Fic: Splintered, Part 7 (1 of 2)
Part 6.2
Part Seven: Negotiations and Compromises
Bruce closed the door to their suite.
He watched as Diana walked over to the sofa and sat down. Kicking off her crystal-encrusted high heels, she began, "So…"
"So…?"
"What happens now?"
He took off his tie and put it on the dresser. "I thought I'd send a few e-mails, check the police reports, take a shower …"
"I mean, what happens with us?"
Bruce froze. In the mirror, he could see her sitting back on the sofa, legs turned to one side, her seemingly relaxed posture belied by the tension on her face.
Stalling for time, he added the contents of his pockets to the dresser top; wallet, keys, handkerchief, bug detector. He could feel her gaze boring into his back.
"What do you want to happen?" he replied, removing his cufflinks and rolling up his sleeves.
She sighed. "I want to know that you're doing something about this. About your…problem."
"J'onn's helping me." He ran his hand through his hair, wincing when he noticed yet another strand of gray.
From the mirror, he saw her nod. "He's a good listener. But how did you wind up talking to him about it?"
"He saw something was wrong and wouldn't take no for an answer." He rummaged in the dresser drawer.
"Bruce?"
"Yes?"
"I'd like to see your face instead of your back." She smiled slightly and patted the cushion next to her.
He joined her on the sofa. They were silent for a while, staring out the window at the bejeweled Strip.
"Diana, what are you thinking about?"
"About how when J'onn knew something was wrong, he cared enough to make you tell him. I knew something was wrong when we went to Japan, but I let it slide. I just thought - I just thought you were more brooding than usual. I had no idea…." She turned to him, eyes pleading. "I'm sorry, Bruce."
He slipped his arm around her. "Don't be. I didn't want to tell you."
She leaned into his embrace. "But you did. You trusted me that much."
"You're worth it."
She sat up so she could look straight at him. "You really mean that."
"Yes, I do."
She spoke haltingly. "Zatanna told me about how… how gentle and kind you were during my -"
"When you were indisposed."
"Polite way to put it."
He smiled wryly. "You needed looking after."
"That's sweet." She snuggled up to him.
"Just to make sure you didn't munch on the drapes."
Her eyes narrowed.
He smirked. "And that was so you'd know that, despite recent revelations, I'm still me."
"You're impossible."
"No, you are."
"I'm impossible?"
"Impossibly patient. Despite everything, you're stillhere. I wondered whether you'd show up this afternoon." His smile became almost shy. "Thanks."
Diana regarded him, her eyes soft. "So. How is J'onn helping you?"
"He taught me some techniques to help neutralize my fears. Until that night, I thought they were working."
"What made the difference?"
"You. The moment. For once I - we - could actually -" He looked away.
"How do J'onn's techniques work?" she asked.
Grateful that she'd changed the subject, he explained about visualizing each step of his hierarchy of fears while practicing his relaxation response.
Diana looked thoughtful. "Is the idea to help you gradually become more comfortable with, um…intimacy?"
He nodded.
"Then I think I can help."
* * *
Diana had said she was going to take a bubble bath, so Bruce took the opportunity to send a couple of important e-mails and check the police reports. A couple of burglaries, a mugging, an attempted rape. He reminded himself that there was no way that criminals could know that the Batman was out of town, and that the Gotham police force - although corrupt - still had good people in it.
He turned on the TV and watched CNN for a while, then Fox News. Both channels were playing up yet another collegiate athlete rape case. Switching to C-SPAN, he watched the coverage of a Senate hearing about military budget appropriations.
Somehow, I don't think they'll discuss Cadmus - at least, not with the cameras present.
The door to the larger of their two bathrooms opened and Diana emerged, clad in a loose-fitting white dress with gold embroidery at the waist and hem. He recognized it as a peplos.
As she came toward him, the light shone through her dress and he could see every curve outlined. Even though she usually wore little more than a swimsuit when he saw her, the view was alluring. He felt as though he should look away, but couldn't make himself do so.
