Thorns
Chapter Three

"I think she's going to be fine."

There was something strangely soothing about that low, cautious tone he used with her - it was almost like he was trying to placate a wild, frightened animal that was caught in a trap. Every movement, touch, curious question was shy and careful, designed to keep her close and not drive her away. Raven's heart turned over in her chest, not quite picking up speed, but certainly not immune to the feelings she was having. Slowly, she lifted her eyes and watched as his dirt-covered fingers reached out and stroked one of the white petals of the rosebush. It trembled under his touch, as if trying to get used to a new environment, but still wanting to draw near to him - like her.

"I think she'll like it here… next to your mother, I mean."

Raven was grateful for the dirt that was smeared over her face, at least she could hide her blush underneath the earth on her skin. Thank heaven for small miracles. With a soft grunt, she sank back onto the grass, letting her hands fall against her knees as Garfield gathered up some of his tools, wiping at the sweat on his brow.

"I think she'll be happy here." Raven was surprised her voice could come out that low of a whisper, but being in this sacred space with Garfield made everything inside her feel a bit out of sorts. She felt… topsy-turvy, like nothing really made sense, and she began to wonder how much she could discern from a person who cared for plants the way he did. Her toes curled in her shoes and she leaned forward to adjust one of the stones that circled the fresh earth around the rosebush. "Mother will appreciate her… and I'll make sure to take care of her."

Garfield smiled and his face lit up, the freckles smattered against his cheeks darkening. "I'm glad to hear that." There was a moment's pause, as if he was weighing something in his pind before he decided to speak. "Are you… ah… busy? Right now, I mean… I just see that it's getting darker and I thought maybe I could take you out for coffee or something? I don't want to seem pushy or anything, and I just…" He trailed off, as if realizing that he was tripping over his words. Wincing, Garfield lifted his stare to hers and his freckles grew a bit darker. "Sorry. That had all the delicacy of a freight train."

Raven bit back a laugh, pressing her lips together as se somehow managed to quash a near-smile on her lips. He was… cute. In an endearing way, like something she hadn't ever really met before. He was genuine and honest, and so soft around the edges. It was like every second he managed to open up just a little bit more, and she couldn't ignore him for much longer. He was… different.

Raven stood up, dusting at the dirt still clinging to her jeans. "I can be free…" Her face flushed and she pulled the hood tightly around her head, hoping to hide her shame in the shadows. "… if you don't mind spending time with the thief that pilfered your roses for nearly a month."

Garfield's smile practically filled his face and he beamed at her, as if he was turning into light itself. Placing his tools into a worn tote, he hefted them on his shoulder and stood up to meet her with a smile. "I think that's a small price to pay for meeting a new friend."

Raven's heart, which had been trembling under the weight of new emotions, practically burst into color and song at the admission. She could feel her face warm, and she drew herself into the oversized hoodie, shoving her hands into the pocket. If he saw how she trembled at the title of friend, she might never hear the end of it. Nodding slowly, Raven looked up from beneath her eyelashes to offer him a soft, cautious smile. This all felt new and exciting, but she knew to be wary of anything he offered. After all, she'd been burned by false happiness before, she refused to have that happen again

"I… ah… thank you."

His laughter bubbled over her, like warm water bubbling in a brook, and Raven glanced up at him. Garfield's smile turned teasing, and he offered her a playful wink. "I wouldn't thank me too much… after all, you're buying."

Raven felt her face fall into an annoyed scowl before soft chuckle escaped. As much as she wanted to feel a sort of tension at his words, all she could really focus on was the way her heart fluttered, and the joy that seemed to come from that feeling. Her world was turning upside down, and she could do nothing but let herself tumble.

Her lips quirked to the side and she slid past him, making her way down the paved cemetery path. "Alright… I know just the place."

The coffee shop was tucked in half of an old warehouse that was hidden behind the railroad tracks, and an artisan bread shop that smelled of rosemary. Raven followed Garfield inside, looking around at the quirky art that hung from the walls. Every ounce of space was crammed with something different and local, and Raven wasn't really quite sure why in the world Garfield would bring her here.

"They have the best soy latte in town." He leaned back on his heels and beamed down at her, that boyish expression filling his freckled face. "I promise."

Raven felt her heart turn over for a moment, her thoughts consumed with how easily he looked at her. She felt her ears grow hot, and she turned away from him before Garfield could notice. There was something about going out for coffee that felt odd. It didn't really feel like it was a date, but it also didn't feel like date either, and Raven was stuck here in date-limbo trying to figure out how to explain exactly what this was.

