An ENORMOUS thanks to Dinasis again for the beta and making me look like I know what I'm doing. You're awesome, my friend! Hope you guys enjoy this. If you want to know what happens next, let me know. If enough people like it, I'll write a sequel. :)

Red

What is your favorite color?

It's a pointless question, one that held no bearing on the weather, world events, politics, or whether someone will make a good mate or not. What did it matter what color I like? Weren't there far more important things in the world like stock options, crime waves, and world peace?

And yet it was one asked by numerous 'socialites' daughters, scatterbrained models, and narcissistic actresses that I have gone out with over the years. I knew they were always more interested in bedding me or marrying my bank account than actually wanting to get to know me as Bruce Wayne…of course not that I would ever let them know the real me.

Truthfully, I've never really had a favorite color, always seeing the world in shades of black and white. All color left my life when I lost my parents as an eight-year-old boy, seeping out as they drew their final breaths in that dark alley.

My pat response has always been black, the answer provided with a small knowing smirk hidden underneath it. The answer has typically awarded me a playful swat, a roll of the eyes, or an exasperated sigh that always precluded the usual "that's such a depressing color, Bruce".

They didn't understand that my world had been drained of all color, that I lived my life deep in the shadows where neither light nor color could ever truly exist let alone survive. I found that I preferred it there, felt safe…secure, in complete control. I could actually breathe there; find some semblance of purpose and life.

And so it was and had been for a number of years until one fateful day that I never saw coming.

It was a day that I have since come to realize I will never forget, one that drastically changed my life forever and in an incredible way…once I finally allowed myself to actually acknowledge it.

It was the first day that I began to see the world in color again and I saw it in a vibrant shade of red.

It had happened the instant a pair of red dominatrix boots adorning the most gorgeous set of legs I had ever seen gracefully touched down on terra firma for the first time right before my eyes. It was like a bolt of lightning had jolted something inside of me, a shock to my lifeless heart that caused it to start beating again for the first time in nearly thirty years.

Hidden behind the cowl, I had allowed my eyes the luxury of slowly wandering from the toe of those crimson red boots up her sinfully long legs and over the absolute perfection that I would soon be introduced as Diana, Princess of the Amazons.

At the time, I had forced my visage, my voice to remain entirely stoic and all business knowing we had a very large problem on our hands, but it was beyond difficult when you suddenly find yourself standing there before something as amazing as that.

A goddess indeed.

I had never felt anything remotely close in my entire life to what I did in that singular moment and what I felt I don't think even now that I know truly how to describe it. Curious, enchanted, aroused, charmed, suspicious…yes, I was most definitely all of those things and much more though I allowed no one to know or see it.

That was when it had all started for me.

After that, every time I saw the color red I thought of her, those boots that heated my blood like nothing before ever had, and the crimson formfitting bodice of her uniform. It was unnerving to say the least, to be so rattled like this by a woman. I had mastered every single biological response, steeled my mind and built impenetrable walls around my heart, turning myself into the perfect machine.

And now the ultimate war for my heart had all been waged because of a pair of red boots.

Actually that's not entirely true. That was just the tip of the proverbial iceberg because you haven't lived until you've seen the Amazon princess in a red spaghetti strap dress, the hem tauntingly grazing her thighs and allowing a generous view of her sexy legs.

Did I mention she was also wearing a pair of strappy red high heels?

Killed me dead.

A few months ago, I was sitting in the dark of her hotel room in a chair waiting for her to return from her night out on the town in Paris with Princess Audrey of Kasnia, my mind racing with hot jealousy the likes of which I'd never experienced to this degree before.

Images of Diana dancing with God knew who, doing only God knew what was causing me to grind my teeth to the point of nearly cracking them, my gauntleted fingers gripping the arms of the chair so tightly I'm still surprised to this day that I didn't break them.

Every second that passed by without her return was like an eternity, every imaginable situation rolling tauntingly through my mind and winding my gut tighter than a spring set to release. All of the reasons that I had concocted in my mind about why we couldn't date also mingled with those images, reminding me how utterly idiotic I could truly be sometimes.

