"My Word sire, you're heating up!" Alfred exclaimed
The British Butler was holding a thermometer in his left hand as he slowly shook it. The Master of the house is currently lying in bed trying to catch his breath
"No need to worry, Alfred" Bruce panted under his breath
"I'll be fine tomorrow, I'm sure of that"
"Perhaps sire, maybe you should take the rest for today. I'll have Mr. Fox know to take over for the company today"
"That would be helpful, Alfred" Bruce responded with a cough
Alfred scratched his head in response, it's not like this is the first time he had seen the boy in such a state. But it has been almost ages since he had gotten a cold like this
"Will you be needing anything else?" he asked
"Just corn soup please" Bruce responded
The British Butler smiled as he slowly walked to the door and gently closes the door
Bruce was still in his bed, pondering what could've caused his pathetic state at the moment. Perhaps it was when he had the chase with Catwoman in the middle of a hard rain last night, or the overtraining that Alfred was telling him on about for the past week
Either ways, he didn't have time for regrets. The only thing that is running on his mind for now is how he can recover immediately so he can get back for business as Bruce Wayne and Batman
He closed his eyes and tried to empty his consciousness, trying to ease out his worries that is forming across on the back of his mind
Suddenly, a creaking noise caught his attention with a streak of light illuminating his face. He slowly opened his eyes and saw Diana standing before him with a slightly worried expression
She was wearing a nice purple blazer with a red shirt inside along with nice loose pants
"Diana?" Bruce uttered in shock
"What are you doing here?"
Diana gave him a smile of reassurance as he slowly made her way to him
"I heard you caught a cold so I'm here to visit you" she responded in a sweet manner
"But isn't today…"
Diana shushed him by resting her finger on his lips
"Shush Bruce, a sick person should rest. We can talk about this later, okay?" she stated, her eyes were deeply focused on his
Diana then slowly brushed her finger on his cheeks which felt hot to the touch.
This made Diana even more worried with how serious his state actually is
"Does it hurt anywhere at all, Bruce?" Diana asked as she leaned closer
Bruce felt somewhat stiff and iffy upon seeing a nice view of Diana's cleavage from his position. This only made his heartbeat race even faster. He could also smell the nice perfume that she had on, the one that he specifically chose for her
He tried to close his eyes but her soft hand was still on his cheek. Her sensation definitely made him think of certain things on his mind that is quite indecent
Diana had taken notice to this which made her worry even more
"Bruce, is something wrong?" she asked
"Diana…" he finally spoke "I think you should leave for now before you catch my cold"
"No, I'm staying with you until you get better" Diana retorted in defiance
"But what about your…"
"I brought fruits for you!" Diana interrupted as she raised a bag of fruits to him
She then took them out of the bag to a plate on the table. It looked colorful all together that Bruce couldn't help but stare at them from afar
"I brought oranges, grapes, apples and a big watermelon" Diana stated
"Hah, I'm surprised you were able to carry all those here…"
Diana wasn't having any of that as she casted him a special glare of her own that could give the Batglare a run for its money
"Okay okay, I almost forgot you're a strong Amazon from Themyscira" Bruce sighed as he sat up
And just like that, her expression returned back to normal, she would never hold a grudge for something so petty, especially for Bruce
And so she stood up and carried the plate full of fruits to the door
"I'll prepare them, be back in a few minutes" Diana smiled as she turned her heel and walked away
But halfway to the door, she paused all of a sudden and turned around
"How do I know you won't do some escape trick when I leave the room, Bruce?" she uttered with a suspicious leer
Bruce responded with a playful shrug which caused made Diana even more suspicious
Noticing how his banter didn't seem to rub on Diana, he decided to go on with the act
"You really think so?" He responded "With this state?"
