"It started out as a kiss,
How did it end up like this?

Gotham City
July 2, 20:45 EDT

Then...

Barbara felt herself giggle as she stumbled aimlessly with a blindfold over her green eyes.

"Come on, no peeking Babs!" A male voice said somewhere behind her figure.

"Richard, I swear if this is one of those pranks Wally has you into, I will fucking punch you." She said crossing her arms. It's was rather odd to see her scold Richard with a blindfold on, but she was able to pull it off somehow.

Richard let out a chuckle, "Trust me it's not! I swear it's not!"

All she could see in front of her was a bright blue blindfold. Barbara huffed out a breath, "Better not be."

Richard gently placed Barbara where he wanted her. He smiled, "Okay open your eyes."

"Hate to tell you this Dick, but I have a blindfold on my face." She said while waving her hand in front of her blindfolded face to prove her point.

Richard rolled his blue eyes, "Okay, genius take off the blindfold."

When she did, Barbara's breath caught in her throat. In front of her was a picnic blanket laid out, along with some floating lanterns that were tied down, a small basket was set in the middle.

So this was why he didn't want me to go on patrol with Bruce. She thought. She turned around to see Richard somewhat dressed up in a plaid shirt, some jeans, and a nice pair of shoes. His messy hair was combed back.

She smiled tearfully, "Richard...this is..." She couldn't find the words to say that she loved it. That she loved him for it.

Richard smiled, "Don't say anything, I like having you speechless for once." So she didn't say anything.

They laid in silence enjoying the cool summer evening. Barbara pointed out the different constellations. Richard leaped to his feet, startling Barbara.

"I want to dance with you." He said eagerly. His blue eyes filled with mirth and joy.

Barbara blinked, "We don't have music." She was rather freaked out by the request, she only blurted out that sentence because of how nervous she was about dancing. As a girl, ballet was something that had interested her, but it never stuck like gymnastics or karate.

Richard grinned, "We actually do." He went over to the basket and pulled out a small portable speaker. He set it up as Barbara raised a brow.

Then the song came on. Kiss Me by Ed Sheeran. Richard grabbed her hand, pulling her up just as the music started.

They swayed as the chorus played, in which Richard began to sing along.

"Kiss me like you wanna be loved,  you wanna be loved, you wanna be loved." He sang, the slow swaying and music made Barbara's heart flutter. This always happened when she was around him. It always did.

But she knew that the relationship wasn't anything, but platonic. It would never be anything more, nor anything less. Barbara knew that, and she didn't care, this was enough for her, for now.

They swayed with the music. She felt a warm feeling spread across her body. Her breath was fanning his neck from where she rested her head against his shoulder. Barbara felt Richard tense up.

"What's wrong?" She asked. Richard's posture stayed tense.

She saw the look in his eyes and felt the need to leave. She pulled away from him, "I'm sorry, I shouldn't be here, I have to help my dad." Her hand slipped out of Richard's as she turned to walk.

Richard opened his mouth to answer, but he couldn't find the right words to say, to have Barbara stay with him, to tell her exactly how he felt about her. He often hid it from her, afraid that if he gave in to his feelings everything would change drastically.

Barbara turned to leave, grabbing her discarded flats in the process. She made it to where Richard's car was parked not far from the picnic area they were at.

She had stopped to put on her flats before she started to walk toward the street, she didn't get far,  Richard grabbed her wrist, he turned her around, then his lips pressed against hers. Involuntarily her eyes fluttered close as she felt his lips move against hers.

This feels like we're falling in love, we're falling in love, we're falling in love.

Damn speaker, Barbara thought.

Barbara couldn't hear the cars rushing past, just her heart beating rapidly against her chest. Richard's hand was spread against her spine, one slightly lower near the small of her back. She had her hands pressed against his chest where she could feel his heart thumping much like the wings of a hummingbird.

Richard slowly pulled away. His lips merely brushing hers, sending shivers down her spine. His forehead then rested against hers. His bright blue eyes staring at her green hues.

"Babs." He said, her nickname sounded different coming from his lips this time, "Babs."

