A/N: Ever written something that you thought would be short and then it took way longer than expected? Yep, this chapter took more time than I had anticipated. The research is inspired by a research article in SAGE Journals by Brock Bastian, Jolanda Jetten, and Laura j. Ferris. Highly interesting read.

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Chapter 7: Maybe we could both explore this

The second floor of the library was serene. Looking through the windows, a beautiful palette of oranges and reds was brushed on to the sky by the setting sun. A few students were scattered around the floor, spread out through various tables. It wasn't surprising, since not many students started doing homework on Friday evenings.

The almost eerie quiet was only broken by the scratches of pens writing, the clicking of laptop keys, and an occasional cough or murmur. The setting evoked peacefulness. The perfect place for Raven to study.

"Yep. That's it."

Well. Almost perfect.

Raven looked at Garfield, currently leaning back in his chair, arms outstretched over his head before falling back down. His legs were splayed out under table, making it look like he was slowly sinking into the floor. His eyes gazed at the open book in front of him, but anyone could tell he wasn't paying attention. Raven rolled her eyes, focusing on her own notes.

In the days since his first text, Raven found it easier to be around Garfield. They texted or talked at least once each day. The conversations were usually short, mostly focusing on how the other person's day went, but they happened. Both had even silently agreed to sit next to each other in class when Garfield took the seat next to hers.

It was good news, since all this allowed Raven to get glimpses of the man Garfield was. He was born in Jump City, applying to JCU in order to not leave his home yet. He was a theatre nerd, which Raven discovered when she caught him humming The Phantom of the Opera. His passion for animals led him to be vegan around the time he was ten.

In return, Raven shared some of her past as well. She told him that she was born in Gotham, how she chose psychology because she wanted to understand the mind and its inner workings, and why, in her opinion, tofu was one of the grossest foods in existence. That last bit of information was mostly used to annoy him, but it didn't make it any less true.

She also learned the things Garfield wasn't. For example, a good studier.

"What is?" Raven replied, an undertone of annoyance poking through in her voice.

"Can't study anymore. Brain's too full." Garfield closed his eyes, letting out a quiet, but overdramatic, sigh.

Oh sure, don't bother anyone else, Raven thought. "Tell me again how you're planning on getting a Zoology doctorate?" Raven asked, turning the page. "We just started." He was being annoying on purpose. When he wanted to talk and she didn't, he would resort to this technique. She wouldn't give him the satisfaction of knowing it worked again.

Raven heard him shuffle in his seat. "What can I say, Rae? Psychology just isn't as interesting as Bio." The use of his nickname for her was obviously bait. He chose his words carefully, not insulting her major, but trying to get a rise from her. While he presented himself as a goofball, Garfield was a surprisingly adept conversationalist. Raven could even hear the smirk in his statement.

Don't fall for it, she thought, don't fall for –

Raven looked up, shooting an annoyed glare at Garfield.

When did I become so weak?

"Then make it interesting. First test is next week. If you fail and make me look bad, I'll hurt you." It wasn't a completely idle threat. Still, Raven didn't put that much venom into the words.

For a man supposedly bored out of his skull, his goofy grin was ever present. Verdant eyes sparked with mischief, while still holding a soft glow within. She was tempted to get lost in them, surrounding herself in green. Did the library get warmer suddenly?

Garfield let out a small chuckle as he sat up straight. "I fully believe you'd kick my ass if that happens. Good thing I have the smartest person in class helping me out." He turned his attention back to the book.

Yep, she wasn't imagining the heat. Raven only hoped her flushed cheeks weren't as obvious as they felt.

Breathe. Focus. Raven tried to block out any thoughts of Garfield, using the words on the pages as a shield. Her focus was rattled, though; his casual comment bouncing around her head. Was he trying to impress her? Did he honestly believe that? And why did she care if he did?

Raven knew why. Garfield was a catalyst, plain and simple. His presence alone drove Raven's nerves into a confused frenzy. At first, she tried convincing herself it was physical attraction. An infatuation; nothing else. But the more time she spent with Garfield, the harder it became to convince herself of that.

Even now, Raven was keenly aware of his presence, and without looking, random images of Garfield would pop into her head. His kind demeanor. His goofy sense of humor. His good-looking body, which Raven would rather die than admit to out loud.

"Is that your project?" Garfield's voice broke through the silence again. This time, he leaned forward, looking at Raven's notebook. Unfortunately, this also brought him closer to her.

"Yes." Raven attempted to answer Garfield's question as neutrally as possible, trying to ignore the decreased distance. She was better than her emotions.

"Hmmm," he said. Raven thought that was the end of the conversation, but Garfield kept looking. After a couple of seconds, he focused on her, a sheepish smile on his face. Raven returned it with a raised eyebrow. "Sorry, I didn't really get it when you first mentioned it over text. Wanted to see if I could get a better idea of it now."

