"You think one good deed is going to make up for all the bad things you've done to this family, and to everyone else?"
"Isn't it a start?"
Bruce slowly slid himself round, so his legs dangled off of the table.
He wrapped his arms round Jack's waist.
"It's more than just a start, it's brilliant."
He leaned in and kissed him.
"Oi, you're gunna get blood on my suit." Jack giggled.
Bruce flinched back.
"Crap, sorry... Oh yeah, that reminds me, we'll have to go clothes shopping tomorrow for you."
Damien chuckled, "yeah right, it's a bank holiday, the shops will be flooded with people, and they close early."
"Good point" Jack mumbled "Maybe the day after then? It'll give your face some time to heal."
Bruce picked up a bandage and placed it on his still bleeding face.
"Master Bruce, I think you should go and get some rest. It's late, and it'll help you heal."
Bruce swallowed a few pain killers, then shook his head in an attempt to clear his thoughts, "yeah, fine. Could you help me up the stairs Jack?"
Jack giggled, "sure, honey."
He held out his hand for Bruce.
He helped Bruce, who stumbled, almost drunkenly, by his side.
Jack helped Bruce up the stairs, along the hall and up the other set of stairs.
Bruce almost fell over several times, he seemed to be able to talk fine, but his balance was out.
Jack placed his injured lover on the bed.
"Come on, let's get those clothes off."
Bruce giggled, "I think that might exasperate my condition."
"Now now, I thought making jokes was my job."
Bruce pulled off his Batman armor and began to clamber into his pajamas.
Jack started to help him put his pajama trousers on.
"There you go, all ready for bed."
Jack smiled as he kissed Bruce goodnight, "night night, I'll try not to wake you when I come in later."
Jack smiled as he left the room.
"Miss Kyle, I told you Master Bruce is unavailable." Jack heard Alfred say, rather loudly.
"I want to talk to him, Dick told me what's happened, I need to talk to him!"
Jack rushed to the edge of the stairs to get a clearer view of what was happening.
Selina had barged past Alfred, who stood looking indignant by the front door.
"Bruce!" She yelled, her voice filled with anger.
"Bruce, I need to talk to you!"
Jack skipped down the stairs, "I'm sorry Selina, Brucey is in bed with a head injury. But I could pass a message on if you like."
Selina's eyes narrowed.
She rushed forward and slapped Jack, "you bastard, why did you do this? We were happy! Where's Bruce!"
"I told you, he's in bed with a head injury, he got in a little bit of a scuffle with Riddler."
"What? Is he ok?"
Her tone had changed dramatically, from angry to concerned.
"He'll be fine, luckily an old fiend showed up, having had a sudden change of heart, and saved him from having his face smashed in."
Selina looked a little dumbstruck.
She stammered slightly as she spoke, "...Umm, well, thank you for saving him. I still want to talk to him though."
"Well he's asleep now, all drugged up and everything. I doubt I'd be able to wake him."
"Fine." she snapped, "I'll come back in the morning, you better be in this time."
She walked to the door, still obviously angry and upset, and exited the house.
"Well handled Master Jack, very civil. I can see there is hope for you yet."
Jack tittered, "yes, I'm not all bad. I keep telling people that..."
Jack walked into the living room, "hmmm, it's not as good as the other living room... Probably shouldn't have blown it up."
"Yeah well you did." Damien said from the sofa, making Jack jump in surprise.
"Now we're living in a house half the size it should be."
"You should wear a bell kid, you scared me half to death. I am sorry about blowing it up though."
"It almost got the cave. We could have lost all our stuff."
"Yeah but you didn't. God, you're so negative. Instead of thinking 'oh boo hoo, it could have blown up the cave' try thinking 'at least it didn't hit the cave'."
Jack flicked on the t.v and sat on one of the armchairs, the furthest seat from the child.
Damien looked up from the book he was reading, interested to see what Jack would choose to watch.
