LOVE + FEAR | Damirae

HANDMADE HEAVEN

— D A Y S    L A T E R —

"You still won't tell me where we're going?" Raven said.

Damian smirked behind the wheel. He refused to disclose the location — or the nature of their trip for the past three days.

"It's a surprise," Damian replied.

Raven rolled her eyes. That was the closest to an explanation she'd get. More like a distraction...

The gorgeous Italian countryside blurred outside the Batmobile's windows. Fields of vineyards were sprawled across the gentle hills, painted bronze by the sunset. When she rolled down the windows, the air was scented with herbs.

Raven didn't know where she was going, but she certainly knew why. No one had spoken about her reaction to the Fear Toxin, but she knew they remembered. Raven could feel the others' alarm as she passed, worse than normal.

Raven's public image was walking plague at best. The situation must've been bad if Lois Lane herself brushed off Metropolis to help "get the story straight" in Gotham.

Raven avoided the passenger window reflecting her face. Her public image was one thing. But her reputation among her peers (for lack of a better term) after sending half the Justice League to the hospital...Raven shuddered to think of it. A moment when Supergirl showered Raven with compliments flickered in the back of her mind. Would she still mean them?

"I'd like to spend more time with you," Damian said, misinterpreting her silence. His head was completely turned away from the road. One hand just barely nudged the wheel.

Raven took hold of his chin and pointed his gaze back at the countryside. "You know I do, too. And I prefer that we don't get into a freak accident along the way."

"Are you questioning my driving skills?"

"I'm questioning your focus when I'm sitting right next to you," Raven smiled.

Raven felt Damian's emotions splutter at her words. Being an empath used to feel like a curse, but now it was simply an added bonus to being around him.

Damian glanced away. Crimson bloomed in his cheeks. "Fair enough. But you don't seem very excited."

Damian squeezed Raven's fingers. Their hands were interlocked between the seats.

Raven smiled briefly at their fingers meshed together on top of the gearshift. She wished it was just an impromptu getaway trip. It was sweet of Damian to pose it that way.

Her reply was soft, "It feels weird to make a mess and run away."

"You didn't make a mess. We resolved the issue. All of the...inner turmoil has receded," Damian shrugged.

Raven turned in the passenger seat to face him. It amazed her how nonchalant Damian was. After what she...did to Gotham. His home.

Damian glanced at her face and guessed what she was thinking. "I know you're upset about it. I'm sorry. It's hard to feel that way when I'm with you. But you shouldn't worry about Gotham. It gets wrecked by clowns and psychotic killers on a daily basis."

Wow. There was not an ounce of judgment in his statement. He must really like her.

"But you're still meeting with Quinn for weekly Zoom sessions," Damian relented.

"Oh?" Raven's brow arched. "I'm shocked you'd allow that."

"She is a licensed psychiatrist that is aware of everything first-hand," Damian begrudgingly admitted. His eyes remained on the dirt road ahead.