Fic: Breaking New Ground
Dec. 25th, 2008 10:08 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
noelia_gTitle: Breaking New Ground
Pairing: Gordon/Bruce, Steve/Babs
Rating: PG-13.
Word count: 1298.
A/N: A Christmas fluffy ficlet in the groundverse, follow up to solid ground and common ground. Merry Christmas, guys :)
The night is really cold, even more so than a usual December night in Gotham. Steve rubs his hands together, wishing that for once he actually wore gloves. Of course, the simple solution to the cold would be to finally knock on the Gordons' doors, but when was the last time he actually did something reasonable?
He honestly thought he got over this, the sitting on the porch like a deranged stalker part, for over a year he had somehow managed to make his way from the car to the front door without getting lost or derailed by a sudden panic, but apparently the thought of spending the Christmas Eve over at Barbara's place is enough to bring the good old terror back. Because this made it official now, this isn't picking her up for a date and spending five to ten minutes on small talk with her father, and sometimes Jimmy, and sometimes, inexplicably, Bruce Wayne (he still puzzled over that one). And the fact that Babs is invited by his mother for the evening the next day somehow doesn't make it any better.
"Are you going to stand here all night?" Babs asks, opening the window overlooking the porch, and sticking her head out, looking at him curiously. "Because if you are, I can get you a cup of cocoa. And Dad says he has a pair of gloves you can borrow."
Perfect. Steve sighs and straightens, running his hand through his hair. "No, I'm good."
"Okay," she shrugs, reaching to close the window. "Knock when you decide to come in, the doorbell doesn't work."
He rolls his eyes, and pointedly waits twenty seconds before he knocks. Babs opens, laughing at him, and he doesn't even mind, because she has on a green dress that brings out her eyes, and her hair falls in curls like a halo, and... "You have me waxing poetics in my head," he tells her accusingly. "What do you have to say for yourself?"
"Well, I clearly am that awesome," she says with an overdone flair, and leans in to kiss him briefly. He thinks of a suitable riposte, but when she's kissing him, the only one he comes up with is a meek 'sure you are', and it sounds too much like an agreement.
"Sure you are," he says anyway, and she smiles.
"Is that Steve?" Mr Gordon calls out from the living room. "Have him come in, and close the door. You're letting the cold in," he adds, and Babs rolls her eyes, and closes the doors. She's about to say something, when another voice carries through from the living room, incredibly amused.
"If you're cold, I'm sure I can help somehow."
Steve glances questioningly at Barbara, who cringes theatrically, but is doing her best not to laugh. Jimmy comes out of the living room, rolling his eyes. "They're worse then usual," he says, then nods at Steve. "Hey."
"It could be worse," Babs mutters, as she's dragging him towards the kitchen, Jimmy following them.
"How so?" Jimmy asks, doubt colouring his voice.
She makes a face. "We could have failed in removing all of the mistletoe Bruce had put up."
"Oh, God, you're right. It could be worse," Jimmy says, and crouches in front of the oven, peering at whatever is inside. "Are they ready yet?"
Babs shrugs, checking the timer. "Five more minutes, at least. Why, do they look ready?" She looks at Steve. "We're trying out Mom's recipe for gingerbread cookies. We found the recipe folded in one of her books," she adds, and her eyes are a little bit brighter, and Steve nods, then pulls her closer, kissing the corner of her mouth, and she leans in seconds later.
"Seriously," Jimmy says, not even looking up. "I thought we had a rule about PDAs in the kitchen, and how they're not allowed."
"That's for Dad and Bruce," Babs says as she pulls away, and Steve's jaw drops, because he is just connecting all the dots and the emerging picture is mightily disturbing.
"Wait... what?" he asks, and Jimmy looks up now, his eyebrows up in disbelief. Babs starts laughing. "Your Dad? And Bruce Wayne?"
Barbara has that look on her face that usually means she thinks him dense; adorable, but dense. He's not very fond of this look, even though she makes it look reasonably attractive.
