FIC: Bats, Cats, and Luthors (5/6)
Almost there!
Title: Bats, Cats, and Luthors (5/6)
Pairing: Brex/BatCat
Rating: (eventually) NC-17
Summary: Batman happens upon a cat burglar in his city who is much more than she seems. Can Batman handle the Catwoman?
AU, Adventure, Romance, Warning: ( skip or highlight) eventually attempted rape, incest
Part One ♥ Part Two ♥ Part Three ♥ Part Four
Part Five
"No, I already gave you two treats, little missie," Bruce told Lex's cat the following morning, scooping her up and setting back down on the floor. He had woken up, gotten dressed and left to find a market so he could buy the ingredients for his banana waffles. Now he stood in Lex's small kitchen in his pants, the suspenders hanging over the sides, barefoot and pouring batter on the hot grill. He had also bought Miss Kitty a bag of cat treats, which had earned him major points with the reigning feline.
With a protesting sound and a little gasp, Lex woke in his bed, disoriented and a little frightened. It took him a moment to realize that he was awake, then another to realize he was alone. He sat up, looking around his bedroom in confusion. Then he frowned a little and sniffed the air. Was Bruce cooking? Lex slipped out of his bed and went to his dresser to get his clothes. He didn't want Bruce snooping around later. Once he was dressed, he walked out into the main room of the apartment.
"Aren't you the little homemaker?" Lex said, approaching the counter.
Bruce smiled over his shoulder at Lex. "Good morning, there! I almost bought an apron, too. Next time, I expect one!" he joked. "Coffee's made."
Lex went to get his own coffee. "Oh, I'll get you an apron. It'll be a fantastic. Gorgeous." He took a sip of his coffee. "Are you a fan of The Naked Chef?"
Bruce laughed. "You were thinking I should wear just the apron, too?"
"Wicked minds think alike." Lex leaned against the counter. "Although, I must admit that that you are endearing like this, half-dressed and making me breakfast."
"I am, aren't I?" Bruce placed a waffle on a plate. "You didn't declare your eternal hatred for bananas yesterday, so I'm making Mom's waffle recipe."
"I don't hate them in baked goods. On their own, they bother me," Lex admitted. "I'm sure in waffles, they'll be delicious."
"Bananas bother you?" Bruce chuckled and added more butter and batter to the griddle. "Noted."
"That doesn't quite sound right when you say it," Lex said with a little chuckle.
"Sorry," Bruce said, sounding not at all sorry.
"Don't be. I need more innuendo in my life." Lex climbed up on one of the stools and looked down at Isis, who was trying to rub herself against Bruce's moving legs. "He isn't going to give you waffles, my dear. You can stop sucking up."
"Ah, but what Papa doesn't know is that your girl and I have been very naughty." Bruce picked up the bag and gave it a little shake. At the cat's demanding meow, he chuckled and gave her another treat. "That's it. No more, or you'll end up fat like your father," he joked.
Lex opened his mouth in feigned horror. "How dare you!"
Bruce laughed harder, then turned and walked to Lex. "Don't worry, my little loveball. I told you I'll carry you." He wrapped his arms around Lex, pulled him close and kissed the side of his neck once.
"You're adorable, but these jokes need to stop," Lex protested, trying to squirm away. He laughed. "Loveball?" Lex turned his head to Bruce and looked up at him. "Loveball? Really? ...So when do you break up with that tramp so I can kiss you again?"
The question surprised Bruce. He let his fingertips brush across the back of Lex's head and leaned back a little. "If you really want me to, I will. It's not something I'll enjoy doing, however. I like her."
"Then I guess your little loveball will have to wait," Lex replied with a bit of disappointment. "I'm sorry, Bruce. I'm putting you in a bad position."
Bruce shook his head. "No, I'm sorry. I never thought you'd want me, so I agreed to a relationship with her, but... I told you, I don't really know her, and I don't feel like I have the right to push her. We all have secrets. That doesn't necessarily make us bad people. Does it?"
"No. I don't think it does. I hope it doesn't," Lex whispered. "I'm sure you'd break her heart, if you left her. It would break mine."
Bruce glanced down for a moment. "I can't keep you both, sadly, and between her and you... You win."
Lex's lips spread into a slow grin. He wrapped his arm around Bruce's waist and blew a raspberry on his bare stomach.
"Ah! Hey! Respect the cook!" Bruce kissed the top of Lex's head once and moved back to his waffles. "Oh, almost burned this one."
"The price we must pay," Lex said, still grinning as he looked back at Bruce, leaning his head on his hand. God, help him, he was falling in love with this man.
***Three Weeks Later***
Catwoman kept himself close to the wall as he slunk through the hallways of Wayne Manor carrying a heavy black briefcase. He rolled his shoulders, feeling the bruise he'd gotten when he'd dropped out of the warehouse window, haphazardly, and landed on it. He'd been lucky to get away this time, but what he had in the briefcase was worth it. It was worth his life, and he would give anything to make this happen. Lifting his chin, he sniffed the air a bit and smelled Bruce's shower gel in the air. Catwoman was close to the bedroom, so he deduced that Bruce had just finished his shower, and was likely wet and clean. With a smile, he moved quickly in that direction and entered the bedroom silently.
Bruce came out of the bathroom naked, briskly toweling his hair dry. Batman had just handed the Metropolis and Gotham DAs evidence that should put Morgan Edge behind bars for the rest of his life. Lionel Luthor would be next. Soon.
"Hello, sexy," Catwoman said in a teasing voice as he leaned against the doorframe.
Bruce stopped, slowly lowered the towel and looked at her. "Hello, kitty-cat." He casually wrapped the towel around his hips.
"Nice." Catwoman smiled and walked up to him. "I have a favor to ask of you, if you're up to it."
"Of course. Anything." He took her gloved hand and gave it a kiss.
"This briefcase has some serious dirt on Lionel Luthor and his various sordid activities. I need you to hide it here for a little while. I know that it's dangerous, but I wouldn't ask if I thought it would occur to him and his cohorts that you would be involved in something like this," Catwoman told him seriously. "The chance that he knows where I live is too great for me to hide it there."
Bruce frowned and slowly took the suitcase from her. "If you think your place might be compromised, you shouldn't go back there."
"I don't know that it has, to be honest. I just know Lionel too well." Catwoman shrugged one shoulder. "I'll be careful. I don't want him to be able to escape prosecution because he offed the witness against him."
"Hm." Bruce didn't like the idea of her being in danger when he had a perfectly safe place for her, right under his roof. "I wish you'd reconsider. You could stay here."
"I'll think about it. I have some things to do first," Catwoman replied. He wanted to pull back his cowl and slip into Bruce's arms. Oh, what the hell. He stepped forward and wrapped his arms around Bruce's naked chest.
Bruce cupped her left cheek and stared down at her goggles. "We need to talk," he said softly. He had been waiting weeks to talk to her, and while he wanted her safe, he didn't want to string her along, or Lex.
"Can we not talk?" Catwoman asked hopefully. He knew what it would be, and it wasn't a bad thing, but he wasn't sure he had the energy to do this at the moment.
"Come sit with me." Bruce took her hand again and brought her to his bed, sat her down on the side of it. He left the briefcase by the bed and went to his dresser to grab a pair of black sweatpants and put them on, then returned to her. "You sound tired."
"I am tired." Catwoman touched his shoulder gingerly. "And I didn't land on my feet. Luckly I have seven more lives to go."
Bruce pressed his lips together. "Let me take a look at it?" He knew she had been shot not so long ago and hoped she had not landed on that same spot.
Without thinking, Catwoman pulled back the shoulder of his outfit for Bruce to look at. His father had been a doctor, after all. "It's probably just bruised," he explained.
He dropped to his knees to examine it closely. He moved her arm this way and that, his frown only deepening. "You're a fast healer," he told her, looking up at her.
Catwoman looked back at him curiously. "How would you know that?"
"This looks at least a day old," Bruce said without missing a beat. "I have an ointment that should help with the pain." He stood and went to his nightstand.
Catwoman looked at his shoulder and sighed. He didn't know that it looked that old, but he wouldn't be surprised, considering how quickly he'd been healing lately. It was as though the more abuse he took, the faster he healed. "Haven't you heard that the Catwoman isn't human?"
"I don't believe street gossip." Bruce returned with a tube. He squeezed some ointment out and began gently spreading it over her shoulder. "Besides, not being human isn't the worst a person can be."
"I suppose not. You could be Lionel Luthor or his buddy Morgan Edge," Catwoman replied tersely. "It's true, though. I'm not human. Not anymore, I don't think. There have been changes, some from radiation, some from time that I spent in one of Luthor's labs."
He looked up at her. That wouldn't have changed a thing to him, not really. "Your DNA may be altered, Cat, but I think you're more human than many people I know."
Catwoman smiled a warm, genuine smile at that. "Am I? Well." He reached over and caressed Bruce's cheek. "You're wiser and deeper than most people I've ever met. I'm glad to have known you, Bruce."
Bruce took a deep breath. "Stop talking like I won't see you again, or I won't let you leave."
"I apologize." Catwoman leaned over and kissed his forehead. "I didn't mean to. What did you want to talk about?"
Bruce hesitated. "It's something important, but I hardly feel like this is the right moment."
"Maybe if we wait, it won't matter?" Catwoman suggested. He realized that he wasn't being quite "herself" today, and it might have been because he was tired, but also because he was sad. He would be putting his father in jail, if all went well, and damn him if he didn't love the evil bastard.
"I don't know. I don't want to lie to you." Bruce could have hit himself. He lied all the damn time, to everyone. He touched her chin tenderly. "I like you, Cat. I really do."
"Aww. I like you too," Catwoman teased. He patted Bruce's leg and smiled.
"But I can't date you," he added, like ripping out a band-aid. "I can't."
Catwoman pressed his lips together and nodded. He closed his eyes. Would he ever be able to tell Bruce about this? Would Bruce forgive Lex for putting him in a love triangle for two? Lex hoped so. "Of course you can't. I understand."
Bruce wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her to his chest. "Wait. I want to tell you why."
Catwoman wrapped his uninjured arm around Bruce's neck. "Go ahead," he said quietly.
"I'm in love with someone," he said softly. "Someone I never thought would reciprocate. I never meant to give you false hope; I truly like you. I'm attracted to you and I admire you, and the mask doesn't really bother me at all. But I promised to be yours alone and I can no longer keep that promise. I have until now."
"You're such a good man, Bruce. I don't deserve you anyway." Catwoman gave a soft laugh.
"Hm." He shook his head. "You're wrong. You and I have much more in common than anyone else ever could." He dipped his head and gave her lips a soft kiss. "Stay tonight. Rest."
"I can't do that. But I'll see you again soon. Maybe one of these days I can take off my mask for you, hm?" Catwoman ran his fingers through Bruce's hair. "And you can love more than my lips. Until then... I will miss you."
Bruce didn't let go of her right away. "Listen to me. You come to me for anything. If you disappear, I'll have to go after you, and you can believe that I'll find you."
