A/N: Hey everyone, I'm back with a new chapter! Yeah...it's been a while. I'm sorry about that. I really don't have any excuses besides these last couple of months have been difficult, and this story is not coming out as smoothly as it was in the beginning.

I think I've made a decision in regard to how I write and publish the few chapters of this story, but I'll wait until the end of this chapter to say the news. For now, I hope you enjoy the latest installment of Explore This!

Disclaimer: Teen Titans and its associated characters are property of DC and their respective creators. I don't own anything.

Chapter 12: Yeah, I know, I know, this love will never die

"Honey, are you sure? You can be honest with me," Rita said, concern in her voice.

Gar pinched the bridge of his nose, breathing deeply. "Yeah mom, I'm fine. You can still come. Nothing has changed." In a sense, he was telling the truth. The landscape of Jump City University glowed in the orange light of the sunset. A few students walked past him, done with their education for the day. Cars, as well as the occasional campus bus, drove by on the road cutting through campus. Even he felt a sense of normalcy.

"Garfield, I'm your mother. It's my job to worry."

"I'm glad at least someone does…" Gar said under his breath.

"And how can Steve worry when you refuse to talk with him? He's not a mind reader," Rita said, exasperation in her voice. "Have you even spoken with anybody else about how you're feeling?"

She had him there. "I… needed some rest. You know, clear my head and all. And with school and exams coming up, everyone's been busy. I don't wanna bother them when I know I'm fine." It was a lame excuse, and he knew it.

The physics and engineering building loomed tall in front of him. With the help of evening shadows, the dark gray paint made it look even more imposing. It seemed to match the apprehension building in his body. Gar shook his head. He didn't have to go inside. Not yet anyways.

"Right. I'm sure that was it." A muffled voice came from the background on the line. Serious with an air of ever-present authority. Easy to tell who it was.

"Coming!" Rita called out, "Your father's got dinner ready. I'll tell him what happened to spare you the phone call and the lecture."

"Thanks, mom"

"Don't thank me yet. You know you'll have to answer an inquisition on Saturday."

Gar sighed. "I'm not getting out of this, am I?"

"Nope."

"At least you bought me time. Love you."

"Love you too. Good luck tonight. Say hi to Raven for me."

His stomach did a flip. "Will do. Bye." With that, he hung up. He'd reached the stairs a minute ago. They weren't steep or numerous. So why was he having trouble taking a step forward?

I can do this. I can do this.

At least, he hoped he could do this.

I still think you should come back.

Raven read Jinx's message again and sighed. A couple of students were already in their seats. Raven had her notes laid out in front of her, markers ready on the whiteboard behind her. She'd decided to text Jinx on a whim to kill time before starting the session. A decision she now regretted, as they strayed back onto this topic.

And how's that going to help?

Um, it gets you away from your crazy ex, for one.

Raven rolled her eyes. By bringing me back to the only other place he knows I have connections to? He'll just follow me and then we're back to square one. Raven knew Jinx meant well, but this conversation was going in circles by now. Neither one was going to back down: both girls were too stubborn to do that. Also, don't know if you realized, but my classes are here now.

What's your point?

I'm not even going to try to explain why I care about my education.

A couple of stragglers began entering the room, no sign of messy blond hair or strikingly green eyes among them. Where is he? A few seconds passed before Raven's phone buzzed again.

Jeez, I'm kidding. Still, I don't like this.

A small smile grew on her lips. Believe me, I'm not too thrilled either. But I'll be fine if we stick with our plan.

Riiiight, the plan. And who's supposed to be your bodyguard tonight?

Raven's fingers paused above the virtual keys before responding. Garfield.

The cute one you went on a date with?

Yeah…

Awkward. You sure you want to be around him?

Yes. Maybe. It's complicated.

I mean, you either like him or you don't. Seems simple to me.

Raven looked at the time in the corner of the screen. 6:59. I have to go. Session's about to start.

Jinx's response popped up. I didn't convince you at all, did I?

Nope. But thanks for trying.

No problem. Text me when you're done so I know you didn't get kidnapped.

Always so comforting. Later.

Raven looked up. Half the seats were taken. Yet no sign of Garfield. Is he waiting until I'm done to get here? A part of her was disappointed, but another part grew frustrated. That wasn't the plan at all!