"He didn't know?" Jimmy asks, and he's laughing now. Steve glares at him, which only makes him laugh harder.
Babs sighs. "I really thought he had figured it out by now," she says, and sighs theatrically, reaching to ruffle Steve's hair.
"Figured out what by now?" Bruce Wayne asks, walking into the kitchen. The slacks and a faded t-shirt is the most casual Steve had seen him in, and it's really not helping with certain mental images he has now. Really, really not helping.
"That you and Dad had been making out on the couch instead of finishing up with the Christmas tree," Jimmy says casually, and Steve almost chokes on the air.
Bruce Wayne just shrugs. And Steve swears, one day he'll be able to refer to him by something else than his full name, but not just yet. "Oh, he didn't know?" he asks, as if everyone knew. Steve really hopes everyone doesn't know, because then not knowing would be more embarrassing than it already is. Although he is pretty sure not many people know, as he's yet to see the tabloid headlines.
And then he catches it, just as Bruce Wayne is opening the fridge to reach for a can of soda, an assessing look, searching and just slightly wary, and yeah, he does get the implications, and he realises he better keeps his mouth shut if he doesn't want Babs to... well, hit him. Before dumping him. Which wouldn't be good. But, anyway, the suspicious look is not something he expected from Bruce. Wayne. Damn, that was close.
"Babs forgot to mention it," Steve says slowly, enunciating. "No doubt to make fun of me while it finally dawns."
Bruce (HA!) relaxes, and nods. "She does that," he agrees, and Babs smiles cheerfully, which looks just slightly evil, and more than slightly hot.
"Is it safe to get back to the living room?" Jimmy asks, crossing his arms as he looks at Bruce pointedly, and Bruce absently runs his hand over his neck, and Steve could really have lived without seeing the faint red mark there. Really. On the plus side, he is doing fine with the first name now, so, point for him.
"I'm not so sure, considering your father is trying to plug in the Christmas lights."
"I heard that," Mr Gordon muttered, coming into the kitchen, nodding at Steve. "Got here okay?" he asks, and it sounds like one of his usual questions about traffic, but somehow Steve doesn't think the searching look that accompanies the question is about the road situation.
"Yeah, no problem at all," he says, and gets a slow nod in return, followed by one of the rare smiles.
"Good. Bruce, if you don't mind lending me a hand, I think the kids can carry on here."
"Oh, I could lend you a hand," Bruce says, and thank God, the rest of what he's saying is drowned out by the sound of the timer going off.
Jimmy rolls his eyes. "I don't think mistletoe would make it worse," he tells Barbara mournfully, and she shrugs.
"You might be right," she says, but she's smiling, and Steve can't help but smile too.
Pairing: Gordon/Bruce, Steve/Babs
Rating: PG-13.
Word count: 1298.
A/N: A Christmas fluffy ficlet in the groundverse, follow up to solid ground and common ground. Merry Christmas, guys :)
The night is really cold, even more so than a usual December night in Gotham. Steve rubs his hands together, wishing that for once he actually wore gloves. Of course, the simple solution to the cold would be to finally knock on the Gordons' doors, but when was the last time he actually did something reasonable?
He honestly thought he got over this, the sitting on the porch like a deranged stalker part, for over a year he had somehow managed to make his way from the car to the front door without getting lost or derailed by a sudden panic, but apparently the thought of spending the Christmas Eve over at Barbara's place is enough to bring the good old terror back. Because this made it official now, this isn't picking her up for a date and spending five to ten minutes on small talk with her father, and sometimes Jimmy, and sometimes, inexplicably, Bruce Wayne (he still puzzled over that one). And the fact that Babs is invited by his mother for the evening the next day somehow doesn't make it any better.
"Are you going to stand here all night?" Babs asks, opening the window overlooking the porch, and sticking her head out, looking at him curiously. "Because if you are, I can get you a cup of cocoa. And Dad says he has a pair of gloves you can borrow."
Perfect. Steve sighs and straightens, running his hand through his hair. "No, I'm good."
