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Eye of the Beholder

Summary : Bruce Wayne is willing to risk his biggest secret for his new lover.
Rating : PG-13
Pairing : Bruce Wayne / Diana
Disclaimer : None of the characters are mine. Honest.

Author's Notes : My second DC and pretty much my longest fanfic to date. I enjoyed writing this one a lot. Thanks again to my wonderful Beta, Mara.

Diana knew what he liked. Pushing him down so that he was lying on his front, she sat astride his back, running her hands over his broad shoulders. Her fingers traced the silvery lines of scars that she now knew ran the length of his body. She trailed kisses along his spine, allowing her hair to follow the line of caress. As she reached the small of his back, she was rewarded with a groan.

A hesitant knock on the door interrupted them.

"Master Bruce? I'm sorry to disturb you, but there is an urgent communication from Commissioner Gordon."

Diana swung a leg over and sat herself back against the padded headboard. Bruce turned over and looked at Diana, his eyes full of regret as well as apology. She shrugged and responded with a small smile.

"The work of a superhero is never done, I suppose." Bruce climbed out of the bed, turning to watch Diana while he dressed. He could barely believe sometimes that this beautiful Amazonian woman was here, in his bed. "Will you stay?"

Diana nodded. Providing there were no Justice League emergencies, she fully intended to spend the whole day and night with Bruce.

"I'll spend some time with Alfred," she teased. "He can show me your baby photos."

For a moment, Bruce became Batman and glared at her. Then he smiled, remembering how hard it was to be annoyed at her. Being in a relationship was still so difficult for him, and he sometimes forgot that teasing was a part of one.

"I'm serious," she continued. "I want to know everything about you. If Alfred won't tell me, I'll call Dick. Maybe he can give me some juicy details."

He shook his head. She was so childlike on occasions, doing anything she could to provoke a reaction from him. "You're an evil woman, Diana."

With a seductive look, she nodded. "And you love that about me."

Bruce leaned down and kissed her. "Among other things," he replied, pulling away and heading for the door.

Diana lay back down, loving the smell of Bruce around her.

*

"Master Bruce is on his way back, Miss Diana."

Alfred was worse than Bruce, Diana decided. He had a knack for sneaking up on people when they least expected it. You'd think a warrior princess would be able to notice an aging butler, but he'd managed it again.

After the two of them had shared a light snack, Alfred left Diana to explore. She was currently in Bruce's study, looking through the books that lined the walls and sadly gazing at the photos of Martha and Thomas Wayne, Bruce's parents.

She replaced the photo that she'd been looking at and turned to Alfred.

"Was he happy growing up?" she asked, suddenly having a need to understand more about Bruce and his childhood.

Alfred thought for a moment. "I wouldn't say happy. I tried my best, but an old man is no substitute for loving parents. He was cared for. He was loved. I would even say he was content. But I don't believe that Master Bruce has been happy since his parents died."

Diana felt her eyes well with tears. This man had raised Bruce with little or no help, but understood that he could never provide the one thing the boy needed. And yet, he stayed.

"I will say one thing though, Miss. He may not have been happy growing up, but since the two of you started 'courting', he has been happier than I ever remember."

Impulsively, Diana stepped over to Alfred and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

"Thank you, Alfred. Thank you for caring for him."

*

Diana watched as the Batmobile returned to the cave. It was not the first time she had stood there waiting. It was an agonising few moments as she waited to see how badly he had been injured. Sometimes Bruce seemed to forget that he was mortal and could be hurt.

He pulled up and climbed out of the car, seemingly unhurt. Breathing a sigh of relief, she stood patiently until he came to her. He pushed back his cowl and wrapped his arms around her tightly, breathing in the scent of her hair.

"A bad one?" she asked, already knowing what his answer would be.

"Nothing I couldn't handle."

He was so stubborn. Even though she hadn't offered help, he was refusing it. He had perfected the lone ranger routine for so long that it was second nature to him. Diana didn't envy Dick or Tim. It was almost impossible for him to work with someone else. Not that he didn't trust them; it was that he didn't trust himself. He knew that if he was alone then he was the only one who could get hurt. That was part of what made Batman.

Understanding, but not agreeing with, his point of view, she helped in the only way she knew he would accept.

