A/N: I'm kind of a sucker for Wonderbat, so you know I just had to write something. I'm usually not a fan of one-shots cause I like to keep reading or writing, but I think this stands well enough on it's own or could become a brief series. Guess we'll see. 1st DCEU story posting is a go. Takes place before Justice League, after Diana gets her picture at the end of Wonder Woman which is the best movie ever, I loved it.
Okay done.
Diana kept her head tilted down, her eyes focusing on the mahogany desk as she struggled to keep her breath even. The picture, the real picture of herself and friends was now buried in her belongings, safely hidden away where no one would find them. It was necessary that the past remain buried, she could not let another get their hands on the photograph.
She had spent a long time hiding, a long time running away from the world and it's struggles. Only twice since the loss of Steve Trevor had she resurfaced as a hero, had she taken out her armor and fought for man. The third time had been with her encounter with Superman and Batman, fighting a monster from another world.
Diana sighed at the memory, her heart still heavy with the loss of a brief friend and the pain on the face of his lover, Lois Lane. It was a look Diana knew she had worn when her lover had been lost. After that fight, she had started to fight for the city of Paris and the places nearby against crime, wearing her armor once again. Diana released another sigh, she stood quickly from her desk and gathered her things.
The museum had closed several hours ago, but Diana had a habit of remaining here in the late hours. Becoming a historian had been easy for her, considering the fact she had loved through history and had the best tutors as a child for the time before her own. There were times she knew things were incorrect because of poor documentation, but most of the time she let it go. The humans only knew so much. Their lives were short, their knowledge more limited than her own.
"You're still here eh Diana," came the voice of a friend with a smile on his wrinkled face.
He was an older man who had been working in this museum for a few decades now. Paul Martin was his name, he had been born in the states, but moved to Paris when he was child. Though they were both fluent in French, when it was just the two of them they spoke English. Paul had said he missed speaking the language and was losing his touch.
Diana agreed to speak with him in English when they were together and it was refreshing to the older man. He hardly spoke the first language he learned and didn't have many to speak it with. Not to mention the only one who shared his great love of history was Diana Prince. Despite his old age, Diana found that he had the soul of a child.
Diana offered him a gentle smile, "I was just getting ready to leave actually."
"Really," asked Paul with a look of surprise, he checked his watch, "ten minutes to midnight I see. I'm impressed, it's an early night for you."
Diana grinned cheekily, "Yes it is. What are you still doing here? Usually you are out of here by eight."
Paul shrugged, "I was doing a couple sweeps of the place, looking at all the exhibits and such. Lost track of time. Get home safe alright."
"I will, have a good night Paul," replied Diana.
Paul dipped his head at her before leaving her office and heading home. Diana finished packing her things and left the museum. She briefly stopped to tell the security guards goodnight and that she would see them tomorrow. It was routine, but nice just the same. Diana stepped outside into the cool fall air, her flyaways from the bun she wore hanging freely in her face. It would take roughly fifteen minutes to walk home, so she started down the steps and headed to her apartment.
Diana owned a very nice car that she could have used to take her to and from work, but she preferred to walk. She would never fly home, even though the itch to take off into the sky was one she had to ignore often. At first she had not been a great fan of flying, but overtime she began to love the feeling. It was freeing, the way running was. If not for her heels, she would have started running, running home in order to get to the safety and comfort of her apartment.
Diana smiled faintly as she walked down the sidewalk, watching the night sky and the passing lights of the city. She had explored the city dozens of times and knew it inside and out, much like several other cities around the globe. A perk she had about living all this time had been her ability to travel wherever she pleased, to see the world and all it's beauty.
After another couple of minutes, she found herself in her apartment. It wasn't very big, it was two bedrooms, two bathrooms, a dining room, living room and a kitchen. She walked into the apartment, moving from the living room in front to her bedroom on the left. Diana set her bags down on the coffee table, she didn't need anything inside them at this moment so she left them there. Diana entered her bedroom, a queen sized bed on the left with the dresser and tv on the left in front of the bed.
