TITLE: A Competition for Christmas
AUTHOR: LOTSlover
CHARACTERS: Batman / Wonder Woman
RATING: T
WARNINGS: Author Chooses Not to Use Warnings
DISCLAIMER: I love Justice League, but especially Batman and Wonder Woman. Unfortunately, I do not own the characters and, if I did, things would be much different for them.
SUMMARY: Bruce and Diana can't contain their competitive spirits even when it comes to Christmas. BMWW
A Competition for Christmas
"Daddy!" Rachel exclaimed in exasperation as she trudged through the show behind him. "Why do we have to go clear out here to find a Christmas tree?"
"Yah, daddy," Reesa chimed in, looking back over her shoulder to find the manor so small in the distance. "It's freezing out here."
"You two love the snow," he reminded them as he led the way, a destination firmly in mind and a chainsaw gripped in his hand.
"Playing in it, daddy…not walking through it," Rachel corrected him with a huff of annoyance, stuffing her gloved hands into the pockets of her winter coat.
"Yah, I can see my breath," Reesa announced, exhaling with all her might to show them just how cold it was outside.
"Alfred promised to have hot chocolate waiting for you when we get back," he revealed.
"We'll never get back at this rate," Reesa complained, kicking at the snow that almost reached the top of her boots.
Snowflakes began to fall from the sky, large and fluffy and sticking to hair and eyelashes alike. "Isn't this perfect?" Bruce asked. "We're cutting down our Christmas tree while it's snowing."
"Why don't we just go to the store to get a tree like last year?" Rachel questioned him.
"Well, I wanted to do something better this year…something more memorable and fun," he attempted to explain as the real reason he was out here in the cold, traipsing through several inches of snow popped into his mind.
"I think I have more Christmas spirit than you do, and I didn't even grow up with Christmas," Diana told him.
Bruce frowned at her as he crossed his arms against his chest in defiance. "I have a lot of Christmas spirit," he maintained.
Diana nodded thoughtfully as she fed Aydin his baby food. "I wouldn't say a lot, but definitely more than what you had when I first met you," she agreed. "You have gotten better since the twins were born."
"Are you saying that I'm a Scrooge, princess?" he demanded to know, his eyes narrowing accusingly.
"I'm just saying that Christmas is not really your thing," she diplomatically replied as she reached out to wipe the applesauce from her son's mouth. "I understand why and I'm not saying it's a bad thing. I just think I'm better at it then you are."
Bruce took a sip of his coffee, his jaw clenching in annoyance. "So, you're saying that you—a princess from an island that has been isolated from the outside world for thousands of years—has more Christmas spirit than I do? Someone who grew up having Christmas every year?"
Diana looked up at him with a patient smile. "Yes," she confirmed. "Face it, Bruce. Without me here, this place would be like a morgue during the holidays."
Bruce clenched and unclenched his jaw, an idea forming in his mind as a devilish smirk appeared on his face. "Care to make it interesting, princess?"
It was Diana's turn to frown as she stared at her husband. "What are you talking about?"
"Let's see who has more Christmas spirit," he challenged her.
A single, raven eyebrow arched questioningly as she picked Aydin up out of his highchair. She stood up, handing her son over to his father so she could clean up the dishes. "You're turning Christmas into a competition?"
"Yes," he flatly stated as Aydin grabbed at Bruce's nose with a giggle. "You and me, princess…unless of course you're scared that I'll beat you."
Diana looked up from the dishes she'd stacked together to take to the sink. "You're trying to antagonize me into competing against you."
"Is it working?" he asked as he playfully nibbled at Aydin's fingers.
"Yes," she admitted. "You're on, Wayne. Prepare to be beaten."
Bruce smiled to himself with the memory, remembering the agreement they had come to on the spoils. Whoever lost had to do whatever the other one wanted for a whole evening. He already had a very long list of things in mind for his beautiful Amazon princess…a list that forced him on through the heavy snow despite the cold temperature.
"Daddy, what are you up to?" Rachel perceptively asked, reminding him all over again how much his firstborn was like him. Inquisitive and suspicious to a fault, a mind like a steel trap. It was going to be his undoing especially when she got older. Right now, she was only seven. They were going to be in so much trouble when she became a teenager.
"Your mom and I have a little bet between us, and I plan on winning," he finally confessed.
"Is that why mom is going crazy with decorating the whole house?" Reesa asked, sticking her tongue out in an effort to catch a snowflake on her tongue.
"Decorating the whole house?" Bruce questioned her, stopping to turn and look at his twin daughters.
"Yah," Rachel confirmed, Reesa nodding her head in unison with her sister. "Mom was starting in the living room when we left."
