Work Text:
The Picnic
The young woman dressed in mostly black stood next to her companion in what could best be described as 'relaxed' attire before a very normal house with a very normal wooden fence. She had her hands pressed together in front of her face, eyes closed, almost looking to be praying for guidance.
“Before we go in...just...humor me and repeat back to me what I told you five times on the way here?” She asked in an exacerbated tone.
“Uhm.” He raised a lanky arm to scratch the back of his green colored hair.
“Uhm is not part of it, Gar.” Her violet eyes opened just enough to narrow at him.
“I was just tryin' to get it straight in my head, jeez, Rae.” Gar sighed, then folded his arms as he closed his eyes and lowered his head to think. “Okay; so we've been going to a college, you for library archival work and me for exotic zoology. We met after being stuck in the same elective for...psychology?”
She nodded.
“Yeah, psychology, okay. And we're just normal people with no superpowers, green skin, or demonic dads who totally don't know any aliens, adopted sons of billionaires and mostly robotic people. That's the big part, right?” He finally lifted his head up, opening his green eyes to look at her.
Raven let out the breath she had been holding. “That's right. The less Aunt Alice knows about my superhero life, the better. They don't need to get dragged into any of that mess.”
“I don't get it, really. I mean, I get it but...it's not like they're gonna run out and put on costumes or anything.” Gar put his hands into his baggy pants and shrugged.
“That's not what I'm worried about.” Raven muttered as she opened up the front gate. She spoke up as they walked up to the yard to the two story house. “Besides, we're just here to have a normal Memorial Day, at a normal cook out, where you get to meet mom's side of the family.”
The hologram around Gar's ears flickered for a second before returning to normal. “Better than meeting your dad's, I guess.”
“Debatable.” Raven sighed as she hit the door bell. Gar raised an eyebrow at her and then noticed several things in the moments before the footsteps on the other side of the door got closer. Raven wasn't wearing any of her usual charms and necklaces. Or at least she had taken off the pendants with various pagan symbols. She was in her usual dour attire, but the shirt was for the most part, plain. He then took in the door and small flower beds on either side. Various little decorations, usual suburban pottery things scattered about, with an angel or...three. And a St. Francis. And a fairly lovely Celtic cross. Gar's attention then returned to the door before it opened to see another cross adorning it.
'Oh.' He thought. 'Oh no.'
The door swung open to reveal a woman with dark brown, flowing hair, similar pale skin to Raven's (holo disguise), also with similar high cheek bones, and a un-Raven-like warm smile.
“Rachel! So glad you finally made it!” The woman beamed as she leaned down to give Raven a large hug. Raven winced a little.
“Good to see you, too, Aunt Alice.” She said as she awkwardly returned the hug with her only free arm, giving her aunt a small pat on the back. Alice stood back up, appraising her niece for a second, then turned her attention to Gar.
“And you must be the boyfriend she mention, Garfield was it? Like the cat?” Alice asked as she raised an eyebrow at him. Gar knew this look. It's the motherly judgmental stare. He tried not to visibly gulp.
“Y-yeah...Like the cat. I don't really mind Monday's though and I could take or leave lasagna. I usually go by Gar, y'know, to friends and, uh, family.” Gar said as totally not awkwardly as he could.
Alice's smile returned as she gave Gar an equally large hug. “Gar it is, then.” She let him breathe again as she turned around to lead them inside. “There's not a lot of us this year, virus pop-up and what not, but we still have burgers and dogs on the grill.”
Gar's holographic tanned face blanched a little as he looked over to Raven for help. Raven rolled her eyes before speaking up. “Uhm, actually Aunt Alice? Gar and I are both vegetarian, is it okay if we cook some of our own veggie dogs we brought?”
“Oh...” Alice thought for a moment, almost looking a little disappointed before shrugging it off. “It shouldn't be a problem, you'll just have to wrestle the grill from your uncle.”
“I'll figure something out.” Raven had her small hint of a grin.
“Now I know you being vegetarian is probably from that weird commune Angela took you too when she ran from home, Avarari-”
“Azarath.” Raven corrected, barely pulling back a stern tone.
“Right.” Alice waved away the correction with her hand. “But what excuse do you have, young man?”
Gar almost jumped a little. “Oh-uhm...well...I'm a biology major, and...well I get a little uncomfortable eating my subjects, y'know?”
Alice's eyes narrowed at him slightly. “Mmhrm, well that would explain why you two are so skinny. Let's get you to the rest of the family.”
Gar and Raven looked at each other as her aunt turned around.
Raven's expression said “I am so sorry.”
Gar shrugged a little and gave an awkward thumbs up.
They made it to the backyard, standard suburban fair continued, high wooden fence, plenty of space for the young boy running around in the yard, his toddler sister doing her best to keep up. A small patio just outside the house had the grill, and Raven's Uncle Jack with it. He was a tall, broad shouldered and had a well kept gray beard and his graying light brown hair pulled back into a small pony tail. Alice wandered over to give him the update on the veggie dog situation, leaving Raven and Gar to their own devices for the time being.
Gar instinctively went to run around with the little kids, while Raven settled next to her teen cousin in the deck chair next to her.
“Well, look who actually had time to visit her family.” Mary-Beth looked up from her phone and grinned at Raven. She had had a growth spurt since the last time Raven had seen her, giving her more of that lanky teen look, her long brown hair pulled back as she had a sorta grunge look; jeans, Metallica shirt (“gotta support your local bands” was the argument she gave her mother), and a plaid open over shirt.
