[ Does he really want to go against Bruce Wayne of all people when it comes to The Blame Game about all of this? Not really. Somehow, he feels like Bruce would get the last punch in there every time, no matter the amount of protest Barry might give.
So, instead, he looks to the man who stays so close to him and he offers him a soft smile. ]
I didn't know what would happen. Going back towards the speed of light β faster than the speed of light, but. [ But he had pushed himself to do it. Had gone the fastest he's ever gone thus far and that was for only a handful of seconds. ] I had to try. I just... sort of hoped it would work. I saw the potential for it when we brought back Clark. I pulled back a couple seconds then.
[ Teeth sinking into his bottom lip, he stares off ahead, wondering if he should say anything about an idea β a possible obsession it could spiral into. ]
I want to see how far back I can go. How much time I can reverse. If I can go back far enough... I can save my mom β my dad doesn't have to go to jail for something he didn't do, I just... need to figure out how. How much faster I need to go.
[ And then proceed to break time in the process. ]
[ Save my mom, he says, and Bruce feels for a moment like he's caught in a trap. It's a painful one, quick and sharp, like a fish hook in his ribs; the instinct to say that's dangerous, don't meddle with things you don't understand, you don't know what could happen, but it's cut directly against immediate and visceral empathy.
He keeps hold of Barry's hand, and brings his other to the younger man's face, stroking over his cheekbone and holding him there, taking a moment. Just not wanting him to feel too out to see while he's quiet.
Eventually, he says, ]
If you got lost I would miss you very much.
[ But he understands why Barry wants to try.
It's not fair that Clark got to come back and not anyone else. ]
[ How can he not think of trying to pull off such a thing? Maybe it's a little cocky of him to think he can β maybe he's letting what he can do and what he's capable of get to his head and inflate his ego for once. He'd run back towards the speed of light and went faster then it. So fast that he'd been able to rewind time itself and give his teammates β give this man right here a second chance at something that went horribly wrong. How can he not want to give his dad β give his mom a second chance at something that went so incredibly horribly wrong?
When Bruce comes to cradle his hand against his face, however, he pulls himself from his thoughts and the what ifs zipping around in his head and his gaze softens at what Bruce says... how earnest and soft he seems in saying what he does.
It tugs at Barry in a way that makes him pause for a couple of seconds. It's... a possibility. One he's been chewing on since everything happened. The thought of getting "lost in time" is not anything he hasn't considered. He just... doesn't know how accurate it is, especially with his being so fast.
He smiles, ] Lost in time and unable to find the present. Yeah. Can't say the theory's not possible. [ Licking over his lips, he nods, slow. A tilt of his head into that hand, he lets his gaze warmly settle on the other man, words soft but so earnest. ]
Barry, tired and haggard, reaching out to him in that strange armor. He doesn't want to see the younger man like that again, not awake, not while dreaming. He doesn't want him to end up there, or start seeing the sort of shit that Bruce sees. ]
If at all possible, [ he says quietly, ] be very careful with yourself, and perform only miracles.
[ Not disasters. He wants to believe Barry would come back - of course he believes he'd want to - but they don't get everything they want. They don't get parents or happily ever afters or lives that don't involve having to avert various apocalypses. The good things are moments like this.
But what does Bruce know? He's one more psychotic break away from being unreachable. He has no superhuman abilities. Maybe Barry can fix anything he wants, rewrite everything, for anyone. ]
Did you get enough to eat?
[ Is that. Is that an awkward shift. He's just thinking of it, is all. Thinking of a hundred things at the same time. There are a lot of eggs, just in case. ]
Miracles is definitely a way to look at what Barry is capable of doing with his reversing time β that in itself is a miracle of miracles and the closest thing to time travel that they have. You know, until he's able to figure out exactly how to do that in a more concrete and lasting way, punching through time itself back years upon years; much like he'd been able to figure out and do in the future it seems... one possible future.
Regardless, Bruce goes and switches the topic from potential doom and gloom to hearty breakfast choices and Barry lets him, wanting to enjoy this good moment here between them while he still can; talking about dead family members is such a bummer, you know? ]
Food-wise? I'm good here.
[ To which he holds up a wrap or sandwich or WHATEVER it is he's taken for himself and left there on the counter with the other things Bruce ordered. ]
But my hunger for the flesh has yet to be satisfied.
[ There's a waggling of his eyebrows, a sultry little drawl in his speech, and he walks his fingers up Bruce's arm a little playfully all while he leans in and griiiins to the other man.
You know, before he huffs a laugh and pulls back, waving a hand. ]
Yes. I'm getting enough to eat. Thank you, oh handsome man of thy manor.
