Texting 101 (DCAU)
BM: Talk to me.
BM: Princess.
BM: Answer me.
BM: Diana!
Bruce glared at his cell phone as if silently willing a response to appear on the black screen. This was the twenty-third text message that he'd sent her and still no response. He could feel his anger running hot and heavy with every second that passed by.
Two weeks. It had been two whole weeks. Two freaking weeks since Diana had last spoken to him, the last time that she had actually made eye contact with him. Her refusal to speak to him or even acknowledge his presence was baffling and frustrating as hell.
She had even been avoiding being alone in the same room with him save for Founders meetings and missions and it was driving him absolutely crazy. He had no idea what he'd done to deserve the wrath of the Amazon princess, but he had a faint inkling that he was loathe to even acknowledge.
BM: DAMN IT, DIANA! TALK TO ME!
WW: Cursing and yelling at me in a text message is not a smart move, Bruce.
BM: It got you to respond to me, didn't it?
WW: I don't have time for this.
BM: Wait! Why aren't you talking to me?
WW: If the World's Greatest Detective can't figure it out, then I'm not telling you.
Bruce growled under his breath with a sneer on his lips, cursing as he angrily punched in his response to her.
BM: Wedding is in one week. We still have things to discuss.
Several moments slipped by without any reply from her, causing the headache that was building behind his eyes to suddenly intensify. He silently pleaded with her to respond to him, knowing deep down that duty would ultimately outweigh whatever it was that had caused her to be so angry with him.
WW: Fine. We'll talk to tomorrow after the meeting.
BM: See you then, princess.
Bruce waited with bated breath, not receiving any more response from her. He slammed his cell phone down with a curse. Leaning forward, he buried his face in his hands as his elbows came to rest on his knees. He would have to be a complete idiot if he couldn't admit to himself that he knew what was wrong with Diana. He just didn't know if he was ready to accept the consequences if he was right.
After several long minutes of brooding, he scrubbed his face with his hands before finally sitting back in his command chair in the Batcave. He picked up his cell phone and began texting again, hoping that he was wrong, but deep down he knew he wasn't.
BM: Why is Diana angry with me?
GL: LOL! You mean you really don't know, Great Detective?
BM: I was hoping I was wrong.
GL: Sorry, buddy, but your goose is cooked. It's time to put up or shut up.
BM: Funny.
SM: He's right. She's not going to wait around for you forever.
BM: You guys don't know that.
GL: Are you sure about that?
SM: Really?
BM: What did she say to you?
SM: I can't tell you. Talk to her!
BM: SHE WON'T TALK TO ME! I HAD TO YELL AT HER IN A TEXT MESSAGE TO GET HER TO RESPOND TO ME!
SM: That's not a very smart move.
GL: Do you have a death wish, dude?
BM: No, but I had to do something. I was desperate.
GL: Let's just say that you're taking too long.
BM: You just had to ask Shayera to marry you, didn't you? You know you've ruined my life.
GL: LOL! You did that yourself, buddy. She's given you so many chances.
Several moments past by before Bruce finally answered, sighing audibly as he typed in his response.
BM: I know.
SM: That's all you have to say? I know!?
BM: YES, I KNOW!
SM: I should've kicked your ass long ago for stringing her along these last five years!
BM: As if you could, boy scout.
SM: Bring it, Wayne!
BM: Have Kryptonite. Will use.
SM: That threat is so old.
BM: IS IT REALLY?
GL: Gentlemen! Getting married in a week. Don't need my best man and the host of my reception to show up all beaten up.
SM: No worries. Lo and I have the reception all covered. It's going to be amazing.
GL: Thanks, Supes. Oh, and thanks Bats for letting us have the wedding and reception at the Manor.
BM: Yah…whatever. Just remember that you guys destroyed my life.
SM: How in the world could Diana possibly destroy your life?! She's the best thing that could ever happen to you.
GL: Agree w/Supes. Di is a goddess not a curse.
BM: Couldn't you have just left Diana and me out of it?
GL: It's not my fault. Shay wanted Diana as her maid of honor.
BM: And you just had to drag me into it as your best man. I smell a conspiracy.
GL: No conspiracy. Just want our friends with us on our special day.
BM: I'll pay you to elope.
GL: No way! Shay wants a wedding with all the Founders there.
SM: Face it, Bruce. YOU LOVE HER. Love is a wonderful thing that doesn't come along very often. The sooner you admit it to yourself and Di the happier you will be.
BM: Thanks, Ma Kent. That's easier said than done.
GL: Not really. Look how well it worked out for Shay and me?
BM: Diana and I are NOT you and Shay…not even close!
GL: I don't know who's more relieved about that. Me or Shay. Ok…definitely me.