She raised an eyebrow, a ghost of a smile on her lips. "Like what you see?"
He swallowed.
Sitting next to him on the sofa, she continued. "It's more than I usually sleep in, but I didn't want to make you uncomfortable."
"I'm not sure 'uncomfortable' is the right word." Aroused, concerned, embarrassed, maybe. But not uncomfortable.
She ran her hands across the muscles from his neck to his shoulders. "Are you tense?"
He smiled lopsidedly. "No, I'm Bruce. And thanks for asking."
"Funny. Anyway, I saw a massage table in the next room. I don't suppose you brought any massage oil?"
"Can't say I did, no."
"Not even in your utility belt?" she asked playfully.
"It's not like I go around giving supervillains neck rubs."
"No, I suppose you don't. Then I'll do the best I can with body lotion."
"Diana, I'm not sure -"
"J'onn wants you to associate intimacy with relaxation, right? Then let me help you. Don't worry; we can stop any time you want."
"I'd rather not."
"Bruce -"
"Not now. Please."
"But don't you think -"
Hastily standing, he grabbed some clothes out of the dresser and headed for the other bathroom. "I'm going to take a shower." He tried to smile. "I really don't want to screw this up. Please go slow."
He thought she would be mad. Instead, she smiled, almost shyly. "Of course. Sorry." And her eyes suddenly shone. "We'll go as slow as you need to."
* * *
Although he usually slept in his briefs and nothing else, Bruce had packed his dark blue pajamas with this situation in mind. When he came out of the shower, Diana was sitting on one of the couches, sipping a glass of red wine.
"I ordered room service. Have a drink." She patted the couch next to her.
"Why, Ms. Diana. Are you trying to seduce me?"
She chuckled. "That's from - wait, don't tell me… The Scholar?"
He smiled. "The Graduate."
"That's right! The Graduate." She took a drink of wine. "No, I am not trying to work my will upon you, Mr. Wayne. Thought you might care to share a drink with your favorite Amazon."
"I don't know any other Amazons."
"My mother?"
"Oh yeah." He mused. "Somehow, I never thought of her in that way. Too regal, too calm."
She rolled her eyes. "Calm. Right. Appearances can be deceiving. Take it from me."
Bruce leaned in. "Sounds like a story."
"Some other time." She looked at him. "Bruce, I really don't want to do anything that'll make you feel uncomfortable." She looked almost sheepish. "Before… I guess I wasn't just thinking about your… therapy."
He raised an eyebrow. "That right?"
"Well..." Diana laughed. "I must admit, you do look awfully cute in those mountains of cloth you people sleep in." She looked him up and down. "Aren't you hot in that?"
"They're cotton. They breathe."
She smirked. "Oh. They breathe."
"You know, I can't imagine how making fun of my clothes is going to help my anxieties."
"Right now, clothes are the last thing I want to see on you. But" - she held up a hand at his protestations - "I'm sure J'onn knows best. Just don't expect me not to tease you a little."
"Fair enough." He took her hand and kissed it. She smiled.
"So what's our next move? For the mission, I mean."
Bruce was pensive for a moment. "You've fought Circe before, right?"
"Yes."
Bruce poured himself some of the wine and sat down on the couch next to her. "How tough is she? We never really got to find out last time."
Diana sipped her wine again. "So I heard. I was, as you called it, 'indisposed.'"
"My point is, I couldn't detect much of a limit to her powers. But she must have limits or weaknesses. I mean, she's not…" he broke off as he looked at Diana.
"…omnipotent?" Diana finished for him.
"Right. I mean, in the Odyssey, isn't she just a sorceress, like Zatanna, or Morgan Le Fay? We should be able to defeat her."
"Remember what you said when I warned you the last time we faced her? You said 'I've read the Odyssey.' Well, it must have been a while, because even in Homer's account, she is described as a goddess, Bruce."