"She said she was going to decorate the whole house?" Bruce asked.
"Top to bottom is what she said," Reesa said with a shrug.
Bruce grumbled to himself, schemes and plans already forming in his mind. There was no way he was going to let his wife beat him. He had plans for her that included sexy lingerie, massage oil, and no interruptions. He tugged on the scarf around his neck, deciding it was suddenly getting rather warm out here.
"What are you going to do to beat her, daddy?" Rachel asked.
He could tell by the look on her face that she was already trying to think of something to help him out. "Don't worry," he told her. "I'll come up with something."
"If mom is decorating the inside, why don't you decorate the outside?" Reesa suggested.
"Good idea, Reesa," Bruce decided with a nod. "We've got a lot of work to do, girls."
"Are we allowed to help you?" Rachel asked, her hands on her hips in a way that was so reminiscent of her mother. "Shouldn't we be helping mom too?"
"She doesn't need any help," he reassured them. "She has Aydin on her side…and I wouldn't count Alfred out."
"But Aydin is still a baby," Reesa pointed out, her nose wrinkled in confusion.
"He can walk," Bruce told her as he continued towards the tree that he'd already decided on.
"Daddy," Rachel groaned. "You're being silly. Aydin will try to eat the decorations."
"This is the tree, girls," Bruce announced with pride as he tilted his head back to appreciate their new Christmas tree.
"That's huge!" Rachel exclaimed, nearly stumbling backwards as she leaned back to look up at the tree.
"It's not going to fit in the house, daddy," Reesa agreed.
"It'll fit," he reassured them. "Just wait and see."
XXX
"What do you think, Aydin?" Diana asked as she took a couple of steps back to appraise her handiwork, her hands coming to rest on her hips.
Aydin babbled excitedly as he chewed on his teething ring. He bounced on his legs as he stood in his playpen, watching his mother as she worked. Diana turned to smile warmly at him. "I agree," she cooed, walking over to pick him up. "Your father is going to lose and we're going to win."
"Miss Diana," Alfred said with a pleased gasp. "The manor has never looked so festive in all the years I've been here."
"You like it, Alfred?"
"I love it," he confirmed. "The lights around the top of the room are a very nice touch."
"Did Bruce's parents decorate very much for Christmas?" she asked.
"Oh, my yes," he confirmed as he handed Aydin his sippy cup. "Mister Wayne went to all sorts of extremes much to Missus Wayne's dismay. She attempted to rein him in every year and every year he would go completely overboard."
Diana smiled to herself as she pictured the couple in her mind's eye. "I wish I could've known them," she replied.
"I do too, Miss," he agreed with a sorrowful nod. "They would've absolutely loved you…and they would've adored their grandchildren. They would've spoiled them rotten."
Aydin giggled as Alfred tickled him, the little boy reaching out for the British butler to hold him. Alfred readily took him into his arms, kissing him on the temple. Diana smiled as she watched the pair that was nearly inseparable. "I'm sure they would have," she said. "Thankfully, they have a grandfather that loves them just as much."
Alfred beamed with pride. "So, what is next on the agenda?" he asked as he took a seat on the couch, Aydin settling contentedly on his lap.
"Well, Bruce took the girls to find a tree," she revealed. "I can only imagine how that's going."
Alfred chuckled as he shook his head in amusement. "I never thought I'd see the day that Master Bruce would be just like his father when it came to Christmas," he admitted. "I must say that it's a wonderful surprise. After his parents passed away, I feared that he'd never celebrate Christmas again."
"I think the children have gone a long way in helping to heal some of those wounds."
"I think it has a lot to do with the wonderful woman he married," Alfred keenly added.
A faint blush suffused her cheeks as she made her way to the box of decorations that she'd purchased. "I hope I've helped him get past some of his hurts," she confessed. "I only want him to be happy."
"I dare say I've never seen Master Bruce happier," he reassured her.
"Alfred, what do you think about this?" she asked, holding up a large Christmas wreath. "Do you think it's too much?"
"Not at all," he readily decided. "It will look lovely above the fireplace."
"I was going to use these boughs of holly on the fireplace mantle, but I think you're right," she replied. "I like the wreath above the fireplace better. I'll use all of these boughs of holly along the balustrade."
"Did the stockings arrive yet?"
Diana's face lit up with the reminder of the Christmas stockings she had ordered. "Yes!" she excitedly exclaimed, quickly grabbing another box. "They just came this morning."
Alfred watched as she pulled out matching Christmas stockings, each one with their name embroidered on it. "Those are perfect, Miss Diana."
