HERE COMES THE BRIDE.
CHAPTER VII: CATCHING FIRE.
Thanks everyone for the wonderful support *.* Please keep reading, favoriting and reviewing :D Every comment is priceless and long reviews are the best ^^.
Enjoy and let me know what you think. Actually, I´ve been wanting to write this chapter since I started up the story! lol
Thank you Mari for being an awesome beta ^^ (Hope you´re okay, I waited for five days and didn´t get a reply. Wish you all the luck in the world for your exam xxx).
Diana thought that getting it all out in the open would make her heart lighter. She expected peace and joy to invade her soul, but it wasn´t so. She hated the nasty fight she had with Steve, she hated all the hurtful horrible things he said to her. She couldn´t just walk away, find love and feel happy, she knew some time, some day, she would have to face him again. She was also offended by what he did, but she couldn´t put any claim on it. As she told him, it was just a proof of how doomed they relationship was. She was raised in greek philosophy. She believed in destiny. She believed in things that were bound to happen. And despite herself, she now believed she could love hurtfully deep. When did my life get so complicated? Only a few hours to see him again.
She sighed. How much does he know? Why didn´t he call?
She went for a walk on her armor, to get used to have it on again. Diana´s steps were slow enough to take in the beauty of the city under the morning light. The amazon had rarely allowed herself such a luxury. She had a mission. She needed to calm down. She needed something to cheer her up. It was during days like this, when her heart and soul were gloomy and heavy, when she missed her home the most. Her mother.
Her eyes fixed on a building and the men that were pulling up a huge piano to get it in through the balcony into one of the pent houses built in the top floors. Music. Her eyes wandered down the solid structure again and settled on a little dark haired girl, walking hand in hand with her mother. A smile bloomed on her lips as her hand rested on her belly instinctively. It wasn´t until then that she admitted to herself how much she really wanted that baby. She wanted to share a life with Bruce, that was a fact, but no matter if her baby was a boy or a girl, and no matter who the father was, she would love her child with all her heart. She could already tell that. My little sun and stars.
She was still uncertain about Bruce´s real intentions, but she knew there was a strong irresistible chemistry between them and she was certain about her own feelings. If he happened to want her, he would have to take her child too.
Wonder Woman´s attention went back to the little girl. Her baby blue eyes sparkled like stars, just like the mother´s. And Diana couldn't help to picture herself with a daughter of her own. The child laughed and the woman picked her up. She hugged her mother. The fact of Hyppolita not being around to be a part of her life suddenly ached.
She heard the men shouting to the two females when the ropes holding up the piano loosened up and all his weight speeded back to the ground. Diana squealed and arrived just in time to push them away. She fell to the ground face-up and the piano shattered to pieces when it hit her body. In the few seconds she laid still on the floor, the girl ran to her and pulled at her hand, trying to wake her up. She sat up and rubbed her ribs. A scared pair of eyes stared at her in awe. For the petite child Diana was so beautiful, strong and tall.
The amazon stood back on her feet and picked up the kid.
"Are you okay?" She smiled.
The girl nodded and Diana handed her back to the mother, who hugged her tightly.
"Thank you, so much."
"You´re welcome."
The girl stared intently again at her in utter disbelief.
"You okay, Wonder Woman?"
"Yes, it only tickled a bit."
"Tickled?" the small one asked.
"Yes, like this." Diana giggled tickling her. The girl laughed and shook her legs.
"That tickles."
"You have always been my favorite hero." The mother said. "You´re such an amazing role model for women of strength and bravery."
"Thank you." Diana felt her checks flush. At that moment, she didn´t feel like a role model for anything at all.
"They said you´re leaving the Justice League. Is it true? You can´t leave. Please don´t leave."
"I… I don´t really know yet."
Diana could have asked the woman if there was anything she wouldn´t do for her child, and she would have understood her reasons. Instead, she just flew away and back to her place. The baby was still something only Steve and J´onn knew about.
