Published: June 9, 2020

Track 20: Hot and Cold

Raven let the introductions unfold naturally between the Titans and the Bees. With their combined forces making up a total of fifteen people, the process was going to take a while. They would soon share the stage and eventually, a tour bus. It was essential that the two groups got along well with one another. The only woman on Wally's team stepped forward. She wore a gold, fitted pantsuit and her natural hair was braided and tied into two space buns.

"Hi, everyone! I'm the lead singer for this group of scoundrels. I go by 'Honey' on stage, but my real name is Karen Beecher." She surveyed the Titans and slowly took in all of the new faces. Her intelligent eyes sparked at the sight of Victor, whom she looked up and down with approval. "And you are?"

"Victor Stone."

"Aren't you a tall glass of water?"

Red lights flashed in the Raven's mind. She didn't want them getting along too well. "Victor's fiancée thinks so too," she said in her "manager" voice, answering for the larger man who flushed with embarrassment.

Karen sighed and shook her head disappointedly. "The good ones are always taken. Too bad."

A side conversation started between Kory and another member of the Bees. Like Wally, he had ginger hair, but it was cut much closer to his scalp. His build was similar to Richard's and he also had a penchant for wearing sunglasses indoors. Through the shaded lenses, Raven saw him leer at Kory with great interest. "Roy Harper, drums. So, when it comes to pounding... Do you prefer it slow or speedy?"

Raven cringed. Now that was totally uncalled for. Her knee-jerk reaction was to intervene, but Richard beat her to it. "Nice to meet you," he said in a way that suggested their meeting was anything but nice, "She's Kory Grayson and I'm Richard Grayson." He paused to let their matching surnames sink in. The man blanched when Richard took his hand in a vise-like grip. "However, my friends call me 'Dick'. Don't give me a reason to show you how much I can act like my name."

"Whoa, I'm no home-wrecker! Sorry about that," Roy apologized warily.

In the meantime, a pair of twins behind them were equally entranced with Kory's beauty. Apparently, the older brother was the lead guitarist and the younger one played the keyboard. They were the shortest of them all and Raven guessed they weren't a day over eighteen. They were also perfectly identical, though one twin had a gap in his front teeth.

"Me llamo Marco."
/My name is Marco./

""Soy Manny. ¡Tú eres muy bonita!"
/I'm Manny. You're beautiful!/

"¿Estás soltera?"
/Are you single?/

Apparently, they didn't get the memo that Kory was a married woman. Richard practically fumed. He must have gotten his fair share of romantic rivals over the years, which was no surprise when taking his wife's objective good looks into consideration. That being said, all men have limits. Instead of confronting them directly like he did with Roy, Richard addressed their manager. "Do you mind telling your amigos to lay off my wife?"

"Marco, Manny, back off!" Wally said in their direction, then turned back to Richard. "Those Pérez brothers gravitate to women like magnets. They're really great, I swear."

"Are they monolingually Spanish?" Raven questioned.

"No, they're perfectly fluent in English. They immigrated from Guatemala when they were kids. Sometimes, they switch back when they get overly excited. Or, when they want to talk shit about the rest of us," explained Wally with a laugh.

Through her peripheral vision, Raven could see Garfield talking to the last member of the Bees. She recognized him as their bassist. The man had the body of an Olympian and stood at just over 6 feet tall. Long, black hair matched dark irises. His skin was impossibly smooth and his face held a gentle, understated expression. The only word Raven could use to describe him was "pretty". She observed the two musicians in amusement as they sized each other up.

"Garth."

"Gar."

"Cool, our names are almost the same!"

"I guess so." A flicker of annoyance crossed Garfield's face. Raven could tell that he didn't approve the direct comparison.

"Hey, didn't you take a nasty fall yesterday?"

"How do you know about that?" asked Garfield, instinctively touching the bruise on his forehead. Its bluish-purple colour had begun to fade into a muddy green along the edges.

"It was all over Twitter this morning."

Raven's ears perked up at the mention of the media. She must have missed it while they were on the plane. The rest of the group approached as Garth pulled out his phone to show everyone what he was talking about. He scrolled through several videos on his feed, which all caught the moment from different angles. The posts were accompanied by the hashtag #TitansTumble. One Tweet had gotten a lot of traction in particular. The user transformed the clip into a GIF so that Garfield's face plant into the floor was on a never ending loop.

