Chapter 6: In Your Eyes

After "This Little Piggy," Batman tries to decide between following his heart and listening to his mind. In this chapter, he'll explore Reason #3 for not getting involved with Diana – the fact that if any of his enemies found out about their relationship, they'd use it against him…

Disclaimer: Still don't own Justice League or Wondy or Bats. Most unfortunate.

Spontaneously breaks into song My beta's back and you're gonna get in trouble! Hey-la! Hey-la! My beta's back! I'm done now

Thanks, Korovan, for providing a little bit of inspiration for this chapter!

"In your eyes/the light the heat/in your eyes/I am complete/in your eyes…the resolution of all the fruitless searches/in your eyes/I see the light and the heat/in your eyes" – Peter Gabriel

And, pressing his lips to the top of her head, feeling the damp silk beneath his lips, he realized that nothing was. Sometimes you couldn't control all the variables and sometimes, life simply played out itself regardless of where you tried to lead it. Not exactly fate or divine intervention, but simply a way of directing you into doing what was right, what was necessary, regardless of what was good or easy.

That direction had led him here, to this room right now, and while he deeply regretted the first step that had forced him along this path, the loss of his parents, he knew that he couldn't back the clock and maybe, just maybe, his past had given him his future and alongside the ever present sense of loss was contentment.

And for right now, contentment was enough. He knew that he'd made mistakes in the past, that he'd analyzed things to the point where he simply could no longer allow himself to revel in the moment, to just allow himself to feel and to be. Sometimes it was hard to separate the Batman from Bruce Wayne and remember that he was a man and not just a dark figure of urban legend. The analytical part of his brain wanted to ponder every possibility, every imminent problem that could come of being with a woman like Diana, but the emotional, albeit rarely used, side of his brain was pushing for him to allow himself a little bit of happiness amidst the darkness and to remember that he too deserved the same things as ordinary men: love, affection, friends, perhaps even a family of his own.

A part of him wanted to dwell on the mistakes of the past and bring up the usually present reminders of his failures, of the miseries that he had previously suffered in relationships. A little voice was whispering insistently in his voice that nothing had worked in the past, that his heart had been broken repeatedly, that Diana was no different, that she too would leave him broken in the end.

And she might. He was willing to accept that as a possible outcome of their relationship. He had learned often enough in life that just because you wanted something hard or deep enough didn't make it true or make it happen. There were always qualifications, always consequences, complications, and constraints, no matter who you were in life, an ordinary man or a superhero, a living legend.

But right now, he was letting his heart rule his brain in a move that was, to say the least, unusual for him, and reminding himself, as he pulled her closer, rubbing his cheek over her tousled hair, that planning and analyzing didn't always equal success. Tonight, he had planned to walk away, to leave behind the sexy, fiercely determined Amazon who had been stealing pieces of his heart since he had first met her, convinced that he was better off alone, that the mission could only be served if he could focus utterly and completely on it, on the lonely existence that was his life.

A small part of him realized just how pathetic that was, that he was so determined to remain alone, to stay aloof and unattached so that he could continue to serve Gotham and his own quiet need for vengeance, for vigilance. He knew that he could not compromise that safety of Gotham, but he wondered just why his lack of a family life would help Gotham, how love would soften him. With a woman like Diana, love could make a man strong, make a man fight for the things at home and not just the things that he'd lost along the way.

He also recognized the fact that she wasn't the kind of women who would force him to choose between her and Gotham, to choose between emotion and duty. His duty was first and foremost to Gotham and Diana would accept that, it was simply an inherent part of her personality. She too had duties and obligations that she had to fill, that were a part of her life and the lifestyle that she had chosen. She understood like few other women could the complications of his life and the way he chose to live it. Diana might not understand the reasons for it, might not understand the cold reality of having a parent stripped away, but she understood that things came with a price. Early on, she had chosen to save her home of Themyscira, but in doing so, had brought men to the sacred island of the Amazons, forcing her mother to exile her, to banish her from the home she had known for so long. In different ways, they had each lost a parent: him from someone doing what was wrong and her from someone doing what was right.

It seemed that tragedies happened without rhyme or reason sometimes.

But that same background that had ended in exile for Diana, that same Amazon strength and tenacity, the utter courage that it had taken for her to fight for and in Man's World, was the same thing that had drawn him to her. He knew that sometimes, he allowed himself to be weak; not in strength or mind, but in emotions. Diana would never let him back away from his emotions, she would instead challenge him to meet them head on, refuse to let him shrink away from his life and take solace in the shadows. Diana wasn't a woman of the shadows, she was like starlight, always there lighting your way, seeking out the darkness and chasing it away with the power of her light. She wouldn't let him hide anymore.

