"Duck!"

Heeding her teammate's warning, Raven dropped to the ground, barely evading a sonic blast. It hit the building behind her and shattered a window.

"Watch where you're aiming that thing!" she called as she picked herself back up and threw her arm out, black energy enveloping one of Gizmo's robo-arms and crushing it.

Cyborg threw off Billy, a clone as it turns out as it poofed into nonexistence upon hitting the ground. Two more Billys climbed up Cyborg in its place. "Sorry, Rae! Beverly Hillbilly here knocked my arm at the last second." He shook the villains off and shot them with his sonic blaster. More clones. "How you doin', Changeling?

Changeling, as Garfield had been going by since he turned twenty over a year ago, morphed into a gorilla and tried to catch Mammoth's punch. He wasn't a match for Mammoth's strength and he was thrown into a building. He grew out of the rubble as a brontosaurus and whipped Mammoth with his tail, throwing the man down the street, then morphed back to human. "Great! Where's Nightwing and Star?"

"I think they're still a few blocks over. Kyd Wykkyd and See-More were left with the bags of money when these three ran," Raven answered after using her magic to throw Gizmo on top of Mammoth, knocking them both unconscious.

Yelling rang out as Cyborg intercepted another Billy's flying kick by grabbing his ankle and using him as a club on the others. After a full circle, the only Billy left was the one in Cyborg's hand, the original. He tossed him onto the pile of unconscious supervillains. "Why exactly did Nightwing switch up who we're paired off with again?"

"Too challenge ourselves," Raven deadpanned, pushing stray hairs out of her face. She set about placing magical bindings on the villains.

"And it took us a total of–" Garfield raised his arm as if checking an imaginary watch– "one minute."

"30 seconds longer than usual." Raven finished her spells and stood.

"Quick and easy," Cyborg added. "No fun."

"Hey, quick and easy can be the most fun, can't it Raven?" He shot her a playful wink.

Raven rolled her eyes. "You would know about quick."

Garfield placed a hand to his chest in a feign of shock.

With almost zero hesitation, Cyborg whipped out a packet from seemingly nowhere and tossed it to Garfield.

"Aloe vera?"

"For that burn."

"Et tu, Brute?" Garfield asked, his faux consternation shifting to his friend. He tossed the packet of gel in his hand. "How long have you been waiting to use this, anyway?"

"About a week. Didn't think it'd be Raven dishing it out though. Figured it'd be Nightwing or Starfire."

"Speaking of our fearless leader, he's probably waiting for us to bring our captures in," Raven said, shifting her weight. "I'll levitate Mammoth if you guys will grab the other two."

Cyborg, coaxing a hesitant high-five from Raven, picked up Gizmo and started back towards the bank.

Garfield jogged over but instead of grabbing Billy, he placed a hand on Raven's shoulder, leaned in—when did he grow taller than her?—and whispered in her ear, "You know, I could prove you wrong about that quick comment. Just say the word, and I'll show you how fun I can be."

Something quivered in her stomach and she heard glass break as a streetlight nearby shattered.

Garfield chuckled, his breath turning the quiver into a squeeze, and pulled away. He hefted Billy over his shoulder and took off after their friend. "Hey Cy, you really had a packet of aloe in your storage compartment for a week waiting?"

"You think I'd admit that if I hadn't?"

Raven's stomach still felt like an overused stress ball; t was taking everything in her to keep her powers in check. She was used to the somewhat flirty teasing from Garfield, just as he was used to her sarcastic clapbacks, but he just crossed a line she didn't even know existed, and now her reaction was… peculiar. She thought she had outgrown the lack of control years ago.

"Hey, Rae! You comin'?" Garfield asked as if nothing out of the ordinary had just happened.

She looked up to see that the two men had stopped and turned back to her. Her eyes met Garfield's. Still at a loss for words, she nodded, thankful that speaking wasn't the norm for her anyway. Garfield smiled and turned around, picking back up with whatever conversation he and Cyborg were having.

