"So what do you think?" Diana asked as she stopped at the edge of the ramp. After a few days of interstellar travel, they'd finally arrived at Thanagar. Concealing their presence upon entry hadn't been as easy as she'd thought it would be, but Shayera had directed them to a good landing spot on the edge of a lake. Hidden from above by the canopy of the forest, Diana had opted to wait a day before exiting the Javelin. "Has it changed much?"
Shayera had thought about returning to Thanagar over the past few years, but every time she squashed the idea and pretended it'd never popped into her head. Most days, she felt at ease living in the Watchtower. She had J'onn and Diana to talk to, and John (when he was in a good mood.)
Diana knew what it felt like to be far from home. She understood the pain and the longing that made Shayera's heart ache. It didn't matter that at one moment, they'd be friends and the next they were arguing about some trivial matter. The important thing was Shayera realised Diana understood her.
One night, she and Mari had sat and listened when Diana told them about making her choice prior to joining the Justice League. Being told of her life changing decision between remaining on Themiscyra or living in exile made Shayera feel trusted again. That exile had been forgotten when Faust attacked the island, but till then Diana had lived with a pain in her heart she rarely talked about. And to hear her speak of it, well, it was nothing less than an honour and a privilege in Shayera's eyes.
They were both outsiders in every sense of the word and Shayera clung to that knowledge. Having someone she could speak to in Diana had become her saving grace over the past few months. If she was being honest with herself, those feelings of friendship had begun to change and grow into something more. Something she couldn't quite name.
"Not really," Shayera said. She took up position beside Diana and sat on the ramp, resting her feet on the sand. This was where Hro had proposed to her, Shayera remembered, but now she wanted it to be their spot. That feeling she couldn't quite name was blazing away inside her and all Shayera could do with it was yearn. "It's always been quiet when the military isn't around."
A smile warmed Diana's face at the mention of the military's absence. Presumably that included Hro, and Shayera's former colleagues, too. The early morning stillness of Thanagar was something she'd only ever experienced on Themiscyra, Diana realised, and the brief respite their journey had become from the constant noise of the League was much needed. It was just a shame they'd inevitably have to return to Earth.
When Shayera turned to face the sun rise, Diana inhaled and mentally braced herself for what would come next. Certain things had been ticking over in her mind and Shayera's presence in her life was one of them. A glance here, a smile there, a touch when no one was around. She'd hoped Shayera would've picked up on it by now but apparently Shayera was just as oblivious to her interest as Mari had been to John and Shayera's relationship.
"Diana?"
"Is something wrong?" Diana asked. There was hesitation in her voice. Had she messed up at some point since their departure from Earth? "Do you want to—"
Something heavy flattened her against the ramp and the next thing she knew, Shayera was on top of her, weighing her down. The kiss that followed was soft and unhurried, her lips were warm and teasing just like Shayera's smiles . . . Hera help her, Diana wanted — needed — more. With her hair tied back out of her face and her wings unfolded, she looked like the goddess Nike come to life. Winged Victory sat atop her and Diana couldn't resist the urge to pull her closer, to find her mouth and taste Shayera for herself.
"I'm, I'm," Shayera stammered, enraptured by the look in Diana's eyes, "I—"
Diana reached up to caress her face. She ran her fingers along the curve of her jaw and smiled at the rather innocent moan Shayera gave when Diana used her thumb to trace Shayera's lips. "I want you too."
A/N: Written for Ladies Bingo Round 5: First Times.