#usually we avg like 35ish cakes a week. 38 on 9/11 alone my fucking god I'm still recovering from that week like?? why so many?????

[squiddybeifong]

Not-Quite Couples Therapy, Chapter 6

On Ao3 here!

--

Dr. Quinzel smiled at the couple as she leaned back in her armchair. Raven and Donna were practically curled up together in the center of the loveseat, both looking brighter now that they had apologized to one another. But there was still more to discuss; grateful that the couple seemed willing to listen and grow in their relationship, the psychiatrist got down to business, “So, it seems that you both know how to apologize properly. That makes my job quite a bit easier.”

Donna intertwined her fingers with Raven’s ring studded ones, the last bit of tension leaving both their shoulders at Dr. Quinzel’s words. The blonde’s face slid into one that resembled a benevolent schoolteacher as she began her first and most important lesson, “Okay, you two. In order to keep your relationship from deteriorating, you need to listen to your partner. That means not cutting them off and actually hearing what they tell you before you start thinking about how you’ll respond.”

Raven nodded, her chin tilting towards Donna as the rock climber hummed out, “Do people do that a lot?”

The blonde nodded, crossing her legs and folding her hands atop her knee as she explained, “It’s the difference between active and passive listening.” The green and red gems within her simple wedding ring gleamed as the psychiatrist motioned to the loveseat that they sat on. “You two were passively listening to each other the last time all three of us were here.”

A lightbulb was practically visible over the goth’s head as gray eyes went down to her lap. “Since I was more focused on trying not to think about my father than hear what Donna was telling me about her sister,” Raven softly realized, her words accompanied with an encouraging squeeze from Donna. 

Raven looked up at her date as the rock climber added, “And I was so focused on thinking that my issues with Diana weren’t as dangerous as yours with your dad--”

“My father,” Raven quickly interjected. 

While Dr. Quinzel did hastily write a few words down, Donna didn’t seem to be too fazed by the look that briefly flashed over Raven’s face, immediately continuing, “--your issues with your father. I was only listening to things that would let me win this…” Donna shrugged, not exactly sure what to call the roil of emotions that twisted in her stomach whenever family and competition intertwined.

Raven tilted her head to the side, “Character test, maybe?”

Donna smiled softly, both apologetic and thankful as she squeezed the goth’s hand, “Kinda, yeah.”

“It’s important to be self aware both during and after an argument,” The therapist spoke up in the brief lull in their conversation. She glanced down at her notes and met the couple’s gaze, ensuring that she had their full attention. “For your relationship --and I mean yours in particular, this is not just general advice-- but it appears to me that you both were somewhat… how to say… appealing to the authority in the room?”

Donna’s brows furrowed, the rock climber briefly catching Raven’s confused gaze for just an instant before all of their attention was back on the blonde. Dr. Quinzel tucked her notepad against the side of her thigh and continued to elaborate, “So instead of arguing completely amongst yourselves about the issues that popped up the last time we had a session, you were each also trying to put the other down in my eyes while you were arguing.”

“Were we really?” Raven’s voice was quiet and held an undercurrent of shame as she thought back to the last time the three of them were together in the office, trying to remember the totality of her words and actions.

“I mean, knowing us we might’ve but it wasn’t on purpose, right?” Donna seemed a tinge more worried, her free hand starting to drum against the outside of her knee as she also tried to think back on their fight.

Before either woman could get too far in her head, the therapist hummed out, “Oftentimes it’s not quite subconscious but it is a type of passive defense mechanism.” She motioned to the rock climber, her voice going up half a pitch as she drawled out, “Oh, it’s not enough that Raven’s father is a criminal, I need to keep reiterating to Dr. Q that I had no idea about that aspect of her past and can’t possibly be associated with or tainted by it.” 

Noting but not writing down the surprise that filled Donna’s eyes, Dr. Quinzel immediately motioned to Raven with her other hand, “Oh, it’s not enough that Donna feels inadequate compared to her sister, I must point out that it’s an ungrateful mindset when others have worse family lives. How could she say such things when my father is literally the target of a federal manhunt. Don’t you agree, Doctor?”

At the growing looks of shock and budding clarification on her clients’ faces, Dr. Quinzel relaxed her posture and gave the two of them a kind, knowing smile. A soft sigh slipped out as the psychiatrist leaned forward in her armchair again, clasping her hands together and lowering her voice back to normal now that her point had been made. She clicked her pen and placed her notepad in its customary spot on her lap. “I’d imagine with both of your… familial issues that you’re probably used to getting in your opinions after everyone else? If for any reason than to keep the peace and ensure that your voices were the last ones heard in the room?”

As she spoke out her observations, the psychiatrist’s eyes went from Raven to Donna, her face softening as she watched the way the two automatically leaned against each other as the conversation got more and more personal. Dr. Quinzel was pleased that both of them seemed to be genuine in trying to learn how to be better for themselves and each other; the pink tipped nails drummed against her knuckles as Dr. Quinzel considered how she’d get them to reach the conclusions that she wanted.

