A/N: NEW YEAR! FINALLY!

I'd like to thank angelamorales514 for being a good reader. You seem to be the biggest Gotham fan with your reviews and massive favorite list filled with Gotham fanfics.

Suggested contents ahead. Some are in good nature, others slightly unnerving in case if you are sensitive to it, but no graphic details.

Now here's Chapter 3. It's a big one.


Change

Selina took in the night air. She couldn't remember smelling air with so little smog. Smog never really bothered her. It was somewhat sweet and bitter at the same time. It was, she guessed, nostalgic in a way. It always reminded her of home. Gotham was heavily polluted. All the bad jobs. All the worst people dirtying the atmosphere by the labor of the unlucky. The filthy clouds shielding the sky. Happiness was stripped from home. Same to the stars. She rarely seen stars in Gotham.

She'd loved the stars. Every time she looked at those twinkling dots, she forgot her troubles. She forgot her hunger, her coldness, everything that she worried about every day. But most nights, it was just dark clouds.

It was different here. The sky here, tonight, she could see the heavens. It's like outer space has opened up.

Metropolis was different in many ways. The buildings, the lights, sounds. The whole place just, in general, makes her less miserable. It was going to take a while to get used to.

But for one thing that both Metropolis and Gotham City shared: it's tall buildings. She was thankful for Bruce picked a penthouse with a roof terrace and balcony. Perfect for her. A place for her to stand or sit dangerously on a railing and defy gravity. It was her element. Where she could think. Nothing is more relaxing than living on the edge and con death. However, Selina decided to not set herself on the railing tonight. For reasons—good reasons—she chose to sit on the chaise lounge outside and bundle up in a plush blanket.

The chilly breeze told her winter was coming soon. Good thing Alfred gave her a nice steaming mug of hot chocolate with mini-marshmallows, whipped cream, and caramel sauce. No wonder why Bruce liked having Jeeves around.

She took another sip from her sweet drink and pulled the blanket tighter around her. A sudden new thought about the stars popped into her head. She remembered hearing that if you're away from the cities, like in the middle of nowhere, you'll be able to see the Milky Way. She'd never studied astronomy but she had seen pictures like that. Half the time she thought they were fake. Albeit, most could've been real. Maybe she and Bruce could visit the countryside someday. How will she be in a nonurban setting? A place that is mostly natural landscape and less concrete. They say the air there is better for you than the air in the city. It would not have been a surprise. The property of Wayne Manor was mostly country land.

How did my life change so much? Selina wondered as she took another delicious gulp. Just two seconds ago, she was a Siren. A career criminal working with the two most malevolent, vicious women that could ever exist. She was their best thief, but most of the time, she felt like an errand girl.

The past four months have been some of the best of her life. She made a new home in a much better city, going to get a new job that wasn't illegal, and her relationship with Bruce had moved up to the next level. That last part was the best.

The two of them traveled abroad together a few times. They had to get her a passport in order to leave and return to the States, which was annoying. After that, he took her to Switzerland first. Finally got to see this mysterious chalet he'd been disappearing off to. Paris was romantic, though the locals weren't her kind of people. Maui was the exact opposite of Gotham. The sun, the beaches, the flora. No wonder why people always want to vacation there for Christmas. But her favorite spot was Italy. She always dreamed of going to Italy. And she was right that it was better than Switzerland.

It was fun traveling but they had an actual life in Metropolis. Now that he was of age, Bruce was the CEO of Wayne Enterprises, and the headquarters was moved there after Gotham was lockdown. Kinda enticing to have a rich CEO as a boyfriend. Granted they had the money, she needed something to do. With going straight, she had nothing to do. It was maddening. So after two weeks of sitting on the couch, stuffing her face, and watching endless tv, she said to herself, "I need a job."

First, Selina thought something at Wayne Enterprises would be good since she was dating the boss. But Bruce said that whatever jobs hiring required at least a high school diploma. And some need a college degree or bachelor's or whatever the hell they call them. So whatever job she could get with her lack of desirable traits, would be degrading.

On the subject of college, Bruce brought up the idea of going to school. He quickly shut his mouth as fast as he opened it. He knew her well enough that that talk pissed her all the way off. Then later, she thought about it and, maybe it wasn't a bad idea. The real living hell about it was going through a general education course for her high school diploma. Bruce and Alfred said it was required to get into a good college. They did help tutor her despite the threats and angry outbursts they received whenever she got fed up.

