A Softer Meme (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
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bakerstreet2021-03-12 08:22 pm
asoftermeme) wrote in bakerstreet2021-03-12 08:22 pmEntry tags:
I had all and then most of you, some and now none of you.
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asoftermeme) wrote in bakerstreet2021-03-12 08:22 pm
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Wei Wuxian | The Untamed | M/M
Padmé Naberrie Amidala-Skywalker | Star Wars | Open
Natasha Romanoff | MCU
Ella | Cinderella (2015) | ota
Doctor Stephen Strange | MCU | m/m
Maria Hill | MCU | F/M (30+)
Diana Prince / Wonder Woman | DCEU | OTA
BEEP BEEP, SHIP TRUCK (i mean *HUGE* zack snyder justice league spoils)
[ The nightmares will never stop. He knows better than to ask if they will. All they've done now is... change. Shapes, faces, people, places. Once, they were nightmares of reliving the same moment from when he was nine. Over, and over again. They moved him forward. He fought. Fell in love a few times. Took in someone who had their whole life ripped away from them. That crumbled. The nightmares changed again.
Then, the Superman arrived. Metropolis fell.
The nightmares changed again.
Now they're of a time that he prays to God is far away. Something that they can avoid. People and faces he doesn't know and the ones he does know. The face of a man he once feared and hated warped into exactly what he was afraid of. It's something he has to stop from happening. He has no idea how, but he knows he has to. Not just for his sake, but for the sake of the world.
'This is my legacy.' 'This is why I brought you together.' 'Your parents would be proud of you, Bruce.'
He lowers himself down onto his bed. He's still in his night shirt and pants. There's no hope in hell in getting back to sleep now that the sun is up and the morning has started. So, instead, he runs a hand through his graying hair and just... sits there. Absorbing it all. Letting it settle in.
He's old. He can feel it in his body. It doesn't matter how well he sells it to the rest of their team. In moments like this? He lets the age hit him. Twenty years of fighting crime in Gotham. Losing the family he's loved; losing the people he's loved and let walk out. The hand he raised drops to rest against his knee. The bruises are still fresh under his nightshirt from their battle outside Moscow. Barry, Diana and Clark might have super healing... but he doesn't. He's just a man. The only human man on the team.
And he wonders how much longer he can keep it up. ]
omg ship truck (also yes spoilers will most likely continue throughout)
There haven't been many opportunities to meet with him alone and to look in on him, because it seems as though the dust never settles and that war is always raging on in some shape or form. Now, however, Diana feels as though she can no longer ignore what is right in front of her.
The world is still reeling in a lot of ways, but at the moment, it isn't the world that's worrying her. Instead, it is a particularly stubborn brand of man, and she means to find a way to help him.
Computers contain quite a bit of information if one only knows where to look, and Diana knows where to look. It does take a bit of digging, but eventually, she finds what she is looking for, and armed with a destination, she makes her way there with all haste.
Security is a rather funny notion as well, and when Diana reaches the lakehouse that would have been impressive at any other time, she makes short work of a series of wall panels and lets herself in.
She walks from room to room, noting the emptiness of each one while also zeroing in on not-so-recent signs of life: a dried-up coffee filter, an empty takeout box, and a trashcan that, while it isn't full, should be taken out at some point.
But she passes all of that by, heading a little deeper into the house and she pauses just outside a door left open. A moment passes, and then she steps into the doorway and simply stands there waiting and taking in the scene in front of her.
Her brow furrows and her mouth turns downward into a frown. She supposes the man sitting on the bed already knows she's there even without saying anything, but she breaks the silence regardless. ]
So this is how you start your days.
[ Her tone is gentle, her voice quiet. She imagines this isn't really how Bruce's mornings start, and that knowledge makes her worry about him even more. ]
it comes preloaded with lots and LOTS of feels. zs keeps baiting me
Bruce sighs at the sound of the door and rubs his face. Then, a pause. He knows the sound of Alfred's feet when he walks in the lake house--those aren't his. There is a brief moment of paranoia and the sense to fight. Until the familiar voice of Diana Prince reaches his ears. Bruce sits up straight, turning enough to look over his shoulder at her. At least, as far as his body is going to let him turn.
Which isn't very far.
The fight under Gotham Harbor, then Moscow? It's amazing he held up as well as he had.
The mask automatically comes on. There's the Bat, the public Bruce Wayne, then the one he adapted for his teammates. Just so they are kept close but not entirely close. Open enough for trust to be built, but at a distance to keep himself safe. There's an easy smile on his face at her.
'Hi, there.' ]
I'm wondering why I bother with the security systems at this rate. [ Bruce puffs his cheeks slightly and offers the best shrug he can give. ] Actually, no. My day usually starts with the news on the televisions.
[ A small jest of truth.
Bruce grabs the edges of the mattress and pushes himself up. He forces down a hiss of pain. His body shifts to the act - the mask - of projecting an idea that he is right as rain. A few steps and he slides his hands into his pant pockets. His hair tussled to the side, exhaustion spread out on that smile he's giving her. ]
I'm guessing there's a reason you broke into my house? You could have just knocked.
oh, I see, you got the enhanced feels package. nice
She might not have been standing right next to Bruce at the end of that colossal fight, but she was close enough to see the way he was holding himself: standing upright and rigid, but a little too rigid. It wasn't the stance of someone who had just won a hard-fought battle and could now relax. It was the stance of someone who had sustained some serious hits and was trying to appear whole and healthy for the sake of his team.
And yes, Diana knows there's a chance that she's wrong, that she's reading far too much into things like posture and position, but the warning bells have been going off in her mind and she can't manage to silence them now. This visit is meant to reassure her, to put her concerns to rest. And if it turns out to be nothing, then at least she and Bruce can at least try to enjoy each other's company. Yes, that's her plan. ]
I would apologize, but I wasn't wholly sure you would let me in. [ Or anyone in, but she's not going to state that so plainly. She knows Bruce can read between the lines if he chooses to do so. ] I think you've earned yourself a day free of having to see the news on the television.
