Published: April 23, 2020

Track 8: Movie Night

The late-October air turned cooler, convincing the citizens of Jump City to begrudgingly trade their summer wardrobes for thicker clothes. Raven took the changing weather into consideration as she figured out what to wear for the launch party. It was a few days before the event, and she had asked Cassie to come over to her place as a fashion consultant.

After originally finding out that the young woman had also relocated to Jump City, Raven considered keeping her distance and avoiding contact. After all, the whole point of moving across the country was for a fresh start. But when it was time to find a stylist for the music video, Raven knew that she couldn't ignore her old friend's presence forever. For one thing, the budget was tight and she knew that Cassie would be willing to work for a discount. For another, what could be the harm in rekindling their friendship?

In the end, Raven was glad that she sought Cassie out. After meeting the Titans and witnessing their tight bonds up close, Raven found herself craving that same companionship. She knew that the band members were happy to include her in the group, but she still felt like she hadn't quite made it into their inner circle. Reconnecting with Cassie was like putting on an old pair of shoes; comfortable, familiar and reminiscent of simpler times. Even though Cassie was almost five years her junior, they had still managed to develop a sisterly kinship.

At present, the peppy blonde laid on Raven's bed and stared at the ceiling, feet dangling off of the mattress. Raven stood in front of her walk-in-closet, rummaging through the racks and shelves.

"I'm a grown woman," she complained, "dressing up is for children."

"Weren't you the one who specifically chose Halloween for the launch party date? You've got no one to blame but yourself, Rae."

The manager responded by throwing a pair of jeans in Cassie's direction.

"Hey!" Cassie shouted, shifting off the offending piece of clothing. "Remind me why I'm helping you again?"

"Because I don't know what to wear."

Raven sunk to the hardwood floor to lay on her stomach, letting out a loud groan in defeat. Cassie got up from the bed and stepped over Raven's prostrate body to get better access to the closet.

"There has to be something in here..." Cassie flicked through the clothes quickly, silently saying "no" to every monochrome garment she touched. "Well if you want to dress up as an uptight businesswoman, you've got yourself covered."

"Ha, ha, very funny," said Raven sarcastically.

"Why not order something online? I'm pretty sure French maid outfits are on sale right now."

"I would rather die before wearing clothes like that. Although calling them 'clothes' is a bit of a stretch..."

"Fair enough," Cassie replied. "Have you seen those 'sexy Minion' costumes? Absolutely terrifying."

"I don't want to buy anything either," Raven said, continuing her train of thought. "I'm not paying for flimsy, poorly-made scraps that I'm never going to wear again."

"Did you have a theme in mind? Maybe a superhero? Some celebrity? Any preference at all?"

"My only preferences are to be fully clothed and to retain my dignity."

Raven heard a gasp as a bunch of metal hangers clanged to the floor. She pushed her body up to a seated position and looked at Cassie with concern. "You okay?"

Cassie emerged from the closet clutching a black, lacy corset in her hands. She held the negligée up to her face and turned the fabric in her fingers to inspect it closely. "And here I thought you were 100 percent vanilla. This would be perfect for a costume! With a flowy skirt and a white blouse..." Cassie ransacked the closet once more and took out the more basic pieces she was searching for. She laid the clothes onto Raven's bed so she could better visualize the look. "I have an old cape at my place that I can lend you. Just match it with some killer shoes and you've got yourself a bonafide Halloween costume!"

Raven looked down at the outfit hesitantly, then realized she could do a lot worse. "...Okay, I guess this will work, thank you."

"Glad I could help! You want me to come over here first so I can help with your hair and makeup?"

"I think I can manage."

The launch party was in three days. Three days until the album would be released to the world, ready for people to stream and download. There had been lots of traffic on the band's website and social media, and the music video was premiering later that evening. Raven was extremely anxious. Her mind kept running through all of the worst case scenarios. What if people thought the video was stupid? What if the music got bad reviews? What if nobody bought the album? That last doubt was the one that kept Raven up at night. She was extremely invested in the success of the record, more so financially than emotionally. The fear of failure was debilitating.

"Rae. Raven. RAVEN!"

The woman in question broke out of her absentmindedness, eyes refocusing to look at Cassie's concerned face.

"Babe, you look super stressed out."

"Sorry, I've had a lot going on."

"Well, you know how I feel about stress management. There's no pressure that can't be relieved with a good ol' romp in the sheets," said Cassie with a smirk.

