( he wills himself not to look up to her β simultaneously fighting the slight curl of his lips he can feel trying to give way to an ever-so-faint grin. moments like these are... few. the slowness of them where he isn't lost within his thoughts or fixated on whatever footage he'd collected from the night before, forcing himself to remember it all. he's been so used to it just being him... to being... alone. the absence of alfred here is painstakingly obvious, though he's done his best to ignore it β to replace it with nightly stalking throughout the streets and taking that pain out on those who could be seen as deserving of it. it works. for the most part. until he's back here. alone again. )
Don't think you want to eat that mango.
( he lifts his gaze to look back to the mango then, after a moment, allows it to fall onto her face instead. )
[ She hums at his first comment, amused. Focused as she is on caring for his cut, it's startling to glance up and meet his eyes, to realize he'd been watching her. From these few inches away, she can see the keen clarity of his eyes, despite the weariness he wears wrapped around him like his cloak. ]
Bury it.
[ Half disbelieving, half laughter. ]
I can see it now: slinking into the deepness of the night with a shovel to hide our shame. Or, we could simply throw it away.
[ Or wash it off. It's still a perfectly good mango. And she is... lingering. Diana casts her gaze back down to their hands, lifts the towel and waits to see if blood will bead back up. ]
( have bandages, that is, yet he doesn't seem to make any movement to retrieve them. he does, after a moment, force himself to look away from her and their hands and clears his throat, glancing around to see where the pup has gone and spots him laying down there in the kitchen. )
Bathroom has a first-aid kit. Should be stocked.
( otherwise there's the more heavily stocked things he has in his temporary batcave, but. this isn't exactly anything that requires the heavy duty stuff. )
[ She presses the towel back to the cut, her fingers curling around his hand for a moment before she finally releases him, holding her hand out for the knife. ]
Go find one, then. I'll see if I can salvage the mango. At least if I slip, I'm more likely to damage the knife than the other way around.
( dryly said, as expected from bruce, he drops the knife to her hand, tips of his fingers brushing along her plam as he lets it go and turns to head for the first-aid kit. the pup, perking up, follows after him, trotting away happily as bruce makes his way into the bathroom.
in there, he takes a moment, pad of his thumb rubbing slow circles over the injured one as he stands there, staring down to the sink. lost in a thought that threatens to be held hostage to endless overthinking. it's only with the soft bark from the pup that he pulls himself out of that thought and looks down to him there, watching the way he looks up with those dark eyes of his. )
Don't you start worrying, too.
( getting a bandage and a bottle of antibiotic ointment for just in case, he comes back into the kitchen with a band-aid held between his lips, fingers busy with applying the ointment to the cut as he does, pup trailing in ahead of him to go over and see what diana is doing... and if she possibly has food for him, of course. )
[ Left to her own devices, she studies both knife and mango, then takes both to the sink to rinse them off, carefully paring away the bloodstained fruit as she does, her thoughts running with the soothing sound and feel of the water.
This younger, earlier Bruce is a... surprise. A welcome one, she decides. Although he is not the friend she knows, the things she admires about the Bruce of her own world are clearly stamped on him as well. Confusing as it is, it's a comfort to have him here.
And complicated. She pushes aside thoughts of Maxwell Lord, of Kal and Bruce and their cold disapproval, and searches out a plate for the slices of fruit she's carefully removing. By the time claws tick on the floor, she has a small pile of mango pieces, one of which she picks up. Kneeling, she offers it on her palm to the puppy, smiling. ]
( brow only ever so slightly raised, he caps the antibiotic ointment and sets the tube down on the kitchen island, band-aid plucked from between his lips. )
Not sure how he'll like mango.
( peeling open the band-aid, he barely glances up from wrapping it around his finger, but catches the way the pup happily takes it from diana's hand regardless, pink little tongue licking at her palm as he does. softly, there's a breath of amusement there on bruce's lips as he gives a slow shake of his head. )
[ Once her fingers are licked clean, she runs them over the puppy's soft ears and stands. Another bandage for Bruce, but at least this one isn't from the blade or fist of some ne'er-do-well opting to do battle with the Batman. ]
I should let you prepare for the trip.
