Krumelmonster: you're very, very welcome xD
Thanks so much for the new favs! And guys, I just realized some of you have written stories I have actually read before and loved so much – I just didn't have an account back then – and I'm fangirling a bit, haha. Right now all my free "reading time" is going into this, but once I have time to read again I'll definitely get into all of those now that I can properly show my appreciation, haha. Again, thankou!
Begging
"So…another karaoke night. And we're sure this is a good idea?" Cyborg raised an eyebrow. "I mean, the last one was…eventful."
"No, we're not sure it's a good idea, Cy." Nightwing sighed. "Personally, I think we should be investigating the Sirens. I simply don't have the energy to argue with these many people."
The Titans East had come over for this and Bumblebee would go back with them the next day. And when Aqualad suggested another karaoke night, it was simply a hit.
"Where are all the people, by the way?" Starfire frowned, looking around.
Damian and Rose were grumpily watching the same show on TV – on opposite sides of the couch. But no one else was there.
"Bumble, Terra, Speedy, Aqualad, Mas and Menos are all taking turns on BB's pinball machine." Victor chuckled. "Conner is training. Raven and BB are…somewhere."
"Oh, I see." Kory smiled sweetly and then went back to her magazine.
"What are we doing about…her?" Victor pointed at Slade's daughter on their couch.
Rose Wilson raised an eyebrow. "Oh, I'm going. I'm definitely not missing this."
Nightwing folded his arms, feeling a little amused. "You like singing, Ravager?"
The platinum-haired girl chuckled mockingly. "Please. I just want to witness all the drama so I can explore your weaknesses later."
Richard rolled his eyes and sighed. There was no point arguing. Raven would defend her given their bond and he would end up letting her go. The truth was their debt to Rose would never be paid and they all knew it. She was the best treated prisoner in history. Still, he agreed this girl wasn't entirely sure of who she was yet. Maybe she just needed support. "If you say so."
Kory looked up from her magazine when she heard Garfield's voice.
"So my question is, should I go see them on Thanksgiving this year or not?" The shapeshifter asked. "...Rae? Are you listening to me?"
"Mm?"
"Should I go see Mento and the others on Thanksgiving?"
"Oh, uh…sure."
They walked into the ops room and Raven was looking down blankly. Kory frowned, because she thought the empath looked a little distressed.
"But what about everything I just said!?" Garfield gesticulated wildly for emphasis. "I mean, I love them, but he always does this thing where he makes me feel insecure about everything. It doesn't matter if I'm twelve or twenty, you know? And then what if he triggers me and it gets in the way of my powers and-"
"Would you just stop talking for one minute?" Raven blurted out harshly. She closed her eyes and rubbed her temples. And then she sensed how hurt he was. Shit.
Garfield felt embarrassed, because he had been talking practically nonstop for about fifteen minutes now in hopes that she would offer to go with him instead of just gathering the nerve to ask her. He hadn't meant to overwhelm her. And then when she basically told him to shut up, Damian suppressed a chuckle. Rose, on the other hand, laughed freely. He felt stupid and he wasn't sure if he should leave or wait.
Raven opened her eyes and faced him. She didn't need to glance at Nightwing, Cyborg or Starfire to know they were either glaring or frowning at her, she could sense their disapproval. "I…that wasn't-"
The empath was interrupted by the small – but surprisingly loud – crowd that left Garfield's room to come into the ops room, scattering everywhere, laughing and teasing each other.
"I need to meditate." Raven whispered to him. "I mean, if you still want me to go tonight."
The Changeling quickly concealed his heartache, because he did really want her to go. "Yeah, totally. Of course I do. Sorry I talk too much."
"No, it's okay, just…listen, we can talk about this Doom Patrol thing later, okay?"
Garfield smiled and nodded. "Yeah, okay." Maybe by then I'll be brave enough to actually ask you to go with me.
That night, they all went to the karaoke club together. Aqualad and Superboy brought everyone drinks as soon as they got a table. The girls – except for Ravager – quickly went on stage to sing a series of girl-power songs. Actually, Raven was quite literally dragged by the others and was mostly hugging herself on a corner of the stage watching her friends do all the singing.
"So, wait." Speedy said, downing another shot. "You guys were like, trapped in movies?"
"Yup." Cyborg nodded. "It sounds fun, but it was infuriating."
"And you were like, the characters?" Aqualad smiled, absolutely intrigued.
"That must have led to some awkward moments." Speedy chuckled.
"Hellz yeah." Victor pointed at Robin and Ravager. "Those two had to kiss."
Richard lightly punched his little brother's arm and chuckled. Everyone else laughed loudly while they blushed and looked down awkwardly. The teasing had been going on nonstop ever since the whole Control Freak situation and it was getting on Damian's nerves.
"Shut up." The young Robin muttered.
"Oh c'mon, it was sweeet." The Changeling waggled his eyebrows.
"You know, I can't imagine either of you being romantic. That must have been terrible acting." Speedy's joke was followed by even louder laughter.
Damian narrowed his eyes and thickened his voice. "You know what?" He downed Dick's shot before he could protest and then stood up. "You're laughing to look away from how pathetic you all are. You." He looked at Cyborg. "You've been pining for the same girl for months and you can't make a move." He turned to Dick. "You're even worse. You took years to make a move. Actually, from what I've heard, she was the one who made the move." He adressed Mas and Menos. "You two like the same girl and she's someone else's girlfriend. Also, way too tall for you." Then Speedy. "You're probably a rebound." Then Aqualad. "Just so you know, Raven doesn't even count your date. She said it was nothing." Then Kid Flash. "You still don't trust your girlfriend. You think she'll cheat on you like she cheated with you." And Superboy. "You hit on all of them, but none of them actually got with you." And Garfield. "Don't even get me started on you. You get jealous of people who don't even exist."
Ravager leaned back, folded her arms and laughed loudly and a little wickedly. Okay, maybe Batman's son is all right.
"Rose, do you want to sing about not being a total loser?" Damian asked without looking at her because he was still busy glaring at the rest of their party.
"Definitely." Ravager stood up. And just like that, the two teens left the table.
After long seconds of awkward silence, Richard cleared his throat. "I think we deserved that."
"In my defense..." Garfield started, and then gasped in outrage when they all rolled their eyes and grunted at him. "What!? It was a weird situation for me, okay?! She's never kissed anyone else. I mean, you know, in this Universe."
"That you know of." Conner smirked. He knew every single guy there would be more than happy to shift the focus to the shapeshifter, and he would easily take the bait.
The Changeling felt his blood run cold before he remembered he had no reason to listen to Conner. "No, she really hasn't. She would tell me."
"Actually, I think that's true." Richard chuckled lightly, pouring himself another shot.
"Wait, that's a little alarming." Aqualad teasingly leaned forward. Damian had really bruised his ego and he saw a chance to regain his pride. "How does she know she really likes you if she's never even kissed anyone else?"
