A/N: Hey folks, sorry for such a long delay between chapters. I was having trouble getting this particular chapter written down and getting my bearings for the overall story. None of these should be excuses. But I hope this will give a sense of what has been going on. I'm not abandoning this story, though. I'm going to see it through to the end.

On a lighter note, Happy BBRae week! I didn't even know this was a thing until recently, but I'm so glad these amazing characters can get so much hype and love around them! As always, I hope you enjoy! Disclaimer: Teen Titans and its associated characters are property of DC and its affiliates.

Time is a strange concept. It's not a physical object, yet its presence is always felt. The basics are understood by most of the public. Seconds pass to minutes, minutes to hours, hours to days, and so forth. The future can never be determined, and the past can never be changed. Always moving forward at a constant rate yet gives the illusion of speeding up or slowing down depending on your mood. However, it holds many complexities. Many that physicists debate to this day.

This is how Raven chose to distract herself, rather than thinking about the fact she was going on a date in less than five minutes. She thanked the stars above that there was no ticking clock located in the living room. Otherwise, she would've gone crazy.

They had agreed that Garfield would pick her up at 7 PM. All Raven could do now was wait, dressed to the tens in the outfit she had bought. After helping the brunette finish the look with some subtle eyeliner, a bit of eyeshadow, and a hint of blush, Kory retreated into her own room, leaving Raven alone with her thoughts. She checked her phone again.

6:56. How'd only two minutes passed since she last checked?

Once again, Raven's anxiety had decided to firmly plant itself within the confines of her mind. First, it presented a scenario where Garfield stood her up completely, leaving her frustrated and wondering what she did wrong. While unlikely to happen, it didn't stop her from clenching her fist and grinding her teeth.

Then, her mind played out the date going completely wrong in some way, leaving her embarrassed in front of not only Garfield but the people around her. Spilling a drink on herself, saying something stupid at dinner, or just realizing the two of them had no chemistry whatsoever beyond school. Her nerves started getting to her, and it took a couple of deep breaths to convince herself not to back out of the date entirely.

Finally, there was the scenario she was prepared for the least: the date goes well, and they had a great time. What then? Would he ask her out again immediately? What would their other dates look like? Was a relationship in their future?

With each question, a pulse of pain went through her head. She walked over to a drawer in the kitchenette and grabbed two Acetaminophen tablets. As she filled a glass of water up, ready to down the first tablet, three loud knocks banged out from the front door.

Shit. She downed both as fast as humanly possible, choking a bit and coughing. "Coming!" she managed between coughs, her voice slightly raspy. Grabbing her purse, she speed walked to the door, and took a few breaths to recompose herself. Hand on the door handle, she hesitated for the slightest of seconds, until the voice in her head finally pushed her along.

Do it!

She swung open the door. And everything went still.

In front of her stood a wide-eyed, slightly opened mouth Garfield, holding a single rose in his hand. His hair was in its usual spiky ruffled look, the only part of his appearance that could be considered "casual". He was wearing the classic black suit jacket and trousers combination, with a white button-up shirt underneath hugging his figure extremely well. His tie gave Raven flashback to some of the more "passionate" scenes from her romance novels, making her face heat up. Besides the red of the rose in his hands, his green eyes were the only other speck of color on him. As her eyes grazed over as much as she could physically see, one thought filled her mind.

Holy fuck.

Holy fuck.

Garfield had stood by the stairs for the past ten minutes, looking at both his watch and phone. Maybe it was overkill, but his body was firing on all cylinders. He assumed Raven was a person who preferred punctuality. Or maybe his paranoia was getting to him. He ran his hand over his shirt and jacket over and over again to get everything to fit, even though this suit had been tailored specifically for him. He felt like a teenager once more, a time were wanted only to get the pricey, itchy second skin of off him. Waiting had never been his biggest strength, and the seconds were passing by agonizingly slow.

The wait had been worth it though. He stared at the goddess of the night before him, her violet orbs luring him in. The rose he carried now felt like too small of a gift. Maybe pledging his undying loyalty to her would be better?

Bit extreme, dude.

The silence between them was starting to drag on. Do something idiot!

