A/N: I'm sorry this took so long, but I was slammed at work and so editing the finale took a bit of a backseat. Anyways, without further ado, here's the end!

Exhibition[ist]

[raw emotion] PART. 4

Deep down, Raven had an inkling as to why Beast Boy hadn't kissed her in the end. Although it made her feel a touch better knowing that it wasn't because he didn't feel the same way, it still bothered her that there was very much a hurdle between them.

His concerns, of course, were valid. She'd gleaned that much after he'd let her pry into his memories, and she'd witnessed first hand what Steve had alluded to.

Having children, a viable future at Dayton Industries, someone loving him for him and not just his fortune and fame. Even though Steve had been harsh in the execution of such advice, he also, unfortunately, hadn't been entirely...wrong. Especially since Raven had been witness to the majority of Garfield's love affairs over the last few years.

For the longest time, Raven herself had held back on many of her own feelings because of similar grievances. Like, for example, her newest obsession with nude photography. And now, her budding feelings for Beast Boy.

Azar, she'd wanted him to kiss her. And when he didn't, she was devastated, like she'd been kicked in the gut, the wind knocked right out of her. It was childish to feel so deflated by something so inconsequential, and yet she'd practically been on the verge of a tantrum.

The photoshoot itself had gone...interestingly, to say the least. After she'd left herself open to him, and vice versa, things had evidently changed in their dynamic, and Raven was unable to filter her feelings as easily as she normally would have. Raw and open, she'd grown more bold in front of Garfield's camera. Thinking back on it now, she was almost embarrassed about how forward and provocative she'd been. Almost. After all, he'd already seen her naked and far more vulnerable.

And maybe, she'd also been feeling a little bit vengeful after he'd teased her so often, intentional or otherwise. So Raven had decided to tease him back.

At first, she'd kept her clothes on while she posed, not really sure about how to behave in such an intimate setting. But as she gradually grew more accustomed to the shutter clicking of his camera, the hazy atmosphere of the environment, and his soft words of encouragement, she'd slowly started stripping.

Raven wasn't entirely sure what exactly had possessed her to do so, only that Garfield being present no longer phased her. It was just another night in her lonely bedroom, in front of her mirror. Except, the mirror was a camera, and the man behind it was the only audience Raven wanted.

Of course, it didn't take too long for Beast Boy to take notice. First, she'd unzipped her hoodie, and he'd obviously made nothing of it. Then, she removed it, claiming it was baggy and stuffy, which was not entirely untrue. But thereafter, Raven started undoing her blouse one button at a time, revealing the thin camisole underneath, and Garfield — much to her secret delight — had started to become distracted. He'd begun to exhibit all the nervous telltale signs. Licking at his lips, mouth dry, twitching fingers, and his eyes always uncertain of where to look without fear of being caught gawking openly.

By the time Raven's top had come off and she'd shimmied out of her skirt, leaving her in just her underthings, Garfield's jaw had dropped, the changeling forgetting entirely what it was he was supposed to be doing. He'd blinked rapidly, as if his eyes deceived him, and nearly fumbled the camera several times, cursing and being vocally grateful for the strap it dangled on.

However, once Raven had found her own groove, she'd begun to pose more comfortably in front of him, very much enjoying the way he squirmed when she'd emulate the model stances she'd seen online. She stared at the camera like she was staring at him, toying with him the way she'd felt he'd toyed with her. As Garfield moved about, trying his damndest to focus objectively on his task — and not on how great her thick, shapely ass looked in a thong, the pale, firm cheeks eating the thin dark fabric of material like a shoelace — Raven only grew more bold in her advances.

When Garfield would crouch to get a new angle, Raven followed him to the floor, crawling on her knees until her breath nearly fogged the lens of his camera, and knocking him back on his butt. Between his legs, with her hands so dangerously close to the sensitive, growing organ before her, she'd pose, making nothing of it and knowing that Beast Boy himself was also too much of a coward to call her out on her forthright nature. Both her sports bra and panties were so snug, the black material gave the illusion of straps painted onto her fair skin. She watched, with great amusement, as Beast Boy gulped, using his camera to shield his pallid face, blood having drained to a different region of his body.

Raven was making him want her so much, his lust practically bled off of him and, in turn, was arousing her, too. In that moment, all she'd wanted him to do was drop his camera, push her onto her back, and take her, right then and there, on the various, velvety pillows and blankets of the set. Only, neither of them were brave enough to initiate anything of the sort, and what with Steve's warning looming in the air, very much the elephant in the room, that was unlikely to change, regardless of how naked Raven got.

In the end, all she'd managed to accomplish was to create an undeniable sexual tension between them that pervaded in the silence when they were done. The words they did exchange were not only minimal and to the point, but also notably weighed down with the strain it took holding back. Raven had begrudgingly turned around to put her clothes back on in the background while Garfield had pretended to busy himself with anything else.

The entire ordeal had, in fact, soured the empath's mood so much, to the point where Raven now sat alone in her bedroom, staring down at the screen of her phone and deliberating over deleting her profile on social media. She bounced her knee, chewed on her bottom lip, and skated her fingers over the button on her screen more times than she could count, always pulling away indecisively in the last minute.

