TITLE: Healing Touch

AUTHOR: LOTSlover

CHARACTERS: Batman / Wonder Woman

RATING: R/M

WARNINGS: Author Chooses Not to Use Warnings

DISCLAIMER: I love Justice League, but especially Batman and Wonder Woman. Unfortunately, I do not own the characters and if I did things would be much different for them.

SUMMARY: After suffering a traumatic event on patrol in Gotham, Batman goes to the one person he knows who can help him heal. BMWW. Written from BM's POV.

Healing Touch

I stand in a dark alley several feet away, the pounding rain beating violently against me, but I barely even notice it. My gaze is centered on the scene playing out before me, one all too familiar…too surreal for my analytic mind to begin to process.

I'm paralyzed by the anguish I feel, the familiar bitterness and rage that causes bile to rise in the back of my throat and keeps my black boots firmly planted where I stand in the shadows. I'm mesmerized as I watch a female police officer place a blanket around the little boy's shoulders, but not mesmerized in a good way. It's more a sickening recognition that causes my stomach to churn, a familiarity that I can't begin to rid myself of even after all of these years.

A movie. A family. A dark alley. A gun. A scream.

Two dead.

One left behind.

One left alive to pick up the pieces of what's left of his life as he struggles to make sense of something so utterly senseless it will drive him to the very brink just trying to, motivating him to do things he never would have done had they lived.

And it was all for forty-seven dollars, a gold bracelet, and a couple of credit cards. That's what I had found on the crook when I had caught up to him. I had been too late to stop the crime, but I would be damned if I was going to be too late to stop the criminal.

And I had...with all the anguish and hatred I still harbor in my heart even now. They took him away to Gotham General on a stretcher with a neck collar and pressure bandages to his head. I felt nothing as I had watched the red lights disappear around the corner, the sirens blaring loudly into the night.

Somehow I manage to draw a shuddering breath now as I think about that incident just an hour ago, realizing that I hadn't taken a breath in almost two minutes as my lungs burn in protest to my denial. My throat is a wilderness devoid of moisture, my tongue thick and sticking to the roof of my mouth.

I had been ruthless, more violent with him than I had been with any criminal in a very long time. I had lost the iron-will, the tight self-control that I had always prided myself on mastering. I thought that I had run far enough ahead that my past wouldn't catch up to me, but catch up to me it had and I had failed the test. I failed that little boy and I had failed myself.

I slowly look down to see remnants of the crook's blood still on my gloves, mingling with the rivulets of rain running down my uniform and I can't help but cringe slightly at what I had done. He was unconscious when the EMT's had taken him away.

I watch as Commissioner Jim Gordon comes into my line of sight, kneeling on one knee before the catatonic boy no more than six years old and ignoring the fact that his knee was now submerged in a large puddle of water. All that mattered at that moment was that little boy who had just watched his whole world crumble right before his innocent eyes.

Jim holds the large black umbrella over the boy who can only stare straight ahead as if Gordon isn't even there, shivering every few seconds beneath the too large gray blanket wrapped securely around him. It's the only sign of life that he gives besides the silent tears that continually trickle down his face, leaking from glassy eyes that had just seen far more than any child should ever be forced to bear witness to.

Gordon places a comforting hand on the little boy's shoulder as he speaks so gently to him. The boy acts as if he doesn't hear him and he probably doesn't. Right now, he's locked away in a memory of what had been not what is at that indescribable moment.

I know how that little boy feels—so numb and cold and utterly alone that you want to just crawl into a dark pit and hideaway forever where you never have to feel anything ever again, never have to let anyone in or risk having your heart broken.

The pain is unbearable, stealing your breath when you least expect it as well as your hope. The future becomes so absolutely bleak you just want to curl into yourself, close your eyes and hope you never wake up. But then the sun rises the next day and you soon discover that the saying "time heals all wounds" is the biggest myth anyone has ever fabricated in the history of the world.

The nightmare will never end for that little boy and time will not make it any better. It'll only revisit him like a sick, sadistic specter haunting him for the rest of his life. It will twist his world into something so unrecognizable he won't know how he'll be able to draw his next breath let alone be able to put one foot in front of the other.

"Are you alright?"

