Published: May 4, 2020

A/N: May the Fourth be with you!

Track 12: Family Tradition

The dreary December weather was a cold, soggy blanket that covered the city with a damp chill. The air turned even cooler and it rained more often than not. Gar tried to remember to bring an umbrella with him whenever he left the house, but most days, he couldn't be bothered. The rain rarely got worse than a drizzle and he didn't mind getting damp every once in a while. His everyday uniform consisted of his red and white racer jacket, light wash jeans and a hoodie. He mainly wore the thick sweater to keep himself warm, but it also gave him the option of covering his face if need be.

As he walked through downtown Jump City, he noticed several people turn their heads to stare at him. The guitarist enjoyed the feeling of being recognized and was tempted to stay visible. However, he drew up his hood to preserve anonymity. In recent weeks, the Titans' infamy had risen considerably, so Raven requested that the team become more prudent with their public appearances. They weren't quite famous enough to get mobbed on the streets, but she felt it was wiser to err on the side of caution.

"We show the media what we want, when we want," their manager had instructed. "It's crucial that we maintain control of your public image. So be smart and don't put yourself in the spotlight if you don't have to, got it?"

Following their late night debut, the team had been interviewed several times. Their press junkets were a mix of short-form videos and longer sit-down chats with a single host. Gar's favourite types of interviews were rapid-fire QnAs, while the others preferred the deeper, more thought-out questions. All four of them loved to perform live whenever they got the chance. To date, they had played their lead single six times, including an in-studio session at Jump Up! FM's radio station.

In addition to their one-song performances, they were scheduled to play a full set on Christmas Eve at Wolfie's for old time's sake. Although their overall sales and streaming rates had decelerated because it was the season for holiday music, their singles continued to do well both critically and financially. As Raven predicted, "How Long is Forever?" was getting very close to being certified Platinum. At the end of November, they released "Aftershock" as a follow-up single and the song had already made its way up to #16 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Their bi-monthly payouts were beginning to reflect their success too, much to Gar's relief. The amounts were around the same as what he made at his former job bussing tables and manning a cash register, but he didn't care. He was simply proud of the fact that he was able to support himself from their music, proving Steve and Rita's doubts wrong.

When his foster parents returned from their European vacation, they were shocked to find out that their loafer of a son had become a mini-celebrity. Rita had phoned to tell him about their trip, but Steve took over the call to give him a shorter but no less intense version of the Spanish Inquisition. Gar was interrogated about everything, from Raven's credibility as a manager to how much money he was making. Gar managed to answer the intrusive questions through clenched teeth, but it was Steve's final comment that set him off.

"Fame doesn't last forever, Garfield. What you're chasing after is meaningless."

"Sir, you're being-"

"-When your fifteen minutes are up and you're a starving artist on the streets, don't come crying back to me, boy. You had your chance to make something of yourself, but no, you threw it all away. And for what? The sooner you get these childish fantasies out of your head, the better!"

The phone call ended abruptly when Gar hung up out of pure anger. The entire experience left a bitter taste in his mouth for the days that followed. His relationship with Steve had always been tenuous, especially when he moved out after high school. Though he tried to be civil for Rita's sake, it was always a struggle. He had hoped that no longer living under their roof would make things easier, but if anything, the physical distance made their rift even worse. Gar diverted his thoughts from the unpleasant memories and focused them on Raven instead.

The guitarist had asked her to meet up with him at the shopping center downtown so she could give him his next royalty cheque. He was fully aware that meeting in person wasn't necessary, but he liked finding little excuses to see her, especially without the rest of the gang. Their meet-ups weren't dates, of course. He merely enjoyed spending time alone with her. She seemed less overwhelmed in a one-on-one setting and was much more likely to open up to him.

He passed through the east entrance of the building where he saw Raven already waiting at their regular spot. She gave him a curt nod, which was her customary way of saying hello. The petite woman wore a large, dark blue rain jacket and Gar could see a black turtleneck peek out from the top of her collar. He melted internally at how cute she looked. The oversized outerwear made her look tinier than she really was and it made him want to pick her up or squeeze her cheeks like a small child. He refrained from acting upon these feelings, mostly because he didn't have a death wish. Raven took out an envelope from her coat and handed it to Gar, who tucked it away safely in his back pocket.

"I can always set up a direct deposit, by the way," she said drily.

"Yeah, yeah, but I like the feeling of cashing it myself. It makes me feel like a real adult, you know?"

Raven only scoffed and shook her head.

"What, are you saying there's something more 'adult-y' than going to the bank and making small talk with a teller?" he asked.

