Bruce
Wayne Manor

She loves me.

Despite the look in her eyes...despite the way she smiled at him...despite what he felt every time he touched her, he had never let his mind confirm it. It always felt like she could vanish in a puff of smoke at any given moment, never to be seen again. But suddenly, there she stood...loving him. He stared into her tear-filled eyes and saw it as clear as day.

Feeling weak and shaky, he pulled her mouth to his. His throat was too dry to speak, so he would have to show her. His arms trapped her against the wall and he pulled her flimsy shirt off; she was bare underneath. He started kissing from her forehead to her eyelids. Eyelids to cheeks. Cheeks to lips. Lips to neck. He continued this all the way down to her stomach until her breathing was quick and ragged When he was on his knees in front of her, he pulled her closer and rested his cheek against her stomach.

A light knock at the door, accompanied by a buzzing from his wrist, made him jump.

"Master Bruce, there's an urgent situation downtown. Tim and Barbara need Batman's assistance."

"Goddammit. Fuck." He pulled her tighter against him before standing and kissing her for a long moment. "I'll be back soon."

He walked to the door and took a tablet from Alfred.

"Do you need my help?" Zatanna's quiet voice came from behind him.

"You're drunk."

"I can sober up."

"I'll let you know if I need you to," he said, walking back and kissing her quickly again. There was a standoff that needed to be resolved and it was more than Robin and Batgirl could take on alone. "Alfred, let them know I'm suiting up and heading their way.

"Of course, sir."

Zatanna
Bruce's Bedroom

Shit. SHIT.

She'd said it. After months of biting her tongue and holding her feelings back, her goddamn big mouth had said the goddamn horrible words. They were words she had sworn never to say again, but she'd said them all the same...and gotten silence in return. One-sided love was all she had ever known and she knew now it was all she would ever get. Her stomach lurched, causing her to run to the toilet and vomit up what was left of her birthday celebration.

You fucking idiot.

Not wanting to be drunk and sick on the floor of his bathroom, she teleported home. It was a lousy idea, because it just made her vomit more. Once her stomach was sore from retching, she crawled into the bed and pulled the covers over her spinning head. As the tears began to flow again, her body shook violently until it reached the point of exhaustion.

"Peels, Annataz."

Bruce
Wayne Manor

The standoff had taken five hours to resolve. When diplomacy failed, he took his team in and dropped the gunmen. Three civilians had been severely injured and one officer had died. It was a mess that they should have been called into sooner, but they had to salvage what they could. He took a quick shower when he got back to the Batcave; all he wanted to do was crawl into bed next to Zatanna (who loves me) and sleep with her warm body against his. His hopes for that were dashed when he got to his room and found it empty. Her shirt and purse were still there, but her phone was gone. It was only 6:30 and he'd never known her to get up that early willingly, so he decided to go on a search and rescue mission in the house...no telling where she might wind up half-drunk in the dark. After searching for 20 minutes, he gave up.

She left?

Returning to his room, he grabbed his phone and texted her.

- You okay? Why did you leave?

It was ten minutes before she finally responded.

- Felt sick

- You didn't have to leave for that
- Come back and sleep

- No, I still feel bad

- I don't care
- Come back

- I'll call you when I feel better

- Please come back

His phone fell silent and she didn't reappear. The exhaustion of the night before was weighing on him, so he laid down and fell asleep, hoping she would return when she felt better.

Zatanna
Shadowcrest

- Crying. Muffled crying and voices. So happy.

The first time she ever got drunk, Zee had resolved to never cheat the aftereffects. Using magic to get out of a hangover sounded like a really good way to destroy a liver at a young age. She could heal a lot, but she was pretty sure she couldn't magic up a whole new liver. Regretting everything about the night before, she got out of bed and stumbled to the kitchen. Asshole was already screaming at her and it made her head feel like it was splitting in half.

"I'll give you anything you want for the rest of all time if you'll just shut the hell up," she grumbled, handing him a bowl of food.

After forcing down some yogurt and drinking several glasses of water, she felt slightly less like death. Desperate not to think about what she had said to Bruce, she decided to focus on searching for J'onn most of the day. It had become a practice that calmed her, while also making her feel like she was doing something worthwhile. Finding her friend would definitely be worthwhile.

"Esaelp, dnif Nno'j."

With a fed cat on her lap, she drifted away to another world...far from her troubles.

