Here's to the overachiever in me...I wanted to do this little one shot for a while, but when I had heard about WonderBatMilestones, I knew it would be perfect for Day 2. Previous one was focused on teammates, this one is focused on friends.
This makes a reference to my other story 'Melody'.
DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN JUSTICE LEAGUE OR ITS CHARACTERS
Princess Diana of Themyscira, also known to the world as Wonder Woman, had always regarded her friends as family, and had kept them near and dear to her heart. Growing up on the island, surrounded by dozens of her fellow Amazons, showed her not only how to form strong bonds with those that surrounded her, but also how to trust those she regarded as friends. She would admit, at times she was too trusting, deciding to give those she did not know the benefit of the doubt; it was one of her few flaws. However, there were a few people she knew she could undoubtedly put her trust in: The Justice League.
Since joining Man's World a few years ago, Diana had learned that the League would risk their lives to help those in need, and for that she knew they would never betray her; or so she had thought. She was proven wrong when Hawkgirl, the only other female founding member, had betrayed both the League, and the rest of mankind, allowing her fellow Thanagarians to invade Earth and force all of mankind to submit to their will. Sure, she had eventually realized her mistake and helped the League end Hro's plan, however that didn't stop Shayera's betrayal from hitting everyone hard. And Diana had been affected the hardest, except for maybe John.
Diana and Shayera had had a rocky start to their working relationship, and eventual friendship, but having been the only two female League members, they understood each other. Shayera was always happy to teach Diana the ways of Man's World, and over time, Diana had come to regard Shayera like a sister; it was a mistake she would come to regret.
Diana quickly let out a groan as her fist made contact with the punching bag, letting it swing fiercely, trying to recuperate from the powerful punch she delivered. She was angry, like she had been for the past few months, and since she didn't have Shayera here to confront, she would take her anger out on the hanging bag.
It had been nearly a year since the Thanagarians had come and tried to take over Earth, trying to use it as a way to bypass the Gordanians' defenses, which would have destroyed the Earth and everyone on it. Fortunately, the Justice League was able to stop Hro Talak and his army, by having Batman crash the Watchtower into an essential piece of their plan. It had been a victory for mankind, however this had also meant a new Watchtower was needed for the League.
So Bruce, knowing they needed to up the security and space of their newest tower, had decided to personally supervise each and every renovation of every room, including the one Diana currently found herself in.
She delivered another hard punch, before kicking the bag, listening to the chain holding it to its foundation squeak with protest. In the past year Diana had worked tirelessly to fix the damage Shayera and her betrayal had done, but it would take her much longer to be able to fix the hurt she felt.
She took a step back from the punching bag, heavily panting as she tried to catch her breath, placing her hands on her knees as she glanced up at the numbers illuminating over the door. 05:37. She had been in the watchtower's newest training room for nearly three hours, trying to take her frustration out by any means necessary; the small pile of broken punching bags near the door was testament to that.
She heard the door slide open, causing her eyes to jet towards the entrance, her eyebrows furrowing in annoyance when she saw the masked man standing in the doorway. "Hey Di," Wally said, a wide smile on his face as he stepped into the room. He gave her a small wave, emphasizing his greeting, however his smile faltered when he noticed Diana's posture. She was staring at him, her eyes burning into his masked face, as her clenched fists dug into her thighs. To say he was intimidated would have been an understatement, but he knew she didn't mean it. She was angry, they all were, but he knew the events a year ago had hurt her more. "You alright?" he asked, taking a step closer to the Amazon, his eyes carefully watching her every move.
Diana shrugged, before she turned her attention back to the punching bag, quickly landing two hard punches. She watched as it swung away from her, before she balanced on her left leg and kicked the bag, this time watching as it broke free from its chain and was sent flying across the room, bursting as it hit the wall, letting the sand from inside quickly spill onto the floor. "I'm fine," she grunted, wiping the sweat from off her brow.
Wally watched as she walked over to the broken bag, quickly gathering it up into her arms, before throwing it over her shoulder, letting it fall into the pile near the door. "Hey, looks like you could use an iced mocha," he said softly, trying to get her to smile. Seeing Diana like this hurt him, and he knew the others hated it as well. Diana had always been so optimistic, so joyous; to see her so hurt, angry, and damaged did something to them all. "Want to check out this new commissary Batman promised?"