Diana looked up as the clock chimed the top of the hour, panic flitting across her face. "I have to hurry," she told him. "Bruce and the girls will be back soon, and I still have to decorate their bedrooms before they return."
Alfred chuckled as he settled back on the couch with a sleeping Aydin who had already dozed off. He reached for his cup of tea as Miss Diana raced out of the room. Propping Aydin against his chest, the British butler patted his back as his grandson slept, enjoying the Christmas decorations that surrounded him.
There was no denying that the Christmas spirit had certainly bitten the Wayne family this year.
XXX
Bruce scowled as he glared at the Christmas decorations that pretty much covered the inside of Wayne Manor. His determined wife had left very little untouched in her efforts to beat him. Well, he wasn't going to take it laying down. He was going to win this competition one way or another.
In search of his daughters, he finally found them in the entertainment room. "What are you doing?"
"Watching Frosty the Snowman," Rachel told him.
He frowned as his gaze travelled over the room that was practically dripping with holiday cheer. Diana was winning and he knew it. Verbally admitting it was another thing. His eyes landed on the enormous Christmas tree that took up a whole corner of the room, the top grazing the ceiling and leaving no room for the star at the top.
It's wide branches swept out, extending far into the room and taking up more than its fair share of space. It was the biggest tree that had ever graced the inside of Wayne Manor, bigger than anything his father had ever brought through the manor doors. It caused pride to swell in his chest. His father would've been proud too.
Diana couldn't top his Christmas tree no matter how hard she tried.
Still, he had to admit that she'd really outdone herself with decorating the inside of the manor…and all of their bedrooms. Each bedroom had a small Christmas tree of their own including their own bedroom. He grimaced as he considered their master bedroom. She had gone to extremes between the countless strings of lights, the Christmas tree, and the red tinsel that decorated their room. He knew she had done it on purpose to prove a point to him.
Well, he was going to show her that he had more Christmas spirit than her even if it killed him.
"Come on, girls," he said as he turned to leave the room. "We've got work to do."
The twins jumped off the couch, rushing after their father. "What are going to do?" Reesa asked as they followed him to the foyer closet.
"We're going to show your mother I know how to do Christmas better than she does," he told them.
"What are we going to put up outside?" Rachel asked, sitting on the floor to pull her winter boots on.
"You'll see," he said with a grin. "I've got it all planned out."
Slipping on boots, hats, and coats, the twins followed their father outside to find several large boxes waiting for them. The girls ran towards the stacks of boxes, more than anxious to see what he had gotten. "What's inside?" Reesa excitedly asked.
"Let's open them and see," he suggested as he pulled out a knife to open one.
Opening the box, he pulled out a large, wire frame already wrapped in lights in the shape of a Christmas tree. "That's huge!" Rachel exclaimed.
"That's awesome, daddy!" Reesa agreed.
"Where do you think we should put it?"
Rachel and Reesa stood side-by-side, both studying the front of the manor as if the decision held all the weight of the world. "There," Rachel and Reesa both decided, pointing in opposite directions.
Bruce chuckled in amusement. "How about we put it in front of these two bushes?"
"That'll work," Reesa agreed.
Bruce set to work securing the wire-framed yard decorations, getting only three of them up before unwittingly becoming a target for his twin daughters who had lost interest in the project. Plugging in the lights, he straightened up only to receive a snowball to the back of his head. He slowly turned around to a chorus of giggles.
"All right," he said in feigned annoyance as his hands found his hips, his narrowed eyes taking in the sight of his twin daughters. "Which one of you hit me with a snowball?"
Reesa pointed at Rachel to find her sister pointing back at her. Both girls burst into squeals as their father began to chase them, a snowball in each hand. "Daddy! No!" his daughters shrieked, laughing so hard it was difficult to catch their breath as they tried to evade his attack.
"Oh, no," Bruce replied. "You two started it and I'm going to finish it."
"What is going on out here?" Tim asked only to be hit by a snowball right in the chest.
"Help, Tim!" Rachel yelled as she packed snow into a ball.
"Hey! What did I do?" he asked, ducking to avoid getting hit again.
"Save us from daddy!" Reesa shrieked as she ran to hide behind her brother.
"You're just in time," Bruce told him. "We need your help putting up these Christmas lights and decorations."
Tim frowned as he looked around at the stacks of boxes. "What is all of this for?" he asked in confusion.
"Mommy and daddy are competing," Rachel announced.
Tim laughed as realization sunk in. "That explains why the inside of the manor is wall-to-wall Christmas," he said with a grin. "Please tell me you didn't buy a bunch of silly inflatables, Bruce."