Just when I thought for certain I was going to crack for sure, she finally walked in, pausing in a shaft of soft morning light filtering through a nearby window to remove those strappy little heels and causing my cowled gaze to follow the path of her fingers down her toned legs as she slipped them off.

I have never wanted to touch something so badly in all my life than in that moment, dying to touch those legs, to slowly run my fingers over that soft Greek skin, to caress and stroke, to kiss and explore at will.

And then she saw me, her hands finding the delicious curve of her hips, the corners of her lips turning upwards in realization as she tilts her head slightly to look at me. She had me right where she wanted me and we both knew it.

I did my best to keep it purely business discussed between respected colleagues, but when you have a breathtaking goddess standing before you in a stunning red dress that accentuates every single magnificent curve it's damn near impossible.

Ignoring the knowing gleam in her bright blue eyes and the quirk of her lips that were red as well, I plunged headlong into the reason for my presence in her hotel room; the reason that I told myself was nothing more than business. It was one that I was sticking to no matter how my body was betraying me, reacting to her appearance at that moment.

That particular mission had ended with Diana revealing the fact that she had deduced my secret identity. Even though I denied knowing what she was talking about, it was at that exact moment that I knew my fate had been sealed and my heart was in terrible danger of never being my own ever again.

It was never more obvious then when I met the Amazon warrior in the training room for one of our sparring sessions a few weeks ago. Dressed in my uniform, I'd removed my utility belt at the sound of the doors swooshing open. She was here.

Ignoring the way my stomach instantly flipped knowing she had arrived, I turned around and nearly swallowed my tongue. Instead of being dressed in her usual star-spangled uniform that I had memorized every single detail of, she was wearing a red sports bra with matching fitted shorts and a pair of tennis shoes.

Oh sh…

"Ready?" she smiled brightly at me, tucking a loose lock of hair back up into her ponytail.

"Where's your uniform?" I'd demanded as if she'd just broken some law akin to murder. My tone was filled with a fierce brusqueness that I immediately regretted, trying to keep my focus on her face and absolutely nothing below her neck.

Diana's brow was furrowed in confusion, disappointment lighting her face as she responded. "It's my day off," she replied with a small frown. "I didn't feel like wearing my uniform since I'm not on duty today."

Sweat instantly broke across my brow beneath my cowl. I had to escape, get away from her before I did something utterly stupid or insane. I'd considered talking her into trying to spar blindfolded or feigning an emergency in Gotham.

She'd believe that wouldn't she? I'd thought to myself.

I silently gulped as she approached me, my pulse racing faster than the Flash could ever hope to move those skinny legs of his. If I survived this sparring session without making an absolute ass of myself, I'd be the luckiest man on planet Earth.

Why do I insist on torturing myself like this? It's borderline sadistic.

Disappointment had lingered in her eyes and I couldn't help but feel desperate to erase it, to replace it with the bright love for life that usually shines there like twin beacons of hope. "Don't you want to spar today?" she asked.

Fighting Bane suddenly seemed so much more preferable to fighting the way my heart and body were reacting to her right now. "Let's go, Princess," I curtly responded, momentarily turning my back to her in order to tamp down on the arousal that was close to strangling me. "Prepare to be taught a lesson."

I turned back towards her to find the smile had returned to her beautiful face and the sadness had been erased and I find my heart soaring knowing I was able to do that for her. When will I ever learn to keep my mouth shut and my attention on my duties and not on the Amazon Princess with a penchant for red?

Diana swiftly assumed her fighting stance, her face growing serious. She was all warrior ready for battle and I was a dead man as she lunged at me, a blur of red in the most tormenting shade. I felt my uniform instantly grow tighter, but I ignore it as I feinted to the left only to drop and sweep my leg out, taking hers out from under her.

She landed hard on the mat, nearly knocking the wind out of her, but she was up in less than a heartbeat. She retaliated without a second thought and the battle was definitely on. She ground her teeth, a growl escaping her throat that instantly causes my desire to escalate. This was as close to the primal intimate dance that we would ever come and it both excited and infuriated me because I wanted…needed…so much more.