She was lucky passing by unnoticed before. Now every single pair of eyes was settled on her.
The hero. The amazing amazon. She would always be so.
.-.-.-.-
Diana was glad that, being off the League, she had no duties to perform and she could declare it a day off to treat herself and have some ice cream. How she loved ice cream! She could really use a bit of the restful silence of peace. She grabbed a pack of Ben and Jerry´s from her fridge –chocolate, of course- and sat in front of a movie. She decided a few senseless tears would help clear her head and put on Bridges of Madison County. She laughed remembering that one night, zapping through the channels, she caught a character saying "Oh, shut up and let Clint and Meryl teach you how to love." (A/N: Allan Harper, in Two and a Half Men). She got a box of Kleenex and pushed play.
Doing things with no rush at all felt much better than she remembered. So, when it was over, she took a long bath and even a longer time deciding what to wear. At some point, she would have to talk things through with Bruce. And it was exciting, but it also made her very nervous. What does he really want?
In the first place, she put on a pair of jeans and a white blouse. It was light, airy and very comfortable. She fixed her hair in her usual braid and got onto a pair of golden sandals. Once she was satisfied with the way she looked, she spun to check on her Wonder Woman outfit. That trick turned out to be SO helpful! She grabbed the piece she had chosen for that night: a golden sequined short dress that molded up to her figure in the right places: radiant, it was like wearing the sun on her. She was amazed of how brilliant women could have fun with such silly things like shopping and wedding planning. It must be love, it does the most strange things to people. She made a mental note of thanking Lois for picking it for her.
She brushed her hair and once again changed into her Diana Prince persona. Then, she left.
.-.-.-.-.-
Diana knew she would be arriving early to the Wayne´s Mansion. She hoped it would give her some time alone with Bruce. Alfred ushered her in and got her a glass of orange juice. She sat next to the pool admiring the sunset and the iridescent reflections of sunlight over the water. She was a very thoughtful person. It was mesmerizing and it helped her handle the sheer anticipation. Maybe that was what was making her stomach hurt. She was just nervous, right?
"It´s beautiful, isn´t it?"
Startled, she stood up and turned to face him, taking a step back that placed her just a few inches away from the water. She just jumped back. She nearly fell in. He was standing with his hands on the pockets of his black trousers and the sleeves of his white shirt folded to the elbows. Confident, handsome and sexy. That was Bruce Wayne all along, a man to die for. Her knees faltered. He grinned seductively at her and she smiled back playfully.
"It really is." She nodded.
"But not as half as you are."
The compliment left her completely abashed. Did he just say I´m beautiful?
"Wow, some… appreciation out of nowhere."
"Not completely out of nowhere."
This time, her face dyed as crimson as the roses in the background and she looked away to hide id.
"You´re embarrassing me."
He took the hint and changed the subject, approaching her more.
"Are you okay, Diana?"
"A bit shaken still, but I´ll live."
"He was an asshole and you know it."
"What you really want to say is I told you so, right?"
"Touché."
"Well, thanks for asking. The thing is I wasn´t the perfect bride either. I was cheating too, I deserved it, I guess."
"Diana, listen to yourself. Are you really saying you deserved it? No woman deserves to be treated the way he treated you and you should know it."
She groaned, frustrated. "You are right. The thing is, everything changed for me, and so fast… I just… I don´t know who I am anymore. I don´t understand what´s going on, I don´t understand what I´m doing, I don´t understand what I´m feeling and I don´t know what to do. Right now, I feel plain stupid, because of everything I did. Dumb, idiot and brainless."
"No, you are not. You are still the smartest woman I ever met. You need time. There comes a moment when we all do and it´s nothing you should be ashamed of."
"Thank you." She smiled sincerely and looked up at him. "When did we stop fighting and started actually talking? We seem to be old friends."
He was about to respond the obvious, it happened when we fell in love. But instead, he said something else.
"We have always been friends."
"You are right. Again." She conceded.
