Guys, guess what I found out this morning? I'm having twins! It's kinda poetic I'm finishing my first baby here on this day lol!

This will sound cheesy, but I wanna thank Beast Boy (will always Mutano for me, hehe) for helping me gain confidence and be less scared of greatness with him AND I wanna thank Raven for helping me soften up and peel some of my emotional walls with her. I'm sure it will all be very important raising my own little world conquerors. Gar and Rae, you two only exist in my head but you're real to me and I'm so stupidly proud of you both!

PSI-Triforce: Dude are YOU trying to make me die from praise and flattery?! Ahhhh thank you SO MUCH I'm so grateful (but also please don't die!) xD

So, I hope you guys enjoy the final chapter! Happy reading!


You're Still The One

Garfield strutted inside the ops room in his dark-green wedding suit after Cyborg had finished helping him get ready, and he grinned at the sight he met. Most of his male friends were hanging out and watching Mark and Illyana as they stumbled across the ops room, since they were one-year old now and were learning to walk.

"Looking good, man!" Kid Flash greeted him.

The Changeling happily swirled around as the others nodded in agreement, hummed approvingly or whistled playfully. "And the girls?"

"Still locked in Rae's room." Richard stated. "They'll probably be a while."

"Well, you can't rush perfection!" The shapeshifter shrugged breezily.

Gar couldn't contain the size of his grin and it was starting to hurt his cheeks but he couldn't care less, because this was probably the happiest day of his life so far. His children were alive and healthy, Raven was safe and free from Trigon, they knew what would become of their afterlife existence and it was blissful, the ghosts of his past no longer haunted him, his friends were all there and he was about to marry the love of his life. Also, he looked good and he knew it.

"Uncle demon!" Illyana whined, stretching her arms up in Robin's direction, as if begging him to pick her up.

There was a friendly round of laughter, like there always was when she called him that.

Robin sighed and lifted her, trying to keep his face serious. "How many times do I have to tell you? It's Damian. Da-mi-an. Your mom is the demonic one."

Illyana just giggled merrily and an involuntary smile found its way to Robin's lips. The laughter around them only grew louder.

"Ah, they're just jealous cause I'm your favorite." Damian whispered to her.

That bothered Victor and Richard, who gasped in outrage.

"Nonsense." Cyborg said, approaching the small girl in Robin's arms. "Who's your favorite uncle, Lyl?"

"Uncle demon!"

It was Damian's turn to laugh loudly as Cyborg's smile fell.

"Well, I'm Mark's favorite." Richard stated quickly, leaning forward to get the young boy's attention where he was playing on the floor with Krypto. "Right, little dude?"

"No way, that's definitely me." Victor rushed to his side, hoping to get the favorite status out of Mark as well. "We totally connect! Plus, I brought them into this world!"

Nightwing rolled his eyes. "No way. Mark, who's your favorite?"

Mark glanced between them with a blank expression on his face, wordlessly, as if he perfectly understood the situation and was searching for a way out.

"Stop harassing my son." Garfield said as he pushed both Richard and Victor out of the way and grinned at Mark. "You're all second place. I'm the favorite."

"DADDY!" Mark chuckled happily, clapping in agreement.

"DADDY!" Illyana echoed her brother's words from Damian's arms.

The Changeling placed his hands on his hips and beamed. "See?"

"Well, you're the father. Doesn't count." Cyborg attempted to sound grumpy, but he was too happy to succeed.

Conner swiftly brought all the kitchen tools back down to the counter as they started levitating when the twins giggled wildly. "So when do the meditation lessons start again?"

"Probably when they can wipe the drool off their chin?" Blue Beetle joked, earning whole-hearted laughter from everyone else.

"Well I'm gonna go play with BB's pinball machine." Speedy said once he stopped laughing. "It's not like the girls are coming out any time soon."

Static Shock, Blue Beetle, Aqualad, Mas and Menos joined him as he headed to Garfield's room, because they all knew Roy was right.

Meanwhile in Raven's room, Karen was carefully wiping the corners of Starfire's eyes with a cotton, because the Tamaranean was welling up again as she worked on Raven's hair and her own make-up was at risk of being ruined.

"I still can't believe you're getting married." Kory sniffled happily as she delivered the finishing touches to Raven's beautiful hairstyle.

"Me neither." The empath said sincerely. "Is it finally over? Can I see it now?"

"Yes, you can."

Raven knew it looked good from the look on every other girl's face and Salem meowing approvingly at her feet, but she wasn't expecting what she saw when she spun in her seat and stared at the mirror. A quiet gasp escaped her lips.

"You look beautiful!"

"You're mesmerizing."

"I can't stop looking at you!"

"Gar's gonna have a heart attack."

Raven wanted to roll her eyes and make fun of them for exaggerating, but she just cleared her throat and forced herself to look away from the mirror, because truth be told, they were right. "Ah- thank you."

"You like it?" Kory asked her through huge, hopeful eyes.

Raven gave her a slight smile. "It's perfect."

Garfield held his breath expectantly when Ravager came into the ops room in her dark-purple bridesmaid dress.

"She's ready." Rose announced, purposely avoiding Damian's eyes, because she could tell he was staring and she was sure the look on his face would make her blush.

"Is she coming?!" The shapeshifter leaned to the sides to check if there was anyone behind the platinum-haired girl.

Ravager frowned incredulously. "What? Of course not."

Gar's shoulders dropped in disappointment.

Rose shrugged. "Isn't there some crap about how you can't see her or something?"

"Yeah, man." Richard chuckled. "We all want the look on your face to be registered on camera. Now c'mon, let's go. Rae can teleport with the girls."

Damian approached his girlfriend before she went back to Raven's room. "You look amazing, you know?"

"Of course I know." She smirked and looked him up and down. "You don't look so bad yourself, Damian Wayne."

He grinned widely and stared after her when she left, until Nightwing came in and teasingly elbowed him.

"Stop daydreaming, Robin. We have a wedding to attend."

"That's right." The Changeling stated happily. "My wedding!"

Damian huffed and rolled his eyes. "As if anyone could forget it."

It was a small, intimate ceremony, exactly as Raven requested. It was still one of the most hypnotizingly beautiful rooms any of the heroes in the select group of guests had ever been in. Pastel green and dark purple decorated the room in a way that was equally elegant and joyful. Magenta flowers and green branches were pulled together in gorgeous arrangements. It looked like something right out of a dream. Batman once again stood at the altar, ready to officiate.

Die With a Smile (Bruno Mars, Lady Gaga) started playing and everyone stood up to watch the wedding party. Mento walked down the aisle first, with a proud grin on his face. Then the Changeling strolled in and his walk was exactly what they all expected: charming and playful, shooting winks and smiles sideways as he strutted to the altar. He looked devilishly handsome in his formal wear, which hugged his lean body nicely.

