HERE COMES THE BRIDE

CHAPTER V: HOT AND COLD.

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Thanks to Mari, for her help (Glad to know you want to keep reading. Will be waiting to know what you think of the final version). Xoxo.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

After the tears drained all of her energy, Diana was deep in her sleep when the curtains suddenly opened and sunlight harshly slapped across her face. Someone brushed his lips against hers and she smiled.

"Good morning, angel."

And she was very glad she heard Steve´s voice before she moaned Bruce´s name.

"Morning." She replied feebly, sitting up.

Her soul sank when she saw him bringing her favorite breakfast to bed for her. Diana had no appetite at all, but he encouraged her to eat. And it didn´t get any better when he apologized for being a jerk and doubting if her loyalty, giving her too the presents he brought with him for her: a golden bangle with her name engraved on it and a bottle of her favorite perfume.

So when they finished eating and he tried a move on her again she felt compelled to pretend, even when her body didn´t flinch an inch again. She felt as cold and stiff as plastic.

Her heart was stabbed to the very bottom and she hated herself for allowing it to happen. She had no one else to blame and she wasn´t worth any of the guys. It wasn´t fair.

.-.-.-.-.-

The last thing Diana wanted was to hurt Bruce and Steve, but it was exactly what she was doing. She had consequences to deal with, yes, but the lies had to end. So she settled a deadline to herself and decided she needed to come up with a plan –a smart, useful, magical, impossible solution- sometime before the meeting at Bruce´s Mansion, whichever the necessary actions turned out to be. She wouldn´t be seeing any of the two guys until then. And no matter what, she would be completely honest. It was very likely they would both hate her… but the ugly truth was, she deserved it. If I could only rip my heart out and never fall in love again. I have still so much to learn about this… I´m not doing anything right.

The day before Audrey´s party –the day before she had agreed to meet with Kal and some of the League members (she assumed)- Diana went with Lois to try on the reporter´s wedding dress. Since she was the one helping the amazon with all the wedding stuff she knew so little about, Diana promised to do the same in return. Her own wedding was completely on hold in her mind. Lois actually looked like an angel inside the dress, since it gracefully followed her curves, so smoothly, and the design of the lace circling the upper half was fabulous.

"You´ll look gorgeous. He won´t take his eyes off you all night long." Diana commented gingerly, linking her arm with Lois´s when they left the store. "Not that you need the help of a dress to do that!"

The comment made the bride laugh.

"He really adores you."

"Oh, come on. I don´t know. I have you to compete with."

Diana gasped and her eyes watered. Her extremely sensitive emotions immediately reacted to what she considered an accusation. She knew she had been acting wrong, but she would never do something that wrong.

"Oh, Hera, Lois. I would never do something like that. We´re just friends. He…"

At this point, Diana had to wipe her tears and Lois looked at her with consternation, confused about her friend´s reason to overreact like that.

"I know that, Diana. Do you think I would be here if I suspected you were trying to steal my man away?"

"I guess not."

"Exactly. No. Now calm down." Lois smiled and hugged her. Diana hugged her back.

"I promise you´re going to have an absolutely fabulous wedding."

"I know. Thank you, Diana. I know I did the right thing when I asked you to be my maid of honor."

"Well, I´m not sure I'm the best choice…" The amazon started, but Lois looked at her watch and interrupted her with a gasp.

"Oh, my God. It´s so late! I´m sorry, but I have to go. I´ll see you next week when we go for the shoes."

"That´s okay. Please… tell him I say hi."

When she finished her line, the woman was long lost inside the crowd.

Doing this sort of things plunged Diana´s soul to her very feet, it forced her to think about all the things she was trying to avoid. But her mistakes where there, in the middle of everything, like something so deeply attached to her that it was impossible to get rid of. Is it going to haunt me forever? Yes, it is. She put it to the back of her mind, once more. It was lunchtime already and her hungry stomach was roaring like a lion. She walked a few blocks hastily, heading to the restaurant she knew would provide her the best Mexican food in town, a dish she had been craving for days. And how she hated those cravings! Her mind was miles away when crashed onto some guy´s ample chest, covered by a white shirt and a gray suit. Her spirit was forced to fall back onto her body with a stud and dizziness clouded her eyes. His surprised arms wrapped tightly around her waist and she looked up to apologize for her clumsiness. She wasn´t ready to see that pair of green eyes staring intently back at her. She blushed, and her already unstable stomach twisted onto a painful knot.

"Hello, Diana."

"Hello, Bruce. It´s…" She forced a smile.

He nodded and instantly let her go from his hold, a little bit too quick.

"Have a nice day." He mumbled, shaking her hand and walking past her. Nothing, unless she makes a move.

But it was too late. She had already seen the sorrow and the longing in his eyes. A pain she had created, and she couldn´t help to feel she owed him something for the horrible way she acted, despite the fact she wanted him close too. Watching him walk away like that was just too hurtful, way more than she could possibly stand. She took two quick steps towards him and grabbed his arm, gently, but firmly.

"Wait!" It was enough to make him stop. "Would you like to go get some lunch?"

He turned around and looked at her up and down, measuring her words, noticing her reddened cheeks, the messy hair, her brisk breathing, the quivering lower lip and the hidden, undefined feelings beneath her eyes. His silence lasted enough to make her blush, ashamed and disappointed with herself. Maybe I was wrong. Maybe he has no real interest in me at all.

