44(A/N: I do not own the DCAU. That right belongs to Warner Bros.)
It didn't take long for Gotham and the rest of the world to realize the Batman was alive all along. Mostly because the Justice League released a public statement about his return and he was back to fighting alongside the League on missions. Of course, the rest of the League wanted Batman to rest after what happened but they knew it was a lost cause. It was Batman after all.
Gotham especially knew about his return because of the return to how things usually were. Criminals were being hung by their feet under street lamps, the Bat-Signal still went up when there was trouble brewing and the police didn't seem the least bit worried about facing these superpowered criminals alone. It was as if nothing ever happened.
Alfred nearly had a heart attack when he practically jumped for joy when he realized the man he considered a son was not dead after all. He gave Batman the longest hug he believed anyone gave anybody. Batman of course wasn't the hugging type but he always had a special place in his heart for Alfred. At the elderly butler's request, Batman took more precautions than he already did and he always made sure he was getting enough food and sleep as well. Alfred knew the Dark Knight could handle himself but after what he'd experienced over the past week, he didn't want to take any chances.
Batman told the League about how Toyman actually sent him into the future instead of destroying him and how he and Savage had to work together to send him back. He also gave intel about how he was going to steal of piece of star matter from Ray Palmer to create a device he'd then use to destroy the Earth. With all 7 of them there to stop him, there was no need to worry anymore about him destroying anything...for now. Batman knew the Savage he was experiencing in his present would never know it but they were actually doing him a huge favor.
Him and Diana were also getting pretty close, closer than they were already. They started eating lunch more often, having long conversations in the halls and more. Some of the more non-oblivious members of the League (Green Lantern, Hawkgirl and J'ohn) noticed. Flash and Superman, not so much. Flash being clueless about them was a given but as Green Lantern said to Hawkgirl: For someone with 50 different types of visions, he couldn't believe Superman could be so blind.
Batman was also contemplating for a long while about his relationship with her. He tried to deny it for the longest time but he did have to admit: Savage did have a point. He was always tied to the Amazon princess in a way he hadn't been tied to any other woman before. Not Selina, not Talia, not Zatanna, not Lois, not Barbara, not anybody like her, really. He needed to stay professional, though. He couldn't let his feelings for her potentially jeopardize her life by having criminals get through her. However, with recent events and upcoming events, like his date with her tonight, that was a task that was easier said than done.
Bruce Wayne was currently being dressed by Alfred in his bedroom. He was obviously not liking this one bit.
"Alfred, I can do this myself" Bruce said, annoyingly.
"Master Bruce, you need a professional's help if you want to make yourself presentable to a lady" Alfred said like a parent to a child.
"What are you talking about? I've gone on dates plenty of times and I dressed myself just fine. You didn't care then" Bruce said.
"This is not one of your 'weekly flings', Master Bruce. Miss Diana happens to be a very elegant young lady, also one that won't take kindly to any excuses from you about lack of readiness for your evening out" Alfred said.
"Isn't that the truth" Bruce said under his breath.
"So I'm making sure you're well prepared" Alfred said, fixing up Bruce's bow-tie.
After Alfred helped dress him, he and Alfred walked down to the entrance of the manor. Just as they were walking down, the doorbell rang.
The elderly butler gave a smirk to Bruce. Alfred went down the stairs and answered the door. Outside stood Diana Prince in an elegant black dress that covered her feet like the one she wore when they danced months back.
"Miss Diana. What a pleasure. Please do come in" Alfred said.
"Thank you, Alfred" Diana said to the kind butler and made her way inside the manor. She looked to Bruce and smiled.
"Well, don't you clean up nice, Mr. Wayne?" Diana asked.
"Thanks...so do you" Bruce, looking up and down her dress.
"Thanks but do me a favor and try to keep your eyes up here most of the night" Diana said, pointing up to her face with a playful grin. Bruce just rolled his eyes.