Cyborg walked in next with the wedding rings, followed by Nightwing and M'gann and then Robin and Ravager. Starfire was next, in her gorgeous lavender dress, making Richard's breath catch in his throat at the altar. She smiled enormously at him and then at Gar, feeling unbelievably grateful for this moment.

What followed her was the cutest part of the entire wedding and made everyone sigh in delight, because Krypto strutted down the aisle with Silkie on his back and Salem by his side, and Kid Flash and Jinx were carrying Mark and Illyana in right after the pets. The twins were slightly confused at first, but giggled merrily when they saw their father at the altar.

And then laughter slowly died down and everyone held their breaths and turned to the entrance again. The final chorus of the song melodiously filled the room as Raven walked in. She could hear quiet gasps and approving sounds of admiration left and right and sense all their friends' love, but she never averted her gaze from him.

In fact, after getting over their initial shock, several people curiously glanced at him too, and then kept looking back and forth between them, because while she looked amazing, the look on his face was extremely heartwarming. His goofy, toothy grin had made way for an emotional smile and his eyes glistened with happy tears. Raven could see him puffing his chest as he watched her intently and her heart soared, because he was beautiful.

Gar struggled not to cry, but his heartbeat raced so suddenly it made his chest burn, because she was the loveliest sight he'd ever seen. Her hair was loosely pulled into a long and full purple braid in a calculated way that probably took Kory hours to make it look so perfectly imperfect. A delicate silvery headpiece went from the top of her head down to her braid, following a few locks of hair as they folded over each other. Her make-up was soft and enhanced her natural beauty, especially around her smokey, violet eyes.

She was in an off-white plain dress, but that didn't make it any less mesmerizing. It was a medieval-style gown with extra fabric on the lower sleeves and silvery details. It wasn't tight, but it still gently followed her curves in the most flattering way. And altogether the whole thing made her look like some mystical fairytale princess and made Garfield's heart so eager he felt like it would rip out of his chest. Her bouquet was small and ethereal, with green and violet branches intertwined in a soft and dreamy arrangement. It was by far the most romantic she'd ever looked.

As she walked towards him and they smiled at each other through watery eyes, surrounded by family and friends, they knew exactly what they were feeling. Raven wouldn't have needed powers to know. They were both full of gratitude, love, peace and undying, unwavering affection. But she did have powers, and they captured all his delicious emotions and it filled her heart with even more bliss. When she finally reached the altar, she whispered to him. "Breathe."

Gar realized he was in fact holding his breath and forced himself to exhale, shooting her a playful grin and whispering back. "You took my breath away. You look like a dream."

She smiled softly and rolled her eyes, handing Kory her bouquet and holding his hand.

"Well, we're all gathered here because if there are two people who are living proof friendship and love can conquer all, it's these two." Bruce stated calmly, smiling affectionately at the couple in front of him. "You both have saved the world time and time again, and now we're here to celebrate your happiness."

Gar gave Raven's hand a supportive squeeze during Batman's brief introduction.

"I believe you've written your own vows?"

The Changeling took a deep breath and turned to Raven. Her reassuring, soft smile instantly relaxed him. "Rae…Raven. I mean, Raven. Wow. I still can't believe I'm marrying you." He joked, earning light-hearted chuckles from the entire room. "You know, you've been in my heart for a lot longer than I realized. From the moment we met I've felt an unexplainable urge to earn your affection or at least your attention. I told myself I was trying to be a good friend to you and get you out of your shell, but it was more than that. I was drawn to you. I've always been drawn to you. I once told you that you ruined me because no one would ever inspire me as much or make me as weak in the knees, remember that?" He beamed when she smiled widely and nodded. "Well, I was wrong."

Raven huffed softly and rolled her eyes, shooting him an incredulous look. Their friends laughed a little louder, because her outraged reaction made the joke even funnier.

"Wait, don't leave me at the altar, I'll explain." Gar chuckled blissfully. "It's you, Rae. You're the one who proves me wrong everyday." His face and voice gained a serious tone as he looked into her narrowed, suspicious eyes. "With each passing day, you manage to become someone who inspires me more and makes me even weaker in the knees than you did before. I love every little piece of you. I love you with every fiber of my being and every breath I take." He smiled as he realized her eyes were getting watery. "I'd love all of you forever from anywhere, but you've granted me the bliss of doing so by your side and I'll appreciate every second of it. You're my favorite person in the world. So I promise, I'll be grateful for everyday you continue to ruin me." The shapeshifter's grin widened when she let out an emotional chuckle. "Ruin me for the rest of our lives, love."

The Changeling turned around slightly to get the ring from Cyborg while Raven discreetly turned her head to the side and gently wiped the tears threatening to roll down her cheeks. Then he took her left hand in his and they smiled at each other again as he slipped the ring on her finger. "I promise I'll always rescue you. I promise to stand by you, respect your space and love you unconditionally. And I promise you're safe with me."

Those are all promises he can keep. He meant every single word of that. Her discreet little move from before didn't save her, because he spoke each word with such sincerity and slipped the ring on her finger with such care her eyes immediately filled with tears again and this time a few of them rolled down her face. Thank Azar Kory's makeup is waterproof. She took a deep breath to collect her thoughts and slow her heartbeat while their friends clapped loudly, smiled and cried at the same time and Gar reached out to wipe her happy tears so gently he barely brushed her skin.

After a few seconds, Raven recovered enough to begin her own vows. "Well how am I supposed to follow that?" She shot him an emotional smile while he chuckled along with everyone else. "We all know expressing isn't my strong suit. But…there are a few things I want you to know, if you don't already." She took another deep breath and locked eyes with him. "You've turned my whole world upside down and no matter how many times I tried to expel you from my heart, you stealthily resisted all my efforts. I could never expel you, because I've loved you since back when I would never allow myself to love. I didn't know it, but I did. I love the kindness in your heart. I love your brave, gentle soul." She smiled at him, because at this point, he was sniffling and holding his breath to keep from tearing up. So. Freaking. Cute. "I love your toothy, stupid grin."

Garfield shot her that exact expression as he felt his heart melting like butter.

She chuckled. "Yes, that one. The truth is words can't really describe how much I love you. I want to see your sweet face every morning and hear you laugh every night. It's you, Gar. Only you. It was always you."

She reached for the ring and Cyborg handed it to her, barely able to keep it together by now as he wiped his human eye. He wasn't the only one in tears. Gar was an emotional mess and most people were crying. But she wasn't done yet.

Raven smiled slightly and took Garfield's hand in hers, looking into his eyes as she slid the wedding ring on his finger while she basked in how moved he was and how happy everyone felt for them. "I promise I'll always rescue you. I promise to stand by you, break all your falls and love you unconditionally. And I promise you're safe with me."

The Changeling sobbed and chuckled at the same time, blissful tears rolling down his cheeks and a huge grin plastered on his face. His already accelerated heart was aching in the most wonderful way possible when she stepped closer to him and wiped his tears away while everyone else clapped, smiled and cried once again.

