One Year Later

. . .

Raven's hand was surprisingly cool when it slid into his own, her slender fingers weaving between his knuckles in a movement almost too quick for him to recognize, and he jumped a little at the invasion of his space. She was searching him out for support in this crowd of people, hoping he would keep her safe against the onslaught of emotions and feelings. Wally glanced down at the top of her head and bit back a squeak, his fingers twitching just a little as she pulled closer. Why in the world did she have to do this now? He was barely managing to keep his head on straight while she was next to him, and now she was holding his freaking hand.

God, he felt like an idiot.

This whole party and their interactions were just a front, he had to remember that. It was only so they could sneak into this place and get close to their target, nothing more. This was a recon mission, that was it. They were only pretending that they were a couple... this wasn't real. Raven was called here because of her powers, because she could sense emotions, because she knew what she was doing. She was brought on this mission because she was useful - she wasn't here because this actually was a date - that would be absurd. She was here because this was her job.

All of these disjointed thoughts were things he had to remember.

Wally bit back a sigh and stared at the ceiling, counting the crystals in the chandelier above them to keep his mind occupied from thinking about the way she looked in that blue velvet dress, or the sight of her eyes when she looked up at him, that teasing smile playing across her lips. God, he hadn't seen her in a year, and he honestly thought that maybe those weird feelings she stirred up in him before were gone - completely extinguished after the adrenaline of the mission had worn off. But they weren't. Jesus, they weren't. No, they were just as much there as they had been the night they escaped Slade.

He glanced down at her and saw the edge of her still-red scar peek out of the edge of her backless dress. It curled over her pale skin like a vibrant reminder of what had happened just twelve months ago. His eyes slid closed and he fought against the memories rising up in the back of his mind. The smell of blood. Her scream. The sound of the world caving in on them. Her scream. The sight of her lying half-dead on the cot and trying not to die from the hole in her stomach. Her scream. It was all too much.

"Stop fidgeting."

His eyes shot open and he was pulled out of his memories and back to the present.

"I mean it. You're going to draw attention to us, and we're supposed to be 'normal'." Her voice was low and whispered over him like candle smoke. "And stop looking at my scar. I know it's there, and so do you, you don't need to keep reminding me of what happened last year." She took a drink of the champagne in her other hand, fingers tightening in his own, tugging gently at him. "And keep your emotions under control. I have two hundred other people's feelings and thoughts beating down on me, I don't need yours too."

Wally rolled his eyes and let go of an annoyed sigh. Honestly he didn't know what he was worried about, she was still the same damn Raven - cold, reserved, and completely focused on the mission. She hadn't changed a bit, not that he expected her to. But still... it was nice to see her again. He tightened his fingers in her hand and watched as her shoulders relaxed just a little, her grip easing into his hold. A second ticked by and she looked up at him again, a thin smile now playing on her lips.

"It is good to see you again," she murmured into her glass.

He felt the corner of his mouth tug upward into a smirk. "I was going to say the same thing before you told me to keep my emotions under control. I mean, I know sometimes I'm a lot of man to handle, but I honestly thought that you-"

Raven dropped his hand and smacked his arm, rolling her eyes. "At least it's nice to know you haven't changed that much in a year, Wally."

"Ditto, Princess of Darkness." He nudged her shoulder and watched her cheeks burn a bit red as the embarrassment settled in. Even after all this time, she still looked a little cute…. but only a little. He pushed at his copper hair and fidgeted with his tie, looking around at a bunch of stuffed shirts crowding around each other, each trying to out-rich one another.

'I have a 200 ft yacht.'

'Yes, well I have a private island in Dubai.'

'I wasn't sure which Ferrari I wanted, so I bought all of them.'

The two of them must have stuck out like a sore thumb, but Raven didn't seem to care even if she did notice. Instead, her eyes flicked from group to group, watching each of them carefully as she tried to hone in on their emotional responses to the party. Occasionally, she would pull out her phone and make a note of someone, before turning back to the crowd and trying to choose which one of the patrons was going to cause the most issues.

Wally tried to keep up conversation, but Raven needed to focus, and after a while he was bored senseless. Although, Raven wasn't faring much better. She rubbed the bridge of her nose and closed her eyes, taking a few deep breaths to calm her nerves. He watched her for a long moment as she tried to focus again on a group near the windows, picking out emotions from the crowd, but it seemed to be overloading her senses. His heart skipping a little bit, Wally found her hand again and pulled her against him.

"Hey, Rae-"

"Don't call me Rae."

"-you've been at this for almost two hours without a break. You're not a machine, okay?" He continued to ignore her sharp, angry stare and waved her off. "You need a second to calm down, or you're going to blow something up. And as much as I'd like to continue this little game in finding this fucker, I'd also like this building to stay in one piece too. You know… because we're in it." He plucked the champagne glass out of her hand and set it on a nearby table.

"Your confidence in me is practically inspiring. I don't know why I didn't turn to you more when I was in need." Raven rolled her eyes, but didn't fight him when he pulled her from the room. Instead she let him lead her through the maze-like structure of the art gallery where the "rich people pretend they care about the poor" consortium was taking place.

Modern art bled with antique oils and sculptures, and bright lights shone over cream-colored marble walls as their steps echoed through the space. The chamber music and hum of conversation faded into perfect silence. Eventually the world seemed to dissolve into nothing, and they found themselves tucked back in a quiet corner where there was modern art done by a little-known artist - someplace a posh, upper class business person would never be seen. Wally finally let go of her hand and she fell down onto a small bench, looking up at him with an expression that sat somewhere between annoyed and relieved.