Diana put her wine glass down and looked at him intently. "I realize that until recently, for you Circe only existed as a character in that story - a story you first read as a child. And I can understand that you'd assume that because you first heard of her in that story, she must be exactlyas Homer described her. Even though you've actually met her, you're still acting as if Circe was an artifact of that story, constrained by it.
"Circe was well known, and Homer knew that some of the gods were very annoyed with her. To curry favor with them, he took some liberties in his description of her powers. For example, he didn't mention her ability to animate objects. He also came up with that absurd plot device, that Odysseus could threaten her with a sword and somehow make her do his bidding."
Bruce spread his hands. "Go on. But I always assumed that the reason the scheme worked is that Hermes had given Odysseus some herb -"
"Moly."
"Yes. And that since the moly prevented Circe from turning him into a pig, she had no choice but to do what he said."
Diana picked up her wine glass again and looked at him intently. "Do you see the fault in your logic?"
Bruce thought for a moment. "I take it I'm assuming something I shouldn't?"
"Yes." She took a sip.
His eyes widened. "You mean it didn't happen like that at all?"
"No, it did."
"Then what - oh. I'm assuming turning people into animals is her only power."
"And?"
"And that she can be harmed by a simple blade." Bruce was chagrined.
"What is it you people say? Bingo."
"But that still doesn't make sense. Why didn't she just blast him, or…"
"The scheme worked because Circe isn't just man-crazy. She's also kinky."
Both of Bruce's eyebrows shot up.
Diana looked at him with amusement. "What? You've read enough mythology to know even gods have their appetites."
Bruce frowned. "So she just allowed him to threaten her?"
"Basically, yes. She was impressed by his bravado, and thought it could be fun to see where the whole thing led. After all, she was bored, and he was well known among the gods as one of the cleverer mortals. She was probably curious what kind of a lover he might be." She let the last sentence linger in the air for a moment, while she looked at him serenely.
Bruce gulped, suddenly uncomfortable. Okay then.
"In any case," Diana continued, clearly enjoying his discomfort, "there is no way that being threatened with a sword would have kept Circe at bay, unless she decided she liked the whole thing. Don't know if that sort of thing still excites her."
"This puts that whole time distortion thing she did in a different perspective." But it does give me an idea.
Diana continued. "Last time we met, she let me go - gave up her chance to humiliate my mother - just on a lark, so she could see you embarrass yourself."
"Hrn."
"Sorry. I heard you were quite good. Anyway, she is willing to do anything to amuse herself. Odysseus is a case in point. And the version you read may have left out the payment that she demanded from him."
Great. "I can imagine."
"Don't worry, Bruce. Zatanna and I will…um…protect your virtue." And she almost sputtered wine on herself from laughing.
"Thanks." He rested a finger on the corner of his mouth. "I suppose I could do it, you know, to save the earth from her evil plot. Or whatever. Then I guess I could do the same for Selina. That's just the kind of guy -"
A well-placed blow upside the head from a pillow shut him up.
"Sorry."
"You'd better be. That would be convenient if your psychological problem doesn't manifest itself with oversexed supervillains…"
"As opposed to oversexed Ama -" but once again Diana's aim - and timing - were impeccable.
"Sorry again." And he realized he was laughing.
She's good for me.
He waited until he could catch his breath. "What are her weaknesses, Diana?"
She had been laughing quite a bit herself and had spilled a few drops of wine. "Weaknesses… yes. Well, she's vain. She likes men, sex, and she bores easily. Hates my mother and me - but not as much as she hates boredom."
"Is Zatanna a match for her?"
"As a sorceress? I don't think so. Morgan Le Fay could be, but not Zatanna. She's too inexperienced. Maybe Dr. Fate."
"Are you?"
"Am I a match for her, you mean?"
"Yes."
"I’m not sure. In strength, yes. But her magic is extremely powerful."
