Legend

I bounced downstairs the next morning feeling well-rested and sleek, and was able to discuss the changes I wanted to make regarding the hours with Doug as, once again, we didn't have the first slot of the morning filled. He was enthusiastic, confiding that he wasn't really a morning person and that it would be nicer to have some extra time to sleep in. He immediately set about making a sign for the door announcing the new hours and calling the few clients we had in the early slots to see about switching them to later spots. While he did that, I hunted up my uncle to see if perhaps we could schedule our workouts earlier, telling him about the changes to my hours.

Bucky listened carefully and nodded. It would be easy enough to switch our times, and I would also be able to pick up training with Sif again. We went upstairs to the caf to get some breakfast and he grinned when we sat down. "So, when do I get to meet your young man? I came by your room a couple of times this weekend but you were never in." My face went red and I choked on my orange juice. His eyes were twinkling.

"Actually, you've already met him," I said, patting my lips with my napkin. "It's Damian." Bucky's eyebrows arched as he thought about it.

"So you've ironed out all your differences?" I nodded. "Well, I can't say that I really met the kid, he was always unconscious when I came out to pick you up. I'd like to actually meet him. I don't think Emma's seen him for quite awhile. See if he can come to dinner this week."

Obediently, I texted Damian, and it was arranged that he'd pick me up Wednesday night and we'd have dinner at Bucky and Emma's. On the way back downstairs after breakfast, the AI told me that I had a delivery. Damian had sent me two dozen roses, red, white, all shades of pink, and lavender. Bucky carried the enormous vase downstairs for me and after he left, I pulled up the website, but it had been taken down and the domain name was for sale. Immediately I texted Damian, thanking him for the flowers (so extravagant!) and telling him that the website was down. There were other ones, but we'd have to agree on one. He called back immediately and said that red was for passion, white for charm, pink in general was perfect happiness, pale pink was for grace, dark pink thankfulness, and lavender enchantment. Then there was some mushy stuff, during which I said that I couldn't wait for Wednesday, and he invited me over after dinner. Wednesday was probably going to be the best day of the week.

Tuesday, Tony came down with an implied apology for our blowup the week before and asked about the changes to the hours. He nodded when I explained, and said he'd done some thinking. I braced myself for incoming.

"Rhodey's problems got me to thinking. A lot of us Avengers are aging, and it's not as easy to hop out of bed the next morning after an action as it used to be. I know you've said that mutated tissue is often difficult to rehabilitate, but not all of us are enhanced. I'm not, Rhodey currently isn't, the Hawkeyes aren't, Sam isn't." He sighed. "I've been planning a reorganization of the company, moving the bio and chem, all of the labs in the tower except for my lab out to the Avengers complex, give all the lab rats room to roam, more importantly, getting the most volatile aspects out of the tower. I'm getting itchy; the Kree and Skrulls have left us alone for too long. The company servers are out in the sticks, so it won't be crippling even if the tower is hit, but I'm consolidating my IT department and the rest here. Spent some time at Google the last time I was out in Seattle and I have a mind to offer more perks to employees so the space that's left over after everybody gets changed around won't be wasted.

"I'm getting to your part in this." I hadn't even opened my mouth, so I just waited with an attentive look on my face. "Part of the perks I'll be offering to my employees will be massage therapists, nap pods, things like that. So the Avengers can take advantage of the massage therapists, but they won't be used to working with enhanced people. So I propose that you finish the course, fees and tuition paid by me as we agreed, and then I want to offer you a contract. You'd be focusing only on the enhanced people we have and you'd provide a certain number of slots each week for Avengers exclusively."

"What if more people want massages than I have those dedicated slots?" We discussed some possible solutions, and I asked for time to consider, given that I'd improved my business plan. Tony was interested and asked to see it.

"This is a lot better," he said finally. "It's more cohesive and targeted. I think there's room for my proposal but take a few days to think about it and consult with your advisor. Who are you seeing, anyway?"

"Damian Wayne," I said mildly. He rolled his eyes, but finally said that Damian did good work. I kept my smile placid, but I was laughing inside. He hated to compliment his rivals.

"Nice flowers," he commented. I sniffed one happily, I kept them within nose range.

"They're from my boyfriend," I said absently.

"And who is this new boyfriend?" he asked archly.

"Damian Wayne," I said. Tony looked like he was choking back a lot of things he could say. "I appreciate your restraint," I said honestly.

"But he's a Harvard man!" Tony exclaimed, and I burst out laughing. Finally he complained, "It's not fair. I don't have any offspring to tempt you with." I finally stopped laughing and dabbed at my eyes.