Raven released a breath she wasn't even aware she was holding. Whatever it was, push it down, she told herself. She closed her eyes, inhaled deeply through her nose, and breathed out her mantra, feeling her emotions settle and her powers fall back into her full control. She levitated Mammoth on a black disk of energy and followed her teammates.

~0~0~

"Then boyfriend Dick's grappling rope tripped him and he fell face first into a trash can!" Starfire spun through the air, recounting their expeditious defeat of the other two H.I.V.E. Five members. The team had finally returned home after turning the captured villains over to the police and providing their statements for booking, showered, and changed into their loungewear.

"I'm surprised they still haven't found a replacement for Jinx," Dick said. "It's been three years." He reached up for Starfire's hand and pulled her back down to the couch, placing an arm around her shoulders.

"I'm just glad she's on our side now," Cyborg said from the indoor grill, where he was fixing dinner.

Garfield spun on his barstool. "You're just glad 'cuz you gotta kiss her." He leaned on the island counter and made kissy noises.

Cyborg turned from the grill and pointed his spatula at Beast Boy. "Keep that up, and your veggie burger is going straight in the trash, where it belongs. Right next to your love life."

There was a loud snap as Garfield clamped his mouth closed.

"Oh my God, did you finally find his off button?" Raven immediately regretted even saying anything as Garfield looked at her with mischief glinting in his eyes. He found a new target.

"Whatcha readin' anyway, Rae?" He hopped off his stool and sauntered over to the couch, plopping down right next to Raven. He plucked the book out of her hands. "Title?" he read and collapsed across her lap, purposely holding the book open upside down.

Raven felt that unfamiliar squeeze in her stomach again. Has he always been this… touchy? She snatched her book back and pushed him off her legs.

In typical Garfield fashion, he made a whole show of it, dramatically rolling off the couch, eliciting a far less dramatic eye roll from Raven. He sat himself up and looked at Raven with an exaggerated pout. "Jeez, Rae, no need to be all red about it!" He cracked a smile and glanced at the others as if expecting laughter. Instead, all he got was three blank stares and one glare. "Get it? Red? Read?"

"We get it, Gar. It just wasn't funny." Cyborg said.

Dick nodded in agreement. "Swing and a miss."

Starfire looked at Garfield with pity. "I am sorry, friend, but I, too, did not find this to be amusing."

"Well, maybe my humor is just too sophisticated for you." Garfield pulled himself back onto the couch, this time a little more mindful of Raven's space.

"Sure, whatever," Cyborg responded over the sound of dishes clinking together. "And… Dinner's ready!"

Garfield all but vaulted himself over the back of the couch and sprinted to the counter where Cyborg had laid out the patties, toppings, and condiments. "Finally! I'm starving!"

The others rose like normal people and walked towards the food, Dick still holding Starfire's hand.

They all put together their plates and sat around the table.

Raven slid into her normal seat between Starfire and Garfield, uncomfortably aware of how close the latter's knee was to her own. She picked up her burger and took a bite, looking over her friends.

"You only won because you're part computer!" Garfield threw his hands in the air, the veggie burger in his hand splattering ketchup across the table.

"That doesn't even make sense," Cyborg said with a roll of his eyes.

"Of course you'd say that! Anything to hide the fact that you cheated!"

"I really don't think Cy would need to cheat against you," Dick added.

"But boyfriend Dick, didn't you lose to friend Garfield?"

Dick glared at his girlfriend. "I lagged. I would have won if I hadn't lagged."

"Oh, Dicky my boy," Garfield said, "there wasn't a lag. You're just that bad."

The argument continued, getting more and more heated. Raven, who had never played the game and didn't understand it at all, ate in silence, having nothing to offer. She watched Garfield instead, making sure to be discreet about it. Maybe if she observed him long enough, she could pinpoint what exactly it was he was doing to her to cause her powers to act out. If she could do that, the sooner everything would be back to normal.