"You're twenty-five years old now, Garfield. You're a 'real' adult whether you like it or not."

Gar had celebrated his birthday a couple weeks prior with the entire gang. Kory and Dick hosted the small party at their place, which had become the Titans' official hangout spot. Gar and Victor's apartment was in no condition to be seen by other people. Raven never offered up her own condo either, but her business-only attitude had relaxed considerably. Their get-togethers would start out as team meetings, but they almost always ended with pizza and a movie.

That evening, they held a video game tournament. His four friends all pitched in to buy him a Game Station 5 which included a copy of Mega Monkeys: Boulevard Battles. While the band members took turns playing against each other, Raven declined and pulled out a book instead. Gar still considered her to be a participant because every once in a while, she would look up from her novel to comment on the gameplay. He smiled at the thought of their homey, intimate evening. She had truly become a part of the Titans' family, albeit in her own special way.

"Come to think of it, Raven, I don't know when your birthday is," Gar wondered aloud.

"It's irrelevant. I don't celebrate my birthday."

"Seriously?" he retorted. "Next, you're going to tell me that you don't celebrate Christmas, or something."

"I don't."

"What?!"

"A lot of people don't. Not everyone follows the Christian tradition and it's more of a consumerist cash-grab anyway."

"Forget about it as a religious thing," he asserted with a dismissive wave of his hand. "What about a cultural tradition? Or you know, a family tradition?"

Raven shrugged, "I don't really have any family traditions." She turned her gaze away and shifted her feet. It was obvious that the topic of conversation had made her uncomfortable, but Gar wasn't ready to let it go.

"So what do you usually do at this time of the year?"

"Nothing much. I stay home, read a book, order takeout," she answered monotonously.

Gar shook his head and continued, "That's unacceptable! There's no way you're spending Christmas by yourself."

"Well what exactly do you suggest? I'm not going to impose myself on anybody else's family time."

"Don't be silly, Rae. You are family." He felt a surge of boldness take over him. Before she could chastise him for the use of her nickname, Gar blurted out, "Why not spend Christmas with me?"

"Seriously?"

"To be honest, I was trying to find an excuse to skip out at my folks' place. We aren't on the best of terms right now and I'm not too keen on seeing them."

She raised an eyebrow and replied sardonically, "Whatever happened to family tradition?"

"Bah, humbug! Traditions were meant to be broken. It's good to change things up every once in a while!" Gar exclaimed in an encouraging tone. When she didn't answer, he kept going, "Come on, we can make it a Titans thing! I'm pretty sure Dick and Kory were planning on spending the holiday here. And Sarah is ditching Vic to go on a girls' trip with her sister."

"I-I don't know if I'm comfo-"

"How about this; if they're down, are you in? Please Raven? Say yes."

Raven had no idea why she said yes. Maybe it was the puppy dog eyes he had given her. Or maybe she just wanted to get him to shut up. Either way, he had backed her into a corner and she crumbled under the pressure like a gingerbread cookie. She fervently hoped that the other three would be busy, but Murphy's law dictated that the opposite was true. Soon after she parted ways with Garfield, she received a message on their group chat. Everyone was free to meet up before their performance on Christmas Eve. Then, Kory suggested that they have a sleepover till Christmas morning. The only trouble was that neither set of roommates had enough space for five people to comfortably sleep. Again, Raven had no clue as to what possessed her to type what she did next:

Raven: I have a spare room that two people can use.

Garfield: *surprised emoji*

Raven: If someone sleeps on the couch, we just need one air mattress.

Garfield: YAAAAAAAAS SLUMBER PARTY! *clapping emoji* x 3

Kory: *smiling emoji* *face with party hat emoji* *Santa emoji*

Richard: I'll bring the air mattress

Victor: I'll bring the ham *pig emoji*

Garfield: Don't forget the greens

Victor: You can't force me to eat your rabbit food

Garfield: Murderer

Victor: Tree hugger

Richard: That's enough, guys

Garfield: Brainless carnivore

Victor: Psycho herbivore

Garfield: Hope you choke on your meat

Victor: Hope you choke on a *eggplant emoji*

Over the next few days, the "simple" Christmas plans transformed into a complicated monster. First, there was the meal. It baffled Raven as to how Victor and Garfield could have lived together for so long. Anytime food was brought up, the two men would launch into a grand debate over the pros and cons of eating meat. The arguments would quickly devolve into schoolyard insults, which drove Raven crazy.

