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Karen stirred in the skin-warmed sheets, smothering a yawn against the back of her hand. A pout pulling at her full lips at the cavernous space in the bed beside her. She found the unoccupied side of the bed still retained a blessed trace of body heat when she pressed a curious palm to it.
Squirming over to the empty side of the bed, Karen hummed happily when she laid her head against Bruce’s pillow. A dreamy inhale rewarding her with a heady hint of his aftershave, rugged and opulent, stuck pleasantly to the back of her throat. It was warm and titillating, perking her from her sleep like a lump of sugar melting on her tongue; except the taste buds this scent lit up weren’t ones craving sweetness, but rather craving Bruce.
Sitting up in bed, sheets dripping down around her waist, Karen hummed fondly at the honeyed mid-morning sunlight pouring in through the plentiful glass siding of the lake house. The radiation jittered along her skin like caffeine, stirring her into alertness.
“Can I help you?” The familiar timbre of Bruce’s voice tickling her hypersensitive hearing where she detected it through the walls. Karen was tossing off the sheets soon after, dipping her bare feet into Bruce’s oversized slippers as she shuffled towards her missing lover.
“I’m sure you know Darkseid is not finished with Earth. The Anti-Life Equation is here somewhere. We have to find it before he does.” Another baritone explained as she headed in the direction of the sound, clutching at the unbuttoned front of Bruce’s borrowed shirt that she was slinking around in. The other voice was one she couldn’t quite place her finger on, despite feeling as though she knew it.
The mere mention of another world-ending threat inspired a frown from the young Kryptonian, especially when they’d only narrowly bested Steppenwolf thanks to Barry. Had it not been for the young speedster, they all would’ve died. Perhaps it was the idea of dying again that had Karen eager to savor the time she had in the land of the living; well, time with a certain brooding vigilante.
“There’s a war coming, and I’m here to help” The oddly familiar voice added just as Karen approached the door, peering through one of the many windows to glimpse the sight of Bruce’s broad back hugged in a comfortable t-shirt.
“I’m sorry, wh-who are you again?” Bruce asked, voice still pleasantly rough from sleep.
Karen stifled her giggle against her arm, leaning in the doorframe, a smile lilting on her lips as she watched him talk to yet another alien.
“I’ve gone by many names. Taken many forms. And like you, I’ve realized I have a stake in this world, and it’s time I start fighting for it.”
Karen certainly understood what it felt like to be an outsider in this world, she knew what it was like to be shunned and feared by humans, yet equally she’d known the taste of idolization and admiration, of reverence...of love. She was glad to see there were others, perhaps not other Kryptonians, but others nonetheless proud to stand before the planet as a protector.
“Oh. Well, we could definitely use the help. So - glad you’re here.” Bruce said with a small exhale through his nose, the kind of sound that came about as close to laughing as he could get on any given day. Even still it was horribly contagious and Karen found she was soon beaming a giddy smile too. She was proud of the growth he’d made, it wasn’t so long ago that the Bat was chasing after Power Girl, fearful of the presence of an entity more powerful than himself. But now? Now he lounged in the morning sunlight, barefoot and still wearing the same t-shirt and threadbare sweatpants he’d worn to bed. He was at ease and she couldn’t have been happier for him.
“You know I never thought I’d see the defenders of Earth united and fighting as one. It wouldn’t have been possible without you, Bruce.” Their new extraterrestrial ally commended, and Karen felt a stubborn warmth take root behind her ribs, burgeoning pride swelling for the man before her.
“Your mother and father would be proud.”
Karen chewed her lower lip, she didn’t have to be facing him to picture the fond way Bruce’s got all sugary and warm at the mention of his parents.
“I hope so.” He hummed modestly, voice faintly hoarse for reasons she knew had less to do with sleep and more to do with the emotion tickling the back of his throat; and Karen wanted nothing more to sweep him into her arms and shower him and all of the praise and adoration he rightfully deserved, and maybe she would once they were no longer entertaining company.
“Well,” Their new ally began, “I’ll be in touch.” His dark cape spilling like a streak of indigo against the golden sunrise.
“Oh,” He said, turning back to them, allowing Karen to glimpse his face over Bruce’s shoulder, “some have called me the Martian Manhunter.” He said in that stern voice.
A smile lifting the young Kryptonian’s lips as she watched an old ally turned new gently hover above the ground.
“General Swanwick,” She chirped with a friendly little wave, watching the martian’s mouth quirk into a small smile as he rose into the air, sunlight blooming like the petals of a flower behind him.
“Power Girl.” He replied knowingly with a wink of one garnet red eye at her, before gliding off through the sky. Karen grinned up widely, it was kind of cool watching someone else fly for once. Well, Vic could fly, but he didn’t have a cape; there’s a certain majesty about watching a caped hero sail through the air.
Lowering her gaze back down, nose wrinkled with a fond smile as she met Bruce’s gaze where he had turned to face her. His dark eyes drinking her in with intent, hanging out of his funny glass palace hardly dressed in one of his shirts and his slippers.
“You know I thought you ran off?” Karen lamented, eyes raking over him as he began walking back to her.
“Without you?” Bruce asked with a grin that he reserved solely for her, “Not a chance.”
Karen ducked her head in an attempt to hide her ruddy blush and wide grin, because what right did he have being that charming? He padded closer and Karen peeked up at him, lower lip sucked between her teeth at the absolute indecency of Bruce Wayne walking around in the sunlight. It suddenly made more sense why the Bat prowled at night - he was too damn pretty during the day.
“So, you know ‘em?” He asked with a curious quirk of his lips, inclining his head in the direction their new ally had departed in.
Karen snorted at the way his posture intentionally stiffened, making himself appear larger than he already was.
“He’s a friend.” She explained rather vaguely, intrigued with the way Bruce seemed to bristle goodnaturedly in response, more like a big bear than a bat.
“Oh really?” He drawled in that low vocalization that made her bones tingle.
“Mhm.” Karen hummed, boneless where she leaned against the doorframe, admiring him in all his beauty.
“And what was that,” He said mimicking the wink she’d been bestowed with mere moments earlier, “all about?”
Karen grinned, “Pretty sure he was just being friendly,” She explained, smiling at the way Bruce hummed knowingly at this, his broad body descending closer.
“Why?” She asked with a waggle of her brows, “Were you...jealous?” She teased, savoring Bruce’s mock expression of shock, one hand braced against his chest like she wounded him. Then it faded, warm shadows shifting on his face as he smiled guiltily.
“Aw, baby,” She crooned, giggling at his playful scowl, “is it because he’s an alien?” Karen asked with a tilt of her head, batting her lashes sweetly at him.
“No,” Bruce said instantly, mouth tightening with another telling grin, “Maybe?” He amended, eyeing her like she’d condemn him for it.
“You know I’m thinking of starting a support group for us aliens that have all offended you in one way or another.” Karen suggested, tilting her head back with an unabashed bark of laughter at his deadpan expression.
“Alright smartass,” Bruce snarked, bridging the short distance between them, muttering, “c’mere,” in a pleasantly husky growl while he swept her effortlessly into his arms. It was surreal being held by a human, hefted against his broad chest.
“Where are we going?” Karen asked with a curious curl of her lips, looking up to admire the sharp cut of his jaw, lined with gorgeous prickly stubble like pinpricks of graphite.
“Back to bed.” Bruce informed with a warm smile, chuckling at her eager squeal, arching happily into his arms.
“My hero!” Karen exclaimed, throwing her arms around his neck as Bruce gladly took them both back to bed.