AU Shenanigans

[exitthewallflower]

It's been six months since Cass disappeared. She's the first person I've known to do that and I still can't quite believe it. It hurts. She was family. A bat. And a friend. And every night since then, I've been killing myself to cover her turf and mine. Maybe literally now.

I was tired, too tired to be in the neighborhood I was in and I should have known better. But the deal was going down and I had to stop it before those drugs got on the street. One the good side? The bad guys are all tied up and the drugs were destroyed. On the bad side, I'm on the nearest roof losing consciousness after one too many hits after one too few nights' sleep. I remember calling the bust into the cops right before I remember thinking, "These bricks look really soft. I should lie down."

I don't really remember much after that.

Comments

[exitthewallflower]

Wait. "Did you just..?" My head really hurts, have I mentioned that yet? Because I think he just called me hot or something. I think? Where are my clothes? I...

Damn it. I lost my train of thought.

"I can treat my own wounds." There. Those were the words I was looking for. I'm back on track and making my way slowly back to the sofa. Only as I sit down I realize that's a lie because I think I feel something in the middle of my back that's not my bra strap and - DAMMIT, I'M STILL ALMOST NAKED.

Crossing my arms over my chest a mumble something about a towel. I think. All the blood's rushing to my face. What little i have left right now anyway. Oh, God, I'm sitting here in Kaine's wherever and I have no clothes on.

[badtotheclone]

"Not when you're passed out you can't," I say. "Which is what you were doing when I found you. Unless that was a Bat-nap."

Okay, Bat-nap was pretty damn funny, if I do say so myself. You know, because they take normal things and put 'bat' in front of them. Anyway, I can tell she's a little out of it which I attribute to how badly she's been hurt.

I get up and return a moment later with a shirt, tossing it at her. It's one of mine but it will cover most everything and it's either that or one of Cass's old shirts, which would be a little... snug around the chest.

[exitthewallflower]

I grumble a bit, but I take the shirt and hold it up to my chest, "I would have woken up."

I shift a little, feeling the bite between and beneath my shoulders. I think it's a piece of knife? I remember seeing a broken one in the fight, and it wouldn't surprise me if it had broken off in my suit. It's armored, but it was a pretty big knife.

"But since you are here, can you get whatever's in my back?" I pause. "Please?"

[badtotheclone]

"Yes, I'm sure the police helicopter with the spotlight would have helped," I say before I realize that she's actually not being completely awful about this. "I was just trying to be helpful. And sure, just turn around."

I move up next to her on the couch where it will be easier for me to get whatever is in her back. It's not a bullet, that I'm pretty sure I would have noticed.

[exitthewallflower]

"I know and... and thanks." I'm too tired to argue. I'm tired and I hurt and I miss Cass so much right now I want to cry. But instead, I just turn my back to him, grit my teeth and try to hold onto the realization that he is literally the last link I have to Cass.

And I'm just tired of arguing with him, honestly. I still think he's a jerk and I know he's a murderer, but somewhere deep inside there's someone trying. I'm not so blind with my annoyance that I have't noticed a drop in his death rates.

I shiver a little when I feel his fingers on my skin, and I tell myself it's because it's cold and I'm tired and not because I just realized this is the closest, physically, I've been to anyone since I came here.

[badtotheclone]

It scares me a bit that it almost sounds like defeat in her voice. Maybe it's more like acceptance, although I'm not sure of what. It also makes me think she might just be the bigger person for accepting whatever it is she accepted, first.

I can see what's stuck in her and it's a piece of a knife. Cut clean through her costume and into the muscle of her back. Not too deep but it's just barely sticking out, plus-

"Uh, I'm going to need to take your bra off to get it out."

[exitthewallflower]

Is he being serious? Or is this a joke, like the me being hot thing he said earlier. Because neither is particularly amusing right now. Not when he's already got full view of the ugly scars from my surgery. Nerve grafting may have given me my legs back, but it left a damn ugly scar, too. None of that is even remotely pretty.

"Funny, Kaine, you can just push it out of the way. I don't care if you did say you haven't seen better, which I know is a lie, I'm not falling for this."

[badtotheclone]

"Falling for what?" I ask, not sure what the fuck she's talking about. "What do you think I'm doing? You know what? Fine."

I do notice the scar up her back and I can guess pretty well what it's from. I'm also used to seeing a lot more scars on a woman's body, Cass was covered into them, more than this even.

I reach out to move her bra, pulling it down as carefully as I can and it completely snaps.

"By the way, the knife cut your bra. It was barely attached and I was worried moving it would rip it. But hey, you weren't going to fall for that, were you?"