"This is such a mess," she mused aloud, running her hand through the front of her hair while grumbling in frustration.

As promised, Beast Boy had sent her the most recent files of photos he'd taken, only he'd kept her face in most of the shots this time. In the accompanying text, he'd asked her if she'd like him to send edits without her face, but Raven had declined and, in a split decision, had told him that she was shutting down her account. Which was what had potentially forced her hand in actually delivering on that front. As per typical Beast Boy fashion, he'd merely replied with a slew of emojis — most of them a sad or crying face — but never said anything else on the matter.

Until today anyways.

It was one of those normal, mundane weekdays and crime was at an all-time low. Which meant that Beast Boy was in class, Starfire and Robin were likely spending some quality time together, and Victor was volunteering at the youth centre with Sarah.

Everyone had their communicators with them in case of an emergency, but Beast Boy and Raven had recently taken to texting instead. The phone buzzed to life in the sorceress' hands, alerting her to a new text from the changeling. Raven opened it immediately, unable to sate her curiosity, heart hammering in anticipation.

I've got something to show you later. Come by the studio tonight?

Raven chewed nervously at the corner of her fingernail, unsure of how to respond, or what to make of the message.

She wanted to go. The prospect of spending more alone time with Garfield had never been more appealing during all the years she'd known him. Especially after the photoshoot, and, Azar, the way he'd get her blood to boil with just a single, heated look. However, realizing bitterly that nothing would likely come of it besides more unbearable tension, she was considering that, maybe, putting some distance between them instead might be a better alternative. It sucked, having to be rational about everything, and she was deeply hurting at the prospect of giving up for good, but the more she thought on it, the more she knew it was the wisest course of action. With the least amount of heartbreak.

Currently, Raven couldn't stand the thought of Beast Boy being with someone else, but she was also hyper aware that it wasn't fair of her to expect him to disobey Steve's wishes for her sake. Exactly what was so special about her, anyways? She'd just be another chapter in his life, soon to be closed and forgotten when they'd both opt to move on as friends and friends only.

Agitated and perhaps emotionally compromised, Raven hurriedly exited out of the text message and, in a snap decision, proceeded to go through with deleting her social media account for real this time. Once it was done, she annoyedly tossed the phone aside onto her pillow and glared back at all the various pieces of clothes Beast Boy had purchased for her, currently strewn about over her bed sheets. The memory felt like it had happened only yesterday, and some of the outfits she hadn't even worn outside of the fitting room.

Bearing more than just sentimental value, Raven didn't have the heart to throw them out. He'd spent a small fortune on the vast collection, and Raven had genuinely come to adore each piece, but she also needed to put all of this behind her if she was ever going to give him up.

So, until she could reach a more formal decision, Raven had decided to pack them away for good, out of sight and out of mind. Maybe one day, she'd find the strength to throw them out or return them to him. After all, she thought with a sense of melancholy while fingering the soft satin of a lovely skirt, time would heal all wounds.

Just as she'd sighed heavily to herself before beginning the tedious process of folding everything, there came a gentle knock on her door.

"Raven? Are you in there?" Kory's voice drifted into her room, muffled by the walls between them. Raven furrowed her brows — it was unlike Kory to return early from a date with Robin.

She got off her bed and opened the door, the alien princess' golden face beaming at her in greeting, arms tucked behind her back. "I was wondering if you'd like to join Robin and I for a swim this evening?"

Starfire tilted her head to get a glance at the inside of Raven's room, like she was looking for something — or someone.

When she caught sight of the clothes splayed out on her bed, the other girl gasped audibly and floated on past her friend to examine them closer. Manners be damned. "These are so beautiful! Raven, you have never worn any of these! Are they new? Did you go to the mall without me?!"

Raven closed her door and walked over in a hurry, grabbing at the pile so as to stuff it away into the bags before Kory saw any more. But it was too late. She'd already started picking them up one by one and holding them out for inspection. "Why are you putting them away?"

Raven yanked a sheer crop tank top out of Kory's hands and quickly tucked it into a bag. "Because I can't wear them," she explained warily.

"Why? Did you not buy them?"

"They were a gift."

"From whom?"

"I don't know. It was a mystery donation," Raven lied through her teeth, exasperated.

Starfire casually picked up another pair of denim shorts and Raven grabbed those from her, too. They continued this way until the bra with the harness and straps was uncovered at the bottom of the pile of clothes. Both Kory and Raven paused to acknowledge it. No doubt, the alien girl was the most curious about the article, but also a bit apprehensive after the empath had proven to be quite prickly this evening.

Meanwhile, Raven was trying everything in her power not to relive the day Garfield had insisted on purchasing the lingerie for her. At the memory, her chest suddenly felt tight, like an elephant was sitting on top of her, and a sourness rose up from the pits of her stomach, burning her esophagus with hot acid. Raven had heard of stress illness before, and wondered if this somehow was her body revolting against her hasty decision.

"I heard Beast Boy went out on a date." Starfire's voice was crisp and clear and, in a strange happenstance, void of any distinct emotion.

