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Stumbling into the Batcave with a limp, Cass pursed her lips to keep quiet. A throb from her ankle grew sharper as she slipped into the locker room. The empty locker room, thankfully. With a hiss, she managed to get her uniform off. She dragged her foot up onto the bench and leaned over to inspect her ankle.
No breaks. No blood. She’d already known that. Squeezing lightly, she drew her hand up from her foot, feeling each of the sections carefully, testing the muscles with careful prodding.
A sprain. She’d sprained her ankle. One of the ligaments partially torn maybe. Cass wrinkled her nose. She tightened her hold on the weakened joint. No amount of pressure or movement served to fix the damage. The extra support did help the persistent ache to subside. At least until she released her grip.
The moment she put weight on her foot, the pain returned, with a vengeance. Cass cried out. A sharp stab vibrating up through the tendons. She bit into her bottom lip, silencing herself as she took a slow breath. A short inhale, slow exhale.
She glanced over the other lockers. No one ever locked them, such a thing would only interest the others, challenge them. Cass considered her options, the chances. Jason kept only a change of clothes in the cave. A spare suit. Dick too, and some of his preferred toiletries, which Jason usually pilfered if he needed them. Duke and Damian both kept their lockers fully stocked, but not with medical supplies.
Tim was the most prone to injury, and his bo staffs would be an appropriate height for a crutch if he’d happen to have left one inside. Cass jumped on her good foot, keeping the other one up as she crossed the room.
Her movements still proved to jostle her injury. Cass puckered her lips into a pout as she leaned on the row of lockers. She blew out a breath. The pain radiated outwards, her ankle throbbing once more. A constant and, much to her surprise, distracting feeling. Once, such a simple injury would have been easily ignored, pushed through.
But it had been a long while since Cass had dealt with physical pain of any sort. A bit of soreness after a hard training session or a long patrol the closest she'd come in some time.
Opening Tim’s locker, Cass sighed. Tim had not left one of his bo staffs inside. She riffled through the med bag she found on the first shelf all the same. Several rolls of elastic bandages brought a smile to her lips. Cass snapped one up and dropped back onto the bench behind her.
She’d watched Alfred apply these bandages to several of her brothers since she arrived. Sticking her tongue out just slightly, Cass focused intently on the memories as she mimicked his movements. The circular wraps and patterns of crossing over and then under. She tugged it tight on each rotation, just as she might when applying a tourniquet.
The two were similar enough procedures, with the same goal of immobilizing an injury so it could be dealt with properly. From what she remembered of Tim’s last sprain – a wrist – it had only required the wrapped compression and some rest. Alfred had told him no typing or fighting for two to three days. An ankle was a similar joint.
With the additional factor of walking to consider, Cass calculated that the recovery time would likely be double, perhaps four to six day. Far from ideal, but not unmanageable. She simply had to figure out how to hide her injury for that duration of time.
A knock sounded from the door. Cass quickly ducked behind the lockers as Alfred’s voice rose from the other side, “Miss Cassandra? You’ve returned from patrol early, did you require assistance?” She cringed. Her ankle throbbed, as if to mock her.
“No,” Cass called back to him. She swallowed, pausing briefly before she added, “Thank you.” She braced herself on the lockers, placing her weight onto her arms as she gripped the sides. No other questions rose from the other side of the door and Cass focused on her method of escape. With Alfred in the cave, she could not exit through the clock as she normally might.
The stairs up to the door certainly didn’t sound particularly appealing either… Her head rose up, eyes narrowing on the vents. Damian had once used various parts of the ventilation system to slip from his bedroom and sneak out for patrol despite being grounded.
Cass flipped onto the top of the lockers, crouching on her good foot and her knee. She kept her ankle up as she maneuvered herself into a ventilation shaft. Once inside, she pressed her thighs to the metal walls and hung upside down to reattach the cover. Hands as her guide, Cass flipped herself the right way up and started crawling.
Her struggles proved unnecessary. Or, more specifically, pointless.