"Fair enough" Diana responded in a sweet tone as she continued to the door
Bruce lets out a heave of sigh upon watching her leave. He definitely didn't expecting her to show up especially on such a special day for Diana
Either ways, he's in no strength to tell her otherwise. For now he can just act like a good boy and go with the flow
xXx
"I chopped them to pieces so they will be easier to chew" Diana uttered
"You can chop fruits now, that's a big improvement" Bruce jested with a slight chuckle
Diana gave him a slight punch on his shoulder which Bruce reacted with a groan
"Woah easy there, Princess. I'm too frail for your punches right now" Bruce stated
"Oh so sorry Bruce" Diana apologized immediately
Bruce gave her a smile as he slowly arched his back on the bed sheets as Diana sat on the chair next to his bed
"You know I was actually very worried when I heard about your state.." she revealed slowly
"Worried about what?" Bruce scoffed "I can handle far worse"
"You know what I mean, Bruce" Diana responded sharply, her eyes glaring straight to his
"You may be Batman, but at the end of the day you're not a machine. You get tired, hurt and exhausted"
"That's a part of the life I chose, there's no beating behind the bush of the risks that lies within" Bruce responded
"Still, the world needs more of you, Bruce – and I'm pretty sure Hera knows that you think so too"
He noticed Diana is getting more and more sentimental over the conversation, and so he decided to ease things up a bit
"Don't worry about me princess, I'm expendable" Bruce jested with a wink
The reaction Bruce was expecting didn't come through as he was met with a furious look from the Amazon herself
"Don't ever say that again Bruce." She grunted in response
"Even as a joke"
Bruce closed his eyes with the realization that he probably made the situation even worse. He never expected Diana to be this afflicted over his wellbeing
"It's not really a joke if it's true, Diana, Anyone can be Batman"
"Bruce…" Diana uttered slowly "Why do you think so low of yourself?"
"I'm just being honest" he responded sternly
"If it weren't for my feeble vulnerability, I wouldn't be bothering you with my state right now"
"Being vulnerable isn't a weakness Bruce – It's a part of life. The only important thing is how we choose to stand back up and continue moving forward" Diana explained sincerely
"You're the one who taught me that."
A sudden realization struck Bruce upon hearing her statement. Something that definitely caught him by surprise
"I guess you're right, Diana, My bad" Bruce slowly uttered
Diana nodded in approval as she noticed something
"Now be a good boy and let me take care of you for today, Bruce" Diana stated in a sweet tone
"An Amazon tending a sick person? Why do I feel nervous all of a sudden" Bruce jested yet again
"You know, you talk too much when you're sick"
"Comes within the territory, princess" he uttered with a slight snicker
Diana rolled her eyes as she leaned closer to Bruce
"You should have a good rest, Bruce. I need you to be in perfect shape tomorrow"
"What if I won't be in perfect shape tomorrow?"
"Then I'll have to come over again to take care of you again" Diana responded with a sweet smile
Bruce's eyes widened upon hearing this
"What?"
Diana lets out a giggle watching Bruce get flustered.
"You had been teasing me the entire time, not so fun anymore huh… Batman?" Diana stated with a wink
"I guess soo"
Finally coming back to her senses, Diana cleared her throat and adjusted her seat
"Anyways enough chat. Bruce, time to go to sleep like a good boy that you are"
"Don't say that!"
"Why?" Diana asked with a playful smirk
"Because it's embarrassing…"
Bruce felt weak from all that chatter and fell into his pillow. He was having so much fun with Diana that he forgot his current state
"Don't worry Bruce, I'll help you go to sleep" Diana murmured slowly
"Hah, with what, a glass of milk?" He responded
"Nope." Diana interjected with her eyes closed and her lips curved into a smile
"A bedtime story."
"A bedtime story?" Bruce retorted "Seriously Diana, this is getting way too silly"
"Oh just lay down and let me tell you a nice story of how I got my precious Aurora"
"Aurora?" Bruce asked curiously
"Yes." Diana responded "It's the name of my precious dagger"
"You name your daggers?"
"Bruce, you literally name everything you own with Bat"
"Yeah, that makes sense I guess" Bruce replied
Diana scooted a little more closer to Bruce
"Can I start the story now?"