She chose to sit on Raven's bed and left the bra alone, but still didn't make any eye contact with the other Titan, finding fascination instead with her boots.

Raven couldn't help but wince at the sting of her words, clutching at her gurgling, accusatory stomach. "It is what it is." She mustered up her most nonchalant tone and shrugged her shoulders, trying to maintain complacency.

"Truthfully, I was going to use swimming as an excuse to see how you are doing," Starfire confessed.

"I'm fine, Kory. Really."

Starfire was ready to plead her case, passion like a burning ember in her ethereal eyes. "But you have feelings for him."

"I had feelings for Malchior, too, once upon a time." Raven sounded desperate, but even she knew that what she'd said wasn't fair to Garfield. "And look how that turned out."

Starfire looked askance, obviously thinking the same thing but carefully considering her next choice of words. "Yes, only, Beast Boy is not Malchior."

She stood up, her regal height and otherworldly posture impressive as she towered over Raven. Her eyes narrowed into glowing green slits when she added, "Malchior was a parasite, and a wretch of a creature. He used you, and hurt you deeply, and were he present before us once again, I'd smite the ground where he stood without second thought." Then, she softened, becoming the girl Raven had known most of her life, all the steel leaving her comely features. "Surely, Raven, you don't think so little of Garfield, too?"

"Of course not!" Raven immediately objected. Then, more quietly, she said, "Kory, I'm sorry, I really just can't talk about this right now." The empath appeared to withdraw into herself, hugging her bare arms like she was shivering, and directing her gaze down at the ground.

"I'm sorry, Raven. I didn't mean to upset you. I only wished to help."

Raven remained silent. She knew that Starfire's intentions were good, but having her confront her on the very topic she was still only just grappling with, made Raven feel worse. Her friend was unknowingly parroting her very conscience, currently bogged down with regret, and it didn't help any that she knew Kory was right. But what else was she supposed to do?

So what if Garfield did feel the same about her? That didn't matter much when he'd made it plenty apparent that nothing would come of their mutual attraction. Realizing the hopelessness of the situation was only breaking Raven's heart all over again, and further dampening her spirits.

A look of pity flashed across the alien beauty's features, but she made to leave Raven's room nonetheless, shoulders slumped. "Should you ever wish to talk, you know where to find me," Starfire added solemnly from the doorway before finally disappearing down the corridor.

Raven let out the breath she'd been holding and visibly relaxed from a tense stance, opting to collapse onto her bed instead of the floor. She planted, ironically, face first into the harness bra. It was still new and unworn and smelled like the pungent, feminine perfume from the shop her and Beast Boy had purchased it at. She raised her chin and glanced down at it, annoyingly remembering that, sooner or later, she'd have to reply to the changeling's text message.

I've got something to show you later.

A curious message, he'd played right to her weakness. Being naturally inquisitive, there was nothing quite like a good mystery to keep Raven on her toes. Really, she should have turned his offer down immediately. In fact, it was certainly unlike Beast Boy that he didn't have anything to say in regards to her deleting the social media account. Instead, he was behaving as if everything between them was...normal. She hadn't decided yet if this was a good thing, or problematic.

Raven bit down on the inside of her cheek before reflexively whipping out her cell phone — currently buried beneath her in a tangle of her bedsheets. When she turned it back on, the screen brightened to the text message just as she'd left it, the flashing line of where she was supposed to compose her reply a blinking reminder of the time she was wasting.

In her head, she knew the course of action she wanted to take, but in her heart, she couldn't bring herself to detach and have everything go back to the way it used to be.

He's seeing someone now.

There'd never been a more clear indicator for her to give up, but then again, everything in her life, she'd always had to fight for.

Her freedom.

Her humanity.

Her friends.

Nothing was ever given to Raven on a silver platter. The only question that remained was if it was worth it to fight for him.

Raven knew that she'd never quite be the definition of normal, never fit into the puzzle piece society — Steve — would have liked. Every new step she'd taken towards some semblance of normalcy had been an uphill battle, and most of the time, she wasn't even sure she wanted it. How could she have expected that even this would be any different?

Raven picked up the harness bra and examined it, the satin fabric of the cups soft between her fingers. Then, in a spur of the moment decision, the empath decided to act first and think later. She picked up her phone and typed in the following message on the touchscreen, being sure to hit send before she did any second guessing:

I've got something to show you, too. Be there soon.

Garfield would have nodded off if he didn't manage to keep himself busy until Raven got there. He'd stayed up all night adding the final touches to the album and, somehow, it still wasn't quite good enough yet. Originally, his plan was to give her his gift when it was complete, but after their last conversation, things between them had grown awkward to say the least. Not to mention, heated.

The photoshoot had been intense, and he'd found himself thinking improper thoughts about his ridiculously attractive, suddenly naked teammate. Even if it was a beauty considered more unconventional by society standards, Beast Boy had always known that Raven was beautiful. Her leotard did little to mask that detail, hugging her curves in all the right ways, long, shapely legs exposed up to a set of hips that made his breath catch in his throat. Not to mention, her killer cheekbones, sultry bedroom eyes, and a sensual mouth were a lethal combination. However, over the years, Garfield had gradually become immune to both Starfire and Raven's charms, and had also quickly learned that they were way out of his league.