[exitthewallflower]

I may have squealed when the bra snapped, but you will never be able to prove it.

"You could have just said that to begin with. That? Is actual logic." What is his problem? Why can't he just say things flat out without... being him all the time? "Did you think I would be surprised to hear that a knife that already went through my uniform had cut my bra on its way to my ribs?" I shrug and roll my shoulders to get the straps off and without exposing myself any more than necessary, the mangled item hit the floor.

I'd really liked that one, too. Do you know how hard it is to find good bras that worked under body armor and capes?

"Just pull the shard. Please."

[badtotheclone]

"You could have just trusted that I had a good reason for saying what I was saying I had to do," I snap back, annoyed that she can't just trust me. I get that she thinks I'm a killer. She's right, I am one. No amount of trying to be better will ever make those things not have happened. But what could I possibly gain by saying I need to take her bra off?

I gently touch the end of the shard with my finger and pull. Thanks to have hands that can stick to any surface I don't actually need a grip on the shard, which is good news for her. The piece is out in a moment and I grab a nearby piece of gauze and press it against the wound.

"I can superglue it for you. That'll give you more freedom of movement without risk to reopening it."

[exitthewallflower]

"Thank you." I breathe deeper, wincing a little at the pain, but at least I don't have the maddening feeling of something under my skin. And I manage to think a little clearer, too. I still think he could have said it differently, but again, he's all I have of Cass. She would want me to try.

"I'm sorry. I'm just having a... bad night. Good bust. Bad night." Which reminds me of one more thing I should probably say before he does something that's going to annoy me. I've been meaning to for awhile anyways and since I'm here... "I should thank you for the bust, too. The info you gave me? About the Lobos awhile back? It's helped. The last year, I've made some real progress. I owe you that." A little.

[badtotheclone]

"Welcome," I tell her, although it feels just a bit odd to tell her that. Odd, but maybe not bad. To be honest I miss having someone to share this with since Cass left. It's not the same, not close, but it's better than nothing.

"Glad I could help," I tell her, reaching out to grab a tube of super glue before pinching the wound closed and sealing it up. I blow softly on the glue, helping it dry faster.

"I've been making some progress too. Getting noticed in the underground fight rings."

[exitthewallflower]

I have to say bless super glue. It has so many wonderful uses, but it can sting like a bitch and feeling him blow on my skin like that all warm and cold is just not helping my head or my mood right now. I don't know what I'm feeling, I'm too tire to do anything but feel it, but gratitude is a new thing with the two of us and I don't think I'm quite feeling it right.

"Whose rings? Do you know yet?" There's some pretty big money if you get in the right fight and I know he's not averse to that at all. I wait for him to finish before I finally pull the shirt over my head, still keeping my arms crossed.

I am so glad it isn't a white shirt, you have no idea.

[badtotheclone]

"Saw Diego Novoa at one of them," I tell her as I watch her put the shirt on, telling myself I'm doing it because I want to make sure the wound doesn't reopen and not because there's anything there to admire. I may be really wanting to get laid, but not so bad I'd make a move on Barbara. That would be stupid.

"Thought about killing him. Didn't though," I say, trying to make it sound offhand and not like I'm trying to show her I've changed. "I- hold on, you've got glass in your hair."

Reaching out, I run my fingers through her hair, trying to carefully shake loose the few shards of glass in there I see.

[exitthewallflower]

It takes a mountain of self-control, but I let the killing comment go. Later, when I'm not a pile of bruises, I will point out that killing Carlos Novoa's cousin will only make things worse right now.

Instead I focus on not moving while he's pulling the glass out. "That would be the empty beer bottle. It hit the plate in my cowl. Didn't really hurt, but my ears rang something crazy." I shouldn't, but I close my eyes. It's almost... soothing? If it were anyone but Kaine, I would say it was soothing so okay, I'll say it's soothing. I am soothed.

[badtotheclone]

"Suuuure, it was the cowl that dulled the blow," I say, trying for a joke before I realize it may come off as a straight up insult. Way to go, Kaine. I'm doing a bang up job here at not being an ass.

"Oh. You're in the penthouse of the Hilton. I don't think anyone will think twice if you leave looking a little worse for wear. I- I might have an outfit or two of Cass's here but I don't know if they'd fit you."

[exitthewallflower]

I'm so zoned out from the fingers working through my hair, I don't even notice the crack about my thick skull. And honestly, having a thick skull is something of a job requirement, isn't it?

Sighing, I manage to chuckle. The penthouse. Of course it is. But I am not giving his ego the satisfaction of leaving looking like we just... nope. Not gonna happen. No with my face coloring like I feel it is. "I'll be fine. Sleep here on the couch for a few hours and put my suit back on. I can leave off the roof before dawn and have time to start breakfast for Aggie before she goes to school." Then I'll sleep. Tomorrow's definitely a sick day at work.

