His mind was buzzing over what he had just heard. out of all the things in Arkham city nothing had made him think more than the tapes he had just listened to.
Batman was standing on top of the ace chemical's building inside the massive mega prison known as Arkham city which had been built by Hugo strange to store all the criminal's of Gotham and to eventually kill them all using Protocal ten. Batman had stopped it before everyone was killed but even afterwads there was still loads of work to do within the prison.
However while searching Strange's office Batman had found recorded interview tapes of some of the more well known criminals of Gotham. Joker, Penguien Two-face, mad hatter, Mr Freeze, Riddler and Catwoman...Selina...
They all had intresting information but hers had left him lost for words, staring into to space, think about what she said...how she felt about him.
Strange wanted to know about her past, the same with the others, but what unnerved Bruce was his intrest in her realationship to him.
She refused to talk to Strange until he threatened the life of her friend Holly which left her to no choice but to talk.
"Your relationship with Batman, would you call it close?"
"Me and the brooding one get along just fine"
"but you want more? but you cant trust men, can you?"
Thoughts fly through Batman's mind
She want's more with me...i want more with her, but it's because of who we are that hold us back, that make us unsure wether we can trust eachother. It's time's like these where I HATE being the Batman, that something that i could have is snatched away, simply because of the mask i wear.
"..he doesn't trust you,.. and it hurts doesnt it?"
This leave's him with a numb and empty feeling. He never knew...had no idea that she was actualy upset by the fact he had not shared his secrets with her. She of course pretended otherwise around him, she would sometime's playfuly guess who he was or jokefully ask, but the fact that she was actually curious suprised even the Batman. The fact that she was hurt his refusal to tell her was beyond suprising.
Bruce continue to stare at the nearby courthouse where he had saved her from two-face.
"do you...love him?" "Selina... if only i could tell you how i feel...to share my secrets with you... to let you into my life, there isnt anything than i want more than you...but if you knew what knowing who i am could do to you.. i would never forgive myself.
As Bruce continued to think about her a noise came up behind him, the fact that he was thinking of her when she came along was a strange coinscidence. He turned slowly and saw her walking slowly towards him, she was smiling slightly as he looked upon her.
"hey handsome, not interrupting anything am i?" said Selina
Bruce paused slightly before replying, it was only just then did he realize how beautiful she was
"no i.. er..well what are you doing here Selina?"
She raised an eybrow
" well this city aint really as big as it looks, i was just passing by"
she said with something like concern in her voice
"you dont mind me saying hi to you, do you?" Again Bruce hesitated for a fraction of a second. it was strange. he had been able to talk to her fine a mere half an hour ago, yet after hearing what she had said...he almost couldnt bear to look her in the eye.. knowing that he had caused her pain
"o-of course not" he said smiling slightly "i appreciate the company".
Selina stared at Batman. There was something different about him, he didnt seem so "at work". She moved slightly closer to him and looked into his face. There was a strange expression on his face but she couldn't tell what it could be. Then she looked down near where Batman was standing and saw a pile of recording tape with labled names on it..including hers "Catwoman". She then looked quickly back up at him and she realised what his expression was. It was love. also saddness and longing but mainly love.
"did..did you listen to that by any chance?" Selina asked quietly.
"I think you know i did" Bruce replied with the same expression on his face.
This was one of the very few times where both Selina and Bruce where lost for words they stood for about a minite looking into eachothers eye's. Selina spoke
"So...did you really not think that i had a "thing" for you"
she looked down on the floor.
"i think everyone knows that we have a "thing for eachother" Bruce said softly.
he placed his hands on her face and she looked up at him again.
"Selina..it's.." he paused for a moment then spoke
"it's not that it dont trust you, it's just...well let me put it this way: if my enemies were to find out that you knew my secrets or know how i..how i feel about you, think how much danger that would put you in".
Selina said nothing but continued to look into Batman's eye's. Bruce thought he could see a tear in her' she spoke
"i can look after myself Batman, you of all people should know that".
"of course i do" Bruce replied
"But there's always that chance that you maybe caught unprepared and could end up dead".
Bruce could feel tears comming to his eye's but he would not let them show. Bruce spoke again
" if..if you were to turn up dead one day at the hands of one of these loonatic's and i knew it was my fault,...i would never forgive myself. not if it was you".
Selina still said nothing. Not only was she feeling great waves of emotion but could hardly believe that Batman, cold brooding Batman was actually saying this to her, actually opening his heart towards her. But what he said made scence. The other criminals of Gotham know that she is generaly close to Batman. People like the Joker have already tried to kill her beacause of this. She was never bothered by this but only after had Batman said these thing's to her did she realise how getting close to him had put her in danger. If she was to truly be with him the danger of it all could kill both of them. Selina spoke again her voice shaking slightly.
"your right Batman, i would be in danger if we where together" she place her arms around his neck and brought herself up close to him
"but dont you think its worth it?" she whispered
"yes there would be risk's but wouldn't it be worth it, if we were finally...together?"
she pressed her lips on his.
Bruce placed one hand on her waist and the other on the side of her face and embraced for what felt like perhaps an eternity they broke apart and looked into each others eyes
"Selina..." whispered Batman
Selina's hands where traveling slowly to his face, next to his mask. She was unsure wether to do this but found it a good sign that Batman did not try to stop her. Batman's heart was racing. She was going to lift his mask any minuite and see his face. He wanted her to see his face, after all she was right...she was totally worth it. Selina's hands where now lift the mask, she was about to do it, to see the face of the man she loved.
And then...
"HELP, NO PLEASE DONT HURT ME"
Both Selina and Bruce looked down to see an Arkham political prisoner being threatened by at least 4 other arkham inmates.
"SHUT UP, we dont want the bat coming to save your sorry ass now do we". they all began to close in on him with knives and held him up against the wall.
Bruce quickly looked at Selina who was already looking at him with a sad smile
"Selina..im..."
"Its alright dont be, go do what you need to do"
Batman nodded and headed towards the edge of the building pulling back down his slightly raised mask. He looked back at Selina with a loving expression.
"I promise, next time, ill be sure you finish raising this" said Bruce pointing at his cowl
Selina smiled " i look forward to it"
Batman gave her one last smile before diving and landing straight on top of one of the thugs.
Selina walked to the edge to watch him for a moment. She was feeling happier than she could have ever remebered. Looking over her shoulder she saw the tape with her name on it. Selina walked over to it and picked it up and smiled. "i would fail to steal his heart would i Strange?" Selina said smiling down at the tape, " you REALLY didn't know ANYTHING about him"
