She sat there like a statue. Her muscles tense, her eyes clouded, and her figures turning white as she gripped the steering wheel to one-of-a-kind car she was sitting in. The car itself was a spitting image of the old one. Cyborg only had to add a few minor alterations to this new model. She still could not decide if making the car identical to the car she had driven during the incident was helpful or not. On one hand, she felt that sliver of false hope that made her feel as if the whole event never happened, but on the other hand, her logically side simply brushed that ridiculous idea aside and reminded her of every detail that had occurred. The stop-and-go traffic, the blinding lights, the car that had appeared out of nowhere.
Her heartbeat became a pounding in her chess, and her breathing became short and shallow. Her figure nails dug into the steering wheel, and her powers shook the vehicle in its place. It all came flooding back, the sudden stop, the loud boom, the panic; all her memories from that night flashed in her eyes. She spent weeks trying to forget. Weeks trying to pretend it was just a nightmare, that it never happened. She avoided the garage at all costs. She excused herself out of conversations about it. She continued about her days as normally as possible, and forced the memories into the depths of her mind where she would never have to face them. It was what she always did when something bad happened to her. It was the only way she knew.
Her body began to shake with the car, and tears started falling from her dark, amethyst eyes. The emotions she felt right after the accident was overwhelming to her. First the shock, then the fear, the anxiety, the confusion, and finally – the guilt. The guilt that she felt as she watched the driver of the other car be carried away on a gurney. The guilt she felt when Cyborg had found out his precious "baby" was totaled. The guilt she felt when Robin had received the bill.
She can't do this. She will never be able to do this. Her driving days are over. She will never drive this metal death trap ever again. She was about to escape the vehicle and never look back, when suddenly a hand grabbed her arm and pulled her back into the car. She tried to pull away, but the grip was firm and it was soon followed by two strong arms wrapping around her petite frame. Her breath hitched as she was brought into the man's embrace. He just held her there, from the passenger seat of the car, never speaking or moving. It took her a few moments to realize what he was doing, but once it registered with her brain, she instinctively relaxed in his arms.
Her tears still streamed down her flushed cheeks, but her heartbeat went back to a comfortable rhythm and she found it easier to breathe as she began the process of grounding herself. They sat together, locked in an embrace, for a long time. Neither said a word, because neither had to. They both knew what the other was feeling. They were terrified. She, because of the accident, and him, because of how close he was to losing her. He thanked God every day since that her only injury was minor whiplash, something she could heal with just an hour of meditation. After went felt like eternity, she decided she could no longer handle the silence.
"I-I can't do this, Gar." Her voice was hoarse from her crying, and the vulnerability of her statement sent a pang of hurt through his heart.
"You can, Rae. You might not want to, but I know you can." He soothed in a hushed voice. She shook her head and buried it deeper in his board chest.
"I'm…scared." She admitted weakly.
"I know." He told her, lifting one hand to stroke her silky violet hair. "Believe me, Rae, I don't need our bond to know that you are afraid. Any normal person would be. Accidents are scary things. You never think they could happen to you, until they do. Sometimes, that's the scariest part. When you realize for the first time, just how dangerous driving really is. But when we fly into battle, and lose, we don't quit. We don't go home, and pledge to never fight again. We go back into the battle, stronger and smarter, and we keep fighting until we win. We're heroes, Rae, you're a hero. And heroes face their fears, even if it means asking for help."
Raven gently pushed him away so that she could look him in the eye. She felt a wave of affection wash over her, like a breath of fresh air. Her fear was still there, but it wasn't nearly as strong as it was. She could never forget the image of the car in front of her right before she slammed into it, but she now knew, that if she had Garfield, she would always be safe. Leaning into him, she wrapped her hands around his head and pressed her lips onto his. He happily returned the kiss, and after a few seconds' past, she slowly pulled away. She shifted in her seat, buckled up her seat belt, and put her hand on the gearshift. Taking a deep breath, she turned to Garfield and asked, "Are you ready?"
He gave her a proud smile, and nodded his head. "You bet!"
She returned his smile with a small one of her own. "Then buckle-up your seatbelt and don't you dare touch the stereo."
"Yes, Ma'am." The grown man sighed as he did as he was told. "Some things never change."
Just a little background into this one-shot: Last Saturday I was in my first car accident. It scared the crap out of me. It's really hard to believe. Luckily, no one (myself included) were seriously injured, but it definitely didn't help my already anxiety-prone mind. I haven't driven since then, for the same reasons I wrote Raven having, and I know that at some point, I'm going to have to get back behind the wheel. So this little one-shot is a way to help me mentally prepare myself for it. I hope you all appreciate it! And please, stay safe out there.