"You're serious."
"She is a goddess. A minor one, to be sure, but still a goddess."
"I can't believe this. She was imprisoned! She can't be that powerful."
"I'm not saying she's invincible. But this seems to be her heart's desire. She will not be easily captured and sent back."
Bruce sipped his wine, considering all that Diana had said.
"Does she really need to be sent back?"
Diana's eyes widened. "I thought you, of all people, would want to uphold the law."
"I do. But do you think Circe deserves to return to the Pit of Eternal Torment just for stealing the Flute - especially if we get it back?"
Her voice hardened. "Don't ask me what I think she deserves. And how exactly do you plan to get the Flute away from her?"
"I've got a few ideas." He grabbed the pillow before she could use it against him. "And none of them involve sleeping with her."
"Care to enlighten me?"
"Tomorrow." He glanced at the clock. "Later today, rather. That reminds me; we need to tell Zatanna that we won't try tackling Circe early this morning. Tomorrow morning will be better."
"Why?"
"She's more likely to expect us to confront her immediately. She might let her guard down by tomorrow, and it sounds like we need every advantage we can get."
"I'll contact her." Diana put her hand to her ear, and spoke, "Wonder Woman to Zatanna…You won that much? Really? Sounds like you're on a roll. Batman thinks Circe will be on her guard this morning, so you can sleep late, instead. We'll do it tomorrow. Yes, we'll call you. No" - and she laughed - "not yet. He's too cute in his pajamas to kill. Yes, pajamas. No, they don't have a Bat symbol."
"You do realize that the couch isn't long enough for you to sleep comfortably," Bruce muttered.
"Gotta go, Zee. He's threatening me with dire consequences. No, that wouldn't be dire. Wonder Woman out."
She turned to him, head tilted sideways. "We haven't even slept together and you're already kicking me out of bed?"
"It stopped you from gossiping over the League comm system."
"You fight dirty." She got up and went over to the bed, turning down the covers.
"I don't have powers. I've got to take every advantage I can."
Diana slid under the covers, sitting up against the headboard. "Speaking of which, I promise not to take advantage of you."
"Care to say that again while holding your lasso?" But he smiled, then drained his glass.
"I'd rather say it again while holding you."
"Now what was I saying earlier about Amazons?"
She grabbed one of the king-sized bed pillows. "Careful, Bruce, my pillows are bigger than yours."
He glanced at her chest. "I'd say so."
"Are we going to trade sparkling innuendo for the rest of the night, or are you coming to bed?"
"I have to warn you, I sometimes get nightmares. I'm probably not the ideal sleeping companion." He rose, went to the other side of the bed, and slipped under the covers.
"That's all right. Clark says I snore."
He pasted on a deadpan expression. "That right?"
Diana laughed. "Gotcha! Are you sure you won't be too warm in those pajamas? I wouldn't want you to be uncomfortable."
"I'll suffer." Subtlety isn't your strong suit, is it?
He turned out the bedside lamp and stared at the ceiling. Despite his tiredness, sleep evaded him.
He heard her teasing voice, "Don't I get a goodnight kiss?"
"I suppose." His fingertips found her in the darkness, tracing her lips. She laughed quietly, gently sucking the tips of his fingers. With that as a guide, he found her lips and kissed her softly.
She broke off, and he suddenly realized she was nibbling his ear. He took a deep breath, inhaling the orchid scent of her hair. It was comforting, somehow…
Again, a throaty, soft chuckle. "There Bruce, you see? You can do this. Now, Morpheus give you a good night."
Bruce rolled over on his side, slipping an arm around her. She turned her back to him, snuggling into his embrace until they were spooning. He noted that her behind was wiggling slightly more than was strictly necessary. It didn't take long for his body to respond.
"I'm glad to see that part of you is interested," she whispered.
"All of me is interested. That's not the problem."
"I suppose not." She shifted against him; he could sense her smile in the dark. "But at least things seem promising."
