TITLE: Confessions

AUTHOR: LOTSlover

CHARACTERS: Batman / Wonder Woman

RATING: T

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: Set during the Justice League movie, Bruce and Diana share more than heartfelt confessions. BMWW

Confessions

Bruce walked away from the newly formed team, his expression detached and his back ram-rod straight in an effort to portray complete control in front of his teammates. Allowing them to notice the least bit of weakness in him was unacceptable in his mind. If they were going to succeed in this, he had to be more than what he was—a mere mortal man with no special powers.

Once he reached his desired destination, however, he allowed a prolonged gasp to escape his slightly parted lips in a rare moment of weakness. He gingerly reached behind him to touch his throbbing back, the pain that shot through his body making him nauseous, but he swallowed it down.

He readily decided that this had to be one of his more grievous injuries though he wasn't actually bleeding…at least not on the outside. Of course, being thrown into the side of a police car by a furious Kryptonian newly resurrected from the dead would cause just about anyone a certain amount of physical pain.

He slowly shook his head as he allowed himself to dwell on the events of the day, how their mission to resurrect Superman had gone. He knew that it could have been so much worse not only for him but for all of them. It had been unnerving to watch as Superman completely decimated the team that he and Diana had assembled.

What had been worse to him was how Superman had unleashed his fury and confusion on Diana, beating her mercilessly. She had taken the brunt of the Kryptonian's rage, trading more than her fair share of violent blows with the Man of Steel. If it had been anyone else, they wouldn't have survived such a battle, but she was unlike anyone he'd ever met or known.

She was a sight to behold when she was in the midst of a fight, the way that she went toe-to-toe with the Kryptonian. It was like a perfectly choregraphed dance with how she moved, ducked and swung her fists or her sword. In the heat of battle, she was all strength and beauty, grace and righteous justice.

She had matched Superman blow for blow…punch for punch, taking a violent hit to the head that would've killed her if not for her Amazonian gifts. Instead, she had brushed it off, gritting her teeth and throwing herself right back into the fight to get through to their friend and ally.

He had been in awe of her bravery and resolute refusal to backdown. It had instilled some much-needed hope in him, stirring up feelings within him that he had been unwilling to acknowledge even existed until this moment. Watching her in action today had only reminded him of why he harbored these feelings for her in the first place.

It had been something that had taken root from the moment he had seen her at Lex Luthor's gathering. He had never been one to believe in love at first sight and even now he was loathe to call these feelings love. He was not a romantic at heart, not one prone to idealistic dreams and whimsical notions about his life or future.

At the same time, he couldn't deny the fact that it had been the beginning of something unexpected and unanticipated. He had never planned on developing these feelings for the Amazon princess, but, now that he was finally willing to acknowledge they existed, he wasn't certain that he could ignore them or if he even wanted to any longer.

Right now, though, it was something that needed to be buried as they focused on the dangers that lay ahead for them…what he was already planning to do.

Bruce paused as he attempted to stretch his aching body, trying to move his left shoulder only to gasp sharply with the attempt. He was fairly certain it was dislocated…probably even worse. He wouldn't let it stop him from doing what he knew he had to do.

He was more than determined to see this through to the very end and, unfortunately, he knew what that end would be for him. He'd accepted it from the beginning of this mission that they had embarked upon. His only regret was not having more time to spend with her in whatever capacity that his life and his mission could allow…what she would allow whether it be teammates, friends, or perhaps something more.

He grimaced as he tried to rotate his shoulder, wincing with the sharp pain that immediately lanced through him. It stole his breath as he gingerly massaged the damaged muscles and tendons in his shoulder, wondering how he was going to be able to continue this fight. There was no question about whether or not that he would.

The real question was what shape would he be in when the time to face Steppenwolf and his Parademons finally arrived.

Bruce could feel her presence even with his back turned, the way that her intense brown eyes were boring straight into him. He closed his eyes and breathed deeply, inhaling her intoxicating scent that made him lightheaded with a longing that he really shouldn't have. Their mission came first, his heart came last…if at all.

Besides, would he even be alive to see where things could go between the two of them when all was said and done?