Jim Gordon's voice rough with heartache and yet gentle with compassion tears me away from my tormented thoughts. How he knew I was there I'll never understand, but then again I don't really care. I'm just fighting to make my voice work as I stare into the knowing eyes of the elder man before me.

"I'm fine," I gruffly respond with the usually grating rasp. "How's the boy?"

My voice sounds mechanical and cold even to my ears, but I know I don't have to explain or compensate. Not with Jim Gordon who has probably known my secret almost from the start, but has thankfully never said anything.

"He's too shell-shocked to even speak right now," Jim replies with a grim shake of his head. "Poor boy. I was thinking of getting in touch with Bruce Wayne…see if he might be of help to him."

"Good idea," I evenly state, ignoring the rain that continues to course down my face and uniform. "I'm sure he'd be more than happy to do what he can to help him."

"My thoughts too," Jim agrees as he plays the game we have played for years when it comes to Batman's true identity. He clutches the handle of the umbrella a little harder as he attempts to ward off a shiver, pulling his coat a little tighter around his neck before continuing. "The punk who shot them will make it so don't be too hard on yourself, Batman. The creep didn't get nearly what he deserved. The little boy's mother was six months pregnant."

I didn't bother answering as I stare at the boy being escorted away by a representative from social services. Jim knows that I will beat myself up later for losing control like that once the rage and pain finally begins to recede back to the dull painful ache that I always carry with me.

"Does he have any family?" I ask.

"An aunt and an uncle are already on their way from Blüdhaven to come take him home with them," Jim reveals. "From what I've learned so far, they are a very nice young couple, always been very close with Brandon's family. It's the woman's brother and sister-in-law that were killed."

"Brandon," I softly murmur. His name is Brandon, similar to mine. I feel ill to my core as I swallow down the vomit rising within me.

"Yes, Brandon Williamson," Jim informs me as he turns to see the car holding the boy drive away. "He's going to need all the love and attention that young couple—"

As I disappear into the night, I hear Jim mutter, "How in hell does he always manage to do that?"

XXX

Firing my grappling gun, I swing from one building to the next as I try to fight the trembling that has gripped my body along with the panic that is threatening to choke the life out of me. I can't breathe, can't think as rain pelts against my face and body. Each driving sheet of rain I hit head-on is almost like colliding with a brick wall.

My heart is racing and my mind is a whirlwind of thoughts and feelings that I can't even begin to process. For all of the years that I have been Batman, I have somehow managed to avoid this scenario happening until tonight.

There had been situations in the past that had triggered memories and nightmares that left me a panting, sweating mess in my bed, but this is the first time that a crime has directly hit its target quite like this. The boy's initials are "BW" just like mine, the similarities too eerie to even consider though I know it is merely a coincidence.

All I know is that I need to escape. I have to get out of here—now. I can't stay here in Gotham a moment longer. Returning to the manor would be of no help and trying to sleep is something I plan on avoiding at all cost for as long as humanly possible, knowing what awaits me when I close my eyes.

I know within an instant, before my mind can fully even form the thought, where I need to go…where I want to be. It is the only solace that I can find at that moment, the only place I can possibly go and I don't have to pretend.

I land lightly on the balls of my feet, retracting my grappling line as my other hand goes for my commlink. "Batman to Watchtower. One for transport."

"You got it, Bats," Mister Terrific responds.

Before I can blink, I find myself materializing on the Watchtower transportation pad. I immediately step off as I fully appear, desperate to reach her. I ignore the night shift skeleton crew on the Watchtower as I swiftly exit the transport room. They know better than to expect any sort of greeting from me and tonight is going to be no different.

I have a destination in mind and nothing is going to keep me from it. I don't know exactly what I need; only that she is the only one who can provide it now. Rain water continues to drip from my face and uniform, leaving a wet trail as I storm towards the senior members living quarters, but I don't care.

I need to be able to breathe again. My chest feels like a thousand pounds is resting on top of it, pinning me beneath the water. My legs can't move fast enough as I draw near, the pounding of my boots against the steel flooring echoing and signaling my approach, but no one is awake on this floor to even hear it.

I come to a stop before her quarters and enter the security code that I memorized years ago, punching it in with trembling fingers. The door quietly slides open, the dim lighting of the corridor spilling into her room and casting a soft glow on the bed where she sleeps.

