Chapter 30: Yes
"So Harl," Ivy said, tapping her feet a bit in irritation, "When exactly were you going to tell me you were having the Bat's babies?"
Harley grinned apologetically, wolfing down some bread before replying, "I was going to tell you eventually. Just...alot of things have happened. Never got the time."
"Well I would have figured it out sooner or later I guess." Ivy stated, sighing, "Especially since you're already showing."
"Are you saying I look fat?"Harley asked, earning her an eye-roll from Pamela.
Today Harley and Ivy had decided to spend the day together, just the two of them. Harley was wearing a black wig, much to her annoyance(but Bruce insisted on it since her blonde hair would draw too much attention.), and Ivy was wearing a large white sunhat, covering her eyes and her bright orange hair. The pair were sitting outside a diner, enjoying a nice lunch with the sun shining brightly above(a rare sight in Gotham). As the two finished their meal they made their way down the street, peering into the many shops along the sidewalk.
"I'm glad we could do this Red. It feels like such a long time since you and I got to hang out."Harley said, smiling at her companion, which earned her a smile back.
"It does feel nice to relax and just enjoy the day like this." Ivy agreed, stopping to look at some potted plants a street vendor was selling, which of course she bought one. She totted it gently in her arms, "So what's the next thing on our list to do?"
"Well Bman is taking me out tonight on a date. Something we oddly haven't had." Harley answered, a little shocked at the revelation, "I want to look good for him tonight."
"So I'm the yes/no girl as you come out of the dressing room in different outfits?" Ivy said, a mix of dread and excitement.
"Just like those old 80s movies. Now all we would need is a some awesome montage music!" Harley replied, grinning widely.
The girls entered a nearby boutique, where Harley instantly became as giddy as a kid in a candy store, snatching up any of the clothes that caught her eye. Ivy, in a somewhat disinterested manner, browse through the clothes as Harley bounded into the nearest fitting room with a armful of outfits. One after the other Harley came out in a different outfit, which either earned her a nod or an outright dismissal from Pamela. While both Harley or Ivy wouldn't admit it, Pamela had a knack for fashion, more so than Harley.
After six or seven rounds of Harley modeling off dresses for her best friend, Ivy finally gave her the okay on the last one she came out of the fitting room with. The dress seemed simple yet a bit nostalgic for some reason. It was the color of black, with the length ending just above her knees. While there was enough cleavage showing to turn an eye or two, it wasn't too obscene. Miraculously, the slim dress curved well with her baby bump. Along the collar and the hem of her dress was red lining, that shined slightly in the light. Suddenly it came to Harley why Pamela chose this outfit.
"Hey! This looks similar to my old harlequin outfit!" Harley exclaimed, turning her head to look at the dress from the front and the back.
"What can I say? Red and black look good on you."Ivy replied, smirking a bit, "It goes well with your new wig too. Besides, Batman always drooled over you when we use to tussle with him back in the day."
"Huh? What do you mean?"Harley asked, cocking her head to the side in confusion.
"I suppose you never noticed and quite frankly Batman did his best to not make it show, but his eyes would never leave you when you would go toe-to-toe with him. The big bad bat couldn't help but have his eyes roam over that skin-tight suit of yours." Ivy answered, placing her head in her hand, amusement on her face.
"Re-Really?"Harley blurted out, blushing a bit, "I never noticed before."
Not that she would have anyway. She wasn't about to confess to Red but she also gazed at the Caped Crusader whenever the two of them were together. His suit flaunted his ripped muscles and chest, and his strong chiseled jaw would make Harley go weak in the knees. He was like every girl's ideal image of a man, despite his personality at the time being less impressive than a rock. However, due to them spending so much time together and becoming a couple, even that flaw has been ironed out. Deep down Bruce was a sweet and caring man. He had trouble showing it sometimes, but she knew just how to bring it out of him. It was one of the reasons she felt special to him. Only she was one of the few who got to see another side of Bruce that no one rarely sees.
"Harley it's rude to daydream in mid-conversation."Pamela scolded jokingly, which caused Harley to be shaken out of her thoughts.
"Sorry..."Harley apologized, blushing even more. Red shook her head in mock disappointment, knowing exactly what-rather who- she was daydreaming about.
They bought the dress as soon as Harley changed out of it, with her buying Ivy a dress as a thank you for coming. She didn't know when she would use it, since going out wasn't really her thing, but she still liked the dress nonetheless. She felt a little bad, having paid for the clothes with the credit card Bruce had given her, but she had no job at the moment and quite frankly Bruce can manage the bill.
"By the way Harley. That card was Batman's right?" Ivy asked as the two left the store.
"Yeah. He gave it to me for my own use."Harley said, beaming a bit.
"But there's no bat symbol on it. I figured it would be a more flashy bat credit card." Red stated, grinning.
"A bat credit card? Really? That's beyond stupid." Harley replied, causing the two women to laugh softly.
