Petrichor [J.T.]

Chapter 6 - Don't See Colors Anymore

By the time the next day comes, Jason and Sam are nearly as happy as they've ever been with each other. Finally, after everything that's happened and after all these months, they have the confirmation in their feelings. They have each other, wholly and solely. They are each other's and neither of them could possibly be happier. And for the first time, they are doing their absolute best to ignore the anxiety that comes with that. For each other.

They try to ignore the fear of one of them dying, or dying for each other. The fear of one of them leaving or giving up or pushing or running. For the first time, they are finding it in themselves to ignore those feelings because they are with the person they trust the absolute most. And they both know, the other person deserves for them to suck up the fear and the anxiety and make a solid effort in not freaking out. Despite everything they've ever known and been taught, they're choosing each other and choosing to trust each other to always be by their side. And they are so happy. It's practically euphoric.

"Good luck, Jay." Sam offers Jason a sweet and gentle smile as they stand outside of Bruce's car in front of a large house.

He is not thrilled about this. He's done it before, several times. It's exhausting seeing a new shrink, again, and having to tell the same damn stories over and over again. He gets the dream diagnoses and that's the end of it. It never really helps. He's left with another person knowing more about him than he would ever really like. It's exhausting but it's this or he's not Robin anymore. Jason doesn't give up that easily.

"Yeah." Jason scoffs, looking to his shoes and back to her. "Thanks."

"You'll be fine and it'll help." Her smile grows as she picks his hand up in hers.

"We'll see." Jason chuckles softly. "Be here when I'm done?" Jason asks with the raise of his brows, hopeful.

In all honesty, she's masking this a bit more tolerable. She promised she'd always come with to drop him off and pick him up. Bruce doesn't exactly trust her to drop him off. He thinks maybe they'll ditch the appointments. So, she promises to come with and if she has to spend an hour with Bruce, she'll do it for him. And he can then bitch to her all he wants about how the shrink doesn't know shit and Bruce is ridiculous for making him do it. As long as he goes, she'll be there. Before and after.

"Of course." Sam chimes, closing the distance between them and capturing his lips in a tender kiss.

"Would rather keep doing this." Jason mutters against her lips as he snakes his hands onto her waist.

"Too bad." She kisses him again. "Your mental state comes first, Jaybird."

Jason chuckles against her lips. "Yeah, alright, princess."

Sam laughs softly. "Okay, get in there before you're late." Sam pulls away and her smile is gentle. "I love you." She beams, smiling with full teeth and her eyes are brighter than Jason has ever seen before.

"Love you, too." Jason chuckles as the fluttering of his heart nearly sends him into cardiac arrest.

Sam watches Jason walk up the driveway and to the front door before he knocks. She watches and waits until a woman greets him and allows him into her home. A part of her thought maybe he'd try to bail out of it. Actually make a solid effort to anyway. Sam almost expected him to walk up the driveway and then sprint behind the house and take off, leaving her and Bruce to chase after him. But there he is, going into a therapist's house on his own and she's happy for him. Relieved.

Sam doesn't always think therapy will help but nothing else is helping him and at the end of the day, he needs help even if he wants to insist he's fine. Everyone else around him knows he's not. The limp isn't because he's still hurt. Sam knows Bruce well enough to know he would have Jason checked out by a doctor to verify he was fine. It's in his head which makes it all feel the same as if there were something physically wrong with him. He needs help. And he thinks they don't notice his hands and the terrified expression after a nightmare. He can't work through all his problems alone and he never should have had to. And she's proud of him for doing it even if he's only doing it so he can be Robin. The point is that he's going.