Hi everyone. This is quite an important chapter in their next phase of their relationship. Thanks again for reading, reviewing and following. :)
I woke up, his arms wrapped tightly around me.
"Good morning." He said kissing my neck.
"Morning." I replied.
"What do you think, wanna go for brunch?"
"Brunch?" I asked turning around to face him his warm hazel eyes looking into mine. "We can't, people would see us."
"And whose fault is that?"
I rolled my eyes at him.
"I was thinking we'd fly to my summer place. Enjoy a day just the two of us."
"You don't have to work today?"
"I do but that can wait until tonight."
"Sure."
He still wished she had chosen to go public. If they had, the nagging voice would have to give in - there would be no going back. On the other hand it was probably for the best they didn't. He felt torn. Going public would end his internal back and forth.
He was helplessly in love with her. He hadn't felt like this in a long time. In that moment Rachel's image shot like a razor blade through his memory - his first love. All his strength, all his training - it did not protect her from his enemies. Ra's Al Ghul knew his identity and knew that Rachel was the weak link to him and he used Scarecrow to poison her. He had tried to erase the images of her lifeless body in his arms from his mind but in vain. Not a day went by where he didn't feel guilty for her death. He felt so helpless, carrying her body into the Batcave, trying to bring her back to life. But it had been too late.
Rainy days reminded him of her funeral. He had buried a part of himself that day with her. As long as he was Batman, he couldn't allow himself to fall in love with someone again. He couldn't move on since Rachel was robbed of that chance because of him. He couldn't allow himself to be happy again with anyone else.
Yet here he was, falling head over heels for Catherine and he didn't know how to keep himself away from her. He knew he couldn't lose her too. It would break him for good. If the Joker found out his true identity she would be dead and knowing the Joker it wouldn't be an easy death. He would torture her. The thought made him sick to his stomach.
I hadn't been to the island since he had taken me there for the interview, which seemed like a lifetime ago.
I remembered the awkward silence on our drive to the house. Now I was in his arms as we were joking and laughing. Everything seemed perfect, almost too perfect.
"Come on, let's jump in the pool. It doesn't get nearly as much use as it should."
"I didn't bring a bathing suit."
"I took care of that. Alfred bought some for you." He gestured towards a bag. Designer bathing suits...why wasn't I surprised. Each of them was easily $500. I shook my head.
"It makes me feel uncomfortable when you spent money on me, Bruce."
"Sorry, I don't mean for you to feel uncomfortable. I don't think about money." He shrugged as he took off his shirt and kicked off his shoes grinning at me. I couldn't stay mad at him for long.
"My eyes are up here." He said teasingly as my eyes were glued to his body as he was undressing.
I laughed. "Do we need bathing suits? I mean is anyone on this island aside from us and...well...the driver and the pilot?"
"Mhhh... I like where this is going Miss Hunter." He said grinning at me.
"I don't know..." I said as I took off my dress. "Just a thought."
He pulled me towards him, covering my lips with his. "I love the idea but we have security on property and a bartender at the pool..."
"Security? Are you the president?"
He smiled at me. "No, because I don't settle for those amateurs from the Secret Service."
I laughed. "Of course not."
We were walking hand in hand to the pool and of course it was not just any pool. It was a Bruce Wayne pool. The infinity pool was lined with palm trees, had a bar you could swim up to and had his initials in the center of the pool.
"Why is everything you own over the top crazy?" I asked taking it all in.
"Got a reputation to uphold." He grinned at me. "Ladies first."
I walked into the glassy water, diving under water and shot back up again. "You have underwater music?" I asked completely befuddled.
"Yah." He just nodded before he jumped in head first, almost crossing the whole pool in one big dive. He came up just inches away from my face.
"Like it?" He asked, running his hands through his wet hair.
"What's not to like?" I said putting my arms around his neck.
He smiled at me and I had never seen him this relaxed and happy. He leaned in to kiss me again, his arms around me.
"Ready for a drink?" He asked me.
"Sure."
"What can my man Richard get you?" He said as he was swimming up to the bar.
I sat on the underwater barstool. "This is so weird. What do you have?"
