Zatanna
Wayne Manor
Her hands were sweating so much that she was worried she wouldn't be able to turn the doorknob to leave the room. Thomas was smiling and babbling with a teddy bear he was floating in front of them while she paced.
"You have to ditch teddy before we go out there," she said, kissing his head. "You look handsome...just like your daddy." Your daddy. Who's about to be my husband. She couldn't tell if she was excited, nervous, or terrified. All three...I'm definitely all three.
"Would you just calm down?" Kate asked, following her and trying to tame the train of her dress. "I feel like I'm chasing a crazed prison escapee."
"Same degree of mental stability," Zee mumbled. Diana came in and smiled at her, holding out a bouquet of flowers.
"Trade me," she said, reaching for a tux-clad baby. "Oh, you wickedly handsome boy. You and Billy have some ring bearing to do."
"Everyone's here?" Barb asked, checking her dress in the mirror.
"Everyone on planet Earth, from what I can tell. And a few not from Earth, for that matter." She kissed Thomas's cheek and grabbed the floating bear. "Sister, are you ready?"
"Ready. Sure. Yeah. Ready."
"Calm. Down." Kate came and put her hands on her shoulders. "Nothing's changing. It's just a wedding."
"Yep. Just a wedding. And a marriage and a husband and a baby...can't forget the baby...already have that. See? He's right there."
"Holy crap, someone get her a drink or something."
"Hang on," Diana said. "I have something better." She pulled out her phone and typed something in. A short time later, there was a soft knock at the door. "Come in, J'onn."
He entered and nodded to the others before putting his hands on Zatanna's head.
"Uh...hey? What is this?" She asked. Instead of responding, he smiled and looked in her eyes. A warm, calming sensation began to flow through her body, spreading to her veins and slowing her heart rate.
"You're marrying the man you love," he said. "Nothing to be anxious about."
Closing her eyes and nodding, she let the comfort settle into her. "Okay...okay. Let's do this."
He pulled his hands back and nodded again to the others, heading off to watch over the proceedings from an inconspicuous distance somewhere.
"Alright, that's taken care of. 5 minutes to go. Where are the others?" Barb asked.
"Probably gawking around the manor...it's their first time here," Zatanna said, snapping her fingers and bringing Jenny and Sophie back to the room.
"Oh, whoa, sorry boss. We were just checking out the art gallery," Sophie said, adjusting her dress and double checking her hair.
Jenny stumbled slightly and rolled her eyes. "That's always fun, Zee."
"I'm taking Thomas out to Billy. Don't worry, Dinah and Ollie are watching him, too," Diana leaned closer so Zatanna could give him a quick kiss before walking out.
"Thanks, Di. Meet us at the doorway." She turned to the mirror to check her appearance one last time. "I'm ready."
Bruce
Wayne Manor
He stood looking out at the crowd that was gathering and making their way to their seats. There was a light snow falling, and the decorated and lit manor grounds looked like something out of a fairy tale. Alfred had pulled everything together, like he always did, to make sure the day was going to be perfect. The event of a lifetime. He smiled and turned back to his gathering of groomsmen, all looking uncomfortable in their tuxes, but chatting and laughing with one another.
"Hey, got a second?" Dick came over and grabbed his arm to pull him off to the side. Bruce had gotten up the nerve to ask him to be his best man and, after a few awkward conversations, he had agreed. There was no one else he'd rather have by his side that day...given that Alfred had the honor of giving Zee away. Tim, Clark, Barry, and Lucius rounded out his crew of groomsmen.
"I've got five minutes before we head out. What's up?"
Dick handed him a wooden box. "I think it's customary for the best man to get a gift for the groom. You're not very easy to shop for, though."
When he opened it, he found a wallet made with an unusual, but familiar, material. "Is this..."
"Made from our old suits, yeah. Alfred helped me out a little."
Bruce turned it in his hands to examine it, impressed with the craftsmanship. "Who made it?"
"I did. It took a few tries. Thankfully, the capes have a lot of material."
Laughing, Bruce shook his hand. "Thanks, Dick. It's great."
"Master Bruce, time to line up," Alfred said, ushering the men to the door. "I will bring your bride to you shortly, sir."
