Fic: By-The-Sea XVII: Fishy Business ;) (1/1)

Jun 14, 2016 11:02

Title: By-The-Sea XVII: Fishy Business ;) (1/1)
Author: BradyGirl_12
Pairings/Characters: Steve/Diana, Clark/Bruce
Genres: Fluff, Humor, Romance, Slice-Of-Life
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: None
Spoilers: None
Summary: The Trinity Plus One enjoys a day of deep-sea fishing off Cape Cod. :)
Date Of Completion: June 13, 2016
Date Of Posting: June 14, 2016 (Happy Flag Day!) ;)
Disclaimer: I don’t own ‘em, DC does, more’s the pity.
Word Count: 1351
Feedback welcome and appreciated.
Author’s Notes: Happy Birthday, mithen! :) Your request of Oh, anything with a summer theme! Maybe with Steve/Diana or Bruce/Clark? is fulfilled with both pairings! Enjoy! :)
This series is an umbrella title for various DC couples enjoying time-by-the-sea. The entire series is here.



"How I wish
That we could fish,
On the deep blue sea,
Just you and me."

Allison McClelland
"The Deep Blue Sea"
RCA Records
1957 C.E.

“I have one!”

“Careful! Play it, Angel!”

Diana skillfully gave some slack to the line as she played the good-sized bass. She worked her reel as Steve grabbed a net and stood ready. Clark and Bruce watched with interest from their deck chairs, their own lines in the sparkling water.

Diana played the fish with cunning, utilizing the rod as she had been taught. She led the line out a little more, then reeled it in. The fish fought valiantly but Diana was a hunter, just like her namesake. She watched as the fish’s tail splashed up sprays of water as she inexorably drew it closer.

She lifted it out of the water with her rod and Steve caught it in the net he held. He unhooked it and plopped it into a bucket filled with water and other fish.

“Looks like you’re the champ so far, Angel.”

“I like this method of fishing.”

The men grinned and Bruce drawled, “Considering your usual method is to fish with a spear, this must seem easy to you.”

“Oh, it is a test of skill once the fish takes the bait.”

“Ah, yes.” Bruce looked over his line. “And fish are a staple of the Amazon diet?”

“Yes, they are. Occasionally we have boar or antelope but fish is our main non-fruit or vegetable dish.”

“No pie?” Clark asked forlornly.

“Oh, yes, pie.” Diana nearly laughed at Clark brightening at the revelation.

Steve caressed her bare shoulder. “I like pie.”

“No doubt, as in pizza pie.”

He grinned as he settled into his chair. “Guilty as charged!”

Diana adjusted her sunglasses. She wore a wide-brimmed straw hat, white shorts, and a yellow halter top. She wiggled her toes in straw sandals.

Her companions also wore shorts, Bruce and Steve in blue and Clark in red. All three men wore T-shirts, Clark and Bruce their alma maters (the University of Metropolis and Harvard) and Steve an Air Force tee. Clark and Steve wore baseball caps (the Metropolis Monarchs and Boston Red Sox, respectively) while Bruce wore a yachting cap. All three wore beat-up sneakers and sunglasses of varying styles. Clark had once told her that while soaking up the sun was a pleasure, sometimes his eyes were sensitive to the bright light. He seemed a little pleased at this weakness, and Diana thought it a telling quirk of character.

He knows, instinctively, that no flaws or weaknesses would be dangerous for him. Even a kind soul like Clark might become seduced by perfection.

Clark seemed utterly relaxed. He had done freshwater fishing in Smallville and no doubt was reminded of those happy times.

Bruce had invited her and Steve to come fishing on his yacht off the coast of Cape Cod. They had accepted, Steve for the chance to do some deep-water fishing and Diana curious about a different method to fish. She was also pleased at the chance to enjoy a weekend by the seashore.

On Paradise Island, fishing was an energetic exercise utilizing spear and net. Here in Man’s World, it was the ultimate relaxation, putting a line in the water while waiting for a fish to take the bait. It was all quite amusing, but Diana appreciated the peaceful nature of the exercise, considering the frenetic pace of the world outside her ancestral shores.