"I will." Catwoman looked into his eyes. Somehow knowing that Bruce would look for Catwoman made him feel better. He rubbed his thumb over Bruce's chin, then reached up to push back his goggles, so that Bruce could see his eyes as well, which were darkly lined with makeup and a little moist.
Bruce smiled softly and stroked her cheek. "Oh. Hello, beautiful."
Catwoman grinned widely. "Hello, handsome." He felt himself blushing a bit, and he wanted to live in this moment forever, or take off the rest of his outfit right here, but he didn't. He took a breath and decided to call Bruce the moment he was out of the manor. He'd come over with Isis and keep his head low for a few days. "I have to go. Protect that briefcase for me, okay? Pretty soon this little kitten won't have anything to worry about from that grumpy old lion."
"I will. Will you come back for it or should I turn it in to the authorities?"
"Do you know the authorities well in this area?" Catwoman paused for a moment. "I wish I knew where Batman's little cave was. He would be able to get it to them. Don't put yourself in danger, Bruce."
"I know one honest cop. I can get the evidence to people who will do something about them. Will you stay out of trouble until then?" Bruce kissed her forehead.
"I will do everything humanly possible," Catwoman promised. "Let me go. Or we'll be saying goodbye until dawn, and I need the cover of night."
"All right. But I don't like this," protested Bruce. He let go of her and stood.
Catwoman stood as well and pulled his suit closed. Reluctantly he backed up, looking Bruce over one last time, then pushed his goggles back into place and turned quickly to hurry out of the manor, before he could no longer bring himself to leave.
Bruce frowned, standing there and staring at the way she had left. He should have told her that he was Batman, He should have sacrificed his secret for her safety. He was afraid he might just have sacrificed her, instead. With a sigh, he picked up the briefcase and went to lock it away in his safe. He'd make sure it got where it needed to get tomorrow. After he made copies, just in case.
Catwoman managed to get outside and to his Vespa outside of the gates before he got out his cell phone to call Bruce. He wanted to hear his voice again, and he wanted to come back to the manor as soon as possible.
Bruce locked the safe and pulled his cell phone out of his pocket. "Lex. Everything all right?" he asked, worried.
"Why do you ask that?" he replied with a smile. "I'm perfectly fine. I just have the day off tomorrow. Three day weekend. Mind if I come over with my kitty for the weekend?"
"Oh." Bruce leaned against the wall and exhaled. "Yes. I mean, no, I don't mind. Want me to pick you up?"
Lex thought about it and realized how much safer he would feel if he was heading over to the manor in a car that had Bruce in it. "I would love that. Give me about forty-five minutes?"
"Sure. I'll be right over." That would give Bruce plenty of time to give Alfred a heads up, to make some calls and to get dressed. He would be worrying about Cat until he heard from her again, but at least Lex would be safe. Lionel Luthor would be falling soon, and who knew who he would try to bring down with him.
"We'll be waiting," Lex replied, sounding a bit more relieved than he'd intended. "I'll see you soon." He made a kissing sound into the phone before he closed it.
Catwoman sped off into the night, looking forward to a short vacation with his best friend in a large, beautiful home where both he and his cat would be safe. He couldn't leave Isis alone, and for once, he thought this might actually work out.
Fifteen minutes later, he was speeding through a backalley, one he had been through a hundred times, when he heard a loud shot. As his Vespa was skidding toward the nearest building, he realized that somehow his tire had popped, and Catwoman crashed into a wall of brick. While he was trying to gather his wits, several large men approached him. He tried to stand to get away, but his head was spinning too fast, and his side was on fire. Two of them grabbed him roughly. Catwoman scratched one of them, and then darkness descended on him as a third clubbed his head from behind.
***
Bruce arrived at Lex's apartment about five minutes early, but he knew it wouldn't be a problem. When he rang the intercom for the fifth time, however, he knew there was a problem. He looked around and forced the door open, then climbed the stairs in a hurry.
He knocked on the door but only heard Lex's cat replying, meowing loudly, so he picked the door open. Picking up the cat as she tried to rub against him, he stepped inside and closed the door. "Lex?"
A quick look through the apartment revealed no Lex. Bruce stood in the middle of the kitchen and scratched the cat under her chin, more worried than worried. He glanced at the refrigerator door and his blood froze, or felt like it.
Among a few coupons and menus for Chinese and Italian restaurants was a to-do list on a lavander piece of paper, which read:
Meet Bruce for lunch.
Turn in chemistry project.
Pick up more litter for Isis.
Bruce blinked, approached the note, and read it again. "Isis," he whispered, then looked down at the cat. She purred and reached one front paw, touched his chin. "Is that your name, darling?" he asked her, then turned the ID tag on her collar. ISIS. He had thought that the cat's name was Miss Kitty. Catwoman's cat was named Isis. Letting her down, Bruce rushed to Lex's bedroom. It didn't take much rummaging for him to find pieces of Catwoman's suit in Lex's closet. "Damn it!" he grabbed all that he could find of hers, shoved it in a bag, and went back for Isis. Something had happened to Lex, who was Catwoman. He should have never let her go tonight!
His mind raced. He had to find Lex, had to. Bruce closed his eyes for a moment. Lionel had him. No doubt about it. After Isis was in her carrier, he went back to the fridge and wrote 'Isis is at Manor. Call me.' just in case Lex did come home. He was going to drop her off with Alfred, get to the Cave, and Batman was going out to find his Catwoman. Damn it.
***
"Alfred!" Bruce yelled as he rushed into the kitchen.
"Master Wayne?" Alfred replied, setting aside the dish he'd been wiping. "What's the matter, sir?"
"Lex has been taken," Bruce said, pushing Isis' carrier onto him. "I'm sure that his father has him. I need you to take care of his cat for me, while I get him back." Bruce turned to head for the Cave. "And he's Catwoman."
Alfred was staring into the carrier when he jerked his head up at look after Bruce. "Cat... woman?"
"Meeooow!" Isis pleaded, wanting out of the carrier.
"She likes tuna, I think," Bruce said as he rushed out. "And love!"
Alfred opened the cage door and reached in tentatively, pulling the gray cat out. She mewed at him again, and he tucked her securely under his arm. "Well. I'll see if I can't find something for you, little miss." He headed for the refrigerator, shaking his head and trying to wrap his mind around the idea that the shy, brilliant boy and the overtly sexual thief were one and the same.
Not long afterward, Batman set up his computer to triangulate Catwoman's position through the communicator he had given her. Hopefully she had kept it.
The communicator finally flashed onscreen, its location a five-star hotel just outside of Gotham. "Good girl," Batman rasped, and rushed to the Batmobile.
***
When Lex's eyes opened, he groaned, because it had been years since he had hurt this much. He began to sit up, but found himself unable and realized that he was strapped down. Blinking in confusion, he looked around. He was in a lushly furnished hotel room. He was in his catsuit. He was not wearing his mask and goggles.
"Shit," he whispered.
"Language, son," Lionel's cold voice rang from across the room.
Lex could hear the clip of his shoes against the stone floor until he appeared by Lex's side and reached up to caress Lex's head gently. Lex tried to pull away.
"No need for that, Lex." Lionel's eyes raked over his son's form. "Interesting choice of evening wear. It suits you more than you'd think. I should have realized it was you. Who else would have been able to anticipate our every move here? Who to get into the mind of a Luthor but another Luthor?"
"Careful, Dad. That almost sounded like a compliment," Lex replied, curling his lip as his voice teased.
Lionel's lips tensed. "You've always been gifted, son. I don't deny it. But you have so much to learn, so much to become. And you have defied me for the last time."
"It doesn't matter. You can kill me. I'm one witness. You won't be able to find the evidence I have against you," Lex shot back defiantly.
"Oh, I think you'll survive a bit longer," Lionel breezed. He trailed his fingers down the middle of Lex's leather suit, setting his palm on Lex's flat abdomen. "I still need an heir, after all."
Lex frowned and squirmed, even if it hurt. The pain hardly mattered. He needed to fight back, no matter what Lionel was planning in that twisted mind of his.
"We'll be leaving by the morning," Lionel continued. "I think I may have you prepared before that, however."
"Prepared?" Lex struggled against his restraints.
A woman in a lab coat entered the room and opened her bag on the nightstand. "He might not be able, if he hasn't yet."
Lionel waved his hand. "He's so much like his mother. I have to believe that his latest affectation is more than telling."
"My mother was an amazing woman," Lex replied petulantly. "That is not an insult."
The doctor looked at him as though she were surprised he was speaking. "I should treat his wounds first. He'll be in pain, otherwise."
"Let him hurt. He's been a bad boy, and will have to feel the punishment somehow." Lionel smirked.
***
Batman reached the city in record time, cutting corners and practically seeing red. If Lionel had Catwoman, he surely knew that she was Lex by now, and who knew what that man would think he had the right to do with his own son. Damn it.
***
Back in the hotel room, Lex watched the doctor as she felt him up. He couldn't tell quite what she wanted, but he could see her shaking her head, and decided that it couldn't hurt to try to gain her sympathy.
"Are the ribs broken?" he asked in a quiet voice.
"A couple, I believe," she replied. She leaned over him and began to unzip his suit down the front.
"The breasts are fake, I'm afraid."
"So I surmised." Her fingers pressed into his stomach.
"Any permanent damage?"
"I don't think so." She reached into her bag and pulled out a needle and a vial of clear, reddish liquid. She drew the liquid into the needle.
"What is that?"
Her lips tensed, and she did not answer. With a deep breath, she pressed the needle to his stomach and injected him.
"Ah!" Lex gasped. "What are you doing?"
She wiped the area with antiseptic and turned away from him, looking slightly ashamed. "You'll have to wait a bit, Mr. Luthor, for the drugs to take effect. Otherwise, the chances of... success will go down."
"How long?"
"Ten minutes at least. I'd advise an hour, however."
"Leave the room, Dr. Reynolds," Lionel ordered, walking over to Lex on the bed. He sat beside Lex and stared at him. Reynolds looked back at them and departed with quick steps.
"Dad?" Lex asked. "What are you planning?"
"You'll find out. You truly are special, Lex, but you are mine. If you won't return to me on your own, then I will make you return to me," Lionel informed him.
Lex gave his father a fierce glare, but felt his face going slack in surprise when his father cupped his cheek, almost gently, and repeated, "You are mine. You will learn that one way or the other."
***
Batman climbed down from the roof of the hotel and landed on the floor where the communicator (and he hoped, Lex) was. He quickly took out the men waiting in the hallway, dismantling their weapons. He did not stop, not when one of them pointed a gun at him, or when the other tried to kick him. Batman just got rid of them and kicked down the hotel room door. He felt relief wash over him to see Lex there, alive and awake, but did not stop for him, either.
"Luthor," he whispered, and walked straight for the detestable man. He grabbed Lionel by the throat and just held him up in the air for a moment. He could do it, he really could. Just close his fingers and...
"Oh, thank God," Lex said in relief, not caring that he was exposed for Batman to see. "Don't, Batman! Don't. A friend of mine has evidence on him. We'll put him away for life."