[ Stuffing that wrap in his mouth, he looks over to Bruce with a smile around his food and wiggles a bit there in his seat. Energy coming back? Energy coming back. A snackhole speedster being refueled right before Bruce's eyes. ]
[ Pushing the topic around means that Bruce gets more silent time in the inside of his brain to agonize over the seriousness of resetting decades-long events, without actually having to talk about it. The look on his face, eyebrows slightly knit still, might give him away; or he might just appear as he normally does, over-serious about everything and bad at making light of anything. (There are reasons why Alfred had thought he'd lost his mind again - just on the opposite of the scale - when he was optimistic about Superman's return.)
Such a rewind could change much more than just the fate of Barry's parents. He could miss the incident that gave him his speed entirely. Would someone else be in his place at the battle against Steppenwolf? Someone without the nerve to do what he did? Would they have accepted Bruce's call to action?
Or maybe there's just no one, and they'll be dead.
He can't say that to Barry. Can he? No. Not right now, at least. Maybe not ever. Barry deserves to have that hope, and he probably even deserves to try to do it. He deserves to be at home with his parents and not out risking his life to save the world. That's what Bruce has always fought for: to keep people from experiencing what he experienced. He has no right to try and stop Barry from making it happen for himself.
Bruce is oddly unresponsive during Barry's flirtatious finger-walking, and only seems to come back to himself a beat too late, looking down and then back up. ]
Good, [ he says, evidently embarrassed to have been lost in thought. Still sort of holding onto him in places, he sits up. Woof. What a weirdo. ]
[ Or maybe Barry would be against them rather than with them. Who's to say.
Either way, the fact that Bruce's reaction seems to be rather delayed and distant almost has the speedster curiously look to him, mouth full of food. Telepathy isn't anything he has for a power but he can read expression and body language well enough to be able to see that something seems to be on the other man's mind and, in doing so, keeping him away from him up there in his head.
Food placed down, he turns a bit and slides those fingers up the other man's arm until they curl at his bicep and hold there. Gentle. ]
Hey. [ Word soft, much as his touch and gaze are on the man. ] I'm right here.
[ He's not sure if Bruce is lingering on the possibilities and consequences of his wanting to punch back through time as far as he can, but considering it had been what they'd just been talking about, it's a safe enough bet to place if he had to make one and so he seeks to reassure him. ]
[ Sometimes Bruce wonders if this is too much for him. These people and what they can do. He's just some nutcase who wanted to stop crime in one city, whose grief-induced psychotic break sent him tumbling into grappling with aliens, and the end of the world.
Maybe he just wishes it was too much. Contending with the fact that he's enough of a control freak to look at these problems ago 'sure' is a bit strange.
(He doesn't remember the time in between Barry's rewind. But if he did: seeing the end of it, the boxes coming together, and knowing what it meant. He didn't try to run, didn't attempt any kind of escape or launch another futile attack in a defiant move. Batman simply hopped down from the lip of the reactor to join them. Knowing it was death.)
Doomsday wool-gathering. Bruce looks at Barry and then sits forward, reaching out to him and coaxing him closer, over from the other chair and into his lap. He leans back in his seat to look at him. ]
I'm only thinking that it's unfair you have to consider things like this, [ Bruce tells him, not wanting Barry to think that Bruce lacks confidence in his judgement. ] And that I wish I had a better answer.
[ When coaxed, Barry leaves his chair for Bruce's lap, dropping himself down in a way that has him straddling the other man. His robe falls open at his chest, the belt hanging loosely around his waist, hands choosing to settle on either side of Bruce's neck while soft brown eyes curiously search the face of the man he finds himself becoming emotionally tangled in. Whether that's good or bad is something time still has yet to determine. ]
I have to try... [ He murmurs then, thumbs stroking over Bruce's neck he holds. ] ...I can't not.
[ He doesn't ask if Bruce would do the same because it seems unfair to almost guilt him into agreeing with him. Not that he doesn't, but. It's clear he has some reservations about it and sure, Barry can understand that. To an extent. But if the law wasn't going to help his father, then he'd have to do it himself. However he can and if that means running back further in time? Then that's what he'll do. Soon as he can figure it out.
In the meantime, he licks over his lips and sighs, gaze dropping while thumbs still stroke over Bruce's neck as he sits there, straddling his lap. ]
[ Maybe a little sexy. Barry in only one of his robes, Bruce fully dressed - albeit casually, for him. But he seems to not recognize it for now, instead looking at him. His expression is clear and open, no judgement or caution for that I have to try. Of course he does. Bruce means it, he just wishes Barry's mom hadn't met the fate she did, and that the younger man wasn't in the position - the proverbial one - that he's in.
