Summary: (BM/WW) A series of interconnecting drabble mini-fic meant to examine potential aspects of the Dark Knight and Amazon Princess's relationship, prompted by random quotes and lyrics, words and phrases.

A/N: I admit I got the idea for this fic series after finding out online Bats proposed to Catwoman/Her saying yes, way back when. Since I'm a diehard WonderBats fan, this was the fan-girl equivalent of finding out your favourite family member just died... or seeing your friend's partner cheating on them with someone else. (Don't get me started with Batman Rebirth Issues 39 and 40. Tom King, you are officially on my People-I-mentally-stab-at-least-once-a-day List.)

Anyhow... I was feeling down, but - and I'm taking the advice from that dude on How I Met Your Mother here - I decided on being awesome instead.

Each one of these can be seen as a stand-alone one-shot, but most of them are related in some way. I'm going to make use of what I call a 'Personal Prompt List'. To explain the point of this, this would be the 'quotes and lyrics, words and phrases' I mentioned - hell, it's even in the subtitle.

They could be anything ranging from song lyrics or movie quotes, or simply random pieces of dialogue or ideas I thought up as the mood struck. Basically, they're a guideline I'll be following as I write this, and will likely become apparent during the course of the chapter.

In this case, they are as following:

- [Key-Words/Phrases] Subtle/Not-So-Subtle, The Steady Withdrawal, Change of Routine & Almost.
- [Imagery] Gold through Granite & Diamonds from Water
- [Song/s] Years & Years - Desire, John Newman - Come and Get It Tobtok Remix, Galantis - Tell Me You Love Me & P!nk - Try
- [Challenge]:
1) Absolutely NO kissing - affection needs to be shown in another way
2) Bats has to come to a decision WITHOUT help from a friend (AKA Shayera/Clark/J'onn)/Same with Wondy... a kick in the pants, however, is only fair.
3) ALSO, writing in 3rd person present tense as well as... like, really deep narrative introspect/the author's crazy 3 AM ramblings that don't make sense... I guess? (AKA the parts in Bold Italic).

Enjoy.

Disclaimer: DC Comics owns everything you are familiar with.

Between What Is & What Could Be
(WonderBat Drabble: Quotes & Lyrics, Words & Phrases)

Try

It starts with an insignificant change to an established routine - the single drop that sends a ripple through the water and alters the reflection staring back at you.

A rush of adrenalin courses through Diana's veins as she twists her body just so - raising her arm to deflect the incoming blow, her bracelet takes the brunt of it with an audible thud. Instead of staying in the moment, however, she raises the other arm and braces for the blow that follows mere heartbeats later.

She turns her head and looks up into the white lenses of Batman's cowl, and despite herself she grins.

She knows that most people would normally look at the permanent grimace etched in graphite, or let their eyes flicker up at the pointed ears or down at the insignia on a broad, armoured chest. Diana isn't like most people, and for a split second, her line of sight dips and traces the line of a strong jaw.

Bruce isn't like most people either, and she doesn't miss the way his lips perk up in the damnable smirk that makes her want to do things to him.

"Late night?" she asks, narrowing her eyes at him. They're standing close enough that she can feel a steady puff of warm breath against her cheek, the only physical proof that their sparing has any effect on him.

"How can you tell?"

"You need to shave." She quips and they disengage. "Also, your reflexes are slower."

There's a low huff. "Low blow, Princess."

While lowering their arms, they don't step away, and Diana can feel the weight of his stare on her even if she can't see his eyes.

There's a moment - there were always moments - where the tension hangs between them like a current, as tangible as it is electric.

She tilts her head to the side slightly, issuing a silent challenge with the arch of a brow.

The vigilante's mouth twitches in what could be another smile, but doesn't say as much. Instead, he straightens up and levels his stare. "You were distracted."

Her hand finds itself on her hip as she raises her head haughtily. "I managed just fine, wouldn't you say?"

"Maybe, but it's going to get you into trouble."

"What if I like trouble?"

He responds by avoiding the question all together, and instead, he's the one to step back first. "Try to stay focused this time."

She shifts automatically, raising her arms defensively. "I'll be sure to try."

He rolled his shoulders back before mirroring her stance. "Whenever you're ready."

They circle around one another for several moments until Diana surges forward. Bruce, anticipating this, sidesteps the Amazon before taking a few jabs of his own.

They move like they're dancing, each step weighed carefully, every move countered with an easy, warlike grace. It's exhilarating, and despite not using her powers, Diana revels in the opportunity to test her skills against someone who doesn't hold back.

She sees an opening and manages to hook her leg around his before pushing him down. They grapple like this until she uses her strength to pin him to floor.

She smirks down at him and leans over, putting her hands at either sides of his head, effectively pinning him down where he is.

"I win."

It's his turn to narrow his eyes but doesn't struggle or attempt to push her off as she straddles his waist. "This is not over."

"Of course not."

"It's not." He says stubbornly, hitching himself up on his elbows.

She sits up but doesn't get off. "Mmm..."

He reaches up and tucks a stray curl behind her ear, and lets his hand linger for a moment.

