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December winds carry something different.
The brisk chill still flushes cheeks and bites at noses, but unlike the winds of other winter months, December’s cold also promises something a little bit magical: warm fireplaces, bright smiles, and mugs of hot cocoa with loved ones.
While the frigid temperatures still require folks to bundle up, there is a particular merriment to donning woolly hats and handmade mittens that is rarely felt at any other time of the year. The anticipation of the season and the embracing of the cold seem to go hand in hand, and most people throw themselves into the festivities of the frosty Yuletide with gusto.
Garfield Logan didn’t mind the cold, but under his thick parka and bobbled toque, he was sweating buckets.
It’s a totally normal reaction to a first date, he told himself for the tenth time that night. He, like every other person around him, had put on the standard winter costume in expectation of a cold winter’s night. While most around him seemed content with their outdoor gear, he was questioning everything he had put on.
He paced in front of the large Christmas tree. It stood in the centre of Bludhaven’s Christmas market, its twinkling lights beckoning residents far and wide to come and marvel at its splendour.
He had decided it was the perfect place for a date. A walk through the outdoor Christmas market was romantic enough without being too romantic and cute enough that he thought it might earn him a goodbye kiss at the end of the night. When he had finally gathered the courage to ask her, he silently patted himself on the back for coming up with a unique, fun idea that she had enthusiastically accepted.
But his slick skin under his jacket and his pink nose – which wouldn’t get warm – was starting to make him wonder if he should've stuck to the old dinner and a movie routine.
But then again, this wasn’t any other date with any other girl. It was the date with the girl. Although he had his doubts, he knew that she would appreciate the creativity and effort he put into their first official date.
But it didn’t stop him from sweating like a pig.
An animal which, coincidentally, he could turn into – often at the expense of a joke and usually, for the girl he was about to meet.
He took short, impatient strides in front of the tree. Nerves wracked his body, but he consoled himself in the knowledge that once she was here, those nerves would disappear.
And hopefully, he would stop boiling under the jacket.
He unzipped his dark green coat, knowing the crisp air would cool him down. He was just about to try a discreet sniff test when he saw her.
Her smile was the first thing he noticed; a radiant beam that glowed brighter as their eyes met, making Gar’s knees wobble. Her eyes sparkled and her smile – which had turned shy – made his own lips pull up in a bashful grin.
They were really doing this.
After years of being the best of friends, years of subtle flirting and dropping hints, Garfield Logan was finally on a date with Rachel Roth.
“Hey,” he grinned as he waved his hand energetically. He reddened at the ridiculous gesture and internally cursed himself.
Playing it cool had been completely thrown out the window.
“You look beautiful, Rach,” he said, attempting to save face.
Luckily, it was no lie. She was resplendent in her puffy jacket and a black beret set stylishly atop her bright hair. Her chakra gem reflected the lights of the tree, winking at him in what he interpreted as pure joy. She took his breath away – like she always did.
She playfully rolled her eyes at him in response. “We need hot chocolate. Right now. Your nose is so bright, you could shift into a reindeer, and everyone will think you’re Rudolph.” She tucked her hand under his offered arm and shot him a dazzling smile.
He didn’t think he could get any warmer. He was now melting under that smile.
They strolled to the food court. Just as he predicted, Gar’s anxieties disappeared. They talked and laughed as they sipped their hot chocolate. Happily going from stall to stall, they took in the general cheer of the Christmas market. Throughout, Gar couldn’t help but sneak glances at Rachel – watching her as she took in the delights of the market – wondering how he ever got so lucky.
But he knew it wasn’t luck.
It was like they were meant to be like this – meant to be walking arm-in-arm in the crisp night air. Gar had the sense that the puzzle pieces were fitting together, and that there were billions of other universes where Garfield Logan and Rachel Roth were doing the exact same thing.
He couldn’t fathom a time or a place, in any universe, where he wasn’t hopelessly head-over-heels for this girl on his arm.