For a lot of reasons, sure, like potentially erasing the entire world, but also, like, it sucks. It feels like shit. Bruce knows. His parents are dead (!) and he knows what his mother's brain matter looks like, as flecks of it ended up congealed to the end of his shoe when he was eight.
Life is unkind and he justβ
Whatever.
Barry says that, and Bruce smiles. Warm and real. ]
[ It's the way Bruce looks to him as he says those words that gets Barry's heart to practically skip a beat. Something something the guy he has a huge crush on and came for four times last night (this morning?) believes in him and possibly thinks he's marvelous in his own speedy metahuman ways... it has him smiling to the other man. Warm. Bright. Like sunshine stretched across the early morning sky. What a shame to think this world might eventually crush and tear apart someone with such a brightness to them despite the hardships they've carried with them.
At least, for now, it doesn't and he has this moment here with the other man.
Leaning in, he bumps his nose against Bruce's, breath soft with quiet laughter as he lets his eyes fall shut and just nuzzles him with so much affection for the other man... maybe he's already emotionally tangled up in him in ways he can't free himself from. But he doesn't seem to care. How can he when he feels... like this? ]
Thank you.
[ The words are a whisper against Bruce's lips and he doesn't exactly refer to what he is thanking him for. Believing in him, asking him to join his team, breakfast, fucking him hard and good, telling him of his possible future self visiting him... maybe it's all of the above, who's to say. Not Barry. Because rather than elaborate on that, he kisses Bruce. Warm but playfully feverish as he smiles into that kiss, arms crossing around him with a pleased little hum on his lips. ]
(When he's erased from existence and misses everyone very much, in a brief spark before nothingness, he'll think of how grateful he was to have known Barry. Mostly. Maybe. Probably. Unless his EVIL SPEED FORCE CLONE is murdering him.
actually jk even then he's just like this)
He returns that kiss, leaning into it with both arms holding the younger man securely. Hoping to let him feel the sincerity of his faith through it. There as many shadows in his head as there are in Gotham, it feels like, and letting Barry chase them away for a while is nothing but good.
[ Yes to making out for awhile. Or at least until Barry needs to shove something in his mouth. Food, that is. Get your mind out of the gutter.
(jk he'd honestly go for that too)
Fingers lace together behind Bruce's neck as lips brush over his in a long, drawn out, somewhat feverish kiss. He likes this β likes making out with Bruce in his place where it feels as if it's just the two of them and no one else. He knows it'll come to an end, as will that feeling since they both need to go back to their daily lives and all. Bruce's being here in Gotham, Barry's in Central City. Good thing is... he's fast. Very fast, so coming here to Gotham is not at all an issue... if Bruce ever wants him back here. Like this. Things they... still haven't really talked about. What any of this is, aside from not wanting to forget.
Breaking that kiss with a pleased little hum, he shakes some of his hair out of his face and smiles to Bruce, bumping his nose against his for a quick second. ]
[ Bruce sits back after Barry pulls away, though he brings one hand up to stroke over his hair, then rest his palm against his furry chest. Which is very cute. ]
Whenever you want, [ he offers, aware it's open and a lot, watching Barry's face for a reaction. He still thinks it'll be entirely fair if the speedster wants to just have a nice night and move on. His own hopes areβ ?
It'd be nice to know. Everything ends badly and he shouldn't.
Because: ]
With the caveat that I don't have the luxury of too many days like this.
[ He would like to, perhaps. But his mission comes first, and it has to be balanced to a certain degree with his work with the company. He's only got a few more years left of being Batman before his body gives out - either from another catastrophic injury, or simply wear and tear finally collapsing - and he has to push himself to the bitter end. ]
[ Honestly, he'd expected that and it's why all he can do is lick his lips and nod, head ducking down for a brief moment as he does. ]
Yeah, I... can't imagine that you do.
[ Or that he himself does. Not that The Flash he's any busier than Bruce or Batman is, but. He's starting up a new job for himself and now wanting to test out his own theories of things that involve his speed and potential time travel via running, so. He's likely to be working long into the nights with trying to figure all of that out. Needing to get it all Just Right.
Shaking some of his hair out of his face, he smiles, fingers slipping down to rest there at Bruce's torso. ]
But, you know... if you're ever in the mood for making a guy come four times in one night or something... you have my number. [ A beat, his smile softens. ] Or if you just want some company. Helps that I don't really need a car or plane to get here.
