Event time! I'm so happy I was able to get something done to participate in this event. It's been a while since I wrote anything and I thought what would be a better time to get back into writing for this magnificent duo than with a WonderBat event?
I've decided to base this whole event on the AU versions that I wrote for both "O' Christmas Tree" and "New Years Eve", because we all know I like to tie other stories in with each other. There's something about writing an AU that makes me very excited. If you haven't read those two yet, I would strongly suggest you do that to give you a bit of background. I hope you all enjoy this!
Day 1: Buying the ring.
January 27. Metropolis. 12:32
Bruce
My heart races as I sit behind the wheel, my hands shaking as I think about what has led me to this place. For months, maybe even years, I have known this was what I wanted, but there is still part of me that worries this isn't what is the best. I feel like the last year has been nothing but a dream, and I'm waiting to wake up. But I don't want to wake up. I want to continue this, continue down this journey with her.
Diana has been my rock since we've started dating- actually she's been my best friend and support system much longer than that. Ever since she transferred to Gotham back in elementary school, she has been supportive, even when I didn't deserve it. She is such a kind, caring, beautiful and compassionate person, and I don't know what I've done to make her choose me, but I will strive to continue to make her as happy as she's made me.
My hands continue to shake as I shift gears, placing the car into park, before I turn off the engine. I let out a small sigh and close my eyes, gently biting my bottom lip in nervous frustration. I know what I am doing is needed, but I can't help but feel it is a bit overwhelming. Diana and I have talked about this before, but it was never an idea set in stone, and I wonder if this is something that I solely want. My hand reaches for the key still in the ignition, ready to bring the car back to life, when my phone begins to ring from inside my coat pocket.
My hand abandons its path to the key and instead digs into my pocket of the coat folded neatly on my passenger seat. It is on its third ring by the time I fish out the phone and I quickly turn the device to see the screen, my lips curling into a smile when I see the name flashing in bright letters across the glass.
"Hello," I say. I pray my voice doesn't give off just how nervous I have been all morning, and when I only hear silence I fear it might have. I soon breathe a small sigh of relief when I hear a chuckle come through the phone followed by Diana's voice.
"Where are you?" she asks, although she already knows the answer. She knows I have business to tend to in Metropolis, I distinctly remember telling her this a few days ago. I was never specific in what I would be doing, as I was worried she would figure out my plan and ruin it, however I realize doing so might make things all the more suspicious.
"I'm in Metropolis," I state, pulling the keys from the ignition and placing them into the coat pocket my phone was housed in moments prior.
She scoffs at my answer. "I know that," she says, "but where in Metropolis?"
It is my turn to chuckle as I shake my head. If I give her even the slightest clue as to where I am she will have no problem making the trip over the bay to join me, and that is the last thing I want. I would still like to surprise her every now and then, and this might be the biggest surprise of them all.
"Downtown," I say. I open the door to the car and step out in the cold winter breeze, reaching back inside the vehicle to grab my coat before I quickly pull it on. As I look over the tall buildings that line the streets of downtown Metropolis, my lips twitch into a smirk. The giant sphere that sits atop of the Daily Planet is in perfect view from where I stand, and I mentally add another item on the to do list, before I close the car door, listening for it to lock before I focus my attention back to my conversation with Diana.
"Hey, Di," I say, patting my back pocket to check for my wallet, "I have to get going. I'll see you later tonight?" I know the answer even before I ask. Diana has been spending nearly all of her free time at the manor, and at first it was a bit frightening; I was used to having the place to myself, with the exception of Alfred of course. But the more time I spent with Diana, the more I wanted her around. It was always so quiet when she left, even if it was for a few hours to get items from her apartment by the bay.
After her incident with the tree, where my stupid self insecurities had caused her to get hurt, I knew there was only one logical thing to do: I had asked her to move in with me. Of course she had accepted, and we both knew what this meant, but I did not care. Bruce Wayne was a bachelor no longer, and I welcomed that change wholeheartedly. It had been a few weeks since I had asked Diana to move in, and although she had a few items still at her place, she was spending every night with me and Alfred.
"Of course," she states, just as I expected.
I am just about to say my goodbyes when she chimes in with, "Don't forget we're having dinner with my mother next week."
I nod even though she can't see. "I know," I say. It is one of the reasons I am currently walking down the streets of Metropolis in freezing weather. "I'll see you tonight."
