The city of Gotham had seen its fair share of heroes and villains, with new ones sprouting right after the destruction of the previous ones. Almost as if it was a harvest field for members of both the opposing sides.

While the villains were immeasurable and caused havoc in the city on a daily basis, the heroes were a handful of extensively trained, courageous vigilantes most of whom were trained by Batman himself. And that group always managed to overpower the countless villains and criminals of Gotham city despite the fact that they were much less in number as compared to the evil that coursed through the city's veins.

Both the Huntress and the Red Hood had been equally involved with the two opposing sides, fluctuating sometimes from one side to another. Both walked the thin line between good and evil, the grey area instead of the solid black or white.

And just because they were both quite similar, they had struck upon the idea of teaming up proving to be a much reliable backup for each other. They knew each other's identities but had no fear of being betrayed by the other for their bond had strengthened over time.

Helena Bartinelli and Jason Todd were just as close as the Huntress and the Red Hood though a little closer as the two had been dating for quite some time.

But they had their ups and downs and as Helena laid in the bed next to Jason, staring up at the ceiling aimlessly while his lips closed onto her mouth roughly, her brain flickered towards the possibility that the two probably needed a break from one another.

Her fingers lingered on his cheek as she turned him over so that he was lying underneath her and the sharp grey of her eyes pierced into flecked bluish green.

"What happened?" Jason asked noticing the intensity of her gaze yet the fact that she had refrained from kissing him.

"What do you think of this relationship that we have?" She spoke up, her voice firm and not wavering in the least, "what do we have in between us?"

Any other girl would have been reluctant to voice at the question and that too in such a tone. But she was Helena Bartinelli, known for being feared and not fearing anything that stood in her path.

"I could call it love but both you and me know that isn't the case," his hand gently weaved through her brown tresses, eyes taking in each sharply breathtaking feature of hers, subtly marveling at the lethal beauty she emanated.

"I see..." Her voice trailed off, eyes following each hickey she had left on his prominent collar bone and shoulder, "and it doesn't bother you?"

"Should it?" He turned the question towards her instead, noticing the slight shift in her eyes, one of the very few signs that showed she was reluctant to keep the conversation going just then. "No I am not bothered," he replied when she didn't answer his question, "mainly because this way I am not tied down to any responsibilities nor are you. I like to think that we are both free in a way, we come back to each other when we want, we drift away when we feel like it. No chains to hold us down, right?"

She pondered on his words, a slow smile spreading on her face, "that's a very optimistic way of putting it and I did not expect that from you."

His rumbling laugh resonated in the room, "oh come on... Just because I died once doesn't mean I lost my level of optimism to the grave."

She laughed shaking her head, her hair framing the hollows of her cheekbone, "look at you, the Red Hood being optimistic... What is the world coming to?"

His hand trailed down to her cheek, gently stroking the pale skin underneath his fingers, "and look at you, the Huntress in doubt of falling in love... Helena, for a second you made me worried."

"About what?" A negligible race of uncertainty crossed her features which no one else but Jason would have noticed. He knew her too well by then to have a clear understanding of her slight expressions and the meaning behind them. He was probably the only one who had seen past her tough facade multiple times.

"About you falling for me... Truth be told, I am a very bad choice for anyone, no offense meant though."

His words sunk in and she shoved him, laughing lightly as her grey eyes danced in amusement, "me falling for you? That's ridiculous."

"Exactly," his eyes softened taking in the beauty she exuded that was at times almost painful to witness and know that it could never be shone like a beacon on him only, that there was no one to covet it.

At least not yet and probably not ever.

She bent down capturing his lips with her own, her hands clutching his shoulders tightly, pointed nails digging into his callous skin. He held her by the waist as she deepened the kiss, hand trailing down to her thighs as he turned her over, switching positions.

He held her down as he kissed her breathless and the very faint thought that had flickered in his mind about her falling for him and the slight thrill it had brought along with it faded into the background as he focused on her.

She was not his to keep but at least she was with him at that moment and so he wanted to make the most out of it.

Jason Todd had fallen for Helena once and regretted it immensely, he did not want it to repeat the other way round. Because just like he had said, they were both terrible choices for one another.

Both were reckless, headstrong, stubborn and equally dangerous. Rows between them could turn into a matter of life and death. So he preferred to keep it that way without the label of any permanent relationship binding the two.

Besides with a life as uncertain as the one they both lived, it was stupidity in itself to hope for anything permanent. There was no knowing whether the next breath would leave their lungs or not so they both preferred to make the most out of what they had, instead of delving on what they should or could have been.

And though they had been seemingly together for an year, there was no place for the sentiment of love in their relationship. It was just a far fetched notion for the two of them, a misconception engulfing the rest of the world which they did not want to subject to ever.

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