Bruce
Wayne Manor
"Master Bruce. Master Bruce!" Alfred's voice came from the other side of the door as he knocked loudly. He turned his head to look at the clock: 11:30.
Shit...work.
"Yeah, I'm awake," he mumbled, pulling the blanket up so Zee was covered.
Alfred opened the door and entered, glaring at him as he set a breakfast tray down.
"You cannot just sleep the day away, no matter how comfortable you are, sir."
Bruce grinned up at him and closed his eyes again, returning his head to rest over Zatanna's heart. "We slept through my alarm clock."
"Well, you need to get up. They're voting on the expansion building in Metropolis today and before you ask, no...Mr. Fox cannot cover for you. Drink the coffee and shower. I'll bring Ms. Zatara her breakfast when she wakes."
He nodded as Alfred walked out in a huff. Zee was still dead asleep, snoring softly under him. The last thing he wanted to do was leave, but he knew he didn't have much choice. Alfred would drag him there kicking and screaming if he didn't. Untangling himself from her legs, he pushed back and lifted his head to kiss her. He felt her lips move slightly against his, but she barely stirred. Laughing softly, he went to the bathroom, took a quick shower, and got dressed. The coffee was drained with three quick gulps and he wrapped a sausage biscuit in a napkin for the road. Another brief kiss against her sleeping lips caused her to mumble softly, so he sat down and rubbed against her cheek with his rough, two day beard.
"Ow. Stop." She frowned and pulled the covers up to block him as he smiled.
"I have to leave for work; I'm already very late. It's the last thing in the world I want to do right now." He pulled the blanket back down and kissed her for a long moment before she finally opened her eyes and nodded.
"Be safe tonight."
"I will. See you in a few days."
Zatanna
Gotham City Park
Constantine had made short work of getting her some "exclusive" shows set up. The first was in Metropolis...conveniently on her birthday.
"I didn't know about that," he said, playing innocent. More likely, he just didn't care.
"Whatever. I already had my party. Why Metropolis?"
"There's a magician that likes to hang out there named Effron the Sorcerer. I'm thinking he'll have a particular interest in getting close to you."
"Why's that?"
"He hates Superman. You know Superman. Pretty simple, really." He shivered and pulled out a cigarette that she vanished with a snap. "Fuck, Zee, you used to be a lot more fun, you know."
"So what do I do? Pull him up on stage with me and question him? That doesn't sound like a great plan."
"Won't be necessary. He's being gifted a backstage pass. Get him alone and find out what he knows about the dimensional shift that's been going on."
"I still don't understand why you think he'll talk to me," she said, before muttering a spell to warm her feet.
"He won't. Not willingly. He'll come back there expecting to take advantage of you and he'll fail because you're a step ahead. Read his mind and get what we need."
"I don't read minds, John. You know that." It seemed as though every plan he came up with involved her doing something she hated. She wondered if that was on purpose...all part of whatever scheme he was working on the side. Things were never straightforward with Constantine.
"You don't, no, but you can. Try asking nicely, if you think that'll work. When it doesn't, read his fuckin' mind. Figure out if we can trust him enough to help us save magic. He's a bastard...all of these guys are...but they value their power. If we're saving it, they'll be willing to work together."
"This plan is insane," she mumbled.
"Got a better one?" He looked at her condescendingly as she stared across the park, not responding. "Thought not. Saturday. Be at the club at 5:00 and I'll find a place to hide and keep an eye on you...to make sure there aren't any surprises."
It didn't make her feel any better that he would be the one watching her back. He would be drunk before the end of the opening number. With a sigh, she stood and walked home. It was time to prepare.
Shadowcrest
"Don't look at me like that. I know it's stupid." Asshole was giving her a judgmental stare as she practiced for her not-so-family-friendly shows.
She tested different songs and outfits, trying to come up with a combination that would keep the audience happy. Personal dignity optional. Not that she minded the risque clothing; it had just been a while since she tapped into that side of her personality. It didn't feel terribly becoming of a member of the Justice League to strut around the stage in what was essentially lingerie. If things went right, though, she was hopeful she would be finished with the task before anyone found out. That wouldn't be easy in Superman's stomping grounds. She would have to work up a good excuse if he asked about it...one that wouldn't get back to Bruce.
Bruce...he would hate every bit of the plan and never let her go through with it if he knew. She didn't see that she had a lot of options.