"See you tonight," she repeats. "I love you."
I am unable to help the smile that forms hearing those three words. We have only been saying that phrase to each other for a few weeks, but it seems like we've known it for years. "I love you too," I return. I wait for her to end the call before I shove the phone back into my pocket and continue down the street. I know now, with absolute certainty, that I am doing the right thing. If thoughts of Diana haven't convinced me, her saying those three words have reminded me of all the reasons I love this woman so dearly.
"Stop that!"
My lips curl into a smirk and I turn my face, trying to avoid the death glare Diana and a few of our classmates are throwing my way. "Stop what?" I ask, raising an eyebrow.
Diana only furrows her eyebrows even more and places a hand on her hip. My smirk does nothing to her, it never does, and I let out a sigh before I relax my face. "You're no fun," I whisper under my breath, but when she raises an eyebrow, I know she's heard me. How does she do that? The woman seems to know exactly what I'm thinking and while that might be fun occasionally, it's hard to keep myself from letting her know just how hard I'm falling for - scratch that- have fallen for her. It's impossible not to. She's smart, she's funny, she's the most compassionate person I know. Not to mention she's absolutely gorgeous.
"I'm a lot of fun," she says, throwing her arms up in frustration.
One of the guys beside her only scoffs. "That's not what Steve said," he remarks.
I watch as Diana whips her head to glance at Marcus, the one who can't keep his snide comments to himself. Her jaw clenches at the mention of her ex-boyfriend and she stares at the boy, silently burning a hole into the side of his face. If there was one person you didn't want to make angry, it was Diana. Sure, she was the sweetest person I knew, but even the cuddliest puppy could become aggressive when provoked - and Steve was definitely a sore spot for her.
Having broken up with Diana over the summer before he headed into the military, many had assumed it was because he was sparing her the idea of a long distance relationship. Others assumed it was because he didn't want to be tied down going into the Army. But I knew there was more to it. Diana never told me the true extent of things, but I had a hunch. Either way, he didn't deserve her.
"Callahan," I say, startling the rest of the group. I take a step toward Marcus, watching as he takes a step back and raises his hands in surrender. But I'm not done with him just yet. I take another step toward the sophomore and jab him in the chest. "Apologize," I say, narrowing my eyes at the frightened boy.
He nods and gulps before he turns to Diana. "I'm sorry, Diana," he says, "That was uncalled for." He takes another step behind his twin sister, Rose, and breathes a sigh of relief. I may not be the biggest, nor the strongest, or smartest guy on campus, but money talks.
"Okay, okay," Diana says. She places a hand on my shoulder and yanks me back, flaring her nostrils as she shakes her head. My cheeks begin to burn red as I watch her eyes narrow and I turn away from Marcus, Rose, and the two other guys who have remained quiet this whole afternoon. Diana hates when I jump to her rescue; it was one of the reasons she and Steve argued so much.
I know I should've stayed quiet, let her fight her own battles, but she's my best friend. Diana is beautiful, and she knows this. Her confidence is portrayed as egotistical, and people tend to have very few wholesome thoughts of her. She deserves more than what people give her. Not to mention her accent always seems to draw attention, whether it be positive or negative.
Diana glances over her shoulder at the clock on the wall. It is well past four forty-five and she needs to be home before her mother starts to worry; another reason she hates people being over protective of her. Her mother worries enough, Diana doesn't need me to add to it.
"It's getting late," she says as she walks to her desk. "How about we pick this back up tomorrow after class?" She closes the copy of Shakespear's Romeo and Juliet that has been laying open on her desk and turns to the group. They all nod, tired of having read and translated the infamous tragedy, before they begin to gather their own items. She turns to me and gives me a small smile, letting me know she's not as angry as I think.
"Great, see everyone tomorrow." Everyone nods and walks out of the room. When it is just the two of us Diana turns to face me and raises an eyebrow, silently asking me what I was thinking.
"I know, I know," I say, holding my hand up, stopping her from lecturing me. I shove my own copy of Romeo and Juliet into my book bag and zip it up. I watch as she finishes packing her own bag, her lips quivering as she tries to hide a smile.
"People already think you're more than a friend, Bruce," she says. "You know the gossip at this school travels fast."
