She was standing in the balcony, taking in deep breaths of the night air. It felt deliciously pleasant to be alive and free right then.
Barbara felt relieved that her plan had worked and those thirty girls had been freed. But she also knew it could not have been possible without Richard and Helena's help.
The two had proved to be an excellent team and made it possible for the plan she had thought initially on her own to reach completion.
Richard knew some of the most dangerous tactics, including an insider's view on the criminal layers in Gotham. Helena was just as useful as her connections had made it possible for the news headline to be put up at the right time and all the other background work as well as the precautionary material had been provided by her.
In fact, through them spending time together due to that plan, Barbara had found out a lot of things about her best friend that she hadn't initially known.
Such as the fact that Helena had been sent to the juvie when she was young and that was where she had first met Richard, forming a close bond with him shortly after.
"Everything okay, Miss Gordon?"
She spun around immediately to see Richard leaning casually against the doorframe, his shirt covered the bruises and he looked at her as if asking whether he could join her.
"Yeah," she smiled, shifting to the right and he stepped in the balcony as well.
His blue eyes softened to see that smile and he visibly relaxed, knowing that he was in no trouble right then, "so you've talked to your Dad?"
"Yeah. Helena had told him already that I was fine but I called so that he wouldn't worry further."
He nodded but said nothing in reply.
"Hey, Richard... I am very thankful for your help," she spoke up, breaking the silence at last, "if it hadn't been for you and Helena, those girls would never have been freed."
"It was nothing," he replied, still wondering that she had called him by his first name so it could be a sign that she was gradually accepting him as a friend or a tolerable acquaintance at least. but he knew better than to dwell on it. "In fact, I am glad I showed up that day you involved me in this case. A thrilling adventure it has been since then."
She laughed lightly, "adventure? You almost got killed..."
"Twelve at a time without a single cut," he reminded her, "and you yourself said I could handle more."
"Now that's no reason for you to inflate your ego," she remarked, "but still... You were good."
"Am I getting a compliment from Miss Gordon?" He looked at her, pretending to be very shocked, "what is the world coming to?"
She laughed again and he found himself raveling in the rare sound of it. She had never laughed openly in front of him but right then as she did, he could only describe it as beautiful.
"Oh come on, the world's as it is and it is going to stay the same or perhaps it might get worse," she replied, turning her gaze back to the stars that had started to become visible in the purplish pink shades of the sky.
However, those words triggered the thoughts he had had earlier when they had rescued the girls, "though I have been thinking... The world is as it is and could get worse but can't one person make a difference?"
Barbara paused, pondering on what he had just said, "care to elaborate?"
"It's just a thought as of now," he mumbled, "but all this rescue mission made me think of a lot of things. I might have to take one whole night off and think this through."
She turned to face him, "and what do you have to think through?"
"I'm not clear yet but it's something important," he mused, eyes darkening slightly.
It could be that reason he had been searching for his survival that night from the trapeze.
She felt as if his answer was strange so she added, "you do have this night off, or rather what's left of this night, to think about this. Maybe I could listen in and add suggestions."
"I value your suggestions very much, Miss Gor..."
"It's Barbara," she interrupted him, "I figured it would be better for us to be on first name basis from now onwards."
"Ah that's fantastic," he smiled, "as I was saying I value your suggestions but I feel we are probably too tired for a detailed thinking session."
She nodded, "you're right. Let's go in then, Helena will be back anytime now."
"Okay."
An awkward silence engulfed them as they sat in two different corners of the room with Barbara on the couch while Richard on the seat at Helena's working desk. Both didn't know how to initiate the conversation again and deep down Barbara felt as if she shouldn't have suggested coming inside.
"You might be called in by the GCPD for an investigation though," she spoke up at last, realizing that she had to warn him about it beforehand, "the convicts saw you there and so did the girls. You will also have to give them a reason why you chose to come to the warehouse and fight."
"I see," he mumbled, "I could say a friend of mine got taken and I came to free her but then with your help, all the others were freed too?"
"We could work on that," she nodded, chalking out the situation in her head, "they will ask details though."
He thought for a while then spoke up as if he had gotten an idea, "ah... Jason told me that one of the actors from the play he has been working on had gone missing recently. I forgot her name but I'm certain she was with those girls that night. I could get her details from Jay and that could be a good cover story."
