rightly | open post.

Something in her chest unraveled when he asked her to stay. It shouldn't surprise her. What had been nearly a century for her was likely but mere moments to him. But aside from his last words - words that truly became a core of what she stood for - they hadn't parted entirely on the best of terms. Not in that tower. He was able to say what needed to be said, something she'd not had the luxury of doing.

Taking a deep breath, her eyes lowered somewhere to his chest for a moment before forcing herself to hold his gaze again. Those questions would come sooner rather than later and she knew she had to answer them. "I brought you here." Pressing her lips together a moment, she sat up a little, the line and posture of her form a little too perfect even for her. The apartment wasn't big. Sparsely furnished for the fact she didn't really live in it. It had been a means to an end during her search in Greece and certainly not home.

"You're in Athens." Curling her legs up onto the mattress, she let her hip press to his in some way of keeping contact. Her hand slipped down from the side of his face to press softly over the center of his chest where she could feel each soft beat of his heart and it sent that burning straight back to her eyes as endless years tumbled down on top of her. And he had a right to know that.

The problem was, how did she tell him? How do you explain to someone that he gave her so many reasons to go on and protect this world day after day? That love and all he had been for her, proved that of all the forces in life and humanity, pushed her to do something impossible. "I -" The words fell off as her fingers curled into the fabric of his shirt. This time dark eyes drew away to stare at her hand wrapped about his arm and lingered there. "Did you mean it? When you said you wished we still had more time?"

Those words had been a justifying force in this. A hope that he'd still feel that way when she did this. Pulling her gaze back to his face, a line creased her brow just slightly with that building worry. Because if he didn't want this, she would respect that wish and return him to Hades even if it broke her.

As his body relaxed and the ache and discomfort started to bleed away, Steve dared to move a little more. His hands sank to the mattress to his sides and he forced himself into a sitting position, his movements still slow and careful, every muscle sore and weak as if it hadn't been used in ages. Or never, even. Yet he felt no injury on him. He touched his own head but found no wound, no blood. He lifted up his too-clean shirt only to find perfectly unharmed skin underneath. Hands, arms, legs... nothing. There wasn't a single scratch or bruise on him.

And then there was the room— Athens, she said. Athens couldn't be this different, could it? The furniture was so clean, so sleek, the design so strange and foreign to Steve. He couldn't make heads or tails of some of the items set on the nightstand or the dresser by the corner, though his attention only lingered on them for so long.

When Diana spoke again, his eyes moved back to her, eyebrows knit in vague confusion. She felt different to him, too. It was still her, but... he couldn't quite put his finger on it. Something was just off.

But it didn't matter. Because he did love her, and he had meant every single word he had told her. His hand lifted up thoughtlessly to cup her jaw, thumb sweeping across her cheek as he tried to get her to look at him. "Of course I did, Diana. I meant— every word. Every word I said," he took a slow, deep breath, head canting as he caught her gaze. "What's wrong? Tell me. What happened?"

Her breath caught, just a soft hitch that he could hear now that he was this close to her. Lashes lowered a little as her head tilted, pressing into the touch of his hand with a sort of relief and wonder as that knot in her chest that missed him so much almost made her choke on something that might have been a sob. But she swallowed, forcing that feeling back down hard, not wanting to come apart like that.

The hand on his chest lifted, her fingertips sliding over his as she pressed that touch more solidly to her skin as if to make it more real and not let him pull away. Because talking about it to someone other than their long lost friends made it real again. Not even Bruce got the luxury of her reminiscing or speaking of the one thing she lost and wanted back even for a moment. Even just a minute.

“You didn’t survive.” The words came out surprisingly firm, if soft. A whisper compared to her steel like confidence and courage. “It’s… it’s been a really long time.” Since the last time she looked at him. Heard his voice or even had this luxury of his hand against her skin. “I – I thought I accepted it. I think I had. But when I started to learn things, piece together information, I found Ha- him.” Even if Steve said he believed her in the end, she felt less sure. Less willing to just spit out the name of the god of the underworld.

“He let me have it… more time with you.” It felt wrong. Like rubbing suede leather the wrong way to feel so uncertain. Diana never felt so uncertain about anything as she did telling him this. And maybe it was that feeling that made a small almost smile pull at her lips as she held his eyes. “I made a challenge and an offer he couldn’t refuse.” More like, she stormed through his gates and demanded he hear her out. But she was sure, Steve knew that was more what she would do.

