#babsrae

Babs let out a laugh, easily wheeling herself towards the only oak table whose legs weren’t covered in neon stickers. The couple got settled in, spreading textbooks, novels, notecards and a pencil case covered with cactus and Halloween stickers atop the glossy wood. Barbara tucked the pamphlet that the physical therapist had given her under one of the notebooks, not ready to deal with the tedious exercises written in it just yet. 

But, knowing better than to try to distract her girlfriend and the annoyingly persistent resolve that the waitress had at keeping up with her physical therapy exercises, Babs rested her chin in her palm and considered the two identical paperbacks that lay just beside Raven’s thermos of tea. The bright colors that made up the novel’s cover clashed wonderfully against the oak’s dark brown garnish. A lazy smile spread over the librarian’s lips at the dramatic, spiky circle that hovered over New York City’s skyline and Babs picked up the book, opening the cover to peek at the summary of the story that she’d read before. 

Raven plucked the physical therapy pamphlet out from under the pile of notebooks and Babs ignored her girlfriend’s knowing stare, ducking her face in the pages as she could already feel the hint of soreness that would overtake her arms by the afternoon’s end. She flipped through the story, her brows raising at the semi-familiar bits and pieces that her eyes could just barely piece together through the fluttering pages. Humming half in curiosity and half to prolong the time until she was up and working out her arms and core again, Babs eagerly read the novel’s back cover. 

The goth snorted at her love’s obvious attempt to get out of exercising, her black-painted nails drumming against the table, “Babe?”

Okey Ndibe’s portrait on the back offered no advice. Babs tossed an arm over her forehead, her nose wrinkling at the idea of doing anymore physical therapy. She lifted her limb half an inch to keep her glasses from digging into her face and heard as her girlfriend tapped her watch, the sound almost twice as fast as the monotonous ticking of the library’s grandfather clock. Still, Raven’s voice held a lot of amusement as she drawled out, “Y’know, our study date technically doesn’t start until after you do these exercises.”

Accepting her fate, the redhead decided to take a page out of her all-but-adopted brothers’ books and go for the dramatic. Babs slumped down against the chair and pressed the back of her hand to her forehead, “Even the love of my life is against me? It’s hopeless, isn’t it?” 

Raven let out a quiet, raspy laugh. She stood up and leaned over the table, just barely able to press a ghost of a kiss against Barbara’s temple, “It’ll be over before you know it.”

The librarian rolled her eyes, but there was no real bite behind the gesture. “Endlessly optimistic about this, aren’t you?”

The waitress drummed her short nails on the book’s cover, the black of her nail polish tapping against the thin font that bore the title Foreign Gods, Inc. Raven smiled down at her girlfriend, a teasing light filling her eyes, “Someone’s gotta be Ike in this scenario.”

Babs’ eyes narrowed behind her glasses, raising her head up to meet her girlfriend’s gaze, “That… doesn’t bode well for either of us, Love.”

“You think? Because I know that Ike and I are pretty similar.”

Babs let out a questioning hum. Raven grabbed her hands and kissed her knuckles this time, standing up and grabbing the extra pencils from her bag on the other end of the table as she counted off on her fingers, “Yeah, let’s see: customer-facing jobs, crappy apartments with noisy neighbors, and I can’t say the same for him but I currently have a wonderful work of art in front of me.” 

A cackle burst out of the librarian, her glasses tilting askew as she covered her face, “Wow.”

Raven leaned over the table, resting her chin in her hands as she sat opposite her girlfriend. Spurred on by the wonderful, semi-embarrassed flush that took over the redhead’s freckled cheeks, her mouth opened to try another cheesy line when someone knocked on the library’s door. The sound echoed loudly in the quiet that surrounded them and the waitress jumped a bit, leaning back and awkwardly smiling at her girlfriend as a voice called out, “Miss Gordon?”

Babs winked at Raven and called over her shoulder, “Near the tables!”

Raven blinked as a butler in a pristine suit suddenly appeared from around the aisles of books, a ceramic bowl deeply etched with bats balanced in his hand. “Ah,” The elderly man nodded at Raven, his smile widening at the happy flush to Barbara’s face. He strode up to the table and  handed the goth the bowl, “I’m Alfred Pennyworth. It’s wonderful to meet you, Miss Roth.”

Raven stood to take the offered dish from him. Alfred looked pleased to finally be meeting her and extended his gloved hand, “I brought snacks. I’ve heard quite a bit about you already, but Miss Gordon mentioned you were a fan in particular.”

Raven gratefully set aside the bowl of frozen grapes, wiping her palm of the bowl’s condensation and bashfully shaking the old man’s hand a moment later, “Thank you. It’s very nice to meet you too, Mr. Pennyworth.”