She cleared her throat, swallowing the bitter lump in her throat. "Evening. Before we get started, does anyone have any—"

The classroom door opened, making every head turn simultaneously in its direction. Gar stood in the doorway, like a deer frozen in the headlights. "Um. Sorry about that. "The students turned back, none of them caring. It was university, after all. Students being late happened every other hour.

Raven, however, didn't look away. Nearly four days had passed since she'd last seen him. It wasn't a crazy amount of time at all. So why did she feel so relieved seeing him?

Stop it, Raven shook her head. You rejected him. You can't get close. Unfortunately, violet held onto green for longer than it should've.

The whiteboard behind her suddenly became very interesting. Her face was flushed; Raven prayed she wasn't as red as she thought. It felt as if all eyes in the room were burning holes into her bac. She grabbed a marker and flipped to a random page in her notes. Focus. Breath. Control.

"No worries," Raven responded, her back still turned, "we were just starting." She wrote some terms on the board. Good thing she almost never needed her notes. The page she'd opened wasn't even for this class.

Focus. Remember what Vic said. Remember… his ex. His feelings for her.

Her grip tightened on the marker. Yeah, that should anchor her for now.

Feet shuffling followed by a backpack hitting the floor was her cue to face the class once more. Her mind felt more focused now, her breathing regular. Raven could see where Garfield was sitting. But she could drown him out.; blend him in with the other faces. He was just another student.

"Well, I think everyone's here now." Her usual monotone broke the silence with ease. "Let's get started"

The last couple of students shuffled out of the room, leaving the two of them alone for the first time. Gar sat awkwardly in his seat, his mood completely off. Raven was packing up, shuffling her papers and notebook into her backpack, with an occasional glance his way. In contrast, he focused only on her Raven, watching her intently. He kept trying to think of something – anything – to start a conversation. Wasn't he the one who could never shut up?

With a quick zip, Raven slid her backpack over shoulder, standing up straight. Gar mirrored her movements, albeit a bit more rushed than he intended. Their eyes met, and he could feel his heart quicken again. "Ready to go?" Gar asked. The only response he got was a nod.

Silence it is, then.

Their footsteps bounced off the walls, the building almost empty at this hour. An air of discomfort grew with every step. Gar subtly glanced over at Raven. To an outsider, her posture looked normal. But he could see the way her hands gripped tightly at the straps of the backpack. Her shoulders stiff. She didn't look over once, focused only on getting to the exit.

So, this is how things are now. Fine, Gar thought. If he wanted to move on, minimal interaction was probably best. Besides, after his conversation with Rita, he felt a bit talked out.

The moment they reached the outside couldn't have come sooner. The fresh air and city noises were welcome reprieves from the silence. Garfield walked down the stairs first, Raven not far behind. The bus stop was only a few meters away. A sign that his turn was almost done.

"How are you feeling?" Raven asked from behind him.

Really? Now? They had been silent for the past ten minutes. "I'm fine." It came out with a little more edge than he wanted.

"Really? Because you don't sound it," Raven said.

Great. "I said I'm fine, Rae. See?" Gar turned to her with a smile, walking backwards towards the bus stop. If he could distract her long enough, they could avoid talking. When was the bus supposed to get here anyways?

Raven stopped, looking at him, but said nothing. He felt himself relax a bit. Guess I'm off the hook

"Vic's right. You need to work on your lying."

Wait…what? He stopped, raising an eyebrow at her. "Why would I be lying? And I'm perfectly capable of lying, just so you know."

"I didn't say you couldn't lie. I said you need to work on it."

He dropped the fake smile. "Just drop it, Rae. I'm not in the mood," Gar turned around as they reached the bus stop. Of course, it was empty. No social faux pas to hide behind.

"Oh good. Finally telling the truth." Her monotone never changed, but even the most socially inept person could hear the sarcasm in her voice. Before, the thought of her trying to be funny would've sent him over the moon. Now, it only made him bristle.

"I said, drop it, Raven." The muscles on his neck were tense. A knot formed at the base of his stomach. Was she trying to wind him up?

"Is it your parents?"

She was trying to get a response. Garfield didn't turn around.

"I'll take the silent treatment as a yes," Raven continued, not caring about his input. "Did you have a fight?"

