A moment in which a distinct reality was singled out
From the countless endless intertwined truths
That was what happened when I saw Diana sitting alone in the cafeteria one fateful day at the Watchtower
She seemed bored about something so I went up to her
"Not feeling the food?" I asked
She turned to me and casted a slight smile
"When does it ever get better, Bruce?" she responded mockingly
I uttered a small chuckle as I took a seat next to her
"You want company?"
"Well, you already sat so, take that as a yes" she responded
I nonchalantly scratched my head at her response. Something was off about her today
"Why aren't you eating with the other members?" I asked
"Well, let me see.. Zatanna is out, Shayera is out, Dinah is out and Mari is out." She responded
"but we do have plans for a girl's night out this evening"
She turned to me to give me a full smile, and upon doing so, she noticed me holding unto something
"What is that, Bruce?"
The curious Amazon somehow was interested on the 'thing' that I was carrying
"Oh, this is what you call a camera. You take photos with it" I responded sharply
"Oh, it looks different, and bigger. Can't you just take photos with a normal phone?" she asked
"Well it is old-fashioned."
I wiped my camera dry, inspecting all the elements that were in it that I barely even remember being there
"Why are you carrying one?" she questioned, her voice was in a more curious tone this time
Figures.
I knew she would eventually ask that, but somehow I was still hoping that she wouldn't be that interested
"Oh it's nothing big, just taking pictures" I responded rapidly
"Pictures of what?" she asked, also rapidly
"Some stuff.." I whispered as a response
"What stuff?" She whispered back
Darn, here we go again with her curiosity piquing me with unlimited questions
Are Amazons really overly curious in general?
I was hoping to keep it subtle, but I had no choice but to carry it around.
"It's a family tradition; this camera came from my grandfather, whom he passed to my father, whom he passed to me"
Diana's eyes gleamed listening to my story
"That's splendid, Bruce" she responded "So what kind of photos did you take?"
"Well, that's the thing Princess" I uttered
"It's not supposed to be just a normal photo, it has to be the most beautiful sight you'd ever seen"
Diana was confused for a moment. She put her finger on her lip as she looked up, indicating she was thinking of something
"Most beautiful huh?"
"Yeah, I carried the camera to the watchtower to take photos of the outer space, but I had doubts whether it is really it" I revealed
"I'll have to see more sights to make up my mind"
"Ohh, so that's why you were carrying that" she responded slowly
Great, now that's out of the way
Time for me to test the waters
"Anyways, I'm off to Gotham now. Enjoy your break Diana" I stated as I stood up from the table
xXx
"Sire, you'd be delighted to know on the discovery that I had seen from the manor's basement"
I turned to see Alfred in his usual formal attire carrying a big camera
Not just any camera, I think I'd seen that before when I was still a young boy playing around the manor
"That's from grandpa. How did you find it, Alfred?" I asked
"I found it strewned all over at the cellar"
Alfred presented the old camera which I readily took
"It is still in a good shape, despite being dusty all over" I stated
"Perhaps, it is a tell tale sign that you should continue the family tradition sire" Alfred suggested
I looked at him in confusion but a sudden realization came to me
There was a tradition.
"You mean the Wayne Photo Tradition?"
"Exactly sire."
"I don't know, Alfred…" I slowly uttered
"How about you do it instead?"
"Excuse me?" he retorted back
"It'll be fun; I can arrange a flight to you in Europe right now and take photos of the Eiffel Tower"
Alfred then gave me an unamused look as he shrugged it all off
"Unlike you sire, my interest for such things is quite one-sided" he responded sarcastically
And so the sarcastic British butler went on with his work as he walked back to the cellar
I stood frozen for a moment before realizing the camera was in my hands all this time. I carefully inspected the old camera, but it was the same old camera that I saw as a cub
I remember wanting to get my hands on it, but gramps wasn't very keen on putting a very important fragile camera to a kid's hands
I couldn't blame him at all, I wouldn't trust a young me neither..
A moment in which a distinct reality was singled out
From the countless endless intertwined truths
That is what happened when I found myself walking through the streets of Gotham city in a nice afternoon
Alone and without a distraction to keep my mind off things
Or at least that was supposed to be the plan…
"Look at that Bruce, that skyscraper looks nice!"
a familiar feminine voice that really bugged the heck out of me as I gripped my camera tightly
I heaved out a sigh as I turned to see the lady no other than
"Why did you have to come, Diana?"
"Well, I might as well be your bodyguard for today" Diana responded in a soft sweet tone
"Besides, I don't have any plans this afternoon, and even if I did, I'd probably enjoy this a lot more"
Hearing her say that made me groan in annoyance, she was here just to distract me and it's totally working.