"Do I have a choice?"
Bruce was met with another glare that immediately set him straight
"I mean yeah, sure. I'd like to hear your story, Princess Diana" he responded with a nervous smile
"Well if you insist" Diana stated sincerely
"I was still a little girl then when…"
"Diana"
A certain voice came echoing unto the shores of Themyscira where I would play most of the time with my wooden sword
The waves seemed like indication to me every time it would be time to head back, especially when the sun would set from the edges of the sea
"Diana"
All of a sudden, a certain Amazon came running towards my direction. She was taller and bigger than me and she also had blonde hair like Mother
"Quite the courage for you to run away for the fourth time this week, Diana" The blonde Amazon uttered "What have I told you about running out in these hours?"
"I'm all heart, Antiope, but I wanted to see the sunset today" Diana slowly answered
The blonde Amazon is General Antiope, Themyscira's most elite Amazon and also my teacher. She leads my sisters in combat and infantry – She is also Mother's sister and right hand in terms of governing the island
"Haste to your Mother now, she's worried sick about you"
"Perhaps I can watch a little more longer please" I pleaded with my usual puppy eyes that I knew she couldn't resist
"So you're telling me you knew that technique even as a child?" Bruce interjected suddenly "I bet you were really spoiled to bits"
"Shush Bruce" Diana grunted
"Anyways…"
And so I stayed for a few minutes longer with my teacher by my side. We sat and watched as the sun slowly hid behind the sea
"Your mother and I grew up together in this island, and sometimes we would fathom watching such beautiful thing descend from its glory" Antiope uttered
"Mother also liked watching the sun set?" I asked
Antiope nodded as she embraced her knees while watching the sky
"She was a very stubborn Amazon when she was little, quite like you. Sometimes she would sneak out in the middle of the night just to watch the sky from afar"
I was listening closely while watching the sun slowly fall to the sea
"Does she still do it even today?"I carefully asked
"That's a question no one knows for now, little Diana." Antiope responded "But have heart, your Mother is a really strong woman, but deep inside she is really driven by her emotions
Antiope then stood up and sheathed her arm to the side
"Let us head back this instant, Diana. We must not delay your Mother's wish any longer"
I was a bit hesitant to go back, but I knew for myself that it was indeed getting late. And I wanted to ask my mother for some questions regarding what my teacher told me
Heading back seemed like a long journey home as Antiope held my arm in case I might get ideas of escaping.
They didn't trust me at all, but I can understand now that I'm quite older. I wouldn't trust a young me neither
The long trail of the thick trees came brushing to us but she wasn't fazed even a little bit. She hacked every obstacle in the way with her fine sharp dagger
It was so majestic, how she seemed to cut every blockage in the way with her nice weapon
I wanted one so bad, but alas, Mother thinks I'm too young to handle such a thing
Antiope turned to my direction upon noticing me staring at her dagger and so she uttered
"I had quite noticed such swinging that you had done back there, was it of wood?" Antiope asked
"Yeah, I do wonders on my time" I responded slowly
"That's remarkable, Diana, but how would you like a real dagger?" Antiope uttered
My eyes widened upon hearing that
"A real one?"
"Precisely, I can lead you to a place where you can find one"
My eyes glimmered with joy as a big excitement rushed through me
"That would be very wonderful, Antiope!" I yelled out in delight
"But first, you'd have to beat me in a match" My teacher bantered
She had always been like that – she thinks that one should work for everything that they get in life
"What's the condition?" I asked sharply
"Simple, you'd have to beat me in a swordfight. And I'm using your wooden sword" She responded with a confident grin
"You're taking me too lightly; I'll have you know that I've been practicing my swing these past days"
We finally reached the outskirts of the kingdom as Antiope stopped and kneeled down to meet my eyes with hers
"Skill isn't quite enough in the battlefield, little one. True Strength comes from within and courage fuels it. And no weapon is as much effective as a determined warrior"
Suddenly, my mother came into the scene with her usual long robe flowing behind her. She seemed awfully unimpressed with my appearance
"Where on Gaia's island have you been, Diana!" My mother yelled furiously
I scratched my head nervously, trying to make up excuses but my teacher had my back
"Fear not, I was with her the whole time sister. I was teaching her something at the shores that we forgot that it was getting late"
"Still…"
Antiope rested her hands on my Mother's shoulders as she uttered
"Don't you trust your own sister?"
