Tara's eyes widen as they travel across her room, taking in the lights strung just below the starlit ceiling and the vases of flowers lining her dresser. Gentle music drifts on the air, "Dawning of Spring" by Anson Seabra. One of her all-time favorites. A song she's only ever shared with one person: the boy leading her by the hand right now.
"Garfield… What- what is…?"
Beast Boy turns around and grins, dipping into a bow with a flourish. His eyes sparkle in the fairy lights as he stretches out a hand. "May I have this dance, m'lady?"
Taking one last look around the room, Tara places her hand in his palm. Gar clasps it firmly and begins to lead her in a circular pattern with smooth, confident steps. Tara does her best to follow. "Why are we dancing?" She stares down at their feet, too shy to meet his gaze.
Gar shrugs and his other hand settles on Tara's waist. He watches her reaction, making sure she's okay with it. "You said you never got to do all the normal teenager stuff. Like dances and prom and things."
A slow grin spreads across Tara's face. "I did not say dances and prom."
Gar freezes, his eyebrows shooting up. His ears fall back, like a puppy who got into trouble. "You- you didn't? I could have sworn… that was on the list…"
Tara shakes her head, biting her lip to hold back another smile.
"Oh." Then an earnest, hopeful expression lights Gar's face and his ears perk up again, swiveling toward her as he asks, "But you like dancing, right? This is-"
"This is good," she interrupts him with a giggle, before he can spiral back into anxiety. "It's good. Thank you. For… for doing this for me."
She feels Gar's relief in the way his shoulders loosen as they start to dance again "Ah, no biggie." He smiles and looks down, a blush creeping across his cheeks. "I'm just glad you like it."
Tara's face warms in response. "I really do."
They sway, quiet in the darkness.
Gar tilts his head. "So… what did you mean? When you said you missed out on stuff."
Tara lets her gaze wander past him, out the window and to the glowing city below. "I don't know. Just being a kid, I guess. Not having to worry about safety and shelter. Having friends. Having parents."
"But you have that now, right?" He blushes again. "The friends and shelter part, I mean. We can't really help with the parents thing. Most of us… Well, we don't have any to spare either. But you have friends now, is what I'm saying."
"Yeah." Tara smiles at Gar, memorizing his face and the light in his emerald eyes. Memorizing this moment. "I do have friends now."
But for how long? the voice in the back of her mind whispers. Tara flinches and shakes her head, her bangs falling into her eyes as she pushes the thought back into the dark corner it came from.
"Tara?" Garfield brushes her hair from her face, tucking it behind her ear with a hand so much gentler than anything she's ever felt. He watches her with care and concern she could never deserve. "Is everything okay?"
"With you here?" Tara forces the smile back into place. "Yeah."
The worst part, as she rests her head against Gar's shoulder, is that she means it. Here with him, everything is okay. She can breathe, laugh, live her life without looking over her shoulder every minute, waiting for the next blow to fall. Gar is right. Titan's Tower is the refuge Tara never had growing up.
But she can't stay. No matter how warmly the Titans welcome her, no matter how cared for and secure she feels, she will always have to go back. Back to the man in the mask, to the injections that give her the control and clarity she so desperately needs. Back to her chains. And when Deathstroke marches into battle tomorrow, she'll have no choice but to follow. No choice but to betray and fight the people who have given her the only home she's ever known. Because if she doesn't obey… she might not survive the punishment this time.
Tara's shoulders start to shake. A tear rolls down her cheek to fall on Gar's purple button-up shirt, and he turns surprised eyes to her. They widen at the sight of her crumpled face. Letting go of her hand, Beast Boy wraps his arms around Tara's waist and cradles her to his chest. She clings to him, hands gripping the back of his shirt.
"Sh, sh, it's okay. You're safe here," he promises. He means it too, this wonderful, beautiful, funny boy she's come to love. But Tara's not safe. She never has been and she never will be. Deathstroke pounded that truth into her head.
So for a few minutes, she holds Gar and pretends. She pretends she can stay here forever, that tonight isn't the last time she'll feel his warmth next to her, that tomorrow… That tomorrow will never come.
"I'm sorry," Tara manages through the sobs. She closes her eyes and lets the tears fall. Tears for Garfield and for herself. But most of all, for what could have been. For the life they'll never have.
"I'm so sorry."