"Well, that…" Batman cleared his throat, because he was feeling a bit emotional himself. "…was beautiful. I believe there's only one thing left to ask each of you. Garfield Logan, do you take Raven Roth to be your lawfully wedded wife?"

"Heck yeah, I do!"

After suppressing a chuckle, Bruce Wayne went on. "Raven Roth, do you take Garfield Logan to be your lawfully wedded husband?"

"I guess since we're already here…" She smiled at the playful, amused way the Changeling narrowed his eyes at her little joke. "Of course I do."

"I declare you husband and wife. You may kiss, Mr and Mrs Roth-Logan."

Garfield beamed and pulled her close. They kissed softly, but still passionately, to the sound of an instrumental version of I'll Stand by You mixed with applause and celebratory whistles. When their lips parted, they lingered there inches away from each other for a few moments, and Raven whispered to him. "I'm not scared of loving you anymore."

He leaned his forehead against hers and smiled. "Me neither, love."

They all moved to a different saloon for the rest of the celebrations, and this part of the event was considerably bigger – though Kory still managed to limit the amount of media coverage and keep everything to an acceptable size by Raven standards. Gar took his wife to the dancefloor and they shared a heartwarming first dance, swirling around to You're Still The One (Shania Twain) as their guests admired them.

"Looks like we made it…"

"Hey, you're letting me lead!" Gar whispered excitedly at the first few verses of the song.

Raven shrugged. "Kor helped me practice. Surprise."

He widened his grin and started softly singing to her, enjoying the way pink tainted her cheeks under his loving gaze. "You're still the one I run to, the one that I belong to…"

They stared longingly and affectionately into each other's eyes, paying attention to no one else while they moved around easily and gracefully.

"Ain't nothing better, we beat the odds together…"

"Hey, love?" Raven said casually at one point.

"Yeah?"

"There's something else you should know. Remember that lucky penny you gave me before Trigon first ascended?"

Garfield smiled widely. "Yeah?"

"I kept it with me 'till the end."

His eyes instantly welled up. "R-really?"

"Mhmm."

"Why do you want me crying in all our wedding pictures?"

She cradled his face and looked into his teary eyes. "Because you look so damn cute."

Raven wrapped her arms around his neck and stopped dancing for a moment to get on her toes and peck his lips. When she pulled back, his smile was even brighter and he went back to mouthing the words of the song to her. This time she did the same, softly singing to him as her powers made them levitate about a foot into the air as they danced.

"…the only one I dream of, you're still the one I kiss goodnight…"

Her heart fluttered freely and she couldn't help giggling softly as they slowed down and the song came to an end. Her magic gently lowered them back to the ground.

"I'm so glad we made it, look how far we've come my baby…"

It was Gar's turn to give her lips a sweet peck. "God, I love hearing you make that sound."

After the dance, it was time for the toasts, so they sat down with their babies in their arms to listen to their friends.

"Well, what can I say after those vows? I'll keep it simple." Cyborg said as he struggled to keep his voice from cracking. "You two are so special individually, but when you're together…it's magic." He smiled widely and raised his glass. "To Rae and Gar, two of my favorite people, for giving us all the privilege to celebrate with you tonight."

Starfire was next. "You know, I was the first person to know Gar had snuck inside Rae's heart, because I'm her best friend. I knew it before she did." She chuckled happily with the entire room and shared a heartfelt look with the empath. "But I could not have imagined such a perfect night if I tried. No one deserves it more than you two. Your love will inspire the whole world for as long as you live! And after!" She raised her glass – which Raven curiously noticed, was full of water. "To Gar and Rae!"

"To Gar and Rae!" Everyone said merrily as they drank from their own glasses.

They had dinner first, with all the delicious vegan food the Changeling and Raven had selected, then cut the cake, and the empath proceeded to throw the bouquet. This time it was Jinx who caught it and she grinned mischievously at Kid Flash, who instantly flushed and rubbed the back of his neck. Cyborg was just telling Garfield he meant to propose to Karen soon when Mento approached them.

"A word?"

"Sure." The shapeshifter nodded happily at his adoptive father and turned to his friend again. "Go for it, man! Let me know if you need help."

The half-robot chuckled joyfully and left them alone.

"So what's up?" Garfield asked as Mento placed a firm hand on his shoulder. He had come over to Titan Tower a few times with the rest of the Doom Patrol since Trigon was defeated. Mento couldn't help but keep coming back and Gar had never seen him as soft and mushy as when he was around his grandchildren.

"I'm so proud of you."

The Changeling beamed. "Thanks."

"You know, I know what it's like to be in love. But I don't think I deserved Rita."

"Yeah Rae and I think no one really feels like they deserve the person they love."

Mento chuckled. "You're probably right. But I really didn't. You're not like me though, son." He puffed his chest. "I've taken your kindness for weakness before, I must admit."

"I know."

Mento tilted his head towards Raven, who was feeding Illyana while Mark took a nap on her lap. "She didn't. She really saw you. And you saw her. Rita knew. She always told me you'd gotten it so right with this one. I wish she could see this."

Gar's eyes welled up for what was probably the tenth time tonight. "I'm sure she can."

Mento nodded. "As usual, that wonderful woman was right. And you two? You've taken the time to be your very best for each other. You deserve each other. Don't lose that."

"We won't."

"You're a much better man than me, Garfield."

The Changeling could only manage an emotional smile in return. And then Mento pulled him into a warm hug. A hug he had craved since his childhood.

Mento pulled back and cleared his throat. "Well, anyway. Stop wasting your time on me, it's your wedding night. Go be with your wife."

Garfield's lips spread into a cheeky grin. "Ah…actually, I do have to go. I have a surprise for her. Take a seat near the dancefloor, you won't wanna miss it."

A few minutes later, Raven wondered why Conner and Wally were so urgently dragging her to this one particular chair. "Guys? What's going on?"

"You'll find out in a minute, destroyer of worlds."

She rolled her eyes as they left with no further explanation and headed to the dancefloor in front of her for some mysterious reason, as a soft pop melody began playing loudly. Superboy, Kid Flash, Nightwing, Robin, Cyborg, Speedy, Aqualad, Blue Beetle and Static Shock were all shooting her amused, slightly mischievous grins as they positioned themselves in strategic spots as if the whole thing had been rehearsed a dozen times. And then she realized it was because it probably had been. Gar was right up front, in the center, smiling cheekily at her. And this song…she knew this song. Oh, dear.

"What I want, you got…"

Just as she feared, the cheesy dancing began with the first few verses of You Make My Dreams (Come True) (Daryl Hall & John Oates). It was cute, but utterly ridiculous, and she couldn't help chuckling and covering her face – but still glancing up at him between her fingers, because he had clearly put effort into this. All the boys did the goofy, playful, corny boy band choreography with him and her heart soared at how happy and carefree he looked, shooting her charming, breezy winks and beaming at her.