The gesture is casual enough, but there's a sense of intimacy between them that's not unfamiliar, and Diana is tempted to take his hand in hers and keep it there. "Bruce..." she begins to say when they hear voices and the metal doors of the training room slide open.

Wally's in the middle of explaining something with an exaggerated hand gesture when both he and Shayera notice them.

Oblivious to the tension in the room, the speedster grins. "Hey guys. Are you using the room?"

Despite the position he's in, Bruce's answer is as gruff as ever, "Obviously."

A slow, mischievous grin spreads over Shayera's face as she looks between the two of them with a knowing glint in her green eyes. "Are we interrupting something?"

Diana just smiles. "Not at all."

"You sure? We can always come back later if you're still... busy."

She doesn't take the bait. "I think we were just about done." Diana says before looking down at Bruce expectantly. "Rematch?"

He smirks just a little. "Absolutely."

Satisfied, it's only then that she lets him up, and she's on her feet in a matter of seconds. When she offers a hand, Bruce accepts it graciously enough until the comm. in his ear went off.

"Go." He says when he answers. As he listens, his mouth pulls into a thin line as his expression hardens behind the cowl. "I'm on my way."

"Trouble, Bats?" Wally chimes in casually.

Bruce allows a curt nod and from his what little she could see of expression alone, Diana can tell it's going to be another long night in Gotham City.

"Do you need any assistance?" she asks quietly. She isn't aware they haven't stopped holding hands until she feels his grip tighten around hers as he squeezed - it wasn't the yes she wanted, but coming from him, it was more than she could have asked for.

"You know the rule, Princess." He says and Shayera snorts. When he turns his head, his eyebrow visibly arches behind his cowl. "Do you have something to say, Hawkgirl?"

The Thanagarian gives him a deadpan look of her own. "I pride myself on not stating the obvious, Batman. As painful as it might be."

Wally looks between the two of them and blinks, confused. "Am I missing something?"

Shayera rolls her eyes. "I'll tell you later..."

It's not Shayera's but Bruce's reaction that Diana notices, and from the way his mouth thins and his eyes narrow in annoyance, she can tell there's more to what she was seeing.

She doesn't have a chance to think it over, however, when Bruce squeezes her hand one last time and steps away, that cool, hard mask he wears so well slipping into place as he does.

"Tomorrow?" he asks, already turned towards the door.

She smiles at him and nods in agreement as she watches him go. "Tomorrow."

Disruption happens when an inconvenience runs the risk of becoming a habit and slights become bloody, bloody gashes.

Pride has no place here.

He doesn't show up the next day, or the day after that. He doesn't call, and when Diana asks around, it's Kal who tells her about the mass break-out at Arkham Asylum.

When the third day passes with no word and a flood of rumours passed off as facts on live television, she almost goes down to Gotham on her own, his 'rule' be damned.

She never does, as the second she's about to take that step through to the teleporter, something stops her in her tracks and she frowns. This happens several times during the day, and she has to convince herself she's doing the right thing letting Bruce handle things on his own.

J'onn doesn't look at her strangely like some of the others sometimes do. Sometimes he'd just smile at her patiently, red eyes knowing but without judgement. Sometimes.

She doesn't think about it too much... except when she really does.

A week passes and life on and beyond the Watchtower goes on, but when the call comes, it's not from who she expects.

Alfred is waiting for her when she rematerializes in the Cave, and despite the obvious fatigue about him, he smiles warmly when he sees her. "Thank you for coming so soon, Miss." It's late, and although ever poised, the butler looks slightly more wan than the last time she saw him.

"How are you, Alfred?" she asks, genuinely happy to see him as well.

"Well enough, given the hour. Speaking of which, I do apologize if I interrupted your evening."

"It's no trouble at all. So... where's our patient?"

The downright grumpy look on Alfred's face is enough to make her want to laugh, and with a sniff, he waves over in the general direction of the Batcomputer. "Over there somewhere, trying to lick his wounds, no doubt."

"It looks like you've had your hands full."

"Oh, you don't know half of it, Miss. The Good Lord save me from pigheaded men."

She squeezes his shoulder gently and with understanding as she passes him, and starts on the metal staircase leading up to the Cave's main platform and the seat of the Dark Knight's power.

She finds the man himself sitting on a metal examination table at the far edge of the space, cape, cowl and the top part of his uniform removed.

In his current state of undress, under normal circumstances, she'd use the opportunity to ogle Bruce shamelessly, but something in her chest lurches when she sees several new discoloured bruises mar his already scared, sculpted body.

His shoulders visibly tense under her scrutiny and she looks up to see blue eyes narrowing at her.

"Are you just going to keep staring, or are you going to say hello?"

"That depends." She says, raising her head in a show of confidence, undaunted by the Knight. "Are you going to bite my head off?"

He grunts but doesn't answer immediately.

She keeps her tone light, almost bland as she walks up to him. "Alfred called. Apparently you snapped at him?"

"He's used to it." He says shortly.

"Meaning you overdid it this time."

His glare is sharp. "I'm not in the mood, Diana."

My, my, what big teeth you have... "I noticed, but luckily for you, this isn't a social visit." She says blithely before her eyes land on the awkward way he holds his left shoulder and frowns.