Ask for forgiveness, not for permission.
Asshole gave her another glare when she conjured several fake muscly men and scantily-clad women to help her with the opening. There was no way she was letting her usual crew help with this stupid scheme.
"Okay boys and girls...your job is to dance and look pretty and vanish when I tell you to." They quietly nodded. Fake assistants weren't the best company. She turned on a bass-heavy song and started working out the routine. Most of the dancing was left to the fakes while she created the light show and timed their vanishings and reappearances to the downbeats of the music. She would strut around and occasionally grind along with them, but most of her attention stayed on the magic. It took the rest of the day before she felt like she had something worth putting on a stage, and she was glad she had two more days to practice. If this was supposed to be a high-dollar, exclusive show, she needed to bring it.
By the time she crawled into bed, she was exhausted. The night before was once-in-a-lifetime incredible, but it left her feeling like she had run a marathon. Reliving it as she drifted off to sleep required no energy, though, so that's what she did.
The sweetest of dreams.
Batman
Gotham City
Winter always kept crime down to a lower simmer than usual. Harder to drive, harder to run. A lot easier to track idiots in the snow, though. He kept his patrols focused on areas that were usual hot spots and perched on various buildings to listen as the night wore on.
"Batman? Can you go check out an alarm at a jewelry store at Gate and Montgomery?" Kate's voice came over the communicator.
Great. No way that's a coincidence.
"Yeah, I'm on it." With a sigh, he grappled to his car and drove slowly. No need to rush...she would be there waiting.
When he turned the corner, Selina was standing on the edge of the roof, watching him drive up. He grappled up and stood next to her.
"What did you take?" He asked, looking down the street toward Wayne Tower.
"Nothing, actually. Want to search me?" She held her arms out and walked closer to him.
"No. Why did you set off the alarm?"
"I like the sound," she said, dropping her arms. "We didn't get a chance to chat the other night. Thought I would summon you where we could be alone."
"Chat about what? I'm on patrol."
"There's three feet of snow on the ground, Bat, no one is committing crimes tonight."
"You've already proved that to be wrong. Kate, you can cancel the alarm. It's under control."
She smiled and took another step closer.
"Come on, Bruce. Loosen up a little. Or did the wicked witch of the League wear you out too much last night?" Her voice dripped with disdain. Turning away and walking back to the ledge, he pulled out his grappling gun. Her hand latched to his arm to stop him. "Lighten up already. You can't be serious with that girl."
"Selina, I haven't seen you in close to a year. Tell me what you want or let me get back to work. I know you're after something." A siren sounded a few blocks to the south. Turning, he could see the glow of a fire rising. "I have to go."
He tried to turn, but she grabbed his arm again and pulled his head down to kiss her, digging her claws into the back of his cowl. Taking her wrist, he removed the claws and pushed her away gently, looking in her eyes.
"Think about it, Bruce," she said, backing across the building until she disappeared in the darkness.
"Boss, you're near a massive fire at an apartment complex. Just head south and you'll see the flames," Kate said, bringing his mind back around to the task at hand.
"I'll be there in two minutes, Batwoman."
Shadowcrest
He hadn't planned on dropping in on her, but the fire had been a mess. Two families were killed and dozens were injured. One thing that was consistently worse in winter was building fires. Radiators, fireplaces...they all turned the city into one big tinderbox. The frustration of losing lives, combined with the encounter with Selina had him ready for more sleep than he would get alone. Landing quietly in the room, he quickly shed his batsuit and slid under the covers, pulling Zee's body against him. She didn't wake up - she rarely did when he came by this early. Instead, she turned and curled into his chest...cold nose pressing against his skin as he stroked her hair.
He felt a twinge of guilt. Not that Selina had given him a choice when she kissed him, but he would be lying if he said he didn't feel anything when she did. He heard Dick's voice in his head.
"She deserves better."
Pulling her tighter against him, he kissed the top of her head. She does.
Zatanna
Bruce's Arms
-Crying. Muffled crying and voices. Only happiness.
Not that she was going to complain, but it would be significantly harder to practice her show with Bruce glued to her body. Hmm..maybe he can be a dancer. She tried to check him over for injuries when she woke, but he seemed to be fine. If he was injured, it clearly wasn't bothering him enough to keep him awake. Deciding she was stuck until his alarm went off, she let herself fall back asleep.