His deduction on that matter, so long ago, had been fairly accurate and final in regards to Starfire, but lately...Raven had become more of a peculiar question mark.

Getting to know her more intimately, spending alone time with her, taking note of all her little quirks and hobbies, it all just added to her undefinable allure. The photoshoot the other night had merely cemented his deep and growing attraction to her. Beast Boy's cheeks reddened remembering how hot she'd looked in that thong, bare ass raised in the air as she'd leaned forward on her knees, a perfect snapshot down her sports bra revealing such lovely, supple cleavage. God, the things he wanted to do to her...

"Ugh," Garfield groaned audibly, shaking his head and rubbing at his tired eyes in an attempt to stop thinking about her in nothing but that skimpy lingerie set. If he kept this up, it wouldn't be long before he worked himself up into another erection that he'd have to slip and hide into his waistband. Like he'd embarrassingly done after the shoot. If Raven had noticed it back then — and surely she had, the strained tenting of his crotch more than obvious — she'd been kind enough not to point it out or stare.

Gradually, Beast Boy opened his eyes and blinked away the images burned into his mind in an attempt to get back to work and distract himself from inappropriate thoughts. Only, in what must have been a cruel, cosmic joke, he happened to find himself staring right down at the same naked, sexy Raven that had been consuming his tortured thoughts. The only difference was how his cameras — no matter how good or bad they were — didn't quite do her mystic beauty justice. Raven, in the flesh, was something both otherworldly and captivating, often leaving Garfield breathless.

And it didn't make any sense. By all accounts, she wasn't even his type.

Short dark hair, skin as pale as moonlight, and an evasive, icy personality to match. It was no secret that Raven was far from the bubbly and excitable type that Garfield was typically enamored with. She may as well have been the polar opposite of every girl he'd ever fantasized about or dated. Yet, there he stood, rendered immobile, transfixed by her magnetic, violet stare in a photo as she stared down the camera like an impatient lover.

"You wanted to see me?"

Raven's gravelly voice startled the shapeshifter, and he nearly jumped on the spot. For a moment, he thought she'd been in his head, like the image had obtained a voice and he'd been caught staring. Only when he turned around, he found Raven — the real Raven — standing in the entryway of the dark room.

"Yeesh, you freaked me out there," he commented once his heartbeat returned to normal.

Raven looked around the room, the eerie red glow of the lighting painting shadows on her face and the folds of her clothes. Her silhouette was obscured by her heavy, velvety cloak, and she removed her hood to better examine the place. The door — old and broken — creaked shut behind her, and she stepped in, dainty booted heels clicking against the tiled floor. Her eyes almost looked like a shade of maroon in the crimson lighting of the dark room, her hair dipped in an infinite obsidian instead of deep violet.

Garfield couldn't take his eyes off her as she walked about the cramped space, leaning over the sink to squint at the photos of her currently hanging off to dry. "You used a different camera last time, too," she casually observed, a pale, bare hand slipping out of her cloak to gently finger the edge of the picture. As usual, she was impossible to read.

"Yeah, I wanted to use traditional film. Part of our next assignment included using the dark room, so I figured it wouldn't hurt to get in some experience. Plus," he paused, turning around to pick up the album he'd made for her. "It gave me an excuse to do this."

Raven glanced down at the object in his arms, narrowing her eyes, trying to make out its shape in the darkness of the room. "A photo album?"

Beast Boy nodded. "I know you wanted to keep your identity private on the website, but I felt bad cutting out your face from every picture because you looked so…" It was likely that Raven couldn't make out his blush in such terrible lighting, but he felt self-conscious nonetheless. He shook his head. "Anyways, I wanted you to get the full effect of all the pictures we took when we were together, for your own viewing pleasure."

He handed the heavy book over to her, and Raven started casually flipping through the pages.

It was arranged much like a scrapbook, and he'd clearly taken the time to add some handwritten notes along the sienna coloured paper. The binding was a royal blue — much like the colour of her cloak — and he'd tried to incorporate various items from each shoot. The cabin photos had pressed, dried wildflowers taped down next to them, and he'd written the dates of every image in a cursive she'd never thought Beast Boy would be capable of in a million years.

There were tons of photos he'd snuck of her, too. One in particular, where she'd been playing chess, deep in thought as she contemplated her next move. Next to that, he'd drawn a chess piece — a pawn — the lines crisp and inked with black pen, likely traced. Of the more risque shoot they'd recently done, he'd used various dark ribbon and lace for a border effect.

The pages felt thick and old between Raven's fingers, like he'd tea-stained them himself, and it smelled vaguely of dried herbs and flowers.

"Garfield…," she whispered his name, in awe of all the hard work he'd put into something just for her. "This is...it's beautiful."

He'd been right; the photos did look better with her face in them, and she couldn't believe how he'd managed to capture her unconventional charm so easily.

"So...you like it?" Garfield sounded uneasy and impatient as he bounced on the balls of his feet and stuffed his hands nervously into his pockets.