The thought gave him momentary pause, causing him to swallow hard with the thought. The notion of never seeing her again—never gazing into her brown eyes or bathing in the warmth of her smile, never to know her touch or the taste of her kisses hurt him more than he had anticipated.

He knew they needed to talk. He had said some things to her that he never should have said, hurtful things that had cut her deeply and he regretted it. He had never meant to hurt her. If he were completely honest with himself, it had been rooted in jealous anger…jealousy over a man who had been dead for a hundred years and still had a hold on the princess's heart.

He wasn't proud of it by any means, but then again, his life was littered with a very long list of regrets and mistakes. What was one more to add to his guilt and the haunting nightmares that afflicted him every night?

Bruce moved to sit down, his hand going to his shoulder once more as he tried to find the words to say to her that would fix the hurt that he had caused. He was so tired…tired of being alone, tired of the never-ending fight, tired of wanting but never having.

"Wait…let me," she told him with a gentleness that took him by surprise, her voice a soothing balm to his wounded soul.

He looked up at her, his heart beating a little harder as she passed by him to stand behind him. "It's just a little out of place," he lamely replied, trying to downplay his injuries. He never wanted to appear weak in front of her. Never her. He attempted to lighten the mood…change the subject…anything as she began to slowly maneuver his dislocated shoulder. "So…Clark seemed to share your view about being woken up."

"He could have killed you," she pointed out, unmistakable disapproval lacing her voice.

"I was willing to make the trade," he said with a groan as Diana began to move his arm, his guilt over Clark's death still weighing heavily on his heart and mind. He was definitely not one to be pointing fingers at Diana for allowing Trevor's death to still affect her.

"And bringing in Lois Lane?"

"Remember what you told me about heart in the hangar?" he answered her. "I bet you thought…I wasn't listening…" The audible crack that resounded in the room was almost sickening, but the pain had lessened considerably now that his shoulder joint was back in its proper place. Bruce moved his arm in an attempt to loosen the tightening muscles as he stood to his feet with a grimace before making his way to the bar. "Thank you."

"You know you can't do this forever," she told him, her tone gentle and understanding as she watched him. He hid so much beneath that brusque demeanor, all that Kevlar.

"I can barely do it now," he found himself confessing against his will. "Steppenwolf…this is the job."

"It's my job…and I haven't been doing it," she admitted. "I've been reacting…not leading. You know what you said about Steve Trevor…"

"It wasn't my business," he evenly stated as he gazed at her with an impassive expression while jealousy tried to rear its ugly head again with the mention of his name. "I'm sorry."

"You were pushing me to lead the team," she continued despite his apology as she closed the distance between them, taking the offered glass of scotch. "But leaders get people killed. I fought…always…when I was needed, but to lead…to step into the line and to say to people this is worth your life. When it's your fault…they're all Steve Trevor."

He felt the full weight of her heart in that moment, shared her worries and doubts, but they couldn't focus on that now. He knew they needed to see this through to the end, stopping Steppenwolf and his Parademon army no matter the cost.

"We make it through tonight, you can stay in the shadows forever…dress up like a Bat," he replied with a slight smirk, his eyes becoming a window to his soul that he rarely if ever allowed anyone to see into. "I won't even sue."

The corners of her lips curled, her blue eyes sparkling brightly with his offer. "If we get through the night."

With a confident smile on her face, she clinked her glass against his before they both took a drink, Bruce's expression growing somber once more. "We'll make it, Diana," he gently reassured her. "We have to…you have to."

She drew a deep breath, silently nodding her head in response. She took another drink before setting her glass down. "We will…including you," she replied.

Bruce tipped his glass, downing the last of his drink and savoring the burn of the alcohol as it slid down his throat. He turned to set his glass down as well, turning his attention to her. "You just need to worry about yourself and stopping Steppenwolf. Nothing else matters."

She closed the distance between them, her lips curving into a small smile. "You tell me that, but you matter more than you know."

Bruce felt his breath catch in his throat with her nearness. He swore he could lose himself in the warm brown of her eyes, the perfection that was Diana. He wanted to touch her, to run his fingers through her silky hair and to taste the sweetness of her lips, but he couldn't.

She still loved another, mourned a man who had been her first love. Steve Trevor had been a true hero in every sense of the word, sacrificing himself to save humanity. How in the world could he ever begin to compete with his ghost for even a glimpse of paradise with her?

