Chapter nine: Ice skating.
Raven loved ice skating, but she hated the packed rinks full of amateurs who proceeded to suck the fun out of the activity every time they clung to the barriers or fell and came close to taking her down with them. So, even though she found great joy in skating, she'd prefer to not go at all, than have to deal with the dramatics of the general public, plus the sounds of excitement and the overwhelming volume of the crowds gave her headaches.
Beast Boy was not adept at Ice Skating, he was gangly and uncoordinated, he didn't have the grace and balance that Raven possessed naturally. Raven was always collected and perfectly poised she intimately knew her centre of gravity and never so much as tripped. Perhaps this was one of the reasons why she loved skating, it was a seasonal, recreational activity that required no skill on her part, and very little concentration. She found it to be rather relaxing; at least she would've if it wasn't for the screaming masses.
Beast Boy, as ever, was the perfect boyfriend, and suggested the perfect date for the festive period. Robin would never approve, but the couple snuck into the rink after closing, with Raven using a simple veiling spell to mask them from the security footage. Beast Boy slid, the ice taking no mercy on the poor klutz of a boy. Raven couldn't help but laugh ever so softly at his attempts to right himself. He gave her a mock glare that quickly faded when he saw how happy he'd made her.
It was moments like this in which he was able to look back and reflect on how deluded he'd been in those early years, with his countless failed attempts at getting her to smile. Her smiles in fact were not hard to gain, if only you knew how. He knew her better now; he appreciated her much more now. He loved her now.
She took gentle hold of each of his hands and intertwined their fingers; she glided slowly closer, until their chests were almost touching, their noses brushing at the tips, before setting off. Almost effortlessly she led him around the deserted rink; a gentle smile on her face the whole while, his lips mirrored hers. He found such happiness in the simple fact that he'd pleased her.
An hour of skating passed with no conversation, Raven marvelled at his ability to maintain such silence. But he had no words, he was simply watching her, how her lips were slightly curved in a serene smile, how she held her head high as she flawlessly led them. He still slid more than a few times along the way, but she always managed to prevent him from landing on his ass. He gave her small smiles in thanks each time and she just gave him her own smile of tender fondness.
When they finally halted their laps and stepped off of the ice Raven turned to him and embraced him tightly, he chuckled softly as he returned her hug. She pulled back to look at him, but did not relinquish her hold.
"Thank you, Gar. I know you're not particularly fond of skating." She murmured.
"Yeah, well, you like it. Plus, it's Christmas, I thought it'd be nice to do something Christmassy together." He told her, blushing.
She leant forward and kissed him, at first gently but as he returned it, it became more heated. One of his hands made its way into her hair, the other gripping at her hip as she wound her arms tightly around his shoulders, her fists clenched around his shirt. The lips continued to brush, the tongues mingling alongside their breaths. He began to think that skating had been much more than worth it.