Thankfully she was able to finish and then all the college hassle started. She's still going through the first semester and the guys say that it is usually an experimental semester. It was to see what she really wanted as a major. So far, commerce wasn't going to be her major. Turns out it wasn't as easy as fencing off stolen jewelry. However, art might seem interesting. When it's time for the second semester, she'll pick an art class. Actually doing art wasn't a huge passion of hers. But studying the different styles and artists could work. Barbara once worked at an art gallery, maybe she could work something similar.

"My God, I'm a civilian," Selina criticized herself. Nevertheless, she had to be for what she recently found out.

All this couldn't have happened if she, Bruce, and Alfred hadn't moved into that apartment. It was a really good day….


Four months ago

The elevator doors opened onto the top floor. Selina held onto Bruce's arm. Her body still didn't feel a hundred percent, but the hospital released her after she regained her strength. She probably just needed some more exercise. Nothing that running off roofs and jumping on fire escapes won't fix.

She took a quick sweep of the place. A habit of searching out for escape routes. The place was amazing. It oddly reminded her of where Barbara lived before she went bananas. But this joint was bigger and had more of a Bruce vibe to it. The first thing to pop in front of her was the ginormous window. The view of the skyscrapers somehow gave the feeling of staring at a mountain range. The living room was assembled in the middle facing the window. A long table with highbacked chairs was set up to the far right. On the other side was the kitchen with an elegant granite countertop.

So far, she liked what she saw. It was like the kind of place she would rob. Although, she might need to add her own touch to make it a real crib.

"Welcome home, Ms. Kyle," Alfred announced.

"Wow," was all that she could say, at first. "How did you get a place like this?"

Bruce led her to the couch. "While you were in surgery after we escaped," he answered, "I looked up apartments for the three of us. I was aiming for something smaller, but then I found this place. Something about it made me think you would like it."

Selina sat down and took another look around. From behind and above their heads was a loft for the second floor. No doubt the bedrooms were up there. She looked back at the window and studied the balcony outside.

"It'll do," she said flatly. The grin twitching on his face proved he got her humor.

"Oh! There's something I'd like you to see," he said.

That tickled her interest.

He tried to help her up but her pride refused it. She needed to recover on her own. Her stitches never stop making themselves known. A constant reminder to be careful. Literal hell.

"I'll get a kettle on while you two take the tour," Alfred said.

They stepped out onto the balcony. Selina instinctively looked at the view then back to the patio. Some pretty modern woodwork in the flooring. A canopy. Some potted plants that reminded her of Ivy. The furniture was nice. Some chairs, a table, a couch, and other junk. In the far corner was a built-in tub.

Wait!

A jacuzzi?!

"Is that a hot tub?" she asked. Never before had she been in a hot tub. Frankly, she couldn't remember the last time she went swimming for fun. Oh, she'll be spending a lot of time in there. Sadly she didn't own a bathing suit. Although, she thought with a sneaky notion, with some alone time… maybe….

Bruce spoke again. "Yeah but that's not what I wanted you to see."

He turned a corner. Intrigued, she continued to follow. Just up a flight of stairs, a flash of green came into sight. There was a picnic table sitting atop a patch of grass.

Selina gaped. There's a lawn on the roof? She thought. She then turned her thoughts into words. "This place has grass on the roof?"

"Yeah. It's a roof terrace," Bruce chuckled.

He walked onto the lawn. She joined him. She had never had any weird feelings about walking on grass. She'd walked on plenty before, despite living in a concrete jungle. She walked in Gotham Park. Maybe it was because of the altitude. Yeah, that could be it. You don't really walk on grass above ground level. But why not, she scoffed.

She almost wanted to roll around in it. Wanted to kick her shoes off and feel the nature between her toes.

It was Bruce's smile that made her realize that she, herself, was smiling. She wondered what he was thinking.

Bruce couldn't stop marveling at her. He couldn't stop since he was twelve. In the sunlight, her hair looked like a halo of an angel from a Renaissance painting. She must've been. There was no way anyone could be that beautiful. She seemed pleasantly surprised about the penthouse and all its accessories.

"Do you like the place?" he asked her. Nervously scratching the four-day stubble on his face. His neck was getting itchy, but something was satisfying in stroking the facial hair.

Selina gazed out around the city again then back at him. "I'll survive," she said nonchalantly.

He approached her. She gave him her usual smirk. His hands found her waist to pull her closer. Her hands trailed up his chest and her fingers touched the prickly hairs on his cheeks.

