Roomies [Open to mayday_parker]

[batgirl_babs]

Life moved fast, she reflected. A few weeks ago, there hadn't been a portal connecting one version of New York to another version of Gotham. And yet, there it was, quite literally joining bridges. Nobody was entirely sure yet who had caused it or perhaps what - and a weird sort of pride had sprung up around trying to claim a weird yet undeniable achievement as either part of New York or Gotham. But there were also practical considerations, and she honestly loved seeing that side of Gotham coming out.

The logic was simple: there was a vast city just sitting there, eager for novelty and a whole Gotham to provide it. It was an opportunity. And so the tourism had started flowing. Then a couple clever entrepreneurs had realized that Gotham's housing prices were slightly lower than New York's, and now people were moving in. It was the spirit of both cities at their best. Weird portal joining bridges from two different realities? Sure, yeah, but apartments were cheaper, so.

So it was full of strangeness and incongruities, but here she was getting a roommate out of it. One who knew who she actually was, which made it even stranger but...better. By far. May was a genuinely fun person to be around, she found, and it made such a change for her. She was, by far, the most light-hearted of the Gotham crime fighting set. And while she loved her surrogate family deeply, difference was nice.

When it had become apparent that May was struggling to afford a place on her own, an offer had made perfect sense. It was a two-bedroom, after all. It was impulsive, sure, but there was no way she could be worse than the last roommmate, and it meant helping her friend. Which is how she came to be carrying the last of May's boxes, plonking it down on the floor and brushing off her hands, a bit theatrically.

"Ta-da, all done."

Comments

[batgirl_babs]

She giggled.

"Best thing. I get to say to my roommate, 'hey you! Get off the ceiling!' Plus we'll never have to worry about me needing to get a step ladder for anything."

The freedom was nice, as she leaned her head back, fingertips starting to unconsciously work through May's hair.

[mayday_parker]

"Don't you just acrobatic your way up the wall or cupboard to get what you want all Jackie Chan stylllllllleeee," she said, voice trailing off just a bit as Babs started running her fingers through May's hair. That felt SO GOOD.

[batgirl_babs]

That was a fun reaction. And short hair, she was thinking, worked better on women. It was nicer, for a start. And fluffier.

"Nah, when I'm off hours, I'm off hours. Then again, I can't crawl on walls. But it's a legacy thing...you may not believe it, but I was a total klutz before I found gymnastics."

[mayday_parker]

May let out a noise that was a little like a purr as Babs kept playing with her hair, shifting happily in her lap. This was the life. Why wasn't she born a cat?

"Really? You'd never guess it watching you now," May said. And she watched Babs move A LOT. She was all graceful and fluid.

[batgirl_babs]

"Practice makes perfect, I guess. But yeah, I always thought I was the dorkiest girl at St. Mary's Gotham High. Ponytail, glasses, freckles like you wouldn't believe."

She paused for a second.

"And no, you may not see pictures, I have buried the evidence like a LexCorp conspiracy."

[mayday_parker]

"I would never ask to see them because then it would only be fair that you'd see mine and that is not happening," she said. Not that she was particularly embarrassed about them but who did look good in high school?

"Besides," she said primly. "Some people happen to like freckles."

[batgirl_babs]

More to the point, who liked how they looked years after the fact?

"Now that's some good diplomacy. And yeah, still have a few bunches, hidden away. Huh." She looked thoughtful for a moment. "Have it all stashed away, come to think of it. Hairbands from when I used to wear my hair up, glasses from before I went all contacts...even kept the uniform somewhere. Because I am a massive pack rat."

[mayday_parker]

"Okay. We are going to have a retro night where we dress like our high school selves and watch movies we did then. And we are going to not care about how we look because we're with a friend who won't judge us and it will be fun and cathartic," she said with a small nod of her head. Also she'd get to see Babs in glasses and with her hair up and that would be super cute. "You can see me in my semi-grunge look."

[batgirl_babs]

She laughed, trying to picture it.

"Well, fine, you'll get me from my Catholic School days. We'll make a fun contrast."

She looked up at a knocking sound.

"Ah-ha, c'est le food."

[mayday_parker]

"Oh I can picture it now," May said, wondering if Babs' outfit would be as cliche as pop culture made Catholic school girls seem.

At the knock on the door she groaned and pushed herself into a sitting position and then stood up. She wasn't happy about having to get out of her friend's lap but neither of them could get the food if she didn't move.

"Coming!" she called out to the door as she grabbed some cash and headed to the door. After paying for the food she set it down on the nearest counter. "Ready to dig in?"

[batgirl_babs]

She ran up behind her, peering over her shoulder.

"Heck yes I am," she said, actually rubbing her stomach. "I could eat at least half of a horse. You, I think, would easily eat the whole horse."

[mayday_parker]

“Don’t worry roomie, I’d save some for you,” May said, tilting her head to lean against Babs for a moment. Gosh the other girl sure smelled good.

“Why don’t you grab yours first so I don’t lose a hand accidentally reaching for the same thing as you.”

[batgirl_babs]

She worked her way into the kitchen, coming back with a small stack of plates. She was pretty sure they'd need more than one, at least for half this arrangement.

