Chapter 6 – K – I – S – S

.

.

A few days had passed since they started sharing a bed. It wasn't a big deal, Raven found. It became the norm, to wake up in his arms. Just the night before he had crawled into bed and immediately wrapped an arm around her. There was no fanfare, no blushing, no stuttering. He just did it. And they fell asleep like that, comfortable and warm.

The rain had only let up for a few days just to start again harder than before. Raven made sure Mark was warm and comfortable in his crib, brushing his dark hair from his forehead. The little boy slept soundly and she watched him for a few moments, enraptured. There was something so innocent and pure about him. She knew- she felt it- that she would die for this child. She would do anything for him.

Her thoughts wandered to Penny, who was currently supposed to be in a bath drawn up by her father. Raven felt a spike of erratic emotions, too hard to decipher. Mark fidgeted uncomfortably and Raven wondered, not for the first time, whether he had empathetic abilities too. The emotions fluctuated and Raven sighed, abandoning her position by her son to make her way down the hall. Obviously something was going on if Gar's emotions leaked past his mental barricades.

The door slid open, fluorescent lights revealing the two culprits, staring at each other with unreadable expressions.

"Why are you wet?" Raven asked suspiciously as she entered the bathroom, seeing her daughter and Garfield soaked to the bone, dripping water onto the tiled floor.

"She turned into a fish!" Gar exclaimed, his hands on his hips as he stared down at Penny. "And she wouldn't shift back. Penny, you could have seriously gotten hurt!"

The little girl looked down at the floor shyly, water trickling from her hair. "I sorry Daddy."

Raven saw Gar's shoulders deflate. She stepped towards the two, grabbing a towel from the cabinet. "And why are you wet?" she asked him.

"Rae, she turned into a fish outside of the water," he protested. "It's a good thing I was here because she was just flopping around on the floor." He looked so distraught and disgruntled that Raven wanted to place a hand on his shoulder to comfort him. "What if I wasn't here-?" he said, his voice cracking.

"But you were," she answered immediately; briefly squeezing his arm in what she hoped was a comforting manner.

"I freaked out," he rambled. "When she wouldn't transform back I just scooped her up and threw her into the tub. I tossed our daughter into the tub, Raven. I- what if I didn't have water ready? Thank goodness I already had it running. But what if she turned into a sea creature? And she needed saltwater? What-"

"Gar-"

"The salinity is different Rae! The density is different.This water isn't- her osmoregulation would be off and then what? I mean it would take a while but- God, is this how my parents felt…"

"Doesn't explain how you're wet," Raven interrupted, watching as he ran his hands frantically through his messy hair.

"I told you, I freaked, " he snapped, so uncharacteristically like himself. "She still wouldn't turn back so I jumped in with her to see if I could talk to her. Which didn't really work. A lot happened okay. I alternated from my normal form and fish form a lot trying to talk to our aquatic little daughter."

"Sorry, Daddy," Penny whispered again, looking ashamed.

Gar groaned, getting down slowly onto his knees so he was better leveled with her. "It's okay, honey. Just…don't scare Daddy like that again, okay?" Penny nodded quickly, her small arms wrapping around his neck. Gar hugged her back tightly before turning back towards Raven. "Can you handle the rest of this bath? I think I need to lay down."

Raven couldn't help but smile at that. "Don't get the bed wet."

Penny shivered, the cold of the bathroom getting to her wet form as her father left. Raven undid the towel around her and settled her in the lukewarm tub, running the hot water.

"Mama, I didn't mean to," she said softly, not even playing with her bath toys.

"I know," Raven said gently, squeezing some shampoo into her hand. "Daddy loves you a lot, okay? He was just scared. He would get really sad if something happened to you."

Penny nodded before Raven started to scrub her hair. "Daddy was real sad when you were sleeping too," she said quietly, splashing joylessly.

Raven halted her movements. "What?"

"When you sleep for hours- days," she fixed after a moment of consideration. "He sad. Made me sad." Raven was silent but her daughter wasn't done. "He stay in hop'tal room with you. But Daddy came to see me and Markie. Markie cried lots. Markie never cries."