After flicking through a few channels, and stopping briefly on a cartoon, but then deciding he had already seen that one, he stopped on a romcom film.
"Along came Polly! I've been meaning to watch this, apparently it's good."
"I've seen it."
Jack smiled, "so then? Is it good?"
"Yeah. Dad got it for me on dvd."
"Must be good then."
Damien giggled at an off-colour joke that'd just been told.
Jack's smile widened.
Good to see that this kid had some sense of humor.
He settled down and began watching the film.
"Are you serious? About being with my father I mean."
These were the first words spoken in over half an hour.
"Yeah. This isn't one of my plans or pranks. I actually mean this."
Damien tried to hide a slight smile of relief as he turned back to the film.
"...Good." He said in his usual annoyed grunt.
Jack chuckled, "now now, don't act like that, you're starting to like me aren't you?"
"No. I like that you're making my father happy at the moment, that's all. If you betray him he'll go back to hating you and things will go back to how they used to be."
Jack looked over at Damien, "I'm not going to betray him."
"Oh yeah, you say that now.." Damien mumbled.
"I'm not!" Jack shouted, "I'm not going to betray him. I'm different now."
"Sure..." Damien grunted as he turned up the t.v.
"I am different." Jack smiled widely.
"I feel so different to how I did only a few days ago."
Jack chuckled to himself.
"...Alright don't go all emotional on me... It's late I'm gunna go to bed."
Damien got up, picked up his book and walked out of the room, leaving Jack to watch the remainder of the film.
After which he dragged himself up the stairs to clamber into bed next to Bruce.
...
Bliss.
This must be happiness.
Waking up.
On a comfy bed.
Next to the person you're in love with.
Jack couldn't stop smiling as he looked over at the sleeping man who he had had found himself hugging when he woke up.
At Least Bruce's face looked slightly better this morning.
Not as swollen.
Jack tapped Bruce's shoulder in an attempt to wake him.
"Bruce honey, are you alright? Hows your face feeling?"
He stirred.
"Oh, hi Jack... Umm yeah I think I'm feeling better."
Jack smiled, "good. Selina said she'll be dropping in later, she wants to talk to you."
"What? Selina is coming? When did she tell you?"
"She came in last night, after you'd gone to sleep."
Bruce sat up, "why didn't you wake me up?"
"Well, I didn't want to wake you."
"...Thanks." Bruce smiled, "when's she coming?"
"Some time this morning. It's ok, we've got ages yet."
Jack sat up and kissed Bruce.
Bruce grunted happily, and returned the kiss.
"Should we get up then Jack?"
He shrugged, "why? It's still early, we've got all this time to ourselves, why not have some fun?"
Bruce shot an odd smile at Jack, "ok then, what do you suggest we do?"
Jack chuckled and kissed Bruce again.
...
It was a full 2 hours later that the pair tumbled down the stairs.
As Alfred saw them he was reminded of celebrating, overzealous team mates.
He thought it best to not ask exactly why.
"It's nice to see you in a good mood master Bruce."
Bruce smiled and reached out, lovingly touching Jacks face.
"Just having a good day, so far anyway."
"Yeah, hopefully it won't get too much worse when Selina gets here."
"Well master Bruce, master Jack, before that would you like something to eat?"
Bruce nodded, "just some cornflakes for me."
"Yeah, could I get some too?"
Alfred nodded and walked into the kitchen.
Jack turned and hugged Bruce, "that was nice."
Bruce kissed him, "yeah, you did get awfully loud though."
Jack giggled sheepishly, "sorry, I couldn't help it."
Bruce giggled back at Jack, "love you."
The shorter man let out a small happy sigh, "love you too."
They walked into the kitchen together and sat at the table.
The slight odd cluster of plates, bowls and cups on the table meant that the other inhabitants of the house had already eaten.
Weird.
Alfred normally cleared the table as soon as the food had been eaten.
"Are you ok Alfred?"
He looked up as he carried the bowls of cereal to them.