"Yes?" She answered back, her heart reeling back to it's normal pace. Richard pulled away, brushing back a stray red strand of her hair.

"I-" He didn't get to say, his phone vibrated and his ringtone chimed.

Richard answered in annoyance. "Bruce? Yes, yes she's here with me." He took a quick glance to Barbara.

"What?" She asked, her mind thinking up of several possible answers.

Richard nodded, "Okay, I understand." He hung up afterward. His face grim and stoic.

Barbara stared at his figure, "What's wrong?" She didn't understand. Richard turned to her, his face held sorrow and regret.

"Dick....what's wrong?" She asked once more. Richard clenched his hand into a fist.

"Bruce needs us." He said, quickly opening the door for her to climb in the car. Barbara quickly got in, Richard floored the gas petal.

It was always Bruce. No matter what happened between them, Bruce would be their priority in less then a heartbeat.

When Richard and Barbara got to the manison, they noticed Bruce standing outside of the manison, waiting for them. His face tight an unreadable emotion along with his arms crossed.

As they reached them, Bruce turned to Barbara, "You told, didn't you?"

Barbara seemed taken back, "Excuse me?" Her face scrunched into a look of confoundedness. 

"Ra's Al Gul, you told him about me." Bruce said, accusing Barbara of outing his secret.

Richard glared at Bruce, "She wouldn't do that Bruce. You and I both know that."

Bruce's face was pure rage, "You do not know her well enough to know she would not tell!"

Barbara felt betrayal, he thought that she had told Ra's. She felt her blood boil.

"Listen here buddy, I've been your partner before Richard came, you knew my identity and I knew yours. I thought you trusted me!" Barbara pointed a finger in Bruce's chest, who was currently wide eyed at the red headed teen.

Barbara's green eyes turned into venom as she glared, "I haven't told anyone. It's so hard to believe you'd think that about me. Am I that meaningless to you, Bruce?" She said. Anger pulsing through her veins.

Bruce jaw clenched, "I have never trusted you Barbara, you are a liability. A fifteen year old liability. A wildcard that I don't have control over, I can't have things get out of hand."

At this Richard turned to Bruce. "Wait, so you think you can control me? I'm your son! Adopted son, yes, but son nonetheless!"

Bruce turned to Richard, "Yes you are my son, meaning I know you just as well as I know myself, but she is not a part of this team." He said pointing to Barbara as he said she. Barbara glared at Bruce, he didn't even have the decency to call her by her name.

Barbara felt everything inside her break, "So if I'm such a liability, this team doesn't need me? Right? You don't need someone to gather information for you? Right?" She said, her anger slowly subsiding to small ache of remorse. "Another person to send out on missions where we are risking our lives to help you. Right? All you need is a band of puppets to bend to your will, right?" Her hands clenched themselves tightly as she spoke, those words made her want to scream at herself.

Bruce's stare at Barbara was cold, but Barbara's was colder. Barbara snapped as Bruce stared down at her, like she was just another pest he had to get rid of. It reminded her so much of her old judo teacher, her rage piked. In a flash, Barbara had Bruce on the ground, his arm facing her body as his face was being pushed to the ground.

Barbara let go, taking her foot off of his back, "You know Bruce, it's such a wonder why you're so alone, it's not because of Batman, it's yourself to blame." She turned walking away, just as the starry night turned grey with clouds rolling in. Bruce rolled, facing Barbara's silhouette.

Bruce blinked. What Barbara had said, struck him at his core. It was true, it never was his alter ego, no rather himself to blame.

Richard's gaze stayed on Barbara's figure, before grabbing Bruce from the ground. He swung his fist toward Bruce hitting his jaw.

Bruce spat out blood, staring toward his adopted heir. Richard's face tight with anger.

"I thought you trusted us, Bruce. You just let your best protege leave." Richard said, his blue eyes matching Bruce's icy blue ones.

"Richard, I-" He started to say, but he noticed Richard's face. The heartbroken face of a betrayed teen.

Richard's eyes turned misty, "We trusted you, I trusted you. Seems we can't do that either can we?" He said, he scoffed before walking toward the manison.