Batman looked at Lex sharply. His anger stilled if only a little, and he looked back up at Lionel, suspended there. "Your son just saved your life," he told Lionel, and hit the man on the side of his head with all that he had. Lionel fell limply to the floor, the thick, plush carpet only registering a quiet thud with the fall.
"Thank you," Lex whispered, laying his aching head back.
"How hurt are you?" Batman asked as he went to Lex, got down on one knee and released him.
"I don't know. The doctor said I had a couple of broken ribs," Lex explained, raising one hand to rub his head. "I wrecked my Vespa."
"That thing was a deathtrap," Batman commented as he sat on the bed, but then he regretted saying that. "We'll get you a new one if you want." He touched the top of Lex's head gently.
Lex looked up at him and sighed, raising a hand to pull his suit closed. "I know I've been a pain in your ass. Thank you for coming."
"You're not a pain in my ass. Let's get you out of here." Batman scooped Lex up and walked over Lionel on the floor, resisting the urge to step on him. "Put your goggles back on."
After zipping up his suit, Lex pulled his cowl into place, carefully due to the bruises on his head, and pulled his goggles over his eyes. He held onto Batman tightly. "I don't want to go home. Could you take me to Wayne Manor?" he asked.
"Yes." Batman walked to the elevator, pushed the button and waited. "Isis is there."
Lex blinked in surprise, and wondered if he weren't suffering from his head injury more than he'd thought. "How did... Isis is there?"
The elevator doors opened and Batman stepped inside with Catwoman in his arms, to the horror of the elderly couple in there. He ignored them and pressed the Lobby button. "She's safe. And so are you," he told Catwoman.
"Good... She... shouldn't be... alone..." Lex nodded, and touched his head again. He seemed to wilt in Batman's arms, and slumped against his shoulder.
Batman's lips thinned. He had to get Lex to the Cave, soon. The entire lobby seemed to stop to watch him carry Catwoman out through the front door and into his awaiting vehicle. He did not care. After strapping her in, he made a call to Gordon for Lionel to be picked up, and drove to the Manor. Then he called Alfred.
Alfred picked up the phone, which he had been sitting by with a purring Isis in his lap. "Master Bruce?"
"Meet me down there," Batman said. "He needs x-rays and bandages. Bring Isis. He'll want to see her."
"Very good, sir. I am on my way," Alfred declared, lifting Isis up.
"Meow!" Isis interjected.
Alfred carried her with him to the study. He was very grateful that Bruce's troubled friend was alive and once again in their care. He would do whatever he could for her... him. For Lex.
In the bat-mobile, they hit a bump, and Lex awoke, shaking his head, and groaned softly. "Dammit..."
Batman glanced over. "We're almost there," he promised Lex.
"This is familiar," Lex muttered. He attempted a laugh, but stopped, holding his ribs. "Bruce is going to be so angry with me."
"Why would he?" Batman decided that Lex should not have to withstand the waterfall jump, so he turned left on the dirt road. He could enter the cave through that secondary tunnel, the one he had been setting up for the Bat-jet.
"He told me not to go. I put myself in danger, and I've been lying to him about who I am," Lex replied in a weary voice. Still, home with an angry Bruce was better than anywhere else.
"Everyone lies, Lex," Batman said. He navigated through the dark and narrow tunnel that ended in a large chamber, and parked the Batmobile there. He got out to get Lex. "Alfred!"
Lex turned his head and pushed his cowl back. "I... we're in the Batcave. Alfred?" He turned his head to peer out the window.
Batman pulled off the top part of his costume, letting the cowl fall to the stony floor, and opened the door for Lex. It was Bruce who picked him up this time. "It's under the Manor," he told Lex softly.
"Bruce?" Lex's eyes bulged as they moved over Bruce's features. He grinned lopsidedly as he reached up to feel Bruce's face. "Is it you? Are you really? Both of us? Ha! ...Ow."
"Bring him over here, Master Bruce. I have the bed prepared and the x-ray machine ready," Alfred called. He had set up the small room where Catwoman had stayed during her last injury and Isis was there waiting, although she looked annoyed and cold so Alfred had laid a small blanket over her.
"I want to have a look at your torax," Bruce told Lex, taking Lex to the bed and moving Isis to the side, then bringing her close to Lex again. "Don't let her climb on you," he warned, and moved down to take Lex's boots off of his feet.
After Lex pulled of his gloves and set them on the nightstand, he gave Isis a scratch between her ears. "Hi, Alfred."
"Hello, Master Alexander," Alfred replied, pulling the x-ray machine up to the bed. He opened the kit by the bed and took out some painkillers. "I'd like for you to take some of these, if you would. They should make you feel a bit better. I have some water here."
Lex nodded and took them, feeling slightly embarassed.
Bruce set the boots down and ran a hand up Lex's leg, but stopped at the whip. "Wanna turn off the zapper?" he asked with a bit of a grin.
Lex smiled and licked his lips. "Please don't make me laugh." He reached in his suit and turned the zapper off. "There you go, Bats."
"Thank you. I'd rather not get fried again any time soon." Bruce removed the whip and the belt around Lex's hips, and leaned in to give his painted lips a kiss.
"At least a girl knows how to protect herself," Lex said wryly. He looked on Bruce with a kind of awe. "How did the two most amazing men in my life turn out to be the same person?"
Alfred set a pair of black silk pajamas on the chair next to the bed and stood aside quietly.
"The same way you managed to be the two people I wanted to be with, I guess." Bruce opened the top part of Lex's costume and carefully discarded his bra, then pulled off his own gauntlets and touched Lex's face. "I really had a hard time letting Cat go today."
"I promise I wasn't just trying to jerk you around," Lex swore.
Bruce shook his head. "No, I don't think you were. I understand that you were trying to protect your identity, and that you were trying to protect me." He lowered his hands to remove the rest of Lex's costume. "What did your father do to you?"
"Nothing... really." Lex frowned. "His doctor injected me with something, and he talked about 'preparing me.' You got there before anything happened."
"All right. Do you want me to run a blood test?" Bruce brought the portable x-ray machine over and placed it over Lex's torso. He then picked Isis up.
"It would probably be a good idea," Lex replied, trying to hold still so that Bruce could get a good picture.
"I will take her," Alfred offered. "Can I bring you anything, Master Alexander?"
"No, thank you, Alfred."
"Get him some more water, Alfred, please," Bruce said. He handed Isis to Alfred, waited until they were out of the room, and took a couple of x-rays of Lex's chest. "I'll wrap your ribs."
"Okay." Lex lifted his arms gingerly so that Bruce could have access. He smiled slightly. "Can I sleep upstairs this time? When we're finished checking out my injuries?"
Bruce paused and smiled softly at Lex. "Of course." He felt badly that Lex even needed to ask. "Lex..."
"Yes, Bruce?" He blinked his eyes slowly but opened them again. He wasn't sure if he was concussed or not, so he would try to remain concious until they told him it was safe.
"I could have killed your father today," Bruce said dryly. He helped Lex to sit up slowly and began bandaging him. "When I saw you injured and tied up... I wanted to."
"Mm. You know I love you for wanting to? And yet you didn't, which is even more magnificent. I suppose we'd all be better off if he did die. I do think about that at times," Lex admitted. He moved as Bruce needed him to so they could properly patch him up. "I've wanted to shoot him during more conversations than I can recollect."
Bruce tied up the bandages, careful not to hurt Lex, and picked up a small square of gauze. He raised it to Lex's lips and began to wipe the smudged lisptick off of them. "He'll be locked up soon. And you'll heal. And I..." Bruce paused and met Lex's eyes. "Love you."
Lex's brows rose in surprise, then lowered as he gave Bruce a pleased smile. "You love me," he repeated, his voice teasing just a little. "You love bald, crossdressing, mad scientist me."
Bruce chuckled. "I love all of you." He cupped Lex's bruised face tenderly and kissed him once, slowly.
"I'm so glad to hear that," Lex whispered. He looked up and down Bruce, half in his Batman outfit. "I love all of you as well. Batman was right. Sometimes Bruce Wayne didn't seem to have enough purpose for me... how wrong I was. You're my hero. Batman to my Catwoman. It's like we were made for one another."
"It sure feels like it." Bruce only let go of Lex to grab the pajama shirt and help him into it. "I have to look useless, but it's hard to pretend around you. Other parts of me keep showing."
"It doesn't help that I can see right through you," Lex teased. He eased into the shirt, and then the bottoms. "You know, I've missed the feel of silk pajamas. It's been a while."
Bruce sighed. Silly boy. "You're staying here," he said firmly, waiting for the x-ray processor to spit out the film. It was such a practical little machine, that one.
"That was the plan. I really don't want to leave your house for the next three days. That's why I called. Well, that, and how can I let my father's men endanger a little kitty cat?"
"No." Bruce covered Lex's hands with his. "I want you to move in here. Even after your father's out of the picture. Tomorrow, next year, whenever you're ready."
"Move in? Here? The ancestral home of the Waynes?" Lex looked at their hands. "I..." He paused briefly, thinking of all the reasons he wanted to be living on his own, independence, boundaries, being his own man. But he'd been living on his own since he'd started at Goth U and the apartment was lonely. Isis wouldn't be there if he weren't. And it was Bruce asking him into his wonderful home. "Yes."
Bruce slowly smiled, happy and relieved, and pressed his lips to Lex's again. "Good. We-" He turned to pick up the images of Lex's chest and held them up. "One rib is broken, the other is fractured." He pinched his lips together. He should have prevented that.
"Stop blaming yourself," Lex ordered. He leaned forward a little. "Did I break anything besides the ribs?"
"Not that I can see. There's a nasty bruise on your head, though. I'd prefer it if you stayed awake a while." Bruce grabbed an icepack from the ones Alfred had brought into the room and placed it on Lex's head.
"I thought I might have to do that," Lex replied. He sighed and leaned against Bruce wearily. "I need to build a helmet into the catsuit."
"Yes, you do." Bruce hugged him carefully. He should take off his own costume. "I'm glad you kept the communicator. Without it, I don't know when I'd be able to find you."
"I kept it in an inside pocket, so I wouldn't lose it," Lex admitted. "I'd forgotten that I had it there."
"It was a good thing they didn't search you." Bruce kissed Lex's forehead once and let go of him. "Let me get rid of this armor."
"I won't argue with that." Lex leaned back on his palms and smiled softly. "Lionel's downfall is his overconfidence."
"And you," Bruce pointed out as he stripped down to the skintight outfit he wore underneath the batsuit. "I haven't had the time to look through the documents Cat gave me, but there seems to be a lot more information there than I think I'd be able to gather."
"He's always underestimated me, and he underestimates women more," Lex replied. His eyes devoured the sight of Bruce's muscles straining against his undersuit. Lex felt his heart speeding up and he moved forward, wanting to go to Bruce.
Bruce pulled off one boot and was pulling off the other one when he caught sight of Lex. "What are you doing?" He quickly discarded the second boot and went to him. "Be careful, Lex."
Lex stood and fell into Bruce's arms, smelling Bruce's neck as his hand moved up Bruce's broad chest. "I don't know how I ever resisted you."