She changed into her pajamas, white silk pants and a matching tank top that was a size bigger so it wouldn't hug her frame. She let her dark hair cascade over her shoulders like waves and would tie it up before going to sleep. After her 'debut' with the Gotham knight and son of krypton, she no longer let her hair fall down in the open. The Batman hid his face behind the cowl, Superman had his face open and must use something else to mask his superhero persona. She remembered trying on over 200 outfits with Steve and Etta. How when she finally found an outfit, Steve had placed a pair of glasses on her. The glasses didn't last long, but it disguised her face for a brief period of time along with the hat.
Diana smiled sadly at the memory, their voices echoing in her mind as she sipped her cup of water. Her chest aches with each beat of her heart the more she thought of her lost friends… A gentle thud gave Diana pause. She looked towards her balcony doors, she saw a shadow figure through the white curtains. Curious and a bit wary, Diana moved to the balcony doors. She knew whoever it was, she would be able to handle because not many could beat her in a fight.
As she came closer to doors, she noticed more movement of the figure and it appeared like a cape. A name flashed across her mind. She pulled the curtain back to see she was correct. Without another second to waste, she opened the door to see her new colleague. He stood there on the left wearing all dark clothing, the lightest material on him must have been the storm cloud vest over his black oxford. The cape flew slightly in the wind still, looking out of place with his business casual clothing.
"Hi," came the smooth voice of Bruce Wayne.
Seeing him here in front of her, on her small balcony, left Diana with feelings of surprise and excitement and a bit of concern. If he had come all the way here to see her, perhaps he brought bad news that could not be safely said through emails or phone calls.
"Hi," said Diana a little breathless, surprise etched across her face, "what are you doing here?"
"I wanted to be sure your picture was returned to you okay," replied Bruce.
Diana tiled her head to the side, "Yes, I did. I sent you an email hours ago."
Bruce nodded in acknowledgement, "Yeah, but i was in the neighboring area anyway, thought I'd be sure."
Diana gave him a soft smile, "I see. Thank you again Bruce, for bringing the photograph back to me."
Bruce let a small smile show, "Of course. I would have given it to you in person, but I didn't want to draw an unnecessary attention to us."
Diana released a gentle laugh, "Yes, I can imagine many people would be wondering why Gotham's richest man was doing in Paris with a lowly historian. Though I have to ask, it seems you're two identities have merged together."
"The cape was for you," said Bruce simply, "No one else you know would show up unannounced with a cape and I didn't want to frighten you."
"Yes because a shadow creeping around my apartment in the middle of the night wouldn't frighten me at all," remarked the Amazon with a sideways smile, her brown eyes alight with mischief.
Bruce flashed her his signature 'Bruce Wayne grin', "Of course it wouldn't, glad you understand."
Diana continued to smile at him, this time with her mouth closed as she struggled not to laugh. Though Bruce tended to be more closed off and straight to business, Diana enjoyed seeing him on the more relaxed side of things. Ever since their team up with Superman several weeks ago, the two had entered the early stages of friendship. The two kept good contact through emails mostly, but sometimes they would talk over the phone. It wasn't often, but it did occur every once in awhile. He was a good man, despite what he believed about himself.
He believed himself to be a dark man without hope, but Diana knew there was much more to him than he cared to admit. Humans had always been complicated in her mind, yet one thing about them never seemed to change. They could create the most beautiful things in tragic times or unleash the greatest horrors in times of light.
"Nonetheless I cannot thank you enough for returning the photograph, for bringing them back to me," said Diana gratefully, her smile fading slightly.
Bruce replied, "It was the least I could. I hope one day I can hear about them."
Diana saw a flicker of a memory from long ago after she stopped speaking. After seeing the photo, the real photograph she spent many years searching for, had allowed her a chance to pour salt on old wounds. Losing Steve so suddenly had left her with a hole in her heart, losing the friends, the family she had built in Man's World, overtime had deepened the hole. Her first family filled with brothers, the first human family she had ever had was now gone forever. She was reminded of this every day, yet seeing the photograph had taken a number on her already aching heart.