“Why are you going through the vents?” Bruce stood in the hallway, one eyebrow arched, when she arrived at the appropriate floor. He pulled off the cover for the vent nearest to her, “Is this some sort of training?”
Face flushing, Cass considered lying. He surveyed her before she had a chance to formulate any possible answers though, and his eyes narrowed on the bandage wrapped around her ankle. No protest would have convinced Bruce so Cass offered none.
“What happened on patrol? Who were you fighting?” Bruce asked question after question while he carried her back down to the cave. Cass sunk into his arms. She leaned into his chest, head falling against his shoulder. A smile flickered at her lips.
Before this, there had been no occasions which required her adopted father to carry her, at least, none in which she were conscious. The careful hold, his arms cradling her. It was pleasant. A familiar warmth bubbled up in her chest. She closed her eyes and savored it, “I fought no one. It was merely an accident.”
An eyebrow arched higher. Bruce frowned, pausing as they descended in the elevator to the infirmary. “An accident?” Bruce repeated her words, slower. His brow furrowed, “You had an accident on patrol? And injured yourself?”
She nodded. His disbelief remained, however. His skepticism. Eyes narrowed on her face, searching her expression for any sign of dishonesty. He found none. Cass blushed, ducking her head, “Yes. A sprained ankle, I think. It is nothing serious, but it hindered my ability to complete patrol. I am sorry.”
“Your patrol is the least of my worries,” Bruce assured her. His gaze softened as she looked up at his face. “The most important thing is that you’re safe.” She nodded mutely and he continued to frown, “I am concerned you felt the need to hide it though.”
“I was merely embarrassed to have injured myself in such a fashion,” Cass admitted, her own frown growing deeper. She turned her head to narrow her eyes on her ankle. Bruce had been careful when he picked her up, keeping her injured foot on the outside. The wrappings had grown tighter while she was in the vent, her ankle swelling. Foot too.
The pain had been replaced by a faintly numb sensation needling at her nerves. She could only just feel her toes. Somehow, the ankle still manage to throb though, as if the joint itself were pulsing with energy, pushing out and out against the muscles and tendons which surrounded the bone.
“No one likes being injured, Cass,” Bruce sighed as they arrived at the infirmary. He set her carefully on the bed and Alfred appeared at his side. The furrow of his brow betraying the concern hidden beneath his well-practice mask of neutrality. Cass ducked her head once more, cheeks burning while he inspected her ankle.
Gentle fingers prodded at her wrappings and she inhaled sharply. Both men stiffened. The bandage was quickly removed and Bruce clenched his jaw. Alfred exhaled slowly, “You wrapped this far too tightly, Miss Cassandra.” His gaze flicked to Bruce as he drawled, “Your aversion to medical care may have worsened the injury.”
Cringing, Bruce rubbed at the back of his neck, “She said it was just a sprain? Is that your assessment as well, Alfred?” The man in question clicked his tongue. He turned on his heel and stalked away to retrieve some sort of medical device. Throughout his inspection, Alfred gave Bruce several pointed looks.
“You’ve partially torn one ligament,” Alfred announced, pointed towards the grainy image on the screen. His finger circled a few other spots, “There is evidence of strain on the other two as well.” Cass nodded her understanding, lips puckering when Alfred gestured towards her very swollen foot, “Continued use and strain have worsened the inflammation.”
“What inflammation?” Damian pipped up as he ducked around the partition separating her bay of the infirmary from the main room. Her little brother had a towel in hand and it paused mid-ruffle through his hair. His eyes narrowed on all the equipment before they flicked around the room, “Has something happened?”
Alfred clicked his tongue, eyebrows arching, “The partition is there for a reason, Master Damian.” Bruce sighed, already pinching the bridge of his nose. Damian’s gaze snapped to Cass and he barred his teeth.
“Did someone attack her?!” Damian dropped his towel, hands balling into fists at his side, “Who was it? Who would even dare to challenge her?!” His voice rose and his shouts quickly drew the attention of the others. Tim and Duke both appeared in moments.
“Woah! I didn’t even think someone could beat Cass in a fight,” Duke’s eyes widened and his mouth fell open. He gestured towards her foot, “That looks serious too!”
