It was the much awaited day of the Masquerade Ball at last and deep down, Barbara was a little fidgety about it.
Helena had helped her choose a beautiful golden dress that complemented her crimson hair and had a stunning mask while she had herself chosen a deep red mermaid gown with a black encrusted mask.
But she was a bit nervous of what could happen if people recognized she was going to bring Richard Grayson to that ball as her plus one.
"Sweetheart, stop with all these negative thoughts," Helena's voice echoed in her head for the hundredth, "it's a masquerade, no one cares who you are going with. He will be just as much of a mystery as he would have been on someone else's arm."
That statement had sent a slight twinge to her heart but she hadn't let it show. Over the past month, she and Richard had come a lot closer to each other and by then both were aware of their genuine feelings and attachment towards one another.
Barbara was like an anchor to his freely roaming spirit while he was her rush of adrenaline, an escape out of the black and white life she had kept living in before she had met him.
He was the dash of color on her monochrome canvas and she was the painting he could never get tired of seeing.
Barbara and Richard had planned to meet at the venue then go in together, Helena had procured a date for the night as well, Jason was pissed at not being invited but had settled for calling his best friend Laurie over and holding a movie marathon.
Apparently everything was sorted and there was no reason for her to feel so jittery.
But she had always been rather overly conscious of the people surrounding her and their opinions and that was the main reason she avoided social gatherings.
"Barbara, stop being so panicky," Helena shook her head in disappointment as she saw her internally panicking, "you look stunning, Richard is already waiting for you, nothing would go wrong and you will actually enjoy this night. Take my word for it and just go, you're a police detective for goodness sake and here you are getting cold feet from just a ball. It's not like you're getting married to the guy..."
Her cheeks turned red but she was thankful for the mask concealing most of her face, "now if you're done lecturing me, Len, shall we leave?"
"Oh thank heavens... Absolutely!"
The Masquerade was hosted in the most expensive and largest ballroom in Gotham, one that happened to be a property of the Waynes themselves. As decided earlier, Richard joined Barbara at the entrance and he looked dashing in his deep navy suit and matching mask.
Helena and her date had left the two so once inside, Barbara felt herself stiffen again. He offered her his arm to hold on to and she tentatively placed her hand on the crook of his elbow.
"Shall we?" Icy blue eyes peeked through the mask as Richard looked down at her, a dazzling smile playing upon his lips.
How could one say no to such an offer?
She nodded and took in a deep breath. It was just a masquerade and she was there to enjoy, not to worry about all the stuff she had been working on since the past few weeks.
So she put a smile on her face too as Richard led her to the dance floor. The couples were lined up in traditional waltz positions and the music began to pour from the instruments being played live in the gallery.
"Imagine it's just the two of us," he whispered, "or better still, imagine you're with me but everyone else is blindfolded. In a way, they really are."
She laughed, memory of that night fluttering in her head again, "why? Do you want me to run away soon after this dance ends too?"
"I won't let you run away this time," he replied, "I promise."
***
The couple under the spotlight for that night was none other than Bruce Wayne and Lavina Vikander. They had been surrounded by the press for most of the time until the waltz started and people took positions on the dance floor.
"You and Bruce Wayne, seriously?" Richard asked as his dance partner had gotten exchanged with Bruce and he could recognize Lavina Vikander anywhere.
Richard had a lot of questions to ask from her regarding the last time they had met but he knew it was not the right place nor time for it. Though one thing was for certain, he wouldn't again trust her as blindly as he used to earlier.
Right then the woman held his hand with her right hand while the other rested upon his shoulder in the traditional waltz position.
"Why, are you jealous?"
He looked back at her, evidently appalled, "excuse me?"
She couldn't control her laugh at his expression, "I'm just kidding, my dear boy. I do not think of you that way and know neither do you."
"Why do you always call me dear boy then?"
"Because you are a boy and very dear to me," she patted his shoulder lightly, dark eyes softening a bit, "but the real reason is that you remind me of someone. Let's leave it there at that."