"I always am."
She raised an eyebrow. "Don´t push your luck, handsome. Anyway, I´ve been thinking about it and I got to understand that what happened was unavoidable."
"You mean…?"
"Breaking up with him. I was going to do so sooner or later. I wasn´t in love anymore, I just didn´t know how to face it, how to handle it. My mistake was not leaving him earlier. This world is so different from mine and as much as I try… I can´t take it all in one. I do really… need time."
"And us?"
"It was bound to happen too. One way or another. Serendipity…" He responded to her words wrapping an arm around her waist. "By the way, I can deal with my own disasters, as I said, but thank you for showing up."
"It was nothing, I was around. The important thing is that you are alright."
"Sure, that I am alright."
"Exactly." He said, with all the seriousness he was capable of and she laughed.
"And again, I´m sorry for kissing you like that."
"Don´t be." He smirked. "It was a delightful… revenge."
Diana laughed, leaning backwards and relying on his arm. "Well, I…" But he removed his arm and she lost balance, plunging straight into the pool and splashing around as the cerulean liquid swallowed her completely. Before the woman surfaced, her hand crept out of the water and she grabbed his leg, bringing him down too with a strong pull. She wiped her face after taking a deep breath.
"Oh, yes. Revenge is… delightful."
He emerged just a few inches away from her. He was a better swimmer than she reckoned him to be.
"Why did you do it, Bruce? I´m all wet now."
Ignoring her words, he spun her around and pinned her against the side wall. Diana´s heart was heating up to start a furious race.
"Do you really want to know? I´m afraid you might have to use your lasso."
When his body pressed against hers it definitely skipped a bit. The cold material against which her back was pressed made a delicious contrast with the heat his presence emanated. No one ever had such a powerful effect on her before, and she found it quite frightening. It was spooky how much she wanted him. Of course, admitting it was something completely different.
"Are you aware I´m strong enough to kick your guts away from me and out of this pool without blinking an eye?"
"But you wouldn´t do it, would you?"
His face leaned closer to hers and his hand slid softly down her neck and to her cleavage. The contact was airy light and it felt sinfully delicious. The shivering of her skin it provoked was enough to proof that it was oversensitive already. The guy definitely knew what he was doing.
"No."
"You see? I was right, again."
Bruce pressed a soft kiss against her awaiting lips. Diana responded forcefully and eagerly, with the natural amazon vigor she was unable to restrain. His arms wrapped around her slim waist, holding her closer in a quiet demand. She moaned at the warm sensation the intimate closeness brought to her. How did he managed to arouse her in just a few seconds, she didn´t know. Their long kiss intensified, engulfing them both and the need to avoid breaking apart grew heavier.
"You´re not really sorry you kissed me, are you?"
"Of course I´m not." She responded, not breaking apart and her fingers slid down his shirt, undoing the first buttons. "I don´t regret anything we did."
"What are you trying, princess?"
"I´m pretty obvious, I can´t lie. You know what I want." She whispered, keeping on her task. "And I can feel I´m not the only one whose mind has just gone down the gutter."
"I told you, you are smart. I don´t intend to stop unless you beg me to."
"I´m not complaining."
Diana didn´t wait for him to reply. She wrapped her arms around his neck and, this time, kissed him deeply, unraveling a passion she didn´t know she was capable of before. IT was a strong, yet delightful feeling. Since the day they met, Bruce took everything she knew to a new level, all the time. And she loved that about him. So neither did she protest when he slid his hand to her thighs to lift her up and her legs closed around his waist tightly. He deepened their kiss even more.
"You know, I did wanted you wet…" He whispered hoarsely into the kiss.
His fingers dexterously moved to undo the buttons of her jeans. His partner responded doing the same. There was no light, dark, sound or silence. Until they heard it.
Someone clearing his throat.
Their lips broke apart hastily and Diana tried her best to help blushing as she buttoned back her trousers. It didn´t work.