"Let's go and get you out of those clothes," she suggested, her hands already starting to pull at the hidden fasteners.

*

Sometime later, the two of them lay naked on top of the bed, sheets kicked off. Diana had her head resting on Bruce's chest, listening to the steady beat of his heart. In turn, Bruce had his fingers running through Diana's hair, occasionally twisting small sections between his fingers.

Diana felt a slight change in his heartbeat and knew that he was about to move. For someone who spent so much lurking in shadows, Bruce found it incredibly hard to stay still in bed.

As she had suspected, he shifted himself, leaning up on one arm. He looked down at her.

"Would you like to go out tonight?" he asked.

She looked puzzled. "Patrolling?"

"No. To a party. With me."

Despite 'courting', as Alfred put it, for the last three months, their relationship had been limited to quiet nights in at the mansion. It was an unspoken acknowledgement that having Wonder Woman seen in public with Bruce Wayne would bring up too many questions. There were few things that Bruce guarded as heavily as his secret identity.

Bruce saw the look on Diana's face. "I've decided that I'm fed up of staying in all the time. I'm seeing the most beautiful woman on the planet and I want to be able to show her off."

Sitting up in the bed to watch the expression on his face, Diana voiced their mutual concerns. "But what if someone started asking too many questions about how you know Wonder Woman?"

He looked grim for a few moments, tell-tale worry lines showing just how much he had considered the possibility. "Telling them that Bruce and Wonder Woman met at a charity function would be a conceivable story, but if you want the truth, the very idea of Bruce and Batman being connected is the thing I fear most in the world. I don’t plan to be careless about it, but I think it’s about time I learn to take a few small risks for something so important."

Diana felt a small burst of pride and love in her heart. She placed her hand on his cheek. "I love you, you know that?"

He looked uncomfortable for a moment. Diana understood how hard it was for him to express his feelings, so she allowed him an easy way out. She kissed him, giving him the opportunity to show her, rather than tell her, how he felt.

*

It was not the first time Diana had been to a 'society' party; indeed, as Wonder Woman, she had been in high demand at various charity functions, especially those for underprivileged women. But this was the first time she had gone as Bruce Wayne's date. She wasn't naive, she knew that they would be scrutinised at every opportunity. That, unfortunately, was part of being with Bruce in Gotham City. She felt horrified at the thought that maybe people would think she wasn't good enough for him, that maybe Bruce would agree with them. And she would go back to being alone.

She shook her head, forcing the negative thoughts to leave her. Maybe Bruce hadn't managed to say "I love you", but his decision to bring her along to this party tonight proved it more than three words ever could. He was risking the thing that was most important to him; she knew she would be a fool to think he did that lightly. She felt a surge of pride and knew that, without a doubt, Bruce Wayne loved her.

Two hours later, she emerged from her suite in the mansion. She was simply dressed, in a classic cut long black dress, designed to show off her figure and her height. Her hair was pulled back in an elegant twist at the back of her neck. Stealing one last glance in the mirror, she headed off down the stairs.

As she got to the turn in the stairwell, she was aware of Bruce standing at the bottom. For a few precious moments he was unaware of her watching him. The confidence that he usually exuded had been replaced by an insecurity that Diana couldn't help but find attractive. He looked as nervous as a young man waiting for his prom date.

"Am I late?" she asked.

With a start, he looked up and Diana saw the relief on his face.

"You look amazing, Diana."

She continued down the stairs, balancing cautiously on the new heels that she decided to wear. She just hoped that there would be no emergencies tonight - she wasn't really dressed for superhero work.

Under Bruce's watchful gaze, she finally reached the bottom and was instantly pulled into his arms.

"You really do look stunning," he whispered in her ear. "Suddenly, I'm not so keen to go out. Can we just stay here?"

"I'm afraid not, lover. As much as I'd enjoy staying here with you, we're expected. You wouldn't want to disappoint your fans, would you?" she teased.

"It's tempting," he sighed, reluctantly letting her go.

"Oh, but before I forget," he added, "I've got something here for you."

From his jacket pocket, he brought out a small black box and handed it over. Diana opened it and gasped in shock as she saw the most beautiful pair of diamond teardrop earrings sitting delicately on the velvet cushion.

"They're gorgeous," she exclaimed, slipping them on.