Alfred gave a little chuckle. "Well let's not waste anymore time. A marvelous night of fun awaits you two"
"It does indeed. May I?" Bruce said, holding out his arm.
"You may" Diana said, taking Bruce's arm. They both followed Alfred out of the manor and to Bruce's car. Alfred got in the front seat while Bruce and Diana sat in the back.
"Now carry on with your conversation. I'm just a chauffeur after all" Alfred said.
Bruce and Diana just turned to each other and smiled.
"So...I still can't believe you worked together with Savage to get you back to the present" Diana said.
Bruce sighed. "He was as insufferable as ever...but he was the only person on Earth with a time machine. Actually, he was the only living person on Earth. I spent weeks with only myself and sometimes some mutated wolves to keep me company"
Diana frowned. "It must have been hard for you. To spend so long without anyone to talk to"
"Well...I guess it wasn't really anything I wasn't already used to" Bruce responded.
"That really shouldn't be anything you should be used to" Diana said.
"It shouldn't be something anyone's used to...but I've been used to it since I was eight" Bruce said. Diana just gave him a frown as they just stayed quiet the rest of the time there.
*Iceberg Lounge*
Alfred parked the car outside the Iceberg Lounge where numerous couples were going in and out. The elderly butler stepped out of the car and opened the passenger door on the right, letting out Bruce and Diana.
"I'll be back in a few hours. Do enjoy yourself, Master Bruce and Madam Diana" Alfred said.
"We will, Alfred. Thank you" Bruce said. Diana gave Alfred a kiss on the cheek which caused him to flush a little bit. He got back in the car and drove off.
"So...this is the famous Iceberg Lounge I've heard so much about?" Diana asked, looking up at the sign.
"The most popular nightclub in Gotham, yes...though I highly suspect it to be a hideaway for the Penguin's criminal underworld operations" Bruce said, narrowing his eyes.
"Well that can wait because tonight, we're having fun and you're dancing with me" Diana said in a commanding tone. She pulled Bruce inside.
Of course, with Wonder Woman not having any alias or any disguise of some sort in her civilian wear, people noticed her and people noticed her with Bruce Wayne of all people.
"We're not exactly being inconspicuous here" Bruce said with a raised eyebrow as they both sat down at a table with numerous eyes on them.
"Oh, quiet Bruce. Just ignore them. Don't you know how to have fun?" Diana asked.
"I just don't want anyone connecting dots" Bruce said.
"Bruce, you're way too paranoid. Remember that Superman only wears a pair of glasses in his civilian wear? I don't even think Luthor knows and he's supposed to be the smartest man on the planet" Wonder Woman questioned.
"I suppose so" Bruce said. After all, if people didn't even realize that Batman was Bruce Wayne after both men supposedly died at the same time, he guessed people were clueless all around.
Suddenly, a song came from the band and singer on the Iceberg in the center of the room.
Diana's eyes brightened up. She loved this song.
"Come on Bruce, let's dance" Diana said, pulling Bruce off his chair and to the dance floor. Normally, Bruce would protest but considering he would be contesting his normal human strength to the strength of an Amazonian, he felt he probably should just amuse her request. After all, he did end up agreeing to all this.
Diana let him go as they went on to the dance floor. Bruce put his hand on her waist and Diana put his hand on his shoulder as they began to dance slowly. Women from all across the lounge glared at the Amazonian Princess, seething with jealously. The reverse was true of Bruce as well. Several men glared at Bruce, jealous that he was dancing with arguably the most beautiful woman on the planet.
"So...this is nice" Diana said as Bruce twirled her around. Her back was now on his chest as they both looked each other in the eye.
"...I suppose it is" Bruce said with a half-smile on his face.
Diana playfully scoffed. "You can admit that you're having fun, Bruce. I won't think less of you for that"
"Well fun isn't really a thing I've been acquainted with in a long while" Bruce said.