"I guess there's no such thing as bad publicity," Raven thought. While the incident was hardly a good thing, it wasn't a disaster either. If anything, all of this attention would increase their visibility online. Now that the initial worry had passed, Raven was able to appreciate the "tumble" for what it was: hilariously cringe-worthy. A German term came to mind: schadenfreude, the pleasure that comes from witnessing others' pain. She was far from happy that Garfield had gotten hurt, but seeing him flail in the air was pretty funny. Still, she refrained from laughing aloud. However, that didn't stop the others from letting themselves go. Both Titans and Bees erupted in snickers and giggles.

"You gotta admit," Victor chuckled loudly, "that shit's entertaining!"

"Geez, I thought this was bad," Garfield said while pointing at his bruised skin, "but my poor ego..."

He joined in with the group, bursting into hearty laughter and nudging Victor good-naturedly in the arm. The act was convincing, but not convincing enough. Raven could tell that he was just trying to save face. She frowned. Even though Garfield was an easy-going person, she doubted that he enjoyed being the butt of a joke. She clapped her hands together to gather everyone's attention. "I think we've loitered enough, let's eat!"

They moved into the restaurant where the maître d' ushered them to their table. They were given a private room due to the group's size and higher-profile status. Despite the colourful introductions, the Bees were quite friendly and all of the Titans were on their best behaviour. Raven sat at the head of the table with Wally on the opposite end. She was flanked by Garfield on her right and Garth on her left. While she was more comfortable talking with her own client, the whole point was to acquaint themselves with the other team. So she turned to Garth and asked, "Have you always been a musician?"

"No, I used to be a professional swimmer. Music has always been my passion though."

"I see. Was it difficult to give up your career?"

"Not at all. Meeting our fans and travelling is worth it. I'm especially looking forward to the beach at our Miami stop. As long as I'm by the water, I'm happy. In fact, I've always felt that the ocean is my muse."

Internally, Raven rolled her eyes at the pretentious remark. As if anyone could make a claim on the entire ocean. She nodded politely and kept eating instead of scoffing back in indignation like she wanted to. While Garth was occupied in conversation with someone else, Raven felt something nudge her foot under the table. She looked at Garfield, who leaned over and muttered under his breath, "Can you believe this guy? 'The ocean is my muse', my ass."

"Tell me about it," she whispered back.

They exchanged quiet smiles before being interrupted by the clanging of a glass. Wally stood up and announced, "I'd like to make a toast. Here's to new friends, great food, even better music... and a successful tour!" The entire table cheered in unison and clinked their glasses together. Again, Raven made eyes with Garfield and he gave her a mischievous grin. For the rest of the evening, her attention was split between the meal in front of her and his foot rubbing against her leg. Once the bills were paid, everyone stood up from their seats with full stomachs.

"We were thinking of going bowling after this," Roy said. "You guys want to come with?"

The Titans looked over at Raven, who in turn deferred to Richard. It was her personal default to avoid socializing, but she didn't want to get in the way of everybody else's fun.

"A little team bonding wouldn't hurt," the frontman replied. "What do you say, gang?"

They agreed enthusiastically, but Raven wasn't interested. When she tried to excuse herself, she was met with a dozen defiant looks. Resistance was futile; she couldn't have fought against the peer pressure even if she wanted to. It was below freezing outside, so the group briefly parted ways to retrieve outerwear from their rooms. Raven would have changed out of her dress, but Wally insisted that they leave as soon as possible. Apparently, he had booked the entire bowling alley till closing time and he wanted to get his money's worth. The two moderately famous rock bands would stick out like sore thumbs amongst the "regular folk", so it was a wise move. Raven put on a thick wool peacoat and rushed back to the elevator. She had forgotten what Wally was like back in school. He always zoomed around, not realizing that normal people couldn't keep up with his pace. Travelling with the Bees was going to be interesting, very interesting indeed.

