It was late when Jonathan came back. Buzzing him up, I waited for him by the elevators, embracing him the moment he got off. He gave a laugh as he pulled away and said, "That worried were you?"

"Yes! You work at Arkham! That building has to be completely vulnerable to the Joker…. He might try to blow up that building next!"

"He hasn't blown up a building yet today."

I frowned, "I know."

"All of Gotham of on alert…."

Hugging him again, I sighed, "What would you like to do for dinner?"

He sighed, "I'm not sure."

"I'll cook then."

He smiled, "Sounds perfect."

We pulled away and made our way to the kitchen. I pulled out some items that had been delivered and began making an Italian sausage and tortellini dish. As I prepared the food, Jonathan got settled in. It was clear he had gone home quickly to get more clothes, so he was changing into something more comfortable. Coming into the kitchen, he came up behind me as I placed the top on the pot to let the dish simmer while covered, and he pulled me to him, his lips kissing my neck. I smiled and hummed my approval and turned in his arms and took his lips with mine. Running his hands through my hair, he gave my locks a gentle tug which caused me to gasp, allowing his tongue entrance to my mouth. I moaned into the kiss, the sound muffled, and I wrapped my arms around his thin frame pulling him closer to me.

Pulling away, I looked up at him and smiled, "I should change."

Kissing me again, he said, "Go. I'll watch over the food."

I smiled and left to change out of my clothes and into a pair of sweatpants and a tank top. Pulling my hair into a ponytail, I re-entered the kitchen and checked on the food. Moving Jonathan aside, I took up a spoon and gave the dish a quick stir before asking for him to add the spinach to the dish. Letting the leaves wilt, I took the dish off of the heat. Jonathan got down some plates and I scooped out the creamy dish onto them and we sat down at the table. Taking a bite, Jonathan smiled, "This is amazing."

I blushed, "Thank you."

Taking a bite, I too agreed that the dish was quite good. I don't know what I did, but this batch tasted especially good this time around. It was all I could do to keep myself from shoveling the dish into my mouth. Taking up a glass of wine, a loud and thunderous sound came from somewhere nearby. I let out a small scream at the sudden sound, and both of us stood to look out the expanse of windows. I spotted it out on one side beyond the helicopter pad. In the distance a billowing cloud of black smoke rose into the night sky highlighted by fire from under it. Taking hold of Jonathan's hand I asked, "What… what building would that be?"

Jonathan was quiet for a moment then said, "A school... I think that building could have been a school? I'm not sure, I can't quite tell."

I nodded as tears filled my eyes, "Well… at least… at least the school would have been empty, yes?"

Jonathan nodded, "Yes."

Pulling me into his arms, we watched as the first responders made their way to the building, their lights and sirens moving through the town giving off an eerie echo. With great difficulty, Jonathan and I moved away from the window and tried to back to our normal routine. We sat back down at the dinner table and tried to continue eating our meal. Jonathan was especially keen for me to keep eating, saying that it would help me feel better. Together we finished our plates and glasses of wine before moving to clean everything up. Once we had all of the food and dishes cleared away, we made our way to the bedroom where we silently got ready for bed.

When we woke the next morning, the explosion was all anyone on the television was talking about. It was indeed a school, and thankfully it was empty. The only tragedy of it was that it was one of the more historical buildings in Gotham and that now thousands of children and several members of staff would be displaced or jobless. Jonathan got ready to go to work and I was getting ready to spend the day alone in the penthouse again. Giving me a kiss goodbye, I begged him to call in, but he said he couldn't and I understood.

I lounged around my apartment for a few hours. Around lunch time a buzz came from my doorbell. Answering it, I heard Bruce on the other end and let him up. I smiled when the elevator opened and saw him carrying food. "You are a godsend."

He chuckled, "Well, I thought you could do with a good meal given what happened last night. How are you doing?"

I nodded, "We're good. It was a bit scary, but we're glad no one was hurt."

Bruce nodded, "Well, let's eat."

I smiled, "How is my mother?"

"Livid. She goes around the mansion complaining about how I let her one and only daughter run off to the dangerous city to be blown up. I tried talking her down, but she is persistent."

I scoffed, "Tell me about it. I just don't want to show this man that he has any control over this city."

"So staying cooped up in a penthouse all day is showing him how everyday-life is uninterrupted?"

I frowned, "Thanks, Bruce."

"We could go somewhere and eat… I can just stick these in the fridge for you."

I shook my head, "I think Jonathan and I are going to go out somewhere tonight."

Bruce nodded, "That's… good. How is um… how is that relationship going?"

It was my turn to frown, "It's going well. Why? Do you have any more warnings you want to give me?"

He shrugged, "Guess not."

I nodded, "Good."

"Have you told him about us?"

I stood silently for a moment, "I told him we fucked in your sauna, yes."

He flinched, "And?"

I shrugged, "And what? He understood that at the time we weren't exclusive, and that it was just sex… it didn't mean anything."

"Are you exclusive now?"

"Is this why you came over? You're still trying to pry into my relationship? You still think that the man who I've been practically living with for weeks is a dangerous person? He has done nothing, Bruce, nothing but eat, sleep, have sex, and go to work. There has been no secret meeting or mysterious phone calls. Nothing. Why can't you just let him be happy in his reformation?"

"It's been my experience that people don't change that completely."

