Author's Note: I'm a huge fan a Justice League, especially these characters. I was dissatisfied with the way they left things between Bruce and Diana in the cartoon version, but I understand that it was a kid's show, after all. This story is my attempt to pick up where Warner Brothers left off. The following is what I think is realistic and likely to have happened off screen, based on how things had been progressing and the personalities of the characters. I've been wanting to write this fic for a long time.
Enjoy.
I don't own any of the these characters, or Justice League, yada yada, all that stuff.
"You guys can handle this. I've got work back in Gotham. You have my number." Batman said in a dry monotone.
"I think so," Wonder Woman said, a slight smirk gracing her beautiful face.
Batman moved away from her in a blur, dropping down from the dais next to Oliver. He loomed over the archer like a black shadow. "Quis custodiet ipsos custodies," he simply stated.
Oliver smiled. "Who guards the guardians? We got it covered." The green-clad man promptly turned away and strode over to Dinah, who waited for him on her rebuilt motorcycle. Batman watched him go, even though he had no more to say to the man and urgent business awaited him in Gotham. Instead, his gaze lingered on the two superheroes longer than he intended, the dark knight staring as Ollie climbed aboard the motorcycle. His arms wrapped around Dinah tightly (no, lovingly, the detective noted) as the couple raced off into the sunset. Something about this scene intrigued him, and he pretended that he did not know why. The black, cowled figure watched the pair until they were gone, a blank look of longing on his masked face.
As soon as he realized what was happening, he reset his visage to the emotionless expression that he normally wore. Batman's disciplined mind shut down these dangerous emotions, as if to obliterate all evidence and create plausible deniability, deniability not just to others, but also himself. Although his mind reflexively refused to acknowledge what had happened, on some deep, inner level, he was aware that it had occurred. Not even Batman could lie to his subconscious.
The expression on his face had been so subtle that he doubted anyone could have noticed it. Still, as someone who spent years controlling his emotions with an iron will, he mentally admonished himself for his slip. Such things could be catastrophic.
No, he reminded himself, the only emotion I am allowed to feel is the ache of my parent's deaths.
Amidst the buzz of activity that was occurring all around him, no one was paying any attention to Batman. No one, save one person standing on the dais, hands on her perfectly proportioned hips. Had anyone but Diana noticed, only she could possibly have read his thoughts. With an expectant look on her face and her heart swelling with hope, she waited for his next move.
However, her hope was dashed when he turned swiftly away in the opposite direction. He did not even want to look at her, she noted. Her heart sank as he strode out of the crowd, people giving him a wide berth as he went. Evidently, they were still affected by his intimidating visage even in full daylight. This fact depressed her.
People perceive him as the complete opposite of the person he really is, she thought grimly to herself.
Once clear of the crowd, Diana saw Batman press a button on his utility belt. After a moment, the sleek, black vehicle known as the Batwing arrived on the scene. She continued to watch him as he ascended to the vehicle by means of a grappling cable. Within moments, he was speeding away from her. As she watched him disappear into the distance, it was her turn to stare longingly.
Exactly one week later, Mr. Wayne strode confidently into a large mansion, the site of an important charity event that many of the socialites of Gotham would be attending.
Interestingly enough, he could not have told anyone what kind of work the charity actually did, or even its name. He found that keeping himself ignorant about these matters made it easier to affect the airheaded appearance that his playboy persona required. Of course, it was also necessary for him to have a good-looking woman on his arm, and tonight was certainly no exception. As usual, the millionaire did not know her name either. He guessed it was probably something cliché like "Brandi" or "Cindy". It was likely not even her real name anyway, which eased the guilt he felt over using her to further his image somewhat.
At least adopting a fake name is something we have in common, he thought.
With a shock, he suddenly realized that he was truly becoming the playboy persona that he despised so much. At some point, the act had become so second nature that he didn't even have to pretend. At the rare times when he had a free moment to look inwards, he wondered where the debutante Mr. Wayne, Batman and the real Bruce began and ended…if there even was a real Bruce at all.
Mr. Wayne was jolted out of his thoughts when the other guests began greeting him. Thus began the long process of making his rounds with all of the powerful guests at the party. Bruce floated around, saying his hellos, engaging in all of the repetitive formalities, dabbling in petty gossip, and other superficial rich people activities. At any available opportunity, he would be sure to say something less than poignant, or do something that made him look like a spoiled millionaire. It was so routine that he barely cringed internally anymore at his own foolishness.
Every now and then, his date would chime in with some inane comment. When alone with her, she would always say something about money or comment on the extravagance of the party. Showering Mr. Wayne with flirtation and compliments was also a common refrain. Women like this were so transparent: they just wanted his money, or possibility the trophy of bedding a millionaire who could theoretically have anyone he wanted. The irony of it, he took pleasure in noting, was that the tabloids were right. He could have anyone he wanted, even an Amazonian princess raised from birth to hate men. If only his numerous female companions knew how they stacked up against her, he thought with no small amount of humor.
Diana was so different from all of the women that normally associated with. In fact, the difference was so radical that he could hardly believe that Diana and his usual dates shared the same sex. The Amazonian princess would never lower herself in such a way, allowing herself to be nothing more than superfluous arm candy for some bratty rich kid. Yet, she wasn't haughty or arrogant either. In fact, many things about her were a delicate balancing act: she was beautiful and feminine, yet incredibly strong-willed and a skilled warrior. She was intelligent, yet empathetic. The list went on, each dual trait a reason why he respected her so much. Certainly, she would have made much better company than his current companion.
Quickly, Batman turned his mind away from such idle thoughts. They would only serve to distract him from his mission by reminding him how empty his life truly was. Moreover, he had to start thinking about how Mr. Wayne was going to maintain his reputation as a womanizer without having to actually sleep with his date. Sometimes he would chase them away by courting another woman. Indignant cries of "but you came here with me!" always earned some chuckles from those listening. It was a good trick. Maybe he would use it again.
Presently, the playboy was engaged in a conversation with Mayor Hill. He had subtly maneuvered the mayor so that his back was to the entrance hall, giving him a good view of each guest as they arrived at the party. This tactic paid off when he noticed a sight that took his breath away.
A gorgeous woman was walking into the room, oozing sexuality and confidence. All her garb was a dark shade of red, from the low cut, sleeveless, backless dress that complimented her every curve perfectly, to her three inch pumps. Her wrists were adorned with thick silver bracelets and from her ears dangled silver, star shaped earrings.
Only she could pull off a look like that, he thought. Normally it might seem slutty, or a cry for attention, but on her, it only drew more attention to her graceful and sophisticated nature. Truly, only she could pull off this kind of look so successfully.