"Well...maybe I should reintroduce you to it sometimes" Diana said with a sly smirk.
"Well I don't know about that, Diana" Bruce said with a grimacing look on his face which caused Diana to frown and give a Bruce a frustrated look.
"Bruce, why do you always feel like you have to be this serious person all the time? Why can't you just let go every once in a while? Why can't you...settle down for a while...maybe with someone special" Diana said silently at the end.
Bruce and Diana stared at each other as they continued their dance. Finally, Bruce gave a sigh and said something.
"Diana...there is nothing more I would like than to do just that but I can't let anything interfere with my work...it's way too important to me" Bruce said.
"You don't have to sacrifice your own happiness to help people" Diana said.
"It's not about sacrificing my happiness, Diana. A lot of people who shouldn't know about my...hobbies know what I do and if word gets out of a personal love interest, especially you, they wouldn't rest until they got to me through her" Bruce said.
Diana let out a frustrated laugh. "You talk as if I'm some little girl who can't take care of herself. I've been training for combat my entire life which has been quite ample"
"There's more to this business than just being tough, princess" Bruce said with a slight smirk and raised eyebrow.
"I know that, rich boy but I've learned quite a bit from being a member of the Justice League and do you know the most important lesson I've learned from being a part of it?" Diana asked.
"What would that be?" Bruce asked.
"It's that things always have a way of turning out the way it should. I mean we thought you were gone for almost a week and yet here you are. Even when all hope seemed lost, you came back to us like you always do" Diana said with a smile.
"That was lucky" Bruce said.
"Whether it was or not, I don't care. Whatever tough situation we may find ourselves in, we always manage to pull through with it and I believe that can work with us as well" Diana said.
Bruce stared at her for a moment before looking down at the floor, deep in thought.
"...This is not something I'm exactly comfortable with, Diana" Bruce said.
Diana gave him a smirk. "Well...you're going to have to learn to get used to it"
She tilted his chin up and kissed him smack on the lips.
Heads all across the room turned and looked towards the two of them kissing. Pictures were snapped all around the lounge. The two of them didn't notice however. They were pretty much lost in each other.
Bruce hardly couldn't believe what was happening. This feeling he had inside of him. It was...nice. Real nice. He hadn't felt this way since his engagement to Poison Ivy's plant based lifeform susan. However, this time it was different because he wasn't under Ivy's pheromone spell this time.
Diana felt ecstatic. She was finally kissing him. After 2 years of supposedly meaningless flirtation, she was finally kissing the first man she ever found herself attracted to. She felt like the luckiest woman alive (Despite the fact that she was exiled from her home and hardly ever saw her mother again).
After minutes of having their faces attached to each other, they finally parted for air.
Bruce turned and saw people talking. Some he recognized as members of the press from some of his press conferences. Boy were there going to be headlines tomorrow.
"Well now...this isn't good" Bruce said with a frown as he looked around.
"What?" Diana asked. Bruce then gestured his head. Diana looked around and saw that he was referring to people talking around them.
"Oh, let them talk, Bruce. Who cares what they think. Besides, this will get criminals from thinking there's something between Batman and Wonder Woman, right?" Diana asked.
"Well no but now Bruce Wayne will have to deal with your villains as they use me to get to you" Bruce said sternly.
"Oh, you'll be fine, Bruce. Besides, you'll have an Amazon to protect you especially from those dangerous, lonely nights" Diana said with a knowing smirk on her face.
"So I'm going to be your Lois Lane, then?" Bruce asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Seems like it, yeah. You're not getting out of this, you know" Diana said.
"Hm...well...I guess I don't really have a choice then" Bruce said with a wide smile on his face. Diana smiled and pulled him in for another kiss, causing the masses around them to stir once more.
Bruce knew there was going to be repercussions of this but right now, he didn't really care at the moment. All that mattered right now was him and this rather wonderful woman spending time together and they were going to be spending lots of more time together from here on out.