I don't own any characters. All rights belong to DC.
The food had been fabulous. The conversation stimulating. The atmosphere just exuded the festivity of the holiday season.
The joyous sound of laughter filled the air as the Founders gathered around the living room next to the roaring fire. Wally had fallen flat on his face, slipping on the slick change of floor in his socks while trying to get the last slice of pie. Even Bruce smirked in amusement.
"Ha ha ha. Glad I could be such a source of entertainment for you all," he said flatly. He stood, dusting himself off. Though his pride had been bruised, he still grabbed the last piece off of the platter and stuffed his face.
"Well, I hate to eat and run, but I got things to do and people to see." He started heading toward the front to fetch his coat and shoes.
"And where, pray tell, are you in such hot demand?" Shayera asked.
"Linda is having a gathering, and I kinda wanna make a good impression on her parents. Plus Barry's throwing a get together. I'm sure you all know how it is being popular. Everyone just wants a piece of me."
"He's so full of it," John commented as Wally walked through the door.
"Enjoy the rest of the night. And J'onn, I will be back for my rematch in Just Dance," Wally said sticking his head back through to get a last word in.
"I look forward to it," J'onn replied.
Flash waved his hand as Alfred closed the door behind him.
Shayera stretched her hands and yawned, her wings copying her movements. "It's starting to get late. I think I'm gonna head out too. Sleep this food off. It was delicious by the way Alfred." Alfred nodded in acknowledgment as Shayera stood and made her way to the door as well.
"Wait, what time is it?" Clark looked to his watch and gasped in surprise.
Diana glanced at her watch. "Seven forty-eight."
"Holy smokes, we're late." J'onn and Clark share a knowing look as the latter jumped from his seat and started to push his teammate out the door.
"What's the rush?" Bruce asks.
"We're late for a volunteer event. Nothing big," Clark responds nervously.
"Santa and his helpers," J'onn fills in.
"So are one of you Santa?" A simper begins to form on Green Lantern's face as realization dawns.
J'onn and Clark once again look at one another. Clark's shoulders sink in resignation as he points his thumb in Manhunter's direction.
"So that means you're an elf?" Diana asks, a grin spreading across her face.
"Yeah," Superman answers at last.
The room erupts in laughter.
"It's for a good cause," Superman protests.
"I bet it is. I'm sure we would all pay money to see you in the elf tights," Shayera comments between laughs.
"I don't see what the big deal is Kent. You wear spandex nearly everyday," Bruce points out.
"Spandex that fit," Clark comments under his breath.
Diana collects herself. "I'm sure you both will be a big hit, even if you are a little big for an elf."
"Thank you all for the support," J'onn comments dryly. "But we really must be going." Alfred opens the door for the two's departure.
"I guess that's my exit." Shayera grabs her gloves and scarf and follows the two heroes out the door.
"Mine too," John accompanies Shayera out. "Lantern duties in Sector 1155."
"Be safe," Diana comments behind him.
"That's the plan."
Alfred closes the door as the last of the Founders leave. Bruce looks around the living area before settling his gaze on the final house guest.
"What? No task to be whisked away to in a hurry?" he asks.
"No. I'm afraid you're stuck with me for a little while Mr. Wayne. That is unless you're going to kick me out in the cold."
He glances at his phone and pauses as if contemplating the decision.
"Bruce?!"
"It's sixteen degrees. At twenty, I'm going to politely ask you to leave."
"Well, thank you for the warning. In the meantime." She gestures to the empty chairs. He follows her over. He had secretly been hoping to get some time alone with her, despite all the people he had invited.
"I can't believe I let you and Kent talk me into this." He wasn't fond of social gatherings. Too many people at once made him rankled. He would much rather spend his nights with a few people he really cared about.
"Can you honestly say you didn't have a good time?"
"It was no different than the shenanigans that go on at the meetings. I don't need a gathering for that. I see them all I need to at work."
"You're only there part time."
"And that's enough."
"Have you ever thought that some of us might want you around for more than just 'part time'?"
"Like who?"
She froze for a moment. She hadn't really expected him to ask that, and the list wasn't very long, but it didn't take her any time to throw together a response.
"Flash is always asking about you. Zatanna. Mister Terrific. Booster Gold has seemed to take a liking to you too, for reasons beyond my understanding."