Raven knew her brief comatose state was hard on everyone. She knew it was particularly hard on Gar. But hearing this from her own daughter…? "Thank you for telling me, Penny," Raven said, unsure of what to say.

Penny seemed to gain some of her enthusiasm back, splashing with more fervor. "Hey, Mama?"

"Hm?"

"How come Daddy no kiss you anymo'?"

Raven's hands slipped into the water, soaking her sleeve up to her elbow. "What?"

"Daddy use to kiss you allll the time," the girl said, scooping up some foamy bubbles and placing it on Raven's nose. "It was yucky."

That last sentence took her by surprise and she felt a choked laugh tumble out of her throat. "Daddy…is very sweet," she said, carefully choosing her words. "He…he wants to make sure Mama is feeling all better before…"

"Kissin' you?" Penny finished helpfully.

"Yeah," Raven said softly.

"You don' look sick," Penny said, slapping her hands against the surface of the water.

"Sometimes…sometimes people look okay but they're sick on the inside."

"Oh okay," Penny agreed readily. "Like a tummy ache."

Raven smiled. "Yes. Like a tummy ache."

The rest of the bath time silence was filled by Penny talking about some show she liked or how funny it felt like to be a fish. That last part of the conversation Raven decided not to tell Gar. She wasn't sure he'd appreciate it right now… Raven finished drying off her daughter and making sure she was properly clothed, her fingers briefly resting along Penny's pointed ear, one of the many traits she shared with her father. She couldn't imagine anything happening to her either. No wonder Gar was scared.

She couldn't lose her kids.

.

.

"Good night, Penny," Raven said from the door of the child's bedroom.

"'Night, Mama!" the girl said, snuggling into her brightly colored blankets.

Raven ventured down the hall, wondering if Gar had soaked through their sheets. The door slid open and she saw him lying with his back against the bed, his head dangling off the edge. He had changed into sweatpants and a shirt, his wet clothes hidden away. His eyes were closed and he looked absolutely exhausted. He could have been asleep, albeit probably uncomfortably, if he hadn't spoken.

"What if I wasn't there?"

Raven moved towards him, taking a seat on the ground, leaning against the side of the bed. She stared at his profile, her eyes trailing along the contour of his jaw before his eyes opened at the sound of her voice. "You transform back into human form when you get knocked out, right?" she asked after a moment.

"Yeah…"

"If you weren't there…she would have done the same thing," she supposed.

Gar glared at the ceiling. "Yeah, after passing out from lack of oxygen!" he exclaimed.

Raven watched him silently for a moment as he fumed to himself. She couldn't argue with him when it came to transformations. She knew that. Right now he was in a pit and there wasn't much she could say.

"You make a good dad," she stated simply.

He finally turned his head to look at her with surprised eyes. "And you make a good mom."

.

.

They had one of their first actual fights since she woke up. It was something stupid. He had went to go handle some trouble out in the city and came back more injured than she would have liked. She healed him of course, but she had insisted on going with him earlier. Maybe he wouldn't have gotten hurt if she was there. She told him she was fine- that she could fight. And he didn't argue with that fact. He told her it wasn't really his choice…Nightwing made a decision for them.

"Nightwing isn't here," Raven said through clenched teeth. "You want to just go and fight by yourself? What are you trying to prove?"

She had to admit, Garfield was very patient when it came to her. In so many ways. But something about what she said seemed to strike a nerve because his eyes narrowed and his shoulders tensed and when he spoke there was an edge to his voice that she wasn't used to hearing.

"You think I'm trying to prove something, Raven?" he asked, his voice surprisingly calm. "What could I possibly be trying to prove?"

Raven had no answer for that. Logic was thrown out the window at the very beginning of the argument. She didn't know what had her so…so flustered. So worried. And she didn't know what came over her when she uttered her next sentence.

"I don't know if this was how it was before but if you think I'm just going to be some type of…of stay at home mom-"

"Are you kidding me?" Gar snarled.