The thought made him smile.
“What are you smiling about?” Rachel asked, noting his toothy grin.
Gar sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck and turned to face her. They were back at the centre of the market, in front of the glowing Christmas tree. The soft light was circling her like a halo, making her look like the ethereal being she was. He felt his heart slam against his chest at the way her eyes were shining up at him.
“I was just thinking that this was lots of fun.” He reached for her hands and held them firmly in his own. “But I was also thinking about the Red and the multiverse.”
Rachel raised an eyebrow at the unexpected topic, her nose wrinkling in a way that made Gar chuckle.
“I was thinking of all the millions of universes, of all the millions of Beast Boys and Ravens in all of their dimensions.” He inched closer to Rachel, so close that he could smell the chocolate and whipped cream still on her breath. Her eyes darted to his lips, and his stomach did flips at the gesture. “I was thinking that in all of those dimensions, all of the infinite possibilities, I don't think there is a time or a place where Garfield Logan isn't completely gone for Rachel Roth.”
Rachel smiled up at him and moved her body close. Gar could feel her heart beating fast under her thick jacket.
The sounds of a melodic Christmas carol played loudly in his ear, the soft violins drowning out the laughter of the bustling people around him. The scent of hot chocolate on her lips was faint next to the sharp, woody scent of the pine tree, but it still made his head spin.
He was enthralled. There was never a more perfect moment.
Slowly, he leaned in.
She had already parted her lips, her eyelashes fluttering against her cheeks. His hand automatically cupped her pale face, and the coolness of her skin was like a balm against his hot fingers. He was so close now, his nose brushed against hers, and only a sliver of cool air sat between their lips. He took in a sharp breath of anticipation – excitement, and adoration coursing through him.
This was the moment he had been waiting for. Since the day he first saw her over the lights of the pinball machine, he knew it would come to this. Kissing her under the twinkling lights of the Christmas tree would be a memory he would hold dear. She was his chosen family, his light, and his inspiration. It seemed fitting that they would share their first kiss during a season devoted to family and love.
He leaned in, his lips brushing against hers. He was just about to melt into her and claim her as his own…
When the lights went out.
It was sudden – like a switch had been flicked off. The music and the laughter of the people around him abruptly cut off. The darkness and the cries of confusion and dismay jerked Gar out of his romantic intentions.
He quickly changed from first-date giddiness to a ready-to-defend in three seconds flat. He could feel Rachel beside him, gathering her energy to her fingertips.
“What do you think?” Rachel asked. Her voice had a slight tremor to it, and Gar knew she felt it too; the electricity in the air had the hairs on the back of his neck standing to attention.
Something nefarious was afoot.
“I think that someone has terrible timing,” Gar grunted as he shifted his hand into a claw, ready to intimidate this unseen enemy.
“Oh, Beast Boy,” A voice rang through the cacophony of the crowd. “You have it very, very wrong.”
As if managed by a technician, the streetlights flooded on, their beams centred like a spotlight onto the middle of the market. A figure stood, their back to the two Titans, and Gar frowned at the unknown assailant.
The crowd went silent.
“My timing…” the voice asserted in a low, nasally tone. “Is actually…perfect.”
Still unsure who the stranger was, Gar looked to Rachel in confusion. She shrugged her shoulders.
Deciding that he needed to take the initiative – especially considering the person seemed to know who he was – he stepped toward the figure. He quickly shifted his other hand, so both his arms were clawed into deadly tiger paws. It might have ripped his favourite winter jacket, but there wasn't time to take off all his clothes and properly shift.
“Listen, buddy, you’re scaring people. Might be time to head home,” he said with all the authority he could muster.
The figure laughed darkly. “Oh, BB, I'm not here for these people… I’m here for you.”
Like a jewellery box ballerina, the figure slowly turned round.
“And I’m here to ruin your date,” he said, his eyes sparkling with impish glee.
