So, I had a dilemma; either I answered every review and posted the chapter on Tuesday, either I offered my sincere apologies and posted the new chapter and promised to be a better replier next time. Guess which option I chose?
I apologize for not replying to reviews –that I most certainly read! –but figured you would rather have the next chapter. The one after that might take longer to get out though; I might have a job offer coming up, depending on the outcome I may or may not have the time to focus on my stories as much.
So, on with it ;)
Thank you for everyone who reviewed, favorite-d and follow-ed this story. No beta, so all mistakes are mine!
What Starts in Vegas
5
They had opted for a lunch another Saturday, two weeks after Diana had received her stepmother's friendly advice. Bruce had been available then and Diana had taken her day off to prepare the meal. In spite of Alfred's offer of managing the whole courses, his well-meaning proposal had been rebuked under the argument that she always cooked upon a family visit. Not to mention, the quality upgrade would be too flagrant to be natural.
She had just pulled the lasagna out of the oven that Bruce arrived at her front door, sent for some last-minute grocery shopping to keep him away from the kitchen. Diana had experimented first-hand the disaster he could be behind a stove.
"A little nervous?" she asked when he dropped the two bottles of soda he had been ordered to buy on the counter.
"I don't often get to meet the family," he admitted. His eyes never left her as she checked the temperature and decided to leave it in a closed oven to keep it warm. "Playboy, remember?"
"Until forced to tie the knot," she teased him and kissed his cheek affectionately. "It'll be fine, they don't bite."
Perhaps she would have liked to sound more convinced that she actually was.
"Not like you?" Bruce inquired in attempt to lighten the situation. Diana shoved him playfully. "What's the story again?"
"I told Donna exactly this: we met in Vegas, I was depressed, you were a good listener, things happened and here we are."
"There are huge omissions here," Bruce pointed out wryly. "But I'll run with it. Have you told anyone about the marriage?"
"No, not yet. Have you?"
"Aside from Alfred and Dick, no-one. I'm almost surprised the media haven't found out yet; I haven't shown up in parties since I've met you and I'm not the kind to decline invitations."
"You are taken now, that's what's happening," Diana replied bluntly, though with a little blush on her cheeks. Bruce grinned and kissed her softly at first, then a little less chastely.
"What time do your parents arrive?" he asked when they broke for air.
"Not till an extra hour." She grumbled. "I hate this part, where you have to wait forever."
"Agreed," he added with a wicked grin: "But I know a great way to spend it."
Diana should have expected it.
"You want sex again," she said bluntly. "This morning wasn't enough?"
"This morning was me saying hello. This, right here and right now, is for the sake of relaxing," Bruce pointed out and added with in hint of desire in his eyes: "Why don't we find out how many times I can make you climax in fifty minutes?"
Diana felt the familiar rush in her loins and the anticipation grow in her chest.
"Half an hour, no more," she negotiated, her hands reaching for the buttons of his pants. "In case they arrive fashionably early."
Bruce guided her back against the kitchen counter, mouth already devouring her neck.
"Deal," he growled in her ear and proceeded to made due to his word.
An extra hour later...
If Persephone were to be honest, she couldn't wait to meet Diana's new beau. While the girl had been born from her husband's previous marriage, and in spite of her own children, she loved the young woman as one of her own. Diana might have had stubbornness and temper issues in her childhood, but she had always remained, most of the time, an easygoing child. She had never resented her for marrying her father and always took her responsibility as the elder sister very seriously. In return, Persephone had tried her best to never make her feel neglected whenever it was Hades' turn to have her over for the weekend.
She was currently relegated to the backseat, her husband being the driver and Hippolyta on the passenger's side. Persephone didn't really mind; after all, they were Diana's parents and she didn't want to pick a bone over such a trivial matter.
"Bruce Wayne," Hippolyta muttered between clenched teeth. "Of all the idiots out there, it had to be Bruce Wayne."
While Diana usually had a good judgment with people, Persephone hoped she hadn't let Steve's deception lure her into the arms of a man who only wanted to toy with her. Bruce Wayne was the kind of man Diana wouldn't usually approach under normal circumstances.
"They say he is a good businessman," Hades commented absentmindedly. In his terms, that meant the younger man was a charmer and a manipulator. Persephone thought he spoke of personal experience.