"Okay," she shrugs, reaching to close the window. "Knock when you decide to come in, the doorbell doesn't work."
He rolls his eyes, and pointedly waits twenty seconds before he knocks. Babs opens, laughing at him, and he doesn't even mind, because she has on a green dress that brings out her eyes, and her hair falls in curls like a halo, and... "You have me waxing poetics in my head," he tells her accusingly. "What do you have to say for yourself?"
"Well, I clearly am that awesome," she says with an overdone flair, and leans in to kiss him briefly. He thinks of a suitable riposte, but when she's kissing him, the only one he comes up with is a meek 'sure you are', and it sounds too much like an agreement.
"Sure you are," he says anyway, and she smiles.
"Is that Steve?" Mr Gordon calls out from the living room. "Have him come in, and close the door. You're letting the cold in," he adds, and Babs rolls her eyes, and closes the doors. She's about to say something, when another voice carries through from the living room, incredibly amused.
"If you're cold, I'm sure I can help somehow."
Steve glances questioningly at Barbara, who cringes theatrically, but is doing her best not to laugh. Jimmy comes out of the living room, rolling his eyes. "They're worse then usual," he says, then nods at Steve. "Hey."
"It could be worse," Babs mutters, as she's dragging him towards the kitchen, Jimmy following them.
"How so?" Jimmy asks, doubt colouring his voice.
She makes a face. "We could have failed in removing all of the mistletoe Bruce had put up."
"Oh, God, you're right. It could be worse," Jimmy says, and crouches in front of the oven, peering at whatever is inside. "Are they ready yet?"
Babs shrugs, checking the timer. "Five more minutes, at least. Why, do they look ready?" She looks at Steve. "We're trying out Mom's recipe for gingerbread cookies. We found the recipe folded in one of her books," she adds, and her eyes are a little bit brighter, and Steve nods, then pulls her closer, kissing the corner of her mouth, and she leans in seconds later.
"Seriously," Jimmy says, not even looking up. "I thought we had a rule about PDAs in the kitchen, and how they're not allowed."
"That's for Dad and Bruce," Babs says as she pulls away, and Steve's jaw drops, because he is just connecting all the dots and the emerging picture is mightily disturbing.
"Wait... what?" he asks, and Jimmy looks up now, his eyebrows up in disbelief. Babs starts laughing. "Your Dad? And Bruce Wayne?"
Barbara has that look on her face that usually means she thinks him dense; adorable, but dense. He's not very fond of this look, even though she makes it look reasonably attractive.
"He didn't know?" Jimmy asks, and he's laughing now. Steve glares at him, which only makes him laugh harder.
Babs sighs. "I really thought he had figured it out by now," she says, and sighs theatrically, reaching to ruffle Steve's hair.
"Figured out what by now?" Bruce Wayne asks, walking into the kitchen. The slacks and a faded t-shirt is the most casual Steve had seen him in, and it's really not helping with certain mental images he has now. Really, really not helping.
"That you and Dad had been making out on the couch instead of finishing up with the Christmas tree," Jimmy says casually, and Steve almost chokes on the air.
Bruce Wayne just shrugs. And Steve swears, one day he'll be able to refer to him by something else than his full name, but not just yet. "Oh, he didn't know?" he asks, as if everyone knew. Steve really hopes everyone doesn't know, because then not knowing would be more embarrassing than it already is. Although he is pretty sure not many people know, as he's yet to see the tabloid headlines.
And then he catches it, just as Bruce Wayne is opening the fridge to reach for a can of soda, an assessing look, searching and just slightly wary, and yeah, he does get the implications, and he realises he better keeps his mouth shut if he doesn't want Babs to... well, hit him. Before dumping him. Which wouldn't be good. But, anyway, the suspicious look is not something he expected from Bruce. Wayne. Damn, that was close.
"Babs forgot to mention it," Steve says slowly, enunciating. "No doubt to make fun of me while it finally dawns."
Bruce (HA!) relaxes, and nods. "She does that," he agrees, and Babs smiles cheerfully, which looks just slightly evil, and more than slightly hot.