"Beyond your understanding?" He cocked an eyebrow.
She smiled in response. "Maybe not too far beyond."
They continued to engage in conversation and witty banter for the next few hours with an occasional flirtatious remark. At some point Alfred had refilled their drinks and they hadn't even noticed, they were so engrossed with one another. Each simply enjoyed sharing the company of the other, wishing the night would never end.
The fire continued to roar as they sat back and enjoyed the warmth. Diana sipped from her mug. A grin formed on her face as the eggnog slid down her throat. Though she had been in Man's World a few years, this was her first time experiencing the holiday drink. She would definitely be buying some for herself.
Bruce stared at the woman sitting beside him. She was beautiful, her blue eyes twinkling in the fire. Her smile from her enjoyment warming him even more than the blaze. He knew he had patrol soon, but he didn't want to leave this spot, leave her. His eyes shifted from her eyes to her lips, those lips that were so red and often filled his thoughts and dreams. He wanted so bad to just take her now, kiss her senseless and not let her go. But his blasted paranoia wouldn't let him. His lifestyle wouldn't allow it. She would be a target; if not his villains, then the gossip mongers. She deserved more. She deserved someone better than him. But every time he looked at her perfect form or heard her captivating laugh, his reasons seemed to just melt away. She always made him feel so unsure of himself. So to avoid further inner conflict, he was content with staring.
Diana could feel him staring, but she didn't mind. It made her smile grow wider at the possibility that she was on his mind as much as he was on hers. He just didn't know how badly she wanted him. He was in her dreams, her thoughts. How many nights had she wondered what it would be like if he finally let her in. She wanted him to make a move, but knew that that might be too much to ask for. If she wanted anything more to come out of this, she would have to be the catalyst.
The sound of the clock striking the next hour caught both of their attention. The face read eleven o'clock.
"It's getting late," Bruce commented.
"Did Alfred give you a bedtime?" Diana asked playfully.
"Bedtimes have never really been a thing here. But I do need to get to patrolling the city."
She checked her phone, scrolling through the different displays. Once she had found what she had been looking for, she raised the screen for him to see.
The display showed the weather. Fourteen degrees.
"Diana, I really can't stay."
"But Bruce it's cold outside."
"I've got to go on patrol."
"But Bruce, it's still freezing outside."
It seemed to him that she wanted him to stay as much as he wanted to stay, but duty was calling him. He tried a different approach hoping that his coming around would quell her enough to let him leave without making it an event. "You know, I'll admit that despite you all barging in, the evening was relatively nice." He started to walk towards the door.
"And I really enjoyed you dropping in," he thought to himself.
"Don't try to distract me through false concession. If you go out there now, you realize you might turn to ice."
"If I don't go Batgirl will start to worry."
"She can wait a while. What's your hurry?" She started moving closer to him.
"Robin's always eager to go out. If I don't go he'll be pacing the floor." He stopped his movement toward the grandfather clock.
Diana turned to the fireplace hoping to keep him a little longer with her body language. "Listen to the fireplace roar."
The light from the fire was hitting her just right. He wanted to stay so badly, his excuses were more to convince himself than her. "Diana, if I don't leave now, I'm going to be scurrying out the door to stop a crime already in motion that I could have stopped before it started."
Diana could tell she was starting to wear him down some. Normally, she wouldn't stop him. She knew this city meant a lot to him. But she also knew it had been quiet lately. Bruce himself had said that the criminals at Arkham must have taken a Christmas break too. And with no immediate threats that either of them knew about, she continued her pursuit.
"Bruce, what's your hurry?" she said seductively. She continued to stalk closer to him, her mug in her hand.
Bruce wiped his face with his hand. She was charming him. "Maybe just half a drink more." And it was working.
She walked past him to the kitchen, grabbing the eggnog from the fridge. "Why don't you put some music on while I pour?"
He sighed, making his way over to the record player as she came back to refill their mugs.
"I wonder what the League is gonna think about this," he thought.
She handed him the newly filled glass, her attention directed at the window. It had started snowing rather hard. "It's really bad out there."
He put the cup to his lips, following her gaze. The liquid went down smooth, but it had something more to it this time. Something stronger. He ran the taste around his mouth trying to identify it.
"What's in this drink?" he asked.