"I have nothing against those mothers but I'm still a Titan, Gar-"

"I know that, Raven!" Gar exclaimed, grasping her by the shoulders. "I know how strong you are. I know that you're so fucking strong that there's always someone out to get you. I know that I wasn't strong enough to stop them-" His tight fingers around her loosened and he let her go right away. "I'm sorry- I didn't-"

"That's what you're afraid of?" she asked after a moment of hesitation.

"Raven, there are a lot of things I'm afraid of," he admitted. "Your safety and the kids safety is one of them. Always. It comes with the instincts," he said with a snort. "As for the stereotypical mom? Raven, I'd never expect that of you. You can't even make pancakes," he joked, trying to defuse some of the tension. "You know that you're not obligated to…stay right? I don't want you to ever think you're forced into this position. Ever."

"Gar-"

"Listen, I have to go soon. Just hear me out, okay? You do not have to feel guilty or something about this whole situation. If you want…something different- that's fine. Just know…you have options, okay?"

Raven frowned, glaring at the ground. This is not where she expected the conversation to go. This is not where she wanted the conversation to go. She was just getting antsy- she hated having to watch him go out to fight by himself when she was perfectly capable of having his back. She didn't want to leave the kids alone either-

"I'll be back soon, okay?" Gar said, softly brushing his hand against her shoulder.

Raven simply nodded, unable to find her voice. "And, you know what? Maybe we can get Rita to stop by…she wanted to see us and the kids anyway. And if the rest of the team isn't back by then, at least we'll have a baby sitter," he said, grinning. "And you can come beat up bad guys all you want."

Garfield. No matter how ridiculous she got, he was always so considerate. She didn't know what she did to deserve it.

The green Titan moved towards the exit and she hurriedly grasped his hand.

"I'm sorry," she said quickly, hoping those simple words could actually encompass how strongly she felt. "Come back home safely."

He smiled at her with that stupid, goofy smile that always found a way to melt her icy demeanor.

.

.

Raven watched him as she stood near the windows, the rain pouring behind her. She finished healing him in silence. He didn't say what happened out there and she didn't ask. They just sat together, her hands on his skin, healing everything the best she could. He went to shower immediately after she was done and now he was on the floor of the common room, leaning against the couch while he played with the kids. She could feel the kids joy, and hear his laughter.

He was so…so sweet. So generous. So willing and giving. And right now she knew he was giving her an out. A choice. But as Raven watched them she realized at some point she did make a choice. She didwant to have a family with him. Have a life with him.

She couldn't deny her attraction to him either. She woke up wrapped in his arms on her own accord. Her body simply reacted to him. When they touched she could feel the warmth radiating from him and…she enjoyed it.

They were friends. That much was true. And at some point they were more than friends. They were lovers. They were parents.

In the beginning she struggled to fall asleep and she couldn't pinpoint why. But…it was him. It was always him. Since they started to recreate their "normal" life she found she slept soundly. He was always there. That fact wasn't a new or strange concept. Even as teenagers he was a constant, comforting presence in her life and she found herself glad that it was still the same.

She knew she liked him. Love him? She wasn't sure if the feelings she felt were whispers from a past she couldn't remember or if they were real. But regardless, if she felt them wouldn't it make it real? It was all too confusing and she wasn't too naïve to say, yes, she was in love with Garfield. She couldn't admit that. Not yet.

She watched him play with their kids. Little Mark sat in his lap while Penny sat in front of him, personifying her little toy replica of Cyborg.

Gar told her she didn't choose this but she had. At some point she had.

Raven never considered herself to be the type to feel possessive but in this moment she did. She watched the scene play out while Gar bounced his leg to keep Mark entertained and laughed at his daughters antics.

She chose to be with him. She chose to have kids with him.

She fell in love him.

Before she could even think about stopping, an impulse so unlike herself took over and she found herself taking a step towards her family, letting her leg sink into her manifested powers, her body following right after. It was as if the few steps that separated them were too much. She reappeared in front of them in a cloud of darkness and Gar looked up in surprise as she kneeled down before him, cupping his face in her hand and acted on the feelings that had been bubbling in her for days- a compulsory reaction she had been denying- and pressed her lips to his in a moment she found herself wishing wouldn't end.