"Hey. You look…um...great."

Real smooth, Casanova. Really felt the charm on that one. "I mean, you always look great! What I mean is…"

"Thanks," Raven replied, saving Gar from rambling. A small smile adorned her face, and he felt more at ease knowing she understood the meaning behind his words. With brain functions kicking up again, Gar remembered the item in his hands.

"For you," he said, handing the rose over, which Raven delicately took into her hands.

"Flowers on the first date? Smart," Raven replied, a playful look on her face.

"Thanks. Wanted to try lilies to be a bit more out of the box, but roses seemed safer." Gar couldn't help his own playful smile as she stepped out of the apartment.

"I guess it's a bad time to mention lilies are my favorite?" Raven chuckled.

"Damn. Next time then." The words came out easily, but the meaning was not lost on either of them. Gar began to rub the back of his neck while Raven stared at the rose like she would lose it if it left her sight.

A click and a sharp flash from inside broke the awkward silence, making them turn around. "Kory!" Raven yelled towards the giggling blur of red and pink that dashed into one of the bedrooms, camera in hand. Mortified, Raven slammed the front door shut and pinched the bridge of her nose.

"I should've known getting her that camera would come back to bite me," Garfield said, watching the door as if he could see through it. He turned to raven with a sheepish grin on his face. Raven was surprised by this new piece of information.

"So, this is technically your fault then?"

"Hey, I only gave her a gift! Her actions are her own." To help his point, Gar held up his hands in mock surrender. Raven only rolled her eyes, sending butterflies through Gar's stomach. He let his left arm fall to his side while holding out his other hand. "We should get going."

Raven took his hand with her own, interlacing their fingers as she fell to his side. "Let's go."

Gar knew a little bit about being fashionably late. By the time they got to the banquet hall, with the help of some light traffic, plenty of guests were milling about. He wasn't expecting anyone to be looking for him, but it was nice not having every set of eyeballs turn towards you the moment you stepped foot in the room. He was fine not dealing with extra pressure, and he had a feeling Raven was too.

Hardwood floors, white walls, and warm LEDs gave the room a simple, sophisticated vibe. There was a small bar to the left of the door they had entered, with the buffet placed right next to the bar for ease of access. Dining tables adorned the room, except for a square area in front of a stage. Overall, the room had enough atmosphere to please a bunch of upper-class socialites and hopefully convince them to donate.

"I think I see a table over there," Gar said, barely blinking at how the whole room basically reeked of cash. Raven, however, was a different story.

Sure, Raven's personality normally made it easy for her to present an air and maturity not found in most people her age. But this wasn't a normal situation. With a tug on her arm as Garfield led her towards a table by the stage. She did her best to focus on just being on a date, but that didn't make her any less nervous.

They reached an unoccupied table on one of the far corners of the room, save for a jacket draped over a chair and another purse sitting on the table. Raven figured they might have company at some point in the night. Still, with no one around now, it gave the couple privacy.

Gar pulled out a chair, waiting until Raven sat down comfortably before taking his own seat next to her. "I forgot how stuffy these things usually are," Gar said grabbing the vase of ice water in the middle of the table and filling Raven's glass.

Raven let out a quiet chuckle, glad that he wasn't as impervious to the situation as she thought. "I'm a bit surprised you suggested something this fancy. I would've thought your idea of a good first date was laser tag."

"Hey, don't knock the power of neon strobe lights and crappy techno," Gar responded. Raven only rolled her eyes. He looked over at the buffet table, watching as servers replaced some of the nearly empty trays with new ones. "I'm gonna grab us a bite. You want anything in particular?" he asked.

"I'll have whatever you have. I don't mind vegetarian," Raven said, her expression neutral looking over at the food as well. Her expression turned a bit more serious as she looked back at Gar. "No tofu, though. Please."

"You're missing out," Gar teased.

"I respect that you don't eat meat. Please respect that I don't eat fake meat."

"I can work with that. Be right back," Gar replied, standing up. His smile made Raven's stomach flutter, her own lips starting to curl upwards. When he walked away, Raven turned her attention to the table.

Azarath Mentrion Zinthos. Azarath Mentrion Zinthos.