Gar gaped at the intruder, trying to piece together where he had seen him before. He was sure he would have remembered such a heavy-set man and such terrible sideburns, but no one came to mind.
“Funny thing about introductions," he said, circling the unknown villain, staying in the dark where he couldn’t be seen. “Is that both parties tell each other their names. You might know me, but I don’t know you. I feel it's rather rude to kick someone’s butt when we haven’t been properly acquainted.”
He sensed Rachel only steps behind him, quietly content to let him take the wheel.
“Oh, Beast Boy. You don’t know me in this dimension, but in another, I am your arch-nemesis. I’m your Joker to Batman, Moriarty to Holmes, Voldemort to Potter, Luther to Superman. And of all the Titans, YOU are the one who foils my plans the most and therefore, you are….” The man trailed off, squinting into the darkness where Gar stood. His long, stringy ginger hair fell over his shoulder as he leaned. “Ugh. It’s really hard to give a good monologue when you can’t even see your audience.”
Gar watched, perplexed, as the man rummaged around his long trench coat and pulled out an old-fashioned TV remote. The strange madman pressed a couple of buttons on the controls, and the lights suddenly glared bright, making Gar blink.
“That’s better. Now, where was I? Oh yes! YOU, Beast Boy, seem to… Wait. Wait one second!”
Gar was still adjusting to the sudden change in light, but even with his hazy vision, he could see a silhouette march right up to him.
“Green hair?! Just green hair? Couldn’t they do CGI or makeup or something? What kind of production is this?! How do we have a Beast Boy that isn’t green?!?” Gar felt a pull on the locks sticking out from under his winter hat.
“Ow, dude! What’s wrong with my hair?” he batted the large – and greasy – hand away from his face.
“I’m sorry, but what does him not being green have to do with anything?” Rachel huffed as she put away her magic, clearly deciding this guy wasn’t much of a threat. “And what did you do to all the people here?” she asked as she took in the crowd around her, all standing eerily still like statues.
“I told you — I’m not here for them,” the villain jerked his thumb to the frozen citizens. “I’m here for you.” He pressed buttons on his remote, and a string of white Christmas lights from the tree whipped through the air and tightly wound around Rachel.
“Geez, I thought Raven was supposed to be smart.” The man shook his head in disappointment as the lights got tighter around Rachel.
Shocked, Rachel looked down at the wires around her body. A glance at the remote in the villain’s hand and her astonishment turned into a frown. “Seriously? A couch potato with a souped-up remote? I’m petrified.” Her words dripped with sarcasm as she used her magic to cut herself out of the bind.
The display of her powers didn’t faze the man, and he rolled his eyes to the sky. “Ugh. Another sarcastic Raven. What happened to the pacifist with the long hair? Now that woman had legs for days!”
Rachel and Gar exchanged a look that clearly said, Who the hell was this guy?
“At least this dimension has BBRae. Imagine if she had asked me to fight in a DamiRae fic! Ewww!” He shuddered. “The thought alone makes me want to vomit.”
The strangers' rambling made little sense to Gar, and he had to physically shake himself out of his open-mouthed stare.
“This is nuts,” he whispered to himself. “Alright, we will play along,” he said loudly, stepping forward. “Who are you, who sent you, and what do you want?”
The man cackled. “That’s right. You haven’t met this universe's version of me yet, have you? Allow me to introduce myself…” he pirouetted across the lawn and pressed buttons on his remote so that he had not only a spotlight of colours shining on him, but also intro music blasting through the speakers.
“I am Control Freak. Master of mass media. Ruler of reality.”
Gar thought the echo of the non-existent microphone was a little much.
“I have been sent here as a Christmas gift to Lav by someone who is optimistic I can do the job right!”
Suddenly, he vanished from his spot only to appear beside Gar, who jumped, cat-like, in the air.