Mr. Wayne's first instinct was to rush over and kiss her, but Batman's instinct was to get far away from her. Instead of doing either, the mind of the bat took a split second to consider the situation, calculating his response from the perspective of the obnoxious playboy. The obvious conclusion was that Mr. Wayne would be overwhelmed by such a stunning member of the opposite sex. Naturally, he would approach her, asking her to dance. After all, the first one that they had shared had been rudely interrupted. This was a fact that the media had, of course, reported heavily on. It simply wouldn't make sense for Mr. Wayne to take any other action.
"So, Mr. Wayne, mind telling me about this wonderful lady you have with you tonight? You always keep such delightful company," Mayor Hill went on. Bruce, not missing a beat of the conversation, had a reply on his lips instantly.
"I've always said that the best way to know a lady is dancing with her," he said.
Mayor Hill raised an eyebrow. "So, you wouldn't mind it overly much if I asked her to a dance, would you?"
"I'm not too opposed to sharing, Mayor."
Bruce's date frowned. Eventually, she acquiesced, at least having the sense to know it would be rude to refuse. "I would be happy to!" she said before letting out an obviously fake giggle. She took Mayor Hill's outstretched hand.
As Mr. Wayne gave them some space, he glanced at Diana. People were not swarming her this time, though she was certainly turning heads. In truth, he suspected (hoped, he caught himself correcting) that she might make an appearance. Consequently, he had taken steps to secure the venue from all the tabloid journalists. At the moment, she was alone.
Let's get this over with, Batman thought stoically, even as his heart beat a little faster.
"Oh, hello Wonder Woman", he said, suavely, as he stepped in front of her. "I had no idea you were coming. How nice it is to see such a lovely lady again."
Diana eyed him up and down, scrutinizing the smooth millionaire from head to toe. His posture was overly relaxed. His hands were tucked casually in his suit pockets. His grin showed perfectly white teeth but was obviously fake. Overall, he had the air of a man trying way too hard to look good. She couldn't help but think that he would be much more appealing if he wasn't putting on this ruse. Even so, Diana found herself quite attracted to this impressive specimen of the male gender.
After she completed her brief scan, her deep blue eyes met his. He normally loved her radiant orbs; how full of intelligence and character they were. It made him shiver imperceptibly, even as she shivered at the icy resolve in his. However, this time her eyes told a different story. They also contained a vague disappointment.
In that moment, a silent exchange passed between the two superheroes. Diana told Bruce how much she hated the pretense of this game, how much she hated seeing him act so contrary to his true nature. Bruce also saw that she understood why it was necessary. She respected his commitment, and even empathized with him. In response, his eyes sent her a clear message of appreciation and apology.
Sadly, this private little communique` was over much more quickly than either would have preferred. Both of them knew that people were watching. Diana broke the silence.
"Please, call me Diana. And yes, it is quite pleasant to speak with you once more, Mr. Wayne," she intoned in that sibilant voice of hers, flashing a perfect smile as well.
"As I seem to recall, we left our last dance unfinished. Care to fix that?" he slyly asked.
She hesitated for a couple heartbeats before answering, pretending to consider his offer. "Of course I would. That was certainly an unsatisfying conclusion to a Parisian evening, wouldn't you say?"
Bruce mentally kicked himself for what he was about to say. "I'm sure you'll be satisfied before the night is through." Diana rolled her eyes at him as she took his outstretched hand and followed him to the dance floor. As she did so, she flashed him a brief smile, letting him know that as long as she was going to play along, she was resolved to at least have some fun.
The previous song was just ending, a slow one coming up next. They settled into position comfortably with each other. Their proximity gave them some measure of privacy, finally giving them a chance to talk freely.
"I didn't expect to see you here, princess," he whispered, leaning his face closer to her ear. Her seductive scent sent shocks of electric desire through him, overwhelming his thoughts. For an instant, all he could think about was putting his lips on every square inch of her neck and face.
Meanwhile, his hot breath tickled her neck, ramping up her level of excitement as well. Unbeknownst to him, she had to reign in the desire for him to do the same thing. "I know. The irony is not lost on me."
Suddenly Bruce remembered the focus of this charity ball. It was for raising money to combat prostate cancer. "Indeed", he responded, chuckling lightly.
"Oh, what my sisters would think of me right now."
"Oh? Then why did you come?"
"I've been doing a lot of work with women's charities. I wanted to show people that not all amazons are misandrists. Especially now that I'm the Themiscyran ambassador," Diana explained while gracefully managing the dance.
"Fair enough." Bruce didn't have any more to say. Like her, he was far too focused on enjoying their intimacy to continue the conversation. Moments like these were few and fleeting, so they were resolved to savor them as much as possible.
Each basked in the presence of the other. Their eyes examined every feature, every curve, every line of the other's face as if trying to etch the image in their memories forever. Their brains were devoted solely to this task, as well as concentrating on the feel of the other's touch. Although they had drifted into a more and more intimate hold as the minutes slipped by, it only made them hunger for so much more contact.
Diana let her concentration slip. She let out a barely audible sigh, an expression of contentedness on her delicate face. Bruce found his heart pounding violently at the sight. He wanted nothing more at that moment than to please her this way, to make her happy. His lips inched closer to hers.
Suddenly, Bruce shook himself out of his trance. He reminded himself that what he wanted was irrelevant. After all, he had a much more important duty to focus on. With a surge of willpower, he pushed his feelings out of his mind. It was like ripping away a part of himself, casting his identity away so that he could become a lifeless husk of justice.
All too soon, the song was ending. Bruce wanted nothing more than to stay with her, to cling to her as long as she would let him. However, the practical mind of the Bat recognized that it would be inappropriate for Mr. Wayne to dance with the elegant Wonder Woman much longer. Being seen spending too much time with him would only lower her reputation. She was so perfect. She deserved someone better than the spoiled ladies' man. Tearing himself away from her would hurt, but he had a high tolerance for pain.
"You should be slapping me soon," he informed her.
Her eyes went wide with shock. "By the goddesses, why?" she gasped. The thought of pushing him away when she only wanted the opposite was unthinkable to her.
"Because", Bruce went on, "I'm about to do something really inappropriate." He slid his hand slowly down her back, an obvious destination in mind. Sheltered by her long, ebony hair, her face was completely hidden from anyone's view but his. She shot him a seductive look, a hungry gaze in her eyes. Diana was showing him that she came alive at his touch, longed for it, displaying her desperate consent for him to touch her this way. Upon seeing this, he leaned in again, as if to kiss her. This time, he wasn't sure if it was part of the act or whether it was real.
He grabbed her rear end firmly, and Diana lightly pushed him away. "Mr. Wayne!" she gasped in the best annoyed tone she could muster. When he attempted to forcefully pull her back, she slapped his cheek with a tiny fraction of her full strength. Bruce finally let go of her, doing his best to look contrite. It wasn't hard. Diana quickly stormed off, leaving him alone as she ignored the awkward glances from other guests. He didn't have to ignore it though; he was used to feeling like an ass.