Well, it's not like I hate the company—
I turned to her again, and I noticed the small pink hairpin on her hair. My attention was then caught by the vibrant colors that she was wearing, a short purple dress with a ribbon on front
She noticed my stare and I looked away immediately
Something seems off about her today, and I just might have the idea what it is
"When did you learn to dress up like that?"
"Like what?" she instantly responded with a question
I gasped to myself, trying to recollect all the courage that I have in my heaved out chest to utter the following words—
"feminine."
She looked at me with shock as I stated my claim. Diana paused for a moment before responding
"It's uhh— I learned it from the movies and magazines" she stated
"I didn't know we were supposed to be on a date today" I slightly jested with a chuckle
It felt good to tease her once in a while; mostly it would be her and her feeble taunts that really can give out the wrong idea
I was wearing a more rather, comfortable casual clothes which includes a black t-shirt and a grey jogging pants
So in a way, the joke made sense.
But the reaction that I expected from her didn't happen as she just stood silent the entire time
I slowly glanced at her and noticed that she was red all over for some reason
Diana was fidgeting her fingers, with her face looking at the ground
Now this could only mean two things…
Either she had a sudden need to go to the comfort room, but is just too shy to tell
or
.
.
.
She didn't take the bait and it seemed to Diana like I was hitting on her.
And now she has an uncomfortable reaction due that pathetic creepy statement
I probably should clear things up before she gets the wrong idea fully
"Ha ha, silly me right. What I meant was the date today is nice for the daaaeeet…."
I mumbled the last word, probably slipped from that once but I managed to take one for the team at the last second
Diana however said otherwise as she was looking at me with a more rather "I'm not buying your B.S" look this time
How did she even recover fast from being flustered? I swear Amazons can be very bipolar sometimes
I gave her a smile in return, trying to alleviate the awkward mood that my stutter created.
xXx
And so we continued on with our expedition
Along the way, Diana and I had few small talks, mostly about how Gotham feels different during the afternoon
She also told me how she needed to go to a salon soon because her hair has gotten too long
I figured that was the right moment as I quickly jested
"Or you can just cut it yourself, like Mulan."
She wasn't very satisfied of my little joke as I received a small bump on my shoulder that had quite the punch, especially coming from Wonder Woman herself
I didn't expect her to be all feminine nowadays, back then she didn't really care about fashion and haircuts as such
And now, she's all about being a lady
I wonder what caused her to be like this.
My train of thought was interrupted as I noticed that we had reached the Gotham City Park with kids playing around in the field
Diana's eyes gleamed as she saw the ice cream stand by the vicinity
And just like that…
I felt a strong force pull me to the park itself. A force so strong that it felt as if I had no weight whatsoever
I looked at her and noticed her happy expression throughout, and upon entering the premises, she immediately skipped to the field where the kids were happily playing
Diana was circling around aimlessly with joy on her face like a little girl as I sat myself at the nearby bench and watched.
She was acting like a little girl as of this moment and I couldn't help but fawn over on how adorable she is this way
Suddenly, a thought came to me when I heard the bell ring from the ice cream stand
I stood up from my seat and went to the stand and an old man with his wife was tending it. They both gave me a warm smile that I really felt deep through inside me
It's not every day you see a happy couple in Gotham City.
And so I ordered two ice creams, chocolate, and vanilla, which is her favorite, and I payed them afterwards
Bruce Wayne doesn't accept spare change and so I insisted them to keep the change, but they refused nicely
"We've had enough blessing for today Mister, serving ice cream and making children smile is way more than enough to us" the lady stated with a smile
I felt genuinely fulfilled upon listening to the old couple. They seemed very happy with each other in each other's arms
And so I bid my farewell with a respectful nod that I barely give to anyone
Upon making my way back to my seat, I noticed Diana was sitting all alone on the seesaw with no one to play with
The kids have been escorted by their moms and so Diana was the only one left
Seeing her sitting like that made me feel sad for her somehow, and so I decided to come up to her
"Too bad the kids left huh" I uttered upon finally reaching her
She turned to me with a rather disheveled look, her hair was all over the places and bits of grass also were all over her nice dress
Diana chuckled slightly as she responded
"I haven't been a kid in such a long time"
"That honestly felt fun, Bruce" she added
"You should've joined us"
I scratched my head as response.
Her eyes gleamed upon noticing the ice cream on my left hand
"Is that for me!" She asked excitingly
"I don't see any other little girl here except you" I jested casually
She gave me a galled pout upon hearing that as she took the ice cream from my hand.