"Sex is the last thing on my mind these days."

"Oh, come on! You're hot, single, and clearly needing to mingle! Put yourself out there, why don't you?"

Raven rubbed at her temples in exasperation. "I don't have time to put myself out there. And I'm not particularly interested anyway."

"Hmph, that's too bad. Especially since there's a very interested boy toy just waiting for you on the sidelines."

"I don't know what you're talking about," Raven replied with a hint of finality, indicating that the conversation was over.

Cassie completely disregarded this and carried on, "Don't act as if you haven't noticed the way Gar looks at you! At the video shoot, his thirst levels were bordering on dangerously dehydrated," she joked. "He's attractive and available, you're attractive and available. I don't see what the problem is.

"The problem," Raven shot back, "is that I am his manager and he is my client."

"So you're saying that if you weren't working together, you would totally get it on."

The older woman hit her forehead in a facepalm with a loud smack. "What I'm saying is that there are boundaries that shouldn't be crossed. Also, he vexes me to no end."

"Uuuuugh, you are so boring sometimes. I wish you would live a little."

"Sorry to disappoint."

"That's not what I mean," Cassie murmured. "You work all the time and you're so hard on yourself. You deserve to enjoy yourself for once."

Raven's frustration melted a bit and she gave her friend a small smile. "That's very sweet of you, Cassie. Maybe I'll enjoy myself when I'm a little less busy."

Cassie rolled her eyes in reply and plopped back onto the bed. She would have continued arguing her point if not for being interrupted by a chime from Raven's phone.

Greetings Raven. We are having a viewing party at my apartment this evening for the music video premiere. It will be just the five of us and Victor's fiancée. There will be popped corn!

The text ended with several emojis, including hearts of every colour of the rainbow, a party popper and a winking face blowing a kiss. Raven stared at the message, unsure of how to respond.

"Is that Gar asking for a booty call?"

Raven shook her head with her eyes closed, willing the universe to send her patience. "No, it's Kory. They're inviting me over for when the music video premieres."

Cassie jumped up and clapped her hands in delight. "You should go! Sounds like fun."

"I don't know... I still have a lot of work to do." Raven flinched as Cassie hit her arm with one of her pillows.

"What were we just talking about? If you're not going to get some, at the very least go and have a good time with your friends."

Raven sighed. Maybe she regretted reconnecting with Cassie a little bit. She nodded her head and texted Kory back to ask what time she should show up.

Gar practically jumped up from his seat when he heard the doorbell ring. He sauntered over to the entrance of Dick and Kory's apartment to buzz in Raven with butterflies in his stomach fluttering wildly about. He was extremely excited to see the final cut of the music video and his jitters had been on a steady increase the closer they got to the launch date. This was also the first time he was seeing Raven in a non-work context. Sure, they were technically reviewing band business, but he had never interacted with her in the comfort of a home.

Speaking of homes, he was glad that Kory had offered to host their little shindig at her place. The current state of his and Victor's apartment was a level 10 disaster. Between working during the week and recording on the weekends, the two men had greatly neglected their cleaning duties. Dick and Kory's apartment had the advantage of a womanly touch, meaning that it always looked and smelled much better than their bachelor pad.

When the front door opened to reveal Raven, Gar felt his heart beat a little bit faster. She greeted him with a small nod before being picked up in Kory's arms and twirled around in a tight hug.

"I am beyond happy that you came!" Kory squealed with delight. She put the dizzy woman down and led her into the living room to introduce her to Sarah.

Gar felt the urge to follow but ultimately stayed on the sidelines. The past three weeks had been quite the roller coaster. After the plagiarism incident, he found himself in deep self-reflection and was cautious not to overstretch himself emotionally. Victor had warned him constantly that he should take it easy and just bask in his singlehood for a little bit longer. Gar agreed, not wanting to jump into any relationships too soon. True, it was over a year since he and Tara had broken up, but the repairing of his heart had only started recently.

However, he felt conflicted whenever was around Raven; his desire to get closer to her just kept growing. At the same time, he was very aware of their working relationship. He knew that she was opposed to dating a "co-worker" based on her multiple rejections of his advances. And yet... he suspected that she felt something for him too. He didn't know for sure, but he had a strong sense that his attraction wasn't one-sided. At the end of the day, he was in "healing" mode. It wouldn't do to pursue her while he was still figuring out his long-neglected trauma.

