Title: Crystal-Blue Persuasion (1/1)
Author: BradyGirl_12
Pairings/Characters: Steve/Diana, Clark/Bruce
Genres: Challenge, Fluff, Romance, Slice-Of-Life
Rating: R
Claim: For the
dcu_freeforall Challenge
(Diana/Steve)Prompt: T 10; P 10: Crystal
Prompt Count: (7/15)
Warnings: None
Spoilers: None
Summary: Clark and Bruce invite Diana and Steve to the Fortress Of Solitude for the weekend. First, a dinner party.
Date Of Completion: April 27, 2009
Date Of Posting: April 28, 2009
Disclaimer: I don’t own ‘em, DC does, more’s the pity.
Word Count: 2449
Feedback welcome and appreciated.
Better get ready
To see the light
Love, love is the answer
And that's all right.
Tommy James and the Shondells
"Crystal-Blue Persuasion"
June 1969
Everything sparkled with diamond brilliance.
Truly, Clark’s Fortress of Solitude was a beautiful place. Diana had been here before, but in the course of a mission, with little time to look around and appreciate its unique beauty. This time she was an invited guest, and it was Steve’s first time ever.
Clark was showing her the flowers in his conservatory, Earth blossoms and plants mixed with those from other worlds. There were flowers that looked like jewels, and those that were so tiny you needed a microscope to see them, and others as big as a house. She never failed to be amazed at the world that Clark lived in as Superman.
In another part of the conservatory Bruce was showing Steve a waterfall, surrounded by brilliant flowers. Diana watched them with a fond smile.
“Smell this blossom,” Clark urged, and Diana leaned forward to a blue-and-yellow flower from the planet Saturnalia.
“Oh!” She felt her heart rate increase and dizziness cause her to reach out, Clark grasping her arm. “What is this?”
“Poison Ivy would love it,” he said with a wink.
“Sex pollen!”
“Actual sex pollen, yes, but it wouldn’t really give you the full effect unless you stood here sniffing it all day, or ground up the seeds for a potion.”
Diana laughed. “So you find this a favorite?”
Clark grinned, glancing at their lovers. “Possibly.” He was dressed in his primary colors, but in Kryptonian robes, a medallion with the House of El symbol sparkling with rubies, sapphires, and topazes on gold.
Bruce wore the matching consort’s regalia, the colors blue, black, and yellow to symbolize his House, and the silver medallion he wore was embossed with the ancient Wayne family crest.
Diana was pleased with her robes. She wore the same primary colors as Clark, matching her costume, and her medallion bore the royal crest of her mother’s lineage, surrounded by stars and topped by an eagle. Steve’s medallion was his family’s Irish lineage crest, searched out by the Trevors years ago and given to Clark to manufacture the appropriate jewelry. Steve’s colors were green, white, and yellow.
Diana liked the lightweight fabric and soft slippers, and the wide collar and cloak was an interesting fashion. Tiny sequins sparkled every time she moved, and it was an effect for the men’s clothes as well. Her outfit was a gown while the men wore tights beneath their robes.
She wore a crystal tiara and the men wore headbands. Strict Kryptonian dress code would have required her to wear a headband, too, but Clark had gifted her with the tiara. It sparked with blue-white beauty, the point shaped like a star.
Her bracelets were sheathed in silver, and light played off the metal as she reached out to cup a pink-white tulip.
“Clark, how about we move to the Hall of Trophies next?” Bruce called.
Clark nodded and escorted Diana to the doorway. Steve beamed as he said, “This is an amazing place, Clark!”
“Thanks, Steve.” Clark’s pride shone in his voice. “This way to the Hall of Trophies.”
The Hall of Trophies was impressive. There were no giant pennies or dinosaurs but exotic commemorations of past exploits and cases, some from other planets. One giant trophy nearly blinded everyone with a dazzling array of jewels, a gift from the people of Javella for saving them from a giant asteroid that would have devastated their planet.
The giant statues of Jor-El and Lara guarding the inner sanctum of the Fortress were not the only sculptures. Clark explained that creating statues of loved ones had been a time-honored tradition on Krypton. He had inherited the predilection for the custom, and Diana and Steve marveled at the statues of Lana Lang, Pete Ross, Lois Lane, Jimmy Olsen, Perry White, the JLA and Teen Titans, and special places for Bruce and Dick, and there were two statues that brought amazed expressions to Diana and Steve’s faces.
Their sculptured selves were holding hands, strong and beautiful and ready to take on the world.
“Wow,” Steve said, awe in his voice at how lifelike the works were. “Did you sculpt these, Clark, or was it the AI?”