"Businessmen are crooks," Hippolyta snapped and glanced at Hades. "No offense intended."
"None taken, my dear," Hades replied with a shrug. "People call me a crook without knowing I am a businessman."
"That's because you look like a stereotype villain," Persephone couldn't help but pip in. Her husband was a tall and broad man, and the long dark mane Diana had inherited gave him an impressive stature. "If you could just cut your hair-"
"My hair is perfectly fine the way it is!" he protested sharply.
"Of course darling," she said but was not deterred. The subject was a sensitive one, but someday, she thought, yes someday… "This is a rather good neighborhood," she pointed out instead.
"Clean and neat," Hippolyta agreed reluctantly. "There is a park nearby for runners."
"Jason mentioned people were polite here." Hades complied. "He helped Diana move out dressed like an expensive hobo and they still said hello."
"Jason doesn't dress like a hobo, he's following fashion," Persephone corrected, though she admitted the torn deims and shirt were not up to her taste either.
"I didn't dress like I picked my clothes from a dumpster at his age," her husband retorted.
"No, you dressed like you picked your clothes at a third rate thrift shop," Hippolyta countered, and before her ex-husband could do more than glare at her, she pointed at empty parking spot. "There. It's close to Diana's apartment."
Persephone watched the former couple growl at each other with quiet amusement. Though they were not close friends, she and Hippolyta got along nicely. They often teamed up against Hades for sports, though having known Hades most of her life, Hippolyta knew how to rile him up better. She remembered feeling slightly jealous at their bickering at first, but after her then boyfriend had assured her that he and his ex-wife would always be better off as frienemies than spouses, their relationship had gotten better.
"What number is it?" Hippolyta asked again.
"501, apartment 12," Persephone recited from memory. "I think it's that building."
A light beige façade with large windows and balconies, mostly hidden behind enormous trees. Diana lodged on the third floor, access with elevator and private swimming pool in the back of the building. The description Jason had done had been entrancing for sure. The three headed to the door, entered the access code Diana had sent them in advance. The inside was very stylish in a modern way, straight lines with a hint of décor on the walls, pretty patterns leading to the elevator, and the elevator itself was brown and marble themed. It moved seamlessly, arrived with a small 'ding' at the correct level, and the doors opened on another pretty corridor. Hippolyta stopped at the 12th apartment and rang. A few seconds later, Diana opened.
"Mother, father, Persephone," she said cheerfully and stepped aside to let them in. "You are right on time!"
Even Persephone had to give the overly grinning young woman a double take. Diana had always been opened and honest about her feelings, but never in such a…chirpy manner.
"Are you high, Diana?" Hippolyta inquired worriedly.
"No, not at all," she replied with a mischievous glint in her eye. Persephone suddenly had a very clear idea of what had put her in such a good mood and decided not to advise her parents, for both her sanity and Diana's boyfriend's safety. "Bruce!" she cried out. "Our guests are here!"
Ever since she had known who Diana was dating, Persephone had done her own side research. Bruce Wayne looked like a pampered rich man with the cocky grin of a charmer in nearly every magazine she put her hands on. The man who appeared in the corridor leading to what she assumed to be the living room looked far too normal to fit the profile. He was huge for men's standards; not as big as Hades –though she had never met another taller than her husband – broad-shouldered with dark hair and cerulean eyes. And when he smiled…Persephone couldn't help but nod approvingly. He gave a very different picture in real life than on the plastic covers, probably because he had donned a simple sweater –though certainly expensive –and was a handsome man for starters. If asked, Persephone would admit he sort of reminded her of a younger version of Hades.
Like mother like daughter, she thought, amused, as she contemplated the parents' reaction.
Hades and Hippolyta positively scowled as Diana gave him a rather enthusiastic kiss –no matter how brief it was. Persephone gave him bonus points for not showing any hint of intimidation. Bruce led them to the living-room, a spacious place with soft creamy colors and wooden-like furniture. The main couch could hold at least four to five people, two others bordered them and all faced a huge TV fixed on the wall. In the back, a solid table seemed to dominate the other part of the room. The table had been set, and if she focused, Persephone could smell the fragrance of lasagna coming from the kitchen.