[ After all, they were and probably still are the news. As far as Diana's concerned, there's no need for any of them to watch it and hear what others are saying about them, positive, negative, or neutral. ]
There certainly is a reason. And yes, I could have, but doing things this way keeps me on my toes.
[ She answers him easily enough, but her eyes zero in on his hands as they grab onto the mattress and on the muscles in his arms as they tense up with the effort of pushing him up from where he was sitting. Clearly some effort went into that. ]
I'm sorry for interrupting your solitude, but I decided I needed to see where the man with wings like a bat goes to roost.
[ Bruce's home may not be a veritable fortress, but its location and its security system make it appear that way, especially to the untrained eye. ]
that package is being amazon prime'd to you so, expect it!
Those skills seem to be a bit dodgy around one Miss Diana Prince. Maybe it's because she's been around far longer than he's even been alive. Hell, she knows what soldiers are like. He may not know the story, but he did some research on that photograph. How else was he going to find the last hard copy for her? World War I. The Trenches. Yeah. She's learned how to speak the right way to get through things and to read through masks. He wonders if it's a good thing that she's turned that towards him.
Bruce sighs and takes the few steps needed to cross over to her. The exhaustion leaks through that expression of Bruce the Team Leader. Not the pain though. She doesn't need to see how banged up his body is from those fights. ]
I've let plenty of people in once they found their way in my house. [ He glances to the side, raises his eyebrows and gives a casual shrug. It's as if to say 'And look where it's gotten me.' ] That doesn't mean I expected an Amazon demigoddess to walk in.
[ Let her read between those lines.
Bruce gives a sigh before gently brushing past her and walking back to the living room. Might as well get some coffee for her. She did make the trip out. His voice raises once he walks into the kitchen. ]
I'm guessing that means seeing the Cave wasn't enough to quell the curiosity? [ He closes his eyes and forces a grunt down as he reaches up to the cabinet to grab a pair of cups. Alfred has a particular time he arrives, so, he'll worry about the tea later. ] Usually the first thing people comment is how every wall is made of glass.
[ An easy statement but, one that is a little probing to see what she really wants to get at. It's no secret that Diana works at Musée du Louvre in Paris. That was the easiest thing to find out about her. He had been tempted to deliver the picture in person... but thought better against it. That was the problem with being the Billionaire Bruce Wayne. Everything in public had to be calculated and planned. No surprises. Wherever he went, the paparazzi and news did too. He respected Diana's privacy enough to not drag her into all that just to give her a damn photograph.
Even if that photograph is what led them to meeting.
Is it weird to think he has a connection to it as well? She was looking for it. He found it. He returned it twice over. That must have made him connected to it in her eyes.
Bruce shakes his head at himself. No. There's nothing like that. It's an old memento of people she had known more than seventy years ago. People she fought along side with. People she probably still dreams about and misses. Two battles doesn't really compare or measure up to something like that. ]
You can get to the Cave from here if you were wondering. [ A vague gesture to the lake beyond the glass. ] Can't park a prototype troop transport out on the lake though. That's back at Wayne Aerospace.
hover over text for translation~
She barely has any right to be here, even though she let herself in without more than a moment's hesitation. Maybe someday if she can manage to slip inside his walls, or even better, if he gives her a key to them, she'll ask him about his life and his story. Because being the Batman is not all there is to him, and she knows it. ]
But do they ever get to see the real you? [ She knows she's asking a difficult personal question, and the look in her eyes softens as she takes him in. ] I could walk right back out the way I came in.
[ Except the part of her that she's almost afraid to let come up to the surface is saying that that isn't what she wants. What's more, Diana knows more than anyone about needing to stay in control, to not let one's desires take the helm. Nothing good can ever come from that.
When he brushes past her, she turns to follow him as he moves through the rooms and into the kitchen. ]
No, it wasn't. The Cave is a marvel, but what I'm looking for is even more so, I think.
[ That should be obvious. She didn't come all this way simply to see his house. When he reaches up for the mugs, she smiles and reaches up to gently touch his hand and one of the mugs. ]
Let me.
[ She might have noted the placement of the coffeemaker, filters, and the coffee itself during her first pass-through of the place. ]
Your house is- [ She has to pause to find the right word. Sometimes the English language is lacking, and she can't quite find a word in English that completely communicates what she means. ] εκπληκτική. Whoever built it is nothing short of a master.
[ Yes, it might just be walls of glass, but Diana finds it all very beautiful indeed. ]
When the sun rises or sets, I can only imagine how it must look. But I did not come all this way to marvel at the architecture, however attractive it is.
[ The artist in her could walk through Bruce's house and appreciate it all, but that's not why she's here.
As for the photograph, if Bruce were to say he had a connection to it, she wouldn't dispute it. After all, he does, in a way. But while the photograph and those two battles count as a start, what Diana wants is more; more time to get to know Bruce, to talk with him, to find out whatever little bits of information about himself he'll give her. But whenever she begins to think that way, a voice in the back of her mind speaks up and tells her she has no right to any of this.
It is a dance of push and pull, with her own internal voice trying to pull her away while she pushes back, because this is what she wants, even with the cost. ]
I see. I was wondering about that, a little. [ She pulls herself out of her thoughts just in time to hear his comments, and she taps on one of the mugs again, as if just now remembering that she means to make him coffee. ]
You take your coffee with a little bit of sugar, don't you?
