Fandom Beast Boy and Raven (Closed)

[Beckspace]

“Uhh yeah, Cozy Conforts sounds…comforting,” She replied. Rachel was surprised he didn’t go for the food first, but shrugged and followed his lead to the rink. Rachel got her size 8 skates and sat on the bench to the side to pull them on. They were very snug to her feet, holding them firmly in place above the blades.

As she stood up with the skates on, she wobbled a little bit to gain balance. This may be harder than it looks, she thought to herself, but was determined to not fall. One of them had to be competent on the ice. She took a breath and centered herself. She got this. No problem.

Rachel moved first towards the ice, stopping at the ground right before the entrance. “Here goes nothing.” Carefully she placed one blade on the ice, then the other. Standing perfectly still, it didn’t seem so bad after all. Now to take a step.

Her left leg lifted to take a step forward, but immediately her right leg slid beneath her. Rachel quickly grabbed onto the bar on the side before she could fall. She sighed in relief.

“Not as easy as it looks. Watch your step, Gar,” she called back, waiting on the dude for him.

 

[QuickWords]

Garfield sat the skates on the ground as he pulled out his wallet. He paid for both of their rentals, which were cheap, then headed to the bench next to Rachel. Sitting down, he untied his boots and slipped into the skates. It made sense that they were tight but did they have to be this tight?

“It’s gonna be a piece of cake.” Garfield said prematurely. When he stood up the weight distribution was too awkward for him and immediately sat back down after a few rotations of his arms. It was pretty funny which caused him to chuckle as he got up and carefully stepped his way over to Rachel at the railing.

“You can’t hold on to the rail forever Rae, that’s no fun.” Garfield teased as he held out his hand for her. He walked towards the ice with his partner and when they finally arrived to the giant rink, Gar tried to steadied himself while simultaneously trying to make sure Rachel didn’t fall. That tasked proved more difficult that explained, but he didn’t allow her to fall as long as she held onto him.

“It’s kinda like walking with hooves.” Garfield made a comparison that of course Rachel had no clue what that feeling was like. “You want me to let go of your hand?” He offered while slowly pulling away from Rachel as he drifted on the ice.

 

[Beckspace]

Rachel reluctantly let go of the railing and shuffled after Gar, not lifting her feet from the ground.

“Oh darn, I think I left my spare hooves at home,” Rachel replied sarcastically. If this is what walking on hooves was like, she was glad her power wasn’t turning into horses.

As an answer to Gar’s question, she let go of his hand, allowing him to drift away. “I just need to get my balance, is all. How hard can it be?”

The little ice skating superstar girl glided passed effortlessly. If she can do it, so can Rachel. So she started out slow, hands out in front of her, knees slightly bent to ground herself, and taking baby shuffles forward. The ice scraped beneath the blades, hardly sliding due to the heavy steps she took.

“See? No problem,” Rachel said. “Already doing better than you.” She of course wasn’t looking up, so she couldn’t see how Gar was doing.

 

[QuickWords]

Garfield laughed at Rachel’s sarcasm and nodded his head. “Imma try and make it around this thing without falling then.” He said as he slowly skated off. It wasn’t as hard as he expected it to be. He was catching on to the whole not falling thing and could at least go at a decent speed now.

As Rachel spoke of doing better than him he was beside her after making it around the entire rink. “You know, I think I might be pretty good at this.” Garfield said turning his back and began skating backwards. Of course he nearly lost balance but quickly used his arms as counterweights, stabilizing himself.

“Aw you need a little help Rae?” He teased in a tone you would use with a child. Regardless of her answer he stayed skating backwards and took her hands, pulling her with his weight and momentum but steadying her all at the same time. “Look just focus on me and don’t think about fallin, I got you.” Garfield promised as he looked over his shoulder to make sure no one was in the way.

“See? Isn’t this awesome? You’re not falling and you’re moving faster than a snail finally.” He laughed.

 

[Beckspace]

Rachel glanced up from her concentration to see that Gar was doing just fine, already capable of going backwards. She pouted, hiding just how impressed she was.

