Work Text:
At Last
Bruce climbed the stairs to the attic of the manor, his jaw set with unconcealed determination and azure eyes narrowed with purpose. He was on an important mission, and nothing was going to get in his way of accomplishing his task.
He was positive he had seen it up here in the attic when he had been a boy, in search of all sorts of adventures as he had explored the deepest, darkest aspects of the family home known as Wayne Manor. He had uncovered more cobwebs, dead bugs, and old furniture blanketed with sheets than he'd cared to remember. His adventure to the attic at a young age had been short-lived at the time, but a later visit as a young teenager had been less forbidding.
Opening the door to the attic, the hinges groaned in protest as Bruce flipped on the light switch. A dim light cast shadows across the expanse of dust and boxes that had sat like a silent memorial to a time gone by, a time that had included ancestors from centuries ago.
His throat momentarily tightened, knowing that his parents' possessions remained in there. Unable to part with them, they had been safely moved to the tomb-like attic, kept within reach but also out of sight and out of mind. It had allowed him to proceed with his life without all of the constant reminders besieging him at every turn, though some of his mother's favorite antiques and paintings still adorned the manor.
His eyes quickly grew accustomed to the dim lighting, but the stale, musty smell assaulted his nostrils. He wound his way around antique chairs covered in sheets, a couple of large armoires, and a full-length mirror. He caught a glimpse of himself in the reflection looking back at him, startled by what he saw there.
Missing was the burning ire that had once clouded his eyes, the hardness that had settled into the set of his jaw. He had assumed that it would stay with him forever, consuming him since the moment gunfire had echoed in that alley almost thirty years ago.
Now, it was replaced with an unfathomable peace that he felt in his soul.
Bruce drew a deep breath before moving on, searching through boxes in hopes of finding what he was looking for. He knew he shouldn't have waited so long to begin the search for it, but circumstances beyond his control had dictated things differently than he had planned.
Resolve taking root once more, he pushed on, knowing that he couldn't have helped it. Finding boxes of his great-grandfather's things, he knew that he had a long way to go. Even though it was difficult being up here, he was not about to give up. This was an imperative undertaking that he had to succeed in.
He paused to glance at his watch, knowing that time was of the essence. He waded through stacks of containers, old steamer trunks, and hope chests, boxes, and crates, immediately realizing that he should have entered the attic from the other entrance.
Ignoring the countless treasures surrounding him, he made a beeline for the other end of the expansive attic, knowing his parents' things were located at the south end. Quickening his pace, he spotted containers that he knew belonged to his father, holding his medical books and microscope as well as other things that had been important to him.
Finding an old chair, Bruce pulled it across the wooden floor, situating it in front of some boxes stacked on top of an old chest. His lips curved into a smile as warmth invaded his body, excitement beginning to stir deep in his chest.
This was it.
Beginning with the top box, he rummaged through some of his mother's possessions, feelings of nostalgia threatening to overwhelm him. He held up his mother's platinum hairbrush and matching hand mirror, a set that his father had given her as a present once.
His mother had always looked absolutely perfect, each hair in place and impeccably dressed for every occasion. She reminded him of someone else that he knew well. Putting the things back inside, he moved on to the next box, knowing it had to be in there somewhere.
Searching the next three boxes revealed old postcards as well as curling black and white photos of family members, dried flowers, and mementos that had meant dearly to her. Unfortunately, none of them contained what he was desperately searching for.
Growing impatient as well as more than a little frustrated, Bruce began the tedious exploration of the large chest. His heart clenched with hurt as he found his mother's wedding dress and veil, his parents' wedding album as well as several framed family pictures.
Bruce fought back tears that he could feel struggling to form in his throat. Almost thirty years later he still missed them as deeply as the day that he had lost them. If only he hadn't insisted on seeing that movie that night. If only he had been paying better attention.
If only…so many "if only" filled his heart and mind at that moment.
He wished they could be here to see him now, to see the life that he had made for himself.
Setting the wedding dress and veil aside, he found an old heart-shaped candy box. It wasn't one that he had remembered seeing before. Picking it up, he lightly ran his fingers over the top, feeling the raised lettering spelling out "Be Mine" along with the hearts and flowers embossed on the lid.
It was very old, something that his mother had undoubtedly hung on to long before her death. He lifted the lid, finding an old, black-and-white picture inside. The edges were curled and faded with age, but the love in his parents' eyes was deniable as his father proposed to his mother on one knee.