The man - Richard - behind the bar was dressed in a black polo shirt.
"We have a full bar ma'am. I can make you anything you like."
"Um... Champagne?"
"Absolutely. You sir?"
"Club soda will do it for me."
"Club soda? Are you trying to get me drunk so you can take advantage of me?"
Bruce laughed, Richard smiled while opening the expensive looking bottle of champagne.
"I have to work tonight so I can't."
"Anything else sir?" Richard asked Bruce.
"That would be all for now."
Richard nodded and left, walking up the marble steps to the house again.
"So where is your security?" I asked while floating in the pool, sipping on my champagne.
"Further down the lawn. You can't see them from here. I wanted a little privacy for us."
"So is it true?"
"What is?"
"When people say: Even Bruce Wayne's security has security?"
He laughed. "I guess you could say that. They don't necessarily follow me but you couldn't just break into my house or loft. Apparently I need to work on security at Wayne Enterprise..." He looked at me with raised eyebrows and I quickly changed the subject.
"This is such a beautiful place why don't you come here more often?"
"It seems like a waste to go here by myself. Strawberries?" He asked, pushing a button on the side wall and a mini fridge appeared.
"Now you're just showing off."
"They're handpicked. They grow right around the corner from here."
"Stop it! You're killing me."
"Stop what?" He smiled at me while handing me a strawberry. I felt like I was inside a cheesy rom-com but I loved every second of it.
"You haven't seen anything yet." He said.
"Why what else can this pool do."
"Let me show you." He pushed himself up, his muscles flexing as the water was dripping down his skin. Keep breathing I tried to remind myself. He jumped out the pool and walked behind the bar area.
"Ready?" He asked.
"Should I be scared?"
He laughed and pushed another button, suddenly a giant screen was slowly emerging from the ground.
"Are you kidding me? What is this?"
"An outdoor-entertainment unit to be precise. At night the pool lights up in different colors too. I'll show you another time."
"Have you ever used any of it?"
"Never."
"Then why built it?"
He shrugged. "Seemed like a good idea at the time."
We spent a long time in the pool, talking, laughing. I felt like I had left all the horror and despair of the past few days and weeks in Gotham behind me. I was floating in the pool, looking at the blue sky and felt weightless, worry free. Maybe he was right? Maybe we should go public. It would cause some problems for my career but after a while the critics would surely understand that we are truly in love.
I felt his hands on my spine, slowly guiding me towards him. I lifted myself up again looking into his eyes. Who was I kidding? I was in love with him and there was no going back. He was just looking at me a soft smile on his lips.
"I think you're right."
"About what?"
"Let's go public. Fuck 'em."
His expression changed. It wasn't what I expected. He looked disappointed in my decision.
"Are you sure?" He asked, frowning at me.
"Yes. Positive."
He nodded looking to the ground in thought.
"Are you sure? It seems like you aren't anymore."
His gaze caught mine again. "Oh no, no. I..." He sighed. "I still think this isn't the best decision for you."
"Going public?"
"No, being with me. You deserve better."
"Would you stop that already."
"I'm serious." His facial expression was almost frightening. A stern look on his face, his eyes no longer warm but cold and determined.
"I can only speak for what I want. I want this. Do you?"
He sighed again, his expression softening. "Of course I do. I wanted you the second I saw you. I want you. All of it."
I swallowed hard, taking a second to respond to his statement. "Then what's the problem. Let's go public then. Go big or go home, right? That should be your life's motto anyway."
He laughed before he drew me towards his lips again.
I was wrapped in a giant, royal blue towel as we were walking towards the house again. I didn't want this day to end.
"Shower?" He asked, holding the door open for me.
I nodded and walked into the bathroom, which had marble floor and in the middle of the room was a the shower. It looked like a glass cubic, a giant shower head above it.
"Is this a rainforest shower head?"
"Yes."
"I love those!"
I dropped the towel and took off my bikini, stepping into the shower.
"Are you coming?" I asked looking at him.
"I'd thought you'd never ask."
I turned the water on and it was like I was caught in the rain in a jungle, big drops of water hitting my skin. In that moment I felt his hands on my hips, drawing me closer to him. I turned around. His eyes were focused on me intently, his wet hair hanging into his face, his shallow breath hitting my lips.
