And it's now complete! Thank you to all who stuck with me and read this, and especially to those who reviewed. I really appreciate you all!
Geeky Beeky- Muchos gracias! Thank you for looking it over. More BD love for you! I'll write ye something special during your hiatus.
Disclaimer: 'Tis not mine, but, alas, if it were... BMWW would be it!
.:Epilogue:.
"The past is gone, but you can find something to take its place...
hey jealousy..."
Even though Bruce made it his goal to see Diana at least once a day, he always looked forward to each moment like he was seeing her for the first time.
Once again, he was in his master bathroom, staring at himself in the mirror and checking his reflection with a careful eye. He didn't appear different, but he felt as though he had changed drastically. And only in a matter of days.
He had let Diana into his life and wasn't holding anything back. The thought of losing her permanently scared him into action, and he had silently thanked her for it.
Allowing happiness to invade his mind felt foreign to him. Permitting the emotion to take control of his actions was strange as well, but he was learning with every step of the way.
In the past, he had often wondered if he was meant to be with the enigmatic princess and share whatever he could with her.
And now he knew.
He just knew.
Feeling satisfied with his appearance, Bruce strode downstairs to await his date.
The delightful odor of Alfred's cooking wafted through the manor. His doting butler had already set the dining room table for two. It was a tad informal, but neither desired anything too fancy. For Bruce, it was perfect.
A thought then struck him as he made his way to the dining hall. Perhaps it was too cunning and maybe even a little off kilter, but it could have the right effect. Or so he hoped.
Marching down to the cave, he immediately found what he was looking for. Promptly, he turned back to his home, bringing the small black box with him.
This could be good for both of them.
As Bruce entered the dining room, he noticed Alfred had lit the fireplace. It allowed a soft light to emerge and dance along the walls, while emitting enough warmth to keep both parties content for the evening.
Upon hearing a soft, but powerful knock at the front door, Bruce set the box down on the table and nearly toppled Alfred over to answer it before him.
"Sir?"
Bruce turned around and smiled. "It's ok, Alfred. I've got this."
Opening the door, Bruce soon saw the goddess that stood before him. Her casual attire was befitting for the occasion, and she looked simply stunning. More than stunning...
"Hello, Bruce."
"Good evening, Diana," he said, humor lacing his voice, "Using the front door, I see."
"I'm trying to make this as normal as I can." Diana made sure to add a playful grin.
Bruce opened the door wider so she could walk past, into the foyer. Her scent alone was already driving him crazy.
In reaction to his sudden desire, Bruce grabbed her hand and pulled her over to him. She was quick to action as well, molding into his embrace like a glove to a hand.
Bruce delicately placed his hands upon her face, moving his mouth to hers. They made contact, and Diana inadvertently inched closer. Bruce's hands were soon tangled in her raven hair, creating small knots with his finger tips.
Alfred allowed them to kiss for nearly a minute before he cleared his throat. He made sure to be louder than usual.
"Dinner is served. Unless you'd like to stay in the foyer. I can set your plates on the floor."
Diana now looked sheepish, and she moved away from Bruce.
"Forgive me. Or rather, us, Alfred."
"No worries, Miss Diana. Master Bruce needs to adhere to self-control. However, it is always wonderful to see you again." Alfred's eyes lit up as he took the Princess's arm and led her to the dining room.
Bruce had followed closely behind, and soon both were seated. They shared a small corner of the grand table, only a few feet from the roaring fire.
Alfred served them their meals and left the couple in peace, at least for the time being.
Bruce figured they could engage in small talk while enjoying Alfred's dinner. They could do other things later.
"King Faraday visited me today," Bruce said aimlessly, cutting into his chicken.
"Oh really? He told me he was going to." Her voice was so innocent, it hardly caught Bruce by surprise.
But it did, of course.
"Did he talk to you recently?"
After Diana swallowed a mouthful of salad, she smiled. "We met for coffee. And we talked."
"I see," Bruce replied. He wasn't sure what else to say.
That's when Diana's free hand reached underneath their corner of the table and intertwined it with Bruce's.
