From Grudges to Girlfriends
DISCLAIMER: I do not own any DC comics anything. I would also like to preface I am using the characters as portrayed in the JL and JLU cartoon series, not really delving into anything in the comic, movie or other sphere. This could be canon, if JL/JLU had a sprinkling of gay in it. ;) Enjoy!
Chapter 1
"You want the honest answer?"
Shayera met the gaze of the woman before her. Here they were, standing in the middle of a casino lobby, above a fighting ring that had been recently obliterated.
"You rely too much on your brute strength and less on your hand to hand. You need to become better at sparring, plain and simple," Wonder Woman replied, Shayera slightly stunned. Her gut was telling her to yell back at the Amazon, and she gritted her teeth to keep her mouth shut. She finally gestured with her hand begrudgingly for the Amazon to continue before crossing her arms and taking the criticism of her fighting skills, something she had, well, never done before.
"The reason I've been able to go toe to toe with Clark is because I was trained in the art of combat since my birth. Clark too relied on his strength and invincibility, and it wasn't till he learned a few lessons the hard way that he realized he may be powerful, but he still had much to learn. Strength will only get you so far."
Diana took a step towards her friend and placed a hand on her shoulder, trying to show it was a friendly observation, not an attack on the younger woman. She was still stunned the Thanagarian asked her what she thought of her as a fighter, giving the butt kicking Diana just delivered to her and three other Justice League women.
"You're incredibly powerful too Shayera, if anyone was going to stand a chance against me in that ring, it would be you. With that being said, you should work on your hand-to-hand combat skills. You'll become formidable."
Diana gave her a small smile and a nod, then pivoting to walk out of the casino to follow Vixen and Fire.
"…will you teach me?"
Diana stopped dead in her tracks, spinning around and looking incredulous, once again stunned by the redhead.
"I beg your pardon?"
Shayera rolled her eyes, and huffed at Diana's stunned look.
"Will you teach me?' she asked, punctuating each word, feeling embarrassed to even ask the girl she considered an uptight princess.
Diana was surprised, but her face went back to a neutral expression. As much as she wanted to tease Shayera, the girl who used to constantly give her a hard time for her princess-like demeanor, she came to respect the Thanagarian after their trip to Themiscyra and the Underworld.
Wonder Woman turned around, beginning to walk away once again, leaving Shayera to feel embarrassed for ever asking.
"Next Tuesday, 6pm. Watch Tower," Diana said, pausing and flipping her hair over her shoulder, looking at Hawkgirl with a smirk. "It will probably be better to whip your butt into shape without too big an audience."
Shayera was shocked, but then felt a similar smirk rise on her own face. She watched Diana walk off and chuckled. If anyone had asked her a few months ago if she thought this day would ever come, she would have thought they were crazy. If tonight proved anything though, it was that things really do change.
Punch, kick punch, duck, smack.
Shayera fell to the ground huffing and puffing. It had been the third month of her lessons with Diana, and while she would never admit it, the princess could fight.
"Shayera, you're off tonight. Is something the matter? I'd expect these attacks to get you in our first few weeks together, but certainly not now."
The winged woman moved from her knees and sat back on her bottom, sweat dripping down her body as she looked up at the warrior princess.
"I have a lot on my mind. I think I need to take tonight off."
Diana observed her counterpart in closer detail. She noticed the bags under her eyes, the strain in her look. It wasn't just physical fatigue getting to the Thanagarian. Something was eating away at Shayera.
Instead of simply agreeing and leaving the younger woman to her business, Diana walked over and grabbed two towels, chucking one at the girl sitting there. She walked over, sitting down next to her, giving her some space.
They sat in silence for a few moments, Shayera a little surprised at the gesture but keeping silent to see what Wonder Woman would do.
"I know we've had our differences, but… I'd like to think that we're past it. In fact, I like to think of us as having a better relationship now than ever before," she began, wiping her shoulders and back as she spoke.
"So… I'm here. Just like you were that day we put Hades back on the throne… I didn't forget how you tried comforting me when he began talking about my birth, and I didn't think to thank you then, but… I truly appreciated the gesture."
"Well, Hades is a prick, so…"
Diana glanced at the redhead with a smirk, finding mirth on her face.
"My point is… if you wish to discuss whatever is troubling you, I'm here."
Shayera continued to gaze at the brunette as she patted herself down and cooled off, trying not to laugh at the irony of their relationship over the years. She took a few moments, trying to gather her own feelings and thoughts before throwing them out there.
"John chose Mari."
Wonder Woman's eyes widened in surprise the redhead was opening up a little deeper, but did not let the shock register on her face.
"I thought you were over John?"
"I am. And yes, it stung when he picked her… it was maybe a month after our grudge match happened or whatever, but… it definitely hurt, and I got over it, but I don't know. I feel trapped."
"I don't understand. Why would you still feel trapped with him?"
Shayera paused, closing her eyes and exhaling a deep breath.