Garfield's reaction was instantaneous- it was as if he were waiting for this very moment. His free hand snaked around the back of her neck, demanding more from their lips and she lurched forward, pressed against his side as his tongue slid expertly into her mouth. There was no hesitation in his movements as he took everything she felt comfortable offering. His finger pressed against a certain spot against her neck that had her melt against him. It was obvious he knew just what to do to get her body to hum. This feeling- her muscles took over, remembering things her brain couldn't and just when she started to become a more active participant in the kiss she felt a sharp tug on her cloak and Garfield pulled back, a wide grin on his face, his eyes darkened and glazed over.

Penny glared at them from the floor, her tiny fingers wrapped in Raven's cloak, the other hand tightly gripping at her Cyborg doll.

"Mama! I was playing with Daddy, stop kissin' 'im!"

Raven found herself laughing softly and let her body fall limp as she settled down beside Gar, their shoulders pressed together.

"Sorry, honey," she said quietly, pulling Penny onto her lap. She could feel Gar's eyes on her but instead she concentrated on her daughters purple hair, gently untangling a few knots. She couldn't see, but she knew her cheeks were red.

Mark was babbling, seemingly undisturbed by Raven's sudden affectionate spectacle.

Soon enough Penny crawled out of her lap to resume her game of playing "Titans" as she pulled out a Starfire action figure.

Raven felt warm fingers on her thigh and finally looked at him.

"What was that?" Gar asked carefully, looking almost bashful, which, for some reason Raven found ridiculous, considering what he just did to her mouth. Her cheeks heated up at the thought.

"I don't know," she admitted truthfully, her heart still beating rapidly in her chest. From the impulsivity or the high- she wasn't sure. She just kissed him. She. Just. Kissed. Him. "I just…" What was she supposed to say? She didn't even know.

"I'm not complaining," he said, smiling softly, licking his lips as if he could still taste her skin against his mouth. Knowing his powers he probably could. "Just wondering what this means."

Raven looked at him- really looked at him. "It means I'm here," she said. "For all of it." His smile seemed to grow, his eyes twinkling. "I don't know how all this happened but I know you…you made me happy. You make me happy. I know we were all happy. There are residual emotions I can still feel- they're buried somewhere within me…I know I want what we had. Somehow. Just…just don't give up on me, Gar."

Before she could react, Garfield leaned in and gave her another quick kiss on the lips, tugging softly at her bottom lip with his teeth. She blushed again as his eyes searched hers. "I was scared," he admitted. "Of losing you." He leaned in once more, catching her lips with his own, his fingers brushing against her cheeks and her neck- He pulled back, too quickly in her opinion, a large grin on his face. "I'm just used to kissing you," he explained breathlessly.

"Yuck," came a young voice. Gar and Raven turned to look at their daughter who stared at them with a wrinkled nose before breaking out into a familiar rhythm. "Daddy and Mama, sittin' in a tree. Kay-eye-ess-ess-eye-en-gee! First come love-"

"You don't even know the alphabet properly yet, Penny," Gar snorted. "You're just going by sound." Penny just stuck out her tongue, most of her father's words going over her head. Gar picked up Mark and handed the boy over to Raven, a mischievous look in his eyes.

"Daddy- wait-" Penny started, scrambling to get on her short legs as Garfield made a slow crawl towards her, exactly like a predator would stalk a smaller prey.

"Kisses are gross huh?" Gar asked, watching his daughter giggle and laugh as she retreated towards the other side of Raven.

"Mama!" she squealed. "Daddy's gonna give me kiss attic!"

"You mean kiss attack," Raven said, watching the scene play out in amusement.

"That's right," Gar said, shifting into a small dog and leaping onto his daughter.

"AH! Daddy!" Penny snorted as she lay beside her mom, pushing at her dad's green snout as he covered her with doggy drool.

.

.

The sun had set a long time ago but Raven found she couldn't sleep. But this time it didn't bother her.