"Ugh, she KNOWS, okay!?" Garfield practically shouted. DOES she?
"Of course she knows." Cyborg said as he glared at both Aqualad and Superboy.
"Well then it shouldn't matter if other people make a move. If you're so sure she knows, then you have nothing to worry about." Conner leaned back and smiled smugly.
Fuck. What is happening!? Garfield frowned. "No, that…wait, that's not-"
"Hello, boyfriends and friends!" Starfire said happily, wrapping her arms around Dick.
Damian and Rose were now aggressively singing Teenagers (My Chemical Romance) on stage.
Garfield looked up at Raven with pleading eyes. "Hey, love…wanna sing with me?"
The empath grimaced slightly. She hated turning him down when he looked at her like this, but romantic duets were too out of her comfort zone. "I don't think so."
The Changeling's heart broke a little and he downed another shot. Raven sensed it and rubbed his shoulders soothingly. The truth was she could tell he was jealous, and he got jealous rather easily. She was a little tired of reassuring him.
"How about a solo?" Aqualad suggested charmingly. "Your voice is beautiful; we were really hoping to hear it tonight. You barely sang at all just now."
Superboy raised a skeptical eyebrow. "Really?"
"Actually yeah, she's got pipes." Cyborg said, a little distracted by his best friend's hurt face.
"Oh yes, Raven's voice is divine!" Starfire exclaimed.
The sorcerer rolled her eyes. "They're exaggerating."
"I am not!" The Tamaranean grinned at her best friend. "Would you sing with me? Pleeeeease? You did a whole movie with Jinx and not me in Control Freak's thing!"
Raven frowned. "Kor, that wasn't my decision."
Starfire clasped her hands together. "Still! Just one little song! For our friendship?"
The empath stared at her alien friend's sparkling eyes and sighed. For our friendship? How am I supposed to say no to that? "…fine. One song."
Kory floated into the air a little. "Oh marvelous!"
Garfield frowned. "You'll sing with her but you won't sing with me?"
"I'm just more comfortable with a friendship song than...you know." Raven said softly.
"Oh…" The shapeshifter forced himself to smile up at her. "Okay. Makes sense."
She could sense his disappointment, of course. There was also nervousness for some reason. Not the nice, flattering jitters he got when they were alone together – more like crippling anxiety. She wasn't sure why. Raven decided to talk to him later. It could be an exhausting conversation. In fact, it probably would be.
"Well, you'll have to go after me!" Cyborg stood up and decisively headed to the stage to serenade Karen with Signed, Sealed, Delivered (Phil Collins), much to everyone's amusement.
"So what will we sing?" Kory excitedly looked through the catalog.
Raven spotted a particular song and smiled. "You want to sing about friendship, Kor?"
As soon as Victor was done, the empath and the Tamaranean sang For Good (Wicked) together. Starfire sang Glinda's parts while Raven sang Elphaba's. They harmonized beautifully and meant every word. When they got back to the table, they found several people in awe.
Nightwing looked up and whistled. "That was beautiful."
"A bit mushy for my taste, but you sounded good." Rose smirked.
Raven smirked right back. "Thanks. Where's Gar?"
"He went over to the bar." Cyborg answered quickly. "He's getting more drinks. I think you should talk to him, actually…"
"Sure, I'll go help him." Raven headed to the bar and easily found him – he was the only green one. He wasn't ordering anything, though. He was staring blankly into space. Is he that drunk already? She cleared her throat once she was close enough. "Hey, where's your mind at?"
Garfield was slightly startled. He had been so lost in thought he didn't sniff her coming. He was also a little lightheaded from all the drinking and it made it harder to organize his thoughts. But she was a nice surprise, so he smiled. "Oh, hey you."
Raven tilted her head to the side. He's a little sad. "What are you doing standing here alone?"
"Well, I came to…" He glanced at the bar. "And then I saw…" He glanced at the stage. "Well, I stopped to watch you." Beast Boy looked at her and realized she was smiling at him. Get over your shit, Garfield. She likes you. She might even love you. Maybe. He smiled wider and scratched the back of his neck. "You were amazing, by the way. I can't even…you know."
She rolled her eyes fondly. "C'mon, let's get the drinks and go back."
"No, wait…not yet." The Changeling shifted his weight between his feet. "You said we could talk about Doom Patrol and Thanksgiving..."
She frowned. "Garfield, I didn't mean now. That's months away and-"
"Why didn't you offer to go with me? I mean, you're my girlfriend. We're supposed to do this stuff together. Meet each other's families and stuff."
Raven sighed. Why does he want to be this…traditional? She decided to be playful and smirked at him. "So…what? On Easter we go to Hell and spend it with Trigon?"
The Changeling chuckled. "You know what I mean."
She turned away from him to order the drinks before she answered. "Gar, you only want me there to have someone defending you when Mento is harsh. And maybe to brag."
Garfield frowned. He'd had a drink or two watching her sing and they didn't seem like such a good idea now. "Well…yeah! Is that so bad? You're my girlfriend, that's like…your job!"
Raven was a little offended by that. She narrowed her eyes. "No, it's not."
"Okay, that came out wrong. My bad. But listen, it's like, really important to me, okay?"
The empath sighed heavily. "You're very high-maintenance, you know that?"
The Changeling folded his arms and mumbled. "What happened to I'll always rescue you?"
Oh Azar, I will kill him. Raven rubbed her temples. "Yes, Garfield. But this scenario doesn't require rescuing. He's your adoptive father and you are a twenty-one year old man."
He was taken aback by that. And a little hurt. She's not wrong. But that's not what I wanted her to say. And why is she smiling right now and what is she even looking at? He followed her gaze to see Cyborg and Bumblebee singing Give Your Heart a Break (Demi Lovato) as a duet on stage while making heart eyes at each other.
"That's an interesting development." Raven said contently.
It was an interesting development, he couldn't deny that. He was happy for Cyborg. Garfield put his worries aside for a moment and grinned. "Yeah. Finally. But, listen…"
Before the shapeshifter could say another word, she walked back to their table, actively ignoring him. So he followed after her with a heavy heart. The entire night had been very different from what he'd imagined. Victor and Karen took a little while to go back to the table because they'd actually stopped on a corner to make out, so when they did come back, they had flushed cheeks and she looked a little disheveled, which earned them quite a few whistles and giggles.
"Very mature, guys." Cyborg said sarcastically, trying – and failing – to keep a smile off his face.
"So are you moving to our tower then, Bumble?" Starfire rested her chin on her hands.
"Oh. Well…I'd love to." Karen started. "But…" She glanced at her teammates. "I don't think it would be fair to leave Terra alone with these guys."
The blonde shot her a grateful smile. Being the only girl on a team would be a little challenging. She had no idea how Bumblebee did it before. The number of dirty socks lying around alone…
"Maybe Jinx and I could join them." Wally West suddenly suggested. It was actually more of a loud thought, so he quickly turned to his girlfriend. "I mean, only if you want to. And I know you've been getting into magic with Rae a lot, but we could still come over all the time. You know, with me being the fastest guy in the world and all that." He grinned proudly.