"I found out we have a son together, in the future that is… I've been wrestling with that knowledge for months now, and after talking to Bruce about all of the details from their future time trip… I just don't understand. John and I love each other, but even now, I can't say I'm in love with him. So much has happened, he's happy with Mari… it's too confusing," Shayera rambled to the Amazon.
"At first I was upset that he chose Mari, that he said he didn't want to be a puppet of fate. But now? I almost feel the same. As I keep moving on and growing without him, I can't imagine him in my life like that again… and it makes me feel this pressure. Are we now forced to have this child? Will we jeopardize the future if not?"
The Amazon paused before speaking.
"Well, there's a simple answer here."
"Hah! Really? Please, fill me in, because I can't make sense of any of it." Hawkgirl replied, leaning back on her palms and looking at the woman sitting next to her.
"Have a child with John, and simply not be together."
She looked at her like she had three heads. Diana's eyebrow pointed at the look.
"I'm serious. Think about it. You've said you've grown apart from him, you both have moved on, but you have this fear and pressure to have children. If you both want a child someday, then all you need to do is make that happen."
Shayera's eyebrow quirked now.
"Well, artificially… I don't believe Vixen would want a child to come forth the old fashioned way."
"You realize that sounds completely crazy?"
"You both get a child, both get to still be in one another's lives and love and care for one another, even if it's not romantically, and it alleviates your worries about the future and disrupting the flow of time," Diana said, standing from the mat.
"Look, take it from someone who has witnessed many Amazonian births. The women breed with men because they have to, some of them even when they are in love with other Amazons. It's not ideal, but they do what they have to and everything turns out how they want it to in the end. It's a sacrifice. But we know from our experiences the future is not always as it seems. Maybe that's the case here too."
The Amazon gave a small smile, walking to grab a drink of water and throw her dirty towel in the basket, bringing Shayera a cup as well before joining her.
"Diana?
"Yes?
"Did you ever have a lover that had to, uh... breed with a man?
"No. I was fortunate, but I never really fell in love with any of the other Amazons. Occasional flings and some longer term flings, but… I never had to worry about that jealousy."
"What about with Batman?
"Bruce and I… I care for him deeply, and I have the utmost respect for him, but it's clear that we are just very different and have different wants and needs. Sometimes things just don't work out. It doesn't mean that there aren't better opportunities around the corner."
"Ever the optimist you are," Shayera replied with a smile, Diana returning one of her own and reaching a hand to help Shayera up from the mat.
"You're a beautiful woman Shayera, who seems to have men fight over her at every turn. Don't worry about your future so much, or your past. Just enjoy your present. The rest will fall into place, I'm sure of it."
"You've changed Diana. The way we were when we started the League, looking back at you and I then, and seeing who we've become now… let's just say if you told old Hawkgirl we'd become friends, she probably would have hit you with her mace."
"If she could land a hit, that is."
The Thanagarian smirked and raised her brow before chucking her towel at Diana's face and getting the jump on her. She knocked her legs out from under her and pinned her to the ground.
"Oh, she can land a hit."
Diana blew the towel off her face.
"NOW she can," she replied with a smirk.
They smirked and stared at one another, Wonder Woman's muscles tensed but relaxing as Shayera's hands continued to pin her wrists
"You going to let me up?"
"I'd like to relish this moment."
"I could easily throw you off, you know."
She leaned her weight forward and used all of her inhuman strength to keep the woman down
"I don't know, I've been training pretty hard these last few months."
Shayera's face was mere inches away from Diana's now, the Amazon still smirking. And then, she realized where she was.
She all too suddenly became aware of their position, their breath intermingling, her wrists held in place, the heat from the bird woman's body radiating across her skin. She looked down the expanse of Hawkgirl's body but for a moment, the woman's cleavage exposed before her eyes. She glanced back up, Shayera watching her, the other woman too beginning to realize that she had pinned her down for just a little too long.
"I-I-" Shayera stuttered.
Diana felt something she had not felt in a while, a stirring in her stomach. She was a strong and proud Amazon, yes, but it was nice to not always have to be in charge, not always be on top. And now, here she was, pinned beneath one of the few other women in the league that could take her on, and one who was also drop dead gorgeous.
"Right! It's SO dumb, I just don't understand why he would do that, but-"
The doors to the gym opened, in walking The Huntress and Black Canary, both in street clothes and looking like they were about to workout.
Diana snapped her head to the side, the Thanagarian a moment behind her. Wonder Woman was fast though, and she quickly brought her legs up towards her chest to draw back and kick Hawkgirl. Shayera was knocked back across the gym and into the padded wall, falling to her hands and knees, the wind knocked out of her.
The Amazon quickly rose, guilt filling her for such a rough blow. She gave her attention to the two women that she knew had become good friends with Shayera.
"Ladies, surprised to see you on board… especially a former member of the League," she commented, a pointed look at Helena, who just popped a hip and quirked a brow in response.
"We thought no one would be here, so we beamed up to spar and train. I hope that's not a problem?" Canary asked before Helena could get a word in, stepping in front of her partner slightly.