The butler had an air that held equal parts authority and warmth as he smiled kindly at Raven; the goth seemed to calm down somewhat, her nerves no longer twisting in her stomach as Alfred casually added, “Now, I was told that you would be joining us for dinner? Today’s the day for meeting the family in its totality, hmm?” 

His kind smile was mainly aimed at Raven, even as his glance kept flickering between the two women, “So it’s completely official, then?”

Babs palmed her face at the excitement that the butler was just barely containing. She was glad that the crinkles in the old man’s crows’ feet were so warm, but he was planning something. The redhead brushed aside some of the hair that fell over the top of her glasses, her bangs as desperately in need of a trim as Barbara was in need of answers, “Alfred…”

Raven blinked at the butler as he waved her to lean in. Conspiratorially, Alfred hummed out a factoid, “You know back in my day, we referred to relationships like yours as going steady.”

Babs let out an exasperated groan, her forehead meeting the oak table as Raven practically lit up like the sun. She and Alfred tittered together, two sets of eyes going to the redhead as Raven all but sung out, “‘Going steady’ huh? Now where, oh where have I heard that before, my love?”

Babs playfully blew a raspberry her girlfriend’s way at the tease, unable to keep the giggles that were building in her chest from escaping. Despite the lightness that he’d inserted into the air, Alfred seemed to recognize the nerves that still roiled in the waitress’s stomach from the way her smile didn’t quite fill her entire face. Deciding now would be a good time to take his leave, in a moment full of laughter and the obvious inside joke that he’d unknowingly added on to, Alfred hummed into the air, “Well, I'll leave you two to your studying. Don't have too much fun now.”

“Thank you, Mr. Pennyworth.” Raven fiddled with one of her rings as the butler smiled at her again. 

Babs had told her ahead of time that Alfred was the one to impress but she honestly felt like she didn’t really have to try; the old man seemed to enjoy her presence in the redhead’s life as is and Raven found some of the tension leaving her shoulders. The waitress’ words held an undercurrent of how hopeful she was that meeting the rest of Babs’ family would go as well as she complimented, “I see why everyone says you’re the best.”

“Anytime Miss Roth. And, just between you and me,” She leaned in as the butler winked at her, his voice grandfatherly as he offered a simple piece of advice, “Both Master Wayne and Commissioner Gordon are rather fond of your relationship with Miss Gordon. It’s obvious how happy you make her, so no need to fret.”

Raven smiled down at herself, unable to keep the pleased heat out of her cheeks. She could practically hear the blush that took over Babs’ face and looked up at the butler, hoping that he could see how appreciative she was of his words. The waitress twisted her rings back in place, her smile brightening her face as she conceded that Alfred really was the best, “Thanks, Mr. Pennyworth.”

He nodded, “No problem. I’ll warn you before Master Wayne arrives and then see you both at dinner at 6.”

Alfred’s gray eyes were warm as he caught the look that flashed across Babs’ face as green eyes flicked to one of the many clocks that adorned the library’s walls, adding a second later, “And I’ll make sure that everyone behaves until then.”

Babs relaxed in her chair, glad at the knowledge that she’d have some peace and alone time with her girlfriend for at least a few more hours, “Thanks, Alfred.”

Raven gave him a tiny wave as the butler made his exit, the library’s winding aisles hiding him but not the sound of his footsteps on the hardwood. Once the library’s door shut behind him, Raven plopped down in the seat next to Babs, feeling as exhausted as her girlfriend looked. The redhead pressed a tired kiss to the sliver of exposed shoulder where Raven’s flannel met her tank top. The waitress didn’t slump back in her chair but a haggard sigh did slip out of her and Barbara couldn’t help but remember that, as remarkably well as her introduction to Alfred had gone, this was the first official time that her girlfriend was meeting her family in a non-traumatic setting. 

Pressing another kiss to the strip of pale shoulder, the redhead stole a grape and rested her arms on the table, flipping through her notes as Raven took out her flashcards. They fell into a comfortable kind of silence just by being next to each other, the quiet occasionally broken by the scratch of a pencil on paper, the flipping of pages as one searched for a particular section of notes they’d written down, the soft flick! of a post-it note being pulled off its pile, the oddly rhythmic way that Raven was prone to chewing on the end of her pens. Occasionally, Babs let out a low hum as she highlighted a particular section that she’d need to review and Raven glanced at her girlfriend out of the corner of her eye, a small smile curling her lips at how cute the redhead looked when she was concentrating: slightly furrowed brows, the studious way that her fingers curled along the top of the textbook’s pages, the way that Babs squinted down at her notes the longer she read them, unaware (or possibly uncaring) that the tilt of her head was allowing her glasses to slowly slide down the ridge of her nose. Their shoulders rested together as they continued to work and every so often one would hook their pinky with the other, taking some solace in the warmth of the other’s skin.