Every reaction that came from her only made Steve more confused, and surer still that something must've happened, something must be terribly wrong. He caught the near sob that she choked out halfway up her throat and swallowed back down, and his expression bled with worry, eyebrows knit, his face alone asking all the questions he didn't voice.

It took her a moment, but finally, she answered. And at first, it made no sense. Sure, he wasn't supposed to survive. But he was here now, so he must have. Right? He was only human, after all. Her myths —her realities— couldn't go so far as to bring a man back to life, could they?

And yet, here she was, saying just that to him. That to all effects and purposes, he was dead for a long time, and now... he wasn't. Somehow. And it was all because of her. Because she went to some insane epic lengths just to have him back.

Feelings welled up in his chest, conflicting, loud, overwhelming. He tried to breathe but it choked halfway down his throat in a near sob, and he moved his hand to her upper arm, holding on, fingertips of his other hand brushing lightly against the hair behind her ear.

(Her hair was caught up into a neat, perfect ponytail, too. That was also strange and unexpected.)

"How long has it been?"

How long. For a moment she wanted to tick off the exact amount of years, months, days and possibly all the way down to the second if she could be so minuscule with the details. Because she'd felt every single second that passed since that moment his watch stopped and she never saw his face again. But all that came out as he lips parted was quiet and simple. "Over ninety years."

Another war to end all wars and a domino effect of wars and battles as the years drew out between them. Learning a world that wanted to suppress her for being a woman and learning that she would not be accepted for who and what she truly was. Lifting her hands, she softly swept her fingers over his cheeks as her brows drew together and furrowed in that feeling of loss. For every life lesson she had to learn without him when she'd for such a brief moment believed with all her heart that Steve would be the one to help her figure it out.

She tried a smile again, fighting through the thick and suffocating desire to just cry. And maybe it was that effort that forced a few tears to finally slip past full lashes and trail down her cheeks. "Is it alright?" It's selfish and she knew that. Wanting someone to be with her for that long couldn't be called anything but selfish.

But as she looked at him right then and her lips parted to force a shaking breath, Diana can't help but want it to be alright that she couldn't give up that chance to have more time with him. "Will you stay with me now?" Her voice trailed off, the unspoken words of the other option hanging between them. Or choose to put things as they were...

He somehow knew the answer would shock him, yet nothing could prepare him for when she finally answered. He stared at her for a moment, silent still and wide-eyed, lips parted in dumbfounded surprise. Ninety years... was a whole life. More than that, even. Had he survived during the war, he definitely would be dead by now.

It was almost too much to swallow down, to believe. And yet, after everything he had seen, could he really not believe it? More importantly, could he ever not believe her? Diana, ever so genuine in her actions and words both, always so open and honest, almost to the point of naïveté, who could not and would not ever say a word that she didn't mean. Not to him.

She wasn't as naïve now, he realized suddenly. She wasn't really the same person he had known decades ago— but then time had a tendency to change people like that. But that didn't matter. It wasn't even a thought or concern that slipped through his mind just then.

When tears trailed down her cheeks, he felt a knot form in his throat, both his hands cupping her face, thumbs brushing away the tears. "My God, Diana," he breathed out, his voice shaking its way out of him as he stood on the brink of crying himself. "I could live a thousand times over and I would always, always choose to stay with you. Of course— of course it's alright. I'll never leave you, not if I can help it."

Her eyes closed for a moment, the move forcing any of the moisture that remained in her eyes to slip out and slide over his hands on her face. It felt like waking up from a very cold and numb sleep to be touched again. To be touched by him and not just some other man that turned their gaze on her or tried to get close to her. Honestly, she had not met anyone else quite like her 'Captain Trevor'.

Not that she ever considered even a possibility of that. No one could stand in his place even if she had found some way to truly move on. He was without a doubt, the love of her life. A love that pushed her to learn to love and accept this world and love them in spite of their dark moments and weakened states. Diana knew he taught her that and so much more in such a small blink of time.

Breathing in slowly, she finally moved, his legs uncurling from under her as she slipped her arms around him and pressed her face into the crook of his neck. It took so many measured movements not to hug him too hard or squeeze too tightly. Her fingers likely weren't so kind, not the way the gripped into the fabric of his shirt tight enough that the fabric just might break.

She had never been afraid of him or even that shift of those feelings she felt so suddenly that night in that small village. What she had feared was his not wanting to stay. And those words made every knot and coil of fear in the pit of her stomach suddenly unfurl and release that grip on her lungs. Pressing closer to him she seemed to want to just melt into him and lose that definition of two different people.

