Hey guys :D This fic was written for the fourth Prompt Exchange Challenge hosted by Unattainable Dreams. I had a lot of fun with this :) Also, I definitely wrote this fic with Nat-Attack in mind ;)
Prompt: Cafuné [Sent by TexasDreamer01]
According to my google research, cafuné is a Portuguese word that means either caress or fondling hair hahahaha so Please enjoy my attempt at bringing this prompt to life!
A small smile played around Stephanie Brown's lips as she browsed the bookshelves Bruce Wayne had in his library. He had the worst taste in reading material. She laughed softly and pulled a pristine copy of Jane Eyre off the shelf. Sitting down in an arm chair Stephanie brushed her long blonde hair out of her face and wondered if she had made the right decision to come down here for the weekend. It had been years since she had set foot in The Dark Knight's home and if it hadn't been for Alfred calling her up, who knows how many more would have passed?
Stephanie felt a surge of affection for the British butler. It was Bruce's birthday the next day and Alfred had requested for all the bat children to come down and celebrate. So here Stephanie was, a professional 32 year old journalist, spending the weekend in the plush Wayne Manor. She chuckled as she recalled the expression on her boss' face when she had requested the time off. Stephanie hardly ever took time off.
She must have gotten her workaholic tendencies from Bruce, Stephanie thought with a grin. After spending so much time being Batgirl it had been hard adjusting to a purely civilian life. As much as Stephanie missed her former crime fighting life she had to admit being a journalist had its benefits. Currently she worked for the Gateway Times, the biggest paper in Gateway City out in California. When she had first moved out there it had been with trepidation; she had never lived outside of Gotham. But the change had been good for her. No more dark skies and threats of super villains trying to destroy the city.
Stephanie's thoughts were broken when the door to the library opened and Damian Wayne stepped inside. The only biological child of Bruce Wayne, Damian Wayne had a scowl on his face that Stephanie couldn't help but laugh at. His scowl deepened as he noticed her sitting there. "What' so amusing?" he asked gruffly.
"You are." Stephanie said with a grin. "Why do you look like Bruce just told you that you couldn't take the bat mobile out for a spin?"
Damian pressed his lips together and walked further into the library, revealing a thick tome in one hand. He walked over to a shelf that was across the room from Stephanie and the former Batgirl couldn't help but admire his backside. It should be a crime for someone so young to be so handsome but no one had sent Damian Wayne that memo. His dark hair was a little longer since the last time Stephanie had seen him. His shirt, while not tight, did little to hide the muscles beneath it. 24 years old, the son of the bat spent his days studying law and his nights fighting crime under the alias Red Bird.
He reached up to place the book on a high shelf and Stephanie watched the way his muscles bunched beneath his plan black t-shirt. It rose slightly in the back revealing a nice view of tanned skin that disappeared underneath a faded pair of blue jeans. Stephanie's eyes drifted downward and she allowed herself a moment to admire his ass. He could probably beat out Dick for the best ass award, Stephanie thought with a grin.
The grin turned into a frown, however, as Damian turned back around with a grimace on his face. He winced as he reached up and rubbed his shoulder with a barely perceptible sigh.
"What's wrong?" Stephanie asked as she set her book down on the table beside her chair.
Damian walked over to the door and said shortly, "It's nothing." He reached out for the door knob and once again winced.
Crossing her arms Stephanie said flatly, "You can't even move without wincing. Have you had Alfred look at your shoulder?"
Although it was clear he didn't wish to discuss this with her, Damian nodded. "Yes. He gave me an ointment to put on the area but I haven't had a chance to do it yet."
"Of course you haven't," Stephanie said shaking her head. "You bat boys can never remember to take care of yourselves." She stood up and smiled at him. "Lucky for you I'm good at this sort of thing. Go get the ointment; I'll help you put it on."
Damian looked horrified at the suggestion. "I don't need your help."
"I didn't say you did." Stephanie said with a lazy smile. "I'm offering it free of charge so you don't turn into a crippled old man. Now go get that ointment Batboy; it's nearly time for dinner."
Damian retrieved the ointment Alfred had given him and returned to the library feeling annoyed. He had better things to do than to sit there and let someone rub ointment into his shoulder. He had a thirty page research paper to finish. Something he would have been with if it hadn't been for the latest shenanigans of the Joker. He pushed open the library door and found Stephanie back in her chair idly flipping through the book she had been holding.