It was finally decided that Victor would take care of all of the mains while Garfield would handle the sides. Richard offered to bring booze and dessert. Thankfully, this meant that the girls didn't have to contribute other than washing the dishes. Based on the quality of Kory's hangover cure and Raven's lack of experience in the kitchen, it was the best case scenario for everyone's taste buds.

Then, there was the matter of a gift exchange. Everyone had different ideas and it took several messages back and forth to agree on a Secret Santa system. The next time the entire gang got together, Richard put everyone's names in a hat and conducted a blind draw. The budget was set to 150 dollars, which was fine by Raven. She much preferred splurging on one nice gift for a single person rather than having to buy several smaller presents for everybody.

The final issue was the sleeping arrangements. It was settled that Kory and Richard would take the spare room, Victor would get the air mattress and Garfield would sleep on the couch. However, Raven never had so many guests stay over at once and she didn't have enough bedding. When she mentioned this, Kory offered to bring over extra blankets and pillows in advance. A week before Christmas, the bassist brightly showed up at Raven's door, holding several large tote bags full of linens. "Greetings, friend!" Kory strode inside and unceremoniously plopped the bags on the floor. She looked around the condo with an expression of awe, taking in the architecture and furnishings.

The interior designer had taken the Scandinavian approach of choosing a clean, limited palette. The unit was mostly cream, black and grey, with pops of muted blue or yellow here and there. The hardwood floors were stained with a medium cherry tone, which brought warmth to the open floor plan. The decor consisted of sleek glassware and metallic knick knacks. There were tiny ceramic vases of dried flowers and herbs scattered around, giving the room a floral, earthy aroma. Every side table and counter held a scented candle or two, which had burned down to various levels.

"Your home is beautiful! I do love the aesthetic of minimalism."

"Thank you," Raven replied humbly, "it was already painted and furnished when I bought it. I just added my own little touches here and there."

Besides Cassie, Kory was the only other person to come inside the unit since moving in. Raven had obsessively cleaned every visible surface, nook, and cranny before her guest's arrival. She didn't perceive herself as a neat freak, but there was something about having an outsider come into her personal sanctuary that made her feel self-conscious. She invited Kory to sit in the living room while she fixed them both a cup of fresh peppermint tea. While the two women had gotten more familiar with each other over the last five months, this was their first one-on-one time together.

"Excited for the holidays?" asked Raven.

"Oh yes. We do not celebrate Christmas in Tamaran, but I have grown to love it over the years."

"I guess that explains why you're not spending it with your family then."

"That is correct. And plane tickets are too expensive at this time."

"Do you visit them often?"

Kory's voice took on a wistful tone. "Every once in a green moon. But my parents are no longer alive and I am not close with my brother and sister. When the civil war ended, I decided to stay behind by myself. Everyone else went back."

"What made you stay instead of going with them?"

"America is an interesting place full of many things to discover. Not better, but very different from Tamaran. I consider it my home now. And of course, I could not leave Richard behind." Kory's eyes went soft and a sappy smile graced her lips. Her peaceful expression at the thought of her partner made Raven a little envious. The manager wondered what it was like to be in such a long term relationship.

"It was very brave of you to make a sacrifice like that. You must really love him, don't you?"

"With all my heart," Kory replied with conviction, although her smile tightened, "but sometimes, I wonder if he feels the same."

Her comment surprised Raven, who tentatively asked, "What makes you say that?"

"Do you know much about our relationship?"

"You're high school sweethearts, right? So you've been together for ten years?"

"Eight, if you include the spaces between 'off' and 'on'. He proposed to me five years ago, but nothing has changed since then."

The manager looked down at Kory's clenched hands to see her fiddle with her engagement ring. She didn't wear it all the time, but Raven assumed it was because it got in the way of her playing the bass guitar. Now, she wondered if it was because their relationship wasn't as solid as she thought.

"Richard is a... complicated person," Kory said in a small voice. "Compared to him, I am very simple and straightforward. If I want or feel something, I express it loudly. If I believe in something, I am passionate and vocal. Such is the Tamaranean way. Richard thinks too much, like most Americans. He thinks and thinks, and sometimes, his thoughts never leave his brain. It can be very frustrating." The taller woman leaned forward so that her elbows rested on her thighs and held her chin in her hands. She scrunched up her face in an annoyed expression and her eyes took on a glassy sheen. "I promised him I would be patient about the wedding, but it is most difficult. I do not see the point of waiting if we love each other."

Before Raven could offer any words of encouragement, Kory sniffled and changed the subject. "You practice yoga?" she asked. Her forefinger pointed at the exercise mat that lay in its usual spot in front of the window.