She watched as his eyes danced from friend to friend as the conversation progressed, noticed the way his nose crinkled a little when he laughed. When he spoke, his gestures were over-animated, but when he was listening to someone else, he'd place his hands on the table, his fingers fidgeting like he was holding them back from acting out—a nervous tick she'd never observed before. She found that she wanted to reach her own hand out and still his unease.

"Fine!" Cyborg conceded. "We can have a rematch!"

"And what exactly will keep you from cheating again?" Garfield asked. He placed the last bite of his veggie burger in his mouth and licked his fingers.

There was a pause in the conversation as they considered the question.

"Perhaps friend Cyborg has the airplane mode?" Starfire suggested.

Dick snapped his fingers. "That's it!"

"Y'all are not putting me on airplane mode!"

As Dick and Cyborg began arguing over each other, Garfield leaned back, a huge grin on his face, and interlaced his hands behind his head as if basking in the chaos he caused.

He's a cocky little shit, Raven thought, but that's not anything new. She adjusted in her seat, her knee knocking into Garfield's.

At the touch, Garfield's eyes met hers, and it felt like time slowed down. His mischievous smile melted into something softer, his eyes trying to convey something Raven could not read. He leaned closer to her, clasping his hands and resting them on the table. "You down to participate this time around, Rae?"

She felt a chill run down her spine and her heart start thumping in her chest. Without even knowing she was going to do it, Raven found herself nodding in agreement. She cleared her throat, which was now quite unbearably dry. "Sure, whatever." Raven shifted away and took a sip of her drink in hopes of the action covering the shakiness in her voice.

He looked down at his hands and Raven could almost swear there was a blush spreading across his cheeks.

Starfire clapped, causing both of them to jump. "Then it is settled!"

"Rematch, Saturday at three." Cyborg nodded in agreement.

Dick leaned back in his chair. "Since that's decided, it's movie night, and tonight's my pick."

Simultaneously, Garfield and Cyborg groaned. Dick's movie nights always meant homework, too.

"Hey, no complaining!" Dick pointed at Garfield. "I didn't complain when you chose Ace Ventura last week."

Garfield scoffed. "Please, we all know you like that movie. You were almost laughing harder than me. Rae here'll back me up." His leg pressed against Raven's as he nudged her with his shoulder.

Raven jolted up at the sudden contact, almost knocking her chair over. A salt shaker in the kitchen fell over, but nobody seemed to notice. Instead, they were all looking at her. "I- I'll take care of clean-up." She started gathering dishes.

"I'll help," Garfield offered.

"No!" She said it a little too quickly, and she was positive they noticed. She tried to cover. "I don't need help."

A bashful grin danced on his lips. "I know, but I also know how much you hate doing dishes. I wash, you dry, and it'll be done faster."

"This plan does make sense the most," Starfire said. She wore a knowing smile, though what she knew, Raven wasn't sure.

"While you two are taking care of that, we'll set the movie up," Cyborg added.

Raven sighed. It sounded like the matter had been settled. "Fine."

Garfield's grin turned to a toothy smile as he hopped up, collected the rest of the dishes, and walked to the sink.

It's just dishes, Raven reassured herself as she followed. It can't be that bad.

She was wrong. It was worse than anything she could have imagined.

The two worked in silence. Normally, it's something Raven would have appreciated, but today, it made her uncomfortable. Without him leading any conversation, it left her unbearably aware of everything he did.

Raven could feel her powers churning inside of her, looking for a release. She tried to stay focused on the towel in her hands, careful to avoid any more accidental touches when he handed her dishes to dry. She wasn't sure how or what it meant, but she knew even just a brush of his skin would be enough for her to lose her tenuous control.

Occasionally, she could feel his eyes upon her, but she refused to meet them. That didn't stop her from noticing that he chews on his lip when scrubbing a particularly cooked on spot or that his brows scrunch together when he's deep in thought.