"Okay... And who's Jason?"
He smiled fondly, "my brother."
"Jason Grayson? Wouldn't it be an odd name?" She hadn't realized she had said that out loud but when he laughed at her remark, she looked up.
"Yeah that's why his name is Jason Todd. Long story."
"No worries, I won't ask," she replied, eyes flickering towards the clock again, "so what now? Helena's taking too long, I swear and... I hope this isn't one of her attempts to set us up together."
The last sentence had been spoken in a muted rush but he heard her nevertheless.
Richard paused, thinking on what could be the most convincing reply at the moment, "I... I don't know."
"Though this unexpected partnership with you made me realize one thing too. You're not a bad person," she added but kept her gaze away from him, "and you were right. Our eyes deceive us most of the time."
"Good to see someone agrees."
But then plucking up his courage and somewhat feeling quite confident after the thrill of surviving a life risking situation again, Richard decided to tell her the reason he had come to the parking lot of the GCPD that day in the first place.
It wouldn't be fair to keep her in the dark, he knew that. It wasn't fair on him either to keep delaying it for long.
"Well... Barbara, I had to talk about something the day you told me about this case."
She looked up, "yeah I remember, I had asked you to tell me later on but you said it wasn't important."
He nodded but willed himself to get it over with, "I had to talk about that night we... In the club... We kissed."
"Oh," she understood and her cheeks fired up with color, "right..."
"And I said it wasn't important not because it wasn't, but because you were thinking about the case and saving the girls was a priority so I just let it slide..."
However, he paused as she had left the couch and came towards him, his voice trailing off to see her close.
"Slow down, I am not going anywhere," she remarked and watched him take in a deep breath.
Keeping his eyes from trailing down to her lips again was proving to be a rather difficult task for him, "I don't think I can repeat what I just said."
"No need. I think I got your point behind that incoherent rush that just came out of you," instead, she spoke up in a calmer and calculated tone, "and I know it's awkward for both of us to keep ignoring that."
But she paused as well, searching for the right words.
Richard didn't make her feel intimidated but she felt she had to be cautious in conveying what she thought clearly to him.
"What do you consider me now? After all that has happened?"
Her question made him pause to think thoroughly. And then at last he spoke up, "I bet Helena told you that I've had a crush on you for a really long time now. But after all that has happened, I like being friends with you too. Or acquaintances or whatever this is. I wouldn't throw it away to pursue a one sided relationship..."
However, she had leaned closer, her lips gently connecting with his own. His heart was performing somersaults once again and nothing he could say to it would make it calm down.
So all he did at that moment was hold her wrists gently while her hands rested on his chest, clearly feeling his heartbeat going erratic.
"I wouldn't call it one sided," she breathed at last as she briefly broke the kiss but didn't pull apart from him, "but it is not a relationship either."
"And this... What... Did you just kiss me?"
"I got even for last time," she stated as if it was the most obvious thing in the world, "don't take it to heart, Richard."
"Ah... But my heart would leap out of my chest at this rate. How can I not?"
The sound of her laughter resonated around him as she spoke up, "I guess we will have to talk this out very thoroughly, y'know."
"Will have to? Not right now, you mean..."
"No, not right now," she breathed, brushing her lips over his again, finding that there was a strange thrill in kissing him even, a feeling that she had never felt before, "later. As you said, we're too tired for detailed thinking sessions."
"Then may I get even for this one?" His eyes sparked playfully and a smile broke out on her features too.
"If Helena comes back..."
"She will find out anyway," he replied.
Though before she could warn him any further about Helena, his hands had gently cupped her cheeks, pulling her down for another kiss, all the while being careful since he knew her lower lip had gotten a cut and he didn't want to cause it any further damage.
Little did they know that Helena had a fair idea of what could happen if the two were left on their own for some time. Like she said, they had such a lot of sexual tension between them that it was a wonder they had held back that long even.
So when the latter unlocked the door to find Richard and Barbara in her living room kissing, laughing and talking softly, she did not interrupt. Instead she headed to kitchen to take out the dinner she had bought, knowing full well that she would get to tease them a lot very soon.
And she really looked forward to dinner with the two of them since it would go down in history for Helena finally getting a golden opportunity to tease her two best friends at the same time.
***