“All me.”
Diana was surprised. She had thought it was the AI, too. “Beautiful work, Clark.”
He smiled and Bruce squeezed his hand.
Diana was pleased that Bruce felt comfortable enough to show affection in front of her and Steve.
They were given the 50-cent tour, Clark said jokingly, and then he asked, “Ready for dinner?”
Bruce and Steve fell into step behind Clark and Diana, and at the entrance to the living quarters were statues of Jonathan and Martha.
The interior of the living quarters was still crystalline, with splashes of color here and there. In the dining room, a round table was set with crystal glasses and real silverware, cranberry-colored napkins with the Wayne crest laid on each plate. The chairs were padded with blue velvet, and crystal candlesticks held white candles that Bruce lit as Clark disappeared into the kitchen. A servobot whirred into the dining room, carrying a tray with an ice bucket and champagne from the Wayne wine cellar.
“What a beautiful chandelier,” Diana said, looking up at the vaulted ceiling. Prisms of rainbow light sparkled as soft Arctic sunlight hit the chandelier just right.
“It reminds me of home,” Bruce said with a smile, midnight-blue eyes sparkling. He excused himself to go to the kitchen.
Steve shook out his napkin and laid it on his lap. “This place is truly amazing, but your trophy room suits me just fine.” He smiled and Diana was pleased.
“I do not have otherworldly objects in my Hall.”
“No, but I’d say Olympian gives Clark a good run for his money.”
Diana laughed and her earrings tinkled. She had traded her usual round red pair for the crystals, liking the musical sound.
Clark and Bruce came in, carrying crystal trays of food, and set them down on the table.
“A combination of Ma’s cooking, Alfred’s, and mine,” Clark said.
“I notice that Bruce is absent on that list,” said Diana.
“Ha, ha,” Bruce said as he took the champagne bottle out of the ice bucket and began pouring. Clark went back to the kitchen.
By the time their hosts sat down, Diana and Steve’s mouths were watering. First there were fresh rolls with soft butter, and a garden salad with ingredients fresh from the Kent kitchen garden. There was tender grilled chicken from Martha, and baked potatoes with sour cream and chives and squash with lightly-sprinkled cinnamon from Alfred.
“And this is your creation, Clark?” Diana asked as she ate a vegetable medley of beets, green beans, and baby red potatoes lightly braised and soaked in a savory oil she couldn’t quite identify.
Clark nodded. “I also grilled the corn-on-the-cob and did a little super-speed with scraping off the kernels to make a side dish.”
“He baked the bread, too,” Bruce said.
“With Bruce’s help.”
Both Diana and Steve froze in the act of taking a bite of their rolls. Clark burst out laughing and Bruce scowled.
“Don’t worry, they’re safe.” Clark took a bite.
“Clark, my friend, your stomach is not like ours,” Diana teased. “Steve and I need a more reliable taste tester!” She looked at Bruce.
“Forget it,” Bruce grumbled. “If you want to disparage my cooking, then you’ll have to eat at your own risk.”
Clark exchanged a wink with his friends, Bruce pretending not to notice.
“How are the modifications going to the Javelin?” Steve asked as he took a bite of chicken.
“Really well. We should have it back on-line by the end of the week.” Bruce added butter to his baked potato. “Michael’s been working on it the last few days. He says…”
Diana and Clark exchanged amused looks as their men talked nuts-and-bolts.
“I’ve been invited to give a speech at the U.N. next week,” Clark said as he poured another glass of champagne for Diana.
“Me, too!”
“We should go together.”
She nodded. “I am to speak on women’s rights. It is appalling how some cultures treat females.”
Conversation skittered from topic-to-topic, the four friends relaxed and enjoying each other’s company. Diana and Steve relayed a tale about Hal’s latest romantic disaster, and Clark told a funny story about Dick and Roy’s latest escapade, Bruce chiming in with clear affection for the young men he called ‘his boys’.
Diana was struck not for the first time by how Clark’s eyes were an otherworldly blue, and they sparkled like the crystals of the Fortress. She noticed Bruce gazing at his lover more than once with an adoration that she was not sure he was aware of showing.
Some would call Bruce cold, but I know better. And his eyes have been described as ‘frosty’, like the crystals in this Fortress, but again a misnomer, hiding a warmth that pleasures Clark’s heart.
She glanced at Steve, happily consuming his meal.
My Beloved’s eyes shimmer and sparkle like the crystals here, alive with warmth and love.
She squeezed his hand under the table and he smiled at her, squeezing back.
