Work Text:
Cassandra Cain was no stranger to romantic love, or at least she wasn't anymore.
In her childhood, no type of love existed. She only knew two things, fighting and fighting to win, to be her father's perfect weapon. So that's what she was.
When she left him, Cass discovered the world, the real one, and the universe inside each person. Although she still had much to learn, Cassandra already knew the value of human life, she began to appreciate lives, and to want them to prosper with her.
Overtime, She began to perceive different types of affection: the paternal affection that Bruce had for her, the sisterly affection with which Barbara advised her, and the friendship that Stephanie expressed every time she insisted on going out with her.
Cass took all these new types of connections and held them close to her heart.
Romantic love, although it had been something analyzed, noticed, and understood by her, was not something she admitted to having ever felt in her life.
She had seen it in many ways, In every single movie and show someone of her new family wanted Cass to watch.
To those Cassandra knew, it seemed so natural, like it was breathing, like it was something that came to everyone, no matter what happened.
So why hadn't she felt it yet?
Maybe, she was broken, and unable to feel it, because deep down, she was still the assassin her father had trained, perhaps, true love wasn't meant for her.
Or maybe true love didn't even exist.
No, that couldn't be. She was definitely the problem.
Cassandra thinks that every time that she talks to Stephanie, she feels that something is different between the two of them, particularly when she tries to talk to her about boys.
One day after a patrol, Cass and Steph are both sitting together on a rooftop, silently looking at Gotham city's strangely beautiful night.
And, in an act of pure curiosity Cass tells her what has been on her mind for so long:
“I have never been kissed”
The sudden and spontaneous statement throws Steph out of her orbit for a moment, and then she laughs softly.
“Looks like I finally beat you at something Cassie!”
Cassandra tilted her head in confusion at her friend's laughter, then let out a small, quick smile.
After a few seconds, Stephanie asks "And, why do you ask?"
"Because I don't understand it, I don't know what it is like, or what I'm supposed to feel when I kiss someone" Cassandra confessed.
Steph grinned "Oh, so you're just curious, well we can solve that right here and now girl"
"What are you talking about?"
“Kiss me, come on, it doesn't have to mean anything, take it as an.....experiment, it's just to check the feeling”
Cass thought about it for a moment, and told herself that this was probably the only way to end the doubt, so she agreed. “And…. How do you kiss someone?”
Steph laughed again at the girl's confusion, so she decided it was best to go straight for it. So in a sudden moment Steph grabbed his face and kissed her.
At first Stephanie just gently joined her lips with Cass's, it was so fast that Cass didn't register what had happened for a second.
But then with more confidence, Stephanie kissed her for real, put her tongue in her mouth and brushed it against hers, and it felt...
Good?
It felt warm and intimate, Cass felt like she was trying and savoring Stephanie's corners, that she was discovering a new part of her. That it was something special.
By the time Stephanie released her lips Cass was out of breath.
"And how was it?"
“I don't know” She answered honestly.
"It was very good" Stephanie replied.
“What?”
It was nice, you know? To be your very first kiss.
They were silent for a moment.
Cass blushed, seeing Stephanie also turning red. She looked away quickly.
"And... why was it good to be my first kiss?"
"I don't know, I just think that you don't forget the first kisses, it's good to know that someone won't forget you" Stephanie responded uncharacteristically shy for her personality.
"I could never forget you, You are my best friend”
“You are my best friend too, Cassie”
Then another minute of silence dragged on.
"Was kissing me different from kissing a boy?"
Steph glanced at Cass, startled by the question"I guess so, but I don't really feel that much difference between boys and girls."
Cassandra looked at her confused, she didn't understand what Stephanie was saying.
"I'm bisexual Cass, it means I like boys and girls." Steph clarified.
"Oh"
From what Stephanie could tell, Cassandra was not very familiar with issues of sexuality, much less with queerness.
"I don't think I like boys." Cassandra said, finally vocalizing her thoughts out loud. "I just don't feel anything with them, I didn't feel what I felt when I kissed you."
"That's good," Stephanie said.
"Finding your sexuality is complicated, and you can be wrong, but I think you might be a lesbian"
"lesbian" Cassandra echoed.
"lesbian" Stephanie repeated.
"I like the sound of it," Cass said.
Stephanie smiled, snuggled up next to Cass on the rooftop, and hugged her.
Lesbian or not, the two of them had something special, but for now they didn't have to worry about labels. Nor what others thought.
They just had to take care of each other.
Cassandra Cain was no stranger to romantic love, no, not anymore.
Because, she finally understood what a kiss really meant.
Cass was not broken in any way and she was not an arm, not an assassin, because how could she be heartless, If her heart beated to the rhythm of Stephanie's smile?
Cassandra Cain was madly in love with Stephanie Brown.
And she was in love with Cass too.