Letting the unnecessary apology slide, Raven replied, "I doubt my notes make any more sense from there." While her handwriting was pristine, the angle couldn't have been good for legibility. "Also, it's a research project involving four years of psychology concepts and theories. If you could pick it up in a single text conversation, either my studies were a waste or you're smarter than I gave you credit for."

"Hey, I could totally get this if I wanted to!" Garfield said, sticking his tongue out at Raven in mock offense. "But maybe you could give me a quick explanation?"

"I thought psychology wasn't interesting?"

Garfield rubbed the back of his neck and shifted in his chair. Was it mean making him squirm with her questioning? Maybe a little. Was Raven having a blast watching him do so? Absolutely. She let out a small smile at the sight, quickly looking down before Garfield could catch it.

"Fine, you win. I'm too dumb to understand how interesting psych is. Now will you please explain it to me?" Garfield busted out his own version of the puppy-dog eyes, attempting to persuade her. Compared to Kory's, it wasn't as effective, but it did hold an amount of pitying power.

"Good, glad we cleared that up." Raven smirked before flipping the notebook to an angle where they could both read.

"I'm studying the concept of shared pain," Raven said, "trying to see if there's a possible correlation between sharing painful or traumatic moments with another person and seeing if this can increase the strength of their social bonds."

Raven was only met with a blank stare from Garfield. While she was satisfied with her explanation, she could see the metaphorical gears in Garfield's head turning.

"How do you even test that?" Garfield responded.

Raven shrugged. "It's easier than you'd think. I split volunteer students randomly into two groups and assigned the groups either a painful or non-painful task. The pain group was assigned the task of eating a ghost pepper, while the other group ate a regular pepper. Pain group would perform wall squats while non-pain group simply balanced on one leg."

Garfield gave her with a questioning look, so Raven quickly clarified, "Of course, all of the participants were under supervision and had been warned of the risks."

"Any good results?"

"Well, it's hard to say for certain with bigger events, but these tasks showed a positive correlation between the participants of the pain group and how close they felt with other participants. Overall, I think the theory is a solid."

"Hey, that's pretty good," Garfield said. He then let out a couple of chuckles. "Be honest: how funny was it seeing them struggle with the ghost pepper?" He gave her a toothy grin, sending a shiver along the base of Raven's spine. She elected not to think about what that implied and instead cleared her throat.

"Garfield, this is serious research. One slip-up in my professionalism could ruin the validity of my project." When Garfield kept up his grin, Raven relaxed slightly and returned his with one of her own. "But some of their reactions were hilarious."

"Knew it! Also, mind if I use that as a prank idea on Vic one day?" Gar said, his eyes sparking with a mischievous glint.

"I'm sure that'll go over well," Raven said, sliding the notebook back to her side of the table. A small grin escaped her at the mental image of the mountain of muscle that was Vic slapping around the much smaller Garfield.

Garfield leaned back in his chair, staring off into space. "Thanks. For the explanation, I mean" he said. "It makes a lot more sense than a therapy session or something like that."

"I'd need a license for that, Garfield."

"True. Plus, it's not easy to open up about what's bothering you."

From any other person, Garfield's comment wouldn't have raised any flags. However, Raven was smart enough to pick up the slight tension in his voice. It was a crack; one that Raven could dig into and uncover what lay underneath.

Let the words fall into oblivion with a simple acknowledgement or push further into the rabbit hole? On one hand, she gained insight into Garfield's mind. On the other, if Garfield saw what she was doing, he might completely shut her out for good. He could even walk away now. Was it worth it? She knew her answer already.

Here goes nothing. "You're right. But I think taking that first step makes things easier. Don't you?"

"Maybe? Not sure," he said, his voice soft. "I think it's easier to say you're dealing with stuff, like anxiety or stress. But saying why? I don't know."

Okay, good start. Raven grazed her teeth along her bottom lip. She had to keep going though. "Well, let's say hypothetically, someone met with a professional therapist. What would be hard for them to open up about?"

Garfield looked up for, his face eyebrows scrunched in thought. Don't catch on, Raven thought. "School might be difficult. Relationships definitely can't be easy," Garfield said, his answers not directed at Raven but towards the uncaring roof. His tone was strained, like each example pained him. "Family. Parents. Feeling like you're alone."

"Why alone?"

Crap. The question slipped out before Raven could catch it. Garfield hesitated, then met her gaze. Raven kept her face neutral, but she held her breath. His eyes slightly narrowed, never letting go of Raven. Please don't catch on.

Finally, Garfield spoke, "Probably a feeling they have. Like life wasn't meant to go well for them, and they have to accept that." He shrugged, attempting to downplay what he said. Raven could tell he was building up his walls. In a few seconds, she would be facing the mask. She couldn't let her progress go to waste.