"Thanks, Alfred. Don't let her get cold feet and run off."
Alfred laughed and nodded as he headed back out. "She's far more likely to try to run toward you, but I'll make sure she's delivered safely with all proper decorum."
"Nervous?" Lucius asked with a smirk.
"Not at all. Just ready to be married and get to the reception. Starving."
"Uh huh...and ready for the honeymoon, probably," Tim said, smacking him on the shoulder. Dick, in turn, smacked him on the back of the head, prompting a brief scuffle before Clark grabbed and separated them.
"Maybe save it for later, gentlemen? You're mussing your hair."
Dick quickly turned to make sure his was still perfectly coiffed before taking his place in line.
"Okay, men. Time to go get your escorts. Barry, try not to go too fast and leave Kate behind."
"Noted. She'd kick my ass, if I did."
The music coming from the stringed quartet in the main tent changed, signaling the time for their entrance. His excitement built...they'd finally made it. Standing off to the side, he watched the wedding party form, with a very well dressed Thomas at the front in Batson's arms.
"Take care of the kid, Billy," he said with a wink. Billy nodded nervously, tightening his hold as he started forward. He could hear the "ooos and awwws" of the crowd when they passed; having him walk in first was definitely the right choice to win over the room. Dick led the rest of the procession, with the ladies looking beautiful in their black and red gowns. Bruce started to feel impatient, ready to see Zatanna. She had insisted on sleeping in another room and keeping their interactions minimal for the month before to make their wedding night more special. He'd tried more than once to sweet talk her into breaking the rules, but she wouldn't relent...probably to punish him for changing the date. He was looking forward to the coming night so much that he was finding it hard to focus, so if that was her goal, then she had succeeded.
"You're up," Tim said, passing with Jenny on his arm.
Bruce made the long walk up the aisle, nodding to friends and strangers he passed. When he came to Thomas, he stopped to give him a quick kiss on the top of the head, bringing more "awwws" out of the crowd. Finally, he arrived at the alter and took his place. The music changed again and the doors opened. There she is. He couldn't stop smiling as their eyes locked from across the massive tent – hers sparkling from behind the thin veil she had over her face. He'd never seen anyone more beautiful before.
Get up here. Get up here and marry me.
Zatanna
The Aisle
Bruce was standing at the alter, smiling broadly and looking like a model from a tuxedo magazine. Taking a deep breath, she readied herself for showtime.
"Tes eht egats," she said, causing the music to shift again and the lights to dim. The aisle lit up, highlighting her path, and dark red rose petals began to fall from overhead.
"Not bad, Miss Zatanna" Alfred said, patting her hand. "Not bad at all."
"Okay, Alfred, let's go. I have a man to marry."
He chuckled and started forward. The crowd stood and she could feel the happiness that filled the room – as much joy as any tent could possibly hold. There were murmurings when they passed, but she could only focus on Bruce's face...his eyes...his smile. The closer she got, the faster her heart raced...not from nerves or anxiety this time, but from pure excitement. I'm almost his wife. I want to be his wife. It was all she could do to walk instead of run to his arms, and she was glad for Alfred's steadying hand on hers. When they finally reached the end of the aisle, Thomas let out an excited giggle and waved, making the crowd laugh. She reached down and ran her hand over his cheek and smiled at him, turning her gaze from Bruce for the first time.
"Love you, little man. Be ready with those rings." After smiling at Billy and giving his arm a squeeze, she turned back to the alter. Alfred led her up the steps, gently taking her hand and placing it in Bruce's. Tears were flowing down her face, but she was still smiling.
"Hey," he said softly. "'Bout time. I was getting lonely in here."
She raised her eyebrow and cast a quick glance over the throng of people in the room before looking back at his smiling face. "Well, we can't have that. Ready to do this?"
He nodded and looked to the minister, who began speaking words she didn't listen to. All she could do was look in Bruce's eyes and think about what it meant to be standing there in front of him, holding his hands, ready to spend the rest of her life with him and Thomas. A family. A home.
"Now, who gives Zatanna to be married to this man?" The minister asked, finally getting her attention.
