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thejusticelounge2013-06-19 10:10 pm
bossymarmalade) wrote in thejusticelounge2013-06-19 10:10 pm
Entry tags:
naked truth
As was usually the case with them, it all started with the buzzing of a phone. “Close To You” played on Dick’s phone, his ringtone for Bette.
[TEXT] Is this a bad time to come over?
[TEXT] Not at all. I’m at the Manor. Damian’s playing a game. Come over.
She arrived in record time, trying to not look as agitated as she felt, and surreptitiously trying to keep her bandaged hand unnoticeable. ”Hi,” she hugged him tightly on sight.
If some part of Dick was surprised at how tight Bette’s hug was, it didn’t register with the rest of him. With everything that had happened, he was glad for someone to hold, too. ”Hey, Bette. I’m glad you’re here.”
“I take it you heard about what happened out West today…”
“Yeah. All of it. Damian wanted to go help, but… It all turned out OK, right? I mean, it’s…it’s all OK now.” He led her to the small parlor he’d been curled up in with Damian, although Damian was now no longer to be found. ”Bette, did…this might sound crazy, but did you hear anything? I mean, not news or information, but…. Did Kyle talk to you?”
Her expression answered for her before she did. “Yes. You too?”
Dick nodded. ”I think he talked to Damian, too, but he wouldn’t say.” He cracked a weak grin. ”At least I know I’m not just going crazy.”
She looked nervous, watching his reaction closely. “So…what did Kyle say to you?”
Dick bit at his lip, debating whether to tell her all of it or not. There wasn’t any need to hide things from her; he’d already told her his darkest secret and she was still here for him. ”He said… he referenced Tarantula. And Guy. And Bruce. That Bruce left me and Guy doesn’t love me.”
He held her hand, interlacing their fingers. ”That was it. He brought up a dream I’ve had…I don’t think I want that dream anymore, now that Parallax mentioned it.” He looked back up at her. ”What did he say to you?”
She looked dismayed when he mentioned Guy. “He said that you didn’t love me….because you were crying over Guy,” she said as gently as she could.
“And…that he was disgusted painting my body, that I was deformed. He referenced our racial differences, and said he was going to have to hurt me.”
Dick squeezed her hand. ”Oh, Bette… I’m so sorry.” He pulled her into a tight hug, kissing her head comfortingly. ”I do love you. I love you very much. And you’re not deformed, not in any way.” He frowned, muttering to himself, “How could he say that?”
She chewed her lip. “Well…when I posed for him…he saw a pretty gruesome scar I have.”
He cocked his head. ”A scar?” Her expression worried him. She seemed so upset. He smiled suddenly, hoping it might ease her tension. ”That’s nothing to be ashamed of! If he called you ‘deformed’ because of a scar, then I’d hate to think what I could be. I’m pretty much the walking dead by that standard!”
She forced a smile and small laugh at that. “Yeah…silly, isn’t it?” She touched his arm, “So, are you okay now?”
“I think so.” He shifted on the couch, pulling her closer and cuddling her tight. ”What about you?” He felt her suddenly wince. ”Bette? Honey, are you OK? What’s wrong?”
“Sorry…my hand. I cut it earlier.”
“Let me see.” Dick pulled up her bandaged hand, dotting the palm with small kisses. ”What happened?”
“I was washing dishes and broke a glass. Kate stitched it, it’s fine, just a bit tender.”
He made a noise of concern and cradled her hand. He stared at it in silence for a few moments before speaking again. ”I haven’t really had much time to look at it, but I didn’t really notice in the painting… I mean, I was a bit distracted by…. I mean, I…don’t really know how to ask—and you don’t have to answer!—but…. Where is your scar?”
“It’s down my front. From here,” she pointed to her chest, “Um. All the way down.”
“All the way….” Dick’s gaze trailed down her torso, his face scrunching in concern. He reached out and hesitantly touched her stomach, gently moving his fingers as if he could feel it through her shirt. He kept staring at her stomach, softly petting her. ”Was that when you nearly died?”
She nodded slowly, torn in her desire to fold her arms across her stomach. ”He cut me open… I guess Bruce told you, huh?”
He flashed a small smile. ”Actually, you did. During the Eden Corps thing, you told me about…dying. Then I just did the Bat thing and brought up all the files about it. I hadn’t seen….”
He trailed off and hugged her close. ”I would never think of you as ‘disgusting’ or ‘deformed’. You’re beautiful, Bette. Every last inch of you.”