"Oh? Well, I know I hardly resisted you." Bruce picked Lex up in his arms. "Ready to go upstairs?"
"Mmm," Lex replied against Bruce's neck. He kissed and licked against Bruce's warm flesh, sighing as he took in Bruce's scent.
Bruce chuckled and began walking out of the cave with his precious load. Lex and Catwoman melded into one? He could definitely live with that. "I'm thinking you could use a warm bath to relax. The pills that Alfred gave you will help, and I'll give you more as you need them." He lowered his head and kissed across Lex's right cheek.
"How much of what I need are you willing to give me?" Lex murmured against Bruce's skin. A bath sounded good. He was beginning to sweat a little. "Oh, God, Bruce. I could eat you up."
"I'm not going anywhere, kitty," Bruce said softly. He nibbled along Lex's jawline. "Are you feeling all right?"
"I'm fine. Just a little hot." Lex's arms hung snuggly around Bruce's neck. He groaned softly and wiggled against Bruce a little. "We need to be upstairs. In your bed."
Bruce took a deep breath and hurried his steps slightly. "Lex, you got hurt. Try not to move; I don't want to drop you."
"It's hard not to move. I need you," Lex complained. He stilled himself, however, and lifted his chin to continue kissing him.
"Mm, oh." Bruce rubbed their lips together. Lex was just so beautiful and sexy, and Bruce thought he'd lost him. He opened his mouth for Lex and ignored Alfred when they passed him by. Bedroom, bed, now. It was what Lex wanted.
"Yes, yes," Lex whispered between kisses. He sucked Bruce's tongue into his mouth and hummed happily. "Take me," he ordered as they neared the bedroom. He was panting already.
"Lex..." Bruce wanted it, oh how he wanted it. He had never wanted anything else in his life like he wanted to take Lex, right now. He pushed the bedroom door open, kicked it closed, and then walked Lex to the bed. "Are you... Your ribs..." He gently lay Lex down on the bed and crawled over him without putting his weight over the pale body.
"Then don't lay on me," Lex said, practically begging. He reached up and caressed Bruce's face with both hands. His face was flushed, and he shuddered slightly as he nodded again. "Please...?"
Bruce closed his eyes and rested his forehead on Lex's for a moment. "How can I possibly deny you anything?" he asked in a whisper, then rolled on his back and very carefully pulled Lex over him. "I can't. It's impossible."
Lex straddled Bruce's thighs and ground his hips against him. He ran his hands over Bruce's sides. "How do I get this thing off of you?"
"God," Bruce muttered, sitting up and grabbing Lex's hips to still them "Slow down, you're gonna make it worse." He pulled off the top part of the clingy suit and then maneuvered under Lex to get rid of the bottom part. "I'm right here, Lex. I'm yours."
"Ohhh..." Lex's lips formed an 'O' when he saw Bruce's cock there, half-hard. He reached out and started to stroke it with one hand. With the other, he reached for Bruce's face and kissed him fiercely. "Mine, all mine..."
"Mmmm..." Bruce moved his hands to cup Lex's ass, so small and perfect in the palms of his hands. He kissed Lex back and ran his hands up to unbutton the silk pajamas he had dressed Lex in. "Lex... God, I want you, but... What if you've been drugged?"
Panting and tenting his brows, Lex looked at Bruce, cupping his face. "Drugged? I'm fine. I just... I need you to fuck me right now, Bruce. I feel as though I'm on fire."
Bruce's eyes widened and he groaned low in his throat. Lex definitely sounded high, but why would Lionel Luthor do that to his own son? Then again, the knowledge that Bruce and Batman were the same person, the dangerous situation he had just gotten out of... Maybe Lex was in need to let off some steam and this was how he did it. Bruce nodded. "All right, Lex. Let me grab the lube and condom..."
"Don't need it," Lex said, shaking his head. He wiped the precome off of Bruce's cock and leaned onto him as he lifted his hips and began to finger himself. "Ohhhh, GOD... God, Bruce!"
"Oh, God," agreed Bruce, biting his own lower lip as he held Lex steady with one arm wrapped around him. He used his free hand to stroke himself and rub the head of his cock against Lex's pale skin. "Lex!"
"Yeah, I'm almost... almost ready. I... unnn," Lex groaned. He moved up, nodding over and over, and looked down. "Need you. Inside. Now."
Bruce looked up at Lex, all flushed and demanding, and it might have been the most gorgeous vision he had ever seen. "I've got you," he whispered, taking Lex's asscheeks and parting them, then helping Lex to lower himself slowly around his cock. "Hmmm!"
"Oh, God!" Lex cried out in relief. He thought he might cry, it felt so incredibly good. "S-so hot." He bowed his head over Bruce's shoulder and lowered himself until Bruce was buried deep inside him. "Perfect."
"Lex," Bruce whispered, cupping the back of Lex's neck with one hand and still keeping him steady. "Lex, Lex, Lex..." He began to kiss the side of Lex's neck.
Slowly, Lex began to move on Bruce's thick, hard cock. Even Bruce's strong hands on his back, so careful and protective, were turning him on. Lex couldn't get enough of him.
Bruce stroked Lex's skin, nibbled on it, licked the taste of Lex off it. "So beautiful," he mumbled, rubbing his lips up to Lex's ear as each little move that Lex made brought shocks of pleasure to course through him. "You feel so good..."
"You make me feel so good..." Lex tightened himself around Bruce and shuddered. His cock bobbed between them.
"Ungh!" Bruce sucked on Lex's earlobe for a long moment and then dipped his head. He grinned up at Lex. "Do you want me to touch you?"
"Me..." Lex let his mouth fall open. "Oh, yes, please. Your touch is so good."
Bruce captured Lex's lower lip between his and slowly sucked as he brought his right hand between them. He curled his fingers around Lex's cock and began to stroke him. "Mmm..."
Lex was shaking with arousal, and he kissed Bruce with everything he had, riding Bruce as hard as he could manage. Soon he was beginning to come before he'd expected to.
"Oh." Bruce felt Lex squeezing around his cock, jerking in his hand, and he opened his eyes to see. The expression on Lex's face as he came was something he never wanted to forget, open and so intense. He grunted as he too started to come, deep inside Lex, his Lex.
"Yes, yes, yes," Lex gasped over and over. His arms wrapped around Bruce, and he huged him tightly. "My Bruce."
Bruce held Lex carefully, both arms around him now, and kissed his shoulder a few times. "Yes," he replied quietly before meeting Lex's eyes. "Better?"
"Yes," Lex replied, slightly exhausted. "I have you... It feels a lot better. Mm."
"Good." Bruce slowly moved Lex up and off of him, and brought him down onto the bed again. "I think we'll skip the bath, hm? I'll get a washcloth to clean you up."
"Mm hm." Curling on his side, Lex looked up at Bruce with sleepy eyes. "'M plenty relaxed."
Bruce had to smile. He caressed the side of Lex's head and face, and placed a tender kiss on his lips. "Sleep. I'll watch over you."
"I know you will," Lex replied confidently. His body felt like it was cooling down now. He felt very content. He touched Bruce's hand and closed his eyes.
Bruce held Lex's hand until he was deep asleep. He then got up, brought a washcloth with warm water to do as he had promised, and brought the covers up to Lex's chest. He would have to face Alfred sooner or later, and surely Lex would want Isis in bed with them when he woke up, so Bruce put on a robe and quietly stepped out of the bedroom.
Alfred had returned to the kitchen to prepare a later dinner for Bruce and his wayward kitty. "Evening, Master Bruce," he said quietly when Bruce entered the kitchen. "How is our patient?"
Bruce sat heavily at the kitchen table. "He's asleep," he replied just as quietly, bending down to scoop Isis up to his lap when she meowed quite demandingly at him. "I don't know what Luthor gave him; I should have drawn some blood for a test."
Alfred nodded and brought over a bottle of water for Bruce. "I'll see that he gets fed whenever he wakes up. It's been such a long day for him." Alfred sat beside him and petted Isis' head. "It seems the little cat has made its way into our lives."
"It seems that they both have. Twice." Bruce turned his head to face Alfred's eyes. "I won't apologize for loving him."
"Well, no, you mustn't," Alfred agreed. He sighed. "I don't know what to tell you, Master Bruce. I haven't quite recovered from the notion that he is also the young woman I warned you away from. I'd think that would make my warning doubly important, but under the circumstances... He seems well capable of handling you. I'm concerned for you both, of course. Forgive me, sir. I'm babbling."
Bruce shook his head. "No, I value your input. Let me ask you this: knowing that he was Catwoman all along, doesn't that settle your heart some? How different are the two of us, really? We both know I'd never be able to have a steady relationship with a regular woman, Alfred, or man. These aspects of my life that must remain hidden to protect others... Lex was doing the same for me, he was staying away as Lex to protect Bruce, the clueless playboy. Batman followed him on more than one occasion because I couldn't stay away."
"Two of a kind: A bat and a cat. Pardon me, sir." Alfred stood and walked over to the stove to pull a pan out. "You are both quite brilliant, and quite disturbed. I have often wondered whether you would find your match. Perhaps your 'union' could not have been avoided." He set the pan on the counter and turned back to Bruce. "Truthfully, sir, I don't think I've ever seen you quite so happy as when you are with him."
"I've never felt so happy," Bruce admitted softly. He dipped his head and gave Isis' furry head a kiss. "He's a weakness I can't really afford, but I can't afford to live without him when he wants to be with me, as well." He sighed. "Is there anything else we need to discuss?"
"Use condoms," Alfred said dryly. "And do go easy on him. He's suffered quite a bit of abuse."
"I'm not going to abuse him," protested Bruce. "I love him. If he wants something from me, if I can give it, I will. But I'd never hurt him."
"I certainly didn't intend to imply that you would abuse him," Alfred replied. He picked up the cookie jar and opened it for Bruce. He'd baked some of Bruce's favorite condensed milk cookies. "We will both be careful of him and watch out for him. I will endeavor not to rain on your parade. He is staying here with us, I hope?"
"Yes, he is. For good, if I have any say in it, but he has expressed the wish to study at Princeton, and I think he should go if he wants to. He'll definitely stay here until Luthor is put away." Bruce stood and took a couple of cookies. "Thanks, Alfred. I'll take Isis to him and turn in myself."
"I think he will sleep better if someone is there with him. And certainly he will want his Isis with him," Alfred said, taking the jar back to the counter. "Sleep well, Master Bruce."
"You too, Alfred." Bruce walked out of the kitchen, heading back upstairs. "Do you want to see Papa, princess?" he asked Isis and laughed softly when she meowed. "You can sleep with him, but no walking on his chest, hm? He's hurt."
Bruce let her down in the bathroom in case she wanted to explore a bit before settling down. He was going to have to talk to Alfred about kitty litter boxes, although knowing Alfred, he had probably already ordered ten or twelve of them to place in strategic corners of the mansion. Bruce walked to the bed, got under the sheets next to Lex and just watched him sleep. So much had changed, and Bruce could not help but feel hopeful. He was probably a fool but tonight, he was a happy one.