"I didn't get to say it back." Her voice came out shakier, laced with that restraining of tears in her tone. "I didn't get to." And more than anyone else, he deserved to hear it from her. To know he wasn't alone in those words. More than anything, Diana wanted to look him in the eye and return the words and the weight of the true sentiment behind them, but right then, she just refused to pull away.

"Steve..." Her fingers tightened in the fabric sharper now and she could hear it creak in protest. It took more than just the strength of her being just to lift her head and focus on him in that moment because she knew the bitter taste of loss and the reality of living so long without. And only when he did look her in the eye did she say the words she thought over and over again but never got the chance to say. "I love you. If you stay with me, I will love you every moment of your life for the time I am allowed and beyond. I swear it."

It was a bittersweet feeling. On the one hand, he didn't want her holding back those tears, and he wanted her to feel comfortable enough to open up and let everything out in front of him. On the other, he just wished he could... take all that pain away, pass an eraser on the last nine decades and rid her of the suffering she had gone through. He knew he couldn't. He also knew she likely wouldn't want him to, either. For better or worse, it had shaped her into who she was today, and that, he definitely would never want to change. He would never want to change a single thing about her, not now nor ever.

So he let her have her reaction, go through the motions and do what she needed. Of course that when she leaned in to hug him he all too promptly returned the gesture, arms wrapping tight around her, fingers curling into the strange thin fabric of her clothes. But she felt the same. Warm, tender, strong. Her scent was a little different but not by much. When he closed his eyes he could feel the scent of the trees and flowers perfuming the air of her island, the sea breeze that carried into the very caves where he had been kept in.

Felt like a lifetime ago. (It had been a lifetime ago.)

By the time she pulled away to look him in the eye, his eyes were brimming with unshed tears. He tried not to blink them but he knew it was pointless, and the moment he did two single streaks of tears fell from his eyes and down his cheeks. "You don't have to swear it," he caught her hand, lifting it to his lips and kissing her knuckles, her fingers. "You don't have to. I know. God, I love you... love you so much."

Seeing the tears slide down his face, she let go of his shirt instantly so she could reach up and sweep them away with a careful caress. When he'd been running to get on that plane, she'd thought she'd seen tears gathering in his eyes then, but seeing them now made her heartache. She never meant to make him hurt or cry.

But feeling him grab her hand, she let him, dark eyes following where he guided her hand only to shiver both from the feeling of his lips on her skin and the words he spoke. Finally, the smile that stole across her lips was easy and natural as warmth fluttered in her chest.

A pure feeling of hope and love.

"I suppose..." She licked at her lips slowly, balancing the words soft and light on her tongue before finishing. "That you must know, if I've waited for you this long." Perhaps it was too early to tease him on that, for both of them. Biting at her lower lip, she shifted closer, head tipping so she could brush a kiss to the corner of his eye sweetly. "You're worth waiting for." Even when she didn't have that hope or the ability to find the way for so long, part of her needed to wait.

There had never been a question in the beginning if she should run after him. Turning her hand in his, she suddenly smiled as her fingertips slipped over his palm, pushing between his fingers. "Do you remember what you told me this meant when we first arrived in London?"

These were different tears. Tears of joy, happiness, relief. Yes, he had been so close to crying back then, too, but they had been sad tears. Not that he was about to die so much as he wouldn't get to see her again. That those short few days were all the time he was allowed to have with the woman he loved more than he had ever loved anyone or anything.

I wish we had more time.

Well, now they did. And it was all her, all thanks to her. A walking miracle, a living wonder. She never had, and never would, cease to amaze him in all the best ways.

He huffed a chuckle at that, leftover tears falling again as his grin made the corners of his eyes wrinkle. "Yes, it did give you away a little." But he had known before too. Or he had hoped he had. If nothing else, he loved her enough for the both of them, and back then... well, he was about to die. Maybe it was for the best that she never did say it back. He wasn't sure he'd have been strong enough to jump into that plane, then.

Pulling his hands from her, he let her move one of them around until the palm was turned upwards, her fingers sliding across it until they were weaving through his own. His heart beat faster in his chest, his own fingers curling slightly, watching how perfectly her hand molded to his own. "I do," and it didn't bear repeating, now. He also didn't pull from the touch, because this time around it was right. They were together. Everything was right. "Guess you probably know a little more about that sort of thing now."