Raven glanced at him, a sliver of a smile gracing her lips, almost too easy to miss entirely. "I do. Thank you."

She closed the album and fondly ran her fingers down the leather cover, eyes taking in every indent and line.

"You said you had something to show me, too," Garfield casually reminded her once she'd set her gift down on a nearby chair.

Raven confirmed with a curt nod, "I do."

She turned to face him then, armed with a defiant look, her chin raised up, jutting outwards, and her eyes shining with new found determination as they locked gazes. She took in a deep breath. "But first, I want to know something."

The room was abuzz with tension so thick, it made the fine hairs on Garfield's arms stand on end. "Ask away." He gulped, but at this point, what could he possibly have to hide from the empath when she already knew the darkest secrets of his heart?

Raven took a tentative step towards him, but with the way the ends of her cloak kissed the ground, she appeared to glide forward instead. Fighting her own nerves, she managed to say, "When I was inside your memories, I saw how Galtry tried to use you."

Beast Boy's breath hitched in his throat, and he couldn't mask the wince that he tried to blink away.

Raven pressed on, not allowing him any time to recover. "I saw the helplessness you felt when you lost your parents." She moved closer. "How Steve treated you, and all the ways you overcame whatever struggles you encountered. The abuse, the experiments, the deaths, the heartbreaks."

Tears burned the backs of his eyes as Raven listed off his life struggles, ticking off each box as casually as a grocery checklist. Still she drew closer, slowly, her hands slipping out of the curtain of her cloak and coming up to the glowing red broach at her throat that held the fabric together. Pale fingers moved in a synchronized rhythm, her eyes never leaving his face, never blinking. Garfield found himself mesmerized by the intricate motion of her hands, his heart in his throat as he waited with bated breath for her next action, hanging onto her every word like a lifeline.

"But you fought. Just like you fought Trigon, and how you fought Slade, Madame Rouge. The Brain. Mallah… So, my question for you is…" There was a faint click as she undid the clasp.

Garfield's eyes widened when her cloak hit the floor. The heavy material fell away to pool at her booted feet, and Raven stood before him in her lingerie. But not just any lingerie, Garfield noted. He swallowed, mouth gone dry, unable to help the way his eyes swept over her feminine figure cast in the red darkness of the room, lingering over the swell of her breasts in the strappy bra they'd purchased so many moons ago. She carefully stepped over the ocean blue of the cloak, her shoulders set back, her eyes daring, confident as she stared at him.

The changeling remained rooted to the spot, unable to move, his back pressed tightly against the table behind him, all the while Raven continued to close the distance between them, cornering him. When she was near enough that he could smell her heady, floral perfume, the lavender in her shampoo, and discover the subtle rising goosebumps along the tops of her breasts from the chill in the room, Beast Boy stiffened visibly. His knuckles paled where he clutched at the edge of the table, and the room suddenly felt overwhelmingly small and stuffy. Despite himself, he found his cock stirring to life beneath the fabric of his jeans, pulsing against its constraints in a vain attempt to reach out at what he desired most in that moment. Raven leaned into him, pushing her body against his and reaching to cup his jaw with cool, pale fingers, sharp-tipped nails pressing into his flesh.

As Garfield met her eyes — getting lost in an infinite red-violet pool — she whispered hotly against his mouth, her breath like cinnamon fire in his nostrils; "Is this not worth fighting for, too?"

Her gaze then undeniably flickered towards his parted lips and then back to his darkening gaze. Raven gripped his wrist in her free hand and guided it to rest at the small of her waist, his touch igniting a liquid fire beneath her skin wherever the pads of his fingers pressed. He didn't dare fight her, seemingly holding his breath in anticipation. He didn't even blink.

Pulling him closer to her still, until the tips of their noses brushed faintly, Raven then added in a husky tone, "I've already made my choice. It's about time you made yours."

And then she kissed him; a slow, soft touch of lips, light like the wisps of a feather.

Her full lips were like honey beneath his own; pliant and warm and sweetly inviting. Truth be told, she was nervous beneath his mouth, the kiss chaste and barely more than an airy graze. Raven was scared, despite all his assurances. Worried that he'd reject her, push her away, no matter how small the chances were, or how irrational she was being.

Perhaps that was why she gasped in surprise against his hotly desperate mouth when his arm, which had now snaked around her waist, pulled her in tightly, his fingers curling aggressively into her supple flesh and making her almost stumble forward in her heels. He'd caught her, of course, every curve of their bodies molding to one another perfectly. She fell right into him, pressed tightly against his chest as he deepened the kiss greedily, his tongue hungry for her taste and pushing between her teeth, demanding.

The moan she let slip out into his mouth was involuntary and made her weak in the knees, the feel of his wet tongue stirring up an insatiable storm of lust from within her loins. Already, Raven's budding orgasm grew, like the steady, quiet beat of a drum working towards crescendo. Her hand roamed the warm expanse of his taut chest beneath the thin, threadbare fabric of his t-shirt, slipping along the grooves and expanse of his broad muscles. Meanwhile, Garfield's fingers ran down the dip of her spine to the hem of her thong before he grabbed her bare buttcheek and squeezed, a low rumbling growl emanating from his throat. He silenced her whimper by continuing the exploration of the recesses of her mouth with his tongue, gliding over teeth and warring with her own more timid tongue.