The rest of the evening dragged on torturously for both heroes. Wayne returned to his date, who was none too happy with his obvious attraction for Wonder Woman. She hid her disgust poorly. It certainly didn't halt her nauseatingly poor conversational skills, to Bruce's displeasure. With her once again on his arm, they mingled with the gathered rich people again.
Diana did the same. She chatted with other guests, who had many questions about her life as an amazon and on the Justice League. The scene that she and Bruce had made was also a talking point. She was told not to worry about it, that Mr. Wayne always did that sort of thing. This news caused a feeling of horror to well up within her. He was just a court jester for these people, and she hated them for laughing. Her instincts were crying out for her to set them straight on who he was. She wanted to shout in their faces what a noble and caring man he was, tell them how he had volunteered for suicidal missions to save other people on multiple occasions, how he was a fearsome warrior who had risked his life alongside class A metahumans even though he had no special powers. Instead, she held her tongue with considerable effort.
Eventually the festivities began to wind down. Mr. Wayne, faking inebriation, stumbled out into the car where Alfred waited. His date, who was actually intoxicated, seemed on the verge of passing out. It was expected. He had slipped a sedative into one of her champagne flutes, after all. Soon she would be passed out and Alfred would take her home safely. Wayne had no time for such things. The other mask had work to do.
There was a loud, but almost pleasant sounding humming noise as the teleporter fired up. As the flash of energy faded, Diana stepped off of the teleporter platform in the Batcave. She was dressed in her usual battle uniform, dominatrix boots, bracelets, and tiara.
Diana noted the dark surroundings, the looming stalactites and stalagmites, as well as the occasional bat screech as the flying rodents fluttered through the inky shadows. It never ceased to amaze her that Batman could stand such grim surroundings and such foul company. It fit his personality though, she had to admit.
With a mischievous grin, she took to the air. The clicking of her heels would surely alert Batman to her presence, since she was the only founding member of the League who wore them regularly. Since only founders had been given Batman's "number", which was in reality the quantum coordinates for his Bat Cave teleporter, he would deduce the identity of his visitor with his keen hearing soon enough. Diana wanted to see if she could surprise him.
Gliding gently through the air, she darted from rocky outcropping to rocky outcropping, using them as cover. To her ears, she made not a single sound. As Diana went, she carefully scanned her surroundings, making sure the Bat hadn't already spotted her. She didn't see him lurking about, even with her heightened sight. Thus, it seemed unthinkable that her approach had been noticed.
After several minutes of painstaking stealth, she had arrived in the main chamber of the Bat Cave: the control hub where the world's most advanced super computer was located, the place where Bruce eked out a significant portion of his existence as the Batman. Sure enough, Diana spotted him sitting in his chair, a series of staccato clicks filling the air as he typed away.
Diana hid behind a giant penny that rested vertically on a metal stand off to one side of the room, peering cautiously around the side of the copper circle. She remembered Bruce explaining the significance of the penny when she had visited Wayne Manor during the Thanagarian invasion. Apparently, it had been a penny that Bruce had almost died upon during one of Two Face's plots. She found the evidence of his triumph exciting. It reminded her of the battle trophies her amazon sisters sometimes took from those they defeated in combat.
With a start, she noticed that the whole cave was filled with such mementos. In fact, there were some she had not seen the last time she was here. He was adding to his collection, she noted, her respect for him rising.
Returning her attention to the task ahead, she peered over at Bruce. He was still typing away on his keyboard, absorbed in whatever it was he was working on. The glare of the monitor was somewhat blinding, as her eyes had adjusted to the darkness of the cave. She waited a few moments for her eyes to adjust, curious as to what he could possibly be doing at 2 a.m. Evidentially, he was typing some kind of gibberish into a black void. Programming, she remembered with a start. As someone who was intelligent but not at all gifted at computers, she admired those who could master what she considered a strange art.
A few minutes passed by, during which time she noticed that Bruce didn't turn around or even stop typing for moment. Figuring that it was safe to approach, she began gliding toward him. Inch by inch she brought herself closer to him, careful not to go too fast, lest a gust of wind warn him of her presence. Soon she was within arm's reach of Batman. Diana reached out to touch him, suppressing a laugh at the notion of catching the dark knight unawares.
"Hello, Diana," Bruce droned in his trademark baritone, instantly swiveling his chair around to face her. Diana's heart to leap into her throat, ice filling her veins. How had he known she was there?
Her face was frozen into a mask of pure shock, eliciting a smirk form the caped crusader. "How did you…" she started to ask.
"I heard you flying. You fly differently than Clark, Lantern, J'ohn, or Shayera. Less wind resistance, due to your smaller form. Oh, and no cape or wings."
Truly, his powers of perception were worthy of the stuff of legend. Bemused, she dropped gently down to the stone floor, hands on her hips. "I don't believe it," she said, shaking her head.
"Why are you here? I doubt that it's an emergency, judging from the fact that you apparently had enough time to try to sneak up on me," he said. The smirk had faded, replaced with the straight lines of his serious face. He was all business once again.
Her smile disappeared, a frown appearing in its place. "Aren't you happy to see me, Bruce?" she questioned. She knew the real answer to the question, but she also knew he wouldn't say it. Her prediction was confirmed when she was met with cold silence from the caped crusader. "You gave me your number, so I thought you might want some company from time to time. You spend all your time alone in here, or out on patrol."
"I don't need company. I have work to do instead," he stoically answered. It sounded like a mantra.
To hear him say these words, to be callously brushed off after the heated moment they had shared at the charity event earlier that night, it crushed her. She wasn't sure if she should feel angry, sad, confused, or some combination of all three. Diana, not for the first time, seriously wondered if Bruce's feelings for her were just another mask that he put on.
"Why does everything have be all business with you, all the time?" she inquired, her volume rising. Her ire was rising to match.
Batman stared at her for few silent moments. The tension was so thick he could have cut it with a batarang. "Because, Princess" he answered slowly, choking down his real feelings. "That's just how it has to be."
Diana drew a long breath, then let it out with a sigh as she pinched the bridge of her nose. "Okay, fine. But at least tell me why."
"I already did."
"Then just humor me, please." Her tone grew louder and more irritated.
It was the Bat's turn to release a deep sigh. "Fine. Because, dating within the team..."
"…always leads to issues", she finished. "I know you know that's a lie. Oliver and Dinah seem to make it work. I saw you staring at them during Clark's speech." Diana was on a tirade now. There was no stopping her. "Question, Huntress. John, Shayera. John, Vixen," she recited, pacing back and forth. "The list goes on."
