Chapter 42: Harley is perfect
Harley froze in mid-step, water hitting her face in warm drops. Her eyes just opened all the way as she realized she wasn't alone. Standing under the showerhead was Bruce, water dripping down his chiseled body. "HOT!" She couldn't help but mumble.
He turned to face her, a little smirk on his lips and his eyes fixed on her.
'Ah! Crap. He heard me!' Harley's cheeks turned scarlet as her gaze darted over him, trying and failing not to notice every muscle, every curve of his form. Her hands flew up to cover her chest, even though the water and her panic did little to hide her nudity.
"B-Batsy?! What the hell?!" she stammered, her voice cracking as she backed toward the door.
"Morning, Harley," Bruce said calmly, as if they were discussing the weather. His voice was low and smooth, with a teasing edge. "Wow! Now, that's a beauty."
Harley groaned inwardly, remembering the earbuds still snug in her ears. She yanked them out and waved a hand frantically toward him. "Why didn't ya lock the door?! Who showers without lockin' the damn door?!" Her eyes were stuck on Bruce's lower region. 'Freakin' HELL THAT'S BATMAN'S COCK! Should I just touch it and run away?'
He raised an eyebrow, stepping slightly closer to her. "You broke the lock," he said simply, his smirk growing. "But I think the better question is, what were you doing last night?"
Harley froze again, her heart pounding. "W-what are ya talkin' about?" she asked, trying to play it off, but her voice gave away her nerves.
Bruce leaned slightly forward, water dripping from his dark hair as his piercing gaze held hers. "You know exactly what I'm talking about," he said softly. "The way you were watching us. The way you... touched yourself."
Harley's jaw dropped, and her face became red in embarrassment. "I... I wasn't doin' nothin' like that!" she blurted out, stepping back, only to press against the cold tile wall.
"Oh?" His smirk widened, his tone now drenched with amusement. "Then why were you moaning my name, Harley? I heard you mumbling... What were you imagining?"
Her knees felt weak, like jelly. She leaned on the wall to steady herself. "I... I don't know what you're talkin' about!" she lied, but her words spilled out too fast.
He took another step toward her with a smirk. Steam curled around them, and Harley felt his warmth heating the air. "You are a bad liar," he said softly, his voice almost whispering. "I saw how you looked at me. I see how you're looking at me right now."
She swallowed hard, her heart racing like a runaway train. "You... you don't know nothin', Bats. I wasn't doin' nothin'. It was just... a mistake!"
Bruce's hand extended, his fingers tracing over her chin to shift her face upward to his gaze. "Was it?" he asked in a low, teasing tone. "Because I believe you want this. I believe you've been wanting this for a long time."
Harley's breath hitched, her mind a whirlwind of panic and desire. She should've shoveled him off of her, cracked some joke, anything to break the tension, but her body betrayed her. She couldn't look away from him, couldn't stop her lips parting in that soft gasp.
Bruce leaned over. His mouth was a hair's breadth from her ear. "Tell me, Harley," he murmured. "What were you imagining last night? Was it me? Was it my hands on you? My lips? My cock? I'm pretty sure I heard you mumble something about riding me... Care to repeat it?"
"Bruce!" Harley gasped, her voice barely above a whisper. Her knees buckled, and he caught her effortlessly, strong arms wrapping around her waist to steady her.
"You don't have to be shy," he said, his tone softer now, almost gentle. "You're not the only one who's been thinking about this."
Harley's eyes opened wide up at him. "You... You think of me?" She couldn't believe her ears. She was confused and horny at the same time, not to mention she was barely holding herself from jumping on the naked man before her. She thought, 'Why would he be interested in me? I'm just a freakin' broken clown girl. I ain't no special. But oh fuck, he smells so damn good! I just wanna taste him!'
She gathered courage and asked him.
"Harl ain't special. Ain't no one ever wanted me, Bats. I ain't worth it, not even to you. Harl is just a broken clown..." Her eyes burned with tears she'd held back for years, her voice trembling. She turned to look away, but he gripped her chin, turning her face up to his once more. His intense gaze met hers, his expression darkening, as if her pain angered him.
Bruce's grip on her chin was firm but gentle, his thumb brushing over her cheek in a soothing motion. His eyes softened, the teasing smirk fading into something far deeper, more sincere. "Harley," he began, his voice steady and rich with conviction, "you are so much more than you think you are."
She blinked up at him, her tears threatening to spill. "Don't give me that crap, Bats. I know what I am—a screw-up, a psycho. I ain't no hero like you."
His brows furrowed, and his grip tightened slightly, not in anger but as if he was anchoring her to reality. "Stop. Stop tearing yourself down. You're brilliant, Harley. You always have been. You may have made mistakes, but we all do. That doesn't make you worthless. Look at me. I'm no saint either. But I don't need to be. I just want to help people. So do you. Back at that island, you could have left those kids to die, but you didn't. You risked your life to save them. That makes you a hero. I need you to see yourself the way I see you, the way the world should see you. You're worth so much more than you believe. You have a heart bigger than most people I know."