Superboy scoffed at that last part, but Kid Flash decided to ignore him.
"I think it's a great idea." Raven said plainly. "If Jinx wants to."
"So do we." Speedy smiled. He'd noticed Terra liked the idea.
Jinx thought about it. She had been longing for a sense of…belonging. She looked at Terra, who was smiling at her. "Maybe this could work."
"Excellent!" Kid Flash raised his glass. He could definitely be on a team. The only reason he hadn't asked to join the Titans was the whole thing with Cyborg, and even though they were okay now he certainly wasn't comfortable with the idea of Victor and Jinx living together. Damian wasn't wrong; he didn't fully trust her yet.
"Does that mean you'll stay?" Cyborg asked Bumblebee through a hopeful smile.
Karen looked over at Richard. "What do you think? Would you have me, Nightwing?"
Dick smiled. "Are you kidding me? You're in, Bumble!"
"This calls for another round!" Aqualad said breezily.
There was cheering and laughing and another round of drinks. But then Cyborg noticed that whatever it was Raven said to his best friend, it hadn't done the trick, because the shapeshifter looked even more miserable now. The half-robot elbowed Starfire and tilted his head towards Garfield. She frowned sadly and shot Cyborg a meaningful look and a nod.
"Hey, Rae? Can Cy and I talk to you in private?" Kory asked.
The empath narrowed her eyes. That feels a little hostile. "Sure…"
"Jinx, let's sing something together!" Terra suggested drunkenly. "To solidify our partnership!"
Jinx's signature wicked grin came back. "Only if it's polemic."
Terra thought for a minute and then her eyes widened. And then they filled with mischief. She got up and pulled Raven by the arm. "You have to come too. You haven't sung with me yet. Remember that song we danced to at the Hall of Justice?"
That song that…oh. Raven smiled slightly. Normally, she would just say no, but she'd had an idea. A brilliant idea. "Only if Rose joins in."
Ravager questioningly raised an eyebrow at that, but Terra and Jinx seemed to think it made perfect sense and the enchantress pulled her to her feet.
Terra realized Starfire and Cyborg were about to protest. "You can talk to Rae after we sing!"
Nightwing picked up on Kory and Victor's intentions and tried to help. "Wait, guys..."
"No waiting! Let's go!" Jinx exclaimed.
Kory desperately tried to stop them. "No, seriously, just-"
"LET'S GO!" Terra shouted, pushing the other three girls towards the stage.
Nightwing exhaled and gave his friends a shrug. Drunken people simply weren't sharp enough to take a hint.
And then the four girls took the stage and Jinx shouted into the mic. "It's bad bitches tiiime!"
Sweet but Psycho (Ava Max) started playing and they alternated the verses between them, singing the chorus together. Terra was being all sweet and teasing while Jinx was openly wicked. Ravager started out rolling her eyes, but then she got into it. She had a more badass, more intimidating could-kill-you-if-I-wanted-to kind of approach. It was definitely interesting – at least Damian thought so. Raven stood there in a cool stance with a hand on her hip and a smirk on her face and when it was her turn her eyes got all intense and menacing and her body swayed in slow, subtle, sensual movements. The four of them had a lot of fun. And they were all being a little sexy in their own way.
They were a hit too. The cheering was loud everywhere, not just their table. Garfield cheered loudly too, watching Raven intently while she sang this naughty song. For a second there, he forgot all about his insecurities. That was his girlfriend. Life was good. Sure, she'd gone to sing with her friends instead of talking to him about his feelings, but still. And since he looked happy, Cyborg, Starfire and Nightwing all relaxed as well – until the girls came back.
"That was hot. Very sexy." Superboy grinned lustfully.
Garfield's face fell. He realized everyone else had seen what he just saw. He followed Conner's gaze to see who he was grinning at, but he couldn't be sure. He was sure about Aqualad's intense stare, though. It was on Raven. She wasn't looking at either of them, but she wasn't looking at him either. She was narrowing her eyes at Rose for some reason.
"Hey Rae, can we talk?" Cyborg asked urgently, already standing up.
The empath frowned. Starfire was on her feet too; apparently ready to join this private conversation, whatever it was about. They looked serious. Even Dick was looking at her a little disapprovingly, though he didn't stand up. She shrugged and let Kory and Victor pull her aside. As they dragged her way too far from the table, Raven could sense she was about to get scolded and figured all this distance was to escape her boyfriend's heightened hearing. She rolled her eyes. "Is this about Garfield's moping?"
Cyborg furrowed his brows. "Don't you think you're being harsh? I mean, you couldn't let him have one song, Raven? Conner and Aqualad were teasing him pretty badly earlier."
The empath huffed softly. "Well how was I supposed to know that? And how is that my fault? Why do I have to do something I'm not comfortable with because they're jerks?"
"You don't need to sing with him, friend, but did you even talk to him about why he's sad? Did you even apologize for this morning?" Kory asked worriedly.
Raven grimaced, looking a little guilty. "I'm going to, okay? It's just; it's always such a tiring conversation when he's like this."
Cyborg sternly folded his arms. "Seriously? He's hurting out there. And you know that because you can sense him. How do you think that makes him feel?"
The empath exhaled. She glanced at the table. Bumblebee seemed to be trying to cheer him up, but he looked sad. He hasn't even sung anything all night. "Shit, okay. You're right."
Victor and Kory's faces instantly filled with relief.
"I'll talk to him." Raven said surely. "There's just one more thing I need to do..."
When they headed back to the table, everyone was still discussing the bad-girls performance.
Raven lightly elbowed Rose. "So, aren't you done being a lonely villain yet?"
Ravager had been laughing openly. If she was being honest, she couldn't remember ever having this much fun. But she tried to contain her smile and rolled her eyes. "I knew you were trying to convert me."
"Of course I am." The empath said seriously. "You were the only…well, if not friend, human connection I had in that…nightmare. I know you enough to know you can do better. And you saved me. So…of course I'll try to save you. Whether you like it or not, I like you."
Garfield hated himself for being currently consumed by jealousy and doubt while she was trying to change a teen's life. It was even more embarrassing because he knew that she knew. These fucking powers of hers. Sometimes they kinda suck. He downed another shot.
Ravager bit her lip. The truth was she really wanted to stay. She didn't care about being a hero; she just liked not being alone. She was tired of loneliness. Besides, Titan Tower was really nice. Like a home. She huffed. "Raven…I like you too. I like you since you told my father he was nothing. Remember that? And then the more they burned and sliced and beat you and you just frustrated them back, the more I liked you. That was fun to watch. I mean, not the…you know what I mean. But…I'm an outlaw. It's what I've always been and it's all I know how to be. Besides…I'm sure your friends don't feel the same way you do."
Dick just smiled at Rose, now completely sure about her. "Actually, we kind of do."