Waiting for him to land, the villain smiled at Gar. “Just wait till you see what she is gonna write for me in return.” Control Freak wagged his eyebrows suggestively and nudged Gar with his elbow. Gar took the opportunity to try to punch the guy in the face, but Control Freak was surprisingly fast and dodged the punch with a laugh.
“None of that, Beastie Boy,” he exclaimed. Control Freak’s remote was out again, and with a quick succession of buttons, a series of Christmas wreaths were fired fast toward Gar like deadly tinsel-covered boomerangs.
He dodged the hoard of wreaths flung his way. In his periphery, he spotted Rachel also fighting the warped wreaths with her magic. Desperate to help his date, he couldn’t reach her as a bright red wreath hurtled its way toward him, intent on decapitation.
He rolled. The move meant he kept his head, but a silver garland busted open his arm, his blood spilling onto the snow.
He winced at the sight. What kind of evil crackpot genius was this guy?
He eyed the villain, wondering what else was up the guy’s sleeve. Seeing his glare, Control Freak giggled before punching buttons on his remote.
Gar stilled. The boom boom boom sound of hundreds of little legs marching in time made him freeze.
Slowly turning his head, he had decided that he had now seen it all.
Advancing toward him, fresh from the market stalls, their cute little smiley faces now looking murderous, were hundreds of gingerbread men.
And they were vicious.
Crawling up his legs and kicking him with surprising strength, the malicious bastards were everywhere.
“Okay, Control Freak,” Gar leapt to his feet and began defending himself against gingerbread men while still avoiding the flying Christmas wreaths. He roughly pulled a gingerbread man that had somehow crawled up his back and threw it to Rachel. She deftly caught it with her magic and tossed it into the line of never-ending soldiers. It rolled into the marching line, making a dozen of the cookies fall onto their backs in sugary crumbs.
Finally catching a break from the lethal cookies, Garfield returned to Control Freak.
“Let me get this straight,” he said between pants, “Attacking us is some gift for someone? That’s messed up, dude.”
Control Freak chuckled. “This is just the beginning. This part isn’t for Lav, but if I do a few things first… then it will be!” He laughed merrily as he punched his remote.
Gar frowned at a vibration in his back pocket. His phone rang desperately as he palmed it, and he spied Rachel pulling out her own as she ducked another flying wreath. Realization flooded through him, but too late – the phones crackled with energy and were dropped by the two Titans with a yelp.
The electric shock coursing through Gar made him queasy, and a quick glance at his phone confirmed that it was dead.
But he didn’t have time to nurse his nausea or mourn his lost phone as Control Freak was back to pushing buttons, animating items from the Christmas market and having them launch themselves at him and Rachel.
“I don’t know about you,” Rachel shouted over the clangs of the bizarre battle, “but I’m getting a little tired of this guy.”
“Yep,” Gar replied, knocking down an assortment of nutcrackers whose teeth were freakishly long. “Do your thing, I’ll cover you.”
He leapt in front of his date, ready to defend her as she used her powers to try to take down Control Freak.
As he punched and kicked his way through the throngs of gingerbread, nutcrackers and small but deadly Christmas baubles, he could practically picture Rachel behind him, her eyes closed, whispering an enchantment to remove Control Freak away from this plane.
“Oh no, you don't,” Control Freak scowled, not enjoying the new turn of events.
Gar watched with disbelief as the oversized villain pushed more buttons.
ZAP!
The sound reverberated through the air.
Puzzled, Gar cocked his head at the villain.
Behind him, Rachel gave out a cry, and Control Freak flew far from Gar’s mind.
He pulled her into his arms before she crumpled to the ground, desperately repeating her name.
“I'm okay,” she reassured him. “Just feeling… weak.” She attempted to conjure magic with her fingertips, and Gar balked in surprise when the air around him didn’t fizzle with her powers. She was always so formidable, and her new vulnerability shocked him, vibrating him to his core.
She offered Gar a wan smile before slumping into his arms, completely passed out.
“Awwwww,” Control Freak cooed, “So sweet.”
