Is This Love?

Chapter 7: A Talk

It was now Friday again and even though a small part of Bruce was happy that all the villains were back in Arkham, he still spend hours as Batman. Checking to see if any of them were trying to escape. Gorgon assured him that everything was fine for the time being, and that if he was needed they would use the bat signal to call him back. The dark knight once again sticking to the shadows before returning to the bat cave. A slowly growing part of his fearing they would use her to get to him if they knew. The morning came and Bruce got woken up as usual by Alfred. Doing his usuals of making sure that Bruce Wayne was clean, shaven and presentable. Yet he wondered how Teo was doing. The brunette still saying that they could talk tomorrow, yet it still seemed to never come for her. Making him wonder if he should have ever kissed her at all. He went out of his thoughts and scowled at his reflection noticing that he did his tie wrong. Taking it off in anger and throwing it into a corner, grumbling that he didn't need it anyways before he went down for breakfast with his son. Mentally scolding himself for letting a woman distract him, saying that he had important business to take care of. Knowing that he had another gala to prepare for and that neither Bruce Wayne or Batman should be getting distracted. Knowing as well that there was only so much Champaign and small horderves and canapés before he'd get bored again from being at so many. This time having nothing for Batman to do to pull him away.

Meanwhile Teo still wasn't at work again getting sent home early due to her being glum and irritable thanks to bad sleep. Her mind being at war over Bruce. Her mind being at war over Bruce with one part wanting to see him again having missed him, yet another part was still wanting to avoid him like he'd be the death of her. As if the part of her mind saw him as an insect that was nothing but trouble, and should be avoided at all costs. She looked around her apartment and saw the mess it was slowly descending into, the laundry that was starting to smell, the dishes that were starting to pile up, the dark circles under her eyes she was sure from watching too much TV. The brunette starting to blame others like Jessica for putting her on so many pointless dates, Poison Ivy for kidnapping her, yet soon turned blame onto Bruce making more of her start to wonder why. Recalling from her memories how Bruce looked when he was around her and faintly smiled at his appearance. How his blue eyes held charm along with mystery like something was just below the surface. How his black hair went with his face and build making him look charming, how his tailored suits seemed to make her find him even more attractive concealing his muscular frame underneath all the fabrics. The image of a man the brunette couldn't help but feel drawn to even though the negative thoughts told her to stay away. Bruce's lips becoming like kryptonite as she kept wondering if she should be kissing them with her own. Teo quickly snapped herself out of her thoughts and scowled, changing the TV channel to the news where it showed the anchor talking about an upcoming gala. Soon remembering the night her and Bruce first met, soon making her frown. "Why am I getting this wound up over Bruce? It has to be only a crush...oh who am I kidding? But as if he'd like me back anyways" Teo said. Turning to look at her teddy Snowy after turned off the TV, accepting reality that she had fallen in love despite her best efforts not to.

The gala came, and Bruce was now wearing a tuxedo again. Having finished a speech he made and was trying to distract himself with Champaign and small talk with others. Yet the most eligible Batchelor in the city was quickly getting boring again. Damian and Alfred being of little help. He remembered the night he first met her and talked to him. Someone she didn't recognise at first as if he was a total stranger. About how she had gone on a bad date and how her mother had ruined it in advance. Wishing in part that Teo was there with him. Wondering if she still had things she wanted to keep hidden like he did. Bruce finding that her being there regardless of his wealth or societal status as being refreshing to his mind, yet he knew that she wouldn't be there. Teo meanwhile was watching the news in her darkened apartment, seeing that the streets of Gotham were safe again for now, yet the news talked even more about the gala and celebrities like her friend Bruce Wayne. She imagined that if she was there, she would be seeing stuff like guests eating snacks from the buffet table as waiters past out glasses of some sort of wine with little nik nak foods on the side. Soon imagining Bruce being there and starting to get bored like he told her the night she met him. Yet she soon imagined what her life would be like with Bruce. Feeling him hugging her and holding her in his strong arms, kissing him, even waking up to seeing him smiling at her. The thoughts making her smile as well, yet she soon frowned imagining all the paparazzi that would refuse to leave her alone, the others who would give her dirty jealous looks before accusing her of being a gold digger. Her family probably not helping her. The gala soon ending, yet she felt that Bruce's smile on the screen was fake. her mind starting to wonder what if before she scowled telling herself that he couldn't feel the same. Turning off her TV before going to bed.

The weather started to change as a thunder storm rolled in from the west of the city. Lightning crashing across the sky as the rain began to pour down onto the gloomy looking Gotham. Bruce looking outside from his study towards where the graveyard was. His mind starting to wonder if he could still be Batman if he did start a relationship with Teo. He knew that criminals would still try at one point or another to get out of Arkham, yet didn't know if her life would be better with him as Bruce Wayne or Batman. Wondering if he could still live his crime fighting double life like others in the bat family. "I know that I've only really spent time with her as Bruce Wayne. But how could I keep doing this if she's waiting for me to come home?" Bruce asked himself before sighing in frustration. Thinking he had a choice to be either Bruce Wayne or Batman before he went outside to try and clear his head. The rain quickly soaking both his hair and his clothes since he left without a jacket. Walking over to the two gravestones before starting to talk to his parents as if they were still there. Tears starting to come down his face saying he didn't know what to choose. Begging his parents to know that he wouldn't be betraying them if he dared to make himself happy. "I didn't know I'd fall in love again. I don't know if I should be happy. Please tell me it's okay to be" Bruce said to the gravestones as he tried to keep his emotions in check. "Master Bruce. I've known you for many years and I've seen how Miss Broere makes you feel. I'm sure your parents know of what you do and our proud" Alfred said looking down at him. Adding that his parents might have sent her to give him their answer. All while Damian looked at his Father from afar, seeing the brunette as different as his dad got up going back inside. Now being filled with courage and confidence on what he now needed to do.

The morning came and the weather looked better again showing that the storm was gone. The skies looking as they usually did for Gotham yet everything on the streets being dripping wet from the storm last night. At the manor, Alfred woke him and said that while Batman didn't have any villains to stop and Bruce Wayne had no galas coming up soon, he still had somewhere he needed to be. Bruce knowing that he was talking about Teo. Entering the dining room to find Damian nearly finishing his breakfast, soon wishing his father good luck before leaving and he started having his own. Teo meanwhile was still not going to work as Jessica said that their boss would probably let her go for good if she was too distracted and grumpy to do her job properly. She got her morning routine done and started to wonder what to wear. Seeing a pear of jeans with white sneakers and a dark t-shirt with her favourite cartoon character on it. Yet her eyes soon went to the dress Bruce got her. "I can't keep avoiding him like the plague forever. It's probably not helping either of us. Even if he..." Teo said talking to her teddy Snowy. Bruce told himself that it was time to go and asked Alfred if he remembered Teo's address. The butler replying that he did for the building, yet not her apartment's number. The brunette tried to distract herself with her laptop and watching TV, but part of her knew she was stalling what she needed to do. "That's it Snowy. I'm going to tell him...at least I think I will...please let this not end badly" Teo said to her cuddly toy and then took her keys. Leaving her apartment and leaving the teddy to guard the fort. She walked down the stairs and went to the main door. Wanting to phone Bruce so that they could talk somewhere private. Before quickly feeling herself bump into someone after she opened the door. Going to see who it was. "Teo. I think we need to talk" Bruce said standing in front of her. Both of them not knowing how what was coming next would go.