[ She hasn't ever seen him drinking coffee, but there's sugar on the counter, and he does not strike her as a baking sort of man. ]
oh, yeah. i'm a goner. good-bye world, bring me back when zsjl2 comes out
Her question is a loaded one. One that he doesn't necessarily answer right away. Not until she's beside him and reaching for the cups that he is capable of grabbing. He stills as her hand touches his. Bruce pulls his hand back to let her grab the cups and his gaze drops to the counter. It's not the awkward bumping fumbling notion in the aerospace hanger. They've properly fought together now. She saved his life twice. There's an odd fondness and familiarity in the touch. One he isn't sure is worth perusing. He's old, broken, and going on his last limbs. There's not much time left in a lifestyle like this to pursue any sort of long lasting romantic relationship. Then, there's the thought as to why his mind has even jumped to the idea of romance in the first place. Romance, family life, retirement.
All of the things Alfred has talked about once, twice, four times over.
'You've done it, Master Wayne. You've brought the team together. You kept your promise.'
There's a sharp inhale as her question makes him pull from his thoughts. Bruce leans against the counter and crosses his arms gently over his chest. Avoiding all the areas where the bruises have turned black, blue, yellow. ]
ζάχαρη και γάλα. [ A brief smile crosses over his face. ] Not that I think you were speaking Greek.
[ It sounded like it, but, something about it was off. Ancient. Maybe it was Ancient Greek. He remembers Barry muttering something about five thousand years when they met back up in the Cave after Clark came back. Bruce huffs at himself before raising his eyes and looking out over the living room.
Five thousand years. God, they were like children to her. Specks of dust. Ants. Things that were gone in a blink of an eye. Attraction didn't really matter at that point. Just a pipe dream... like hanging up the cowl is. ]
More people see the real me than you'd think.
[ Bruce's eyebrows knit then as he forces himself not to look at her. There is a layer and a man underneath the Bat, but, it's become so molded together after so many years... is there a difference? Romance, marriage, family life. It can't happen and he knows it.
It's nice to dream sometimes. ]
My mother loved buildings like this. [ All of it tumbles out without him even meaning it to. Does he even care though? ] My father intended to have it built as a surprise. He even commissioned her favorite architect for it. Once the Manor burned down, I had it built and moved in. That was about ... Christ, more than twenty years ago.
[ His head turns towards the glass wall that looks out at the small parking cover. His Austin Martin is there as well as the car that she took to get her. A small frown tugs on his face, only because he realizes how natural that seems. Diana's car parked next to his.
Dreams and fairytales are always nice. ]
I'm planning on starting the restoration work next month, [ he nods towards the way the Manor rests in the distance, ] and starting work on that table we talked about. It's going to take a while.
[ Then, a pause... and he decides to roll the dice. ]
You never said what it is that you're here looking for.
well, if you're a goner, then so am I. rip us
As she's holding the two cups in one hand, she lets her free hand rest on top of his for a few moments more before she steps back and places the cups onto the counter.
It isn't even that the fact that he is old and broken and tired that makes her want to be near him. It's a collection of little things that all add up to bigger things, but it took some time for her to see past the mask that's molded itself so much to him that, if you don't know where to look, it's difficult to see where Batman stops and Bruce begins.
But Diana thinks that she's begun to be able to see that, to recognize the man beneath the cowl. He keeps himself hidden, hiding his face and trying to hide his heart, but it can still be seen in little things that he does.
She knows she has no right to ask him for anything, because they're miles apart from each other, even when they're standing close by. She's centuries old, and she doesn't age the same as humans do. What man would want someone like that in his life? The whole point of coming together with anyone is to live, love, and grow old together. She'll never be able to do that with anyone, and she'd thought she'd come to terms with that long ago.
That was before he swept into her life and now she's trying to hold onto the pieces of her resolve even as they blow away like dust in the wind. ]
Θα χρησιμοποιήσω την καφετιέρα σας τώρα.
[ She smiles with just a hint of sass that covers up the look of something (sadness? longing?) that was in her eyes just moments ago. ]
Why am I not surprised you can speak it?
[ It's just yet another layer of the Bruce onion, and while she knew he could speak other languages and that he's very smart, it still surprises and pleases her on some level.
And in her eyes, humans resemble giants. Yes, there are those who cause war and chaos and death, but then there are those who try to make the world better, like him. Men like him are brave, and they are kind and good, and in moments like these, she is glad she decided to leave Themyscira and come to this world. ]
Is that so? Perhaps my perception needs honing, then. [ It's half a joke, because she knows she's seen flashes of the real Bruce, but they never last for long.
And, well, she is far too old now to waste time on silly girlish dreams, but even she can't quite dislodge the image of her being with someone and sharing a life with him, such as it is.
That can never come true, however, and Diana's voice of reason tells her to stop letting her head and her heart run away from her. So, with some monumental effort, she forces herself to put those thoughts away and to focus on what Bruce is saying about his mother and the house they're standing in. ]
Your mother had good taste. [ Her tone softens again, and her eyes shift to match that. She can barely begin to imagine how hard it must have been, losing both his parents at such a young age. She wouldn't dare to presume, but she supposes he must miss them very much, if not every day. ]
That is a fitting tribute to them, and I can't help but think that they would be pleased by it.
[ Even though she doesn't know them, she believes she can see the intent behind the gesture, and any parent would be pleased by it.
She opens her mouth to say something, but Bruce arrives there first, and for a moment, she has to pause to consider her own motivations for coming here.
I came here looking for you. She can't say those words aloud, but she has an answer ready that is just a version of the truth. ]
I came here looking for someone, someone who I thought I might be able to help somehow.
[ She tilts her head sideways just a fraction, eyes zeroing in on his. He is smart and very intelligent, so there's little doubt in her mind that he'll pick up on exactly what she's saying.
And if that statement isn't plain enough, she has another one at the ready. ]
wake us when they announce zsjl2 on hbomax, we are 6 feet under baby
The world needs Superman. Bruce could be alone the rest of his days. His solitude is a worth the trade.
Where the Bat begins and Bruce ends? There's no such thing if you ask him. Maybe there was once, when he was a younger crime fighter. Not now. The Bat had been born the moment that righteous fire for justice was lit inside him the days following his parents murder. Slowly, bit by bit, Bruce stopped being Bruce Wayne and became The Bat. Not much remains of the man if you were to ask him. Just scraps that he can make into masks to throw people off the scent of who he really is. ]
I learned how to speak most languages. You'd be surprised the board meetings it helps in.
