A/N:
Back to the back-to-back updates!
Originally I wanted to do something different with this chapter, but I figured some Bruce/Diana dialogue was long overdue :)!
This chapter is more like filler, but it's a cute one. I PROMISE!
Thanks for all the reviews, it's great to know that I'm not the only one that dislikes Selina!
Enjoy~
Even though his footsteps were quick and light and most people would not even notice his presence, she knew that he was following her. But even with that knowledge, she refused to slow down as she continued to stride through the hallway with absolutely no idea where she was going. The whole base was an underground maze, but there was always somewhere to go. It had been a good five minutes since she fled the scene she had walked in on, and yet Bruce was still following her. She slowed her pace as she realized that she was overreacting and being childish about something which should have no effect or relation to her whatsoever. Why was she so riled up? Why had she left, when she could have just walked into her room? Why was her heart beating so fast? She instantly began to regret causing such a scene; she would have to apologize to Bruce. But how? She felt as though she could not rile up the courage to even confront him about the issue. Where had her usual cool demeanor gone? She bowed her head and stared at the beat-up uniform Bruce had given her to disguise herself in. She needed to collect her thoughts and reorganize whatever was going on in her head.
She stopped walking and gave Bruce enough time to catch up to her. He walked a little past her and turned so that he was facing her now. He reached out his hand to place it on her shoulder, but stopped himself half way. Why had he chased her? He blinked hard as he realized that this whole ordeal was wildly inappropriate for someone like himself, but there was something about her reaction that made his usual stoic approach to everything fade and be replaced by a more caring and understanding one. He cleared his throat, trying to let his presence be known in case she didn't realize he was there-which she probably did.
"I'm sorry," Bruce started, the words sounding rustic and awkward. He rarely apologized, but he found that he wanted to apologize over and over again to this woman in front of him, "-for before,"
"There's no need to apologize," she replied in a light voice as she looked up and into his steel blue orbs, "You didn't do anything wrong,"
Bruce leaned his body uncomfortably to the right, this whole situation was out of his area of expertise. Truthfully, he did nothing wrong, but he felt like he did. That he had wronged her in so many ways in that one split second of contact he and Selina shared.
"She's a handful," He tried to explain to both her and himself, "I try not to play her games, but-"
"You don't have to explain anything to me," She cut him off softly. For some reason this irked him, and made him feel the need to explain his and Selina's relationship to her even more. He needed her to know that there was nothing between him and the femme fatale, and there never will be. But it wouldn't be wise of them. That would just be his open confirmation that there was in fact some weird spell that hung between the two leaders; something which was completely restricted and should never be touched upon. Even though they were planning on becoming allies, they were different people with different goals and responsibilities.
"You're right," he admitted, giving up on trying to reason with himself.
Diana kept watching him, even when he turned his head to look to the side in what seemed like slight defeat. She remembered the man that she had met at the Purge and instinctively knew that the person he was then, and the one he was now were vastly different. And she also knew that it had nothing to do with Barbara or Jason's recent incidents. This was who he truly was. The man who bore everything on his own two shoulders and refused to let anyone help him carry his burden. She found that trait admirable, but she also found that it made her want to embrace him till the moment he finally broke down and let all of his sorrows out. She wanted to be there for him, to be the one to help him piece back together his broken heart, and never have to face a tragedy ever again. But he would never let someone do that for him, let alone someone who was allied with his enemy.
She appreciated the fact that he had tried to apologize to her, but she knew that it was uncalled for. She didn't deserve the apology and she knew how prideful of a person he was, so the gesture itself was enough for her. Her eyes widened as she noticed the growing spot of blood that had pierced itself through the bandages on his arm. She instinctively reached out and gently grabbed his arm, causing him to flinch at the action. He looked at his arm first and then up at her with a look of surprise etched across his face. He was more surprised at her reaction to the blood, rather than the blood itself. One of his eyebrows rose in anticipation and confusion as she just froze there and didn't say anything with a pained look in her azure depths.
"I'll have to get this bandaged up again," he spoke slowly, hoping that she would be able to process it at whatever slow gear she was in at the moment. In response she quickly withdrew her hand as though his arm had burnt her.