"Vanilla, you really do know me, Bruce" she stated sweetly, giving me her usual puppy eyes in addition
I scoffed in response. I made my way to the other side of the seesaw and sat across her
"Let's see who's heavier" I uttered
"Oh you're on, Batboy!" she responded with a yell
And so, we shifted our weights to each other's advantage. Gravity seemed inconsistent with whoever it wanted to triumph as we took turns on gaining the higher ground
Diana closed her eyes as she was laughing aimlessly when we took turns. I found myself silently staring at her, her face was something like a painting that piqued my interest
Her defined cheekbones, soft cream skin, luscious natural red lips, and beautiful flowing long hair
I didn't even notice that I was spacing out on her till she opened her eyes and looked at me.
Her sparkling sapphire eyes that captivates me to no end, was staring back at me with full gaze
I immediately came back to my senses as she did, shrugging my head off in the process.
What the heck am I thinking? There is no way that was what a normal person would think of with his partner
That's what the both of us are, partners.
I turned my attention back to Diana and she was still looking at me for some reason
The swings across the playground caught my attention and an idea came to me
I stood up and went to Diana, and then I held my hand for her to take
"Let's go there" I suggested, pointing at the set of swings dangling with the wind
She gave me a smile as she took my hand and we ran towards it
As we sat down, I noticed how close the seats were to each other to the point that our shoulders were almost touching.
She swayed herself, allowing the swing to go on full motion, and I followed
Diana closed her eyes again, the wind brushing through her face to her hair which was flowing with the movement as she laughed thoroughly like a little girl enjoying playtime
She seemed so peaceful and calm like this
I can't believe I'm mesmerizing my partner enjoying herself with such a beautiful look on her face
I reflected upon what I was just thinking, and I cringed on the spot. Diana then opened her eyes and saw my face
"What's wrong Bruce?"
"Nothing.." I nervously responded
What is wrong with me?
Why did I just fawn over my platonic partner like that?
If she somehow found out about it, I would probably be slapped to oblivion knowing how weird and unsettling it is
I clenched my throat instantly, and as I raised my head…
I noticed Diana herself leaning close to my face. So close that I can feel her breath on my cheek
"Something is on your mind Bruce, tell me." She slowly stated
I chuckled nervously, trying to alleviate her suspicions
But her response was unusual for when I glanced back at her, she had a more rather suspicious leer on her eyes
Out of nowhere, she tickled my side which I chuckled in response. She continued on which made me even more hysterical
"So you wanna play it that way huh Bruce?" she playfully stated as she kept on with her tickling, with two hands this time
I fell to the ground laughing and she was still tickling me like crazy
"This is soo…. Immatu… hahahaha—" I uttered
She stuck her tongue out as she continued even more aggressively
"HAHAHA, You're gonna kill me Diana!" I yelled in desperation
"Well you better tell me the full truth then, or this will go on" She responded with a teasing glare
"Consider it as interrogation" she added with a wink
And that was it for me.
I flipped her over, tickled her ribs on my own which made her giggle herself. I tickled her side to her armpit to her neck which made her giggle even more
"BRUUUCEEE!" She exclaimed while laughing uncontrollably
I was enjoying playing with her like this, as if we are just little kids messing around. I can tell that she was thoroughly enjoying it too and so I continued on tickling her side
She squirmed even more desperately as my fingers moved itself faster. Giggles and Laughter filled the air as Diana was really thoroughly enjoying having fun like this
I was too caught on with my fun to even realize what I was doing the entire time.
And upon realizing so…
I stopped instantly
Diana opened her eyes with satisfaction, and she sat up. She held her fingers up and made a ticking motion
"Payback ti…"
"Let's go, Diana." I interrupted
I slowly stood up to my feet and wiped off the grass bits on my shirt. I presented out my hand for Diana to take
She giggled once more before taking my assist to stand up
I gave her a smile of my own, as our hands were still connected to each other.
Before even giving her the chance to notice, I instantly pulled away and stretched my back
"Let's go for a walk, Diana" I suggested
She smiled at me as response
"Let's" Diana uttered
xXx
"I'm sorry you didn't succeed in your objective today, Bruce" Diana slowly uttered
We were sitting all alone in an empty cliff just within the vicinity of the place. From this spot, we could see the wonderful view of the park.
"Don't worry about it. You can think a certain Amazon for distracting me for that though" I jested
Diana struck me a small thump on my shoulder which made me flaunt out a little bit
"Oh, so I'm the distraction now, Mr. Wayne?"
I gave her a little smirk on my own as I uttered
"You're not just a mere distraction, Princess"
She looked at me with a curious expression
"Oh, then what am I?" Diana asked with a curious gaze
I gave her a quick smile before turning away, but I kept my eyes on her to see her reaction
"That's for you to find out, princess"
Diana pouted at me for a few seconds before turning away herself. That cute face she always gets to me somehow
"You did mention the most beautiful view, correct" she asked out of nowhere
"Yeah" I responded
"Maybe it's not that late, Bruce" she revealed, facing the view from our spot
It was almost 6:15 pm and the sky was getting dark. The wonderful lights of the park lit up revealing the beautiful synchronization of the harmony with the colors
Diana turned to me immediately upon noticing something from across
"This is a beautiful view Bruce, go take a photo" she suggested
I nodded in response as I reached out for my camera and pointed at the lights. But as I did, my gaze was shifted at the lady beside me with a very adorable smile on her face
Her eyes reflected the beautiful lights from the park and it looked very beautiful
Beautiful..