His head shot up when his watch sounded, eyes squinting in the overly-bright room. Zatanna had been awake for half an hour, watching him sleep and running through her show plans in her head.
"Mmm...hi," he mumbled quietly, turning onto his back and rubbing his eyes as he yawned.
"Hi. You okay?"
"Yeah, just had a rough patrol and wanted to sleep here with you," he said as he grabbed her hand. She wanted to say the stupid words to him again, but she bit her tongue. Just enjoy the moment, idiot.
"Rough how?"
"Apartment fire. Lots of deaths and injuries. Make me a promise? Never live in a high-rise building."
"Promise. My cat would never pass the security screening, anyway." He laughed softly and looked in her eyes.
Don't. Say it. Idiot.
It was like a dam had burst when she said the words the first time; they just kept wanting to flow out. As if on cue, Asshole mercifully jumped onto the bed and plopped down on Bruce's stomach. She reached down and scratched his head while Bruce stroked his back. They laid there quietly for a long time, giving the cat more attention than he really deserved until the watch sounded again. He moved the disappointed fur ball to her stomach and walked to the bathroom. When he came out, he stood and stared at her for a second before raising an eyebrow.
"May I have clothes this time?"
She let her eyes run slowly down from his face to his legs before shrugging and holding her hand up...putting him in a business suit.
"Fine. Clothing is overrated, though."
"I don't disagree," he said, gathering his batsuit. "What are we doing Saturday?"
"Huh? You're working on Saturday."
"Not on your birthday, I'm not. I'll get one of the crew to cover for me. What do you want to do?"
Oh...well...shit.
"I'm going to be out of town on business," she said, giving him a half-truth (otherwise known as a half-lie) that made her stomach ache.
"On your birthday? Why would you do that?"
"I had a chance to do a special performance, so I said yes."
He stared at her with confusion in his eyes.
"I wanted to celebrate with you," he said quietly. She stood and walked to him, putting her arms around his waist.
"You came to my party, Bruce. You don't have to skip work again for me." Pressing her forehead to his chest, she silently cursed herself.
"I wanted to," he mumbled against the top of her head. "I didn't even get to tell you I love you."
The…
...fuck?
Her heart stopped. He tried to push her back, but she shook her head and stayed against him.
"Don't," she whispered. "Don't do that."
"Don't do what? Look at me."
"Don't say that to me." He pushed harder this time, forcing her back as tears stung her eyes.
Looking at her and stroking her jaw with this thumb, he swallowed hard.
"You really are that blind." He smiled and slowly shook his head, brushing away tears that were streaming down her cheeks. "How could you not know?"
She could feel her body shaking while she furiously tried to blink the tears away and look in his eyes. All she saw was a watery blur as she started to sob.
This isn't a normal reaction. Calm down.
Calm down, she did not. Her legs gave out and he lifted her and put her on the bed, climbing on top of her and crushing their lips together as he pulled her shirt over her head and shook his suit jacket off.
"I love you," he said into her mouth as she tried to force herself to do anything other than cry uncontrollably. Fighting the shaking long enough to lift her arms, she pulled him closer as he continued to remove their clothes. Once they were bare against each other, he pulled his head back and looked at her...his eyes shimmering as he gently entered her with a gasp. Rather than thrusting, he buried his face against her neck and held still, giving her a chance to settle down. It wasn't really working. "Say it, Zee."
"Iii...ll..lllo..." The shaking was so violent that she couldn't even speak. He pushed back and propped himself on his right elbow before taking his left hand and putting it over her heart. With slow, deep breaths, he stared in her eyes. She moved her hand to his chest. After several attempts, she finally managed to match his pace...the shaking easing as she regained some control of her mind. "I love you."
Her voice was a breathless whisper, but he smiled and leaned down to brush his lips against hers. "I love you."
Constantine
Some Pub in Gotham
"Complain all you want, she's the best option and you know it," Constantine said, taking another long drink as he stared at the dingy wallpaper behind the bar.
"I don't see how a member of the Justice League is the best option for anything right now." Jason Blood sat next to him, refusing to drink and sucking the life out of the entire party. "If this is just some ploy to get her in back into bed, then I'll let Etrigan rip your head off and eat it. I don't have time to waste on your selfish tricks."
"Mate, you got nothing but time. You're the living embodiment of having entirely too much time. Just relax. Zatanna is the bait we need to get these guys to join in."