“I’m doing perfectly fine on my own, thank you very- Woah!” She stumbled a little as he took her outstretched hands, dragging her along with him. Her legs became stiff as boards, not know what to do with her feet.

“Wait. Gar. Careful. Fast,” she stammered in panic. They were going too fast. They were going to fall. Slow down. Slow down!

Rachel listened to Gar and looked away from her feet, eyes meeting his. He was laughing, completely comfortable and in his element.

“This…isn’t so bad,” she admitted, starting to calm down. She risked a look around, seeing the other skaters gliding around. They were going about the same pace as them now, though she knew she probably looked ridiculous, still hunched over and being dragged around the rink. Slowly she straightened her posture, getting a better handling of her balance. She looked down at his feet, trying to figure out how on Earth he was going backwards. It didn’t look hard. If he could go backwards, she can go forwards.

“I think I can do it,” she said. Carefully she started taking steps again. Left. Right. Left. Right. Side to side so that she did a sort of duck waddle. But it was working! The pace was picking up and she was getting closer to Gar, less of being dragged.

“It’s working! I’m doing it. I-“ Just as Rachel was about ready to do her victory lap and impress the world with her newfound skills, her left blade smacked her right, causing her to stumble forward. From the outside, it probably looked like a comedy sketch, her legs flailing trying to stay afloat. Going faster than the set pace Gar set, she surged forward and all of tackled him to the ground. Their bodies slid on the ice, bumping up against the edge of the rink.

Rachel picked her head up, having landed right on top of him and said the first thing that came to mind. “Would you look at that, I’ve fallen for you.” Upon realization of what she said, her face grew red with embarrassment. “On! I meant on. I’ve fallen on you.”

 

[QuickWords]

Garfield was glad to see Rachel’s expression slowly relax instead of looking as of though she’s going to freak out. He alternated steps as he glided them across the ice, surprised he was actually good at something on the first try that wasn’t a video game. “See? You’re already catching up to me and you never had hooves.” He pointed out.

He could see the gap between them closing which meant not only was she getting the hang of it but she was progressing further than just walking in skates. The walk made Rachel seem like a giant penguin, which was pretty funny though it wasn’t the time to laugh right now, even he could see that.

Garfield laughed and nodded his head “You got this Ra-“ He felt her body push into his, entangling his skates with hers before they hit the ice, sliding into bottom of the rink’s wall. Gar opened his eyes to see an embarrassed Rachel who only made it more fun for him.

He could no longer hold in his laughter before leaning up and planting a kiss on her lips. Blue and Purple would be proud of him. “That was pretty cute Rae.” Garfield admitted while getting up, helping his partner as well. “This time we got this easy peezy.” He wanted to see what having a relaxing skate together would be like.

 

[Beckspace]

If her face could get any redder, it was at that moment. She read a book that had a scene like this once. It was a stupid and cringy book that she never finished. She wondered now how it ended.

“Whatever,” was all Rachel could say as she was helped back up on her feet, trying to gain her composure. At least she didn’t blow up a TV this time. Progress.

“If your ice skating skills rub off on me like your bad puns obviously have, we might actually get somewhere,” Rachel said, brushing ice off her coat.

She took his hand again and waddled off onto the ice once again. There was less hesitation in her movements this time, although she still very much was being pulled by Gar than doing much of any skating. Rachel couldn’t help but grin as they circled around the rink. The fear was gone, she was no longer afraid to fall.

“Are you sure this is your first time skating?” Rachel scrutinized him. “You planned this, didn’t you?”

 

[QuickWords]

Garfield skated next to Rachel until it seemed she was ready to continue forwards. He didn’t mind keeping her steady by staying in front of her so that’s what he did. It also was nice to have her face down out the rest of the world, losing that sense of fear it use to give him due to Red Raven.

“Huh? No way, I swears it. I only said something because you know, it’s cold and this is way more fun that just walking around the park.” Garfield explained as he slowly turned back to skate beside Rachel. He never knew it would be *this* fun admittedly but he wasn’t going to say that.

