DISCLAIMER: The Justice League of America
characters are the property of DC Comics. The story contents are the creation and
property of Djinn and are copyright (c) 2006 by Djinn. This story is Rated
PG-13.
Faster than Paradise
by Djinn
Time flies, but not on
monitor duty. Wally peeked into the monitor room and saw that Wonder Woman had
the rotation. Not one of his favorite people or one he thought would appreciate
a visit.
Somehow she must have sensed him. She turned to look at him. "Wally?"
"Yeah?" He sped
over to her.
"Do you think I'm too
hard on people?"
This had to be a trick
question. "Uh, why?"
"You do think that. You'd
answer otherwise." She leaned forward in the seat, probably completely
unaware of what that did to her cleavage. Had she had to learn to compensate
for those puppies when she was growing up?
She seemed to figure out
where he was looking, because she turned red and sat back up. "Never
mind."
"Hey, I—"
"Get out." She made
Bats sound perky.
"Okey dokey." And he fled. Like a smart little Flash.
##
The smell was horrendous. Bodies
were strewn everywhere. This time the League had been too late. Wally looked
around but saw that the others had already turned to go.
He knew J'onn
had probably scanned for stray thoughts. He knew Supes could hear heartbeats. He
knew Bats could probably tell if there were survivors just by virtue of being
him.
But he still did a quick
run-through. Checking every body
he found.
He was even more depressed
when he got done.
Diana was waiting for him at
the door to the Javelin. "No survivors?" Her eyes were gentle.
"Nope."
"Do you always do that? Check?"
She looked out, and he saw tears in her eyes. Brimming, but not spilling over. "Check
on them?"
"Yeah. I always
do."
"I didn't know
that." She touched him on the arm, then headed inside.
##
Wally heard a weird crashing
sound from the kitchen. He zipped in and saw Diana weaving through the room. He
caught her as she tripped and landed heavily against his chest, boobs first. She
smelled like a still.
"Gonna
ogle me again, mister?" She definitely sounded drunk.
"Uh, no."
"Why not? Am I not
worthy of ogling?" The warrior was coming out. He'd have been more scared
if the warrior could stand up on her own.
"You're totally worthy
of it. But you'll probably hurt me if I try."
"Do you think I'm
pretty, Wally?" She pushed back her hair and nearly fell backwards, but he
caught her.
"Everyone thinks you're
pretty, Diana." Men. Women. Aliens with tentacles. She was a definite
hottie.
"Not everyone."
This had to be about Bruce. Big
bat dummy didn't seem to want her. Or he did want her but wasn't going to allow
himself to have her. Moron.
"He's not worth getting
drunk over."
"I didn't get drunk over
him. I was on a mission and I had to blend."
"Okay." He led her
to a chair. "So how much did you drink?"
"Too much. But you
should see John and Shayera. They can't even
walk." She giggled. "I was trying to make coffee."
He sped to the machine,
whipped up a triple espresso, and had it back to her in no time.
"Thanks. You're so
sweet."
"Yeah, tell me that when
you're not drunk off your ass."
She laughed and wove her way
to the door. But she looked steadier already. Never underestimate the power of
Amazon will over homemade hooch.
##
A great cheer went up from
the troops fighting with the League as the alien menace was routed. Flash
whipped around the battlefield, checking on the wounded, helping round up the
captured enemy. He stopped finally and stood on the side, watching to see where
else he was needed.
Diana flew down and landed
next to him. "Hi."
"Hey."
"So...I
just wanted to say thanks."
"You're welcome." He
glanced over at her. "For what, by the way?"
"For the other night. The
coffee. The talk. I wasn't at my best."
He laughed. "Even at
your worst, you're still in control."
"I don't know. I was
upset."
"I would be, too, if I
were you. He's a moron."
She seemed to grow very
still. Had he offended her? Was she going to hurt him?
Then she sighed. "He is,
isn't he?"
"Damn straight."
"Right." She looked
down at the ground.
He touched her arm, letting
his hand linger. "Doesn't make it hurt any less, huh?"
"No. It doesn't." She
put her hand over his and squeezed gently for a moment. "Well, back to
work." And then she was gone.
He could have sworn his hand
tingled where she'd touched him.
##
Wally trailed Diana from the
conference room.
"You're following
me." She didn't sound half as annoyed as she would have in the past.
"I am."
She stopped but didn't talk
as Supes and Bats walked by. Wally noticed Bruce looking back at them.
"He's jealous," he
said softly.
"So what? He won't do
anything about it."
"True."
She studied him. "Were
you following me for a reason?"
"Do you like action
movies?" At her look, he grinned. "You know, fighting and maybe
samurai stuff? Or car chases and ka-bang!"
"Don't we get enough of
that in the League?"
"It's escapist when it's
not us."
"Do you want to know if
I like them or if I want to go to one with you?"
Wow. She was making this
major easy. "Whichever one you like best?"
