This chapter contains a bit of humor and basic BMWW fluff meant to set the groundwork for the incoming chapters :)
Thank you to mbembet, Lloyd RPGFan, Zenness, dragonball256, The Mortal Knight and guest for the reviews! And editlady617, thanks for the subtle reminder about the songs! I knew something was missing somewhere haha! Thus, this chapter's title is taken from the (French) song entitled Gabriel by Najoua Belyzel. The song is about a love triangle (surprise! surprise!). And thanks to Aztec-08 for a PM that contained a lot of compliments that it actually made me blush *wink*
Es Tu Fait Pour Lui? Es Tu Fait Pour Moi?
(Are you made for him? Are you made for me?)
"So," he impulsively slung an arm around her shoulder. "What do you think, angel?"
"I don't know…" Diana answered uncertainly, frowning as she thought over what he had suggested.
Only an angel can frown like that and still look gorgeous, Steve Trevor thought, utterly smitten over the heavenly creature beside him. And her skin is so soft and smooth. A finger twitched but he quelled the impulse to rub his hand over her shoulder. He knew that he was already courting danger by putting his arm around her to begin with. He did not want to press his luck.
"It's for a good cause," he coaxed.
"I understand, Steve," she looked up at him with eyes as blue as the ocean. An ocean that I would happily drown in, came the mesmerized thought. "But auctioning me off? That almost sounds like I'm a – a trophy to be won… or a slave…" She chewed her lower lip at the offensive thought.
Does she have any idea how sexy that is? Steve mused.
"Don't think about it like that, angel," Steve told her. "Not only is it for a good cause, it will humanize the Justice League as well. You once said that one of the League's missions is to avoid alienating yourselves from the rest of humanity. It's mainly why this building was created, was it not?" He waved his other hand in front of him, gesturing around the Metrotower's conference room.
Diana belatedly noticed the arm around her shoulder. She took a step away from the former US Air Force pilot, forcing him to drop his arm. "I really wish you would stop calling me that, Steve. That… endearment… seems inappropriate."
Steve flashed her his most winning smile. "I can't help it, angel. I mean, Diana."
"But why only the three of us?" she asked. "Batman, Superman and I are not the only ones who make up the League. At the very least, the other founding members should be included."
"Included in what?" Superman walked into the conference room with a smile of curiosity.
"Hello, Kal," Diana greeted him. "Steve suggested that the League create a charity foundation, mainly for those people who are victims of natural calamities, civil wars, terrorist attacks and the like."
"I don't see why not. That's a pretty good idea," Superman nodded amiably.
"I told you he'd like it," Steve winked at Diana. "We can call it the Trinity Foundation."
"The what?" Superman's brows furrowed in confusion.
"Apparently, that's what people are calling you, me and Batman," Diana answered.
"That is a little bit… egotistical, don't you think?" Superman's frown deepened. "The Justice League is a group effort."
Diana gave Steve a triumphant smile. "And I told you we should include the others."
"We can call it the Justice League Foundation if it makes you happy. But I'm telling you, the three of you are the most recognizable among all the members, founders or not," Steve argued. "We can begin with the Trinity for the first event and then we can introduce the others in the succeeding fundraisers."
"I still have misgivings about being auctioned off," Diana reminded him.
"What are you talking about?" Superman looked from one to the other.
"I suggested that we hold an auction," Steve explained. "Dinner with Diana for the highest bidder. Same goes with you and Batman."
"Somebody's not going to be too keen about that idea," the Man of Steel gave Diana a knowing look.
Diana smirked. "He will have strong… reservations. Of that, I am certain."
"So," Steve looked pointedly at Diana. "Shall we talk about the specifics over coffee?"
Diana opened her mouth to reply but Superman beat her to it with the trademark cluelessness of mild-mannered reporter Clark Kent. "Coffee sounds wonderful, Steve."
"And while you two iron out the details, I'll go see what Batman thinks about it," Diana said. She waved goodbye to the two men as she walked out of the conference room.
"Wait! Diana – I – uh…" Steve stammered, reaching out towards the Amazon's retreating back.
"Shall we?" Superman prompted, the corners of his lips twitched.
Steve sighed, shoulders slumping down dejectedly. How in the world did I end up in a coffee date with Superman?
"No."
"But, Bruce…"
"I said no, Diana," Bruce repeated curtly.