“You didn’t think I could be good at stuff too?” He asked with a chuckle. It was rhetorical of course but still he leaned in close as they glided smoothly. Garfield wasn’t yet aware of how Rachel felt about the whole dating thing but he could dig it. Hopefully he was doing a good job at being a boyfriend.

 

[Beckspace]

Rachel squinted her eyes at him as if trying to determine if he was lying or not. Finally she shrugged and said, “Statistically speaking, I suppose everyone has to be good at something.” She smirked at him, but dropped it as she lost her balance.

Latching onto his arm, she was able to recover, setting blades back in a steady formation. Sighing with relief, Rachel released his arm, but kept a hold on his hand, lest she lose all her momentum.

As they rounded the corner again, Rachel thought about how this would have gone a few years earlier.

“I bet Starfire would have been horrible at this. She wouldn’t have understood, maybe she would have even melted the ice,” Rachel said aloud with a small laugh. “Robin would have it down to a system. He’d have researched all the techniques and master the most efficient steps for the best slide. Cyborg would have made his own skates, or even some sort of snowboard with an engine.” She looked at him. “You probably would have transformed into a penguin and just slide around on your belly. I’d just hover above the ice, or stay on the side and read.” As she spoke, she could picture it almost as if it had happened. It could have happened. She smiled at the false memory, it was a nice thought.

 

[QuickWords]

Garfield shook his head, heading out Rachel teasing. She just had to make something sound smart and technical didn’t she? Man this was sweet. It reminded him of the old days when she fronted that he was a nuisance and she didn’t even want to talk to him, seemingly disliking anything he did just to keep her emotions in check.

He raised his arm slightly to make sure Rachel didn’t fall down on the ice, feeling her hands squeeze it tightly. Garfield laughed imagining Cyborg’s ice skates popping out of his feet Street modifying them. He nodded in agreement about his own statement and elbowed Rachel. “If I did that right now we’d both skate like penguins.” He joked on her movement at the moment.

A few of the other civilians had left the rink as they skated leaving them with a few others skating alone. “Dude this is nice.” Garfield admitted listening to the music playing in the background. Not even moments later the music choice softened and he had an idea. “You wanna skate backwards Rae?” He asked while preparing to turn her in front of him.

 

[Beckspace]

“Hilarious,” Rachel rolled her eyes. Focused now on her feet, she tried with each new step to straighten her movements and make it less of a waddle. It wasn’t working out so well, the waddle made her feel more balanced.

Upon the suggestion, she looked up again and frowned. “I can barely skate forwards, what makes you think I can skate backwards?” Rachel had watched his feet when he was skating backwards, so she thought about that and the movements necessary to do so. Who knows? Maybe it’ll be easier, wouldn’t be the first surprise if the day.

“Ok. Let’s give it a shot,” she said finally. “Just don’t let go.”

Trying new things was never something Rachel enjoyed, too much risk. She still didn’t necessarily like it, but she was learning that new didn’t always mean bad.

Carefully she was turned to face backwards, her movements becoming hesitant once again. Her speed slowed down as she tried to situate her steps. “I can’t see where I’m going,” she said, worried about bumping into something.

 

[QuickWords]

Garfield stopped moving Rachel as she spoke about her poor attempts at normal skating. He shook his head “Because you’re awesome and you got this that’s why. Don’t be a scaredy cat.” He teased while hearing her out first. Of course there was a fair reason to be worried but this felt like running backwards to him for some reason. He decided not to think about it too hard or it’d probably mess him up.

“I promise I won’t let go.” Gar smiled as he eased Rachel in front of him. He slowly lowered her hands and used his feet to push them forwards. Now this was something Garfield had in him that she didn’t. He would use his hearing to make sure no one was too close and kept an eye on the wall of the rink.

“Don’t worry about it I won’t let you fall or nothing.” He said figuring her could at least steer the two of them from any danger. Garfield watched Rachel’s feet and began alternating with her. Her left foot went back his came forwards. Her right foot went back his came forward. He kept that steady rhythm as they went around the rink.

“See? It’s not that hard. It’s like we’re dancing.” Garfield stated, finding their movements smooth and hypnotic enough to be called dancing at least.