Raven fixated on the mantra she had learned from her mother. She said a monk from her youth had taught it to her, claiming it was a way to centralize one's desires and self. Raven rarely used it. She was never able to pinpoint its language of origin, so Raven assumed it was made up. Still, her mom believed it could help, and right now, Raven needed all the help she could get.

The orchestral tracks coming from the speakers near the stage accompanied her thoughts. But while the music was slow and controlled, Raven's mind raced at a pace no instrument could keep up with. No matter how many times she repeated it in her mind, her uncertainty about tonight and her future with Gar remained. Did I make a mistake?

"It's not going to fly away, you know."

An unfamiliar voice broke Raven from her thoughts. She looked up to find an older man holding the jacket that previously rested on the chair. His hair and goatee were both silvered with age, with prominent laugh lines around his glasses-covered eyes. His face showed concern, but he was also smiling, like a grandpa ready to teach an important life lesson.

"Excuse me?" Raven asked, a bit wary of the man.

"The table. You're looking at it like it might disappear at any moment." He laughed. "I don't believe I've seen you at one of our events before. Let me guess: you're one of our new assistant researchers?"

"Sorry, I'm not," she replied, keeping her voice neutral. "And 'our'?"

"Oh, I'm sorry," he said, playfulness in his voice. He extended a hand towards Raven. "Where are my manners? I'm Dr. Perez, curator of the zoo's mammals, and former head of our big cat research team. Lovely to meet you, Ms. …"

"Raven," she said, taking his hand and giving it a firm shake.

"What a wonderful name. And fitting for tonight's occasion." Dr. Perez's hand dropped back to his side as he leaned into one of the chairs for support. "So, Ms. Raven, if you don't mind my asking, what brings you here tonight?"

"Um, a first date. With one of 'your' assistant researchers, believe it or not."

"And they've left you all alone? I should have a word with them." Dr Perez puffed his chest a bit, but his voice still held that teasing tone. Raven chuckled at the display. "Probably don't have anything to worry about though. You seem capable of handling a date gone rogue."

"Thank you. And it's fine. he's just getting us food." She looked towards the buffet table, expecting to see Garfield in line. Instead, she saw him coming back to them, carrying a tray with two plates filled with food and a few smaller dishes. "Speak of the devil."

Raven turned back towards Dr. Perez. However, he was no longer looking at her. He was staring at Garfield with narrowed eyes. The focused stare made Raven nervous. When Garfield reached the table, Dr. Perez's changed to a surprised stare.

"Sorry for the wait," Gar said, looking at Raven. "They had some good options." Once the tray had been set down, Gar turned towards the man, aware of who he was, and went for a handshake. "Hello, Dr. Perez. I'm-"

"Garfield Logan," Dr. Perez interrupted. His eyes were now wide, surprise evident in his voice.

Now, it was Gar's turn to be surprised. "You remember me?"

"Of course, mijo!" Dr. Perez shook Gar's hand enthusiastically, pulling him a bit and placing a hand on Gar's shoulder. "I mean, you've definitely grown. But you look so much like Marie."

Raven raised an eyebrow at the conversation, a bit startled at how casually Dr. Perez mentioned Gar's parents. "Marie Logan used to work for my team," Dr. Perez said, looking at Raven. He must have caught her look, interpreting it as general curiosity. "I tell you; she had such a wonderful way with the animals. And Mark was no slouch either. They were…great." He looked at Gar, his voice melancholic. "Apologies, Garfield. I got caught up in memory lane. "

"It's okay, Dr. Perez. Can't change what happened." Raven noticed that while Gar's smile never left his face, it was tight. Before her brain could process her actions, she placed her hand on Gar's shoulder.

"Right." He cleared his throat. "Well, I hope you kids are enjoying the evening. Mr. Logan, you're more than welcome to swing by my office anytime to catch up. And feel free to bring Ms. Raven along too. After all, it's impolite to leave a lady all alone." He chuckled and gave Raven a playful wink.

It was then that Raven noticed a woman staring at them from across the room, smiling at Dr. Perez and eyeing the jacket he was holding. It didn't take long for her to connect the pieces. "You might have to follow your own advice there, Dr. Perez," she said, nodding over to the woman.