[ Inside, there's a brief, unexpected laugh at the way Barry phrases it. Outside, he just looks faintly amused. Bruce presses a chaste kiss to his mouth, just a little teasing. Making a guy come that many times, indeed. Or something. ]
In that case, I hope I find you waiting for me sometime. [ Another kiss, a little less chaste. ] If you're ever in the mood.
[ He wonders if he's got it in himself to make time to see Barry, seek him out on his own. He'd like to think so - he has thought so, in the past - but it's never ended up working. Bruce loses himself in cases, in misery, in obsessions that are everything but the people he should be obsessed with. (Or is it a blessing that he doesn't fixate on people for good reasons the way he does for bad ones? Would he just ruin it in a new way?) ]
Nothing in this life is easy. But it can still be a life.
[ You know. If you thought he was all doom and gloom, there's this, too. The future isn't here yet. ]
[ A raise of his brows, he chuckles then as he leans in to steal a quick kiss from those lips, a soft little hum lingering there on his lips as he nuzzles at the other man, arms loosely draped around that neck of his.
The thought of zipping over to see Bruce here and there is one he's already had on his mind since last night. It's easy enough for him to do and isn't exactly out of his way what with his speed and all, just. He doesn't want to impose or show up when Bruce is knee deep in whatever project or obsession he's got going on at the moment. Maybe he needs to do the tiktok challenge of "walking in nakey on my bf playing video games" and see just how Bruce reacts to it. He's... honestly not sure. Hm.
Either way, his gaze softens some as he listens to those words and the smile that touches his lips is warm and gentle. ]
[ Bruce makes a low sound into a kiss to the side of his mouth. Deep and warm and a bit like Don't threaten me with a good time, or whatever the serious Batman version of that is. The heavy subject matter has cut him away from earlier wandering thoughts, about how Barry looks sleepy and half exposed, but the potential to be lured back exists.
He gives him a look, the ghost of that earlier smile still there. ]
Well I'm not dead yet.
[ So. He gives Barry's side a squeeze, affectionate. ]
Until you're sick of me.
[ Easy enough to have the implication of being jokey. Offering his indefinite presence, with only Barry's dismissal a factor in if he'll vanish from his life. (Barring, of course, inevitable death and/or erasure from the timeline.) Bruce'll be here regardless, in whatever capacity he wants. ]
[ Fingers lace together a little tighter there as arms stretch behind Bruce's neck, Barry nosing at the other man with a playfully warm smile there on his lips. Still on his lap. Still in that bathrobe of his. Still with it half open at the top there. ]
What if it's you who'll get sick of me?
[ Raising his brows, he gives a bit of a shift in Bruce's lap there, licking over his lips as he does, gaze dropping to his chest. ]
Get sick of some guy who wants to hang around you... wants to crawl in bed with you.
Guess we'll have to see. [ Little teasing things, gentle offers for outs, are less awkward (at least he things so) than detailing things like: he's never experienced being sick of someone, as his relationships have all been so short and fraught. Ended by death, or by irreconcilable differences, many of which are rooted in his behavior. Barely able to make time for someone, and then being too intense in those rare shared days.
Bruce could always try changing that, but ... you know. Batman. He's got priorities and they are what they are. Barry deserves something better, but he hopes he can be good for him while they choose to fool around. The thought of it, and the hope that he won't hurt him, makes something warm spark in his chest.
They understand each other more than most. It could work. ]
[ Fooling around is bound to turn into Actual Feelings at least for one Barry Allen and, from the looks of things, he's already headed down that road and there's no signs of stopping or going down a different one any time soon.
A thoughtful hum, he leans into Bruce a little more then, eyes looking up as if truly considering the question. ]
If you want me back in your bed, all you have to do is ask.
[ Brushing the words against the other man's lips, he huffs a rather playful laugh then before he steals a quick kiss from that mouth, leaning back in his lap and letting arms slip from around that neck, hands resting against those pecs instead. ]
[ He thinks about it. Is it weird. Would it be too forward to pull him back in bed right now, or are they both just dancing around it, mutually trying not to seem sex obsessed. Well.
Bruce makes a thoughtful sound, thinking about that. Peaceful. ]
I slept well, [ he says, because he did. Conked right out after Barry, thoroughly exhausted after fucking him like that. ] I just don't sleep for very long at a time as a rule.
[ And that's, you know. That's all!! Nothing weird here. He's not an unstable nutjob who has dreams of another dimension and/or an apocalyptic future he might be responsible for because he can't seduce Superman. Or something. Christ, who even knows. It changes every time, bit by bit, and sometimes Bruce feels like it draws closer and closer every time he falls asleep.
