"I am taking him home today."
It is not the first time Diana has said that this week, but this time her tone leaves no room for discussion. She moves around the room quickly, picking up Steve's few possessions and placing them in the suitcase at the foot of the bed. From the corner of the room, Steve tears his gaze away from her and looks to the person standing in the doorway.
"That wasn't the deal, Diana," Bruce says, his arms crossed and his mouth in a thin line (based solely on their minimal interactions, Steve is ninety percent sure it's stuck that way).
Diana closes the suitcase before she turns to face off with Bruce for the fourth time since Steve arrived.
"Yes, it was," she clips. "He does your tests, he gets to leave the lab."
Bruce shakes his head. "The test results were inconclusive. Removing him from isolation before we know he's ready puts him and everyone around him at risk."
This has been happening a lot: people talking about him like he's a) not there, b) dangerous, c) about to spontaneously turn into dust, or some mixture of the three. Their worry is warranted, as no one really has a clear cut answer on how time travel impacts the average guy. No one even tries to explain it to Steve beyond 'Barry can run through time because he has superpowers'. Steve's a roll with the punches kind of guy though, and he can roll with that, seeing as these superpowers saved his life and brought him to Diana.
Diana, the only friend he has left.
"Nothing in those tests say he can't leave this room, that he can't see the sky or breathe fresh air," Diana argues, waving her hand at the windowless room Steve has been quarantined in for the last week. "If he wants to go, he should be free to do so. Otherwise, what is this but a glorified prison?"
Bruce stiffens. "This is not a prison."
"It kind of is," Steve notes, and both Bruce and Diana turn to him as he pushes himself off the wall and languidly walks to Diana's side. "Four walls, no access to the outside, scheduled meals"– Steve nods his head at Bruce– "warden."
"You see?" Diana's expression tightens as she pulls the suitcase off the bed and onto the floor.
Bruce rubs his jaw and sighs. "What do you want me to do? He might, and that's a strong might, be physically fine out in the world, but there is still a lot he doesn't know. The adjustments to daily life alone could be traumatizing."
Steve scoffs. "I wasn't born in 1800. Your lightbulbs don't scare me."
Diana shoots Steve an approving smile before she turns to Bruce and says, "I once stood in his shoes, Bruce. Man's world was just as foreign to me as today's will be to him. I adapted. He will, too. And he will be with me. It will be alright."
Steve believes her, but Bruce doesn't budge from the doorway, even as Diana takes a step forward. The silent standoff between Bruce and Diana is only broken by the sound of footsteps coming down the hall.
Steve takes hold of the suitcase handle at the same moment Clark places his hand on Bruce's shoulder.
"Diana's right," Clark says lightly, turning Bruce to the side so Diana and Steve can pass. "There's not much more we can do for Steve here. We can monitor his chronal signature and vitals remotely and check in, but I think it's past time to give the man his life back, right, Steve?"
Steve really likes Clark.
"Right," Steve says, stepping up next to Diana.
Bruce doesn't give Clark a second glance before he rolls his shoulders back, sighs, turns around, and starts walking down the hallway. "Fine. Go to the hangar, take him home. Alfred will pilot the I-Jet and make arrangements. I still want that monitor on him 24/7."
"Thank you, Bruce," Diana says, following Bruce with a satisfied smile. "Let's go home, Steve."
"Good man," Steve says as he passes Clark, and he follows Diana down the hall with his suitcase in tow.
While Bruce veers left at the fork in the hall, Diana turns right and a pair of elevator doors open for her. It's a lot more streamlined than the one Steve's used to using.
Clark waits for Steve and Diana to get in the elevator before he says, "There's something I need to speak to Bruce about. I'll see you two around."
"Thank you, Clark," Diana says, pressing a button on the wall of the elevator.
And as soon as the doors close, it feels like the first time they've been truly alone.
"You have good friends," Steve notes.
"Yes." Diana nods as the lift begins to rise.
Steve waits a moment before he asks, "Diana?"
"Yes?"
"Where is home?"
Because although they've been attached at the hip since he regained consciousness, they haven't spoken much about the specifics of her life today or how Steve fits into those specifics.
"Paris."
"Paris," Steve repeats, nodding slowly. "Nice. Uh, could we make a few stops before we get there?"
Diana nods, taking his hand and lacing their fingers together. "Of course. Where would you like to go?"
The words weigh heavy on him. "I'd like to see my friends."
Diana doesn't seem surprised by his request. She holds his hand tighter, stands closer beside him, and takes a deep breath as the elevator stops and the doors open.
"Let's go let Alfred know."