She tasted it as well. This time around was a little stronger than the previous cup. She just shrugged, perhaps she had grabbed the adult eggnog, but it didn't matter to her. The topic of the drink wasn't her main focus.
"You know, there's probably no villains to be had out there," she commented. Bruce shook his head in amusement at her pursuit of conquest.
They were standing next to each other watching the snowfall. The music played softly in the background. She turned to look at him full on, mischief dancing in her features. He could feel her looking at him now. He cocked his head to the side to return her stare.
"His eyes are like starlight," she thought as she watched the light from the fire dance around his face.
"I wish I knew how to break this spell she has me in," he longed. He knew the longer he stayed, the longer she was around him, the stronger this feeling between them was going to get.
"I'll take your cup." As he finished his drink, she grabbed his mug. She caught a whiff of his cologne as she walked back.
"He sure smells swell." She laughed to herself as the thought ran through her head. "Swell?" Bruce always made her thoughts funny. Made her act slightly outside the bounds she would normally stay within.
She ran water through the glasses before placing them in the sink. When she came back, Bruce had once more paused in front of the grandfather clock leading him to his Cave. His head rested against the glass case, his hands grabbing the top. She could see the conflict going on inside him. That meant she still had a little convincing to do to keep him here, with her.
She grabbed his hands and lead him back to the living area. She gestured to the seat beckoning him to sit down.
"I ought to say 'No. No. No'," he told her.
"But you're body's saying 'Yes, yes, yes'."
The music continued to play in the background. She took his hand in hers and placed one of his arms on her waist. She began swaying to the music, forcing him to do the same.
"Diana, I don't dance."
"You can do every martial arts known to man. And you can't dance?"
"Didn't say I 'can't'. I said I 'don't'."
"Can you at least give me one?"
"Diana, I have-"
"One."
He sighed. She was going to get her way whether he said 'Yes' or not. He began to sway with her. At first, they were both off rhythm. Each was going to a different beat. Diana laughed as Bruce tried to catch the time. His ungraceful lumbering amused her.
After a minute or so, they finally moved together, and the awkwardness of the "dance" soon subsided. The two became lost in the movement.
"Mind if I move in closer?" Diana asked tentatively, worried he might reject her completely. But she could deny herself no longer. She wanted to feel him against her body.
He nodded and she shifted her hands to around his neck as he moved both his hands to around her waist. He wanted so badly to explore her with his hands. To kiss her up and down. To make her his. To just stay the night. But he couldn't he had patrol. A city to protect.
His eyes glanced past her to the weather conditions outside. The snow was falling harder than earlier.
"Could I at least say I tried?" he attempted to convince himself. He wanted to hope that he and others would believe the snow was the real reason he stayed in. But even the thought sounded silly to him.
The song ended and Bruce initiated the parting ways. Diana stared at him as he walked away. She was losing. She hated losing. A chagrined expression formed across her face.
"No sense of hurting my Amazonian pride, right?" she called after him. Sarcasm dripped from her words.
Bruce stopped his movement.
"I just have to go," he simply put. He continued to head toward the Cave.
Diana watched as her chances were slipping away.
"But Bruce, it's cold outside." She knew it was a desperate attempt using the weather again, but she had to say something.
He nearly laughed. She was sincerely trying to keep him here. And her tenacity was making this even harder than it needed to be. He had to shut it down now, or he would never leave.
He opened the secret door to the BatCave.
"The answer is 'No'." He began heading down the stairs.
She followed behind him, refusing to give up.
"But, Bruce, it's cold outside!" It was the same futile argument, but she hoped her aggressiveness would convey how much she desired him.
He was steady in his journey as he headed toward his changing area. Upon reaching it, he finally turned to acknowledge her.
"I'm need to protect my city, regardless of the weather. But if this will satisfy you. I suppose the night, with you and the others dropping in, was nice. And I'll use the memories to keep me warm."
He vanished behind the curtain and changed. Diana could see his silhouette, despite the dim light. Her breath hitched in her throat. He was a beautiful specimen, and she wanted to explore every aspect of him. She shook her head to clear her mind of the thoughts. She had to find a way to get him to stay.
She looked around for anything that could possibly distract him or make him give in. Her line of sight landed on the large monitor in the center of the room. She had a guess the Watchtower technology was the same as Batman's. He basically owned both. She at least had to try.