"Don't worry, I plan to keep this business in the family," I said. "My family, me and J. Damian sorted me out with my business plan and all, but I'm the one calling the shots, and there's room for me to work with both you and Bruce."

I spent a little more time soothing him, then gently shooed him out of my office so I could finish before my next client. I got a call that evening from my folks, having heard from J about my new boyfriend. I wished J were here so I could smack him, but he had the rudimentary decency to keep the more personal details to himself.

"Uncle Bucky says that you're bringing him to dinner Wednesday," my dad said. I sighed and wished briefly that the family was bigger so this wouldn't be such a big deal. "We'll have to come up to the city to meet this boy ourselves." I refrained from pointing out that Damian was no longer a boy and said instead that I'd talk to Damian.

He called right afterward and asked if I could stay with him after dinner Wednesday, which I was happy to agree to. I told him that my parents wanted to meet him, and he sounded nervous as he agreed. "It's kind of a big deal," I said. "You'll be the first person either J or I have brought home to meet our parents. But my parents are nice, it's not like Dad's going to be waiting for you with a shotgun. But I think we should keep the pearls to ourselves for now." He made an inquisitive sound, and I rolled my eyes. "Because they were expensive, and it's pretty early in the relationship," I said gently.

"Huh," he said after a moment. "I wasn't trying to buy your affection," he said nervously, and I reassured him that I didn't take it that way and told him with perfect sincerity that I was really looking forward to wearing them to the fundraiser.

"I'm wearing the earrings today, though," I said touching them.

"You do like pearls, though, right?" he asked. "You're not just being nice, are you? I know they're kind of old-fashioned, but--"

"Oysters are our thing," I cut in. "And they're beautiful. I didn't realize that they could be so pretty, but the---what do you call it, the orient?-- is so lustrous. You have such a good eye." He relaxed after that. Then he brought up Valentines Day, just over a week away.

"We haven't been together long, but I want to celebrate it with you anyway," he said, and invited me to dinner and a sleepover. I was pleased to accept; I'd been thinking about what to get him. My budget was constrained, but it was less about the actual gift--as long as he liked it--and more about the sentiment. I hit the internet and found the perfect present: a shoeshine kit from Bespoke Post. He wasn't very good at polishing his shoes, and had once sheepishly said that when he needed them to look really good he asked Alfred to do it for him. I remembered seeing a couple pots of polish and a cloth in his closet; the kit had brushes and other stuff as well as instructions. Then I went to the Babeland site and ordered a few little treats for us both. I felt very efficient.

Damian picked me up after work on Wednesday and I gave him directions to Emma and Bucky's. Emma greeted us at the door with a kiss on the cheek for me and a grin for Damian. She cooed over the flowers and wine he brought, then we went back into the kitchen where Bucky was cooking and I got a big hug. Damian got a quick once over and a firm handshake. The dogs came in and Damian was taken a bit aback by the canine tide. I introduced him to Sigurd and Torburn, who had met him a long time ago and were slightly aloof but friendly enough. The little dogs, now quite old and rather arthritic, came up to meet the newcomer, and we chatted as Bucky finished the stew and pulled dinner rolls out of the oven. After Bucky's famous ice cream and Emma's cookies, Bucky walked us to the door, gave Damian another handshake, this time accompanied with a shoulder pat and I got a hug. All Bucky said was that Damian seemed to treat me well and that he was smart.

"Provisional acceptance," I said to Damian as we were driving away. "He's willing to take you on faith."

"Provided I don't hurt you," he said, nodding. "He wasn't as scary as I was expecting the Winter Soldier to be, but he still inspires a lot of respect."

"The Winter Soldier is what his enemies called him," I said, correcting the misapprehension. "That was what he was when he was controlled. Now he's Bucky Barnes. Protective uncle."

"Will anybody your brother brings home have to go through Mr Barnes as well?"

"Oh, yeah. Uncle Bucky isn't quite as close to J because he hasn't had the opportunity to spend as much time with him, but he takes being an uncle very seriously. He's old-fashioned in a lot of ways, but not about gender equality. J's girlfriends will have to sink or swim too. You did well, though. He's prepared to like you, with more exposure."

"It's nervewracking, this meeting the family thing."

"Easier for me, I just had your dad. And that was before there was an us, so I had an advantage." He squeezed my hand.