She doesn't even stir as I stand there filling her doorway like a terrifying phantom, macabre in my appearance. I glance at the chronometer on the wall and see the red numbers glaring back at me telling me it's two thirty-seven in the morning.

I know I should turn around and let her sleep. I know she's already had an exhausting day filled with missions that had no doubt drained even her, but I can't leave her. I don't want to leave her. I feel myself being drawn to her like the most powerful magnet, the succor that I am in desperate need of sleeping here in this room.

My mind is screaming at me to run away, that this will only make things worse, but I find my legs taking me towards her as the door slides closed behind me. I feel the last remnants of rain trickling down my face and dripping from my chin as she begins to stir.

Diana's eyes open, a sleepy look of confusion and disbelief on her beautiful face. "Bruce?" she softly murmurs as she lifts her head from the pillow. "What is it? Are you alright?"

I can't answer her as I come to a stop beside her bed, staring down at her. Panic and fear has seized my throat, rage has confiscated my heart. My body is no longer my own as I abruptly fall to my knees at her bedside, trembling and unable to speak.

"Oh, Bruce," she whispers as she sits up, her legs moving over the edge of the bed.

Before I know what I'm doing, I lean forward without a second thought, my heart hammering in my ears and my breathing ragged. Her legs move to either side of my body as her fingers gently wipe away the last of the rain from my jaw. It sends a jolt through me like lightning.

She carefully begins to remove my cowl and I do not stop her. I couldn't have even if I had wanted to. My mind is numb despite the intense emotions storming within me, matching the horrible thunderstorms that had descended on Gotham tonight. She gently lifts the cowl away, revealing the broken man beneath as she allows it to fall against my back.

I can only imagine the dreadful sight that I am, but her pained expression speaks volumes. She does not speak or ask any questions as her hand comes to rest so gently against my cheek that I can't help but release the breath that I hadn't realized that I had been holding.

I can feel the tears burning in my eyes, but I refuse to acknowledge them let alone let them fall. She tenderly begins to run her fingers through my disheveled hair, her eyes speaking what she doesn't say with her lips as she just gives me time to collect myself.

She understands, she always understands. Though she has no idea what I had just been forced to endure tonight, she still knows and she is there for me for as long as I need her. My arms begin to move of their own accord, slipping around her body and coming to rest firmly around her waist as my head falls against her.

I begin to shake as I fight the overwhelming heartache that is consuming me, the tears that I refuse causing my throat to tighten and burn. I feel so broken and alone, so completely lost and yet I know I am safe here with her. She is my sanctuary.

She loves me and I love her. I know it and she knows it though neither of us has ever uttered the words, always dancing around what we both want. I had previously refused to allow us to have that relationship—whether out of stupidity or fear I have no idea. I do know that in coming here tonight I have come as close to crossing that line as I have ever come, daring to not to just cross it but hurtle myself right over it.

Her hands find my cape still wet from the rain, silently removing it and tossing it aside. She begins to rub my back through my uniform with one hand, her other hand stroking my hair as I silently do battle with my inner demons that refuse to leave me.

A single tear breaks free against my will, spilling onto her thigh. I tighten my grip on her even more as I suck in a breath, holding her with all that I have because she is truly my anchor…my lifeline. Without her in my life, I know that I cannot survive and that is the real reason that I haven't pursued anything past friendship.

I'm too terrified of having her only to lose her to my enemies, to have her realize one day that she can't cope with my darkness, my brooding and my demons. If I can't have her as my lover, then I'd have her friendship to sustain me.

I had always told myself in the past that it was enough, but, damn it, it's not enough. I want more now. I want her…all of her.

Diana continues to stroke my hair in the most soothing expression of compassion that I have ever received before. I begin to feel the tremors leave me; the panic and fear begin to seep from my body. I feel myself begin to relax as she cradles me between her legs, my forehead still pressed against her abdomen.

We stay that way for what feels like an eternity when I at last lift my head only to find tears glistening in her eyes. She has felt every bit of my pain and sorrow that I carry with me tonight, shared it with me, took it into herself in order to help lessen mine if but only for a while.