[ Stocking up, as he'd suggested. Speaking to the others. Spending time with the puppy, who will no doubt miss him. ]
( whatever she needs... to bring or to do. maybe talk to kyle a bit? though he's not entirely sure how the other will take it. someone should stay behind with the others though. in case things go south here. never mind the fact that kyle seems to have some sort of trauma with having done time travel things before. )
We'll meet up to go through the portal. Hopefully end up in the same place.
looking over to the pup who slowly makes his way over, bruce makes a mental note of having to pack up a small bag for him as well. to drop off to jason. toys, food, dog things. that's when he looks back to her. quiet. unsure... with what else to say. )
[ He waits, silent, but the air feels charged, as though there's more to say. Is there? She's still finding her footing again with the Bruce of her own world, in ways like and unlike meeting him here, now, again and for the first time, both.
In the end, she speaks the truth; as she always does and always will. ]
I'm glad to have found you here, Bruce. And I'm glad I'll have you by my side when we go through the portal.
( he doesn't entirely know how to respond to that β never mind what to think of it and it shows some in the way he lets his gaze linger on her before it inevitably drops away. he continuously feels at a disadvantage here with there being a number of others who all know [some version of] him while they remain strangers and don't yet exist for him back in his gotham. expectations he wonders he can live up to and diana here, despite how much softer she feels compared to the kids, is yet someone else who quite possibly has some sort of expectations regarding him. ones he doesn't even know he can live up to.
those expectations β history he can't claim to have, could be considered the reason for his keeping to himself a lot of the time, but. it's more than that. it's always more than that with bruce. )
You could still back out.
( he says then, soft, just barely lifting his gaze up to meet hers. )
[ There's no aggression in her tone, only thoughtfulness. It won't be a problem, because she won't back out, but this Bruce β his intensity, his obsession barely under control, if at all β yes, she very much thinks he would. ]
But I won't. I do have some small experience with gods lost in their pettiness and anger, after all.
[ Still, if this time she could avoid being blinded, she'd be grateful. ]
( whether or not he would is... not anything he's about to argue. instead, he lets out a short breath for a sigh before he gives a momentary raise of his brows. )
[ Her smile this time is complex, a little wry at the corners. She's reluctant to say farewell, yet it's time for her to go. They both have things to do. ]
( they do. he needs to check his gear, load up things, pack up a pup with his own toys and things, have jason pick said pup up... time isn't entirely on their side here and the sooner he gets things done here, the better.
yet there's a sort of reluctance bruce himself feels β it lingers there in the way he looks to her before he finally forces himself to push it down. to ignore it. like he always does. )
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
Don't think you want to eat that mango.
( he lifts his gaze to look back to the mango then, after a moment, allows it to fall onto her face instead. )
Probably best to... bury it. Or something.
no subject
Bury it.
[ Half disbelieving, half laughter. ]
I can see it now: slinking into the deepness of the night with a shovel to hide our shame. Or, we could simply throw it away.
[ Or wash it off. It's still a perfectly good mango. And she is... lingering. Diana casts her gaze back down to their hands, lifts the towel and waits to see if blood will bead back up. ]
You must have bandages, somewhere.
no subject
( have bandages, that is, yet he doesn't seem to make any movement to retrieve them. he does, after a moment, force himself to look away from her and their hands and clears his throat, glancing around to see where the pup has gone and spots him laying down there in the kitchen. )
Bathroom has a first-aid kit. Should be stocked.
( otherwise there's the more heavily stocked things he has in his temporary batcave, but. this isn't exactly anything that requires the heavy duty stuff. )
no subject
[ She presses the towel back to the cut, her fingers curling around his hand for a moment before she finally releases him, holding her hand out for the knife. ]
Go find one, then. I'll see if I can salvage the mango. At least if I slip, I'm more likely to damage the knife than the other way around.
no subject
( dryly said, as expected from bruce, he drops the knife to her hand, tips of his fingers brushing along her plam as he lets it go and turns to head for the first-aid kit. the pup, perking up, follows after him, trotting away happily as bruce makes his way into the bathroom.
in there, he takes a moment, pad of his thumb rubbing slow circles over the injured one as he stands there, staring down to the sink. lost in a thought that threatens to be held hostage to endless overthinking. it's only with the soft bark from the pup that he pulls himself out of that thought and looks down to him there, watching the way he looks up with those dark eyes of his. )
Don't you start worrying, too.