Fortunately, he saw nothing but blackness sleeping beside Barry. Just rest. ]
[ Raising a brow, he wiggles his fingers there on Bruce's pecs, leaning in to steal another quick kiss from that mouth before he lean back, head cocking to the side, staring at the man while he stays there on his very comfy lap. ]
Come back to bed for a bit?
[ Words he softly speaks as the tips of his fingers run down those pecs and glide across those arms. Down down down, until they reach strong hands and lets his fingers slip through Bruce's, squeezing tight as he takes hold of those hands in his.
[ He's got a shirt on, a black long-sleeved thing, dully overpriced. But there's no fake persona slouch to his posture, and the solid muscle is unmistakable beneath Barry's hands. He could stand to eat a pie or something. Bruce laces his fingers through Barry's, returning the hold, pulling their hands up and balancing him on his lap, knees spreading a little wider to stabilize his perch. The chair just about accommodates it. ]
You like being on your hands and knees, huh, [ he observes, his tone deceptively casual for how closely he's watching him. Keyed in differently now, committing to sexuality without so much coyness. ] You must be getting yourself really deep when you do that alone.
[ Accusing him of being into porn and being a dildo size queen, yes. But there's nothing that seems judgemental. Just talking about is coaxing simmering arousal up, and it's fun, besides. He jiggles one knee, playfully seeing how well Barry can stay balanced there on his lap while he's got his hands pushed out. ]
[ The bounce has him hum a little but he doesn't lose his balance. Rather, he straightens himself up some and squeezes those hands back with a smile. One that is so very playful in its nonchalance. ]
Maybe I'll let you watch sometime.
[ An invitation to watch him masturbate and get himself off? It's more likely than you think, even if he's being rather cheeky about it in his typical way. ]
Would you like that, Bruce? Having me touching myself on your bed while you watch?
[ Raising his brows, he presses further. ]
If you have some things here you'd like me to use, I don't mind. You're just not allowed to touch. Unless I say so.
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no subject
So, instead, he looks to the man who stays so close to him and he offers him a soft smile. ]
I didn't know what would happen. Going back towards the speed of light β faster than the speed of light, but. [ But he had pushed himself to do it. Had gone the fastest he's ever gone thus far and that was for only a handful of seconds. ] I had to try. I just... sort of hoped it would work. I saw the potential for it when we brought back Clark. I pulled back a couple seconds then.
[ Teeth sinking into his bottom lip, he stares off ahead, wondering if he should say anything about an idea β a possible obsession it could spiral into. ]
I want to see how far back I can go. How much time I can reverse. If I can go back far enough... I can save my mom β my dad doesn't have to go to jail for something he didn't do, I just... need to figure out how. How much faster I need to go.
[ And then proceed to break time in the process. ]
no subject
He keeps hold of Barry's hand, and brings his other to the younger man's face, stroking over his cheekbone and holding him there, taking a moment. Just not wanting him to feel too out to see while he's quiet.
Eventually, he says, ]
If you got lost I would miss you very much.
[ But he understands why Barry wants to try.
It's not fair that Clark got to come back and not anyone else. ]
no subject
When Bruce comes to cradle his hand against his face, however, he pulls himself from his thoughts and the what ifs zipping around in his head and his gaze softens at what Bruce says... how earnest and soft he seems in saying what he does.
It tugs at Barry in a way that makes him pause for a couple of seconds. It's... a possibility. One he's been chewing on since everything happened. The thought of getting "lost in time" is not anything he hasn't considered. He just... doesn't know how accurate it is, especially with his being so fast.
He smiles, ] Lost in time and unable to find the present. Yeah. Can't say the theory's not possible. [ Licking over his lips, he nods, slow. A tilt of his head into that hand, he lets his gaze warmly settle on the other man, words soft but so earnest. ]
I'd come back to you.
no subject
Somewhere else.
Barry, tired and haggard, reaching out to him in that strange armor. He doesn't want to see the younger man like that again, not awake, not while dreaming. He doesn't want him to end up there, or start seeing the sort of shit that Bruce sees. ]
If at all possible, [ he says quietly, ] be very careful with yourself, and perform only miracles.
[ Not disasters. He wants to believe Barry would come back - of course he believes he'd want to - but they don't get everything they want. They don't get parents or happily ever afters or lives that don't involve having to avert various apocalypses. The good things are moments like this.
But what does Bruce know? He's one more psychotic break away from being unreachable. He has no superhuman abilities. Maybe Barry can fix anything he wants, rewrite everything, for anyone. ]
Did you get enough to eat?