Tim tilted his head, squinting at the injury. Their eyes met. A smirk twitched at his lips. Cass swallowed, hands rising to her face as he chuckled, “Walking on a sprained ankle? Really Cass? That’s almost normal.”
Growling, Damian snapped at him, “Cassandra is not normal! She was trained by the best!” His arms crossed, chin rising as he huffed, “Whoever did this must have been a formidable opponent.” Her little brother’s gaze returned to her, narrowing, “Who was it?”
“No one,” Cass waved her hands in front of her body, “It was merely an accident.”
All three boys blinked. Their expressions almost owlish when she said it again. Tim and Damian exchanged a look, then turned to Bruce. Damian snarled, “Father! You must know that’s preposterous! We should investigate at once!”
“Not to agree with the Demon Brat…” Tim sighed, head lulling to the side. Damian squawked, but Tim just pushed on, arms crossing, “But whoever can get one over on Cass should probably be on our radar.” His chin dropped, gaze leveling on Bruce, “Unless you already know who it is?”
Hands rising, Bruce waved the back, “Cass says it was an accident. There’s nothing to investigate.” Even Duke arched a brow at that. Cass smiled though, nodding along.
Her brothers were unconvinced. Bruce managed to herd Tim and Damian out of the room, but Duke hung back. Quiet and still, until Alfred directed him to assist. He plumped a pillow and slid it under her ankle while Alfred readied an ice pack.
“So… was it actually an accident?” Duke asked, glancing up at her curiously. He rubbed absently at his neck, “I mean, we’ve all had them. Slipping from a roof, miscalculating an angle for a grappling hook...” Lips puckering, Duke shrugged his shoulders, “I just thought you were like… immune to that sort of thing?”
Cass giggled, hand rising to her lips, “I am not immune to accidents.” Duke chuckled, smiling broadly. Alfred clicked his tongue and her brother snapped to attention. He held her foot steady as Alfred began to weave the elastic bandage around her ankle once more.
This time, the wrap was very loose, seemingly there only to hold the ice packs in place. Cass frowned. She tilted her head and looked at the puffy bags now slotted in around her ankle, encasing her entire foot.
“How is she gonna get upstairs with this?” Duke asked the question for her and she nodded sharply, pointing at him emphatically. Alfred stared at the both of them for a moment, blinking slowly. They both quirked a brow and he rolled his eyes.
“It is a wonder any of you have survived this long…” Alfred grumbled as he rolled a wheelchair up beside the bed. An attachment for her leg added to keep it elevated.
It was surprisingly comfortable, once they maneuvered her into the seat. She rolled forward and back several times, hands moving the wheels in tandem, just as she had seen Barbara do on several occasions. She let one hand go slack, and the chair turned as she spun just one wheel.
“I am assuming,” Alfred drawled, arms crossing behind his back as he stepped in front of her, “You have learned your lesson about overexerting yourself in this condition?” Eyes narrowed on her. She gave a sheepish grin and nodded. Alfred hummed, chin rising, before he turned his attention to her brother, “You are sensible enough, Master Duke, I hope I can trust you to escort Miss Cassandra to her room.” His gaze flicked back to her, gaze pointed, “Without any further adventures into the vents.”
“You got it, Alfred!” Duke gave a vague salute before taking hold of the handles of the wheelchair. He was quick to get her into the elevator, where he held a hand to his chest, eyes wide, “Sorry for taking over like that.” He glanced back at the elevator doors, “But I’ve never seen Alfred so… upset.”
Cass grimaced, head bobbing in a quick nod, “He is very worried.” She clasped her hands in her lap, “He had asked me, when I was in the locker room, if I required assistance.” Duke’s mouth fell open and her hands rose to hide her face, “I told him I did not.”
“Oh, so, he’s worried-worried, like when Bruce is on bed rest,” Duke shook his head, arms crossing, “We’re all in for it now.” Face burning, Cass whined. Her brother clapped a hand over her shoulder, squeezing lightly, “Don’t worry, Cass, we’ll figure something out!”