"What would you like to eat?" He smiled, grabbing her hand in his.

The gesture was simple, but Diana found it incredibly warming. She didn´t reject him. Her heart started racing again and she breathed deeply. Will he always have this effect on me? Why does it feel so right? Why is it so wrong?

"I think Joe´s will be just fine." She smirked, intertwining her fingers with his.

The place was only half a block away.

.-.-.-.-.-

Diana put the menu down when the waitress took their order and left. She found Bruce staring at her, amused.

"What?" She frowned.

"It´s just I´ve never seen you eat that much before."

Shame immediately stained her cheeks like ink.

"I´m really hungry…"

They both had very strong personalities, and during all the time they have known each other, they hardly had a conversation where they didn´t end up arguing. They both knew it. He was determined to avoid fighting with her this time. He wanted to impress her. He wanted to know how good his chances with her really were. So this time, gentleman is going to be. He raised his palms claiming peace.

"I was just saying…"

"Fair enough."

"You´re coming tomorrow, right?"

"I am."

"How did Clark convince you?"

"I don´t really know." She sighed. "He said you really need me. And well, Audrey is a friend too…"

You? Me? Bruce had the feeling that it had a meaning way more personally than she implied.

"But you´re not coming back…"

She reached for his hand over the table and the intimacy of the gesture surprised her, as much as it surprised him. The sizzling touch kept them attached.

"I wish you did."

"Look, you know too many things changed for me lately. And I swear it´s harder for me, than for anyone else. I´m really confused… Please don´t ask me more than I can give."

"I guess you…"

"I have my reasons, yes. And we will talk about them, eventually."

"Sorry, it wasn´t my intention to push you. But yes, I would really love to discuss your reasons…"

"Well…"

"Look what we have here. Bruce Wayne."

They both looked up and their hands instantly jumped apart, like a mouse away from a mousetrap. The movement caught the man´s attention and his gaze fixed on Diana´s engagement ring.

"Hey, Harvey." Bruce shook the man´s hand.

"You´re getting married, I see. Who´s the lucky lady?"

"This is Diana Prince, but she…"

"Nice to meet you, Diana. Congratulations to you both." He shook her hand too.

"Thank you, but…"

"I´m sorry, I have to leave you. Someone is waiting for me. I´ll be certainly awaiting the invitation."

He smiled and left.

Diana then looked at Bruce with her mouth still open.

"Now he thinks we´re engaged."

"Would it really be that bad?"

"What do you mean?"

"Oh, nothing. If it makes you feel better, I´ll call him."

"I guess." She shrugged. "I have no idea who he is anyway and..."

She shut before she started telling him about her problems with Steve, problems that had been going on for a long while. She wanted to do it, but it wasn´t a good moment.

This time it was him who took her hand, and she felt like she could sit holding his hand forever. It wasn´t hard to decide who was the one she wanted and what was the right thing to do. She just didn´t know how… Her mistake was way too big. But she did know this kind of certainty came but once in a lifetime. Her engagement was over.

"Are you happy, Diana?"

"Well… that´s too much of a complicated question to answer with yes… or no."

"Do you love him madly enough to quit everything you really are?"

She gulped.

"Not really."

"Then you shouldn´t be getting married… to him."

"It´s not that easy, don´t judge me when you don´t understand, Bruce."

"There is something I do understand. He´s not going to make you happy. And if I thought he would, I would be walking to the aisle myself."

"But that wouldn´t make you happy."

"No."

"I do care about you, you know?"

"I care about you too."

She nodded.

"And you´re right. He won´t make me happy."

They both felt silent after that, until they left the restaurant. When they both reached for each other´s hand on the way out, it was without a previous thought and it took them a few blocks to realize they were waking hand in hand.

Diana had seen a different side of Bruce during those last two hours, someone nice and caring behind the cold surface. And now she was sure he wasn´t just a handsome man she physically wanted. She loved him. Her heart skipped a beat and the realization hit her so deeply she stopped dead in her tracks. She loved him. And not only did she love him, she loved him with all her heart. Unaware of the course of her thoughts, he slid his hand across her waist and pulled her closer.

"Your apartment is this way, isn´t it?" He questioned, affirming it and guiding her to turn around the corner and into an alley.

"Yes, it is." She smiled, turning to face him.

Since her move was sudden and he kept walking, Diana lost her balance and he had to wrap both arms around her tightly to prevent her from falling.

"Are you okay?"

She looked up to reply. Her face was inches away from his and she met his eyes, staring intently at her. She didn´t get to utter a single word in reply. She couldn´t hold it anymore. Her lips met his softly and quietly.

"I am now." She whispered, but that was all she got to say. He pulled her closer and intensified the kiss. She responded hungrily, moaning when his hands slid down her back and beneath her waistband. Her body molded up to his, her arms circled his neck, their tongues tangled in a forceful battle.

Until someone turned around the corner running and crashed against Bruce and Diana, breaking them apart before he kept going at full speed. Half of her was glad the man broke them apart, because she didn´t trust her self-control at all. The other half was dying to go way beyond that kiss with him… once more. But something put her mind completely away from the moment.

When Wonder Woman heard the old lady claiming someone stole her bag, she took off running after the thief.

A/N: Hope you liked it. Please review ^^. Next update will be for The Queen´s Daughter. I am open to your suggestions and ideas, just PM me. The story is for you, after all =)