[ Is that. Is that an awkward shift. He's just thinking of it, is all. Thinking of a hundred things at the same time. There are a lot of eggs, just in case. ]
no subject
Miracles is definitely a way to look at what Barry is capable of doing with his reversing time β that in itself is a miracle of miracles and the closest thing to time travel that they have. You know, until he's able to figure out exactly how to do that in a more concrete and lasting way, punching through time itself back years upon years; much like he'd been able to figure out and do in the future it seems... one possible future.
Regardless, Bruce goes and switches the topic from potential doom and gloom to hearty breakfast choices and Barry lets him, wanting to enjoy this good moment here between them while he still can; talking about dead family members is such a bummer, you know? ]
Food-wise? I'm good here.
[ To which he holds up a wrap or sandwich or WHATEVER it is he's taken for himself and left there on the counter with the other things Bruce ordered. ]
But my hunger for the flesh has yet to be satisfied.
[ There's a waggling of his eyebrows, a sultry little drawl in his speech, and he walks his fingers up Bruce's arm a little playfully all while he leans in and griiiins to the other man.
You know, before he huffs a laugh and pulls back, waving a hand. ]
Yes. I'm getting enough to eat. Thank you, oh handsome man of thy manor.
[ Stuffing that wrap in his mouth, he looks over to Bruce with a smile around his food and wiggles a bit there in his seat. Energy coming back? Energy coming back. A snackhole speedster being refueled right before Bruce's eyes. ]
no subject
Such a rewind could change much more than just the fate of Barry's parents. He could miss the incident that gave him his speed entirely. Would someone else be in his place at the battle against Steppenwolf? Someone without the nerve to do what he did? Would they have accepted Bruce's call to action?
Or maybe there's just no one, and they'll be dead.
He can't say that to Barry. Can he? No. Not right now, at least. Maybe not ever. Barry deserves to have that hope, and he probably even deserves to try to do it. He deserves to be at home with his parents and not out risking his life to save the world. That's what Bruce has always fought for: to keep people from experiencing what he experienced. He has no right to try and stop Barry from making it happen for himself.
Bruce is oddly unresponsive during Barry's flirtatious finger-walking, and only seems to come back to himself a beat too late, looking down and then back up. ]
Good, [ he says, evidently embarrassed to have been lost in thought. Still sort of holding onto him in places, he sits up. Woof. What a weirdo. ]
no subject
Either way, the fact that Bruce's reaction seems to be rather delayed and distant almost has the speedster curiously look to him, mouth full of food. Telepathy isn't anything he has for a power but he can read expression and body language well enough to be able to see that something seems to be on the other man's mind and, in doing so, keeping him away from him up there in his head.
Food placed down, he turns a bit and slides those fingers up the other man's arm until they curl at his bicep and hold there. Gentle. ]
Hey. [ Word soft, much as his touch and gaze are on the man. ] I'm right here.
[ He's not sure if Bruce is lingering on the possibilities and consequences of his wanting to punch back through time as far as he can, but considering it had been what they'd just been talking about, it's a safe enough bet to place if he had to make one and so he seeks to reassure him. ]
no subject
Maybe he just wishes it was too much. Contending with the fact that he's enough of a control freak to look at these problems ago 'sure' is a bit strange.
(He doesn't remember the time in between Barry's rewind. But if he did: seeing the end of it, the boxes coming together, and knowing what it meant. He didn't try to run, didn't attempt any kind of escape or launch another futile attack in a defiant move. Batman simply hopped down from the lip of the reactor to join them. Knowing it was death.)
Doomsday wool-gathering. Bruce looks at Barry and then sits forward, reaching out to him and coaxing him closer, over from the other chair and into his lap. He leans back in his seat to look at him. ]
I'm only thinking that it's unfair you have to consider things like this, [ Bruce tells him, not wanting Barry to think that Bruce lacks confidence in his judgement. ] And that I wish I had a better answer.
[ But he doesn't even have one for himself. ]
no subject
I have to try... [ He murmurs then, thumbs stroking over Bruce's neck he holds. ] ...I can't not.
[ He doesn't ask if Bruce would do the same because it seems unfair to almost guilt him into agreeing with him. Not that he doesn't, but. It's clear he has some reservations about it and sure, Barry can understand that. To an extent. But if the law wasn't going to help his father, then he'd have to do it himself. However he can and if that means running back further in time? Then that's what he'll do. Soon as he can figure it out.