The bowling alley was decorated with retro neon signs and 1950s Rock n' Roll played over the speakers. Just as Wally promised, they had the whole place to themselves. After getting fitted with shoes and grabbing drinks from the bar, they divided into three even teams. The first consisted of the Titans band members and Raven. The Bees stuck together as all five musicians and the four roadies were joined by Wally. Each team had their own lane and their collective points would be tallied at the end.

"The next round of booze is on the losers!" declared Karen.

Everyone got into place and punched their names into the computers. Gar was excited; he hadn't gone bowling since he and his friends were just a high school garage band. He impatiently drummed his fingers on the bench as he waited for the game to start. Next to him, Raven fiddled with the laces of her rented shoes.

"You ready to bowl?" he asked.

"I don't know, I've never done it before. By the way," she added in a whisper, "are you alright?"

"Yeah, why wouldn't I be?"

"Earlier, when everyone was laughing at the videos... You looked uncomfortable."

He was surprised that she picked up on that. As much as he liked cracking jokes, it was no fun being the punchline. He swallowed his embarrassment and shrugged nonchalantly. "Aw, that was no biggie. I'm a tough cookie."

"Gar," Raven said sternly, "I thought you said we were going to be transparent with each other. You can drop the act."

He looked at her thoughtfully. There was no point in playing dumb now. "It was a little humiliating, but I'll survive."

"Did you feel that way about the prank too?" she asked, nervously biting her lip.

"Nah, that was pure comedy gold."

Her previously worried expression was replaced with a challenging smirk. She leaned in closer and said, "Really? You're always complaining that I'm too boring."

"Oh, you're definitely still boring," Gar replied jokingly. "But honestly, I was impressed. Especially with how you roped in the others for your dirty work."

"They don't call me the boss for nothing."

Gar briefly wondered if his boss was just as authoritative in bed as she was in real life. They hadn't been alone since their pit stop before Portland and he was craving a little more... intimacy. His thoughts were interrupted when Raven sneakily grabbed his hand and squeezed it before letting it go. "I'm glad you're okay," she said with a soft smile. "You get pouty when you're upset."

The flames of desire cooled down to a warm affection. It wasn't just about the instant attraction for him anymore, it hadn't been for a long time. Holding hands beneath a blanket and playing footsies under a table were hardly exciting, yet he cherished every single one of those stolen moments.

"Boo-yah!" The Titans' drummer whooped and pumped his fist in the air. In typical "Victor" fashion, he was able to get a double-strike on his first try. He did a happy dance back to the bench and gave Raven a light pat on the shoulder. "Your turn."

She reluctantly got up from her seat and shrugged off her jacket. Gar was pleased to see that she was still wearing her little red dress. She really did look incredible tonight. Raven picked up a neon green ball but quickly dropped it after realizing that it was way too heavy for her.

"Here, this one might be a better fit for you." From the lane next to them, Garth handed her an aquamarine bowling ball with a debonair smile. Gar bristled when he noticed the man briefly glance at her cleavage. The man's voice was deep, deeper than Gar's. He was also taller and his muscles were much more defined. On most people, the long, slicked-back hairstyle would have looked stupid, but on him it looked good. Too good. And his eyes seemed to be in a permanent smoulder. It pissed Gar off.

Halfway through the first game, it was clear that Raven was the weakest link of their team. She attempted to throw the ball like everyone else, but it always went straight to the gutter. She seemed unbothered, almost bored, but Victor's competitiveness wasn't able to handle it. He coached from the sidelines, encouraging her to release her pent-up frustration on the pins. Unfortunately for him, it was to no effect. By the last round, she still threw the ball haphazardly in the air, securing her nineteenth fail in a row.

"That girl's in love with gutterballs," Victor groaned, "I swear, it hurts to look."

"I am unable to raise sufficient rage at the white things," Raven said emotionlessly.

"Pretend they're all Gar!" Cassie shouted.

At this point, everyone was watching Raven. They were curious to see if she could achieve a perfect streak of zeros. The pins reset and Raven prepared for her final try. This time, however, she lowered into a squat and swung the ball through her legs. It rolled straight down the middle and hit all ten pins. Behind her, the entire gang cheered with shocked applause. "Strike?" she wondered out loud.