"Security override. User code 003." She held her breath as she waited.
"User identity, Wonder Woman confirmed." The computer responded. Her smile reached both ears.
"Computer, display outdoor visual." She would make him see.
The large computer displayed the scene outside. The snow was now about three inches off the ground and it didn't look to be stopping anytime soon.
"Look at that storm," she said.
He emerged from the changing area, and looked at the computer, more concerned that she had gotten into his system than with the weather.
"The fact that you got into my computer is making me more suspicious than the storm."
She hadn't been listening. The chiseled physique that stood before her was causing her much distraction. He had yet to put on his cowl, his whole face was still visible, only adding to the visual effect.
"Gosh, he looks delicious. Like waves upon a tropical shore." What was she saying? He had done it again. "Gosh? Waves upon a tropical shore?" She sounded like a love sick schoolgirl. She was an Amazon warrior. But everytime she was in this man's presence, that's what she was reduced to.
He sighed, trying his best to reign in his rapidly beating heart. "Diana, you really should go."
"Why?" She could tell he was on his last line of defense too. And although she was happy for that, she was a little upset at the fact that he had outright asked her to leave.
"Alfred's gonna be waiting for you at the door."
She raised an eyebrow at him. He was going to have to come up with a much better excuse than that. He knew it too.
"And what about the others?" he added.
"What others?"
"Flash's mind is vicious. If he finds out that you were the last to leave, then rumors are bound to be spread. And, unless it's spreading fear, I don't want my name in anyone else's mouth."
"If they're going to talk anyway, we might as well do something."
"Diana!"
He really wanted to though. He had been wanting to all night. "Maybe just a moment more."
He shook the thought from his head. He had to leave for patrol now. He pulled on his cowl and started heading to his vehicle.
"I've never seen a blizzard like this before, and you're still going out there?" Diana called after him.
"This hardly qualifies as a blizzard in Gotham. I have to get out there. Crime doesn't stop because of inclement weather."
"But, Bruce you'll freeze out there." She flew over to him so he could see her. She knew that that would make it much more difficult for him to deny her.
"I've dealt with worse." She was sitting on the hood of the Batmobile staring him down, daring him to start it and take off. "But maybe if you lend me the scarf you're wearing, I'll be warm." He said sarcastically.
"My scarf isn't going to do anything if the snow is up to your knees out there."
She was relentless. "This fight you've been putting up to get me to stay has been grand."
She moved from the hood to stand before him. It was time to hit him with the coup de grâce. She took his hand and removed the gauntlet and placed her fingers with his.
"I get a chill when I touch your hand." She batted her eyes at him. She knew how strong physical touch worked between them. She could see his cowl lenses go wide, and she could feel the grip on her hand tightening. He wasn't going anywhere.
Her skin was soft. And the way she was looking at him was making him weak-kneed. He pulled his hand away, but paused before he put his glove back on.
"Diana, I don't think you see." He said dejectedly.
"Bruce, are you really doing this to me?" The seductive tone had returned, but there was a tiny of hurt mixed with it.
Was he? He sat silent for a while, looking off so he couldn't see her expression.
"If I stay, there is bound to be talk tomorrow. And even if we do nothing, there'll still be plenty implied," he finally responded.
"Have you ever considered my lifelong sorrow if you went out there and got killed? Or came back with pneumonia died?" she questioned.
"I really can't stay," he said softly.
"Bruce, please don't hold out," she responded just as soft.
Their eyes locked. All the tension and all the passion that had been locked up seemed to be conveyed in that one moment.
He looked at the display on the computer. The temperature read nine degrees.
He sighed, but a smile moved to his face. He knew he had lost, but had he really? With her being his reward, he would lose a thousand times more. And he was okay with that. He began removing his cowl, his gloves, and his cape, placing them to the side. "I guess it is cold outside."
Diana's eyes lit up. Her mouth rushed to his. They stood there in passionate embrace. It was a start. He might give her the cold shoulder tomorrow, but right now she wasn't worried about that. He was hers and she was his in this wondrous moment in time. The rest could be worked out later.
The snow continued to fall outside, as Bruce led Diana back upstairs to his room. He looked out the window as they passed.
"It's definitely cold outside."
Don't know if yall could tell, but this was based off the song, Baby, It's Cold Outside.
MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE! And remember the reason for the season.