"I'm well aware that it does, Princess." he growled at her.
"Then you know that reason is flawed. Besides, I know you've broken that rule before, Bruce. I've talked to Zatana. She told me about Talia, Selina, others."
Brining up his past attempts at romance set him off. What audacity she must have to remind him of the women he had loved and had consequently failed? They were examples of his emotional unavailability, examples of the dysfunction and mutual harm that would inevitably result from being too close to a dark person like the Batman. For Diana to dredge this up was like rubbing salt into his wounds, forcing him to confront the truth that it was best for him to be alone.
He could feel heat rising in his cheeks. "Did you ever stop to think that maybe the fact that I've broken that rule before is why I won't break it again?" he spat bitterly.
Diana gave him a hard look. She was clearly not pleased. "Did you ever stop to think that maybe the next time might be different? You just love to think in absolutes, don't you?" she practically yelled. He didn't answer, so she got tired of waiting. "Okay, fine. You win. Just give me the second reason."
"If my enemies ever found out I had someone special, they would stop at nothing to get to me through her."
"Right. So I'm just a frail little flower, unable to protect myself from the big bad rogues of Gotham?" Her words dripped with venomous sarcasm.
Bruce forced himself to remain calm, cooling the hotness of his fury. He deserved her wrath. But it didn't change the fact that he had made up his mind. Maybe it was better that she was angry with him, he thought. It would be easier for her to move on. "Come now, Diana. You know that's not what I believe. I just…" he a paused, dangerously close to the truth.
"Oh?" she said, raising an eyebrow. "You're afraid to lose me, aren't you?" Her gaze burned into him, but she couldn't read his expression behind the mask. "You'll lose me anyway if you never had me", she whispered, her voice barely audible as she looked away from him, unable to stomach his rejection. They both knew he had heard her, but both pretended that he had not.
His analytical mind recognized the validity of her arguments. Better for her to think him a stubborn jerk than let her get close to the real reason. It was just like him to cloak himself with a mask of lies, throwing distractions at her like batarangs. However, as an agent of truth, he wasn't really surprised that she deflected his deceptions like bullets with her bracers. It was one of the many things that his detective mind, which obsessively sought the truth, admired about her.
"You know what, Bruce? I don't even want to hear the third reason," she snapped. "Let me just say that we are a lot more alike than your thickheaded skull could possibly realize. But you won't even give it a chance, will you? You're so afraid of something going wrong that you'll take away both of our free wills. You remind me of the Justice Lords."
Her last remark hung in the dank, dark air, echoing all around the couple before slowly dying away. Diana looked down at her feet, somewhat ashamed of herself. She knew it had been a very harsh thing to say, even if she acknowledged that there was some truth to it. She instantly regretted her words, but not the intent behind them. Diana was still furious with him.
Batman's expression was unreadable. "You may be right. But it doesn't change my decision, Diana. I'm…" He choked down his emotion, reigning it in with an iron grip. Yet despite his training, he couldn't suppress his guilt at doing this to her. "I'm sorry." His apology showed a tiny edge of regret in his voice, revealing just a faint hint of what he felt for her. This did not go unnoticed by Diana. It was obviously not enough for her, though. She stared off into the abyss of the Batman's world, unwilling to meet his cruel, lifeless gaze.
Batman examined her carefully, his mind a storm of thoughts. Then, like the calm eye of a hurricane, his keen eyes caught a glimpse of something: moisture building up in her eyes and sliding down her cheeks. It occurred to him that he had only seen her cry once before, and it was not even when her own mother had exiled her from Themiscyra. It was Clark's death. How might she be feeling right now, he wondered, if she didn't even love Clark the way she loved him?
This realization suddenly forced him to face the truth of what he had done to her. Despite her superhuman strength, speed, stamina, and near-indestructibility, he had managed to wound her worse than anything else ever had. He had found the chink in her armor, her one true weakness: her feelings for him. His constant games of push and pull had repeatedly raised her hopes only to dash them brutally upon the sharp rocks of his rejection, over and over again. His words had cut deeper into her than any weapon ever could, hit her harder than any villain ever had. But that was what he did, didn't he? Exploited people's weaknesses. Manipulated them to his own ends. Batman's history was a long line of abuse. Alfred, Dick, Jason, Tim, Barbara, Selina. Now he could add Diana to the list.
I'm a horrible person for treating people this way, he thought. She would never do that to anyone, especially me. She's so caring, so selfless…unlike me. Here I am, taking advantage of her romantic naiveté. She doesn't deserve me. And I certainly don't deserve her.
At that moment, he wanted more than anything else in the world to wrap his arms around her and wipe her tears away. To tell her what he meant to her, to kiss her neck, to stroke her perfect face, to show her how much he loved her, how much he hated himself for playing with her affections. "Diana…" he whispered softly, reaching for her cheek with his gauntleted hand. "I…"
She slapped his hand away at lightning speed. That was the problem, wasn't it? He continually fed her false hope, selfishly wanting her in his life in even the smallest capacity, sustaining himself even as she asphyxiated between his two extremes. She was sick of his games, and rightfully so. In not trying to break her, he was breaking her, and she knew it.
Immediately, he resolved that he would not let this fate happen to her. He would not let her become like him, an emotional black hole that harmed everyone around it. He needed to give her a final answer right this second. But what could he say? He was burning for her, and didn't trust what might come out of his mouth if he let himself speak. Luckily for him, he didn't have to.
"Let's settle this once and for all, Bruce," Diana said, suddenly swiveling her head to face him. She wiped her tears away. "We fight. One final duel, once final dance. If you win, you don't have to tell me the truth. I'll leave you alone forever, just the way you want it. You're a part timer, and I'll be away most of the time on ambassador business. It will essentially be goodbye."
"And if you win?" he asked, on the verge of choking up at the horrible prospect of hardly seeing her anymore.
"You once told me that you learned bushido, the way of the samurai. If you accept, and I win, you are honor-bound to tell me the real reason why you won't let us be together."
"Then what?" he asked.
Diana shrugged her shoulders, saying nothing more. As much as he hated the possibility of cutting things off with her forever, he knew it was the best thing for her. Either way, he would save her from himself. He would either win and she would let go, or she would win and wouldn't want to be with him anyway after she knew his dark truth. "Fine. I except."
He stood up from the chair and began removing his gauntlets and cape. "The usual?" he asked, referring to their typical sparring sessions. She held back her powers, and he held back his gadgets. It was a contest of martial skill only.
She shook her head. "No. I want to see how you stack up against a Class A metahuman. I'll use everything I've got, and you'll do the same. If fate has decreed us to fight one last time, I want to see everything the Bat has to offer."