"Technically, it's a spare. But I'm no less proud of you!" Victor exclaimed.

At the end of the first game, the roadies tackled Wally into a group hug after his nearly flawless score brought them victory. By some miracle, the Titans were able to pull ahead out of last place by a couple of points, making the Bees responsible for refills. They started the next game right away while Roy collected drink orders. Raven decided that her new technique was a winning one, so she continued to throw the ball "grandma style". Each time she bent down, it gave everyone a generous eyeful of her backside. Gar admired her shamelessly all the way from the bench, but he wasn't the only one. Roy sidled up to him and offered him a beer. He wolf-whistled and said, "Damn, does Ms. Roth happen to be on the market?"

"She isn't a piece of meat," Gar answered shortly.

"Well, I wouldn't mind getting a slice of that myself, if you know what I'm saying."

Gar knew exactly what he was saying, which is why his fists clenched and his jaw tightened. As if a guy like Roy could ever get with someone on Raven's level. The Bees' drummer had no idea that she was absolutely off the market. It was frustrating for Gar, knowing that he couldn't pull the "boyfriend" card on the other man. The guitarist fantasized about throwing him to the ground and beating him up. Instead of launching into an attack, Gar played dumb. "What do you mean?"

"Come on, don't you think she's hot?" Roy said. "The serious, bossy type isn't usually my thing, but maybe she's into BDSM or something."

"I have no problem serving out punishment," a dulcet voice replied, "especially to those who deserve it." Raven had silently walked behind them and she appraised Roy with a cold glare. "I think it's your turn, Mr. Harper." She rolled her eyes while Roy sheepishly walked back to his lane. Raven and Gar remained in the back to keep talking in semi-privacy. She seemed perfectly relaxed, but he was still on edge.

"It's a good thing you came over when you did," Gar remarked while sending daggers in Roy's direction, "I was just about ready to teach him a lesson."

"Relax. You should know by now that violence doesn't solve anything. It isn't a big deal, so let it go."

"Didn't you hear the way he was talking about you?"

"Yes, but why should I care?"

"He thinks you're available, but you're not."

Raven shrugged noncommittally and replied, "Well he doesn't know that."

"He should, everyone should. It's driving me crazy, Rae."

"What is?"

"This secret. I want everyone to know that you're mine."

"I am not yours." Her voice hardened and dropped to just above a whisper. She regarded him with the same cold glare that she had given Roy. "Don't delude yourself, Garfield. We may be involved right now, but I don't belong to anyone. Never forget that."

The atmosphere between him and Raven remained chilly for the entirety of the second game. It was hard to believe that just a few hours earlier, they had cuddled together on the plane and flirted constantly over dinner. How did things go so sideways? Gar reasoned that it was only natural for a man to be mad when someone came after his woman. Raven didn't scold Richard when he defended Kory earlier, so what was her deal?

Gar became distracted to the point where his throws became wild and sloppy. His sour mood affected his performance so badly that the Titans ended up in last place for the second match. He watched Raven go to the bar to collect the next round of drinks, Garth hot on her heels. The irritatingly charming man had offered to help her. While the bartender prepared the order, the pair of them talked cordially. Gar felt the anger inside him bubble up once more when he saw Garth casually touch Raven's bare shoulder. The reaction was immediate. Gar approached them in frantic strides and shoved himself between their bodies. This knocked Garth off-balance and he stumbled into the bar counter.

"Oops," Gar muttered. "Didn't see ya there, buddy."

The other man gave him a suspicious look before picking up the tray and walking back to the group. Once Garth was out of earshot, Raven sarcastically announced, "Oh joy! The White Knight rides again."

"He was standing way too close."

She exhaled in exasperation. "You're being ridiculous. Rein it in and start thinking before you act."

"So what should I have done instead?"

"How does 'nothing' sound? Nothing would have been absolutely perfect."

"But Rae, I can't just-"

She raised her hand in a "stop" sign to cut him off. The twitch in her brow indicated that her patience was wearing thin. Raven moved away to return to their bench, but Gar stopped her by gently grabbing her wrist. "If you walk away, I'm not chasing after you. Remember?"

"I don't want you to. Let me know when you pull your head out of your ass."