Dr. Perez followed her stare and waved to his wife. "Right you are, Ms. Raven," Dr Perez said. "Hold on to this one, Garfield. She'll keep your head straight."

Gar rubbed his neck. "I'll do my best."

With that, Dr. Perez left the two of them alone. As Gar sat down again, Raven held on to his answer. But it didn't. Did Gar mean that? Or was he only bantering? His answer should have brought her some peace, but it failed to even do that.

What am I gonna do?

The night had sped by faster than anticipated. Then again, Gar's attention was entirely taken up by Raven, so most things had fallen by the wayside. For the most part, it had been fine, the only hiccup happening during Dr. Rich's speech. Gar nearly missed his cue to stand when she called on him, Raven being his saving grace by kicking him lightly in the shin. Thank God that was quick.

Now, with the night winding down, Gar had begun to formulate a plan to make the night memorable.

After Dr. Perez had left them, their conversation flowed. However, in between breaks in the conversation, he paid attention to the music. Throughout the night, it had been mostly classical music. Elegant, slow, and perfect for a meeting of a higher class of folks. In other words, boring.

But now, things were different. After Dr. Rich's speech, it had picked up in tempo and energy, while still being orchestral. Gar's mind race with a possibility. Whether it was his prankster or spontaneous side coming out, at some point, he decided he wanted to get Raven onto the dance floor. But he had to go about it the right way. Otherwise, Raven might get spooked off.

"…and that's why I hate Mardi Gras. Never want to go back in my life." Raven finished her story with a huff, making Gar chuckle.

"Can't say I blame you," Gar his peripheral, Gar could see a few couples dancing to the waltz that was playing. It wasn't his style; he'd have to wait a bit longer for a song that suited his plan. "To be honest, I think I'd prefer this over Mardi Gras. Music wise at least."

"Really?"

"Yeah. Not a fan of club or party music. Hurts my ears. Plus, you can't really dance to it."

Raven looked at him with a neutral stare. Gar noticed that the waltz currently playing was slowing down. "Some people might disagree with you on that," Raven said.

"Bumping and grinding isn't dancing," Gar said.

"I wouldn't know the difference. Never been dancing."

Oh. "Really? Not even like a homecoming or prom?" His patience paid off. The rhythm of conga drums under a soft guitar and a swaying bass drew his ear. He knew this music well: rumba. Perfect.

"Nope. School was more important. Plus, there weren't a lot of people lining up to talk with the loner girl."

"They missed out then." Gar stood up. He saw an empty space by one of the corners on the dance floor. Here goes nothing. He stepped closer to Raven and grabbed her hand. "Come on."

"Where are we going?" Raven stood up, oblivious to Gar's intentions.

"You'll see," he said, unable to keep the amusement out of his voice. He moved quickly, knowing that he only had a few seconds before she caught up to his thinking.

They were about to reach the dancefloor when Raven finally realized. "Oh no. Not happening."

"It'll be fun."

"You're not getting me to dance, Logan. I don't even know how to."

"It's easy. I'll teach you." Gar looked back at her, now walking backwards to the spot. He moved slower, but his stride was still determined. "Come on, Rae."

"It's Raven. And you're crazy."

"Crazy for you." Raven's eyes widened and her step faltered slightly. Gar caught her with his free arm, grinning widely the entire time.

They reached the corner without too much trouble. He let his arms drop to his side, watching as Raven glared at him, her own arms crossed in front of her. "Do you trust me?" No matter what his plan was, Raven still had the final say.

Raven looked at him, then looked around at the other couples. For an unnerving second, Gar expected her to walk away fully. Raven took a deep breath and outstretched her right hand. "One song. That's it."

Gar didn't waste time as he grabbed her hand with his left, lifting it up. His right arm found its spot on her lower back, her left arm instinctively landing on his shoulder. "Just watch my feet and move in response."

With eyes narrowed and cheeks slightly reddened, Raven followed his instruction. Gar's left foot moved forward slowly, giving her time to react and move her right leg back. It was a box step, the easiest sequence to do in rumba. His back leg swung out to the side, which Raven mirrored with her right. "Together now," Gar said quietly, closing the distance between his feet.