All three men with blue eyes, but with different shades of blue: Steve sapphire-blue, Bruce midnight-blue, Clark sky-blue. All very different men, yet also alike in many ways in their strength of courage, spirit, and love.
Men she was proud to call friends and lover.
& & & & & &
When the main course was finished, Clark went back to the kitchen and came out with a dessert tray.
“We have apple pie from Ma, chocolate cake from Alfred, and brownies from yours truly.”
“It’s hard to choose!” Steve said with a grin.
“Don’t worry, the leftovers are going home with you,” Clark assured him with a smile. “So whatever you don’t choose, you can still get a taste.”
Steve chose the pie, Diana the cake, and Bruce the brownies. Clark chose pie (of course) and laughter spiraled up from the table to the chandelier and beyond, the crystals absorbing the sound and sparkling brightly.
After dinner Clark cleaned up at super-speed, and then he and Bruce led Diana and Steve to what Clark called “my loft.”
The room was cozy, the crystals seeming more warm and vibrant here, or perhaps it was a reflection of the colorful afghan draped across the back of the couch, which was not crystal but wood, with well-worn light-green cushions. There were two other overstuffed chairs, also of wood, the rich, dark colors gleaming with polish. A hooked rug of rainbow colors was set in front of the couch, and there were framed pictures of country scenes on the walls.
Diana knew that the only other room in the Fortress with such color was Clark and Bruce’s bedroom, and she guessed this was their favorite room, after the bedchamber, of course. She smirked and Steve looked at her quizzically. She squeezed his hand and her eyes promised, “Tell you later.”
Clark invited them to sit on the couch while he and Bruce took the chairs. They were facing each other at opposite ends of the room, but since the chamber was so small, they were still fairly close.
“For tonight’s entertainment…” Clark said, waving his hand.
The wall of crystals about six feet in front of them shimmered and dissolved, Diana gasping, but then she quickly realized it was still there, just sheer glass now.
And she gasped again as the Aurora Borealis sparkled and flamed across the Arctic sky. Steve squeezed her hand and they watched the show in awe, their hosts smiling at them, then turning their chairs to face the wall, too.
No one spoke, the colors flickering over their faces and bodies as Nature held them in thrall.
Diana said a little prayer of thanks to be blessed with sight to see such beauty, to be with friends as close as these, and for her Beloved.
& & & & & &
The bedroom Clark and Bruce had given them held touches of color: a red vase of yellow-and-blue flowers, a red-yellow-and-blue quilt sewn by Martha at the foot of the bed, a pine bookcase made by Jonathan and overflowing with books.
Steve and Diana liked the colors. The crystals were beautiful but could give the impression of cold, even though Clark had made sure the temperature was comfortable for his human lover and friends.
The bed was covered in shimmering silver sheets. Diana sat on top of the silver as she brushed her hair, wearing a filmy nightgown that had been in the closet. The water was running in the bathroom as Steve brushed his teeth.
“What a beautiful sight that was, Angel,” he called from the bathroom.
“It was.” Diana hoped that they could see it again tomorrow night. Clark and Bruce had insisted that they stay for the weekend, because “you just can’t see everything in this Fortress in one night.” She and Steve had packed for the weekend but were happy to wear the Kryptonian-style clothing provided for them.
Steve turned off the faucet and emerged from the bathroom, Diana’s hand stilling in the act of brushing her hair.
Her Beloved’s skin glowed with a healthy tan, blond hair tumbling into his eyes, and the silver pajama bottoms complemented his coloring. Sapphire eyes twinkled as he saw her expression. Again she thought of the beautiful crystals surrounding them.
“Do I have pie stuck in my teeth?” he teased.
“No.” She began brushing again. “I am always awed at perfection.” She smiled as he blushed.
”Oh, you know how to sweet talk a guy.” Steve stretched, giving Diana a show.
“Come to bed, my Blond One,” she said, eyes and voice kindling with lust as she set aside her brush.
Steve smiled and climbed onto the silver sheets. He laughed. “This is so cool!”
Diana smiled. “Truly.” Her eyes grew soft with love. “You look good on silver sheets.”
He cupped her chin. “May I say the same?”
Diana clutched his shoulders, kissing her lover. As their kiss deepened, she was absorbed into silver and sunlight, as if the Gods themselves were smiling down upon them.
Her dark hair rippled down her back as she was gently lowered to the bed, her nightgown discarded on the crystal floor.
She moaned as her lover massaged her breasts, suckling each nipple, and moving over her with loving skill, his hardness between her legs, thrilling her. He whispered words of love, Diana’s heart soaring.
The crystals throbbed with rainbow light.
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