My hand moved on its own as I focused my camera to her face now…
And clicked
The light from the camera caught her off guard as she turned to me. She had a confused look on her face
"Bruce?" she asked curiously
I cleared my throat as I inhaled all courage that I had to my chest
I had no idea what just happened, but to put it simply—
I finally found what I was searching for
"You apologized earlier when I failed to capture the most beautiful sight in the world—" I uttered
"Well you didn't need to…"
I turned to her slowly as I uttered
"Because I just did."
Inches by inches, I slowly moved my body to face her as our eyes met fully
"You're the most beautiful distraction that had ever happened to me."
A strong breeze of wind came before us as I stated my claim. It was as if it were to blow us away with every puff.
My heart was beating fast but my mind was blank. I didn't think of anything at that moment
Not responsibilities
Not risks
And not excuses.
I didn't care anymore what she is to me and what I am to her. Partners or not, there's no turning back now
I felt something soft ripple through my hand
It was her fingers
"Bruce…" Diana slowly mumbled
Her lips were shivering and there were hints of moistness in her eyes, as if tears were about to form
I responded to her fingers with a mine wrapped unto hers, with our palms touching each other
My emotions flushed through as I felt my face lean closer. She closed her eyes in response as she leaned in close too.
With the strong breeze of the wind, it seemed like it was pushing me or something. But the only thing I knew at that moment was how close we were to each other
Should I give in?
But she's just my partner!
I should.
No I shouldn't!
Bruce, make up your mind!
And I did, as I closed my eyes and let myself be taken by the flow
I didn't care anymore..
I wanted her.
And I couldn't see anything, but I could feel her breath on my lips, meaning we were just inches away.
I leaned in closer this time to secure my prize…
And when I did.
Beep!
A sudden sound from my phone interrupted our bliss.
I immediately opened my eyes upon coming back to my senses.
I reached out to my phone in my pocket, and it was Alfred calling
"What's the status, Alfred?" I asked
"Sire, pardon me for my intrusion, but it seems like Killer Croc is causing havoc near Gotham docks"
"I'll be right there, Alfred" I responded as I pressed the red icon to end the call
I turned to Diana who was blushing all over looking at me; her cheeks were red as a rose
"I gotta go" I stated
"Killer Croc?" she asked
"Yeah, it was on loudspeaker huh"
"Yeah" she responded with a small giggle
Suddenly, an idea came to her
"Bruce, let me come with yo…."
And out of nowhere a beep, coming from Diana this time, echoed through the very corners of the empty site that they were in
She took her phone slowly and answered…
"Hello—"
"GIRL WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN? WE'VE BEEN WAITING HERE FOR ALMOST AN HOUR!"
"Is that Diana?"
"Where is she?"
"The movie is about to start!"
A series of familiar voices lingered through the phone. I couldn't help but chuckle slightly upon hearing the feminine voices over the call
Diana had completely forgotten about it and so she completely left her friends waiting.
"I'll be right there," she slowly answered before hanging up the call
Diana turned her attention back to me as I continue to chuckle
"Sorry, couldn't help it" I uttered while holding back a laugh
Diana sent me a leer of resentment, but she bursts into laughter herself a few seconds later
"You Amazon's are so bipolar, I swear" I added which made me laugh even more
She gave me the same playful thump from earlier which caused her to smile
Upon finally composing myself, I slowly walked up to her and cupped her cheeks.
"Till next time" I stated as a powerful wind came blowing from the cliff
It was from the batwing. Alfred had sent it directly to my coordinates
Diana caressed my hand as she looked straight into my eyes
"Take me out again, Bruce." She slowly whispered "on a real date this time"
I smiled in response
"Maybe I can show you the photos of yourself, next week" I suggested
"Same place?"
Diana's smile got bigger upon hearing my claim. Her eyes were shimmering with the lights
"That would be lovely, Bruce." She responded sweetly
"And wear something more formal next time."
I smiled in response as I turned my heel and jumped to the batwing
I took another glance at Diana to wave goodbye and she stood there holding her chest, looking at me with happiness on her eyes
I waved her goodbye as I pushed a button to speed up to the destination
And so a moment in which a distinct reality was singled out
From the countless endless intertwined truths
As I found myself flying over the streets of my city, Gotham with a smile on my face
I finally realized the most beautiful thing in my life
And she was right there all along…
The most beautiful distraction that had ever happened to me.