Something turned out to be calling Dick. He often had the best perspective for understanding the behaviors of their other family members, for figuring out how to handle some sort of familial faux pas. Bruce and Alfred especially, as he had spent the most time with them.
It had seemed like a good idea, at the time.
“Wait…Cass is injured?!” Dick screeched over the phone and Duke cringed, holding it away from his face as Dick started peppering him with questions, “What happened? Did she lose a fight? Who the hell beat her in a fight?!” He gave Duke no chance to answer any of them before proclaiming, “I’m on my way!” and hanging up.
They stared at one another across the room. Cass pursed her lips, sinking back into her pillows. Duke dragged a hand down his face, head shaking, “That was not what I was expecting at all…”
By morning, the house was full. Dick had called Jason and Kate. Tim reached out to Barbara. Harper dropped by just to see if the ‘rumor’ was true. Half the Birds of Prey had texted her to ask if various rogues had gotten the drop on her. After assuring the third person that she had not been exposed to fear toxin or joker gas, Cass decided it was time to ‘nip things in the bud’ as Duke suggested.
>>> I merely suffered an accident. Your concern is appreciated, but I am well. Only a sprained ankle. Please, do not worry.
She attached a pictured of her foot propped up on the tower of pillows Duke had built for her. The mass text had little impact, sadly.
“My money’s on Harley,” Tim said when he delivered her breakfast. He plopped onto the bed beside her, “She managed to distract you right? Got in a cheap shot?” Damian scoffed from the doorway, chin high as he scowled at their brother.
“Cassandra would never be taken in by such a stupid plan,” Damian drawled, arms crossing. He stalked forward, “It would take someone of superior intellect and physical prowess to gain the upper hand against the Black Bat.” Tim rolled his eyes.
Sprawling out, Tim rested his chin in hand, “Harley has a Ph.D. She’s outsmarted Batman more than once. She can win any fight if she’s got a good strategy.” He smirked, eyes half lidded as he drawled, “Plus, she’s blonde.”
Flushing, Cass turned her head, avoiding his gaze. Tim snickered and Damian wrinkled his nose, “What does her hair color have to do with anything?” Tim dropped his chin, muffling himself in the mattress when he laughed.
“You’ll figure it out eventually, Baby Bat,” a cheerful voice chirped and Cass stiffened. Her eyes widened and her head snapped around. Stephanie stood in her doorway now, leaning forward to put herself at Damian’s height while she ruffled his hair, “Blonde’s have more fun, it’s a fact. There’s an entire genre of movies about it.”
“Which genre is that?” Tim’s head rose up, brow furrowing, “I mean, Legally Blond, obviously, but-”
Stephanie clicked her tongue and waved him off, “If you have to ask, you’re not qualified to know the answer, Timbo.” She skipped towards the bed, flopping onto the opposite side. They glared at one another over her stomach and Cass pursed her lips.
The stare off ended in a draw. Or, so she assumed, given it was interrupted by Duke rushing into the room. He slammed the door shut and threw himself in front of it, arms outstretched and chest heaving, “We have a Code Red!” Both Stephanie and Tim leapt up. Damian leapt forward, practically tackling Cass when she started to rise from the bed.
“Alfred said no unnecessary standing or walking!” Damian hissed in her ear. Cass slumped as her little brother clutched at her shirt, pinning her to her own bed. A single pinch of her fingers at one of a dozen spots would have freed her from his hold. Cass recognized the act for what it was though. Damian pressed his cheek to her shoulder, almost nuzzling, like a cat might.
Sometimes, her brothers could be quite aggressive with their affection. A fact well illustrated by the door flying open. Duke yelped when he was tossed into Tim a moment later. Stephanie held her hands up, stepping back as Jason burst into the room.
“My injury is not serious,” Cass smiled at Jason as he rushed to her side. He scowled, hand rising to cup her cheek. She inclined her head towards her foot, “It is a moderate sprain.” Jason narrowed his eyes on her face.