Long blonde hair curled around her face and shoulders reminding Damian of spun gold. He scowled at his sentimental thought. Sure Stephanie was an attractive looking woman but….his mind went blank when she looked up and smiled. Blue eyes twinkled at him and her lips, full and pink, looked ready to be kissed. She stood up and Damian's eyes trailed down her body. She wore a simple blazer over a mauve colored blouse. Her long legs were enclosed in tight jeans that disappeared into black ankle boots.
Stephanie walked over to a shelf and placed the book back. Turning to him she asked cheerfully, "You brought the ointment?"
Damian held up the bottle wordlessly.
Still smiling, Stephanie removed the blazer revealing that her shirt was sleeveless. She tossed the blazer onto a table and went to retrieve a small foot stool that Bruce Kept around for the shorter members of the household. She pushed the foot stool over to the arm chair before sitting down again. "Come sit on this."
"…fine." Damian tossed the ointment to Stephanie and with barely disguised unease he sat himself down on the foot stool.
He crossed his arms over his chest and tried to ignore the fact that Stephanie's legs were on either side of his body. Damian jumped slightly as Stephanie's hands brushed softly over his shoulders.
"You'll need to remove your shirt Damian."
Right. Damian tugged at the ends of his shirt and, in one fluid movement, removed the piece of clothing. He set it aside and wondered if he imagined Stephanie's small gasp. Her hands touched his shoulders again and a ripple of desire wound its way through Damian's body. He clenched his jaw was Stephanie's hands stoked gently up his neck. "What are you doing?" he asked sharply.
He felt her shift closer to him. "You're really stiff." Stephanie said as she used her thumbs to rub the back of his neck firmly. "Now that I have you here I might as well give you a quick massage."
Damian's protest was lost as her hands moved firmly over his shoulders. His eye lids fluttered shut as she worked the muscles. When was the last time someone had done this? Her hands floated over his shoulders, neck and back sending a trail of heat straight to Damian's….he let out a groan. "Damn it Stephanie. I'm not going to be able to move after this."
Stephanie's chuckle was low as she languidly moved her hands back up towards his neck. "You're welcome Batboy. You deserve to relax."
Her fingers brushed the backs of Damian's ears as they gently slid up into his hair. Stephanie smiled to herself as Damian mumbled something appreciatively and dropped his head back to give her better access. She stroked his hair back from his forehead and wished she had a camera on her so she could capture the content expression on the younger man's face. Who knew when she'd have a chance to see him looking this again?
Probably after sex, Stephanie thought with a flush. Her eyes slid down his body and she wondered how the former Robin would be in bed. Her hands stilled and she jumped slightly when Damian asked in a sleepy voice, "Finished already?"
"For now," Stephanie replied lightly. She pushed him forward slightly and reached for the ointment. Scooping some of it out with her fingers, she rubbed into Damian's shoulders. When she finished, she placed the cap back onto the container. "There," she said leaning over to grab his shirt. "All finished."
Damian turned to look at her and Stephanie froze at how close their faces were. Her eyes flickered to his lips before returning to his eyes. They darkened with an emotion that Stephanie hoped she wasn't imagining. Slowly she handed Damian his shirt and leaned back. He stood up easily and put the shirt back on much to her disappointment. He helped Stephanie to her feet and taking the ointment from her hands asked casually, "Do you have any plans for tomorrow beside's Father's party?"
Stephanie shook her head as they walked over to the library door. "Ah…no. Not yet."
Opening the door Damian said, "I see…would you be interested in doing lunch? We can…catch up?"
It was all Stephanie could do not to scream out yes. Instead she brushed the hair back from her face and replied nonchalantly, "Sure. That sounds good to me."
"Good." Damian said, a smile touching his lips. "I'll see you at dinner then."
He walked off, the shirt hanging over his arm, and Stephanie thought that tomorrow couldn't come soon enough.
Two weeks later Stephanie sat at an outdoor table of one of her favorite cafes. She had just finished turning in a difficult assignment and all she wanted to do was relax. Unfortunately, since this was her lunch break, she had at least five more hours of work before she could truly relax. As she munched on a french fry, Stephanie thought back to her lunch date with Damian. They had gone to café similar to this one and she was sure if it hadn't been for Gotham and its tendency to interrupt good moments with super villains, it could have been the start of something good.