They kissed a lot that night.

Well, was it a lot? Raven didn't really have much to compare it to. Her lips felt thoroughly touched afterwards though. And her waist… And her hips…

Garfield held her while he slept and Raven watched him, lost in thought.

Kissing felt good. It felt really good. He definitely knew what he was doing- at least with her. But again, she didn't really have much to compare it to.

She stared at his lips, just as green as the rest of his body. They were soft and warm and she really, really liked when he involved his teeth during their…make out? Did she just make out with Beast Boy?

Raven smiled. It wasn't even him that made the first move. He was as respectful as always, crawling into bed and snuggling against her like he had for the last few days. And that's it. No wandering hands. No stray, heated emotions slipping past his walls.

He was talking to her, his hand resting delicately on her hip but, honestly, she wasn't really hearing anything he was saying. She was just staring at his lips while he went on and on about something or the other. It wasn't that she didn't want to listen to whatever he had to say she was just…distracted.

He noticed eventually, of course.

"Raven, are you even listening?" Gar had asked, staring at her with a curious expression. He brought his hand up to her face, brushing away some of her hair and coyly leaving his hand there. He really did use every opportunity she gave him to touch her, she realized. He was looking at her with such a soft expression and she didn't know what came over her- she just surged forward and pressed her lips against his.

He was surprised, that was for sure. Whatever he was going to say was muffled against her lips- it was sloppy at first while he registered what was happening and she froze against his mouth- surprised with herself-

But as soon as his brain caught up he pushed forward, encouraging her mouth to work with him. His grip on her hip tightened as he angled closer to her and, with less hesitance than she thought she would have, she slid her hands up to his chest, grasping at his shirt. She felt a rumble against her fingers and satisfaction roll off him when she cautiously pressed her tongue against his lips. Raven felt the heat of his emotions trickle out of him, clearly freely sharing them with her.

She found herself pressed against the mattress, his warm hand tucked under the edge of her shirt, caressing the skin of her waist. She wasn't sure how long they stayed like that, exploring each other's mouth. But she knew, for him, this wasn't an exploration. He knew her. And he sure wasn't hiding it. He tugged at his bottom lip with his teeth, and a breathy sound escaped from her mouth, one she didn't even know she could make. She felt him smirk against her lips, clearly pleased with himself. For some reason that fired her up. She slid her hands further up his body, straight to his ear. A part of her knew playing with his ears would get him riled.

And it did. He growled against her mouth and she felt his claws poke at her skin, his hand sliding down her hip and to her thigh.

"Rae," he groaned. "We should stop." He was breathless and reluctant to let her go but he retracted his nails and met her gaze. His eyes were dilated and dark and she watched his tongue dart out, only moments ago in her own mouth, to run across his lips. "I should stop."

"Okay," she exhaled, her chest rising and falling as she regained her breath. She hoped the reluctance in her voice wasn't as obvious to him as it was to her.

Gar stared at her for a few moments longer, slowly bringing his face closer, almost cautiously to see if she would turn him away. He briefly pressed their lips together, his hands caressing the skin of her waist. He trailed his kisses down to her throat before rubbing his head against her neck, like a cat leaving its scent.

"It's not that I don't want to…continue with this," Gar explained, his green eyes meeting hers. "I just- I just don't want to go too far and do something you'd be uncomfortable with."

Raven didn't know what to say. Instead, using some of the residual courage she still had from before, she brought up her hand up to his face, tracing the angles of his jaw and delicately following the tip of his ear. She watched his eyes flutter shut as he let out a shuddering breath, a satisfied smile on his face.

"I guess it's time for bed," Raven spoke, allowing her arms to fall limply back to the bed.

"Yeah," Gar mumbled, his eyes bright as he stared at her. "Maybe one more kiss?"

Raven pushed him off, a smirk on her lips.

.

.

Author's Note:

Lots of kisses! Kisses for all!

Just had an exam (that's why there was a delay) but here's the next chapter!

Please leave a review! Let me know your favorite thing from this chapter and what you'd wanna see in future ones!

Until the next one,

Magma