Title: Bats, Cats, and Luthors (5/6)
Pairing: Brex/BatCat
Rating: (eventually) NC-17
Summary: Batman happens upon a cat burglar in his city who is much more than she seems. Can Batman handle the Catwoman?
AU, Adventure, Romance, Warning: ( skip or highlight) eventually attempted rape, incest
Part One ♥ Part Two ♥ Part Three ♥ Part Four
Part Five
"No, I already gave you two treats, little missie," Bruce told Lex's cat the following morning, scooping her up and setting back down on the floor. He had woken up, gotten dressed and left to find a market so he could buy the ingredients for his banana waffles. Now he stood in Lex's small kitchen in his pants, the suspenders hanging over the sides, barefoot and pouring batter on the hot grill. He had also bought Miss Kitty a bag of cat treats, which had earned him major points with the reigning feline.
With a protesting sound and a little gasp, Lex woke in his bed, disoriented and a little frightened. It took him a moment to realize that he was awake, then another to realize he was alone. He sat up, looking around his bedroom in confusion. Then he frowned a little and sniffed the air. Was Bruce cooking? Lex slipped out of his bed and went to his dresser to get his clothes. He didn't want Bruce snooping around later. Once he was dressed, he walked out into the main room of the apartment.
"Aren't you the little homemaker?" Lex said, approaching the counter.
Bruce smiled over his shoulder at Lex. "Good morning, there! I almost bought an apron, too. Next time, I expect one!" he joked. "Coffee's made."
Lex went to get his own coffee. "Oh, I'll get you an apron. It'll be a fantastic. Gorgeous." He took a sip of his coffee. "Are you a fan of The Naked Chef?"
Bruce laughed. "You were thinking I should wear just the apron, too?"
"Wicked minds think alike." Lex leaned against the counter. "Although, I must admit that that you are endearing like this, half-dressed and making me breakfast."
"I am, aren't I?" Bruce placed a waffle on a plate. "You didn't declare your eternal hatred for bananas yesterday, so I'm making Mom's waffle recipe."
"I don't hate them in baked goods. On their own, they bother me," Lex admitted. "I'm sure in waffles, they'll be delicious."
"Bananas bother you?" Bruce chuckled and added more butter and batter to the griddle. "Noted."
"That doesn't quite sound right when you say it," Lex said with a little chuckle.
"Sorry," Bruce said, sounding not at all sorry.
"Don't be. I need more innuendo in my life." Lex climbed up on one of the stools and looked down at Isis, who was trying to rub herself against Bruce's moving legs. "He isn't going to give you waffles, my dear. You can stop sucking up."
"Ah, but what Papa doesn't know is that your girl and I have been very naughty." Bruce picked up the bag and gave it a little shake. At the cat's demanding meow, he chuckled and gave her another treat. "That's it. No more, or you'll end up fat like your father," he joked.
Lex opened his mouth in feigned horror. "How dare you!"
Bruce laughed harder, then turned and walked to Lex. "Don't worry, my little loveball. I told you I'll carry you." He wrapped his arms around Lex, pulled him close and kissed the side of his neck once.
"You're adorable, but these jokes need to stop," Lex protested, trying to squirm away. He laughed. "Loveball?" Lex turned his head to Bruce and looked up at him. "Loveball? Really? ...So when do you break up with that tramp so I can kiss you again?"
The question surprised Bruce. He let his fingertips brush across the back of Lex's head and leaned back a little. "If you really want me to, I will. It's not something I'll enjoy doing, however. I like her."
"Then I guess your little loveball will have to wait," Lex replied with a bit of disappointment. "I'm sorry, Bruce. I'm putting you in a bad position."
Bruce shook his head. "No, I'm sorry. I never thought you'd want me, so I agreed to a relationship with her, but... I told you, I don't really know her, and I don't feel like I have the right to push her. We all have secrets. That doesn't necessarily make us bad people. Does it?"
"No. I don't think it does. I hope it doesn't," Lex whispered. "I'm sure you'd break her heart, if you left her. It would break mine."
Bruce glanced down for a moment. "I can't keep you both, sadly, and between her and you... You win."
Lex's lips spread into a slow grin. He wrapped his arm around Bruce's waist and blew a raspberry on his bare stomach.
"Ah! Hey! Respect the cook!" Bruce kissed the top of Lex's head once and moved back to his waffles. "Oh, almost burned this one."
"The price we must pay," Lex said, still grinning as he looked back at Bruce, leaning his head on his hand. God, help him, he was falling in love with this man.
***Three Weeks Later***
Catwoman kept himself close to the wall as he slunk through the hallways of Wayne Manor carrying a heavy black briefcase. He rolled his shoulders, feeling the bruise he'd gotten when he'd dropped out of the warehouse window, haphazardly, and landed on it. He'd been lucky to get away this time, but what he had in the briefcase was worth it. It was worth his life, and he would give anything to make this happen. Lifting his chin, he sniffed the air a bit and smelled Bruce's shower gel in the air. Catwoman was close to the bedroom, so he deduced that Bruce had just finished his shower, and was likely wet and clean. With a smile, he moved quickly in that direction and entered the bedroom silently.
Bruce came out of the bathroom naked, briskly toweling his hair dry. Batman had just handed the Metropolis and Gotham DAs evidence that should put Morgan Edge behind bars for the rest of his life. Lionel Luthor would be next. Soon.
"Hello, sexy," Catwoman said in a teasing voice as he leaned against the doorframe.
Bruce stopped, slowly lowered the towel and looked at her. "Hello, kitty-cat." He casually wrapped the towel around his hips.
"Nice." Catwoman smiled and walked up to him. "I have a favor to ask of you, if you're up to it."
"Of course. Anything." He took her gloved hand and gave it a kiss.
"This briefcase has some serious dirt on Lionel Luthor and his various sordid activities. I need you to hide it here for a little while. I know that it's dangerous, but I wouldn't ask if I thought it would occur to him and his cohorts that you would be involved in something like this," Catwoman told him seriously. "The chance that he knows where I live is too great for me to hide it there."
Bruce frowned and slowly took the suitcase from her. "If you think your place might be compromised, you shouldn't go back there."
"I don't know that it has, to be honest. I just know Lionel too well." Catwoman shrugged one shoulder. "I'll be careful. I don't want him to be able to escape prosecution because he offed the witness against him."
"Hm." Bruce didn't like the idea of her being in danger when he had a perfectly safe place for her, right under his roof. "I wish you'd reconsider. You could stay here."
"I'll think about it. I have some things to do first," Catwoman replied. He wanted to pull back his cowl and slip into Bruce's arms. Oh, what the hell. He stepped forward and wrapped his arms around Bruce's naked chest.
Bruce cupped her left cheek and stared down at her goggles. "We need to talk," he said softly. He had been waiting weeks to talk to her, and while he wanted her safe, he didn't want to string her along, or Lex.
"Can we not talk?" Catwoman asked hopefully. He knew what it would be, and it wasn't a bad thing, but he wasn't sure he had the energy to do this at the moment.
"Come sit with me." Bruce took her hand again and brought her to his bed, sat her down on the side of it. He left the briefcase by the bed and went to his dresser to grab a pair of black sweatpants and put them on, then returned to her. "You sound tired."
"I am tired." Catwoman touched his shoulder gingerly. "And I didn't land on my feet. Luckly I have seven more lives to go."
Bruce pressed his lips together. "Let me take a look at it?" He knew she had been shot not so long ago and hoped she had not landed on that same spot.
Without thinking, Catwoman pulled back the shoulder of his outfit for Bruce to look at. His father had been a doctor, after all. "It's probably just bruised," he explained.
He dropped to his knees to examine it closely. He moved her arm this way and that, his frown only deepening. "You're a fast healer," he told her, looking up at her.
Catwoman looked back at him curiously. "How would you know that?"
"This looks at least a day old," Bruce said without missing a beat. "I have an ointment that should help with the pain." He stood and went to his nightstand.
Catwoman looked at his shoulder and sighed. He didn't know that it looked that old, but he wouldn't be surprised, considering how quickly he'd been healing lately. It was as though the more abuse he took, the faster he healed. "Haven't you heard that the Catwoman isn't human?"
"I don't believe street gossip." Bruce returned with a tube. He squeezed some ointment out and began gently spreading it over her shoulder. "Besides, not being human isn't the worst a person can be."
"I suppose not. You could be Lionel Luthor or his buddy Morgan Edge," Catwoman replied tersely. "It's true, though. I'm not human. Not anymore, I don't think. There have been changes, some from radiation, some from time that I spent in one of Luthor's labs."
He looked up at her. That wouldn't have changed a thing to him, not really. "Your DNA may be altered, Cat, but I think you're more human than many people I know."
Catwoman smiled a warm, genuine smile at that. "Am I? Well." He reached over and caressed Bruce's cheek. "You're wiser and deeper than most people I've ever met. I'm glad to have known you, Bruce."
Bruce took a deep breath. "Stop talking like I won't see you again, or I won't let you leave."
"I apologize." Catwoman leaned over and kissed his forehead. "I didn't mean to. What did you want to talk about?"
Bruce hesitated. "It's something important, but I hardly feel like this is the right moment."
"Maybe if we wait, it won't matter?" Catwoman suggested. He realized that he wasn't being quite "herself" today, and it might have been because he was tired, but also because he was sad. He would be putting his father in jail, if all went well, and damn him if he didn't love the evil bastard.
"I don't know. I don't want to lie to you." Bruce could have hit himself. He lied all the damn time, to everyone. He touched her chin tenderly. "I like you, Cat. I really do."
"Aww. I like you too," Catwoman teased. He patted Bruce's leg and smiled.
"But I can't date you," he added, like ripping out a band-aid. "I can't."
Catwoman pressed his lips together and nodded. He closed his eyes. Would he ever be able to tell Bruce about this? Would Bruce forgive Lex for putting him in a love triangle for two? Lex hoped so. "Of course you can't. I understand."
Bruce wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her to his chest. "Wait. I want to tell you why."
Catwoman wrapped his uninjured arm around Bruce's neck. "Go ahead," he said quietly.
"I'm in love with someone," he said softly. "Someone I never thought would reciprocate. I never meant to give you false hope; I truly like you. I'm attracted to you and I admire you, and the mask doesn't really bother me at all. But I promised to be yours alone and I can no longer keep that promise. I have until now."
"You're such a good man, Bruce. I don't deserve you anyway." Catwoman gave a soft laugh.
"Hm." He shook his head. "You're wrong. You and I have much more in common than anyone else ever could." He dipped his head and gave her lips a soft kiss. "Stay tonight. Rest."
"I can't do that. But I'll see you again soon. Maybe one of these days I can take off my mask for you, hm?" Catwoman ran his fingers through Bruce's hair. "And you can love more than my lips. Until then... I will miss you."
Bruce didn't let go of her right away. "Listen to me. You come to me for anything. If you disappear, I'll have to go after you, and you can believe that I'll find you."