I know this, but would it be so bad if we were more than friends? Of course it would be. She's my best friend, and I don't want to do anything to ruin the only genuine friendship I've had since my parents' deaths. When Diana and I first met, she didn't treat me like some fragile boy, much like what the rest of the world did. To everyone else I was someone to be pitied, someone who didn't know how to live the rest of my life in happiness. And for a moment, I believed them. But Diana saw through that. She helped me more than I like to admit, and because of that, I vowed I would never do anything to ruin our friendship. Besides, I didn't exactly have a good track record with relationships.
"Let people think what they want," is all I say. She glances at me over her shoulder and lets out a chuckle, shaking her head as she walks toward the projector and turns it off.
"Easy for you to say. You enjoy the attention." She continues to walk around the classroom, checking to make sure she has closed and secured everything, before she pulls the large key from her pocket. She nods to the door, telling me to go, and I oblige, grabbing both of our bags and stepping out of the classroom and into the empty hall. "In case you haven't noticed, I get enough attention," she states as she closes the door and locks up, pushing it to make sure it is secure, before she turns to me.
Of course I've noticed. But I wouldn't dare tell her that. I hand her her bag and mumble a quick, "Sorry," before the two of us head down the hall toward the main office.
It is quiet as we walk, both exhausted from the last week. I can't wait for Midterms to be over, and as I steal a glance at Diana, I can tell she hasn't been sleeping much. She turns her head and catches me staring, her lips curling into a smile as a faint hue of pink begins to grace her cheeks. "Do I have something on my face?" she asks.
I chuckle nervously before nodding. "Yeah," I say, "I don't know what's going on here." I move my finger around her face and flash her a smirk.
She realizes my joke and nudges me with her shoulder, shaking her head as we turn the corner. "I can't wait until this week is over," she says with a sigh. "Although this whole Romeo and Juliet presentation would be a lot easier if you could play nicely."
I only shrug. Group presentations were never my strong suit. Group "anythings" were never my strong suit. "I just hate Romeo and Juliet," I say.
She raises an eyebrow and places a hand on my arm. "Sometimes the thought of living without someone you love makes people do stupid things," she says. "Whether that's a lover," she begins, lowering her voice, "or a parent."
I am momentarily surprised by what she says, freezing in my spot. She gently squeezes my arm, letting me know she hasn't told anyone of how I used to feel, lonely and wanting to die, before she gives me a nod. I give her a weak smile, waiting for her to smile, before we begin our journey back down the hallway in comfortable silence.
I quickly walk into the shop at the end of the street, quickly closing the door to block the chilly air from entering behind me. There is a middle aged woman behind the counter who smiles when she notices me. "Good afternoon," she greets. "How can I help you?"
I take a step toward her and pull the coat from my body, suddenly sweating by the sudden temperature change, and maybe the nerves. "Hello," I say. "I have an appointment with Gustavo."
She nods and clasps her hands together. "Ah yes, Mr. Wayne," she answers, placing the jewelry stand in her hand on top of one of the glass display containers. "Gustavo should be right in," she says, "Can I show you a few of your selections?"
I nod, watching as she turns and unlocks one of the vaults behind the counter. As she pulls a tray containing a handful of velvet boxes onto the glass, an older burly man walks around the corner and into the main display room: Gustavo.
My family has come to Gustavo's for generations. I knew this was the place I wanted to come to find that special ring ever since my father told me of the time he asked my mother for her hand.
"Ah, Bruce," Gustavo greets. He offers me a hand, which I shake, and places a hand on my shoulder. "When you called me, I was so happy." He turns to the woman by his side and nods. "Ask my beautiful wife Linda, I was so, so happy," he says ecstatically.
Linda nods. "He was," she replies.
"I knew I had to come to the best," I say with a wink.
Gustavo soaks in my compliment and nudges my arm. "Oh Mr. Wayne, you make Gustavo blush," he says. "Come, let's see what we have here." He grabs one of the velvet boxes and opens it so quickly I fear the hinges will snap. Inside there is a ring that would make any woman jealous. The band is gold and the diamond that is perched on top is bright and bold. "Now this is a beautiful ring, for a beautiful woman, yes?"
I continue to look at the ring, making sure to examine every crevice. He is right, it is a beautiful ring, but it's not the one for Diana. "It is beautiful," I say, "but not the right one."
