Chapter Three
Diana stood outside the door to Wayne Manor, trying to summon the courage to knock on the door. Usually she would be calmer and relaxed, more herself, but after she had told Shayera about Bruce yesterday, she had been so determined to prove to Diana that he had asked her on a sort of date. So determined that she had stayed until Donna had come home and told her about it, and of course Donna agreed with Shayera. Diana had ended up sitting on her bed for hours, listening to her friends talk about it. Eventually they had gone to sleep, but only after they'd made Diana admit it was a date. Then she had only said it to satisfy her friends, but now she wasn't so sure. Was it a really a date? More importantly, did Diana want it to be one?
Focus! Diana chided herself. Just knock on the door first.
She raised a fist to the door, took a deep breath, and knocked. She waited a few moments before the door opened to reveal an elderly English butler.
"Come on in, Miss…"
"Diana Prince." She supplied with a smile as she stepped inside. The foyer alone was grand, with its tall windows and elegant décor.
"Master Bruce should be down shortly, Miss Prince."
As if on cue, Bruce appeared at the top of the stairway, dressed in jeans and a t-shirt. He was trying to pull a sweatshirt on over his head as he hurried down the steps, and almost fell as a result. Alfred made a disapproving sound as he watched his charge struggle to pull on his shoes. Diana giggled.
"Sorry," Bruce apologized. "Lost track of time."
"That's alright." She said as he finally stood up straight before her. "As long as you're ready now."
He nodded. "Right this way."
He led her out of the manor, down a side path, and to the stables. Inside, they stopped side-by-side in front of the three stalls holding Diamond, Wolf, and Storm.
"Take your pick." Bruce said, gesturing towards the three horses. Diana stepped toward Diamond with an outstretched hand, and Bruce turned to the tack room, trusting that she could handle the mare. He returned with two bridles and a saddle to find that Diana had already put Diamond into one of the two grooming stalls.
"You seem eager." He stated, setting the saddle and bridles over the open door of Diamond's usual stall.
"I am." She replied enthusiastically, coming over to stand next to him. "Who are you going to ride?"
"Wolf, I think. I'll be right back." He excused himself, disappearing back into the track room. When he returned with the rest of the tack, he found that she had already put Wolf into the other grooming stall. Diamond was standing patiently beside Diana in the other one, with only a bridle on.
"Hurry up, slowpoke." She teased with a smile, patting the mare's neck.
"You don't want a saddle?" He asked, setting the remaining tack on Wolf's now open stall door. She shrugged. "I prefer to ride bareback."
"I'll be ready in a minute." Bruce said, pulling a brush from a nearby tack box and getting to work.
Sure enough, a few minutes later, Bruce and Diana were leading their mounts from the barn into a ring. He couldn't help but watch as she mounted the mare with ease. It was obvious she'd worked with horses before, her posture and the way she handled her steed was absolutely perfect.
"Coming?" She asked over her shoulder, clicking for Diamond to walk.
"Yeah." He said, slipping his foot into the stirrup and swinging up onto Wolf's back. He pushed the gelding into a trot, wanting to catch up with Diana. When he did he slowed to a walk beside her.
They stayed like that for a while, until she kicked Diamond into a trot and pulled ahead of him. He couldn't help but take a second admire her and the way her raven hair billowed freely in the wind behind her.
She turned Diamond towards one of the weathered jumps set in the center of the ring and pushed the mare into a canter before soaring over the jump. He almost expected her to fall off when they landed, as she wasn't using a saddle, but she managed to stay on, and look graceful at the same time.
Diana turned Diamond to the next jump and went over it perfectly too. Ace suddenly came out of nowhere, barking loudly. Spooked by the noise, Diamond bucked, and Diana fell, sliding right off her mount and landing on the ground.
Bruce instantly turned Wolf towards where Diana had fallen and trotted towards her. However, Ace beat him to her and began licking her face. She laughed loudly and pushed him away as she sat up.
"Are you okay?" He asked worriedly as he dismounted Wolf and helped her up.
She laughed again, and the sound of it warmed his heart. "Yeah, I'm alright."
Her face took on a rosy hue. She was embarrassed. They both turned to look at Diamond, who was now looking at them innocently from the other end of the ring. Ace barked again, jumping up and putting his front paws on her leg. She reached down and stroked his head before turning to Bruce.
"Who's this?" She asked.
"Ace. I probably should have warned you about him earlier, he gets exited around new people."
She didn't respond at first, just continued petting Ace. After a moment, he spoke again. "It's getting late, we should go back in."
Diana straightened up and nodded. "Okay. I'll get Diamond."
Ace followed her as she walked across the ring towards the mare. He lead Wolf back in the stable and untacked him while she came in with Diamond a little while after and did the same. Eventually, they were standing facing each other at the base of the steps leading to Wayne Manor's front door.
"Sorry we didn't get to ride for very long today. Maybe you can come back on a weekend, and we can ride out in the woods." He said, sounding hopeful.
"Sure, that sounds fun. Next Saturday? At three, maybe?"