He notices.

Of course he notices.

"Don't start." He grunts, attempting to straighten up with mixed, apparently painful results.

"I won't, but that looks bad."

"I've had worse."

"Believe me, I am very aware of that." This comes out tighter than she intended, but it's enough to thaw out the brittle, brittle edges in Bruce's expression and the stiffness in his posture loosens.

"No one else can do what I do." He says quietly, almost grudgingly.

"There are some," she begins, coming even closer, moving around the examination table, "who would disagree."

"It's my responsibility."

"It's not."

"Diana-" He cuts himself off with a choked-off sound of pain when her hands are suddenly on him, on his shoulder, and pops it back into its socket.

When Bruce regained that inhuman composure of his, he gives her a flat look when her other hand finds its way to his other shoulder, though the glare lessened.

"You did that on purpose."

Absolutely. "I needed to distract you." She shrugs, unfazed and unbothered to move her hands before slowly tracing her thumbs in a vague figure eight against the stiff knot she finds there. "But I stand by what I said. You don't always have to do it alone, Bruce."

He's about to argue when she adds a little more pressure to her ministrations. "After all," she goes on, kneading her fingers into his shoulders in a way that causes his eyes to flutter shut involuntarily. "What's the point of belonging to a team if you don't rely on us from time to time?"

"A teammate wouldn't do this." He points out, sounding more mellow than she's ever heard him.

"What about a friend?" she offers instead.

"Do you do this for all your friends?"

"Only the ones that really need it." She says, slowing her pace but not letting up the pressure. "Why? Do you want me to stop?"

Diana hears him let out a grunt but doesn't hear him tell her to stop, and she doesn't until she's very sure he's putty in her hands.

She almost laughs at the near-startled look on his face when she pulls her hands away and steps back. "You don't fight fair, Princess." He grumbles with no real heat to the words.

"I wasn't aware I was doing anything untoward, Dark Knight." She says wryly. "...Now, should I assume you're not going to worry me again for a while? Or did you want my help with something else?"

His lips quirk a little, rolling his shoulders back before sitting up straight. "I can't make any promises about that first part... But I'm good."

"Then I should let you get back to work." She says, moving away. "Keep me updated, okay? And be nice to Alfred, he's one of my favourites."

She hears him chuckle, the sound coming out rustier than he probably intended before he stands up. "Diana-"

She holds back, stopping at the stairs. "Yes?"

"You... you don't have to-" he starts and then stops himself abruptly.

That hasn't happened before, and a part of her hopes even while the more realistic part of her knows it's better not to. "Mmm...?"

He opens his mouth, and there's a moment that she thinks he might actually be at a loss for words. The moment doesn't last, however, and she can see that something - perhaps even himself - holds him back.

"It's nothing. Thank you... for coming over." He says, if just a little stiffly.

She considers pushing him further, see what would happen if she called him out on that unspoken thing that hung over their heads so tangibly.

Instead, she just smiles. "Good night, Bruce."

It lessens the sting that he doesn't look much happier himself. "Good night, Princess."

Alfred comes up the stairs the same time she goes down.

"Leaving already, Miss?" he asks, pausing on the lower step, carrying a large silver tray with him.

She nods. "I'm afraid so. I have Monitor Duty in an hour."

"Ah, that's a pity. I was hoping you would join us for a late dinner. It's the least we could do to show thanks." He says, clearly disappointed before straightening up and narrowed his eyes. "I hope he didn't chase you away?"

She bites her lip to keep herself from smiling as she goes over to the teleporter. "No, not at all. He's been the perfect gentleman... if you ignore the growling."

Alfred sighs heavily. "He does do that a lot, doesn't he?"

There is a mild huff behind them. "I can hear you."

"That's the point of this conversation, sir." Alfred replies dryly. "You were supposed to."

"Remind me why I keep you around again, Alfred?"

"You mean aside for my good cheer and impeccable mannerism? I thought the answer was obvious, Master Bruce. I know too much."

Diana can't help it, and she laughs as the bright white light comes down and the sound echoes through the dark as she leaves.

There's no indication that the day would be different than the day before, or even the day before that - one moment all is as it normally was, and the next a light shines down, a switch is flipped and nothing will ever be the same again.

It's like the voice at a street corner crying out: "Revelation-! Revelation-!"

Bruce doesn't ask her to go to the Cave again, but Diana does keep tabs on the situation in Gotham and occasionally gets an update from Alfred every now and then.

"Stubborn as always but still very much alive... despite his best efforts."

The butler normally does his best put her mind at ease, and sometimes, he'd subtly (or-not-so-subtly) encourage her to come down to take a look for herself if she didn't take his word for it.

She always does and tells him that much, but it doesn't stop her from being tempted by the offer. She does promise to meet him for tea at a later date, however, and it's enough to get her a pleased hum and a promise back that he'd spring for the good stuff.

A little over a week later, she hears that Batman succeeded in getting the more dangerous of Arkham's inmates off of the streets and back in their padded cells, which is a relief.