Bruce
Watchtower

He'd spent the weekend working and trying to keep his mind off of things. Gotham always had its fair share of distractions that needed Batman's attention. In an effort to give Barbara a little more time off, he covered her watch shifts. She had assignments due before the holidays rolled around, and it wasn't as if he couldn't handle the extra work. He felt better than he had in years, thanks to his family. Still, when Monday night's meeting rolled around, he was more than a little tired. He hadn't been sleeping well without Zatanna there. She hadn't called and her responses to his texts were casual, but short. It had been so strange that he was worried she would skip out on the meeting, but she showed up on time and made her way to her seat. As always, he gave her a smile when he entered, which she returned...though her eyes seemed distant.

"Okay, let's get started. Victor, thanks for coming off of hiatus early. We could definitely use the extra manpower." Victor nodded to him from where he was standing in the corner.

"Shazam reported in. He didn't get anywhere with Black Adam. We knew it was a long shot, but it was our best lead."

"Have you found anything examining the bodies?" Clark asked.

"No. Not that I'm particularly good at alien autopsies anyway, but there's nothing familiar about them. I can see why the Lanterns determined they weren't from the known universe."

"I hate to say it, but I think we have to table it for now. We have more pressing matters that need to be addressed."

Bruce didn't like it, but, looking around the room, he could see that he would likely be outvoted on the topic. Most of the others were satisfied with the result they had gotten in their battle with the beasts and Adam; they didn't want to spend time chasing down possibilities that may never happen. It didn't mean he had to let it go...he wouldn't...it just meant he wasn't going to have the League's help.

Clark took over the rest of the meeting. Several of the members were going to assist with flood recovery in Bangladesh, while the rest carried out standard patrols and operations. There was still no progress on finding J'onn, with Zee just silently shaking her head when asked if she had any leads. She seemed to be deep in thought when the question was brought up. Once updates had been finished, the meeting was adjourned and the group started to disperse.

"Vegetable lasagna," Bruce said, stopping Zatanna before she left the room. She looked up at him, still distant.

"What?"

"For dinner. Alfred has made it his mission to feed you at least twice a week." Her eyes seemed to clear slightly as he spoke.

"Oh. I can't. I'm sorry. I have something I need to take care of."

"At 8:30 on a Monday night?" She's avoiding me.

"Yeah. Sorry, it's important. Tomorrow, though? Same as always." Giving him a brief peck on the lips, she walked away and vanished.

Shit.

Zatanna
Gotham City

She waited in the dingy pub Constantine had recommended. It was only a hunch, but she needed to run it by him and see what he thought. Her body was still repulsed by the idea of alcohol, so she ordered a glass of water and waited...for an hour and a half. When he dragged himself in the door, he ordered a whiskey and sat down across from her at a table in the corner.

"Been a while since you called me for a late night get together like this," he said, grinning expectantly.

"I have a lead." She didn't have time to spend on his pointless flirting.

"Alright, I'm listening."

"You heard about the battle in Egypt?" He nodded and he sipped his drink. "The beasts that we fought...they aren't from our universe. Nothing about them matches our universe."

"Is that what you spend your time doing now? Trying to figure out where weird beasts come from?"

Idiot.

"Would you at least try to have a coherent train of thought for five minutes? If they aren't from our universe, they're from another. In another dimension." Light finally started to dawn on his drunken face. "And it may give me a lead on something else I've been working on since the fight."

"I'll be fucked. You just might be onto something, love. What else you been working on?"

She only wanted him to know so much, for now.

"A missing person."

"And you think that person might be missing in another dimension?" Nodding, she picked up her purse and headed toward the door. He scrambled to catch up with her. "Hey, what are you doing? We need to work on this."

"I know. Sober up and I'll meet you in the morning. Sober, John. This is important."

He grabbed her arm and turned her to face him, pulling her close.

"I always sober up best in your arms, you know."

"Then you'll have to find something else to clear your head. 10:00. Be on time for a change." She shook off his hands and headed home, invigorated by having a possible lead for once.

Constantine
Gotham City Park
Too Fucking Early

She insisted on meeting in a public place again, but at least it wasn't a bloody coffee shop. It was damn cold, though. He pulled his coat tighter around his neck and sat down next to her on a park bench as light snow fell.

"You're late again. Are you still drunk?"

"Not very. My head's clear enough to think. Tell me what you have."

She sighed loudly and turned to glare at him.