Bruce was intrigued. It was fitting, he thought, for two warriors like them to resolve their feelings in one final battle, each pulling no punches, each testing the other to their limits. In a way, this battle would mirror the emotional war they had been waging for years.
"I accept," Bruce said, fastening his gauntlets once again as he moved to the training mat. Diana did the same, and soon they were both standing at opposite ends of the ring. An awkward silence passed between the pair, each eyeing the other.
They both took up a fighting stance, fists raised, eyes grim, muscles tensed and ready to spring. At first, they did nothing but circle the ring, coming closer and closer. Batman had superior martial training and speed, but Diana had strength and stamina. Both warriors were cautious of the advantages that the other presented.
Unexpectedly, Diana lunged forward with a sweeping kick. Bruce tensed, preparing to defend. However, the move turned out to be nothing more than a feint. She flew about 20 feet straight into the air, reversed direction, and jackknifed. Within the blink of an eye, she was speeding down at him from above, fist cocked back for a strike.
Batman had a few precious seconds to react, but that was enough time. He executed a perfect backflip, removing himself from the path of her aerial assault. Diana's punch cut through the air where his stomach had just been, a mighty blow that would have broken a few ribs and likely ended the fight.
As soon as she realized that she had missed, she changed direction again, flying parallel to the ground, hoping to catch him before his flip was finished. She knew that if she allowed him to escape, he would undoubtedly prepare some kind of gadget.
Batman was back on his feet sooner than she had expected, but she couldn't stop now. With a mask of determination, she continued flying straight at him. Oddly enough, Batman was standing perfectly still. Diana had expected him to at least prepare some kind of defense. In any case, she had already over-extended herself. She had to make this strike count.
At the last possible moment, Batman snapped into action. He moved like a black blur, leaping to one side as his arms latched onto her body. Before she realized what was happening, he was pivoting, using his hands to redirect her force. He used her own momentum to throw her over his shoulder, causing her to crash through the air behind him. As she did so, he latched his hand onto one of her wrists. At the same time, he used his other hand to fire his grappling gun at a nearby stalagmite. The cable wrapped expertly around the stony pillar, creating an opposing force to her redirected strength.
Unfortunately for her, she had used her power of flight to slow her momentum somewhat. If she hadn't, she may very well have ripped the stalagmite apart with force of her momentum, as well as tugged Batman along with her. Also unfortunately for her, she hadn't slowed her momentum enough to prevent what was about to happen.
The strong grappling cable went completely taut. For a few tense nanoseconds, it seemed like it might snap. But Batman had personally designed this specific cable to be strong, to be able to contend with the strength of a metahuman.
Diana's arm was being pulled one way, her body in the completely opposite direction. With a sickening popping noise, a lance of cold fire shot through Diana's shoulder. Recognizing the sound and pain as a familiar one, she knew that Batman had just dislocated her arm from its socket. She swallowed her cry of pain and utter shock. Batman, a mere mortal, had just accomplished something that not even Darkseid or Brainiac had succeeded at! Despite the harm he had just inflicted on her, she was impressed. She felt her respect for his abilities growing.
Batman let go of her arm and the grappling cable, knowing that she could retaliate with a bone-crushing punch with her good hand or a kick with her feet. Even so, the first exchange was clearly in his favor. Diana took to the air again, hoping to take shelter out his reach while she worked on popping her arm back into its socket.
"Well…done," Diana panted, gritting her teeth through the pain. She nodded at him, even as her eyes shot daggers.
Batman knew that as a mighty amazon, she could handle physical pain. It was the other kind of pain she wasn't trained to ignore. Still, Batman bore it as much as she did. He didn't respond to her graceful praise.
Diana reached for her arm, mentally preparing herself to set it, but her opponent was not going to give her the chance. Batman threw a batarang in a curving path. She recognized that he was aiming straight for her temple, a blow that would likely knock her unconscious long enough for him to win the fight. Diana was forced to abandon her self-care so that she could raise her good arm and block the attack. Her magical bracelet deflected the projectile easily.
With Batman, things were never as simple as they seemed. He swiftly executed his real attack, tossing another batarang straight up into the air. This one had a strange, blinking red light on it. Some kind of explosive, she wondered, as the weapon embedded itself in the ceiling near her. Was he trying to collapse the roof of his own cave?
With a start, Diana realized the she knew that device. It was the same one Batman had thrown at a Thanagarian soldier during the invasion, right before the man was covered in screeching, biting bats from head to toe.
As fast as she could, Diana let herself drop back down to the training mat, her arm forgotten. A swarm of a hundred bats tore through the spot her body had been occupying just a moment before. In fact, she noticed, a globe of screeching, flying, biting, slashing brown fur had completely surrounded their arena. She figured that he had tossed similar devices all around them.
Batman sauntered over to her, looming shadow of doom, completely comfortable in his element. He was taking her apart methodically, piece by piece, she realized. First, her strength. After all, all the power in the world didn't matter if one could not control their limbs with which to use it. Second, he had removed her flight capability. Diana grit her teeth, determined to persist against all odds. She would not let herself be defeated so easily. She would show him the tenacity of her people.
Diana raised her good fist, the other dangling uselessly by her side as she advanced upon the black-clad warrior. Their eyes met once again, each seeing nothing but admiration and resolve in the other. Silently, they lunged forward and fought.
Batman fought conservatively, never risking much. With one side somewhat safe from her reach, he always had a place to dodge. In addition, his much more extensive knowledge of fighting styles allowed him to make strange moves that she couldn't hope to counter. Since she could only fight the way she had been trained, the Greco-Roman style, a style he had studied, Batman could easily predict and counter most of her blows. He frequently redirected her strength rather than oppose it, and retaliated with quick jabs of his own that struck her pressure points or knocked her off balance.
Still, she was giving as good as she got. Even with one arm, she managed to land the occasional blow. However, they were almost all glancing blows, and she had to work extremely hard to earn them. Between his acrobatics and high-tech combat armor, most of the power behind her hits were negated even though she put her full might behind them. Yet Batman still couldn't afford to take as many hits as she could. These strikes were devastating, causing him to stumble, roll, or fly across the arena. Diana was absolutely certain he was becoming horribly bruised. The notion disturbed her.
What gave Batman the lead, she knew, was that even though she possessed far more stamina than him, she was also burning far more energy than he was. She had to swing furiously to keep him from darting around to her weak side, as well as constantly maneuvering herself to keep him on her good side. In other words, she had to constantly be on the offensive since she couldn't afford to fight defensively. It was a simple fact that doing so cost more energy. Clearly, he was trying to win the match with economy of movement.
"Trying to…tire…me out, Batman?" she breathlessly asked. "It won't…work. I'm an amazon. We are trained from birth to…never give in."
Batman was amused by her fortitude, her unwillingness to give up. She was so like him in that way. "Save your breath, Princess. You'll need it," he taunted.
