5A/N: So, this was unplanned but I'm posting this on Batman Day (09/21/2019). Hope you guys have a HAPPY BATMAN DAY!
Enjoy!
Shape of You
Terry was in uniform, flying the Batmobile through the Gotham skies. He looked at the time; it was almost 11 and nothing was going on. It was the first time in three weeks that no alert had gone off on the police scanners or Bruce hadn't called because a random supervillain was just seen entering town. With the city at peace for the moment, he decided to do something he very seldom go to do.
He took the Batmobile back to the Cave, went home, got dressed and headed out on the town to have some fun and relax.
He drove around downtown, looking for places to go. He would have no problem getting in anywhere; the blessing of being over 21 and working for Bruce Wayne. He drove past a few clubs, but clubs weren't as appealing to him as they used to be. He chuckled, wondering if he was getting older and more mature or if clubs were never as fun as he remembered.
He drove on until he passed a bar called the Black Kitten. He laughed to himself about innuendos on the name; he wasn't as mature as he thought he was. He parked the car and walked into the bar, not being able to stop himself from scanning the entire room. He knew who was most likely to get drunk and start a fight in less than thirty seconds. But this seemed to be a classier establishment, so, more than likely none of those scenarios were going to play out.
He sat down at the bar and ordered a rum and coke with extra ice. He looked around the bar and his eyes fell to a woman in a black business suit, sitting with her back to him at the other end of the bar, sipping on a glass of wine. Terry couldn't help but notice her very impressive figure. He hadn't really dated much since he and Dana broke up five years ago, but this woman's body alone made him think that this would be a good time to start. His eyes trailed up, but he could only see the side of her face.
That was when Terry realized he somewhat recognized her. He got up and walked over to her. The closer he got, the more positive he was that he knew her.
He'd know her anywhere.
He smiled and stopped just behind her. "Excuse me, but would you happen to have a phone?"
The woman scoffed, "Who doesn't have a…" She turned around, revealing Max, and her mouth fell open. "Terry?"
Terry laughed, "I figured you must not have one. I mean, you didn't tell me you were back in Gotham, Max!"
Max gasped, "Hi!" She wrapped her arms around his neck, hugging him tightly, and he hugged her right back.
They stayed that way for a while before they released the hug.
"Since when are you back in town?" Terry asked.
"Just today," Max answered.
"Visiting?"
She smiled. "Permanent."
He blinked in surprise. "Oh. Oh, cool." A huge smile came across his face. "That's great!"
"Yeah." She stared at him, "Isn't it, though?" She looked him up and down. "I don't mind saying… damn, Terry, you look good."
Terry chuckled. "Thanks, Max." He let out a deep breath. "You look better than ever. So, yeah. Damn."
"Thanks."
They spent the next few hours talking and catching up. They stayed right until closing time, deciding to go for a walk afterward. They were walking around downtown, chatting about whatever came to mind, before Terry moved the discussion to a subject that had been on his mind the whole time.
"So you moved back just today?" Terry asked.
"Yeah," Max said.
"Why not call to say you were on your way?"
"I wasn't positive that it was going to happen. The job I applied for had a lot of competition. Wasn't a sure thing until today when they confirmed I got the job. So, basically… I didn't want to get your hopes up. Or mine."
"That's fine," Terry replied. They came to a bench and sat down, "But why didn't you tell me you were even planning on coming back?"
Max stared at him, "Because I hated that I ever left in the first place."
He looked at her, curiously. "Why?"
"Because…" she swallowed a lump in her throat, "…I abandoned you."
He stared at her, blankly. He couldn't believe what she just said. "Max, are you kidding me right now?!"
"No, Terry, I'm serious! I know you stayed because you're a hero. How lousy of a friend was I to leave?"
"C'mon, Max. Don't do that! You have your own life to live. And I would've hated myself if you changed your whole life around, putting everything on hold, because of me."
"It wouldn't have been like I couldn't do anything if I stayed," she said. "There were plenty of jobs and schools here. I could've stayed. It would've been supporting."
He smiled, warmly at her. "Didn't you call me? Didn't you keep checking up on me? Didn't you help me on a lot of cases while you weren't here? You support me all the time."
She put her hand on his leg. "I should've stayed here and supported you."
He looked at her hand then back at her eyes. "I won't say that you being here doesn't make a difference 'cause that'd be a lie. It does. It always did. It always has."
She gazed into his eyes. "I'm here now. And I'm not going anywhere. You sure you still need me?"
"In more ways than one."
She smiled. "I need you, too."
"What for?" he asked.
"Because you're you. That's always mattered. More than you know. Is that okay?"
"Works for me."
A long period of silence passed between them.
"We're not just talking about Batman anymore, are we?" she asked.
"I wasn't, no," he admitted. "Were you?"
"No, not for a while." She summoned up all the courage she could, "Terry. I… really… really missed you."
"I missed you, too."
"And… before I lose my nerve…"
She pressed her lips to his, kissing him like she would never see him again. Terry made no move to stop her. He wanted this as much she did, proven in how he returned the kiss. After their kiss, they gazed into each other's eyes.
"I've really missed you," Max whispered.
"I missed you, too," Terry replied. "I'm glad you're home."
"Me, too."