For a moment, Raven had suspected that she'd been too bold in her assumption of his attraction to her, but Garfield met her advances with a possessiveness even more urgent than her own. His every caress was intense. Raven could feel her breasts swell and burn every time the fabric of the bra rubbed against her erect nipples. Her underwear was wet at the crotch already, his hard cock drumming against her belly, just below her navel.

Azar, she wanted him to fuck her. To bend her over the table and drive her into that sweet, sweet release.

She wanted to touch him. More of him. All of him. She was never satisfied. There was so much she wanted to experience now that she had his permission. From the hair of his arms, to the heat rolling off of his torso through the cotton fabric of his shirt, to the rough denim of his jeans between her thighs when she'd ride his growing erection.

When they were finally forced to part for air in between breathy nips at Raven's parted lips, Beast Boy nuzzled her neck, his face hot against her ear as he inhaled her scent. Raven's hand traced down his flat abdomen towards the cold metal of his belt buckle, and then just a bit further south. He took in a sharp breath the minute she'd touched his throbbing cock, and it pulsed with fervor in her grip, already hard and engorged beneath his zipper, the outline of its eager head easily visible. In turn, Garfield toyed deliciously with the satin strings of her thong, tugging back on it so that it rubbed over her wet clit in an aggravating, tight motion. Back. Forth. Back. Forth. Slow then fast. It was like a taut rope, slipping in between the folds of her slick pussy, pushing in against the sensitive button and building up her orgasm.

She couldn't help the soft mewls that escaped her lips, especially when his hot tongue darted out to lick at the sweat of her neck, just over her bounding pulse. The graze of his fangs left her shivering in bliss, and she slowly ran her hand up and down his shaft through his jeans. It grew bigger the faster she stroked him, the tip of his hard cock pushing up against his belt buckle, as if to be arching desperately for more of her attention. She could feel him move against her belly, his pants obviously too tight for his impressive girth.

More. She wanted even more. More of what exactly, she wasn't too certain, but Azar save him if he dared stop doing what he was doing to her.

"Gar!" she cried out, frustrated, her free hand a tangle in his hair, clutching the short dark green strands in a fistful.

Still, she craved so much more of him. The desire was innate, primal. Something both foreign and familiar at the same time, but an emotion she had no control over nonetheless. Normally, that might have frightened her, but this was all-consuming, and most importantly, it felt incredible. Blissful. Divine. Like she was tasting a piece of heaven itself. She never wanted it to stop, the way he was building her up, that crescendo of the drum becoming louder and louder until it drowned everything else out.

Hot and heavy, he attacked her mouth again, dragging his tongue along her bottom lip before taking it between his teeth and tugging gently, eliciting a low moan from the empath. Garfield groaned when she squeezed the swollen head of his manhood, her sharp nails digging in through his jeans.

Returning the favor, he started teasing her through her soaked panties, two fingers slowly rubbing along her lips, making her buck against him wildly. Her breathing came in ragged and shallow, the movements of her own hand increasing in speed the closer he brought her to orgasm.

"Gar, please," she panted against his mouth, her brows furrowed in agonizing pleasure. Luckily, Garfield's kindness got the better of him, and he gave her exactly what she wanted. He let her ride his fingers.

Raven gasped, throwing her head back when he pushed the fabric of her underwear to the side and slid two fingers inside of her warm, wet folds, up to the second knuckles, her walls squeezing and tightening immediately around him. With her fingers curled tightly in his hair, still clutching at the soft, short strands while she stood on her tiptoes, Raven writhed in his strong grip. Garfield then ran the pad of his thumb over her clit, pushing with just enough building pressure to match the frequency that he used to plunge his two index fingers inside of her tight pussy. Her juices dripped down his flexed arm in translucent, pale rivulets, his fingers coated in a layer of her sticky cum.

"God, I want to be inside of you so badly, Rae," he whispered into her ear, in between his own ragged breathing. His cock twitched in anticipation and Raven bit down on her lip to help stifle her incessant whimpering.

She was so close, on the cusp of a powerful orgasm.

"Azar, don't stop!" she cried out, covered in a sheen of sweat from the exertion. He drove his fingers in harder, deeper, faster, in tune to her rapid breathing and erratic heartbeat, flicking her swollen clit until she came violently, gasping and screaming his name. Raven's chest heaved, her breasts overflowing the cups of her bra. The creamy mounds were a rosy flush against the straps of the black harness. Garfield bent his head down to take one of them into his all too eager mouth. Raven hummed and moved her head to grant him as much access as possible, fingers gently stroking his hair now as her thumping pulse gradually faded from within her ears. She relished in the way he caught her hard nipples between his teeth, his fangs grazing her round, supple flesh, latching on like a man starved. If he dared let go of her, she knew that her legs would not be able to support her, her climax having turned them to jello.

While Garfield continued to wetly suckle at her breasts, his face buried in her cleavage — pushed up with the help of the padded bra — and his fingers slowed down their pace from inside of her, Raven couldn't help but find that she was agreeing with Starfire's earlier sentiment. Back at the pool, during their more intimate girl talks.