Diana decided to take his advice as she pondered her next attack. For some reason, he was standing stock still again, cape wrapped around him like a robe of shadow. Only this time he was smirking. Was he planning some trick? In any case, Diana decided to use this break in the action to recover.
She watched as Batman pushed aside his cape and began fastening a pair of metallic objects to his hands. He smashed his fists together, creating a violent burst of static electricity. With a start, she knew what they were: electrical brass knuckles. "I made these a long time ago, in case I needed to fight Clark," Batman explained. "Their amperage is calibrated for a metahuman's physiology."
For the first time, she critically evaluated her chances of success. She never imagined that she, the most powerful woman on the planet, would be in serious risk of being outmatched by a non-powered mortal.
Batman charged at her, grinning like a capricious devil. He had brought out the metaphorical big guns late in the fight, using them as an ace in the hole to take her down when she was at her weakest. He attacked her savagely from all sides, constantly spinning, dodging, and changing directions so that she couldn't begin to mount a defense. At times, it seemed that he was in two places at once. His fists connected repeatedly with her sides, jolts of painful electricity stinging through her body and sapping her strength.
Diana weathered the storm of his assault. She had no choice, she would not surrender. She forced herself to focus through the pain, looking for a pattern in his movements so that she could guess where he would be next. Her attacks and defenses were abandoned entirely, pointless. He hit her over and over again without fear of reprisal.
Then, through the fog of electricity, she saw it. It was an opening for her to strike, provided her guess was correct. She kicked out. It connected. Batman was sent flying backward.
He retrieved his balance. Batman had still won that exchange by far. She knew she needed to win the next one. And to do that, Diana needed an advantage.
But what could she do? Every time she reached for her dislocated arm, Batman snapped a batarang at her, forcing her to block. Eventually he would run out of the pesky little weapons, but how many did he have? And more importantly, could she last that long? Diana's temporary answer was to kick the deflected batarangs out of the ring so that he couldn't retrieve them. This clever solution earned a nod of appreciation from him.
She knew she needed something better, more permanent. She needed her arm back. She needed to buy time to fix it. Brute force wasn't going to cut it; he had shown her as much. But she couldn't outwit him either, since that was his own game. Truly, it seemed an impossible situation.
Diana had a moment of epiphany as she realized that Batman had taught her how to beat him. He had literally turned her strength into a liability, and even exploited her narrow knowledge of martial arts. What if she could turn his metaphorical strength into a weakness? Batman thought he prepared for everything, so if she could surprise him, he may just lose his composure. Whatever it was, it had to be something he didn't know she could do. Smiling inwardly, she knew just the thing. It might not work, but it was worth a shot.
Diana charged in, feinting with a kick. Batman saw the distraction for what it was, and prepared for her real attack, a hook from her good arm. In reality, this second attack was also a fake. She had sent him careful signals with her body language, signs that she had taken care not to make too obvious, but also not too hidden. It had to be an absolutely perfect ruse to fool the Batman, and it was. He fell for it completely.
Diana started the hook but didn't finish it. Instead, she grabbed the Tiara off of her head, swiveled her waist, and threw the metal headpiece as hard as she could straight at Batman's chest. His face was obstructed by his hand, as he was in the middle of parrying a punch that wasn't there.
The Tiara slammed into him, causing him to stumble backwards. Although his combat armor had likely absorbed most of the impact, he still needed a moment to recover. Diana wasn't going to let him have it. She sprung at him, feet forward in a jumping kick. Dazed, he couldn't stop the blow.
He felt like a truck had hit him. Batman lost his footing, flew back through the air, and collided against the side of the cushioned training mat in a groaning heap.
On the floor Diana quickly shoved her arm back into the socket. She gave a small moan of pain. By the gods, she hated doing that. It hurt worse than getting slapped by Giganta or slashed by Cheetah. She rolled her shoulder experimentally, discovering that it worked. Her next step was to get back up before Batman recovered. She mustered her remaining strength and dragged herself to her feet, finding it much harder than she expected.
Meanwhile, Batman had also recovered, standing on wobbly legs. The three-point combo of the throw, kick, and crashing into the wall had sapped his strength significantly and dulled his senses. Both combatants panted heavily, but she had the upper hand now. With an Amazonian battle cry, she rushed in, ready to tackle Batman to the ground and pin him there.
Through the fog in his brain, he recognized the dire situation he was in. Summoning all of his willpower, he conjured a great wind in his mind that blew away the clouds of confusion. In a split second, his brain was clear again, allowing him to analyze the situation. She had every advantage now. The full use of her limbs brought her strength back into play. It was hard to tell who had more stamina left, but he guessed it was probably her. There was one thing he did have though; there were still gadgets on his belt.
Batman stood up, completely still to Diana's eyes, doing nothing obvious to escape the doom that was bearing down upon him. He even feigned confusion, tilting his head listlessly side to side as if dazed. Meanwhile, his cape was wrapped around him once more, so his hands were hidden when he palmed three smoke bombs and dropped them at his own feet. The tear gas was contained by the cape, some of it leaking out from under the bottom. Diana didn't notice it.
Just as Diana was reaching him, he flapped his cape at her. The tear gas burst forth, enveloping the both of them. Her eyes immediately stung, and his didn't, protected by the mask.
Diana halted her charge, covering her eyes. Apparently, he had not been as stunned as she believed. It would be foolish, then, to continue rushing through the cloud. She was blinded, and he was not. Besides, he wouldn't really stay in the same spot, would he?
Unable to see anything with her eyes burning, Diana closed them, stepped back, and listened closely, waiting for some sound that might give away her opponent's movements. A second later, Batman kicked off the wall, diving horizontally for where he remembered her hip was.
His extreme skill at stealth prevented her from realizing what was going on until she heard a flutter of cloth to her right. She reached out with her hand, lightning fast. Her hand met his cape and she grabbed it. Yanking with all her strength, she halted his leap and forced him to the ground with a hard thump. Not wanting to give him a chance, she yanked his cape into the air, hoping to toss him like a ragdoll. She was surprised when the cape dangled weightlessly. Bruce wasn't wearing it anymore! He must have taken it off when she snatched it.
Diana was falling, something wrapped around her legs and tugging her to the ground. It was her turn to hit the floor with a painful thud. It felt like…her own lasso! Batman must have stolen it from me, she thought.
At the same time, Batman began dragging her by the feet. Diana reached down to untie the knot. They were out of the cloud now. She still couldn't see very well, but she could perceive the black blur moving toward her. Just a few more moments and she'd have the knot free. But by Hera, how could she untie it if she couldn't even see the knot!
She felt more rope wrap around her arms, pinning them to her sides. She felt Bruce lean over her and push her to the ground. She was beaten.