Garfield was still grateful to her in the middle of his funk, so he nodded emphatically. So did Starfire, Cyborg, Robin and Terra. The others shot her a sympathetic smile.
Ravager frowned. "You…want me…on your lame superhero team?"
"Why not?" Victor said nonchalantly. "Half of us have been villains at some point by now."
"Guilty." Terra coyly raised her hand.
"Me too." Jinx raised hers.
"Technically…" Damian's hand went up in the air.
"I was Red-X." Richard joined them.
"I've definitely gone too far a few times. And I did unleash Trigon." Raven said quietly.
Conner folded his arms behind his head. "I haven't been a villain, but I've been a jerk. Does that count?"
Everyone chuckled and Rose felt slightly overwhelmed. "But…I'm Slade's daughter. He's been your enemy since-"
"As you pointed out once, I'm Talia al Ghul's son." Damian smirked.
"Lex Luthor. Technically." Conner said breezily.
Raven cleared her throat. "Hello?"
Ravager laughed loudly at that, along with everyone else. Can I actually stay here…?
"We don't care, Rose. If you want to stay, you'll be one of us." Nightwing said kindly.
"That's right!" Starfire beamed at her.
"Sometimes they do cool shit." Damian said plainly, looking up at her. "Like taking Blackfire's power and giving it to Kory. I watched it, it was ruthless."
Rose smiled at that. "Well…I would still be Ravager, right?"
"You can keep your battle name, yes." Dick chuckled.
Ravager tilted her head and thought about it. "…I guess I could stay a while."
Damian wasn't sure why, but that made him feel good. It was all fun and games after Rose's conversion. They took turns singing gradually sillier songs. Raven was sober, though. She was content with how the whole Rose situation was settled – not to mention Cyborg and Bumblebee – and now she could focus on Garfield. She was ready to talk to him.
"Are you sure you should drink more?" The empath touched her boyfriend's arm as he reached for another shot.
The shapeshifter looked at her and his heart ached. Shit. She looks perfect. He frowned and hastily pulled his arm, looking away. He wasn't sure why he was upset. Maybe it was the Mento thing, or the way the guys teased him earlier – they'd gotten him all paranoid, or maybe it was because she'd sung two songs but refused him. And then on top of all that she had to go and be admirable in front of everyone. To be fair, that last part wasn't her fault. He knew that. It happened whenever she let go a bit – you could see how captivating she was. The problem was how it made him feel. Now he was sure there was absolutely no way he would manage to keep her. He felt like he wasn't smart enough, or powerful enough, or charming enough. And the drinks weren't helping. If anything, he was feeling worse.
Raven didn't allow herself to be hurt, because she could still sense he loved her. And he was clearly drunk, so maybe not the best moment to call him out on being grumpy. Still, she was a little annoyed. She'd meditated like a crazy person for this because he really wanted her to come. "Is this because I won't sing with you?"
Garfield huffed defensively. "I'm not a child, I don't care. I just, I can drink if I want to."
Raven looked away from him and shut down to protect her own feelings. "Fine."
The atmosphere changed completely with his unusually dry behavior towards her. One could cut the tension with a knife. Cyborg and Starfire exchanged concerned looks. They hadn't expected him to react this way – but then again, she had waited a long time and now he was pretty drunk. Dick was mostly confused.
"Aren't you gonna sing anything, man?" Cyborg nudged him. In reality, he just wanted to get him out of there so they could talk.
"Oh…right." Garfield realized that was weird. If he didn't sing anything, everyone would know something was wrong. Everyone already knows, loser. You're not exactly subtle.
"Aren't you gonna sing about how much you loooove Raven?" Jinx asked indiscreetly. "Or is that starting to die down already?"
Everyone but the empath stared at her in utter disbelief. Raven was still staring at the same random spot on the table, because it was her turn to feel her stomach twirl and her heart drop. Jinx probably didn't realize it, but she had just put her biggest fear – at least at the moment – into words. She didn't dare to move. It could give her away.
The Changeling glared at Jinx. "Of course not."
"Of course not as in it's not dying down or of course not as in you're not singing to her?" The enchantress pressed, resting her chin on her hands.
"Leave him alone. He'll sing if he wants to sing." Raven said quietly, still staring at the table.
"I don't need you to speak for me." The shapeshifter grumbled. What the fuck am I doing!? Don't talk to her like that! He was vaguely aware by the shocked look on Cyborg's face that it was too late to pretend nothing was wrong. "You know what? I just don't feel like singing. I don't always feel like singing."
Raven thought her heart would shatter if it wasn't for her emphatic abilities. He still loves me. It's okay. This is just the alcohol talking. "Okay."
Dick frowned sternly and opened his mouth to ask Garfield if they could talk in private so he could talk some sense into him, but before he could say anything, Conner Kent was on his feet.
"He's had too much to drink. Don't worry, I'll sing to you." Superboy winked at Raven. "I got you, destroyer of worlds. We're the only sober ones."
"And me. I can't get drunk." Kid Flash pointed out blankly. "Fast metabolism and all that."
"That's entirely unnecessary, Conner. Sit down." The empath said firmly, glaring at him.
"Fine, then I'll just sing a random song to no one in particular. Try stopping me now." Superboy said charmingly, heading towards the stage.
Raven turned to Garfield as soon as Conner left, but he was already on his feet walking away.
"Why is he being weird?" Rose whispered to Damian, who shrugged to let her know he was just as confused. Neither of them had noticed anything but each other all night.
Victor quickly got up and went after his friend. Raven swallowed her emotions, because she felt like crying. She did accidentally break a few chairs, making people fall down.
Superboy started singing Just the Way You Are (Bruno Mars) on stage. He had a really nice voice. The empath curiously looked up and he sure was shooting her intense glances every now and then. He was acting all cute and it was definitely distracting, but it didn't soothe her heart. It wasn't who she wanted to see singing to her.
Cyborg put a hand on his friend's shoulder to make him turn around and look at him. "BB, c'mon. Superboy is basically serenading your girl and you decide to ignore her? Talk to me."
But Garfield was busy grunting loudly and cursing under his breath, because he had realized what Conner was singing. Fuck, why didn't I think of that!?
"Dude, do I need to slap you or something?" Victor frowned.
Garfield moved his arms around in a desperate manner. "She's not my girl, Cy! She says it all the time. She's not anyone's. Look." He pointed at the stage. "Perfect Boy is singing to her better than I ever did and look." He pointed at their table where Aqualad had moved to sit beside Raven and was whispering something to her. "Don't you get it!?" He looked at Cyborg in misery. "I'm going to lose her. It's like, inevitable!"
Victor shook his head. "What are you talking about, BB? Both those things are only happening because you shut her down in front of everyone. Those two are worse than sharks smelling blood in the water. I know she's been kinda mean today but she wants you, not them. She meant to talk to you about it. Just go back to your usual, nicer self."
The Changeling was practically panting as he watched Conner being perfect on stage and shooting Raven flirty looks. "Look at what he's singing! That's just sheer provocation!"
