conflict and compromise / barbara gordon

two oblivious actors

She wordlessly walked over to Cassandra and Wenlock, giving Wenlock a cursory look over, as if assessing her for the first time, as she addressed Cassandra, "We are behind on patrol."

Black Bat's featureless mask made it hard to tell what look she was giving, but Barbara could tell it was more than somewhat exasperated.

"Nothing happens on patrol. Stay. Chat," Cass gestured at the bench.

That's how Barbara found herself sitting stiffly on a bench with Cass and Wenlock as they conversed about their mutual hatred of Gothamite food and some other topic, observing humorously as Wenlock tried to hide her confusion at the two vigilantes stopping by just to talk to her. 

"What about you?" Barbara's head snapped back, confused and completely tuned out of the conversation.

"What do- sorry- did?" she watched Wenlock's face go through multiple frustrated looks, "I don't know how this secret identity thing works, whatever you can tell me."

She paused, considering her options, lying would be the easiest way out, no doubt Wenlock would remember what Barbara studied and then she mi-

"Forensic psychology, Law," Cassandra cut in, giving her the most smug look she could through her mask. 

"Oh wow, that's like, super social science-based, I could never," Wenlock commented, apparently not making the link between Barbara and Batgirl, "I'm like, a very visual learner, I have to know how stuff words before I can remember it you know?"

Barbara in fact, did not know, what with her photographic memory she could ace any test with a basic skim of the material. But she could never tell Wenlock that of course, "It's memory-based, association with more familiar topics helps."

"But that takes so much time," Wenlock whined back, "I swear most of my days now are just spent over my textbooks rereading stuff." 

Wenlock turned back to Cass, who had taken her place cross-legged staring up at them, as if appealing to her.

"I've got stuff to do you know? Life to live, parties to not go to, people to ignore," she gave them a lazy smile, before grimacing, "I feel kind of bad though," she broke off to lightly yawn, "I'm over here complaining about whatever and you're fighting gang lords and serial killers, kind of like, self centred of me no?"

"No, of course not," Barbara rebutted immediately, "We- I do this so that you can live and think like that."

She swore she almost saw Wenlock's lips tighten for a second, before breaking into a natural relaxed smile, "Of course, thank you for your service or whatnot," Wenlock laughed quietly, sinking back into the bench tiredly, eyes unfocusing as she tried to fight the urge to sleep.

She didn't make it far, eventually just giving up and slumping back into the bench. They sat in an amicable silent for a few minutes, Barbara occasionally checking to see if Wenlock was truly asleep, Cass staring at her intently.

She was the first one to break the silence, once she heard the calm measured deep breathing come out of the raven haired girl.

"She was..."

"Scared, angry, panicked," Cass supplemented quietly, "Not just here, leaks through sometimes, very emotional."

"We'll talk about this back at base later," Barbara cut in, both of them turning back to the roof's edge.

She paused for a moment, then walked back to Wenlock's steeping figure, taking a moment to unclip her cape from her shoulders, draping it over the smaller girl's curled form. Satisfied, she leaned down, a gloved hand brushing hair out of the girl's eyes, "We'll figure out what's wrong, we'll work through it, I promise."

And with that she turned away, running back into the clear night, Cassandra by her side.

♡♡♡

Bang, Bang

That was the sound of Wenlock's heart, no doubt loud enough to activate whatever alarms were in the two Batgirls suits. She was not ready to deal with this right now, the glasses that Oracle was able to speak through were still charging in her apartment and with no prior warning she could barely stop herself from going pale and her hands from going clammy. Instead she channelled her embarrassment from falling off the chair and the judgemental look that Barbara seemed to be giving her, she couldn't tell from behind that mask, hoping to maybe hide what fear she had.

Clumsily slipping into conversation with Cass, she tried to lean her emotions away from the disgust and hate she felt at two vigilantes breaking into, well onto, private property, even if it was innocent. Tried to dissuade her mind from thinking about them spying through windows, of them breaking into... 

She shook filled her mind with regular topics, foods, works and the like, letting the thoughts flow unhindered through her mouth like an infinite stream, blotting out the real thoughts within. Stopping her hands from fiddling with the small vial hidden in the pocket of her gym shorts, she started moving as animated as possible with her hands, putting what she hoped was real emotion into her arguments against Gotham's food or whatever it was that she was supposed to be talking about.

She kept on talking, never letting herself think anything besides the conversation she was having, and as she felt Barbara tense beside her, dragged her into the conversation as well. All this talking seemed to be making her more than a little tired though, she licked her try lips as she felt her jaw ache with use. Not a bad idea to fall asleep to get out of this situation, she thought, and so she let her tiredness take control, yawning and leaning back into the bench. She watched Barbara's lips, emphasised in black lipstick, curl upwards and hated how it made her gut warm, hated how it made her want to reach out and comfort her and to lie and tell her that everything would be fine.

And so she let her eyes close, feeling the warm lull of unconsciousness call to her, and let all the problems fall away.