"I feel like a child," Raven muttered.

Gar chuckled. "Gotta start somewhere, Rae. This time, you start. Same pattern." Raven cautiously stepped her leg forward, and Gar reacted at the same pace. Mirroring her next two steps, Gar started to lead her by applying the smallest amount of pressure to her lower back when it was her turn to start. Each time, their steps would speed up, eventually falling in tempo with the song.

"You're a fast learner," Gar said.

Raven shrugged. "It's not too challenging."

"Think you can add a bit of swing into it then?"

Raven raised an eyebrow.

"You got the steps down. But now you have to feel the music." A smirk. "Unless that's too hard for you."

It was another bait. He knew it. Raven knew it. But she wasn't going to let him get away with it.

"Try to keep up," Raven said, stepping forward aggressively, her hip swinging out. He had just enough time to not get kicked, but she didn't give him a chance to rest. She moved again quickly, keeping in time with the song. His plan worked, but now, he had a scenario he hadn't fully accounted for in his hands.

The space between them had shrunk, their faces and bodies only inches apart. And Raven had issued him a challenge. Backing up meant admitting defeat, and Gar wasn't about to let that happen. Even if he had to deal with the consequences of being this close to a beautiful woman he was falling deeper and deeper for.

Raven's hand had moved down his back. His grip tightened on her. Her dress was soft, every fabric stretching with her movements under his touch. It ignited a fire through him, and he could feel his senses get sharper. The scent of vanilla perfume filled his nose, giving Gar with a new favorite smell. Their breaths grew more labored as the seconds passed. Every step was a small battle, neither one willing to back down.

Gar tried throwing her a curveball on the outstep, lifting his hand slightly above her head and applying a small amount of pressure on her side. An under-arm spin. But Raven took it in stride, with only a minor stumble in the middle of it. She returned to face him with a smug smile on her face, and it took all of Gar's willpower not to look down at his feet.

Her eyes had grown darker, violet almost black now. Though he couldn't see his own, he was certain they had gone through a similar effect. Their dance was meant to simple, yet the outcome was anything but. This was a completely new facet to Raven. Open and passionate. She was trusting him. And now Garfield had to show it had not been misplaced.

Like before, Gar had been keeping an ear on the music. He could hear the tempo slowing, the volume getting quieter. Time to end big, he thought."Do you trust me?"

This time, there was no hesitation. "Yes."

"Hold on then." His grip on her lower back strengthened, and his stance widening on the outstep. Raven followed his lead, turning as he did and leaning back. He held her tight, never breaking eye contact with her. They stayed in the dip as the music faded away. Only when it stopped did he pull her back up. They said nothing, their eyes locked.

Raven broke the silence first, clearing her throat. "I'm…uh…it's warm in here. Can we step outside for a bit?"

"S-sure."

Raven turned from him and quickly headed towards the exit. Gar followed, not saying a word. The walk out felt like a blur. The tension between them rose, every step forward threatening to burst the dam. When Raven reached the outside and hurriedly climbed down the main doorsteps. Gar finally cracked.

"Raven, I'm so sorry. I just wanted to have some fun, and I thought you would be okay with the dip. I should have given you more warning – "

"Garfield. You're fine. The dancing was fine. It's just…me."

His heart fell at her words. He knew those words. Knew the cliché. He braced himself for her rejection.

"Gar, I need you to know something. I – "

"I see you're still the same cold-hearted bitch as always." A voice, soft yet filled with venom, spoke from the shadows to their side. Both turned to see a man stepping out towards them, tall and pale. He was wearing all black, clearly an attempt to make sure no one could see him unless he revealed his presence. Gar instinctively stepped in front of Raven. Every warning bell in his head was firing off simultaneously. Though he couldn't see Raven's face, he heard the fear in her voice when she spoke again.

"Malchior?!"

A/N: How many of you had this character showing up? Time to turn up the tension! If you enjoyed this chapter and want to see where this story goes, feel free to leave a comment and to follow/fav. If you think there's something I could improve, feel free to leave constructive criticism. Always appreciate my readers!