Any pain Diana felt was swiftly, and securely, locked away. Diana was a confident and powerful woman of great wisdom and intellect. All of that was on the outside, however. On the inside, Diana was just like any other average, ordinary, woman of the world. She may have battled the fiercest creatures known, and unknown, to mankind, but the very thought of Bruce Wayne would send a jolt straight to her heart, causing it to beat a lovely staccato rhythm. Diana knew men were a necessity in life, mainly for procreation purposes, and she would not deny her base instincts of physical attraction to the male sex.
She learned a heartbreaking, yet valuable, lesson in her younger years, when she allowed an emotional connection to form between herself and a young male her age. She had kept the relationship a secret for a few months, knowing that if her mother found out there'd be Hera to pay. The boy had professed love for her and in her fragile, tender heart, she had believed him. Then one night, as she was seeking him out, she found him in the arms of another girl, hearing him whisper the very same words to the harlot in his arms, as Diana had heard only a few nights before. The pain she had felt at being betrayed forever changed her. She swore to herself, and to Hera, that very night that never again would she allow a man to consume her heart and soul as she had let this one do.
Now, feeling the way she did about Bruce, only made her heart hurt worse. She berated herself night and day, constantly at odds with her true feelings. What made things worse was that, in her eyes, he was completely, and utterly, oblivious to all of this. He was cold, and distant. She kept telling herself that things were better this way. If he did express interest in her, it would only complicate things. The best thing for her to do was to keep her feelings hidden from all. Especially herself. Yet it did not stop her from having weak moments where, for a split second, she could see her happily ever after. The one where she and Bruce are together, and it is a relationship that will last throughout eternity.
Hera, forgive me. I had forgotten myself for a moment, but I am of right mind again.
"Um, Princess? You okay?" Wally was waving his hand back and forth in front of her face. Diana refocused on his face and fixed him with a pointed look. She had dealt with his foolishness the entire morning and was almost to the point of giving him a good old fashioned spanking. But she held back because she had her suspicions that he would enjoy it too much.
"I am fine. I am not, however, pleased with your recent actions. Do you care to explain yourself?" Sometimes, she could swear she was dealing with a child. Thankfully, this childish nature of his came in handy, for he was easily distracted from one train of thought to another.
"I do apologize for what happened. I really didn't mean for you to get caught in the crossfire. Honest! And why am I the only one in trouble? Mister 'I can control the seven seas but somehow can't control a little water from spraying into a super-heroine's face' is just as much at fault as I am. Go on. Give him a lecture too." If there was one thing Wally was superb at, other than science and speed, it was blame-sharing. And, although he was acutely aware of Diana's evasion of his question, he knew better than to press too hard, especially in front of Bruce. He had respect for his body, and did not think it wise to put it in jeopardy for so trivial a reason.
Diana turned and looked at AquaMan, staring him straight in the eye. She saw a barely perceptible shiver and her mouth twinged upward almost as a reflex. Such a powerful man, yet he knew that, in this setting, he was no match for her. It pleased her to be feared, but she knew better than to let that rule her, for that kind of thinking lead to darker thoughts and actions. She far more enjoyed being respected as an equal among her peers. Keeping her eyes locked with AquaMan's for just a moment longer, she decided he was not the big fish she was after and swung back around to give Wally a firm talking to. Unfortunately, the only person left standing there was Bruce. Clark and Wally and disappeared without her knowing. An amazing feat. Bruce looked as confused as she, and both went to ask AquaMan what was going on. But, as fate would have it, he was gone now as well.
The two looked at each other for a moment, but then both looked away at the same time. Neither knowing what to say, but neither wanting to leave without saying something. An awkward, tense, silence hung in the air, as two hearts and minds swirled in a maelstrom of confused emotion and a searing passion, lain dormant for far too long a time.