Gar raged at the words.
Carefully setting Rachel down, he slowly stood and turned to his pimple-faced foe.
“I don't know where you came from, or who you are, but this has gone on for long enough.” Although his anger burned like hot coals in his centre, his words held a cool, calm fury he didn’t know he could possess.
He wasn’t wearing his super suit under his thick winter jacket, but he didn’t care. He ripped through the fabric and shifted into a tiger, his large canines flashing as he roared at Control Freak.
He hunched his hind legs, ready to pounce.
To any other person, the sight would have them quaking in their boots, but Control Freak seemed oddly calm during the whole exchange – as if he had already read the script and knew what lines would take him onto the next act. With a flourish and a menacing gleam to his eye, he pressed a single button on his remote.
“Say goodbye to your date, Logan,” he said with glee. And as his thumb hit the button, the unconscious body of Rachel disappeared into the ether.
Shock clamoured through his furry body as Gar stared at the vacant spot where Rachel had once lain.
He growled, blind fury replacing the shock and overwhelming his senses. Turning to Control Freak, he let the growl rumble deep in his throat.
“I’m – I’m almost done with you, Green Bean,” Control Freak stammered, his confident fingers now trembling as they clutched his precious remote. “I just need to take you away from your connection. Don’t worry, it’s only temporary.” He pointed the clicker directly at Gar and pressed a distinctly red button in the middle of the remote.
Gar felt a momentary twinge in his chest that made him lose his breath. But the hurt didn't stop the rage that coursed through him.
All he could think about was how much anticipation he had for this night – how many hours he had dreamed of having Rachel close – only for it to come crashing down by a raging lunatic. He was going to take down this overweight man-child, somehow find Rachel, bring her home, and then beg on bended knee for another chance at a first date.
With a growl that made the ground shake, Gar leapt at Control Freak, aiming for the hand that clutched the wretched remote.
Control Freak only laughed and, with fast fingers, hit the buttons.
“Here you go, Lav, you are finally getting what you wanted,” he grinned as Gar vanished mid-flight.
With an evil cackle that would make Darkseid himself envious, Control Freak looked to the sky.
“Alright, Relentless, there you go! I’ve done everything you said – NOW will you write that 20-chapter fic on how Starfire finally falls in love with me?”
A crazy lady, who liked to smash words together, laughed maniacally as she looked at her page. With a few quick keystrokes, she put the story back on track to the hero and heroine, leaving an ego-filled “super” villain to his odious self-inserts and delusions of grandeur.
While Control Freak cursed Geoff Johns, the lady in the sky, and all Teen Titan fanfiction writers out there, Garfield Logan found himself knee-deep in cold, wet snow.
The shock of the cold hit him first. While it had been mildly chilly back in Bludhaven, the icy wind that blasted through his thick fur made Gar realize he was miles away from home.
Quickly shifting from a tiger to a wolf, Gar raised his head and sniffed the air. Under the comforting scents of a vast forest, he could smell Rachel’s perfume. With a wolfish grin, he followed the scent and clambered over to her sleeping form, giving some thanks to Control Freak for at least keeping them together.
He found her still unconscious, and he licked her face, willing her to wake up.
She didn’t budge. He sat back on his lean wolf legs and contemplated his predicament.
He couldn’t shift back into his human form. He hadn’t thought to wear his super suit under his date attire, and if he dared to morph back, he would probably suffer from frostbite in minutes.
He was stuck in animal form for now.
He wasn’t happy with this knowledge but knowing there was little he could do to fix it, Gar took a moment to assess his surroundings.
He was in a dense forest. A starry sky peeked out of the canopy of the conifer trees, and a brush of magnificent colours – bright greens and deep purples – danced like swirling rivers across the horizon.
The Aurora Borealis.
He was north.
The Canadian wilderness — far from his friends and family.
He closed his eyes and tried to connect himself to the Red. It could be their only ticket out of here.
