Ruby was completely panicking when she arrived back in her room the afternoon before their planned date. She yelped and ducked under her bed, looking for clothes to wear. "What do I do? What do I do?" She repeated trying to figure out a new way into the mysteries of dating. "Oh Lord, Raven's not going to help and I doubt Star knows anything…"
Her ears flickered to a voice beyond her door whispering, "Just be yourself…just be yourself." She peered under the crack to see what else but green skin. She crossed her arms, blowing some hot steam underneath the door and smiled fully once hearing Beast Boy yip away in pain.
"Maybe he's right. I've just gotta calm down and get my head straight. You're a proud warrior of not breaking down into little chunks and pieces Ruby. You've gotten yourself through crap worse than this."
She tucked her tail behind her and sat down on the carpet almost in denial. "Of course that was either with super villains or other guys I didn't like but this…this is new. Oh!" She gave a thumbs-up to herself in the mirror and pinched her fuzzy cheeks. "You're going to be fine. Like BB said, be yourself."
Her tail swished and flicked ready and anticipating as it slid through the hole in the back of her jeans and she looked down at them. It was from a hand-me-down store with a tiny hole in the knees but it would have to do. At least they didn't smell. She slipped on a nice blue blouse with flowery edgings and tied her hair into a ponytail. She placed fake diamond clip-on earrings onto her sensitive ears and examined herself in the mirror. No make-up, no perfume and she looked beautiful.
"Okay, be calm. It's just a first time date. No worries. With the greatest most perfect cybertronic man in all of time." She was making herself blush again, squealing with joy this time. "I can't believe this is happening to me! If this is a dream, please don't wake me up!"
She met him outside on the rooftops and he was in the hoodie and baggy pants that the Titans had found him in. He smiled as his car rolled onto the landing strip of the tower roof and the door swung open on her side. "Hope you don't mind if I drive."
Along the way to the movie theater, the skies became darker and darker, the streetlights lighting on their path. "So uhm…do you want to go to dinner? The show doesn't start until ten."
"Sure…we can learn more about one another."
They stopped by a fancy Italian restaurant and ordered a table just for two. The candles were lit on the table and Ruby placed the flowers from the vase into her hair. But they instantly vaporized into flames and her ears lowered. Cyborg lifted her cheek with his bulking hand and smiled, "I think you look just fine."
"Cyborg…how did you get into the Titans?"
"Well, a long time ago my family got into a car wreck. I was shocked after waking up from hours of surgery to find out that they had only let me live. I was devastated and took on my life alone in the streets. I tried everything to make myself look human again but…it wasn't the same. Then those aliens attacked and I was so like the others. I just wanted to help out."
"That's very sweet of you." She played with her straw and he cocked his head towards her, "And what about you? What happened to your parents?"
"Well, my parents were completely human. From that dream I had, I think they took a DNA serum and injected me while I was still in the womb trying to get me to survive. I did but the cells took it as a mutation and still kept growing. Maybe that's why I have my powers too. But anyway…they raised me until last year after I had gone to the park saving a bunch of kids I came home and there they were. Naked, bleeding all over the place. Our house had been ransacked and everything was taken away from us. I had to bury them myself. Ever since then, I guess I don't want to see that happen to others so that's why I help out so much."
He scratched his cheek and said in his tender voice, "Well that just goes to prove that you have the heart of a lion Ruby. You're a good person."
"Person? You don't think I'm strange or weird looking?"
"No..." He leaned close and kissed her on the cheek. "I think you are the best looking woman I have ever seen. And that's a promise you can keep."
She felt the area where he kissed her and felt tears well up in her eyes. Compassion…it felt so needed in the dark world they lived in. The steaming hot plate of spaghetti came in and the two continued conversing over their dinner.
After it was done, Cyborg offered to pay while Ruby left a heavy tip. And with his arm around her waist, he led her to the car and even opened the door for her. The movie was a few minutes away and the two stopped in the front, parking and gave up the tickets. Ruby giggled as she pulled Cyborg along by the hand, pointing at the large tub of popcorn she wanted to buy. He ordered it for her and also two large sodas, her favorite kind. The two had fun balancing pieces of popcorn on their noses, laughing and nearly spilling snacks all over the floor as they arrived into the theater show room. The main flick was a horror film with lots of romantic stuff. During the scary parts, Ruby held tight onto his chest, her ears lowered nearly to her neck. During the romantic parts she loosened her grip on him and kept hold onto the many tissues leaving a large wet spot on his shoulder. During the credits Ruby and Cyborg were among the last to leave. She smiled, the having their arms locked going down the steps.
They came back to the tower around eleven, landing on the rooftop. The two sat on the edge of the roof, her body taken up in his large arm and they placed their heads together looking and listening to the waves beyond as the moonlight glittered against the ocean making it seem green in color.
She felt it coming on but didn't know what to do. They stared into one another's eyes, their faces getting closer and closer. Then it happened, the big kiss. She felt every possible emotion flowing through her, happiness, courage, and a tingling feeling that simply could be described as overjoy. Just as quick as it had started, it ended and they pulled away both blushing intensely. Cyborg rose up and started to go towards the steps. "We should…uh get going to bed."
"Y-Yeah." She stayed silent until he came to open the door. "Cyborg…"
He turned around and looked at her confused, "Yes?"
"Thank-you."