Mother nodded in response as Antiope gave me a wink before walking away. I was now all alone with my mother as she reached out for my hand and started walking
"Soo… What did my sun and stars learn for today?" she asked
"I've learned about… the sun, Mother" I responded
"I see, what about the sun dearest?"
I stopped in my tracks and looked at my Mother with delight
"The sun moves, Mother!" I exclaimed in a very enthusiastic tone
"In a very slow and steady way, I've read something about it from a book"
"That's quite good, Diana – you're becoming more and more smarter everyday" Mother replied
"That's my little girl" she added as she gave me wrapped me in a nice embrace
"Run along now, I have certain duties to uphold"
"Alright Mother" I responded with a smile as I skipped to the palace
"Wait, you're still awake?" Diana yelled out all of a sudden
Bruce was snacking on the fruits that Diana had given him while listening to her story
"I believe the purpose of the story is to make you sleep" Diana sighed as she closed her eyes
"Come on, what happened next?" Bruce asked with his cheeks puffed up from the grapes
"Oh, are you that interested with the story?" Diana stated
"Well, I can't sleep with you being loud and noisy anyways so resume the story" Bruce responded with his mouth full of grapes
For some reason, a big feeling of annoyance came unto Diana but she brushed it all off at the end.
She'll give him some slack for now since he is sick, but she's gonna pound some sense to him when he's all better
And so she exhaled a good amount of air and took a deep breath
"Moving on…"
The next day, I got up early and headed to the training grounds where Antiope would usually wait for me.
I was excited all throughout now that I'm finally gonna have my own dagger to my own
Upon reaching the place, I found a note lying in the middle that stated
"Meet me at the Mountaintop – Antiope"
Somehow I was confused over this whole thing but knowing my teacher, it's probably one for education
And so I trekked the mountains up to the top with the steep path of the trees. It was hard for me to cross the blockages in the way without a weapon but for some reason, it was easier with my bare hands
Finally reaching the peak of the mountain, I saw my teacher standing atop with her robe flowing with the wind. She then turned to me after my footsteps grew louder and louder
"You finally reached the top, Diana" She uttered with a proud smile
"Yes, it was quite exhausting if I gotta be honest" I responded
I looked around in search of a specific dagger that she mentioned
"Where's the dagger?" I asked
She then started walking to the innermost part of the mountain where the trees seemed to conceal the path that lurks within
She led me to a certain spot of the forest where it seemed too perilous to even cross, but with my teacher with me, I feared nothing
Finally after a whole while of walking, we finally stumbled a big boulder which had a dagger sheathed in it
My eyes widened upon seeing this as I was ready to pounce on the boulder and claim it as my own.
But when I was about to move my feet, Antiope held my close as she looked at me straight
"Your mother had placed that dagger right there many years ago. She was at your age when she did so"
The revelation made me even more curious
"She did?"
"Yes, the dagger originally belonged to your mother which she would use regularly. One night she snuck out and went to the mountains which wasn't really a surprise to any of us, but she was crying her eyes out when she came back"
"She then sworn to herself that as long as she will become a great queen, the dagger stays on the boulder" Antiope explained carefully "But as time went by, it seems that your Mother had quite forgotten about it" Antiope narrated
"Ever since that day, your mother had matured to the extent, preparing for the day when she'll take over the throne"
"I see.." I responded slowly "What could've caused her sudden change?"