"Clearly, you're still upset," Gar said. "You promised me that we would talk things out if ever we had issues. So let's talk now."

She rocked on her heels, unsure of whether or not to ignore him. Finally, Raven took a deep breath and asked, "Who am I dating at the moment?"

Was this a trick question? Gar was confused but he eventually replied, "Me?"

"Ten points to Hufflepuff!" she declared with mock enthusiasm. "And why are we dating?"

"Uh...'cause we like each other? And we wanna see where things go from here?"

"Correct. Now tell me, why are we keeping it a secret?"

"It could be a big scandal and you're trying to protect the band."

"Do you see where I'm going with this?"

"Uh, no?"

Raven facepalmed. Gar felt like a fool, but he really didn't understand what point she was trying to make. "You and I, it's a huge risk, and not just because of the band. You should have figured it out by now that it's not easy for me to trust people. Why would I take such a risk if I wasn't invested in this? Do you honestly think my feelings are that fragile? Trust me, it'll take a lot more than a couple of random guys for me to lose interest in you."

"I-uh, I never thought about it that way."

"You weren't thinking at all. So please, stop embarrassing yourself and get your shit together. Are we clear?"

"Crystal."

The duo reintegrated themselves into the group as if nothing had happened. Raven still acted somewhat coldly towards Gar, but now that they had cleared things up, he figured that the freeze-out wouldn't last for long. After three complete games and several rounds of alcohol, everyone was ready to go home. They piled into multiple taxis and went back to the hotel. Most people went up to their rooms right away but a smaller group lingered in the lobby. Amongst them were the Peréz brothers, Wally, Victor and Gar. After chatting for a bit, the five men took the elevator and got off on the same floor.

Manny yawned and said, "Buenas noches."
/Good night./

"Dulces sueños," Marco added.
/Sweet dreams./

The twins tiredly linked arms and shuffled to their room. At the same time, Victor stared worriedly into his phone. He had missed his nightly call with Sarah. She left him several voicemails earlier, but he had been too caught up in the bowling competition to notice. All of the booze probably didn't help his memory either. "I should call her now. Ugh, she's gonna be so pissed..." Victor said while clutching his shaved head.

"Today's Sunday," Gar remarked. "Doesn't she work early on Monday mornings?"

"Shit, I forgot. Okay, I'll call her tomorrow. G'night guys, I'm ready to pass out." Victor walked towards him and Gar's bedroom, leaving the other two men standing in the hallway.

Wally's face was flushed, the redness on his cheeks matching his flaming hair. He tipsily swung his arm around Gar's shoulders and said, "You're goo- *hic* good people. I like you, Logan."

Since he only had one drink, Gar was significantly less buzzed than Victor. And in comparison to Victor, the red-head was absolutely shit-faced. Gar supported the inebriated man all the way to his room. At the door, Wally fumbled through his jacket pockets to retrieve his key card. "How's it going with Ravey, I mean, *hic* Raven?"

"She's a great manager, we all love working with her."

"That's good. Back in the day, she was a real rice queen. Oops, did I say rice? Ice cream. That's not right either... Uh, what was I saying again? Oh yeah, ice queen!" Wally slurred with a reminiscent grin. "She ignored us all, but half of the program was into her. Even I wasn't immune to her charm."

The thought of Raven being surrounded by a horde of college guys made Gar sick to his stomach. She had beauty and brains, why wouldn't those men chase after her? And at the end of the day, why would she settle for a guy like Gar? He was pretty fit, but his body was nowhere near as ripped as Garth's. He never went to university for an undergrad, nevermind a Master's degree like Wally. Even if he wanted to, he didn't have the grades for it. He barely passed high school, much to Steve's chagrin. His foster father had berated him so many times, even accusing him of failing on purpose. But the truth was that Gar had zero academic talent. Though he could act, sing and play multiple instruments... None of that ever really mattered.

Gar was aware that he was likeable and gifted in music. He knew that he could make people laugh and be the life of a party. But not once in his twenty-five years did he ever think he was smart. Brains aren't everything, but that didn't make him feel any less inferior to those who had them. His deep-seated insecurities began to eat away at his self-confidence. Gar was so lost in thought that he barely noticed Wally still rambling about Raven. The man's speech was verging on incomprehensible, but Gar tuned in anyway.

