The day had been chaotic. It was the first time in a long time that I was back in costume, but it was an all-hands-on-deck situation. Mordru was attacking Metropolis and already destroyed a good portion of the city. To make manners worse, Mordru opened cracks from other dimensions and these creatures could be best described as wraiths or dementors from a Harry Potter book. I was down in Centennial Park with Green Arrow and Dinah fighting statues that Mordru breathed life into. Why in the world did Metropolis have so many centurion soldier statues? The fighting just never let up and every time I looked in the sky to where Mordru was he just seemed more and more powerful. We had been fighting non-stop for an hour when it happened, Green Arrow got hurt.

"Ollie," Dinah shouted trying to get to him. I knew what I had to do, I had to distract what remained of the statues and make them follow me. I loaded up one of my last bombs and hurled it at the head of one of the statues Dinah was fighting. Its head exploded into a million pieces. "Dinah go! I'll get them to follow me," I yelled. She was hesitant for a moment and then nodded. "C'mon blockheads! Follow me!" I threw an exploding Batarang at them. Those weren't as effective as my plastique sticky bombs but it was good enough to get their attention. The remaining three statues followed me closely to a neighborhood that had already been evacuated. I knew I was putting myself in danger going alone but I didn't have much of a choice. The stone centurions were surprisingly fast and agile for being made of solid rock. I barely dodged their swinging swords before I used my grapple gun to take me to higher ground. I was able to throw my last plastique bomb at all three of them as I glided up. One of them was hit with the bomb and it exploded in mid-air as it jumped to swipe at me. The other two were close behind me though. I landed on the roof and hit the ground running as fast as I could. I had only three exploding Batarangs left. If I used all three at once then maybe I'd be able to take one of them out. I kept running but turned long enough to throw my last ditch effort at them. All three exploded at once and took the head off the one that was gaining the most ground on me. Alright, one to go. I kept running from rooftop to rooftop, thinking of what to do next when I saw it: a dead end. The next roof was destroyed and there was nowhere for me to jump to. Shit. Then I saw Batman come sailing over me. He landed between me and the Centurian before he threw his own plastique bomb. The Centurian was only a few yards away from us and lunging with its sword as it exploded. Batman lunged toward me also and tried to use his cape and body to shield me from the debris. We both landed with a thud on the rooftop.

"Are you ok?" He asked out of breath and hovering over me. I coughed a bit and squinted my eyes from all the little particles falling.

"I'll be" I heard creaking and cracking "wait do you hear that?" The roof of the building started to cave in and we were both falling. I felt him pull me close to him as we fell. It felt like we were falling in slow motion almost. He landed with me on top of him and his shoulder hit the ground below. More debris started falling and he quickly turned us over and used his cape to shield us from the rest of the rocks falling. We were both out of breath staring at each other as he stayed hunched over me.

"I was going to say 'I'll be fine'," I said searching his face. He was tired. We both were, but there was something on his face that worried me. He looked hopeless.

"You don't think we can win this," I said suddenly understanding. He didn't say anything for a moment.

"It isn't looking good," he said, "but we need to get back out there."

With that, we both got up. We found an open window and made our way through it and onto the street and heard a giant boom that knocked us both off our feet. We both looked to see that Mordru was not too far from us in the sky building up power. Then crackling light came from his hand and a circle of it engulfed him and hit us. The lightning kept crackling around us and didn't stop. Bruce painfully crawled towards me. I reached out to grab his hand. I was on my hands and knees trying to move but my body wasn't listening. I looked down at the ground and tried to focus on breathing and getting my wits about me again. The only way I was going to move is if I focused and didn't panic. I started crawling toward Bruce when I felt a hand on mine. It was him. I looked up and saw his face he was in just as much pain as I was.

"Barbara, I-" he said trying to talk.

"I know," I mustered out knowing what it was he was going to say.

We both squeezed each other's hands, knowing this was probably it. This is how we were going to die. The electricity was making our muscles seize and I soon found it very hard to breathe. Darkness started to cloud my vision and then - then it just stopped. We both looked up to where Mordru had been and he was falling to the ground followed by another big boom. I tried to get up but I fell to my knees again. Bruce didn't fair any better.

"What happened," I asked out of breath.

"I think they stopped him," he said breathing as hard as I was. We both helped each other up, but once I touched Bruce's shoulder he seethed a little bit.

"What's wrong," I asked looking at it.