"Not as gorgeous as their owner," replied Bruce, pleased with his choice.

Diana turned to look in the mirror and smiled at her reflection. She turned back to Bruce and held her arms out.

"So," she asked. "What do you think?"

"Beautiful."

"A-hem." A small cough from the doorway revealed Alfred standing, holding coats for both of them. "We will need to get going, Master Bruce."

"Of course, Alfred." He turned to Diana. "After you, my lady."

*

"Who is that with Bruce?"

"Is she a model?"

"An actress?"

"No, it's Wonder Woman. You know, the Amazon Princess."

"Diana? How does he know her?"

"I bet it's just a publicity stunt."

"I heard that she's only after his money."

"God, that dress is so old-fashioned. You'd think she could afford something better."

The voices jumbled into one mass of noise which Diana tried desperately to block out. She looked over to Bruce, to see if he had heard the comments, but he was simply looking around, smiling at one or two people.

Suddenly, she heard his voice close to her ear.

"Don't worry. It won’t be long until the find someone else to bitch about. Just keep smiling. It will all be over soon."

She reached down for his hand, and was relieved when he gave her hand a small squeeze of reassurance. She never felt comfortable being the centre of attention, and this party was no exception.

"Commissioner Gordon. So nice to see you again." Bruce led her towards an older man, his hair greying.

"Mr. Wayne. It's been a long time." They shook hands. Diana knew about the Commissioner, Gotham's primary contact with Batman. She also knew that Bruce suspected that he knew Batman's identity -- after all, you don't get to be Commissioner without being a pretty good detective -- but the two never discussed it.

"And how is your daughter doing? Barbara, isn't it?"

"She's doing well, considering. Still working in Gotham Central Library. She'll be thrilled to know you remembered her."

Diana watched and listened, amazed at how different Bruce could act, compared to how she usually saw him. He fitted in perfectly with these people, understanding the necessity for recalling every little detail. Connections, wealth and status were what mattered here, each of which Bruce Wayne possessed in abundance.

She felt Bruce tugging slightly on her hand, urging her to step forward.

"You know Diana, don't you, Commissioner?"

Diana shook hands with the Commissioner. He gave her a smile that was a genuine as the others had been fake.

"I've heard of you of course, Wonder Woman, but I don't believe we've ever actually met."

Bruce interrupted. "I'm sure you'll be seeing a lot more of her now."

"And if you ever need any help with that pesky Batman, you just give me a call," she smiled, amused to feel Bruce's grip tighten slightly on her hand.

"Bruce! Mr. Wayne!"

It was Snapper Carr. Bruce and Diana had already decided that he was going to be their biggest threat and planned to try and avoid him. No such luck.

"Mr. Carr. A pleasure." Bruce was the ultimate in politeness. No point in alienating him already.

Snapper looked at Diana with sheer undisguised lust. "Wonder Woman."

"I prefer to be called Diana, actually."

"So, how do you know our billionaire here?"

Diana took a breath. This was it.

"We met a while ago during a charity lunch for homeless women in Gotham."

"So he's not one of the other secret members of the Justice League?"

Bruce laughed. Only Diana could tell how forced it was.

"Do I really look like a super hero?" He stuck one hand on his hip and flung the other one out dramatically in front of him. "Up, up and away!"

Several people nearby, who were pretending not to listen, laughed out loud. Continuing the farce, Diana pretended to swoon.

"My hero!"

By that time, all pretences had been dropped and everyone was watching them.

"I'm afraid I leave the superheroing to Diana," continued Bruce, still smiling his fake-smile.

Snapper had the decency to look embarrassed and apologised as he walked away.

"Shall we go and get a drink, darling?" Bruce asked Diana, finding an excuse to leave the crowds that were forming around them.

"Perfect," she replied, linking her arm into his.

*

"That went better than I expected."

They made it through the rest of the party relatively unharmed, explaining how they met a million times, Diana pretending not to be offended by the oh-so-subtle comments about her being a money-grabber. Eventually, around 1 am, they made their excuses and left.

The next morning, they sat in the breakfast room.

Bruce didn’t seem quite as sure about the outcome as Diana did.

"I still don't trust Carr," he said, spreading cream cheese on another bagel. "He latched onto the idea a lot quicker than I anticipated. We'll have to keep an eye on him."

