chapter 9
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"Have you had any luck, J'onn?"
"I am making some progress, Diana, but many of his thoughts are still blocked to me. Therefore I must continue to sedate him."
"Is it alright if I sit with him for a few minutes?"
"Take all the time you need."
J'onn left and Diana pulled a chair up to Superman's bedside and gently clasped his hand.
"Hi Kal," she spoke softly, "I don't know if you can hear me. I hope so because I feel a little silly doing this."
She smiled and continued in the same hushed tone.
"I need you to get better, because I need to talk to my best friend."
Her eyes were getting a little teary and she started laughing at herself.
"By the goddess! I sound worse than a Hallmark card! Sorry, Kal. But things have happened recently between me and," she looked around the infirmary before continuing in a lower voice, "Batman, or, or Bruce, and even his identity is part of my problem. I am starting to, um, care about him, in a different way I care about you. He kissed me last night and I, oh Hera, I enjoyed it."
Blushing, she paused again to clear her throat. "Just let J'onn help you, please? Lois misses you."
She leaned close to give him a quick kiss on the cheek. Rising, she squeezed his hand and left the room.
Clark didn't hear her, but J'onn was unable to miss much of it. He didn't mean to, but her thoughts were so strong about Batman. As J'onn went about his business in the infirmary, he was smiling for his teammates' new happiness.
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"Coming!"
Diana lit the last candle and looked around, her stomach tensing in nervousness. Shayera had asked her about her night with Bruce and the conversation led to her invitation to him for dinner. Shayera was very encouraging and the two researched women's magazines for ideas. Diana was surprised and relieved that many of the tips they found were right in line with what she was planning on doing anyway, in the process of replicating a meal in Themyscira. Candles filled the room and she opted for large pillows on the floor around her coffee table. Donna and Shayera helped her, right up until she kicked them out about an hour ago. She wore simply a white button down shirt tucked into her jeans. She had already dressed up too many times this week and was wary of another effort.
She took a deep breath and opened the door.
"Hi."
"Hi." Was he nervous? She filed that away for later.
Bruce held out a bottle of wine and a bouquet. "Not exactly original, but these are for you."
"Well considering I've never received either before, thank you." She smiled as she accepted them and stepped to the side. "Come in."
He looked down at his charcoal suit, and back at her, grinning apologetically. "You look great and I overdressed."
Diana grabbed his hand and pulled him into her apartment. "I don't mind. You look handsome."
She was amused when he blushed, simultaneously surprised at her own confidence. Must be because she's on her own turf, she decided.
He dutifully followed her into the kitchen and as she put the bouquet in water, he opened the wine.
"How did you know where the corkscrew was?"
He gave her a BatStare and said, as Batman, "World's Greatest Detective."
Diana laughed, "Well, that tells me absolutely nothing, except you have a bit of a humility problem."
Still smiling, she pointed outside the kitchen. "Go make yourself comfortable."
Bruce just leaned against the counter, smirking at her.
She stepped towards him, smiling, with her hands on her hips. "Don't make me throw you out of here."
Without warning, in one swift move his hands were on her waist and he pulled her to him. He pressed his lips against hers. She relaxed into his embrace and wrapped her arms around his neck as he deepened the kiss. Her legs nearly gave way when he sucked on her lower lip. Finally, reluctantly, they pulled apart.
"Now will you go sit?"
Wordlessly, but still sporting a smirk, he headed for the living room.
*********************************************
********************
"Have you had any luck, J'onn?"
"I am making some progress, Diana, but many of his thoughts are still blocked to me. Therefore I must continue to sedate him."
"Is it alright if I sit with him for a few minutes?"
"Take all the time you need."
J'onn left and Diana pulled a chair up to Superman's bedside and gently clasped his hand.
"Hi Kal," she spoke softly, "I don't know if you can hear me. I hope so because I feel a little silly doing this."
She smiled and continued in the same hushed tone.
"I need you to get better, because I need to talk to my best friend."
Her eyes were getting a little teary and she started laughing at herself.
"By the goddess! I sound worse than a Hallmark card! Sorry, Kal. But things have happened recently between me and," she looked around the infirmary before continuing in a lower voice, "Batman, or, or Bruce, and even his identity is part of my problem. I am starting to, um, care about him, in a different way I care about you. He kissed me last night and I, oh Hera, I enjoyed it."
Blushing, she paused again to clear her throat. "Just let J'onn help you, please? Lois misses you."
She leaned close to give him a quick kiss on the cheek. Rising, she squeezed his hand and left the room.
Clark didn't hear her, but J'onn was unable to miss much of it. He didn't mean to, but her thoughts were so strong about Batman. As J'onn went about his business in the infirmary, he was smiling for his teammates' new happiness.
************************************
"Coming!"
Diana lit the last candle and looked around, her stomach tensing in nervousness. Shayera had asked her about her night with Bruce and the conversation led to her invitation to him for dinner. Shayera was very encouraging and the two researched women's magazines for ideas. Diana was surprised and relieved that many of the tips they found were right in line with what she was planning on doing anyway, in the process of replicating a meal in Themyscira. Candles filled the room and she opted for large pillows on the floor around her coffee table. Donna and Shayera helped her, right up until she kicked them out about an hour ago. She wore simply a white button down shirt tucked into her jeans. She had already dressed up too many times this week and was wary of another effort.
She took a deep breath and opened the door.
"Hi."
"Hi." Was he nervous? She filed that away for later.
Bruce held out a bottle of wine and a bouquet. "Not exactly original, but these are for you."
"Well considering I've never received either before, thank you." She smiled as she accepted them and stepped to the side. "Come in."
He looked down at his charcoal suit, and back at her, grinning apologetically. "You look great and I overdressed."
Diana grabbed his hand and pulled him into her apartment. "I don't mind. You look handsome."
She was amused when he blushed, simultaneously surprised at her own confidence. Must be because she's on her own turf, she decided.
He dutifully followed her into the kitchen and as she put the bouquet in water, he opened the wine.
"How did you know where the corkscrew was?"
He gave her a BatStare and said, as Batman, "World's Greatest Detective."
Diana laughed, "Well, that tells me absolutely nothing, except you have a bit of a humility problem."
Still smiling, she pointed outside the kitchen. "Go make yourself comfortable."
Bruce just leaned against the counter, smirking at her.
She stepped towards him, smiling, with her hands on her hips. "Don't make me throw you out of here."
Without warning, in one swift move his hands were on her waist and he pulled her to him. He pressed his lips against hers. She relaxed into his embrace and wrapped her arms around his neck as he deepened the kiss. Her legs nearly gave way when he sucked on her lower lip. Finally, reluctantly, they pulled apart.
"Now will you go sit?"
Wordlessly, but still sporting a smirk, he headed for the living room.
*********************************************