Flashback: In another time, another place, another life....

[mr_bruce_wayne]

Bruce had been in the middle east for a good five years - long enough to earn a place amongst his brethren there. Once fair skin had tanned brown from the sun, and unless one looked into his bright blue eyes, few gave the man a second look as he passed among the peoples of the desert.

He had caught the eye of a certain warlord however, and the brave and strong warrior had brought much honor to the clan. because of this, the warlord had offered his only daughter to Bruce, yet Bruce had declined with as much honor as he could. He did not deserve such a prize, and claimed that his lord's thanks for all that hard work was enough thanks.

It wasn't because Bruce didn't want Talia.. it was just.. he had work to do.

Bruce was still finding himself, at the ripe old age of 25, and he still had a goal in life that had to be fulfilled. He couldn't be taking a wife (no matter how much he enjoyed her company and sought her out to speak for long hours in the garden,) until his goals were completed.

Ah.. but the Warlord was wise, and saw the attraction between the blue-eyed man and his beautiful daughter. And so, Ra's endeavored to legitimatize their marriage the good old fashioned way. He summoned Talia to his side and told her of his plan, and then sent Talia and her soon-to-be husband off in to the desert on a wild goose chase. Ra's had declared them married, and so they were. Once the relationship had been consummated, it would be binding and considered lawful in the eyes of their peoples.

That goose chase had been leading them in big winding circles through the desert, and about a week into it, tensions were running high. It was hard for Bruce to deny that a part of himself called out to Talia, and it was becoming increasingly hard for him to treat her with the respect that her culture demanded. If she were American, the whole situation might be different - but he knew better than to lay a hand on the girl, lest he face her father's wrath. He had no idea their whole mission was aimed in fact for him to breakdown and take what was already his.

Night was falling, and Bruce had spent the last little bit setting up their small cozy tent. There was barely enough room for one person, let alone two, but the small low tent was preferable in storms because it offered more shelter than a bigger and more easily pulled over tent would offer. The desert was starting to settle into night, and once he had the tent set, he went about starting them a fire so that they might share some tea.

"It will be a beautiful night." he said to Talia is perfect, flawless Arabic.

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[mr-bruce-wayne.livejournal.com]

Unable to continue looking into her eyes, Bruce turned his face away as a flush darkened his cheeks. He hoped that the waning light hid it, for he was quite sure that the astute Talia would know any way. She seemed to instinctively know more about him than made him comfortable.

The water started to boil, and he flashed her a bit of a playful smirk before he motioned for her to climb on within the tent. He soon joined her with the pot of water and their single tea cup to share.

The inside of the tent had yet to be situated, and all the blankets and bedding had been tossed in there quickly to keep the sand out. Bruce sealed the door and then turned over onto his side, half lounging with his weight on an elbow as he reached for the water. The tent was so small that one could barely sit up and not brush the top of the tent.

"You wanted to work on your English?" he then asked, switching to the mentioned language. Outside of the tent, the fire provided dim and flickering light.

[all-for-father.livejournal.com]

"Yes," she said, her accent still thick, "My pronunciation," she stumbled slightly over that word, "And some of the metaphors are quite strange," which was, she hoped, the correct word. It was hard to think with how close they were. She searched his face for sighs of the flush she had seen early and just to take it in.

[mr-bruce-wayne.livejournal.com]

"Part of the strangeness of the metaphors has to do with culture." replied Bruce in that same soft, velvety tone as he felt his lips want to pull into a smile. "For instance, if someone refers to a 'rule of thumb' it is generally considered a standard convention for the subject at hand. The phrase has it's roots in early English and Colonial culture, which wouldn't have much bearing for you, given the part of the world you grew up in."

He poured the water into the cup of leaves and then set it between them to allow it to steep. Their dinner would be more preserved meat and fruits, though it would be a bit before they partook of it, Bruce was sure.

"What are some of the things that are the strangest to you? Perhaps I can help you understand them better." he then offered.

[all-for-father.livejournal.com]

"Ah. So does this also apply to 'all your ducks in a row'? Or claiming a little bird told you?" she asked, "So many of them strike me as simply being odd and unusual," Talia said, not letting her eyes leave his face. The tent forced them close together, but she hardly minded that at all.