SM: Just think about it, Bruce. Can you really handle seeing Di with a man that's not you?
Bruce felt a knot fill his throat, making it difficult to breathe. He knew the answer, but all the fears and what if's that had been barraging him for the last five years refused to leave him alone. Could he be so selfish to drag her into his bleak world and put her life at risk like that?
GL: Stop! You're thinking too hard about it!
BM: I've got to get ready for patrol.
SM: And there he goes.
GL: Do you think he'll ever tell her he loves her?
SM: He better or it'll be the worst mistake of his life.
XXX
Batman repeatedly tapped the end of his pen against the top of the conference room table, his thoughts on anything but the agenda of the weekly Founders' meeting. Actually, his thoughts were focused one thing and one thing only—the Amazon princess sitting to his right.
She refused to make eye contact with him let alone acknowledge his presence in the room. Her chin was lifted in that stubborn way that bespoke of her royal upbringing, reminding him of the obstinacy that ran through her like a mighty current.
He wasn't about to back down in the wake of her temper tantrum, refusing to give in to her petulance. Just because there were feelings right there beneath the surface begging to be recognized didn't make it right or something that they should act on. There was too much that needed to be taken into account before jumping headlong into a relationship.
"All right, gang," Superman said. "See you all at the wedding rehearsal dinner."
Everyone gathered their things before leaving the conference room, talking about the upcoming nuptials and leaving Batman and Diana all alone. Diana remained in her chair with her arms crossed. Her posture was rigid, the heat of her anger warming the very air around her. She was silently warning Bruce to tread very carefully.
Batman got up and turned to lean against the edge of the conference table, his arms crossing against his emblem covered chest as he glared down at the haughty Princess of the Amazons. Diana looked up at, a single raven eyebrow arching in an unspoken challenge.
"Are we going to talk or are we just going to glare at one another?" Batman growled.
"It depends," she said with a clipped tone.
"Depends on what?"
"What you want to talk about."
"We need to finalize plans for John and Shayera's wedding," he reminded her.
"I thought we had everything covered."
"What about the bachelor and bachelorette parties?"
"I have Shayera's party all set," she told him. "Don't you have John's party planned?"
"Well…yah…I guess so," he replied, realizing how lame he suddenly sounded. He knew that they really didn't have any last-minute wedding plans to discuss, but he'd needed something to get her to talk to him. This was all that he could think of. Now, he felt ridiculous.
"Then, I guess we have nothing else to discuss," she told him as she abruptly stood to her feet.
Batman's hand immediately shot out, grabbing hold of her upper arm just above her elbow as she turned to leave. "Wait, don't leave," he ordered, clearing his throat in an effort to dispel the commanding tone that had accompanied his words. "Please, Diana."
Diana released a sigh as she stood stone still, finding the conference table far more interesting to look at than the Dark Knight of Gotham. "What is it, Bruce?"
"Why won't you talk to me?" He found the words spilling out of his mouth without realizing it, but he couldn't take them back now that they were out there in the open. "You've been ignoring me for the last two weeks."
"Because I have nothing more to say until you get your head out of your ass," she stated, yanking her arm free as she glared darkly at him. "I've decided I have far too much self-respect to continue participating in this insane dance of yours anymore, Bruce."
The hurt that pervaded her voice was unmistakable, giving Bruce pause. He had put that hurt there and he needed to make it right. The problem was that he didn't think that he could. Nothing ever seemed to work out for him…or it worked out just long enough to give him a false sense of peace and happiness only for it to shatter into a million pieces right before his eyes.
He couldn't go through that with her. Not Diana.
"No one was forcing you to participate in my so-called dance in the first place," he shot back, leveling her with his very best Batglare. He found it far easier making her angry than to tell her how he felt about her.
Diana leaned in close to him, their noses nearly touching. "You vile piece of Cerberus dung," she seethed, her chest beginning to heave. "I ought to—"
"You ought to what?" he smugly countered, an arrogant smirk on his lips as she drew back.
Batman caught her fist just before it connected with his jaw and dislodged the majority of his teeth. He tightened his grip on her wrist, knowing very well that she could break free, but of course it didn't stop him from yanking her in close to him once more.
"You ought to what, princess?" he rasped darkly.
Tilting her head, Diana suddenly crushed her lips against his in a bruising kiss. Without a second thought, he immediately buried his gauntleted hand in her thick raven hair, his other arm wrapping around her waist and pulling her flush against his Kevlar covered body. His head kept telling him to run, but his heart told him nothing had ever felt so right in his entire life.
He quickly lost himself in the passionate kiss that was growing more frantic and heated by the moment. Diana pushed him backwards into his chair, Bruce pulling her down to straddle his lap. Ripping his gauntlets off, he ran his hands up her back and into her hair, fisting the long strands as they kissed.
