[ As a child, the idea of battle had been exciting, a thrilling adventure to discuss over the fire, the birthplace of legends. The reality of war was harsh and awful, and while her legend might begin there, it's not the glorious victory Diana had imagined.
At least it hadn't taken Steve from her. Only because she had noticed the body toppling out of the sky and rushed to rescue it - sure he was dead, thrilled to find him alive.
It had been a stressful time - almost worse than going to battle. The reports, the discussions, watching and waiting to see if Steve would wake up, doctors forcing her out of the room, no one listening to her -
She had breathed a sigh of relief when he had been released, and they were able to achieve some peace. Diana knew, now, that women and men didn't live together without the bonds of marriage, but she went with Steve, refused to go elsewhere.
(Sorry Steve, you're stuck with her now.)
She hadn't meant to fall asleep on the couch. She had only been reading, and the lack of sleep had caught up to her, and she had toppled over, slumber overtaking her. She didn't hear Steve moving about until he draped the blanket over her, and then she shifted, blinking sleepily at him. ] Did I fall asleep?
[ Seemed he got what he wanted even if he tried to be as careful as possible. As much as she needed the sleep, though, he couldn't bring himself to feel bad over it. He smiled at her as she blinked lazily, his hand moving up and his fingers brushing through loose strands of hair falling into her face. ]
You did. [ He glanced at what she was reading, some volume toppled over face down on the floor. ] Must've been a really boring book.
[ Still, he picked it up, closing it properly and setting it down on the coffee table. ] Want to move to bed? It's a little more comfortable than this.
It is a tedious book. Do your women really have that many fainting fits? [ Diana's read enough philosophy, history, classical literature, and other texts to understand most subjects when they arise in conversation. She hasn't read much current, popular literature, though if the book she was currently attempting to read was any indication of the writers of the time, she had no desire to continue.
She stretched out and sat up, frowning at Steve with some worry in her eyes. ] Are you not tired? You should be asleep.
[ The question, odd yet all too fitting, drew a soft snort and a chuckle out of Steve. An interesting question too, and he ended up giving it a bit of thought before he said anything to it. ]
No, I don't think so. It's just... this notion that women just swoon from excess emotion. An inaccurate notion, for the most part. I think.
[ He didn't tend to see a lot of women fainting at random, no. It was just one of those conventions and ideas that Diana was not only used to, but also found completely ridiculous. ]
I'm lazy... but not very tired, no. [ He slowly and stiffly got up from the floor, sitting on the couch next to her. ] Feels like I've slept for a whole day straight.
I have never seen a woman swoon. Some of those generals might have, though. [ Considering how shocked they had been when she had walked into the meeting, she wouldn't have been surprised. ]
If you are not tired, and I am not tired, then we should not go to bed. [ Even though she was tired still, it wasn't enough to keep her in bed. Not when there were things to do - although, at the moment, Diana couldn't think of a single thing that she needed to do.
When Steve sat next to her, she instinctively curled into him, resting her head on his shoulder. She had long been denied the comfort of close, intimate touching - hadn't known that it was unique, different than being hugged by her mother or aunt. And now, with Steve on the mend, she wanted to be as close as possible. ]
[ Steve had to laugh at that. Pursing his lips, though, he lifted his eyebrows and tipped his head in an agreeing nod. ] Maybe. Or maybe they've just read too many of these sorts of books.
[ He knew that the men in his time had a lot of misconceptions about what women could or should do, how capable, smart or strong they could be. Actually, he'd be the first to admit he had been guilty of some of that kind of prejudice a few times in the past, even if he didn't do so purposefully. Meeting Diana had opened his eyes to a lot of that prejudice, though, and he liked to think he had changed for the better in regards to that. ]
Well. You can... do more than just sleeping. In bed. [ He was trying to tease her a little, but really, he only ended up flustering himself over it. He settled a hand on her waist instead, perfectly happy to curl up on the couch with her. His head tipped down a little, pressing a kiss to her temple as he brushed his fingers through her hair. ]
People should write better books. [ She had been disappointed upon her arrival in London, and while she's come to accept that people are flawed, full of good and evil, certain things persisted in frustrating Diana. Like the belief that women couldn't do anything and the shock at her outfits.
But with Steve curling up next to her, she can put that aside. Tomorrow, or the day after, or the day that, she would find herself offending the world again, but here she only had to worry about scandalizing Steve. Which was far better than dealing with anyone else. ] Cleo did talk about the activities you can enjoy in bed, besides sleeping, so I know that you can do more. It just seems like a waste. Why move to the bed when you can enjoy those things here?