"No," Bruce stated. "We just have six more of these wire-framed Christmas trees to put up and then we have to string up all the lights on the front of the manor."
Tim groaned as he suddenly noticed the dozens of boxes of lights stacked on the sidewalk. "You have got to be kidding me," he grumbled. "Why don't you just surrender to mom and get it over with?"
"Never," Bruce growled. "I never surrender."
"Mom pretty much has you beaten already," Tim decided. "The inside of the manor has never looked so merry and bright."
"I have far more Christmas spirit than the Amazon princess," Bruce adamantly stated. "I'm going to prove it one way or another."
"You two really need to see a marriage counselor about being so competitive with each other," Tim said with a shake of his head.
"It's fun," he told him. "Now, come on and help us."
"I don't know," Tim muttered. "Seems to me that you already have a lot of help. What does Diana have?"
"Alfred and Aydin," Reesa revealed.
"That doesn't sound like a lot of help," Tim decided. "I'm thinking that maybe I need to help mom."
"Who are you more scared of?" Bruce asked with a Batglare.
"Mom…definitely mom," Tim readily decided, refusing to wilt under Bruce's piercing glare.
"We'll see about that," Bruce growled.
"Come on, Tim," Rachel pleaded as she pulled on his hand. "Help us help daddy. He needs it."
"Well, I don't think I necessarily need it," Bruce corrected her. "It just would be nice."
"No, he needs the help," Reesa added. "We're desperate."
"I wouldn't go that far," Bruce stated with a frown.
"Daddy!" Rachel exclaimed. "I'm trying to help you."
"Whatever," their father grumbled as he walked away.
XXX
Diana Wayne turned down the road that would lead her home, more than excited about the Christmas decorations that she'd been able to pick up this afternoon. She glanced at her son sitting in his car seat behind her. He kicked his little legs and squealed as she smiled at him in the rearview mirror.
"We're going to win, Aydin," she told him.
He squealed again, shaking his teething ring that had drool all over it. She had to admit that she had been skeptical about Bruce's contest, but it had been fun so far. She'd enjoyed coming up with ways to decorate each of their bedrooms as well as the manor itself. Knowing that Bruce had plans of his own only seemed to spur her on, making her wonder what he'd come up with next.
She didn't have to wait long as she noticed a glow coming from the direction of the manor, causing a cold chill to settle over her. "What did your father do now?" she grumbled to her son as she drove faster in order to get home.
She pursed her lips as she drew closer to home, her mind already racing with ideas for getting one up on him. She wasn't going to lose and definitely not to her husband. She'd never hear the end of it. When the manor came into view, however, she was beginning to think that she was in big trouble.
Parking her SUV in the circle drive, Diana got out of the car as her husband was climbing down the ladder. "Bruce! What in the name of Hera are you doing?"
Bruce smirked at his wife, twirling the hammer in his hand. "I believe it's called winning, princess."
Diana ground her teeth as she opened the back door of her car to retrieve her son. Aydin began to babble excitedly at the sight of all the Christmas lights that lit up Wayne Manor like a beacon. "Dada…dada," he called.
Bruce took his son into his arms, walking around the SUV to show him what he'd done. "Do you like it, Aydin?"
"We helped!" Reesa yelled as she and her sister came out from behind one of the trees.
"I don't know how much you actually helped," Tim said as he came down off the roof as well.
"We were very helpful," Rachel insisted.
"I think you spent more time playing in the snow," Tim decided, pulling the front of her knit hat down over her eyes.
Retrieving her purchases, Diana closed her car door before turning her attention to her husband. "This isn't over, Bruce," she told him, her blue eyes alight with determination.
"I think I pretty much settled it right here," he insisted, leaning in to kiss her. "Come on, princess. Time to pay up."
Diana smiled sweetly at him…the kind of smile that made him feel all warm inside before he realized just how much trouble he was actually in. "It's not over yet," she replied, mischief dancing in her eyes. "Come on, girls. I'm sure Alfred has dinner ready."
"But we're helping daddy beat you," Rachel whined as they followed her up the sidewalk.
"Are you sure you want to be on the losing side?" she asked her daughter.
"Daddy's going to lose?" Reesa uttered with a gasp.
"He most definitely will," Diana confirmed, glancing back over her shoulder at her husband.
"Diana, tomorrow is Christmas," he reminded her. "I think the bet is over with."
"We'll see," she simply said.
Tim laughed, elbowing Bruce before following his sisters inside. "You are so dead."
"I am not!" Bruce exclaimed, glancing down at his son. "I'm going to win."