Bruce's thumb started stroking her own as she kept talking.
"There's nothing to worry about. Meeting and talking with him was what should have happened, since... everything seemed to occur so rapidly that night. I do think he and Zatanna have really hit it off."
Bruce knew fully well what that night was. The night he confessed his feelings for Diana, also the night King and Diana made it apparent that their short relationship was to be made even shorter.
Making Bruce happy in the process.
"Did he tell you anything else?" Bruce was baiting Diana into releasing more of their conversation. King somehow knew, even though Bruce still never admitted to it, that he was Batman.
He said it was safe with him.
Bruce didn't honor that kind of trust to anyone.
She shrugged a bit. "Only that he wanted to speak with you. I think he said he had something of yours."
If more had been said, it was long forgotten.
Because Diana had finally gestured to the black box with her fork.
"What is that?"
He could sense that she was slightly worried it was some extravagant gift.
"It's something I wanted to show you," Bruce said as he reached for the box and lifted the lid to display its contents.
Suddenly his pulse began to race. This could be the beginning of the end for him.
It was unlike him to not think something through. Unfortunately, he just had.
Diana stared at it and then looked up at Bruce.
"What...? What is all this?" She eventually picked up a picture. It was Bruce and Selina. Together.
Diana knew full well who Catwoman was, and she apparently hated the idea of her even existing.
"It's strange, I know. It's just a collection of the past."
Bruce had a hard time letting go of the past.
Despite the nervous energy coursing through his system, he was, in a sense, pleased that Diana became suddenly so jealous. Even over a few pieces of memorabilia.
Diana set the picture down, trying to hide the fact that she was gritting her teeth, and looked over more contents. A picture of Bruce with someone Diana recognized as the daughter of Ra's al Ghoul.
More pictures. Eventually there were women she didn't recognize.
"All ex-girlfriends." Her eyes suddenly flashed. "I hope I'm not in here."
Bruce shook his head. "Of course not. In fact, there is one in there that is a dead ex-fiancee." He then laughed.
Diana didn't.
"Was there a point in all this?" Diana asked, not looking up from the pictures and tabloid articles. And then she stopped. Something had caught her eye.
"Oh," was all that came from her mouth.
Picking up the picture, she set it down on the table. It was quite recent and it was of Diana and King.
Diana also noticed a few tabloid headlines depicting cringe-worthy romance rumors between Wonder Woman and Superman.
Finally the corners of Diana's mouth perked upward. "You are very strange indeed."
Bruce shrugged. "You do realize who you are talking to."
She glanced down at the recent picture of her and her former boyfriend. "I'm surprised you didn't draw on his face with a permanent marker."
"I was tempted."
Diana gazed up at him and smiled. "I have a feeling why you wanted to show me this. Strange as it is."
"Well, in a way...-"
She put everything back and stood up. "I have a better idea."
At once she picked up the box and tossed it into the flames.
Bruce made no attempt to seize it; he was glad to see it go.
Together they watched as the box curled up and burned, turning into nothing but hot gray ashes.
"Now all we have is the future." Diana's voice rang through him like an angelic chorus. He caught her gaze. "And now you don't have to be so weird making little black boxes."
Instead of returning to her seat, Diana fell into his lap. Her arms snaked around his neck and she leaned into him, resting her head between his neck and his shoulder.
He was already stroking the small of her back.
"Who said I only had one?"
She sighed and shook her head.
"I think it's time for you to be quiet now."
Diana silenced him the best way she knew how.
Before they realized it, Alfred's divine evening meal had become long forgotten.
And before Bruce lost touch with reality, while he slipped further into Diana's embrace and soft touch, he only hoped that his pseudo father wasn't going to check up on them anytime soon.
The End
Ouroboros- Thank you! And I hoped you enjoyed it:))
BKK- Yay! Happy endings and happy people are hard to beat, aren't they? Sorry about the whole rushing a scene part. Thank you for letting me know. I guess I was too eager to get Bruce and Diana back together. :)) Thank you again for the review!
princess- Thank you!! I'm glad you enjoyed it. :))