Raven is the smallest on the team.

It's a strange thought for her to grasp. There'd always been a scrawny green kid shorter than she was, perfect for squeezing in between the tall Tamaranean and the empath.

But now…

Sometime between transitioning from Teen Titans to just the Titans, between difficult missions and harsh training, Beast Boy had grown. He's taller than Raven now, and she finds herself having to crane her neck up to look at him. His lanky body had filled out, strong muscles winding across his lean torso and down his arms, his legs capable of leaping distances even without transforming.

It took one annoyed, "Oi, grass stain! I can't see over your big head!" for their seating arrangements to change. There was no verbal agreement, but Raven had naturally started taking the seat in the middle and Beast Boy at the side.

Raven isn't sure why she is suddenly dwelling upon this, but now that she's noticed, she just can't look away.

They're in their civvies today. Beast Boy—no, Garfield—is wearing a loose purple t-shirt that accentuates his shoulders and makes them look broader. The sleeves are too long for her to see his biceps, so her eyes travel to his forearms. She can see the veins and lean muscles that move when he adjusts the bracelet on his wrist, his fingers long on his big hand. In the back of her mind she idly wonders how small her hand would be in his, whether he'd be able to warm her perpetually cold hands.

She blinks.

Huh. She's finding Garfield attractive.

The new realisation is a vibrant hum in her brain, bugging at her to pay it attention. It feels like a turning point, where she's beginning to view her best friend as something more, something better. There's no denying that Garfield is a good guy. One of the best, even. Fiercely loyal, unfailingly kind, occasionally funny but eternally endearing. Someone who would never hesitate to risk his life for her, someone with whom she could always feel safe.

The more she thinks about it, the more it seems to her like her feelings towards Garfield have always been there. Latent, but present, and all it took was a moment of clarity—of feeling the heart-fluttering difference in their physiques—for a new world to snap into motion.

She releases a breath. Between her volatile teenage years she's managed control and mastered true peace, but it's the first time an emotion as strong as love— no, not yet, maybe affection—has caused her calm instead of panic. Knowing that nothing good will come of denial, she simply accepts it, and returns to the ogl—studying of her subject.

He's looking out the window, a kaleidoscope in his emerald eyes reflecting the passing streets. Her eyes continue to run down his pointed nose to his thin lips. In the sunlight his skin is pretty mint, and her gaze trails from his angular jaw to his elfen ears. She's overcome with an urge to run her finger over the tip, hoping to see him shudder—

"Rae?"

Her gaze snaps from his ear to his eyes. He's looking at her with a mix of curiousity and amusement.

She smirks. "Hi."

Garfield raises his brows, laughter in his voice. "Hey."

They just stare at each other for a long moment. It's easy to see the question in his eyes, but Raven's too good at hiding her emotions to give anything away other than her signature blank. Without warning she rapidly decreases the distance between them, her nose touching his. Garfield jumps in shock, instinct causing him to flinch away.

Instantly Raven can feel the flame of his emotions erupt, surprise and nervousness and… desire. Her smirk widens.

"What," he clears his throat when it comes out as a squeak. "What are you doing?" When Raven doesn't reply, his panic increases, visible even without her empathy. "Why are you smiling like that?!"

"Do I scare you?" she hums, taking joy in the way he flinches again. Ah, teasing Beast Boy is becoming a new favourite hobby.

"N—no."

"Raven, what did BB do this time?" Cyborg calls from the front seat. "You look like you're about to eat him alive!"

Eat him alive. Hm. Appropriate.

Raven just leans back into her seat, facing forwards once more. She knows she's been successful in drawing Garfield's attention. He continues to sneak glances at her while she pretends not to notice.

The T-car rolls to a stop. They're in the parking lot behind what Raven recognises as the pretzel and hotdog store.

"Why are we stopping?" she asks, sitting a little straighter in her seat.

"Since we're gonna go to the drive-in theatre today, we gotta grab some snacks!" Cyborg announces, already preparing to exit the vehicle.

"Oh! How glorious!" Starfire cries. "I am most excited to buy the hotdogs and do the piling of toppings!"

Cyborg guffaws. "You and I both, Star!"

With that, they're both clamouring out of the T-car, trading ideas on how to build what would no-doubt become a monstrous creation. Robin sighs from the passenger seat.

"I guess I'm supposed to pay. And make sure Starfire doesn't empty the store of mustard again," he shakes his head fondly. "This is gonna take awhile. You guys coming?"

"That place is not vegetarian," Garfield grumbles.

"Raven?"

"Just get me a pretzel."

Robin nods and he's gone, leaving the two of them in the car. Alone. Raven stops the smile before it can crawl onto her face.

Unbuckling her seatbelt, she stretches with a soft sigh then lies back again. It makes him look.

She can feel his gaze like it burns her, travelling from her face down to the exposed line of her neck and shoulders, thanks to the black off-shoulder top Starfire had gotten for her birthday. His eyes linger at her collarbone, then lower to the crescent moon pendant of the necklace that was his gift to her that day.

Black-painted nails come up as she brushes her fingers against it. She turns her head, catching the reddening of his ears and cheeks. "It's a really nice necklace isn't it?"

"Uh… uh… yeah! It suits you."

"Thanks," she smiles, noting the way he's staring a her fingers as they toy with the pendant. "Admiring your gift, Garfield?"

His eyes cut to hers, then they narrow. "Are you teasing me?"

"I do no such thing."