“And it was an accident?” Jason checked, already moving to inspect the ice packs and bandages wrapped around her joint. Alfred had replaced the elastic wraps only an hour ago. The swelling had gone down considerably and her new bandage had been wrapped firmly, but not tightly. An important difference which Alfred had explained quite thoroughly.
Jason brushed his fingers over her ankle, pressing lightly at key spots. Cass grinned, “It is not broken.” He hummed, but continued his careful check, identifying each of the spots where her ligaments had torn or been overstretched. “I was merely… clumsy.”
Eyebrows went up all around her. Damian reared back, rolling onto the bed beside her, “You’re not clumsy.” Lips puckered into a pout, Damian huffed, “If you’re going to lie, you should at least make it believable.”
“I am not lying,” Cass frowned. She tucked her hair back behind her ear, nose wrinkling, “It would be less embarrassing, if my injury had come from a battle or a proper fight.” Damian sat up, nodding along as her expression pinched, “Losing to a worthy opponent is not shameful.”
“Clumsiness isn’t shameful either, Cass,” Dick chirped from the door, leaning against the frame with a soft smile, “It’s human. We all trip or take a tumble every now and then.” He laughed and his smile stretched into a broad grin, “I do appreciate the evidence that you're human though.”
“But how did it happen?” Tim popped up from the ground, scrambling for the bed. “You haven’t told us the details,” he leaned forward, eyes narrowed to slits, “Why?” She blushed. Her entire face going red.
Damian groaned, head falling into his hands, “It wasn’t actually something dumb like Harley distracting you with her blonde hair was it?” Dick and Jason both startled at that, lashes fluttering. Tim tilted his head back, grinning smugly, he explained his theory.
“I don’t think Ivy would appreciate that particular fighting strategy,” Stephanie drawled, flicking the back of Tim’s head as she joined the circle around her bed. Cheeks burning, Cass ducked her head when Stephanie winked at her, “Not that I don’t think you can take Ivy, you’re just not the sort to look at another woman’s girlfriend.”
“I was not distracted by Harley,” Cass mumbled, hands rising to comb through her hair. A nervous gesture she’d seen done by others in an attempt to self-soothe. The repetitive nature appealed to her in that moment, as did the soft caress of her hair through her fingers.
Her brothers had begun to argue, various theories regarding her injury thrown out. They talked over one another. Their voices rose as the discussion became more heated. Cass sunk down into her bed. Her gaze focused on her ankle. The injury in question.
She had no desire to share how she’d acquired it, even if it would end the bickering. Eventually, Damian shot up, bouncing the bed and jostling her foot as he lunged for Tim. Jason caught Tim around the waist, pulling him back while Dick grabbed Damian. They dragged the younger boys from the room, the two still shouting insults back and forth. Duke took one look at Cass and then followed them out, shooting her a thumbs up and a smile.
“So…” Stephanie sidled up to the side of the bed now that they were alone. She dragged her fingers over the top of the mattress, shifting from foot to foot in a vaguely rocking motion, “You haven’t told anyone how you got hurt, huh?”
“No,” Cass admitted, cheeks burning. She bit at her bottom lip, then sighed, “It is embarrassing.” Stephanie snorted. She plopped onto the bed then.
Stephanie cuddled against her and Cass blushed even harder. Her entire face surely red as the blood rushed beneath her skin. She fidgeted, hands wringing in her lap. Snatching up the plate of food abandoned just as quickly as it had arrived with Tim, Stephanie quickly held up a fork, urging Cass to eat.
Throat bobbing, Cass dutifully accepted each bite, allowing her friend to feed her small morsels of eggs and fruit and other things Cass barely registered. Stephanie was much closer than she typically sat. Nearly in her lap. Their legs pressed together, Stephanie’s chest pushing at her side.
Her heart hammering in her chest, Cass said nothing. Not even when the plate sat empty and Stephanie returned it to the tray on the bedside table. The other woman leaned away for only a moment, before resettling against Cass. Stephanie dropped her head to pillow it on Cass’ shoulder. She hummed, voice quiet, a soft rumble which vibrated through every nerve as Cass shuddered.