Sadly Harley had to end the girl's day out with Red, waving her goodbye as the two went their separate ways. Her date was only a few hours from now, and she had to get back and get herself ready. Bruce had planned on meeting her at the restaurant. She had Alfred pick her up and bring her back to the mansion, where she wasted no time in preparing herself for their date.
As she stripped down to her bra and panties Harley couldn't help but look at herself in the mirror. Practically anyone who wasn't blind could tell she was pregnant, with her stomach protruding out very noticeably. Already she was beginning to lose her belly button, as if someone was pumping her full of air and her belly was ever expanding. She clutched her stomach gently, rubbing it along it;s full engorged length. She had heard that after kids it was usually very hard for women to lose the weight. However with the extensive training her and Bruce do and their far from normal lifestyle, she had no worries that she would be back into shape in no time.
Two hours later Alfred drove her into the city and to the entrance of the restaurant, which was one of Gotham's most spectacular(a.k.a. The most expensive) eateries. Bruce greeted her as the car came to a stop, opening up the door for her and extending his hand to her, which she graciously took. He pulled her close to him, wrapping his fingers around her own as the two began walking towards the door.
"I gotta say Harley you look amazing tonight."Bruce said, smiling at her, "And that dress is lovely, but I can't help feeling nostalgic about it for some reason."
Guess Red was right...Harley thought to herself. I'm betting he has a spandex fetish too.
It would be an understatement to say that the people around them were shocked to see the two. Everyone murmured among themselves, after all it was always news when Gotham's wealthiest bachelor had a new girl on his arm. However, restaurant customers could tell this time was different. After all, the new girl Bruce Wayne was with was clearly pregnant. Harley guessed that the news would soon be reporting over their whole date, which caused her frown at bit at the potential future headache.
"Don't worry. We won't have to deal with the press just yet." Bruce stated, reading her expression, "I paid the owner and staff quite well to not let the reporters in while we are here. After all, this is our night."
Harley's frown instantly turned upside-down at that, "My Mr. Wayne, you are so thoughtful and charming. You must be trying your hardest to get me in bed with you on our first date."
"Oh never Miss Nixx. I have nothing but gentlemanly intentions for this night." Bruce retorted, winking at her.
Long ago the two of them had developed a new identity for her, for Harley's eventual reintroduction to society and to safely be together in public. Her new public name now was Silvia Nixx, and after tonight Harley guessed her reintroduction to the world would be everywhere on the news. Bruce had made sure to ask her if she really wanted to come out into the world again, much less by his side. She wanted nothing more to be by his side and have the world know that she was his and he was hers. Their love was nothing to be ashamed of or to hide, although to be fair he only asked because the press would forever be hounding her anytime she was out in the city. While Harley( well Silvia now that she is in public) appreciated his concern, if she could handle Gotham's underworld then she could easily handle the paparazzi.
The dinner went wonderfully, with a fantastic meal and much needed time for the two of them to just relax and talk, something that had eluded them for so long. It was true that the two loved each other more than anything, but the night had allowed them to connect on a deeper level. Despite the building full of people, the only people in their vision and their world was the other. Harley didn't even know she could fall in love with this man even more, but she was proven wrong. It felt like ages since the two laughed and smiled as much as they were conversation however was put on hold when the waiter brought out their dessert, which was a slice of freshly made cheesecake. Harley loved sweets and was about to dig in when something embedded on the top of the cake caught her eye.
Something sparkled on the top of the dessert, but anyone could tell what the object was. Harley's hand trembled slightly as she extended her hand towards the object, but Bruce beat her to it. He carefully removed it from the dessert, wiping it off with his napkin. Harley watched, stunned, as Bruce got down on one knee in front of her and presented the object to her. It was a diamond ring, with a red ruby in the center of it and wrapped in a black band.
Yeah he clearly has a thing for my old spandex suit..Harley thought to herself, trying her best to shake herself out of her stunned state.
"Silvia Nixx..."Bruce said, managing to turn her attention away from the ring, "Will you marry me?"
For what felt like minutes Harley couldn't say anything. It never even occurred to her the idea of marriage. She felt like crying tears of joy at the situation. She would have been more than satisfied just being by his side forever, but with him wanting to make it official to not only themselves but to the world filled her with happiness. Harley sniffed, trying to hold back the tears and flashed him the biggest smile she could.
"Yes I will." Harley answered, "Nothing would make me more happier!"
Bruce smiled softly at her as he gently took her hand in his, placing the ring on her finger. She quickly wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him close, giggling. The restaurant then filled with the sounds of clapping hollering, the patrons having clearly watched the whole scene and couldn't have been happier themselves at having witnessed such a loving display. Harley let go of Bruce's head and allowed him to get back up off his knees, before placing a kiss on his lips.
"I hope the ring doesn't ruin the taste of your cheesecake." Bruce stated, as the two went back to their seats.
"Ah! Cheesecake! I completely forgot about it!" Harley replied, turning her attention away from her ring and instantly attacking her dessert. Her childlike attitude earned her a chuckle from her now fiancee', before he too began eating his own dessert.