"Then don't fall for it. C'mon, let's go back."
He wasn't done freaking out. "I mean, he doesn't even love her, he just loves the challenge!"
"Don't you think she knows that, man?" Cyborg asked him incredulously.
"I can't go back, Cy. I'll get hurt. She'll choose one of them."
"No, she won't. I promise. That's crazy talk." The half-robot said surely. "You wouldn't think that without the alcohol."
Garfield slowed his breathing. "I can't lose her, Cy. I…I can't."
Victor put both his hands on his best friend's shoulders. "Great, then let's go back."
The Changeling took a deep breath and nodded, letting the half-robot guide him back. But after a few short steps, his ears captured what Aqualad was whispering to his girlfriend.
"I didn't know it was that bad…what you went through. You're really strong. But if you need anything…anything at all. Like someone to talk to…I mean, someone…mature. I'm here."
Garfield stopped dead in his tracks. He watched Raven's back and listened intently, but she didn't say anything or move. She didn't accept the offer, but she didn't turn him down either.
"Dude, what are you-"
"I'm going to sing." Garfield said decisively, heading towards the stage, because Conner was done singing now and all the courage he had been hoping the alcohol would provide all night suddenly found him all at once.
Raven watched her drunken boyfriend pick up the microphone and look directly at her. She instantly felt a little better. He's going to sing to me. Everything is okay. He just had too much to drink. It'll probably be Stutter and it'll be really cute and- wait, I don't know this song.
"I don't like the way he's looking at you…"
Garfield sang Jealous (Nick Jonas) staring directly at her the entire time, in the most dramatic, intense, nearly aggressive way he possibly could. There was a glint in his eyes that she would have loved under different circumstances. There was a sensuality to the territorial way he was performing and he looked sexy doing it, which ironically made her a little jealous, because she could sense arousal from several other people there. But mostly, Raven was mortified. She felt her face burn and she wanted to disappear into the floor several times, but she thought maybe that would make it worse. It's not like every single person in the club hadn't realized he was singing to her by now.
The song was extremely flattering and she had to admit that was part of the reason she was blushing. Besides, it was definitely better than his indifference. But it was also unapologetically petty and certainly not the sweet declaration that would have warmed her heart. He was jealous, obviously. He was scared of losing her. But he also seemed…angry. Of course he was angry; he knew how this would make her feel – this exposure, this public display of possessiveness. This wasn't a serenade. This was marking his territory while punishing her at the same time. She tensed her facial muscles and struggled to keep her powers under control. Their friends were either completely mortified too or thoroughly amused. Cyborg and Nightwing were mostly concerned.
Garfield dropped the microphone when he finished and stumbled back to the table. "See, love? I sang to you!" He hastily pushed Aqualad off his seat, glaring at him and Conner, and sat down next to her again. "Did you see it?"
"Everyone saw it. You practically pissed on me." Raven said in a low and unamused voice.
The Changeling scoffed. "Well at least I care enough to-"
"Garfield? Maybe you should go home." Richard stared at him warningly.
The shapeshifter narrowed his eyes. Yeah, right. I'll go home and then everyone can hit on her all they want. "I don't think so."
Raven stood up and cleared her throat. Aqualad and Superboy stood up too. Garfield just looked up at her. "Well, I'm going home. Goodnight everyone. Bumble and Rose…welcome."
Garfield clumsily got on his feet. "Okay then I'll go home too!"
The empath exhaled in relief, because she had hoped for that. He really did need to sleep it off. They walked out into cold night air and found a quiet spot so she could teleport them back. Raven noticed he was stumbling and put his arm over her shoulders for support.
"Do you still love me? I mean…like me? I mean…do you still want me?" Garfield asked groggily while she helped him towards the toilet.
"Yes." She said plainly, handing him a toothbrush. "Brush your teeth. I'll get you water."
She still wants me. Good. The Changeling did what she said and then accepted her help again to get to his room. "But whyyy? Why do you love me? I mean, why do you want me?"
He sat on his bed and reluctantly drank from the bottle of water she handed him before lying down. She just sighed tiredly.
Garfield grunted in frustration against his pillow. "See? You can't even answer."
Raven went to remove his shoes. "You know, you really hurt my feelings tonight."
He suffocated a sob against his pillow, because that made his chest burn – and not in a good way. "Don't say that."
She carefully covered him with a blanket. To be fair, you hurt him first. "I can answer. It's not a short answer but I've told you reasons why I like you several times. I have answered it."
That's true. But I'm scared you'll change your mind. He mumbled against the pillow. "I just get so worried. I just love you so much."
Her heart skipped a beat against her will. "What do you get so worried about?"
Garfield looked up at her with sleepy, remorseful eyes. "Mmm?"
Raven smiled slightly and ruffled his hair. "Okay. Go to sleep. We'll talk tomorrow." He was snoring in seconds, so she went back to her room, lay down and clutched her plush turtle to her chest. It wasn't the best sleep of her life.
The next day, Garfield woke up to a headache like he hadn't had since those days when he was pining for her. Fuck, why do I feel like shit? He grunted and rubbed his eyes, allowing the events of last night to flood back into his mind. Right, I got drunk. And then I…did I sing an angry song to Rae? Shit. He sat up and wondered how he even got to bed. All he remembered was being upset and freaking out. He couldn't remember a fight though, which he was grateful for. And he would definitely remember if she'd broken up with him, so at least he knew that didn't happen.
"Morning, sleeping beasty." Cyborg said teasingly when the Changeling walked into the ops room in sweatpants and a loose t-shirt. "Coffee?"
Everyone else was already up and socializing. Some were still having breakfast, some were playing with the pets and some were watching the news.
"Definitely." Garfield answered with sleepy eyes, sitting by the kitchen counter next to Raven, who was quietly sipping her tea, staring at the wall. Isn't she gonna say morning to me?
Jinx had an amused grin on her face. "Sooo, BB, did you sleep well? You look like you have a headache."
"Yeah, I think I had a little too much to drink last night." The shapeshifter answered tiredly.
He was slightly taken aback by everyone chuckling loudly at that.
"A little?" Ravager raised an eyebrow.
Shit. It must have been worse than I thought. He sipped his coffee and glanced at Raven again. Unlike everyone else, she wasn't chuckling. She was wearing a stripped long-sleeve cropped and sweatpants and her hair was pulled up into a messy bun. His chest ached with desire because she looked beautiful, but she was still silently staring at the wall and she hadn't even looked at him. "Morning, love."
"Morning." The empath said coldly before getting up and placing her mug in the sink. "Excuse me, everyone."
And just like that, she was gone. Garfield flinched. He remembered her being a little cold yesterday too – it was the whole reason he got upset and drank too much, that much he remembered. But this seemed different.
The shapeshifter grimaced. "She's mad at me, isn't she?"
Cyborg grimaced as well. He didn't think his best friend was the only one in the wrong this time. In fact, he was just about to talk to Raven about her share of blame before he walked in. Still, his mistake had been rather public and she hated that. "Probably."