"She always wore black and she had that piercing in her nose" Wally pointed at his face, nearly sticking the finger up his nostril. "The whole goth look was creepy, but I liked it. And that ass-" The redhead grunted when he was grabbed by the collar and pushed up against the wall. Gar refused to let anyone speak about Raven that way, even if that someone was piss drunk.

"Watch your mouth." With a growl, Gar released him and snatched the keycard out of his hand. He inserted it into the lock, opened the door and shoved Wally inside. "Sleep tight, Mr. West. Do let the bedbugs bite." After tossing the card into the room and slamming the door shut, Gar leaned against it and buried his face in his hands. His internal brooding had made him extra sensitive; he was close to losing control again. Hopefully, Wally wouldn't remember anything in the morning. Raven would be livid if she found out that he had almost assaulted her colleague. Unfortunately for him, he was already caught red-handed. Thirty feet down the corridor, Raven stood with fists clenched and eyes aflame. He silently wished he could avoid her, but her room was on the way to his own. With every step he took, Gar felt like he was walking towards his death.

"Inside," she ordered. "Now."

The first time Raven tried to get Garfield into her hotel room, they were back in Vegas. Then, she acted out of lust and passion. Right now, she felt nothing but rage. "Did you hear anything I said back at the bowling alley, or are you really as dumb as you look?"

"Rae, I'm sorr-"

"I would love to believe that I imagined what I just saw. But based on how you've been acting lately, I can only come to the conclusion that your thick skull truly is that empty. Explain yourself!"

Garfield bowed his head like a child being scolded, filling her with sick satisfaction. Raven wasn't lying when she said that she had no problem serving out punishment. The darker part of herself almost enjoyed it.

"Your old boyfriend was making inappropriate comments about you and I didn't like it."

"Wally told you about his little crush on me, didn't he? We never even dated, Gar. Whatever feelings he might have had, it's all in the past."

"Forget the past, let's talk about today," Garfield replied. "Those guys think you're unspoken for. Didn't you notice Roy back off from Kory when he found out she's with Dick? Hell, even Karen was making eyes at Vic until she found out that he's taken. None of this would be a problem if we just told everybody we're together."

"Why does it keep coming back to this? You're like a broken record, it vexes me to no end."

"What the hell does 'vex' mean?" he asked.

"To aggravate. Irritate. Annoy."

"Well sorry if my feelings annoy you. But with all of these dudes chasing after you, they need to know that, that you're-"

"-That I'm what?" she questioned with impatience.

"Mine. Regardless of what you think, you're mine and I'm yours. I've been yours since Christmas."

If they weren't in the middle of a major argument, Gar's declaration might have sounded romantic. However, something just didn't sit well with her. "You're mine and I'm yours." It wasn't the first time someone had told Raven that. Those words were buried in the depths of her heart where they could no longer hurt her. They were spoken so sincerely, but in the end, they only turned out to be lies and manipulation.

"You're acting like a five-year old who doesn't want to share his toys," Raven answered back. "I am not an object that belongs to you. This whole 'jealousy' act is getting old."

"I thought women liked it when guys get jealous."

"You really think you know what women like? Because you're doing a pretty poor job of showing it right now."

"But I was just trying to protect you..."

Raven recoiled at the lame excuse. For one thing, she was perfectly capable of taking care of herself. For another, he was letting his saviour complex cloud his judgement again. "You call your actions protective? Bullshit. Don't confuse possessiveness with being protective."

"What's the difference?"

"The desire to protect comes from a place of selflessness. If there's a threat, you want to shelter the other person from harm, so you step in on their behalf. But being possessive is just fear and insecurity. Instead of protecting the other person, it's about preventing harm to yourself. You're scared of losing what 'belongs' to you, so you hold on to it tighter. And right now, you're squeezing me to the point of suffocation."

"But you got all possessive over me back in Vegas!" he exclaimed.

