The following morning, Arias woke up late after having long conversations on random topics with Apeiro. For some reason, he found that whenever the two of them would talk, time would run quicker. Regardless, he was content enough that he and she were adjusting well to their odd relationship.
Upon waking up, he immediately thought it would be best to check up on Diana and have a serious talk with her. That day marked the end of his business in Washington; thus, he would be leaving by noon. Although he gave her a place to stay and provided her necessities, they had not yet discussed her future going forward properly. Now that she had learned more about the world from Harley, although biased in many ways, he felt it was the best time to act.
Right now, just having her close to him was an advantage on its own, so he had no problem keeping her. But that was thinking too small—he wanted to utilize as many opportunities open to him from her as soon as they popped up.
With that in mind, he made his way out of his suite and found both Diana and Harley in the hall, as well as Slade, who was, of course, guarding his door.
He first turned his gaze to Slade and asked, "You were guarding all night?"
Slade gave a light nod as he moved from the wall he was leaning on. "Yeah, well, you're most vulnerable when you're asleep. When awake, even I could have trouble dealing with you, especially with the company you keep." He showed a grin as he said that, clearly referring to Wonder Woman, who was coming their way with Harley beside her.
Harley was the first between the two to speak as she raised her hand and waved at them the second she noticed Arias. "Morning, Mr. M!"
She was sporting her usual wide, toothy smile and lively nature, but Diana, who was beside her and equally energetic at times, was more awkward with her greeting, saying only, "Good morning," in a stiff tone while eyeing Arias weirdly.
Diana wasn't subtle about it either, so Arias noticed it but didn't immediately address it, choosing to first address another matter.
"Good morning to you too. By the way, Harley, we leave at noon, so I hope you're all packed and got any souvenirs you wanted already. Oh, and Slade, my private jet can't accommodate your security group, so they have to fly separately. You and Rose will fly with me, so get anything you need ready in advance."
Upon hearing Arias say they'd be leaving with no mention of her, a grave realization struck Diana. This wasn't like with Trevor, who had everything she needed provided to her by the government. Arias was a friend, a good one at that so far, so she didn't want to encroach on him more than she already had. But without him, where would she go? Other than the members of the league, who were more associates than friends, she had no one to turn to who she trusted.
Before she could think long on this, a clueless Harley left to pack her things, while Slade left to organize a few things, leaving them alone in the next moment.
A brief silence followed as Diana was unsure of what to say. Arias wondered if she was thinking about her situation. From what she had told him, he was confident she had no one she could solidly depend on within the circular world.
But just to be safe, he didn't want to let the thoughts linger too long in her head. "While we're on the topic, will you be coming along with me, or do you want to stay in Washington, closer to the Hall of Justice they're making?"
As things stood, the Justice League didn't yet have a headquarters, but the United States offered to make them one as thanks for saving the world. In reality, they just wanted to be the first to jump on the opportunity and have the league within the capital of the States, making it the safest place to be.
Diana was surprised by how blunt Arias was with his request, so much so that she needed to be sure. "To come with you? I would love to, but I am already indebted to you for helping me so much."
Her reply was cute, but Arias didn't have the patience to bounce around touchy words. She was stubborn and likely didn't feel too comfortable leeching off him, so he had an easy solution. "Then work for me. That way, it's not me helping; instead, it's just a mutually beneficial relationship. I will provide a place to stay, food, and a salary just like with Harley. Then, once you make enough to live on your own or find something else you like, you can leave at that time. What kind of person would I be if I didn't assist my friends?"
By giving her the illusion of choice, Diana would feel less uncomfortable agreeing to go with him. With no more reason to refuse, she nodded and smiled at the offer and kindness she was being shown.
"Thank you, Arias. I won't forget this kindness and debt. Should you ever be in need, I too will not hesitate to be there for you."
Arias smiled back and leaned in closer to give her a small caress on the cheek. "You're much cuter smiling. I can already imagine you waving your sword at my problems." He teased with a grin before pulling his hand away and adding, "You should probably start packing too. If there's anything you're lacking, Harley can help you shop in Gotham. I'm off to take a bath or shower now."
He waved his hand and was about to go back inside when Diana stopped him by holding his arm. "Wait. Is it okay if I join you again?"
Arias raised a brow and wondered whether she genuinely just wanted to join him like last time or if there was an underlying motive. Whatever the case, he had no reason to refuse, so he immediately invited her in.
Like for most hotel suites, the bathing area was quite spacious and possessed a tub and shower that could easily fit two people while still leaving room to move and stretch limbs.
Once inside this area, Arias immediately removed the robe he was wearing and then his briefs before walking over to the shower nude. "Feel free to get in the tub first. I like to wash off in the shower before soaking in the tub."
Unlike before, this time, Diana couldn't help but stare at his body with great curiosity. When he spoke to her, she quickly came out of her gaze and realized she hadn't even undressed yet.
She proceeded to do so quickly, but rather than walk to the tub, she walked over to the shower instead and said in a low tone, "I will follow your morning custom as well. Is that okay?"
Her behavior was odd even for her; it made Arias wonder if what he told Harley to do had a bigger impact than he thought. To test that, Arias nodded and placed his hand on her bare waist and gestured for her to come in front of him.
"Of course it is, as long as you're comfortable. If you want, I can help you wash off too…"
Diana found herself feeling soothed by Arias's words, so she gave a nod and gave consent to the idea. "There's no reason for me not to be around my friend."
Arias raised a slight brow as she said this but decided to say nothing. He allowed the sound of the shower running to drown out any exterior noise, making for a somewhat relaxing atmosphere.
He still felt it was a bit early to make an aggressive move on Diana. Right now, he felt like she had taken the first step: curiosity.
Now that she was curious about the male body—or maybe even him—he had to feed that curiosity of hers in parts, leaving it up to her to come to guided conclusions about him.
So as they showered, Arias ran his big, strong hands down her back and began washing it as well as massaging it lightly. He wasn't shy either with his movements and began washing her front too.
He could feel her temperature rising and her breathing growing heavier, a clear sign of arousal. Soon his hands reached her bountiful breasts, and he began groping them with both of his soapy hands while teasing her nipples lightly.
Eventually, his cock became erect and began to poke at her back. "…Is that your… male appendage?" she asked in a softer tone while turning her head slightly as if trying to see.
"Unhuh. Oh, forgot that you saw it but not erect or felt it. Do you dislike the feeling?" Arias asked in a teasing tone as his cock kept tapping at her back, causing her to feel even more aroused.
She couldn't stop herself, and eventually, she turned her head and faced Arias—or, to be specific, his cock. She looked at it as it bulged right in front of her eyes before commenting, "It's like a meaty sword… Can I… can I wield it?"
Her description made Arias furrow his brows a bit before he joked, "Sure, just don't try to swing it."
Diana chuckled as well, and the atmosphere felt less awkward for her. Without hesitation, she placed her hand on his cock and gasped slightly upon feeling its warmth. "How does one feel pleasure from having something like this invade their body… by Hera…"
She looked at Arias's cock like it was some sort of sight to behold, poking and touching it from all angles until Arias said to her, "Why not feel it?"