There was a reason Superman had told Selina he wanted Bruce to be happy; the air of sadness that surrounded him was far more palpable when he wasn't hiding behind either of his masks. The wounds from his past that had never healed and scarred over properly were more raw - which was why he let so few into his real life, where he was most vulnerable.
Above all, it was Bruce's vulnerabilities that made him nervous. He could be fiercely loyal, protective, even possessive - generous to a fault, once he'd accepted someone into his inner circle. But breaking through those barriers was extremely difficult, and Bruce fought hard against having yet another person one of his enemies could potentially use to get to him, or who could someday prove untrustworthy.
Or hurt him. If he never let them close enough, they couldn't hurt him, they way his parents death had. It was a child's logic, but in many ways, Bruce had never stopped being that eight-year-old boy in the alley; his life had ended there. It was the reason his previous romantic entanglements had always ended badly - a boy has no concept of adult relationships.
"I remember it," he murmured, speaking of the fire. Bruce had, in retrospect, figured out the details, or at least, made the connection between the explosion and her scars, not necessarily what she'd been there for. Rubbing her back soothingly, reassuring her that her scars didn't concern him, he added, "You're lucky to be alive. Maybe you do have nine lives."
In all the times they'd encountered one another, Catwoman had gotten away more often than Batman would have liked, although not always with what she'd come to steal, and on more than one occasion, because he'd actually let her. This had not been one of those occasions, but he did remember enjoying the chase; especially that first one knowing who was behind the mask and not at all being sure what he'd have done if he'd caught her that night.
Probably nothing.
He did have to smirk though, wrapping his free are around to rest a hand on her hip. "Yes, I know... it's too bad your client got picked up for trafficking in stolen goods only a few days later, thanks to an anonymous tip. By the time that exhibit moved on, the statue was right back in it's place, none the worse for wear"
Frowning, Bruce exhaled heavily. He studied the scrolling twisted of olive and acanthus leaves on the center medallion before finally rolling onto his side to face her, his head cradled on his hand, the other arm still draped over her waist. It would have been easier not to look her in the eyes when he spoke about Talia, but he needed to do it.
"No, I didn't," he said truthfully. "But I should have. I wanted to put the whole thing as far behind me as possible, but I keep thinking that if I'd just taken the time to consider..." Bruce closed his eyes. Maybe he could have saved Damian all of the pain he'd had to endure.
"You have to understand that I didn't know who Talia was when she and I first met," he explained, his voice even. There was no hint that he was defensive, or upset by the subject; he'd been considering for days how best to explain this part of his life to Selina. They were mostly just facts now - confusing, but with little pain attached to them.
"Her father found me first and took a liking to me; saw me as a worthy adversary, always addressed me as 'detective'. He's one of the very few people to have ever entered my Cave without my knowing it, and he's the only one whose method of entry I'm still unsure of.
"I met a woman once who needed my help rescuing her father. She was beautiful, strong, mysterious," A smile ghosted across his face. "And as you may have noticed, I have a thing for strong, mysterious women who may or may not need help. Too late, I discovered that Ra's was her father, and in subsequent encounters, that they had 'plans' for me."
Tilting his head, Bruce looked down at the strip of mattress between them, unable to focus on her for the moment as he remembered Talia's hopeful eyes and the triumph in Ra's face. He'd been so sure that the affection between Bruce and his daughter was enough to lure him in.