"That is a question that I cannot answer for myself, little one" she responded
Antiope then led me to the boulder with a warm smile
"Go on Diana, try to pull out the dagger for yourself" she uttered
And so I did. I immediately went up to the boulder and held the dagger with both of my hands. It seemed anchored at first as if it wasn't even moving at all
I tried multiple times but the outcome was still the same…
I was this close to giving up when suddenly my teacher's voice echoed in my mind.
"True strength comes from within and courage fuels it"
Such words brew deep in my heart and mind as I calmed myself down. I took a deep breath and I closed my eyes
My arm slowly started contracting on the blade itself as I could feel it moving. Not being distracted by anything at all, I continued pulling it away from the boulder with a more defined strength now.
And after a few moments…
There it was, the dagger itself unsheathed from the boulder itself. I felt so proud at that moment especially with the way my teacher was looking at me
All of a sudden, the boulder that I was standing on started to creak loud noises. And after a while, It crumbled down to the floor which made me fall down to the ground but for some reason I managed to stand perfectly on my two feet
Antiope was amazed when she saw me do this, I had never even done such a stunt before in my life.
And since that day, I had been training secretly with Antiope without my mother knowing. It would've been quite a ruckus if she found out about it and how I'm using her dagger for practice
"There was this certain princess I've read about from a book before, her name was Aurora. And that's how I got the name for her"
"And up until now, I still use it whenever I go back to Themyscira to train"
"You didn't bring it with you?"
Diana opens her eyes in shock upon hearing Bruce talk
"You haven't slept yet!" she yelled
"Nope." Bruce responded as she puts the last grape in his mouth
Diana smiled to herself upon seeing him; he seemed well more rather active now than what he did before
"To answer your question, nope. I left her back home with my sisters" Diana answered sincerely
"Too bad, I would've liked to see what it looked like" Bruce stated
"Perhaps you can come over to Themyscira and see it for yourself, Bruce" She responded playfully
"Yeah and what, be speared to death as soon as I step one foot on that island?"
"You've been there a million of times already anyways" Diana reasoned out
"Still, I have to look out weary gazes especially when I came across a group of your sisters" Bruce responded
Diana giggled slightly upon hearing this
"My sisters aren't that bad… I'll tell them to go easy on you"
"Yeah, instead of spears, they'd be using stones instead"
Suddenly, their conversation was interrupted by a series of knocks from the door
"Miss Diana, sire, May I come in?"
"Come in as you please, Alfred" Diana politely answered
And so the British butler came in holding what seemed like a bowl of gruel in his hands
He gently placed the bowl unto the table as he politely bid them farewell. A feint laugh was heard before closing the door
Bruce immediately knew what was going on
The sly Englishman did it again.
Either ways, it doesn't matter anymore. She was here and that's that
He closed his eyes to try to relax but when he did
"Say ahh Bruce"
A sudden voice forced him to open his eyes and there sat Diana holding a spoonful of gruel to him
"What are you doing!?" Bruce asked
"It will get cold if you won't eat it" she responded in a sweet tone
"I can do it myself" he responded as he reached out for the bowl but she pulled it away further from him
"Don't be stubborn Bruce, and do as you're told!" Diana glared at him like a mom tending to a stubborn child
Bruce didn't have a choice but to open his mouth and accept the spoonful, that bowl of gruel looks hot and delicious and it would be a waste to leave it cold
Diana blew it first before slowly serving to Bruce's mouth. He looked away to avoid her gaze and all but it was still pretty awkward being tended like this, especially with Diana herself
As he turned to her, he saw Diana smiling at him. She seemed very happy taking care of him like this
"This brings back memories"
"Memories?" Bruce repeated
"Mhmmm…." Diana hummed softly
"Remember when you used to take care of me before?"
"Oh… that time" Bruce uttered
"Yeah… that time" Diana responded
"But this time, I'm taking care of you. So now I kind of know how it feels to take care of someone"
"How does it feel?" Bruce asked
"Fulfilling." Diana answered with a sweet smile on her lips
"How about you, how does it feel being taken care of?"