He gently rubbed his thumb over the picture, a slight tremble in his hand. The one thing he remembered most vividly about his parents was the depths of their love for each other. There was hardly a time when his father didn't kiss his mother when he entered a room, or his mother didn't give his father a special little smile that was meant just for him and no one else.
How many times had he rolled his eyes as a boy or cringed in disgust with the way his parents always seemed to be holding hands?
He chuckled to himself as he recalled Alfred telling him that one day, he'd understand the kind of genuine love that his mom and dad shared. He had told Alfred that he wasn't interested in girls, dating, or getting married. Even at six years old, he had decided that he'd be a bachelor for the rest of his life.
Oh, how life had had different plans for him, plans beyond his wildest imagination.
Just as he was about to put the picture back into the Valentine's candy box, he turned it over to find his mother's handwriting on the back. "At Last," was written in black ink that had faded somewhat with time. He stared at it in amazement, the final piece of the puzzle falling into place for him as the corners of his lips curved into a lop-sided smile.
He quickly put the picture back into the box, replacing the lid and contents of the chest. Desperation was rising rapidly. If he didn't find what he was looking for then the whole evening would be a complete disaster as far as he was concerned.
Standing to his feet, he ran his fingers back through his hair in frustration, glancing around him and spotting a small box hidden behind the chest. His eyes light up with recognition, and his heart beginning to beat a little faster.
At last, he had finally found what he was looking for.
XXX
"Bruce, dinner was delicious," Diana told him, slipping her hand into his and lacing their fingers.
Bruce chuckled as he tightened his grip on her hand. "I didn't have anything to do with it," he confessed. "Alfred made it all."
"Yes, but I know you planned it," she replied as they headed to the library.
"I'm glad you enjoyed it," he said as he led her to the couch before the fireplace, the flames of the fire dancing brightly.
"It was the perfect Valentine's dinner," she assured him as she settled onto the couch beside him.
Alfred entered with a tray of dessert and a bottle of wine with glasses, setting it on the coffee table before them. "Let me know if you need anything else," he told them.
"Thank you, Alfred," Diana said. "Everything has been wonderful."
"My pleasure, Miss Diana," Alfred replied with a grin, more than pleased with how the evening was going.
Diana reached for a glass of wine, taking a sip before setting it aside to retrieve a plate of tiramisu. "Alfred is going to make me fat at this rate," she said, settling back against the couch with a contented sigh.
Bruce smiled in response as he tried to decide on the best moment to give her the Valentine's gift he had decided on. "I can help you work it off," he flirted with a grin, pausing to take a sip of wine.
"Oh, I plan on it," she teased, humming with delight as she took another bite of her dessert. "Where are the boys?"
"They all had dates tonight, but they'll be back to cover patrol tonight," he replied, trying to calm the bundle of nerves that were beginning to hum inside of him. What had seemed like a great idea earlier today now seemed inadequate to him.
What do you give an immortal Amazon princess for Valentine's day to show that you love her?
Sensing his unease, Diana set her dessert plate aside before reaching over and taking his hand. "Bruce, what's wrong?" she questioned him. "You seem troubled about something. Is everything all right?"
A disheartened sigh escaped as he looked down at their joined hands. "Yes…I think so…I don't know," he responded with a shake of his head. "I thought I had the perfect Valentine's gift for you, but now I'm not so sure."
"Bruce, I'm sure whatever it is, it's going to be perfect," she reassured him. "I don't need anything extravagant or expensive. I love you. Just being here with you is more than enough for me."
He smiled tenderly at her, touched by her words of assurance. "You know I'm not very good at sharing my feelings, Diana," he ventured.
"I'm painfully aware of that," she lightly teased with a cheeky smile and an amused sparkle in her blue eyes as she lifted their joined hands to kiss the back of his.
He relaxed somewhat with her light-hearted wit. "Thank you for that," he quipped, drawing on his love for her to continue. "You know that I never wanted to let anyone in for fear of losing them…never wanted to depend on anyone because I thought it would make me weak and vulnerable. It was so much easier to just create walls around my heart and make excuses, but you wouldn't let me get away with that no matter how good I believed my reasons were."
Memories of a stakeout on a rooftop and a ridiculous list of reasons as to why it wasn't a good idea for the two of them to become involved popped into her mind. It wasn't until later, after being returned to her normal self, that she realized that he'd actually considered having a relationship with her, hence that list of excuses he'd created.