"It's just sore," he said pulling his cape over it. I grabbed his hand and moved it away so I could inspect it a little.

"Well, we won't know until you change out of this," I said worriedly. I noticed that my hand was trembling. I pulled away quickly.

"I-I'm going to go check on Green Arrow and the others in the park. You should go see what happened," I said. He nodded in agreement and took off.

Superman told me to go home and not to worry about cleaning up. I had been running around the whole city since the late afternoon when this whole thing started. I got back to the shambles of what used to be my apartment building. My living room was now a patio that was full of bricks and debris. I started to salvage at least some of my valuables like my mom's locket and the watch my dad gave me for graduation. I was able to find a suitcase and get some of my clothes and toiletries. I also grabbed my laptop even though it was damaged by the pipe that busted above it.

I don't know what I expected. I felt so defeated and tired I just wanted to have a hot shower and sleep. I tapped into my intercom to talk to Batman.

"My place is in shambles," I said not even asking if he could read me.

"Go to my penthouse in uptown," he said, "you know how to get in."

I went through the entrance to the penthouse that Bruce built for when he needed to exit and enter as Batman. I put the code 91939 into the number pad. I slipped in and the entire penthouse was in darkness. I turned on a small lamp to take a look around. Bruce wasn't there yet, I didn't even know if he would come. I made my way to the bathroom and pulled my cowl off. I looked at myself in the mirror and almost didn't recognize my reflection. My face was dirty with cuts and dried blood and my hair's natural red was dulled with dirt and debris from falling buildings.

I almost died today. We were going to die and all I could think about was the horror Bruce had in his eyes when he reached out for me in certain death. It reminded me of how I felt during my fear gas relapse, feeling helpless and hopeless. I wanted to go home. I missed it. All I could think about was how lonely I had been lately and how being around him, even in danger like that made me feel not so homesick.

Almost on cue, he appeared behind me with his cowl off too. I stared at him in the reflection of the mirror. I know he normally has piercing blue eyes but they felt more piercing than normal. Even though I wasn't cold I was shivering and was not sure what to do next. He approached me slowly still staring at me in the reflection. I turned around to make sure he was real and before I knew it he closed the gap between us and just held me tightly. The warmth of his body calmed me down. I didn't realize that tears fell hotly down my cheeks as I gripped him the way I wanted to earlier when I thought we were going to die.

"I'm tired. I miss home. I miss you," I said without realizing it.

"I miss you too," he said quietly. I pulled away slightly to look at him. He searched my face, almost like he was looking for an answer. He gently wiped away the tears from my face.

That's when it happened. We both began kissing each other softly but also passionately. We were just both so tired of being strong, that we needed the comfort of another human being who understood what the other was going through. I felt the tension release in his body and I felt mine melt away. My breath hitched as I pulled away finally fully aware of what was happening. He held my face in his hands breathing a bit heavily.

I knew what we did was against the rules but I didn't give a damn at this point. "I know we said we couldn't but we both almost died tonight. I -" He kissed me again to get me to stop. I was more than okay with that. He broke away again to look at me.

"Come home," he pleaded. I nodded and he just held me close and kissed my forehead. For a few minutes, we stood there holding each other while listening to the other person breathe. I thought about the day and the injuries I might have and then I remembered his shoulder and how he winced in pain earlier.

I gently pulled away and pulled his cape behind his shoulder so I could look at it. I couldn't see anything with his costume on. "Your shoulder, don't think I forgot," I said gently touching him.

"We should clean up first," he said picking something out of my hair. I nodded in agreement as I inspected his face. He had some cuts on along with dirt and dry blood.

"Come with me," I said leading him by the hand toward the shower. I took my gloves off and turned the shower on. I felt the water to check the temperature, it needed to warm up.

"Let me see," I said pulling at his cape. He took his cape off and then winched as he took the top of his costume off. His left shoulder was already bruising to a deep purple. He had to be in a considerable amount of pain. I stepped up to him and gently inspected it. I had to get on my tip toes to see all the bruising.

"I'm sorry," I said realizing exactly how he got this massive bruise.

"For what," he asked looking at me confused.

"You got this when we were falling through the building. You made sure I didn't get hurt," I said staring at the bruise.

