Disclaimer
The characters used in this story are the property od DC Comics and Warner bros. I have used them in this story which is a product of my own imagination.
Chapter 10
"It wasn't like you at all!" Hawk Girl exclaimed when I finally made it back to our own room. But I was preoccupied, and this time, too preoccupied to even realizes that I had knocked down a flower vase at the wall adjacent to the door.
"Are you all right?" Hawk Girl asked, as she struggled with the vase. Luckily, she had caught it just at the right time.
I wasn't aware of myself. My attention turned to the material world only when the arm chair creaked when I placed my hand on it.
"That must be the oldest living bit of furniture in this room," Hawk Girl remarked.
I could only nod in agreement. I stared at the chair, unaware of why I was doing that.
"I ask again," Hawk Girl said, "Is everything alright?"
Do I have to tell her?
Even as I speak, I shudder at the thought. Bruce's senses were not as sharp as they were supposed to be. So, neither of them detected my presence at the door. Little did they suspect that I was actually peeping into the room through the key hole which was conveniently large to put both of them in my view.
I should've anticipated that it would happen…
Previously, In Andrea's room
Bruce let out a sigh as he sat on the bed, beside Andy.
"Are you all right, baby?" Andrea said, feeling his forehead.
"I will be fine, Andy…I will be…" he muttered as he took her hand into his. He squeezed it slightly and closed his eyes.
"You don't have to go, you know!" Andrea started slowly, "You can always send Lucius."
"I don't want to think about it anymore, Andy," Bruce said impatiently, and then his voice softened looking at Andrea's perplexed face. "I'm sorry. Can we…can we just drop the subject for now?"
He let go of her hand and moved closer. He then wrapped his hand around her shoulder and pulled her towards him. He held her in that embrace for a while, breathing heavily as he did so. It was as though he was trying to feel something, as if he was meditating on something.
"Bruce!" Andrea whispered softly as she put her arm around him. She brought her face to his cheek and gave him a peck. And then she withdrew almost immediately.
"You feel hot, baby!" she frowned.
"You didn't know when you felt my forehead?" he smiled.
She impulsively put her hand back to his forehead again. "You're burning!" she exclaimed.
Bruce sighed. "And the situation is not helping me in any way."
Silence prevailed for a while. Bruce withdrew his hand from her and placed it against the mattress. Andrea flinched as he did that, but did not protest. She withdrew her hand too, and for a moment did not know where to put it, for Bruce's palm covered the little gap there was between them. After some amount of deliberation, she put it on his hand. Bruce looked at her hand on his' briefly, and then closed his eyes again.
"Dad is right, Andy. I am unable to prioritize." He said suddenly. Andrea frowned and squeezed his hand.
He continued. "But it is not with everyone! I expect that at least you understand my frustration."
"Do you mean Lex?" she asked.
"You know too well, Andy! I cannot let Lex take over me." he said.
Andrea did not respond. She released her grip on his hand, but did not take it away.
"And this is what I'm afraid of, Andy!" Bruce said, turning to her. He then grabbed her hand which rested on his' and brought it to his lips.
"I am afraid of losing you," he whispered as he pressed his lips on her hand. She shuddered visibly.
"You'll never lose me, Bruce!" she whispered amidst her deep breaths. He was moving up her hand and the length of the jump increased each time. Within moments, he had his head buried between her chin and the chest. Andrea clenched his hair as he moved rapidly.
"Bruce!" she moaned, "It's been like ages!"
"I love you, Andy!" Bruce spoke into her ear, nibbling on it "And I want you to know, that even if I do not express, even if I cannot express, I cannot live without you. I want you to be by my side and give me strength. I want you…"
I could feel my heart race. It seemed louder than the words of the two. I cannot put a finger on the feeling which into which I was engulfed at that point of time. It isn't Bruce, it isn't Bruce! I kept saying to myself, although I didn't know if it was necessary, or if it was sufficient. My instinct pushed me to break open the door and let the nature take its course. I felt like I was being cheated upon. I hated him. No… I hatedher!.
I was so overcome with rage at that one moment, that now when I think back about it, it seems an utter contradiction to my original self. Diana - the princess of the Amazons, the race who despised men, now loathed Andrea for the love of a man. It was this reasoning, this exact reasoning which brought me back to senses. I knew that I could not let that happen. I wasn't weak, and I wasn't going to be weak. I stood up with a jerk that shook the floor a bit. But no one seemed to take notice of it. I walked back to the room; rather my legs brought me back to the room. I kept telling myself, again - HE IS NOT BRUCE! HE IS NOT MY BRUCE!. And this time, the words resounded in my ears.
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"Diana!" Hawk Girl shook me by the arm.
"I think we should get some rest, Shayera," I said, walking to the bed, "The party will start in 4 hours."