( getting a bandage and a bottle of antibiotic ointment for just in case, he comes back into the kitchen with a band-aid held between his lips, fingers busy with applying the ointment to the cut as he does, pup trailing in ahead of him to go over and see what diana is doing... and if she possibly has food for him, of course. )
no subject
This younger, earlier Bruce is a... surprise. A welcome one, she decides. Although he is not the friend she knows, the things she admires about the Bruce of her own world are clearly stamped on him as well. Confusing as it is, it's a comfort to have him here.
And complicated. She pushes aside thoughts of Maxwell Lord, of Kal and Bruce and their cold disapproval, and searches out a plate for the slices of fruit she's carefully removing. By the time claws tick on the floor, she has a small pile of mango pieces, one of which she picks up. Kneeling, she offers it on her palm to the puppy, smiling. ]
Here you are, little one. Eat. Grow strong.
no subject
Not sure how he'll like mango.
( peeling open the band-aid, he barely glances up from wrapping it around his finger, but catches the way the pup happily takes it from diana's hand regardless, pink little tongue licking at her palm as he does. softly, there's a breath of amusement there on bruce's lips as he gives a slow shake of his head. )
Must be weak to pretty girls.
no subject
[ Once her fingers are licked clean, she runs them over the puppy's soft ears and stands. Another bandage for Bruce, but at least this one isn't from the blade or fist of some ne'er-do-well opting to do battle with the Batman. ]
I should let you prepare for the trip.
[ Stocking up, as he'd suggested. Speaking to the others. Spending time with the puppy, who will no doubt miss him. ]
no subject
( whatever she needs... to bring or to do. maybe talk to kyle a bit? though he's not entirely sure how the other will take it. someone should stay behind with the others though. in case things go south here. never mind the fact that kyle seems to have some sort of trauma with having done time travel things before. )
We'll meet up to go through the portal. Hopefully end up in the same place.
no subject
[ She crouches to pet the puppy one last time, then faces Bruce. ]
I will see you then. If you need me beforehand, call, and I'll come.
no subject
( if she needs him for... whatever.
a glance over to the bag again, he licks over his lips β looks back to her. )
Thanks. For the stuff.
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[ Her glance falls to his newly bandaged finger, then back up again, amused. ]
I would hate to have inadvertently been Batman's downfall by way of groceries.
no subject
That would be the way I go down.
( it's strange to feel a little... lighter like this. what would alfred think to see him in a rare moment like this? )
no subject
[ For example... a god. ]
Still, best to keep those bandages close at hand.
no subject
( a batbag of things for just in case.
looking over to the pup who slowly makes his way over, bruce makes a mental note of having to pack up a small bag for him as well. to drop off to jason. toys, food, dog things. that's when he looks back to her. quiet. unsure... with what else to say. )
no subject
[ He waits, silent, but the air feels charged, as though there's more to say. Is there? She's still finding her footing again with the Bruce of her own world, in ways like and unlike meeting him here, now, again and for the first time, both.
In the end, she speaks the truth; as she always does and always will. ]
I'm glad to have found you here, Bruce. And I'm glad I'll have you by my side when we go through the portal.
no subject
those expectations β history he can't claim to have, could be considered the reason for his keeping to himself a lot of the time, but. it's more than that. it's always more than that with bruce. )
You could still back out.
( he says then, soft, just barely lifting his gaze up to meet hers. )
Wouldn't hold it against you.
no subject
[ There's no aggression in her tone, only thoughtfulness. It won't be a problem, because she won't back out, but this Bruce β his intensity, his obsession barely under control, if at all β yes, she very much thinks he would. ]
But I won't. I do have some small experience with gods lost in their pettiness and anger, after all.
[ Still, if this time she could avoid being blinded, she'd be grateful. ]
no subject
Then I guess you better not be late.
no subject
[ Her smile this time is complex, a little wry at the corners. She's reluctant to say farewell, yet it's time for her to go. They both have things to do. ]
I'll see you then. On time.
no subject
yet there's a sort of reluctance bruce himself feels β it lingers there in the way he looks to her before he finally forces himself to push it down. to ignore it. like he always does. )
See you then, Diana.