He focused all his energy, harnessing his power. But he couldn’t connect — it was like the line had been severed.
He shook his furry head and pondered his fight with Control Freak. The guy had known exactly what he had been doing. Both his and Rachel’s phones were dead, he had taken away his ability to connect to the Red, and he was pretty sure that even if Rachel were to wake up, she would be in no condition to make a portal back to the States.
Gar sniffed the air again, only this time, trying to find scents of civilization. It was difficult under the strong fragrance of the pine, but he could sense faint exhaust fumes to the south. A road was several miles away.
If Gar wasn’t in wolf form, he would have sighed. A December’s walk through the woods would be considered a romantic date to most people.
Too bad he was stuck as an animal.
And his date was unconscious.
Just as he thought it, Rachel started to stir and he shifted into a small terrier, barking excitedly as he wagged his tail and licked her face.
She smiled at his antics, patting his head as she sat up.
He shifted back to a wolf and gave her a second to eye their surroundings. With a calmness he hadn’t felt, she clicked her tongue and sent him a look. “Let me guess, we are stuck in the Canadian wilderness, and you will get frostbite if you change back.”
Gar wanted to laugh at her composed demeanour but gave a wolf-like bark instead and tried to nod his bushy head.
“Figures,” she mumbled. She moved as if to get up but frowned halfway through the motion. “I feel terrible, Gar. I don’t know what Control Freak did to me, but my head is spinning. I think my magic is on the fritz as well.” She closed her eyes as if conjuring her powers but quickly shook her head. “Nope. I’m not even sure I can walk,” she sighed weakly.
An idea struck him. He shifted, his bones cracking and popping, muscles stretching, his wolf canines expanding and growing into deadly weapons. With a mighty roar, he jumped into the air, landing on massive paws in the snow as a large, green polar bear.
He shook his mighty head and pawed the ground, acclimatizing himself to this new massive size.
Shaking his head, he spied Rachel watching him with curiosity. He attempted a teddy bear-like grin and stuck out his large tongue to the side like a dog.
Rachel quirked her lip up in amusement. “Well, ‘tis the season,” she hummed as she ran her fingers over his warm fur. “I suddenly feel like drinking a Coke. Damn marketing.”
Gar ignored her light-hearted humour and gestured his head down, putting his mighty bear body on the ground.
Rachel frowned at the movement, not understanding what he was trying to convey.
Damn animal form and the lack of vocal cords.
She was starting to shiver now, her cute hat and thin parka not warm enough for this arctic temperature. He gestured again and her eyes widened as understanding flooded her.
“Are you sure, Gar? I might be heavy.”
Gar chuffed at such a ridiculous thought.
Rachel nodded and clambered onto his muscled shoulders, wrapping her arms around his thick neck and burying herself in his fur. “You are so warm,” she whispered into his ear.
She was right. Gar hadn’t realized how thick a polar bear's fur was. All those thick layers of fat and those shiny, protective hairs over his body made him warm and toasty. He moved his considerable frame and started padding his way through the snow and towards civilization.
He felt Rachel snuggle into him and give off a sigh.
He hoped that whoever Lav was, they were somewhat satisfied with this outcome.
He had been trekking the mountainous terrain for a couple of hours now.
Rachel had been riding on his back, talking to him about college. She had been silent for the last 30 minutes, and her steady breaths on his fur made Gar think she had fallen asleep.
It was such a thrilling date that she was having a nap.
He tried to ignore the guilt churning in his gut.
He focused on his journey instead. While his bear nose wasn’t as accurate as his wolf’s, he was pretty sure he was headed in the right direction. He vaguely understood celestial navigation and was somewhat confident that he would find help soon.
But until then, he decided to enjoy this winter walk in the woods. The air was fresh and cool, and he gulped it down with enthusiasm. The wind whispered through the trees around him like wooden flutes, and his footsteps crushing the snow beneath him struck a beat in perfect synchrony. The tune they played was a reverent hymn that spoke of promise and lifted him up with each padded step.