After what felt like an eternity, the sink was turned off, hands were dried, and Raven walked into the common room, Garfield promising to follow once the popcorn was ready. The movie was already pulled up on the large flat screen TV hung on the wall. Dick was standing between the sectional and the TV with the remote in his hand while Starfire and Cyborg had already claimed their seats.

Raven snuggled against the high arm on the short side, her usual spot. She pulled her knees up to her chest and tucked them into the oversized hoodie she wore, then pulled the hood up. Her favorite blanket was draped behind her, but she would use it once her legs got tired.

"I fixed everyone's popcorn just how they like it!" Garfield said as he opened the door from the kitchen carrying five various-sized bowls and a mug. Balancing them like a skilled waiter, he started handing them out. "The biggest bowl for Cy so he doesn't have to get up halfway through for more. This one goes to Star, and this one" –he handed her another bowl of about the same size– "is for Dick, who says he doesn't want any now but will start eating out of yours five minutes into the movie." He placed one on the coffee table. "This one's mine. And here's Rae's small popcorn in case she gets peckish and a tea when that makes her thirsty." He shot her a wink as she took them, placing them on the end table next to her, and he collapsed on the cushion next to her.

Cyborg took a bite and hummed with satisfaction. "Perfectly buttery, G."

"Now that we're all ready, let me give you your assignments."

"C'mon!" Garfield said, eliciting a sharp glare from the leader. Garfield mimed zipping his mouth and tossing the key.

"Tonight, we'll be watching Death on the Nile." He put up his hand, stopping Cy's question before it left his mouth. "Yes, the new one. After watching, I'm expecting each of you to type up a two-page essay explaining how the filmmakers gave the audience hints throughout the movie to help guide them to the culprit of the murders. Single spaced. Due tomorrow after dinner." He dropped his hand, and Garfield and Cyborg simultaneously groaned.

"I'm gonna have to take notes, and I don't even know what happened to my notebook," Garfield said. "I think I threw it out."

Without even thinking, Raven reached her arm into a portal she created and pulled out a small, leather-bound journal and a pen. "Here," she said. "You can have this one. It was an impulse buy a few months back, and I've yet to use it."

Garfield looked at Raven, eyebrows slightly raised. His expression wasn't overdramatic—he was genuinely caught off guard. "Th-thanks, Rae." He took the offer with one hand, the other ruffling his unkempt hair. His nose darkened a little, which, Raven discovered, highlighted the freckles that spread faintly from it to his cheekbones.

She dropped her eyes to her sock-protected toes poking out from under the hoodie's hem. Her hair, which she had let grow a little longer over the years, thankfully fell out of the hoodie, shielding the blush on her own face.

"Now, Raven," Dick said once Garfield settled again.

Raven glanced up.

"You're, of course, exempt from the assignment."

Garfield's hand flew to his chest as he dramatically gasped.

"Why does she have an out?" Cyborg whined.

Dick's eyes met Raven's, and she gave an imperceptible nod. A wicked grin grew across his face. "Because it's her idea."

It was Cyborg's turn for the unnecessarily dramatic gasp.

Garfield looked between Raven and the notebook in his lap, mock hurt plastered across his face. "How can someone so nice be so cruel?"

She pushed his shoulder, earning her a pout that quickly turned into a grin. "He's just giving me undue credit. After we saw this when it was in theaters, we had a discussion about it. It just inspired him."

"Okay, follow up question." Garfield leaned forward, elbows to knees, and templed his hands under his chin. "You and Dick went to a movie together?"

Dick responded, "It's a mystery–"

"–based on a book," Raven finished with a shrug. "Who else would I go with?"

"They go all the time," Starfire added.

"Any more questions?" Dick asked, eying Garfield pointedly.

Garfield closed his eyes and nodded. His eyebrows knit together and he thought for a few seconds. "Nope. I'm good."

Dick sat down next to Starfire. "Good. Now remember, clues to help the audience solve the crime."

"Shut up, Dick, and start the movie," Cyborg said. "Some of us are rustin' over here!"