Even though his workload in Gotham will never truly lessen, he does show up on the Watchtower again not too long after that. He usually doesn't stay long, and when she does see him, he's either going in one direction or she is.

He doesn't seek her out in the calmer moments either (few and far between as they were), but despite their conflicting schedules and really bad timing, Diana doesn't think about any of it too much.

That is, not until that particular day.

It was quiet for once, by Watchtower standards, the Founders Meeting was postponed, and Diana found she wasn't needed anywhere for the time being. She's on her way to the training room when she feels the familiar, gentle presence of J'onn thoughts brushing against her own.

Is something wrong, J'onn? She asks, feeling a momentary flicker of worry.

There's a sense of amusement through the mental bond and she relaxes when she hears the Martian deep chuckle. No, not at all. I was, however, wondering if you could help me with something.

Of course. What is it?

Batman.

That gets her attention.

Do not be alarmed, he reassures her quickly enough, he's not in any danger, but your assistance would be appreciated.

Where are you?

The Monitor Womb. Please come by when you have time.

She's already halfway to the elevator by the time the link fades, and she amuses herself wondering what J'onn wants her help with.

When she gets to the Monitor Womb, the answer presents itself in the shape of a hunched over Batman, glaring at the monitor and emitting what the Flash liked to call a stronger-than-usual 'death aura'.

He's been like that for the last hour. J'onn admits wryly, outwardly calm and stoic as always as he sat on the opposite side of the room. If it wasn't for the occasional grunts, you wouldn't know if he was still breathing or not.

Will you be okay on your own if I take him off of your hands for a while? She asks, smiling a little.

The Martian's mouth curves up at the corners. By all means.

With that, Diana walks up to Bruce and gently puts her hand on his shoulder. The vigilante's spine stiffens at the contact until he turns his head and raises an eyebrow underneath the cowl.

She doesn't say a word and neither does he, and instead she just tilts her head to the side slightly and issues that silent challenge he's all-too familiar with.

Bruce shoots a glare at his monitor partner for the eve over his shoulder, but it lacks the usual venom and he relents with a gusty sigh before pushing away from the console and getting up.

"I'll notify you both if something comes up." J'onn tells them out loud.

Liar. Diana chides him playfully as she and Bruce walk out of the room together.

She hears a laugh as the door slides shut.

Their sparring starts off much the same as it always does - they circle around one another for a time, sizing the other up until someone makes the first move.

They don't say as much, but it usually a given that she won't use her powers if he doesn't resort to his tricks.

Usually.

When he takes up his spot across from her, Bruce rolls his shoulders back, seemingly shrugging off the tension she found him with as he turns to her - he doesn't remove his belt and there's nothing in his posture that suggests he's planning to hold back.

It's alright, though. She isn't either.

She surges forward, taking the offensive for once, careful not to put too much force behind her blows but sure to keep him on his toes.

Bruce doesn't disappoint. He doesn't cheat, per say, but he's fast, stubborn beyond sense, and Diana knows him long enough to know what to look for, so when he reaches for his belt, she's on her guard.

She sees that slight quirk at the corners of his lips and it thrills her that he appeared to be enjoying it as much as she does. She doesn't let up, however, and slowly forces him to the wall.

Bruce puts some space between them and she catches a flicker of metal - the next moment, she sees a volley of batarangs and she's distracted deflecting them as they hurtle towards her. She barely has time to recover from that when he drops something on the ground and the entire room seems to fill with a thick, grey smoke.

She catches his outline among the sudden gloom and reacts proactively, lunging towards him. Unexpectedly, however, when Bruce counters this by feinting left, he catches her arm and uses her momentum against her.

In the course of a heartbeat, Diana goes from being very much in control to having her back against the wall and her arms pinned over her head. That, and suddenly having Bruce very much in her personal space, his chest barely inches from hers and moving in sync with her own laboured breathing.

"I win."

His voice comes out in a low, breathy growl that makes her think of dark places and sin, and it manages to send a shiver down her spine.

She looks up to meet the white lenses of his cowl and lowers her voice to mimic his, keeping her face completely deadpan. "This isn't over."

He surprises her by letting out a laugh that sounds rustier than it had any right to and it's over quicker than she would have preferred, but it's honestly one of the more beautiful things she's heard.

The moment passes, however, and changes, and it's electric and breathtaking all at once, charged and just... It's everything she can ask for it. It's-

"Diana..." he says so quietly despite the world he puts behind her name.

It's...

Looking at him at him - looming over her and bearing down, breathing heavily, and very much an active participate in the game they play so well - it's in that exact moment that something inexplicably changes.

It's... it's not enough.

The realization dawns and there's half a heartbeat of blinding clarity followed by the distinct feeling of hitting a brick wall heads on, and something goes cold in her chest until it hurts.

They've been here before, haven't they? The scene's changed and the script altered, the chemistry absolute, but the story? The conclusion at the end once they've played their parts and said their lines?

It's not enough.

The realization must have played out over her face, and in the same span of time it took for the thought to cross Diana's mind, Bruce picks up on the change.

"Diana?" he asks again and that playfulness from before slips away, the warmth fading.