He heard a light snore from Rachel on his back, and he let out a puff of air from his black nose, thoroughly entertained by the sound. The distraction put him off track from his rhythm, but he was coming to the end of the tree line, and his pace quickened at the sight.
Coming out past the trees, he balked in surprise at the sight that welcomed him. Knowing that she wouldn’t want to miss it, he gently nudged Rachel awake.
“Hmmm? What is it, Gar?” she yawned.
Gar felt her move as she stretched and waited patiently for her to open her sleepy eyes.
“Oh,” she breathed out in awe, and Gar wished he could see the look of wonderment on her face.
For before them lay the most magical scene he had ever set his eyes upon.
They were on a hill overlooking a lake that, during daylight, Gar would guess to be the clearest blue. Its still waters reflected the bright moon and stars above him in a perfect portrait. The purples and greens of the northern lights painted the dark canvas with their exquisite colours and patterns, and he watched in silent fascination as the dazzling shades illuminated the sky.
The lights of a small settlement gleamed onto the mountains surrounding the lake, the glow brightening the white snow that settled between the trees.
The natural beauty of the landscape was jaw-dropping, and he wished he could be holding Rachel’s hand as they took in the breathtaking view. If a first kiss in front of a Christmas tree felt like a fitting backdrop for such a monumental moment in their relationship, he was ashamed his simple mind couldn’t come up with better. Seeing this view, Gar was certain that a kiss beneath the stars and the magic of the aurora borealis would have cemented their relationship in ways no other location could.
He mourned the kiss that would never be.
“This is beautiful, Gar,” Rachel breathed, pulling him away from his melancholy. He was having this bizarre adventure with her, the girl of his dreams, and he had to be content with that.
“And there’s a town,” Rachel continued. “They are bound to have a hotel where we can stay and rest until my powers return.”
The enthusiasm behind her voice made Gar pause. Was she not feeling the magic of the moment? Did she want out of this extra-long date?
His thoughts started to spiral but he thrust them to the side – he was intent on taking Rachel out of the cold, and getting to the town was the only viable solution. He focused his attention on her instead, the way her thighs squeezed around his powerful muscles and the sound of her voice as she chatted about a pizza she wanted to order.
Yet, as her chatter continued, it sounded to Gar like she was ready for this date to be finally over.
A numbness spread over him, and his steps became mechanical.
Honestly, he scoffed at himself, why was he surprised? Their first date had been wrecked so spectacularly that it was no wonder she wanted it over with.
If he ever met Control Freak again, he would wring the guy’s large neck. But only after he had thoroughly destroyed the damned remote control.
His mighty paws were strong and swift, and it wasn’t long before they reached the edge of town. Rachel, after some convincing, persuaded Gar that she was strong enough to walk. Gar shifted into a mouse and hid in her pocket as she made her way through the town’s streets.
Luckily, she came upon a hotel and quickly checked in. They were almost full, the only remaining room in the building being the expensive honeymoon suite, fully equipped with a jacuzzi, fireplace and king-sized bed.
Rachel had frowned at the price and murmured something about the exchange rate. Canadian dollars were thankfully cheap but despite this, Dick was going to faint when he got the bill – Rachel having swiped his ‘emergency only’ credit card days earlier.
They keyed into their room, and Gar fled Rachel’s pocket as a sparrow the second the door closed behind her. She watched him flit about the room for a moment before declaring that she needed something and was promptly out the door again.
Once she was gone, Gar shifted back to his human form and sighed.
Was she repulsed by the whole night? Was that why she was avoiding him?
Gar shuffled around the luxurious room, not taking in the scenery of the majestic mountains. Finding a robe in the closet, he cheered up at the thought that he could at least stay human for the next couple of hours.
He finally took a minute to look around him, at the lush pillow on the bed and the big, stone fireplace. No wonder the place was so pricey – it was the perfect room for a romantic getaway.