"I told you what I have. Now we need to figure out what it means. Or were you too drunk last night to even remember what I said?" Her voice was loud and harsh and it made his headache worse.

"Christ, Zee, just calm the fuck down. I remember. They may well be connected, but we need something from those beasts and we need allies. Are you up for some recruitment?" He shivered in the cold. Gotham was miserable in the winter...more miserable than London, which was saying something.

"I thought that's what you've been doing. What have you been doing, if not that?"

"Tracking them down. We need to get them lured to the table and I need you for that. I don't exactly have a great rapport with the people we're going to need."

"And you think I will? It isn't a secret that I'm part of the Justice League. That doesn't exactly attract the kind of magicians you're wanting us to work with." He tried to light a cigarette, but she grabbed it and threw it onto the ground.

"That's littering...and rude. The kind of magicians we need might not trust the League, but they're very interested in you and your skills. If you give them a chance to get close, they'll take it."

"Get close how?"

"Remember how I told you those shows you used to do were right up their alley?" He turned and gave her a smug smile.

"No. That's not who I am anymore."

"It doesn't have to be. You just have to play along for a little while. Get them to the table and then you can go back to pretending you're the Justice League's perfect little angel." He stood and picked his cigarette up off the ground. Lighting it, he turned back and looked at her. She was deep in thought and he knew he had her hooked. "I'll get things set up and let you know some dates. Get ready."

"I don't want to do this, John." Her voice was quiet as she stared at the ground.

"We don't always get to do what we want, love. I'll call you."

Bruce
Batcave

He didn't have a lot of hope that he would show up, but she said she would, so he went to the cave at 7:30 in case she kept her word. Sitting down at his computer, he tried to focus on reviewing case files. When he heard a sound behind him, he whipped his head around.

"Well, well...same old Bruce, I see."

Selina. She sauntered up behind him, leaning against the railing on the stairway and smiling at him. He hadn't heard from her in months. No phone calls, no text messages. Just silence and this sudden appearance. He glanced at his watch...7:45. Shit.

Standing and walking to lean against the wall across from her, he crossed his arms and kept his distance.

"What brings you by?" Another glance at his watch.

"Do I need a reason? You never seemed to mind when I dropped in before." She walked over and sat down in his chair, looking at the computer monitors.

"It's just been a while. Everything okay?" 7:47. She wanted something. He could always tell when she wanted something.

"Oh, sure. Just been traveling. Felt like dropping by and..." Her words cut off when she turned around and looked toward the stairway.

Fuck.

Turning his head, he saw Zatanna standing on the steps. The look on her face ripped at his heart. She tried to put on her best fake smile.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to interrupt. Guess I'm early."

"You're right on time, Zee. You remember Selina Kyle?" Her face indicated that she most definitely did.

"Of course. Good to see you again, Selina. I'll head home...we can train another time."

"No, don't do that. Just give me a minute and I'll be right down. Please." She nodded with her fake smile still in place, but when she turned, he saw it fade from her face. His heart ached again. She went back down the stairs, where he was sure she would transport herself home.

"Well, you sure like them young nowadays, don't you?" Selina sneered at him and stood. "Seems I'll be the one heading home. When you're bored with this one, give me a call. I'll be around."

She made her way back to the staircase and toward whatever opening she had found her way in through. He put his head in his hands and rubbed his temples. After a few minutes, he heard a sound from downstairs.

She stayed?

He jogged down the stairs to the training area, where he found Zatanna sitting on the weight bench, slowly wrapping her hands and not looking up at him.

"Hey," he said, not feeling very clever.

"Hey." Her eyes stayed down. "Ready to start?"

"Sure, just let me get my stuff." Keeping an eye on her, he walked to his locker and grabbed his gear. When she had finished securing her gloves, she stood and started to stretch. No longer able to tolerate the silence, he walked over to her. She looked up with another fake smile. A strand of hair had found its way over her eye, and he brushed it away as he put an arm around her waist.

"She just showed up. Promise," he said, running his thumb along her cheek. He hated the look in her eyes.

"None of my business, Bruce. It's your home," she said quietly, pushing his arms away and resuming her stretching. It was clearly too soon to talk about it, so he did his own stretching and watched her.

"What do you want to practice tonight?"

"You're the coach," she said, voice still quiet and calm. Maybe she'll feel better if she punches me.