Diana quickly walked to the other side of the room, opened one of the closets, and pulled out another bag; she had gone through enough to know where Batman had stocked them. "No thank you," she said, trying to sound as polite as she could, however Wally heard the harsh tone she used. She just wanted him to leave.
Wally's face fell as he let out a sigh, watching Diana as she connected the bag before she gave it a small punch, testing its chain. "Oh, okay. I'll see you around Diana," was all he said, as he turned and walked out of the room, stopping right outside the door to glance at Diana over his shoulder, before he walked down the hall, letting the door slide shut behind him.
Diana let out a small sigh and closed her eyes, letting her fist unconsciously hit the bag. She knew Wally was trying to help her, get her to talk. She couldn't even be mad at him, as she had done the same thing to Bruce whenever he would become extra broody and ignore the League. She thought about walking out of the room to catch up with Wally and accept his invitation, but she knew she would only feel bad having to force a smile for a few minutes, before she shut herself back up in her room, trying to find ways to busy her mind.
Instead, she turned her attention back to the dangling bag, letting her foot kick it once before she heard the door slide open again. Thinking it was Wally, coming back for another invitation to the commissary, Diana let out a groan, punching the bag hard, before she turned towards the steel door. "I already told you, I don't-"
She stopped when she realized the masked man in front of her was not Wally., but a certain Gotham resident. "Bruce, sorry," she began, placing her hands on the swaying bag, forcing it to stop. "I thought you were Wally."
Batman stepped into the room, a tablet in his hands, a frown on his face. He knew he shouldn't have been jealous, after all Diana was her own woman and was free to hang out with anyone she chose, but why did it have to be Wally? He was immature and childish, and Diana could do a lot better than to spend what little free time she had with him.
"Princess," Batman growled, letting the door slide shut behind him. He watched as she dropped her hands from the bag, the whites of his cowl narrowing when he realized what she had been doing. He watched as she continued to pant, trying her hardest to regain some form of composure; he was the last person she wanted to see her like this. "I'm just here to check the room, and make sure everything is in working order." He typed a few notes into the tablet , before placing it on the counter, surveying the room once more as a smirk formed on his face. "It appears you've already gotten familiar with the training room. Are you trying to make me go broke?" he asked, nodding over to the pile of busted punching bags.
He heard her grunt as she threw another punch, whether to protest his statement or to ignore him completely he did not know, watching as it landed in the middle of the bag, before the seam came undone, leaking sand onto the floor. Diana let out another groan, ripping the bag off its chain with a growl and tossing it to the side, before she let out a harsh breath, her nostrils flaring as she turned to face him.
The room remained quiet for a few moments, save for the quiet sounds of Diana's breaths, as both tried to figure out what to say. Diana, who was too frustrated and angry for words, only hoped and prayed Bruce would take the hint and leave her be. Bruce, however, did not do so well with social queues, or rather didn't care, and knew he needed to pry or else the newly built Watchtower would be destroyed by evening. "Diana," he said, watching as her eyes flitted up to meet his. "Is something wrong?"
Diana watched as he gave her a smirk, her hands unconsciously clenching into fists near her side. This man infuriated her like no other. She had told everyone she wanted space, needed time to clear her head after the events of the past few months, however when Bruce hadn't pried, as she had expected him to, she had grown concerned, and even more angry. Did he not care about her well-being? Was he still embarrassed over that kiss they had shared while trying to flee the Thanagarians, and the subsequential conversation that had followed in the cave when no one was around to hear. He had told her that she did what she had to in the moment to stay safe, and his feelings on the matter didn't matter, before quickly dismissing the conversation. However, Diana could tell it hadn't been only her who had been affected by that kiss. Yes, she was the one who had initiated it, and yes it had been out of purely survival instinct, but it was his hand that had curled into her hair, pulling her close, his tongue pushing itself into her mouth, fighting for dominance. Bruce hadn't been as innocent in the ordeal as he liked to think. Which was why Diana had been especially angry with him when he had decided to ignore the League in recent weeks, deciding Gotham needed more of his attention as of late.