We agree on that. [ Not that there aren't good books, but the sort she's reading isn't Steve's favorite genre either. Just one of Etta's little romance stories, which she enjoys even though she complains about the fainting just as much.
In a way, Steve's not unused to strong women, but Diana's... well, something else entirely. He's more than alright with that, of course, and all too glad to follow as she goes on to both save and shock the world somehow. Even if he doesn't yet know what to do with himself when she decides to scandalize him instead. ]
Well— [ He opens his mouth, then closes it again. Opens it, tilts his head just so. ] Yes, that's... true. It's just that, a bed's a proper— well, not necessarily proper, it's just... it's more comfortable. Yes. More comfortable.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
At least it hadn't taken Steve from her. Only because she had noticed the body toppling out of the sky and rushed to rescue it - sure he was dead, thrilled to find him alive.
It had been a stressful time - almost worse than going to battle. The reports, the discussions, watching and waiting to see if Steve would wake up, doctors forcing her out of the room, no one listening to her -
She had breathed a sigh of relief when he had been released, and they were able to achieve some peace. Diana knew, now, that women and men didn't live together without the bonds of marriage, but she went with Steve, refused to go elsewhere.
(Sorry Steve, you're stuck with her now.)
She hadn't meant to fall asleep on the couch. She had only been reading, and the lack of sleep had caught up to her, and she had toppled over, slumber overtaking her. She didn't hear Steve moving about until he draped the blanket over her, and then she shifted, blinking sleepily at him. ] Did I fall asleep?
no subject
You did. [ He glanced at what she was reading, some volume toppled over face down on the floor. ] Must've been a really boring book.
[ Still, he picked it up, closing it properly and setting it down on the coffee table. ] Want to move to bed? It's a little more comfortable than this.
no subject
She stretched out and sat up, frowning at Steve with some worry in her eyes. ] Are you not tired? You should be asleep.
no subject
No, I don't think so. It's just... this notion that women just swoon from excess emotion. An inaccurate notion, for the most part. I think.
[ He didn't tend to see a lot of women fainting at random, no. It was just one of those conventions and ideas that Diana was not only used to, but also found completely ridiculous. ]
I'm lazy... but not very tired, no. [ He slowly and stiffly got up from the floor, sitting on the couch next to her. ] Feels like I've slept for a whole day straight.
no subject
If you are not tired, and I am not tired, then we should not go to bed. [ Even though she was tired still, it wasn't enough to keep her in bed. Not when there were things to do - although, at the moment, Diana couldn't think of a single thing that she needed to do.
When Steve sat next to her, she instinctively curled into him, resting her head on his shoulder. She had long been denied the comfort of close, intimate touching - hadn't known that it was unique, different than being hugged by her mother or aunt. And now, with Steve on the mend, she wanted to be as close as possible. ]
no subject
[ He knew that the men in his time had a lot of misconceptions about what women could or should do, how capable, smart or strong they could be. Actually, he'd be the first to admit he had been guilty of some of that kind of prejudice a few times in the past, even if he didn't do so purposefully. Meeting Diana had opened his eyes to a lot of that prejudice, though, and he liked to think he had changed for the better in regards to that. ]
Well. You can... do more than just sleeping. In bed. [ He was trying to tease her a little, but really, he only ended up flustering himself over it. He settled a hand on her waist instead, perfectly happy to curl up on the couch with her. His head tipped down a little, pressing a kiss to her temple as he brushed his fingers through her hair. ]
no subject
But with Steve curling up next to her, she can put that aside. Tomorrow, or the day after, or the day that, she would find herself offending the world again, but here she only had to worry about scandalizing Steve. Which was far better than dealing with anyone else. ] Cleo did talk about the activities you can enjoy in bed, besides sleeping, so I know that you can do more. It just seems like a waste. Why move to the bed when you can enjoy those things here?
no subject
In a way, Steve's not unused to strong women, but Diana's... well, something else entirely. He's more than alright with that, of course, and all too glad to follow as she goes on to both save and shock the world somehow. Even if he doesn't yet know what to do with himself when she decides to scandalize him instead. ]
Well— [ He opens his mouth, then closes it again. Opens it, tilts his head just so. ] Yes, that's... true. It's just that, a bed's a proper— well, not necessarily proper, it's just... it's more comfortable. Yes. More comfortable.