I just looked at him, still in disbelief how much in his spell I was. Suddenly, he pulled me closer to him, his lips finding mine, his tongue parting my lips. His kisses were like nothing I had ever experienced with anyone else before - determined, urgent yet soft.
He placed one hand on my neck, guiding my face to follow his movements. His lips softly sucking on my bottom lip before his tongue met mine again. I was hopelessly lost in the kiss and really everything that was Bruce Wayne. As we continued to kiss one of his hands wandered down on my body. I moaned, holding on to his biceps as he pushed two fingers inside of me.
He had a wide grin on his face, obviously pleased with my reaction to his actions. I felt my body vibrating underneath his touch. He covered my moan with his mouth and just as I was about to come he stopped the movement. He was killing me. He noticed my frustration and smiled at me.
"So impatient Miss Hunter."
Somehow it irked me how well he could read my body language. Once again I felt like I was an open book for him while I hardly knew who the true Bruce Wayne was.
I stared at him annoyed.
"I'm sorry." He chuckled. "Let me make it up to you."
"No you don't need to..."
This was apparently not up for discussion, he turned me around, spread my legs with his and kneeled down. For a second I was confused as to what he was planning. In one quick movement he pulled my hips towards him and placed his face between my legs. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. His hands were holding my hips in place as his lips and tongue continued the movement. My hands were pressed tightly against the glass as his tongue was twirling and his lips were gently sucking on me. My breath was getting heavier as I finally came, leaning into his hands.
After a few seconds, he stood back up and scooped my body up with his arm, turning me around again. His hand went through his hair, removing it from his face. My legs were still shaking lightly. He lifted me up, wrapping my legs around his midsection and leaned my body against the cold glass. For a second he just looked at me, my breath still ragged. His lips hit mine with force and determination as he pushed himself inside me. I moaned into his mouth. I wrapped my arms tightly around his neck, my hands in his hair as his movements increased in tempo and force. His lips met my neck, his body pinning mine against the glass. I bit my lower lip, feeling him deep inside of me, the water drops rolling down his skin. I had never wanted anyone as much as him. Going public was the right move. I was in it for the long run.
He slowly sat my legs down to the ground again and turned me around. I braced my hands against the glass his hands gliding over my skin before coming to a halt on my hips, grabbing me, pulling me closer towards him. He groaned as he pushed himself inside of me again. As his movements continued I felt my heart rate hike up, my heart beat thrumming in my ears. His hands pulled mine from the glass, straightening my body against his. His movements stopped for the moment, his hands slowly running up my body, stopping at my neck, slightly bending it he leaned in to kiss me. He was holding me in this position for a second, our tongues meeting over and over again before he broke the kiss and pushed my whole body against the glass with his, continuing the movements. His arms pulled mine over my head, holding them firmly in place. Even in the hot shower I could feel his skin radiating heat, his muscles flexing. I felt my body give in under his assault, jolting like an electric shock went through it. His movements increased. My body was exhausted but at the same time I didn't want him to stop - ever. His grip became even stronger, his breath heavier before he emptied himself inside of me with a deep groan. His body collapsed against mine for a second, his heavy breath next to my ear, then he pulled his arms around me holding me tightly against his body kissing my neck softly, his chest still moving up and down rapidly.
I slowly turned around and kissing him again.
The way he looked at me felt the most open I had ever seen him. I felt like I was in the presence of the real Bruce Wayne. No more masquerades. No more hiding.
"Ready for some food? I know I'm starving." He said with a big smile on his face.
Richard had prepared an elaborate brunch for us as we walked into the dining room.
"Where's Alfred?" I asked.
"He's in Gotham, looking after some business deals."
"Alfred helps with Wayne Enterprise?"
"Sometimes. He just has an eye out if I need him to."
Something felt different between us, as if a barrier had come down. I felt closer to him, he felt more open, more real.
"So, how do we do this?" I asked.
"What? Eat brunch? It's pretty straight forward..." He grinned at me.
I shook my head. "No, I mean how do we go about going public?"