Wonder Woman observed the protective stance of the blonde, the ever-blunt woman confused for a moment and unable to stop from blurting out what she noticed.
"I thought you were with Green Arrow?"
The blonde looked stunned, glancing over to Shayera who had finally gathered her breath, looking equally as stunned at Diana. While the couple had confided in their new friend about their relationship after their split from two other Justice League men, they had been pretty private about it to the rest of the world, though people held their suspicions.
"I-I… we broke up," Canary stammered, Helena rolling her eyes at the whole display.
"Relax, Dinah, the Amazon here picked up on your body language I'm betting, and since she's used to girl on girl action, she's probably familiar and comfortable with the thought of us together," Helena said as she placed a hand on Canary, pulling her back.
"Am I right there princess?"
Diana crossed her arms, looking at Shayera who was walking over to them now.
"Princess? I take it her lax attitude about using that word for me comes from you?"
Shayera was rubbing her neck from the hit, something Diana did not miss.
"If the shoe fits, princess," Hawkgirl mumbled, Helena smirking at her friend.
"Well, I don't see why I would not be comfortable and aware of such couplings."
"Because, uh… let's just say it's not that open-minded outside of Themiscrya," Canary replied, feeling like she had just told a child Santa was not real as she saw the emotions flit across Diana's face.
Wonder Woman was clearly stunned, Shayera watching her closely.
"Diana, you do realize that a vast majority of Earth's citizens find homosexuality to be deplorable?" Hawkgirl asked her, realizing Diana was probably oblivious to another one of Earth's cultural attitudes.
"Deplorable?" she replied aghast. "Why on Earth would anyone find intimacy and love deplorable?"
Helena's smirk wiped off her face, now realizing that the Amazon really did not have the complete picture of the world just yet. She looked at Black Canary who looked equally as concerned and uncomfortable.
"It's a bit complicated here, Wonder Woman," Helena began, trying to explain it gently. "Let's just say there is a lot of history condemning it because people would go to hell and it's not natural and yadda yadda."
"Why would love-making induce a visit to Tartarus? And how is it not natural? Humans enjoy sexual pleasantries all the time, many in quite perverse manners from what Wally's described," she replied, looking to Shayera confused.
The redhead took a breath and smiled gently at Diana.
"Why don't we go grab some dinner up here and I'll try and explain it to you? The girls probably want to spar."
"Oh HELL no!" Helena replied, getting in the two original members faces.
"You think I'm going to miss out on you, miss skull crusher, trying to give the socially stunted, no offense, Amazon Princess a talk about the birds and the bees as defined by Earth people? Yup, nu uh, we're coming too."
The lanky brunette grabbed Black Canary's wrist and dragged her towards the exit, the blonde only shrugging her shoulders at the pair. Both stood shocked, but Shayera just shook her head and rolled her eyes.
"That one really does like getting into trouble."
"I'll say. Socially stunted?" Diana replied, crossing her arms and giving a pissed off look.
Shayera was about to alleviate her anger when the Amazon smirked at her, signaling her rage was of the mocking variety. Shayera let out a breath and chuckled.
"Well, you do have your moments," the redhead said, ushering for them to follow after the pair.
"Yes, I'm painfully aware. And apparently, I'm such an uptight princess, I prevent my body from sweating. Such a dastardly common thing to do."
Shayera began laughing as they made their way into the hall.
"Look, you can be uptight sometimes, especially when we all first met you," Shayera said with a smile, the Amazon smirking.
They made their way to the cafeteria entrance, very few people on the ship with their new main base down on Earth. Shayera paused and placed a hand on Diana's arm.
"For what it's worth, I'm glad I've gotten to know you better and see this side of you. You're not who I thought you were."
She gave the princess a kind smile before grabbing a tray and heading to get food, leaving Diana slightly stunned. The Amazon's mind flashed back to the moment they had recently shared in the training room, her stomach clenching with desire at the thought. Diana's palm went to her head as she shook off the realizations that were dawning on her.
"Oh Hera…. Give me strength."
Hello everybody. This was a complete and total surprise. My stories kind of work like that these days. Anywho, after delving back into the Justice League cartoons, getting into the comics, it's been super fun. I saw that Wonder Woman and Hawkgirl had some pairing stories here and I was like, huh, okay, why not?
A LARGE accreditation to marymo9 for her amazing stories featuring this pairing. I've read them all (and yes, more than once) and they gave me a lot of inspiration (and laughs). It made me want to take my own spin. So this is the result. I've also loved the Helena/Dinah pairing since Justice League came out too but never wanted to do a solo story for them, so it was perfect to put them altogether after the Grudge Match episode made it plausible.
It's been a while since I've been in this universe, so if some details or specifications are not perfect, I do apologize. (For example, Diana having a room on the Tower in JLU season 1, but not sure if she did season 2 with the Earth base installation, etc. etc.).
Lastly, my writing is completely rough, I do apologize for the lack of congruency in the story and grammar errors. But thanks for hopping on the journey with me. :) I don't have a beta as many people know, so all errors are mine.
Until next time!