"Cats Steal Breath"--Nightwing, Catwoman
First Kink Bingo fill of Round 4 for Breathplay. Sometimes Catwoman takes Dick's breath away, sometimes she gives it back. Bat/Cat implied because, well, duh.
They tied his wrists together--too tightly, but Robin didn't think he'd have to worry about his circulation when they tied his ankles together and then tied a weight onto that.
The harbor was cold this time of year. The shock of it nearly made him gasp, but he needed to hold his breath until he could get free and swim to the surface. If he could make it to the surface. His body was already numb, but his chest was starting to ache. He tried to kick--if he hadn't been gagged and underwater and alone, he might've said he was auditioning for the part of the Little Mermaid. He couldn't move his legs any better than he could breathe underwater. The weight was still pulling him down and was going to keep pulling him down where it was dark--unless all those dead mobsters in cement overshoes broke his fall, ha ha.
The only thing keeping him warm was that warm, awful feeling in his lungs. Pretty soon he was going to inhale whether he wanted to or not, and maybe he really did want to (But I'd prefer the air. Do you have any?).
He kicked even though he knew it was useless. He couldn't get a leg free, and he couldn't stop himself from trying to pull in air and sucking in a mouthful of Gotham Harbor water through the cloth gag they'd stuffed in his mouth. His stupid lungs couldn't take the hint--he was out of air and desperate enough to try to breathe water.
He's not going to make it Robin thought and felt like a heel for thinking that way (even if he was probably right).
Something moved past him--he didn't have the energy or the oxygen left to panic. There was an arm around him, and he might have been moving up. Unless this was the sort of thing your brain came up with right before you died. Probably a hallucination--he was pressed against a woman's body. A woman had her arm around him. Maybe it was getting darker, but maybe it was getting lighter, and Robin could feel something sharp near his armpit.
She pulled him out of the water, but he couldn't remember how to breathe. He was scared--really scared for the first time since he'd seen the ropes snap. He didn't know how to do anything other than be hauled up on the dock.
She swore, and then there was the slap of something--fabric?--on the dock and bare fingers opening his mouth. Long, wet hair fell against his face as she pressed her mouth to his and forced hot breath into his mouth. He was suffocating--he wanted to push her away, but his arms wouldn't work, and he couldn't tell her she was smothering him with her warm lips in the way.
And then suddenly he was coughing up half of Gotham Harbor and gasping for air. He was so relieved that he could actually breathe again that it took him awhile to actually see who his guardian angel was.
Catwoman finished tugging on her glove--the glove with the claws that had pinched him as she dragged him out of the water and the glove she'd yanked off before getting his mouth open. Like him, she was sopping wet and--oh, gosh, he'd had no idea Catwoman's costume could cling anymore than it normally did.
She brought a finger to her lips. "Don't tell anybody," she said. "A girl's got to think about her reputation."
"Robin!" He could feel and hear Batman's boots on the deck. That was probably the weirdest thing--usually Batman just wasn't there, and then he was. "Are you all right?"
Robin turned to look at him as Batman put his hands on his shoulders. "Yeah," he said. "Nothing I couldn't handle. What about--"
"We're going home."
"You're going to let them get away? But they're--"
"I'll get them," said Batman. "But we're going home."
"But..." Robin really didn't think he deserved that Really Scary Bat-Glare. He'd had a pretty rough night already. "I am fine," he said as he let Batman help him stand up.
"Uh huh."
"Really," said Robin. He didn't even realize that Catwoman had completely disappeared until they were in the car.
***
Nightwing didn't hear anyone coming. If it'd been Batman, he would've snuck up right behind him and said, "If I was Whatever Sinister Criminal Escaped Last Night, you'd be dead right now," and Nightwing would've said, "No, I'd be listening to your cunning plan to destroy Gotham City."
But since it was Catwoman, she snuck up behind him without a sound. He didn't notice her until her whip was against his throat. Tight against his throat.