That's when she knew that he shared a definite attraction that matched her own, solidifying her resolve to pursue a relationship with him. She tightened her hold on his hand, her heart expanding with the love she felt for this man. It had been an uphill battle, but he had been more than worth the effort and the frustration to get them to this point.
Bruce reached for a gift bag he'd hidden between the couch and the end table, handing her the gift. "You believed in us long before there was an us," he continued as she took the bag. "You didn't just work your way through my walls. You decimated them and took hold of my heart as no one else has ever been able to do. That's why I want you to have this."
Diana removed an ornate jewelry box from the gift bag, fighting back tears. It was obviously quite old, and by the look on Bruce's face, very important to him. She gently ran her fingertips over the wooden box and the hand-carved flowers that seemed so real.
"It was my mother's," he softly said. "My father gave it to her for their first wedding anniversary."
"It's beautiful," she murmured, stunned by the special gift.
As she lifted the lid, music began to play…a song that was unfamiliar to her.
"At last, my love has come along
My lonely days are over
And life is like a song."
"'At Last' by Etta James was my parents' song," he explained. "My father had the jewelry box made especially for my mother. It didn't realize how important it was to them until this afternoon when I was in the attic searching for it. I found a picture of my father proposing to my mother. She had written 'At Last' on the back of it."
"Bruce, I can't accept this," she replied with a shake of her head as she stared in disbelief at the box. "This belonged to your mother. I know how important it must be to you."
"That's why I want you to have it," he reassured her.
She watched as Bruce reached over to open a small compartment inside, removing a diamond engagement ring from the jewelry box. "Diana, I love you and I want you to be mine forever."
Diana carefully set the jewelry box on the coffee table before them before turning her attention back to Bruce. "I love you too and yes…I'll always be yours."
Taking her hand, he slipped the ring onto her finger. He brought her hand to his lips, kissing her knuckle above the ring. "At last, my lonely days are over…" he whispered, relieved that she had agreed to marry him.
She took his handsome face into her hands with a dazzling smile as tears shined brightly in her eyes. "Life is like a song," she agreed with a nod before kissing him.
Diana shifted to straddle his lap as they continued to kiss, her hands caressing his face. Breaking for air, Bruce's hands moved to grip her waist as he gazed up into sapphire eyes. "Don't expect another heartfelt confession like that any time soon," he teased. "We're only getting engaged once."
Diana chuckled softly as her lips brushed over his before placing kisses along his jaw to his ear. "I bet I could get you to confess much more before the night is over," she teased with a sultry tone.
Bruce's eyes widened in shock as his hands found her face so he could look her dead in the eye. "No lasso, Diana," he adamantly stated, leaving no room for argument.
She tilted her head with a smile. "That hadn't even crossed my mind, but that could be fun too."
Bruce's breath caught in his chest with her racy insinuation. "I think we need to take this upstairs," he readily decided. "Things could get…dangerous."
"Are they engaged yet?"
The sound of Damian's voice carried through the doors from the hallway, causing them both to smile. "Shhh…" Dick shushed him. "We don't know if Bruce popped the question yet. You don't want to ruin the surprise, do you?"
"But what if she doesn't say yes?" Tim demanded to know. "Bruce will be a mess."
Bruce's eyelids fell closed as he shook his head in consternation. "She said yes!" he yelled, relieving their curiosity.
"It's about time!" Dick exclaimed.
"Awesome!" Tim shouted with glee. "We get a mom!"
"You three keep moving," Alfred instructed them, shooing them away from the door. "You need to be preparing for patrol, not eavesdropping on Master Bruce and Miss Diana."
Diana couldn't help but laugh as their voices grew distant, her forehead coming to rest on his shoulder. Bruce ran his fingers through her silken ebony hair, turning and kissing her cheek. "Sorry about that," he murmured.
"Don't be," she assured him, lifting her head to steal a deep kiss as her tongue invaded his mouth.
He returned her passion, matching it with his own. He suddenly turned, laying her on the couch before moving over her and effectively pinning her beneath him. "At last…you're all mine," he softly murmured, his love for her reflecting in his eyes.
Diana stared up at him, her hand moving to cup the side of his face. "At last," she agreed as she lifted her head to meet him halfway, his lips hungrily descended on hers as she wrapped her long legs around his waist.
THE END