"Her son and I do," Alfred said from the front row. Bruce nodded to him and looked to Thomas, who was watching attentively with a pacifier in his mouth.
"Very well, gentlemen. Do you, Bruce Wayne, take Zatanna Zatara to be your lawfully wedded wife? From this day forward, to have and to hold, for better, for worse, for richer and for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death do you part?"
"I do."
He said it. I can't believe he said it.
"And do you, Zatanna Zatara, take Bruce Wayne to be your lawfully wedded husband? From this day forward, to have and to hold, for better, for worse, for richer and for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, tell death do you part?"
"I do." She sighed with relief that she had gotten the words out through her joyful sobbing.
"You will now exchange rings as an outward sign of your lifelong commitment and abiding love for one another. If the ring bearers would kindly come forward," the minister said.
Billy stood and brought Thomas up the stairs to the alter. Bruce reached in the pocket of his tiny tuxedo jacket and pulled out the wedding bands, handing his to her with a smile before turning back to their bearers. "Thanks, son, Billy. Good work."
"Bruce, place the ring on Zatanna's finger and repeat after me: with this ring, I thee wed."
"With this ring, I thee wed." He continued to look in her eyes as he put the ring on her finger.
"Zatanna, place the ring on Bruce's finger and repeat after me: with this ring, I thee wed."
"With this ring, I thee wed." She slipped the ring onto his finger with a smile.
"Your relationship will take more than love. It will take trust, to know in your hearts that you want only the best for each other. Dedication, to stay open to one another, to learn and grow, even when it is difficult to do so. And faith, to go forward together without knowing what the future holds for you both. Bruce and Zatanna, having witnessed your vows and exchanging of rings before God and all in attendance, by the authority invested in me, I now pronounce you husband and wife." Oh, wow. We did it. "You may now kiss your bride."
Bruce's face was suddenly serious as he reached forward and lifted her veil. For the first time in a month, he cupped her face and brought his lips to hers. Softly...the way their first kiss might have been under different circumstances. He held her there and her mind faded away into the sheer joy of being kissed by her husband. She pulled him closer, deepening the kiss and wrapping her arms around his waist. Married. His hands ran down her arms and around her back, holding her tighter, kissing her as if they were alone. We are alone, right? Can't remember.
"Bruce...uh...you may stop kissing your bride now," the minister said somewhere in the far, far distance. It didn't work. They clung to each others lips and Bruce lifted her and spun her around. Somewhere, she could hear Thomas giggling. Yeah, I'm that happy, kiddo.
"Master Bruce!" Alfred's stern voice finally broke the spell and Bruce set her back down, pecking her lips several more times before pulling his head away just enough to look in her eyes again. The crowd was laughing and whistling, but it didn't bother her. Nothing could bother her anymore, as long as he was there.
"Thank you, Mr. Pennyworth," the minister said with a sigh. "Ladies and gentlemen, it is my great pleasure to present to you: Mr. and Mrs. Bruce Wayne."
The tent erupted in cheers and Zatanna snapped her fingers, remembering through her brain fog to make the flowers rain again and the lights twinkle like stars over their heads. Bruce kissed her hand and placed it in his arm, helping her down the steps, but never taking his eyes off of hers. She could hear a bevy of "congratulations" and "best wishes" from the crowd during the long walk back to the entrance. When they finally made it to the door, she heard Dick on stage advising everyone that the reception was in the next tent over and that they were welcome to begin eating and drinking while they waited for the couple to arrive. Bruce continued to lead her into the house, where he carried her over the threshold, down the hall, and to the den. He set her down and immediately pulled her lips back to his.
"I love you," he said breathlessly between kisses. "I love you, Zatanna Wayne."
"Love you more, husband," she said.
"No chance," he laughed, backing her to the couch. She got tangled in the train of her dress when he tried to turn them, so he lifted her slightly and spun her around. "The dress is amazing," he said, sitting down and gazing up at her.
"Thank you."
"What are the symbols?" He asked, reaching around to unhook the back of her top. The dress she designed had a cream-colored bodice with a cream and red train. There were black symbols embroidered along the border, the outlines of which glowed just enough to make them stand out.