Diana leant over the table and gave Bruce a quick kiss. "Don't worry about it, lover. I'll protect you from him."

A deep growl emitted from the back of Bruce's throat. He stood up and swept Diana into his arms, heading intently for the bedroom.

"But who's going to protect you from me?" he asked.

*

Bruce and Diana managed to go out several times over the next few weeks. In between Watchtower duties, alien invasions and Wayne Enterprises meetings, it was difficult to arrange much time together, but they knew it was important to convince people that they were just a 'normal' couple. And it wasn’t just convincing other people, it was about them convincing themselves. They both knew that a relationship would not be simple, so extra effort was required.

Their first hurdle occurred four weeks later. Yet another charity function, this one was interrupted by the sudden arrival of a new local gang of criminals looking to make a name for themselves.

Diana had been perfectly able to handle the situation, but Bruce made it clear that he was not going out with her so she could look after him. Batman had always appeared in the past when there was trouble in Gotham, and that shouldn’t change because of Bruce’s dating situation. She agreed with his argument and they created a series of contingency plans.

"Go get some help. I'll hold them here." As agreed, Diana's shout to Bruce had given him an excuse to vanish. Sure enough, moments later, Batman appeared. It hadn't taken the two of them long to round up the gang members, but the fact that Bruce and Batman seemed to have exchanged places was not lost on Snapper Carr, who was there covering the event for his paper.

The next morning, as they had feared, an article appeared on the front page. The headline screamed "Bruce = Batman?" and Bruce threw the paper down on the table as soon as he saw it.

"Damn him," he spat.

Diana reached out for the paper. She began reading the article, as Bruce paced up and down the room, muttering obscenities.

"He doesn’t have any proof," she tried to reassure him. "Just a lot of useless theories and coincidences. No-one could possibly believe this trash."

"I never expected this. Not this quickly. I knew Carr thought he had it figured, but I stupidly made the assumption that he would want some solid evidence before trying to go public. Damn him," he repeated. He slammed his fist against the wall in a masculine fit of anger, wincing imperceptibly at the pain. Diana moved to him, placing his injured hand between her two, kissing the pain away.

"We’ll get through this," she assured him. "Together. All we have to do is provide indisputable evidence that Bruce Wayne cannot possibly be Batman."

Bruce looked at her, as an idea began to form.

*

"Bruce?"

Diana turned to see Dick Grayson entering the study. Bruce greeted the younger man with a slight nod.

"Hey, Diana. Nice to see you again," he greeted her with a hug. Diana smiled. Dick was much more physically affectionate than Bruce and she always enjoyed his company. It was also telling for her to watch the interaction between Bruce and Dick. After all, if you want to know more about a man, watch him with his friends.

"Thanks for coming, Dick. Let’s head down to the cave." Bruce stood and led the way. As the grandfather clock slid back to reveal the entrance to the cave, Diana noticed the minute changes in Bruce. He cloaked himself in the mystery and responsibility of his alter-ego; Bruce may live in the mansion, but beneath it was Batman’s domain.

The three of them walked over to the glass cabinets that held the spare costumes. Diana looked at the array of outfits. She silently cringed as she saw the earliest ones, knowing how little protection they offered. At least now Batman’s costume was slightly more protective.

Bruce stopped in front of a Batman outfit that was almost exactly like his. To a fine eye it was apparent that it was designed for someone slightly slimmer than Bruce.

"It should still fit you," he said to Dick. "Although you do seem to have put on a little weight recently."

Feeling childish, Dick poked his tongue out at Bruce. "I guess I have to lose my sense of humour if I'm going to be wearing the suit again."

The edges of Bruce's mouth upturned slightly, not enough to be considered a smile, but enough that Diana knew he'd found it funny. Diana herself gave a giggle.

"Is Huntress ready?" Bruce asked, switching back into Batman mode. Helena was another member of the Bat-family. As Huntress, she was more independent than the others, but she was also the least likely to be identified.

"I spoke to her this morning. She's looking forward to it," said Dick, rolling his eyes. There were some small parts of this plan he wasn’t quite so happy about.

"I bet she is," replied Bruce.

*

It was time for the big event. Another society function - more mingling, more air-kisses. Diana heard a clock somewhere chime midnight and knew that it was almost time. She looked over at Bruce and the two started to prepare the scene. They spotted Snapper and headed towards the man, doing their best to make it look like they were avoiding him.