She chuckled to herself. "I think you should grow your beard out," she suggested. "You'll at least look like a real man."

The corners of his lips curled as he laughed. After a couple of breaths, he accepted. "Okay. I'll grow it out.

Smiling broadly, she kissed him.

New life, a new home, a new man.


Night cloaked Metropolis. Lights brought life to the half-sleeping city. The inhabitance of the Wayne penthouse was asleep except for one.

Selina sat in her new room in her new bed. She hugged her knees. The blankets were pushed away. A lot has happened in the last twenty-four hours. The biggest highlight, her relationship with Bruce was better than ever. He was practically—oh, who was she kidding—undeniably her boyfriend. That fact was running through her mind on a loop.

I have a boyfriend. Bruce is my boyfriend. I'm the girlfriend of billionaire Bruce Wayne. Bruce Thomas Wayne. The Prince of Gotham. Mr. Morality. Mr. Goodie-Two-Shoes. The occasional pain in my ass. The best friend I'd ever had—but never admit—is my boyfriend.

They did try that last year, but she hated the whole label thing. They were just friends who kissed and hung out. That's normal, right? There was no need to call themselves a couple. Then stupid Ivy 2.0 asked if they were and Bruce said yes. Things got pretty awkward after that. And after her mother came back to use her as an easy mark, and Bruce lied to her about that, that was indeed a breakup.

In retrospect, his intentions were—in his point of view—good. He wanted her to rekindle her relationship with her mom, despite knowing that she was lying to her own daughter.

Over time, and falling out of a window, and being yelled at by him, she forgave him. Subsequently, as she helped him rescued Alfred from that trap with Scarecrow, she opted to be there for Bruce no matter what. And he was the same way for her.

Now he got a sweet apartment for them. Perhaps he did earn the right to call himself her boyfriend.

The only reason Selina didn't like the idea of having a significant other was the dependency. Not the mention that all the guys she grew up knowing were all creeps, perverts, or potential rapists. She had to stay away from them. She couldn't—no, wouldn't—let any man touch her.

Once, one older guy who used to live in the orphanage with her tried to… she did not want to think of the word. Was nearly thirteen and needed a place to crash. He let her stay and later that night, he tried to take advantage of her. Luckily she kicked him in the right places before he could get her pants off. After that, she'd started to sleep with a knife and never see that bastard again.

Barbara and Tabitha tried to give her advice on men and sexuality. All the dos and don'ts. Tabby just gave her the need to knows. Babs went into uncomfortable details. The crazy blonde's talked summed up as: Selina is very beautiful and could have any man she wanted but had to be careful with her body. She had the right to do whatever she wants, where she wants, with whom she wants. They even taught her some tricks to entice men.

Occasionally there were some attractive young guys at the club she could try out on. Though most men there were the same wolves she had to avoid. She did not trust any of them with her body. Especially with total strangers. Some girls she known from the streets had to do such things to get their next meal. Thank whatever god in charge Selina didn't have to.

For the last eighteen years, she kept her virginity to that day.

If she had to sleep with somebody, someone she truly trusts, it had to be Bruce.

She jumped out of bed. Before she ran to the door, she looked down at herself. She questioned her pajamas then remembered something she bought earlier. She looked at the black nightdress. Alfred brought her clothes shopping earlier to fill her wardrobe. She picked out her usual ensemble. She spotted this piece and some certain thoughts ran through her. The girly pajama was short and low cut. She'd never wear anything like that. Yet, thoughts of Bruce filled her.

Without hesitating, she changed out of her clothes and slipped the gown on. She kept her underwear though because… well. The mirror showed her unfamiliar appearance. Didn't recognize herself at first. The nightie was flimsy. It was shorter than she thought. She had to be careful when she moved around. A decent amount of her cleavage was showing. Wasn't too slutty, hopefully. Would he think it was sexy? Why does she care? She wouldn't be wearing it long. Would Bruce even want her?

Stop it! she scolded herself. She shouldn't think like that. Of course, Bruce wants her. He's a guy. It's her insecurities that would stop them. So she steeled up and marched out.

Bruce's room was next to hers. When Selina was at his door, her inhibitions halted her. Should she knock? Should she walk in? Will he be decent?

"It's okay," she whispered to calm her mind and she was already opening the door before she knew it.

"Selina?" Bruce sat up in his bed as she entered. "What're you doing here? Is something wrong?"

