Diana has an apartment in Metropolis now. It's small, very ordinary, since she only spends short amounts of time there, but it's hers.
Metropolis has become her adopted home. She misses Themyscira, misses her mother and her sisters, but Metropolis is not so bad. She feels so much guilt about Clark Kent's death, about leaving Metropolis without their Superman. Helping them as Wonder Woman relives some of her guilt.
She and Bruce seem to have more in common than she thought.
Of course, seeing the shrines and memorials to Superman around the city are painful, even though she barely knew the man. Just another reminder of her failure, of the failure of man.
Diana also really likes the iced mochas at Jittery Javas, the coffee shop right next to her apartment. She'll easily suck down two or three a day and hates when she has to leave one behind to fight a criminal.
Now, Diana practically spits the drink out of her mouth.
"I'm sorry?" she chokes, wiping at her mouth with a napkin.
Lois Lane smiles at her from across the table and mops up the small puddle of coffee, "Are you dating Bruce Wayne?"
"No," Diana says firmly, furrowing her brow. "What on Earth would give you that idea?"
Diana considers Lois a friend, since it was Lois who helped her find the Metropolis apartment, who was supportive when Wonder Woman started picking up where Superman left off, who comes by her tiny apartment with movies and popcorn and stories about her boss, Perry White.
Pulling a glossy magazine out of her tote bag, Lois raises an eyebrow and puts the magazine down in between them, tapping on the cover with a red painted fingernail.
"This," she says simply.
Diana peers at the cover. It proclaims, in obnoxiously large and bright letters, Brooding Billionaire Beams Around Lady Love.
And sure enough, there's a picture, in surprisingly good quality, of her and Bruce at a relatively recent gala, smiles on both of their faces.
Diana groans and drops her head to the tabletop. Lois pats her arm comfortingly, "I'm going to take that reaction as a no on the romance front."
The exiled princess looks up at her friend and nods, "I did not think he would even smile, Lois. I told him a story from my childhood because he was so extra moody about the gala and the young man he couldn't save the night before. We are not dating."
Although Diana would be lying to herself if she said the picture of her and Bruce didn't send butterflies moving in her stomach. He did look happy, she mused.
Lois nods and gathers the tabloid back into her bag, "That's what I thought, but you know me, i just wanted to confirm with the main source."
She laughs and sips from her own iced mocha, "Could you imagine, though? You and Bruce Wayne? Dating him must be like dating an ice block."
Lois moves on from the Bruce Wayne of it all, but Diana can't help but let her mind wander. She hasn't thought about a man in the romantic sense since Steve Trevor, and Bruce Wayne is certainly very different from Steve. Dating Bruce would be…. interesting, to say the least. But not unpleasant.
Yes, he was moody and closed off and broken. But Diana had learned he was also funny and loving to those that he let in and most importantly, he cared, deeply about his city and his company. He was gentle when he fixed her wounds and sometimes fell asleep on the floor of the BatCave with his cowl still on.
He brought flowers to his parents' graves at least twice a month and he listened when Diana spoke.
Bruce Wayne was a lot of things and Diana wasn't sure she would call him a catch, but dating him certainly wouldn't be the worst thing in the world.
Lois snaps her fingers in front of Diana's face, "Hey, Diana? You in there?"
"I am sorry," Diana blinks and shakes her head. "I...what were you saying?"
"Man," Lois laughs, "You were in outer space there. I said we should probably go and get some lunch. I'm starving."
Diana nods, agreeing with her friend. "A burger would be nice."
She and Lois gather their coffee debris and fall into step next to each other. Diana shortens her stride so Lois can keep up more easily. Lois smiles gratefully since she knows it can be frustrating for Diana to keep such a relatively slow pace.
"You were kind of lost in thought after I showed you that cover," Lois says. "Don't worry, I'm sure no one believes it. Gotham Weekly is just a trashy tabloid."
"Mm," Diana hums noncommittally. She wonders briefly what Bruce would say if he saw the cover.
Something grouchy and caustic, she's sure. He'd probably threaten to buy the tabloid from its editors.
The thought makes her smile.
A/N: This one is short and probably a little out of character, but I love the idea of Lois and Diana being friends. I also have no idea where in the timeline these are all fitting in, but oh well.
I hope you guys are enjoying these while they last, since I start law school on Monday! I have two more ready for posting and a few more ideas I hope to write today while it rains so I can have a backlog to post from.
As always, drop me a review letting me know what you think and giving me any prompts you might have! I can also be found on Tumblr (thewintersoldierdisaster) for general flailing and prompting :)