Quite unsure of what to say Bruce took seconds to respond
"Not bad…"
The Amazon giggled upon hearing that, Bruce was always stubborn about depending on others and so it is a breath of fresh air seeing him like this.
Bruce however was contemplating to himself. He knew what he should do, but he just need the right push upon doing so
And he needed to do so.
"Diana.." he uttered
Diana looked at him
"Yeah?"
Bruce inhaled a lot of air as he clenched his fist. He had to take in a lot of courage to say the following words to her
"Happy Birthday…"
Diana was surprised upon hearing this, her greeting was so sincere that she felt in deep within
"You remembered!?"
"Of course I did." He responded
She then cupped his cheeks with his hand with a very sweet smile on her lips
"Thank you Bruce, it means a lot for me especially from you" she whispered in a very heartfelt voice
"But I don't understand, it's your special day today. You should be celebrating and having some fun right now" He stated slowly
"Aren't you supposed to visit Themyscira this year?"
"Well… I may have been distracted by a certain sick Bruce Wayne" She jested, which came with an adorable giggle
"I'm serious, Diana. You seldomly go back home" Bruce interjected
"Don't you miss, Themyscira?"
"I do but…"
"Diana" Bruce interrupted as he slowly tried to sit up
"Don't worry about me, you still have time. Go see your Mother and sisters"
"Bruce!" Diana grunted in annoyance
"Let me finish!"
"Greetings"
A sudden voice coming from nowhere caught him by surprise. It didn't belong to Diana but it sounded awfully familiar
Diana then stood up and opened the door, and what came to his view caused a major shock unto him
"Q-Queen Hippolyta?"
And there she was, the Queen of Themyscira herself in her nice royal robes and tiara. She had a nice smile on her face as she saw Bruce in his bed
Bruce however was shocked to the core, she wasn't expecting Diana's mother at all
Queen Hippolyta slowly walked in with such grace that a Queen should have
"Dearest, go fetch us some water please. I'd like to talk with Bruce for a spell" she stated
"Of course, Mother" Diana responded as she stood up and went outside of the room
Bruce swallowed his saliva upon realizing the state he is in. He wasn't in good shape for this whatsoever
"I'll have you know that this is nothing for me…y-your highness" Bruce nervously mumbled
"I'm just a little tipsy, that's all"
Queen Hippolyta smiled in response as she held Bruce's hand.
"It's alright child. No one is truly invincible" She crooned softly
"Besides, you took care of my Diana when she was at a similar state and you came out of your way to see us. Consider this as my gratitude"
"That was all my pleasure, your highness. Diana is a very important friend of mine."
The Queen then takes a seat on a chair just beside his bed
"I have noticed the changes that has bested upon her. No longer is she the hotheaded girl that she used to be – now, she's more calm and collected, and a whole lot mature" Queen Hippolyta stated
"She no longer asks for the validation of others, my daughter seems more independent now more so than ever."
"I see…" Bruce mumbled under his breath
Queen Hippolyta gave him a reassuring smile as she rested her hand on his shoulder
"I know for a fact that these are from your effect upon her. She is starting to change into a better woman as the time goes – and for that, I say thank you, Bruce Wayne"
The young man gave her a nod of assurance
"She grew on her own, your highness. I simply gave her assistance on her toughest times. I know for a fact that your daughter is strong within, but she still needs guidance on her endeavors."
"And I do my best to fill that role for her…" he added
"That's my boy." Queen Hippolyta smiled in response
"I never trusted men, all they care about is greed and lust. They all symbolizes all the evils in the world – but you… you're an exception. You never take advantage, you give help without heeding anything in return, and you don't seek for power and acknowledgement like any man would."
"Who are you really, Bruce Wayne?"
"I'm just… me, your highness. I'm nothing special…"
"Oh, I think a man who had garnered my sun - and -star's heart is a very special man"
Out of nowhere, a sudden bang from the door was heard. This definitely interrupted their conversation
"Mother!"