Bruce stood up. Looking at the place where he last saw Barbara. Regret filled his heart, his own protege....gone, just like that.

And he couldn't find any way to get her back. He said things, things that made no sense whatsoever. He should have investigated. He was a detective, he should've found evidence for fuck's sake! Bruce wiped away the dripping blood from his lips, still staring, imagining his protege's first day over and over. The mirth in her green eyes as she had taken down a criminal was now forever replaying in his mind.

Gotham City
December 3, 17:30 EDT

Now....

Barbara walked on the sidewalk of the busy streets of Gotham. Her blaring earbuds blocking out the distant sounds of the honking cars and indignant yells of pedestrians.

She turned the corner only to run into a teen, spilling their hot chocolate into the street. She quickly took out her earbuds, "I'm so sorry! I just turned and you were there. Listen, I'll buy you another one."

The teen turned to face her, his face reminded her of someone she knew. Rakish black as ink hair, icy blue eyes, tan skin, and that smile. It was a smile that could cause so many girls to swoon.

"It's fine, really..I-" The teen trailed off, finally, fully, taking in the sight before him.

Barbara felt her heart drop to her stomach, "R-Richard?" Her voice small, drinking in the fact that he is standing right in front of her after three years.

The teen's eyes widened, "Babs?" A hopeful tone had taken his voice. He stepped forward to embrace her, but she took a step back. A hurt look flickering across his features.

Barbara felt cracks in her heart, no wonder people would say their heart is breaking. Hers felt like glass with someone slowly stabbing it with a knife, about to shatter into millions of pieces.

"Babs, wait, I can explain, please." He said. He reached out and took her hand, she never knew that she still felt the same about him, electric shocks raced up her arm. The way Richard's eyes glanced down to their hands and back up to her face, it seemed he felt them too.

"I think you wanted to buy me another hot chocolate?" He said.

Barbara sighed, she started to walk toward the coffee shop. Before she even got across the street, Richard pulled her to his side.

"Babs." He said, his voice nearly sent shivers down her spine.

"Yes?" She said. Her gaze only on the shop across the street. Trying to keep her mind away from the fact that his hand was gripping her bicep.

"I want to talk." He said.

She turned to him, butterflies in her stomach, she felt young again and stupid. Stupid for ever believing Bruce, and for believing that she could be the one that stopped Richard from leaving. "We are talking now, aren't we?"

Richard sighed, "I mean in private somewhere, where no one knows me." He waited as she studied him under her green eyes, a pang of guilt went through him, she didn't trust him anymore.

Barbara nodded, "Okay, after I buy you your chocolate." She crossed the street, headed for the shop.

Richard nodded, "Okay." He followed after her.

~Linebreak~

It never occurred to Barbara that she'd sit across from Richard again. She felt like she was doing something wrong. Of course that was the logical side of her brain speaking.

"Look, I don't know what to say to you Richard." She said. Currently they were in her apartment, sitting in the kitchen. Her voice had taken an indifferent tone.

Richard flinched, "What happened to me calling you Babs and you calling me Dick?" His blue eyes shining, differently then they used to.

Barbara looked away, "Guess I don't know you enough to call you that anymore."

Richard ran a hand through his ink black hair. "I'm sorry. I don't know where to start." He truly didn't, he didn't know how to justify his actions in a way that wouldn't make it seem that she was the one at fault.

Barbara shook her head, standing up from her seat, "You don't have to. What's done is done."

"Are you and Bruce at least talking again?" He asked, his gaze never meeting hers. She sat down again. She still knew that if she up and left, it wouldn't be fair to him. And it'd be stupid for her to storm out of her own apartment.

Barbara sighed deeply, "Not since...you know." She began to play with the hem of her jacket sleeve, something she had not done since...she stopped quickly.

Richard noticed it, but didn't say anything. "You look...um...different?"

Barbara rolled her eyes, "Ever the charmer, Grayson." At her sarcastic tone, he smiled.

"I've missed that smart-ass attitude, Babs." He said, leaning back against the chair. Relaxing after her comment.