It overwhelms me. The love I see shining in her eyes is far more than I believe that I deserve, but at the same time, too intense to begin to ignore. I don't want to ignore it anymore. There is no turning away now as I slowly lean in, my arms pulling her closer to the edge of the bed and firmly against me.

My mouth lightly touches hers, sending tingles through my system with the simplest caress of our lips against each others. Her hands move to cup either side of my face as she takes the lead, kissing me so slowly, so lovingly that it nearly brings the tears back to my eyes.

No one has ever kissed me like this before, pouring such love and warmth and tenderness into each caress of her lips against mine. Her fingers slide into my hair, holding my head where she wants me as she continues to explore me with lips and tongue.

Her kisses are light as a feather and yet so sensual that I can't help but be overcome by the intensity of the feelings welling up inside of me. Ignoring the voice roaring in my head to stop this, I let her do what she wants to me, her kisses growing a little more intense, a little more passionate. I don't want to hold back from her any longer, don't want to hide from her or my feelings for her anymore.

While tonight's horrifying events have rattled me to my core, dragging me back thirty years into the past, it somehow made me see that I didn't want to be alone any longer. I don't want to go another day without her knowing that I love her, want her more than I have ever wanted any other woman in my life.

Her touch makes me feel loved so deeply, so completely in a way that I've never felt before. It was staggering …overwhelming me and causing the damn around my heart to break at last. I tilt my head and return her love with the same growing intensity, the same desire that she is showing me.

I release my hold on her waist as the kiss deepens, removing my gauntlets and tossing them behind me somewhere on the floor. Her fingers begin to explore my uniform, searching for the release. I guide her hands to it before embarking on a little exploration of my own.

My fingers play with the thin lacy strap of her nearly sheer navy blue nightgown and I suddenly wonder how I had missed that alluring fact when I had first entered her quarters. She shivers as my fingers softly caress her velvety skin, pulling the strap further down her arm.

Our lips continue a steady, prodding search of each other's mouth, tongues at first tentative now tangling for dominance, neither of us willing to yield just yet. I'm forced to pause as she removes the top of my uniform, tossing it aside as her dark eyes filled with lust become captivated by the criss-cross of unsightly scars that riddle my torso. It is something that very few have ever seen, Diana being the first woman to have seen it in a very long time.

Instead of seeing horror at what she has uncovered, I notice reverential awe veiling her face, admiration and respect. It only urges me on, my lips crashing into hers with a building heated desire that starts in my groin before spreading through my whole body.

All of a sudden, close isn't nearly close enough as I push the other strap of her lingerie off her shoulder, allowing it to pool around her waist. I stand to my feet, chest heaving as I stare down at her exposed breasts with heavily hooded eyes no doubt filled with the same hunger that I see in hers.

Diana smiles shyly at me as she stares up at me through her long dark eyelashes, her teeth lightly scraping over her bottom lip. It causes my heart to nearly leap into my throat, my arousal growing more uncomfortable. She is absolute perfection and if I don't get to taste her soon, I swear I'm going to die.

As I begin to remove my uniform pants, she unexpectedly leans forward, her hands firmly gripping my hips and stilling my motion as her lips begin to travel over my abdomen. She traces each ripple of my muscles with her hot tongue, pausing to slowly circle my navel in an erotic way that nearly buckles my knees. My fingers instinctively intertwine in her hair, my eyes falling closed as she repeatedly rakes her teeth over my skin.

My breathing is ragged, my pulse racing. I barely notice that she is removing my uniform pants now, pushing them past my hips and freeing my member so hot and hard. I hear a soft gasp of surprise slip past her lips and I can't help but smirk to myself.

She had been kissing and exploring me with such erotic skill that I had momentarily forgotten that I will be the first man she has ever been with, the first one that she has ever seen without clothes on or touched like this. And by God, I will be her last.

I tighten my grip on her hair as she begins to touch me, testing me to see what will happen if she kisses me here or licks me there, blowing softly this way or stroking me that way. I grit my teeth as she sets my body on fire, scorching me with her inquisitive touch. A fierce growl rumbles through my chest and rises in my throat as I fight against the overwhelming need to come right there.