The quiet slowly gave way to the birds whose nests lined the manor’s roofs, their bickering over who would get the best flowers that day filtering in through the thin glass of the windows. Babs reached to completely grab Raven’s hand as she pressed her glasses more snug up on her nose, especially as the noise of the Wayne boys arriving started to filter in through the manor’s wide air vents. Luckily all but a paragraph was missing from one of her essays so Babs figured now was as good a time as any to take a short break. 

Oh well, at least she got most of the day’s tedious chores out of the way.

Popping another grape into her mouth after attempting to slyly stick the pamphlet underneath a stack of worn-down spiral notebooks, Babs stuck her tongue out when Raven sing-songed, “Study date first, but your PT’s still happening.”

The librarian pouted as she turned to rest her chin on Raven’s shoulder. Glad that her taller height made the move possible while she was in her wheelchair, Babs looked over the lines and edges of her girlfriend’s face, her smile lopsided and lovestruck as she admired the waitress’ profile. Basil eyes couldn’t help but continue to flick down to the fullness of her girlfriend’s lips as she appreciated the view. 

Raven tried and failed to bite back her smile when the redhead’s stare lasted for over half a minute, “See something interesting, Babe?”

“Is it really a study date if I can’t steal a kiss?” 

Raven chuckled at the question that came out as practically a whine. The waitress put a notecard in her textbook to save her spot and Babs leaned closer, her grin widening as she kept staring at Raven’s oh-so-kissable lips. A freckled hand came up to wrap around the goth’s arm, lazily running her fingertips along the strip of skin between where Raven’s flannel ended and the crook of her elbow. 

Barbara’s voice was as sly as she could manage as she drawled out, “You know, one of the reasons that Alfred’s the best is because he can keep a secret. No one’s gonna look for us in the library soooo--”

Green eyes happily closed as Raven’s lips crashed against hers. 

--

Babs smiled as she rested in her wheelchair, looking up at the sky as Raven wheeled her through the manor’s gardens. Gotham was rearing up for spring and with the last of the snow finally gone, the flowers were finally starting to bloom. 

The librarian took a deep breath of air, glad that Alfred’s lavender patch survived the harsh winter storms. Raven seemed to be in another state of awe at the sheer size of the manor’s grounds, if her quiet sighs whenever a particularly bold group of birds flew by meant anything. Babs leaned her head back and stared up at her girlfriend, trying to remember if she’d ever had a chance to kiss the hairthin scar that left a white line along the bottom of the goth’s chin. 

Gray eyes briefly glanced down at her girlfriend, a soft blush on her face. Babs watched the way that Raven’s blush cascaded down her chest, her green gaze eagerly taking in all of the goth’s arms that she could see. Mindlessly thanking whoever invented tank tops, the redhead felt a languid, appreciative smile stretch across her face as she noted the tension in Raven’s arms as she wheeled her around. The waitress was strong enough that pushing her was anything but a strain, but the curl of her arms couldn’t be ignored.

Babs was really starting to understand why Raven was always by her side whenever she wheeled herself around; arms were amazing features, after all. Raven seemed to sense that her girlfriend’s thoughts were elsewhere and decided to choose the spot. The goth easily wheeled them over to one of the many nectarine trees that lined the manor’s gardens, this one in particular casting a comfortable splattering of shade over the many bird baths that were interspersed within the topiaries. Raven plopped down on the dry patch of grass, the dampness of the morning’s dew long since evaporated in the spring sun. The leftover grapes were just starting to defrost, the sun’s soft rays warming everything up. 

Babs pulled the two copies of Foreign Gods, Inc. out of the panels on her wheelchair. She easily balanced the bowl of semi-frozen grapes in her lap, the cold ceramic shielded by Raven’s balled up flannel. As she handed Raven her copy, Barbara tried not to get distracted as that flannel reminded her that her girlfriend was in a tank top, her gaze shooting up to the goth’s face as she hummed out, “You’ve read this one already, right?”

Babs looked down at her girlfriend, “A little while back. I can’t remember all of it, but I do know I read it all in a day. It drew me in so quickly.” The librarian aimed a sly smile Raven’s way and batted her lashes, “You continue to prove that you have really good taste.”

Raven let out a cackling sort of giggle at the compliment and leaned up, resting her elbow on one of the wheelchair’s arms as she idly played with the ends of Babs’ shirt. The button-up’s raised sides of the hem left a wonderful, small space for the goth to casually rest her fingertips along her love’s waist. Her fingertips drew miscellaneous shapes along that small sliver of skin and Raven aimed an innocent smile up at Barbara when a shiver ran through the redhead. 