Unfortunately, Gotham had stepped in the way and a sudden attack on the city, courtesy of Mr. Freeze, had put their date on hold. By the time everything had been sorted out Stephanie had been forced to return back to Gateway City. Absently she brushed a finger over the bruise fading on left arm. When everything had gone done she had joined the fight. Granted Stephanie hadn't done any serious crime fighting in years but her hours spent at the gym had not gone to waste. Her body had slipped easily into the role as easily as into her old spandex suit that Bruce had kept in his Bat Cave.
She missed it, Stephanie acknowledged with a small frown. As content as she was jetting around the United States chasing the next big story she would always miss her role as one of the Bat children fighting crime. Stephanie's musings were put to an end when her phone began to vibrate wildly in her purse. She let out a huff of frustration; if it was her boss…Stephanie pulled the phone out and blinked in surprise as an unknown number blinked across the screen. With only the slightest hesitation she slid her thumb across the touch screen and accepted the call. "Hello?"
"Stephanie." Damian's deep voice, soft and warm, felt like a caress against Stephanie's ear.
Blushing bright red, Stephanie was grateful that the former Robin couldn't see her face. "Damian! This is a nice surprise. What's the occasion?"
"The Gateway City Gala if you're up for it."
Stephanie felt her mouth drop open and she didn't bother hiding her gasp of surprise. "Wait, you're going to the Gala? Only the city's finest are going! My paper couldn't even get a press pass for it."
Damian chuckled and the sound caused a shiver to run down Stephanie's spine. She took a gulp of the drink in her cup as he explained, "Father was invited to be the keynote speaker but he has…pressing matters so I will be giving it for him."
"That's wonderful. I'm sure you'll do a great job," said Stephanie sincerely.
There was an awkward pause before Damian said hesitantly, "Thanks but….I was calling to see if you'd like to go with me. As my date."
A thrill of excitement went through Stephanie. She had recently purchased a dress on a whim that would be perfect for the formality of the situation. And if she could get into the gala and interview some of the people there…"I'd love to go," she said. She hesitated before admitting, "but I'd probably spend some time trying to snag interviews with some of the people rumored to go."
"That's alright," Damian said. "It's one of the other reasons I thought to invite you."
Touched by Damian's gesture, it took Stephanie a few minutes to respond. "Thank you Damian…" they chatted for a few minutes longer before Stephanie ended the call. She had to go inform her boss that she'd be leaving early tonight.
Several hours later, the limo that Damian sat in pulled up in front of an apartment complex. The young man stepped out and adjusted the tuxedo he was wearing. It was uncomfortable wearing these things but it was a small price to pay in order to Stephanie again. When his father had casually mentioned at breakfast a few days earlier that he would not be able to attend the Gateway City event because of a Justice League mission Damian had leaped on the chance to attend in his place.
Ignoring the tittering of some females near the apartment entrance, Damian strode into the building and took the elevator up to the fifth floor. He exited the elevator and stopped in front of the third door on the right. He knocked on the door and a few minutes later he heard Stephanie call out, "The door's unlocked; come on in!"
Frowning Damian opened the door and stepped inside. After the small entry way there was a semi large living room and kitchen combination. Down a short hallway to the right there were several closed doors. One was open and the faint sound of water running came from it. Damian walked into the living room and said loudly, "You shouldn't leave your door unlocked, it's dangerous even for a former crime fighter." The living room contained a comfortable looking sofa situated to face an entertainment center. A coffee table littered with miscellaneous items sat in front of it. A bookshelf graced one wall and the first two shelves were filled with photos. Damian moved over to them.
He couldn't help but smile at the pictures of Stephanie growing up through the years. To his surprise there were several from her time as Batgirl. Damian reached out and pulled out a frame that contained a photo of Stephanie in her last year as Batgirl with her arms draped around Time Drake. They were grinning at the camera and Damian felt a flicker of annoyance at how happy they looked.
"Wow that's an old photo." Stephanie's voice was filled with laughter and Damian turned around to give her a quelling look but every thought in his mind turned to mush when he saw her. Golden waves cascaded down her back, the front of Stephanie's hair held back by some jeweled clips. A floor length dress wrapped around her body and as she moved closer to him Damian was rewarded with a view of her leg through a slid slit. The rich purple color made her eyes seem darker than usual.