The curious virgin is about to drive me right over the edge before we've even gotten started. I force myself to take a few steps back, pinching the bridge of my nose and leaving her confused and bewildered. I can tell that she thinks I've changed my mind, that I'm going to leave her and never look back, but that couldn't be the furthest from the truth.

Without a word, I remove my boots and pants, leaving me free to love her the way that I want to, the way that she needs me to and deserves. A soft smile slowly spreads across her beautiful face, the tension in her shoulders fleeing as she stands to her feet as well, allowing her lingerie to fall to the ground.

I approach her like a predator approaches its prey; my gaze zeroed in on my target. My steps are full of purpose and unspoken intent, but it is more than visible in my eyes as well as my sex which is throbbing relentlessly with a need so intense it's making me lightheaded.

As I come to a stop in front of her, her fingers began to lightly trace over each scar, her gaze darting between my face and my chest in an attempt to read my reaction to her touch. She's as fascinated with me as she was with my sex just a few moments ago.

I know that if I don't have her now I'm going to go insane. Her focused ministrations and exploration is driving me absolutely wild, her innocence and purity turning me on more than I have ever been before. She is the most sensual, beautiful creature I have ever met and I can hardly wait to ravish her again and again.

I know that I will be her first and, hopefully if I don't screw this up, her last. It is a privilege and an honor that I don't take lightly. As badly as I need a release, I am more than determined to make this the most amazing experience of her life. When it is over and we are holding each other close, I want her to know that I love her with all my heart.

I can't help but tremble as her fingers lightly slide down my arms, learning my body before her fingers find mine. She pulls my hands to her, placing them on her breasts as she silently begs me to show her what I feel for her.

I nearly lose it right there, touching the soft warm flesh that has teased me from the moment I first saw her in that uniform. It is something that I have dreamed about doing for so long and now that I'm here with her now in her quarters I find that I can't make my mind work fast enough to process it all.

Her fingers thread through my hair as she draws my lips to hers, moaning softly with my touch. She takes my lower lip into her mouth, teasing it mercilessly as I stroke and massage her, preparing her for more. She backs us up to her bed, bringing me down with her as she lays back. I eagerly move over her, settling myself on top of her.

She presses her head back against the pillows as my mouth latches onto her breast. I suck hard, teasing and nipping at her sensitive flesh until all she is capable of is a senseless string of whimpers and moans. I shift to her other breast as my hand moves to momentarily tickle her side before slipping down to caress her flat abdomen.

She rakes her fingers through my hair, twisting the short strands almost painfully in her grip and exciting me even further. I know that I don't have to hold back with her like I have had to with other women in the past, free to show her every bit of my lust, my love, my passion without fear of hurting her. Even though mortal and not a metahuman, I am still very strong in my own right and I am more than determined to show her.

She seems to crave this almost primal passion that is building between us, pent-up desire at last being unleashed. How could it not turn primal with how long we've both fought the sexual tension that has been steadily building like a volcano ready to erupt at any moment?

I begin to kiss down her abdomen, her legs spreading and giving me more room to work with. I pause to kiss her navel just as she had done to me, causing a soft panting giggle to fill my ears. I smirk against her stomach before moving to kiss her inner thigh near her sex. Her scent is driving me crazy and it is all I can do not to just ravage her senseless.

Diana hisses as I lightly nip at her inner thigh, kissing and nuzzling her skin before licking it slowly. My name is a gasping plea laced with an unspoken threat as one hand continues to tug on my hair, the other moving to clutch at the sheets beneath her.

My hand moves to her knee, opening her up even more for me as I kiss her other thigh before moving to her wet center. I have dreamed of doing this to her for so long that now that I'm finally here with her I can't decide what I want to do next. A part of me wants to take my time, kissing every square inch of her luscious body while my hot need demands that I find release and soon.

Her labored breathing and jerking hips tell me that she is hanging on by a very thin thread as well. I move to splay my hand on her abdomen to hold her down, allowing me to torture her even further. I want her to experience the most amazing pleasure of her life while at the same time leaving absolutely no doubt about how much I truly love her.