He said it with a smile, though. If there was a hint of sadness to it was only for the thousands of things he had hoped to show her once the war would be over, that she likely had to learn mostly on her own. Then again, now she would be the one showing him plenty about how the world worked.

Sweeping in closer, she didn't hesitate to kiss the tears away in soft brushes of her lips against his skin. Smiling a little more, she huffed a soft laugh. "Yes, I suppose it did." One would have to call that quite a bit of devotion actually.

Her smile grew when he didn't pull his hand away and instead curled his fingers about her hand. It was silly to worry about such things, she knew he returned her affections. "Cognitively, yes." She knew how it worked now. She understood societal norms and interactions that made no sense to her before. "Though, I would have preferred learning with you."

She would not complain about those years nor trade them. If anything, the solitude and heartbreak taught her a great deal about humanity and what it could endure and bounce back from. Not that she didn't wish he could have been there with her. "But I suppose it will be the other way around now."

Shifting closer to him, she leaned against him with a quiet exhale. Dark eyes watched her own thumb slide over the side of his hand as she tipped her head to press her forehead against the line of his jaw. "I have missed you... so much."

He closed his eyes, letting her kiss away his tears, wallowing in the feeling of her lips on his skin. It felt like so long ago since he last got to feel that, the touch of those lips, the warmth of her smile or her mere presence this close to him. He breathed in, letting out a shaky exhale, a grin twitching at the corner of his lips as he nodded at her words.

"I suppose it will be," he murmured, arching a brow as his gaze flickered only briefly towards the window. "I'm guessing the future will be as strange to me as the world of men was to you." But at least he wouldn't rush across the street because he saw a baby, so that was a start.

Tipping his head slightly, he brushed his jaw against her temple, his other hand curling around her neck again as he pressed his lips just near her hairline, lingering there. God, he wanted to kiss her always. Everywhere. Be impatient and rushed, but also sweet and slow— wanted to relive that one night for as long as they were together. Wanted to give himself back to her, after nearly a century of being gone.

"I've missed you too, Diana." Even if it had only been moments for him. He missed her the moment his hands slipped from her grasp, and he looked at her that one last time before turning away.

"I think, you are adaptable enough to handle it." She smiled softly in amusement as she considered how to be closer to him on the bed and the main problem her mind ran into was him being in pain. Turning her head, she pressed her lips to the line of his throat light and sweet. "Are you in much pain? Hades--" She stopped a moment and took a breath. "He said you would be good as knew if I fulfilled my part."

And part of her worried that he could lie. Ares was a liar. Why wouldn't the god of the underworld tricked by his own brother be any less. And then, perhaps her distrust came from being burned too often so far and the fear of something going wrong when she finally found something to be truly happy about. But for now, she pushed those thoughts aside. She had no room for that right now.

Lifting her head up after that kiss, she shivered just a little and took an unsteady breath. The hand not clinging to his rose to cup the side of his face as her eyes came to rest on his once more. For a second, her eyes flicked to his lips before returning to his, one simple action making it clear what she wanted and honestly, she didn't know why she hadn't already. "I don't know if one lifetime will ever be enough, but I want that time with you."

Angling her head just a little, she let their noses touch first before her's softly brushed against his. A brief slide of warmth before she pressed closer to kiss him.

"I'm not in pain," he shook his head, answering honestly. It had hurt a little at first, yes, but for the most part it was just soreness, a result of some torpor that started to bleed out of him the moment he started moving. He had a feeling it would take a while for him to regain his full strength, but he was by no means weak and delicate right now. And she wouldn't break him by simply moving close to him.

As soon as her eyes flickered to his lips, he knew the thought crossing her mind. And so, when she leaned in and brushed her nose against his, he tipped his head up and parted his lips, pressing them to hers in a kiss. Soft at first, deeper when every passing second made him thirst for more, her words echoing in his mind all along.

His fingers curled more presently around her neck, fingertips pressing to warm skin, though not nearly hard enough to hurt— much less someone like her. When he pulled away, it was reluctantly so, still stealing slow brief pecks like he wasn't quite sure he was ready to part. But a question was at the tip of his tongue, and he just had to ask it. Now, rather than later. "What did you do? To get me back. What did Hades ask from you?"