"I win", Batman heaved in a raspy voice.
Her eyes began to clear. When they did, she saw his masked face inches from hers, their breath hot on each other's faces.
"So it…would...seem," she panted.
Both superheroes stared into each other's faces. They sucked in great gulps of air, recovering from the exhausting melee. Both knew the other was savoring the intimacy as well, just as they had earlier that night.
Diana was the first to break the silence. "How did you know?" she asked, straining against her bonds.
A puzzled look struck his face. "Know what?"
"That binding me in my own lasso nullifies my powers?"
"Because, you just told me. I went for it because I knew it was basically indestructible, and thus, the best chance of containing you."
Diana stared blankly at him for a heartbeat, then burst out laughing. It was a melodic sound. "Oh, the irony of it, Bruce. Only you could think of something like that. You see, Hephaestus built all of his creations, including my armor, to have one singular weakness."
"Interesting," he said, filing what he had just learned away for later. "I'm sorry about the arm."
"Don't mention it. We amazons are made of tougher stuff than that. Besides, we really did a number on each other. My bruises will heal much faster than yours will. I should be apologizing to you."
Bruce didn't answer her, just kept staring at her face. His eyes poured over every inch of it.
"Not many men could take down an amazon. If I told my sisters back home, they wouldn't believe it," she continued. "In fact, since I am my people's best warrior, you can confidently claim that you are tougher than all the amazons." She looked for some kind of reaction from him, but he wasn't showing any. He just kept staring at her. Then he slowly and deliberately began untying her.
"What's wrong Bruce?" she asked in a worried tone. Understanding found her features. "Oh yes, of course. We're back to this again." She sighed, sitting upright as she collected her lasso. "You did win, after all. I guess that means we're through now. I suppose you'll want me to leave, right?"
The look of utter defeat in her eyes stopped his heart for a second. How could he have let things progress to this point? How could he have let her believe that he wanted her out of his life, when at this moment, he wanted her in his life more than ever before? He knew that he had made her feel lower than the lowest bug in the dirt, when his true feelings were the exact opposite. She was everything to him, perfect in every way. He wanted, no, needed, to show her what he really felt. His emotions that he kept locked away in a dark cave finally overpowered the practical mind of the Bat.
She crossed her arms over her buxom chest, expectantly waiting for an answer. When none came, he realized he didn't know what to say. The words just wouldn't come. "Are you even going to talk to me, Bruce?" she asked him.
Suddenly he was ripping off his mask, shoving her to the ground, falling into position over her, and cradling the back of her head with his hand. He leaned in close to her neck, breathing deeply of her scent. Even sweaty, she possessed a heavenly aroma that he couldn't possibly describe. If he had tried, all he could have said was that it was just "her", just "Diana". It evoked passion in him, flooded his mind with pent-up attraction for this amazing woman.
He pulled back, his gaze resting on her shapely lips. She noticed where he was looking, realizing what he wanted. She met his eyes and showed him the most seductive look she could possibly muster, biting her lower lip gently.
This tipped him over the edge. He crashed his lips into hers, pouring all of his love into the force of his kiss. She was momentarily stunned, unsure what to do. After all, she had only done this once before. One thing she did know, however, was that kissing Bruce felt really, really good. It felt right. She returned the kiss with equal passion, finding that it seemed to come naturally to her.
For several long minutes, they were a tangle of limbs, hands stroking bodies that writhed in pleasure. They both moaned into each other's mouths as they combed fingers through hair. He brushed her lips with his tongue, asking for entrance. She granted her permission, opening her mouth to him and deepening the kiss. Their tongues danced and explored the inside of their mouths. Bruce savored Diana's unique taste. She savored his.
They only broke the kiss to come up for some much needed-air. They were light headed from near oxygen deprivation, exhaustion, as well as from the surge of endorphins that they were both experiencing.
Bruce suddenly remembered where he was and what he was doing. He fought the Bat for control, who was screaming at him that this was a mistake. Eventually, the Bat won.
"This was a mistake, Diana," Batman coldly stated. He rapidly stood up from her and stomped away. "God fucking damn it, Diana! Why!?" he screamed into the silence of the Bat Cave. There was no reply.
Diana stood up, unsure if she should be angry or hurt. Mostly, she was just confused. "What's the problem Bruce?" she innocently asked. "Was it that bad?"
Batman sighed. He turned to face her, the mask back in place. He was unspeakably angry at himself. He had crossed a line he had told himself he couldn't. He did think that Diana deserved to know, though, how much he had enjoyed what they had just done. "No. It was the best two minutes of my life. Don't ever think otherwise. I appreciate every minute I have with you like it's my last meal. Every hour we're apart I think about you. You're the only good thing in my otherwise bleak and empty life. When I'm around you, I even forget about my parents."
"Bruce…I…I…" she couldn't even form a coherent sentence. She was too overcome with joy, her mind processing his words over and over. He had finally opened up to her, told her how he really felt. To know that he thought about her this way…the feeling was indescribable, totally unlike anything else she had ever felt before. Tears cascaded down her cheeks. It seemed as if her heart would beat right out of her chest. "Bruce, that's…that's beautiful.
His back still turned, he spoke over his shoulder. "All that aside, we can't be together. Surely you can see that."
Her tears intensified, though she did not know what kind of tears they were now. Her head was spinning, reeling as if she had been struck. One minute he was passionately kissing her and she was having the best experience of her life. The next, he was pushing her away as if that event hadn't even happened. He confessed his guarded feelings for her, then said he didn't want her. It was a labyrinth of confusion, frustration, and pain.
She couldn't take this pressure anymore. Her heart felt as if it might explode. "But…why?" she sobbed. More than anything else, she just wanted to know the reason why her love was doing this to her.
"Look at what I'm doing to you, what I have done to you for a long time. I pull you in, then push you away again. I'm sending you on an emotional roller coaster. Hell, I'm doing it right now! That's all I do, exploit and manipulate people. I hurt everyone around me and drag them into my abyss. You don't deserve someone like that. You don't deserve me, and I sure as hell don't deserve you. You belong with someone else." Batman pivoted and walked over to her, getting within inches of the stunned woman. He reached out and brushed away her tears with his thumb. "Just promise me two things, Diana. Promise me that you won't ever forget that you are an amazing woman. Don't ever forget it, I'm serious. Also promise me that you won't ever forget that I love you more than life itself. Now go, be happy with someone else. Maybe Clark."
He saw stars as he reeled from Diana's slap, stumbling backwards like a blind mouse. While he recovered, she walked right up to him. It was her turn to shout at the top of her lungs. "Don't you ever say that to me again, do you hear me?! Don't you ever tell me who I love or don't love! I don't want anyone else! Not Clark, not Faraday, no one. I. Want. You. If you could get that through your stubborn brain, you might have a chance at happiness instead of rotting away in that chair of yours, becoming a bitter old man!"