"Are you asking me out
on a date?"
"Will you hurt me if I
say yes?"
She laughed. "No."
"Then, yes."
"Then, okay."
"Really?"
She nodded.
"Okay," he said,
taking her arm and leading her to their rooms so they could change into street
guise, "you cannot critique the fighting. Just go with it, all
right?"
"That will be very
difficult."
"I'm sure you're up to
the challenge, Diana."
He thought her throaty laugh
was the sexiest thing he'd ever heard.
##
Wally flinched as a shadow
fell across him. He'd known this moment would come.
"What do you think
you're doing?" Bruce asked.
Wally looked up. Bruce was
looming. Doing that hulking Bat-thing that was so damned intimidating.
"What do you mean?"
"You know what I mean,
fast guy."
"Oh, horning in on your
woman, you mean?"
Bruce sighed.
"What's your problem? She's
amazing. And smart. And funny. And so damn sexy." Wally stood up, trying
to mitigate the looming factor. "And you're walking away from her."
"I have to."
"Why?"
"You wouldn't
understand."
"Yeah, well neither does
she."
Bruce sighed again. Then he
turned and walked off.
"That's it? That's all
you've got?"
Bruce glanced back with one
of his better glares. "Just don't hurt her."
##
The waves beat up against the
sand of the deserted island. Wally set out the food he'd collected from all
over the world. It was the best of the best.
Diana laughed as she sat down
on the blanket he'd spread out for them. "Quite
the feast."
"I wasn't sure what you
liked."
"I eat anything."
And never gained a pound. Chicks
must hate her. "Well, you say that now. But I wanted to be safe. I got all
my favs."
"Thanks. It's
nice." Her smile was shy.
Wally wondered how much
effort Bruce had gone to for her. Other than singing in that nightclub when
she'd been turned into a pig. Wally wasn't supposed to know about that, but the
League could be a pretty gossipy place, especially where liaisons were
concerned. He wondered how many of his colleagues knew this little picnic was
taking place.
He watched her dish up a very
healthy plate. He loved a woman who could eat.
"I brought wine. Or
water. Or soda." He couldn't tell if she liked any of those choices. "Or
I can get something else. Tea, picked fresh from Sri Lanka?" He was almost
up when she reached out and put her hand on his arm.
"Water is fine,
Wally." She studied him, the way Ray studied a
fun new specimen. "You're nervous, aren't you?"
"Gosh, what was your
first clue?"
She smiled. "I'm
nervous, too."
"Yeah?"
She nodded.
"Cool." He took a
deep breath, let it out slowly. "I uh... Can I just... I think that if
we..." He stopped, unable to get it out.
She leaned in. "You
think if we what?"
He stared at her lips as she
formed each syllable. God, she had nice lips.
"I think if we kiss it
might make things easier. You know...get it over with."
"Over with. So you only want to kiss me once?" Her look was pure
"I'm a stranger in your land," but he knew she was screwing with him.
"Yeah, Princess. I only
want to kiss you once."
He saw something in her eyes
and realized Bruce called her that a lot. "Sorry, didn't mean to remind
you of him."
"It's okay. He's not the
only one who calls me that."
"But he's the only one
who matters, right?" Well, him or Supes. The whole damn Trinity thing. Friends.
Super-friends.
Super-duper-friends.
She leaned in and kissed him.
Her lips didn't just look nice, they felt amazing. Then she backed off and went
back to eating.
He just stared at her.
She looked up. "Better
now? Can you eat?"
He started to laugh. "Was
that even remotely good for you?"
"You weren't trying very
hard."
"You took me by
surprise." He dished up a plate, then stopped, frowning at her. "And
how do you know if I was trying? Aren't you supposed to be the little innocent
from the island of all woman—oh, holy mother of...do you have any vids?"
She began to laugh. "You're
a very strange man."
"I notice you're not
saying you don't have any."
"Shut up and eat."
"Am I going to get another
kiss?"
"Not today. You said you
just wanted the one, remember?" Her smile was very mean.
"I was kidding."
She shrugged.
"Flash-tease."
Her smile didn't get any
nicer. And she leaned over a lot. He even caught her glancing up a few times as
if to see where his attention was directed.
It was going to be a long freakin' picnic.
##
Wally felt his footing give
out but was going too fast to stop and hurtled off the cliff. Off balance and
dazed from some gas he'd run through earlier, he realized he was falling fast
and hard.
Until someone caught him.
"Sloppy," Diana
said, hugging him close. "Tired from our late night?"
They'd gone to Paris. Sat on
top of Notre Dame and just talked. Well, okay, and kissed. A lot. She really
liked to kiss.
She was really good at it,
too.
"You still with me,
Wally?"
"Uh, huh." His face
was sort of smooshed into her breastplate. "Is this your idea of
CPR?"
She laughed. Which made the
breastplate move. His nose was firmly entrenched in
her cleavage. Even her sweat smelled good.