I frowned, "Well, Jonathan can."

"I just don't want you to-"

"I swear to god, Bruce, if you end that sentence with 'get hurt' I'm going to kick you out."

Bruce looked down then said, "I miss you."

"We've spent loads of time together," I replied, "Every evening, practically."

Setting the food down, Bruce moved to me, wrapping his arms around my waist, "No…. I miss you. I… I miss your body. I think about that night we danced…. Holding you in my arms while we gently swayed to the song… the night we kissed."

I tried to pull away, "That night was a mistake, Bruce."

"I don't think it was."

"Bruce… please let me go." Looking up into his eyes, I saw a world of hurt, longing, and hopefulness in them. Softly I said, "Please don't do this, Bruce."

"Bethy… I love-"

"No." I pushed my way out of his arms, "No, Bruce. Please…. Please don't. You don't know me anymore, Bruce…. You're probably still in love with the girl you knew when we were kids, but I'm not that little girl anymore. I'm different. I'm grown. I like and do different things. Don't confuse me with her."

"Bethy," He moved to say something else, but with a heavy sigh said, "Do you still want to eat?"

My heart sank in my chest a bit, but I nodded, "Yes… what did you bring?"

He pulled out salmon with rice and salads. I smiled and got out a bottle of white wine and two glasses as he set up the meal. We ate together, avoiding the large elephant in the room, and actually managed to salvage a good time out of the meal. When Bruce left, I put everything away and had just finished clearing the kitchen when Jonathan came up.

Giving me a kiss, he asked "How was your day?"

"Bruce came over."

"How was that?"

I shrugged, "Good."

Smiling he replied, "Good."

He took my lips with his again, engaging me in a deep kiss. His hands gripped my hair and my hands were on his, using them to hold myself up. He moved us through the apartment to my bedroom where he set us on my bed. Not breaking the kiss, he undid my pants and slid his hand down between my thighs, his fingers entering me. I gasped into the kiss, but he kept his lips over mine. My arms were outstretched on the bed, my hands tangling them in the sheets as he fingered me. Jonathan's free hand was sliding up my shirt and under my bralette, exposing my breasts. His lips finally leaving mine, he kissed down my neck and to my exposed tits, taking a nipple in his mouth. I gasped again, my back arching off of the bed.

"Jonathan," I panted, "Jesus Christ, Jonathan!"

Pulling away from my breast, he smiled, "Do you like what I'm doing to you?"

Smiling slyly, I replied, "I'd like it even more if it were your dick in me and not your fingers."

He frowned, "Such crass words coming from such a beautiful mouth."

"What can I say? I have a dirty mouth?"

"I can see that." Taking his hand out of me, he stuck his fingers in my mouth which I obediently sucked clean. "A very dirty mouth in deed."

"Put your dick and me and see just how dirty I can get."

He purred as he reached down and undid his pants, kicking them off and onto the floor. Reaching off to a side table, he grabbed a condom and quickly put it on before positioning himself at my vagina. Looking me in the eye, he said, "Get dirty."

Thrusting into me, I threw my head back and said, "Fuck, Jonathan! Fucking Christ, yes!"

"You call that dirty?"

"Your cock feels so good," I said, "I want you to fuck me."

"Fuck you how?"

Looking him in the eye, I said, "I want you to fuck me like the dirty slut I am."

His eyes darkened as he thrust into me again, this time harder than the first, "Are you a dirty slut?"

Gasping for breath, I said, "You know I am."

Thrusting again, he asked, "Is that why Bruce was here? For a quick fuck?" When I didn't respond immediately, he forcibly turned my face to his, "Well?"

I smiled, "Yes…. But I didn't sleep with him."

"And why not?"

I leaned in to his ear and whispered, "Because I'm your dirty slut." With a lick along the outside of his ear, he shuddered and pinned me to the bed.

His thrusts came harder and I found I couldn't keep myself from crying out. Soon he finished in me, and took my mouth with his. Calming down, he began to kiss his way down my neck again, over my breasts and down my stomach. Crouching in front of me, he said, "How does my dirty slut taste?" Leaning in, he lapped at my folds with his tongue, his fingers pulsating in and out of my vagina. I gripped the sheets as he held my legs apart, and soon I finished. Licking up my juices, he came back up to me, and said, "My slut tastes delicious."

I smiled, "Who has the dirty mouth now?"

Kissing me deeply he replied, "I want to drink you over and over again."

I hummed, "That doesn't sound practical."

"I guess you're right."

I kissed him and said, "Do you want to make dinner plans?"

"Yes." Pulling away from me, he said, "I know of this fancy restaurant in down that I would love to take you to."

I frowned, "How fancy is fancy?"

He turned to me and said, "Pretty fancy."

I smiled, "Okay. Why?"

He looked shocked and answered, "I have to treat my girlfriend to a proper date night."

Smiling wider, I kissed him, "Well, call and make a reservation and then come shower with me." Watching him smile as he left to make the reservation, I collected myself and stood to go and shower, my legs a bit stiff from the sexual activities. Waiting for the water to warm, I got in, and began showering, smiling when I felt Jonathan get in. "I hope you made it for a late reservation."

Pressing his lips against my neck, he said, "Don't worry… I had the exact same idea you did."

Laughing, I turned to him and let him pin me against the wall, his mouth again at my neck.