"Good idea," she said, with a grin, "before you go all Cookie Monster on it."

She also started to give herself a very healthy amount of rice to slather peanut sauce all over. Peanuts, veggies, chicken, and rice. Oh very yes.

[mayday_parker]

“Excuse you I am a very dainty and neat eater,” May protested. It would have been more believable if May hadn’t seen her eat and knew that May was neither of those things when she ate. She wasn’t quite Cookie Monster levels but she wasn’t a Victorian lady either.

“This smells so good,” she said, her stomach rumbling as she piled up a plate full of food. “I’m going to absolutely devour all of this.”

[batgirl_babs]

"Yes, because 'dainty' is absolutely the word I'd apply to everything you would do," she replied with a grin.

She gently hip-checked her in passing, having assembled her own plate, and folded herself back onto the couch.

"But it does, doesn't it. Ahh." She took her first bite, a look of pure pleasure on her face. "That's the ticket."

[mayday_parker]

"Excuse you," May said, sounding mock offended. She had never really tried to be dainty so she wasn't bothered. May could definitely be "girly" when she wanted to but that wasn't the same as dainty. Hard to be dainty when you could punch through a concrete wall.

She plopped on the floor and leaned back against the couch as she started to shove food in her mouth. Anyone watching would have been surprised to learn that she was actually tasting it too.

"Oh my gosh this is amazing."

[batgirl_babs]

"Isn't it just," she replied, with a happy sigh. "Gotham takes its food very, very seriously. Even the hot dogs are a notch up."

She took another few bites, fairly ravenous herself, crossing her legs under her.

"But see, now you've moved in, eaten the food. One of Us."

[mayday_parker]

"Sorry but I will always be a Queens girl through and through," May said. Not that there was anything wrong with Gotham. Well, okay, there was actually A LOT wrong with Gotham but that wasn't why she'd always claim Queens. That was just part of who she was.

"But I'll take an honorary residency for sure. Just so long as I don't have to put pointy ears on my mask."

[batgirl_babs]

That much she could understand. In the end, after a while, your bones were almost made out of the city.

"Pfft, Batspider Girl would be too weird. Or Spiderbat. Whatever. Besides, you don't mess with a classic number."

[mayday_parker]

"I dunno, I like Spider-Bat. Then I wouldn't have to be 'girl' because I'd be the only one," she said, munching thoughtfully. It did have a nice ring to it but the end of the day she'd never turn her back on her legacy.

"Maybe this can be apartment Spider-Bat? Secretly."

[batgirl_babs]

She paused for a moment, then put her plate aside and hopped up. "Yes, yes it can. Hang on."

She dashed into her bedroom and came back holding her utility belt, fishing about in a small compartment. She pulled out a small writing stylus, then an equally small, rectangular light.

"Black light marker, we use 'em to leave messages and such. Can only be viewed with the light. So let's mark this place up as Apartment Spider-Bat, all secret-like. People get to name houses, after all, like, 'The Havens' or something..."

She offered May the marker.

[mayday_parker]

"Hmmmm," May said, scrunching up her face as she considered what it was she wanted to do with the marker. She had a few ideas but the first one that sprang to mind was one that she couldn't resist. "Got it!"

Biting off the cap of the marker she mumbled "Don't move" around the plastic in her mouth as she dropped to her knees. Pulling up the hem of Babs' shirt she drew a little spider on the other girl's stomach as best she could. Once she was done she stood up, grinning and obviously proud of herself. "There. Now you're mine."

[batgirl_babs]

Something in the way she said it, the way she looked, caused her to flush beet red. To cover it, she arched an eyebrow.

"Are you kidding me? I meant name and claim the apartment. My cooking isn't that good, after all..."

[mayday_parker]

"Too late, you're my Babs now," she said. There was a sort of warmth that flooded through her at those words and she blushed as well, ducking her head a bit sheepishly. "My Babs" sounded really nice to her.

"But okay, okay," she said. Turning to the wall she placed one foot on it and then the other, walking up the wall and then onto the ceiling before drawing a spider symbol near one of the corners and then jumping down. "Better?"

[batgirl_babs]

In truth, there's a little fluttering in her stomach when she hears that, and sees her blush like that. Hoo boy, Barbara, you're gonna get yourself into trouble if you let turn your head so easily.

That it was a form of attraction wasn't terribly surprising. Ok, yes, girls were new - but maybe it was just one specific one. She realized that her list of features in a romantic interest were...adjusted from normal life. Trustworthy? Check. Secretive in a good way? Check. Loyal? Check. Dedicated to justice? Double check. Barbara Gordon had a type.

Not that she intended to act on anything. She suddenly was coming to understand all of Bruce's exhortations that it was too dangerous. Not that she found them all that satisfying.

"Not yet," she replied, thickly, after taking a moment to enjoy the spider under the blacklight. She snatched the marker and closed on May, standing on tip-toes and pulling just slightly at the edge of her shirt. Humming a tune to herself, she sketched out a little bat just under her collarbone, adding a smiley face and fangs.

"There. Now we're even."