Sorry I haven't updated in a while everyone; I was terribly sick and the holidays caught up with me. I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas or whatever holiday you celebrate. And now, on to the story!

Let the Fire Fall

Chapter 7: From the Heart

The green changeling walked to the parking garage, where Raven was already waiting, leaning against his old Honda Civic.

"How did you know this was my car?" he asked, surprised. Raven just smiled, rolling her eyes. "If anyone had a cheesy license plate like 'LUVTOFU', I knew it would be you," she laughed, pleased with herself.

Gar shook his head and managed a small smile. "Things never change, do they?"

"Oh, I don't know about that," Raven said slyly, leaning in and kissing him on the cheek. The changeling's cheeks became a darker green, obviously blushing. "I guess…they do."

"Why didn't you drive us yesterday?" Raven asked as they got into the car.

"Well, I didn't exactly feel like driving last night. I needed to clear my mind," Gar stated while turning on the ignition.

As he put the Civic in drive, Raven wanted to say something to comfort him; he looked so lost and out of place. "I can relate," she replied, sighing. "Even though I was able to gain somewhat control of my powers, I can feel my father's presence. We all have our demons…for me I guess that's literal."

Garfield nodded slowly, taking in Raven's words. He wondered what had made Raven so open during the time he had been away. Was he a distraction? An annoyance? The unknown was bearing down on his heart, hard…

The car sped along the highway at a leisurely pace, and when Garfield looked over, Raven was lightly snoozing, her head against the window. He couldn't help but wonder what she was dreaming about…

'What am I doing?" Garfield asked himself, shaking his head. "What do I care if she likes me or not?"

"…because you like her," a voice in his head told him simply.

Garfield could deny it until he was blue in the face, but the fate of the matter was that he loved Raven like no other person in the world…

"Rise and shine, Raven," the changeling said softly, shaking her shoulder gently. The empath stirred from her slumber, rubbing her violet eyes. "Hmm, we're here already? That was fast."

"Yeah, for you it was. It was a nice three-hour drive for me," he said, smiling. She smiled back, then opened the car door, walking to the trunk of the Civic. Gar locked the doors then followed her, helping Raven with the luggage.

The LAX parking lot went for miles; the horizon in front of them was endless asphalt. "I could just telepo-…No, not a good idea," Raven said aloud, motioning toward the crowds of people. "I don't think people even remember the countless times of when we saved them."

Fifteen minutes later, the exhausted couple reached their terminal. After a long check-in, they finally got their tickets and went searching for their gate.

"Gate B34…Gate B34," Garfield read aloud, searching the endless rows of numbers. The changeling was too preoccupied with the search, and ran into a passing traveler. "Oh, excuse me, si-"

Gar looked up and saw Cyborg standing there, a goofy grin on his kind face. "What's up, Green Genes."

The changeling laughed and punched him in the shoulder. "You're not mad about last night?"

"Nah, you know that I know the real you," Vic said, giving Raven a hug. "Well, we're all here, and the plane doesn't leave until 3…you guys want to get a coffee or something?"

"You boys go ahead; I'm going to look for a new novel for the plane ride," Raven said. "I'll meet you guys at Starbucks in a few." She gave Garfield a kiss on the cheek and went off into the crowd.

"Wow, she's really…affectionate," Cyborg noted.

"Yeah, Vic, I don't know what happened during the time I was away…she really changed, didn't she?"

"A little…it's probably because Raven missed you horribly. C'mon, let's go get that coffee."

The two men ordered their drinks and sat a small table, sipping their steamy drinks.

"I love her, Vic," Garfield blurted suddenly, choking back some of the coffee. "I love her more than she'll ever know."

Vic smiled and nodded. "Like I said to you over and over, time after time, I knew you did."

"I was just too childish to admit it," Gar said, sighing. "I was too busy trying to get attention and make every laugh."

"You know you gotta tell her, Gar. It's the only way you both will be happy."

"I know, Vic, I know. I will when the time is right."

The two men leaned back, daydreaming, lost in thought…

Short but sweet. Gotham City awaits… reviews loved and appreciated! xD