Look, my first oneshot! I was waiting somewhere the other day for an hour, and thanks to some foresight I had my trusty notebook with me. I was interrupted in my writing, but that doesn't matter, because I had an interesting conversation instead. Anyway, here it is. It's AU, as you should be able to tell, and the pairing should be pretty obvious too.
It's kinda corny...kinda really corny...and short. But meh, whatever; enjoy, and please review!
Merry Christmas everyone! (Or whatever other holiday you may celebrate…)
She stood atop an abandoned warehouse amid the falling snow. She held her arms out to the sides to catch the swirling flakes, but they vanished the moment they touched her skin. I may be cold, she thought, but I guess I'm not quite freezing.
She had a feeling she knew what had caused that…who had caused that.
He wasn't here.
He should be here, today of all days. The date held little meaning for her, but all around her people were celebrating, and somehow she wished that she could join in, if only with one person.
She shivered, regretting, not for the first time, her choice of costume. It was practical, but it wasn't designed to defend against the cold.
As she gazed out across the city, she felt very alone. The feeling was anything but alien to her, but lately it had been replaced more and more by…other feelings.
She was just one person in a whole world of people. She was insignificant. Not even her 'profession' was enough to distinguish her; she wasn't the only solo superhero in the city, let alone the world.
At least most people had someone to be with at this time of year.
Had she got it wrong? Had she misinterpreted his remarks? She'd been so sure that when she came here, she'd see a familiar figure standing in wait for her, or sitting with his feet dangling over the edge, gazing out across the bay and the single tiny island that floated there. He'd said once that he'd like to live on an island. That island, even.
It was a tacit yet mutual agreement that this was their spot.
Where else could he be?
She wrapped her cloak more tightly around her body, certain that if she now tried to catch snowflakes they would accumulate in her hands.
She wondered what the time was and groaned when she remembered she had work tomorrow. And she didn't even have a special dinner waiting at home for her. Living a double life was necessary for survival, but sometimes she thought it would be simpler to just be a superhero full-time. No pretence, no mask, no lies. Like him.
She'd once offered to prepare him a cloaking spell, much like the one she used to hide her…odd colouring, so he could live a normal life when the sun rose. He declined.
She was Raven. She had always been and would always be nothing more or less. He had been someone else, once, but now, he had no other identity. He'd told her that if he couldn't live life looking the way he was, he wouldn't live at all. People rarely accepted him, but those who did were the only ones worth knowing.
He'd smiled at her then, looking deep into her eyes, and a warm tingle had spread throughout her body, just like it did every time he smiled.
It had to be nearly midnight now. She'd just have to accept that he wasn't coming. She couldn't wait up here all night like some pathetic lovesick teenager. She was a woman now, and she was independent. She didn't need anyone – especially not him.
It didn't hurt that he hadn't come to see her.
With a sigh, which escaped as a cloud of silver mist, she turned to go. She walked slowly towards the edge, her boots leaving imprints in the layer of snow that had fallen there. Just as she lifted herself into the air, she sensed a presence, just a second before a cheery voice called out.
"Hey, darlin', sorry I'm late; I got a little…caught up. But look, I come bearing gifts!"
Her feet touched the ground, and she was enveloped in a warm covering. She grabbed the edges, seeing that it was a thick winter coat, and gratefully pulled it closer around herself. She smiled softly, and looked up into his shining eyes.
"You're lucky this year," he murmured; "I got you two presents."
He held something up. She glanced at it; a little sprig of slim leaves and white berries. Then he leaned forwards, and before she could register what was happening his mouth was over hers. She closed her eyes on instinct and absorbed the warmth of the short kiss. Then he pulled away, and as she opened her eyes all she saw was a bird fluttering over the edge. It was virtually impossible to recognise without the standard colours, but she knew what it was; a robin.
As she watched the small green bird fly out over the city's twinkling lights, she felt warm…and it had nothing to do with the coat.