THIS IS SPOILER FREE! Everything that happens in this imagine is from the second trailer.

requested by idostuffsometimes27

i kinda changed this request only a little to fit my current anxieties i am dealing with! it just feels good to write about them like this. and please forgive me for my lack of guitar knowledge bc i have no musical talent and i dont know things

/ / /

The van rocked from side to side as Barley, your boyfriend, pulled onto the highway. He merged in with traffic fearlessly, apparently not hearing the blare of the horn as a car had to swerve into the next lane to avoid hitting you. You, with your fear of cars, gripped the bottom of the bench seat and squeezed your eyes closed.

You wished you hadn't come, but you knew you had to. Both of the boys needed you and your help.

"Hey, man, you okay?" Ian asked. He was sitting in the passenger seat, glancing back. "Barley, she looks a little sick..."

"Oh, ___?" Barley gave a nervous look as he glanced at you in the rear view mirror. "Uh yeah, she's got a bit of anxiety when it comes to cars. She got in a bad accident a few months back."

"Really?" Ian asked, voice dropped to a whisper.

"Yeah, she wasn't going fast or anything, she just---"

"Barley," you said, eyes still screwed shut. "Please."

"Sorry," he said. He looked straight ahead at the road. "But, yeah."

Ian glanced back at you again. You had your head in your hands. He swallowed hard, genuinely feeling for you.

"Hey, I'm gonna switch seats with her," he said. "She might feel better with a seat belt. Besides, I want to talk to Dad, too."

"Okay." Barley smiled. "That's great of you, Ian."

Every time the van bounced or made a sound, your muscles tightened. Your legs and hands felt like they had fallen asleep. You felt like you barely even existed.

You jumped when someone brushed past your knee. Your eyes shot open, thinking it was Ian and Barley's dad (or the half of him that managed to appear) that had gotten up. But instead it was just Ian, showing you a slight smile as he sat down across from you.

"You go sit by Barley," he said, jerking his head in the direction.

"Oh. Are - are you sure?"

"Yeah."

Barley patted the back of the passenger seat. "Come on over here, my love. You'll feel much better when you're sitting by me."

Clumsily you stood, trailing your hand against the wall as you slowly made your way to your boyfriend. You dropped down into the seat and hurriedly put your seat belt on. Once it snapped, you felt like you were able to breathe a little better. You sat perfectly straight.

"I can go slower."

You shook your head. "No, Barley, you guys need to get there. I'll be okay. Just keep driving."

He glanced at you, his eyebrows pulled together. "You know I'm not going to let anything happen to you, right? I know you think my driving is scary, but I'm not gonna put you in any danger."

"It's not you that worries me. It's the other drivers that do. You never know what they're gonna do."

"Well, you can't live in fear of what other people do. That's no way of living. You gotta find your confidence." He straightened his back. "Come on, chin up! Like a grand warrior---"

"Barley," you said, sighing. "Please."

"Aw, babe," he said, taking one hand off of the wheel and reaching over. His hand found yours and his thumb stroked across the back of it. "You know I'm just trying to help."

"I know," you said. "I appreciate you."

He took half a moment to glance at you and smile reassuringly before he pulled his hand back and put in on the wheel. "Oh, I know what would make you feel better! And I bet Dad will enjoy it, too."

"What?"

He reached behind his seat. The van swerved a little bit and your hands shot out, ready to grab the wheel. Barley quickly handed you your guitar, which you left in his van for when you both were hanging out.

"Oh, I don't know if I want to play---" You shook your head.

"Come on. It always calms you down, and I know Dad will want to hear what my awesome girlfriend can do. Come on!" He grinned.

"Your dad can't even hear," you said in a hushed voice.

"He can... he can feel the music I bet," he said, nodding. "Ian, what do you say?"

"I-I think it'd be cool if you played," Ian said.

You sighed. "Okay."

"Yes!" Barley exclaimed. He turned the radio all the way down.

You put the guitar on your lap. You started to strum the strings of the guitar, playing the notes of your favorite song. You sang softly, not really caring how you sounded, just trying to enjoy the feeling of this distraction. When you strummed the last notes, you kept your grip on the instrument, not ready to let go of the feeling of that kind of safety.

"That was great," Barley said.

"Yeah, it was awesome, ___," Ian told you. "It really was. And I think Dad liked it too! I think he started swaying."

You laughed. "Thank you, Ian --- and Mr. Lightfoot."

"Man, my girlfriend is just the most amazing, isn't she?" Barley asked, gently elbowing you. "Eh? Isn't she?"

"Stop it, Bar," you laughed, putting the guitar back behind his seat. Before sitting back, you stretched and cupped his cheek, pulling him in for a quick kiss.

You sat back down, but kept your hand out to hold onto his shoulder. With your head leaned back against the seat, you looked at him, a real smile on your face.

"Now that you played me that fantastic song, allow me to play you a little something I cooked up," he said. He rummaged through the pile of tapes that littered the center console.

"W-Why don't you let me grab things while you focus on driving?" you suggested. "What's it called?"

"It's called," he said, holding up a tape. "___. That's what I called it because I made it for you."

You shook your head and smiled as he put it in. A song started to pour out over the speakers, and Barley's hand found yours again. You looked at him and smiled, hearing both the song that you loved and the sound of Ian telling his dad all about what he had been missing so far.

You took in a deep breath, feeling more okay than ever.