"Are we interrupting something?"
Diana sighed in embarrassment and resignation. Denial would be of no use. Bruce smirked back to Shayera. Sometimes, she envied how self-confident he was. She used to be so too, but, well, changing into a whole new world could really mess up with your self-esteem. She wouldn´t consider herself apt to survive mockery until she learned to properly hit back. And she was trying hard.
"What makes you think so?"
"I was just guessing." She shrugged.
Wonder Woman was still tangled in her lover´s arms. He stole a kiss from Diana to win the chance to whisper to her ear.
"I love you, woman."
Her world became a row of slide shots through shattered glass. So that´s what you feel when you´re about to faint.
Grabbing the border of the pool, he took impulse with his arms and got out. She stared after him perplexed. He clearly wasn´t expecting an answer and she was too shocked to gather up one. Minutes later, she was still absent-mindedly watching the door he disappeared through. The bastard intently said it when I would be unable to respond!
"Are you okay, Diana?" Superman asked, still in obvious shock.
The amazon also took impulse with her arms and sat on the border of the pool. She grimaced when she felt the pain on her stomach again, for the fourth time since the movie finished. It would come, and it would go again. Is it normal? Shayera sat next to her.
"You so have to admit you already did him."
This time she didn´t blush, she wanted to return the blow.
"I have to say he is an amazing lover."
"Sex is not overrated, is it?"
The amazon groaned. "Why is it you have to always be worse than me? I just can´t beat you."
"Experience, princess."
"Yeah, experience. I don´t think John will be glad to hear that one." Diana rolled her eyes and stood up. She walked to Superman. "I hope you won´t mock me too."
"I´m actually happy about you two."
"Thank you." She replied, squeezing the water from her hair. "I guess. It is not as if there´s anything going on between us anyway…" His last utterance was still dangling in her mind.
"I think what we just saw hardly qualifies as… nothing."
"I mean… officially."
"Oh, I see. I´m sorry about your engagement…"
"You´re not sorry, I know that much."
"I´m happy for you." He placed his finger under her chin to lift her face and meet her eyes. "Don´t let what you´ve got slip away. There are things that don´t come but once in a lifetime."
"I´m a big girl, Kal. You don´t need to worry about me all the time."
"Yeah, but maybe sometimes you can listen."
"I always do."
Diana spun around again. She became a shining golden star emerging from the lightning, the sequins lit up like candles. When she stopped, her gaze got hooked with Bruce, who was staring at her in silent approval. But the others didn´t notice, it was written in his eyes for her. Superman grabbed her arm and she was suddenly flushed away into reality.
"Okay. I´m going into the party with Di and you two stay outside and patrol."
"After what we had just witnessed, I think it´s the most rational thing to do." The thanagarian nodded.
Shayera bitted her lower lip trying not to laugh. She knew how much it would upset the amazon.
"Excuse me." A very offended Diana muttered, getting herself rid from Clark´s hold on her. "I am perfectly capable of restraining myself when necessary." She walked to Bruce and linked her arm with his. "I´m going in with him."
"But, Di…"
"No, no. It´s non-negotiable."
Oh, yes, the night is going to be earth moving. Superman sighed and Shayera laughed, sincerely amused. They all stared at her in confusion.
"What´s so funny?" Diana hissed.
"From where I´m standing, everything."
"What is that supposed to mean?"
"I´m sorry… But you just admitted you needed to restrain yourself. Do you really want him that badly? I admit you have a fine taste in man."
That was it. The red-haired woman finally pushed the amazon over the edge. It was time to regain her self-confidence. Diana took a deep breath and feigned a smile before she replied.
"Oh, yes. So badly I can give him the most amazing blowjobs ever. Want to see it?"
Three jaws dropped. So much of a… virginal princess.
A/N: That was a bit long :p, sorry. Okay, I couldn´t help to make fun of Diana´s conception as a virginal princess :P. Please, pretty please review and I´ll keep the chapters coming.