"No," she remained to creep toward him. She held her hands behind her back, looking a little timid. "Couldn't sleep. Could I stay with you tonight?"

A wide array of emotions passed over his face. Surprise, confusion, fear, excitement. His cheeks turned into tomatoes.

"Uh…" he cleared his throat a couple of times. Before he could answer, she was already standing in front of his bed. He just stared at her with a million thoughts going everywhere.

Selina's fingers traced the duvet. Her feet were starting to get cold. She just wanted to crawl in and snuggle into his warmth.

"Sure," he finally said. He lifted the covers for her and she clambered in. His strong arms wrapping around her with no hesitation.

She was already so comfortable. There was a crook in his neck that she fit in perfectly. She noticed he shaved his neck but not his face. Good. She almost didn't want to go on with her plan. Her hand cupped his heart. Its lively beating making her melt.

Bruce's lips found the top of her head. As if it was some trigger or signal, her mouth found his neck.

The room suddenly felt warmer. Soon as they rediscovered each other's mouths, it got too hot and needed fewer layers.

"I've never done this before."

Selina heard him admit. Somehow giving her everything she needs.

"It's okay," she said between panting kisses. "Neither have I."

She ripped his shirt off and he shocked her when she felt his hand on her backside. He squeezed her before she threw her leg over him and straddled him. The subtle yet delectable friction caused her to grind into him. His wandering hands snuck up under her nightgown.

Next moment he flipped her on her back and kissed her neck. A moan escaped her. Bruce certainly never acted this way with her, she thought as he pulled her panties down. After that, they shed all other barriers.

Bruce hovered over her. All that was between them was the air they were sharing. Those dark eyes somehow pleasantly blinding. She almost wished he could stop stalling and get on with it. His savoring kisses trailed down her chest. Her breathing became heavier with each physical touch. It was when he reached her belly that he paused. Selina looked at him. He remained still staring at her stitches. Oddly how she hardly noticed them even with all their movement. She started to get worried that he would blame himself and start to mope again.

Mustering all her begging power to make her face say what she was thinking. Please don't blame yourself, Bruce.

Why did he have to be so chivalrous and self-punishing?

The tender contact returned on the wound. So sweet. So gentle. Her breathing begun to evolve into panting as he continued his descent.

She was ready and so was he. Bruce situated where he needed to be and waited for her to give him her permission to advance. Once she gave it, she felt this exotic pain. Barb and Tabs warned her about that. Luckily Bruce appeared to somehow know about it, too. Delightful relief quickly washed over her. The discomfort faded just as fast as it started, releasing a satisfying cry she'd never made before. Then the real fun began.

It was nothing like she had imagined. Bruce's weight pressed her deep into the bedding. He was gentle when he needed to, and rough when it was just right. It was no lie that he was inexperienced, but so was she. His eagerness to please her was equal to his self-pleasure. His hands and mouth went everywhere they could reach. Her hips, her breasts, the two dimples on the small of her back that drove her crazy. Experienced or not, their rhythm matched perfectly.

Her fingernails trailed the hard muscles of his back. Her legs wrapped around his lean waist to pull him closer. Their names flowing out of each other's lips. Pressure built up more and more with every movement. Bruce grasped ahold of the mattress to control his increasingly aggressive rocking until heat exploded through both of them. Their throats were incapable to contain their screams.

Selina didn't notice how hot they were until Bruce rolled off her. She suddenly felt empty, exposed, cold, and more sweaty than she thought. She rolled back to his side and he gathered her up in his arms and kissed her hair. She treated his chest like a pillow, the best pillow ever.

"Hmm…. So that's what it feels like," she said.

"Wow, that was amazing," Bruce whispered in her curls. "You were amazing."

She nuzzled further into him. "Yeah," she said breathlessly. "I don't know about you, but we're definitely going to do that again."

He breathed a chuckle and tightened his embrace. "Okay," he agreed.

After a few more moments of peaceful silence, they made love again.

For once in her life, Selina felt safe and loved.


Present-day

She sure did. And she felt that way every day after that. Her life has been one disaster after another. Always fighting in darkness. It ostensibly was true that nothing lasts forever. Stealing was fun while it lasted, but she just prayed it doesn't go back to what it was before.

She caressed her belly as she projected her thoughts to the universe.


A/N: This turned out longer than I thought so I cut it in half. I hope you enjoyed it and hoped you weren't uncomfortable in any way.

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