Chapter Text
The sun had set over Gotham by the time Daria got home. She’d just finished a double shift at the restaurant and was looking forward to curling up in front of the TV with a pizza. She trudged up the stairs to her apartment, rain water dripping from her clothes, her arms weighed down with groceries and her keys in her mouth. The lights were out on her floor and broken glass crunched under her feet.
The hair on the back of neck was standing on end. She fumbled in her pocket for her pepper spray, relief washing over her as her fingers closed around the small canister. She dumped her bags outside her door and took her keys out of her mouth. Panic ripped through her as her fingers closed around the door knob and the door creaked open. The wood of the door was splintered, the lock was shattered, and as she took her hand away from the handle she saw her fingers were sticky with blood.
She stepped cautiously through the doorway into the darkness of her apartment. She winced as the floorboards creaked with every step.
“Is … is there anyone there? I have super powers!” she said to what she hoped was an empty apartment. “I’m the goddamn Batman!”
Silence. Then…
“Hey, Dee.”
Daria screamed. The lamp by the couch turned on bathing the room in a warm electric glow. Renee was hunched over on the couch, a cigarette in her hand and a half empty bottle next to her.
Daria leant against the wall breathing heavily. There was so much she wanted to say – so many thoughts and emotions running through her mind.
What the hell is she doing in my apartment?
Is she okay?
God, I’ve missed you.
But in the end all she managed to say was “You’ve cut your hair.”
*
“I’m sorry for coming to you like this” Renee said as Daria stuffed her groceries away in the kitchen. “I … I didn’t have anywhere else to go.”
Daria didn’t say anything. She just stood in the kitchen digging her nails into the counter and looking at the bedraggled woman who was standing in her apartment and bleeding on her rug.
There were dark circles under Renee’s eyes. She looked like she hadn’t slept in days. She had stripped down to her waist and her chest and torso were covered in blood-stained bandages. Her knuckles had been cut to shreds and her lip was cut and swollen.
Renee saw Daria looking at her and shuffled her feet uncomfortably. She took a long drag on her cigarette before snuffing it out in a glass on the coffee table.
Daria took a fistful of ice from the freezer, wrapped it in a cloth and handed it to Renee.
“For your lip” She said quietly.
Renee took the ice pack and smiled. She moved towards Daria but then thought better of it and sat back down on the couch, gingerly pressing the ice to her mouth.
It was silent for a while until Renee looked up at Daria and started to apologise.
“Daria, I’m sorry. I had nowhere else to go and …”
“You can’t just show up here after all these years, break down my door, bleed all over my couch, and … and drink all my cooking sherry?!”
“You were out of beer.”
Daria laughed half-heartedly and sat down next to Renee on the couch.
“Give me that.” She said, taking the ice pack from Renee.
She moved Renee’s head round with a hand on her cheek and dabbed at her bloody lip gently. Renee held Daria’s hand against her cheek and closed her eyes.
“Don’t get too comfortable.” Daria said.
Renee didn’t say anything. She brushed the ice pack away and ran her hand through Daria’s hair, pulling her closer until their lips brushed. Renee’s lips felt rough and chapped but pleasantly familiar. Daria pushed her away.
“Sorry. I shouldn’t have come here like this,” Renee whispered. “I’ll go.”
Daria looked into Renee’s face. She looked so sad. So alone.
“You can stay,” Daria said. “You need a shower anyway! Have you been wading through sewers or something?”
Renee laughed. “You’d be surprised, Dee.”
“Okay, well, you know where the shower is. Clean towels are in the closet on the right.” Daria got up and started picking up the bandages and cigarette butts Renee had left scattered over the couch and the coffee table. “You can have the couch tonight.”
“Thanks.”
*
Renee stepped out of the shower, towelled herself off and slipped into the clothes Daria had left outside the door for her. She winced and clutched her chest as she got dressed. She was sure she had a broken rib. Drying her hair as she went, she walked bare foot to the window. She watched the rain falling in the street for a while. A car pulled up across the street and Renee ducked out of sight. The driver jumped out and ran through the rain and into one of the apartments opposite. Renee breathed a sigh of relief. She hadn’t been followed. She’d stashed her mask and Binary Gas canisters in a trash can outside and Daria had wedged a chair up against the broken door. They should be safe tonight.