I continue to stroke her with my tongue and lips; her body writhing as she suddenly comes undone for me. She is making me more than frantic to be inside of her, needing to be with her when her next orgasm takes hold of her. Watching her as she struggles to regain control of herself, I can't help but be even more aroused by what I see. Her body is flushed, her breasts thrusting up into the air with every heaving gasp for air, a look of sweet rapture on her face.

She looks even more incredibly beautiful to me if that's possible and I find myself even more desperate than before to feel her surrounding me fully. I blaze a trail back up her body with my mouth, pausing at her breasts to kiss and suckle each one before nibbling on her throat.

She practically purrs my name and it causes my hips to involuntarily jerk against her. The sound of my name on her lips is spoken with so much hunger for me that it takes me by surprise. I find that I can hold back no longer. She gasps at the unexpected feeling of my hard sex pressing against her sensitive entrance, her body tensing only to relax back into the tranquility of her recent release.

I kiss along her jaw and chin before finding her sweet lips again. She swallows my moan as her hands roam over the expanse of my back, her hips rising to grind against me. I can wait no longer as I brush myself against her wet sex a couple of times before slowly forcing my way inside of her tight opening.

Her gasp at the invasion is sharp and breathless, causing me to pause for a moment. I know I'm going to hurt her and I hate myself for it, but I want her as much as she wants me. I continue to push a little more of myself inside of her and she gasps again, this one accompanied by a mewling cry as her hands move to grip my shoulders, bracing herself for more of me. She holds onto me tightly, but I know she is holding back to keep from breaking me.

I press gentle kisses along her nose and across each cheekbone as I continue to push more and more of myself deeper inside of her wet heat. She arches her head back, her breasts rising up to press against my chest with my intrusion inside of her body. I can feel her every muscle become rigid and I know that I need to calm her before we can take this further.

I kiss her deeply, my tongue slowly stroking hers as I pause to allow her a chance to get accustomed to the feel of me inside of her. It's almost next to impossible not to begin pounding away into her with all that I am. She is so hot and tight around me that it nearly makes me delirious, my body trembling with pleasure that is building to an unbearable level.

Nothing has ever felt so good in my entire life than Diana does at this moment. It's as if we were made for each other, meant to be together with the intimate way that we fit together like two halves of the same whole. I break the heated kiss for much needed air, gasping sharply as I press my forehead against the pillow beside her head in an attempt to collect myself once more.

Diana turns her head to nibble on my earlobe, her breath so hot against my skin as she begins to run her fingers up and down my spine. Unable to bear it another moment, I begin to move my hips, pulling almost all the way out of her before plunging right back in where I most want to be. She cries out, but not in pain like before. This is something strangled and feral and I feel myself swell and harden even more in reaction to her response to me.

She instinctively pulls her knees closer to her body, pressing her thighs against my ribcage as I move my hips. I touch her soft skin every place I can possibly reach, caressing the sensitive spot behind her knee before finding her breast again. She raises her hips to meet the slow steady rhythm I have set, a light sheen of sweat already forming on her flushed skin and adding to the glow that she naturally seems to radiate.

She is so breathtaking, so perfect in every way imaginable and she is finally all mine.

The thought nearly pushes me over the edge right then, but I manage to hold on, determined to make this last for as long as possible. I rise up on my elbows so I can look down into her eyes as I continue to thrust in and out of her. The love and passion for me that I see swimming in those blue orbs only makes the connection that I feel with her that much stronger, intensifying the love that I feel for this incredible woman.

Her hands move from my back to caress my chest and tease my nipples with her fingernails, intent on discovering what drives me wild and what makes me lose control. Her raven hair is splayed over the white pillow case beneath her, adding to her angelic beauty.

"Hera…I love you…Bruce," she pants the words that unexpectedly pierce my heart, making it swell until it feels like it could burst out of my chest.

I hadn't realized how much l had longed—no, needed to hear those very words spoken by her. I thought that I hadn't needed her or wanted her love, but I had been so very wrong. I need her more than my next breath, love her more than life itself.

"I love you…Princess…" I breathlessly respond, my lips claiming hers in a passionate kiss that seals our pledge to one another.

Fear and panic that had gripped me when I had first arrived gives way to unrestrained passion, freeing me from the pain that has kept me bound to my wounds for so long. I give her everything I have, every ounce of love escaping my heart and consuming my body as I show her just how deep that love goes. She wraps her legs firmly around me, giving me all of herself and allowing me to ride her with wild abandon.