His ears rang from her verbal assault and his face felt as it had been burned. But he knew he deserved it. "You might want me, but you'll never be happy with me. Not for long anyway. Don't you fucking get it yet Diana? This whole time I've been protecting you from myself. Do you want to know why? Do you want to know the answer you've been so insistently begging for? Well here it is…" it was Batman's turn to raise his voice.
"The truth is, I'm not even a real person! I'm just two equally pathetic masks with nothing but pain behind them. Don't you see? There's nothing for me to give Diana, because I have nothing! I'm just a shell of a person. I'll just take and take and take from you until you have nothing left, until you're like me. Is that what you want?! Because I sure as hell don't want that for you!
"Besides, one day, I'll die. I'm not immortal. I age. You'll watch me wither away into nothing, cutting pills for me and taking care of me. Meanwhile, you'll be the picture of youth, as beautiful and vibrant as ever. My entire existence would be just one microcosm of yours, and you would have the rest of eternity to mourn me. Please, just let me trade my short lifetime of loneliness for the eternity of happiness that you would have without me."
Diana listened to his long speech with rapt attention. His words summoned more tears to her eyes. She fell into him, resting her head on his chest, arms wrapped around him lovingly. He simply stood there impassively, feeling her body pressed against his as her tears soaked into his Batsuit. He was completely spent, emotionally, physically, and mentally. He couldn't muster the energy to push her away. "I'm sorry, Diana. I really am. It's better this way. Just go, please. Leave. Don't make this harder than it already is." His voice was weak, even to his ears. He was at the end of his rope, so he simply begged. He had nothing more to say to her. She knew the truth, now, and there was no way she'd want to stay with him.
To his surprise, she started laughing. As always, it was like music to his ears. But a feeling of trepidation overcame him. Had he broken her?
"Oh, Bruce," she said, barely whispering. She stroked his back and chest tenderly. "You must be the sweetest guy in the entire universe, putting me first always, willing to sacrifice yourself for me like this. You know, you're also one of the smartest people I know. Yet sometimes, you can be so stupid. How can you not realize that the more you push me away, the more I love you? You're so self-sacrificing, so caring, so empathetic. You're giving everything you've got for the city that you love, in both masks. I've seen Batman try to sacrifice himself without hesitation for me, the rest of the team, civilians, and even the entire planet. You fight alongside us, face the same perils, even bested me in combat, all without any special powers. That makes you not only bravest person I know, but the strongest warrior as well. I have so much respect and admiration for you." Diana stopped for a deep breath, letting her words hang in the air for his consideration.
"You are so much more than your masks, Bruce. I love all of your personas for different reasons, but the one I love most is not Batman, not Mr. Wayne, but you, Bruce. The real you. You might not believe you're even there, but I do. Please, let me in. Let me show you that you're not just an empty shell. Let me heal you. You deserve happiness more than anyone I know of."
A long silence followed her words. They waited there in the same position for what felt like an hour. Diana eventually began to wonder if Bruce had even heard her. Regardless, she refused move at all. He was gathering the courage to reject her again, and at this point she didn't know what she would do. She didn't know what she could do at the moment other than display her enduring affection for this man in a desperate attempt to change his mind. Show him that contrary to his opinion, he was just as lovable as anyone else. Show him that despite all of his wounds, despite the torment he put her through, she forgave him. So she continued to embrace him tightly, as if to magically transfer all of her love into him.
Diana suddenly felt moisture slide down his chest and into her hair. She looked up at Bruce to see the one sight she never, ever thought that she would see: Bruce in tears. Not just crying, but crying from beauty of her words, words that he had desperately needed to hear, words that only she, who could see through all of his masks, could have gifted him. They were words he had been waiting for, had craved all this time without realizing it.
Their eyes met yet again, and they stared into each other's wet orbs for a long time, Diana loving that she could feel his heartbeat and Bruce brushing her luscious midnight hair endlessly. Finally, Bruce broke the silence.
"Diana. Thank-" he tried to say thank you, but couldn't talk past the lump in his throat. He only succeeded at drenching her hair with more tears.
"Shhh…" she said, putting a finger to his lips. I know, she mouthed silently to him.
He waited until he regained his composure. "But what about your lifespan?" he asked, sliding his hands down her slender waist.
In response, she wrapped her toned arms around the back of his neck. "I would rather mourn you forever than watch you die without ever knowing your touch, wondering what we could have had together, whatever that is and however fleeting it would be."
"But…", he tried to object.
"But nothing, Bruce. I'm a free woman. My decisions are mine for me to make. You can't take that away from me, no matter how much you think it is necessary. Just as you would want to protect me from harm, so to must I protect you from making a terrible mistake. Please, give our love a chance."
"When my parents died, I was broken. If you died, it would kill me."
"We amazons have a saying. 'Living without passion is just dying a different kind of death.'" Diana left it at that, she had said her piece. There was nothing more she could say to him. All Diana could do was pray to Aphrodite that he would listen to her. She wondered what her goddesses thought of her right now, so emotional over a man.
Bruce carefully weighed everything she had said. It seemed that no matter what he did, he was going to hurt her as well as himself. If he pushed her away, it hurt. If he continued the game, he hurt. The only thing that he could do that wouldn't hurt would be to give in to her. He would have to really mean it, though, and not go back on his word. Was he prepared to take such a radical step? Bruce knew the answer immediately. He was just so tired of fighting against his instincts. He was tired of resisting her. He needed this.
"Diana, look at me," he said. She returned her gaze to him. "I love you. Can you ever forgive me for being such a fool?"
"I love you, Bruce. And yes, I can. I'd forgive you a thousand times if it meant ending up here with you again."
They sealed their pact with another long kiss, this one slower and much more tender. When they finally broke for air, Bruce said "What's next?"
"Well, I really don't want to stay in my cold, lonely watchtower bedroom. Can I borrow yours?" she teased, running her hands all over his body.
A flood of sexual desires overwhelmed his mind. "Any time you like, Princess," he said, cupping her impossibly smooth cheek. "But first, we really need to get cleaned up. We're covered in bruises."
She nodded, and then separated himself from him. This time, she knew that their parting would not be for very long at all.
Bruce extended his hand, beckoning her. She accepted it, intertwining their fingers. Hand in hand, they walked peacefully over to the medical section of the cave.
Author's Notes: I really enjoyed writing this fic, and I may continue it. One possibility is to add a second chapter, exploring their intimate activities. And/or, possibly, some other chapters that show important snapshots of their relationship. Sadly, I'm a lot better at writing conflict than fluff, so we'll see if I'm up to it.