"You're a long way from home, little bird," said Catwoman.
"Why?" Nightwing managed to ask.
"We seem to have some overlapping interests," said Catwoman. "And since you're all grown up now, I think it's time you learned what happens when you leave the nest."
"Don't need his protection," Nightwing said and, just to remind her that he wasn't completely at a disadvantage, added, "Selina."
Apparently she could pull the whip tighter. "I'll clip your wings if I have to," she snarled in his ear and pulled again. Nightwing saw spots. Suddenly he was a kid again, drowning in Gotham Harbor with Catwoman's body pressed against him. "If you can't stay out of Gotham," she whispered, "stay out of the East End." Her grip loosened only slightly. He wouldn't pass out, but he still could barely breathe. "I'm sure you understand. You were always such a smart boy, weren't you, Richard?"
He could barely feel the burning in his throat and lungs with the chill that sent down his spine. "I..." And he'd never be able to tell if he was dizzy from the lack of oxygen or because she knew.
"I could break into Fort Knox. If I wanted to." Her voice was softer now, but still not as soft and sultry as he'd heard when she wanted to manipulate Batman. (Aren't you old enough to figure it out, Grayson? he asked himself as blue and red spots kept dancing in front of his eyes.) "Figuring out the Bat was easier than figuring out most safes." She tugged again, maybe just to remind him that she was there. No wonder she had a thing for Batman--she and Bruce were both control freaks. "Or maybe he just told me." She let go with one hand and dragged the whip against his already bruised skin.
Nightwing managed to stay on his feet, but couldn't do much more than suck in as much air as he could. He watched, still disoriented and annoyed with himself, as she took a running leap off the edge of the roof. Her whip shot out, and she swung into the dark like Indiana Jones. Well, if Indiana Jones wore skin tight black leather.
Batman would've chased her. Batman would probably have been able to get her and her damn garotte off him. He would have--
Nightwing snorted. "Yeah, right," he said to himself, his voice raw from nearly having his windpipe crushed. "She never would've grabbed Batman by the throat."
They tied his wrists together--too tightly, but Robin didn't think he'd have to worry about his circulation when they tied his ankles together and then tied a weight onto that.
The harbor was cold this time of year. The shock of it nearly made him gasp, but he needed to hold his breath until he could get free and swim to the surface. If he could make it to the surface. His body was already numb, but his chest was starting to ache. He tried to kick--if he hadn't been gagged and underwater and alone, he might've said he was auditioning for the part of the Little Mermaid. He couldn't move his legs any better than he could breathe underwater. The weight was still pulling him down and was going to keep pulling him down where it was dark--unless all those dead mobsters in cement overshoes broke his fall, ha ha.
The only thing keeping him warm was that warm, awful feeling in his lungs. Pretty soon he was going to inhale whether he wanted to or not, and maybe he really did want to (But I'd prefer the air. Do you have any?).
He kicked even though he knew it was useless. He couldn't get a leg free, and he couldn't stop himself from trying to pull in air and sucking in a mouthful of Gotham Harbor water through the cloth gag they'd stuffed in his mouth. His stupid lungs couldn't take the hint--he was out of air and desperate enough to try to breathe water.
He's not going to make it Robin thought and felt like a heel for thinking that way (even if he was probably right).
Something moved past him--he didn't have the energy or the oxygen left to panic. There was an arm around him, and he might have been moving up. Unless this was the sort of thing your brain came up with right before you died. Probably a hallucination--he was pressed against a woman's body. A woman had her arm around him. Maybe it was getting darker, but maybe it was getting lighter, and Robin could feel something sharp near his armpit.
She pulled him out of the water, but he couldn't remember how to breathe. He was scared--really scared for the first time since he'd seen the ropes snap. He didn't know how to do anything other than be hauled up on the dock.