 

[Beckspace]

“Oh, so you’re a dancer now too?” Rachel scoffed. “I’m learning so much today.” A silly image came to her head of Gar in a flamboyant ballroom-dancer outfit and she laughed at it. “Now that’s something I need to see.”

Getting into the momentum of the back and forth, Rachel did see how it could resemble dancing. She never did any sort of professional dancing, or even dancing in a club, but she supposed it would feel sort of like this. Luckily, she had someone to lead the way.

Around the rink they went once again, and not once did she think about falling or bumping into anything. It sort of felt like flying, except she wasn’t using her powers to do so. Magic without the magic.

“Ok fine, you win,” Rachel said finally. “You can SOMETIMES be charming.” She grinned at him. “Don’t let it get to your head, ok? Or else I’ll have to go back in there and fix it.” Rachel stopped moving her feet, shortening the distance between then.

All reservations left her as she reached up to kiss him. “I love you, Gar. Don’t make me say it twice, it’s embarrassing.”

 

[QuickWords]

Garfield laughed and tried to hide the flush on his cheeks. It wasn’t often he was on the receiving end of the testing but Rachel was certainly getting some licks in. “I’d be the best green dancer ever!” He added as he steered them past a little boy who was getting off the ice with his parents calling him.

A part of him wondered how long training would take for a person to get as good as those Olympic teams that did ice skating. They always spun around so fast and could even do jumps on the ice. He wouldn’t dare lift more than one foot off the ice, at least he wouldn’t for now…

A victorious smile grew on Garfield’s face but he remained calm before Rachel retracted her words. “I already can’t get you outta my head Rae so what’s the difference?” It wasn’t only a corny joke but a true statement. Even before the Red Raven incident he was sure that all in his mind was Rachel herself but then again he had no clue how that worked.

Garfield felt their bodies slow down as his feet came to a halt as well. The drifted until Rachel closed the gap and he returned the favor, meeting her halfway. That was the first time he heard those words from Rachel and considering that he smiled down at her. “What was that? I think I got some ice in my ear from when we fell.” Garfield held Rachel close as their momentum carried them even still. Before she could say anything he chuckled “Kidding kidding.” He digressed.

The moment was special for him, something he would remember forever. As if on cue Garfield’s stomach grumbled and he looked down at Rachel after a moment. “Uhhh you think we could…” He pointed his head towards the nearby restaurants without taking his eyes off hers.

 

[Beckspace]

She was just about ready to sock him across the head for almost making her have to say “it” again, joking or not. Rachel frowned at him scornfully until his stomach growled, lightening up the mood. “And back to reality,” she rolled her eyes. The wind was picking up anyway, most people choosing to exit the skate rink already.

“Come on, Prince Charming, let’s get you something to eat before you turn into a frog.” After standing still on the ice, Rachel stumbled a bit trying to get moving again. It didn’t take long though, with the help of Gar, to glide back over to the entrance where the bored employee waited for them, although now he looked a little bit more interested in them than before.

“Hand me your skates when your done. Your shoes are in the cubby on the right,” he said. Rachel tripped back onto the solid ground and all but ripped the skates off her feet. As much as she enjoyed the little adventure, she was happy to no longer be walking on blades. Standing up again in her own shoes, she found herself a little wobbly on her feet still, as if her body expected to still be on the ice.

“Weird,” she commented, lifting her knees up in down in a marching formation to fight the sensation. The teenager just stared blankly at her, so she stopped.

“Uhh, thanks.” Her skates handed over, the employee finally broke his stare to put the skates away. Did he recognize them? Was it ok if he did?

Rachel waited for Gar to finish before they both took their leave. Once they got out of earshot, Rachel whispered, “I think that kid might have recognized us. We should be careful, keep our heads down.”

 

[QuickWords]

Garfield rubbed the back of his head, laughing at his unintentional comedic stomach growl. It was handy because some food sounded really good right now. It’s almost like his body was letting him know to eat or something…

He shook his head “What’s wrong with turning into a frog?” He teased before remembering the fairy tale and how it went. “If you don’t want me to turn into a frog I think imma need another kiss.” Garfield held back laughter as they made their way to the exit. He put his hands on her waist and turned her around, helping her back of the ice.