Garfield grunted and rested his forehead on the counter. "What did I do?"
"What do you remember?" Jinx asked in an amused voice.
He lifted his head again and sipped his coffee. "Not much."
Kory turned her head from the couch and smiled at him. "Do you remember friends Cyborg and Bumblebee singing together? And that she and Rose are Titans now?"
Garfield nodded. "Yeah, vaguely but…yeah."
"Do you remember being totally paranoid?" Conner chuckled.
The Changeling narrowed his eyes at him. "I remember you being totally out of line singing a love song to my girlfriend."
Superboy raised his hands up in the air in surrender and grinned charmingly. "Hey, I was just trying to cheer her up after you were rude to her. It's not in my nature to watch a pretty girl feel blue and do nothing about it."
Garfield frowned and turned to Cyborg, hoping he would tell him Conner was lying. There was no way he'd made her sad, right? Except…he did remember how hurt he was. Did he take it out on her?
"I mean, he was out of line. And she fucked up too. She was about to apologize, actually. But…yeah, you were rude." Victor nodded.
The shapeshifter's heart sank. She was about to what!? He felt more awake by the minute and now he thought he remembered her saying something about him hurting her feelings.
"I wasn't out of line and he glared daggers at me all night." Aqualad said innocently. "All I did was talk to her."
"Oh, shut up." Garfield rolled his eyes then glared at him. "I see the way you look at her."
Ravager laughed out loud. "See, I told you he isn't that stupid."
"Anyway BB, do you remember what you did after you got upset and drunk?" Cyborg asked, getting the shapeshifter's attention again.
Garfield frowned. "I…"
"Allow me." Jinx said happily, holding up her phone for him to see a video of his intense, sensual and angry performance.
The footage kept moving from him to Raven every now and then. She was completely immobile, with her arms folded and her cheeks flushed. Her expression was enigmatic to most people, but Garfield knew it. She was embarrassed.
The Changeling felt all his blood drain from his face. "…fuck."
Jinx was grinning triumphantly. He pushed her phone away and glared at her a little, then finished his coffee and stood up.
"Are you going to talk to friend Raven?" Starfire asked hopefully.
Garfield was already leaving. "Obviously."
Nightwing smiled to himself. They're fine, Dick. It'll be fine.
He found her on the roof, meditating by herself. "Hey…can we talk?"
Raven lowered herself from her floating stance and turned to him. "Sure."
"I know you're mad at me. I had too much to drink and I embarrassed you. I'm sorry."
The empath frowned slightly. "Why did you even get that drunk?"
"I was upset, okay? I got jealous. I guess that's obvious now. I didn't handle it very well, but…"
"You didn't handle it at all. I don't know if you were upset because I wouldn't sing with you or offer to go to Thanksgiving with you; or if you're just so insecure you can't even ignore those two idiots, but I didn't find any of it amusing."
He frowned. This isn't fair. "Look, it was a difficult night for me too. I'm sorry I got drunk and behaved the way I did. But I'm not going to apologize for how I feel."
She folded her arms. "I'm not asking you to, but the way you react to your feelings is really alarming. You can't just say you're sorry and then keep doing it. We've talked about this over and over again."
You ruined it. She hates you. "Okay, sorry. I'll stop."
Raven wasn't having it this time. She didn't even need powers to know he was just avoiding confrontation. "No, don't back down. You're mad at me, so fight with me."
"I don't want to." The shapeshifter said quietly.
She walked up to him. "Yes, you do. You're just afraid to. Fight with me, Garfield."
Fine. He raised his voice a notch. "I don't think you're being fair. You keep getting mad at me for wanting to be around you too much or for getting upset when other guys pursue you when that's all perfectly normal because I love you! I admit I handled it poorly last night and I'll apologize for that, but I'm human – I mean, you know, mostly. And you know what? Maybe if you were a little more open about us other guys wouldn't feel like they can serenade you!"
Raven narrowed her eyes and raised her voice as well. "I have gone way out of my comfort zone for you time and time again and you know it! Can't you do the same for me?"
His heart tightened. He did know that, the whole relationship was wildly out of her comfort zone. But that didn't change the fact he felt like crap. Before he knew it, he was shouting. "I'm TRYING to but you have NO IDEA what it's like!"
Raven flinched slightly and glared at him. "I said fight with me, not yell at my face."
Shit. I shouted at her. Garfield immediately lowered his voice again, though it was still intense. "You know exactly how I feel all the time because you're an empath. I can't know how you feel unless you show me and you're all secretive about it! It's torture!"
"That is not true! I make my feelings for you abundantly clear, but it's just never enough for you!" She allowed her face to show vulnerability. "How do you think that makes me feel?"
They heard lightbulbs exploding inside. Garfield stared at her with wide eyes.
Raven took a deep breath. "I'm sorry I'm so insufficient and defected for you…"
The grip around his heart tightened. No, shit. What!?
"…but if I'm this unsatisfying then…"
No. No, no, no. Tell her she's perfect. She's perfect.
"…why are you even with me?" She finished quietly.
Despair filled Garfield's tight heart and he looked down and failed to fight back a treacherous sob. Great, now you're crying in front of her. That'll change her mind. Loser.
"…why are you crying?"
Man up and face her, at least. He looked up with watery eyes and realized there was pain on her face. It's probably pity. "Cause you're breaking up with me…"
"What? No, I'm not." She said pointedly.
Garfield's soft crying immediately ceased and his eyes widened again. "You're not?"
Raven wanted to kiss his tears away, but if she did that they would kiss and make up and the conversation would end sooner than it should, like it always did. "Gar…we can fight, it's just a fight. I'm not breaking up with you, that was never even remotely in question."
That was never even remotely in question. His heart was released from its tight grip as he allowed her words to sink in. This isn't a breakup. It's just a fight. "…oh."
"By the way, why do you always think I'm breaking up with you?"
Garfield bit his lip, feeling a little more comfortable with this conversation now that he knew a breakup wasn't even in question. "I don't know…because I'm scared that you will. And then I'll be miserable for the rest of my life, because nothing will ever compare to this and no one will ever compare to you."
Don't let flattery make you look away from the problem. Address it. "Gar, you're letting fear get in our way. I've done nothing to deserve this constant distrust."
He sighed heavily. "I know, Rae. I know I was petty and jealous, trust me. But you could have reminded them you have a boyfriend. You could have followed me or said something instead of sitting there and letting Aqualad hit on you and Conner sing to you."
"I was quiet because I was sad." She said sternly. "You just left me there and I was struggling not to explode anything or hurt anyone."
The shapeshifter inhaled sharply. "Shit, okay. I…I get that. But it's just; you don't know what it's like to be the one who hurts the most in the relationship. It's hard."
Raven folded her arms and glared at him. "You don't know how much I hurt."
Garfield smiled bitterly and rolled his eyes. "C'mon, let's not pretend this is balanced."