Despite doing my best to keep my mind focused on the match at hand, I couldn't help risking a glance at the way her chest was heaving with every panting breath, her toned abs taunting and beckoning me to run my hands and mouth over them.

I'd spun on my heel as I moved to grab her from behind. My hand brushed against her firm backside and I cannot contain the tremor of arousal that rippled through me and settled in my groin. My uniform was growing more uncomfortable by the moment and I briefly considered ripping it off.

I silently berated myself for such an asinine idea before flipping her over my shoulder. She landed on her back and I was on top of her before she can even think about getting up. "Point," I panted heavily with a smug triumphant expression as I leaned in a little too close.

Wrong move.

Her chest was rising and falling enticingly beneath me, brushing against the Kevlar on my chest and I was forced to stifle the groan that suddenly stuck in my throat. The thought of creating an anti-Amazon pheromone blocker abruptly flashed through my head, but I forced it back to the recesses of my mind to look into later.

At that point, I had a very sexy Amazon princess dressed in little red workout clothes pinned to the floor beneath me. Her cheeks were a lovely shade of rose red and, considering she has just lost to me, I was positive she could feel my desire for her thrumming through me if the cocky look of victory in her eyes was any indication.

Damn Amazon.

Every fiber of my being was straining towards her, desperate to touch and to kiss, to fondle and devour every square inch of her, but I steeled myself, forcing myself to release my hold on her. I attempted to recall every single mental exercise that I have ever learned in an effort to keep my mind and body focused, but it was useless as we continue to spar until I was finally forced to leave to take a cold shower…alone.

This was always going to be a losing battle, the Dark Knight the prey and Wonder Woman the victor. To the Amazon warrior go the spoils.

I can't say that giving up my heart, my future to Diana would actually be defined as some horrible loss. In fact, I'm beginning to believe that it could be the best thing that could ever happen to me, those idiotic excuses I had created to protect my heart from her long ago sounding utterly foolish even to me now.

And yet, I can't help the fear that continually claws at my heart every time I see her hurt or imagine one of my enemies getting to her because of me. It keeps me steadfast in my belief that we just aren't meant to be no matter how incredible I know it would be together.

And then last week happened.

I went to Diana's quarters on the Watchtower to check on her after hearing about a mission that hadn't ended so well. While the criminals had been captured, some of our League members had sustained injuries, including Diana.

My heart had instantly clenched with fear when I had heard the news, my legs immediately taking me to her regardless of what my mind was fighting to tell me. Finding that she'd already left the infirmary, I had gone straight to her quarters, knocking on her door and hoping against hope that she was alright. Nothing else had mattered to me in that desperate moment.

I had to see it with my own eyes, had to see for myself that she was safe in order to rid my heart of the panic and fear that had seized hold of it. The sudden sound of her voice granting me entrance was like music to my ears and what I saw next was a sensual feast for my eyes.

Diana was sitting on her bed, a white towel wrapped securely around her feminine frame. Her wet hair clung to her shoulders, curly locks resting against the tops of her breasts peeking out from the top of the fluffy white terry cloth that surrounded her like a cloud.

And she was painting her toenails…scarlet red.

I paused just inside the door that swooshed closed behind me as I studied her, fighting to gather my thoughts—not to mention make my tongue work in my mouth. Her beautiful lips curved into a sweet smile at the sight of me, her sapphire eyes lighting up like the most brilliant diamonds.

Is it actually possible for a woman to make a heart melt and yet thunder in your chest at the same exact time? Because I'm pretty sure she had just done it in that very moment.

"To what do I owe the unexpected pleasure?" She smiled brightly as if I had personally just made her day so much brighter by my very presence alone.

"You paint your toenails?" I find myself asking, stunned by the sexy revelation and causing me to forget my original reason for being there.

Diana's responding laughter tickles my ears and I feel myself falling more in love with her. "Shayera talked me into trying it. I kind of like it. Don't you?"

No, I don't like it; I absolutely love it. You're the sexiest thing I have ever laid eyes on and I want to rip that towel from your body.