"You make my dreams come true…"

The entire room was clapping along and cheering them on. She removed her hand from her face, shaking her head incredulously and chuckling blissfully as she watched the cheesiest performance she had ever witnessed. Her cheeks still flushed, because it was beyond cute and he was swaying his hips in a rather sexy manner every other verse.

"I ain't the way you found me…and I'll never be the same…"

Raven's mixed expressions of joy and embarrassment were the most endearing sight to everyone else, because she was trying to look away and roll her eyes at the absurdity of it, but she simply couldn't manage to keep that loving smile off her face or keep her eyes deprived of an insane amount of affection.

"I'm down on my daydream…" The Changeling slid on his knees across the floor until he was right in front of her seat and took in the amused, caring grin she was giving him as he stayed there to sing along to this part of the song looking up into her eyes before jumping back on his feet for more corny choreography at the last choruses.

"I've been waiting for you, girl…"

The room burst into cheers, whistles and applause and it got so loud Raven nearly flinched, but she kept her eyes on him as he walked up to her and offered her his hand. She took it and he pulled her up and wrapped his arms around her, hugging her tightly. It wasn't eager, but it was intense. His arms were firmly wrapped around her waist and his face was buried in her shoulder. It was a grateful hug.

She stroked his hair and whispered blissfully in his ear. "That was adorable. But you're not the only one with surprises tonight."

The Changeling quickly lifted his head and shot her a questioning look. She just smirked.

Raven detached herself from him and acknowledged the other boys who took part in the performance, nodding at their wide, proud grins as she took the center of the floor and cleared her throat. It was enough to make the room fall silent in curiosity. Her husband was standing there, staring at her quizzically, with no clue of what she was about to do. "You might want to take a seat, love."

Garfield silently did as he was told.

Raven shot Bumblebee a knowing look and Karen came up to the piano, sitting on the stool as Raven pulled up a chair for herself and conjured a mic in her hand. "I may not be the best with words, but…I did write this for you, Gar."

Soft, melodious notes filled the air as Karen played the piano and Raven brought the microphone to her lips. The shapeshifter's breath caught in his throat. Wait, is she about to sing to me again!? Did she…did she write me a song?! Is THAT what this is?!

Raven took a deep breath and began singing in her low, hoarse voice.

"I've been hidden in corners

I have been through such horrors

The world…should never see me…"

Garfield watched her intently, focusing entirely on her so his pounding heart wouldn't distract him from her beautiful voice.

"And when they gave me orders

I have stayed strong and powered

Through everything…"

It was a sad, sweet melody and her voice was deep and completely changed the atmosphere in the room as usual. Only this time it meant more. Because this time, these were her words. And then she mixed with her head voice to create this breathy, dreamy sound and lifted her gaze to shoot Gar meaningful looks.

"And I'd stay in the dark…

Cause that's where monsters go

Watching you from afar…

Cause how could I belong…"

His heart ached, skipped a beat, burned, all at the same time. And then the music got a bit louder as she went into this emotional chorus, singing every word with raw sincerity.

"With the light in your eyes

Seeing through my disguise

With that one of a kind

Smile just for me?"

The Changeling puffed his chest and held his breath to try and get through the rest of this amazing, wonderful, delicious ambush without bawling his eyes out.

"With the fire in your heart

Just like a work of art

Pulled me in from the start

And my world…has turned…" She shot him a small smile. "…green…"

OH MY GOD. The shapeshifter's eyes filled with tears and he immediately blinked, not caring if a few of them rolled down his face or not, as long as they didn't blur his vision while he was watching her.

The melody became sad and slow again as she went back to singing verses.

"I've been living in cages

I've been feared for ages

The world…should never see me…

How should I know you'd be there

In the middle of nowhere

How did…you ever find me?"

Her eyes were sensual, deep and playful and they were entirely fixed on him now. It was impossible to look away even if he wanted to, which he didn't, because she was pouring her heart out to him and each word that came out of her mouth tugged at his heartstrings a bit more than the last. He was openly – though silently – crying at this point.

"Taking me by the hand…

Cause you meant to understand

Testing all my control…

Dared to wish I could belong…"

The music got higher again and Raven's smile became less tortured and more obvious as her ethereal head voice filled the room at the second chorus and her fuzzy magical beam ray danced around merrily between their mesmerized guests and twirled around Garfield.

"With the warmth of your skin

Breathing me in

Washing all of my sins

How could I be seen?"

Her voice was firmer and Gar was practically panting, because his heart had swelled with so much love it felt like it would explode. It hurt, in the best, most blissful possible way.

"With the love in your heart

Just like a work of art

Eased my pain from the start

And my world…has turned…green…"

The music slowed down, but Raven kept smiling freely at him as she sang the last part of the song and the magical beam ray flew gracefully to her side to swirl around her during that one final, softer chorus.

"And somehow I believe

Somehow I can live

When you're smiling at me

Piece by piece you've been

Standing there by my side

Peeling your own disguise

I looked into your eyes…and my world…has turned…"

Raven cheekily shrugged at him with that teasing smile on her lips. "…green."

It took a few seconds for all the teary-eyed people to snap out of the cozy, hazy mist that song had involved them in, but when they did, the party once again burst into applause and whistles, only this time they were mixed with a wave of emotions that nearly overwhelmed Raven, because her heartfelt performance had triggered all sorts of feelings in everyone there. She handled it by keeping her eyes and focus solely on him.

Gar sniffled and wiped his cheeks, feeling luckier and safer than ever, with a dreamy smile on his face, while Cyborg and Nightwing proudly helped him to his feet and gently pushed him towards her so he wouldn't stay frozen in place. She was walking to him already, quickly dismissing everyone else's attention as if she hadn't just blown all their minds, so fortunately he didn't need to take too many steps, because his knees were a little shaky.

Once he reached her he instantly embraced her, bringing one hand to the back of her head – while being careful not to ruin her hairstyle – and wrapping his other arm around her shoulders. Raven breathed out and hugged his waist, tilting her head to place a quick, soft kiss on the spot where his neck met his jawline.

Garfield whispered in her ear. "That was the most beautiful song I've ever heard. You're the most beautiful person I've ever seen. Your voice is my favorite sound in the world. I feel like I'll die from how much I love you right now."

She giggled and pulled back to smile at him. "Please don't die, we just got married."

The Changeling beamed and chuckled breezily before pulling her into a deep, long kiss. He smiled against her lips and sighed dreamily, leaning their foreheads together, feeling absolutely heavenly. "I wouldn't dream of dying without your permission, love."

It was all fun and games after Raven's song. She left for a little while to put the twins to sleep and Krypto, Salem and Silkie stayed with them so she could go back to the party. It was getting late and most people were drinking and starting to get light-headed, but Raven noticed Starfire grabbing a glass of champagne, stopping midway from bringing it to her lips and then putting it down.