"Is there anybody in your life you don't use?" Fascinatingly judgmental from someone whose other form is an oft-murderous demon.
"No. That's what people are there for. Be patient. I'll let you know when we get some information." He gulped down the rest of his drink and pulled on his coat. "And try to keep Etrigan under wraps until we need him. Insane as Gotham is, he'd still stick out."
Bruce
Shadowcrest
"I know...yeah...I know, I'll apologize...I know it is...I do take it seriously..." Alfred had been lecturing Bruce over the phone about the importance of Wayne Enterprises for over five minutes. He was listening as he ran his free hand along Zatanna's back. Her eyes were still red from crying, but a small smile had been stuck on her face for hours. "I'll be in tomorrow, I promise...I know...I promise."
Alfred finally hung up on him and Bruce gave Zee a wry smile as he sat his phone down.
"He didn't appreciate you skipping out, did he?"
"Not especially, no." He laid his head back down next to hers. "Being late yesterday didn't help, either. I can't skip patrol, though."
"I know. I need to get some work done tonight, anyway."
"You're still doing the Saturday show?" He couldn't hide his disappointment at not being able to spend the day with her.
"It's sold out." For some reason, she wasn't looking him in the eyes anymore. Her poker face was terrible. He put his hand under her chin and lifted her head up until she looked at him. Reluctantly, he decided to let it go for now. The day had been perfect and he didn't want to ruin it. Batman could grill her later about what was bothering her...Bruce just wanted to kiss her until it was time to leave for patrol. He brushed his nose against hers and grinned.
"You're going to get me in trouble with the board of trustees." He ran his tongue along her bottom lip as she smiled.
"Why do I get the feeling you're always in trouble with the board of trustees?" Another trail along her lip.
"Because you read the papers. Blasphemy, all of it. I swear," Pushing his tongue between her teeth, he tasted her mouth until she was moaning and running her hands over his back. As he pulled his head back to look in her eyes again, his alarm buzzed.
"You can't skip patrol, right?"
"Right. I'd have more than just Alfred on my ass if I did, and he's scary enough on his own." Rolling out of the bed, he made a quick bathroom run and put on his suit as she watched him. When he was suited up, she smiled as she stood and kissed him gently.
"Be safe. I need the man I love back soon." He pulled her closer and kissed her again with a smile. Walking to the window, he grappled out into the bitter cold.
Zatanna
Shadowcrest
He loves me.
She sat for over an hour just running that thought through her head, while periodically pinching herself to make sure it wasn't another of her weird dreams. It wasn't. He loved her. Words are just words, but hearing those words mattered. She needed to hear them so desperately that she had damn near passed out when it finally sank into her head.
Now, if she could just get past the shows and dealing with Constantine, she could move on and stop hiding things from Bruce and the rest of the League. Her phone rang just as she was making her way downstairs to practice.
"What?" She could hear a lighter being flicked over the line.
"Just checking in. Still on track to go live on Saturday?"
"Yes. I don't need you checking in. I know what I'm doing." She wasn't in the mood to chat with Constantine and he sounded predictably drunk.
"Did you get something from those beasts you think came from another dimension?"
"I already have what we need." He didn't need to know more than the bare minimum, for now.
"Great work, love. I knew I picked the right person for the job. I'll see you Saturday."
She hung up and tossed the phone onto the couch as she prepared to practice. "The right person for the job..." Yeah, the only one left who might hesitate to kill you.
The rest of what was left of the day was spent coming up with raunchy jokes and illusions to keep her "special" audience engaged. Most would likely be rowdy men or couples on a date looking for something out of the ordinary. There would definitely be curious magicians there...they always came out for her shows. For the most part, it was professional curiosity, and there existed a sort of unspoken rule about not attacking or acting out at performances. It didn't mean she could drop her guard, but playing for dark magic users was less risky than it sounded.
"Wanna be in the act?" Asshole was peeking at her with one eye as she changed out of her costume.
"Mrrrrrrrw."
"You could be more supportive of my career, you know. It pays for all that food you demand."
"Mrr mrrw."
"Ungrateful little jerk," she mumbled as she went back downstairs. It was after ten and she had hardly eaten all day. Grabbing a snack, she went to the library and sat down in her mess of books on dimensions and alternate realities. "Erehw eht lleh did I evael ffo?" A book popped up in front of her and opened to her marked page. "Ah, right. Back to making questionable life choices."