These thoughts and more stormed through my mind at that moment including things that were far too inappropriate to utter to a teammate that you're trying to keep at arm's length when in reality all you want to do is pin her to that bed and have your way with her.

"I heard you were injured," I gruffly replied instead, doing my best to keep my breathing even, knowing that she would notice the slightest variance in it, but it's next to impossible when your heart is trying to beat right out of your chest.

I feel a shiver of desire race up my spine as she stretched out her long legs, the edge of her towel slipping dangerously higher up her thighs and revealing even more to me and yet not as much as I truly want. My breath hitches against my will and I see the corner of her lip quirk even more.

Oh hell.

She tucks a raven lock behind her ear, revealing a long hideous gash on the side of her head near her hairline, the side of her face already an angry shade of purple. My stomach lurches at the sight of her injury and I suddenly find myself more than furious, anxious to hunt down whoever the hell did this to her and rip them to shreds with my bare hands.

"Are you alright?" I finally manage to utter something sensible despite the lustful thoughts racing through my mind or the desert that has occupied my throat since entering her quarters.

"Just a scratch," she replies indifferently with a shrug of a bare shoulder. "Nothing that won't heal in a couple of days or so."

"That is definitely more than a scratch, Princess," I practically hiss, angered by her lack of concern for her own well-being. This is why she ends up in the infirmary all the time, more worried about everyone else instead of worrying about herself.

I growl my response with a little too much annoyance and concern, taking a couple of steps closer to her despite my decision to stay as far away from her as possible. Her scent permeates the room and fills my senses making me lightheaded with a need growing so desperate I can barely stand it. The thought of freeing her luscious body from that towel invades my thoughts despite my best efforts to remain in complete control.

"You should see the other guy," she quips with a smirk and I find myself melting even more.

How someone could be so positively adorable, charming me clear to my toes no matter the situation, is beyond comprehension. Believe me…I've tried. Many times. Even I can't make heads or tails of it.

I've even tried pretending she's like a sister to me, looking at her the way that Kent does, but the lustful thoughts returned with a vengeance, the sexual fantasies that haunt my every dream growing more intense and I begin to think that maybe I should see a psychiatrist.

"You should be in the infirmary," I hear myself utter. The worry in my voice is obvious even to me. Dammit.

"I was there and now I'm here," she tells me nonchalantly, setting the bottle of blood red liquid on her bedside table before leaning back against the mound of pillows on her bed. "I'm fine, Bruce…really."

I stand there for a long moment trying to decide what to do, my heart and body nearly overriding my logical mind that is screaming all the reasons we can't be together. "Call if you need anything," I coolly settle on telling her before abruptly turning on my heel to make a hasty retreat.

Before the doors can close behind me, I hear her lilting voice that is as melodious as a songbird's call, "thanks for stopping by to check on me, Bruce." The smugness in her tone is undeniable.

Damn. I'm so dead.

I mentally kicked myself for the next three days, knowing that I was only digging my own grave for her. She was going to win and I was going to lose and I had never been more elated or conflicted about anything before in my entire life.

Now, it's Friday night and I find myself standing near the bar at a charity function for cancer research, secretly hoping that Diana will be attending and at the same time chiding myself for such futile thoughts for something that can never be.

Frustrated and annoyed that she hasn't shown up yet, I turn towards the bartender to ask for a glass of something strong. I don't typically drink, but I suddenly feel like I could really use one, needing some liquid fortification to survive the rest of this tedious night.

A sudden wave of frantic murmurs and gasps swiftly captures my attention, forcing me to turn back around. That's when I see her and I know it's all over. She has me hook, line, and sinker and I don't even care. Even the fierce argument in my head against a relationship with her that has been plaguing since the day I met her has been quelled by her presence, how positively radiant she looks.

The phrase "fit like a glove" isn't nearly enough to describe the way Diana's strapless red dress hugs her every curve or my pants as a result.A long slit runs the length of her leg, stopping some place far too dangerous to even allow myself to think about, lest I begin to drool like an utter fool.

Red strappy heels adorn her feet; her toes tipped in that scarlet that makes my mind suddenly go numb. She is the only woman who can make me drop a hundred IQ points in the matter of a heartbeat and it never ceases to rattle me every single time.