As usual, she decided to go with the obvious. “In my professional opinion,” The doctor began, “You both seem to want to be better than the expectations that you feel others have put on you. And while it’s good to have goals, you also need to ensure that those goals --those ambitions, really-- are something that you want.”

A small chuckle slipped out of the psychiatrist, “It’s a bit cliche, but you truly can’t be the best partner you can be in a relationship if you haven’t figured out what you as a person want.” Donna bit back a tiny smile and Raven rested her cheek on the tall woman’s shoulder, instinctively wanting to be closer. 

Dr. Quinzel considered the move and then added, “Now professionally, I’d like quite a bit more sessions with the two of you. When it comes to competition and measuring up to those expectations, it appears that both of you are prone to falling into a defensive state. That’ll have to be addressed, especially as you two set about setting boundaries in your lives outside of this office and your relationship.”

Her blue eyes were a bit remorseful as Dr. Quinzel hummed out, “I know it’s troubling to think about but Donna’ll have to speak to her sister about this festering insecurity eventually.” The rock climber tensed in a move so minute that Dr. Quinzel only knew it happened by the way Raven shifted, the goth’s other hand coming up to encase Donna’s hands within her own. Gray eyes were anticipating the uncomfortable truths that were headed her way, the goth’s face just barely remaining stoic when Dr. Quinzel added, “And Raven’s going to have to deal with any sort of fallout that occurs once her father gets caught.” 

Without waiting for them to speak up, the blonde couldn’t keep the smile out of her voice as she declared, “It’ll obviously be difficult, but you two have proven time and time again that you’re willing to work at this: whether it be therapy, your relationship, your own selves.”

Raven and Donna shared a quick look, a bit of wonder and a lot of hope plain on their faces. “Now, in my not professional opinion,” Dr. Quinzel grinned at them, “I think both of your values and goals are focused enough that this relationship can absolutely work. In fact, it should thrive if you two put even half as much effort into it as you do when you’re in counseling.” 

Raven smiled as she rubbed her thumb over the soft scars that covered where the gauze didn’t completely cover Donna’s knuckles when she sparred with Dick. Donna let out a small laugh and ran a hand through her loose ponytail, fighting the urge to sigh in relief at the psychiatrist’s comment. 

Donna and Raven had the same thought going through their minds, urged on by the fact that there was a chance that they could work. 

Without realizing what she was doing, Raven rested her head on her date’s shoulder. Feeling a bit exhausted from the emotions of their reunion and the sheer amount of learned behavior she and Donna would have to work on, the goth rested her other hand along the crook of Donna’s arm. 

Dr. Quinzel bit back a smile and scribbled something down when Donna lightly jumped at Raven’s move. The rock climber let a languid smile curl her lips, “Hey, Rae?”

Instead of speaking, the goth lifted her chin to rest on the end of Donna’s wonderfully wide shoulders. Donna instinctively pressed a kiss to her forehead, feeling rather than seeing as Raven’s eyes widened at the move.

A part of her realized how odd it was to be so comfortable and romantically open while in the therapist’s presence, but Donna brushed the thought aside; their relationship had been formed in such a weird way that that wasn’t all too peculiar, all things considered.

Donna aimed a bright, dimple-laden, slightly crooked smile down at the goth that still clung to her arm, “Did you want to go out sometime? Like a date?”

Gray eyes both widened and softened at the same time, Raven’s lips splitting into a genuine smile that brightened her whole face. The sight almost made Donna lean down to finally kiss her, but the scratch of pen against paper interrupted the moment. Donna glanced at Dr. Quinzel when her scribbling kept up for more than ten seconds, unsure if something was wrong. Raven tore her gaze from the rock climber’s face as the doctor hastily flipped between pages of her notes, the swish! of paper loud in the quiet air. 

A tiny chuckle escaped the goth at the obvious stretch of emotions that came over Dr. Quinzel’s face. The psychiatrist considered her previous sessions’ notes, a bewildered sigh escaping her as a set of wide blue eyes considered the couple. “You two weren’t lying, were you?”

They both sheepishly shrugged as Dr. Quinzel gaped down at her past handwriting, over half a decade of professionalism just barely keeping the flabbergasted laughter from escaping, “When you said ‘I don’t even know her.’ You were being serious, weren’t you?”

Donna had the good graces to look abashed as she answered, “We met here, yeah.”

Dr. Quinzel swallowed a sound in her throat as she palmed her face, uncaring as some of her pink gel pen wrote on the side of her cheek. The blonde let out a soft cackle, her disbelief at the turn of events morphing into amusement as she leaned forward, holding her notepad against her chest. 

With Dr. Quinzel obviously occupied, Raven, feeling bold, brought their hands up to her mouth and pressed a kiss against the back of Donna’s hand. 

The rock climber jumped at the contact, their proximity meaning that Raven could see the tiniest trail of goosebumps that ran over her date’s arms as she smiled up at her. “I never got a chance to say yes,” Raven softly murmured against tanned skin.

