He growled at the it, his eyes drawn back to the screen. However, as he read, his face became more neutral. "It's Dick; they're heading back. Guess we don't want to miss our ride." Garfield gave her a smile, but Raven could tell it was forced.

"Yeah. It's getting late anyways."

Garfield stood up, holding out his hand to help Raven stand up. Raven took it, once again feeling an electrical current run through her when they touched. She didn't dwell on it, however.

As they walked back towards the entrance to the Pier, Raven couldn't shake the feeling of dread that washed over her.

A/N: Hey folks! Once again, I want to thank all of you who are sticking with my story and supporting my writing. It truly means so much to me. If you enjoy my story so far, follow, favorite, or leave a review. If you think I can improve something, let me know; constructive criticism and all. I'm really enjoying writing this story and I want continue improving for you guys and for myself. Thank you!