"Dad does like you," he confirmed. "There is my mother and her father, but I'd really rather you don't meet them. Grandfather in particular would have a fit about the jewelry I gave you." I gave him an inquiring look. "He's an old-school ecoterrorist, so massacring loads of helpless oysters for the gems they were forced to produce will be high on his shit list. I do feel bad about the oysters, but you just look so beautiful in them." At the hotel, he pulled up to the valet and hustled around to my side. By this time, I was comfortable waiting for him.

"This is part of why Bucky is inclined to like you," I said as I took his hand. "He's very big on manners, and yours are gorgeous." He flushed a little.

When the alarm went off the next morning, we were thoroughly entangled. As we showered together (there wasn't enough time for hanky-panky, regrettably) I said that although I always got claustrophobic when I spent too long with a guy, I really enjoyed waking up with him. His chest puffed out, so I washed it. "I'm thinking you're going to continue with your Robin-ing," I said, and pressed a kiss over his heart.

"Yeah, I can't in good faith quit," he said after a moment. "I don't really want to," he added quietly. I nodded and stepped up to put my arms around him. He held me too, and I stroked his tight butt before patting it and stepping back to look at him.

"I'm not asking you to," I said. "Just be careful. Call if you need help," I requested, and winked. He laughed.

I was in a super good mood for the rest of the week. Friday night he was going out with the Batman, so I was happy to go out with my friends. They wanted updates, first about the new business plan and what I'd decided to do about Tony's offer--Damian had looked it over and helped me figure out the pros and cons, and I'd signed the contract that morning--and then, the more interesting talk about Damian himself. Aslyn made me laugh with some of the stories she told Margaret about meeting him in high school and what a twit he could be, which reminded me to tell them about why he'd gone to Harvard.

"Oh, that's so sweet," Aslyn said, fanning herself. "Who'd have thought he was carrying a torch for you all the way back then?"

"It was news to me," I nodded.

"The coffee thing kills me," Margaret chuckled. "Didn't he know you guys also had teas?"

"Apparently not," I said, laughing.

"So we've got a proposition," Aslyn said after we'd stopped laughing, finally. "Margaret finally got the payout from her renters insurance and my lease is coming up, so we thought we'd get an apartment together." I nodded, it made sense. "Well, we found a great place. It has three bedrooms," she said, and named the monthly rent.

"That sounds like so much fun," I said wistfully, "but I just can't afford that right now."

"Well," Margaret said, setting down her martini glass. "The third bedroom is considerably smaller, like, about half. We thought it wouldn't be fair to make you pay the full third." She told me the cost adjustment, and I wavered. It would be fun to get out of the tower, and the three of us knew each other well enough that I knew what I'd be getting into with them as roommates. Plus it would be really fun.

"You probably won't be there much anyway," Aslyn said practically. "Once you and Damian start getting into a groove, I'll bet you spend about half your nights with him."

"That is probably to your advantage," Margaret said, rolling her eyes. "She brought home a real moaner last weekend. He had a very limited vocabulary, too." I laughed and agreed to see the apartment the next day. They'd been pretty confident and set up an appointment.

The next day we had lunch and went to see the apartment. It was in an older building and had some cute details and scuffed hardwood floors. The bedroom that would be mine was indeed pretty tiny, but there was room for a double bed, nightstand, and a small bureau; there was a closet that would hold my clothes easily, since my day-to-day office wear was casual pants and polos. To make up for it, though, the bathroom was generously sized with a big mirror; we could all crowd in to do our makeup if needed. There was a reasonable living room and a cursory kitchen. I liked it a lot; it had higher ceilings and thick walls. We signed the lease and would move in the next weekend. The neighborhood was fairly quiet and had nice mature trees lining the street.

The next week, I bought a small, pretty Art Deco dresser and bedframe from a second-hand store. I got a narrow bedside table from Target and a rug (the lease specified that half of the floors had to be covered by rugs or furniture to cut down on the noise between floors) and that was all I had to worry about. Aslyn already had a great sofa, two coordinating chairs, TV and stand, coffee table, and a side table that could be put by the door where we could put our purses and keys when we got home. Margaret bought a big area rug, and that took care of our furnishings. Damian helped me move in and brought us a big bouquet of flowers as well as chocolates. "No meanings are implied with this bouquet," he proclaimed, and we grinned. It was too bad, I'd gotten used to decoding meanings but I also liked having that just be between us.