"Fine." Dick put his hands up in surrender. He pressed play and turned the lights off.

They sat through the opening scenes in silence, but when the title screen came on, Starfire gasped. "Mustard!"

"Here ya go, Star," Garfield said. He pulled something out of his pocket and tossed it to her.

"Thank you!" Starfire stage whispered.

Cyborg shushed them through handfuls of his own popcorn, his fingers already starting to shine from the butter.

Quiet settled back over them as everyone turned their attention back to the movie. Raven was so enveloped in the movie, admiring the symbolic beauty in it, that she didn't realize Garfield had moved closer until she felt the warmth of him pressing into her arm.

"You'll help me with these notes, right?" He whispered close to her ear, eyes still on the movie. "Tell me when some miniscule clue of eminence is about to pop up?"

Her heart jumped in her chest, sending a thrill through her veins and down her arms. Her nails dug into her palm as she clenched her fist in an attempt to keep herself grounded. "No." She whispered back.

Somehow, Garfield managed to lean closer to her—when did his arm slide behind her on the cushion?—and turned his head a few degrees to look at her.

She kept her eyes forward, trying so hard to ignore how warm and, dare she consider, cozy she felt with his proximity.

"C'mon, just a little nudge would be fine."

"I'm not helping you cheat. Now watch the movie, you might be missing something to write down."

He looked down, then returned his gaze to the movie. He leaned away but kept his arm stretched on the couch behind her.

Raven suppressed a shiver. When Garfield pulled away, so did his much appreciated warmth. She pulled her blanket over her and settled into a comfier position. Her eyes were glued to the screen now, so she didn't see the small smile curl Garfield's lips.

The movie played out, showcasing its twists and turns, its red herrings and its clues. Raven was able to remain engaged with it for the most part, though there were a few scenes that drew her awareness back to how close Garfield was, his arm lingering on the periphery of her senses.

They were near the end when the circumstances on screen caused Starfire to gasp.

Raven's awareness was brought back to Garfield as he leaned in once again, his side pressing against hers, his arm brushing against the nape of her neck.

"Is he–?"

She pursed her lips and did not answer, a smirk tugging at the corners of her mouth.

Once the chase began, she dared a glance at Garfield. He was captivated by the film, his eyes drinking in every detail, his eyebrows twisted in shocked concern.

When the scene cut to the next, he turned to Raven. Even in the dark, it was clear his eyes shone with emotion.

Is he crying? Raven never would have thought this would be the kind of movie to affect him that much. Her arm moved, as if it had a mind of its own, and she used the hem of her sleeve to wipe a lone tear escaping down his cheek. For a few seconds, time seemed to stand still, their eyes studying every detail of the other's face.

Yelling from the movie brought Raven back to the present and she dropped her hand to her lap, her eyes quickly following.

When he didn't pull away, she looked back up. Their eyes met, and Raven was made aware of just how close he was.

Garfield released a held breath, his focus falling to her mouth.

Her chest tightened as her heart picked up its pace. She felt a flutter inside her, like a bird shaking its wings before taking off.

His gaze slid back up to meet hers, a question she couldn't interpret glistening behind green eyes. Slowly, he began to lean in.

Raven's breath hitched. He was impossibly close now. Her heart beat even faster, and his ears twitched. Could he hear it?

He swallowed, the motion of his throat pulling Raven's eyes down.

A cough broke through the silence, the false privacy the dark provided crumbling.

Raven remembered where they were. The tightness in her chest twisted, and she realized what was happening. She wasn't a bird about to experience the freedom of flight; she was caged, antsy, yearning for escape.

The TV shattered, a little of Raven's power having cracked through her walls.

"Hey!" Cyborg called out.

There was a clamoring as Dick searched for the remote, during which time Garfield pulled away from Raven, putting several inches between them. The lights flicked on, and three sets of eyes landed on Raven.

Embarrassment hit her head on. "S-sorry," she choked out. "I– I need to meditate." With that, she sunk into a pool of black energy.