Gustavo nods. "Yes, yes. Of course." He carefully closes the box and places it on the glass, before he grabs another two boxes from Linda. "Don't you worry, Mr. Wayne, we'll find a special one for your little lady."
Diana sits silently, staring at the two textbooks she has laying on the table in front of her. She quietly plops a carrot into her mouth and chews, her eyes never leaving the pages that contain all the information needed to pass her Chemistry final. She carefully flips a page, her eyes narrowing as she looks at the formulas, trying to memorize the chemical compounds that have been used in every lab she had for the past year.
"I don't think it's physically possible to memorize all of this," she says as she lets out a huff. She gently uses her index and middle fingers to rub her temples. "How are you not freaking out?" she asks.
I only shrug and plop a few grapes from my own lunch into my mouth. "You're over stressing it," I say. "You're going to ace it, like you do with every exam. I wouldn't worry about it."
She only throws a glare my way before her focus goes back to the textbooks. "Easy for you to say," she mumbles.
I only smirk and let out a chuckle. "Relax, Di," I say, reaching over to close her textbooks. She opens her mouth to voice her disapproval but I shake my head. "Enough studying. You need to eat." She lets out another huff but listens. She pushes the books aside and pulls out a sandwich, quickly taking a large bite.
I give her a nod, feeling accomplished that I was able to convince her to eat. I shove the last of my lunch into my mouth and chew contently as I glance around the open courtyard. All around are students. Some are carelessly eating their lunches or socializing with friends, unbothered by the thoughts of next week's finals. Some sit like Diana, hunched over text books and notes, trying to cram for exams. And then there's Julie Madison, sitting across the courtyard, locking lips with one of the Seniors. I try to look away, but I am not fast enough as she looks up and locks eyes with mine, before she flashes me a smile.
I quickly turn away from her and shake my head. I had had my chance with Julie but I was much more interested in someone else than her. Word of our break up got around pretty quickly and it seemed as though she were enjoying the attention it brought. "You gotta stop doing that."
I turn to face Diana, who once again has her face buried in a book. "Doing what?" I ask innocently.
She turns her head to glare at me, before she looks ahead to where Julie sits. "Torturing yourself," she replies. "Why don't you just go talk to her? I'm sure she'd take you back in a heartbeat."
I absentmindedly shake my head. "I'm fine," I lie. She glances at me once more, her eyebrow raised, challenging my fib. I narrow my eyes and put on my best poker face, hoping it'll do enough to not raise anymore questions. After a moment she shrugs her shoulders and closes her book.
"So what are you going to do? Stay single forever?" she asks with a smirk.
I know what she's doing and I won't fall for it. For a year I've had to endure Diana asking me why Julie and I never lasted more than two months, but I don't have the heart to tell her it was because of her. "Maybe," is all I say as I gather my trash.
Diana scoffs and I do a double take, offended. "How about this," she begins. She places her textbooks into her book bag and zips it up. "What about, if we come to our twenty year class reunion and neither of us are married, we'll get married?"
I chuckle, stopping when I notice she doesn't seem to find it funny. In fact, she is staring at me, waiting for an answer. While the question does take me by surprise, it's not as if I haven't thought about it. Diana is my best friend, and shouldn't that be the person you marry? Besides, what is the probability it'll actually happen. As I've said before, she's an amazing woman, someone is bound to find that out and marry her before I get the chance to.
"You're being serious?" I ask.
"Absolutely," she says, stone faced.
I let my eyes wander, making it look as if I am actually pondering over the idea, but I already know my answer. "Okay," I say after a few moments, "I suppose so." She gives me a small smile and nods. "But I deserve a full proposal," I joke.
Diana is unable to help the laugh that falls from her lips. "Okay, Wayne," she says. She takes the plastic tie that was used to close her bag of carrots and twists it until it forms a tight ring. "Bruce," she says, pinching the makeshift ring between her forefinger and thumb, "will you marry me?"
"Of course," I answer as I place my hand on my chest dramatically. Diana only rolls her eyes and hands me the ring, watching as I place it on my pinky and flash her my hand. The bell ending lunch rings from the other end of the courtyard and we both stand from where we have been seated. I gather my items and sling my book bag over my shoulder. I watch as Diana quickly disposes of her trash before she grabs her bag and we rush toward the main hall.