“They are?” He could’ve sworn he left them by the bench. She probably put them up for him which he was thankful for. Gar took his skates off and handed them to Rachel, walking back and sitting down on the bench to put his shoes on.

He got up and wobbled a little before walking towards Rachel feeling much more stable. Garfield looked at Rachel with confusion “Maybe he’s like a fan?” His eyes lit up upon realization that could be a possibility. “Maybe we should give him our autographs!”

 

[Beckspace]

“I don’t know,” she said, unsure. Rachrl glanced back at the kid as they moved along, unable to determine what exactly his feelings towards them. “Fan or no, we don’t want our civilian identities to be recognized.” Once upon a time, Raven and Beast Boy didn’t need secret identities. Things are different now.

“I’m not one for handing out my signature,” she added. “Let’s leave it.”

The food stands were busy at this point, people hungry for dinner. Cozy Comforts was a Diner-style stand, with what looked like the warmest of comfort foods. Soups, Mac and Cheese, burgers, sandwiches, hot chocolate, breakfast food, and more stacked on the menu.

“Looks like they have just about everything here,” Rachel commented, reading over the giant menu posted on the wall on the side of the stand.

 

[QuickWords]

Garfield shrugged his shoulders as he took her hand as became habitual for him. “I dunno maybe but I miss people liking us. I miss being able to like walk around without hiding.” He admitted while they made their way to the previously decided restaurant.

It was a slight struggle to have to hide all the time from what he truly was just because some people saw them as nuisances to the city. Vigilantes some may even say. They try and save the city and this is the thanks they get. It was no wonder Rachel didn’t like conversing with strangers sometimes.

Garfield eyed the menu with her and pointed to what he wanted. “Oo mac and cheese and hot chocolate!” He said imagining the warm taste already. “Maybe I could get a grilled cheese too!” He said with a small smile before leading them through the door into the a decent sized diner.

Garfield went to a booth and sat down across from Rachel not even bothering to pick up a menu after seeing what they had to offer outside. “Man how long till the waiter coooomes…I’m starving!” He said picking up one of the kids play sheets and looking at it. It came with a three pack of crayons that Garfield totally didn’t use to draw in the shades of the color portion of the activity book… He definitely did.

 

[Beckspace]

Rachel shook her head as they entered the diner. She was used to the amount of food Garfield inhaled at each meal by now, but it was still bewildering when it came to ordering food. She looked through the menu, already deciding she wanted hot chocolate as well but unsure of what meal to pick. She, unlike some people, only needed one. In the end, she decided on French Toast, thinking it would pair well with hot chocolate.

Glancing up from the menu, Rachel noticed Gar was focusing on the play sheet. “Having fun over there?” She asked with a raised eyebrow.

Before an answer could be given, a waitress arrived, ready to take their order. “Hello, my name is Jody, I’ll be taking care of you today. Can I start you off with something to drink?”

“We both would like hot chocolate, and I think we’re both ready to order too,” Rachel answered. “I’ll just have the French Toast, save room on the sheet for him.” Jody had no idea what Rachel meant by that, but she looked to Garfield expectantly.

 

[QuickWords]

Garfield looked up from his busy work when Rachel made note of it and quickly folded the sheet and putting it to the side with the crayons. Wishing he was given an opportunity to answer, he simply chuckled nervously as the waitress came over. It was pretty chill just coloring in the book but it was childish even to him.

Garfield held back a smile as he started his novella of an order. “Uh I waaaant…Wait do you guys have vegan cheese and eggs?” He asked. Jody nodded “We do but unfortunately it’ll be extra as we have a limited amount of those supply.” He shrugged before picking up where he left off. “That’s cool I just want everything vegan for me. I want a large Mac and cheese, two grilled cheeses, a PB&J, and some fries.”

Jody couldn’t help but laugh looking over at Rachel. “I’m guessing he’s not lactose intolerant?” She said before nodding her head. “I’ll be right back with your drinks. Your food may take a little longer.”