Diana ran her hands over his Kevlar covered chest, searching for the releases on his uniform. A lustful growl rose up from deep in his chest as he guided her hands to the fasteners of his uniform top before working to remove her breastplate.
As he worked to remove her uniform, he decided that maybe Clark was right. This was making him very happy and, if Diana's moans were any indication, she seemed just as happy as he was.
XXX
GL: What do you think they're doing in there right now?
SM: Trying not to think about it.
GL: LOL! Come on, farm boy. You have to be curious.
SM: NOT. AT. ALL.
FL: What did I miss?
SM: You don't want to know.
GL: We think Bats and Wondy are knocking boots.
FL: *FIST PUMP* I win the betting pool!
SM: I am never going into that conference room ever again.
GL: We can order a new table…and chairs…and flooring. We'll just have it sterilized.
SM: UGH!
FL: Deep breaths, Supes. No passing out. Maybe I'll get to walk Wondy down the aisle someday.
GL: You just focus on walking Shay down the aisle next week.
FL: I got my job covered. Did J'onn get his online license yet to marry you two?
GL: Got it last week.
FL: This wedding is going to be the bomb especially since Bats and Wondy are hooking up.
SM: I need to leave.
FL: What's with him?
GL: Bashful.
FL: So, do I get to kiss Shay on the cheek or on the lips when I give her over to you.
GL: ONLY ON THE CHEEK.
FL: You're no fun, man.
GL: Gotta go. Shay's waiting on me. See you at my bachelor's party.
FL: WHOOT! PAR-TAY!
XXX
HG: So?! What happened after we left? I want all the deets!
WW: I sort of…kissed him.
HG: What? I thought you were going to stand your ground?!
WW: I did until he grabbed my arm and pulled me against him.
HG: He did? Then what?
WW: I couldn't help myself. I tried to kiss that smug smirk off his face and then we…well…
HG: YOU DIDN'T?! IN THE CONFERENCE ROOM?
WW: I'll never look at his chair the same ever again…or the conference table.
HG: How was it?
WW: Once you've had the Bat, you never go back.
HG: LOL! That good, huh?
WW: Let's just say I'm so glad that Bruce had the forethought to soundproof the conference room.
HG: AHAHAHAHA! I WANT TO KNOW EVERYTHING!
WW: I'll tell you everything at your bachelorette party.
HG: That's still two days away!
WW: Gotta run. Bruce is waiting for me in his quarters.
HG: You wicked little Amazon.
WW: If I had known giving him the silent treatment would light a fire, I would've done it years ago!
HG: You certainly lit his fire!
WW: And it's still burning. Bye!
XXX
GL: Will it turn out to be a double wedding next week?
BM: Hell no.
GL: So, is it safe to say that the famous billionaire bachelor is officially off the market?
BM: I was never on the market.
GL: Yah, ever since you first laid eyes on a certain Amazon princess.
BM: Do you have a point?
GL: Just that I'm happy for you, man.
BM: What makes you think that anything has changed between us?
GL: Because I just saw Diana and I've never seen that big of a smile on her face. I think she was floating above the ground.
BM: *smirk*
GL: Is that all you have to say?
BM: A true gentleman doesn't kiss and tell.
GL: That's confirmation enough for me.
BM: You tell anyone about this and I'll make it so your body is never found.
GL: It's not me you have to worry about. Flash knows.
BM: I'll make him a permanent fixture on the hull of the Watchtower if he breathes a word of this to anyone.
GL: I'll warn him, but it might be too late.
BM: Just do it. Have to go. My date has arrived.
Green Lantern looked over at Shayera on his right. "Oh yah, we totally rocked it," he told her.
Shayera tried to stifle her giggle with her hand over her mouth but failed miserably. "What's best is that they never suspected a thing."
"You are so wicked," he told her with a growling undercurrent as he reached for her, wrapping his arms around her.
"Well, they needed something to finally push them in the right direction," she attempted to defend herself. "What better way than making them maid of honor and best man for our wedding? It was bound to cause some sparks."
John kissed her deeply, his nose brushing against hers before retreating. "Have I ever told you how much I love your devious side?"
"Maybe once or twice," she thoughtfully replied.
"I think there's a good chance for a Wayne wedding in the near future."
"Let's just worry about our own for now," she suggested, pulling him in for another kiss.
TO BE CONTINUED…
Question: I'm going to continue the idea of more texting one-shots among the Leaguers. Do you want this particular plot line to continue or just whatever I come up with for them to text about? Let me know!
UPDATE: Family Reunion is finally coming together. I'm really excited about what I have in store for it. I'm in the middle of Chp 5 right now. As soon as I start Chp 7, I'll start posting it. Thank you all your awesome support and patience! :)