She smiled to herself as she listened to his beating heart. “I guess I forgot, there are no secrets from the Bat and his brood. Well…now you know why I like to cuddle in the dark…I’ve been nervous about you seeing me, with that. It’s disturbing even when I look at it.”
He stroked her hair, chewing his lip as he thought. ”May I see? I mean, we don’t have to down here, we could go up to my room. And, you don’t have to show me at all, but it might help relieve some of the worry…? If you want.”
She squeezed him and nodded against his chest. “It’s better than seeing it in the moment, right? I think that’s been what I’ve been afraid of…that it would shock you, and ruin whatever passion we had at the time.” She reached down and took his hand, and cupped his cheek in the other, “You’ve shared your scars with me…just of a different kind.”
Dick chuckled. ”That’s what I’d been afraid of, too. Something would happen while we were together and I’d think of her and—” He kissed her, squeezing her hand in comfort for both of them. With smiles and small kisses, he led her up to his room, taking a moment to lock the door just in case any nosy little brothers decided to barge in.
She kissed him, and then stepped back, and began to undress: she pulled off her sweater and socks first, then slid off her jeans. Finally, with only a moment of hesitation, her T-shirt. She stood for a moment in her bra and panties, most of the scar visible though Dick could see that it continued below her waistband, and then in a last moment choice she removed her underthings. ”This is me…now Kyle has no secrets on you,” she forced a sad smile.
The scar ran, wide and jagged and uneven, from her sternum to her pelvic bone. Her bellybutton had been reconstructed. She had been surgically incised along that scar no less than four times. Still, Dick could tell it wasn’t new; the colour had already begun to match her regular skin.
Dick stared for a long moment, not in disgust or shock, just taking it all in. Every twist and gash of the big scar that stood out against her smooth skin; the small, faded scars from typical vigilante wounds he could only see as he came closer; the dip of her waist above her hips; and the curves of her breasts. It all blended together so. He held her shoulders and pulled her in for a deep kiss. ”I love you, Bette.”
He kissed her cheek, her neck, her collar, pulling away just enough to give himself room. With a smile, he knelt and trailed kisses along her scar all the way down, his hands following along her sides. After his final kiss, Dick briefly nuzzled her belly and looked up at her, following the line of the scar up until he met her eyes. ”You’re beautiful.”
[TEXT] Is this a bad time to come over?
[TEXT] Not at all. I’m at the Manor. Damian’s playing a game. Come over.
She arrived in record time, trying to not look as agitated as she felt, and surreptitiously trying to keep her bandaged hand unnoticeable. ”Hi,” she hugged him tightly on sight.
If some part of Dick was surprised at how tight Bette’s hug was, it didn’t register with the rest of him. With everything that had happened, he was glad for someone to hold, too. ”Hey, Bette. I’m glad you’re here.”
“I take it you heard about what happened out West today…”
“Yeah. All of it. Damian wanted to go help, but… It all turned out OK, right? I mean, it’s…it’s all OK now.” He led her to the small parlor he’d been curled up in with Damian, although Damian was now no longer to be found. ”Bette, did…this might sound crazy, but did you hear anything? I mean, not news or information, but…. Did Kyle talk to you?”
Her expression answered for her before she did. “Yes. You too?”
Dick nodded. ”I think he talked to Damian, too, but he wouldn’t say.” He cracked a weak grin. ”At least I know I’m not just going crazy.”
She looked nervous, watching his reaction closely. “So…what did Kyle say to you?”
Dick bit at his lip, debating whether to tell her all of it or not. There wasn’t any need to hide things from her; he’d already told her his darkest secret and she was still here for him. ”He said… he referenced Tarantula. And Guy. And Bruce. That Bruce left me and Guy doesn’t love me.”
He held her hand, interlacing their fingers. ”That was it. He brought up a dream I’ve had…I don’t think I want that dream anymore, now that Parallax mentioned it.” He looked back up at her. ”What did he say to you?”
She looked dismayed when he mentioned Guy. “He said that you didn’t love me….because you were crying over Guy,” she said as gently as she could.
“And…that he was disgusted painting my body, that I was deformed. He referenced our racial differences, and said he was going to have to hurt me.”
Dick squeezed her hand. ”Oh, Bette… I’m so sorry.” He pulled her into a tight hug, kissing her head comfortingly. ”I do love you. I love you very much. And you’re not deformed, not in any way.” He frowned, muttering to himself, “How could he say that?”