It was a heady, heartening, and scary thought all at once.

Still, he had known who she was and what she was before he had walked in that door and his heart had yet to regret that decision. In addition to the other qualities that made her so fitting a match for him, it eased his mind to realize that there were few others in the world who equaled her in strength, in years of training and utter determination. After all, what other woman would enjoy the challenge of chasing the Batman into a relationship? She was strong willed and strong minded, a difficult woman to defeat under any circumstances. Therefore, he wouldn't have to be quite so paranoid that she couldn't take care of herself, that others could use her as a weapon, as a pawn against him. Even when he had said those words to her earlier tonight, he had known them for the lie that they were, particularly when she had smashed the head of the gargoyle there in front of him, the dust and debris littering the air.

It was hard to argue with that show of brute force, and hard to argue with the fact that she had wanted to disprove his arguments, to dissuade him from his course of going it alone. She had led him here tonight, no matter what he chose to believe. She had fought to make this moment a reality, fought against his logic and his reasons, stubbornly deciding that they would be a good match.

Still, if Circe hadn't attacked tonight, he might be in the Bat-cave right now, or patrolling Gotham City, home alone in the cold darkness rather than feeling the light, the heat of the woman he was cradling in his arms. It was hard to resist Diana when she put her mind to something; in fact, he was somewhat surprised that he had managed to hold out for so long.

But the past had held him back, it always seemed to have him in its greedy clutches, ruthlessly stripping from his life all the things that offered hope, offered promise. This time, he reckoned, it would be different. He would be different. Oh, he knew that he wasn't about to change overnight, but he also knew that he would simply make his brilliant and analytical brain accept the fact that Diana was good for him. She helped to chase away the shadows, even if he knew that he would return to them, return to the Bat, to the shell of the man he'd been for so many years now. He just wouldn't return so often. If he could fight for Gotham, for his parents and so many others, why couldn't, or wouldn't, he fight for Diana as well?

The feel of her in his arms was comparable to a slice of paradise, even knowing the complications that tomorrow could bring along with the inexpressible joy of knowing that he had captured the heart of Princess Diana of Themyscira, the Wonder Woman of the world. She had admitted her love to him, although he wasn't quite sure that he was ready to return the words, they still echoed around the room, bouncing off the walls and crawling beneath his skin until he could literally feel her presence, her love in every pore of his body, Kevlar be damned.

"Diana," he murmured softly, tilting her head up so that their lips could meet in a soft kiss. He knew that tonight would consist only of these gentle moments of promise and passion, that the feelings between them were still too new, too raw, too recently revealed for anything other than a hinting promise of what could come, of what could eventually be between them.

Tonight was about the newness of romance and he meant to start off on the right foot, to lead her now with the same determination which she had used to lead him to this room, that same relentless and ruthless determination that characterized her every movement, her every action. Tonight, he would show her what it meant to be romanced, to be cared for and comforted in the best way that he knew how. Tonight, he would be the gentle man who lurked deep beneath his skin, that small optimistic part of him that still dreamed, still wished, still hoped; now, for her.

Tonight, he would look into her eyes and see all the possibilities and take them as they may, as they came. Tomorrow would be soon enough for recriminations and reprisals, if any, but right now, it was only about Bruce and Diana, about leaving everything else outside and focusing on a new beginning, the budding of a relationship cared for by his patient hand.

One step at a time. One night. Tonight.

Not sure if I'm going to continue, but I hope to!

To reviewer Brittany Brown – Thanks! I'm glad you like the stories and hopefully I continue to be awesome "in your eyes." Hehe. I couldn't resist! I'm not really a fan of the CWBM stories, obviously you can see who my favorite pair is and hopefully I can lure you completely over to this side! Hehe. Or try to. Both of the episodes that you mentioned are fabulous and some of my favorites as well. I will continue as long as you promise to keep reading and leaving me such nice reviews! Thanks!

To reviewer T – Well, I'm definitely glad for the help with the titles. And this is a great one! Thanks for thinking of it! Glad you liked the chapter and thanks for thinking Reason 2 was acceptable – I tried, but I wasn't quite sure that I managed it!

To reviewer Laurene – Thanks! I'm glad you liked Reason 2 as well. I was really hoping that it came off as feasible, but sometimes my brain just doesn't function like it should. A lot of times, in fact. Thanks for the review, I appreciate it!