* * * Part 7.2
Part Seven: Negotiations and Compromises
Bruce closed the door to their suite.
He watched as Diana walked over to the sofa and sat down. Kicking off her crystal-encrusted high heels, she began, "So…"
"So…?"
"What happens now?"
He took off his tie and put it on the dresser. "I thought I'd send a few e-mails, check the police reports, take a shower …"
"I mean, what happens with us?"
Bruce froze. In the mirror, he could see her sitting back on the sofa, legs turned to one side, her seemingly relaxed posture belied by the tension on her face.
Stalling for time, he added the contents of his pockets to the dresser top; wallet, keys, handkerchief, bug detector. He could feel her gaze boring into his back.
"What do you want to happen?" he replied, removing his cufflinks and rolling up his sleeves.
She sighed. "I want to know that you're doing something about this. About your…problem."
"J'onn's helping me." He ran his hand through his hair, wincing when he noticed yet another strand of gray.
From the mirror, he saw her nod. "He's a good listener. But how did you wind up talking to him about it?"
"He saw something was wrong and wouldn't take no for an answer." He rummaged in the dresser drawer.
"Bruce?"
"Yes?"
"I'd like to see your face instead of your back." She smiled slightly and patted the cushion next to her.
He joined her on the sofa. They were silent for a while, staring out the window at the bejeweled Strip.
"Diana, what are you thinking about?"
"About how when J'onn knew something was wrong, he cared enough to make you tell him. I knew something was wrong when we went to Japan, but I let it slide. I just thought - I just thought you were more brooding than usual. I had no idea…." She turned to him, eyes pleading. "I'm sorry, Bruce."
He slipped his arm around her. "Don't be. I didn't want to tell you."
She leaned into his embrace. "But you did. You trusted me that much."
"You're worth it."
She sat up so she could look straight at him. "You really mean that."
"Yes, I do."
She spoke haltingly. "Zatanna told me about how… how gentle and kind you were during my -"
"When you were indisposed."
"Polite way to put it."
He smiled wryly. "You needed looking after."
"That's sweet." She snuggled up to him.
"Just to make sure you didn't munch on the drapes."
Her eyes narrowed.
He smirked. "And that was so you'd know that, despite recent revelations, I'm still me."
"You're impossible."
"No, you are."
"I'm impossible?"
"Impossibly patient. Despite everything, you're stillhere. I wondered whether you'd show up this afternoon." His smile became almost shy. "Thanks."
Diana regarded him, her eyes soft. "So. How is J'onn helping you?"
"He taught me some techniques to help neutralize my fears. Until that night, I thought they were working."
"What made the difference?"
"You. The moment. For once I - we - could actually -" He looked away.
"How do J'onn's techniques work?" she asked.
Grateful that she'd changed the subject, he explained about visualizing each step of his hierarchy of fears while practicing his relaxation response.
Diana looked thoughtful. "Is the idea to help you gradually become more comfortable with, um…intimacy?"
He nodded.
"Then I think I can help."
* * *
Diana had said she was going to take a bubble bath, so Bruce took the opportunity to send a couple of important e-mails and check the police reports. A couple of burglaries, a mugging, an attempted rape. He reminded himself that there was no way that criminals could know that the Batman was out of town, and that the Gotham police force - although corrupt - still had good people in it.
He turned on the TV and watched CNN for a while, then Fox News. Both channels were playing up yet another collegiate athlete rape case. Switching to C-SPAN, he watched the coverage of a Senate hearing about military budget appropriations.
Somehow, I don't think they'll discuss Cadmus - at least, not with the cameras present.
The door to the larger of their two bathrooms opened and Diana emerged, clad in a loose-fitting white dress with gold embroidery at the waist and hem. He recognized it as a peplos.
As she came toward him, the light shone through her dress and he could see every curve outlined. Even though she usually wore little more than a swimsuit when he saw her, the view was alluring. He felt as though he should look away, but couldn't make himself do so.