"I'm the most expendable of us all, Diana," he tried to tell her, finding it more than difficult to remember the reasons why he shouldn't kiss her as he stared into her eyes. "I'm more of a liability than an asset at this point."

"I've never thought that," she evenly stated, her hand reaching up to caress his cheek. "You are far more important than you believe you are…deserve far more than you think. You are an amazing man who has sacrificed so much in your life."

He felt himself leaning into her silken touch against his skin, transiently wondering if she could hear how his heart was beginning to speed up. This beautiful woman had no idea the affect that she actually had on him, how her presence alone could unnerve him like no one else had ever been able to do.

"I'm afraid my list of sins is very long," he tentatively told her in a halfhearted attempt to keep her from doing this…from hurting him in the end when she finally saw how dark his soul truly was and walked away.

"I don't believe that," she softly said, sincerity shining like chestnut flames in her eyes. "You more than anyone deserves to be happy, Bruce…to find love."

He gently took her hand from his face, but didn't let go of it. "What I want might be out of my reach," he cryptically revealed, allowing the feelings that he'd been struggling to bury to finally rise to the surface.

He found himself leaning towards her, the distance between them gradually growing less. He could feel the warmth of her breath against his face as they shared the same air. "Or it might be closer than you think," she murmured.

His lips touched hers in a tentative caress that slowly grew stronger, more urgent as his arms circled her waist and pulled her to him. Her hands came to rest on either side of his jaw, her lips pressing against his with mutual desire as she opened herself up to finding happiness in the arms of a man once again.

She parted her lips, her tongue greeting his as he began to explore the warm cavern of her mouth that tasted like sweet honey. A throaty moan was his reward as he deepened the kiss, passion flaring as the fire that had been simmering deep within them quickly rose to the surface.

Reluctantly breaking the kiss, Bruce held her against him, his nose nuzzling hers. "This is definitely going to complicate things," he softly warned her, giving her a way of escape if she wanted it while silently pleading with her not to take it.

"Yes, it is," she agreed before pressing her lips to his once again, refusing to let him go.

While she loved Steve Trevor and forever would, Bruce Wayne had somehow managed to carve a place for himself deep in her heart. She hadn't been looking to fall in love with anyone after losing Steve, but now that she had found it again, she wasn't about to lose it.

Bruce readily returned her kiss, hunger igniting inside of them as they began to lose themselves in the heat that was steadily building in and around them. His hands roamed over her back, pulling her incredibly closer to him. Her fingers found his hair, gripping it firmly as they kissed, revealing what had laid hidden in their hearts for some time now.

The unexpected sound of Arthur threatening Barry with bodily harm cut through the passionate haze of the moment, bringing them both back to where they were and what lay ahead for the two of them. He released her with a sigh of annoyance, wishing they had more time to spend together.

"I guess we better go play mom and dad to keep the peace," he quipped, kissing her once more.

Diana chuckled softly, leaning in to whisper in his ear, "For now," she relented, "but after we defeat Steppenwolf, you're all mine to do with as I please, Mister Wayne."

Bruce groaned as she began to pull away. He tightened his hold on her hand, pulling her back into his arms and kissing her soundly. "Goes both ways, Miss Prince."

She gave him a sultry smile that caused an unexpected flurry of butterflies to let lose in the pit of his stomach as she put some much needed distance between them. "Then let's go kick some ass," she said, turning away from him. She paused at the doorway, pausing to look back at him. "And you better make it out of this fight alive or I swear to Hera I'll go down to Hades and bring you back myself."

Bruce's lips twitched with amusement, knowing that she meant every single word that she said. "I have no doubt," he told her.

He watched as she gave him a parting smile before disappearing from view, heading towards the cave to settle whatever argument had erupted between Arthur and Barry. He swallowed hard as anguish tugged heavily at his heart, knowing that it was very likely he wasn't going to come out of this fight alive.

"I love you, Diana," he softly confessed to no one.

THE END

A/N: I've been wanting to do a Justice League movie fanfic for a while now and I finally got it done! I'm hoping to do more of these as time allows. I hope I did it justice. Much love to you all! :)