She chewed her lip. “Well…when I posed for him…he saw a pretty gruesome scar I have.”
He cocked his head. ”A scar?” Her expression worried him. She seemed so upset. He smiled suddenly, hoping it might ease her tension. ”That’s nothing to be ashamed of! If he called you ‘deformed’ because of a scar, then I’d hate to think what I could be. I’m pretty much the walking dead by that standard!”
She forced a smile and small laugh at that. “Yeah…silly, isn’t it?” She touched his arm, “So, are you okay now?”
“I think so.” He shifted on the couch, pulling her closer and cuddling her tight. ”What about you?” He felt her suddenly wince. ”Bette? Honey, are you OK? What’s wrong?”
“Sorry…my hand. I cut it earlier.”
“Let me see.” Dick pulled up her bandaged hand, dotting the palm with small kisses. ”What happened?”
“I was washing dishes and broke a glass. Kate stitched it, it’s fine, just a bit tender.”
He made a noise of concern and cradled her hand. He stared at it in silence for a few moments before speaking again. ”I haven’t really had much time to look at it, but I didn’t really notice in the painting… I mean, I was a bit distracted by…. I mean, I…don’t really know how to ask—and you don’t have to answer!—but…. Where is your scar?”
“It’s down my front. From here,” she pointed to her chest, “Um. All the way down.”
“All the way….” Dick’s gaze trailed down her torso, his face scrunching in concern. He reached out and hesitantly touched her stomach, gently moving his fingers as if he could feel it through her shirt. He kept staring at her stomach, softly petting her. ”Was that when you nearly died?”
She nodded slowly, torn in her desire to fold her arms across her stomach. ”He cut me open… I guess Bruce told you, huh?”
He flashed a small smile. ”Actually, you did. During the Eden Corps thing, you told me about…dying. Then I just did the Bat thing and brought up all the files about it. I hadn’t seen….”
He trailed off and hugged her close. ”I would never think of you as ‘disgusting’ or ‘deformed’. You’re beautiful, Bette. Every last inch of you.”
She smiled to herself as she listened to his beating heart. “I guess I forgot, there are no secrets from the Bat and his brood. Well…now you know why I like to cuddle in the dark…I’ve been nervous about you seeing me, with that. It’s disturbing even when I look at it.”
He stroked her hair, chewing his lip as he thought. ”May I see? I mean, we don’t have to down here, we could go up to my room. And, you don’t have to show me at all, but it might help relieve some of the worry…? If you want.”
She squeezed him and nodded against his chest. “It’s better than seeing it in the moment, right? I think that’s been what I’ve been afraid of…that it would shock you, and ruin whatever passion we had at the time.” She reached down and took his hand, and cupped his cheek in the other, “You’ve shared your scars with me…just of a different kind.”
Dick chuckled. ”That’s what I’d been afraid of, too. Something would happen while we were together and I’d think of her and—” He kissed her, squeezing her hand in comfort for both of them. With smiles and small kisses, he led her up to his room, taking a moment to lock the door just in case any nosy little brothers decided to barge in.
She kissed him, and then stepped back, and began to undress: she pulled off her sweater and socks first, then slid off her jeans. Finally, with only a moment of hesitation, her T-shirt. She stood for a moment in her bra and panties, most of the scar visible though Dick could see that it continued below her waistband, and then in a last moment choice she removed her underthings. ”This is me…now Kyle has no secrets on you,” she forced a sad smile.
The scar ran, wide and jagged and uneven, from her sternum to her pelvic bone. Her bellybutton had been reconstructed. She had been surgically incised along that scar no less than four times. Still, Dick could tell it wasn’t new; the colour had already begun to match her regular skin.
Dick stared for a long moment, not in disgust or shock, just taking it all in. Every twist and gash of the big scar that stood out against her smooth skin; the small, faded scars from typical vigilante wounds he could only see as he came closer; the dip of her waist above her hips; and the curves of her breasts. It all blended together so. He held her shoulders and pulled her in for a deep kiss. ”I love you, Bette.”
He kissed her cheek, her neck, her collar, pulling away just enough to give himself room. With a smile, he knelt and trailed kisses along her scar all the way down, his hands following along her sides. After his final kiss, Dick briefly nuzzled her belly and looked up at her, following the line of the scar up until he met her eyes. ”You’re beautiful.”