So Gar buckled down on the self-control and did his best to hold himself back. Instead of joining the girls, he went to the kitchen where Dick and Victor were preparing snacks.

"Raven's here," Gar said, "and we're five minutes away from going live."

The three men brought the bowls of popcorn and trays of drinks to the living room. There was an open seat next to Raven on the couch, but Gar purposefully sat on a single chair in the corner. Dick turned on the television and opened the YouTube app. No one except for Raven had seen the final cut. The snacks and beverages were hastily passed around as there were only two minutes left before the live premiere. The empty screen finally ended its countdown and the music video started.

The entire room held a collective breath. Everyone focused on the television, not daring to make a sound. The silence was broken when the first shot of the Titans came into view. They truly looked ridiculous and everyone had a good laugh at their shenanigans on screen. Gar glanced over to Raven, who only had a small smile on her face. She wasn't laughing out loud like the others, maybe because she had already seen it. Regardless, a warm feeling crept up inside Gar's chest at the sight of her pleasure. When the music video ended, the room erupted in applause.

"That was amazing!" Sarah cried, slightly out of breath from laughing so hard.

"Agreed," replied Kory, "we smacked the ball out of the park."

"I'm sure the rest of the album will be fantastic. I was already hyped for the launch party, but now, I can hardly wait," Sarah added excitedly.

"Have you decided upon your costume yet?" Kory inquired.

"Vic and I will go as Dorothy and the Tin Man. You?"

"Richard and I will also wear couple's attire, as Ariel and Prince Eric. What about you, dear Raven?"

"It's a surprise," she answered carefully to avoid the question. "The Wizard of Oz is a nice theme, but I'm not that familiar with the characters of Ariel and Prince Eric. Her hair is red like yours, right?"

The rest of the group gaped at Raven.

"Have you not seen The Little Mermaid?" Victor asked in an incredulous tone.

"Well, I read the original Andersen fairy tale. It's quite the tragic story. But no, I don't watch cartoons."

Victor jumped up from his seat on the floor, spilling popcorn all over the carpet. "There is no way you can go through life without seeing it, it's a classic!"

A grin spread over Gar's face as he said, "You know what this means, eh Vic?"

The two men shouted at the same time, "MOVIE NIGHT!"

Once the bowls and cups were refilled, Richard dimmed the lights and pressed "Play". Initially, Raven had no intentions of staying longer than half an hour, yet somehow, she found herself trapped in the apartment. She tried making a bunch of excuses to leave, but her escape was thwarted by a very insistent Kory. While she remained in her original seat on the couch, Richard moved from his chair on the side to sit between Kory's legs on the floor. He leaned his back against the couch while his partner mindlessly played with his hair. Victor and Sarah continued cuddling on the loveseat next to them. Garfield dragged his chair next to Raven's corner seat and rested his arm along the back of the couch.

The film began and Raven found herself enthralled by the beautiful colours and movement of the 2D animation. She enjoyed the sea witch and the little hermit crab, who were easily the most entertaining characters in the story. That being said, the plot left a lot to be desired. As the movie continued, Raven became increasingly bored. Things were starting to get predictable and she wasn't all that interested in watching until the end. Social convention, however, dictated that she stay until it was over. Halfway through, the scene with Ariel and Eric sitting in a canoe played out. Next to her, Garfield began to sing along under his breath:

There you see her / Sitting there across the way

She don't got a lot to say / But there's something about her

And you don't know why / But you're dying to try

You wanna kiss the girl

Raven looked at him sideways. He really did have a lovely voice. It was a sweet tenor, just a little higher than Richard's baritone. Now that she was focused on the guitarist, she noticed that he smelled like a mixture of pine and sandalwood. She continued peeking at Garfield as he carried on his singing:

Yes, you want her / Look at her, you know you do

It's possible she wants you too / There's one way to ask her

It don't take a word, not a single word

Go on and kiss the girl

His eyes flicked from the screen to meet hers. Raven quickly averted her eyes, staring intently ahead as if that was where she was looking the whole time. She tried to ignore his lingering gaze on the side of her face. Through her peripheral vision, she saw his lips continue whispering the lyrics:

Shalalalala / My oh my

Looks like the boy's too shy

Ain't gonna kiss the girl

She thought she saw his shy grin become regretful before he turned away to refocus his attention to the screen. Raven kept her eyes firmly on the television for the remainder of the film. Eventually, the closing credits rolled and Richard got up to turn on the light.