"I get what… this person means," she started. This was risky, and it was possible she'd misread the situation entirely. She came to terms with what she was about to tell him long time ago, but that didn't mean it was easier to talk about. However, bridges needed to be connected on two sides in order to work.

"I was raised by a single mom. My dad was never in the picture and, according to her, that was the best thing he could have done for me. It wasn't the easiest life, but we got by." Raven never took her eyes of the table, but she could see the unmoving shape of Garfield from her peripheral. He was a statue, focused on her words.

Raven continued, "She passed away in her sleep when I was ten. My aunt Arella took me in a week later. In one night, I lost the life I'd known since I was born. Arella did the best she could, and I'll always be grateful for her. But no matter what she did, I still felt alone. I thought that's how it would be for the rest of my life."

Raven finally faced Garfield fully. His eyes were wide, his breathing was barely noticeable. It seemed like he wanted to say something to her. Comfort her in some way. She appreciated the sentiment.

"It wasn't until earlier this year that I realized I was wrong. I don't have to go through life alone. People will want to help, but I have to reach out to them. I need to take that first step."

A smile of sincerity and relief formed on Raven's lips. It was one of her rarest smiles, one that only graced her features in the presence of someone she trusted fully. She had let Garfield in, trusted him with knowledge of her past. The ball was in his court now.

I'm here, Gar.

Garfield's mouth hung open a little, then closed. His jaw muscles were clenched, and there was a dullness in his eyes. The mask was still present. Raven felt a pang of disappointment run through her. As she turned back to her notebooks, she heard him inhale deeply.

"Both my parents died in a boating accident in Africa when I was eight," Garfield said, making Raven's focus turn back to him. "I was with them when it happened. A family friend took me in when I came back to Jump, but he was only using me to get access to my parents' wills. Soon after that, I got placed in the foster care system. Got bounced around a few families, but none took me in. I stayed in it for four years until Rita and Steve found me."

Now it was Raven's turn to hold her breath. She was prepared for him to mention Steve, maybe something bad. This, however, was completely unexpected. She said nothing, afraid Garfield would stop speaking if she broke his concentration. Fortunately, he kept going, this time meeting her eyes.

"You described it perfectly; nothing made those feelings go away. Rita got me a role in the show she starred in so we could spend more time together, but that didn't last long. I even joined a gang when I was fifteen, hoping it would help. It…didn't end well."

Garfield ran his fingers through his hair, trying to drive away some of tension in his body. He shook his head, and returned her sincere smile, albeit a lot toothier. "Thanks; it feels good to get that out of my system. And if you ever need to talk, I'm here for you." He reached out to Raven and grabbed her arm, giving it a comforting squeeze.

Raven felt a familiar light heat creep up again her cheeks at the sudden contact.

"Thank you. And right back at you." While she retained her calm demeanor outside, inside, it was veritable rollercoaster of emotions. Raven still had questions, but she would let them be for now. The past few minutes had been a taser to her heart, and. for a moment, she thought she might go into cardiac arrest. To top it off, the physical contact did her no favors in reigning her emotions.

Nonetheless, she didn't lie. They understood each other because of their solitude. If either one faced that struggle again, they could rely on the other to back them up.

Both sat in silence for a moment, the books and papers on the table forgotten. Garfield had let go of her arm at some point, but Raven didn't remember when it happened. They simply acknowledged each other's presence.

"So, h-hey," Garfield said, breaking the silence, "not sure if it's the best time to ask this, with – well, with what just happened."

Uh-oh, Raven thought. "Well, this sounds ominous," Raven kept her neutral expression, but her eyebrow peaked a little.

A nervous chuckle escaped Garfield. "I was wondering… if you're free next weekend…the zoo is having a charity dinner and I was told I could bring someone." Garfield took a deep breath. "Would you be interested? In going together, I mean?"

Raven's eyes went wide, and she froze. Is he…Did he just…?

Yep, they had gone from an intimate talk about their feelings to what sounded like Garfield asking her out on a date. The absurdness and shock overwhelmed Raven's mind. So naturally, her body decided to respond with the worst possible reaction she could have hoped for.

Raven snorted. Then let out a giggle.

Mortified, she turned to Garfield to apologize, but his confused look sent her into another fit. Her body shook uncontrollably in the chair, looking for air. Fortunately, it seemed Garfield understood her situation, or simply found her current state ridiculous, because he started laughing as well. To a passerby, it'd appear as if they had both completely lost their minds, laughing about nothing.

Slowly, they caught their breath, lungs taking in as much air as they could. "I'm sorry," Raven said, wiping her eyes, "so sorry. I wasn't prepared for that at all."

"I understand. I guess it was dumb – "

"I'd love to go," Raven quickly cut him off. "Sounds like fun." This time, she didn't fight off her smile.

Garfield returned her small smile with a huge one of his own. "Definitely."