She raised an eyebrow, a ghost of a smile on her lips. "Like what you see?"
He swallowed.
Sitting next to him on the sofa, she continued. "It's more than I usually sleep in, but I didn't want to make you uncomfortable."
"I'm not sure 'uncomfortable' is the right word." Aroused, concerned, embarrassed, maybe. But not uncomfortable.
She ran her hands across the muscles from his neck to his shoulders. "Are you tense?"
He smiled lopsidedly. "No, I'm Bruce. And thanks for asking."
"Funny. Anyway, I saw a massage table in the next room. I don't suppose you brought any massage oil?"
"Can't say I did, no."
"Not even in your utility belt?" she asked playfully.
"It's not like I go around giving supervillains neck rubs."
"No, I suppose you don't. Then I'll do the best I can with body lotion."
"Diana, I'm not sure -"
"J'onn wants you to associate intimacy with relaxation, right? Then let me help you. Don't worry; we can stop any time you want."
"I'd rather not."
"Bruce -"
"Not now. Please."
"But don't you think -"
Hastily standing, he grabbed some clothes out of the dresser and headed for the other bathroom. "I'm going to take a shower." He tried to smile. "I really don't want to screw this up. Please go slow."
He thought she would be mad. Instead, she smiled, almost shyly. "Of course. Sorry." And her eyes suddenly shone. "We'll go as slow as you need to."
* * *
Although he usually slept in his briefs and nothing else, Bruce had packed his dark blue pajamas with this situation in mind. When he came out of the shower, Diana was sitting on one of the couches, sipping a glass of red wine.
"I ordered room service. Have a drink." She patted the couch next to her.
"Why, Ms. Diana. Are you trying to seduce me?"
She chuckled. "That's from - wait, don't tell me… The Scholar?"
He smiled. "The Graduate."
"That's right! The Graduate." She took a drink of wine. "No, I am not trying to work my will upon you, Mr. Wayne. Thought you might care to share a drink with your favorite Amazon."
"I don't know any other Amazons."
"My mother?"
"Oh yeah." He mused. "Somehow, I never thought of her in that way. Too regal, too calm."
She rolled her eyes. "Calm. Right. Appearances can be deceiving. Take it from me."
Bruce leaned in. "Sounds like a story."
"Some other time." She looked at him. "Bruce, I really don't want to do anything that'll make you feel uncomfortable." She looked almost sheepish. "Before… I guess I wasn't just thinking about your… therapy."
He raised an eyebrow. "That right?"
"Well..." Diana laughed. "I must admit, you do look awfully cute in those mountains of cloth you people sleep in." She looked him up and down. "Aren't you hot in that?"
"They're cotton. They breathe."
She smirked. "Oh. They breathe."
"You know, I can't imagine how making fun of my clothes is going to help my anxieties."
"Right now, clothes are the last thing I want to see on you. But" - she held up a hand at his protestations - "I'm sure J'onn knows best. Just don't expect me not to tease you a little."
"Fair enough." He took her hand and kissed it. She smiled.
"So what's our next move? For the mission, I mean."
Bruce was pensive for a moment. "You've fought Circe before, right?"
"Yes."
Bruce poured himself some of the wine and sat down on the couch next to her. "How tough is she? We never really got to find out last time."
Diana sipped her wine again. "So I heard. I was, as you called it, 'indisposed.'"
"My point is, I couldn't detect much of a limit to her powers. But she must have limits or weaknesses. I mean, she's not…" he broke off as he looked at Diana.
"…omnipotent?" Diana finished for him.
"Right. I mean, in the Odyssey, isn't she just a sorceress, like Zatanna, or Morgan Le Fay? We should be able to defeat her."
"Remember what you said when I warned you the last time we faced her? You said 'I've read the Odyssey.' Well, it must have been a while, because even in Homer's account, she is described as a goddess, Bruce."