And there she was, no one else other than Diana herself with her face red as a tomato. Queen Hippolyta giggled a little bit upon seeing this
"I'm sorry about this, Bruce. When they found out that you were sick, Mother insisted to come see you"
"It's alright, Diana." Bruce responded calmly
"Wait… they?"
"Bruce needs to rest now, come my little sun-and-stars. Show me around this Manor"
"Gladly" Diana nodded as she led her Mother out"
"I'll see you later, Bruce. Rest well"
Diana winked before closing the door fully. Now Bruce can finally settle down and just empty his thoughts, letting slumber take over
"Is this really his quarters this time?"
"Yes, I'm sure of it, Antiope!"
Voices lingered from the outside kept him from even catching a glimpse of slumber, voices that seemed familiar to him as well. Rest is nothing but wishful thinking with all these obstacles in the way
The door opens, revealing two more Amazons that are familiar to him – Donna and Antiope.
"Bruce!"
A little girl then ran to him with a worried expression on her face
"Are you feeling alright, are you hurting, does it feel bad somewhere?"
"Don't worry about me, Donna." Bruce reassured with a grin on his face
"That's good!" Donna presented him a couple of candies from her pockets which came in different colors
"What are those?"
"Candies, Richie told me it was good for person with a fever"
"Yeah, you really need to stop believing everything that comes out from his mouth, Donna"
"How are you feeling, Bruce?"
It was Antiope this time. She was carrying a plant of some sort that had a very nice aroma
"I'm doing better… I guess." Bruce responded
"That looks interesting, what is that?"
She placed the plant by the table near his bed.
"A certain plant that helps in treatment of our fellow sisters during training and combat. We figured we might as well give this to you"
The scent was very therapeutic indeed, Bruce felt it coming inside and soothing his soul from within. His heaviness seemed to alleviate as he continued to inhale the aroma
"Now this is truly something…" Bruce spoke softly with his eyes closed
"It was actually Diana's idea. I thought my sister would be against it but she was surprisingly supportive of it when she heard about your state" Antiope explained thoroughly
"Safe to say that she is slowly warming up to you" she added with a wink
"Warming up to me?" Bruce asked
"You mean Queen Hippolyta"
Antiope nodded
"Your service brought realization to my sister, brought clarity in her never-ending convulated ideas about the outside world. In your short span of time in Themyscira, your impact had more so than to say it is." she explained
"And now she is ready to seek the outside world and test the waters. After all those years, it was you who was the vessel to link both worlds. Bruce."
"That's… too much recognition" Bruce responded slowly, quite taken aback by her words
"But I'm glad things turned out the way is it is for you and the Amazons"
"Yes, and it is all thanks to you"
Antiope then stood up to her feet
"We should get going now, you need rest, Bruce Wayne" she stated
Antiope then she led herself and Donna out of the room for Bruce to finally rest. But somehow, he couldn't have the need to close his eyes as of yet. Everything went very fast as if he's inside of a dream or something
Queen Hippolyta and Antiope themselves coming to see him is something that he never thought to become of reality
But still, it was very heartwarming to know that they cared. He never expected the amazons to accept him whatsoever, but eventually, his hard work and diligence had proved himself to them.
And everything that he do is for a certain princess that he has grown fond with over their time together
All of a sudden, a creaking sound of a door caught his attention, which came with a peep from a certain someone. Seeing this immediately brought a smile to Bruce's face
Diana then slowly walked in the room, turning around to close the door slowly for a second. As she turned to him – he was staring at her, clearly wide awake
"You're still awake?" Diana stated, walking closer to him
"Yeah, you didn't tell me you were having your birthday party here with your family" Bruce sarcastically blurted
"Oh… I thought it was okay with you" Diana muttered under her breath, quite sad in response
Bruce notices her sudden melancholy in her face which brought amusement to him
"Don't worry princess, it wasn't anything serious." he jested with a smile on his face
"And they brought me this wonderful plant as well"
Diana glances at the said plant sitting on the table beside his bed
"Oh, I remember these. We used to have lots of them in our garden back in Themyscira"
"How come I didn't come to know about this when I was there"
"Probably because you were too anxious to explore~" Diana jested as well, which came with an adorable giggle
"Yeah, I remember the garden was heavily guarded by some of your Amazon sisters. That was probably the reason why I didn't even bother 'exploring' "
"Perhaps" Diana uttered, still giggling feintly
"So how are you doing now?"