Garfield turned to Rachel and leaned forwards. “Lactose intolerant means no milk, right?” He asked for confirmation. “That would totally suck. No cereal, no ice cream, no cheese.” His head fell to his arms on the table in mock grief. “I don’t think I could live like that…”

 

[Beckspace]

“Knowing you, you’d still consume Lactose, intolerant or not,” Rachel replied, not at all feeling bad for him. “You’d just get gassy and bowel issues and I’d have to deal with being around that.” She shuttered at the thought. “I don’t think I could live with that.”

Rachel glanced over to the window to the kitchen where their waitress was giving their order. One of the chefs stopped and glared at the waitress, saying something probably along the lines of, “What do you mean it’s a table for two?!” The waitress showed her notepad and the chef flipped up his hands in defeat and started ordering the other chefs around.

“I think you give Starfire and her 9 stomachs a run for their money,” Rachel commented with a smirk, which of course made her remember the conversation she had with her. Her smile became a sad one.

 

[QuickWords]

Garfield struggled to keep in his laughter at the thought of him passing gas every time he ate something containing lactose. That would be an unpleasant experience when it came to using the bathroom that often though. He decided it wouldn’t be as funny as he expected while the chefs and cooks in the back began yelling about his order. As bad as it may have been it wasn’t like he was going to waste the food.

Garfield finally let his laugh free and shook his head. “What if I had nine stomachs?” He pondered knowing that the grocery bill would triumph the utilities all combined. He stopped when he saw Rachel not laugh with him or at least roll her eyes. “Was it not that funny?”
He asked with a droop of his ears.

Normally he would chalk this up as a failed joke, but instead of remaining blank faced as usual, Rachel in fact frowned. It wasn’t often she did this without reason, especially during the time they had met up again and she showed emotion more frequently than before. It wouldn’t hurt to ask right?

 

[Beckspace]

“No. It was just about as funny as all your other jokes, which isn’t saying much,” Rachel replied. She didn’t want to dampen the mood with her talk with Starfire, but Gar deserved to know.

“Kory and I talked about what happened after “it” happened when we went out for coffee. She had it pretty rough,” Rachel explained, thinking back to the conversation.

“I went back to my home planet,” Kory said, eyes downcast and hands clutching the cup of coffee. “Galfore let me have my old room, and for a time, we acted like everything was ok. But things were not ok.”

“Kory,” Rachel interrupted her. The coffee started to boil in her hand. Kory quickly released her hands from the cup and held them together until they cooled down.

“I no longer have a role in Tamaran. I’ve been gone for so long, there was nothing for me to do to help my people.” She sighed, taking the cup again and taking a sip. “I will always love Tamaran, but it is no longer my home. My home is and always will be Earth, whether it’s people want me here or not.”

“Let me guess, you didn’t receive the Welcome Home party you deserve?” Rachel asked.

“No. The people of Jump City did not take kindly to my return. I couldn’t find a place to stay that would accept someone not from Earth, and the Titans Tower was too empty. I didn’t know where to go, so I looked for Robin.” She smiled sadly at this point. “Nightwing was very kind to me. He moved on from being Robin, but he took care of me all the same. For a while I stayed with him, but much like on Tamaran, I did not have a role.”

“Why not? You could have fought alongside him?” Rachel asked. Kory shook her head.

“Jump City is not the only city that fears outsiders. Because I am not of Earth, they did not accept my help, not even if I had Nightwing by my side. He told me not to listen to it, but how could I not when they were being so loud?”

Finishing her story, she opened her arms, presenting herself. “So I left again and came back to Jump City as Kory Anders, human girl. I help people find homes now, just like all the people who didn’t help me. In a way, I’m a hero again!”

“I felt once as you did, but Starfire, I think we can be heroes again,” Rachel said. “Things have changed. Jump City needs heroes again. Gar and I-“

“I saw what you did on the television,” Kory cut Rachel off, a little stiffly. “And I am glad for you, but I can not assist. Not anymore.” Kory reached across the table and placed her hand on Rachel. “You at least are part human, the bigger best part of you. That is not something I can ever be, not if I continue to act not human. But it’s ok, friend Rachel. I am very happy with my human life.”