"So, what's the verdict?" Victor asked as he stretched his arms, getting up from his seat.

"The music was enjoyable and the art was quite appealing. But I think I prefer the original ending," Raven replied.

"Original ending?" questioned Kory.

"The prince rejects the mermaid and in her grief, she turns into sea foam."

Victor remarked, "Yeesh, morbid much?"

Raven shrugged emotionlessly in response. "It's certainly better than telling young girls that they need a man to be happy. I would have much preferred the underwater kingdom and fins."

The group laughed at her practical statement before dispersing. Raven was finally able to excuse herself and say her goodbyes before moving towards the exit. Dick and Kory tidied up the living room while Victor and Sarah brought the dishes to the kitchen. This left Raven and Garfield standing in the hallway by the front door.

"Come on, Rae, that's not very romantic," Garfield said with a smile.

"Ra-ven is a realist. Don't blame me for being pragmatic."

"It's getting chilly out there," he remarked, tilting his head in the direction of the window facing the street. "For such a pragmatic person, I'm surprised you didn't bring a thicker jacket."

Raven looked down at the thin sleeves of her top. It was much later than she expected and she hadn't taken the night air into account before she left her condo. "I'll be fine. I'm going straight into a cab anyway."

"It wouldn't do for our dear manager to catch a cold right before our celebration. Here." Garfield shrugged out of his fleece hoodie and handed it to Raven. She looked down at the soft piece of clothing, then back up at him with a raised eyebrow. He said, "Just take it. Vic likes to crank the heat in his car anyway."

Before she left, Raven asked him a final question, "You never said what your costume will be."

"It's a surprise," he answered simply. A teasing grin appeared on his handsome face, eyes twinkling with amusement.

Without another word, Raven walked out, the sweater still clutched in her hands. As she exited the building, a frigid wind blew in her direction. She looked down at her phone to see that her taxi was still 5 minutes away. Letting go of her childish stubbornness, she pulled the sweater over her body and shifted the hood up to protect her face from the cold. The fabric held the same musky scent that she now associated with Garfield. As she breathed it in, her stomach did a little flip-flop. Before going to bed, she neglected to change out of the borrowed clothing, rationalising that it was far too comfortable to take off.

October 31st is most commonly associated with Halloween, but for years to come, Gar would always remember it as the date of their launch party. He had asked Victor if he could hitch a ride since he wanted to avoid taking public transit in his costume. His roommate didn't mind as long as he was ready to go in time to pick up Sarah. The two men spent the day working on their costumes. Instead of painting himself silver, Victor opted to wear a suit of stiff, metallic material. He used a borrowed tube of eyelash glue to affix a stainless steel funnel to his head. As an extra detail, he sewed a red fabric heart to the front of his chest.

"How do I look?" asked Victor as he stepped into Gar's room.

"Never better, buddy. You should consider wearing that thing on your head all the time. It really distracts from the blinding light that usually shines off your bald head."

"I am not bald!" Victor protested defensively. "I just like the shaved look."

"Mhmm, keep telling yourself that, Chrome Dome," Gar replied.

"Shaddap, ya punk," Victor muttered, coming closer to muss up Gar's hair. "You almost done? We're leaving soon."

"Yup, just a couple more finishing touches and I'm good to go." Gar didn't bother looking up, still concentrating on the adjustments that he made to the garment in front of him.

"Where'd you get that tail from, an anime shop? Damn weeaboo..."

"Excuuuuuse you, Mr. Judgy McJudgerson! Don't be mad because my costume is better than yours!"

"Whatever, man," answered Victor as he looked down at his watch. "Just be ready to go in 15 minutes. If you aren't, I'm leaving without you!"

Victor left the room, closing the door behind him. Gar began to undress and pulled all of the various costume elements onto his body. He admired himself in a full length mirror that hung against his door, grinning as he looked over the outfit one more time. He needed to remember to thank Cassie when he got to the club; he definitely owed her one. Gar collected his keys, wallet and phone, and put the items into their regular place in his back pockets. He whistled to himself as he exited the apartment, thinking about the look on Raven's face when she finally saw him.

A/N: Hope y'all enjoyed the fluff in this one. The sweater trope is one of my favourites. Obviously, I do not own "Kiss The Girl" or The Little Mermaid. That would be the scary folks of the Disney Corporation.

Till next time, Lily Timbers