This brings her back to the present reality and their current proximity, and she bites back her immediate response. She holds herself back from giving away any more that she knows she has already despite the staggering onslaught of raw feeling.

"I'm sorry." She whispers.

For a moment, he actually looks unsure about himself and the uncertain smile that tugs at his lips is one of the more fragile expressions Diana's ever seen because of its strangeness on his face. "Shouldn't that be my line?"

He lets go of her wrists and she looks away. "That's not what I'm sorry about." Vaguely, she's aware of the smoke around them starting to dissipate, and it's at that exact moment when she hears voices and the metal doors slide open.

Bruce is at least three feet away in a matter of heartbeats and that blank mask sets over his face so quick Diana finally understands what whiplash feels like. There's laughter and the next minute, one of the other Green Lantern and Green Arrow step in, both of them in workout clothes.

Ollie's in the middle of explaining something to Hal, making exaggerated hand gestures while the other man shakes his head when they both notice they're not alone.

The archer's just about to open his mouth when Diana decides she doesn't want to be in the room anymore and leaves without taking in what happens next.

When she steps through the door she hears Hal ask, "What did you do?" but doesn't stay long enough to hear Bruce's answer as she turns the corner.

It's not running away. It's not.

She's halfway down the hall when she catches a glimpse of black out of the corner of her eye and she realizes that she absolutely is.

Avoidance is like walking in a circle - ultimately pointless, ultimately exhausting. Around and around and around we go.

After all, pretence tend to lose its meaning when the need to draw lines becomes prevalent.

In the days that follow, an off-world mission with Kal and John leaves her with little time to dwell on whatever it was between herself and Bruce that bothers her so much.

They get a request from the Guardians to solve a dispute between two warring worlds, and while the mission itself hadn't gone completely as planned, the one good thing to come of it, Diana decides, was the distraction being shot at by angry aliens provided.

When they eventually return to the space station, Diana hangs back while John goes to write the report and Kal goes back to Earth.

"Are you sure you don't want to come with me?" Clark asks as Diana walks him to the teleporter. "It's just going to be me and Lois - I'm sure she wouldn't mind if you joined us for dinner."

"Oh, I'm sure Lois would prefer to have you all to herself tonight." She teases. "Besides, I wouldn't want to intrude on anything."

"You wouldn't be, at all." He reassures and she gives him a look, amused yet resolute in her decision. "...Rain check? Is next week okay?"

Diana smiles and nods, reaching out to squeeze his hand in a friendly way before he steps onto the teleporter's pad. "I'd love that."

Clark flashes that All-American smile back at her over his shoulder. "Great. I'll see you then."

With a final nod and a small wave, Superman disappears in a flash of light and Diana is finally alone. She stares at the spot her best friend stood for a moment before she shakes her head fondly and walks out.

The Watchtower is quiet and nearly deserted save for some of the station workers and the occasional League member she passes in the hallway. When she gets to the great deck in the Observatory, she goes over to stand at the front of the panoramic window that looks out over the Earth and the sea of stars beyond it.

She rarely lets it, but her age and the weight it carries drags at her just then, and she's tempted to press her forehead against the cool surface.

Taking a minute, she listens to the calm and breathes, allowing herself to feel the fatigue from the last few days set it.

But, there's footsteps and she recognizes the soft thud of his boots - he'd be near silent if not for her enhanced hearing.

As Bruce steps into the room, she turns her head and smiles at him. That fluttering she gets in her chest whenever she sees him is still there, but it doesn't quite ache like it had before.

The corners of his mouth picks up ever so slightly, and as quietly as he came in, he goes to stand next to her.

They stay there in complete silence until she turns her head and takes the time to really look at him. She's surprised to see Bruce has his eyes closed and his shoulders slumped. The air of exhaustion about him is unmistakable - a reflection in reverse of her own - and Diana wonders not for the first time what really goes on in that city of his.

It's another rare sight, and admittedly there's a part of her that thrills at the fact that he's comfortable enough to let his guard down around her like this.

She nudges him gently with her shoulder. It's not enough to startle him but is to get his attention.

His lips quirk once more into something more substantial than his usual smirk and he nudges back with equal gentleness.

It really should be more of a surprise that she's happy to see him.

It isn't. Not really.

Diana leans against him more and her head somehow finds itself on his shoulder just as his arm comes around her. She's vaguely aware of his thumb tracing a steady pattern on her arm and she feels that pressure in her chest lessen just from the proximity.

For a while they simply stand like this in the partial silence, the need for talking forgotten.

She turns her face when she feels his stare on her and meets it unflinchingly. Their hands are mere inches from one another, and it would have been an easy thing to just weave her fingers through his, for him to pull her closer, for her to bridge the gap and just kiss him.

She doesn't, and instead she waits, watching him carefully.

Bruce must have noticed the same thing, and it's almost as if he's suddenly very much aware of their lack of distance and the position they're in. He doesn't attempt to move, but either hesitation or reluctance rings loud and clear in the sudden stiffness in which he holds himself.

The pang of disappointment that come with the revelation leaves a sour taste in her mouth, and it must have shown on her face as he looks like he's about to say something.

Diana doesn't let him and steps away first, her heart weighing heavier than before as she turns to leave.