"Bruce! Diana!" As anticipated, Snapper had spotted them and was snaking his way over.

"Did you manage to see my article?"

The man had no shame.

"It was hard not to see it, Carr." Bruce tried to stay calm. They had the upper hand and Diana was willing Bruce to remember that.

"Do you have any comments?"

Bruce gripped Diana’s hand and started to turn away. "You’ll be hearing from my lawyers," he said, angrily. "After all, libel is still illegal."

Suddenly, as if on cue, a window smashed and in burst a leather-clad figure on a motorbike. From the figure, it was clear that the rider was a woman, but with a full helmet on, it was impossible to identify her. She wore all black, matching the matte blackness of the motorbike. She had two semi-automatics, one in each hand, and she started waving them around.

Despite knowing that it was Helena - Huntress - in that outfit, Diana still felt a pull to charge in and stop her.

"All I want is money. Give me that and no-one gets hurt."

Women screamed and men tried not to. The guests, almost as one, pushed back towards the wall, getting as far away from the intruder as possible.

Snapper looked to Bruce and Diana, expecting them to react.

"Stay here," Diana ordered the two men. She rushed towards the woman, but was too late. The woman already had one of the guns aimed directly at him.

"No, Sweetie," she said to Diana. "You stay right where you are, otherwise your boyfriend here gets a quick bullet through his pretty little head."

Bruce spoke quickly. "Do what she says, Diana. If she wants money, she can have it." Diana saw Bruce trying to act scared - not that difficult if half of what she heard about Huntress was true.

He fumbled for his watch and cufflinks. Watching Bruce fumble at anything would have been amusing under any other circumstance, but Diana was aware of just how much relied on this being believable.

"Here, take these. They're worth a few thousand each. Just go. Leave us alone."

As he handed them over, Diana heard a collective gasp come from the other guests. She knew that the second part of the performance was beginning.

Dick was standing in full Batman regalia, silhouetted at the broken window. Diana knew that it was not the first time he wore the costume, but she was still surprised at how much like Bruce he looked in it. She also knew that Bruce would be seeing a hundred mistakes in the way Dick stood and moved. Despite this, they both knew that no-one else would even question that this was the real Batman.

Huntress turned around to face Batman.

"Awww, hell," she said and ran for her bike.

Batman executed a perfect acrobatic flip and landed in front of her. "This is my city," he said, his voice sounding exactly like Batman's should, thanks to a voice synthesizer built into the suit. "Get out."

If anyone could have seen Helena's face at that moment, they would have seen a grin spread across her face. She leapt, performing a back flip that would have allowed her to kick Batman in the face, had he not moved as quickly as he did. A series of punches and kicks continued between them, with both of them occasionally taking hits.

Diana watched Bruce as he kept his gaze fixed on Batman. He taught Dick everything he knew, yet their fighting styles were totally different, and Diana knew that Bruce would be planning how he would have fought. She caught the tiny alteration in his expression as he watched Dick perform another flip that Bruce deemed unnecessary. She forced back a smile, knowing that Bruce would probably spend an hour or two later on telling Dick exactly what he had done wrong. One day, she thought, he’s going to have to realise that the boy has grown up.

Eventually, Batman managed to kick Huntress's feet out from under her. She landed flat on her back, with a moan that Diana knew wasn't faked. Batman placed his foot on the small of her back and cuffed her.

He walked over to Diana and Bruce.

"Wonder Woman," he acknowledged her. "Thank you for protecting Mr. Wayne. His death would be a great loss to Gotham." He nodded at them both and turned back to Huntress.

Pulling her up, he dragged her to the window. He fired off a line to a nearby building and leapt from the window, gripping the woman to his chest.

Bruce took the opportunity that the stunned silence provided to turn to where Snapper had been standing. The reporter had managed to slink off, obviously worried about what he was going to do now that so many people had seen that Bruce could not possibly be Batman.

Diana reached for Bruce's hand and pulled him into an embrace.

"We did it," she whispered in his ear. "Want to bet that we see an apology in tomorrow's paper?"

Bruce shook his head. "I learnt a long time ago never to bet against a beautiful woman. Especially when she's probably right."

The End.