She had dreamt of him last night, they had spent the morning together, he gave her mother one of his rose bushes, and yet she was unsure as to what this was between them. Did he like her? Did she like him? He seemed nice enough, at the very least, and he was easy company, and Raven hated to admit it, but she liked his freckles.

"I'll get the coffee, find us a table." Shoving her hands into her sweatshirt pockets, Raven ordered their coffee, paying the barista before turning back to the small shop. Garfield had found a small booth tucked in the corner, and he was shuffling a deck of cards. She felt the edge of a smile tug at her lips, and Raven found her way back to his booth before sitting down.

"War?"

Raven looked down at the cards in front of him, wondering exactly what she had gotten herself into. Garfield was so… pure. So weirdly pure and innocent, keeping rose bushes and maintaining a little house that seemed nearly perfect. It wasn't anything like her, and she didn't know how to tell him that she didn't fit into his world. It was easier for her to keep people at a distance, it kept her heart protected and it kept her safe from pain. But Garfield had already wiggled into the tiny chinks in her armor, that Raven was unsure what parts of her would ever be free from him. She swallowed the little bubble of fear that was still pushing against her lungs.

Shifting on her feet, she glanced toward the door, thinking how easy it would be to run - she could just dart out the door and never see him again.

But then he looked up at her and smiled, and she remembered how easy it would be to stay.

"Okay." She sunk down into the chair opposite of him and took the offered cards.

They fell into silence for just a few minutes, until Garfield started to wiggle and move as if he was physically uncomfortable with the silence. Raven pushed her lips together to hide a smile, but it wasn't much longer before Garfield broke the silence, chattering about his flowers and the one he had planted next to the Raven's mother's grave. His words were easy, almost lulling as he spoke, and Raven let him talk for a while, before there was a slow pause in the conversation. Garfield looked up, his face confused and unreadable.

"So… what about you? What kind of plants do you like?"

"I'm not exactly known for a green thumb." Her lips twitched and she placed a card down on the pile. "But, I have an aloe plant that I've kept alive for a year. I'd say that was an accomplishment for me."

Garfield laughed, the sound bright and joyful in the calm of the coffee shop, and he laid down another card. He shook his head, glancing up at her from beneath the fringe of his eyelashes. "You know aloe isn't very hard to keep alive. It's practically a cactus."

Raven wrapped her hands around the glass mug of coffee that she had ordered, feeling a sort of strange bubble pride at the work she had accomplished. A smile pulled at the edges of her mouth, and she bit back a sigh of content. She couldn't remember a time when she had felt at ease like this, it must have been long before her mother's passing. What was it about him that made her feel like everything was going to be okay? Garfield was… infectious.

She snorted, meeting his stare with one of her own. "Don't ruin this for me. It's a big deal."

Garfield smiled, his laughter dying down just a little. "Okay, okay… if you're proud of your still-surviving aloe, I will let you have that. I'm sure it's a very big deal for you."

There was another pause that filled the space between them, and the joyful feeling in the air turned almost heavy. Raven could feel her stomach tighten, and she finally looked back up at him, watching as his expression turned contemplative. He shifted, as if unused to the silence and the quiet that was growing between them again. He wanted to say something to her, but Raven wasn't sure what, and she wasn't sure if she wanted to know.

"You can say it, if you want to." Raven looked back at her cards before taking another drink of coffee.

He looked sheepish. "Am I that obvious?"

"You're fidgeting." She shoved her emotions to the pit of her stomach and met him with a bank expression. "If you want to tell me something, you can."

"Promise not to judge?"

"Promise."

He took a deep breath, as if drawing courage into his body and lifted his stare to her own. A second passed, and then two, and then his words came out in a rush so fast it took Raven an extra few seconds before she knew what he said. "Ihopewestayfriends."

Her eyes fluttered and she looked up at him. "What?"

"Friends." His blush darkened his freckles again, and Garfield looked away, taking another drink of coffee if only to give him a little extra time to regain his courage. "I… I hope we stay friends."

Raven blinked, rolling the words around in her head for a long moment before looking back down at the table. Friends? He wanted to stay friends with her? Even though she was… well, her. He didn't seem to mind the worn clothes or the barriers she threw up when he got too close, and even though she'd been doing it for weeks, he seemed to forgive her for the roses too. He didn't mind that she didn't fit into every conversation, and that sometimes her answers were vague and unreadable, he just seemed to like her. She felt strangely vulnerable around him, like he was finding secret parts of her that weren't able to be healed and yet he was healing them. He was so… kind.

Color stained her cheeks and she couldn't quite met his stare yet. "Yeah… me too."