For a pleasingly petite woman with delicate features, Selina had the appetite of a linebacker. Bruce knew it was wiser to say nothing about her voracity. He mused that maybe, just maybe she hadn't had a substantial meal in some time. Thinking along those lines was sobering. Living on the edge wasn't living one's best life. She wanted seconds of everything and had no qualms requesting a third helping of dessert. Bruce was right; the chocolate espresso torte was sinfully yummy. Despite all the food she'd put away, she wasn't bursting at the seams. Instead of finishing the dinner off with a cup of freshly brewed rainforest blend coffee, she requested a glass of milk. Champagne was okay from time-to-time, but milk rocked.
Her modest request brought a smile to Bruce's face. 'Cats' loved her milk. If she insisted on calling him 'Bats,' he felt it was his prerogative to call her that.
Alfred was more than happy to accommodate her, asking which type she preferred: fat free, 1%, 2%, or whole.
"Whole please."
Bruce went along. He wasn't fond of drinking milk all by itself. It was all right with chocolate chip cookies, Tunnock's milk chocolate tea cakes, and pouring over his Love Crunch granola cereal. "I'll have what she's having, thank you."
"You're a milk drinker too, Bats? You don't seem the type."
"Bats?" said Alfred, looking mystified as well as a little amused.
"That would be me." Bruce had his right hand raised as some of his hair fell across his pale forehead. "Aside from calling her Sel, and Cats, she calls me Bats when the mood moves her."
"Charming," Alfred opined, while thinking, how delightful…already calling each other pet names. As he went his way to the ornate, eclectic kitchen, with custom cabinetry, paneled appliances, limestone-hooded stove, and crackle-finished island he heard Bruce ask:
"Was the meal all right?"
Pairing the rise of a meticulously shaped eyebrow with a Cheshire cat smile, Selina praised, "Woo!" She fanned herself with her left hand. "I've never eaten better. Best meal in my life. The foster families I lived with were just getting by. Pizza was a big deal." A look of melancholy crept into her beautiful face. Her pensiveness quickly passed. "Everything was fantastic. Thanks so much for the invite."
"You're more than welcome. I'm glad everything was to your liking," Bruce rejoined, smiling shyly, swiping the hair out of his eyes. Interestingly, in this mellow light they were a darker shade of blue.
"Uh, I'm not trying to be nosy. I'm just naturally curious."
"Like cats are, Cats," Bruce joshed, his facial expression sheepish.
"Good one, Bats." She fought, and won, stifling the burp that wanted to escape. She made a playful clawing motion with her long, no joke, nails.
"What are you curious about?" he said, reverting to how he usually came across, serious.
"Do you eat like this, like, every single night?"
Bruce relaxed, having thought that perhaps she was about to ask him his net worth, which was, putting it mildly, considerable. Her blunt straightforwardness was growing on him. Brucie was loaded. To the tune of $9.2 billion, according to Morbes, listing Wayne Enterprises as having an annual revenue in the 31.3-billion-dollar range. This year, that astronomical figure would be higher, if predictions were realized.
"Not every night. But, Jacques, my personal chef, won't be denied. He comes from a long line of chefs de cuisine."
"Must be nice," Selina said like it was no big deal. Although, in the back of her mind, she still couldn't get over that she had dined on out-of-this-world, gourmet food in the stimulating company of one of the richest men around, who wasn't some old geezer. "What's your favorite food?"
On that note, Alfred returned, bearing a tray with two milk-filled, green-tinted highball glasses. He set one down before Selina, then went to set the other in front of Bruce, who looked expectant. "Will there be anything else?" Alfred inquired, looking anticipatory too.
"No, we're good." He focused on Selina. "Would you like for us to enjoy our milk in the observatory?"
"Sounds cool. Where is this observatory?" She began rising since Bruce was getting to his feet. She felt like Sleeping Beauty and Cinderella rolled into one. She never wanted to wake up, nor leave this ball she was having. Tonight was the best she'd ever been treated her whole life. A galactic far cry from her tours of duty in the Iceberg Lounge and the 44 Below Club, that disgusting den of drops and inequity, a gamut of groping, gaffs and grimy lowlifes all wanting a piece of her.
"Way up top, Sel. Allow me to show you."
With their glasses of milk in hand, Selina and Bruce rode up to his building's palatial pinnacle. The sweeping views of gauntlet-like Gotham by night took her breath away. The city, doing its best to dry out, was reminiscent of a sleeping giant, docile, yet threatening. As though thinking out loud, Selina voiced, "Way up here, it isn't hard to get all soupy and sugary over this overgrown cesspool." She sensed she might upset him, so she quickly added, "But, it's our overgrown cesspool. Our hurting hometown. It was tough, but it wasn't all bad. I used to have really good friends. Most moved away a long time ago."