Aydin just giggled as he pulled his winter hat off, handing it to Bruce. "Taking her side, aren't you?" Bruce asked with a sigh before going inside as well.
XXX
Christmas Eve had been surprisingly quiet, not a creature was stirring…not even a Joker. Driving back to the manor, he was anxious to return to the cave so he could input his notes and head to bed. He longed to curl up in bed next to his wife, hopefully finding out when she was going to pay up for losing.
The morning would be full of Christmas festivities with the family, opening presents and enjoying Alfred's chocolate chip pancakes for breakfast. Tonight, they had the twin's birthday parties with several friends coming to help celebrate with them.
He knew his fellow Founders would take his side once they saw the extreme measures that he had gone to in order to instill the holiday spirit into his home and his family. Then, Diana would have to face the fact that she had lost, and he had won. Why she had even thought for one second that she had more Christmas spirit than he did was beyond him.
Well, he had more than proven his point, driving it home with the countless strings of lights that adorned the outside of the manor. He was positive that Wayne Manor could be visible from the Watchtower if they looked for it.
Pulling into the cave, he parked the Batmobile, removing his cowl as he exited the car. He was more than relieved that this Christmas's patrol had gone so much better than last year's. He shuddered as he remembered how he'd almost missed Christmas with his family because of the Joker.
Bruce suddenly stopped dead in tracks as his gaze fell on the unexpected sight that greeted him. He swallowed hard as he tried to force his legs to move, but they felt like lead. How could she have done this to him…to his Batcave of all places?
Was nothing sacred anymore?
Grinding his teeth, Bruce stalked towards the platform, his gaze drinking in the sight of his computer system completely decorated with red and green tinsel. Christmas lights were wrapped around everything, making it next to impossible for him to type up his notes until he'd untangled everything.
He stood there in stunned silence, his gauntleted hands curling into fists at his sides beneath his cape as thoughts of revenge raced through his mind. "DIANA!"
"Yes, Bruce?" she sweetly asked from behind him.
"What did you do?" he growled, unable to even turn around to face his devious wife.
"I believe it's called winning," she told him. "Isn't that what you called it last night?"
His clenched jaw clicked as it locked into place, momentarily keeping him from responding to her. "Diana, you know the cave is off limits to…"
Turning around to finally face his wife, Bruce's voice promptly trailed off at the sight of her. She was dressed in sexy red lingerie, a red ribbon tied into a bow around her neck reminding him of the first Christmas he had spent with her on the Watchtower that fateful night.
A deep, vibrating growl reverberated from somewhere in his chest, his brain function nearly shutting down completely. His heart started hammering as she slowly walked towards him in red stiletto heels, his throat suddenly becoming as dry as the Sahara.
"What's the matter, Bruce?" she innocently asked. "Have you so quickly forgotten the Christmas present I gave you that night on the Watchtower eleven years ago? I think that proves I have more Christmas spirit than you do."
Bruce removed his gauntlets, tossing them over his shoulder to land on the platform with a soft thud as he closed the distance between them. His hands immediately grasped hold of her hips, keeping her right where he wanted her. "And do you remember what happened the next Christmas, princess?" he huskily asked, suddenly wishing he was wearing a lot less clothing at that moment.
She looked up and to the right, pretending to have to think about it. She slowly raked her teeth over her bottom lip as she pondered his question, earning a throaty groan for her seductive move. "Hmmm…I'm not sure I remember," she coyly replied.
He leaned in and brushed his lips against hers, planting butterfly kisses along her jaw to her ear. "Your quarters covered in mistletoe…a marriage proposal…mind-blowing sex."
"I think I might need reminding," she teased as her arms slipped around his neck.
"Really?" he growled in annoyance. "I think that was not only very romantic but showed a lot of Christmas spirit. Plus, I married you on Christmas the following year."
"And I gave birth to your daughters on Christmas," she reminded him, tilting her head to the side as he began to kiss along her throat.
"How about we just call a truce?" he offered.
Diana pulled back to look at him, her eyebrow arching in disbelief as her hands settled on her hips. "Do you want this Christmas present or not?" she asked.
"Fine…you win," he quickly surrendered, his mouth crashing into hers as he lifted her up to wrap her legs around his waist.
He somehow managed to find his command chair, falling into it with his wife firmly situated on his lap. As she tore his uniform off his body, he readily decided that this competition was one that he was more than happy to lose. If he had known that she was going to surprise him in the cave in red lingerie, he would've suggested this bet years ago.
TO BE CONTINUED…CHRISTMAS 2020
Sorry it's so late, but it's still Christmas! Hope you all had a wonderful day. :)