"You don't ever have to apologize for something like that," he said redirecting my gaze with a low tone in his voice. That's when we started kissing again. This time harder and more feverishly. I was careful not to touch his shoulder and I gently placed my hand on his chest. He began kissing down the right side of my neck and I gasped for air. He pulled my cape off and I started to lift my top off before he stopped me. He looked at me in a questioning manner as if he was asking if I was sure. I kissed him to assure him I was before I lifted my shirt off so he wouldn't have to strain his shoulder. Steam started to cloud my vision as we continued to kiss each other, the shower was heated up. His finger ran across the scar on my arm that was still healing from when Talia cut me with her sword. He stopped kissing my lips and kissed the scar. The touch of his lips sent shivers down my spine and goosebumps appeared on my arms.

We both undressed fully and got into the shower. It felt weird at first being fully naked in front of him. In my teens, I developed a complex about the way my body looked due to teasing from other girls and not having a mom to reassure me that I was beautiful. The feeling subsided once he looked at me the way he did. At that moment I never felt so beautiful in my life.

He pulled me in close and whispered in my ear knowing what I was thinking, "Stop it, you're gorgeous."

I didn't respond verbally; instead, I pulled at his hips. I noticed the amount of dirt and blood that was running off of our bodies as I took the soap and lathered it in a washcloth before using it to gently cleanse his chest and torso. It was a slow process but we washed every inch of each other and were careful to not make any of our abrasions worse.

One thing most people don't know about Bruce is that he can be intuitive and very tentative about your needs. He was so careful and soft as he washed all the dirt and blood from my battle-weary body. Bruce might pretend to have no compassion, but he has more compassion than most people.

I wanted to return the favor and make him feel taken care of and safe too. As I washed Bruce's body I started to realize just how much of a toll a life of crime fighting was on his body. He had many scars and skin discolorations from old bruises. I knew Bruce had sustained a lot of injuries over the years but I had no idea how extensive his scarring was. He must have noticed the concern on my face and he distracted me by giving me a deep passionate kiss. After a moment I broke away and kissed an old scar he had on his chest and then I worked on kissing the scars he had on his right bicep. It took him a moment to understand what my mission was. I was going to kiss every scar he had in hopes that it will somehow bring him and his body some comfort. He started to do the same to me as he kissed a scar I had on my back. We took our time kissing each scar the other one had before he started to make love to me.

The experience was more than I ever imagined and so different. I thought if we ever were going to have a first time it'd be rough and driven by passion. I never thought it'd be so slow and deliberate. There was of course passion but not a lustful one. It was one of comfort and a need for closeness. I wanted him to feel not so alone. At first, we both stood with one of my legs wrapped around his waist. Then it intensified and ended up with my back against the shower wall and both legs wrapped around him. The euphoric feeling built more and more inside of me and intensified when he buried his head in between my neck and shoulder. I felt like he could devour me right then and there. We both reached our peak at the same time and held each other as the water continued to wash over us. His breath was rough and ragged against my neck. I could feel endorphins and other feel-good chemicals flood my bloodstream. The whole experience almost felt surreal. He kissed the right side of my neck. I think he figured out that was one of my spots. I couldn't help but give a slight moan and sigh. Then the water was starting to get cold, I had no idea how long we had been in there.

"We should get out," I said looking up and him. He nodded and turned the shower off. Before I got out he reached the towel rack and grabbed a towel to put around me. For the most part, Bruce was almost always a gentleman. I wrapped the towel around me and walked out while holding onto his arm. He led me to the counter where all the medical supplies were and started to assess what abrasions of mine should be tended to first.

I had two big cuts on my right calf, a small one on my left thigh, three on my right arm, two on my left shoulder, and one on my chin, cheek, and forehead. Bruce didn't fair any better. Besides the bruising on his left shoulder and four cuts on his face, a bruise was forming on his right cheekbone, and he also had several cuts and gashes on his arms and legs. Luckily it seemed none of our wounds needed stitches.

Methodically, Bruce worked to bandage every injury I had before he even let me attend to his. At one point I started to shiver from my wet hair and having nothing on but a towel. I ignored it and tried to work on wrapping his shoulder but he stopped me.

"You need to put on something warmer than just a towel," he said. The look in his eyes told me he wasn't going to relent on the issue.

I raised an eyebrow. "Fine, but I'm grabbing you some clothes too."

When I returned with t-shirts and sweatpants for both of us, I wrapped his shoulder as best I could. For some reason, the act of doing it reminded me of when he had been in my apartment that night after I stepped barefoot on glass. I remembered how he so gently wrapped my foot that night. Bruce must have noticed the faint smile on my lips.