"Yes, I have since I was a child."

"How wondrous! I have always wanted to try, but I would not know where to start."

"I could teach you, if you like." Raven wasn't great with her words, but at least she could show her moral support with her actions.

"I would like that very much," Kory replied with a wide, blinding smile. She continued looking around the room. "Wait a moment... Where are your Christmas decorations? I see no tree, no large socks and no chains of popped corn!"

"That's because I don't own any."

Kory gasped dramatically and her eyes popped out of their sockets. "This simply will not do! No, no, no! We must rectify this immediately!" She jumped from her seat, almost splashing her tea on the couch. Kory dragged Raven by the arm towards the door and started putting on her jacket.

"Wh-where are we going?"

Kory's eyes glinted and her mouth spread into a fierce grin. She exuded the aura of a warrior princess going off to battle and it made Raven shake in her boots. "To the mall!"

Raven hated shopping on a regular day, but during the holidays, the experience was even worse. Kory, social butterfly that she was, seemed to thrive in the midst of the bustling, busy crowds. The building was packed to the brim with people. In some stores, the lines snaked outside their entrances due to the high volume of last-minute shoppers. Kory took the lead, guiding Raven through the crowd with their arms linked.

They made their way to a department store and headed straight to the decor section. They filled a cart with several items, including a small tree, an array of ornaments, and three boxes of white fairy lights. While they shopped, Kory told stories of her childhood in Tamaran. Raven appreciated the fact that her friend was doing the heavy lifting in their conversation. She always preferred to listen rather than talk about herself. She also found the foreign culture extremely fascinating. Even though Kory considered Jump City her home, it was clear that she still had a strong fondness for her motherland.

"Oh, we must get some of these!" Kory picked up a string of silver jingle bells and shook them, releasing a delicate tinkling sound in the air. "They remind me of tinnabula."

"What's that?"

"It is a traditional type of jewelry that one wears on Blorthog, the national Day of Friendship. You wear it around your neck, like this." She raised the jingle bells and draped them around Raven like a necklace. "Every year, all of the families in the village would join together in a feast. The children exchange tinnabula with their friends and then perform folk music, songs and dances."

"That sounds wonderful."

"It truly was. It is unfortunate that such a day does not exist in American culture," Kory replied quietly. Her eyes teared up for the second time that afternoon. Kory's sadness hit Raven like a wave and she couldn't help but feel sympathetic towards her friend.

"Do you ever wish...?"

"If you are asking if I have regrets, then no. I regret nothing. If I went back, I never would have achieved my dreams of being a musician or remained with my precious friends." Kory put down the string of bells to pick up Raven's hand. "I am ever so grateful to have met you. We have not known each other for years and years, but already, I feel you are my sister. I notice all of the things you do for us, both big and small. Your kindness and friendship bring me great joy."

Raven was taken aback at the bold declaration of affection. Kory was right about her self-assessment; compared to others, the bassist was a very simple and straightforward person. She was also courageous, compassionate, and fiercely loyal. Her childlike innocence and honest delivery made her words that much more genuine. In contrast, Raven was so used to holding herself back and putting on a mask of indifference in front of other people, that it made her uncomfortable. However, there was something about Kory that inspired her to be more transparent with her feelings.

The manager was suddenly overcome with emotion, to the point where she didn't trust herself to reply without making a scene in public. Instead, she silently squeezed back Kory's hand and put a jumbo roll of the silver bells into their cart. Thankfully, Kory understood her unspoken feelings. She re-linked her arm with Raven's and the two women continued their shopping adventure in a comfortable silence.

Gar walked out of the store 148 dollars and 89 cents poorer. He held the small shopping bag in his fingers tightly, careful not to drop his expensive purchase. The whole "adulting" gig had gotten a bit easier over the last few months. Younger, less mature Gar would have waited till the very last second to pick up his Secret Santa gift. Yet here he was, finished with his shopping a whole week early. He decided to treat his very responsible self to a green smoothie. On the way to the food court, he stopped in his tracks when he saw two familiar faces sitting on a bench next to several large shopping bags.

"Yo Raven! Kory!" he shouted, waving his arms. He jogged over and took a seat next to them after placing some of their bags on the ground. "What are you ladies up to today?"

"We were picking out decorations for Raven's residence. Take a look!" Kory presented him their haul in a "Show and Tell" fashion. After several minutes of rambling, she interrupted herself with a sudden realization. "Oh, how fortunate! You can stay with Raven while I go pick up Richard's present. I will be back in two jiffies!"