"Diana," Bruce questioned, his tone laced with concern, "Are you alright?"
Bruce noticed the once brightness in her brown eyes had dimmed, he recognized the sorrow in her eyes. He knew that the photo meant a lot to her, that the people and one in particular had left a mark on her. That she had lost one of them too quickly leaving her with a pain in her heart. He knew all the others in the photo and anyone else Diana had encountered during her time fighting were all long gone.
He had done a quick search on each of them, one of them, the man on her right named Steve Trevor, died before the Armistice. The others around her lived fairly long lives, but he could understand how each year that passed the older they became while she was still the same, not going anywhere. It sounded terribly lonely, and Bruce knew all about being alone yet he couldn't imagine what it was like to watch everyone around you grow old and die without you.
Diana swallowed before answering, "Yes, I-I, yes. I'm fine just uh…"
"Old wounds," Bruce supplied for her.
Diana nodded slowly, "Yes, something like that. It's been so long, yet the pain is still there."
"Guess time doesn't heal all wounds," commented Bruce.
"No, I suppose it doesn't," whispered Diana, she licked her dry lips as her focus was brought to the ground.
"I'm sure they would all be proud of you," Bruce said to her, Diana didn't meet his gaze as he continued tentatively, "Those people in the photograph with you, may i ask which one you referred to in your email?"
Diana inhaled as his face flashed across her mind, as his laugh echoed in her ears. The shine of his crystal eyes, how his dark blond hair was never put together. The loss of him, having him ripped away from her, the memory of that moment burned into her mind. She had time with the others, she got to say goodbye to each of them. He was the only one who she never had a chance with.
"Steve, Steve Trevor was his name," whispered Diana, a watery smile on her face, "He-he. He was- he was the first man I ever loved and the first one I ever lost."
Diana swallowed back a sob she desperately wanted to release. She had spent many days pushing the very thought of him far, far away from her. She could not bare a reminder, she could not bare to even think his name without feeling the stab of pain when his ship burst into flames. She could not stand to think of any of her lost friends without the ache in her chest. Bruce heard her choke back a cry, the shimmering of her eyes and slight tremble of her shoulders told him all he needed to know.
"I'm so sorry for your loss princess," said Bruce in a gentle tone.
Diana released a trembling sigh, "We-we just… didn't have the t-time."
Diana closed her eyes, struggling to keep the tears of pain that pushed against her eyes like an overfilled dam. She took a steadying breath.
"I'm sorry for this, uh," Diana said, her voice sounded so sad, filled with grief.
"You have nothing to apologize for," Bruce told her gently.
Diana didn't say anything. Soon, her resolve to keep her sorrow at bay would weaken and she would release all the emotions she had been holding back. With slight hesitation, Bruce moved towards the woman. Comforting had never been his strong suit, but he knew he should do something, anything, to try and help her. He now stood barely an inch away from her. Slowly, he brought his arms around her smaller, but toned frame.
At first she froze on contact and opened her eyes to stare up at him. Bruce looked into her eyes and the amount of sorrow and pain in them caused his chest to ache. He found himself wishing he could take that pain away, but he quickly pushed the thought aside. He pulled her into a hug and she did not fight him. Instead she buried her face into his shoulder and wrapped her arms around his torso, tears now streaming down her cheeks as memories of her beginnings in Man's World played through her mind.
Each new face, each new story, each new friend. It had been so long, it's been so long. In her memories they smiled at her, she could see the light in their eyes and hear the joy in their laughs. A sob escaped her lips, she missed them terribly and wished that she could see them, all of them again. Once she released the first sob, another soon came, followed by another and another, each one breaking Bruce's heart a little more.
He didn't know her story, he wouldn't ask. Only when she was ready would he know her history. For now, he would hold her as she let all the pain out into the open. Her knees started to give and she began to sink to the floor, as though gravity was working overtime to bring her down. Bruce went to the floor with her, his arms still wrapped protectively around her. Tentatively, he brought one hand to cup her head as she continued to cry and release all the emotion she had been holding back for who knew how long.