[mr-bruce-wayne.livejournal.com]

Laughing softly, Bruce nodded his head as the full smile that had been threatening to spill past his lips finally did, and he laid down fully on his side so that his head rested in his upturned hand.

"In a way, yes. I don't know if you've ever seen a mother duck and her hatchlings, but they will all walk in a line one after the other. So to have 'all your ducks in a row' means that you have all the details of the subject matter lined up and neat." he then said, his voice warming more as they spoke.

Bruce had a fantastic ability to be formal and polite during the day, but increasingly at night, in the tent, he was beginning to relax more and more. Tonight was a good example - he didn't even stop to think that it might be considered inappropriate for him to lounge so in front of another man's daughter. Then again, Talia had been doing a much better job than she thought in helping him feel comfortable.

Bruce took up the tea and brought it to his lips, his dark eyes peering at her over the rim as he took a dainty sip. At least in the culture of their clan, he was careful to always drink before Talia, to show that he had not poisoned the tea. While he knew that she did not think he might have ever done that, it was what was proper and expected.

Of course, in traditional cultures, the man whom took the first drink was not supposed to look at his present company with such a smoldering expression.

[all-for-father.livejournal.com]

"No, I have not seen them. There were swans in gardens where we stayed once, but they did not travel in rows. Though I am told they did mate for life," she mused. After he had taken his sip she took one.

Her lips were where his lips were. In Japan they called it an indirect kiss. She savored it, a flush in response to his gaze.

[mr-bruce-wayne.livejournal.com]

Bruce felt like he was going to explode or something. He was observant, and saw how she turned the cup and the took such a delicate sip. His training in Japan had taught him much, and Bruce was an astute enough man to be quite aware of Talia's flirtations with him.

Clearing his throat, Bruce drew himself up, the motion drawing him closer to Talia. He wasn't quite sure what drew him to reach out, his fingers picking and the sleeve of her traveling clothes. They weren't nearly as fine as some of the things he had seen her in before, during their long talks in the walled garden of her father's stronghold, but the fabric was still fine and it gave him something to focus on. Something of hers to touch that wasn't directly Talia's flesh.

Lips parted as though he might say something, Bruce then turned his dark eyes up to Talia's face before he said softly, "Swans are not the only creature who mates for life. Wolves.. penguins.." he then smirked a bit in amusement, and added "Humans are supposed to as well, though it doesn't always happen like that in the city that I am from. Perhaps here in the desert, things are different.."

[all-for-father.livejournal.com]

"Penguins?" she echoed that bit right after he said it, amused. The word was as funny as the birds themselves. "Here, once declared it is binding. Unless in a case of abuse," which sadly was often not the case in most middle eastern cultures anymore. Traditionally a woman could take her bridal jewelry and return to her family at any time she wanted.

"But in almost all cases it is for life," she said.

[mr-bruce-wayne.livejournal.com]

He knew that they were beating around the bush, and he knew that she was speaking of him. Bruce felt very bad for the girl who sat next to him. Ra's often did not take no for an answer, and the more that Bruce learned about the marriage customs of his people.. the more he realized that he was in a no-win situation.

"Talia, I.." he said softly, his voice trailing off. He was caught by those eyes of hers, held fast by her gaze so that he couldn't look away. "I.. I never meant to hurt you, or.. or reject you. There's just little room in my life for someone else when there is so much work left to be done."

Still, he inched closer, drawn by her and her words as well as the words she wasn't saying. Bruce hadn't missed the stars in her eyes or the looks of longing. He wore an expression much like hers though, his held a certain edge of grimness. Bruce wanted to give in, but it seemed he just needed one more little push.

[all-for-father.livejournal.com]

"Taking anything of mine does not mean you have to stay here if you feel compelled to leave," she said, looking up at him, "There is no chain between us that binds you to this place. And I have a great deal of experience with men and the work they do. And how it drives them. So, do not have fear, I do not," not of this anyway.

[mr-bruce-wayne.livejournal.com]

"I still don't see it as being very fair, when it comes time for me to go back to my city, to take your heart with me and leave my own behind in the desert." he said softly, though Talia's words had won him over.