She blinked up at him, stunned into silence by his words. No one had ever spoken to her with such conviction, such intensity.
"You don't mean that," she whispered, her voice barely audible over the sound of the shower.
"I do." Bruce released her chin and shifted his grip to her shoulders. "I've seen you, Harley. The real you. You are so much more than you think you are."
Tears trickled down her cheeks, blending with the hot water pouring down on them both. Bruce leaned closer, and his lips brushed hers gently, the softness surprising her. She was expecting a kiss as rough and demanding as Batman himself, but it was soft, almost reverent. It was a little kiss, yet it made her heart flutter. She felt his arms wrap around her, pulling her into a tight embrace. She was frozen in place, trying to understand what was happening.
Although, she dreamt of such a thing... Bring in his arms, being kissed by the man of her dreams.
"You think Harl ain't broken?" She couldn't help but ask, just to make sure.
His response was simple, spoken with such confidence that she felt the tears in her eyes grow heavier.
"You're perfect as you are. Cute, beautiful, quirky, caring, strong-willed, funny, adorable..." he trailed off, smiling at her. "Umm... Yeah, sometimes unpredictable. But that's what makes you... You. You're perfect. I wouldn't change anything about you, Harley."
He pressed his forehead against hers, gazing into her eyes.
"Oh my God! I think I am having a freakin' heart attack! You can't say things like that, Bruce!" she muttered, her cheeks blushing furiously. "Geez! I think I'm gonna have a freakin' heart attack and die! You can't say things like that to me! I'm gonna start freaking out!"
He chuckled, brushing his thumb over her cheek, wiping away her tears.
"Oh my, is it just me or the water is too hot?!" Harley blurted out. "I'm starting to feel all flushed! Do you think maybe you should take me to a doctor? You know, just in case. Or maybe you should give me CPR or something! Oh no, that's not right! You're not a doctor! But I'm sure you can do CPR! Right, Batsy? Oh, no. I am babblin' again, ain't I? Just..."
Before she could say another word, he leaned down and pressed his lips to hers once more, cutting off her rambling with a kiss that left her breathless. His hands roamed over her body, gripping her waist firmly, holding her close as he deepened the kiss. Her mind was blank; her only thought was the way his lips felt against hers, how his fingers dug into her skin, the taste of him... She wrapped her arms around his neck, pressing herself closer to him.
When he finally broke the kiss, she gasped for air, her heart hammering in her chest.
"Wow," she breathed, unable to stop herself. "That was... Wow."
Bruce chuckled softly, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. "You're cute when you ramble," he whispered, his voice low and teasing. "But we got a long day ahead of us and... We are running on the clock today. So, how about we continue this later? Hmm?"
"Over an evenin' ice cream?" Harley asked, blinking up at him.
He chuckled once more. "Of course." He stroked her cheek tenderly, gazing deeply into her eyes. "What flavor would you like?"
Her cheeks reddened again as she smiled at him. "Strawberry, with sprinkles."
Bruce's lips curled into a grin. "I'll keep that in mind. See you tonight." With that, he released her and stepped back, giving her one last look before he turned and walked away, leaving her alone in the shower with her thoughts.
"Well, Harl," she said to herself, grinning from ear to ear. "Looks like your dream came true! You just had your first kiss with freakin' Batman! Aww yeah!" She stayed standing there for a few minutes, replaying the event in her head and blushing like a high school girl. "Oh, man! I hope I'm not dreamin'! That would suck!" She pinched herself hard but didn't wake up. "Nope, I'm awake! YES!"
She slumped down on the floor and touched her lips with a sweet smile, not that usual manic grin she had on her face every time she was having a good time. It was a different type of smile. "I can't believe this happened, Harl! We kissed! The man I always dreamt about actually kissed me! Yay! I'm so happy I could cry! Oh my God, I think I am cryin'! I'm such a freakin' idiot!"
...
[Noon]
Bruce and Morgan arrived at the hellicarrier base where Pepper was imprisoned.
"You ready?" Bruce asked Morgan as they stood in front of the door that leads to the prison facility.
"As ready as I'll ever be," Morgan answered, nodding at him.
"Alright," Bruce said, opening the door. "Let's do it, then."
Morgan nodded once more and stepped inside, followed closely by Bruce.
The door hissed shut behind them, sealing them in with only a small window to show what lies beyond. There was no turning back now.
They made their way through the long hallway, passing cells containing various criminals who watched them with curious expressions. They knew who they were. They recognized their faces, but they didn't dare make any comments. They kept their mouths shut.
Pepper was sitting on the floor of her cell, her hands cuffed and chained to the wall. When she saw Bruce and Morgan approach her, she rose to her feet and looked at them with a sad expression. Seeing her daughter alive and fine, gave her a little relief. But that doesn't change the fact that she killed her husband and almost killed her daughter too.
"Morgan..." She mumbled.
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