"That's good for me. And just in case – "
He fished around in one of his pockets before pulling out a pen and paper, writing something on it, and holding it out to her.
"My phone number." He explained as she took it.
"Thanks." She said cheerily, slipping the paper into her pants pocket.
"How are you getting home?" He asked, suddenly realizing there wasn't a car in the driveway, and that she lived much too far away to have walked.
"My sister should be here soon."
"Would you like to come in until then?" he asked.
"Sure." She smiled at him before following him up the steps and into the manor again.
As they stopped in the foyer to take off their shoes, she asked, "How do you live here?"
He looked at her in confusion. "What do you mean?"
"I would get lost in a place this big. I forget where the bathroom is in the penthouse sometimes, and it's an annex of my bedroom." She explained with a teasing smile.
He laughed at this. "You wouldn't believe how many times I got lost in these halls when I was younger. Tim still does, and he's lived here for years now."
"Your adoptive son?" She asked. When he nodded she continued, "Where is he?"
"He's at a friend's house tonight. Do you want to sit down? There's a sitting room just down the hall."
She nodded, and he led them up the steps, to the left, and into an elegant sitting room. She plopped down on the sofa, and he sat beside her. Ace, who had followed then from the stable and into the house, jumped up to Diana's right and put his head in her lap. She absentmindedly pet him as she turned her attention to the man sitting to her left.
"So, you're a dog person then?"
He nodded. "I guess. I've never really had a cat."
"Really?" I've had two, not counting the one I have now."
"The building you live in allows pets?"
She nodded. "Yep. I don't know what I would have done if they didn't allow it. Or if for some reason they stopped. One of my friends, Shayera Hol, she has a lilac crowned Amazon Parrot named Kendra."
"A parrot?" he asked disbelievingly.
She nodded, and then laughed. "She made me help her bring it into her penthouse. It got loose in the elevator, and before we could catch it, the doors opened and it flew out into the hallway. Scared the life out of the poor lady waiting for the elevator."
He laughed at the mental picture that created.
Bruce opened his mouth to respond, but was cut off by Alfred walking into the room.
"Miss Diana, Miss Donna is here for you."
"Thank you Alfred." Bruce said instead, as he and Diana stood up from the couch and followed the butler out of the sitting room and back to the foyer. They found Donna waiting patiently by the door, trying unsuccessfully to hide her excitement. As Diana leaned down to pull on her shoes, Bruce held his hand out for Donna to shake.
"You must be Diana's sister. I'm Bruce."
"That's right. I'm Donna."
"Alright," Diana said, standing up straight again. "Ready sis?"
Donna nodded in reply. "Ready."
"Bye, Diana, Donna." Bruce said as he pulled the door open for them.
"Bye." Donna said over her shoulder, while Diana turned and waved, calling out a "See you later!"
"Details!" A voice yelled from the back seat, immediately after all the car doors were shut.
"Geez, Shayera, are you trying to give the girl a heart attack and makeher deaf?" Donna asked as she put the car back into gear and pulled out of the driveway.
"Why are you even here?" Diana asked her friend.
"She wanted details, and, to be honest, I do too."
"So tell us!" Shayera said.
"Okay, okay, just stop yelling, please."
XXX
Diana pulled a bag of chips down form one of the cupboards, trying to ignore Shayera and Donna as they sat at the island, talking about anything and everything having to do with her 'date' with Bruce. She pulled out a stool and sat across from them, prepared for further questioning.
"I think he definitely likes you." Donna said.
"Why's that?" Diana asked nonchalantly, trying to ignore the way she suddenly felt happy at the thought.
"Well, he invited you up to his house, he invited you inside, and he gave you his phone number." She listed excitedly, ticking each reason off on a finger.
"You're going back up right?" Shayera asked.
"Like I said before, yes." Diana said.
"Right. It's just, this is big, Di. This might be your first real relationship with a guy since – "
Shayera stopped dead in her tracks, faced with the fierce glares of the two sisters.
"I'm sorry! Oh my god – "
"It's okay," Diana said with a sigh. "I understand you're exited. But I don't even know if I like him that way, or if he does. I don't want to push anything, y'know?"
Both girls nodded apologetically. "Just, keep us updated, okay?"
Diana nodded. "Of course."
"I should go. It's late, and I have work tomorrow." Shayera said, slipping off the stool and picking up her bag.
"Bye, Shay." Both girls called to their friend's retreating form.
"Bye!" She called, just before the penthouse door shut loudly.
The siblings sat in a silence at the island for a moment, suddenly faced with the gloomy atmosphere Shayera had seemingly fled from.
"She didn't mean to bring that up, you know." Donna pointed out.
"I know." Diana sighed, getting up and putting the chips back. "I'm going to bed."
Donna nodded as she got off her stool, understanding that the conversation was over. "Night, sis."
"Goodnight." Diana replied quietly as she walked from the kitchen, down the hall, and into her bedroom.
A/N: Another chapter done! I feel like I'm focusing more on Diana than Bruce in this fic, I don't know why its like that, and I'm sorry if it's bothering anyone. Thanks for reading, and please review!
~Uni