"Right, sure you do." She said, her mind drifting back to the day that everything went wrong.

Richard's face turned serious, "I guess you're wondering why I'm here, huh?"

Barbara raised a brow, "Not really, I don't care much for billionaire playboys anymore." She said in matter-of-fact tone while folding her arms over her chest.

Richard winced, "I guess I deserved that."

Barbara glared at him, "No, you deserve much worse, but-" She stopped suddenly. She turned away, standing up from the chair.

"But what? Barb, come on." Richard stood up, trying to stop her from leaving.

Barbara sighed, "But nothing, the world has it's if's and but's." She walked over to the living room.

Richard stopped, "Babs, I just want to go back to the way things were."

Barbara turned to face him, "I did too, but it's too late Richard. When you left, there was no one left to encourage me to stay as Batgirl."

Richard's eyes widened, "You stopped?"

Barbara scoffed, "Yes, for a few days, until I started to miss the rush, actually everything about it." Her arms folded themselves over her chest.

Richard nodded, "Yeah? I couldn't resist either. I went with the Titans."

"That's where you were?" Her brows knitting together. She didn't know that he had gone there. She knew a few of the team members were from their old team back in Mount Justice.

Richard took a step toward her, "But my heart stayed here, Babs. In Gotham."

Barbara felt her heart pounding against her chest. Can't I turn it off. This feeling. She thought. Can't I just turn it off. She told herself.

Richard swallowed, before he made his way to her, standing a few inches off. Even from that distance Barbara could feel the heat rolling off of him in waves.

"I fucked up, I know that, but.." He trailed off.

She looked up at him, he looked down at her. At a standstill. Their gazes locked, Barbara bit her lip as her gaze flickered downward to his lips then back to his eyes.

Richard stepped closer, their bodies just touching. Barbara tried to take a step back, while Richard took a step forward, but found herself trapped between the wall and Richard. Their bodies pressed together in an agonizing way that Barbara remembered what it was like kissing him. But all at once, he took a step back.

"I'm sorry." He said, his fist clenching tightly. "It's been over right?"

"It's over, Richard." She said, but it was mainly to reassure herself.

Richard's brows knitted, "Yeah it has.

Barbara regained her bearings, "Yeah, we are just friends now." It hurt her to even say that to him, watching his gaze turn heartbroken.

Richard nodded, "You're right. I should go." He grabbed his leather jacket. Barbara followed his movements with her eyes. Then he disappeared again. The door shut.

Barbara shut her eyes, as her back slid down the wall. Her arms against her knees, as she felt herself start crying from the overwhelming memories.

Can't I just turn it off? In all my spite....just turn it off. She thought.  Her tears fell, sliding down her cheeks before falling on the floor, a soft petter patter echoing. Her gaze turned to the window and noticed that it had started to create a blizzard. The snow and wind in Gotham was never a good combination.

Jesus. She thought, He's out in that?

She quickly wiped away her tears. She felt responsible for Richard, so she went to the door as she opened it she noticed that Stefan and Richard had just met.

"Barbara, good to see you." Stefan said nodding her direction. Richard looked confused, though it was mainly directed at Stefan.

"You know him, Babs?" Richard questioned.

Barbara nodded, "Yes, in fact he's my friend, best friend." She turned to Stefan. "Do you wish to come inside Stefan?"

Stefan's green-blue eyes met hers, "Yes, it's rather chilly."

She let him pass, as Richard watched with an unreadable expression.

"Are you two......together?" He asked, his emphasis on his last word.

"No, but he needed help with the homework for Forensics. So I invited him over." She said. "And....um.....I don't think it's good to be out, the blizzard is getting bad."

Richard nodded, "So?"

Barbara rolled her eyes, "You know what forget my hospitality." She closed the door, only to have it stopped by his foot.

"I'll stay." He said.

She let him pass and closed the door. "First rule: No arguing and fighting, otherwise I'll kick you into the storm. Second rule: if you need anything, ask me. Third rule: don't eat the kitchen. That goes for you too Richard." She said, just as Richard went to grab a biscuit from this morning's breakfast. He nodded, placing the biscuit back.