"Is it safe to get back to the living room?" Jimmy asks, crossing his arms as he looks at Bruce pointedly, and Bruce absently runs his hand over his neck, and Steve could really have lived without seeing the faint red mark there. Really. On the plus side, he is doing fine with the first name now, so, point for him.
"I'm not so sure, considering your father is trying to plug in the Christmas lights."
"I heard that," Mr Gordon muttered, coming into the kitchen, nodding at Steve. "Got here okay?" he asks, and it sounds like one of his usual questions about traffic, but somehow Steve doesn't think the searching look that accompanies the question is about the road situation.
"Yeah, no problem at all," he says, and gets a slow nod in return, followed by one of the rare smiles.
"Good. Bruce, if you don't mind lending me a hand, I think the kids can carry on here."
"Oh, I could lend you a hand," Bruce says, and thank God, the rest of what he's saying is drowned out by the sound of the timer going off.
Jimmy rolls his eyes. "I don't think mistletoe would make it worse," he tells Barbara mournfully, and she shrugs.
"You might be right," she says, but she's smiling, and Steve can't help but smile too.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2008-12-25 09:20 pm (UTC)Merry Christmas indeed!
All's well that ends well!
I love happy endings!
no subject
Date: 2008-12-25 09:23 pm (UTC)(this is just a fluffy interlude, I'm planning next fic, with Babs in college. I might be quite mad, but I don't care ;D)
no subject
Date: 2008-12-25 10:34 pm (UTC)But now, having established my FIRST! status, I can now come back and comment. (I know, I know, I'm an idiot).
I gotta say, I really liked how Babs and Jimmy are so accepting/comfortable with Gordon/Bruce that they can go eww! and hide mistletoe (lol!) and crack jokes at the couple's expense. I loved the going back and forth between brother and sister.
I liked the crack about Jim hooking up Christmas lights. Is it safe to go in there?
I like the rules the kids make for the couple. No making out here, between 3:00-4:30 p.m.... just kidding. lol
I liked that Steve turns out to be a pretty good guy. But if he ever decides to become an idiot with his new knowledge, I want first dibs on beating him to a bloody pulp with a plastic mallet.
So much sweetness. So adorable. It's just wonderful. Christmas is about family, and this was just a lovely thing.
no subject
Date: 2008-12-26 12:55 pm (UTC)Steve will get a chance to be an idiot, but I really like him, so nothing major. (He started out as an off comment in Solid Ground, then I needed a character for this POV in Common Ground, and now he's a character in his own rights, and I am thinking up his family, and his friends, and his career choices. Gods, it's so strange.)
I like keeping it fun and fluffy. The kids have come to love and care for Bruce, and I think that they know enough to be happy for Jim and Bruce, even if they really don't want to see the make-out scenes. (I had went through my parents' divorce, and my mother finding someone, and I still don't want to know, or see, and I'm 23. It's just...disturbing, even if I'm happy for her ;D)
no subject
Date: 2008-12-26 05:20 pm (UTC)I'm looking forward to your future installments. Steve I will hurt if he becomes an idiot. Seriously.
no subject
Date: 2008-12-25 10:03 pm (UTC)Merry Christmas!
no subject
Date: 2008-12-26 12:57 pm (UTC)I hadn't thought I'd like Steve so much, but he's a great character to have observing the Gordons and Bruce, because he has enough of an outsider POV to have fun with the readers' knowledge, and is, generally, fantastic to write :D
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Date: 2008-12-25 10:26 pm (UTC)2. I think I love this idea with this all of the mistletoe Bruce had put up. Can I just sit there and watch? Please?
3. Huh, I forgot about this one christmas manip with Jim, Babs and Jimmy I made some time ago... XDDD
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Date: 2008-12-26 12:58 pm (UTC)2. Someone should be taking pictures. Or capturing it on film.