"Kor?"

The Tamaranean turned at the sound of her best friend's voice and grinned. "That song was the most romantic thing I've ever heard come out of your mouth!"

Raven rolled her eyes and smiled. "Thanks. So…" She took Kory's glass of champagne from the table and raised an eyebrow. "…do you have anything to tell me?"

Starfire's eyes widened. "Oh, I…I…" She bit her lip, feeling absolutely busted. Why is she so observant? "You caught me."

"Are you saying what I think you're saying?"

Kory just beamed at her.

Raven gasped in outrage. "How dare you keep this from me?"

"I've only known for a week, I promise!" Starfire immediately explained. "Only Dick knows. And Conner, because he saw it like he saw yours, but…oh, Rae, I've been dying to tell you! I just wasn't going to say anything tonight."

"Why in Azar's name not?"

"Well, I…tonight is about you and Gar!"

"You were worried about stealing my thunder?" Raven asked in an amused, incredulous tone. When Kory just shrugged apologetically, she rolled her eyes again. "Koriand'r, you are my sister. Anything of mine can only get better by sharing it with you!"

Starfire's eyes welled up. "Are you trying to break some record for how many times you make people cry in one night?"

The empath just chuckled freely and got on her toes to wrap her arms around her friend, hugging her tightly. "I'm so happy for you, Kor!"

Kory grinned enormously, hugging her back whole-heartedly. "Oh, Rae! Our children shall grow up together then save the world together! Everything is perfect."

Raven finally pulled back and shot her an emotional smile. "Please tell everyone. I can't think of a better occasion for it."

The Tamaranean giggled gratefully and nodded. She waited until Raven hugged Nightwing too and then she took his hand and the mic and announced their news to the room. The first person to come over and wrap his lean, green arms around her and Richard at the same time was Garfield. Then Batman, who got significantly teary-eyed. And then Damian. And Cyborg. And after that, there was a whole line of people to hug and congratulate them, which kept them blissfully busy for quite a while.

Raven approached her husband as he got himself another Moscow Mule, laughing that carefree, peaceful laughter of his. She swiftly took the glass from his hand and held it away from him. "That's quite enough for you, love."

Gar gasped, but a toothy grin spread across his face anyway. "Hey! It's my wedding night!"

"Yes it is and if you get drunk, it will end a lot sooner than it could." She raised a suggestive eyebrow.

That made his heart race and his cheeks burn. Garfield's smile became a little idiotic. "Ohhh, okay. You're right. As usual."

"Besides, you should be drinking water so you don't dehydrate from how much you cried tonight." The empath handed him a bottle.

He laughed, but realized he was rather thirsty and accepted the water anyway, practically emptying it in one go.

"Come dance with me." Raven said, putting the Moscow Mule down and taking his hand.

He beamed again. "Lead the way, my love! I'm all yours!"

She giggled and pulled him by the hand to the center of the dancefloor, resting her arms on his shoulders as he happily placed his hands on her hips and moving along with him to the energetic final beats of Best Day of My Life (American Authors).

"This song always reminds me of our first time." The shapeshifter stated merrily.

Raven's cheeks turned slightly pinker. "I would think so, since you sang it to me for weeks after we got back."

As he chuckled, the song ended, and the band announced the newlyweds' friends had requested a special song for them and started playing Superheroes (The Script). Raven and Gar danced together, staring into each other's eyes, smiling in bliss and feeling like each word had been written specially for them.

"Now she's stronger than you know, a heart of steel starts to grow…"

"So…Dick said we can go on an official honeymoon." Gar announced breezily.

"He did?!"

"All the kicks and all the blows, he won't ever let it show…"

Gar nodded, staring at her with utter devotion in his eyes. "Where do you want to go?"

"Where do you want to go?"

"Wherever you go is where I want to go."

Raven rolled her eyes fondly as they danced to the chorus. "How about Brazil? Apparently we're both quite popular there."

"All the tears that they cry, when the moment is just right, you'll see fire in their eyes…"

"Ohhhh, I love that!" The Changeling nodded excitedly. "You know what they call me?"

"What?"

"Mutano!" He grinned charmingly. "Has a nice ring to it, doesn't it?"

Raven narrowed her eyes in thought, then smiled softly again. "Yes, actually."

He twirled her around then did the dip with her. "Remember the first time we danced?"

"Every day, every hour, turn the pain into power…"

"When I was sad and you got silly to make me laugh on the roof? How could I forget?"

"She's got a lion in her heart and a fire in her soul…"

Gar nodded at her, leaning their foreheads together. "I'm so lucky."

"He's got a beast in his belly that's so hard to control…"

"I'm so lucky." She whispered back.

They swayed to the song, his arms wrapped around her waist and hers around his neck.

"Now light a match, stand back, watch them explode…"

They started kissing when the final choruses filled the room, slowly, gratefully, as if taking in every little piece of each other, memorizing the scent, the taste, the textures, everything. Appreciating every little second of just being in each other's presence.

"You've been struggling to make things right, that's how a superhero learns to fly…"

Garfield and Raven pulled away to stare at each other as the song ended and their friends cheered. And they shared a look that needed no words. They both knew what it meant: It was all worth it. And we're going to be okay.

A few hours later, after having properly enjoyed their party, family and friends and as they were about to enter the hotel room, Gar gasped before she could step inside. "Waiiit!"

The empath stopped dead in her tracks and stared at him questioningly.

"I need to carry you in!"

Raven rolled her eyes. "Seriously?" She nonchalantly walked inside.

"Gawk! Why would you do that?" He squeaked. "It's tradition!"

"Since when are we traditional, Gar?"

The Changeling's outraged expression instantly switched to a wicked one. You know what? She's right. "Well, okay then."

Raven yelped as she was abruptly lifted off her feet and thrown over his shoulder. She rested her elbow on his back and her chin on her hand in disbelief. "Really?"

Gar tossed her up with a small impulse and caught her in his arms bridal style. "Yes, really. Also, as much as I love you in that dress, I'm gonna need to get you out of it."

Her heart skipped a beat. "Mmm…okay but before it gets to that, are you sure it's okay for us to be away from them for a whole night?"

"Love, Krypto the Superdog is watching them." Gar smirked playfully.

Raven smiled. I love that dog.

"Plus, Conner and M'gann are near them. And my instincts say it's all good."

"Fine." She gave in, stroking his hair. "Do what you have to do."

The Changeling grinned as he gently placed her on the floor and removed her dress slowly, taking his time feeling her body over the fabric before sliding it down her shoulders and lightly running his fangs over her bare skin then kissing it. He felt her shiver and smiled, continuing to tease her as he slid her dress down her back, breasts, stomach and legs, mesmerized to find out she wasn't wearing anything underneath. When he finished, he was on his knees, kissing her thighs before devotedly looking up at her.

Her eyes were darker already.