Diana took a deep, fortifying breath. "It's for a good cause and it humanizes the League, makes us more relatable to the humans." She repeated Steve's sound reasons.
"Batman does not have any plans of being humanized," Bruce's face hardened even more. "He is an urban legend created to strike fear into the hearts of criminals. Good cause or not, he will not go around selling himself off as a potential dinner date. Not then, not now, not ever."
"You do realize that referring to yourself in the third person is a sign of impending insanity, right?"
"And you do realize that this entire 'charity event' is just a convoluted ruse hatched by Trevor because he has a crush on my fiancée, right?" he retorted acidly.
Diana rolled her eyes. "Oh, don't be silly, Bruce. Steve is harmless."
"Besides, he has no business meddling with League affairs," he continued to rant. "He is working under the capacity of government liaison – not public relations consultant."
"He means well and you cannot refute the fact that what he suggests makes sense."
Bruce remained silent, unable to argue the logic behind the idea. Instead, his fingers furiously flew over the keyboard on the laptop on top of his executive table. During the day, when he did not have any business meetings, he preferred working at his penthouse in the Wayne Foundation Building primarily because deep within the building's foundations, he had installed a bunker that served as a secondary Batcave. It had been a pleasant surprise when Diana flew into his 'home away from home.' But when she told him about Trevor's idea, he had gotten… irritated. The idea is commendable but the man is annoyingly insufferable, he thought crossly.
From the corner of his eye, he saw Diana move behind his chair. He tensed as she placed her hands on his shoulders and began kneading the tight muscles. "Why do you work so hard?" she murmured.
He blinked, mildly surprised at the sudden change of topic. "I enjoy working," he answered truthfully. Slowly, the tension in his muscles dissipated under Diana's expert ministrations. "And if you think playing the masseuse will make me change my mind, the answer is still no."
He thought he heard her snicker. "Of course not. All I'm asking is for you to think about it." She stopped massaging him and perched on the arm of his chair. "We can easily do something else instead of auctioning off dinner dates. Maybe we can have Batman sing a song," she wiggled her eyebrows teasingly.
Bruce stopped staring at his laptop and leaned back against his chair. Her proximity made parts of his anatomy react in a throbbingly pleasurable manner. A smooth and tanned thigh was brushing against his arm, as she swung her leg to and fro. Almost out of their own volition, his eyes moved upward along her impossibly long limbs, her voluptuous hips, up and over the rounded tops of her breasts and finally riveting on the inviting curve of her full lips… lips that were meant to be kissed thoroughly. By me, he thought fiercely. Only me. Her long eyelashes cast soft shadows on her cheeks, tilted blue eyes sparkling as they met his own.
"And now, you're trying to seduce me into agreeing," he stated accusingly.
"Seduce you?" Diana threw her head back, laughing in disbelief. "By the gods! You do come up with the strangest ideas, Bruce! I don't think I would know how to do that even if my life depended on it!"
He studied her intently. Her face was, as always, devoid of any form of guile or deceit. "You really don't have a clue sometimes, do you?" Bruce asked her, ruefully shaking his head.
Diana sobered quickly and crossed her hands over her chest. "I know I still have much to learn about the ways of Man's World, Bruce. But, I don't appreciate you calling me naïve. I – eek!" she squealed unable to finish her sentence when Bruce grabbed her and yanked her onto his lap.
"I meant that as a compliment to your innocence," he kissed the tip of her nose.
Diana pouted, unconvinced.
"God help me if you ever decide to learn how to use your feminine wiles, Princess," he murmured, giving in to the clamoring demands of his body. His head dipped down and caught the protruding lower lip between his, sucking on it gently. He groaned as Diana shifted on his lap so that she could put her arms around his neck and press herself closer to his hard body.
"I still have a lot of work to finish," he broke off the kiss reluctantly.
"As you wish," Diana smiled up at him. Her expression was still glazed with passion. "Just think over the suggestion, okay? With that mind of yours, I know you will find a way to change it to suit your liking. And remember, it is for a good cause."
Bruce nodded, a plan already forming in his head.
"Anyway," Diana made a move to stand. "I should go. What would you like for dinner?"
"You," his arm tightened around her waist, effectively keeping her body against his.
"That can be arranged," she giggled, planting a quick kiss on his lips. "Is there anything special you would like for dessert?"
"The same thing I'd like for dinner."