She doesn't see, afterwards, after he watches her go, how Bruce looks down at his empty hand and frowns.

It's like suddenly catching yourself in the doorway of house that doesn't belong to you, and you ask yourself: "Do I back out now, or will I take the necessary step forward?"

Damned if you do, damned if you don't bother.

In the days that follow, when not on missions or in League meetings, Diana avoids Batman whenever they're on the Watchtower.

The feeling, as far as she can tell, is mutual.

Whether it's because Bruce is giving her space or because he's too busy to bother is uncertain, but the fact that he hasn't spoken to her about what happened is something she's both grateful for and heartbroken over.

And isn't that just confusing?

Their friends notice, and while most of them don't say as much, she can tell she has them worried.

Not surprisingly, Shayera corners her at the first possible opportunity and pulls her into a deserted hallway.

Diana isn't happy about being dragged away like a child, but allows it because it's Shayera and braces herself for the Thanagarian's interrogation.

"What's up with you and Mr Personality?"

Diana grimaces, but doesn't insult her friend's intelligence by playing ignorant. "It's... complicated."

"You didn't seriously just say that, did you?"

"It's a bad excuse, but it doesn't make it any less true."

"What's going on, Diana?"

She leans heavily against the wall and sighs. "Have you ever stopped for a minute and looked at a situation only to realize you're fighting a losing battle? That no matter what you did, you had no hope of getting what you wanted?"

"...That's... bleak." Shayera frowns. "It doesn't sound like you."

"No... I don't suppose it does. But even the most experience warrior knows when to quit."

"Did something happen? Did Bruce-?"

"No, no he didn't do anything, but I... I found myself wondering about what I'm doing with him."

The redhead blinks. "...Okay, some clarification would be nice. Are we talking about the fact that the two of you practically undress each other with your eyes every time you're in the same room together?"

"Shayera..."

"Let's look at the evidence - until recently, you guys spend most of your time on this station together, you always watch each other's backs when you're on missions-"

"We're team mates. It would be rather troubling if we didn't, don't you think?"

Unimpressed, Shayera rolls her eyes. "You know you just sounded like him, right? But my point is, it's pretty damn obvious to anyone with eyes that you're both ass-over-ankles for one another."

Diana shifts uncomfortably. "Regardless... I don't think it really matter anymore."

"You've stepped in front of bullets for the man, Di, and god knows he'd do a lot more than just growl at anyone who'd even look at you funny - so yeah, I'd say it does." She says, deadpan. "...But why is this a big issue all of a sudden? I thought you liked the flirting."

"I do." She says and leave it at that.

There's something knowing in Shayera's eyes. "...But you want more."

Diana nods, feeling her face darken with embarrassment. "This isn't professional, or how an Amazon is supposed to act over a man, but... it's not in my nature to ignore my feelings either, Shayera, and I'm just so tired of pretending it's less than what it is."

They're quiet for a moment.

"I... I'm sorry. I wish this was easier." Shayera says softly. "But... What are you doing to do? Because I'm starting to worry about you."

"Don't." Diana says and sighs, the corners of her lips twitching into a self-deprecating smile. "...Perhaps if I ignore it, it'll go away?"

Her friend snorts, unconvinced. Diana doesn't say as much, but she isn't convinced either.

In the face of change, indecision and surprise are equal. A choice is made only when curiosity wins out... or when fear stands in the way.

The stars are different.

It's the beginning of the night cycle on the station, most of the League is either off-duty or somewhere else, and Diana finds herself in the observatory again, making up names for a new set of constellations.

As she trances patterns with no real shape between the dark places and the stars, she's both surprised and not surprised when she hears his footsteps.

When he walks up to her, instead of coming to stand next to her like he normally would, he cleared his throat.

"Wonder Woman." He says quietly.

She looks at him, keeping her face blank despite the corners of her lips perking up. "Batman."

"Are you busy?"

"I'm considering the distance between here and the nearest other star, the meaning of life and whether or not I should get Chinese after this." She says mildly.

"42."

"Huh... and here Flash always had me believe it was those little chocolates you find on hotel pillows."

Bruce's mouth twitches. "So this is a day in the life of an immortal?"

Diana hums and shrugs. "I was hoping J'onn could drop me off in Beijing, actually - I really am in the mood for Asian. I'd ask you to join me... but, to answer your original question, no, I'm not busy. Why?"

This seems to break the spell and Bruce - and this does surprise Diana - fidgets in his own way, subtly shifting the weight from one foot to another. "Will you come with me?"

She's suddenly on guard. "Is something wrong? Did anything happen?"

"No."

Her eyebrows knit together. "Then why...?"

"Diana," he says, quiet still, stopping her midsentence. "Please."

It takes a minute to get over the shock, to get over the surprise and for her to realize this isn't Batman, Bruce Wayne Billionaire or any of his other masks, but the man that stands behind all of them.

Still... she has her reservations, keeps them in mind, and doesn't allow herself to hope as she normally would. He is still her friend, however, and she would help where she could if nothing else.

"When do you want to leave?" she asks, her voice coming out softer than she intends.