A few seconds ticked by and finally she whispered, "Thank you."

"No problem. I'm here to keep you safe and healthy." He sat next to her and loosened his tie, glad to have the relief of privacy between them, where they could be friends and teammates again. "That was my job after all. I was supposed to keep you safe, no matter what. Even if it included from yourself."

She rolled her eyes again, throwing up that invisible wall between them. "Yes, and you're doing a marvelous job… but you do realize that I can take care of myself, right? I don't need you trying to protect me as if I'm a child."

Wally sighed. "I never said that."

"You didn't, but your leader likes to think that I'm incapable of holding my own."

"He's worried about your safety, you know." Wally stretched out his legs and leaned back against the bench cushion. "If anything were to happen to you, Robin would never hear the end of it from Cy. Hell… I doubt Robin would have a head before he got out the words 'I'm sorry'."

Raven heaved an annoyed sigh. "That doesn't excuse him for not trusting me." She leaned forward and rested her elbows on her knees, looking over at him as she raised an eyebrow. There was a crackle of black energy at her fingertips but it quickly receded. "I was forced to pick a bodyguard while I was here, and he had to make sure that I wasn't doing something brash and stupid… as if I don't know how to fight bad guys or be inconspicuous."

"That's not it, you know." Wally sighed and leaned back even further on his hands, eyes still grazing over the scar that ribboned across her back. The memories came back again like a nightmare he couldn't wake up from, and he had to take a moment to push them to the side. It was all too much to handle, knowing that she had been that close to death and there was nothing he could do about it. "It's just… after what happened last time, he wants to make sure you're safe. You guys are our friends, no matter what."

Her eyes flicked over to him before she turned away just a little. "I know, but it doesn't help me from feeling like an invalid. I am perfectly capable of fighting myself."

"Mm…" Wally shook his head, deciding that is was better to not point out that the last time he saw her fight, she had practically sacrificed herself to save him. Instead, he licked his lips and leaned forward, letting his fingertips trace the edge of the scar. Raven flinched for a moment, but she didn't shy away from him, instead she let him touch her, tracing the scar underneath her back and towards her hip, feeling it become more gnarled and misshapen. His mind wandered for a moment, and he felt the words bubble up into his throat before he could stop them.

"Can I ask you a question?"

"Sure." Raven shrugged and looked over her shoulder at him, not once telling him to move his hand.

"Why did you ask for me on this mission? I mean, Conner is way better at being a bodyguard than I am - he's got that superhuman strength and all, and Kal is… well, he's better looking and way more level headed. Artemis is great with long-range weapons. M'gann has powers kinda like your own..." Wally shook his head and pulled his hand away from her back, letting it rest on his thigh. "So, why me?"

Raven turned to look at the art again, her expression soft and thoughtful. "I thought that was obvious."

"Ah… no. Not exactly."

"I know I can trust you."

"Oh." His thoughts faltered for a moment, stuttering a little under the weight of his words. "And you can't trust any of the others on the team?"

"I never said that."

Wally watched a blush crawl up her neck to the cheeks and she glanced down into her lap, chewing on her lower lip as she thought. He shifted a little, turning to look at the ugly piece of modern art. "So, then what is it? Why me?"

"Because you saved my life. Because you didn't give up on me, even though I tried to get you to leave me." Her eyes flicked to his and she smiled, cocking her head to the side. "Because you did everything in your power to make sure I was safe, and I haven't forgotten about what I owe you for a single minute of that past year. I owe you more than just a pat on the back, Wally, I owe you my trust and my friendship. You did amazing things to keep me alive, and you're an amazing fighter that I'm glad to call my friend."

He swallowed, and Wally felt himself pitching forward just a little, looking into her eyes.

She tucked a piece of hair behind her ear as her blush darkened. "And I asked you to come because you're kind of a good kisser."

He smirked and reached for his communicator, but Raven stopped him with a wave of her hand.

Her eyes were glowing bright red and she reached out to grab onto the lapels of his jacket, fire flashing behind her eyes. "If you do that again, Wally, so help me I will shove your head through this ugly painting and bury your body at the bottom of the ocean. Are we clear?"

He swallowed hard, letting the communicator fall back into his pocket. "C-crystal."

"Good." Raven let go of his jacket and she stood up, looking down at him as she crossed her arms over her chest. "Now that I've rested, let's get back to the party so I can figure out who might be plotting here, and then I can drown my sorrows in free champagne."

"So, tell me…" He hummed as he followed her back to the party, the note teasing and light in his voice, in spite of the way his heart thrummed against his ribs. Wally licked his lips and took a slow breath, trying to keep his laughter continuing to cover up his nerves. "If you wanted me to come because you thought I was a good kisser… does that mean you were expecting on being kissed tonight, Raven?"

Her steps stopped abruptly and she whipped around to face him, the sudden movement causing Wally to practically run into her. Raven tilted her face up to his own, her eyes unreadable as a long moment of heavy silence stretched between them. It continued until Wally began to feel like his bones might be crushing under the weight of her stare, and he fidgeted with the sudden force of her darkness. Raven arched a dark eyebrow and reached up to grab the knot of his tie, yanking him by his neck down a few inches so he stared right into her endless eyes.

Her stare flicked from his lips to his eyes and back again, before whispering, "What do you think, Wally West?"

He just swallowed.

Raven released him and turned back around, a smile playing on her lips. "That's what I thought."

)O(

Sorry it's not a sequel! I wrote part of this under a prompt on Tumblr, so I cleaned it up and added it to the story. I hope I didn't disappoint, and thanks for being awesome, friends!