Diana put her wine glass down and looked at him intently. "I realize that until recently, for you Circe only existed as a character in that story - a story you first read as a child. And I can understand that you'd assume that because you first heard of her in that story, she must be exactlyas Homer described her. Even though you've actually met her, you're still acting as if Circe was an artifact of that story, constrained by it.
"Circe was well known, and Homer knew that some of the gods were very annoyed with her. To curry favor with them, he took some liberties in his description of her powers. For example, he didn't mention her ability to animate objects. He also came up with that absurd plot device, that Odysseus could threaten her with a sword and somehow make her do his bidding."
Bruce spread his hands. "Go on. But I always assumed that the reason the scheme worked is that Hermes had given Odysseus some herb -"
"Moly."
"Yes. And that since the moly prevented Circe from turning him into a pig, she had no choice but to do what he said."
Diana picked up her wine glass again and looked at him intently. "Do you see the fault in your logic?"
Bruce thought for a moment. "I take it I'm assuming something I shouldn't?"
"Yes." She took a sip.
His eyes widened. "You mean it didn't happen like that at all?"
"No, it did."
"Then what - oh. I'm assuming turning people into animals is her only power."
"And?"
"And that she can be harmed by a simple blade." Bruce was chagrined.
"What is it you people say? Bingo."
"But that still doesn't make sense. Why didn't she just blast him, or…"
"The scheme worked because Circe isn't just man-crazy. She's also kinky."
Both of Bruce's eyebrows shot up.
Diana looked at him with amusement. "What? You've read enough mythology to know even gods have their appetites."
Bruce frowned. "So she just allowed him to threaten her?"
"Basically, yes. She was impressed by his bravado, and thought it could be fun to see where the whole thing led. After all, she was bored, and he was well known among the gods as one of the cleverer mortals. She was probably curious what kind of a lover he might be." She let the last sentence linger in the air for a moment, while she looked at him serenely.
Bruce gulped, suddenly uncomfortable. Okay then.
"In any case," Diana continued, clearly enjoying his discomfort, "there is no way that being threatened with a sword would have kept Circe at bay, unless she decided she liked the whole thing. Don't know if that sort of thing still excites her."
"This puts that whole time distortion thing she did in a different perspective." But it does give me an idea.
Diana continued. "Last time we met, she let me go - gave up her chance to humiliate my mother - just on a lark, so she could see you embarrass yourself."
"Hrn."
"Sorry. I heard you were quite good. Anyway, she is willing to do anything to amuse herself. Odysseus is a case in point. And the version you read may have left out the payment that she demanded from him."
Great. "I can imagine."
"Don't worry, Bruce. Zatanna and I will…um…protect your virtue." And she almost sputtered wine on herself from laughing.
"Thanks." He rested a finger on the corner of his mouth. "I suppose I could do it, you know, to save the earth from her evil plot. Or whatever. Then I guess I could do the same for Selina. That's just the kind of guy -"
A well-placed blow upside the head from a pillow shut him up.
"Sorry."
"You'd better be. That would be convenient if your psychological problem doesn't manifest itself with oversexed supervillains…"
"As opposed to oversexed Ama -" but once again Diana's aim - and timing - were impeccable.
"Sorry again." And he realized he was laughing.
She's good for me.
He waited until he could catch his breath. "What are her weaknesses, Diana?"
She had been laughing quite a bit herself and had spilled a few drops of wine. "Weaknesses… yes. Well, she's vain. She likes men, sex, and she bores easily. Hates my mother and me - but not as much as she hates boredom."
"Is Zatanna a match for her?"
"As a sorceress? I don't think so. Morgan Le Fay could be, but not Zatanna. She's too inexperienced. Maybe Dr. Fate."
"Are you?"
"Am I a match for her, you mean?"
"Yes."
"I’m not sure. In strength, yes. But her magic is extremely powerful."
"You're serious."