She catches my eye despite the crowds beginning to swarm around her and I can't help but immediately make my way to her, drawn to her like a powerful magnet that I can't bring myself to fight against any longer. The pull is far too strong, the sexual tension between us growing more intense with every passing day. A smile plays upon her lips and I can tell that she is as happy to see me as I am to see her.

"May I have this dance?" I ask as I offer her my hand, hoping she doesn't notice the slight tremble in it as she takes it.

"I'd love to," she softly agrees, her smile brightening as she allows me to lead her out onto the dance floor.

I release a nervous breath that I hadn't realized I'd been holding as I take her into my arms, my hand settling on the small of her back. I'm stunned to find there is no material there. My hand is touching bare skin and my knees instantly weaken with the realization.

Why she insists on doing this to me is beyond understanding, but there's no denying that it's working like a charm. I'm like putty in her hands tonight as I lead her around the dance floor in a slow dance. I can feel all eyes are on us and I can't help the smug smirk that tugs at my lips.

This goddess is in my arms and I'm not about to relinquish her for anything in this world. I may not deserve her, but I'm damn well going to do everything in my power to keep her if she'll have me.

"You look very beautiful tonight," I softly compliment her, drawing her a little closer to me more out of my own desire than the necessity of the dance.

A pink hue suffuses her cheeks and she glows with a radiance lit from within. I find that I want to taste her so badly that I might die if I don't soon. Her ruby red lips are drawing me in and I hesitate in answering their beckoning call only because I know if I start I won't be able to stop. Not even I am that strong.

There will be no going back if I do this, if I admit to her that my heart has been hers ever since I laid eyes on her that fateful day two years ago. Instead of being terrified by the thought, I feel an unexpected sense of peace well inside of me, one that I hadn't felt in more years than I can possibly count.

She leans in close, her warm breath a feather's touch against my ear and I can't help but shiver in response. "You can kiss me, Bruce," she whispers so sensually in my ear, my eyes falling closed as it draws me in and hypnotizes me. "I promise I won't bite."

A soft moan escapes my lips despite my best efforts to contain the fire that she is stimulating deep within me and I can't wait any longer. Stopping in the middle of our dance, I release my hold on her long enough to take her by the hand and lead her out of the ballroom and to an empty side corridor where no one will see us.

Before she can utter another word, I have her pressed up against the wall, my mouth claiming hers with a fierce desire that can no longer be controlled. My fingers slip up into her braided hair as I tilt my head to deepen the kiss, Diana answering my passion with her own.

She readily parts her red lips, allowing me entrance and beseeching for more. I greedily and happily comply, my tongue creating a sensual slide against hers as I drink my fill and then some. Her taste is everything I could have imagined and more. She's like the finest wine, sweet and addicting and leaving me wanting so much more.

I swallow her moan along with one of my own that is rising up in my throat, my hand slipping down her body to find the slit in the dress that has been teasing and taunting me since she first arrived. My fingers lightly graze along the soft skin of her upper thigh and I feel her tremble against me.

Finally forced to retreat for life-preserving air, I pull back to gaze into her sapphire eyes clouded with lust and desire that I'm positive mirror my own at that moment. "I have to go out on patrol tonight," I tell her. "Can you come over when I'm finished?"

Her smile returns even brighter than before and I can't help but be completely dazzled by it. "I'll be there waiting for you when you return."

"You don't mind skipping the charity benefit, do you?" I ask, nuzzling her neck with my nose and mouth.

"Do you really have to ask?" she gasps in a sinfully sexy manner that does nothing to help me stop where this is swiftly heading at the moment.

I pull back to look at her, my own breathing ragged. "Good," I smirk. "The tabloids are going to field day with me being seen leaving the gala with Wonder Woman for at least a year or more."

"Normally, I'd take issue with that, but…," she murmurs as she nips at my earlobe, sucking on it and nearly causing my eyes to roll back in my head. "…I'm willing to overlook it if everything they'll say comes true…"

I swiftly lean in; kissing her with a heated passion that is only a minor taste of what I really feel for her, of what I will be unleashing on her later tonight when I'm finally free to fulfill my every desire and fantasy. My leg shifts in between hers and she gasps sharply as I brush against her center, her fingers digging more firmly into my back as we continue to kiss.