Bruce didn't speak right away. Selina didn't say anything either, content to drain her glass of cold, satisfying milk. Then, much to her surprise, he was speaking, only he spoke softer than soft. "I'd like to request…"
"You've done many nice things for me tonight, Bats. Request away." She put her glass down on one of the low circular tables spaced around the area. She stood toe-to-toe with Bruce, picking up on his relaxed demeanor, a welcome change. Also, his meager consumption of milk had given him a fun-size moustache. "Hold still. I'll be gentle." She used the napkin she'd thought to take along to whisk away the white fringe beneath his nose. "Don't grow one. You're better looking without."
A little of his shyness returned, but he shook it off, bucking against it holding him back. "May I have that private performance?"
"I take requests." She motioned toward the dark brown Chesterfield sofa. "Make yourself comfortable."
Bruce readily complied. He wasn't up on popular songs. She'd sung that old standard, "You Made Me Love You" to perfection. Maybe that was the only old song she knew. In no way did he wish to put her on the spot. Seated, he said, "Surprise me."
"Okay. You might like this one." Selina struck a poised pose in that elegant dress and began. "There's a hero if you look inside your heart…you don't have to be afraid of who you are…there's an answer if you reach into your soul…and the sorrow that you know will melt away…
"And then a hero comes along…with the strength to carry on…and you cast your fears aside…and you know you can survive…so when you feel like hope is gone…look inside you and be strong…and you'll finally see the truth…that a hero lies in you…
"It's a long road when you face the world alone…no one reaches out a hand for you to hold…you can find love…if you search within yourself…and the emptiness you felt will disappear…"
She sang the hook more passionately the second time, then plunged into the bridge, carefully noting the spellbound poignancy on Bruce's face.
"Lord knows dreams are hard to follow…but don't let anyone tear them away…hold on, there will be tomorrow…in time you'll find the way…
Her voice soared.
"And then a hero comes along…with the strength to carry on…and you cast your fears aside…" Selina's heart swelled; her voice boomed. "And you know you can survive…so when you feel like hope is gone…look inside you and be strong…and you'll finally see the truth…that a hero lies in you…that a hero lies in you…"
Selina closed her eyes, brought her hands together, bowing her head. Bruce sat stone still, deeply affected. So much so that when she lifted her head and looked at him she saw how glassy his eyes were. She did nothing to break the fragile mood, just stood where she was, wrapped up in his reverential silence.
He broke it sluggishly. "T-that was extraordinarily beautiful." Telling her how transcendent she was wasn't enough. He got up from the couch, needing to embrace her. Sheltered in his arms, Selina was telling him she wanted to sing another. If that was all right. "More than all right. Please—I could listen to you all night." As he took his arms away, she said he shouldn't. She needed to have his arms wrapped around her for this one. Although self-conscious, and knowing he showed it as if he wore a poster advertising it, Bruce did as she requested.
Before she began, she felt she had to point out, "You wore a tux for me?"
Huskily, Bruce replied, "You're a feast for the eyes in this dress."
Selina blushing didn't happen every day, but she was blushing like a schoolgirl. A schoolgirl in way over her head. "Okay, bigtime, I'm comin' at ya with this one."
"I don't need a lot of things…I can get by with nothing…with all the blessings life can bring…I've always needed something…but I've got all I want when it comes to loving you…you're my only reason…you're my only truth…
"I need you like water, like breath, like rain…I need you like mercy from heaven's gate…there's a freedom in your arms that carries me through…I need you."
Selina felt Bruce's arms tighten around her; her breath hitched. His impetus spurred her on as her emotions roared.
"You're the hope that moves me to courage again, oh yeah…you're the love that rescues me when the cold winds rage…and it's so amazing 'cause that's just how you are…and I can't turn back now…'cause you've brought me too far…
"I need you like water, like breath, like rain…I need you like mercy from heaven's gate…there's a freedom in your arms that carry me through…I need you—oh yes I do…"
Outside of the observatory, close to the door, Alfred sniffled, pulled a hanky from his back pocket, and dabbed his eyes. "Provocative," he whispered. Dory patted him on the back.
She nodded with a contented smile on her lips. "Quite the soul-stirring young lady. Romance under our roof. A long time coming."
With tears in his voice, Bruce struggled, "If I c-could sing, I'd be singing those moving songs to you, Selina. Tragedy brought us together, but something astounding has come from terrible loss and sorrow." After he tenderly kissed her trembling lips, he murmured against them, "I knew you are the one from the moment Oz slipped you the drops and the look you had on your face when our eyes met."
"And you follow me home for a peep show."
"As it turned out," Bruce quipped, looking smug. "A bonus. When you reverse-flipped, twisted and turned your way down that fire escape, I was hooked."
"How many times did you replay that video?"
Suddenly embarrassed to admit, he did anyway. "Too many times to be considered decent."
"Sexy voyeur." Not missing a beat, she demanded, "Then why didn't you ask me to stay?" Selina peered into his eyes with mesmerizing intensity as blood sped through her veins.
"I got cold feet." He stroked her cheek with his fingertips. "Would you have?" Bruce challenged, while the haunting words of that last song stirred his emotions to a fever pitch.