[ And also negotiations of other things. His eyebrows perk with a small daring smirk and meets her gaze. Then, he takes the few steps to leave the kitchen in order to look out the window.
A long sigh escapes him, arms still crossed, eyes moving across the landscape. He told Superman once that he wasn't a man--men were brave. Karma enjoyed hitting him square in the chest. Clark turned out to be more human than him. Hell, Bruce couldn't die even if he threw himself head first into an alien invasion. Superman took a death hit to save the world.
'I wonder, how many alternate timelines do you destroy the world because, frankly, you don't have the cojones to die yourself.'
It wasn't lacking the gut or willingness to die. Maybe it's some sort of incapability to do it -- even if it's a noble sacrifice so the team can complete the mission. ]
Your perception is just fine, Diana. [ Bruce looks up towards the sky - at least as much as he can see it from the angle he finds himself in. ] Most people don't realize that Bruce Wayne is just a name.
... Yeah. She did. [ His arms fall and his hands slide back into his pockets. ] I think they'd care more about the state of Gotham than they would if I built a dream house.
[ The State of Gotham. Laughable, really. He's not even sure if twenty years of crime fighting has even made it better. Bruce frowns and looks down, hands curling into fists slightly. Charity work, building things of the city, that is all one thing. Trying to weed out the corruption is another. But, his father could build infrastructure and hospitals to help people. His mother could make people believe that things could look better; that someone at the top was fighting for them.
What the hell had he done in regards to that? ]
I'm guessing you didn't come all this way to help by making breakfast and talking in some form of Ancient Greek. [ His gaze drifts from one side to the next. ] The team is together. Superman is back. World annihilation is staved off for now. I need to rebuild the car. Anything official works between you and museums in Gotham would be made through proper channels and announcements would be made.
[ All of it means he's thought about this once. Twice, even. Reasons why Diana Prince would stay in Gotham or Metropolis.
He turns enough to look back at her. ]
Meaning it's something more personal you want to help with. [ Bruce pauses then. He isn't called the World's Greatest Detective for nothing. ] Why?
no subject
Perhaps the manner in which they became acquainted would have changed but a meeting still would have happened. Or perhaps none of that would have occurred; she is not a soothsayer, so she can't tell what might or might not have been.
And while Diana understands the desire for a life of solitude, or at least of being somewhat removed from things, she has come to realize that allowing Bruce to live apart (yes, allow) is not something she can come to terms with. Of course, it is ultimately his decision, but there is a part of her that hopes he might let her in if she should come knocking.
In truth, there was a part of her that wanted to keep herself separate from humans, but what sort of life would that be? Now, in present times, she's carved out a little niche for herself as a curator of antiquities at the Louvre. It's not the only position she's ever had, of course, but it's one that suits her well and for the moment, satisfies her.
And as far as Bruce's assertion that not very much remains of the man he once was, Diana is just idealistic enough to believe that somehow, even if it's just bits and pieces, that's enough to put a picture back together again. That's one thing she intends to try and do, if he'll allow her to take a foothold. ]
I am also unsurprised by that. I've been in enough meetings to know that speaking other languages is a benefit, not a drawback.
[ As for the musing on the notion of sacrificing oneself to save the world... It's a notion Diana is far too familiar with. There was Steve, so long ago now, and then there was Clark. And regardless of what Bruce might think about himself, when Diana looks at him, she sees a similar sort of trait that Clark shares with Steve, even though he's long gone. Bruce has it too, even if he might not realize it himself.
But where Steve was someone that she loved very much, and where Clark is someone she considers a good friend, Bruce is something else entirely. He is a mystery to her, and as someone who deals with antiques and mysteries on a daily basis, she feels a temptation to try and pull at some of his loose threads, to try and clear up some of those mysteries. Not to pry, because she would never, but to learn who the man behind the mask is. She believes he's still in there somewhere, and the part of her that is a bit selfish would like to see him come out. ]
Oh, I believe that there's far more to it than that.
[ She keeps her tone gentle, not wanting him to think she's discounting his words or his thoughts. If she's certain of anything, it's that he knows his own mind, but even then, it's the man himself that she wants to get to know, not the persona he puts on for others. ]
A person can hardly right every wrong on his own. [ That is to say that his parents may very well be concerned with the state of Gotham, but Diana believes that they would be proud of their son if they could somehow know the things he's done and the contributions he's made, both in the public eye and in the shadows. ]
Well, I would like to make breakfast to start with. [ She smiles, and for just a moment, she travels back in time to a small village square where a man with his arms around her talks about making breakfast and doing other things as well. ]
The car can be rebuilt. The transfer of antiquities can happen at another time. As to the why of it, do I need a reason? Is that not what we do?
[ She's been preparing the coffee even as she alternates between talking and listening, and she has one eye focused on his refrigerator, but breakfast can wait for now. ]
It shouldn't matter who we're helping, whether it's someone on the street or someone in his own home.
[ Her words are meant to be pointed, yet not overly so. She came here to check on Bruce, and to help herself to his kitchen, but her priority is making certain that he's all right. ]
no subject
He had fallen into that pit. Night had consumed the day. This time? There were no bats to pull him into the light. He couldn't find his way out of that darkness. There was no way to tell what was up, what was down, left or right. No way out.
He hadn't been sure he wanted to find a way out.
Then, a word. A simple word. One that had been etched into his nightmares as much as the gunshot or the hum of a terraforming engine. The name that proved humanity. The alien underneath him was human. He had a human mother, a human father, and a lover. He was loved and loved in return.
Somehow, along the way, he had forgotten those emotions.