He gestures with a slight tilt of the head and Diana understands enough to know he wants her to follow him.

With a nod of her own, she falls into step next to him when he turns and leaves.

They don't talk as they walk through the hall, and despite her own burning curiosity, she doesn't ask what he's thinking. She doubt he'd actually tell her, but tonight was different and Bruce seemed to be in a strange mood.

Luckily, she doesn't have to wait too long to get an answer as they arrive at the teleporter room.

J'onn is busy with the console there when they walk in, and for some reason, the Martian doesn't look nearly as surprised to see them together as she would have expected him to be.

"Batman. Wonder Woman." He greets them calmly. "Will you be leaving together?"

Bruce nods curtly as he and Diana goes to stand on the platform.

"Where to?"

"Gotham."

This barely gets a blink out of their friend, and if Diana wasn't staring at Bruce like she's seeing him for the first time, she'd have noticed the smile on J'onn's face. "Of course. Transport in five."

Diana almost doesn't hear him, nor does she really pay attention to what happens next. "Bruce..."

The part of Bruce's face not hidden by his cowl is unreadable, and they stare at one another until everything goes white and the stark interior of the Watchtower is replaced with the damp, concrete surface of a Gotham rooftop.

She blinks, startled back into the moment when she feels mist-fine droplets on her bare arms.

It's raining.

Diana turns her face up, towards the omnipresent gloom and breathes out a single white puff that lingers for a moment before disappearing into the nothing.

Bruce - Batman now - moves in the corner of her eye, all business now if the thin line on his mouth is anything to go by.

She's about to open her mouth, to say something when she hears it - the sound of a window being broken and an alarm going off barely a block away.

Her back stiffens and her shoulders tense, and she looks at the vigilante standing next to her.

There was no smile, no outward sign of approval - or rather, permission - other than the slight nod she gets back.

Taking that as her cue, she rises up several inches into the air and backs away to wait on his move with a nod of her own.

Batman doesn't waste any time, and just like that, they go headfirst into the night.

They pass the time patrolling the city together. They don't speak, instead reacting to the subtle changes in body language and weighty glances intended to communicate intensions.

For most of the night, they focus on the inner city, stopping smaller petty crimes before moving on to the quieter outer limits. Most of the criminals they find hardly expected to be caught by the Bat, and when they saw her, some of them were too busy staring to put up a fight at all.

Not all of them, of course, and if there was ever a use for Diana's bracelets, it was then and there.

Other than that, the rain does its part to keep any would-be criminals off of the streets and the rest of the night passes with only a handful of incidents and little else. It's a rare thing, experiencing Gotham without the furiously rampant chaos it's known for, but it's something she's grateful for nonetheless.

It's just before dawn and Bruce - and, yes, she's sure this is Bruce now - leads her away from the neon lights and most of the noise of a sleepless city. They end up on top of an abandoned building overlooking the harbour.

There's a strange moment when Diana touches down on the roof and she allows herself a smile when she looks out over the water and at the brightening sky in the east - even the sunrises are gritty here.

She catches him looking her over, no doubt looking for any outward signs of injuries. When he finds none and looks at her, she tilts her head to the side slightly and raises an eyebrow.

"Are you hurt?" he asks anyway.

She'd taken one or two punches, and a stray bullet grazed her shoulder when she helped him stop a robbery. "There's nothing that hasn't healed already."

"Tired?"

She smiles a little now. Of course she wasn't. "I should ask the same of you."

He grumbles something under his breath and she almost laughs because of it.

But, when he doesn't ask any further, the smile on her face fades and she sighs. "Are you satisfied? Did I pass your test?"

"It wasn't a test."

"Then what was the point of this night, Bruce?"

"A trial run."

She goes still, letting the implications settle before speaking again. "And?"

"We work well together."

She frowns. "Yes, we do. But you know that already, which is why I want the truth from you."

She sees his mouth twitch again. "Are you gonna use your lasso on me if I don't?"

She can see what he's doing and she allows herself a moment to be amused. "Don't tempt me." It passes, however, and she's serious again. "But I mean it."

He doesn't say anything for a long while but some of the Dark Knight's facade gives, and she can see the way his shoulders sag just a fraction when he lets out a short, soft breath.

"I'm trying to make up my mind about something."

"And does that something have anything to do with us?"

He nods but doesn't say anything.

"I see." She says quietly. "Well, you know how I feel about you, Bruce."

"Why did you leave the other day?"

"Because I wanted you to do something." She says, getting frustrated. "This game - this chase, started to get very one-sided. I can't... it isn't right that I'm the only one running."

"I know." He says and steps closer. "But I'm not good at this, Diana. When it comes to relationships - with my track record... I don't know how to make this work."

"You wouldn't have to do it alone. I won't pretend to be an expert, but if this is what you want - if I am who you want - shouldn't we try, at least?"

"Is that what you want?"

She nearly punches him. "Bruce, if I wasn't open to the possibility, we wouldn't be here right now." She softens, however, and closes a little more space between them. "I... I won't ask you to lay your heart or your world at me feet."

"You could."

She feels her breath catch just a little. "Maybe... but I won't. I'm not going to take more than you're willing to give."