While Donna giggled out an excited “Really?!” Dr. Quinzel slyly glanced at the clock; seeing that she didn’t have too much time to lead their conversation into the next subject, the blonde sat up straight. 

“Okay, I have some therapy homework for you two.” Dr. Quinzel punctuated her words with a clap, her grin wide as she considered the couple in front of her. 

Her arms spread open, the blue flannel giving way to the crimson button up that the psychiatrist wore underneath. She pointed between her clients, “You two’ll have to discuss some of this while out of my office.”

Dr. Quinzel immediately squinted at the guilty looks that the two young women shared, a worried sigh filling her lungs, “...You two are talking about our sessions outside of this room, right?”

Donna blushed and looked away, her fingers tightening around Raven’s as she rubbed the back of her head. Fiddling with the elastic band that held her ponytail, the muscular woman admitted, “We don’t really talk much outside of this room, actually.”

Raven bit the inside of her cheek, watching the thoughts fly across their therapist’s face as Dr. Quinzel remembered her earlier realization of how consistently literal their answers were. The blonde scooted back until she was flush with the plush back of her armchair, professional intuition and common sense preparing her for the expected answer of her next question.

Dr. Quinzel crossed her legs and asked the obvious, “How much time do you two spend together?”

Raven tucked a lock of hair behind her ear, the barest blush reddening the tops of her cheeks as she admitted, “About an hour a week, give or take a few minutes.”

Donna continued, “It usually depends on how long it takes us to walk down the stairs.”

Dr. Quinzel clicked her tongue, a small smile curling her lips as she deadpanned, “The elevator’s been repaired for a few weeks now. Think you can make the time to talk a bit longer?”

She leveled a gaze over the couple that somehow blended serious professionalism and kindhearted teasing all at once. Dr. Quinzel’s suggestion was a demand, “Maybe go out on actual dates rather than interacting only in my office?”

--

As usual, their walk down the stairwell was quiet; the new couple held hands as they languidly made their way down the concrete steps, enjoying the quiet and the feel of the other so close. Raven tugged on Donna’s hand as they neared the end of the stairwell, stopping the rock climber before she could get too close to the door. 

“Dr. Quinzel knows.”

Donna raised a brow at the obvious, trying to follow the psychiatrist’s advice and listen to her date’s words instead of staring at how kissable her lips looked. She thought back to their second session and her cheek tingled as she remembered the warmth of Raven’s lips against the corner of her mouth where her dimple lay.

The goth took a deep breath, “Should we keep this up?” 

Raven quickly added at the brief flash of concern that slipped onto Donna’s face, “I mean with this ‘only talking while in therapy’ thing. Dr. Quinzel’s right. We should go on actual dates eventually.”

Donna tugged at her ponytail, “Well, it’s only 4. I’ve got the rest of the day off, you up for an early dinner?”

Raven smiled, nodding as Donna grabbed her hand to pull her close. She got a scant second to savor the press of the muscular woman against her then, getting the hint when Donna turned her face towards the door to the lobby, Raven once again pressed a quick, firm kiss against Donna’s cheek, glad that this time she didn’t have to rush out to see the adorable way Donna’s smile showcased her dimples. 

A quiet little gasp slid out of the goth when Donna leaned down to peck the corner of her mouth. The rock climber squeezed their joined hands as they stepped out into the sunlight, the lobby’s noise drowned out by the passing cars along the street. 

#blind date couples therapy au #donnarae #raven #donna troy #harley quinn #wonderbird #my writing #just under 3k words till we reach 20k!!!! #this could've been the last ch but I wanted a fluffy epilogue thingy. I might even actually show them interacting outside the office 👀👀👀 #I want to gush about all the Emotions that occurred in this ch bc like. harley knows now! they're finally technically dating! we get one (1) #full on kiss at the end to be Dramatic and it's coming up like!!! this story will be in the 20k mark and I will finish before halloween but #I am dying rn yall. Did my best icarus and flew too close. i CaN fInIsH iN a MoNtH fucking hellllllllll #literally the day after I posted we got slammed at work and I now know that 3 straight 15 hour days equals a dying squid #this whole goddamn month like??? I work at a bakery (cakes not bread) (a cakery if you will) and SO MANY ppl wanted shit on 9/11 ughh #usually we avg like 35ish cakes a week. 38 on 9/11 alone my fucking god I'm still recovering from that week like?? why so many????? #I guess it's cause cali is kinda opening up? low hospitalizations plus later summer bdays means cakes everywhere I guess #my check was beautiful but like. I wanted to finish a story really fast yknow lmao 'I'll finish in a month' then a monthlong hiatus ;-; #even table for two like!!! a night's worth of editing was stretched thru like. 3 weeks of lunch breaks #g o d but at least things seem to be slowing down until the xmas stampede which means more time for writing *fingers crossed* #so many haphazard notes on my phone for random aus that I just haven't been able to even make a doc for asdfghjkla #I want to Sleep but I want to Write but I Need to sleep and I also need to jot down these ideas before I forget aaaaaaahhh