Raven stroked his hair, sexual tension building in her gut. "Stand up. Handsome as you look, it's my turn to undress you."

Gar grinned excitedly and jumped back to his feet. She pulled him to the bed by the tie and it instantly made him blush. Then she sat down while he stood in front of her and she got him out of his clothes just as slowly as he'd gotten her out of the gown, running her hands up his arms and feeling his muscles before dropping his suit on the floor, slowly undoing his tie and unbuttoning his shirt and pants, staring deeply into his eyes the whole time. She stood up as she kissed and sucked her way up his chest and neck, only pulling his shirt off and dropping it on the floor when she reached his lips.

And then she suddenly pulled away and got on her knees to remove his pants and underwear then immediately start the teasing by wrapping her lips around him, licking, sucking and humming softly. He moaned loudly and brought his hands to her hair and she placed a soft kiss on the tip then looked up at him. "How do you want to start?"

The Changeling watched her intently, with dark, lustful, greedy eyes. "Stay on your knees."

Raven's heart raced when she realized his voice was deep and commanding and he was taking control. She shot him a defiant smile. "Why should I?"

Garfield skillfully and quickly crouched down and spun her around, pulling her arms behind her back and holding her wrists securely together, leaning in to whisper in her ear. He could smell her arousal and hear her shaky breaths already. "Good pets get rewards."

Raven's eyelids fluttered as she did her best to keep her breathing steady. "Is that so?"

He grabbed her braid and leaned her head back, muttering against her exposed neck. "Mmhm, so be a good girl and conjure me some handcuffs to subdue you with, yes?"

Oh, shit. The empath's lips parted and a treacherous moan escaped.

"Actually, make that a piece of fabric." He whispered, gently biting onto her shoulder, being careful not to bruise her. "I want you comfortable. And I wanna tie those magical hands of yours myself."

She took a sharp intake of breath and obeyed. Then she started chanting her words and making her crystal glow on the bedside table, but he covered her mouth with his hand before she could finish. "Mmph!"

"Did I tell you to remove your powers?"

Raven shook her head.

Gar smiled when he felt her cheeks warm up against his hand. "Then why are you doing what I haven't ordered you to do?"

"Shwy…"

"What's that? Was that sorry?"

"Mmhmm." She nodded.

The Changeling took a deep breath to settle his urges down and not end this whole adorable bit too fast. "Very well." He removed his hand from her mouth and proceeded to tying her wrists behind her back. "I don't want you powerless just yet."

Raven could only gulp and hear her heart pounding loudly in her ears.

"Is that painful?" He asked as he finished with her hands. "And can you free yourself?"

She squirmed a little to test her binding. It was firm, but it didn't hurt. "No and no."

"Perfect." The shapeshifter said mischievously as he finally stood up again. And then he wrapped his hand around her long, purple braid and used that grip to tilt her head upwards so she was looking up at him. "How are we feeling down there?"

Raven still gave him a defiant look and a smirk, but her chest was rising and falling heavily, her face was flushed and her pupils were dilated. "Eager to please."

Gar's lips spread into a greedy grin. "Good girl. You can start by finishing what you started."

Raven readily took him inside her mouth again and skillfully gave him sinful pleasure while he held onto her braid so she couldn't pull away. In spite of not being powerless, she felt utterly helpless – in the most wonderful, exhilarating way. She relished in the blissful sounds escaping his lips until he made her stop by leaning her head back again. The empath smiled up at him and licked her lips, completely unresisting.

He couldn't help smiling tenderly at the expression on her face. "You've really learned to control those powers of yours, huh?"

Raven smiled wider, because he sounded so freaking proud of her.

Garfield crouched down and picked her up bridal style again, standing up and dropping her on the bed. "Lie on your stomach."

The empath rolled over and watched him intently, starting to sweat in anticipation.

"Spread your legs for me." He grinned lustfully when she instantly obeyed. "Wider."

She did as she was told again, breaths getting shakier.

"You didn't think I wasn't going to make you feel good too, did you?"

And then he got on top of her, squeezing and massaging her hips and thighs, kissing her bare back and bringing his fingers between her legs to tease her as small gasps of shock and pleasure escaped her lips.

"Mmm mine…all mine…" Gar muttered blissfully into her skin, nibbling and kissing his way down her back, hips and thighs until his face was between her legs. He licked his lips before tasting her and Raven let out a loud gasp as he skillfully swirled his tongue, making her pleasure levels skyrocket. "Gosh, you taste amazing, love. Just heavenly."

He dutifully licked, sucked, kissed, taking in every bit of her, every delicious drop, enjoying the sinful melody of helpless moans and sighs coming from his wife.

"P-please…" She whispered as things began levitating slightly around the room.

"What's that?" The shapeshifter chuckled teasingly, lifting his head to admire her. "Geez, love. You've soaked the sheets already." He wickedly ran a finger between her legs and brought it to her lips. "Here. Taste yourself."

Raven obediently sucked on his finger before going back to stuttering. "I-I can't…I…"

He grinned breezily, because she looked so damn cute struggling not to explode the entire room – or world – while she writhed under him. Her eyes were glazed over and she was panting, barely keeping it together. "Can't what? Can't take it without making a mess?"

"Y-yes…"

The Changeling lay on top of her, pressing his chest to her back and whispering seductively in her ear. "Well aren't you the most dangerous, apocalyptical pet I've ever had?" He chuckled when she moaned louder and a small crack appeared on the wall. "Why don't I keep you like this? I'll just keep you on this level of pleasure so you don't kill anyone and I get to watch you. You look so lovely like this."

She furrowed her brows, moaning louder in agony. "No, please…"

"Please what?"

"Please don't stop, please let me finish." Raven murmured into the mattress in a slurred speech. "Pleeease."

"Is that begging?"

"Y-yes."

His eyes darkened even more. "Well, that's all you had to do. Go on, pet. Make yourself powerless for me."

She had to focus past the pain and pleasure so she could remember her words and pronounce them correctly. It was awfully challenging, but fortunately he respectfully kept his hands off her until she succeeded.

"And now I get to have my way with you." Gar said in a low, lascivious voice before pulling her hips up so she was on her knees and passionately making love to her in slow, lustful moves while teasing every inch of exposed skin.

"I lov- ahh! I LOVE you!" She screamed.

His thrusts grew gradually faster and deeper as he growled her name. Raven moaned into the mattress, her skin tingling and burning.

"Oh, Gaaaar…"

He hastily pulled out and she whined loudly at the loss of contact. "You come when I tell you to come, love. Not yet. I wanna see your eyes." Gar whispered provocatively.

He swiftly spun her around, getting on his knees and pulling her hips up so he could insert himself and thrust even harder inside her. Raven eagerly wrapped her legs around his body to pull him closer, since her hands were still tied behind her back. Their sweaty skin slammed into each other again and again, the air in the room filled with the scent of lust.