Bruce listens to what Diana says. His gaze falls to the floor and then drifts back to the window. Two cars in the carport. The manor in the distance. Dreams that were like pearls - destined to fall away into the grates of time and be lost to all but those who saw them. He turns away from her to take the steps into the living room. He crosses to the other windows. Eyebrows knit together as he looks back up at the sky colored in the sunrise. ]
That's what people do. People who don't brood in caves all day. The ones that can relate to the rest of humanity. They make breakfast for others, help people on the streets or in their homes.
[ He can feel his body stiffen again. The injuries willing to send him down onto a bed or a couch for a few hours. Then, more muscle relaxers, ice packs, and he'll be back to work. The sun rises and Bruce Wayne works. The sun sets and the Batman comes out. A cycle. Rinse, repeat. Ever on going. ]
I was right here when it happened. [ Bruce raises is hand and gestures to the wall with the hidden paneled televisions. Not that she can see it. She's making coffee and breakfast, or whatever else. ] Television broadcast taken over looking for a being called "Kal-El." I thought it was just my systems, my Cave... then I realized it was everywhere. On everything. There was no going back for the world then. Reality shifted and changed. Our spectrum of reality broke.
[ A sigh. ] And... it just keeps breaking.
You're better off helping someone else, Diana. Someone who is worth your help.
no subject
But then, she thought. She thought of all those people who'd died, and of how they would be so angry if they knew she'd thought about giving up. Perhaps not the people of Veld, but certainly Antiope and Steve. She was still Diana of Themyscira, even though she no longer lived there, and she could not give up so easily. So she picked up her weapons again and resumed the fight when it was needed.
And now it seems as though those who can fight are needed more than ever. She can tell when Bruce starts to pull away from her again. It's their usual song and dance, and they often find themselves switching roles. Sometimes she's the one who drifts away, and he manages to pull her back. Now she can see the way he tries to wall himself off from her, from feeling and hoping too much. Well, a man (or a woman) can't change overnight. She knows he's taken some steps towards believing again, but his progress is bound to be slow, and that's all right. ]
Hey. Would you be doing what you are if you didn't relate to humanity on some level? And I mean more than the ones you put away.
[ Would he be the Batman if he had no faith in humanity? If all that drove him was a need for revenge? It's possible to see the good that still remains while also wanting to put a stop to the bad. ]
You helped me, you know.
[ By sending her that picture, he helped her stay connected to a part of her past that could very easily be lost to the passage of time.
She follows him from the kitchen to the living room, and once there, she approaches him: slowly, so as not to startle him, or to cross a boundary before they're both ready. But she places her hands on his shoulders and gives a gentle squeeze. A massage therapist, she is not, but she knows a thing or two about sore muscles that can't or won't relax. ]
Everything changes, including reality. The world we have today is so different from how things were in 1918.
[ She lets out a breath of air that she hadn't noticed she was holding in. ]
Things that have broken can be fixed. You just need to find the right tools.
[ Is that not what the team is for? To try and right the wrongs, to fix what's broken, and to keep the fractures from growing any deeper. ]
You are worth my help. [ Her grip on his shoulders tightens, but not to the point that he'll feel discomfort. ]
Would I have come all this way for someone who I believed didn't deserve it?
[ And then she finally removes her hands from his shoulders and straightens up with a decisive tilt of her head. ]
Now, you can sit out here, or join me in the kitchen while I put something together. Bat or no bat, you still need to eat.
[ And to drink that coffee that she intended to make earlier. ]
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He stays where is he is when she rejoins him. It's not as if there's many places he can go in his lake house or the Cave without Diana following him. A wry smile spreads on his face as he turns his head to look at her. He didn't help her as so much crack open a door. She's the one that walked through it after him... to the point where she was the one standing on the battlefield with him when it all ended. Both times. ]
There might of been a time when I related to it more. These days it feels more like a play to be put on.
[ He has the feeling she'll know exactly what he means. ]
I've seen how Gotham has changed over twenty years. Nothing could of prepared us for what happened in Metropolis.
[ The right tools. A sad expression settles on his face then. One that said he hadn't intended to live through the encounter with the Mother Boxes. He built the team of god-like beings to protect the earth where he couldn't. The tools he's given them and the world are for the future. One he probably won't live much longer to see... even if his nightmares tell him otherwise.
'You are worth my help.'
Maybe.
He can feel the missing weight when she removes her hand. In an instant it felt that the comforting nature was gone - like it hadn't been there at all. He's not sure how it feels natural for her to just be there. Maybe it is what drew his attention to her at Luthor's party -- regardless of how attractive she was in that red dress. ]
How long are you planning on staying?
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It's such a trite expression, but Bruce really is like an onion with a lot of layers, and while she wouldn't dream of poking and prying where she isn't welcome, she does want to help if he'll allow her to.
And sometimes having someone standing alongside at the end of a day or a long battle makes all the difference in the world.
Knowing from experience how easy it is to want to distance oneself from the world and humanity in general, Diana's expression softens into something knowing and understanding. When one begins to feel like they're only playing a part, it can be difficult to come back from that. Still, it concerns her to see that Bruce is feeling that separation. She understands it completely, of course, but it worries her nonetheless.
Isolating oneself in that way does no one any favors. ]
I understand. [ She really does. She doesn't want him thinking she doesn't, or that she can't relate. ] I've found myself feeling that way more than once over the years.
[ The very long years, she might add. Not that it needs saying, and neither does she want that reminder. ]
You're right, nothing could have. Some things just can't be predicted, no matter how hard we try to do so.
[ She sees that shift in his expression and it concerns her. She wouldn't dream of presuming what's brewing beneath the surface, but 5000 years of living has taught her a thing or two about the art of perception.
Perhaps saying as much would be overstepping, but she feels like the world would feel Bruce's loss, and for more reasons than because they'd miss his money. Yes, of course, there are some who would only miss the man because of that, but the world isn't broken down into those who are shallow and those who aren't.