In the meantime, he licks over his lips and sighs, gaze dropping while thumbs still stroke over Bruce's neck as he sits there, straddling his lap. ]
You believe in me. Don't you?
no subject
For a lot of reasons, sure, like potentially erasing the entire world, but also, like, it sucks. It feels like shit. Bruce knows. His parents are dead (!) and he knows what his mother's brain matter looks like, as flecks of it ended up congealed to the end of his shoe when he was eight.
Life is unkind and he justβ
Whatever.
Barry says that, and Bruce smiles. Warm and real. ]
More than I think you understand.
no subject
At least, for now, it doesn't and he has this moment here with the other man.
Leaning in, he bumps his nose against Bruce's, breath soft with quiet laughter as he lets his eyes fall shut and just nuzzles him with so much affection for the other man... maybe he's already emotionally tangled up in him in ways he can't free himself from. But he doesn't seem to care. How can he when he feels... like this? ]
Thank you.
[ The words are a whisper against Bruce's lips and he doesn't exactly refer to what he is thanking him for. Believing in him, asking him to join his team, breakfast, fucking him hard and good, telling him of his possible future self visiting him... maybe it's all of the above, who's to say. Not Barry. Because rather than elaborate on that, he kisses Bruce. Warm but playfully feverish as he smiles into that kiss, arms crossing around him with a pleased little hum on his lips. ]
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(When he's erased from existence and misses everyone very much, in a brief spark before nothingness, he'll think of how grateful he was to have known Barry. Mostly. Maybe. Probably. Unless his EVIL SPEED FORCE CLONE is murdering him.
actually jk even then he's just like this)
He returns that kiss, leaning into it with both arms holding the younger man securely. Hoping to let him feel the sincerity of his faith through it. There as many shadows in his head as there are in Gotham, it feels like, and letting Barry chase them away for a while is nothing but good.
So. Making out for a while, right? Right. ]
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(jk he'd honestly go for that too)
Fingers lace together behind Bruce's neck as lips brush over his in a long, drawn out, somewhat feverish kiss. He likes this β likes making out with Bruce in his place where it feels as if it's just the two of them and no one else. He knows it'll come to an end, as will that feeling since they both need to go back to their daily lives and all. Bruce's being here in Gotham, Barry's in Central City. Good thing is... he's fast. Very fast, so coming here to Gotham is not at all an issue... if Bruce ever wants him back here. Like this. Things they... still haven't really talked about. What any of this is, aside from not wanting to forget.
Breaking that kiss with a pleased little hum, he shakes some of his hair out of his face and smiles to Bruce, bumping his nose against his for a quick second. ]
Do I get to see you again sometime?
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Whenever you want, [ he offers, aware it's open and a lot, watching Barry's face for a reaction. He still thinks it'll be entirely fair if the speedster wants to just have a nice night and move on. His own hopes areβ ?
It'd be nice to know. Everything ends badly and he shouldn't.
Because: ]
With the caveat that I don't have the luxury of too many days like this.
[ He would like to, perhaps. But his mission comes first, and it has to be balanced to a certain degree with his work with the company. He's only got a few more years left of being Batman before his body gives out - either from another catastrophic injury, or simply wear and tear finally collapsing - and he has to push himself to the bitter end. ]
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Yeah, I... can't imagine that you do.
[ Or that he himself does. Not that
The Flashhe's any busier than Bruce or Batman is, but. He's starting up a new job for himself and now wanting to test out his own theories of things that involve his speed and potential time travel via running, so. He's likely to be working long into the nights with trying to figure all of that out. Needing to get it all Just Right.Shaking some of his hair out of his face, he smiles, fingers slipping down to rest there at Bruce's torso. ]
But, you know... if you're ever in the mood for making a guy come four times in one night or something... you have my number. [ A beat, his smile softens. ] Or if you just want some company. Helps that I don't really need a car or plane to get here.
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In that case, I hope I find you waiting for me sometime. [ Another kiss, a little less chaste. ] If you're ever in the mood.
[ He wonders if he's got it in himself to make time to see Barry, seek him out on his own. He'd like to think so - he has thought so, in the past - but it's never ended up working. Bruce loses himself in cases, in misery, in obsessions that are everything but the people he should be obsessed with. (Or is it a blessing that he doesn't fixate on people for good reasons the way he does for bad ones? Would he just ruin it in a new way?) ]
Nothing in this life is easy. But it can still be a life.
[ You know. If you thought he was all doom and gloom, there's this, too. The future isn't here yet. ]
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[ A raise of his brows, he chuckles then as he leans in to steal a quick kiss from those lips, a soft little hum lingering there on his lips as he nuzzles at the other man, arms loosely draped around that neck of his.