His fingers slid along the fabric at her wrist, ghosting a trail of touch across the back of her hand and then curled his fingers through her own and gave the girl's hand a squeeze. "It's not fair, is it?" he then mused softly.

The temperature was dropping fast though, and Bruce gave a shiver before he finally closed the distance between them and curled an arm around Talia's shoulders. With her so close, the scent of her hair making him dizzy, Bruce didn't feel quite like he was in control of himself as he reached out and tipped Talia's chin up to his own before gently pressing his lips to hers in the most gentle of kisses.

[all-for-father.livejournal.com]

"Life is not fair," she muttered, breathless after the kiss, "But I will survive and do so happily," she leaned in to steal another one. This small tent made it so they would be close no matter what, but she wanted more contact.

[mr-bruce-wayne.livejournal.com]

"What is.. simple survival isn't enough?" he countered, though Bruce was lost. Talia was like liquid silk in his arms, and once he got her against him, he couldn't quite hold back his wandering hands. Those kisses she offered though left him just as breathless as she was.

For a moment he pulled away, but only enough in which to gather the bedding more around them, and then quickly returned to the warm Talia-filled nest.

Somehow, the tiny tent made the whole world outside seem to not exist, and as it faded away, all of Bruce's lofty concerns and reasons seemed to be fading as well. All that seemed to matter was the shapely girl in his arms, and the sweet honeyed kisses that she was offering.

"Maybe I should stop worrying about how unfair things are going to be, and instead worry about how things are right now.." he whispered against her lips between kisses.

[all-for-father.livejournal.com]

"Mmm," she agreed without words, "To live in the moment," her voice was husky, "It is where I very much want to be," she said, stealing kisses between words. Luckily, this came very naturally.

[mr-bruce-wayne.livejournal.com]

Talia's soft words were enough to convince him, and Bruce found himself getting lost in the kisses that she offered. Of course, as was the ways of kisses, one thing lead to another.. and within due time the fire outside had long since been extinguished with sand, yet there was more than enough warmth inside the tiny tent.

Though the dim light of the moon high above, gentle hands traced over Talia's form until she was squirming. Then just as gently, just as reverentially, those same hands slipped the obstructing cloth from her skin and pulled Talia to Bruce's chest within the warm circle of his arms.

In the moodlight, Bruce kissed along a shapely shoulder, his hands rough on such satin flesh. In many ways, it was almost like he was touching another for the first time, for in many ways, it was. Bruce had never denied himself to the point where he could no longer resist.

Talia might not have been his first lover, but she was very much the first one that he cared for the way he cared for her. That shown in the way he touched her, the way he smiled to her in the low silvery light.

[all-for-father.livejournal.com]

Where she knew that she was not his first, he most certainly was her first in every sense of the word. One advantage to her parentage was it had left her unspoiled. The anticipation of touch, like an unrevealed mystery, had her skin tingling and alive. In return her hands wandered shyly over his shoulders and chest, her lips softly exploring everywhere they had access too.

[mr-bruce-wayne.livejournal.com]

The soft touches caused Bruce to murmur a low sound deep in his throat, and soon enough he had shed his clothing as well. With a hiss, he returned to the girls' side, his skin crawling at the simple contact.

There were no words left, nothing that Bruce didn't feel he could say with his lips and hands. He said many things to her through through his actions. He told her of his adoration and attraction, of his enjoyment of her form and presence; he even told her just how far that adoration ran, even though his lips never murmured a words.

Despite the cold, his lips and fingers made sure that Talia had her first taste of passion, his wandering hands finding her center of her womanhood. Bruce was a considerate lover in that way usually, but this evening it had special meaning. He knew it did for her, and worked to make sure that Talia's expectations were not disappointed.

[all-for-father.livejournal.com]

She would never be cold again, as she would always have this to warm her. His hands managed to ring sounds from her that she had never made before. Talia moved, trying to get more and more contact. If possible she wanted every bit of her skin to touch him. She moved with a teenage abandon. He was so very handsome, so very warm and she was very much in love.