And for her, she'd feel his loss just as keenly as she's felt all the others that came before. He'd be one more person whose memory she carries with her every day.
She glances back at him mid-step, a hint of a smile returning to her face. ]
For as long as you'll have me. [ She won't overstep nor overstay her welcome. If she feels as though he's subtly asking her to leave, she'll comply. ]
Or just long enough to see that you've had something to eat.
[ Sorry, Bruce. Sometimes she can't turn off that desire to be nurturing. She doesn't even know where it comes from, but she doesn't ignore it when it surfaces. ]
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It is why he had gone so far to find that photograph for her. The fact that she was willing to break into Luthor's private servers to get it back said everything to him. It goes beyond the fact that it was evidence of how long she had been with mortal men. He knows the hint in someone's voice when something is deeply personal. She had been there when Clark died--she had fought at his side. She helped save his life. Returning an old photograph was the least he could do. ]
We can prepare for everything now that we know what might be lurking out there.
[ He's determined to find a way to make sure this planet is protected even after he is long gone. Bruce is aware that won't be much longer with the lifestyle he lives. Either he'll go out fighting or his body will finally give up on him. He'll find a way to make sure that this budding team is set to keep going without him.
Maybe he'll even find a way to get Alfred that new generation of Waynes that he so badly wants.
Maybe.
Bruce follows after her. His footing is uneven, given the parts of his body that feel like they're seizing up already. He wordlessly joins her in the kitchen, reaching over her to grab plates, the cooking utensils, then heads to the fridge.
Well, if he were a more open man, he'd admit to wanting her there for more than awhile.
He opens the fridge and pulls out the cartoon of milk. ]
I'm going to guess that no one in the last one hundred years has taught you how to make waffles from scratch, Miss Prince.
[ At least he knows when to throw in that perfected eased smile. A faint one anyways. There's no need to be billionaire playboy Bruce Wayne around her. ]
Alfred was going to make damn sure I knew how to take care of myself. Just in case.
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But the lengths he went to, to make sure that the photograph was returned to her, touched her then and it still touches her now. It's a gesture that she appreciates very much, and she hopes he knows just how much it means to her. ]
Yes. We can prepare, and we can work hard to make certain that we are ready.
[ Complacency is not a thing they can afford. And as for Bruce's contingency plan, well... While Diana knows that every mortal man and woman will eventually die, that doesn't mean that she's going to prepare herself prematurely for Bruce's own death. Even if a day comes when he retires, she's resolved to stay with him, to look after him, even if he protests against it.
Just like with Steve Trevor, now it's difficult to imagine a life without him in it, or at least standing by her side. She can hear that slightly uneven gait, and it concerns her. But her priority at the moment is preparing food for him, and once that has been achieved, then she'll turn her attention to his other physical needs. ]
From scratch? No, you would be correct there. I don't often have the time for such things, but Mr. Wayne, I won't resort to a mix that has been put into a box.
[ She gives him her own version of a perfectly practiced and crafted smile. But like his, it's muted and a little diminished. When it's just the two of them, she feels free to be more than Diana Prince, curator of antiquities. ]
Alfred is quite a smart man. I assume that you'll show me how to accomplish this.
[ A cooking lesson from Bruce Wayne himself? She would never dare pass such an opportunity up. ]
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They also need to prepare for the eventual arrival of the being Darkseid. There is no way that he isn't coming now that they've returned the head of Steppenwolf. Bruce knows it's a matter of time. It might be after he's dead, or before it, but he's coming either way. Though, it isn't a topic to be had over breakfast. At least not with a guest.
He places the milk on the counter and opens the cupboards for flour, salt, sugar, everything they'll need for the dry ingredients. ]
If you're going to make the time to come out and visit me, then, there's probably time for something like this. [ He glances at her with a knowing look. Still, he continues to get to work expertly. He's made this one or two times in his life.
He lets a silence fall as he works. Then, there's a bit of a sigh. A frown follows on his face. ]
We didn't know who killed my parents. [ There's no need for an explanation as to why Alfred taught him what he did. Maybe it will just get her to open up a bit more. ] We didn't know if they'd come for me next, or if they'd come for Alfred. He taught me how to defend myself; how to fight. Not that he really wanted to. Cooking was the next thing on the list when he was sure I wasn't going to burn down the manor.
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She isn't one to give herself over to silly hopes and dreams, and yet there's a vision in her head of the two of them in that glass house of his, laughing and learning about each other and just living, for however many years they have left. In that vision, the team is running smoothly, and Darkseid is no longer a threat. As for the threats that still loom, the team is more than capable of handling them. She and Bruce still look out for the team, of course, but their focus has shifted to something else.
It's a future she doesn't dare to hope for, because to imagine that she belongs at Bruce's side feels nothing short of presumptuous, and yet the heart has a way of wanting what it wants. But no, this is not a topic to have over breakfast. ]
Well, I suppose that's fair enough. You seem very comfortable in the kitchen.
[ A question she wants to ask him rises up to the forefront of her mind, but she refrains when she sees that look on his face. Now is not the time for that either. ]
If I haven't already said, I'm very sorry about your parents. [ She can only begin to imagine how terrible that must have been for him, and how terrible it must be still. ]
From where I'm standing, he did a very good job with all of it.
[ And finally, she allows herself to smile just the slightest bit. ]
I don't know if you enjoy the art of cooking or not, but if you did, what is one thing you like making the most?
[ In a way, it seems strange to ask him about something as mundane as his favorite dish to make, when nearly all of their conversations before were about the fight and the threats facing them. But regardless of her own love for the heat of battle and the thrill that comes from it, she finds that, in some small way, she prefers these conversations over the ones involving tactics and battle. ]
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It's something he could of used before he met her.
He's quiet as she gives her condolences. 'Your parents would be proud of you, Bruce.' His gaze lifts to look at the outside beyond her, eyes eventually settling on where the Wayne mausoleum is. He supposes he could take her there to 'meet' them. Then again, that might not only seem unsettling, but far too close. Dick is buried there too -- outside it. ]
I wouldn't have made it without Alfred.
