BAE Chapter 83

Barbara pushes those thoughts away and closes her eyes, but Ivy still notices the tension in her body. There’s an awkward pause.

Ivy grimaces and wipes her mouth, then repositions to sit on the side of the bed.

Barbara feels sick, but it’s not because of Ivy, who takes a deep breath.

“I guess there would be some hangups for the commissioner’s daughter in this situation,” Ivy says lightly. She’s good at hiding what she’s feeling. She’s hurt. Not heartbroken, just hurt. It’s unavoidable.

“I didn’t want you to stop,” Barbara tells her.

Ivy glances over, then looks away.

Barbara sits up, no longer conscious of her nakedness. Ivy, sitting there in her nightshirt, doesn’t look like a villain. For a second, she let herself be normal. Mostly normal. Then Barbara hesitated, and Ivy could only conclude that it’s her history.

“It’s not what you think,” Barbara says.

“It’s OK,” Ivy says, looking down at her hands in her lap. “I don’t blame you.”

“I just said that you’re misunderstanding. Pam, I’m…”

“The commissioner’s daughter. I know.”

“No. It’s not that. I’m doing things.”

Ivy’s expression turns to curiosity.

“Doing things?” she echoes.

“Yes. My degree is in library science. Now I’m working for Wayne Enterprises and going on TV. I’m doing stuff that matters and it has consequences and it’s different from what I’m used to. I’ve done stuff before, but never like this.” Barbara waggles a finger to indicate herself and Ivy. “And I don’t mean this part. It’s a lot and I have a lot of doubts, and… literally getting into bed with Poison Ivy brought all that up. But it’s not that I, Barbara Gordon, can’t be in bed with Poison Ivy.”

Ivy stares at her, taken aback. Finally, she looks away.

“I don’t know if I believe all that. But it means a lot that you’re trying to make me feel better. Harley’s just about the only other person who will do that with me.”

“Pam, you can seduce literally anyone.”

“No, I mean try to make me feel better.” Ivy sighs. “Her, and occasionally Batman. I kind of miss him.”

“Really?”

Ivy nods. “He’s said some things over the years. Nice things. Even after everything I’ve done.”

Barbara scowls. That’s the trouble with Bruce. He’ll screw everything up, but then do something that makes you forgive him. Those occasional moments of humanity and sweetness are frustrating and deadly.

“I miss him too,” she admits.

Ivy looks curious. “You know him?”

“No, I mean I miss the symbol that he was.”

“Standing up to people like me?”

“Standing up for something,” Barbara counters firmly. “I don’t think that beating up muggers is the solution to this city’s problems, but Batman’s nothing if not motivated. I respect that. And he’s a close personal friend of my father’s. Maybe my father’s best friend.”

“Good to know,” Ivy replies.

“It’s not a secret.”

“I know.”

“I’m not getting laid, am I?” Ivy looks wistful.

Barbara opens her mouth, then shuts it and gives her an apologetic look. Before Ivy can say something or get up, Barbara reaches out and takes her hand.

“I want you to succeed,” she says.

“Of course you do.”

“Not because of business. Batman. My Dad.”

“You want them to win?”

“No.” Barbara glares at her. “I want you to show them that not everything has to be… a war. There can be another way.”

Ivy snorts.

“You could set an example that I think could be really meaningful,” Barbara goes on.

Ivy’s expression turns sour. “OK, I’ll admit this sweet idealism is attractive,” she says.

“That’s not what I was…”

“I know. That’s why it’s cute. Look, I know how this is going to make me sound,” Ivy says, more than ever sounding like a normal woman. She pulls her hand free and gets to her feet. “But if I step out, can you take care of yourself? I need to at least know that you can achieve a clitoral orgasm.”

“Oh. Right. I’m pretty sure I can. I mean, I think I was probably about to,” Barbara says, avoiding eye contact. She’s suddenly conscious of her nudity again and closes her legs.

“I’ll be outside.”

“Hang on.”

Ivy pauses, looking back.

Barbara makes up her mind quickly. If she can fight off a dozen goons at once, she can handle this situation gracefully without being a coward. She slips under Ivy’s sheets and pulls them up.

“You don’t have to leave,” she says.

A long second passes between them.

“You’re just full of surprises,” Ivy says, pulling her shirt over her head. Barbara stares as Ivy slides into bed beside her.

“OK. Very clinical now. Don’t watch me.”

“Wouldn’t dream of it,” Ivy says.

“Are you going to do you?”

“Can I?”

“You don’t need my permission.”

“I kind of do,” Ivy says. So, she doesn’t think twice about doing huge plant crimes, but she’s very serious about consent. At least when she’s not rampaging on horny plant pheromone. Barbara can respect that.

Ivy settles on her back and closes her eyes. Once convinced that she’s not peeking, Barbara does the same. She’s got plenty of muscle memory from before the penis, and with a thought or two about Dick, maybe one about Kate, a few about Summer, Riley Beaumont…

She gasps and brings herself off, toes curling under Ivy’s sheets.

It’s not an earth-shattering orgasm, but it’s nice. Barbara opens one eye. From the movements under the sheet, Ivy’s massaging one breast while she touches herself with the other. Her mouth is wide open, but she’s not making noise. She finishes a few moments later, and Barbara isn’t completely comfortable with how the look on Ivy’s face makes her feel.

Weird feelings.

They lie in silence. Barbara’s life is too complicated for her to truly bask in the moment, but it’s quiet and still. She has an appreciation for that now. Finally, Ivy rolls onto her side, not exactly climbing on top of Barbara, but getting quite cozy and looking down at her. Her hair tickles Barbara’s face.

“Thank you.”

“You’re welcome. Samples from me are of the highest quality,” Barbara jokes.

“Mmhmm. This is the best night I’ve had in…” Ivy looks distant. “A while.”

“You’re a person, Pamela. You should be treated like one.”

Ivy grimaces. “Maybe. But if that’s true, then I should treat people like people.”

“Yes. You should.” Barbara grins.

“I wish it was that easy. If you like symbols so much, I guess you’re in luck.”

“What do you mean?”

“Batman might be on vacation, but now we have all these Batgirls.”

“All these?”

“Don’t you watch the news? The purple one is back now too,” Ivy says with a smile. “It’s like they’re having a convention. Ow!”

Barbara sits up so suddenly that they bop heads. “Wait, the purple one was on the news?”

Ivy cocks her head, rubbing at her forehead. “So?”

“I just… I need to stay on top of the news. There’s a lot going on.” Barbara climbs over Ivy and gets to her feet. “Can I borrow some clothes?”

“Um, sure.”

Barbara raids Ivy’s drawers to get decent. She turns back to see Ivy on her feet looking worried. Interestingly, Ivy has wrapped herself in the bedsheet. She’s hiding it, but she looks devastated that Barbara is leaving. This isn’t about sex. It’s about human connection and… boredom. Barbara is struck by a moment of weakness. She is, after all, a deeply nice person. It’s a moment of weakness. She’s about to make a promise that she knows she might regret.

Does Barbara promise to get Ivy out of here?

Or that they will pick this up another time?