"And if you change your mind - about this?" About me, he doesn't say but it hangs unspoken in the air.

"You'll be the first to know." She says. "But don't hold your breath, because I'm not going anywhere."

He smiles a little. "Good."

She narrows her eyes. "I mean it."

They're very close now. "Okay."

Diana almost huffs. "Okay?"

He nods and reaches up to tuck a stray tendril of hair behind her ear. "Okay."

She takes it a step further and puts her hand against his chest - his armour is slick from the rain against her chilled touch and, faintly, she can feel his heartbeat.

"Good."

At that exact moment, the sun breaks over the horizon, the pale yellow light in stark contrast against the grey sky, making the water droplets in her hair glisten in their hundreds.

His cape comes around her as his hands find the area just above her hips, and she stares at the first rays of sunlight reflect off of his cowl, turning it to gold.

"So, just to be clear, this was a date?" she asks after a while.

"Do you want it to be?"

Yes. "You know I do. And this means you're going to put in effort in... courting me?"

"You sound like Alfred."

"Am I wrong?"

He relents with a sigh. "No. I have every intention of courting you."

She's never believed in butterflies. She does now.

"And that means more dates? Real dates?"

"Yes."

"Spending time together?"

"Yes."

"You giving me flowers?"

This catches him a little. "Do you want flowers?"

"Sunflowers. Roses are overused." And they really, really were.

He lets out a low chuckle that turns the butterflies into hummingbirds. "I'll keep that in mind."

"Do you want flowers?"

"Peonies." He says, completely straight faced and just as serious. "They were my mother's favourite. Alfred likes them too."

They are very pretty. "I'll get you flowers."

He just hums back, tracing a figure eight on her lower back

She doesn't kiss him like she wants to, knowing it wasn't the time for it, but when she steps closer he pulls her to his chest in time and they embrace.

"Thank you, Bruce." She whispers by his ear.

He holds her just a little bit tighter. "Don't give up on me yet, Princess."

She smiles as she steps away. "You don't have to worry about that."

Reluctantly, Bruce lets her go, and steps back as she rises into the air.

"I'll see you later?"

He nods. "Until later."

The smile he gets does a better job that the sun and could very well light up the sky.

When she flies away and disappears among the clouds, he turns to the fading shadow and heads back into his city, ready to face the new day.

Try. Failure is not the end, but an opportunity to rise up to the challenge.

Try again. When that challenge is met and matched, it's not a success so much as a brand new beginning.

CHAPTER END.

A/N: Lol... I just realized how this last part sounds:

"Do you want to be in a relationship?"
"Yup - do you want to be in a relationship?"
"Hell yeah!"
"Awesome. Let's go for it."

Probably not how it works in real life, but who needs logic? WonderBats happy ending!

While I'm not a hundred percent sure about the ending, we're not gonna stop here. This was originally meant to be half the length it is right now... but then coffee and feels happened.

Seriously, though, I'm pretty happy about this despite it possibly being one of the stranger, more blatantly touchy-feely quasi-dramatic things I've written. Like I mentioned, I had a lot (and I mean a lot) of caffeine and was angsting/sulking over DC's current status quo regarding their -ugh- 'power couples' (BatCat, WonderTrevor, and whatever). And then, the next moment, I started writing shit down and then colour coding those notes with highlighters and... this happened.

Tell me if I succeeded?

Anyway, I hope it translates well enough, and if I did make any typos... well, no one's perfect. It might take some time before the next chapter is released, and any fans of my Immersion story will be pleased to know the third chapter of that is halfway done and will be posted not too long (hopefully) after this.

Next Chapter: Fallacies in Love.

PROMPTS [lite]:

- [Key-Words/Phrases] Undefined (until it isn't anymore)
- [Imagery] Bruce being heartsick - need I say more? (This is my favourite Bruce to write BTW)
- [Song] Lost Frequencies - What is Love 2016

Okay, so, while the next chapter has already been determined by me, myself and I, I'm going to create a poll specifically for this fic where you, my dear readers, can now decide what the chapter after next's gonna be about. The options are as follows:

1) Red Threads - That Soul Mate Fic (TM)... with a twist! Be warned, this contains BatCat and WonderTrevor... and then stuff happens. Pre-relationship.

2) The Knight - The Watchtower gets an unexpected visitor from the future - reckless, trained and with enough determination to even give Batman pause, she's on a mission and nothing, not even the League, is going to stop her for going through with it.

3) Three Idiots and a Baby - In which three thieves steal the last car they probably should have. Also, Alfred is sad, Bruce is on a warpath, and Diana has a sword.

4) The Divorce of the Century - a WonderBat take on the Injustice game and Part 1 of my AU-ish spin I'm gonna put to it because fuck what happened in the real thing (The author is still steamed that they had Susan Eisenberg voice such an utter, utter bitch, alternate universe or no and really fun game none withstanding - that ain't my Wonder Woman, yo).

There'll be a new option added with every new chapter, so don't worry if what you chose didn't make the cut. I also take suggestions, and I've always loved a challenge, so if you have any, drop me a PM or leave a review.

Until Next Time,
GoddessofDawn out.