Only love can truly save the world. Diana, learned this the hard way after witnessing the loss of her loved ones. After nearly a century of moving place to place, she finally decides to put herself back into the world and soon learns that her belove...
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━━• chapter two; The War •━━
━━━━• •━━━━
I walk into Steve's part of the infirmary. He stands there in a towel hanging at his waist. He looks over, surprised to see me.
"I didn't hear you come in." He states clearly flustered.
"Would you say you're a typical example of your sex?" I question. Confusion crosses his face.
"Before this, I was below average, anyone could step on me, but now I'm above average, and I am still getting used to it."
"What's that?" I motion to the device by his clothes.
"It's a watch."
"A watch."
"t tells time. So, I know when to wake up, work, eat, sleep."
"You let this little thing tell you what to do?"
"Do you mind if I ask you a couple questions?" I shrug, and he continues. "What is this place?"
"Themyscira."
"I caught that before. I mean, what is this place? How come I've never heard of it? Who the hell are you people? How do you know English?" He shoots a question after question.
"We speak hundreds of languages. We are the bridge to a greater understanding between all men." The way Steve watches me makes me self-conscious.
"Hey, I didn't get to say it earlier... but thanks for dragging me out of the water."
"Thank you for what you did on the beach."
"So... Are you here to let me go?"
"I'm sorry... It's not up to me. I tried. I even asked them to send me with you --" Steve's eyes lighten with amusement and I backpedal in embarrassment. "-- or anyone. An Amazon. The Amazons."
"The Amazons?"
"It is our sacred duty to defend the world... and I wish to go. But my mother will not allow it."
"Can't say I blame her. The way this war is going, I wouldn't let anyone I care about near it."
"Then why do you want to go back?" Steve starts dressing. I look away slightly because of his hesitancy to do so.
"You start running they'll never let you stop." He replies. "You stand up and push back because you can't say no forever, right?" His words resonate with me, and I'm determined to help him.
━━━━•❅•°•❈•°•❅•━━━━
"I'm leaving in that?" Steve asks as we approach the vessel.
"We are." We dismount our horses
"We're leaving in that?"
"Do you not know how to sail?"
"Never learned." I nod to the boat with encouragement.
"Then it's a good thing I know how." Steve hesitates. "What?" Steve nods at the valley behind them, where Hippolyta and the Queen's Guard thunder in on their horses. Hippolyta raises her hand, signaling them to halt. She approaches Steve and me alone. I take a deep breath wishing my mother didn't find out. "I'm going, mother. I can't stand by while innocent lives are lost. If no one else will defend the world from Ares, then I must. I have to go --"
"I know." I find sadness on her face instead of the fury I was dreading. She gets off her horse. "Or at least I know that I cannot stop you. There is so much... so much you do not understand."
"I understand enough. That I'm willing to fight for those who cannot fight for themselves. Like you once did..."
"You know that if you choose to leave us, you may never return."
"Who will I be if I stay?" My mother nods, and climbs down from her horse, taking something from the saddle. She presents Antiope's headband.
"This belonged to the greatest warrior in our history -- make sure you are worthy of it."
"I will." She hands it to me.
"Be careful in the world of men, Diana, they do not deserve you." My mother's hands find the sides of my face.
"You have been my greatest love. Today you are my greatest sorrow." I walk away from my mother, and the only home I've ever known, with Steve by my side to the ship we will take from our island. I feel Steve's gaze on me as we walk away, but I make nothing out of it.
━━━━•❅•°•❈•°•❅•━━━━
After a couple of hours of sailing I find Steve making a makeshift palette.
"What are you doing?" I ask.
"Oh!" He exclaims startled. "I thought that maybe you would like some sleep." I smile at the jester.
"Thank you." I lay down. "What about you? Are you not sleeping? Does the average man not sleep?" Steve's words fumble out of his mouth trying to explain.
"Yes, we sleep. We just don't sleep with, uh..." He trails off.
"You don't sleep with women?"
"Out of the confines of marriage, It's not polite to assume, you know?" He settles into his position sitting upwards.
"Marriage?"
"Marriage. Do you not have that on..." He trails off before think of an answer. "You go before a judge and you swear to love honor and cherish each other until death do you part."
"And do they? Love each other till death?"
"I like to believe that people do."
"Why haven't you?"
"Women weren't exactly lined up to date someone they could step on, plus asking a woman always seemed so terrifying, and the past few years didn't seem to matter that much. Figured I'd wait."
"Wait for what?"
"The right partner." I smile softly at the conversation. "So, you cannot sleep with me unless I marry you."
"I will sleep with you if you want. I'll sleep right there." He points to where the empty spot next to me is.
"There's plenty of room."
"If you don't mind I'll sleep there." He begins to move.
"It's completely up to you." He chatter over each other before Steve settles in next to me. We are silent for a moment.
"Have you never met a man before? I mean what about your father?" Steve investigates.
"I had no father." I answer. "My mother sculpted me from clay and I was brought to life by Zeus."
"Oh. Well, that's not how babies are made where I come from." I move slightly closer to Steve.
"You refer to reproductive biology."
"I refer to more than that."
"Ah. The pleasures of the flesh." I glance at Steve and a flush has spread across his cheeks.
"You know about that?" He sounds surprised.
"Of course. I've read all twelve volumes of Clio's Treatises on Bodily Pleasure."
"All twelve, huh? You bring any of them with you?" I grin.
"You would not enjoy them. They came to the conclusion that men are essential for procreation, but when it comes to pleasure... unnecessary." Steve shoots me a look that has a challenge in it and make me feel self-conscious. I roll over on my side and bid him goodnight.