3. And whatcha gonna do about it? ;D
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Date: 2008-12-26 02:05 pm (UTC)3. I have no idea. Should I do something? XD
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Date: 2008-12-25 11:39 pm (UTC)Merry Christmas!
no subject
Date: 2008-12-26 12:58 pm (UTC)You too :)
no subject
Date: 2008-12-25 11:51 pm (UTC)Hope you have a Merry Christmas
Neyla
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Date: 2008-12-26 12:59 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-12-26 12:00 am (UTC)OMG! You have a verse!!!!!!
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Date: 2008-12-26 12:59 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-12-26 01:51 am (UTC)Bruce Wayne just shrugs. And Steve swears, one day he'll be able to refer to him by something else than his full name, but not just yet.
I giggled at how perfect this was, poor Steve.
are you adding more to this or was this just a one shot sequel? cause i sorta love this series.
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Date: 2008-12-26 01:01 pm (UTC)Glad you liked, thank you :)
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Date: 2008-12-26 04:55 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-12-26 01:01 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-12-26 06:14 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-12-26 01:01 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-12-26 06:19 am (UTC)Poor Steve! It always has to be him! XD lol.
Anyway, Merry X' Mas and Happy holidays to you too ne! :) Thank you for sharing such an adorable fic! <3
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Date: 2008-12-26 01:02 pm (UTC)Thank you, and Merry Christmas :)
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Date: 2008-12-26 08:52 am (UTC)Perfect for a white Christmas (like mine has been!)!
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Date: 2008-12-26 01:04 pm (UTC)So glad you liked :)
(It started to snow on Christmas Eve, here, and it's been white since. Fantastic :))
no subject
Date: 2008-12-26 10:41 am (UTC)OH before i forget...absolutely love the whole "... Ground" series...especially how you let the two sweetums ease into their RS after Barbaras death...can't wait to see on what you're gonna let them loose next ;D
happy christmas and a very happy new year to you *smoochie*
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Date: 2008-12-26 01:05 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-12-29 04:04 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-12-29 09:40 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-12-30 09:34 pm (UTC)They're so beautiful and lovely. You've written them so well.
I really loved the build up through tolerance, to grudging acceptance, to friendship and then on, between Bruce and Jim. The first time Bruce kissed Jim, my breath caught. The second time, when Jim kissed Bruce, my heart fluttered a little.
The different points of view kept a good change in pace and helped keep all characters equally involved. Alfred's was so very awesome, it made me squee. Runner up was Steve, poor dear.
I love Steve. His thoughts were quite giggle worthy and sometimes just made me want to cuddle him. Especially his thoughts about Babs.
Favourite character is between Babs, Jim and Bruce, though. I especially loved the way you wrote those three. And, yes, Babs is made of awesome =D
All in all, I think the reason I liked this so very much is that you made a story about them. As a family. It had elements of the crime life in Gotham; it couldn't not do, being about Jim Gordon and Bruce Wayne.
But the focus was mostly on the family dynamic and the individuals in said family (it may seem weird that I'm saying this, because it's quite obviously a family story from the start, but I can hardly find this kind of fic - which is the exact kind I adore). It was lovely, you brought them all together and it just came across as so perfect, even if it began with something horrible, and had not-so-stellar things happen along the way.
I've been looking for this kind of fic in this fandom, and because I've been on Bruce/Harvey or Bruce/Joker, I haven't found any.
This whole thing made me melt. I think you've ruined me for this pairing, though =P
I hope you write more for this 'verse, even if it's just the odd drabble. And I hope to find more fic like this out there.
This was truly wonderful. Keep being awesome =D
no subject
Date: 2009-01-06 09:55 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-01-26 04:09 am (UTC)Thanks for sharing this. It's wonderful. <3
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Date: 2009-02-11 12:04 am (UTC)Really enjoyed this, though.
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Date: 2009-02-11 07:41 am (UTC)And oh, my,
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Date: 2009-02-11 06:04 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-02-24 03:07 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-03-14 03:39 pm (UTC)(I read the first one back when it was first posted and it was my fave Jim/Bruce fic, so I have no idea why I failed at feedbacking)
I am smiling SO HARD right now.