"I will." Catwoman looked into his eyes. Somehow knowing that Bruce would look for Catwoman made him feel better. He rubbed his thumb over Bruce's chin, then reached up to push back his goggles, so that Bruce could see his eyes as well, which were darkly lined with makeup and a little moist.
Bruce smiled softly and stroked her cheek. "Oh. Hello, beautiful."
Catwoman grinned widely. "Hello, handsome." He felt himself blushing a bit, and he wanted to live in this moment forever, or take off the rest of his outfit right here, but he didn't. He took a breath and decided to call Bruce the moment he was out of the manor. He'd come over with Isis and keep his head low for a few days. "I have to go. Protect that briefcase for me, okay? Pretty soon this little kitten won't have anything to worry about from that grumpy old lion."
"I will. Will you come back for it or should I turn it in to the authorities?"
"Do you know the authorities well in this area?" Catwoman paused for a moment. "I wish I knew where Batman's little cave was. He would be able to get it to them. Don't put yourself in danger, Bruce."
"I know one honest cop. I can get the evidence to people who will do something about them. Will you stay out of trouble until then?" Bruce kissed her forehead.
"I will do everything humanly possible," Catwoman promised. "Let me go. Or we'll be saying goodbye until dawn, and I need the cover of night."
"All right. But I don't like this," protested Bruce. He let go of her and stood.
Catwoman stood as well and pulled his suit closed. Reluctantly he backed up, looking Bruce over one last time, then pushed his goggles back into place and turned quickly to hurry out of the manor, before he could no longer bring himself to leave.
Bruce frowned, standing there and staring at the way she had left. He should have told her that he was Batman, He should have sacrificed his secret for her safety. He was afraid he might just have sacrificed her, instead. With a sigh, he picked up the briefcase and went to lock it away in his safe. He'd make sure it got where it needed to get tomorrow. After he made copies, just in case.
Catwoman managed to get outside and to his Vespa outside of the gates before he got out his cell phone to call Bruce. He wanted to hear his voice again, and he wanted to come back to the manor as soon as possible.
Bruce locked the safe and pulled his cell phone out of his pocket. "Lex. Everything all right?" he asked, worried.
"Why do you ask that?" he replied with a smile. "I'm perfectly fine. I just have the day off tomorrow. Three day weekend. Mind if I come over with my kitty for the weekend?"
"Oh." Bruce leaned against the wall and exhaled. "Yes. I mean, no, I don't mind. Want me to pick you up?"
Lex thought about it and realized how much safer he would feel if he was heading over to the manor in a car that had Bruce in it. "I would love that. Give me about forty-five minutes?"
"Sure. I'll be right over." That would give Bruce plenty of time to give Alfred a heads up, to make some calls and to get dressed. He would be worrying about Cat until he heard from her again, but at least Lex would be safe. Lionel Luthor would be falling soon, and who knew who he would try to bring down with him.
"We'll be waiting," Lex replied, sounding a bit more relieved than he'd intended. "I'll see you soon." He made a kissing sound into the phone before he closed it.
Catwoman sped off into the night, looking forward to a short vacation with his best friend in a large, beautiful home where both he and his cat would be safe. He couldn't leave Isis alone, and for once, he thought this might actually work out.
Fifteen minutes later, he was speeding through a backalley, one he had been through a hundred times, when he heard a loud shot. As his Vespa was skidding toward the nearest building, he realized that somehow his tire had popped, and Catwoman crashed into a wall of brick. While he was trying to gather his wits, several large men approached him. He tried to stand to get away, but his head was spinning too fast, and his side was on fire. Two of them grabbed him roughly. Catwoman scratched one of them, and then darkness descended on him as a third clubbed his head from behind.
***
Bruce arrived at Lex's apartment about five minutes early, but he knew it wouldn't be a problem. When he rang the intercom for the fifth time, however, he knew there was a problem. He looked around and forced the door open, then climbed the stairs in a hurry.
He knocked on the door but only heard Lex's cat replying, meowing loudly, so he picked the door open. Picking up the cat as she tried to rub against him, he stepped inside and closed the door. "Lex?"
A quick look through the apartment revealed no Lex. Bruce stood in the middle of the kitchen and scratched the cat under her chin, more worried than worried. He glanced at the refrigerator door and his blood froze, or felt like it.
Among a few coupons and menus for Chinese and Italian restaurants was a to-do list on a lavander piece of paper, which read:
Meet Bruce for lunch.
Turn in chemistry project.
Pick up more litter for Isis.
Bruce blinked, approached the note, and read it again. "Isis," he whispered, then looked down at the cat. She purred and reached one front paw, touched his chin. "Is that your name, darling?" he asked her, then turned the ID tag on her collar. ISIS. He had thought that the cat's name was Miss Kitty. Catwoman's cat was named Isis. Letting her down, Bruce rushed to Lex's bedroom. It didn't take much rummaging for him to find pieces of Catwoman's suit in Lex's closet. "Damn it!" he grabbed all that he could find of hers, shoved it in a bag, and went back for Isis. Something had happened to Lex, who was Catwoman. He should have never let her go tonight!
His mind raced. He had to find Lex, had to. Bruce closed his eyes for a moment. Lionel had him. No doubt about it. After Isis was in her carrier, he went back to the fridge and wrote 'Isis is at Manor. Call me.' just in case Lex did come home. He was going to drop her off with Alfred, get to the Cave, and Batman was going out to find his Catwoman. Damn it.
***
"Alfred!" Bruce yelled as he rushed into the kitchen.
"Master Wayne?" Alfred replied, setting aside the dish he'd been wiping. "What's the matter, sir?"
"Lex has been taken," Bruce said, pushing Isis' carrier onto him. "I'm sure that his father has him. I need you to take care of his cat for me, while I get him back." Bruce turned to head for the Cave. "And he's Catwoman."
Alfred was staring into the carrier when he jerked his head up at look after Bruce. "Cat... woman?"
"Meeooow!" Isis pleaded, wanting out of the carrier.
"She likes tuna, I think," Bruce said as he rushed out. "And love!"
Alfred opened the cage door and reached in tentatively, pulling the gray cat out. She mewed at him again, and he tucked her securely under his arm. "Well. I'll see if I can't find something for you, little miss." He headed for the refrigerator, shaking his head and trying to wrap his mind around the idea that the shy, brilliant boy and the overtly sexual thief were one and the same.
Not long afterward, Batman set up his computer to triangulate Catwoman's position through the communicator he had given her. Hopefully she had kept it.
The communicator finally flashed onscreen, its location a five-star hotel just outside of Gotham. "Good girl," Batman rasped, and rushed to the Batmobile.
***
When Lex's eyes opened, he groaned, because it had been years since he had hurt this much. He began to sit up, but found himself unable and realized that he was strapped down. Blinking in confusion, he looked around. He was in a lushly furnished hotel room. He was in his catsuit. He was not wearing his mask and goggles.
"Shit," he whispered.
"Language, son," Lionel's cold voice rang from across the room.
Lex could hear the clip of his shoes against the stone floor until he appeared by Lex's side and reached up to caress Lex's head gently. Lex tried to pull away.
"No need for that, Lex." Lionel's eyes raked over his son's form. "Interesting choice of evening wear. It suits you more than you'd think. I should have realized it was you. Who else would have been able to anticipate our every move here? Who to get into the mind of a Luthor but another Luthor?"
"Careful, Dad. That almost sounded like a compliment," Lex replied, curling his lip as his voice teased.
Lionel's lips tensed. "You've always been gifted, son. I don't deny it. But you have so much to learn, so much to become. And you have defied me for the last time."
"It doesn't matter. You can kill me. I'm one witness. You won't be able to find the evidence I have against you," Lex shot back defiantly.
"Oh, I think you'll survive a bit longer," Lionel breezed. He trailed his fingers down the middle of Lex's leather suit, setting his palm on Lex's flat abdomen. "I still need an heir, after all."
Lex frowned and squirmed, even if it hurt. The pain hardly mattered. He needed to fight back, no matter what Lionel was planning in that twisted mind of his.
"We'll be leaving by the morning," Lionel continued. "I think I may have you prepared before that, however."
"Prepared?" Lex struggled against his restraints.
A woman in a lab coat entered the room and opened her bag on the nightstand. "He might not be able, if he hasn't yet."
Lionel waved his hand. "He's so much like his mother. I have to believe that his latest affectation is more than telling."
"My mother was an amazing woman," Lex replied petulantly. "That is not an insult."
The doctor looked at him as though she were surprised he was speaking. "I should treat his wounds first. He'll be in pain, otherwise."
"Let him hurt. He's been a bad boy, and will have to feel the punishment somehow." Lionel smirked.
***
Batman reached the city in record time, cutting corners and practically seeing red. If Lionel had Catwoman, he surely knew that she was Lex by now, and who knew what that man would think he had the right to do with his own son. Damn it.
***
Back in the hotel room, Lex watched the doctor as she felt him up. He couldn't tell quite what she wanted, but he could see her shaking her head, and decided that it couldn't hurt to try to gain her sympathy.
"Are the ribs broken?" he asked in a quiet voice.
"A couple, I believe," she replied. She leaned over him and began to unzip his suit down the front.
"The breasts are fake, I'm afraid."
"So I surmised." Her fingers pressed into his stomach.
"Any permanent damage?"
"I don't think so." She reached into her bag and pulled out a needle and a vial of clear, reddish liquid. She drew the liquid into the needle.
"What is that?"
Her lips tensed, and she did not answer. With a deep breath, she pressed the needle to his stomach and injected him.
"Ah!" Lex gasped. "What are you doing?"
She wiped the area with antiseptic and turned away from him, looking slightly ashamed. "You'll have to wait a bit, Mr. Luthor, for the drugs to take effect. Otherwise, the chances of... success will go down."
"How long?"
"Ten minutes at least. I'd advise an hour, however."
"Leave the room, Dr. Reynolds," Lionel ordered, walking over to Lex on the bed. He sat beside Lex and stared at him. Reynolds looked back at them and departed with quick steps.
"Dad?" Lex asked. "What are you planning?"
"You'll find out. You truly are special, Lex, but you are mine. If you won't return to me on your own, then I will make you return to me," Lionel informed him.
Lex gave his father a fierce glare, but felt his face going slack in surprise when his father cupped his cheek, almost gently, and repeated, "You are mine. You will learn that one way or the other."
***
Batman climbed down from the roof of the hotel and landed on the floor where the communicator (and he hoped, Lex) was. He quickly took out the men waiting in the hallway, dismantling their weapons. He did not stop, not when one of them pointed a gun at him, or when the other tried to kick him. Batman just got rid of them and kicked down the hotel room door. He felt relief wash over him to see Lex there, alive and awake, but did not stop for him, either.
"Luthor," he whispered, and walked straight for the detestable man. He grabbed Lionel by the throat and just held him up in the air for a moment. He could do it, he really could. Just close his fingers and...
"Oh, thank God," Lex said in relief, not caring that he was exposed for Batman to see. "Don't, Batman! Don't. A friend of mine has evidence on him. We'll put him away for life."