It amazes me to no end that this powerful warrior princess who bows to no man is fully surrendering herself to me now, permitting me to take control over her at a time when I feel as though everything in my life is so completely out of control.

She is willingly submitting herself to me, a mere mortal man without powers or divine blessing. The full significance of her tender gift steals the last of my breath from my lungs. I feel myself falling even more in love with her for it. It is something that I will never take for granted for as long as I live. I know how this goes against her way of life in every conceivable way, her beliefs that have been ingrained into her for hundreds of years.

She begins to twist and writhe beneath me, teetering on the edge as her fingernails press into my shoulder blades and causing me to lose what little self-control I have left. We both come hard with an intense release that is all-consuming. I nearly black out, but the feel of Diana falling over the edge with me keeps me aware of how our bodies are continuing to move together involuntarily and without restraint as I continue to pump into her, propelling her into another orgasm.

She is shaking uncontrollably beneath me as I finish emptying myself deep inside of her, both of us struggling to catch our breaths. We stay locked in that position, our bodies lithe with euphoria. I'm still buried deep inside of her, her arms and legs still wrapped around me, neither of us wanting to lose this connection with one another. Our lips meet again with slow smoldering heat, each of us savoring the passionate love we have just made.

Pulling back slightly, I gently stroke the curve of her cheek with the tip of my finger, brushing my nose against hers. Staring into her blue eyes clouded with rapture, I can't believe how amazing being with her truly has been. It was better than any dream or fantasy that I had ever had about her. I don't deserve her and yet she sees something in me that is good, redeemable and worth loving.

If she knew what I had done tonight, she'd never let me touch her again, repulsed by the dark rage that lingers within me like a deadly beast. Tears prick my eyes, causing me to look away from her in shame and guilt. Her firm but gentle touch on my jaw forces me to meet her eyes.

"What is it, Bruce?" she asks. "Was I really that bad?"

"Oh God, Diana," I reply with an incredulous shake of my head, determined to make her understand. "Making love with you was more amazing than anything I have ever experienced in my entire life. I have loved you for so very long…have wanted this with you more than you can begin to imagine."

Diana looks up at me with an expression of confusion mingled with concern. "Then, what is it?"

I draw a deep, steadying breath knowing that I can't avoid this any longer. "A little boy's parents were murdered before his eyes tonight in Gotham." I hear the words slip from my tongue, bitter like acid as I close my eyes against the images that will only further fuel the nightmares that await me every night. "I put their killer in the hospital. I couldn't control myself. I…I just lost it, Princess. I couldn't help it."

It seems like an eternity while I wait for the scathing condemnation that I know that I deserve, fearful of what her reaction will be. I brace myself for the absolute worse when I feel soft lips graze my jaw. It forces a strangled breath from my lungs, my body tense. I didn't realize that tears had leaked from my eyes until I feel her lips gently erasing them from my cheeks. I swallow hard, unable to hold back any more as I collapse on top of her with a muffled sob.

Diana cradles me in her arms, holding me close as I lose control for the second time since entering her quarters. This release is very different from the unbelievable ecstasy of just moments ago, but it is just as necessary whether I want to admit it or not.

She strokes my back, my hair as tears that hadn't been released in thirty years find their escape. Before I realize it, I find myself on my back, Diana straddling me and lovingly gazing down on me from above. Her raven hair is an inky veil around our faces as she bends over to tenderly kiss me again similar to when I had first come to her. I begin to relax despite my fears and guilt, the tears beginning to cease as we exchange warm kisses.

My hands settle on her hips as our lips dance and, though no more words are spoken, I somehow know that she thinks no less of me than she did before I first came to her tonight. She begins to pull back but I rise up to meet her, crashing my lips hard against hers and intensifying the kiss as my hands move from her hips up her sides to roam over the smooth skin of her back. She is my goddess, my light, and my savior.

We begin to make love all over again, Diana taking full control this time as I happily submit to her. As her lips begin a sensual slide over my chest, I realize that for the first time in my life my heart is finally whole and it's all because of her. I also know that it is only a matter of time before her touch will eventually heal the rest of me as well.

THE END