"Enjoying
yourself?"
"Do you have to
ask?" He extricated his face from paradise and looked at her. "And
thanks for the assist."
"Sure." She flew
them over land, dropped him the short distance.
He sped away as he landed and
lost track of her as the fight went on. Finally, a lull landed him next to
John.
"So?"
"So?" Wally was
scanning, trying to find her. There—over by Shayera
and J'onn.
"So, when were you going
to tell me?"
"Tell you what?"
"That you and
Diana...?"
"As if." He grinned
at John.
"Good for you, Buddy. You've
lightened her up a bit."
"Oh, spoken like the
original fun-lovin' guy." Wally laughed. "She's
really nice."
"She is?" John made
a face. "I mean I know she's all about ideals and that. But nice?"
"No, she is. And
fun."
"Wonder Woman is
fun?"
Wally nodded. "Really
fun."
"You're so gone."
"Am not." But he
was. And he knew it.
##
Monitor duty was boring as
hell. Wally switched from camera to camera through the watchtower as he also
checked out the events down on the Earth below.
Then he stopped. Diana was in
the hallway outside the gym. Talking to Bruce. It looked like an intense conversation.
Wally forced himself to switch views.
He'd always suspected this
thing between them had a shelf life.
He watched three rounds of
planetary screens before he realized he hadn't processed a thing. His chest
hurt, felt tight. And he was having a hard time swallowing.
How stupid had he been? Trying
to compete against the mighty Bats? Trying to win her?
Going and falling in love
with her. So. Damn. Stupid.
The door opened.
"Hey," she said
softly.
"Just do it quick."
"What?" She walked
in, her stride unhurried, her look unruffled.
Man, she was cold.
"You know. Strike fast. One
blow."
"You want me to hit
you?" She looked very confused.
"I know why you're
here."
"Okay." She moved
around him, watching the screens run through their cycle.
"Are you enjoying
this?"
"Am I enjoying what? You
being very weird?"
"You came here to break
up with me."
Her eyebrow went way, way up.
Did she not even think they
had enough of a relationship to break up from? Damn.
"I think you've been
working too hard, Wally."
"Nice segue way. Get me
out of the tower. A little break. Some distance."
"Sort of what I had in
mind." She reached out, opened her palm, and a key fell down, dangling
from her fingers. "I know you like the beach."
"What's that?" The
key to his room at the asylum for men crazy enough to fall for her?
"It's a key." She
took a deep breath. "To a villa. On the beach. In Spain."
At least it would be a nice
insane asylum.
"A lovely consolation
prize for our departing contestant." He pocketed it. "Thanks. I hope
you two are very happy."
"Huh?" She really
did look confused.
"You and Bruce."
"Wally, the villa is for
us."
"I saw you with Bruce. Just
now. In the hall."
"Yes. He stopped to give
me this. He thinks we should get away. Take a little break. Get some distance
from here."
Wally felt his world tilt—Bruce
had given her the keys to a romantic hideaway? And didn't plan to take her
there himself?
The man was a certifiable
moron.
"Us?"
She moved closer. "Us. Unless
you don't want to?"
"Will there be
kissing?"
"I imagine so." Her
smile was so damn sexy he wanted to leave right then. Then she ratcheted it up
a notch. "Maybe more than kissing."
He had to sit down. "Really?
You're not just trying to kill me with anticipation?"
"Unless you're not
interested?"
"I'm interested."
"Good. I'll be in the
gym. Come get me when you're off duty."
He stopped her as she turned.
"Are you sure. About this?"
For a second, he thought he
saw something under the sexy bravado. Something a little bit...scared.
"We don't have to do
anything you don't want to. Just...spending time is good." That statement
was so going to get him booted from the Guy's Club. Next he'd be telling her
they could just hold each other.
"I want to." But
there was that hesitation again.
He looked down. "Let's
just take this slow." He could feel the testosterone draining out of him.
"I'm so glad it's
you," she whispered, and then she was kissing him, her mouth open, her
tongue very busy, and he felt his manhood reaffirmed.
So, apparently, did she. She
pushed up against him, wriggling a little in a way that surprised him—and made
him a very happy boy.
"You think Bruce would
trade shifts?"
She laughed and let him go. "Don't
push your luck."
"Okay." He grinned
at her. "You could take the watch for a minute while I pack. Save us time
later?"
"I could do that."
He sped out and packed
everything he thought they'd need. And a few things he hoped to hell they'd
need. Then he hurried back to the monitor room.
"That was fast."
"That's my
specialty." He frowned. "But...not in everything, if you get my
drift. I can take my time."
"Can you?" Her
smile was a mix of tease and innocent.
"Count on it." He
gave her one last kiss, then slapped her on the butt as she turned to go.
"You do like to live
dangerously." But she only grinned and walked out.
He smiled as he stared down
at his hand. It still tingled where it had touched her. "I sure do."
FIN