Batman looked at Lex sharply. His anger stilled if only a little, and he looked back up at Lionel, suspended there. "Your son just saved your life," he told Lionel, and hit the man on the side of his head with all that he had. Lionel fell limply to the floor, the thick, plush carpet only registering a quiet thud with the fall.
"Thank you," Lex whispered, laying his aching head back.
"How hurt are you?" Batman asked as he went to Lex, got down on one knee and released him.
"I don't know. The doctor said I had a couple of broken ribs," Lex explained, raising one hand to rub his head. "I wrecked my Vespa."
"That thing was a deathtrap," Batman commented as he sat on the bed, but then he regretted saying that. "We'll get you a new one if you want." He touched the top of Lex's head gently.
Lex looked up at him and sighed, raising a hand to pull his suit closed. "I know I've been a pain in your ass. Thank you for coming."
"You're not a pain in my ass. Let's get you out of here." Batman scooped Lex up and walked over Lionel on the floor, resisting the urge to step on him. "Put your goggles back on."
After zipping up his suit, Lex pulled his cowl into place, carefully due to the bruises on his head, and pulled his goggles over his eyes. He held onto Batman tightly. "I don't want to go home. Could you take me to Wayne Manor?" he asked.
"Yes." Batman walked to the elevator, pushed the button and waited. "Isis is there."
Lex blinked in surprise, and wondered if he weren't suffering from his head injury more than he'd thought. "How did... Isis is there?"
The elevator doors opened and Batman stepped inside with Catwoman in his arms, to the horror of the elderly couple in there. He ignored them and pressed the Lobby button. "She's safe. And so are you," he told Catwoman.
"Good... She... shouldn't be... alone..." Lex nodded, and touched his head again. He seemed to wilt in Batman's arms, and slumped against his shoulder.
Batman's lips thinned. He had to get Lex to the Cave, soon. The entire lobby seemed to stop to watch him carry Catwoman out through the front door and into his awaiting vehicle. He did not care. After strapping her in, he made a call to Gordon for Lionel to be picked up, and drove to the Manor. Then he called Alfred.
Alfred picked up the phone, which he had been sitting by with a purring Isis in his lap. "Master Bruce?"
"Meet me down there," Batman said. "He needs x-rays and bandages. Bring Isis. He'll want to see her."
"Very good, sir. I am on my way," Alfred declared, lifting Isis up.
"Meow!" Isis interjected.
Alfred carried her with him to the study. He was very grateful that Bruce's troubled friend was alive and once again in their care. He would do whatever he could for her... him. For Lex.
In the bat-mobile, they hit a bump, and Lex awoke, shaking his head, and groaned softly. "Dammit..."
Batman glanced over. "We're almost there," he promised Lex.
"This is familiar," Lex muttered. He attempted a laugh, but stopped, holding his ribs. "Bruce is going to be so angry with me."
"Why would he?" Batman decided that Lex should not have to withstand the waterfall jump, so he turned left on the dirt road. He could enter the cave through that secondary tunnel, the one he had been setting up for the Bat-jet.
"He told me not to go. I put myself in danger, and I've been lying to him about who I am," Lex replied in a weary voice. Still, home with an angry Bruce was better than anywhere else.
"Everyone lies, Lex," Batman said. He navigated through the dark and narrow tunnel that ended in a large chamber, and parked the Batmobile there. He got out to get Lex. "Alfred!"
Lex turned his head and pushed his cowl back. "I... we're in the Batcave. Alfred?" He turned his head to peer out the window.
Batman pulled off the top part of his costume, letting the cowl fall to the stony floor, and opened the door for Lex. It was Bruce who picked him up this time. "It's under the Manor," he told Lex softly.
"Bruce?" Lex's eyes bulged as they moved over Bruce's features. He grinned lopsidedly as he reached up to feel Bruce's face. "Is it you? Are you really? Both of us? Ha! ...Ow."
"Bring him over here, Master Bruce. I have the bed prepared and the x-ray machine ready," Alfred called. He had set up the small room where Catwoman had stayed during her last injury and Isis was there waiting, although she looked annoyed and cold so Alfred had laid a small blanket over her.
"I want to have a look at your torax," Bruce told Lex, taking Lex to the bed and moving Isis to the side, then bringing her close to Lex again. "Don't let her climb on you," he warned, and moved down to take Lex's boots off of his feet.
After Lex pulled of his gloves and set them on the nightstand, he gave Isis a scratch between her ears. "Hi, Alfred."
"Hello, Master Alexander," Alfred replied, pulling the x-ray machine up to the bed. He opened the kit by the bed and took out some painkillers. "I'd like for you to take some of these, if you would. They should make you feel a bit better. I have some water here."
Lex nodded and took them, feeling slightly embarassed.
Bruce set the boots down and ran a hand up Lex's leg, but stopped at the whip. "Wanna turn off the zapper?" he asked with a bit of a grin.
Lex smiled and licked his lips. "Please don't make me laugh." He reached in his suit and turned the zapper off. "There you go, Bats."
"Thank you. I'd rather not get fried again any time soon." Bruce removed the whip and the belt around Lex's hips, and leaned in to give his painted lips a kiss.
"At least a girl knows how to protect herself," Lex said wryly. He looked on Bruce with a kind of awe. "How did the two most amazing men in my life turn out to be the same person?"
Alfred set a pair of black silk pajamas on the chair next to the bed and stood aside quietly.
"The same way you managed to be the two people I wanted to be with, I guess." Bruce opened the top part of Lex's costume and carefully discarded his bra, then pulled off his own gauntlets and touched Lex's face. "I really had a hard time letting Cat go today."
"I promise I wasn't just trying to jerk you around," Lex swore.
Bruce shook his head. "No, I don't think you were. I understand that you were trying to protect your identity, and that you were trying to protect me." He lowered his hands to remove the rest of Lex's costume. "What did your father do to you?"
"Nothing... really." Lex frowned. "His doctor injected me with something, and he talked about 'preparing me.' You got there before anything happened."
"All right. Do you want me to run a blood test?" Bruce brought the portable x-ray machine over and placed it over Lex's torso. He then picked Isis up.
"It would probably be a good idea," Lex replied, trying to hold still so that Bruce could get a good picture.
"I will take her," Alfred offered. "Can I bring you anything, Master Alexander?"
"No, thank you, Alfred."
"Get him some more water, Alfred, please," Bruce said. He handed Isis to Alfred, waited until they were out of the room, and took a couple of x-rays of Lex's chest. "I'll wrap your ribs."
"Okay." Lex lifted his arms gingerly so that Bruce could have access. He smiled slightly. "Can I sleep upstairs this time? When we're finished checking out my injuries?"
Bruce paused and smiled softly at Lex. "Of course." He felt badly that Lex even needed to ask. "Lex..."
"Yes, Bruce?" He blinked his eyes slowly but opened them again. He wasn't sure if he was concussed or not, so he would try to remain concious until they told him it was safe.
"I could have killed your father today," Bruce said dryly. He helped Lex to sit up slowly and began bandaging him. "When I saw you injured and tied up... I wanted to."
"Mm. You know I love you for wanting to? And yet you didn't, which is even more magnificent. I suppose we'd all be better off if he did die. I do think about that at times," Lex admitted. He moved as Bruce needed him to so they could properly patch him up. "I've wanted to shoot him during more conversations than I can recollect."
Bruce tied up the bandages, careful not to hurt Lex, and picked up a small square of gauze. He raised it to Lex's lips and began to wipe the smudged lisptick off of them. "He'll be locked up soon. And you'll heal. And I..." Bruce paused and met Lex's eyes. "Love you."
Lex's brows rose in surprise, then lowered as he gave Bruce a pleased smile. "You love me," he repeated, his voice teasing just a little. "You love bald, crossdressing, mad scientist me."
Bruce chuckled. "I love all of you." He cupped Lex's bruised face tenderly and kissed him once, slowly.
"I'm so glad to hear that," Lex whispered. He looked up and down Bruce, half in his Batman outfit. "I love all of you as well. Batman was right. Sometimes Bruce Wayne didn't seem to have enough purpose for me... how wrong I was. You're my hero. Batman to my Catwoman. It's like we were made for one another."
"It sure feels like it." Bruce only let go of Lex to grab the pajama shirt and help him into it. "I have to look useless, but it's hard to pretend around you. Other parts of me keep showing."
"It doesn't help that I can see right through you," Lex teased. He eased into the shirt, and then the bottoms. "You know, I've missed the feel of silk pajamas. It's been a while."
Bruce sighed. Silly boy. "You're staying here," he said firmly, waiting for the x-ray processor to spit out the film. It was such a practical little machine, that one.
"That was the plan. I really don't want to leave your house for the next three days. That's why I called. Well, that, and how can I let my father's men endanger a little kitty cat?"
"No." Bruce covered Lex's hands with his. "I want you to move in here. Even after your father's out of the picture. Tomorrow, next year, whenever you're ready."
"Move in? Here? The ancestral home of the Waynes?" Lex looked at their hands. "I..." He paused briefly, thinking of all the reasons he wanted to be living on his own, independence, boundaries, being his own man. But he'd been living on his own since he'd started at Goth U and the apartment was lonely. Isis wouldn't be there if he weren't. And it was Bruce asking him into his wonderful home. "Yes."
Bruce slowly smiled, happy and relieved, and pressed his lips to Lex's again. "Good. We-" He turned to pick up the images of Lex's chest and held them up. "One rib is broken, the other is fractured." He pinched his lips together. He should have prevented that.
"Stop blaming yourself," Lex ordered. He leaned forward a little. "Did I break anything besides the ribs?"
"Not that I can see. There's a nasty bruise on your head, though. I'd prefer it if you stayed awake a while." Bruce grabbed an icepack from the ones Alfred had brought into the room and placed it on Lex's head.
"I thought I might have to do that," Lex replied. He sighed and leaned against Bruce wearily. "I need to build a helmet into the catsuit."
"Yes, you do." Bruce hugged him carefully. He should take off his own costume. "I'm glad you kept the communicator. Without it, I don't know when I'd be able to find you."
"I kept it in an inside pocket, so I wouldn't lose it," Lex admitted. "I'd forgotten that I had it there."
"It was a good thing they didn't search you." Bruce kissed Lex's forehead once and let go of him. "Let me get rid of this armor."
"I won't argue with that." Lex leaned back on his palms and smiled softly. "Lionel's downfall is his overconfidence."
"And you," Bruce pointed out as he stripped down to the skintight outfit he wore underneath the batsuit. "I haven't had the time to look through the documents Cat gave me, but there seems to be a lot more information there than I think I'd be able to gather."
"He's always underestimated me, and he underestimates women more," Lex replied. His eyes devoured the sight of Bruce's muscles straining against his undersuit. Lex felt his heart speeding up and he moved forward, wanting to go to Bruce.
Bruce pulled off one boot and was pulling off the other one when he caught sight of Lex. "What are you doing?" He quickly discarded the second boot and went to him. "Be careful, Lex."
Lex stood and fell into Bruce's arms, smelling Bruce's neck as his hand moved up Bruce's broad chest. "I don't know how I ever resisted you."