Granted, she knew Gotham was his priority, and she would never take that from him, but the truth of the matter was, he had been avoiding her. "Nothing is wrong," Diana responded, pulling her hair up into a tight ponytail, allowing her heated neck access to the cool air in the room. She watched as Bruce's smirk faltered and she knew where his attention had been drawn to, causing her to grin, before she shook the thought out of her mind. He was not going to distract her. He had done enough of that in her dreams. "You would know that if you spent more time with the League," she hissed, glancing down at her sore hands. "If you spent more time with me."
She heard Bruce hiss in response. She knew he was tired of this conversation, as was she, but she couldn't help but think if he had been more available, she wouldn't have been so angry. In the two years the three had known each other, she had snaked her way into his life, both professionally and personally. She trusted him wholeheartedly, and after proving herself time and time again, he trusted her with his life. She was the only one, besides Alfred, who knew why he gave his all as Batman, trying to protect the citizens of Gotham from the crime that polluted the city, and she had always admired him for the heroism he displayed every night. He had been the first man she had shared the secrets of the Amazons to, knowing he would take them to his grave, and she was the first woman he hadn't tried to bed, knowing their relationship was far too important and treasured to ruin over what he assumed would be a single night of passion.
It was Bruce who had pulled Diana aside in the Javelin when her mother had banished her from Themyscira, letting he know she took her punishment with honor, setting an example as a Princess to her people one last time. It was Diana who had learned the truth behind Bruce's parents' deaths, and had gotten him to talk about it, letting him know that bottling up his frustrations and anger did no good. He was her best friend, and although he would deny it to anyone who asked, she was his, which is why his obliviousness to her emotions angered her more.
"Diana," he warned, grabbing the tablet. He was ready to turn on his heel and leave the room, ready to run away from another confrontation, when he sighed, knowing he needed to help a friend in need. The truth was, he knew what had angered Diana. Shayera, one of her closest friends, had betrayed them all, and to make matters worse, he had abandoned her because he was too afraid to confront his own growing feelings for the Amazon. He had thought if he gave her space, ignoring her attempts to contact him, she would forget all about that kiss and any implications it could mean anything more than friendship between them. Looking at her now, he knew how wrong he had been.
"I know Shayera's betrayal hurt you," he said, his voice becoming softer as he spoke, "But if you need someone to take it out on, so that I don't have to continue to buy bags, then you could always hit me."
He watched as she raised an eyebrow, intrigued by his offer, and confused all the same. He did know that a single punch from her could break his jaw, right? "You can't be serious," she said, her voice light, amused with the thought.
Bruce shrugged. "Then again, in your current mental state, you wouldn't be able to land a single hit."
Diana's eyes narrowed. "Is that a challenge Batman?" she asked, taking a step closer to him, the fingers in her clenched fist twitching in anticipation. He was giving her an out, a way to get her frustrations out on at least one of the people responsible. She would be a fool not to take up his offer. She watched as Bruce quickly pulled out a smoke bomb from his belt, letting the small pellet rest between his fingers, before she took her first swing.
She watched as Batman threw the smoke bomb onto the floor, letting the area quickly fill with the dense smoke, allowing his quick escape before Diana's fist could collide with his face. He stepped back, quickly jumping behind one of the treadmills, watching as Diana waved the smoke from her face, her narrowed eyes quickly setting on him at the end of the room. She quickly gritted her teeth and flew towards him, watching as he dodged her grasp at the last moment, before he landed near the middle of the room, a smirk on his face, taunting her.
"It seems I have been away from the League far too long. You're getting sloppy." He watched as she tightened her fist and released an involuntary cry, jumping towards where he stood. She landed in front of him, her foot instantly coming up to kick him, which he blocked with a simple swat of his hand. He watched as she groaned and threw another punch, trying desperately to hit him. "You've been losing your focus on missions. You've been making rookie mistakes. You're better than that, you're an Amazon, prove it."
He quickly pulled back, dodging a punch from Diana, before he grabbed her wrist and threw her against the wall behind them. He watched as she fell to the ground, before she stood to her feet slowly, letting out another harsh breath. He was toying with her, goating her, and this was the last thing she wanted. "Maybe if you had paid more attention to Shayera and what she was hiding, instead of thinking of home, you would have caught something sooner."