The real thing was better and sweeter than plastic and batteries. She hadn't come quite like that in a long time, and she still wasn't exactly sated. Raven wanted to feel every inch of him moving inside of her, and the idea alone made her skin tingle with unbidden excitement. Eventually, he withdrew his fingers, sticky and thick with her fluids, and Raven sighed, her inner walls contracting and missing the feel of him nestled within. Garfield brought his hand to his lips and meticulously licked her clean off him, making sure she watched, unblinking, the way his tongue lapped up all her juice.

It took her a moment to remember how to breathe, becoming so aroused all over again at his darkening stare as he licked her taste off his lips.

Gulping, Raven eventually found the nerve to work on unzipping his fly, reaching into his pants to pull out his stiff, thick, warm cock. She hadn't needed to dig much; it practically bounded out for freedom, having grown too big for the confines of his jeans. The way she was feeling, it was amazing Raven hadn't started drooling at the sight of him, salivating just thinking about him wonderfully stretching her out.

His dick was as impressive as it had been back at the cabin when she'd stumbled on him in the shower. Beast Boy was both girthy and veiny, the head of his penis reaching up to just below his navel. Even though he was erect, he was still velvety soft, his emerald skin bathed with a brilliant sheen of purple in the red lighting.

As she grabbed him from the bottom of his shaft, Garfield threw his head back and groaned, eyes shut tightly in pleasure. He gripped her firm, round buttcheek and squeezed, his claws extending possessively into her flesh hard enough to leave marks. He hissed when she danced her grip up to the sensitive head of his cock. Raven took her time stroking the silken, sensitive skin, making sure to feel every ridge and detail of his penis, her inner thighs already moist with fresh cum in anticipation.

"Oh, fuck," he cussed passionately when she picked up speed, the vulgarity not phasing her in this particular circumstance. The table he was clinging to with pale knuckles moved audibly behind him as he pushed on it, its legs scraping along the tiled floor.

Not being able to withstand her relentless teasing, Garfield forcefully pulled away, panting and flushed despite his green complexion. His eyes — normally a lucid verdant — swirled with flecks of gold and amber, changing to match his powerful emotions. They glowed like a warm sunset in the unnatural red hues of the room as he regarded Raven in the same manner a predator may have gazed at their prey.

In one swift motion, he pulled down her underwear to her ankles and Raven complied by quickly stepping out of them in booted feet, the heels clicking softly against the linoleum floor. Too encumbered with lust, Garfield didn't waste another moment. He picked Raven up easily enough, his forearms becoming a shelf for her full ass, and then gently placed her onto the table. The impatient empath didn't hesitate to wrap her long, shapely legs around his hips, even when he'd started undoing his belt with fumbling fingers. She lay back on the table, never breaking eye contact with him as he hovered over her, stripping out of his boxers, his erection bobbing between them — the tip moist with pre-cum — and hard to ignore.

In his haste, he forgot about his t-shirt and didn't bother with removing Raven's bra, either. The straps at her shoulders had already slipped down, her humble but ample chest marked with tiny red teeth marks and hickeys where he'd sucked and grazed at her breasts.

Raven shimmied herself down the table so that her ass hung just off the ledge, her lovely, rosey womanhood wet and gleaming in brazen display, a small tuft of curling dark pubic hair neatly trimmed. Garfield licked his lips at the sight and Raven felt herself throbbing for him. She bucked her hips up so that his erection rubbed between her pussy lips. He hissed and Raven moaned, toes curling from behind his calves where she held onto him, the heels of her boots pressing into the muscle. Gripping either side of the table, Beast Boy then teased her entrance, pushing the head of his cock tightly along her inner folds, but never going inside of her. Instead, he moved his hips so that he continued to rub along her clit, wetting himself in her cum. And there was so much cum, she was practically dripping.

"Gar," she panted, squirming beneath him and clutching at his forearms until her nails dug into his skin.

Beast Boy growled possessively, then took hold of his erection and smacked it against her tender flesh a few times, flushed pink from the blood flow. Finally, he danced the tip down the seam, running over her sensitive clit, until he pushed it into her warm, wet folds. They both moaned in pleasure at the feeling of him finally filling her, and her walls tightening around him.

"Fuck, Rae, you feel so good, mmm," he purred once he was nestled deep inside of her, stretching her out lovingly. The way he felt, she never wanted him to leave; she could have held onto him like this forever, hard and twitching inside of her.

Before he started moving, he bent down and nipped at her mouth, being sure to capture her bottom lip between his own in an exchange of saliva.

And then he slid out of her slowly before thrusting back in with a primal howl of pleasure escaping his throat. The table screeched backwards, but Garfield didn't stop. Instead, he picked up his pace, the sound of skin meeting skin reverberating in the otherwise quiet, isolated room as he drove himself deep into her. His cock glimmered from the coating of her cum. Raven met each of his thrusts with equal ferocity, arching her back while she gasped for air, moaning aloud each time he filled her anew. Her breasts spilled over the cups of her bra, nipples hard and bouncing to the merciless rhythm of his pounding her.