“I agree with Dick, personally,” Stephanie said, neck arching before she pressed a quick kiss to Cass’ cheek, “I didn’t know the indestructible Cassandra Cain could wipe out so spectacularly, but it’s nice to know even the Black Bat has things she’s not good at right away.”
“What? You… you saw that?” Cass blinked, lashes fluttering as the actual words falling from Stephanie’s lips processed. Her very plump lips, glossy from some sort of balm, but not tinted by color. The same natural pale pink they usually were, just… shinier.
Perhaps Tim had a point about distractions. She swallowed and tore her gaze from Stephanie’s lips to focus on her eyes. Bright and mischievous as the blonde grinned, “What did you do with that skateboard by the way?”
Cass choked. Her hands rose to her face and she whined. She had not realized her ‘spectacular wipe out’ had been witnessed.
“Don’t be silly, Cass, it was actually really cute,” Stephanie laughed and she reached up to grab Cass’ wrists. She pulled the hands down. Her smile blinding as she took them into her own. Thumbs moved in little circles over her palms and Cass shivered.
They had not discussed the possibility of elevating their relationship. Cass understood the jump from friends to lovers to be quite a major – and sometimes devastating – change. Dick and Barbara remained close after their break up. Tim and Stephanie as well. Cass had been well assured by her other brothers that such amicable relations were not the standards.
”Bats are weird, Cass, about everything. Don’t question it.
Jason’s words echoed in her head as Stephanie detailed just how she’d managed to spy on Cass the night before. Complete with narrative voices for the mugger Cass had stopped and hand gestures for her take down of the corrupt cop trying to extort money from a prostitute in the Narrows.
Perhaps, with the two of them, the jump would work though. Their friendship a strong foundation for an even deeper relationship.
“You should blame Tim, though,” Stephanie cackled, wrapping an arm around Cass’ waist as she dropped her head on Cass’ chest. She smiled up at her, lips spreading wide in a manic grin, “If he’d taught you how to skateboard before this, you wouldn’t have been so curious and tried it on a rooftop with a random board you found up there.”
“Oh, he offered,” Cass admitted, eyes squeezing shut as she chuckled, “I did not think I required instruction, given the simplicity of the physics involved.” Stephanie pursed her lips, muffling a giggle. “I obviously miscalculated.”
They descended into laughter. Stephanie shimmed down the bed to check on her ankle. She adjusted the pillows just slightly, re-centering the ankle for additional support. Cass preened under her diligent attention.
“I didn’t realize how badly you’d hurt yourself,” Stephanie whispered, fingers ghosting over the elastic bandages and the ice packs. Cass stiffened. Her friend turned to look at her, lips pulling down in a frown, “I would have helped you back to the Cave, but you barely seemed to flinch so I just… I assumed you were fine. I’m sorry.”
Head shaking, Cass waved her words away, “Your apology is unnecessary.” She quirked her head. A smile twitching at her own lips, “Alfred has informed me that I need to practice asking for help and admitting my limitations, or else I shall end up like Batman.”
With a snort, Stephanie crawled back up to lay beside her. She deadpanned, “A fate worse than death, surely. He’s far too stubborn for his own good.” Cass giggled, nodding along. Stephanie pillowed her head on Cass’ shoulder once more, sighing, “You’re the best of us, Cass, but we’re here for you. On the few occasions where you fall, when you fail, we’re here.”
Face flushing once more, Cass nodded, “That is… very apparent.” She pursed her lips as her gaze fell to Stephanie’s once more. The little muscles working beneath glossy flesh. They parted, each time Stephanie breathed. Her lashes long when they settled on her cheeks, eyes closed.
“You should rest,” Stephanie told her, lips rumbling beside her throat. “The first letter in the RICE method is R for a reason, after all.” Cass swallowed as Stephanie shifted even closer, curling around Cass in a very deliberate fashion. Careful of her injury, of the necessary elevation, as their legs tangled together.
“May I ask a question first?” Cass whispered into the air. Her eyes snapped to the ceiling as she lay nearly flat on her bed. Stephanie hummed, nodding mutely beside her. Against her.
