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bruce wayne had never been one for love declarations, in fact he had always loathed them. he had never liked opening up to people, telling them his true thoughts or feelings. that was something for him only, and he didn’t want to share any of it with anyone.
things could’ve been different with vicki. things should’ve been different. he had loved her, but he had never felt the need to tell her that, or the way he felt about anything at all. he knew she couldn’t understand.
that was why, when she had told him that maybe it was time for them to go their separate ways, he had accepted her decision with sadness, of course, but also a bit of relief. they weren’t made for each other, that was clear, and vicki deserved better. she didn’t deserve to be dragged into fights between batman and one of his many enemies. she didn’t deserve bruce forgetting their dates or cancelling them last minute because he was either too tired or still fighting crime on gotham’s streets. and so he had let her go.
but he knew everything had changed the day he met selina kyle. no one had ever managed to leave him speechless like she had in the moment she entered max shreck’s office, chin up and a malicious gleam in her eyes. bruce was sure it was in that very moment that he had fallen in love with her. and it was when he had discovered that she was also catwoman, his feline foe, the woman he was so incredibly attracted to despite her criminal activity, that he had realised he loved her.
that was it. bruce was in love with selina. batman was in love with catwoman. and for the first time in his life he felt like he needed to share his feelings with someone, with her. selina deserved to know what she truly meant to him.
things had never been easy for them. after their last conversation in the sewers, when selina had refused the chance to let go of her revenge against her killer and live happily ever after with bruce, they had not seen each other for two years. two years he had spent looking for her in every shadow or dark alleyway, sure that she was alive, because she had left him her beloved black cat, and he knew that someday she’d come back.
their reunion had been rocky of course, they had both changed, but their love for one another was still there, and it was strong, he knew it was. because he had always felt tied to her in a way he couldn’t explain but wouldn’t change, ever. his thoughts had been confirmed when, after defeating one more enemy together, she had agreed to go on a last date with him before leaving gotham.
they had been dating for a year. everytime one of their dates was over, she waited for him to ask her out one more time, then said yes, and by now they both knew she would’ve stayed with him forever if he just asked her in the right way.
“enjoying the view from up here?” he heard a soft voice speaking behind him.
batman turned around slowly, to see catwoman standing a few steps behind him, her red lips curved up in a smile. she made her way next to him, on the verge of the rooftop.
“do you remember this place?” his voice was deep and steady as always, yet she could catch a bit of tension behind his usual tone.
“of course.” she laughed to herself. “this is the rooftop where we had our first fight. you burned me. i stabbed you. you threw me off this building.” there was no bitterness in her voice, just a bit of amusement. that had happened three years before, yet it was still a clear picture in her mind.
“and do you remember when we met each other?” he asked again, then added, “not the very first time, i mean when we saw each other again for the first time last year.”
a little laugh escaped her lips once again. what game was he playing at? he wanted to test her on her knowledge of their relationship? she was tempted to make some sarcastic remark, but she noticed that he was serious, focused into observing the city under them while he waited for her answer.
“yes. you caught me stealing a diamond. a very beautiful one, i’d like to add.” she hated to point it out, but she was still holding a little grudge against him for stopping her. she had never seen that pretty stone again after that night.
“why are you asking me this now?”
“i bought it. i’ve had that diamond for almost a whole year now.” he finally confessed, letting it out as if he had been holding his breath, “even then, i knew.”
“what?”
he finally turned around to face her, and just then she noticed that he was holding something in his left hand, safely hidden in his cape, so that she couldn’t see what it was. but she was starting to figure it out.
“i knew i’d need it. just like i need you to listen to what i have to say now, you don’t have to accept it, but just listen once.”
and now there was the hard part, the one he had replayed in his mind so many times to actually think that he was going insane. and suddenly he felt like he couldn’t breathe, and he couldn’t speak, and he was going to ruin everything.
“bruce,” selina called him softly. he stared at her, getting lost into her beautiful blue eyes, shining behind her black patched up mask, “i’m here, i’m listening.”
he took a step closer, so that now they were standing just mere inches away from one another.
“there’s only been one woman who has really held my heart. when my parents died, i locked that part of myself that was still human away. i was too hurt to risk exposing again.”
she was listening closely to every word he was saying, scared that if she was going to say the wrong thing, even try to comfort him, he wouldn’t have found the courage to go on with whatever he wanted to tell her.
“and yet, you caught me by surprise and, despite my best efforts, you broke in. you were the first to touch my heart and remind me i still had one. you found the man behind the bat.”
they both smiled at those last words, remembering what she had told him years ago.
“this past year i got to spend with you has probably been one of the best years of my entire life. and i don’t know if we could ever have more than we’ve already had, but i’m only sure of one thing.”
he paused and selina held her breath, still speechless for what she had just heard.
“whatever the future holds, wherever life takes me, i will love you always.”
that was the moment when he finally revealed what he had been holding the whole time. a blue velvet box. selina’s eyes widened in surprise, unable to stay off the small object. then he opened it, and what was inside didn’t leave any doubts. a ring. an engagement ring made of white gold with a teardrop shaped diamond shining on top. it was not just any diamond, it was the very one he had caught her stealing the year before. he had known since then that someday he was going to ask her that question.
she looked up at him, with a genuine smile crossing her face and reaching her teary eyes. he had seen that smile before on selina, when he had asked her out or during their numerous dates, but never on catwoman. yet they were one and the same, and he loved both sides of her.
“selina, will you marry me?” he asked all at once, finally feeling his heart lighter. he had meant every word, and finally letting them out, finally telling her the way he had always felt, gave him a feeling of satisfaction, even tho he was still worried about what her answer might be.
there was a moment of silence between them, and selina could see the fear in his eyes, even if he had his mask on and was trying his best to hide it. bruce was afraid she was going to say no. he was afraid she was going to leave again.
“yes.” she breathed, “i love you, bruce. i always have, and i always will.”
she took her clawed glove off and, without a moment of hesitation, he slipped the ring on her ring finger, the diamond sparkling in the moonlight. she wrapped her hands around his neck and they both went in for a kiss. it was gentle and slow at the beginning, but it got deeper and deeper, with her hands moving down his armor and him pulling her by the waist to keep her closer. when they finally broke the kiss, they were both breathless, but smiling at each other like they had never done before.
“in my life i’ve fought homicidal clowns and crazy scarecrows, but i never thought the hardest part would’ve been telling the woman i love that i want to spend the rest of my life with her.” he admitted, pressing his forehead against hers.
“you think those were real threats? honey, you haven’t met my mother yet.” they both laughed, unable to get that lovesick grin off their faces.
he closed his lips on hers and they kissed again, and if someone glanced up at one of gotham’s rooftops that night, they would’ve seen batman and catwoman not fighting this time, but kissing under a sky full of stars.