"Uh...runes...for happiness and love. Are we really doing this now?" She laughed and ran a hand through his hair. It wasn't going to take much convincing on his part to get her to agree. She had started to regret her celibacy rule two days after she implemented it, but was determined to make him suffer a little for moving the date up.
He nodded and quickly removed her bra. "Yes. Right now, wife. The sun set. It's technically our wedding night."
"Very true, but the reception..."
"Can start just fine without us," he said, running his hands up her sides. Looking up at her with a smile, he laced their fingers together and pulled her forward. "You are so beautiful."
Bruce
Reception Tent
She never made the stipulation that they had to wait until after the reception before breaking their abstinence, so he made sure to take full advantage before he had to slip back into "Bruce Wayne" mode. He just wanted to be himself...with his wife...alone. Alfred gave them a perturbed look when they finally did show up, but he just patted him on the shoulder and grinned.
"Sorry, we had some things to attend to first," he said.
"Well, now you have some guests to attend to. Try to make the rounds before they're all too drunk to remember."
Once they made their way to the entrance, Barbara took the microphone and quieted the crowd. "Everyone, your attention please! Joining us now...finally...after over an hour...Mr. and Mrs. Bruce Wayne!"
Again, the crowd erupted with cheers and applause. Dinah showed up with Thomas in her arms, who immediately reached for his mommy.
"Hey there, sweetie. Missed you," she said, kissing his cheeks and making him grin. From the look of his eyes, he wouldn't be awake for a lot of the reception; his ring bearing duties had clearly taken their toll.
"Where's the food?" Bruce asked, his stomach growling loud enough to hear over the crowd.
"Past a hundred people on the left. But not to worry, your plates are already awaiting you at the head table," Alfred said, leading them through the people until they reached a raised table at the far end of the tent. The spread was impressive and he shamelessly dug in as soon as they sat. Zatanna took turns eating a bite and feeding a hungry, but sleepy, boy in her lap. Dick joined to his left and Diana took the seat to Zee's right. The rest of the wedding party sat down the table, enjoying their meals and each other's company. He caught sight of Asshole once or twice, sneaking through and taking food from unsuspecting guests who looked away from their plates.
"You know, this might be the safest wedding to ever take place," Dick mumbled at one point.
Bruce chuckled and nodded. There was enough firepower in the room to conquer all the nations of the world. "Gotham's never been safer."
"J'onn and Vic said they'd stop by once everyone else is gone to wish you two well."
"Good. I appreciate J'onn running overwatch and Vic's disguise is...well, he doesn't have one." Dick laughed and nodded. "I'm glad you're here, Dick. It wouldn't have been right without you."
"I'm glad I'm here, too. And I'm glad you're happy...both of you. You deserve it, Bruce."
Barbara came over to sit next to him and he turned his attention to her. Bruce turned his attention back to Zatanna, who was rocking Thomas in her arms.
"He's not much of a party animal," she said, leaning her head over on his shoulder.
"I'm just impressed he's still in the tux. I wanted to rip my tie off after half an hour."
"He knows how good he looks in it. Takes after his daddy."
He turned and kissed her forehead. "We're married."
"We are." She took his hand and examined the ring on his finger. "It suits you."
"Think so? If you don't like it, I could go with the more traditional ball and chain on the ankle."
"I could think of some creative uses for chains on the honeymoon, but the ring is fine, for now."
He smiled and reached down to adjust Thomas's tie. "You sure about taking him?"
They'd had several discussions about whether they should take Thomas along to Italy, and between their combined general paranoia and her desire to keep breastfeeding, they decided both he and Alfred would travel to Abruzzo and stay there while Zee transported to them, as needed, when the stored milk ran low or she just wanted to see him. They would still have plenty of alone time without having to worry about him being in Gotham without them.
"Yeah. I think we'd both go crazy if we left him behind. Besides, Alfred seemed excited about going."
"He should be...he's the one who suggested it," he said with a laugh. "I think it's been a little too long since he took a trip. Add in some quality time with the kid, and we might never get him to come back."