"It's not really my place to say master Bruce..."
Jack started slowly eating his food, he looked up at Alfred intrigued.
"Come on Alfred, if you've got a problem we want to know about it."
Alfred huffed, "no, really sirs, I'd feel more comfortable if I didn't say."
Bruce crossed his arms, "Alfred."
He huffed again, finally giving in.
"I'm sorry master Bruce, I don't think it's honorable of you to have a physical relationship with Jok-Jack when you still haven't spoken to Selina about it. You are effectively cheating on her."
Bruce nodded, "thank you Alfred, I'll keep that in mind."
Alfred started clearing the table, he seemed happier having said that.
They sat and ate their food in near silence, not wanting to upset Alfred again.
However the silence was filled with lust-filled glances and mimed kisses between the two lovers.
When they had finished their breakfast they quietly walked to the living room.
Leaving Alfred to clear the plates in the kitchen.
Jack sighed as he turned on the tv and sat next to Bruce.
"How bad do you think she'll react? Selina I mean?"
Bruce laughed nervously, "not well, definitely not well."
They both laughed, "it's going to be horrible isn't it."
"Yeah..." Bruce replied.
"We'll just have to hope she doesn't go all crazy Catwoman on your arse."
Jack leaned over and kissed Bruce.
"Hey, come on honey, I love you but no more till I've broken up with Selina. Alfred was right, its not honorable."
Jack nodded, "'spose. Well, when do you think she'll get-"
Dick entered the room, "Selina's here, she's really upset. Shall I tell her you're on your way?"
"Yes, thanks."
Dick left the room.
"You ready? Things could get ugly."
Bruce nodded, eyes down.
"Yeah. Not looking forward to it though."
Jack chuckled, "me neither."
They silently walked out the room and down the stairs.
Jack kept giving Bruce looks meant to reassure him.
However it just made him feel guilty about Selina.
They walked down the hall.
They now stood in full view of Selina.
"Selina I-"
"Why did you do this? I told yo to be nice and talk to him, to sort things out, but I didn't think you'd end up living with this guy! Him of all people!"
"I know, it felt wrong at first, but... I... He's different now."
Her eyes narrowed, "oh yeah sure he has, how many times has he told that to how many different people?"
"... I've never said that." Jack chimed, "this is the first time. People have always tried to change me back into whoever I was before, he's changed me into a whole new person. I am different now."
"How do we know he's not lieing! How could you do this to me!" She snapped.
"Do you know how long it's been since I felt happiness like this?" Bruce yelled.
"What about my happiness!" Selina started to cry, something that would have made any normal man uncomfortable and sympathetic.
But it seemed to just make Bruce angry.
"I didn't mean for this to happen! I didn't mean to fall in love with him!"
"I didn't mean to fall in love with you!" Selina roared, tears streaming down her cheeks.
She turned, almost falling, sobbing, into Dick's arms.
Bruce stood, still, gobsmacked.
"Selina... I'm sorry... I didn't know..."
Dick cocked his head, "how could you not know? It was so obvious."
"I... I didn't... I..." Bruce stuttered.
"You're so wrapped up in your own little world, you don't care what matters to anyone else."
Dick continued to hold the sobbing woman, who started to whimper through tears.
"... I... trusted you... I thought... I thought you loved me too... you said that... you would pick me..."
Bruce started shedding reluctant, angry tears.
"I'm sorry, I tried, it was wrong. We were wrong. It wouldn't have worked. I don't love you, I didn't love you. I love Jack. I'm sorry for what I've done to you. But we never would have worked."
She tried to stop crying, so she could speak clearer.
"... Why did you lie to me?"
Bruce wiped the few tears from his eyes, "I was lieing to myself, more than you. I wanted to make us work, I wanted to love you."
"Then why don't you love me?"
"Because I love Jack."
Selina suddenly looked incredibly angry.
She stormed up to Bruce and slapped him.
Then she turned and walked out, "if anyone asks, I broke up with you first."