She took one last look at the street and turned away from the window. Daria was standing right behind her and Renee nearly jumped out of her skin.
“Oh my god! You scared the cr…” The lights weren’t on but even in the gloom Renee could see that she wasn’t wearing anything. Renee opened her mouth to say something but Daria had already pressed her up against the wall and was kissing her neck.
Renee ran her hands down Daria’s back. Her skin felt soft and smooth under her bandaged fingers.
Daria unbuttoned Renee’s jeans and slipped her hand down into her underwear. Renee’s back arched and she pulled Daria closer. Renee’s moans were muffled by Daria’s mouth.
When Daria broke away Renee leant forward craving more. Daria pushed her back up against the wall and knelt down in front of her. She pulled down her jeans and her damp underwear. She kissed Renee’s stomach tenderly, running her fingers up her thighs and clasping her ass. Renee buried her fingers in Daria’s hair and pushed her head down between her legs.
Daria’s tongue teased Renee, exploring her folds till she was gasping and whining for more. Daria always did know how to turn Renee ‘hard-as-nails’ Montoya into a quivering mess. Renee pulled Daria’s head in closer, pressing her hips against her mouth. Daria took pity on her and, finally, circled Renee’s clit with her tongue. Renee’s gasps of pleasure told her she hadn’t lost her touch.
“Oh, Daria!” Renee chanted over and over. She grabbed the curtains with one hand and groped for a handhold on the bookcase with the other. Something fell to the floor and shattered. “Oh shit … Dee … I think I … I knocked over your … plant!” she panted.
Dee mumbled something inaudibly and sent another wave of excruciating pleasure through Renee’s bruised and battered body. Her toes curled into the carpet and she bit her swollen lip.
Renee was on the verge of climax when Daria stood up and walked away.
“Dee?”
“Bedroom. You coming?”
“Nearly,” Renee chuckled.
*
Renee and Daria lay in the bed under sweat drenched sheets listening to the rain pounding like a steel drum on the fire escape. Renee lay sprawled on the bed, exhausted, while Daria ran her fingers over Renee’s body. She was tracing all her scars and bruises, some she remembered like that knot of scar tissue on her right cheek, faint and faded now. Some of her scars were as familiar beneath her fingers as the feel of a favourite book. Most of them were new.
“I should break into your apartment more often,” Renee laughed. “I don’t think I can even move after that.”
Daria didn’t say anything.
“Dee? You asleep?”
Daria propped herself up on her elbow.
“What have you been doing to yourself, Renee? I don’t hear from you for years and then you just show up here looking and smelling like you’ve been fighting alligators.” Renee could hear the concern in her voice. Anger as well.
“I can’t tell you. You have to have faith in me, Dee.” Daria didn’t say anything. “Would you rather I lied to you?”
“Oh, cut the crap, Montoya! The only thing I have faith in you to do is get the shit kicked out of yourself. If you want this to be anything more than a one night stand then you’ll tell me what you’ve gotten yourself into.”
Renee wanted to tell her but instead she said: “I’m doing undercover work for Gordon. Deep cover stuff.”
“You’re back on the force?”
“Not … not officially. Like I said: it’s some pretty deep cover stuff.”
Renee held her breath. Daria seemed to believe her though and she rested her head on Renee’s chest and linked her fingers with hers. She smelt like cinnamon and flour.
“Dee … you’re … crushing … me!” Renee gasped.
“Oh, sorry.” Dee shifted her body into the crook of Renee’s arm. “You should really get that checked out. You’ve probably got a broken rib.”
The rain continued to pour as they drifted off to sleep in each other’s arms.
“I missed you, Dee.” Renee whispered, her voice breaking slightly and her eyes welling up. “I missed you a lot.”