His smile vanished and he nodded in thoughts, frown lines forming on his forehead.
"Numerous options."
"Why can't I shake the feeling you don't actually want to go public?"
"That's not it."
"What is it then? We don't have to go public."
He sighed. "I...I just... It's hard to say what it is exactly."
That barrier seemed to rebuild itself rather quickly. He wasn't telling me something, I could feel it.
"What are you not telling me?"
His eyes shot up to mine, his jaw line was hard.
"Nothing. I just still feel like you deserve someone better than me."
Something was off. My journalistic alarm went off but what else was I going to do aside from asking him.
He sighed again. "But if you're sure about this then we could show up at an event together or we could release a statement, depending on what kind of impact you want to make and what message you want to send."
"Message?" I was still new to marketing my private life like this.
"Yeah, I for one think going to an event is the better choice. It gives the media pictures to put to the facts and they tend to write way more favorably about you that way, because they don't have the need to make up quite as much bullshit about you as they would otherwise."
"So what is some of the bullshit they could make up about us?" I braced myself for his answer.
"Anything. It literally doesn't even have to be remotely related to the truth. It could range from something harmless like engagement, wedding, pregnancy announcements..."
I swallowed hard as the fake headlines ran through my mind.
"...to 'Bruce Wayne had orgy while she was at first doctor's appointment for their unborn child'. Like I said, it doesn't have to be remotely true."
I looked at my delicious looking food, poking my fork around in shock.
"Cat." He looked at me, putting his hand on mine. "We don't have to do this at all."
"No, no. I want to. I mean, I don't want to do the media circus but I do want to be able to go out in public. The hiding...it's getting ridiculous." I took a deep breath. "So, what event would we go to?"
"There are plenty of galas... Do you have any awards coming up?"
"Um...DuPont awards...in a few weeks."
The DuPont awards were given out by my alma mater, as was the Pulitzer Price. The DuPont was the broadcast equivalent to the Pulitzer. I had a feeling I didn't need to explain that to Bruce.
"I think that would be perfect. Because you would be taking me as your date, not the other way around." He exclaimed.
"Ha! So you're my arm candy?"
"Exactly." He smiled at me. "I of course don't want to take away from your first DuPont either..."
He even got the French pronunciation right.
"I'm not going to win the damn thing." I rolled my eyes.
"Oh you will. I'm certain."
"Why? Did you pay the jury off or something?"
He laughed out loud in such a relaxed way, I had never seen him like this.
"No, I have nothing to do with the DuPont. I am just sure that your work will be recognized."
"Ok, it's a deal. DuPont awards it is."
The day had come to an end and we left the island. It had been a surreal day. Not just because of the insanity that was Bruce Wayne's summer mansion, but because it felt like we entered the next level in our relationship. For the first time, I was actually calling it a 'relationship'. As we were flying away from the island and Bruce was holding my hand, I was thinking to myself This means Bruce Wayne is officially my boyfriend now. The thought still seemed foreign but it was also amazing.
But as the lights of the island were slowly getting smaller and we were lifting higher and higher, I felt like I was about to wake up from this dreamlike day. It had been too perfect. Maybe I was just imagining it. Maybe I was telling myself that because I had never experienced anything like this before. I was so used to romantic disasters that this seemed just to good to be true.
As Bruce looked at me, smiling softly, I had the gut wrenching feeling that I was unfortunately right.
Bruce was sitting at his computer, tirelessly researching any connections to the Joker. Who was this mad man? All he had to go off from were rumors on the streets.
"Sir?" Alfred interrupted his research. Alfred had been doing a lot of research work during the day and had kept an eye on anything Joker related. If something had happened, he would have called Bruce immediately.
"What?" He asked not looking up from the screen.
"Something on the police scanner you might be interested in. A man was just found dead in his apartment."
"Well, happens far too often in this town Alfred but I have to find the Joker."
"He had a Joker card stuck to his forehead."
He got to the scene. The apartment was in the ghetto area of Gotham. It had gotten much better over the years but it was still a far cry from the rest of the city.
Gordon was already waiting for him at the scene. The apartment was dark and the thick smell of death was hanging in the air.