The thought of zipping over to see Bruce here and there is one he's already had on his mind since last night. It's easy enough for him to do and isn't exactly out of his way what with his speed and all, just. He doesn't want to impose or show up when Bruce is knee deep in whatever project or obsession he's got going on at the moment. Maybe he needs to do the tiktok challenge of "walking in nakey on my bf playing video games" and see just how Bruce reacts to it. He's... honestly not sure. Hm.
Either way, his gaze softens some as he listens to those words and the smile that touches his lips is warm and gentle. ]
A life with you in it?
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He gives him a look, the ghost of that earlier smile still there. ]
Well I'm not dead yet.
[ So. He gives Barry's side a squeeze, affectionate. ]
Until you're sick of me.
[ Easy enough to have the implication of being jokey. Offering his indefinite presence, with only Barry's dismissal a factor in if he'll vanish from his life. (Barring, of course, inevitable death and/or erasure from the timeline.) Bruce'll be here regardless, in whatever capacity he wants. ]
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And what if I never get sick of you?
[ Fingers lace together a little tighter there as arms stretch behind Bruce's neck, Barry nosing at the other man with a playfully warm smile there on his lips. Still on his lap. Still in that bathrobe of his. Still with it half open at the top there. ]
What if it's you who'll get sick of me?
[ Raising his brows, he gives a bit of a shift in Bruce's lap there, licking over his lips as he does, gaze dropping to his chest. ]
Get sick of some guy who wants to hang around you... wants to crawl in bed with you.
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Guess we'll have to see. [ Little teasing things, gentle offers for outs, are less awkward (at least he things so) than detailing things like: he's never experienced being sick of someone, as his relationships have all been so short and fraught. Ended by death, or by irreconcilable differences, many of which are rooted in his behavior. Barely able to make time for someone, and then being too intense in those rare shared days.
Bruce could always try changing that, but ... you know. Batman. He's got priorities and they are what they are. Barry deserves something better, but he hopes he can be good for him while they choose to fool around. The thought of it, and the hope that he won't hurt him, makes something warm spark in his chest.
They understand each other more than most. It could work. ]
Did you get enough rest? Speaking of bed.
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A thoughtful hum, he leans into Bruce a little more then, eyes looking up as if truly considering the question. ]
If you want me back in your bed, all you have to do is ask.
[ Brushing the words against the other man's lips, he huffs a rather playful laugh then before he steals a quick kiss from that mouth, leaning back in his lap and letting arms slip from around that neck, hands resting against those pecs instead. ]
Did you? You didn't seem too... peaceful.
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Bruce makes a thoughtful sound, thinking about that. Peaceful. ]
I slept well, [ he says, because he did. Conked right out after Barry, thoroughly exhausted after fucking him like that. ] I just don't sleep for very long at a time as a rule.
[ And that's, you know. That's all!! Nothing weird here. He's not an unstable nutjob who has dreams of another dimension and/or an apocalyptic future he might be responsible for because he can't seduce Superman. Or something. Christ, who even knows. It changes every time, bit by bit, and sometimes Bruce feels like it draws closer and closer every time he falls asleep.
Fortunately, he saw nothing but blackness sleeping beside Barry. Just rest. ]
No matter how worn out I am.
[ heyoo ]
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Maybe you need a little convincing to.
[ Raising a brow, he wiggles his fingers there on Bruce's pecs, leaning in to steal another quick kiss from that mouth before he lean back, head cocking to the side, staring at the man while he stays there on his very comfy lap. ]
Come back to bed for a bit?
[ Words he softly speaks as the tips of his fingers run down those pecs and glide across those arms. Down down down, until they reach strong hands and lets his fingers slip through Bruce's, squeezing tight as he takes hold of those hands in his.
Slowly, he smiles. ]
Unless you'd rather bend me over here.
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You like being on your hands and knees, huh, [ he observes, his tone deceptively casual for how closely he's watching him. Keyed in differently now, committing to sexuality without so much coyness. ] You must be getting yourself really deep when you do that alone.
[ Accusing him of being into porn and being a dildo size queen, yes. But there's nothing that seems judgemental. Just talking about is coaxing simmering arousal up, and it's fun, besides. He jiggles one knee, playfully seeing how well Barry can stay balanced there on his lap while he's got his hands pushed out. ]
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Maybe I'll let you watch sometime.
[ An invitation to watch him masturbate and get himself off? It's more likely than you think, even if he's being rather cheeky about it in his typical way. ]
Would you like that, Bruce? Having me touching myself on your bed while you watch?
[ Raising his brows, he presses further. ]
If you have some things here you'd like me to use, I don't mind. You're just not allowed to touch. Unless I say so.
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