She shook her head in angry disbelief. Yet another excuse and it was even flimsier than the first one. "That's not true," Raven argued back, "I didn't give a shit about those fangirls. I know what I'm worth and I certainly have more to offer than a bunch of vapid teenagers. If someone came onto you and you fell for it, it wouldn't be the other woman's fault. If we're together and you have wandering eyes, you would be the one to blame."

"Please Rae, I-"

"-Remember Halloween?" she interrupted. "When you took away my roofied drink? That was protective. You saw the danger and you had my back. But what just happened now, with Wally? And even earlier with Roy and Garth? That was all about you and your damn ego." Raven paused to make sure that he was really listening to her. Her voice took on a harsher, more accusatory tone as she said, "You acted out because you're insecure. Or maybe, you just don't trust me. Perhaps it was a combination of both. If you don't see how your paranoia is inherently selfish, you're blind."

"But I-"

That third "but" pushed her over the edge. She tried using reason to prove her points, but he just wasn't getting it. Was he really that thick, or was he acting like this on purpose? Either way, it drove her past the boiling point and her rage spilled out like fiery lava. "Stop it! Stop making excuses, you fucking ignoramus!"

For the first time during their heated argument, Garfield's face showed signs of anger. His brows furrowed together and his mouth was set in a tight, hard line. "You can be mad, Raven. But don't you dare keep insulting me and calling me names. It's borderline sadistic. "

"I'm surprised that someone as stupid as you even knows what 'ignoramus' and 'sadistic' even mean."

"Call me 'stupid' one more time."

She knew it would crush him. She knew it would hurt like hell. With pettiness overriding all rational thought, she took the bait. "You, Garfield Logan, are the densest, dumbest, most stupid man I have ever met."

He recoiled as though she had slapped him in the face. Eyes teared, lips trembled. In a shaky whisper, he said, "I was going to apologize, you know. When I first walked in, I was ready to beg you for forgiveness. But you barely gave me a chance to explain myself. And on top of it all, you treat me like shit. It makes me wonder, are you really worth getting jealous over?"

With that, he walked out the door and closed it softly behind him. At his calm exit, Raven felt immediate regret and moved to follow him. She had really crossed the line this time. But then, she remembered the rules they established at the very beginning. He had asked her to be open and transparent, so she did her best. On the plane, she told him details of her painful childhood, which nobody knew about except for him. Why couldn't he trust her back? She recalled the other rule. He said that if she ever walked out, he wouldn't chase after her. With resignation, she thought to herself, "Have it your way, Gar." She wouldn't chase after him. Not now, not ever.

A/N: There's a lot to unpack here, people. Please bear with my explanation below:

I'll be the first one to admit that territorial, possessive, "Alpha male" Beast Boy is super hot. There are many excellent non-AUs that highlight that aspect of his animal instincts and I highly enjoy them! However, one of my goals for this story was to represent how relationships work in the real world.

This is a PSA, especially to my younger readers - In a healthy relationship, two things are necessary: honest communication and mutual trust. If your partner is overly possessive, it's not sexy or cute; it's manipulative and could be considered as emotional abuse. I know that many YA stories play into this trope, so please be careful that you're not letting the bad kind of jealousy become romanticized in your mind. Calling your partner names is also emotionally abusive. Both Gar and Raven are at fault here. Sometimes, couples have fights where neither person is 100% right.

I made up names for Más y Menos; their surname is an ode to George Pérez, the OG comic artist. The bowling scene is inspired by Johns' Teen Titans, Issue #27. And for those who aren't familiar with the New Teen Titans comics, Wally and Raven were a thing very briefly.

Final notes: Shoutout to Kid Walker for checking my Spanish. If you're fluent in Spanish, you should go check out his work. He has quite a few BBRae fics currently published.

Till next time, Lily Timbers

Replies to Guest Reviews

Guest #1: Hooray! This was just an intro to Honey and the Bees, but there will be way more interactions in future chapters.

Vi: I'm glad!

Guest #2: That prank was so much fun to write, my goodness. I'm glad you enjoyed it too. The whole soulmate debate is definitely coming up again in the future. Thank you for the comment on the band name, I thought it was pretty clever myself, haha. I have a scene in mind where Raven, Kory, Cassie and Karen all hang out together. It's going to be fun! You stay safe and healthy too.