Megan found him sitting on top of a skyscraper roof, right on the edge with his feet dangling over the side. He looked deep in thought, and by the creases formed along his brow, Megan could tell that he was brooding. Connor looked so pained that her heart couldn't help but feel strained at the sight.
Silently, she landed next to him on the roof, her feet not even making a sound. Or so she thought. Connor's hearing was incredibly sensitive.
"I could hear your heartbeat from across town," Connor told her as she walked up next to him. He still didn't look at her, but kept his eyes fixed on some point in the distance. Megan followed his line of sight, but saw nothing. Only a dark night sky, glass windows, and yellow lights.
With a sigh, Megan pulled the hood of her cloak down and sat down next to him, as close as he would let her. Which was fairly close to him.
"They miss you over at the cave," Megan softly told him.
Connor said nothing in return.
Megan reached over and took his hand into hers, interlocking their fingers together. Connor didn't resist. He actually liked it when Megan held his hand. There was something there that he couldn't place, although it might just simply be happiness.
Yeah, happiness, he guessed. If he was forced to pick an emotion.
"Why are you out here?" Megan asked him.
"Just cause," Connor replied. Still he did not look up. Megan squeezed his hand, wanting so badly to take him out of his melancholy state. But she knew Connor still had his inhibitions about his life, and his place on the team. About everything, really.
"Connor. Talk to me."
He turned. His icy blue stare met Megan's, and a blush creeped onto her face before she could stop it. Waiting with held breath, she listened for the words that she knew were about to come. He opened his mouth and took in a breath.
"Just have a lot on my mind. It's been one full year that I've been alive…out of my pod and everything…and I guess I'm just dwelling on it. The time that I've spent out in the world."
He said nothing more.
Megan thought over his words, seeking to understand what he was saying. She sort of did understand, but there was still a part of her that was confused. When she came to Earth, and walked among people, she felt like she'd never feel alone or saddened again.
But Connor was different than her.
He handled things differently. He liked solitude, and didn't often speak of his emotions or thoughts. He liked being alone and Megan hated being alone. It was just how he was, and Megan accepted that, even if she couldn't fully understand it.
"You don't mind me being here, do you?" she asked him.
"No," he said, looking back down at his feet and the pavement far below him. "I'm…happier…with you here," he said, selecting his words with caution.
"I'm happy to be with you," Megan replied.
She leaned in closer to Connor, sliding her body closer to his on the concrete ledge of the roof. They made eye contact, and no words were spoken between them, for they didn't need to say anything.
They may not have perfectly understood each other, but they were there when things were difficult, and wasn't that enough?
Megan thought so.
Connor leaned in to kiss her. Their lips brushed up against one another's, and their breath caught in their throats. Megan's eyes slid closed as she pressed her lips against his, and licked his lips as she drew away.
The kiss only lasted a second.
Connor seemed embarrassed by it, Megan noted as he pulled away. Guilty, almost. For nearly the sixth time since Megan had landed, Connor made a point of looking down at the ground. Below where yellow street lamps lit the night and cars kept crawling along the thin streets.
"I brought us something," Megan said to him suddenly.
He turned, and noticed that she had a bag crossed over her body. How he hadn't noticed that before was a mystery to him. But he hadn't really been paying attention.
Mystery solved, Connor thought.
Megan pulled the bag free from her body, and sat it on the ledge in between them. Zipping the black bag open, she pulled two glasses out and sat them on the flat surface they sat on. Reaching into the bag again, she pulled free an unopened bottle of dark red wine.
"I got this…for our anniversary, you know," she said.
Connor raised an eyebrow, but smiled as well. "I was under the impression that we weren't supposed to drink anything alcoholic," he said with a smirk.
"There's no harm in it," Megan said. "Besides, I've seen Uncle Jon have a glass of wine from time to time. Hey! In Themyscira, the Amazons are nearly drowning in it." Using her powers, Megan tore the plastic away from the cap, and then pulled free the cork that was jammed into the neck of the glass.
Megan poured the wine into his glass first, and then into hers.
Connor picked up the glass and held it up to his face. He sniffed tentatively at the drink, trying to decide whether or not it'd be any good. Tipping the glass slowly, he choked some of it down.
"Not the best," he replied.
"And it was rated so highly," Megan said after swigging some of her drink. They set their glasses down together, both of them giving off a metallic clink.
A long moment of silence stretched on between them. Not that either of them cared. Megan kept scooting closer to Connor on the ledge, and Connor's thumb made slow strokes across the back of her hand.
With a sigh, Megan picked up the glass again and sipped the wine again. It burned slightly when it touched her throat, but it tasted better this time. She could almost taste the flavor notes that the description had promised back at the store. There was supposed to be fruit flavors intermixed with the wine, as well as a oak flavor underneath it all.
She could almost taste it, if she focused hard enough.
Connor followed her lead and drank some more himself.
"Are you planning on staying out here all night?" Megan asked.
"Yeah," said Connor. "At least until I feel better."
"Then I'll stay with you," Megan replied. If you don't mind, she added silently. She didn't care if they stayed out all night and only returned back to the cave when the sun was showing over the horizon. Tonight was too bittersweet to let go of.
Connor gave her a thankful smile, and they clicked their wine glasses together in a quiet toast. "Happy anniversary," she whispered to him.
"Yeah," he said, glancing down at the dark liquid. "You too."
Likes and reviews always welcome.