All she needed was the reassurance and she would just have to trust Steve that he wouldn't lie to her about something so important. Shifting closer, her knees slipped to either side of his hips on the bed so that she could press into him and settle into his lap. Moving that hand she'd been holding to the small of her back, her hands then moved to slide over his chest, the fingertips lightly grazing his neck where one stayed. Elegant fingers curled about the back of his neck while her other hand sank into his hair softly, nails just barely scraping his scalp.

It was so easy to move into that kiss, to accept the invitations of those parted lips and taste him again. Part of her mind wanted to sigh in relief of knowing this. Remembering the taste of his lips and how they felt against hers. And she could do nothing but drown in him if he just let her.

Her brow furrowed when he pulled away, even though each tiny kiss made her soul hurt in the most amazing ways. Breathing in slowly, she softly pulled at his hair wanting to urge him back into a kiss, except he stopped her with that question. A fair question, but she's not too sure she wanted to tell him every detail. Not that she would shy away or even break eye contact with him.

"I went into his domain and challenged him." More like threatened to raze the underworld and take what she wanted if he refused her. "I don't know why or how I won." But much like in her battle with Ares, she still didn't know just what she was capable of. The fingers about the back of his neck shifted, her hand smoothing over his jaw as her thumb ran over his lips softly. "He told me that life could not be returned for free. Nor so easily remade."

But really, she was stalling. "For my victory, I was met half way. He agreed to give you back to me. Recreate your body and release your soul if I could find a way to put life into you. There were gorgons and ancient lore and it really isn't that interesting." She furrowed her brow at him, the lower lip unintentionally forming a pout as she really didn't want to recount battles and conflicts with ancient creatures. "But I-- I agreed to do one favor for him."

And that was the real risk, wasn't it? "He promised me when the time came and he needed my help, he would ask me to finish my part of the deal." And he also promised, though she was unsure of it, that he would not ask her to do anything that harmed or endangered humanity. Because unlike Ares, Hades purpose was the ferrying and dealing of the dead. She held to that difference even if the god had been tricked by Zeus.

Steve would have gladly gotten lost in that kiss, that sudden closeness as she climbed onto his lap. Letting out a muffled gasp against her lips, he curled both arms around her waist, one pressing to the small of her back while the other held on tighter, drawing her as close to him as he could.

But the question was important, too. He needed to know. Needed to be sure she hadn't sacrificed too much only to get him back. Hopefully they would have time for all the kissing and holding and any further intimacies they wanted, but he needed to clear that out of the way first.

He listened to the story, not pressing for details when it came to battles or confrontations. She said enough to make some sense to him how she managed it. Well, 'sense' involved gods and mythical creatures, but he'd just have to get used to that reality. Not like he could deny their existence after all he had seen.

His brow furrowed slightly at her last words, arms loosening and hands resting at the small of her back as he tipped his head just enough to look at her in the eye. "He didn't tell you what he wanted in return?" Well, that was a bad idea if he ever heard one. "How do you know you'll be willing to do it?"

That line furrowed back into her brow when she felt his hold loosen. She knew the risk even when she had discussed at length what she would not do with the god. He agreed to the most basic of demands. No hurting mankind or the earth or forcing her to do something against the morality she lived by. He only hedged a little, but she had a feeling even if he dared to ask her something against that agreement, he would hear her out.

"I don't." She couldn't with one hundred percent accuracy say he wouldn't ask her to do something she refused. "But if he will not withdraw a request I refuse to do, I have beaten him before." And that battle had been grueling at best. Her greatest fear with denying whatever he asked was more of what could happen to Steve. But she would not speak of that now. "He cannot leave the underworld now. Or chooses not to." But he is the last of an extinct race as well.

Perhaps part of her pitied him for that.

"I promise you, it was not something I immediately and unconditionally agreed to." Because she knew Steve wouldn't approve of that. Not even for him. But it was also not what she stood for, and her morals were not something she would bend. Gods were immortal... it could be years or lifetimes before he finally called upon her to complete her side of the deal. And hopefully, Steve wouldn't have to deal with it when it did should it not go as easily as hoped. Well, anything he'd need her to do would likely not be easy, but more acceptable.

Cupping the side of his face, she spoke softly but firmly. "Please, believe in me. I will do what is right when that time comes." And do everything to protect him as well.

She spoke with determination, the same kind of determination he learned to expect from her even after only a few days together. Such a short time, in the grander scheme of things. Steve figured that didn't matter much, though. It wasn't really about how long he had known her. He would have never needed more time to know how he felt, to know how important she was— to the world, and to him. To recognize just how deeply he loved her.