They practiced through some Muay Thai and Kung Fu before sparring for the last half hour. She was attentive and calm, not seeming to want to punch him any more than usual.

"Alfred still wants you to try his lasagna," he said as they put away their gear.

"Sounds good." Despite her odd behavior, he felt a slight sense of relief that she was at least staying and he would have a chance to fix things.

They climbed onto the elevator, but she didn't cling to him like she usually did. Instead, her hands grasped the side railing while they ascended. It was usually hard for him not to laugh at her jumping and cringing during the ride, but the distance between them changed the mood. He wanted her to cling to him.

"You seem tired, Ms. Zatara," Alfred said, setting the plates of reheated food in front of them when they arrived at the table.

"Sorry, Alfred. I had a long day." Another fake smile that didn't reach her eyes.

"No apologies needed. Believe it or not, quiet meals are actually fairly commonplace around here." She smiled a little wider at this. Alfred could charm anyone.

The meal was finished in silence and they carried out their usual task of washing the dishes while Alfred bid them goodnight and returned to his wing. Rather than give her a chance to leave he grabbed her hand and quietly led her upstairs to his room.

"Don't forget your purse this time," he said, closing the door behind them.

"Oh. Right. I won't," she mumbled, seeming surprised to see it lying on his dresser. She picked it up and looked inside, wincing when she caught sight of his birthday gift. Slipping her phone inside and setting it back down, she headed toward the bathroom.

Time for silent showering.

They took turns washing each other, as usual. She stayed silent, which was not usual; she usually loved to tease him and joke as they enjoyed the relaxation. When they got out, he quickly dried off and pulled on his pajama pants. Once she had found one of his shirts to slip into, he decided it was time to try to repair his mess. He sat down on the bed next to her and pulled her to lean against his shoulder.

"I didn't know she was coming by. I promise." He felt her slowly nod.

"How often does she come by?" Her voice was barely audible.

"Counting tonight, since you and I started seeing each other...once." Another slow nod. "Where did you go last night?"

"I met John Constantine to follow up on a lead I might have found." He had an angry visceral reaction, but bit it back. She was being honest.

"Why did you leave after your birthday party?" Her body stiffened slightly at the question.

"I felt sick." She wasn't being honest.

"You know I don't care about that. Was it because I left?"

"No, of course not. You were doing your job."

"Then why?"

"I told you. What else do you want to hear?"

"The truth. Always."

"I felt sick. Can we sleep now? I'm tired." The tension was still in her shoulders, but he knew he wasn't getting anywhere until she felt like talking. He climbed into the bed and pulled her down, shifting her body until she was curled up in front of him. Nuzzling his face into the back of her neck, he breathed in the smell of her hair and drifted off to sleep.

Zatanna
Bruce's Bedroom

Sleep wasn't going to come. She'd known all along that it was only a matter of time before it ended. Now that Selina was back and she'd blurted out her feelings, the ticking of the clock echoed her ears. He would probably be upset that she woke him, but she decided it was worth the risk; there was an experience she wanted to share while she still could. Slipping out of the bed, she walked to the far side of the room and conjured a circle of candles. The sweet, floral scent started to slowly rise around her and the glow created a reddish tint to the walls of his room. Crossing her legs and closing her eyes, she floated in the middle, waiting for the smell to rouse him. After 15 minutes, she heard him shift in the bed.

"Zee? Are you okay?" He sounded concerned as he stood and moved closer.

"Yes. Join me, Bruce." Eyes still closed, she held out her hand. After a long minute, she began to think he wouldn't take her up on the offer. She started to lower her hand just before she felt his warm fingers slide against hers. As soon as he touched her, he was lighter than air. She smiled as she heard his shocked gasp. "I have you."

She pulled him closer and pressed her lips to his as she wrapped her arms around his neck.

"What is this?" His words were quiet as he clung to her arms.

"Tantric magic." When he was silent for a little too long, she finally opened her eyes. His face was hesitant, but his eyes were dark with desire. "Relax, Bruce. Just...let yourself relax. Cross your legs."

He was still clinging to her arms, but crossed his legs and hovered in front of her. She took his hands and lowered them to his knees, making sure their bodies weren't touching yet. That would come later.

"What do I do now?" She couldn't stop herself from smiling at him; it would be hard to get him to relax and cooperate, but she was up for the challenge. Looking in his eyes, she took slow, deep breaths that he started to imitate. She nodded her approval...feeling waves of tension slowly leave his body.