"Come now, pet. Come for me." Gar practically ordered.

Her eyes rolled back in her head as they reached a synchronized peak of satisfaction.

Gar panted and slowed his pace as intense pleasure rode out their bodies, before pulling himself out. He spun her around again and collapsed on her silky, sweaty back, lazily placing sweet kisses on her shoulder.

Raven breathed heavily and smiled. "Are you planning to untie me?"

The Changeling chuckled happily. "Sorry. I got you."

He untied her wrists and she instantly brought one hand up to stroke his hair as he teased the back of her neck, tickling her and making her giggle quietly.

"I love you so much." Garfield mumbled peacefully.

"Yeah? Well that won't save you. It's my turn now."

Her menacing tone sent shivers down his spine and his lazy smile widened. Fuck, yeah. "Can I recover first?"

She just smirked and chanted her words to get her powers back, then enveloped him in dark energy and rolled him off her, making him lie on his back so she could climb on top of him instead. Raven stared at him with hungry eyes, her long – and now slightly messy – braid falling down over her left shoulder. "So you want to play with my powers, huh? You'll see what that gets you."

The shapeshifter's heart raced rapidly. "Show me."

Raven smiled wickedly. "There's something I've always wanted to do to you. But I never trusted my control enough to do it. Until now."

Gar felt his skin tingle in anticipation. "What is it?"

"Do you trust me?"

"Completely."

"Then you better get ready."

He smiled. "Can I have a few minutes?"

"No." Her eyes sparkled with mischief. "Don't worry, you won't have to do anything but moan my name."

His breathing sped up again and his stomach fluttered deliciously. "O-okay."

And then Garfield's wrists and ankles were bound by dark energy tendrils and pulled apart in four different directions as he was lifted into the air in an upright position, leaving him completely spread out in front of her. The vulnerability of his position alone was enough to make his chest burn in longing and excitement and his thoughts become an incoherent blur. But naturally, she was just getting started.

Raven smiled innocently and admired the view as another tendril wrapped around his face, gagging him. She teased every inch of him with her powers, dark energy slipping up his thigh, between his legs and across his chest, like hands running over his entire body, massaging and delivering gentle pinches and slaps, fingers running up his spine and making him arch his back, invisible lips licking and biting softly at the tips of his pointy, sensitive ears and sucking on his neck and nipples. He was moaning loudly into the gag, eyes closed and head leaned back as his entire body quivered under her magical touches.

It was all an extension of her, so she felt everything. She felt the taste of his sweaty skin and his goosebumps and she sensed his utter, painfully blissful pleasure. Her tone was extremely dominating when she spoke up. "Open your eyes and don't you dare close them again. I want you looking at me."

Gar immediately obeyed, though he could only manage to keep his eyelids half-open due to the amount of teasing involved. "Yhs."

"Yes, what?"

"Yhs mh wheen."

Raven smiled again and softened her voice. "Feeling good, love?"

She already knew the answer, but she wanted to make sure he was okay with it.

The Changeling nodded his head emphatically. "Mmhmmm!"

"Good. You look so pretty, you know?" Raven slowly approached him as she continued to tease him mercilessly with her powers, never allowing him to get too close. She finally physically touched him by gently grasping his chin and bringing his head down to lock eyes with him. "My pretty, lovely pet."

Garfield's heart burned for her, pounding loudly in his ears. He had never seen her eyes so dark and lustful and it was driving him insane and making him feel amazing. The teasing never stopped. He was more than ready by now and craving her on a terribly painful level, trembling and letting out muffled, pleading whimpers, panting and sweating.

"Phhhhse."

The empath chuckled softly. "Was that a desperate please I heard?"

He nodded aggressively again.

"Alright, I'll let you speak. But all you're allowed to say is my name, unless I ask you something else. Is that clear?"

Another emphatic, urgent nod. "Yhs!"

Raven smirked and the tendril around his face dissipated.

"Oh my…Raveeeen…" He moaned deliciously.

She cradled his face in her hands. "Tell me how you feel about me."

"I…I love you so fucking much!" He blurted out groggily, struggling to keep his eyes open through the foggy mist clouding them. "Every inch of me…is yours…you- ugh…rule my heart and my whole life if- AH! If…if you want…I love all- Mmph…"

She interrupted him by pressing her lips against his in a deep, possessive kiss. He happily complied, eagerly kissing her back as her powers gently lowered them to the floor and she sat on his stomach, his arms and legs still bound under her.

"Your turn to feel helpless." Raven purred sweetly, feeling unbelievably turned on as she stared at the babbling, shaky mess she'd turned him into. "Remember, nothing but my name, yes?"

The Changeling could only manage another eager nod of his head, failing to keep his eyes open at this point. It didn't matter, because she was ready. She started by riding him slowly and teasingly, running her hands up his chest and still using magic to caress every other part of his body at the same time, overwhelming his senses. Everything in the room levitated into the air again.

"R-Raven…oh, God…shit, R- fuuuck, RAVEN!"

She lay on top of him and fastened her pace, leaving a trail of wet, devoted kisses up his neck, jawline and ears, loving the way he screamed her name over and over again as he thrusted his hips in sync with her. And then she kissed him, breathing magical air into him to make sure he could breathe as she teleported them to the wrecked Earth where they had sex before she left the Sirens, because she was just too close.

Raven moved faster, sweating, moaning and panting as he repeated her name in mesmerized whispers now. Needless to say the destructive waves of power pouring out of her at this point would have devastated their world. But she sensed him the entire time, his pleasure feeding her own. He finished first, but she didn't take long to follow.

"Fu- ughhh GAR!"

And then she released him and lay on top of him and he immediately wrapped his arms and legs around her, inhaling into her hair and chuckling freely while she giggled into his neck, because they were having so much fun and felt so stupidly happy and infinitely grateful for it. Garfield enjoyed the feeling of her sweaty skin against his and softly rubbed her lower back. "You're my wife, Rae." He stated breezily, a gigantic and peaceful grin plastered on his face. "Raven's my wife."

"I know, I'm her." She giggled again, more openly this time.

The Changeling kissed the top of her head and sighed contently as their breathing slowly returned to normal. "I'm so devoted to you."

Raven lifted her head with a sweet smile and whispered. "I'm devoted to you…husband."

The carefree, enormous, toothy grin spread across his face again. "What now?"

"Now…" The empath lazily and tenderly caressed his still tingling skin in the most soothing way while she kissed him slowly.

"Mmm…" Gar smiled happily against her lips, realizing it was time for romance.

They lay there together in lazy bliss for several minutes, breathing in sync and gently caressing each other, before the kisses started to become intense again. And then they touched with so much affection and pleased each other with so much care and devotion, if one had been there to witness it, one would probably call it the most romantic display of love one had ever seen. Gar took his time gently undoing her braid, admiring her hair fall down in free, purple waves over her shoulders.