A short time for him. A century for her. That had to be a good sign, at least. If hers had been a passing fancy, she would have long forgotten him and moved on. As much suffering as she likely endured all that while, he was selfishly glad that she never did.

"I know you will," he snaked an arm between them, and lifted a hand to brush his fingertips down the side of her face. "You'll always do the right thing." It was an absolute truth; that wasn't what he was worried about. What he was worried about was that Hades would demand a personal sacrifice of her. For her to stay in the underworld with him when time came, or that she give up her life, or her immortality. He knew her well enough to know she would make that sacrifice in a heartbeat.

He knew because he would make the very same sacrifice for her sake. But... there was no point worrying about it, not without knowing what the god might have in store for her. And now that he was here, and he had her in his arms, he wasn't really sure he'd be able to tell her to undo whatever she had done. Especially after all that she had gone through for him.

Those things he worried about had not crossed her mind. Probably because he was right. She would have traded any of those things for him even if in the grand scheme of things, she shouldn’t. But was being mortal so terrible if it meant that one life time with Steve could even end with him as well? But she didn’t want to think about the frailty of mortality, not when he was here again, close and warm and alive.

More time. To do those things he said people did when there was no war to go to or fight. To have the only person she wanted to be there when she would walk into an empty loft or hotel room. Someday she might even tell him just how much he’d impacted her life, but for now, she knew just knowing how long she’d wanted to see him again would just have to do for the time being.

“Thank you.” A smile graced her face and lit up her eyes warming them as she leaned into his touch to her face. There was a time he hadn’t, and it had so surprisingly broken her heart. However, much has changed since then and she could tell that he did believe in her. “I may have to call in a favor of my own if I want to get you to Paris with me.” Not that she wanted to really ask anything of Bruce Wayne, but she knew if anyone could make a person dead for over ninety years alive again he could.

But for now, she would worry about the immediate needs. “Do you need anything? Are you hungry? Do you need rest?” Her brow once more furrowed as she ticked off things that Steve might want or need in that moment. Not that she knew what he would need right now. “Perhaps you need to move around?” Not that she savored the idea of untangling herself from him, but she would if he needed to get up.

It wasn't that he didn't believe in her, back then. Just that she had been too innocent in a lot of ways, too naïve. Thinking that things could ever be so simple and easy, so black and white as to kill one single bad person and hope to put an end to war and conflict. It broke his heart that she had to see and learn the truth the way she had, and maybe that had been the reason why he had bit back the urge to say anything for their first few days together. An urge to preserve her spirit, her purpose, her heart.

But he had always believed in her. He had always known she would do the right thing, even if it seemed crazy or completely unrealistic. He had never seen someone with as unwavering a strength of will as her, and if there was one thing he was sure of, was that she would always, always find a way.

He was living proof of that— being here, well and breathing and in her arms again.

"And you have someone to do you that kind of favor?" It shouldn't surprise him in the least. She likely had made her fair share of contacts and friendships, connections that helped her establish herself in this world. She likely had a lot more reach and influence than he could even begin to imagine.

He sighed at the question, letting out a low hum as he tilted his head and let his forehead settle against her shoulder. "A shower... a shower would be nice." He knew he wasn't dirty right now, but the hot water would relax his muscles a whole lot, and he could use that right now. And maybe part of him still felt like he was covered in grime and dirt and gunpowder. Even if he knew that was just his mind playing tricks on him.

"I do, actually. And he owes me for helping him out." Not that she truly asked for anything in return for taking on Doomsday. And honestly, she found that picture he found for her far more precious than any 'favor'. But more than anything, the statement was in teasing. If she were fair about it, it would be her owing him one for this. Not that she felt Bruce Wayne was actually keeping score.

Smiling at him softly, she slipped her finger into his hair as he lowered his head to her shoulder. Gently curling her fingers into the dark gold strands, she let her eyes fall closed. Yes, she remembered this texture and the way it slipped through her fingers. Tipping her head closer, she pressed a kiss to the side of his head before nuzzling at the shell of his ear. Though the memories had faded about the edges, he felt and smelled so intensely familiar and her body and heart ached just to regain that familiarity once more.

But she would not withhold from him the simple pleasure of a shower. In fact, the idea of him wanting something so easy made her smile further into his hair. "Then you shall have it." Even if she didn't want to release him from her hold just yet. "I should likely look into getting us some food as well. I have not been very good at keeping food here." Not when she'd been busy traveling into the darker parts of Greece to find hidden places that the normal human could not find.