Their proximity made the motion even more obvious. Every breath, every touch. Stephanie’s every action seemed to send little jolts of warmth through her body and Cass found it more pleasant than she had ever imagined.
And she had imagined it. Once or twice. The two of them curling up together on the couch or her bed. They sat very close during their weekly movie nights.
Not this close though. Not like this.
Something shifted, with Stephanie’s warm breath blowing across her neck. Her blonde hair spread across the dark sheets. Nearly glowing in the faint sunlight filtering in through the window.
Cass took a breath, her chest rising sharply, “May I kiss you?” Stephanie stiffened. Her body suddenly still, tense beside Cass. Her throat bobbed when Stephanie slow rose up, golden locks flowing over her shoulder as she stared down at Cass, eyes wide.
“You… want to kiss me?” Stephanie asked slowly. Cass nodded, head bobbing shortly. A smile blossomed across Stephanie’s expression then. Wide and bright, the most beautiful sight Cass had ever seen.
With a giggle, Stephanie ducked down, pressing their lips together. Cass arched her neck and calloused fingers slid over her pebbling skin. The kiss was perfect. Soft at first. Warm lips meeting in a gentle pressure. With a hum, Cass tilted her head, deepening the kiss, and Stephanie gasped.
A faint moan rumbled against her chest as Cass buried her hands in the flowing waves of blond hair framed around them. Stephanie clung to her as Cass flipped them over. The kiss ended with a sudden hiss as her ankle throbbed at the movement. Cass cried out and Stephanie pulled away.
“Oh,” Stephanie exhaled, chest heaving as Cass reached for her ankle. Chuckling, Stephanie sat up, helping her fix the ice packs Cass had dislodged. She nudged Cass with her shoulder, grinning, “You didn’t need any instruction for that, I guess.” Cass flushed, ducking her head again when her cheeks flared red.
She smiled though, and when they settled back into the pillows, Cass pressed her lips to Stephanie’s cheek. She could do that now. Kiss her.
“For the record, I’m way prettier than Harley,” Stephanie teased her and Cass rolled her eyes, “And I’d be much better at distractions than her too.” Cass quirked her head. A smirk tugged at her lips and Stephanie narrowed her eyes, rising back up onto her elbow, “What?”
“I knew you were there,” Cass admitted, “Watching.” Stephanie blinked. Her lips parted, gaping as she stared at Cass. With a chuckle, Cass shrugged, “My overconfidence may have led to to my injury, but it was not the only factor.”
Shrieking, Stephanie shot up, hands rising to her hair, “No! So you were distracted?!” She groaned, head falling back, “By a blonde!” She exaggerated a gagging noise, “That means Tim was half-right!”
Cass laughed more as Stephanie whined. She tugged lightly on a lock of blonde hair, drawing Stephanie’s gaze back to her. Lurching up, Cass captured her friend’s lips in another kiss.
Quicker this time. Chaste.
She enjoyed the dusting of pink that spread across Stephanie’s cheeks when she drew back. “I would not be distracted by Harley,” Cass assured her, voice low as she tucked some of Stephanie’s hair behind her ear, “Only one blonde can distract me.”
“Oh,” Stephanie blushed a bit more, giggling, she ducked closer once again. “I like that,” she whispered against Cass’ lips. Their mouths ghosted over one another. Stephanie shuddered through a breath, “I like that a lot.”
“Good,” Cass stole another kiss and then dropped back into her pillows. She dragged Stephanie down onto her chest again. A solid and comforting weight as they fell asleep. Her gaze lingered on her ankle again. The wraps and the ice packs. Her mind wandered back to her family. Her brothers and father. Alfred. All their fretting and care. The many members of their sprawling family of vigilantes who'd reached out to check on her.
A warmth spread from her chest. Joy buzzing at her nerves. She hadn't realize how much she mattered to all of them. Not just as their comrade, as the Black Back, but as her. As just Cass. This simple injury had taught her many things, had given her a great gift.
Smiling, Cass held Stephanie in her arms and close her eyes. Accidents could be quite helpful it seemed, occasionally.