They worshipped each other's body, each one completely focused on the other's pleasure, and Raven's powers captured all his emotions – his undying love and his childish joy. Her magic continued to pour out of her freely, but this time it lifted them up into the air as they shared the most intimate, slow, loving touches, giggling against each other's lips, inhaling each other's scent, stroking each other's hair and passionately covering each other in kisses. She wrapped her legs around his waist and arms around his shoulders and once she lowered them back to the ground, he sat up with her wrapped around him, pulling her to his lap, to make love staring into each other's eyes.

Raven took them back to the hotel room after the most heavenly explosion of pleasure they had ever shared and they lay there completely intertwined in ways that could not be easily untangled, arms and legs mixed together in a confusing and wonderful mess, holding one another and cherishing every second of it. It felt absolutely comfortable and before they fell into blissful sleep, Raven felt Gar bringing her hand to his lips and placing sweet kisses into her palm, making her heart ache deliciously, so she gracefully moved her fingers to tenderly stroke his cheek while she rubbed her feet against his.

"Night, Gar…" She whispered happily before drifting off to sleep.

"Night, Rae." He whispered back as he fell asleep with an utterly content, peaceful smile plastered on his face.

The next morning, Raven woke up to the gentle sound of ukulele strumming. She recognized the melody. It was Tightrope – the song they had walked in to at Kory and Dick's wedding.

"Mmm…" The empath sighed happily, realizing his feet were still touching hers from where he was seated on the bed.

Garfield's heart soared when she started massaging his feet's soles with her toes, because it was such a small, caring gesture and it was such a Raven way to demonstrate affection. He started singing softly. "But I'd…follow you…to the great unknown…"

Raven smiled peacefully, humming along and rolling to her back, finally opening her eyes.

The Changeling's grin got even brighter, because the rays of morning daylight entered through the window and illuminated her in the most mesmerizing way. "Hand in my hand and you promise to never let go…"

Raven was breezily singing along with him. "We're walking a tightrope…"

Gar chuckled happily and beamed at her. "Morning, mon coeur."

She smiled lovingly. "Morning, love."

"I have something for you." He put his ukulele aside and reached for a sketch book.

"Oh?" Raven curiously sat up, rubbing her eyes. The blanket fell to her waist and she pulled it back up to her breasts.

The shapeshifter laughed whole-heartedly. "Love, why are you covering yourself?"

She frowned for a moment. "Well, I…I don't know." The sorcerer shrugged. "I know it makes no sense, but…"

"No, it's okay." Gar leaned in to give her a sweet kiss on the lips while he placed the sketch book on her lap. "Don't wanna get me too flustered first thing in the morning, heh? Smart move."

Raven chuckled against his lips before pulling away and narrowing her eyes at him as she took the sketch book in her hands. "What did you do…?"

"Open it."

She opened it to the first page and gasped. It was a drawing of her, of course. In Africa, holding a white sheet close to her body in front of a huge glass window, with nature behind her, glancing over her shoulder and staring out the page with deep eyes. She turned the page and saw a rather sexy version of herself in her stunning feathered black dress from the red-carpet night. Raven smiled and glanced up at him, fully aware of her cheeks blushing, only to see him tilting his head as if encouraging her to continue.

Another page and her smile started becoming more emotional, because this one was a sketch of her on their couch, in casual clothing, with disheveled hair and extremely pregnant. She looked a bit tired in it, but somehow she still looked unbelievably beautiful. The glow he always claimed to see when she was pregnant, she could finally see it in this drawing. And then the next one had her holding Mark and Illyana in her arms and smiling at them. It was simple, soothing and it made her look nearly holy. Her eyes welled up and she turned to the next page just to check if there was anything else, and…she saw herself looking all romantic in her wedding dress and braided hair.

Raven chuckled incredulously, looking up at him. "When did you make this one?"

"While you slept." The Changeling answered cheerfully, lying on the pillows against the headboard. "Couldn't wait."

The empath shook her head, blushing deeper. "Unbelievable."

"What can I say? I was inspired."

She giggled freely, snuggling up to him. "I don't deserve you."

"I don't deserve you, love."

Raven rolled her eyes. "Let's just keep doing our best to deserve each other."

"Deal."

"I love you, Gar." She told him, staring into his adoring green eyes and admiring every little detail of him. "Still the most beautiful person I know. And still the only creature I've ever truly desired."

He tenderly stroked her hair, his pampered heart fluttering carelessly. "Love you too, exclusive ruler of my heart. Also, have you taken a closer look at your ring?"

The empath furrowed her brows in confusion. "My ring?"

She brought her hand in front of her face and tried to see if she could notice anything different about it. Garfield buried his face in her hair and blissfully inhaled its scent.

"I may have had a little something engraved on the inside." He whispered sweetly.

Raven smiled in surprise and removed her ring for a moment so she could read the words written on the inside. There they were, clear as day:

It Was Always You


You're Still The One (Shania Twain)

First of all, I am currently working with my vocal coach on recording an amateur, but hopefully decent version of "Green" (Raven's song) so that I can add it to the Spotify playlist and you guys can have SOME idea of what it SHOULD sound like, lol. I'll try to get it done for the "I do" prompt of BBRae week!

Also yes, I will mention my country every chance that I get LOL

Well, that's it guys! What a ride. I still can't believe I basically wrote three books and that that are people actually interested in reading them lol. If you've stayed with me this long, maybe let me know something you liked/enjoyed? It would be greatly appreciated xD I love you guys, I'm so grateful for you being on this journey with me, this whole thing was just born out of my love for these characters and I love that I'm not alone in here.

I guess I'll see (some of) you in BBRAE week? Maybe? Though be warned, all my BBRae week stuff in mostly fluff haha. Since I started with my swan song here, I decided to use the prompts to experiment and have some shameless fun. But I will PROBABLY only post all my BBRae week on AO3 because the amount of bots on this site has been driving me insane.

I have actually started posting a collab series with LivingstoneBramble there, we'll wrap it up in the week! Also I might be working on something with L363NDW0LF hehe. Apart from collabs I'll post 3 works for the week (none of them will be as complex or dig as deep as this here but hopefully they'll be fun and I'll play around with first person POV) xD

I WILL eventually come back with an AU spinoff of this but don't worry, I won't mess with their happy ending! They won't even be in it, hehe. But different versions of them will…. xD But that will probably take a whiiiiile lol. I still don't know if I'll post that one here or just on AO3, I guess that will depend on how this site is working once I'm finished writing that.

I'll probably create one more chapter just to reply to any more reviews this might get. Again, thank you so much for reading the stuff my annoying mind comes up with! If any part of this was unsatisfying to you, I'm sorry, I ain't perfect obviously hehe also I'm not really a writer, I just like to write. But I hope this experience still brought a smile to your face XD

I guess now I'll go back and finally read this whole thing since I did write it because I wanted to read it and it didn't exist so I had to write it myself lmao