He continues to look suspicious, but lets out rushed breath. There's a renewed glint his eye. "Fine. I was admiring the person wearing it."

This time her smiles slips onto her face before she can stop it. Looks like Garfield's joined the game.

She moves closer, no longer restrained by the seat belt. As if expecting her to, he doesn't jolt eliciting her pleasant surprise. "You can take a closer look if you want."

Garfield spares a glance to the pendant, but is instantly drawn to her eyes instead, lively emerald clashing with a sultry violet.

"You have blue flecks in your eyes," she notes, slightly awed at the discovery. "I've never noticed them."

"My eyes were blue," he whispers, "...before."

Her eyes soften, and she leans back a little to look at him properly. He's smiling, but it doesn't seem completely sincere. Raven feels her heart ache.

"They're beautiful either way," she promises him.

He breathes a laugh, lower his gaze for a moment, and when he looks up the melancholy is gone, the playful glint returning. "I'm glad you like them, Rae," he grins cheekily and gestures down the rest of his body. "See anything else you like?"

Raven's lips twist. Seems like Beast Boy still wants to play.

He looks a little too smug, like he's waiting for her to get flustered, but Raven didn't spend years of her life understanding and controlling her emotions to be bested by a single teasing comment.

Her hand reaches out, ghosting across the length of his arm—never touching, but close enough for goosebumps to trail in her wake.

"I do," she purrs, letting her eyes follow her hand until his shoulder, then it cuts to his face. "Everything."

He gulps.

Their heated stare-off lasts for a charged moment, until Garfield breaks it off with a loud groan.

"Aw, damn it, Rae!" he whines. "You're too good at this. It's so unfair!"

Raven finds herself laughing, a full-out, head thrown-back, hearty laughter. Soon Garfield is chuckling along as well, his voice a deep baritone.

"You can't just flirt with me like that," he huffs when their laughter has died down. "So unfair."

"How is it unfair? I never did anything you couldn't do."

"You touched me!" He raises his arm to her face indignantly. "Physical contact is against the rules."

"I barely even brushed your arm. And I wasn't aware there were rules," she says, amused. Her smile turns evil. "Alright. Since you think it's unfair, I'll even it out for you."

He falls for it, hook, line, and sinker. "How?"

"Touch me."

The heat the blooms across his face is a spectacular thing to watch, the red clashing with the green of his skin. She welcomes his emotional whirlwind as it hits her. Shock, happiness, affection, want.

Garfield groans again, the sound almost morphing to a growl. He runs his hands through his short hair roughly. "Ra—ven!" he whines once more. She snickers as he unbuckles his seatbelt, trying to relief some of his discomfort.

"Relax, Gar," she hums, pressing her arm against his. "Nothing wrong with a little fun."

His bright whirlwind dissipates to a chilling disappointment and hurt. Raven straightens, suddenly alert. Garfield huffs. "So this is all just a joke?"

"I said it was fun, not that it's a joke," she explains. "Flirting with you is fun. You flirting back is even more fun. Isn't that what attraction should be? Fun?"

He seems to be taking a minute to process her words, and she knows he understands when his whirlwind picks up again, transforming into a tornado of anticipation and hope.

He wiggles his eyebrows. "Attraction, huh?"

"And here I thought you'd say something like, Fun? Rae? You?"

"Ah-ah, no changing the topic."

She smirks at him. "Oh, and you're finally ready to discuss this topic without blushing?"

"Okay, now you're teasing me."

Raven laughs again, her eyes bright.

"Wow. You just laughed like, three times within the past ten minutes. You must like me a lot, huh," he wiggles his eyebrows again, signature fanged grin in place.

"It won't last if you keep moving your eyebrows like that," she drawls.

"You didn't deny it!" he gasps. His smile is so wide it's practically splitting his face in half.

"Amazing of you to have figured it out."

Even her sarcasm doesn't down his mood. He grips her hands all of her sudden, causing her to look down at them in surprise. She watches as he intertwines their fingers. Now she knows just how big his hands are in comparison to hers, and how they definitely do warm hers up. It causes butterflies to erupt in her stomach, and she draws in a deep breath so she doesn't destroy Cyborg's precious car.

"I like you too, Rae," Gar says. Her eyes fly up to his, and she basks in the sincerity and affection he's radiating.

She smiles, beautiful and genuine. Beast Boy, Garfield, Gar. It's funny, the way he progressed, from an annoying teammate to her best friend, and somewhere along the line became the person who understood and cared for her more than she did herself.

"Well then," she muses, looking up into his glowing green eyes. "Are you going to kiss me?"

It turns out the middle is the perfect seat for cuddling. Raven realises this later, as she snuggles into Garfield's chest while he leans against the door, his lean arms caging her in and keeping her safe. Behind them, the movie plays, forgotten. It's some boring romance cliche that Raven doesn't care for, and that Garfield doesn't need to live vicariously through anymore.

Despite the fact that they are back-to-back with their friends, the trunk of the T-car popped open for movie-watching, and despite Cyborg's very explicit, "No lovey-dovey in my baby!", Raven reaches up to imprint Garfield's smile onto her own lips.

There's something delightfully innocent in the way her heart flutters at their difference in size; at how she lets herself feel the need to be warm and safe and protected, and how she lets Garfield be the one to embrace her.

a little something to explore differences in build, something that i really like to imagine between gar & rae, especially after they both grow in adults. also i've read lots of fics where raven's flustered and gar's flirty, so i wanted to try something a little different and let raven make the first move :)

hope you enjoyed it!