Though, she should change that as she wasn't sure how long it would take Bruce to set Steve up with a new life. Nor did she want to try and smuggle him across borders either. "Would you like food ready when you are done? Or would you--" Her voice fell away as she felt the light tremor at the offer she nearly gave so freely. It was forward of her, and really, she had always been so with him. So why should she stop now? "Would you like me to join you?" She had cleaned up recently. More so because she didn't wish for him to wake up to her being battle worn and filthy. Only Steve could make her that aware of herself and so tangled up in emotions at that.

"Well, I am stuck here for the time being, so I guess I'll leave all that to you." Not like he could do much to help in this situation. This time he was the foreigner, the one out of place (and out of time, too), and she the one with the knowledge and connections to do what needed to be done. And he did trust her to handle all that on her own.

If she needed anything from him, he was sure she'd ask. Until then, he didn't mind waiting. He honestly couldn't care less where he was, so long as he was with her.

He wasn't in any particular rush to let her go, either, and though he sighed and nodded in agreement, his arms wrapped presently around her waist. He didn't want to pull away, even though he knew he had to if he really was to take that shower. Which... he definitely meant to. He was just lacking the motivation at the moment. That was, until she posed that question after a moment's pause.

Ah, yes, there was his motivation.

"Yes," he answered almost too promptly, tipping his head up to look at her. Fingers splayed, he pressed his hands to her back, sliding them up slowly, as he tipped his head up and pressed a trail of slow kisses up the column of her neck. "I'd like that very... very much."

A soft laugh escaped her, the exhale of breath ruffling his hair as she finally lifted her head off of his. "It is now my turn to take care of you." She knew he would establish himself easily enough once he started to learn. After living in this world for as long as she has on top of watching him work before, she understood the necessity now for adaptability and blending in that a spy would need. Regardless, she would help him every step of the way, however she could until then.

What she really hadn't accounted for was how sensitive she would be to his touch. The slide of his hands even through fabric sent thrills along her spine causing her to breathe in suddenly, arching lightly under his hands until her spine curved just a bit. Lashes lowered to brush her cheeks while lips parted to take a slow, carefully controlled breath.

She was so caught up in that touch, and how it felt that it took her a moment to realize he was looking up at her. Blinking her eyes open, she felt a rush of warmth over her skin as she found those impossibly sea blue eyes on her only to be followed but the movement of his head to leave a trail with his lips on her neck. Once more her eyes closed, her hands moving to cup either side of his neck, thumbs brushing over the line of his jaw slowly.

If he truly wanted that shower, this was not a way to get to the bathroom much less even out of the bed. The haze of warmth was laying thick on her mind, making it hard to focus beyond where their bodies made contact. "Then.. you might want to stop. Otherwise we'll never get to the shower."

She was right, of course. If he really wanted to get into that shower anytime soon, he should be stopping what he was doing, let his hands move away from her and force himself to put some distance between them. Not like they were short on time, right now, and neither of them were going anywhere. And yet...

He didn't pull away. Couldn't. It felt that now he had her this close again, he couldn't bring himself to part from her. Even if he knew it would be a brief thing. His hands pressed more presently against her back instead, keeping her close, and he made absolutely no move to stop what he was doing.

"The shower can wait," he breathed warmly against her skin, lips latching briefly onto her neck as he kept mouthing along her throat. "I mean— it can, right? We'll still have hot water later on?"

Her fingers stretched out a little, smoothing the tips over his cheek in a means of not gripping onto him when that shock of sensation rolled up her spine. A sharp breath was taken as he pressed firmer into her back. And even if she thought she might melt under that feeling of his breath on her skin, she still laughed breathlessly at his words. "There will, don't worry. We can wait."

Smiling widely, she pressed her fingers into his hair and tangled them there as she tipped her head back to bare her neck for him. It felt like the first time all over again, but also like relearning what it felt like to be touched and adored like this. She'd really not wanted to feel that way again. Not when all she could close her eyes and think of was Steve and how she didn't want to make that memory any more distant than it already was.

Letting her eyes fall closed, she let out a soft sound before pulling his head back with her fingers tangled in his hair. Dark eyes caught his for a moment, she cupped his head and leaned in to press her lips to his. At first soft, but soon she pressed deeper, licking into his mouth and claiming him all over again. She missed him so much...

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