The excitable woman whizzed away, leaving the other two alone on the bench. Gar could have sworn that Kory had given him a knowing wink and a smile before she dashed off. He wrapped his arm around Raven's shoulders and moved in close to whisper in her ear, "So, what did you get me?"

"Nothing. I'm not your Secret Santa," she intoned emotionlessly.

"That's exactly what you would say to try to throw me off the trail. I ain't buying it!"

Raven leaned away from his face to give him a hard stare. "What makes you so sure that it's me?"

"I have a hunch," he replied confidently, "and even if you're not, you can still give me a present."

"Really?"

"Really, really. It won't even cost you anything."

"Wow, how lucky for me."

"You're not even going to ask what it is?"

She rolled her eyes in a huff and forcefully asked, "What do you want, Garfield?"

"For you to call me 'Gar'."

"Again with this nonsense," she groaned. "Why is this so important to you?"

"'Garfield' is so old-fashioned and it's way too formal! It makes it sound like we aren't as close as we actually are."

"Are we as close as you think we are?"

"Don't give me that bullshit, Raven. I'm basically your best friend," he said loftily.

"So we're best friends now?"

"Well, maybe not best friends. Vic would fight you on that one. But we're definitely more than just regular friends."

"Oh dear, this is starting to get confusing. How will I ever survive if we don't have a label picked out for this?" remarked Raven sarcastically while pointing back and forth between the two of them.

"Hmm, maybe you could be... My precious pal? Bosom buddy? Ooh, what about, sidekick?"

"As if I would be your sidekick. If we were superheroes, I would definitely be the one in charge."

"Nah, if you really think about it, it would be Dick. He's more of a team leader whereas you're just kinda bossy."

Fire flashed in Raven's eyes at his insensitive comment. "You're not making the greatest case for yourself right now. In fact, I would say that you're on your way to being demoted to 'acquaintance'," she threatened.

"Sorry, sorry! Okay, well here's a question for you: why is it so difficult for you to call me 'Gar'?"

"I don't like nicknames," she said flatly with a hint of disdain. "For me, or for other people. Why is it so difficult for you to accept that?"

Gar sighed deeply and threw up his hands in surrender before crossing his arms obstinately over his chest. There was just no winning with this woman. "Fine. I guess we've reached a stalemate then," he muttered, not bothering to hide the disappointment in his voice. Gar was dejected, but he also felt like he had pushed Raven a little too far this time. He would have given up and apologized if not for the small hand that settled on his elbow.

"I'll try, okay? I won't make you any promises, but I'll try. It takes a while for this old dog to learn new tricks."

"Awww, you're not an old dog. You're more like... A grumpy, middle-aged bi-"

Raven jabbed him in the side before he could finish his joke. Her lack of response and refusal to meet his eyes were the tell-tale signs that she secretly found him funny, but was too proud to laugh out loud. Gar wrapped his arm around her even tighter to give her a cozy side hug.

"You know, there's something I'd like in return," she said.

"Oh yeah?"

"It won't even cost you anything."

"I'd spend all my money on you, Raven. Whaddya want?"

"When you sleepover, can you turn off the snoring? At Richard and Kory's, I thought I was being woken up by a minor earthquake."

Gar laughed out loud and ruffled her hair in retaliation. As Raven smoothed her black locks back down to her scalp, he glanced over to see a tiny smile dance on her face. While the two of them waited for Kory to return, Gar felt a warm affection for his taciturn friend rise up and settle in his chest. With Christmas approaching, he had a strong feeling that they were in the midst of starting a whole new family tradition, one he hoped that they would keep for a long, long time.

A/N: Yay for Kory and Raven bonding! I LOVE their friendship, and I'm excited to develop their dynamic further. I knew I had to include the "mall of shopping" eventually, but makeover scenes are a little overdone in this fandom. Raven is a grown woman, she has her own sense of style and knows how to dress herself at this point, lol. She'll get her bonding moment with Dick soon too.

Till next time, Lily Timbers

Replies to Guest Reviews:

Guest: Developing Cyborg was really important to me. He's often minimized to an afterthought/5th wheel/Love Doctor in BBRae fics, which I think is such a shame. His character is so complex and while it may not be as crazy as the others', his backstory is tragic in its own right. And thanks again for your kind words! I'm really looking forward to seeing my students, but it's a challenge staying germ-free on a regular day. As we say in French, "On verra" (We'll see what happens next). You stay safe too!

GURA: Hello again! I originally wanted to make Terra 100% that bitch because I don't really like her, but I didn't think it was fair, haha. I love big brother Cyborg too!