He cursed the love gods for mocking him so openly.
He sat in front of the fireplace and stacked it with wood from the pile by its side. If he could salvage the date in any way, a roaring fire would certainly help set it in the right direction.
Soon enough, a crackling fire was before him. He watched the orange flames, pondering what he wanted to say to Rachel when she returned.
He had just resigned himself to taking her rejection of him – and this lousy date – with dignity when the door opened, and Rachel walked in.
He leapt to his feet at her arrival.
“Good, you have some clothes. Listen, Gar I-”
“No, Rach. I’m sorry,” Gar interrupted. “This date is probably the worst date in all of history. I know you probably won’t want to go out again, but I must tell you how incredibly sorry I am and how much I like you. If I am lucky enough to get another date, it will be a simple, non-crazy one that normal people do. I ruined everything, and I’m just… I’m so sorry.” He knew he had rambled on, and he knew that his face was red and that he possibly sounded a little sad and desperate, but after being silent for so long, he couldn’t hold it in any longer.
Rachel stared at Gar, her lips parted and her eyes wide.
“Gar,” she said slowly. “I don’t blame you for tonight. If anything, this was Control Freak’s doing. Or maybe it was Lav’s doing – I’m confused about the whole thing, to be honest.” She smiled at him, encouragingly.
Gar’s woeful expression remained.
“It has been a bit of an adventure – but Gar, it's been a wonderful one.” She moved closer, and the firelight shone around her, reminding Gar of earlier that evening, before Control Freak, before the northern lights, before he thought the date was a total disappointment.
“I love how I never know what to expect when I’m with you. I love that you are my rock when things get… carried away. I love that I can go on crazy adventures with you. We are not normal Gar – not even a little, but I want all those bizarre times and crazy adventures. I want to have them with you.”
It was Gar’s turn to stare.
“But you seemed to be so happy to find the town and finish the date. And just now, you ran out of here the moment you could.” Gar’s voice cracked with emotion.
Rachel shook her head. “I felt so bad for making you carry me for so long! I fell asleep on you, Gar! The gift shop was open, so I ran down to get you these,” she held up a bag that Gar hadn’t noticed earlier. “And I ordered room service. Vegan pizza, extra mushrooms.”
Gar took the bag she offered, and sure enough, inside were clothes with the hotel logo blazoned across the front.
He smiled at her sheepishly, and she returned the smile, a warm, contented grin that made butterflies flit around Gar’s stomach.
“I wanted to end our date with you as a human, so I can give you this.” With a quick step forward, she wrapped her arms around him and buried herself in his neck.
Gar squeezed her tightly, counting himself the luckiest person in the world.
Gently, she pulled away, eyes sparkling.
The moment had arrived.
Gar lowered his face to hers, their lips almost touching…
A knock on the door interrupted them.
Rachel laughed. “Our room service is here.”
But later that night, full of vegan pizza and before a blazing fire, Garfield Logan and Rachel Roth of the Titans dimension shared their first kiss.
It wasn’t under a twinkling Christmas tree or a starry, moonlight sky, but it was theirs. For all their happy years after, it was considered one of the most romantic and happiest kisses they ever had.
And Control Freak, who was still stuck in Bludhaven, sighed in contentment at knowing he played a small part in it all. Proof that even comic-loving, media-twisting villains could appreciate true love when they saw it.
And in the spirit of the season, the crazy lady, who writes too many words, took pity on the reality-altering bad guy. Although she had decided that she would not be writing that 20-chapter Starfire/Control Freak fanfic, she did deposit him back in his jail cell, in his own time, in his own universe. She even acquiesced to his request for BBRae fanfiction reading material. With glee, she sent him the latest from her favourite BBRae authors – you know who you are.
And in true Control Freak fashion, he asked for BBRae smut.
She swiftly took it all away.
This is a T-rated fic, after all.