A blue streak from nowhere announced the arrival of Nightwing. That did nothing to stop the emotional staring contest between the two present adults. Damian acknowledged Dick with a sideways glance and raise of the eyebrow. The same skeptic look was returned by his brother.

"Haven't seen you in a while." Catwoman's hissing, sensual voice was marked by pained wavering.

After all that had happened those months ago, with Hush, the bond shared between the two was an uncertain thing. That sizzling, cold energy that hung in the air between them told of unexpressed sentiment and a crackling chemistry ready to be explored once more.

She looked to the unconscious bodies littered about the ground, "Look's like you've been up to the same old tricks."

"Selina I-"

"Save it, Bruce." She was pained to say. On the verge of asking something, Catwoman stopped, her attention shifted. "So this would be Robin?- the newest one. Damian, I believe?"

The teen was unimpressed.

"Tt. I am wearing the uniform." He smirked at Bruce. "You do pick them with such intelligence father."

Damian's scathing time did little to move Selina besides make her chuckle.

"He's even worse than you described." She narrowed her eyes, studying the boy with feline curiosity. "A chip off the old block, I'll bet."

"TT. Father we're wasting time. I expect you've rung Gordon, we've no reason to stay longer."

When no response came from Batman- whose brow was as firmly set as ever- Robin tutted; he then passed a disapproving look over his father's ex-lover; and he proceeded to retrieve his grappling gun and let the hooked end attack itself to the top of a nearby warehouse. Before abandoning the adults to their petty trivialities, Damian looked his father sternly in the eyes.

"If you are going to rekindle this failed relationship," he gestures to the space between Bruce and Selina, "be sure not to repeat your old mistakes.

"And by old mistakes, I mean me. One illegitimate child is enough."

***

Legs tangled in sweaty sheets, a mere two hours later, Selina nuzzled in to Bruce's neck, inhaling his unique scent like an addict chasing the source of their addiction.

"I hate you." She murmured, an elegant but athletic leg draping over his. "I should kill you Bruce. Maybe then I'd have some peace." Selina trailed her forefinger down the side of his face, from his cheekbone down to his chin.

Bruce caught her hand as it fell from his face, holding it like it was the most precious thing in the world. "We're both kidding ourselves Selina." He took a small, irregular breath as she pressed a soft kiss to the corner of his chin. "This is going to end again, in chaos and flames, like it always does."

"That didn't stop you following me to my apartment."

Bruce sighed and she felt his chest rumbling under her hand, "We all have our vices."

"And I'm yours?"

The comfort of Selina being back in his arms awakened the affection in him, and Bruce placed a kiss to her temple, "Apparently."

Lavender.

Her hair smelt like lavender. That silken jet-black mess that dared not pass her chin, a powerful personal statement in its own right, smelt like his mother's perfume.

Lavender. Every morning, with an embarrassing kiss on the cheek at breakfast.
Lavender. Every night, with the ticking of blankets around him and the promise of eternal protection.
Lavender. Mingled with the metallic tang of blood and the sound of pearls bouncing on the cobbles.

That's what Bruce had done this all for. Justice against criminals- righteous, mildly lawful retribution. Yet here he was, once more in bed with a criminal. Selina was different, he had told himself over and over. She wasn't bad- not like that.

Bruce's face darkened.

No. He'd tried to make her see. He'd tried to show her the right way. Justice not Vengeance. But she'd walked away, disgust in her eyes. She was appalled by that which stood at the heart of his purpose. Be better than them. Killing is no answer.

Bruce looked at Selina, as her eyelids began to flutter slowly, drowsily. She was a killer. She had killed. Likely recently. Catwoman- Selina- was a villain. What lay within his heart spited him with this torment. It compelled his heart to want her more than his lustful instincts.

Selina's eyes stayed open longer enough for her to mumble to him, "Bruce...please don't go...bforr morninng comes..." and her head fell sleeplessly limp in to his neck, her light breaths tickling the hairs in his neck.

It was too familiar. Too comfortable. Too right.

He waited, staring up at the ceiling, until her breaths had evened out; Bruce carefully unpicked her limbs from his; and he left the flat, Batman once more.

***

"Damian!"

"Hey! Damian!"

"Jesus kid, could you stop for one second?"

Finally relenting to his brother's calling, Damian relaxed, dropping down from the pull-up bar. After taking a long sip of water, he raised an eyebrow at Dick.

"Tt. What do you want?"

The acrobat leaned against the wall in front of his brother, donning unremarkable joggers and a vest. "You're working out after patrol, isn't that a bit much? Why don't you eat something?"

Damian moved on to the punch bag hanging in the corner of the training room. Assuming a fighting stance, a long L-stance with his knees bent and fists raised, Damian bounced off the balls of his feet. In a blur, his left leg swung up and around as he twisted backwards, the bottom of his foot slammed in to the bag and sent it flying sideways. He shifted to the side and delivered a storm of sharp blows on the target: each moment of contact resonating within the room.

Between controlled breaths, Damian said, "I'm...not....hungry." And with that last syllable, he spun a round and his leg shot forwards with such power in his back-kick that the punching bag fell to the floor.

"Let me rephrase, Damian." Dick folded his arms, "Come and eat."

"No."

"I'm not asking; Alfred's ordering."

"And I'm not finished yet." Damian growled, his clenched fists restraining his destructive impulses.

It was in that moment that Dick realised something wasn't quite right with Damian: this wasn't his usual 'don't disrupt me when I'm training' malarkey; he reckoned the kid was trying to work something off.

"Is this about Bruce? Has he said something?" Dick prodded.

His brother raised an eyebrow. A signature move.

"Tt. If this is your attempt at emotionally connecting with me, it's abysmal at best." Damian massaged his knuckles absentmindedly, staring down his brother.

Throwing his hands up defensively, Dick said, "Hey- I'm just looking out for you Damian. I know what it's like to be Robin- I know what Batman's like. You don't need to be so uptight."

"Tt. Like I'm going to take advice from you of all people. You couldn't manage the pressure and ran from your duties like a coward."

If had been six long years since the two had first met. Dick could unpick the spite in Damian's words by now- see past all the malicious bravado and understand that it was one of Damian's many coping mechanisms. Still, it didn't stop it from aggravating Dick to no end.

Capping his irritation with reason and rationality, Nightwing sighed, "I know you don't mean that."

"I don't need your help." Damian all-but snarled. Yet, the teen's countenance softened with his voice and he added, "But if it'll keep you quiet, if I am in a supposedly foul mood, it's not because of father."

"D'you want to talk about it?"

"No."

"Alright alright," Dick held his hands up again, his lips quirking upwards, " just come and eat. Let's not have a replay of the last time Alfred had to drag you to the table."

Damian snorted, "I can't say that's unjustified. Let's hope Drake didn't help with the cooking."

A.N:

Alright, that was a bit of a filler, I won't lie to you. But stillll- Bruce and Selina...

O_O

Yeah...shit's happening...

-Bats ;3