"She is a goddess. A minor one, to be sure, but still a goddess."
"I can't believe this. She was imprisoned! She can't be that powerful."
"I'm not saying she's invincible. But this seems to be her heart's desire. She will not be easily captured and sent back."
Bruce sipped his wine, considering all that Diana had said.
"Does she really need to be sent back?"
Diana's eyes widened. "I thought you, of all people, would want to uphold the law."
"I do. But do you think Circe deserves to return to the Pit of Eternal Torment just for stealing the Flute - especially if we get it back?"
Her voice hardened. "Don't ask me what I think she deserves. And how exactly do you plan to get the Flute away from her?"
"I've got a few ideas." He grabbed the pillow before she could use it against him. "And none of them involve sleeping with her."
"Care to enlighten me?"
"Tomorrow." He glanced at the clock. "Later today, rather. That reminds me; we need to tell Zatanna that we won't try tackling Circe early this morning. Tomorrow morning will be better."
"Why?"
"She's more likely to expect us to confront her immediately. She might let her guard down by tomorrow, and it sounds like we need every advantage we can get."
"I'll contact her." Diana put her hand to her ear, and spoke, "Wonder Woman to Zatanna…You won that much? Really? Sounds like you're on a roll. Batman thinks Circe will be on her guard this morning, so you can sleep late, instead. We'll do it tomorrow. Yes, we'll call you. No" - and she laughed - "not yet. He's too cute in his pajamas to kill. Yes, pajamas. No, they don't have a Bat symbol."
"You do realize that the couch isn't long enough for you to sleep comfortably," Bruce muttered.
"Gotta go, Zee. He's threatening me with dire consequences. No, that wouldn't be dire. Wonder Woman out."
She turned to him, head tilted sideways. "We haven't even slept together and you're already kicking me out of bed?"
"It stopped you from gossiping over the League comm system."
"You fight dirty." She got up and went over to the bed, turning down the covers.
"I don't have powers. I've got to take every advantage I can."
Diana slid under the covers, sitting up against the headboard. "Speaking of which, I promise not to take advantage of you."
"Care to say that again while holding your lasso?" But he smiled, then drained his glass.
"I'd rather say it again while holding you."
"Now what was I saying earlier about Amazons?"
She grabbed one of the king-sized bed pillows. "Careful, Bruce, my pillows are bigger than yours."
He glanced at her chest. "I'd say so."
"Are we going to trade sparkling innuendo for the rest of the night, or are you coming to bed?"
"I have to warn you, I sometimes get nightmares. I'm probably not the ideal sleeping companion." He rose, went to the other side of the bed, and slipped under the covers.
"That's all right. Clark says I snore."
He pasted on a deadpan expression. "That right?"
Diana laughed. "Gotcha! Are you sure you won't be too warm in those pajamas? I wouldn't want you to be uncomfortable."
"I'll suffer." Subtlety isn't your strong suit, is it?
He turned out the bedside lamp and stared at the ceiling. Despite his tiredness, sleep evaded him.
He heard her teasing voice, "Don't I get a goodnight kiss?"
"I suppose." His fingertips found her in the darkness, tracing her lips. She laughed quietly, gently sucking the tips of his fingers. With that as a guide, he found her lips and kissed her softly.
She broke off, and he suddenly realized she was nibbling his ear. He took a deep breath, inhaling the orchid scent of her hair. It was comforting, somehow…
Again, a throaty, soft chuckle. "There Bruce, you see? You can do this. Now, Morpheus give you a good night."
Bruce rolled over on his side, slipping an arm around her. She turned her back to him, snuggling into his embrace until they were spooning. He noted that her behind was wiggling slightly more than was strictly necessary. It didn't take long for his body to respond.
"I'm glad to see that part of you is interested," she whispered.
"All of me is interested. That's not the problem."
"I suppose not." She shifted against him; he could sense her smile in the dark. "But at least things seem promising."
* * * Part 7.2