"In a heartbeat." She molded her lips to his and yelped a little when he deepened their kiss. His tongue was velvety and slippery-slick. Selina buckled in his arms. He cinched her lithe body, holding her immovably in place flush with his body.
He tasted and she savored for as long as they wanted. He consuming her, and yet allowing himself to be consumed by her raw need. Tearing herself away from his sensual abyss, Selina breathed, "Do you really want me to be the one, hon? Can you handle all this edginess?"
"Stay, and find out." He buried his face in the crook of her slender neck. "Stay forever."
Selina cut her laugh short. Gently inhaling, she puffed air out upon the side of his face while he looked up into her eyes. "Are you asking me to move in?"
He nodded, enjoying her warmth and her rapid heartbeat, comforting and grounding him in its steady rhythm. "I am." Bruce grasped her hands, gripping hers with vise-like severity. "Married to me."
Staggered, Dory and Alfred kept each other from falling down.
Something akin to jumping out of her skin seized Selina. "Married!" She flounced back from him. "Baby, you're crazy!"
"I've been called worse, and that's entirely possible." Mental disability ran in his family as all of Gotham knew oh so well no thanks to a certain raving madman, who spewed riddles like vomit. "But, marrying me isn't. You said it all in that last song. Do you love me, or were you just entertaining me?"
"Uh…" She wagged her head from side to side. "Could it be a little of both?" The hurt expression suddenly on Bruce's face made Selina splutter, "Okay, okay! Yeah, I love you. Ya got me." She couldn't believe this was actually happening, but unlike the dreams she'd had, Bruce was in a smokin' hot tux, and not in his Batman getup. "But, get serious!"
"I am being serious, Sel!" Pouting, Bruce could see she needed to say what she had to say.
"Lemme finish. We've known each other for like about 5 minutes, Bats!"
Dead set on being understood, he ardently said, "Looking back on my miserable love life, the way I used to carry on. Treating women like toilet paper, depresses me now. I promised myself if I ever found someone I truly cared about, I'd do things very differently." She let him hold her again, with his hands flush against the bare skin of her back, rubbing little circles into it. Unlike his, her back didn't have a single marring scar. "So, I'm asking. Not taking. Let me do things differently with you, Sel. Say yes. Please."
"Even if I come from the worst criminal element Gotham's ever seen?"
"So. Like you said—I'm crazy."
"Perfect. We're made for each other."
"Now you're getting it." He dropped his head down to her right shoulder, planting teasing kisses all over her sculpted temptation. All I know is you."
Watching Bruce 'The Batman' Wayne go to his knees put him over the top. Selina got down on her knees and held his hands. "You don't haveta beg, hon. If you want me bad like that, you've got me. Every square inch."
Adamantly, Bruce nodded, then kissed each delicate knuckle of her hands. "I do."
"Okay, then I do too."
He thought he needed to add, "I'm not predicting anything, or, or, well, anyway…I'm saying if—if I suck as a husband, and you can't take being with me, you can do whatever makes you happy, Sel. You're not chained to me. Not for a minute. 'Cause you know how I can ge—"
She kissed him hard, putting a swift end to his jinxing them before they even got to exchange vows. "Love me, love my strays."
"They have a home here with us. There're lots of rooms for your lots of cats."
As they got up from the floor bedazzled by the soft lighting, Selina said with a note of anxiety, "I've gotta get back to them. I rushed out of the house so fast this evening, I didn't feed them. My bad. They're probably meowing their little hearts out, demanding where am I. I had a great time. Hope you did too. Thanks for wanting to marry me. You of all people. It's a first. Mind blown, baby. Never been asked before." She gave Bruce another hug and he stopped her from getting away by grabbing her hand and not letting go.
"I'll take you back. In the—"
"Your car!" She sounded all girly-cute. "What about my bike?"
"We bring it with us. You down?"
"Yeah. Just let me change back into my suit and—"
"Oh, about that," Bruce said with an element of intrigue. "I came up with some modifications for your trappings. We'll bring the upgrades along, and you can inspect the improvements at your place. How's that sound?"
Linking his arm with hers as they left the observatory, Selina supported, "Like the songs say, a hero lies in you… and I can't turn back now…'cause you've brought me too far. I need you."
"There could be some of that torte left. Want it before we hit the road?"
"Yes!"
"They're leaving the observatory, Alfred," Dory advised in a hushed voice.
"Hurry, and they won't catch us."
The eavesdroppers scrambled, making it to the elevator, where it waited, before the couple opened the huge door to the observatory.
"She wants what's left of the leftover torte," Dory remarked, glad that she and Alfred were safe from detection as the elevator descended.
"I'll have it wrapped up and waiting for her. Ah, the soon-to-be new Mrs. Wayne. Has a nice ring to it, Dors."
Nodding Dory agreed, "Indeed it does…although, cats? Cats were mentioned. How many do you think there are, Alfred?"
"We'll just have to wait and see, won't we."