[mr-bruce-wayne.livejournal.com]

There would always bet he desert for Bruce,and the warm-fuzzies that he got when thinking of it even twenty years later.. for everything within that tent seemed magical to him. Then again, Bruce allowed himself to be much more idealistic in those days, lost in the desert.

Talia's voice calling out was a lovely sound to his ears, although there came a time that he swallowed her cries with more kisses as they beget the beast with two backs. Even in that though, he was gentle and careful. And why wouldn't he be? It was his wedding night, of sorts, and his bride was already quite precious to him.

[all-for-father.livejournal.com]

She was happy at the fact that there was very little pain involved (she had heard stories) and everything simply felt...good. Though the more she thought about it, the more she realized good was an understatement at best.

When her mouth was free she'd babble in Arabic and Cantonese. And the first time she finished, she learned exactly why they called it 'the little death.' It was as if, for a moment, the world simply stopped.

[mr-bruce-wayne.livejournal.com]

For his part, Bruce was simply amused by Talia's babbling, and held her close once they had both grown still. She seemed so fragile, so delicate, he couldn't help but feel over protective towards the girl. It only seemed right to keep her safe this way.

Rather happy to float about in their tiny little world half covered in sand, Bruce ignored that the outside world existed. He smoothed Talia's hair form her face and placed soft, tender kisses along her brow and cheeks, and then urged her to stay close to his side. He didn't sleep for a very long time though, his mind too busy pondering the implications of his decision. Bruce didn't regret it - but it certainly brought a new complication to his life.

[all-for-father.livejournal.com]

Talia drifted off, but wasn't sure for how long. She knew that she didn't drift far from her husband's arms while doing so, at least. There was the odd thought that her father would be pleased that she had finally did what she had set out to do.

When she did open her eyes she was smiling dumbly, all thoughts of her father pushed out of her mind. "Beloved, what are you thinking?" she asked quietly.

[mr-bruce-wayne.livejournal.com]

Bruce entertained the idea of saying nothing but pushed that thought away. If he was to respect Talia and hie (new) father-in-law then he would have to not hold such things back from her.

"Considering how you will fit into my life.. what I can do to make you fit." he said softly. "When it comes time, I don't want to leave you in the desert.. I want to take you to my city of glass and machines and show you the world that I came from."

Shifting a bit so he could look into her face, he offered a bit of a shy smile, and said softly "I don't feel like I have much to offer you, yet you still hold me in such esteem that I feel obligated to not fail you."

[all-for-father.livejournal.com]

"Ah, I see," she said, threading her fingers through his on one hand, taking delight in the way his hand felt against hers. It was the simple things in life.

"You are my husband," she said softly, "I will go where you bid me," within reason, "do what you bid," as long as it wasn't in total direct conflict with her father, "and nothing you can do shall fail me," she paused, "Tell me of your city," she added. At this point of her life, Talia was at an odd junction. She was trained to be worldly, but knew very little of the actual world outside of what her father picked and chose.

[mr-bruce-wayne.livejournal.com]

"I guess I saw a dark side of Gotham from an early age.." began Bruce. His words unfolded into a long story of sadness and loneliness. Of a childhood cut too short and a life long purpose. Bruce hasn't figured out exactly what he is going to do yet, that will come in a year or two, but for now it seems enough to share his sad tale with Talia.

Somewhere along the way, Bruce found himself silently thanking whatever force brought the bright and innocent girl into his life. She was something he had never really allowed himself to have, and as he slowly opened himself up to the possibility of sharing any part of himself with another person, the more he revealed to Talia.

Bruce was a man of few words - he had never spoken this much about himself in the past, but maybe that helped the tale that he told have more of a heartbreaking quality. Or perhaps it was the deep grief that laced his tone when he spoke of his parent's death, and his vows to their graves to protect any one else from living their life as alone as he has had to live his.

Well. Not alone anymore.

[all-for-father.livejournal.com]

She listened intently, waiting for him to finish before she spoke out of a combination of politeness, cultural binding and respect for what he was saying.

"Your parents gave you so much. But most importantly you have their memories," she said simply, meaning memory of. She was trying on English again, if she could express this she could handle everything, "I lost my mother when I was very young. I have very little memory of her."