Training with a Hawk by Xianpububbles

She was a warrior, the princess of the Amazons and yet this mortal man aggravated her to the point of insanity.

Hoping to relieve her frustration in solitude, Diana entered in the code for the Watch Tower's training room. When the doors flew open, she saw Katar Hol heavily beating a punching bag. His body was glossed with sweat and his breath was rigid. Diana could tell he had been at it for a long time.

"Almost done?" she asked. He continued and seemed unaware of her presence. Diana found it most annoying to be ignored, especially tonight. She walked up to his punching bag, gave it a solid kick and sent it flying to the other side of the wall.

Katar tried not to look irritated as he turned to Diana. "Anything I can do for you…Princess?" His voice was stiff as he wiped his forehead.

"You have been training for quite some time. I was just going to suggest you take a rest…" Diana paused sniffing the air around him, "…and possibly a shower."

Katar clenched his jaw and replied, "Thanks for the concern, but I'll be quite content simply training into the night."

Diana sighed and realized she wasn't going to get the training room to herself, "Fine, then I shall spar with you. I'll do my best to contain my powers."

Katar paused looking towards Diana. "Wouldn't want to trouble you."

Diana annoyed. "I don't think that punching bag will be much use to you now."

"Oh we keep plenty in the supply room," He gave her a grin and headed for the supply closet.

Diana followed and held the door closed with her hand, "A live opponent will be much more challenging."

Katar let out a short chuckle, "I suppose that would really depend on the opponent."

Diana replied by throwing a hard punch toward his face. Katar anticipating her movements dodged the punch. "Now Princess, is that much better than the bag?"

"It's Diana!" she growled as she lunged at him. He avoided the attack and kneed her in the stomach.

Yes, she thought, this is exactly what I needed.

He grabbed her from behind and tried to prevent her from attacking again. She countered by low-kicking him in the shin and pushed him to the floor.

They continued to battle in hand-to-hand combat. Although he didn't have the strength of Superman, Kartar proved to be an agile fighter. It was late and both opponents were breathing heavily as their brutal sparring continued.

He came up behind her grabbed her neck with his arm. "Who needs the shower now, Princess?" He had a mocking tone in his voice as he held her tightly against his chest to ensure she wouldn't be able to kick her way out.

He's adapting to my moves. I'll have to change tactics. Diana remembered a unique counter attack Bruce taught her over a year ago. Suddenly an image of Bruce's face appeared in her mind. Diana cursed. She bent down loosening his hold on her as she grabbed his neck with her hands and flipped him to the ground.

She was over him and had him in a tight hold. "Now what were you saying, Tweety?"

Katar's eyes gave away the shock of Diana's new 'nickname' for him. She grinned down at him.

He rolled Diana onto her back, "What did you say?" She gave him a wicked look and let out a short 'tweet' sound.

His body was exhausted, but he was swelling with anger.

"Spoiled, arrogant woman!" he growled.

"I'm arrogant? You're the egotistical neurotic psycho that can't get over his past!"

They began spitting out insults at each other. Their faces were inches apart, but the volume of their voices carried throughout the training room.

Then there was silence as both glared hard at one another. Anger consumed their minds.

Before either knew what was happening, they were locked in a savage kiss.

Katar ran his hands along Diana's arms, enjoying the feel her sweat covered skin. Diana slipped her fingers through his dark hair and tugged on it as roughly. He roared into her lips. Their movements were raw and savage.

She was in the arms of another man, yet her thoughts trailed back to him.

Diana rolled Katar onto his back. Katar, at that moment, felt more than willing to oblige the feisty Amazon, but one look at her face halted his impulses. He could see the pain in her eyes. He knew that look all too well. It was the same look he had when Shayera...

Acting against every male fiber of his body pleading with him to let her continue, Katar pulled away from her.

Confused, Diana searched his face for answers. She saw concern in his eyes.

"Diana..." his voice was rough, "You don't want to do this."

Enraged by his remark, Diana gave him a hateful glare and in one quick movement smacked him squarely across the face.

He reached up to feel his cheek and was surprised his jaw is only slightly dislocated.

"You know nothing of what I want, Katar Hol!" she screamed at him unable to conceal the sound of hurt in her voice. She marched out of the training room with a stiff back and clenched fists. Men! Diana cursed to herself.

Katar sighs, Women! He headed for the lockers to tend to his wounds and obvious stench. He felt a sense of remorse, but tried to assure himself that this was the most honorable thing he could do. Wasn't it? Seeds of doubt began to plant themselves in his mind.

Diana was in her room at the Watchtower. She showered to wash away the smell of their mixed sweat from her body, but no matter how hot the water was she couldn't wash him out of her mind. Was her anguish so apparent that anyone could see it? How did Katar know?

For your safety...For the benefit of the team... In her head, she heard nothing but Bruce's voice repeating all the excuses he had for not having a relationship with her. Diana punched the shower wall in anger leaving chunks of tile on the floor.

Outside, Katar gave a gentle knock on Diana's door trying not to wake her sleeping neighbors.

"Diana?" Katar was not a man who apologized easily. He could count the number of apologies he had made in his life on one hand, but the sound of Diana's voice full of hurt rang out in his mind.

He had been standing outside her door for quite some time with no answer. Stubborn woman! He cursed to himself. Fine let her wallow in her own misery!

Diana stepped out of the bathroom in her nightgown. She plunged herself onto the bed. Her tears muffled by her pillow.

He had turned to leave and if he hadn't heard her stifled cries from inside, he'd be back in his own room cursing her again.

But he had heard them and a wrenching feeling in his chest would not allow him to simply abandon her. He placed a hand on her door and silently let himself in.

She hated his logic, his reasoning and his damned eyes! The eyes she knew would never allow themselves to love her, not the way she wanted or needed them to. She loved his eyes...she loved Bruce! Oh Hera, help me.

As if answering her prayer, Katar stood over her. She seemed oblivious to his presence, as her tears continued to wring away at his heart. A clenched jaw and tense fist at his side was the only sign of his anger. Who would do this to her?

Diana suddenly felt him standing next to her bed. She stilled and made ready to attack. She was angry and embarrassed that her intruder had seen her in such a weak position.

When she got up to face him, she was shocked to see Katar standing before her. He could tell by the expression on her face she was still mad at him. With tears on her cheeks, she threw a hard punch at him. Katar dodged it, moving in closer and hugged her against him in silence.

His act of tenderness melted away her aggression. Her tense muscles relaxed as he stroked her back, letting her fall into his shoulder. She accepted his arms, his shoulder, his warmth. She was allowing him to comfort her.

He didn't ask her why she was upset and she was grateful for that. She lay in his arms as her tears subsided into a small whimper and she finally began to sleep.

He smiled down at the look of serenity on her face. It was a rare sight indeed. He adjusted her covers and gave the Amazon princess a soft kiss on her forehead wishing her the most pleasant of dreams.

It was early morning. The other members would be getting up soon. He would have to leave Diana's room with stealth and speed. He carefully poked his head outside ensuring the coast was clear and quietly tiptoed away from her door and towards his room in the next hall.

If he had Superman's hearing, Katar would have heard a toothbrush fall to the ground at the other end of the hall as a pair of eyes watched him in shock. The eyes blinked twice, watching Katar's wings trail behind him and Diana's door slowly close. "Great Hera!" Shayera quoted her friend with a dazed look on her face as she turned back toward the bathroom leaving her toothbrush on the floor.

Katar sighed with relief as he fell onto his own bed. He had had quite a night and was ready for the relaxing day ahead. Or so he thought...

To be continued...

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AN: Reviews welcomed!