"So, all of us. We'll relax, have fun, and come back ready to get to work. Tony's trying to get me a tour set up by spring. He's making sure I don't have shows on your nights off so we can transport home and be with you."
He smiled and leaned down to kiss her. "Good. Though, I feel obligated to inform you that, since just married a multi-billionaire, you no longer need to work."
She grinned and shook her head. "I haven't needed to work since I was about 16. I love it."
"I know. I'm glad you're able to get back out there. Just make sure to save me a ticket this time."
"Promise."
Diana stood and held her arms out. "Give me the baby and go cut cake, dance, throw garters and bouquets, and drink some champagne. Thomas can sleep just fine without you here."
"That, he can," Zatanna said, handing him over.
Bruce stood and bowed dramatically, extending his hand to her. "May I have this dance, Mrs. Wayne?"
"You may, Mr. Wayne," she said, taking his hand so he could lead her to the dance floor. The crowd clapped and parted, falling silent and leaving them alone in the center.
"This would be so much more badass if I knew how to dance," he whispered in her ear.
She pursed her lips and squinted slightly. "Derf dna Regnig," she said, putting her arm around his waist and taking his hand. When the music switched to a waltz, he suddenly knew exactly what to do and they began spinning around the floor, much to the delight of the crowd.
"This is way better than months of lessons," he said, twirling her as she laughed.
"A playboy like Bruce Wayne should know how to dance."
"Somehow, I never found the time. What about you?"
"Don't need lessons...magic," she said with a grin.
"Cheater," he said with another flourish of spins and dips. When the music finally ended, the crowd cheered and joined in. Thomas woke with the noise, so Zatanna grabbed and danced with him, eliciting a lot of giggles and even more "awwws" from the gathered crowd.
Bruce stepped over and extended his hand to Barbara, who smiled and went with him to the dance floor. "Congratulations," she said.
"Thank you. For all of this, Barb."
"All of this? I didn't do anything. This was all Alfred."
"Not the wedding. Zee. For going to San Francisco and getting her to come home."
Her eyes got wide and she started to stammer. "I didn't...we...I've never even been to San Francisco!" She rolled her eyes at his grin and sighed. "She told you?"
"No, actually. I went over to check on you when Alfred told me you were sick. You weren't home, so..."
"You checked my tracker," she finished. "Damn spy."
"Detective."
"Spy. And you're welcome. I'm glad our talk worked."
"Our?"
"Oh...uh...Kate went, too."
He nodded and stepped back, bowing to her. "Guess that means I have another bridesmaid to dance with. If you'll excuse me."
Bruce tracked Kate down and repeated the routine with her, making sure they both knew how much it meant to him that they did what he could not, at the time. Once he finished his gratitude rounds, he shook hands with as many attendees as he could reach before making his way back to Zee and Thomas. At one point, a chant for cake started and they happily obliged, cutting it and feeding pieces to each other before linking arms and sipping champagne. From there, they danced and mingled until their feet ached and it was time to throw the bouquet and garter. Zee had made sure that he had to go as far up her thigh as possible to retrieve it...much to his delight.
"Might take me a while to get this," he said with a mischievous grin, running his fingers along her legs. "Which leg is it even on?"
"Take all the time you need," she grinned back, face flushed. "And I'm not telling."
He shot it over his shoulder when he got it off and kissed her knee before pulling her dress back down. There was a sense of relief at the evening finally starting to wind down. The reception was nice, but he was much more focused on getting on with the rest of the night...the rest of their lives. Everyone gathered outside, hands full of rice, ready to usher them to the waiting carriage.
"You rented a horse-drawn carriage to take us 100 yards to the house?" Zatanna asked when they reached the doorway.
"Yes. White horse and everything. Told you I was going to invest in one." He grabbed her hand and started them forward while the rice rained down. "And we'll buzz the house a few times to get our money's worth."
She laughed and they jogged toward the end of the red carpet, where Thomas was waiting in Alfred's arms. He reached for her and she took him before climbing in. Bruce followed, waving goodbye to the guests and pulling the door shut. When the carriage started to move, he leaned down and kissed her while Thomas giggled.
"Let's go home, Mrs. Wayne."