He watched as she narrowed her eyes once more. Her nostrils flared and she let out a cry as she threw another punch. He moved his head, barely, and heard her fist break through the wall behind them, before she ripped her hand free, leaving a gaping hole. Before Bruce had a chance to respond, Diana elbowed him in the face, forcing him to fall back, his nose bloodied from the contact.
Diana took this as her opportunity and jumped towards Bruce, pushing him onto the floor, climbing onto his chest, pinning him down. She raised a hand, her fist clenched tightly, ready to deliver a jaw shattering punch, but when she saw her teammate, her best friend, pinned under her, bleeding, she pulled back. "I'm sorry," she whispered, getting off of him. She quickly wiped the tears that had begun to fall off her face, before she turned away from him, her pride unable to handle him seeing her so broken.
She heard Bruce shift from his position, groaning as he stood, before he placed a hand on her shoulder. "Diana," he said softly, coaxing her to turn to face him, wanting to see her face before he continued. He watched as she turned slowly, her tear filled eyes widening when she saw he had pulled his cowl from his face, allowing her to see his full face for the first time in months.
"Bruce," she whispered, her hand gently coming up to his face, trying to cradle the nose she had broken. "I'm sorry."
Bruce shook his head, wincing when her fingers gently grazed his nose. "You needed to let that anger out, and you did." He watched as she looked at the gaping hole in the middle of the wall, a blush forming on her cheeks when she realized she had destroyed the room they stood in. "And you couldn't have known what Shayera was going to do. Do not blame yourself for anything she did." He watched as she nodded, knowing what he had done, before she buried her head into his chest and began to cry. She felt Bruce tense under her, and she knew she should have pulled away, but when she felt his arms wrap around her and pull her closer, she knew he would let her stay right there, crying, for as long as she needed. Unfortunately, it wasn't long.
The door quickly slid open and both Diana and Bruce tensed, both knowing Bruce no longer had his cowl on, leaving his identity as Bruce Wayne out in the open for any of the new recruits to stumble upon. Fortunately, it was only Clark who walked into the room, having heard the crash from Diana's fist colliding with the wall. "Is everything okay in here?" he asked, stopping when he saw Bruce on the floor, Diana in his arms, tears running down her face.
His eyes softened immediately and he walked over to the pair, quickly taking a seat next to Bruce. "Diana, you okay?"
Diana pulled away from Bruce, looked into his eyes, and gave the two a smile; it had been the first genuine smile to have graced her lips in months. "I am now," she said, wiping the remaining tears from her face with the back of her hand. She quickly stood, gave the two a nod, and walked out of the door.
Once he was sure Diana was gone, Clark turned to Bruce, who had pulled his cowl on the moment Diana had left his arms, and glared at the man. "What happened?" he asked, standing to his feet.
He crossed his arms over his chest as he watched Bruce rise to his feet, watching as he gently wiped the blood from his nose before he shrugged. "Sparring," he answered, taking a step towards the door. He let it slide open in front of him, and was ready to step outside when he heard Clark begin to speak.
"Well the two of you better fix this," he said to Bruce, earning a glare from the Batman before he walked out of the room and into the hall.
It had been a few days since Diana had last seen Bruce, and after their sparring session in the training room, she wanted to personally thank him for what he had done for her. He had gotten her to release some of the anger she had pent up since Shayera's betrayal, and even though he had taken the brunt force of that anger, she was glad he had been there. She only wished she hadn't broken his nose.
Diana quickly turned the corner, making her way to the training room. That morning she had woken up to a note from Bruce, asking her to meet him at noon in the room, wearing something comfortable and something she didn't mind getting dirty. She had been thoroughly confused when she had read his message, however she knew whatever he had up his sleeve would be interesting, and she knew it would be the only way to see him for a while. So, she had dressed in a pair of khaki shorts and a flannel shirt, slipped on a pair of sneakers she had bought last year, and rushed to the training room, more than curious to see what Bruce had up his sleeves.
She quickly walked through the door, her eyebrows raising in confusion when she saw Bruce at the end of the room, dressed in his batsuit. His face was covered in stubble and she knew there would be dark circles under his eyes, but what drew her attention was the bandage around his nose; the nose she had broken.