They all took a seat in the decidedly comfy couches and loomed over the peanuts and crackers on display. Hades helped himself with fancy orange stuff while Bruce served the drinks –nothing alcoholic for now, Persephone had told Diana as such.
"So Bruce -you don't mind me calling you Bruce, do you?" Hades attacked head front.
"As long as you don't mind me calling you Mr. Troy, Mr. Troy," Bruce shot back with a charming smile. Diana winced subtly, but Persephone thought she didn't appear surprised by the blunt answer.
"How exactly have you met my daughter?" Hades went on, unperturbed. "We were given the main lines, but not the specifics."
"I doubt you will want the exact recollection of the bachelor party I had been attending all afternoon," Bruce replied. "I saw a very attractive woman alone at the bar and decided to go for her."
"I don't think you are very interested in how the night of our meeting ended, father," Diana pointed out dryly. Hades shot her his 'I didn't ask for your opinion' glare. Hippolyta came to the rescue of her ex-husband and addressed her daughter instead.
"But really Diana, with a complete stranger?"
"Las Vegas, mother," Diana rolled her eyes. "And I knew what I was doing. I just didn't expect it would last longer than one night."
Persephone caught the corner of Bruce's mouth twitch in amusement.
"One hell of a night, though, and an even more memorable morning," he added as if he couldn't help it, making Diana's cheek flush pink. Her parents scowled.
"And do you often pry on younger, lonely women?" Hippolyta asked coldly.
It was Diana's turn to glare. Bruce shrugged.
"I assure you, Miss Prince, I ensure every single woman I take to bed is a hundred percent willing. Diana was no exception."
Persephone wondered if he was provoking them on purpose.
"I made the first move, mother," Diana intervened almost defensively. "Stop prying on Bruce."
Hippolyta looked horrified; at her daughter's admission or defense of her lover.
"And is this relationship made to last?" Hades intervened in turn, watching Bruce's reaction like a hawk.
The couple exchanged an odd look, like an inside joke was in the making.
"I'm confident we are in this for the long haul," Bruce eventually said. "On my side, at least. I'm still working to convince Diana."
"Oh hush," she chided. "You know I've signed for the long haul."
The complicity between the two was touching and unforced. They genuinely enjoyed bantering shameless in front of her parents. Persephone found them adorable. And then, she realized something about his relative ease; Bruce wasn't trying to prove himself, he just didn't care what they thought of him. He wanted Diana, not necessarily her family. Steve Trevor had tried to integrate their circle but his smoothest efforts hadn't been enough. Bruce came from a complete different background; he was used to deal with people of a certain degree of importance who didn't like him and whom he didn't like either. He would be civil and friendly with them, but not overly so and certainly wouldn't try to win their approval with outstanding efforts. If anything, he might even end up shoving their smartness back into their faces with remarks of his own.
Persephone wasn't sure if that earned him a good or a bad spot in her book. At least, Diana had chosen someone who wouldn't let himself be easily intimidated. From their annoyed expression, Hades and Hippolyta must have come to the same conclusion; they wouldn't take the upper hand with their usual combo. She smiled inwardly, wondering if the idea that Diana's new boyfriend might be a match in the manipulation field ever crossed their mind; after all, one did not keep an international company on top of things by eating hors-d'oeuvres all day long.
Bruce having won the first round, Persephone carried on the conversation on safer subjects. As other matters were broached, she realized he was a very cultivated, intelligent man and though his directness was off-putting at times, he sounded open-minded and most importantly, genuinely smitten with Diana. At some point, the couple invited them to join the table and left for the kitchen to get the main course.
A small 'ting' hit the table as Persephone sat down. A blue pearl rolled beneath her plate.
"Darn," Persephone cursed as she undid her earring. "I thought it had been properly repaired."
The pearl in the middle had fallen off again. And to say she had bought them barely a week ago.
"That trinket you bought at the market?" her husband inquired. "It was cheap and not made to last long anyway. That's why I always tell you to go to the jewelry shop."
"They were pretty," Hippolyta conceded as she looked at the broken earring. "Do you if you can fix it?"
Persephone might have come from a wealthy family, but she had always been very practical.
"I'll ask for some glue," she declared and stood. "I'll be right back."