I suddenly think that patrol can wait for one night, Gotham surviving without me, when she unexpectedly pulls away. "Go," she breathlessly says, fighting to catch her breath and her own growing desire. "Gotham needs you now, but I get to have you later."

I groan loudly with her insinuation and yet I can't help but love her even more for allowing me to be who I need to be. That is how I know with complete certainty that this something more than worth pursuing…that she is worth risking my heart for.

"Have I ever told you how much I love to see you in red?" I tell her with a crooked smile, keeping her pinned against the wall with my body, positive she can feel the evidence of my arousal.

"I might have had a feeling," she teases me as she shyly averts her eyes.

So she's known all along. Once again, I have underestimated her abilities. The fact that she had been able to discern my identity so quickly should have been my first clue that the naïve, innocent princess from a magical mythical island isn't exactly all that naïve after all.

My smirk broadens as I brush my lips against hers one last time. "So you do know what you do to me then, don't you?"

"Oh, yes, my Dark Knight," she murmurs softly. "And soon, you'll be able to see just what you do to me as well."

Her flirtatiousness is pushing me closer and closer to the edge of abandoning my patrol tonight, but I know that she will not allow me. A firm hand on my chest gently pushes me away from her. "The sooner you leave, the sooner you can return home."

Drawing a deep breath, I run my fingers back through my hair as I fight to rein in the lust pounding wildly through my veins, the love for her that fuels every single beat of my heart. "I love you, Princess," I find myself saying as I force myself to put a little distance between us.

I utter the words without a second thought and it feels as natural as breathing. I find that I don't regret saying it one bit, the warmth that suddenly illuminates her eyes making it more than worth it even if she doesn't return the heartfelt sentiment just yet.

"I love you too, Bruce," she confesses with a smile that not only lights up my heart, but could also light up the whole world.

My throat constricts with emotion, finally hearing the words that I've been longing to hear for so long now, but had never realized it until that moment. This is what I want; she is what I want more than anything in this world.

I slowly nod my head with a smile, unable to find the words to express just how much she truly means to me. Love just seems so inadequate to describe what I feel for this woman, not nearly powerful enough…meaningful enough. Just as I turn to leave, her voice causes me to stop in my tracks.

"Oh and by the way, Bruce," she says, causing me to turn back towards her. "I can't promise that I won't bite later."

I groan again, my eyes falling closed as I pinch the bridge of my nose. "You're making it damn near impossible to leave you right now, Princess."

"Just a little something to help you move quickly through your patrol tonight," she so innocently teases me.

I stalk back towards her, kissing her long and hard once more before finally releasing her and leaving the building before I can change my mind. This will no doubt be the longest patrol of my entire life tonight...and the shortest.

I race home, removing my black bowtie even as I enter the manor. Alfred is there in less than a heartbeat, ready and willing if I should need anything. A small smirk appears on his lips as I swiftly stalk past him, more than desperate to get to the Batcave and out on patrol so I can return to Diana.

"Did you have a pleasant evening, Master Bruce?"

"Yes," I curtly reply. "I'm going out on patrol. I won't be gone long."

"I take it Miss Diana will be arriving soon as well," Alfred says.

It's more of a statement than a question and it stops me dead in my tracks. "How did you know?"

"I believe it was the particular shade of ruby red lipstick on your lips that was the biggest giveaway, Sir," Alfred responds, his voice full of triumphant glee.

My fingers instantly go to my lips in stunned disbelief, wiping away the evidence of my evening's activities. Seeing the red on the tips of my fingers, I can't help the smile that spreads across my face. Red is most definitely my favorite color.

Ruby…scarlet…crimson…fire engine…fire cracker…cardinal…candy apple…barn…wine

It makes no difference the shade or hue, the kind or how dark it actually is. I most definitely love the color red, but even more than that I am deeply and madly in love with the person that it always reminds me of.

THE END (?)