[ He lets the gaze drop then goes back to the mixture. After a moment he points for her to grab the waffle iron. ]
Making? Probably Italian dishes.
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Still, it's something she wants very much, in her heart of hearts. And it's by pure instinct that she turns just slightly so she can reach his hand to give it a gentle squeeze. ]
He seems to be a very good man.
[ As do you, she silently adds. It seems to her that even if she were to say those words aloud, he wouldn't believe her. But everyone has their darkness, their skeletons in the closet. She believes Bruce still has a well of goodness inside him. It's just been buried for so long that she's not certain if he can even still recognize it. ]
Italian? That seems fitting, somehow.
[ She picks up the waffle iron and sets it down, getting it ready for when Bruce is done with the mixture. ]
I find it very comforting.
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[ His gaze stays on the batter, making sure that it is evenly mixed. It only stills the moment she touches his hand. Bruce looks up at her. There's no words he says in regards to it. Just the simple recognition in an expression. One that said he agreed with what the gentle touch meant.
It would be nice. ]
I thought saying 'Greek' might have been a little too on the nose.
[ He smirks then, handing her the bowl. ]
But, it's not my favorite to eat.
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[ If her comment is overstepping, or if her perception of their relationship is incorrect, she'll withdraw. But she thinks there's more to the two men than a simple master-butler relationship.
When he looks up at her, she returns the gaze, eyes locking with his and softening with something akin to understanding with a hint of want. But it's not her place to ask, however nice it would be, so she just leaves it at that. ]
Perhaps. You wouldn't be the first.
[ She smirks too, unable to help herself, even as she takes the bowl and prepares to get to work. ]
One of these days, I should cook for you, if it wouldn't be putting anyone out.
[ A 5-star chef, she is not. But she knows her way around a kitchen and the best ingredients to use. ]
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[ It's a soft spoken statement, but, Diana is far from wrong. It says something when Bruce Wayne introduced Alfred Pennyworth as the man he works for. He's far more aware of the fact that he would of died years ago if it wasn't for Alfred. He may not have even seen it to age ten if it hadn't been for the fact Alfred was determined to see the last of the Waynes live on.
The last of the Waynes.
Bruce frowns to himself at that. The biting comments Alfred has made over the last few years has always been in the back of his mind. Now, though, it seems to be at the forefront of his mind. Perhaps that's because he's standing in his kitchen making breakfast with a woman that he is more than a little attracted to. ]
Was I the first to see through that babes in the wood act?
[ The smirk curls more on his face, alluding to one of their first meetings. He can't help but be a little curious to it all. How many people caught onto the fact that Diana Prince is more than what she says she is? How did she get through the last one hundred years without people noticing? Is it just a secret people keep, or does she move around and change her identity? It may have been surprising to no one, but, Luthor didn't dig up everything on the metahumans he was looking into.
Not that Diana is a metahuman. ]
I'm sure Alfred wouldn't mind taking the night off and having someone else cook dinner. [ Bruce shrugs the shoulder that isn't giving him a complaint. ] He might even consider it a date.
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[ It doesn't take a genius to see that the two men are close to each other in ways that transcend blood and biology.
She sees the way his expression changes, even if it's just by the slightest amount. He doesn't have to visibly frown for her to know that something is on his mind, or that it's something that is always there lurking.
There's a part of her that wishes it was her place to stand beside him when those darker thoughts arose, but again, that feels incredibly presumptuous, when she can't quite tell if their relationship extends to more than just acquaintances and teammates. Just because she might wish for it to be more doesn't make it so.
Her smile turns into something that's a mixture of slyness and just the barest hint of a come-hither look. ]
Who says it's entirely an act?
[ It's a tease, of course. They both know exactly what it is, and in her experience, most men fall for it. ]
Let's just say that most people wind up lost in those proverbial woods themselves. With you being the exception. I can't help but wonder how you managed to avoid that fate.
[ And truthfully, there are a lot of things that they don't know about each other. For her part, Diana would like to be able to cross some of those questions off her list. ]
I think it might be time that Alfred and I have a little chat. [ Her eyebrow raises in response to that "date" comment, but she says nothing, only widening her smile into something sphinx-like. ] Would it be a date?
[ He'll have to forgive her; she can't help but ask. ]
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I spent a lot of time being angry at the world for what happened. I was even angry at Alfred. I didn't think he understood. Not until he told me how my father and he met. Why he became employed by them. Then, I realized, Alfred knew better than anyone else.
[ There is always something lurking below any level of mask that Bruce shows to people. Even when he has the cowl on, there is a plan or thought that is crossing his mind. He never stops. It's an ongoing drumbeat that Bruce has more than learned to dance to and has developed over the years. It started as trying to avoid sleeping to avoid the nightmares--trauma that was never really solved, just handled.
Then again, Bruce would say it's a trauma that can never be solved.
Her expression earns more of a grin. Oh, she's good. She's definitely learned how to weasel her way through the world of men. There are certain smiles that do certain things and can get her what she wants. It's more subtle with Diana compared to another woman he knew that stole gems. Less manipulative and more with a hint of making the room understand that Diana Prince is in control. ]
Gotham has always been dangerous. It just takes one bad day for you to realize how dangerous. [ He wonders when this became her learning more about him rather than the other way around. Maybe he's just ready to tell someone. ] Criminals and the gangs are one thing. Most people don't have to deal with the cutthroat elites that are willing to sleep with anyone, kill anyone, or frame someone to advance their standings. If I was going to survive in the world my parents couldn't? I had to learn how the world worked; learn the game plan. Master the game to be a few steps ahead of everyone else in it.
Until a certain someone in a very lovely red dress caught on and found my toy.