Deciding to forgo reading for just a little while longer, Raven went up on her knees to press a lazy kiss along the underside of Babs’ jaw. Her voice was just louder than a whisper as she boasted, “I have very good taste, actually.”

To prove her point (and to keep up the ministrations that were causing Babs to make the most phenomenal of not-quite whimpers), Raven slowly stood up an inch at a time, peppering kisses along her girlfriend’s face; soft, butterfly kisses that trailed up from her jaw to past her ear and along her hairline, two quick pecks on her nose, a loud smooch above her left eyebrow that shifted the redhead’s glasses out of place, a whisper of a kiss place directly atop her upper lip. Raven leaned down, her hands braced on the arms of Babs’ chair as she admired her handiwork. 

Babs’ face had reddened to the point that most of her freckles were no longer visible, buried in the heat that burned her face. Raven snugly pressed their foreheads together, smiling as their noses bumped. She tilted her face as if to go in for a kiss, the movement brushing the tips of their noses together. Green eyes fluttered shut and Babs let out a happy sound in the back of her throat, leaning up to steal a kiss. 

Well, she tried to, at least. 

Raven pulled back at the very last second, her eyes regretful even as a knowing, teasing smirk spread across her lips. Babs pouted and grabbed at her love’s biceps, impatiently trying to pull the goth back down for a proper kiss. Biting back a laugh, Raven let go of the wheelchair’s arms and pulled a pamphlet from one of her back pockets.

Babs’ face fell and she let out an aggravated sigh, flopping back in her seat. Raven’s laughter finally bubbled up as the redhead held her palms up to the sky in a ‘woe is me’ pose; the librarian’s grumbling to burn the damned pamphlet was a bit too loud, the half-hearted complaints loud enough for her girlfriend to hear. Raven stood in front of the self pity party and tucked the pamphlet in her back pocket again. 

“I’ll make you a deal,” Raven crossed her arms and looked down at her girlfriend. She watched as Babs’ bright green eyes peeked at her from behind her fingers. The goth had to try to bite back her pleasure at the way Babs kept obviously checking out the curve of her shoulders and the expanse of skin that her tank top allowed; taking in a deep breath first, Raven held up a finger. 

The waitress’ words came out more as a challenge than a compromise, “If you can finish all of these exercises before sunset, then I’ll find a way to escape your brothers’ teasing after dinner.”

The redhead let out a contemplating hum, narrowing her eyes at the pamphlet as she considered how much time they could spend together before heading back to Raven’s apartment. Reaching into the bowl on her lap, Babs broke the last of the now-defrosted grapes off its stem and popped it in her mouth. 

Raven leaned down to press yet another kiss on her face, her fingertips lazily scratching along her girlfriend’s scalp; the waitress smiled against the freckled cheek and blew a half-hearted raspberry when Babs seemed more concerned with leaning into the fingers running through her hair rather than agree to the proposition. Raven pecked a constellation of freckles just below the thin shadow of a line made by the librarian’s glasses, “Haven’t heard an answer yet, Miss Gordon.”

The redhead let out an unconvincing hum, her head turning until their noses brushed as she clarified, “And if I do finish them, I get to spend the rest of the night with you?”

A thick brow raised, a tilted curl stretching the waitress’ lips, “Of course.”

She kissed the empath slowly, gently, carefully. Every move purposeful and calculated. She smiled in satisfaction as the Titan hummed in approval as her lips brushed the column of Raven’s throat and worked down to her shoulders. 

Despite herself, she gave a small whine as Raven’s hands tightened in her hair, nails scratching roughly against her scalp.

“Careful, sweetheart,” Barbara hummed, “I’ve only just started.”

She continued peppering the empath’s skin in light kisses, as Raven began to relax back against the headboard.

“You know how ticklish I can be there, love-”

“And I know that you have a tendency to escalate things too quickly,” the Bat quipped back, one hand lazily tracing patterns along Raven’s side as she continued her journey down the Titan’s body.

She grazed her teeth gently against her girlfriend’s chest, her other hand reaching up now to tenderly embrace the soft skin. Then a quick pinch, a few gentle nibs. She smiled again as Raven’s breath seemed to catch at the unexpected pain, the gasp making her chest rise deliciously. Barbara continued further down to leave a trail of kisses over her stomach.

The hand that had been tracing along the Titan’s side finally found its way to the last remaining piece of clothing she had left, a pair of beautifully navy panties.

“Wait!” 

“What was that, darling?” Barbara asked, eyes peering up at the Titan’s flushed face.

She cleared her throat, face turning scarlett as she said, “I want you to use your teeth.” There was a beat of silence as she swallowed carefully. “Please?”

It wasn’t a beg. But it was wonderfully endearing.