"What is it," he asked a bit confused.

"Nothing I'm just reminiscing," I softly pressed the tape down on his shoulder. I was just about finished.

"About what," he asked intrigued.

"Do you remember when I stepped on the broken glass in my kitchen? You were so gentle and caring wrapping my foot that I got lost watching you."

He smirked a little bit. "Afterward, you made me sit and eat pistachio ice cream with you. You were practically giddy."

I smiled a little bit remembering him sitting there dressed in costume eating ice cream. I move onto the cuts on his face and inspected the bruise on his right cheekbone. "You're going to want to use some arnica for that," I said squinting at it. I grabbed the tub of it and started to apply it. He flinched a little when I touched it.

"Sorry," I clenched my teeth a bit showing that I know it hurts.

"It's fine," he said being brave and letting me add the arnica to all his swelling.

"We can't let Gotham's most eligible bachelor have an uneven complexion," I said giving him a pointed look.

"We are going to need to talk about-" he started to say before I cut him off.

"Not now, let's get rest first," I said pleading with him. He understood that and showed me by giving me another kiss. Before I knew it he pulled at my waist with his good arm and directed me toward the bedroom. I could see through the windows that it was still dark but the sun was going to rise soon. He pulled back the covers and gestured for me to get in. Soon he slid under the covers next to me with his good shoulder closest. He used that good arm to wrap around me. I fell asleep warmly against him and the rhythm of his breath lulled me into a deep sleep.

The next morning I woke up and he was still there with me. I thought he'd maybe he'd be gone when I woke up, but I'm glad he was still there. "Morning," he said lowly. I could feel the rumble of his voice through his chest. I smiled and turned up to look at his face. I rested my head in the crook of his arm and chest. There was something about the expression on his face.

"What," I asked with a little laugh.

"Nothing, just thinking," he said moving my hair out of my face.

"About?"

"The first time those eyes and smile made my heart skip a beat," he replied.

"Oh do tell," I said sitting up and giving him my full attention.

"You remember the Cassidy concert," he asked.

"Yeah," I was looking at him confused, "you were there with Cheryl."

"Mmm no Shannon," he replied. My eyebrows lifted, letting him know he needed to tread lightly. "Not important to the story," he said quickly. I giggled a little at his quick recovery.

"You swooped in and saved Cassidy. I was so relieved because there was nothing I could do to save her. When I came to thank you, you said that sometimes it pays to have cheap seats and then took off," he explained.

"Really," I asked confused, "I didn't do anything special, just my job."

"What, that surprises you," he asked concerned.

"Yes," I laughed, "that was so long ago and I didn't do anything you hadn't seen me do a hundred times before."

"You really have no idea how effortlessly beautiful and charming you are," he said sincerely.

I turned a bit red and blushed.

"Obviously you don't because you wouldn't be turning bright red right now," he said sitting up.

I felt a little embarrassed because he was right, I sometimes lacked confidence. He must have noticed that I was thinking too much because he became concerned.

"I didn't mean to embarrass you," he said reaching for me.

"Am I that transparent?" I felt childish for being embarrassed.

"No, I just know you well," he said holding onto my face.

"Bruce," I stopped myself for a second because I wanted to avoid the conversation but I knew we needed to have it, "what we do doesn't allow us to have relationships. God knows we both have tried that. What we did last night, I wanted that. Hell I needed that and I know I will want it again, but I don't want to complicate things." He stayed silent and just listened, "I want to keep this just between us."

He looked at me and searched my face for a moment with his piercing eyes again. "I think you're wrong about one thing," he said breaking the silence. My heart dropped a little. "You aren't going to want it again, you're going to need it again," he said as he used his hand to play with my hair. For a split second, I thought he was being a smug bastard but then I caught on. He was teasing me.

"You're probably right," I laughed, "but I think you're going to need it before me." He pulled me close and then rolled on top of me before giving me a long deep passionate kiss.

"So it seems we agree," I replied. I could feel his smile as he continued to kiss me.

"About everything," he said back kissing the right side of my neck again. For a second I was confused but then I realized he meant that he was going to need it again before me. I never felt so desired in my entire life.

We stayed all day and night in the penthouse. It was good because we both needed to rest, though there wasn't a lot of resting going on some of the time.