Rachel finished recanting the conversation to Gar. “Kory won’t fight with us again. She has too much to lose if her cover is blown.” Rachel sighed. “Not that I was expecting it of her, we still don’t know what exactly it is we’re doing, but Starfire not fighting back is…strange to say the least.”

 

[QuickWords]

Garfield was confused on what Rachel meant by rough but heard her out anyways. He felt things were rough for him though Starfire could’ve had it much worse. It was interesting to hear that a princess wasn’t welcomed back to the kingdom with open arms as much as he wanted to think that’s what happened and Star just got homesick for Earth. Well he was half right anyways.

He thought places would flip on their heads hearing an alien came to help fight crime for them. Look at Superman and Metropolis, they seemed to love the blue and red clad Kryptonian. Once again he was dead wrong.

When Rachel finished her story Garfield looked rather agitated as he sat straight back and looked down at the utensils wrapped in a napkin in front of him. “That’s really dumb.” He said after minutes of silence. “She’s not the only one who had it tough but imma still fight.” Garfield locked eyes with Rachel and continued his rant.

“It’s not easy getting a job when you’re the only green dude in the city, Rae.” He paused struggling to keep himself calm, feeling more angry and irrational than usual. “She’s right about you looking human but what about me? She looks more human than I do.” Garfield looked down at his lap trying to stay focused on the point he was trying to get across.

He pulled his hood down making sure no one was looking. “I’ve got green skin, green hair, and pointy ears.” Gar tugged on his earlobes. “The only reason I got a job was because it was a trap and I was dumb and fell for it.” His memory falling back to that day realized if it weren’t for Rachel he’d certainly be dead at this very moment. “And what have I done for you Rae?…” He put his hood back on before anyone saw.

“All I’ve done is put you in danger while we save people who wanna kick us outta town.” Garfield said while shaking his head. “But that’s what heroes do right?… Save people who don’t even know there’s some danger right around the corner... “ He ended his side of the conversation, sounding more hopeful than before.

 

[Beckspace]

Rachel sat quietly and listened to him speak. Sometimes that is what people need most, to be listened to. She was glad she was able to be that person for him, especially because he had it just about as rough as Starfire, probably being the one most incapable of blending in, save for maybe Cyborg who turns out doesn't have to.

It was crazy how often she forgot he was green, or not really forget but just don't have it in the forefront of her mind. She couldn't picture him any other color, not having ever seen him otherwise. But just because she didn't always notice it, doesn't mean other people don't as well. The day they reunited, the woman at the movie theater thought he was cosplaying as the Hulk. Rachel was surprised by the remark, but really it was a normal thing to think for anyone who didn't know Beast Boy. Who else but him was green?

"Let's get one thing straight," Rachel said once he finished his rant. "I put you in danger just as much as you put me in danger. Actually, I think as of right now I'm winning on that scoreboard." She grinned, but became serious once again.

"The difference is we have each other, while Starfire had no one. Nightwing didn't realize just how hurt she was by losing not one but two homes in a very short amount of time. She doesn't think he belongs anywhere, so she made herself blend in, she made herself 'human.'" She thought about that for a moment. Rachel had always been able to fade into the background. Starfire learned and for the most part succeeded in doing so. But Gar? He never was able to, not in 3 years.

"You're right. Heroes save those in danger, including ourselves. I think one day Kory will change her mind once she realizes she's not alone. I did, and I can be pretty stubborn. You changed my mind," Rachel smiled at him. "You're not dumb, Gar. And you're not alone either, green or no."

She looked over at the box of crayons he was using. There were only 3 colors, Red, Blue, and Green. Rachel looked both ways, then lifted the green crayon up with her powers and drew a green line right across her face. The crayon scribbled at her cheeks and poked her nose. It wasn't the most perfect job, and the flimsy crayon split in half at the pressure, but Rachel's face was all colored in, the paleness of her actual skin peeking out from behind the green.

"There. Now you're not the only green dude."