"Sorry," she wrapped her other hand around the hand that was on his arm before and pulled it closer to her chest, "I-I spaced out there,"
Bruce looked at her worriedly; did she remember something bad just now? Her face was a little more sullen than it had been before and her eyes darker, tainted with some resemblance to his own.
"You okay?" he asked trying to be nonchalant as he poked around at his bleeding arm,
"Yeah, no I'm fine," she whispered as her gaze roamed the ground, looking for something beyond the concrete flooring. Bruce didn't believe one bit of it. There was something wrong, and it was triggered by his blood or his wound.
"Would you like to accompany me to the infirmary? We can discuss what we were going to discuss over dinner," he felt obnoxious about having to bring up the awkward moment they had endured a few minutes ago regarding Selina. But they had business to attend to and that always came first.
"Of course," her voice felt distant and Bruce glanced at her as they walked side by side, "How's your arm?"
"Bleeding," he replied shortly, happy that he had pulled a giggle out of her, even though it was a short-lived one.
It took them four minutes to get to the infirmary, four agonizingly quiet and awkward minutes. Bruce was usually the one that remained quiet in a conversation, and so It felt strange to him that he was the one who felt like he had to break the silence constantly throughout their walk. He wanted to grab her shoulders and force her to look into his eyes as he asked her what was wrong. But that would be out-of-character and he was not sure how she would react to it.
They finally reached the door of the infirmary and he knocked three times, but there was no reply. He knocked once more, but his attempt was met with silence. They looked at each other and Diana shrugged slightly, it didn't seem like Leslie was in at the moment. Bruce looked at his watch and read the time; 7:44. She was either out on duty or eating dinner. He glanced down at his bleeding arm and decided that as much as he would like to subside having to fix it up, it needed to be treated. He decided that he would do it himself.
He typed in the pin code for the door and the heavy door slide open. He moved to the side so that Diana could walk in first. She felt for the light switch in the pitch black room while Bruce chuckled quietly on the side.
"The lights are automatic. It takes a few minutes for them to turn on," he walked into the room confidently. He knew where to go for the bandages and antibiotics. On his route to the supplies, he felt a whoosh of air brush his left side and his body reacted on complete autopilot. He reached out with his injured left arm and attempted to wrap it around Diana's waist as she tripped over some boxes on the floor. He grunted in pain as lightning travelled up his arm, unable to support any weight. He felt the stitches tear apart as his arm stretched and flex beyond what they were capable of doing at that moment. He realized what was about to happen next and reached over with his right arm to cover the back of her head to help soften the impact.
A large thud was heard from the dark infirmary and a groan of undeniable pain as Bruce gritted his teeth. His eyes were shut tightly as he tried to ward off the almost unbearable pain he felt pulse through his left arm. He knew from the trickles of blood that his wound was opened once again, and probably bigger and worse than it was before. On another note, his other arm was throbbing a bit, but it was doing much better as it was covered in Diana's soft, lush hair. His senses going back and forth between pain and comfort as he took in her unique lavender scent. He could barely register what was happening since it was still pitch black in the room.
"Bruce?" She whispered with a mixture of confusion and embarrassment laced her voice,
"Diana," he called back as he tried to move his left hand from under her slender body, but found even that a hard task to do. He was thankful that he did not land on her, but rather to the right side of her with his left hand spread across the small of her back and his right cupping the back of her head.
"What happened?" She was having difficulty registering what had happened. She remembered panicking a bit as she felt the ground slip away from her feet. But how did Bruce get mixed up in her fall? Why had he done that? She was cradled in his arms, he had tried to save and protect her. She gasped as she realized that he was probably in excruciating pain.
"Oh gods!" She yelped as she quickly got up and out of his arms, "I'm so sorry,"
He was about to tell her that it wasn't her fault when the pain crept back into his arm and he automatically hissed. Diana looked around frantically, cursing the stupid light system for being so difficult and causing all of this. Bruce let out a deep breath as he gathered his strength to pull himself up into a sitting position.
The lights quickly flickered on, revealing the room which had been the center stage of possibly the most embarrassing moment of Diana's entire life. She looked over towards Bruce's feet and identified the culprit. There were a few boxes filled with textbooks and magazines scattered around the floor in an organized fashion. She cursed at herself, she was never this clumsy. She looked over at Bruce, ready to apologize to him but couldn't find the voice to as she saw his arm coated in fresh blood.