She swore, and then there was the slap of something--fabric?--on the dock and bare fingers opening his mouth. Long, wet hair fell against his face as she pressed her mouth to his and forced hot breath into his mouth. He was suffocating--he wanted to push her away, but his arms wouldn't work, and he couldn't tell her she was smothering him with her warm lips in the way.
And then suddenly he was coughing up half of Gotham Harbor and gasping for air. He was so relieved that he could actually breathe again that it took him awhile to actually see who his guardian angel was.
Catwoman finished tugging on her glove--the glove with the claws that had pinched him as she dragged him out of the water and the glove she'd yanked off before getting his mouth open. Like him, she was sopping wet and--oh, gosh, he'd had no idea Catwoman's costume could cling anymore than it normally did.
She brought a finger to her lips. "Don't tell anybody," she said. "A girl's got to think about her reputation."
"Robin!" He could feel and hear Batman's boots on the deck. That was probably the weirdest thing--usually Batman just wasn't there, and then he was. "Are you all right?"
Robin turned to look at him as Batman put his hands on his shoulders. "Yeah," he said. "Nothing I couldn't handle. What about--"
"We're going home."
"You're going to let them get away? But they're--"
"I'll get them," said Batman. "But we're going home."
"But..." Robin really didn't think he deserved that Really Scary Bat-Glare. He'd had a pretty rough night already. "I am fine," he said as he let Batman help him stand up.
"Uh huh."
"Really," said Robin. He didn't even realize that Catwoman had completely disappeared until they were in the car.
***
Nightwing didn't hear anyone coming. If it'd been Batman, he would've snuck up right behind him and said, "If I was Whatever Sinister Criminal Escaped Last Night, you'd be dead right now," and Nightwing would've said, "No, I'd be listening to your cunning plan to destroy Gotham City."
But since it was Catwoman, she snuck up behind him without a sound. He didn't notice her until her whip was against his throat. Tight against his throat.
"You're a long way from home, little bird," said Catwoman.
"Why?" Nightwing managed to ask.
"We seem to have some overlapping interests," said Catwoman. "And since you're all grown up now, I think it's time you learned what happens when you leave the nest."
"Don't need his protection," Nightwing said and, just to remind her that he wasn't completely at a disadvantage, added, "Selina."
Apparently she could pull the whip tighter. "I'll clip your wings if I have to," she snarled in his ear and pulled again. Nightwing saw spots. Suddenly he was a kid again, drowning in Gotham Harbor with Catwoman's body pressed against him. "If you can't stay out of Gotham," she whispered, "stay out of the East End." Her grip loosened only slightly. He wouldn't pass out, but he still could barely breathe. "I'm sure you understand. You were always such a smart boy, weren't you, Richard?"
He could barely feel the burning in his throat and lungs with the chill that sent down his spine. "I..." And he'd never be able to tell if he was dizzy from the lack of oxygen or because she knew.
"I could break into Fort Knox. If I wanted to." Her voice was softer now, but still not as soft and sultry as he'd heard when she wanted to manipulate Batman. (Aren't you old enough to figure it out, Grayson? he asked himself as blue and red spots kept dancing in front of his eyes.) "Figuring out the Bat was easier than figuring out most safes." She tugged again, maybe just to remind him that she was there. No wonder she had a thing for Batman--she and Bruce were both control freaks. "Or maybe he just told me." She let go with one hand and dragged the whip against his already bruised skin.
Nightwing managed to stay on his feet, but couldn't do much more than suck in as much air as he could. He watched, still disoriented and annoyed with himself, as she took a running leap off the edge of the roof. Her whip shot out, and she swung into the dark like Indiana Jones. Well, if Indiana Jones wore skin tight black leather.
Batman would've chased her. Batman would probably have been able to get her and her damn garotte off him. He would have--
Nightwing snorted. "Yeah, right," he said to himself, his voice raw from nearly having his windpipe crushed. "She never would've grabbed Batman by the throat."