"Repeat these words, but only if its what you want. If it isn't, you can go back to bed and I'll let you sleep." He nodded as he watched her face. "Our minds together. Our souls together. Our bodies together."

It was another long minute of him matching her breathing before he spoke in a low, rough voice.

"Our minds together. Our souls together. Our bodies together." The light grew redder and brighter around them as he finished. She could feel the warmth start to build in her stomach, slowly spreading as she relaxed further into the moment. "I feel...warm," he whispered.

"That's me. My warmth. You feel mine as I feel yours. Our bodies together." His breathing was becoming shaky as the warmth built, so she took his hand and placed it over her heart. She then placed her other hand on his chest, feeling his heart racing behind his warm skin. It slowed as she held his wide-eyed gaze. Despite her limited experience with the process of tantra, she was able to project her calm into him. She wanted him to enjoy every moment. The warmth was buzzing throughout her body now as he relaxed further; his passion building as he continued to stare into her eyes.

Time was slowing and all she could hear was the sound of his breathing and the beating of his heart. Deciding he was ready for something new, she took his hands and held them out to where his palms were facing her. Gently...lightly...she touched her fingertips to his. He drew in a sharp breath as the sensations shifted and coursed through their skin. The lightest of touches brought an onslaught of pleasure. He moaned and closed his eyes, letting the feeling wash over his body.

"Zatanna..." His voice was barely a whisper as he opened his eyes again. Once more, she took slow, deep breaths to calm him as he settled into the feeling. Minutes passed by...or hours. It didn't matter anymore. Nothing else mattered anymore. Just him and this moment.

Bruce
Bliss

He wasn't entirely sure what it was, but he never wanted it to stop. It was pure pleasure. Pure joy. Everything was her as they touched and he looked into softly glowing eyes. When he felt her fingers start to lace with his, his excitement built further. Every change she made brought on a new wave of sensations. She straightened her legs and pulled him closer, gently brushing her lips against his and sending a shock through him. As his body jolted, she smiled and waved her hand to make their clothes vanish. Before he could think, she lowered herself onto him...causing him to cry out, the pleasure threatening to overwhelm him.

"Zee...I can't..." Her hand went to the side of his face and gently caressed while she held him tightly. Her body was perfectly still against him, but it didn't matter as the pleasure surged through his body. "Zee..."

"Shhh. I'm here." The calm in her voice helped to settle him slightly as he dug his fingers into her back and held on. "Feel me."

Feeling her wasn't the problem...she was all he felt. It was as if every cell in their bodies had merged into one. She pulled her head back and locked eyes with him again, returning her hand to his heart and resuming her slow, even breathing. He matched the rhythm as wave after wave of pleasure came and went.

"Touch me, Bruce." Her voice was quiet as she lowered her hand and grabbed his wrists, guiding them to her hips. The spell was still keeping her lighter than air as he slowly guided her up and down along his length. He felt as if he could continue the motion forever, never losing the sensation of being with her this way. Their cries were continuous as they moved together, building until he was sure they would wake all of Gotham City. When her breathing started to become erratic, he pulled her closer and reluctantly released into her as their bodies convulsed with more waves of pure ecstasy. It was a long time before they were finally still and quiet, holding each other and breathing in unison. She felt weak against him, but managed to use her power to float them to his bed. Not wanting to pull out of her, he positioned her legs around his back and rested his head on her chest. She was asleep instantly...arms going limp at her sides as her breathing slowed. He could see light breaking through the window...it had been 1:30 when he woke. Smiling, he let himself drift into sleep; he would be useless for work in a couple of hours, but he didn't care. Nothing else mattered today.

Selina Kyle
Gotham City

Yeah, sure...curiosity killed the cat...blah, blah. She had at least 6 lives to go and she hadn't gone to see Bruce just to get brushed aside. Surely he was done with the little witch by now. There was a glow coming from his bedroom window as she approached, climbing the side of the house as she always did. Front doors were a waste of time and she wasn't there to wake Alfred.

Hopping to the ledge leading to his room, she found a spot where she could peek in.

Fucking witch

They were tangled together in mid-air with candles surrounding them. Leave it to Bruce to be enchanted by some mystical bullshit just for sex. Gullible idiot. She could hear them crying out and felt her anger build. Leaping back down to the ground, she took off again toward the city.

Two can play this game, witch. I'll claw your fucking eyes out.