I spent the night at the apartment; Uncle Bucky had given me a couple of bottles of champagne to celebrate, so we stayed in and had a little party. I liked the new apartment much better than the room in the tower, but I liked sleeping with Damian better. A huge bonus though was that we all had access to each others' closets, which came in handy for Valentines Day. I borrowed a red silk slip dress from Margaret. The girls loved the pearls, oohing over them after I put the strand on. Damian picked me up, and we returned to his suite. I dropped my bag with my clothes for the next day in his bedroom and met him in the dining room, where he'd cleared off the table. It was set for two, with branches of candles creaking sparks off the fine crystal and making the silver gleam. He seated me and ran his hands over my bare shoulders before bringing in the appetizers. I was unsurprised to see oysters and grinned at him. I watched him watching me eat my share, enjoying the smooth slide of the oysters down my throat and the briny liquid. I ran my foot up his leg, enjoying the shift in his expression. This time we knew where the evening would end, so the sensuality was a prelude, as much an appetizer as the oysters.

He cleared the oysters away and the rest of the meal was small plates, bites of food that we could feed each other, mixing in kisses and wine with abandon. Dessert was a chocolate fondue with small cubes of angel food cake and fruit and champagne. He opened the champagne with a small saber; I'd never seen it done and it was impressive. We abandoned dessert and went straight to his bedroom. The sex was divine. I'd never felt closer to him and we were completely in tune with each other. After our last orgasms, he slumped over me, sweating and shaking. That's ok, I was trembling and sweaty too. Reluctantly, he slid out and rolled to the side, keeping me on top of him, and I listened to his racing heart gradually slow and his breathing even out. He peeled my hair off my skin and stroked my back until I had recovered enough to sit up. He smiled slightly and switched his hands to my front. I stroked the slabs of muscle that made up his torso, simply enjoying touching him. When I got back from the bathroom, he was out; I crawled into bed next to him and drew the sheet up.

When I woke up, he was snuggled up to my back, with his hand wrapped around my wrist, leg over my thighs, and his impressive erection firm against me. This time the sex was really passionate, less tender, and incredibly energizing, and we had a shower before going back out to the dining room. The fondue wasn't looking very good at this point, so we finished the strawberries and the almost flat champagne, sharing and kissing. Then I remembered and hopped off his lap, returning with his present.

"I'm sorry, it's not romantic," I apologized, and he tore into the package with interest. He had a huge grin on his face when he poked through the brushes and found the instruction booklet.

"It's just what I need," he said enthusiastically. "I embarrass myself with scruffy shoes. I asked Alfred to show me, but he doesn't like me doing his duties and he's been putting me off. It's part of his campaign to get me to move back to the mansion. Thank you, beautiful," he said, running his thumb over one of the brushes. "I'll think of you every time I polish my shoes." I beamed.

He put his arm around me to keep me on his lap as he hooked his suitcoat and retrieved a small box from the inner pocket. They turned out to be earring jackets, little baskets that sat behind solitaire earrings and surrounded the earring with small diamonds. They winked in the light and I took off the pearl earrings to slide them up the posts. They cradled the pearls, adding sparks of light around them. "Ooh..." I said, and put them on.

"So beautiful," he murmured. I wanted to see, so we got up and went back to the bedroom and I looked at them in the mirror over the bureau. He came up behind me, wrapped his arms around me, and we made love watching ourselves together.

I went to work the next morning tired but so happy. He found the things I'd gotten from Babeland and laughed, putting them into the bedside table. "Next time, maybe," he said, and we went downstairs and out into the world.

I started sleeping over about half the time, sleeping in my apartment when he was out Robining. That way I kept in touch with my friends and had the fun of living with them too. I didn't want to ditch my friends because I was in a relationship, however intoxicating the newness of that was. I didn't even really notice the heaps of dirty snow on the streets or the freezing temperatures of the cold snap we were in. In the beginning of March, Damian took Bucky and Emma to dinner with us and the next week my folks came down. My mom adored him and my dad approved, which was kind of a surprise; he doesn't warm up to strangers very quickly but he exerted himself for me. And the next week I introduced him to Sam and Mindy, who I met every couple months for dinner. "All you have left is J," I said one night, trying out my fledgling massage skills.

"Do you think he'll like me?" he mumbled anxiously into the bed.

"Yes, of course. He'll probably be his usual smart ass self, you'll like him."

"I want him to like me. You two are close."

"He will, honey. He wants me to be happy, and you make me happier than I thought I could be." He caught my hand and kissed it.

All was going well. Then one night I was woken up from a sound sleep in the apartment. It was Damian, breathing hard, his voice tight. "Darling, I'm sorry to wake you up," he said. "But I got into a fight tonight and I need you."