Goodbye (Comics)

I guess we never really moved on
It's really good to hear your voice saying my name
It sounds so sweet
Coming from the lips of an angel
Hearing those words, it makes me weak
And I never wanna say goodbye
But, girl, you make it hard to be faithful
With the lips of an angel

~ Hinder

Batman slid into his chair before his computer system with a disgruntled huff of annoyance. Since returning from Gehenna, he'd struggled to adjust to being home despite returning three months ago. It also didn't help matters that things between him and Selina had been tense, to say the least, and charged with suspicion on her end.

She had questioned him incessantly about what had gone on between him and Diana during their time battling the Hordes. No matter how many times he had tried to tell her that nothing had happened between them she didn't seem to believe him.

He'd postponed the wedding indefinitely after a rather heated argument over a month ago. Now, he was beginning to think that maybe they should just take a break from one another…see if they could rekindle what they had shared before he'd left for Gehenna in a few months.

He glanced at the clock on his computer screen, his thoughts drifting to her. He wondered how she was doing and if she'd been able to sleep. They had both wrestled with nightmares that plagued their sleep since returning. He'd called out for Diana several times in his sleep in the midst of a nightmare.

That had definitely not helped things between him and Selina. She had been empathetic but understandably hurt the first couple of times it had happened, but she'd grown cold and distant after that. She had tried to spice things up between them in the bedroom, but the act of lovemaking only felt mechanical like they were going through the motions solely for the benefit of the other.

There was no intimacy without trust.

Bruce reached for his commlink to check on Diana but then thought better of it since it was after four in the morning. He'd caught himself thinking of her often during the day and long into the night hours, reaching for his phone to call her only to stop himself at the last minute.

She needed to move on with her life…with Steve.

Steve Trevor.

The name alone caused a sense of bitter jealousy to lodge in his throat. He knew he was a good, honorable man who truly loved her, but it didn't make it any easier to swallow the fact that Steve was the one sharing Diana's bed.

He squeezed his eyes closed against the unwelcomed image that thought conjured in his head. He was with Selina and Diana was with Steve. This was the way that things were supposed to be.

Then why was he so miserable?

Spending those thirty-seven years with Diana had changed things for him. He'd always loved Diana as a teammate and close friend, but something had changed for him during those years fighting side by side, sleeping next to each other by the fire, wondering if they were going to live to see another day.

Had it changed her too?

Bruce shook his head. He needed to forget, but it was impossible when it came to Diana. She had a way of reaching right into your heart and soul and grabbing hold unlike anyone had ever known before. She had become a part of him on a personal level that he couldn't begin to understand.

They had shared things…things that he hadn't shared with anyone. They'd been through a great deal together, experiencing things and fighting to survive. It was something that no one else could begin to understand no matter how much they tried to explain it.

Bruce growled, rubbing his face with his hands. He needed to get a grip on things. It wasn't fair to Selina. The problem was he didn't want to. He wanted to grab hold tighter and never let go. He wanted things to be different.

He was startled out of his thoughts by a hail on his commlink. "What's wrong?" he asked with an unmistakable urgency.

"I'm sorry, Bruce," Diana softly said, an uncharacteristic tremor in her voice. "I shouldn't have bothered you at this hour. I'll let you get back to your work."

"No, wait…please," he said, his urgency rising for a different reason now. "What's wrong?"

He could hear Diana's sigh on the other end. "Nightmare," she simply murmured.

She didn't have to say anymore. He knew. He always knew. "What was it this time?" he asked with a gentleness rarely heard from the Bat.

"The Hordes…they took you," she revealed, her voice cracking with emotions as powerful as a tidal wave. "I couldn't…" Another crack in her voice before she cleared her throat. "I couldn't get to you in time…I couldn't save you."

"Diana, it's all right," he reassured her. "I'm fine. The Horde can't get to us here."

"I know…I'm sorry," she apologized.

"Please, don't apologize," he sternly chided her. "You have absolutely nothing to be sorry about. I want you to call me."

There was a long pause before Diana finally spoke again. "Do you think these nightmares will ever end?"

Bruce felt as if his heart was breaking. Her voice made her sound so small, so hopeless…so lonely. Everything inside of him ached to hold her close, but he knew that he couldn't. She had Steve and he had Selina.

"I don't know, Diana," he told her, "but I hope they will."

"Me too," she murmured. "How are you doing? Are you all right?"

"I have good moments and not so good moments," he found himself confessing.

"Me too," she admitted. "You know you can call me any time, Bruce. I don't care if it's the middle of the night. I'll probably be up anyway. Me and the home shopping network have become great friends. They have great bargains at two am."

That last part was delivered with Diana's classic lilt of amusement, her endearing effort to lighten the moment and it surprisingly did to some degree. It comforted him like a warm blanket. "If you see a good deal for a blender, I'm looking for one for Alfred," he teased.

Diana laughed in response, the melodic ring of it warming his heart. "I've ordered five so far," she replied. "I'm giving them as Christmas gifts this year so act surprised."