That annoyed the crap out of her. "Okay well what am I supposed to do? I've told you that I don't deserve you. But you just don't believe me, so what's the point? Should I reassure you twenty-four seven? Never talk to anyone who might find me attractive ever again?"
The Changeling bit his lip. "No…but..."
Raven frowned. He's hurt. He resents me. "What is it? Just tell me, I want to know."
"I mean…we can fight and this isn't a breakup, right?" Garfield asked unsurely.
"I promise."
He exhaled and decided to be honest. "Okay, listen. I hear you, I do. You've done a lot and let me know you care countless times, but…I still needed it last night, okay? I mean, you snapped at me first thing in the morning and then…I know you weren't there when the guys teased me and I know you think I shouldn't care, but…I do care and you did sense me once you got there, right? I don't know, I wish you'd kissed me or pulled me aside or something to let them know how you feel because having to convince people you like me is like, really hurtful. I'm not that confident, okay? I wish I was. And I guess I'm wondering how you could sense I was that sad and not care. I can barely function when you're sad. And…I do need rescuing when it comes to Mento, okay? I mean, if going to Thanksgiving with me is such a huge sacrifice to you then maybe we shouldn't be doing this."
As soon as he said it, he regretted it. Garfield definitely hadn't meant to imply they should break up. And Raven's eyes were wide now and she seemed tense and it was too late to take it back. He was scared again. But this time he wasn't the only one.
Raven's heart was tight. Painfully, excruciatingly tight. Every word he said cut her like a knife. And then she felt it. Fear of losing him. Crippling, paralyzing fear of losing him. She fought against the tears trying to find their way to her eyes as the tables completely turned. "Wait…" She whispered, stepping closer to him. "Wait, don't…just wait."
The Changeling frowned. "I…I thought you wanted to fight…"
"Sure, but…I don't want to break up."
Garfield quickly shook his head. "No, I…that's not what I meant. I don't want to break up either. I love you. And I'm not saying this to make you feel insufficient or any of that. I mean God, Raven, I think you're fucking perfect. I just-ohh." He stopped talking abruptly, because she was cupping his face and all her anger seemed to have vanished entirely.
Raven looked at him pleadingly. You made him cry again. You broke his heart. Fix it. She couldn't remember ever feeling this guilty. "You're right. I am so sorry." She whispered, caressing his cheeks. "I can do better. I'll do better. Please don't give up on me yet."
The Changeling stared at her wide-eyed. She looked sorry and vulnerable and it was already healing his heart at an impressive speed. "Giving up on you honestly never even crossed my mind, love. I don't wanna ask for too much…"
"You're not. It's not too much. I'm sorry I snapped at you. I should let them know how I feel. I mean, I will. And of course I'll go to Thanksgiving with you."
Garfield continued to stare at her face and it melted his heart. Her eyes welled up and her voice was sweet and dripping with sincerity. "Really? A-are you sure?"
She nodded. "I'll make it up to you, too. You're right, I should have…I meant to talk to you last night, I did. But I waited too long. It was selfish. I…I suck at this, Gar. Give me another chance?"
He couldn't stop the smile on his face. Her eyes and voice were so blissfully kind and regretful he just wanted to kiss her. "Woah, Rae. I told you I don't want to break up. There's no need for all this. I forgive you."
Garfield realized she had dropped a single tear and he reached out and wiped it. Seeing her cry shattered his heart, no matter the reason.
Raven lovingly ran her fingers through his hair and turned her head slightly to plant a quick kiss on the back of his hand. "I got that. You'll forgive anything I do, but I hate that I made you feel this way." She whispered. "I don't want to just stay together; I want to completely heal your heart. I hurt you. You don't deserve to hurt. Please let me make it up to you."
He felt like his heart was pretty much healed at this point. "I mean, there's really no need for that. I was an ass last night. I shouldn't have gotten drunk."
Yes, there is. I don't want ANY part of you to resent me. "Will you just let me do it already?"
Garfield grinned and raised an eyebrow. Now that she wasn't sad anymore, he could properly enjoy this. "I mean…how would you do that?"
"I don't know, I'll…I'll be more vocal. And I'll spoil you and I'll kiss you in front of everyone."
He gasped. "You hate kissing in front of everyone!"
"I hate hurting you way more." She said sincerely. "I got distracted by everything else last night, but I never…I can't believe I let you hurt like that. I'm so sorry."
The shapeshifter beamed. Okay, she likes me. She really likes me. I'm okay. "I mean…" He chuckled sheepishly. "Okay! I mean, I'd like that. But again, I think you're perfect. I just…"
"You don't need to explain, love. I failed you yesterday; I can do better. I can do that for you." Raven smiled and ran her fingers through his hair again. He was blushing now and she felt lighter. "I'll do my best and…if it's not enough, then dump me. But let me try first."
"Oh, it'll be enough." He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her closer. She's being so fucking cute. "I could never dump you. And I'll try to be less demanding, I promise. I know I don't make it easy for you."
"Listen, I'm in this with you, okay? I just don't think that I should completely disappear into the relationship just because I love you, and I don't think that you should eith-"
"You what!?"
Raven stopped and frowned, being absolutely confused. He was feeling absurdly excited, but staring at her with huge, shocked eyes. What did I say wrong? "I…shouldn't completely dis-"
"Did you just say you love me!?" Garfield's heart pounded in his chest.
Oh. That. Did I? The empath narrowed her eyes in thought, going over her previous words. Yup. She was slightly surprised. She didn't think she would have it in her to say it out loud. The weight those words carried freaked her out a bit. But she'd said them. "Oh. I guess I did."
He wasn't just slightly surprised, though. His heart was pounding loudly in his ears and his face was flushed and there was sheer euphoria building up in his guts. She loves me. She loves me, she loves me, she loves me. His lips spread in a gigantic, toothy grin.
Raven rolled her eyes. "It's not like you didn't know that already."
Garfield gesticulated wildly. "No no no, this is different. Do not pretend this isn't a big deal. You said it, you actually said it!" His heart was soaring freely now and his grin widened even more. "You love me!"
She watched him with folded arms and an amused expression on her face, wondering if any two people in a romantic relationship were ever this different. "Yes, dork."
The Changeling stopped and stared at her, forgetting all the heartache from moments ago. Was this a lapse? Will she say it again? At least now I know for sure, so every time she calls me love I'll know she means it. But it would be so nice to hear it again. But I JUST said I'll be less demanding. He bit his lip as he entertained his inner debate.
"You want me to repeat it, don't you?"
Yes. Garfield shrugged coyly. "Well…only if you're like, totally okay with it."
Raven sighed and looked into his green eyes. Who needs pride anyway? "Gar. I love you."
He fought back a squeal and beamed, feeling light and breezy and absolutely heavenly. "I really am so sorry for being a jerk last night. And for shouting at you just now. Am I forgiven for those?"
She smiled. "Yes. I'm sorry I took so long to say I love you. I do love you. Of course I love you."