He clutched his arm tightly, trying to prevent it from bleeding anymore. Bruce looked up at Diana and wanted to comfort her by explaining that it looked much worse than it actually was, but was finding it hard to form the actually words on his lips. He felt light-headed and nauseous and the room began to spin little by little. He mentally knocked himself on the head as he counted how many days it had been since he last slept, and realized that it had been far too many. His loss of blood and lack of sleep was doing him a number at that very moment. He should've listened to Leslie for once and taken the day off. If he had, then he probably wouldn't have had to have had that utterly uncomfortable encounter with Selina and Diana. He laughed on the inside as he shook his head and told himself that this was a lesson well learned.
He heard her call out his name over and over again with a worried expression marring her beautiful face. He smiled to himself as he realized and accepted that he wanted to do everything in his own power to prevent her from ever having to make that expression again. Her voice became fuzzy and her face a blur as he realized that it was time for him to finally catch up on his sleep. It was a strange sensation that he felt so at peace in her presence. He could have fought off the allure of sleep and exhaustion, but instead he just let it take over. Was it selfish of him that he just wanted to rest a bit, even if that meant leaving her in a frantic state? He would have to return to that question after his slumber.
"Geez, I've never seen Bruce like this," Tim admitted as he loomed over his mentor's resting body, "actually now that I think about it, I've never seen him sleep in general,"
His comment earned him a laugh from Leslie and Stephanie. It's true; it was rare to see the notorious Master Commander of the Resistance in such a peaceful state. Leslie always felt a pang of guilt whenever she saw Bruce. He was too talented and young to be caught up in this war, let alone to be their leader. If she was capable, she would have taken his position and dismissed him from all the pain and suffering he had to endure by himself. But as she got to know him better, she understood and accepted that this was not the only war Bruce was fighting, he was fighting something far greater and more powerful than the Supreme. He was fighting the past. A battle which he would never win, but being as stubborn as he was-would continue to fight. Watching him strive so relentlessly to attain salvation and justice had given her hope. Perhaps this war would not end in her life time, but with someone as prolific as Bruce as their leader, the resistance would surely find its way to victory.
"Don't you worry," the doctor directed towards the Amazon who was standing across the room by herself gazing out the hallway window, "He just needed some rest,"
Diana just looked down at the floor, ashamed of what she had caused but also refusing to leave Bruce's side till he woke up. This had happened primarily because of her. If she had just been more careful with Jason, then Lex would not have even had custody over him. And if that was the case, then they would have just confronted her and the scientist wouldn't have been in the mix of it all. Which would have led to Bruce not being shot and any of the events that followed. She was to blame, and she needed to apologize to him as soon as she could. She needed to let him know that she was sorry and that she would make up for everything.
Leslie sighed as she realized that it was hopeless to try to reassure the Amazon. She was wallowing in guilt and the only person that could comfort her was the equally stubborn man that lay on the medical bed. There was a slight cliché in what she saw between the two of them. A spark that the both of them refused to ignite, but one that intrigued them and made them desire to know more. Here were two lonely people who accepted at some point during their lives that they would remain alone forever, but then they both came across a person who made them want to fight their undesirable fates.
Leslie smiled as she teased herself for reciting a Romeo & Juliet story. Even in this apocalyptic world she remained ever the romantic. Her smile turned into a frown as she realized that she had left Alfred in the middle of their dinner date to come tend to Bruce. She was constantly busy as the head doctor and so it was rare for her find time to dine anywhere else besides her office. She would have to apologize to Alfred for leaving and make it up to him.
"Tim, we should make our rounds soon," Stephanie reminded him as she gently patted Bruce's leg before walking over to where Tim stood by the head of the bed, "Dick asked that we cover for him for another few days,"
"Oh yeah," Tim acknowledged as took one last look at Bruce before turning to Diana, "don't beat yourself over it Di, it's not your fault,"
"Thanks Tim," Diana appreciated that he was trying to comfort her, but it had done little to subside the guilt she felt. The teenager and she had gotten pretty close since her arrival. He was in charge of being her ward, and his carefree and innocent personality was refreshing. He reminded her of her sister Donna in that aspect. She too was very naïve and outspoken.