He didn't press further but caught Bruce eyeing him warily, "I may not be jealous but looks like someone else clearly is."
She followed his gaze and smiled at Bruce, twirling away to another dance so that she could keep talking to Richard. "Do you intensely dislike him?"
Her abrupt question took him by alarm, "no. But I'm not that fond of him as the general public is either."
"Any specific reason?"
He threw a question at her instead, "why are you asking?"
"You matter to me and so does your opinion."
He shrugged, "I don't see why my opinion should hardly matter. But if you really want to know, I think he's had an easy life and knows nothing of value."
She laughed again, evidently amused at his perception, "oh dear... Are you saying he's dumb?"
"If that's how you want to take it as..."
"He's not a bad person," she spoke up, "nor is he as ignorant as the press makes him seem. He has some incredible ideas... Regarding business of course."
Richard's lips twitched in a very faint smile, "Miss Vikander, I never thought you could be that generous in praising any man."
She tilted her hand that he was holding, the light catching onto a beautiful diamond ring on her finger, "keep it confidential."
He was surprised, to say the very least. "So you're marrying him?"
Her eyes shone with mirth, "pray do not announce it like that, dear."
"Makes sense why he's jealous right now."
She chose to change the topic instead. "By the way, who's the lovely lady you were dancing with earlier? The one in gold."
"My girlfriend," he replied without even a second's hesitation.
She had raised a brow skeptically, eyes trailing towards the golden clad redhead who was waltzing with Bruce instead, "and you're not jealous at all?"
"Your man doesn't stand a chance," a dazzling smile lit up his face at that.
"Young love... How endearing." She looked back at Barbara but then their partners got exchanged and Richard was back with his lovely girlfriend.
"Looks like you two sorted whatever rift there was between you," Barbara remarked.
"We didn't really talk about that. Not the time nor the place but I guess... I still have my doubts," he whispered back, "what were you talking to Bruce Wayne about?"
She tilted her her slightly, "I wasn't talking. He was asking me who you were and if you knew Lavina personally."
"Then?"
"Then I said it's not my place to know and besides, my boyfriend would hardly try to steal any other woman when he has me."
The smile that lit up his face was truly dazzling as he leaned in to kiss her softly.
"Richard," she mumbled, unable to hold back the smile that creased her lips too, "people are watching."
"I know. I was just proving a point we both made to our temporary waltz partners."
She got the meaning behind his words quite clear, laughing slightly as they pulled apart, "so she was asking you the same thing?"
"Sort of."
He led her away from the dance floor, both watching the host couple from a distance.
"He proposed to her," he whispered.
"Oh. That's news."
"They're keeping it a secret."
She shrugged, "anyway, how does she seem to be about the whole ordeal?"
"Happy," his reply was immediate, "I've never seen her this cheerful."
"And Mister Wayne was thinking the same when he saw her laugh time and again with you," she remarked with a light chuckle, "but you're saying it's due to the engagement."
"Seems so." But he was quick to tear his eyes away from the secretly engaged couple as he turned to look at Barbara, a soft smile playing upon his lips, "what are your plans after the Ball?"
"You have anything in mind?"
"Something very specific which involves a little bit of rule breaking but loads of fun."
She laughed as his smile widened upon placing forward the proposition, "good heavens, Richard, at this rate you will ruin me."
However, that remark was entirely playful since she knew very well that he was in fact the one who had saved her from getting ruined by stepping into her life and making so many things change for her.
"I won't do anything without your permission," he whispered, leaning closer to kiss her again.
"I know, lover boy, now easy or people might start making all sorts of speculations."
He laughed, his voice resonating around her as he connected their lips briefly. "It's a masquerade, love, nobody cares."
One pair of eyes did care though as those mysterious yet mesmerizing dark irises locked upon the two laughing together, a sinister gleam flickering within.
It was rather evident that the beautiful woman in gold and the dashing man in deep navy by her side were completely in love with one another. And while love was considered a greatest strength by most, in some cases it could also be a crippling weakness.
***