“Oh you know, hard to find the time as busy college student.” Raven replied in her usual flat tones with a hint of a grin, while opening a can of soda.
“Oh so that's the one you're going with for mom. Alright.” Mary-Beth raised an eyebrow. She, of her extended family, solely knew Raven's actual job due to the unfortunate luck of having to be rescued years ago by the Titans. And it didn't take much work for her to recognize her cousin.
Raven still slightly sputtered up her soda. “Please don't, I really am trying to enjoy today. He's been stressful enough.”
“Oh?” Mary-Beth looked over at the lean, tanned young man currently swinging around her brother over her little sisters head, both children laughing madly. She took a moment to look him up and down before settling on his hair. “Wow, it's almost like he's trying not to hide.” She took a sip from her soda through a straw as she watched Raven's face go a little bit more red. She enjoyed being able to do this to her older cousin.
“He's always stubborn about keeping the hair with the holo-ring. Says it's a way for him to remain him in some way.” Raven sighed before taking another sip.
“Still, not a bad catch, Rae Rae.” Mary-Beth grinned again as Raven's blush continued to deepen.
“He's got some positive qualities, I will admit.” Raven agreed with one of her soft smiles.
“Beyond the abs or...?” Mary-Beth looked over at Raven, who narrowed her eyes in return.
The afternoon continued smoothly, aside from Mary-Beth's prodding of Raven. After the burgers and dogs finished cooking, (along with the veggie dogs, much to Alice's chagrin and Jack's apathy towards them), everybody gathered at a picnic table set up in the back yard, and settled in for dinner.
'I have to admit, things have been going pretty well.' Raven thought as she took a bite out of a veggie dog.
“Hey Gar? What's with those weird rings you and Rachel are wearing?” Her younger cousin Billy asked. Gar near choked on his potato salad, Raven's face blanched slightly.
'Damn the curiosity of youth.' Raven grumbled in her mind.
Her uncle looked over his burger at their hands, then raised an eyebrow. “Hey, I was wondering about those too. Something you're not telling us, kids?” He asked with a grin.
“I-uh-I mean,yeah-but-not-right-now-these-are-different-” Gar began word vomiting, trying to come up with an explanation as he talked, side eyeing Raven the whole time. She herself was desperately trying to come up with a decent reason for the rings herself.
“Oh, are they purity rings, then?” Alice asked cheerfully.
Mary-Beth made a snerking noise, to which Raven glared.
“Not exactly, no, Aunt Alice.” Raven monotoned over Gar's rambling, which had gone into a side diatribe of conspiracy theories he's read about Lantern rings.
“Ooo can I look at it?” Billy asked innocently, suddenly holding Gar's ring.
A silence fell on the table as Billy examined the ring, and his parents and siblings took in the now very green Garfield Logan, still mumbling and rambling about whether or not the Lantern rings mess with the user's head.
“Gar.” Raven said sternly.
“I mean, does it give them courage, or does it like pull fro-”
“Gar!”
He finally looked over at Raven. “What?”
“Billy has your ring.” Raven said through gritted teeth.
Gar blinked, looked at his hand, and then up his arm, and then to his other arm, and then letting his eyes flicker to his reflection in his water. “Oh.” He very slowly looked up at Raven's shocked Uncle and Aunt. “I..uhm...so...the dog's turned out great!” Gar smiled as warmly as he could. The continued silence turned the smile awkward
“Whoa!” Billy dropped the ring, ignoring the still shocked expressions on his parents faces as he looked at Gar. “You look way cooler like this, Gar!”
Gar looked down at Billy, desperate to break eye contact with Jack and Alice. “You think so?”
“Yeah! You look like...” Billy's brain near exploded as he looked up at Gar and it clicked. “Oh my God you're Beast Boy!”
“William! Language!” Alice spoke finally.
“Sorry, mom, but look! Rachel's dating Beast Boy from the Titans!” Billy said excitedly, before scrunching his face. “But Hero Watch said he was dating the magic lady...Raven?”
Another awkward pause settled over the table; Gar and Raven both frozen in their spots.
“Isn't that your mother's nickname for you, Rachel?” Alice asked in a calm, calculated manner.
Raven sighed. “Yes, Aunt Alice.”
“Would you remove your ring too, please? I'd like to actually meet my niece.” Alice said in an even tone.
Raven slowly pulled the ring off her finger, the holo-image pulling back as she did, her skin becoming it's “natural” gray, and her black hair gaining a more purple sheen, the red gem at the center of her forehead becoming promptly apparent.
The silence continued as Alice seemed to be appraising Raven and Gar, as they actually are. The two were both sitting uncomfortably, holding their hands under the table.
“...You know. This makes a lot more sense then that crazy college story you told me.” Alice finally said.
Jack let out the breath he had been holding beside his wife. “So, are you two willing to give us a more...accurate story on how you met?”
“That's what you want to know first, hon?” Alice looked at Jack incredulously.
“I figure we can get to the rest eventually, allow everyone time to adjust, okay?” Jack looked over at his wife, a warm, comforting smile on his face. She continued to look at him, face scrunched up a tad, before relenting.
“I suppose you're right. We can go over your witchcraft later, young lady.” Alice said with a mild huff.
“It's not exactly witchcraft-” Raven started before Gar cut her off.
“I believe the man asked for the how we met story, I say let's indulge 'em on that first.” Gar looked at Raven with his fanged grin. Raven looked a little uneasy at first, but relaxed under the relentless cheer of that damn grin.
It was gonna be a rough night, but Raven knew Gar will do everything he can to support her through it. And she was once again reminded why they had lasted as long as they had...