His smile became passionate. "No problem. Seriously. Can I kiss you, please? I want to kiss you so bad. You look really beautiful and you keep saying you love me and I just…is the fight over? Can I kiss you now?"
Raven chuckled softly. "Yes, please."
Garfield cradled her face and kissed her deeply. Her hands ran up and down his back and he felt like he would never be sad again, because she loved him. Love doesn't just disappear. She wasn't just crushing on him, she didn't just love what he did to her, and she wasn't just deeply fond of him. She loved him.
"Best fight ever." He whispered playfully against her lips, making her giggle.
When they went back to the ops room, it was stupidly obvious everyone was trying to fake innocence and ignorance, but failing miserably at it. Some of them were clearly suppressing a smile; others couldn't even look at them.
Raven could sense it, too. They were guilty of something. "You heard everything, didn't you?"
Ravager pointed at Superboy. "It's his fault. He heard everything."
Right. Kryptonian hearing. Raven and Garfield blushed deeply.
"Hey! You all begged me to report, this is not on me." Conner said pointedly.
"So…you love him, huh?" Jinx waggled her eyebrows at Raven.
Cyborg was beyond relieved and beaming at them. Starfire couldn't hold back anymore – she flew to Raven and hugged her tightly, making her grunt in pain.
"Please don't crush the love of my life, Kory?" Garfield asked through a giant grin.
Starfire sheepishly let go of her, secretly freaking out about how much love she saw in the shapeshifter's eyes as he stared at her best friend. "Heh…sorry!"
The empath straightened up and cleared her throat. "Okay, so…now everyone knows. Good."
Garfield was on cloud nine. Aqualad looked grumpy and Conner seemed conformed.
Raven bit her lip when everyone started asking a million invasive questions all at once. "It's not that big a deal. Don't we all have something productive to do? Nightwing? Isn't there an assignment or something?"
"Oh, yes, certainly." Richard said quickly, recognizing the cry for help in the sorcerer's eyes. "The Titans East were just leaving once…well…"
"Once your juicy fight was over." Jinx clarified, standing up and gathering her things. The rest of their team followed her lead. "Totally worth it, by the way."
Raven rolled her eyes and Garfield just blushed deeper.
Richard cleared his throat. "Right, well. I guess that's it, then. Say your goodbyes and those of you who live here can head straight to the training room."
"So…there will be no more private conversations in this tower now, huh?" Cyborg asked Conner while they headed to the training room. "It was hard enough with BB's hearing, but yours is way worse…or better, I guess. You know, if you can't turn it off, you'll have to go out at night all the time. These people have a lot of sex…"
Raven really did go out of her way for him after that. She cooked for him and gave him spontaneous, long kisses in public whenever she felt she could handle it. When she sensed he was hurting, she addressed it immediately and all her other concerns would wait – it happened quite often, but if she felt irritated she reminded herself of how cruel the world had been to him and everything she'd seen back when she dived into his mind. If she was having a really bad day, she told him in the morning, in the sweetest possible way, and found him as soon as she felt better. She made sure to touch him a lot more too and she even slept in his room every night for two weeks straight. She knew she couldn't keep it all up forever and he would never ask her to, but she was extremely relieved to watch how stupidly happy it made him.
"I should give you up, you know? But I can't." Raven whispered sweetly to him, caressing his hair. "I endured torture for months, resisted Trigon and Eclipso, not to mention the Lasso of Truth, but then you smile and all my willpower goes away. What's up with that?"
She was sitting cross-legged on the couch with his head on her lap for anyone who walked into the ops room to see.
Garfield chuckled breezily at her. "I honestly have no clue why you like me so much."
She smiled softly. "Must be because you're cute and funny and brave and really special."
The Changeling beamed at her. His heart and stomach were fluttering and he felt like the happiest person in the world. In all worlds. "Thanks, again. You know, for…being more vocal and stuff. You have no idea. I know you're really trying and I really appreciate it."
"Thanks for being patient. Also, I want to take you out this weekend and surprise you."
His eyes sparkled. She had been letting him pick all their dates since their fight, which was already sweet of her, but this was different. Whenever Raven picked a date so far, it had always been something she would enjoy, so she'd never made it a surprise. "Woah, really?!"
"Mmhm. Don't worry, it's not the cemetery."
She knew exactly where to take him. She knew the only reason he'd never suggested Disneyland was because he thought she would find it childish and crowded. One quick portal was all it took and he'd never see it coming.
Garfield chuckled light-heartedly. "Okay but love, you really don't need to keep doing all this. I'm totally over karaoke night by now."
"I'm sort of planning to continue some of it in the long run. It makes you happy."
"Seriously?!" The shapeshifter sat up straight with a huge grin on his face.
"Well, yes, to some extent. It's not so bad. And I have something else…something special I've been working on. I hope it'll show you how much I care." Raven stopped him with a hand wave before he could ask more about it. "It's a surprise."
"So many surpriseeees." He whimpered playfully, feeling a delicious ache in his chest.
The empath just shrugged lovingly and mysteriously.
Garfield smiled and leaned in for a passionate kiss. "Mm…I'm so lucky."
"Me too." She whispered, smiling against his lips. "I'm never taking you for granted again, I promise. Also, I am yours. I don't mind saying it. I think I get it now."
His eyes got huge and he pulled away to look at her. "You are? You don't? You do!?"
Raven nodded. "I'm still not anyone's, but I'm also yours. There's this whole side of me I choose to share with you and no one else every day, so…I think that's what it means."
The Changeling's grin got so big his cheeks started to hurt. And then he felt that still annoyingly present twinge of fear. "I'm yours too. Can you, uh…promise to never leave me?"
He adored her to death for trying to make him feel safe, but the truth was now that she was openly letting him and everyone else know she loved him, he was ironically even more scared of losing her. He had no idea how to ever live without her now.
"That I cannot do." The empath said pointedly. She still drew the line at empty promises.
Garfield whined cutely at that and she chuckled and kissed him again.
"Hey, lovebirds! Let's go. Training time." Dick called from behind them.
Raven contently stood up and floated away to the training room. Richard hung back and stopped Garfield with a hand on his arm when he went to follow after her. Once they were alone, he turned to the shapeshifter.
"I'm only going to say this once, and I'm only saying it because I care deeply about you both." Nightwing said with kind eyes.
The Changeling gave him his undivided attention. "Okay."
"I know you still get paranoid even when she's doing all this extra stuff. If you hold on too tight, you will lose her." Richard said plainly.
Garfield looked down. "I know, Dick. I'm not going t-"
"But if you can trust her…and I mean truly trust her…I think she will love you forever." The Titan leader finished with a slight smile before walking away without another word.
The shapeshifter stood there for a few seconds before getting over his shock and running after him, wondering if he'd planned this moment of wisdom ahead or if this stuff just came naturally to him. She will love you forever. He liked the sound of that.
Begging (Dua Lipa)