"Still heating up, but the plant's aroma is making me breathe better"
"That's good" she stated
"Do you want me to help you rest better?"
"Rest better?" Bruce asked
"How?"
Suddenly, Diana pulled him close to her chest with her eyes closed. Bruce couldn't help but feel flabbergasted with this
"D-Diana?"
"You can hear it right?" Diana slowly hummed, caressing his hair with her palm
"That's my heartbeat."
He could feel it, hear it, the calm series of beats on her chest. It was very soothing for him.
"Diana, why are you doing this?"
"Mhmm?" she hummed
"Why are you going out of your way for me. Today is supposed to be your special day, and you deliberately sabotaged it to take care of me."
"Because… you're special to me." Diana responded with a heartfelt answer
"I still remember when you used to do this to me when I was on my lowest, how you went out of your way for me and how you gave me support on my time of need. You're more than special to me Bruce."
"More than special?" he repeated
"Mhmm" Diana hummed softly as she embraced Bruce's head close to her
Bruce couldn't think well, but there was something on her words that kept a deeper meaning. But he didn't wanna overthink, especially being held by Diana like this
His ears seemed like a beacon with her heartbeat calming him down like waves in the sea. Her scent so mesmerizing that he could vision how she looks like even with his eyes closed
And her warm embrace, her warmth, something that he never knew he needed. Something so rare, and special. He wouldn't trade this over anything else
Being vulnerable, being weak, and being someone who cannot do anything is what Bruce despised the most. He works better alone, and he produces good results – weakness is not an option, and so does any other emotions flailing through. This is why he never lets anyone in through his thick facade
But despite his cold heart, Diana's essence proved too much for him to cast her away as usual. He is powerless, not because of his state, but towards of Diana's affection towards him.
Diana is and will forever be special to him as he is with her, and he will do anything just to keep that smile on her lips
He didn't care what they were to each other, or what the future upholds.
For now, he is gonna enjoy this moment with her.
After a few minutes, Diana checks up on Bruce close to her with his eyes closed. He was still heating up, but her embrace helped him fall asleep
And so, she slowly laid him back to his bed, without rocking his head to awaken him whatsoever. He looked so peaceful in his sleeping state.
"Rest well, Bruce…"
She hummed, placing a soft kiss in his forehead afterwards. Just like how he did before to her
As she turned around to leave, she suddenly felt pull from her hand which made her turn around back. Upon doing so, she was met with a warm embrace from Bruce himself, standing to his feet
"Again… Happy Birthday, Diana." He whispered softly in her ear
"My only wish for you is I wish you'd stay as you are. Never change, Princess."
Diana froze on the spot, she couldn't move, not wanting to. His body felt so hot, yet so tender. She could feel everything in him, and it was so nice to be with. Being embraced by the man she truly…
"I promise I'll make it up to you… next year at least" he added
Diana closed her eyes with solace with a big smile on her face as she whispers back…
"I'll be expecting that, Bruce…" she muttered in a gentle manner
The sun was blazing outside, it was thoroughly hot in particular. One could see the nice view from the window outside, and it was nothing short of spectacular
Despite not being able to go back to Themyscira this year, Diana still feels genuinely happy.
She wanted nothing else – she needed nothing else. This is all she's ever wanted on her special day
Being held by the person she truly…
"Bruce…" she softly whispered
"Yeah?"
"I love you"