He wondered what he could say, he had no idea. Then he thought of what Alfred told him all those years ago, when Bruce had broken down from the loss of his parents.
It's okay Master Bruce, you've suffered a terrible loss. You mustn't keep those emotions locked away, you have to them out. Let them flow like water and soon the waves will steady.
"It's okay," Bruce whispered into her ear, "It's okay Diana, let it all out. Let it flow, like water."
She cried into his shirt, it sounded muffled, "I miss them. I miss him... s-s-so much."
Diana lifted her head to look at Bruce, the sight of her gleaming brown eyes, slightly red nose and watery cheeks sent a familiar pang through Bruce. He recalled he looked much the same whenever he recounted the memory of the night he lost everything.
"They w-were my f-family," Diana choked out, her voice hoarse and broken, "I love t-them. I-I-I need them, but they are gone forever. I am truly alone."
She lowered her head, overcome with sorrow for everything she had lost. While she knew many others have suffered beyond her, she still felt the pain of losing others as though it had just happened. As if she hadn't had time to heal. She felt ashamed and embarrassed to cry in front Bruce, to show this side of her when they barely knew each other. Yet she was grateful that he was comforting her, even if she could tell that he was uncertain of how to go about it.
"Sammy, Charlie, Chief, Etta and Steve are all gone," Diana whispered, tears still falling from her eyes.
"Yes, they might be gone, but you aren't alone Diana," Bruce said insistently.
The Amazon princess lifted her head to look at him sadly. It was lie, no matter how much he believed those words, it was a lie to her ears. Humans were not immortal, they could not live forever. They each would die while she would continue to live on, never aging, never any closer to the end of the line.
Bruce pulled her back into his embrace, "You aren't alone anymore. I am here for you, I will always be here."
"No you won't," Diana said into his shirt, "Soon you will be gone, like all the others. You are here now, but someday I will lose you to."
Bruce held her a bit tighter, "I promise you Diana, I will always be here with you. For as long as you need."
"Not even you could promise me forever," said Diana, her voice though muffled filled with such sadness.
"You'd be surprised with what I can accomplish," he whispered to her, but she said nothing in return.
Bruce knew she was right, he couldn't promise her forever, but he would do everything in his power to make sure she wouldn't be alone. He held her close for a long time, just kneeling on the balcony in the middle of the night with an amazonian princess in his arms. Over a short period of time, he had found himself stroking her hair as her cries softened to hiccups and shuddering breaths. He said nothing, knowing she didn't words now. She just needed to have someone here with her at this moment. Before long, her cries had ceased altogether and her tight grip had lessened tremendously.
"Diana," Bruce whispered as he looked down at her.
Her breathing had evened out as well, only a slight shudder every now and again. He moved her dark hair out of her face to find her eyes were closed, her face relaxed. She had cried herself to sleep, which sent another bit of sorrow through Bruce. He wondered how long she had been holding this back, how many years had she spent hiding this pain from the world.
Carefully, Bruce moved his right arm from around her to under her knees. Once she was secure in his arms, he stood up and brought her inside. It took him a minute or two, but he found her bedroom and laid her down on the bed gently. She stirred slightly, her face scrunched causing Bruce to freeze in his tracks. When she did not open her eyes, Bruce brought the covers up to her chest.
Bruce took a step back to look at her sleeping form, her dark chocolate hair appeared like waves on the pillow and her face the picture of peace. He let a smile float on his face as he turned away from her, ready to let himself out. He took one step before her voice stopped him.
"Bruce," she said gently.
The Gothamite turned around to look at Diana. She was still laying down, though this time her brown her eyes were watching him.
"Yes princess," Bruce said just as gently.
Diana smiled at him, she whispered, "Thank you, for everything."
Bruce nodded his head in reply. As sleep claimed the heroine, the dark knight vanished into the city.