Water lapped gently against the stern as all four relaxed, enjoying the sun and the sea air. There would be silence, then snippets of conversation, and silence again. She picked up her bottle of beer and took a long swallow.

“You know, Pa says he and Ma are thinking of a new crop next year,” said Clark. He was sitting at the end of the row of fishermen, Bruce next to him, then Steve, and finally Diana.

“Oh? Corn and wheat boring them after all these years?” Bruce asked as he adjusted his line.

“Just trying to manage the soil. They already rotate the crops.”

“Your family sells vegetables on a smaller scale, too, don’t they, Clark?” Steve asked.

“That’s right. Organic vegetables. Fruit, too. We have an apple orchard and peach trees.”

Diana noted that Clark always seemed happiest when discussing farming. She had often wondered if that he had been born Human, would he have chosen to stay on the farm? Or would he still have been driven to the big city to make his fortune? It was an interesting question. Perhaps she would consent the Weavers of Time for an answer.

The yacht rolled gently on the waves. Fortunately no one was prone to seasickness, though Steve had cracked earlier that maybe he should have joined the Navy instead of the Air Force.

“This is the life of Riley,” he had joked as he lowered his cap brim to shade his eyes and settled into his chair while holding his fishing rod, the picture of relaxation.

He now finished his beer. “Anyone interested in lunch? We’ve got plenty of fish by now.”

“I’m ready for a bite,” Clark said.

“He’s always ready for a bite.” Bruce stretched lazily.

“So that’s how you got that mark on your neck?” Diana queried casually. She smirked at Bruce’s blush. Even the controlling Bat could not control involuntary physiological responses.

“Angel, how’s your fish-cleaning skills?” Steve asked.

“Excellent, my darling.”

They went below with the bucket of fish and cleaned some of the catch and froze the rest. Diana cooked a side dish while Steve watched over the fish in a large skillet.

“Nice of Bruce to invite us,” he said.

“He is a generous man.”

“Not much like his night job.”

She smiled. “We are all actors in the cape business.”

“True, and Bruce is the best.”

“Clark is not bad, either.”

“Yes, despite no mask he’s a different persona.” The sizzle of the frying fish was just what he wanted to hear. He used his fork to poke at the bass.

“We all have our personas, my dear.”

“Yours is a lovely persona.”

Diana smiled. “Do I bedazzle you?”

“Always.” Diana started setting the table. “You are too truthful for much deception, Angel.”

“I suppose that is true.” She put down the silverware in their proper places.

“But you’re still a cape.”

“I do not usually wear one.”

Steve flipped a fillet. “Call the World’s Finest, darling.” He winked. “And the less you wear, the better.”

Diana lightly punched him on the shoulder as she went topside.

& & & & & &

Diana served the bass on beds of saffron rice as she and Steve brought over the plates. Fresh bottles of beer were taken out of the refrigerator and clinked in the middle of the small galley table as lunch was enjoyed.

“What will we do with the extra fish?” asked Steve. “Divvy it up?”

“That seems fair,” Clark said. “I’ll make a quick delivery to Ma and Pa so they can enjoy some saltwater fish for a change.”

“Be grateful Clark is allowing us our shares. He could eat all the leftover bass right now without blinking an eye,” Bruce said.

“True, but I was raised better than that,” Clark said loftily as he ate a spoonful of rice.

“This from the man who has stopped in the middle of patrol at night and ordered three dozen Big Macs at the drive-through."

“Please, it was not just Big Macs.” Clark arched an eyebrow. “French fries, too.”

“Well, of course.”

Steve and Diana grinned at the verbal gymnastics. Diana took a bite of fish and wondered if they could finish the day without a call from the JLA. They were guaranteed peace short of a catastrophe, as they would do the same for their colleagues.

For now, they were enjoying a day on the water, and that was all that mattered. She smiled at Steve with soft affection in her eyes while Clark and Bruce bickered good-naturedly. She slipped her hand in Steve’s while he smiled back.

“Fishy business,” he whispered.

“The best kind.”



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superman/batman, steve trevor/wonder woman, clark kent/bruce wayne, steve trevor/diana prince, by-the-sea, birthday fic

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