She rose from her seat, leaving the former spouse converse about their daughter's choice of boyfriend. Following the smell, she found the kitchen and stopped in the corner before entering. The lasagna had just been taken out of the oven but the couple seemed in no hurry to return. Bruce had Diana cornered against the counter, nuzzling her face with the tenderness of a true lover.
"So, is this a disaster?" he asked.
"I think it's going on well," Diana said sarcastically and wrapped her arms around his neck. "You're doing great at pissing them off."
He hummed proudly and pressed his mouth to her jaw and down her neck. His hands travelled down her back hovered on her hips. Diana sighed and closed her eye in delight. When they resumed their kissing, Persephone looked away, her mouth stretched in a small smile. The two lovers were clearly happy with each other and she would gladly give them her approval once they returned. Hades and Hippolyta would eventually come around; she knew her husband would approve of a man with a smart mouth, and Hippolyta always welcomed someone who would stand their ground against her.
She cleared her throat to announce her arrival. The couple parted, though in no hurry, and stared at her.
"Do you happen to have strong glue?" she asked. "I'm afraid my earring lost the fight."
Diana smiled, knowing she had gained at least one supporter in her family.
"There should be some in the closest, next to the front door. First or second drawer."
Persephone nodded and left in to conclude her quest. Said closet was easily found, so she pulled the first drawer. Nothing in there resembled glue, but an official-looking paper glared at her with its full formality instead. She wouldn't have paid extra attention if she hadn't recognized the format of the front page. She was looking at divorce papers.
While Persephone wasn't the kind of woman to pry hard into people's lives, she was intrigued as to what this was doing in her step-daughter's drawer and picked it up. The more she read, the paler her skin grew.
"Persephone? Did you find-"
She jumped, startled by the arrival of her stepdaughter. Diana clamped her mouth shut and paled when she saw what she was holding.
"What is the meaning of this?" she blurted, holding out the contract under her nose. Her stepdaughter shifted uncomfortably on her feet.
"I can explain-"
"Why is there a divorce contract between you and that man in your drawer?" Persephone went on. "For a marriage that had been apparently signed the day you met, and supervised by Elvis Presley of all people? Did he force your hand into this?"
Diana immediately protested:
"No, no it wasn't like that!"
"Then tell me what urged you to marry and jump in bed with a complete stranger when you were clearly not in your right mind-"
"Persephone-"
"And you claim you like him?" she went on, her voice rising a hitch higher with every word. "Do you have any idea what you've done?"
"You are what?"
Just when it couldn't get worse, Hippolyta and Hades arrived. No doubt they'd been wondering where she had disappeared and had been concerned about the rise of voices.
"They're married," Persephone blurted. "They have been married for nearly a month now."
"Married?" Hippolyta and Hades echoed in tune.
Bruce, of course, arrived at the same moment.
"Is something wrong?" he asked when he saw everyone gathered in circle and fuming. Then, he spotted the document Persephone was holding and glanced at Diana, and back at the parents. "Well, shit."
Much later in the day…
"I should have told them," Diana said quietly. "I should have told them everything before they came."
The situation had only degraded from there. The parents had taken serious offence at having being hidden some major parts of their adventure. Bruce and Diana had both defended their position while overly worried parents and stepmother argued in a shouting match about irresponsibility and stupidity. Bruce had opened his mouth in one most stinging response. Hippolyta had taken much offence and let him physically known. Diana had ended the whole debacle by forcefully demanding they return home to cool down.
"They are worried," he said and winced at his bruised cheek –Hippolyta had a very mean right hook. "I don't think they'll like me very much in the near future."
"I don't care Bruce. This involves you and me and no-one else. I slept with you. I agreed to this." She caressed his bruise carefully. "It's on me, not on them."
He caught her hand in his, stopped her stroking.
"Do you regret this?"
Diana leant forward and brushed his lips with hers.
"Never. Do you?"
He shook his head.
"Same here." He kissed her again. "I don't want you to be my dirty little secret, and I don't want to be yours either. I want us to be in the open. I want to tell my friends I found a girl whom I don't deserve, but worth stepping up for."
Diana wrapped her hand around his waist and snuggled against him in octopus mode again. They remained silent for a while, entangled together. And then, like a lightning bolt in the night, she declared:
"I think I am going to sign the divorce after all."