[ Bruce raises his eyebrows at her. It's still impressive that Diana can keep pace with him. Most people can't. Then again, Diana isn't most people--or a human for that matter. Maybe that's why. ]
That depends on your definition of "date", Miss Prince. [ Bruce leans in to hover over her just enough. That grin becomes that slow practiced smile that he knows how to wear. He even raises one hand to catch her wrist, holding it lightly enough for her to be able to pull away. ] Most women of your caliber consider dates to be high class dining, wine, and the best view Gotham has to offer.
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As for your anger, no one would blame you for that. You lost your parents and your childhood. And Alfred- Well, how could he understand what you were thinking and feeling? I'm sure both of you were left reeling, but in different ways, but what is important is that you came to understand in time.
[ At least, that's Diana's understanding of everything Bruce has said so far.
And over the years, she's learned how to keep people in the palm of her hand, if that's what she wants to do. It boils down to manipulation, but she never does it just because she can. Every move she's ever made has purpose, and that includes learning about timing and when to offer her smiles and when to refrain. ]
The world is dangerous. Gotham, Paris, the whole world. [ But she understands the point he's making here. ]
One would say you still have mastery over that game. This person in her red dress was never meant to put a stop to your endeavors.
[ She never meant to cross paths with him either, at least not to the extent that they had. Her plan was to take his toy, as he puts it, and then return it once she gained what she'd been after. Except even the best laid plans had the potential to fail, as she now knows. ]
Would you like to find out for yourself, Mr. Wayne? [ She can't help but offer him that teasing smile of hers again. She knows what he's saying, but she can be a little bit of a tease when it suits her.
When his hand connects with her wrist, she looks him in the eye, but her smile remains intact and she doesn't pull away. ] I was thinking more along the lines of a dinner, nothing elaborate, and no view necessary. We would have a conversation, much as you and I are doing now.
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[ It's a perfect way to bring up what he needs to tell her. Not that it is what he wants to talk about. No, he'd rather spend the time to get to know her. He wants to learn about her. Where did she come from? What was it like? Why did she come to their world? Who are the people in the photograph? He knows names, but, never much more than that. Part of him kept from digging too far. He'd rather her tell him.
That practiced smile turns into a ghost of one as he lets go of her wrist. He reaches above her with a shaking arm as he grabs the plates. No harm in getting things ready to dish up as they finish cooking. ]
I would like to find out. [ The playfulness disappears to a serious tone. There is still a fondness in his voice. ] Well, the lake is something of a view at night. I could arrange that at least.
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[ And not her business, incidentally. There is the smallest part of her that wishes they could put aside the talk about business, threats, and plans and just get to know each other, but in times of conflict, one must have priorities. Now is no exception to that, regardless of what Diana wants or wishes for. ]
If you really would like to find out, I'm almost certain I can find the time to oblige.
[ It's not a tease nor a come-on. She wouldn't say that to just anyone, and as far as she's concerned, the fact that she's saying it to him ought to be an indication that she wants to spend more time with him, if he'll allow it. ]
If the view is as good as you make it sound, then perhaps I would like to see it after all. But I think I might be moving a bit too fast; here you are making breakfast and I'm talking about dinner.
[ And speaking of breakfast, she asks: ] What more can I do to help?
[ She wants to be helpful, if he'll give her a task to do. ]
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[ The subtle comments are far from lost on him. Which is why he is leaving it to her to set the date. Whatever this is can go at the pace she wants--if there is a pace at all. Maybe there's nothing secret or hidden in terms of undertones in this. Maybe it's just two lonely people enjoying the company of one another. It might all be in his head.
She's not like any woman he's met -- in her own words. ]
Breakfast is usually my dinner anyways. [ He gestures to the fridge. ] Get whatever toppings you'd like. Whip cream, strawberries, butter, syrup. Alfred makes sure the fridge is stocked.
Just in case.
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[ In her experience, members of any sort of board tend to have strong personalities, or at the very least, have a very clear idea of what they want. And Bruce himself is no exception. ]
Strawberries will be fine. Perhaps I might even splurge just the smallest bit and have some butter and syrup as well.
[ Truthfully, it's been some time since she's eaten anything like this, but she can afford to make an exception. ]
What do you like to have on yours? [ She moves over to the refrigerator and begins pulling all of the previously mentioned toppings out, just in case Bruce wants to have a little bit of each one. ]
i'm shocked this isn't at thread collapse yet.
I inherited the company when my parents died. [ His gaze is on finishing up the rest of breakfast as opposed to watching her expression as he shares yet more of his life with her. ] They tried to block me out immediately. I let them think they ran it until I could find the best way to prove how I'd be the one in charge one day. A family friend looked over things until I was legally old enough to hold it down.
[ It was never that easy of course. Lucius had been a help, but Bruce had the feeling that those involved with his parents death came from the top of the chain. The Court of Owls. That'd be a story for another time--once he had a decent amount of information in return from her. ]
Surprise me.
[ He does, however, look up at her at his statement. A small tired smile takes his face at it. Bruce trusts her more than he'd say--and any amount of trust from him his like moving mountains. She's saved him more times than he would like to count. She stayed at his side even after what happened with Superman and Doomsday. She willingly helped him form a team to fight off a threat from the stars; even when it challenged the norms of her people.
If he couldn't trust someone like that, then who could he trust? ]
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It seems to me that you outsmarted them all, whether or not you knew what you were doing at the time. It isn't hard for me to imagine that you were very smart, even from a young age.
[ Of course, she knows that he most likely had help, but Bruce is intelligent and intuitive, and while she supposes those traits have been honed over the years, there still is something to be said for one's instinct that is just built into a person. ]
All right then. A surprise it is.
[ Before she starts choosing what to put on both of their breakfasts, she reaches out to give him a light touch on his arm. Nothing too forward, just a small gesture of care, maybe even affection. It's been a long time since she's felt affectionate towards anyone, so even though she's only just begun working out her feelings concerning Bruce, it's a start. ]
It already smells delicious.