Stephanie's lips curved up in a smile. "I'm going to assume your speechlessness is a good thing."
"You look…." Damian paused to clear his throat and felt his face flush. "You look beautiful."
The smile on Stephanie's face grew wider and she joined him by the bookshelf. She pulled out a frame and handed it to him. "This is one of my personal favorites."
Damian handed her the other photo and looked at the one she had given him. He wasn't sure how he felt looking at it. A small, angry looking Damian wearing a school uniform stood next to a younger Stephanie who was making a silly face. "I had forgotten about this."
Stephanie stepped closer to him to peer at the photo. She giggled softly, "You were so angry about having to go to school that day. Bruce was dealing with the Penguin and you wanted to help him."
"I had my finals that day." Damian recalled, turning his eyes to the beautiful woman beside him. Their eyes met and the urge to touch Stephanie overwhelmed him. Keeping his eyes locked on hers, Damian reached his hand out and brushed her hair off her shoulder. His fingers skimmed over bare skin and Stephanie breathed in sharply. Her skin flushed red and Damian traced his hand up her neck before sliding it back into her hair. He twined the golden strands around his fingers and pulled her head back.
Pulling her closer, Damian leaned over and touched his lips to hers. Stephanie gave a soft sigh of acceptance and touched her hands to his shoulders. The frame dropped from Damian's hand and shattered against the floor as the kiss deepened and transformed from a gentle buss against the lips to something Stephanie had only read about in romance novels. Hands touched and caressed bared skin. Items crashed to the floor as the couple stumbled by the coffee table on their way to the couch.
The soft cushions enveloped Stephanie from behind as Damian pressed against her from above. When he pulled back to leave a trail of kisses down her neck, Stephanie said breathlessly, "We're going to be late." Her hands stroked his hair.
Damian looked up, a calm expression on his face. "I guess we are."
His path trailed lower and all further talking was put on hold.
"If you ever do that to your hair I might have to hurt you." Damian's statement startled Stephanie who had been busy devouring an ice cream cone. Currently the couple of eight months was seated on a park bench located in the Gotham City Gardens. It was Labor Day weekend and Stephanie had flown in a few hours earlier. It was a beautiful day so she had suggested they go for a walk in the gardens and get something cold. It didn't get much better than this.
Licking some ice cream that had dripped down onto her hand, Stephanie looked at Damian with a frown. "What are you talking about?"
Damian made a motion towards a woman with a short and spiked hair style. "I'm talking about that."
Suppressing an eye roll, Stephanie continued to eat her cone and she said, "Well there go my plans for when I head back to Gateway." She gave her boyfriend a look and laughed at the glare Damian gave her.
"Don't joke about that," he ordered. He shifted his hand from her shoulder and touched Stephanie's long blonde strands. "I like your hair."
Stephanie hummed in her throat as Damian stroked her hair. She wouldn't dream of cutting her hair; she enjoyed him playing with it. She finished the ice cream cone and after wiping her hands clean she leaned against her boyfriend. "That feels good."
"I know." Damian said simply. Then he smiled. "Maybe we should head back to my place so you can return the favor."
Laughing, Stephanie pulled away from him. "What hair am I supposed to play with?" Stephanie teased. "Your hair is too short now."
Keeping a serious expression on his face Damian replied casually, "There are other things you can play with."
"I'm sure you'd love that." Stephanie laughed. She leaned over and pressed a kiss against his neck. " Well, I'd love it too."
They stood up and, holding hands began the trek back to the garden entrance. They had only taken half a dozen steps when there was a large explosion nearby. The ground shook and Stephanie held on tightly to Damian to avoid falling over. Once the ground had settled and people began screaming Damian, with a scowl on his face said, "I think we'll have to put our plans on hold."
"No we won't." Stephanie said smugly. She pulled down the collar of her shirt to reveal purple and black spandex beneath. "I came prepared for whatever drama Gotham would throw our way."
The smile on Damian's face made Stephanie's heart beat faster. "God, you're amazing." He gave her a swift kiss and together, hands and hearts twined, they ran towards the smokes and screams.
Well I hope you guys enjoyed that one shot! I really enjoyed writing it. Leave a review ;)