"Oh? Well, I know I hardly resisted you." Bruce picked Lex up in his arms. "Ready to go upstairs?"
"Mmm," Lex replied against Bruce's neck. He kissed and licked against Bruce's warm flesh, sighing as he took in Bruce's scent.
Bruce chuckled and began walking out of the cave with his precious load. Lex and Catwoman melded into one? He could definitely live with that. "I'm thinking you could use a warm bath to relax. The pills that Alfred gave you will help, and I'll give you more as you need them." He lowered his head and kissed across Lex's right cheek.
"How much of what I need are you willing to give me?" Lex murmured against Bruce's skin. A bath sounded good. He was beginning to sweat a little. "Oh, God, Bruce. I could eat you up."
"I'm not going anywhere, kitty," Bruce said softly. He nibbled along Lex's jawline. "Are you feeling all right?"
"I'm fine. Just a little hot." Lex's arms hung snuggly around Bruce's neck. He groaned softly and wiggled against Bruce a little. "We need to be upstairs. In your bed."
Bruce took a deep breath and hurried his steps slightly. "Lex, you got hurt. Try not to move; I don't want to drop you."
"It's hard not to move. I need you," Lex complained. He stilled himself, however, and lifted his chin to continue kissing him.
"Mm, oh." Bruce rubbed their lips together. Lex was just so beautiful and sexy, and Bruce thought he'd lost him. He opened his mouth for Lex and ignored Alfred when they passed him by. Bedroom, bed, now. It was what Lex wanted.
"Yes, yes," Lex whispered between kisses. He sucked Bruce's tongue into his mouth and hummed happily. "Take me," he ordered as they neared the bedroom. He was panting already.
"Lex..." Bruce wanted it, oh how he wanted it. He had never wanted anything else in his life like he wanted to take Lex, right now. He pushed the bedroom door open, kicked it closed, and then walked Lex to the bed. "Are you... Your ribs..." He gently lay Lex down on the bed and crawled over him without putting his weight over the pale body.
"Then don't lay on me," Lex said, practically begging. He reached up and caressed Bruce's face with both hands. His face was flushed, and he shuddered slightly as he nodded again. "Please...?"
Bruce closed his eyes and rested his forehead on Lex's for a moment. "How can I possibly deny you anything?" he asked in a whisper, then rolled on his back and very carefully pulled Lex over him. "I can't. It's impossible."
Lex straddled Bruce's thighs and ground his hips against him. He ran his hands over Bruce's sides. "How do I get this thing off of you?"
"God," Bruce muttered, sitting up and grabbing Lex's hips to still them "Slow down, you're gonna make it worse." He pulled off the top part of the clingy suit and then maneuvered under Lex to get rid of the bottom part. "I'm right here, Lex. I'm yours."
"Ohhh..." Lex's lips formed an 'O' when he saw Bruce's cock there, half-hard. He reached out and started to stroke it with one hand. With the other, he reached for Bruce's face and kissed him fiercely. "Mine, all mine..."
"Mmmm..." Bruce moved his hands to cup Lex's ass, so small and perfect in the palms of his hands. He kissed Lex back and ran his hands up to unbutton the silk pajamas he had dressed Lex in. "Lex... God, I want you, but... What if you've been drugged?"
Panting and tenting his brows, Lex looked at Bruce, cupping his face. "Drugged? I'm fine. I just... I need you to fuck me right now, Bruce. I feel as though I'm on fire."
Bruce's eyes widened and he groaned low in his throat. Lex definitely sounded high, but why would Lionel Luthor do that to his own son? Then again, the knowledge that Bruce and Batman were the same person, the dangerous situation he had just gotten out of... Maybe Lex was in need to let off some steam and this was how he did it. Bruce nodded. "All right, Lex. Let me grab the lube and condom..."
"Don't need it," Lex said, shaking his head. He wiped the precome off of Bruce's cock and leaned onto him as he lifted his hips and began to finger himself. "Ohhhh, GOD... God, Bruce!"
"Oh, God," agreed Bruce, biting his own lower lip as he held Lex steady with one arm wrapped around him. He used his free hand to stroke himself and rub the head of his cock against Lex's pale skin. "Lex!"
"Yeah, I'm almost... almost ready. I... unnn," Lex groaned. He moved up, nodding over and over, and looked down. "Need you. Inside. Now."
Bruce looked up at Lex, all flushed and demanding, and it might have been the most gorgeous vision he had ever seen. "I've got you," he whispered, taking Lex's asscheeks and parting them, then helping Lex to lower himself slowly around his cock. "Hmmm!"
"Oh, God!" Lex cried out in relief. He thought he might cry, it felt so incredibly good. "S-so hot." He bowed his head over Bruce's shoulder and lowered himself until Bruce was buried deep inside him. "Perfect."
"Lex," Bruce whispered, cupping the back of Lex's neck with one hand and still keeping him steady. "Lex, Lex, Lex..." He began to kiss the side of Lex's neck.
Slowly, Lex began to move on Bruce's thick, hard cock. Even Bruce's strong hands on his back, so careful and protective, were turning him on. Lex couldn't get enough of him.
Bruce stroked Lex's skin, nibbled on it, licked the taste of Lex off it. "So beautiful," he mumbled, rubbing his lips up to Lex's ear as each little move that Lex made brought shocks of pleasure to course through him. "You feel so good..."
"You make me feel so good..." Lex tightened himself around Bruce and shuddered. His cock bobbed between them.
"Ungh!" Bruce sucked on Lex's earlobe for a long moment and then dipped his head. He grinned up at Lex. "Do you want me to touch you?"
"Me..." Lex let his mouth fall open. "Oh, yes, please. Your touch is so good."
Bruce captured Lex's lower lip between his and slowly sucked as he brought his right hand between them. He curled his fingers around Lex's cock and began to stroke him. "Mmm..."
Lex was shaking with arousal, and he kissed Bruce with everything he had, riding Bruce as hard as he could manage. Soon he was beginning to come before he'd expected to.
"Oh." Bruce felt Lex squeezing around his cock, jerking in his hand, and he opened his eyes to see. The expression on Lex's face as he came was something he never wanted to forget, open and so intense. He grunted as he too started to come, deep inside Lex, his Lex.
"Yes, yes, yes," Lex gasped over and over. His arms wrapped around Bruce, and he huged him tightly. "My Bruce."
Bruce held Lex carefully, both arms around him now, and kissed his shoulder a few times. "Yes," he replied quietly before meeting Lex's eyes. "Better?"
"Yes," Lex replied, slightly exhausted. "I have you... It feels a lot better. Mm."
"Good." Bruce slowly moved Lex up and off of him, and brought him down onto the bed again. "I think we'll skip the bath, hm? I'll get a washcloth to clean you up."
"Mm hm." Curling on his side, Lex looked up at Bruce with sleepy eyes. "'M plenty relaxed."
Bruce had to smile. He caressed the side of Lex's head and face, and placed a tender kiss on his lips. "Sleep. I'll watch over you."
"I know you will," Lex replied confidently. His body felt like it was cooling down now. He felt very content. He touched Bruce's hand and closed his eyes.
Bruce held Lex's hand until he was deep asleep. He then got up, brought a washcloth with warm water to do as he had promised, and brought the covers up to Lex's chest. He would have to face Alfred sooner or later, and surely Lex would want Isis in bed with them when he woke up, so Bruce put on a robe and quietly stepped out of the bedroom.
Alfred had returned to the kitchen to prepare a later dinner for Bruce and his wayward kitty. "Evening, Master Bruce," he said quietly when Bruce entered the kitchen. "How is our patient?"
Bruce sat heavily at the kitchen table. "He's asleep," he replied just as quietly, bending down to scoop Isis up to his lap when she meowed quite demandingly at him. "I don't know what Luthor gave him; I should have drawn some blood for a test."
Alfred nodded and brought over a bottle of water for Bruce. "I'll see that he gets fed whenever he wakes up. It's been such a long day for him." Alfred sat beside him and petted Isis' head. "It seems the little cat has made its way into our lives."
"It seems that they both have. Twice." Bruce turned his head to face Alfred's eyes. "I won't apologize for loving him."
"Well, no, you mustn't," Alfred agreed. He sighed. "I don't know what to tell you, Master Bruce. I haven't quite recovered from the notion that he is also the young woman I warned you away from. I'd think that would make my warning doubly important, but under the circumstances... He seems well capable of handling you. I'm concerned for you both, of course. Forgive me, sir. I'm babbling."
Bruce shook his head. "No, I value your input. Let me ask you this: knowing that he was Catwoman all along, doesn't that settle your heart some? How different are the two of us, really? We both know I'd never be able to have a steady relationship with a regular woman, Alfred, or man. These aspects of my life that must remain hidden to protect others... Lex was doing the same for me, he was staying away as Lex to protect Bruce, the clueless playboy. Batman followed him on more than one occasion because I couldn't stay away."
"Two of a kind: A bat and a cat. Pardon me, sir." Alfred stood and walked over to the stove to pull a pan out. "You are both quite brilliant, and quite disturbed. I have often wondered whether you would find your match. Perhaps your 'union' could not have been avoided." He set the pan on the counter and turned back to Bruce. "Truthfully, sir, I don't think I've ever seen you quite so happy as when you are with him."
"I've never felt so happy," Bruce admitted softly. He dipped his head and gave Isis' furry head a kiss. "He's a weakness I can't really afford, but I can't afford to live without him when he wants to be with me, as well." He sighed. "Is there anything else we need to discuss?"
"Use condoms," Alfred said dryly. "And do go easy on him. He's suffered quite a bit of abuse."
"I'm not going to abuse him," protested Bruce. "I love him. If he wants something from me, if I can give it, I will. But I'd never hurt him."
"I certainly didn't intend to imply that you would abuse him," Alfred replied. He picked up the cookie jar and opened it for Bruce. He'd baked some of Bruce's favorite condensed milk cookies. "We will both be careful of him and watch out for him. I will endeavor not to rain on your parade. He is staying here with us, I hope?"
"Yes, he is. For good, if I have any say in it, but he has expressed the wish to study at Princeton, and I think he should go if he wants to. He'll definitely stay here until Luthor is put away." Bruce stood and took a couple of cookies. "Thanks, Alfred. I'll take Isis to him and turn in myself."
"I think he will sleep better if someone is there with him. And certainly he will want his Isis with him," Alfred said, taking the jar back to the counter. "Sleep well, Master Bruce."
"You too, Alfred." Bruce walked out of the kitchen, heading back upstairs. "Do you want to see Papa, princess?" he asked Isis and laughed softly when she meowed. "You can sleep with him, but no walking on his chest, hm? He's hurt."
Bruce let her down in the bathroom in case she wanted to explore a bit before settling down. He was going to have to talk to Alfred about kitty litter boxes, although knowing Alfred, he had probably already ordered ten or twelve of them to place in strategic corners of the mansion. Bruce walked to the bed, got under the sheets next to Lex and just watched him sleep. So much had changed, and Bruce could not help but feel hopeful. He was probably a fool but tonight, he was a happy one.