Tim flashed her a boyish smile before waving to Leslie and walking out to do his rounds with Stephanie. Diana smiled as she watched the two playfully banter as they strolled down the hallway. Tim had told her about this girl that he liked, and was seeking out some advice on how to approach her about it. But Diana had told him she had no experience with relationships and such feelings so her advice wasn't even credible. She figured that Stephanie was the girl he was talking about.
"You should get some rest," Leslie suggested as she began to organize some files at her table,
Diana didn't budge from her spot as her smile faded once she was reminded of the present and what had happened today.
"He's not going anywhere," Leslie joked as she shook her head, "even if we wanted him to, he wouldn't dare move. Stubborn boy,"
Her comment received a grin from Diana. Even though she had only known the man for a few days, she knew what the doctor said to be true. He was possibly the most stubborn person she had ever encountered, but that was his charm as well.
"If you'd like, I could arrange it so you can spend the night here," she offered looking at Diana to analyze her reaction to the suggestion. Leslie wanted to burst out into laughter as she saw Diana's face simmer into a deep tone of red.
"I shouldn't," the Amazon vigorously shook her head in denial. Sleeping here with Bruce in the room would be unthinkable. It wasn't that she was prude, but rather she just felt that was a line she should not cross. Both as an Amazon and the Empress.
"There's nothing wrong with it. You could take the furthest bed if you'd like," Leslie laughed at the innocence the seemingly younger woman radiated, "I'll need someone to hold him down when he tries to leave in the morning. These arms are nothing but hangers for my sleeves, couldn't hold down a key on a keyboard even if I tried,"
Diana bit her lower lip as she began to consider what course of action she should take. Ultimately she wanted to be there for Bruce when he woke up so she could apologize to him. Perhaps staying the night made the most sense. If she began to feel uncomfortable then she could just leave and come back in the morning.
"Seems like you've made up your mind. Take your pick," Leslie motioned with her hand to the other beds in the room. Diana nodded her head as she picked the furthest one from where Bruce lay.
"Thank you," Diana was genuinely grateful towards the woman. Not only was she being generous and hospitable, but she also comforted her.
"Thank you," the elderly woman reflected back at Diana. She truly was thankful for Diana's presence. It seemed as though there was finally a silver lining for Bruce, and it came neatly packed in this fine young woman in front of her, "I'm headed off to my quarters. If you need anything feel free to call me through the com-link by Bruce's bed. Try to get some sleep sweetie,"
"I will. Have a good night," Diana gave her a gentle smile as she watched her leave the infirmary. After a few seconds she felt awkward and didn't know what to do. She decided that she would just try to get some sleep as the doctor had suggested. She walked over to Bruce's side to check and see if he was sleeping peacefully before she headed to bed. His usual stoic expression was gone, and instead it was replaced with a peaceful one. There were dark circles under his deep set eyes from his lack of rest and his lips seemed a lip chapped. Diana shook her head as she felt the strange feelings from earlier begin to bubble up to the surface. His lips had reminded her of how he and Selina had shared a kiss in the hallway earlier, and she felt peeved by it. She saw how the other woman had taken notice of her before she assaulted Bruce, but none of that should have bothered her. It wasn't as though she had something stolen from her, but she felt so wronged and upset at what had happened.
His lips were slightly parted as the breath of his deep slumber slipped in and out of his mouth. Bruce's defined jaw remained set in its edges as if his features were carved out of marble. Without realizing what she was doing, Diana reached out with her hand and gently traced the sharp curves of his cheek with the back of her fingers. She was strangely relieved to find that he was warm and his skin surprisingly soft for the sharp smooth features it presented. She froze midway in her caress when he slightly turned his head into her touch. His eyes were still closed and chest still heaving rhythmically from his slumber, unlike Diana whose heart was pounding like a jackhammer.
She quickly but gently retracted her hand from its exploration and sighed, relieved that he didn't wake up to another awkward encounter. She took a deep breath and decided it was time for her to sleep before she did anything stupid again.
A/N:
I'm not trying to rush into anything with these two. Wanted to make their relationship develop over a span of time, but I also want them to have this shared connection. It's running along the lines of soul mates I guess.
Leave me a review with your thoughts and ideas!
Next Chapter: The Alliance, The Outlaws & THE DRAMA!
Till Next Time!