[badtotheclone]

"Called a mutual friend to go over and be there for Aggie when she wakes up," I say. Aggie and I butt heads sometimes but I like the kid and don't want her to worry.

As I talk my fingers idly moving down to rub her neck. I can feel how tense she is and it's practically impossible to resist trying ti work out some of the knots.

"And you can take the bed, I don't use it. You should probably shower too."

[exitthewallflower]

"Oh, God...." I don't even think about how it sounds, because it feels like heaven. I can't even remember when the last time I had any kind of massage that wasn't me working out a kink just good enough so I could swing another punch. And he's got good hands, broad and strong and he knows every muscle as well as any surgeon or masseuse.

I can't even think shower right now because I don't want to stop this.

[badtotheclone]

I'm not entirely sure why she's saying that, but it's not followed by "I'm going to kill you" so I figure it's probably a good sign that helping her relax isn't a bad thing. After the night she's had, she can definitely use it.

I move down to her shoulders, pressing on a particularly knotted area until the muscle feels like it's relaxed and in the proper place, repeating the process all across her upper back. I'm careful to avoid the knife wound but I figure if I'm in for a penny I'm in for a pound and move a bit lower.

"Be better if you laid down," I offer, figuring she can either accept or tell me to fuck off. At this point I'm not sure which one I want her to do. It feels good, touching her. I meant what I said earlier when I said I hadn't really seen a better figure.

[exitthewallflower]

I think he's finding knots I didn't know I had and if he's being this nice, I'm not about to stop him. I don't even stop to make any kind of comment about laying down because he's right. He's right and despite all the knots and bruises I need this. I need, like, a week of this, but that's out of the question. I don't have Wayne money. Or even Kaine's money, apparently. If I want a massage, this is how I get it.

And honestly? It just feels good to be touched. Tenderly. By someone trying to soothe me instead of kill me.

God I need a boyfriend.

I manage to stammer something like an agreement, moving slowly to stretch out before I said something that is going to ruin this. Because I will. I always do.

[badtotheclone]

There's no real good way to do this other than to straddle her. I could stand beside her but then it's awkward to massage her correctly. Besides, masseuses do this all the time and keep it professional, right? That's all this is, just being completely professional, courtesy of one crime fighter to another. Captain American and Iron Man probably do this shit all the time.

Fortunately the couch is big enough that I can easily put a knee on either side of her. I slip my hands under the shirt and continue massaging her. Her skin is soft underneath my calloused hands but her muscles are firm, not just because she's tense. I especially work the center of her lower back, just above the waistline of her underwear. I pause for a moment, not sure if I should go any lower. She could probably use it, although I can't tell if her ass is just that hard or if it's tense.

In the end, I decide to move my hands to the sides of her hips and keep going, moving to the back of her legs once I'm past her ass. Touching someone like this is so foreign for me except for touching Cass and I feel myself relax rather than tense up. The only experience I have with this kind of touch was such a good thing that I realize I've really missed it.

[exitthewallflower]

I try really hard to stay silent, but in the end it's a losing battle and I let a few little moans and groans out as he works lower on my back. I'm relaxing for the first time in weeks, months, even and I can't even stop to think about who I'm with or why. I just am and I focus on that.

After months, almost a year of poking and snarling, we're finally quiet and relaxed around each other. And I'm half naked with his hands all over me. "Kaine?" I'm not sure he can hear me with my face half in a pillow. I don't even know exactly what I want to ask him.

"Are you okay with this?"

Am I taking advantage of this temporary good will between us?

[badtotheclone]

That's a very, very good question and I'm not sure how to answer that. I'm not not-okay with it. I'm not freaking out or upset or angry or anything like that. In fact, if I'm honest, it's nice. It's nice to do this for someone, to touch her in a way that's selfless and, dare I say, kind?

Okay, on a more primal side, she's nice to touch. I like touching her and even if my body is reacting in ways that I'm not necessarily thinking about directly, she's hot and it's nice to touch hot women.

"Yeah," I grunt, rubbing along the inside of her thighs, just a bit higher than her knee. "Are you?"

[exitthewallflower]

"Yeah." And honestly, I am. I shouldn't be. I've had the crap beat out of me and I woke up in the penthouse of a guy I can barely have a civil conversation with but... maybe that's it. We're not talking anymore. There's just relaxing vibes and a soothing physicality to everything that doesn't require actual talking.

Soothing and something else I'm not quite sure I want to identify.

"Don't stop, okay? I mean, if you don't mind."