It was Bruce's turn to laugh. "I prefer black."

"And here I bought you a pink one."

Bruce couldn't suppress the grin that talking to her had put on his face. He knew he needed to end the call so she could sleep. "You should probably try to get some sleep," he encouraged her. "We have an early meeting in the morning."

"Probably," she weakly agreed.

Neither wanted to end the call, neither ready to let the other one go. Neither was ready to say goodbye.

Bruce finally voiced the question that had been weighing on his mind. "Does he know that you called me?"

He did his best to keep the animosity he felt out of his voice. He knew that he had blown it, but he didn't care. He was tired—tired from lack of sleep, tired of pretending that was everything was all right, tired of acting like he was happy, tired of the arguing and the constant suspicion, tired of being miserable.

Something had to give.

"No," she softly replied. "He doesn't understand…not like you."

"I know," he said and he did know all too well. Selina didn't understand either. She'd tried in the beginning but that quickly dissolved into heated arguments, accusations, and distrust.

"Bruce—"

"Diana—"

The sound of clicking heels against the cave floor caused him to instantly stiffen, mentally preparing himself for the fight that would no doubt be coming. "Try to get some sleep," he told her. "I'll check in on you later."

"Thank you, Bruce," she replied with a sadness permeating her voice. "I hope I didn't cause you any trouble."

"None at all," he assured her.

"Get some sleep."

"I will," he said before ending the transmission.

He began typing up his reports from patrol, doing his best to focus on his work. He really didn't want to deal with this now. His head was already pounding, and his heart ached for a woman he wasn't supposed to love.

"How was the East End?" he asked, not pausing to look up.

"Safe once more," she replied as she removed her gloves and tossed them onto his desk. "How's the lovely Amazon?"

The disdain in her voice caused his stomach to clench. He took a moment to rein in his anger before responding. "She's having a difficult time right now."

Selina snorted as she moved to sit on the edge of his desk. "I think she's faking it," she icily stated. "She's just trying to get your attention and you're falling for it like a randy little lap dog, panting for a chance to—"

"Selina!" he growled her name before she could finish the sentence. "Diana isn't faking anything. She's not dishonest like some people."

"Ouch," she replied, feigning hurt. "That's the pot calling the kettle black."

"How?" he demanded to know.

"Come on, Bruce," she bit out with a scowl. "How honest have you been with me? Do you really expect me to believe nothing happened between you and Diana in Gehenna?"

Bruce stood to his feet, his hands balling into furious fists. "I'm not doing this anymore, Selina," he decided with a steely resolve.

"Me either," she agreed, standing to her feet as well. "That's why I moved my things back to my apartment this afternoon."

Selina handed him the engagement ring he had given her. He stared at it, a feeling of unexpected relief washing through him for the first time in a long time. Somehow, he'd always know that they weren't meant to be. Now, he knew why.

"Nothing physical may have happened between you and Diana, but something did happen…and I think you're finally realizing it," she told him, leaning in and kissing him. "Goodbye, Bruce."

He didn't say a word as she left. He had been granted his freedom, given the chance to try again if he wished to. The problem was that a man blocked his path, a man with a noble heart that wouldn't take too kindly to a new suitor stepping into the picture.

At that moment, Bruce wasn't certain that he cared.

XXX

Bruce watched from the rooftop across the street as Diana slept. He'd just wanted to check on her, making sure that she was doing all right. He hadn't gotten a chance to talk to her after the meeting the other morning, the need for help in Haiti stealing her away.

It had been four days since Selina had completely broken off their engagement. He'd thought of little else, needing to see Diana. He'd feared that seeing Steve in bed with Diana would put him over the edge, but he'd taken the chance. Her well-being was more important than his foolish jealousy.

He had been more than a little relieved to find Diana sleeping alone in her bed. He was about to leave when he noticed Diana beginning to toss and turn in her sleep, her breathing erratic as she fought the Horde in her sleep. He knew that fight all too well, knew the terror that clawed at her heart.

He fired his grappling line, landing soundlessly on the balcony. The curtains of her open balcony doors danced in the wind, creating an ethereal effect as he contemplated going inside. He shouldn't be here. She wasn't his. She belonged to another.

"Bruce…" Diana called out in her sleep, causing him to freeze.

He stood still as a statue, afraid to move…afraid to go to her. His breath stuck in his throat, his tongue to the roof of his mouth. He had no right to be here. He was free, but she was not. He needed to respect that.

"Bruce…don't leave me," she cried in the grips of a nightmare that refused to release her from its clutches. "I love you…"

Bruce felt his heart nearly stutter with her admission. He refused to allow hope to take root inside of him, reminding himself that it was just a dream she was experiencing. It wasn't real. She didn't know what she was saying.

Diana sat bolt upright, her breaths coming out in gasping pants for air as tears streamed down her cheeks. She quickly pulled her legs up, pressing her forehead against her knees as she struggled to regain control of her emotions.

She stayed that way for several moments before throwing the covers off her and crawling out of the bed. She began to pace her bedroom wrapping her arms around herself when she felt the presence of someone else in her room.

