[Her expression - the anger and pain in her clenched teeth and furrowed brow - smooths out at the moment Bruce steps out from behind the counter, replaced a second later by confusion. The fact that he hugs her is maybe the most surprising thing that's happened to her in the past few months.
The last time (the only other time) Bruce held her like this was when she'd collapsed in his arms after running from Black Mask, and by then she was barely holding onto consciousness. Her memories of it are fuzzy at best, making her feel like this is an entirely new experience, and for a moment she's not sure how to react. It doesn't help that even the size of Bruce is someting different; Cass and Tim are both smaller than Steph, so she never feels as... encompassed by someone's arms as she does right now.
She wonders if this is what children feel like when their dad's hug them.
Eventually, after what feels like an hour but is really only a few seconds, her breathing evens out and she brings her own arms up to wrap around Bruce in return, her hands gripping to the fabric of his shirt.]
Thank you. [she refuses to let herself cry right now, but her voice is still a little choked up.] I wasn't trying to make this about me, I just want you to understand.
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The last time (the only other time) Bruce held her like this was when she'd collapsed in his arms after running from Black Mask, and by then she was barely holding onto consciousness. Her memories of it are fuzzy at best, making her feel like this is an entirely new experience, and for a moment she's not sure how to react. It doesn't help that even the size of Bruce is someting different; Cass and Tim are both smaller than Steph, so she never feels as... encompassed by someone's arms as she does right now.
She wonders if this is what children feel like when their dad's hug them.
Eventually, after what feels like an hour but is really only a few seconds, her breathing evens out and she brings her own arms up to wrap around Bruce in return, her hands gripping to the fabric of his shirt.]
Thank you. [she refuses to let herself cry right now, but her voice is still a little choked up.] I wasn't trying to make this about me, I just want you to understand.