When we are inside I walk Diana to her next class, Calculus, as I've done every day this year, casually asking if she's going to go to the big beach party Arnold Zarkousky is throwing next week after finals. She is hesitant at first but I eventually convince her to go. "Okay Prince," I say once we reach the door, "I'll have you know I am not a cheap man. I think I deserve a ring that actually fits."
Diana only chuckles and pushes my shoulder forcing me to take a step back. "I'll get you a ring pop," she says over her shoulder sarcastically as she steps into the classroom.
"Better be the blue one," I say with narrowed eyes. I watch as she shakes her head and takes her seat, before I turn on my heel and rush toward my French class, hoping my casual flirtations with Diana haven't made me late once more.
"What about this one, Mr. Wayne?" Gustavo lifts the last velvet box into his hand and silently prays that this is the ring. We have been looking at rings for nearly an hour. We have gone through the original seven Gustavo picked out, and a few more he had in the display cases. We have even toyed with the idea of custom making a ring for Diana, but things do not seem to be going great. I want this to be perfect. Diana deserves a ring that is perfect.
Gustavo hands me the box and I carefully open it. I want to say it's perfect, but there is something I can't quite put my finger on. "I'm sorry Gustavo," I say, handing him the back the ring. "I just want this to be perfect."
Gustavo nods but I can see he is getting a bit overwhelmed. "I understand," he says. "It can be a difficult thing. This woman is a lucky woman."
I nod and let out a sigh. "Gustavo, I'm the lucky one. Diana is beautiful, she's kind, she's smart, and for some reason, she's found enough reasons to love me to stay around." I look up at him and let out another sigh. "When you find a woman like that, you want to make everything possible for her. You'd move mountains just to see her beautiful smile. She makes you want to be a better man."
Gustavo nods. His eyes are moist and he lets a smile form as he tries to fight the tears. "I understand completely, Mr. Wayne," he says. He reaches over and grabs Linda's hand, gives it a gentle squeeze, and kisses her cheek. "When you find a woman like that, you want to give her the world. Yes, you are a lucky man sir, just like me. Lucky to have found your Linda!"
I nod as I let out a small chuckle. I watch as Gustavo kisses his wife's cheek two more times before she pushes him away giggling. "I think I might have just what you're looking for," Linda says. She disappears behind the counter, only to pop up a minute later, a black box in her small manicured hands. She hands the box to Gustavo, watching with a smile as he opens the lid.
"Ah, Bellissima," he says, kissing his wife once more. "My wife is as smart as she is beautiful!" He watches as his wife blushes, trying to wave off the compliment, before he hands me the box. "Take a look, Mr. Wayne," he says. "I think you'll find this one is, perfetto!"
I grab the box from Gustavo's hand and take a deep breath. I open the box and stare at the ring. I can see Gustavo grab his wife around the waist and hold her close as they watch me inspect the piece of jewelry. After a few moments I close the box, a smile on my face, and say, "It's perfect. This is the one."
The two throw their hands up in celebration. "Magnifico," Gustavo says. He walks around the display case and places a hand on my shoulder. "Let's get you all settled Mr. Wayne, so you can plan the best proposal ever."
The two get everything situated fairly quickly and within the hour I am heading out the door back into the winter breeze. "Don't you be a stranger, Mr. Wayne," Gustavo says from behind the counter. "And you bring the future Mrs. Wayne here, so Gustavo can tell her how you didn't stop until you got the perfect ring!"
"Of course," I say, as I step out of the shop. I give the older couple a small wave, watching as they happily wave back from inside, before I walk down the street.
I let out a sigh of relief. I never knew this could be so stressful, but it'll all be worth it. This is what I want, more than anything. I wouldn't have spent all that time looking at dozens upon dozens of rings if I wasn't sure.
Turning the corner, I continue down the street. The sun has come up and the temperature has risen slightly, but the wind is still as strong as ever. I quickly reach into my coat pocket and pull out my phone, dial the familiar number, and wait for them to answer. A few moments later I hear the distinct voice on the other end whisper a, "Hello," and I smile as my free hand pats the pocket where the ring now rests.
"Hi," is my response. "Can we meet up?"
Thank you for reading Day 1 of my event pieces. I hope you all enjoyed it thus far. Also, side note: I decided to make Gotham and Metropolis two cities separated with a bay like in BvS.
Let me know what you all thought!