Hope surged through her as she came to a stop. She slowly lifted her head to find her hope had been realized. "Bruce?" she whispered his name; afraid it was nothing more than a wishful dream.

She closed the distance between them, slowly reaching out to touch his cowled cheek as tears continued to slip silently down her face. She gently caressed his face, the tip of her finger slipping under his cowl to stroke his cheek. He released a ragged breath as his lips parted, trying to calm his pounding heart.

She murmured his name again, her pulse racing with anxious anticipation. She'd wanted this for so long but hadn't dared to hope…until now. "Why are you here?" she softly asked, almost afraid of the answer.

"I needed to see how you were doing," he replied.

"I haven't bought any more blenders," she lightly teased, forcing a smile despite the tears.

Despite her lighthearted response, he could see the fear and anxiety swimming in her eyes. The corner of her lips curled into a lopsided grin. "That's good to hear," he said. "I bet your credit card bill is enough to cause heart failure."

She smiled in return. "We'll see when it comes next month."

"What will Steve say about it?" he ventured.

She slowly shook her head, her eyes never leaving his face. "It doesn't matter what he thinks," she revealed. "He moved out a month ago. I haven't seen him since."

"He did?" he managed to utter, shocked by the revelation.

"He didn't believe me that I had been faithful to him while we were in Gehenna," she replied. "After two months of it, I couldn't live with it any longer, so I told him to leave."

"Diana, I'm so sorry," he told her, trying to contain the happiness that he felt. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"There's nothing to be sorry about," she assured him. "Some relationships don't work out, but some do. That's why I didn't tell you. I didn't want to worry you or interfere in your relationship with Selina. You're planning a wedding and—"

"No, we're not," he confessed. "Selina and I canceled the wedding over a month ago. She moved out four days ago."

"I'm sorry, Bruce," she apologized. "I hope it wasn't something that I did. I knew I shouldn't have called you in the middle of the night like that. I should've been more respectful of—"

"No, it's not your fault," he insisted, taking her hand in his. "Deep down, I don't think I ever truly believed that it would work out between us."

"So, where does that leave us now?"

Bruce removed his cowl and gauntlets, tossing them on her writing desk before turning towards her. He gently traced the curve of her face, a tremble of desire racing through him. He slowly leaned in to erase her tears with the pad of his thumb before his lips found hers in a tentative kiss.

Diana deepened the kiss, her arms winding their way around his neck as she drew him into her embrace. She had dreamed of this during those long, endless nights in Gehenna, dreamed of the man in her arms now more than she had the man that she had left behind when they had left.

She'd felt overwhelming guilt that had only made things more difficult when they had returned to their lives. Steve had tried to understand, but he couldn't. All he could think about were the years that she had spent with Bruce in that horrible place, imaging things that hadn't happened.

Bruce fisted her hair in his hands as passion between them intensified, feelings that had been lingering beneath the surface had only grown during their time in Gehenna. It brought to the surface feelings and emotions that neither of them had wanted to acknowledge before.

Until now.

Diana began to remove his cape, her fingers searching for a way to free him from his uniform. He forced himself to stop her, taking hold of her wrists. "Diana," he breathlessly murmured. "We…shouldn't. We should wait."

"I've waited for you for too long already," she throatily replied. "I waited for thirty-seven years, and then for three more months. I think I've waited long enough."

His mouth crashed into hers with a frenzied desire that was felt bone-deep as he helped her remove his uniform and boots. He didn't waste any time removing her negligee that he'd been desperately trying not to notice since the moment he'd entered her bedroom.

Now, he could fully enjoy every moment of removing it from her body.

He kissed her breathless before trailing kisses along her jaw to her ear, lifting her up and carrying her to her waiting bed. His heart raced knowing that they could finally consummate what had been burning inside of them so for long now.

He ran his hands over her body, savoring her soft skin as they shared gasps and moans between passionate kisses. This was better than either of them could've ever dreamed, sharing in and creating an intense intimacy that each had craved with each other.

Bruce caressed her thigh, drawing her leg up her body as he pressed himself into her. She gasped sharply, crying out his name as he filled her. Her fingernails pressed into his back, causing him to hiss with the pleasure that shot straight through him.

He began to move his hips, relishing the feel of being with her and inside of her. "I've wanted you…for so long," he panted heavily.

Diana rolled him onto his back, her raven hair a veil around his face. "I love you, Bruce," she murmured as she moved her hips.

He suddenly sat up; his hands splayed across her bare back as he kissed her. "I love you too," he admitted.

Diana cupped his face as she ground her hips against his. "I had to say goodbye to you when we returned from Gehenna…had to watch you walk away with Selina," she told him, her forehead coming to rest against his as they continued to move as one. "I never want to have to say goodbye to you like that ever again."

Bruce smiled as he brushed his nose against hers, kissing her with a passion that only she could stir inside of him. "You'll never have to, Diana," he assured her as he laid her on her back, swearing to himself that he would never let her go…never say goodbye to her as he made love to her.