A/N: Greetings! This is almost completely Shay/John interaction. I'm sorry
Shay/Flash fans, but S/J have spent almost no time around each other this
entire fic, at all. There is still no solid decision on how this is gonna
end, and I only have three chapters left. Three! Damnit, I need to decide.
Special thanks to my reviewers, especially JMK, for making me feel warm and
fuzzy inside.
Part: 7/10
#7: PUSH
Shay leaned her forehead against the cool door of the fridge, a gallon of milk held limply in her hand. The universe was being perversely cruel to her. There were two things she wanted and the universe decided to make sure that she could have either.
Choosing was an absolute cruelty; she would rather have never been offered either. It would have made everything so much simpler.
That was how John found her, her shoulder hunched, one hand holding the milk jug, the other hanging limply by her side. For a moment he couldn't move, could only look at her and wish that something, anything was different so that she wouldn't have to look so distressed.
" Shay?" he asked softly, taking a step towards her and leaning against the counter. She jerked her head up, looking at him with wide startled eyes before quickly replacing the milk in the fridge. It was still a novelty to she her without her mask, and for a long moment all he could do was stare, and absorb her.
" John?" she shifted towards him, looked up at him with her storm-tossed eyes and her windblown hair.
" Tell me if I should even bother, Shay. Has Flash already won, should I just go lick my wounds?" he spoke while looking into her eyes, desperate to know the answer. For to long he had chased shadows and dreams, he wanted to know he was trying to get something solid this time.
" John, I." she trailed off, walked back to the fridge and pulled the milk out again. " It's complicated." She didn't see any point in denying that there was no competition, there had been one for a long time, even if the three of them had been oblivious to it.
She looked down at the milk, trying to remember why she had gotten it out. Her thoughts were in disarray, and John's close proximity wasn't helping matters at all.
He stepped closer to her, till she could almost feel his breath on her hair. She turned to look at him, found his faintly glowing eyes showing the same haunted, wanting look she'd seen in her room.
" I need to know Shay," he slid one thumb across her cheek, winding his fingers into her hair till his palm rested on the soft skin below her ear. Her quick breathing danced across his face, mingled with his own. He gently pressed her back till she was trapped between the fridge and himself.
" No one has won," she murmured after a moment, her eyes slipping from his eyes to his lips, and slowly back again.
Some of the pressure in his chest dissipated, and before he could change his mind, talk himself out of his current course of action, he bent his head and captured her lips. For a moment she was still, and then she pressed against him, her mouth soft and sweet against his.
His other hand found its way to her hip, and he pressed her closer against the fridge with his body. He could feel the reverberation of her heart against his chest. Her mouth moved against his, till he slowly pulled away, littering kisses down the column of her neck.
Shay's eyes shot open, and she shoved him away before first sprinting away and then taking to the air. Two sets of phantom lips sucked on her neck, and she felt as though she'd lost her mind. The universe hated her.
John growled, slammed one fist into the fridge. It was moments later when he finally realized that he was standing in the middle of a puddle of milk, which apparently Shay had dropped. He leaned his head against the fridge, and pounded it once more for good measure.
*
She didn't have any clear idea where she was going, except away.
Away from John, away from Jay, away from the confusing mess that was smothering her.
Her mind was a mess, a complete jumble, and she could make no sense of it. Each time she thought she got some kind of grip on what she was doing something happened to change the entire dynamic.
Diana had been no help at all, and John and Jay were certainly not making it any easier on her. Her head was throbbing, and her encounter with John replayed itself over and over in her mind. Everything was so perfect, except for the fact that there was another man who made her feel that everything was perfect also.
None of this was fair, not to John or Jay, not to her, not to the other members of the Justice League who had to deal with this insanity.
She sighed, and landed to discover that she had found her way into the landing bay.
Leaving forever would solve nothing, but a brief break from Flash and John might very well be what she needed. Her mind made up she started for the plane, climbed in, and left, pleased to finally be doing something.
John.
Flash.
Damnit.
Part: 7/10
#7: PUSH
Shay leaned her forehead against the cool door of the fridge, a gallon of milk held limply in her hand. The universe was being perversely cruel to her. There were two things she wanted and the universe decided to make sure that she could have either.
Choosing was an absolute cruelty; she would rather have never been offered either. It would have made everything so much simpler.
That was how John found her, her shoulder hunched, one hand holding the milk jug, the other hanging limply by her side. For a moment he couldn't move, could only look at her and wish that something, anything was different so that she wouldn't have to look so distressed.
" Shay?" he asked softly, taking a step towards her and leaning against the counter. She jerked her head up, looking at him with wide startled eyes before quickly replacing the milk in the fridge. It was still a novelty to she her without her mask, and for a long moment all he could do was stare, and absorb her.
" John?" she shifted towards him, looked up at him with her storm-tossed eyes and her windblown hair.
" Tell me if I should even bother, Shay. Has Flash already won, should I just go lick my wounds?" he spoke while looking into her eyes, desperate to know the answer. For to long he had chased shadows and dreams, he wanted to know he was trying to get something solid this time.
" John, I." she trailed off, walked back to the fridge and pulled the milk out again. " It's complicated." She didn't see any point in denying that there was no competition, there had been one for a long time, even if the three of them had been oblivious to it.
She looked down at the milk, trying to remember why she had gotten it out. Her thoughts were in disarray, and John's close proximity wasn't helping matters at all.
He stepped closer to her, till she could almost feel his breath on her hair. She turned to look at him, found his faintly glowing eyes showing the same haunted, wanting look she'd seen in her room.
" I need to know Shay," he slid one thumb across her cheek, winding his fingers into her hair till his palm rested on the soft skin below her ear. Her quick breathing danced across his face, mingled with his own. He gently pressed her back till she was trapped between the fridge and himself.
" No one has won," she murmured after a moment, her eyes slipping from his eyes to his lips, and slowly back again.
Some of the pressure in his chest dissipated, and before he could change his mind, talk himself out of his current course of action, he bent his head and captured her lips. For a moment she was still, and then she pressed against him, her mouth soft and sweet against his.
His other hand found its way to her hip, and he pressed her closer against the fridge with his body. He could feel the reverberation of her heart against his chest. Her mouth moved against his, till he slowly pulled away, littering kisses down the column of her neck.
Shay's eyes shot open, and she shoved him away before first sprinting away and then taking to the air. Two sets of phantom lips sucked on her neck, and she felt as though she'd lost her mind. The universe hated her.
John growled, slammed one fist into the fridge. It was moments later when he finally realized that he was standing in the middle of a puddle of milk, which apparently Shay had dropped. He leaned his head against the fridge, and pounded it once more for good measure.
*
She didn't have any clear idea where she was going, except away.
Away from John, away from Jay, away from the confusing mess that was smothering her.
Her mind was a mess, a complete jumble, and she could make no sense of it. Each time she thought she got some kind of grip on what she was doing something happened to change the entire dynamic.
Diana had been no help at all, and John and Jay were certainly not making it any easier on her. Her head was throbbing, and her encounter with John replayed itself over and over in her mind. Everything was so perfect, except for the fact that there was another man who made her feel that everything was perfect also.
None of this was fair, not to John or Jay, not to her, not to the other members of the Justice League who had to deal with this insanity.
She sighed, and landed to discover that she had found her way into the landing bay.
Leaving forever would solve nothing, but a brief break from Flash and John might very well be what she needed. Her mind made up she started for the plane, climbed in, and left, pleased to finally be doing something.
John.
Flash.
Damnit.