"It ain't pretty," Gordon said as he walked with him into the living room.
"It never is." He responded in a raspy voice.
In the middle of the living room was the victim, pinned to the wall with long nails that were made look like darts. One nail went straight through his head, a Joker card pinned on it.
"Here is what we know," Gordon started filling him in. "The nail in the head didn't kill him. He was already dead before that. The Joker spent weeks with this guy. Each nail is placed just above an artery, never killing him, just..." He swallowed hard. "Just torturing him. Hurting him as much as possible without killing him."
"What do you know about the victim?"
"A true John Doe. No family, no friends, kept to himself, paid rent always on time, just lost his job a month ago. No one was missing him. Until his rent payment was late for the first time. The landlord came down...and found him."
"What was the time of death?"
"Minutes before the landlord arrived."
"The Joker knew when the landlord would arrive, timing it exactly right."
He pulled the Joker card from the victim. In red it said: "Batman - come and play!"
"He usually leaves a message of his next victim behind." He noted in a husky voice as he was looking closer at the nails.
"Maybe this time he decided not to? Maybe he ran out of time?"
He shook his head. "The Joker doesn't leave anything. He's a perfectionist."
He slowly walked around. "Do you smell that?"
"What?"
"Paint thinner."
"So?"
Batman followed the smell. "It's on this wall."
"Paint thinner? So what? Maybe the guy just painted his wall."
"It's too fresh." He replied as he grabbed a lighter, holding it at the wall. With one fast whoosh it looked like the whole wall was on fire. Gordon jumped back. What they saw next made his blood freeze. A message in paint thinner was indeed written on the wall. Now it read in giant flaming letters: "Bruce Wayne will be dead in 48 hours."
"Wayne?" Gordon asked confused. "Why Wayne?"
Bruce felt his breath was getting shallow, adrenaline pumping as a thousand thoughts rushed through his mind. Why Wayne indeed. Had the Joker discovered his identity? Catherine! Her image shot through his mind. If the Joker wanted to kill Bruce Wayne then he couldn't be seen with her at all. His muscles were tense, his eyes glued to the flames on the wall. Gordon looked at him closely. Pull it together. Think! The Joker couldn't know his true identity, if so he wouldn't leave separate messages for Batman and Bruce Wayne in one place. As the fog of adrenaline in his mind started to lift, he was able to put the pieces together.
"He's attacking the city's most powerful." He finally managed to say, his mouth felt dry.
"Good luck getting to Wayne. Even his security has security."
"That may be so. But the Joker isn't your average criminal. I'm going to keep an eye on Wayne."
"Good. So will I. I'm going to talk to him tonight. Make sure he knows."
He nodded and left, all he could think about was Cat. He couldn't let anything happen to her. Thank God they hadn't gone public yet. And now they were never going to. Not even Bruce Wayne was able to have a girlfriend. He was so concerned about her safety in connection to Batman, he never saw the danger tied to himself as well.
He was terrified - not about his own life - but about hers. He needed to break it off as quickly as possible before the Joker would get a hint of them dating. Just saying it's over wasn't going to be enough, though. She wouldn't buy it. She would get suspicious and start sniffing around, potentially figuring out his true identity. If she knew that the real reason for him ending things with her was her safety - she wouldn't have any of it. So, he needed it to be so utterly heart breaking that she wouldn't dream of ever getting back together with him. Better a broken heart than death. A broken heart she was able to recover from. She could live a long and happy life with someone who could give her a normal life. He pictured her with a husband and children. Pain rippled through his body as he came to accept the fact that the man in the image wasn't going to be him. He held onto the steering wheel of the Batmobil hard as he was shooting through the night, tears starting to well up in his eyes. What a fool he had been. He had allowed himself to have hope, to dream about a life beyond the cape. Just as his hopes were about to come true, they were crushed into a million pieces. He swallowed hard, taking a deep breath. None of that mattered now. Her safety was all he cared about. The best way to protect her now was to end things. He just had to think of a way that would leave her so disappointed and disgusted with him that she would have no doubt in her mind that she needed to stay away from him for good.
