Chapter Text
“Bruce and I are going to Starbucks after school, so don’t wait up for me,” Talia says, leaning against the lockers. She holds the keys to their shared car out, shaking them impatiently as Nyssa rearranges her books.
“Starbucks? Really?” Nyssa gives her a judging look.
Talia is unfazed. “It’s cold out and we want hot chocolate.”
Nyssa finally takes the keys, dropping them into her bag. The door of her locker squeals as she closes it, the lock clicks, and then they’re heading down the hall together. “How long will you be out? What do I tell Father?”
“An hour or so. As for Father, just say I’m out with Bruce, he won’t mind.”
“You know, this is why he thinks you and Bruce are dating.”
Talia pauses, right in the middle of the walkway. Nyssa stops with her, and other students spill around them, scoffing angrily.
“Sister, that’s ridiculous. He doesn’t think that, or he’d never allow me to be friends with him.”
Nyssa rolls her eyes. “Father likes Bruce. He thinks you’re involved. That’s why he’s never stopped the two of you and your little dates.”
Grabbing her sister’s arm, Talia pulls them to the side, into an alcove by the water fountains. “What on earth are you talking about? We don’t go on dates!”
“Talia, you’ve practically been dating since fifth grade.” Nyssa throws her hands up in the air. “Why are you suddenly denying it?”
“I never said I was,” Talia counters, horribly confused.
“Sister, you’ve repeatedly said you’re going out with him. How are we supposed to take that? What else are we supposed to think?”
“We go out to eat sometimes, that’s all. They aren’t dates.”
“What aren’t dates?” Bruce asks, suddenly by their sides. He leans against the wall next to Talia, and she feels herself turning slightly towards him, an instinctive movement.
“Apparently Nyssa and our father believe you and I are dating,” Talia tells him, knowing he’ll react the same way she is—with confusion and shock.
“Dusan, too,” Nyssa says.
“That’s ridiculous.” Bruce shakes his head. “I think we’d know if we were dating, wouldn’t we?”
“No,” Harvey says as he passes by. “You wouldn’t. Because you’re one hundred percent dating and neither of you have any idea, and it’s getting super annoying. Now, do all of you want to be late to class? Come on.”
Nyssa sighs loudly and follows after him, pulling Talia along by her wrist. Bruce walks next to her, and she looks up at him, wide-eyed. He looks back, just as shocked.
They don’t all really believe she and Bruce are together, do they? And since fifth grade, too? That’s just preposterous. Sure, they’ve been friends since then, and have met up with each other many, many times over the years, but that doesn’t mean anything. It just means that they enjoy each other’s company, like any other friends do.
And sure, all those meetings at the park, all the lunches and dinners and movies, the afternoons spent in the arcade in the Manor…they were nice. They are nice. Talia has always loved to spend time with Bruce, and the conversations they have are enlightening. She ends the days answering his texts, and smiling into her pillow.
But they aren’t dating, right? Dating would involve actual dates, and romance, and that’s not what they do, not what they have. Bruce is right—they would know.
Harvey and Nyssa split off into different classrooms, while Talia and Bruce enter the same one, Bruce holding the door open for her. Selina moves her legs off their seats as they approach, grinning at them both. “So, what are you two going to do for Valentine’s day?”
“You too?” Bruce asks, frowning. He sits next to her, and Talia on his other side.
“Me too what? Are you asking me to join? Because I can be persuaded.” Selina shoots Talia a grin from around their friend.
“Join what?” Talia asks back. “We don’t have plans on Valentine’s Day, seeing as we aren’t dating.”
Selina leans back, eyebrows furrowing. “Wait, did you guys break up? Bruce! Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Selina, why do you even think we’re dating? We’re not!”
“You told me you were.”
Bruce crosses his arms. “When?”
“Uh, years ago? I asked you out and you said you couldn’t because you were going to be hanging out with Talia, and I asked you if it’s ‘like that’, and you said yes.”
“Like what?” Talia asks, though she feels she already knows what the answer is.
“Like, he couldn’t go on a date with me because he already had one with you.” Selina glances between them. “Were you seriously not together that whole time?”
“We still aren’t,” Bruce says, exasperated.
And for some reason, Talia blurts out, “Maybe we should try.”
Both Bruce and Selina turn to her, Bruce’s mouth open in shock, Selina smirking.
“We’re going out tonight anyway, aren’t we? Why not try and see if what everyone seems to think has some truth to it.”
Bruce pauses for a moment, just staring at her. She stares back, suddenly sure that he won’t say no. That tonight will be amazing.
“Alright,” he says after a moment. “Do you want to go to a movie after the hot chocolate, then?”
“I’d love that.”
They smile at each other, and it feels wonderful, like a new beginning—that is, until Selina crows, “I’m sending that to Nyssa!” and immediately starts tapping on her phone screen.
“Selina, no!”