Raven's emotions were like a fever, her chakra becoming a firebrand between her brow. Sweat made strands of her hair stick to her face, and sweat also dripped down Garfield's nose the harder he worked in her. "Don't...stop!" Raven gasped, feeling her orgasm building all over again, the heat and friction between her legs becoming almost unbearable.

The whole table shook from the force of their lovemaking. They were both covered in a sheen of sweat, bodies shining in the red light and Garfield's shirt sticking to him as a result. Raven devoured the view of him with an insatiable hunger, watching the way every muscle worked, from his broad shoulders, to his straining biceps and heaving pectorals. Even the tight grimace in his jaw when he grit his teeth, and the whites of his knuckles where his fingers dug into her hips. Raven admired every single detail, of the effect she had on him. Instinctively, her hand ran down her tummy, down further towards her blushing clit where she started to rub in circular motions, her lips parted and eyes glassy as she locked eyes with him. Garfield grunted and slowed his pace to watch her finger herself while thinking of him, his fangs becoming more prominent when he bared his teeth in a hiss.

He moved his hips hypnotically, the tip of his manhood pushing along the very sensitive bundle of nerves within her. Raven's fingers worked faster, and she lifted her ass from the table, desperate to have him go deeper, touching that sweet, sweet spot. "Azar, yes!" she screamed, her heart racing.

Garfield took her breathy mewls as his cue to fuck her harder, picking up his pace but also being mindful to go in at just the right angle where he'd continue to hit her g-spot. All the while, she continued to finger her clit raw.

She was so close again. So, so close! Damn him, she'd never come twice in a row like that in her life. Raven wasn't a fool; she knew it had way less to do with his skill and much more to do with the emotions he evoked within her, but it still left her impressed with herself. Azar, she wanted him something fierce. The second orgasm came just as powerful as the first, and she cried out, her body writhing on the table as she rode wave after wave of immeasurable pleasure. Garfield's own thrusts were becoming erratic and he was driving his hips harder, moaning louder and louder, his voice reverberating in the tiny room.

"Shit, Raven, I'm gonna come!"

Raven couldn't quite say what had come over her, but she clung to him with her legs, trapping him as close to her as possible. She could feel him grow even more rigid inside of her, the muscles of his ass twitching as he thrust hard enough to move the table again, pushing himself as deep as he could go.

Raven sat up, her arm snaking around his neck where her fingers tangled in his hair. Pulling him into her embrace, she licked and nibbled at his ears and neck, feeling his hot, shallow breathing against her shoulder as he pumped furiously. Her legs wrapped around him, as tightly as she could. A few more messy strokes and his hot seed spilled into her, with Garfield groaning against her collarbone when he came. His movements slowed as he pumped every bit of his semen deeply.

"Holy shit," he rasped, still trying to catch his breath. Raven ran her fingers through the messy tufts of his alpine green hair tenderly, affection and love the most powerful emotions she was currently experiencing. He was still nestled inside of her when he had taken notice of her bra straps. He took to fixing them while he caught his breath, so that they sat on her shoulders again. Garfield then leaned in and placed a lingering kiss on her shoulder blade. Despite her skin already flushed and her cheeks dusted red, Raven found the action weirdly intimate even after they'd just had sex.

"So?" She posed a question only once she trusted her voice, but it still sounded hoarse and more gravelly than usual.

He lifted his head to look at her, his eyes returning to a more natural green. Only a few small flecks of gold lingered. "So?" he queried, raising a single brow.

"Have I made my point?" Raven toyed with the hairs at the nape of his neck, gaze lingering on the purpling love bruises on his throat where she'd kissed him roughly just as he'd reached his orgasm.

He grinned at that, unable to help the throaty laugh that rumbled from his chest. His thick fringe — matted with sweat — fell into his eyes, and the smile made his dimples more prominent. When he met her gaze again, lips still curled back from his teeth in amusement and eyes twinkling with mirth in the low-lit room, he chuckled and said, "That's one heck of a point, Rae. Are all your arguments won like this? Because if so, I've got quite a few thoughts on books and tea you might need to convince me on."

Raven shoved him playfully, frowning even though she knew he was teasing her. He laughed lightly, and a small, coveted smile betrayed her lips.

Then, he leaned in towards her, his thick fingers shyly slipping to lace with her more nimble ones and yet fitting perfectly. Noses brushing, and his lips parted, hovering inches away from her own, he tenderly whispered, "I choose you. I'll always choose you." Without any other warning, he then captured her mouth with his...

~FIN

A/N: I'm going to keep this short and sweet. To everyone, absolutely everyone, who's been on this journey with me, thank you from the bottom of my heart. To everyone who followed and favourited, thank you for being supportive and kind (I do notice). To those who left reviews, whether a few words or an essay or everything in between, you are the reason I kept on with this, even at my lowest points and when I was demotivated beyond belief. To everyone who stuck by me with this story, who helped defend it from spite and jealousy, you all mean the world to me (and know exactly who you are)!

Thank you.

I'm truly and deeply humbled.

Until next time (because there WILL be a next time, I promise).