"I didn't realize I signed up for therapy. How much is this costing me?" Gar said, as he turned towards her, this time fully intending the edge in his voice. Screw being nice. Where the hell is that damn bus?

"I'm trying to talk with you, Garfield," Raven said. "If you're upset about something, let me help." There was something else underneath her monotone. It sounded almost…pleading?

Whatever it was, it fell on deaf ears. "You've got it backwards, Raven. We're the ones trying to help you." Part of him knew he was being childish. But the other part wanted to stew in the silence they'd created. No communication since Saturday, and suddenly, she wants to talk like nothing happened? He turned away from her, stomping towards the bus stop.

"Fine then, don't talk! Keep all your problems a secret!" Raven spat behind him.

"Oh, like how you kept Malchior a secret!?" Gar spat back at her.

Oh no.

He knew he crossed a line instantly. Gar saw Raven take a literal step back, his words reaching their mark. Guilt gnawed at him, and he thought for a moment about begging for her forgiveness. His brain raced to come up with a strong enough apology.

Then he noticed Raven's face contort with pure fury. In the low light, it almost looked like her eyes flashed red. "I wasn't keeping him a secret! I was trying to get the fuck away from him!" Raven yelled out.

The fuse in his stomach went off. All apologies left him. "Still, a warning would've been nice! Or maybe, 'By the way, before we go out, my ex is crazy, and he might not be over me.' Something to give a guy a head's up!" Gar yelled back

"Oh, like you're the perfect example of moving on!"

"What's that supposed to mean?" Amidst the turbulent cloud of anger and guilt, confusion began to weave itself into the mix. There was no way Raven was referring to Terra. Right?

"Vic told me about your ex!"

She was.

Gar felt the world pull away, becoming white noise around him. Those words sucked away his will to keep arguing. He did nothing to fend the void off. Instead, he let apathy envelop him in its cold grip. How much did she know?

He stared at Raven, her mouth slightly open and shoulders dropped back. She no longer glared at him, instead staring back with wide eyes. She hadn't intended to let that statement slip. Yet here they were, the words floating in space between them, poisoning the silence.

"How much did he tell you?" he said quietly. It was his voice, but it sounded foreign to his ears. It was hollow, devoid of any emotion.

Raven broke eye contact first, casting her gaze down to her feet. She brushed a strand of hair behind her ear. "He said… you were hiding your feelings for her."

"And?"

Raven seemed to shrink even more at the question if that was even possible. "That's it. He only mentioned her once." Then, she looked back at him, uncertainty written all over her face. "Gar, be honest. Was I a rebound to you?"

The question stung, not just because Raven thought Gar didn't care for her at all. But because Gar could see her point. He'd been hiding his past, and it was coming back to haunt him. Exactly like hers did.

Gar needed to explain. If he told Raven his past, maybe they could salvage something. But he didn't feel like confronting the past. "Next time, don't judge without knowing the full story." He began to walk in the opposite direction.

"Garfield, wait!" Her plea fell on deaf ears, though. He didn't turn around, even as he called himself a coward for not doing so.

The bus passed by as he left Raven alone.

Before I give my thanks, a quick announcement: I've decided that for the rest of Explore This, I will fully finish writing all the chapters and upload them once done, rather than uploading each chapter as I finish them. I think this'll be more beneficial in the long run, making the story flow smoother, and hopefully cutting down on the times I'm stuck on writing. This probably means that this story will go on a relatively long hiatus again, but I really want to make it the best I can for you guys and for myself. I understand if this makes you not want to follow anymore, but I really appreciate those who've stuck around and will continue to stick around with this story.

With that, thank you all for reading and for your support of this story! It means the world to me seeing so many people enjoy what I've written, as well as leave suggestions and constructive criticism.

LW: Thank you as always. Your support and reviews are always invaluable.

PenJunior: I'm glad you've enjoyed the story so far. I really did love having Kory as the first person to try and get these two together as it always felt in character for her.

Thatonereader1228: Getting an emotional response of that level is always what I strive for. I hope this chapter wasn't too bad to read either haha

Once again, thank you all for reading. If you've enjoyed my story so far, please favorite/follow and leave a review. If you think there's something I can improve, also leave a review. I'm always looking forward to constructive criticism. Have a good one!