"Fourth rule: don't kill each other and I mean it, I don't like paperwork." She said as she went to her room. She had one other room as a guest room for her friends when they came over.

"Stefan you can have the guest room." She said as pointed to the room across from hers. "Richard, the couch."

Richard laughed, "You kidding right?"

Barbara arched an eyebrow, "Do you think I'm joking?" Richard stopped laughing.

"Okay, yeah I'll get the couch." He grumbled. She threw him a pillow and some covers. He stumbled backwards hitting his head against the wall.

Stefan hid his smile slightly, "Barbara, may I speak with you?"

She nodded as Stefan walked to the guest room. "Yes Stefan?"

Stefan ran a hand through his blond hair. "Is he your boyfriend?"

Barbara resisted the urge to laugh, "No Stefan, he's an old friend."

"Oh okay. I was just wondering." He said. "Thank you for letting me stay here. And do you have some clothes I can use?"

Barbara smiled, "It's no problem." She said before walking out of the room.

She went to her drawer filled with her brother James Jr's belongings. She grabbed two pairs of bottoms and two shirts.

She gave one pair to Richard and the other to Stefan. She, in turn, went to her room and grabbed a pair of sweats, pulling them on.

She had forgotten her shirt across the room and went to grab it. Her back faced the slightly ajar doorway. She pulled her other shirt off and began to pull the other over her head, just as a throat cleared itself.

"Why do you have so many scars on your back Barbara?" Stefan asked. He walked toward her. Barbara's shirt hung loosely on one shoulder, showing two jagged pale lines against her tan skin.

He stopped right behind her, his chest almost touching her back. He lifted his hand and ran two fingers on the jagged line. Barbara had her head turned and watched his movement. The cold tips of his finger brushed her bare skin sent a chill through Barbara causing her to shiver.

"Were you young when you got them?" He asked. Barbara nodded. Her lips couldn't form words, it was like her shy nerd side came forth to embarrass her.

Stefan's fingertips lifted away from her skin, at an instant, Barbara could breathe again. She turned around and saw his face.

"Did a family member do it to you?" He asked, a dark tone underneath his voice.

"No, I took self-defense classes along with judo." She said. She wasn't telling a lie, but it wasn't the truth either. "Why would you think that?"

Stefan's face turned grim, "I don't know."

Barbara noticed the way his hand trembled. "Your dad...he'd hit you...wouldn't he?" Her heart swelled with pity, but she knew better then to show it.

His hand clenched tightly, his knuckles white. "Yes he did, until he died and left the fortune to my mother until I graduate from Gotham University."

Barbara nodded, "I'm sorry. No one deserves that." She watched as his expression changed.

"It's fine, I'm just glad I don't have to go through it anymore." Stefan subconsciously placed his hand over his heart.

"It's odd, isn't it? Almost ironic. The man that was supposed to protect me, was the one who bruised me, beat me, hell even burned me." Stefan turned his gaze back to Barbara. His green-blue eyes studying her. "It's just like your brother, right?"

Barbara blinked, she didn't think that many people knew about the incident. She turned her gaze away, "Yes, just like him."

Her hand subconsciously went to her necklace. The last gift her brother had given her before everything fell apart.

Stefan sighed, "I highly doubt I'll win any beauty contests thanks to him."

"Those scars don't define you, they show that you were strong enough to face those monsters and defeat them." Barbara said, she dimly remembered Fate, one of the most trustworthy Leaguers, telling her that.

Stefan smiled, "Of course. I'm going to bed, thank you again Barbara."

Barbara shook her head, "Stop saying thank you so much, I got your gratitude the first time."

Stefan left to the guest room. Leaving Barbara to ponder over their conversation. Her hand clasped her necklace tightly.

The scars on her back were from the years of fighting crime on the street, but there was one that was not visible, the one on her heart.

She sighed, it hurt more than any visible scar did. Of course she knew it would fade, given time.

After all, in the end scars fade and everything becomes anew again. At least Barbara hoped it would.