5 months ago:

Sweat began to form in places Raven wasn't previously aware that it could, but one glance at Kori told her that the model had no idea that she was subjecting her bookish friend to pure, absolute torture. Her long red hair had been bundled up in the prettiest messy bun known to man, bouncing gently with every long stride she made on her treadmill.

Raven's treadmill was set at half the incline and three quarters of the speed that Kori breezed through next to her, and she felt the life slowly escaping her with every puffing exhale. It wasn't that Raven was out of shape, either. She worked out regularly. She just didn't have Kori's mercenary-style routine.

Finally, Kori slowed and then stopped her machine, having worked up a sheen of sweat that gave her an attractive glow. Raven, meanwhile, felt like she'd just escaped the bottom of the ocean.

"Wasn't that refreshing?"

Unable to form any particular facial expression, Raven just stared at her. "Sure, Kori."

"Shall we do some weights?"

Raven wanted to throw up. "How about we save that for tomorrow?"

Although Dick and Kori had been together for what felt like ages, mostly because of how long it took them to actually get together, it felt strange to be in Dick's apartment without him. It wasn't just his anymore, though. It was theirs. His and Kori's, obviously. Raven did not live here.

The two wound down from the exercise with some light stretches until their heart rates settled, and then Raven, attempting to sit neatly, flopped onto the couch. Kori settled next to her, remote in hand. "I have been informed that Garfield has an interview out today that pertains to your movie."

Curious from her wording, Raven rolled her head to aim a raised eyebrow at her. "Informed?"

Kori ducked her head, apparently bashful. "I have asked my PR team to keep me up to the date on the happenings of my friends."

Despite the wording, Raven understood the sentiment for what it was. Kori adored the people closest to her, and she cherished friendships. Keeping tabs on them wasn't as creepy and possessive as she made it sound. Rather, she was proud of her friends, and excited to support them in their endeavors. Raven herself hadn't requested to be updated on her friends, but she shared in that she kept an eye out for interviews, appearances, and especially any causes they were promoting.

"Well? Turn it on," she prompted, more for Kori's sake than any desire to watch the interview herself. The degree by which 'more' was measured, that she wouldn't dissect. She refused to admit to wanting to watch Gar brag about himself to a pretty journalism intern.

Actually, maybe she didn't want to watch it.

Kori had it playing on the absurdly large screen in front of them before she could really second guess encouraging her to put it on, so Raven resigned herself to the next ten minutes of discomfort. It started off normally enough, the interviewer asking the typical questions about the movie, his character, and the filming process. A question about halfway through the video had Raven sitting up without quite realizing she'd done it.

"What's it like working with Raven?"

Gar grinned, though the way he shifted in his chair contradicted the expression. "She makes filming really easy. She's so professional."

The interviewer nodded slowly, the motion impossible to read. Did he - Raven had noted early on that the interviewer was not, in fact, a pretty intern - like that answer, or was he after something else? He continued on the line of questioning. "She's new to the industry, especially compared to you."

"You wouldn't know that, working with her. She's a natural, and she knows what she's doing."

Raven hadn't exactly expected him to tell people she was an emotionless witch who couldn't even take a joke on set, but… she kind of was. To hear him say such kind things brought a wobbly pressure to the backs of her eyes that had her closing them for a second to ward off the impending tears. She didn't cry, especially not over something as banal as this. For all she knew, he was just hamming it up for good publicity.

"There's some whispers that you two are… an item?" the interviewer ventured, making Raven roll her eyes so hard it hurt.

"Absolutely not," Gar shot back instantly. And, well. That kind of hurt, too. "That's what she'd say if she were here."

Oh.

The interviewer latched onto that. "And what would you say?"

Gar laughed, but the sound wasn't entirely happy. "Does it matter?"

Yes. Yes it mattered! Raven wanted to reach through the screen and throttle him. As it were, all she could do was fist her fingers against the seat cushions on either side of her.

"I'd say so, yes."

Gar gave a puff of resignation and an easy smile. "I consider her to be one of my best friends."