His head turned to greet her when he heard the door slide open, whispering her name with a small nod, before he waved her over. "What's all this?" she asked, walking towards Bruce. She looked at the different buckets and objects laying on the floor near the wall, curious as to what Bruce had been doing before she had arrived.
Bruce placed the object in his hand down, before he pointed to the wall, where a large patch of white stood out against the blue. "This is that lovely hole you put in the wall," he explained, before he reached down and grabbed an object. "The boy scout wanted us to fix the wall before the recruits started to question things." He handed Diana the paintbrush in his hand and pointed towards the paint on the floor. "Since I fixed the hole, you get to paint it. "
Diana grabbed the paintbrush, her fingers gripping the handle tightly, before she tilted her head to look at Bruce. "Are you serious?" she asked, glancing down at the paint behind her.
"Absolutely," Bruce muttered, watching as she sighed before she turned on her heel. She quickly bent down , dipping the paint brush into the paint, smirking when she heard him groan behind her. She had worn these shorts for a reason.
She quickly stood straight and slapped the paintbrush onto the wall, letting paint splatter up the wall, before she heard Bruce hiss behind her. She continued to move the brush, a grin on her face when she looked over her shoulder to see Bruce's grimace. "What?" she asked, dipping the brush into the paint once more, soaking it, before she slapped it back onto the wall.
"You're doing this all wrong," he stated, watching as she scraped the brush along the wall, unevenly coating it with paint. "Here, let me show you."
Diana quickly raised the paintbrush above her head and away from Bruce's reach, not wanting him to take it. She had made the hole, she wanted to be the one to fix it. "I can do it," she said, taking a step back when she saw Bruce step towards her.
Bruce, knowing he should have done the job himself, reached for the paintbrush, growling when Diana stepped back once more. "Diana," he began, taking another step towards her.
Diana shook her head. She quickly dipped the brush into the paint once more, slathering it onto the wall, before Bruce reached out to grab it, stepping onto a spot of wet paint and sliding forward, crashing into Diana. Her back hit the wet wall, leaving paint on her shirt, before the two fell to the floor, paint splashing up around them as the brush fell into the container besides Diana.
"You've got to be kidding me," Bruce grumbled, glancing down at his ruined suit. He heard Diana begin to laugh before he looked up at her, unable to help the smile that formed on his face when he saw her sitting there, paint all along her back and shoulder, and in her hair.
"Oh it's not that bad," Diana said, pulling her hair over her shoulder to see the streaks of wet paint in her dark locks.
Bruce shook his head, letting out a small chuckle. "Easy for you to say, Princess," he began, attempting to wipe some of the paint off his cape. "This is the second suit that has been ruined because of you. Alfred is going to kill me."
Diana shrugged. "I do recall that I told you the elephant did that of his own free will. Second, I told you to let me finish painting."
Bruce let out a small sigh, reached over to grab the paint brush from the can, and scraped off the excess paint. He quickly stood and finished the job Diana had begun, making sure to get an even coating on the wall, before he dropped the brush next to her. "There," he said, turning to face Diana, stopping when she saw her staring at him intently.
Diana continued to stare at Bruce, or rather, stared at his lips, remembering the kiss they had shared months ago. She knew Bruce had all but abandoned any thought of returning to this conversation, but she couldn't help but think back to that kiss anytime the two of them were together. He had kissed her back with such fever, and his lips, she remembered vividly, were a lot more soft than she had ever expected them to be.
She watched as Bruce opened his mouth to speak, before an alarm went off, signalling trouble that needed their assistance. Diana watched as Bruce gave her a nod, before she left the room, making her way to her room to change, before she made her way to the transporter bay.
Bruce watched Diana leave and let out a sigh. He was grateful for the alarm, unsure if he would be able to stop himself from kissing her with the way she was staring at him. And those shorts; she had to have done that on purpose.
Bruce let out a quick sigh, knowing they were going to need to talk soon, before he stopped out of the room, bumping into Clark on his way to the transporter bay. "What happened to you?" Clark asked, taking in the paint that covered Bruce's suit.
Bruce shook his head. "Don't touch the wall," he said, walking away from Clark and towards the transporter bay. "The paint's wet."
I hope you all liked this! Please let me know what you thought :)
I'm excited for Day 3: Lovers ;)