"Silver Bells, Christmas Lights, and Angel Wings"
By: The Angelic Temptress
Disclaimer: None of the borrowed characters are mine. Those people who created the show and its stars own them, but they don't know how to "truly" use them to their full potential…
Rating: PG-13, I hope.
Spoilers: Through "Wake the Dead"
2
"You look absurd." John Stewart took off his sunglasses and raised an eyebrow in Superman's direction as he tore off his leather duster. "Tell me this wasn't your idea."
His friend only laughed. "Of course it was. Look. I even got Black Canary and Zatana to dress for the occasion."
John glanced in the direction of the dessert table and caught sight of a blonde wearing a slightly scandalous elf costume. At the bar, a gorgeous dark-haired lady wearing a red velvet hat, matching coat, and probably red fishnets was serving alcohol to their co-workers.
His radiant eyes went wide when he spotted a winged redhead making her way to the bar. She was wearing a dangerously short skirt and boots… He'd never seen her in a skirt.
"Hey guys," The Flash greeted after he removed a candy cane from his mouth. "Having fun yet?"
"Not really," the Lantern answered honestly and forced his focus onto his best friend. "I only came because I had to. Why is it that Batman always manages to work on nights like this?"
"That's 'cause 'Super Santa' allows it. He knows Bats would stand in the corner and make everyone else feel unhappy." The Flash then shrugged. "But he'd somehow manage to get all the girls anyway."
Superman interjected, "Speaking of him, we're having another board meeting on the third. I'm going to propose Nightwing's admission into the League."
"Got it, Big Blue – er – Red." A second later, the kid giggled. "Ha. I just called you Big Red."
When Superman gave a confused look, John explained. "Like the gum."
"Oh. I get it." With that, he walked away from the duo.
"So. Shy decided to show, huh?"
Flash slightly nodded. "Kind of. I forced her into coming. She didn't really want to."
John crossed his arms over his broad chest. "I thought the six of us agreed on not pushing her into anything, including social events."
"She shouldn't be isolated anymore; she doesn't need to torture herself day after day, night after night. She goes on missions, and she sleeps; I don't find that very healthy. Come to think of it, she sounds like someone else I know…"
"Right, Hotshot. I'll see you later." Stewart used his ring to grab a Bud from the bar table and pulled it toward him as he walked toward the dessert table. He ripped it open and took a swing.
Then he glanced at her.
Although she hadn't noticed him yet, because her back was to John, he had already decided on approaching her. Ever since she and come back to him… to them… he had been unperturbed. It felt good to not be un –
"Comfortable?"
John averted his eyes from Shayera a moment before Mari joined him. That was good. He didn't want to hurt her; he knew how that felt.
She sipped her wine and placed her free hand on her shapely hip. The dress she wore was a deep crimson, obviously worn to attract attention; it possessed a plunging neckline and a slit on its side.
"I guess," he replied half-heartedly and faked a tiny smile. He liked Mari a lot. She was beautiful, intelligent, and brave; there was no real reason for their relationship not to work, except one.
He was still in love with his last girlfriend.
And he has been for quite a while.
"You guess? Well, we can fix that, you know. We never did go on that dinner date." The green lights illuminated her large eyes, catching him off guard.
She was rather beautiful.
VV
Shayera wondered how involved they were. John appeared to be at ease; he was offering a grin that Shy didn't recognize. He never smiled at her like that.
It was like a cold and twisted dagger to the gut.
She whirled around and sat down in one of the barstools. There was no way she'd face either of them; they didn't need to be interrupted.
Her heart sank. Did Hol actually believe she still stood a chance? Why? Because the League decided to keep her? Because John had cared about her mixed emotions when she had to kill Grundy? Because he had smiled at her? Because he had said she was welcome at anytime?
She chugged half of her beer and wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. The Budweiser wasn't going to work; she needed something with more alcohol to kill the pain.
Why had she listened to Flash? Why was she dressed up?
Shy noted that the others sitting at the bar had already gone. No surprise there. So, she took another swig of her beer.
VV
She looked miserable. Although Flash wanted to run to her rescue, he knew he couldn't. Only one man could, and he was too busy flirting with his new interest.
Although he didn't want to, he had to give Vixen props. Somehow, she had managed to get him to go out again. Wally thought it was her looks that did the trick.
He shook his head and spoke to Steel, who has standing by him. "This was a bad idea. Why did I think this would work?"
"Because you're a thickheaded optimistic who likes to butt into everyone else's business."
The scarlet speed-demon's jaw dropped. "Who asked you anyway?"
VV
She shut her eyes and tried to drown out the music blasting from the speakers. She hated holiday music, and she wanted to straggle The Rat Pack too.
But they were all dead. It was just Clark's CD.
She wondered how he liked her? Did he do the work before they screwed, or did she? After all, Shy knew what he liked. He liked both.
And did they love each other in the dark or by candlelight? Shayera and John had always preferred the moonlight. Did he make love the same way to every woman? Or was this one different? Did he take her from behind, did he do it the old fashioned way, or did he like her on top?
John had enjoyed Shy on top. He said she looked so natural without her wings being pinned to the bed or against the wall.
Did he find her beautiful? After all, she resembled Katma. Did he like dark-skinned girls over the light? Maybe he favored the black hair and dark eyes to her auburn hair and green eyes? He might like them taller; Shayera had always been considered short.
Part of her didn't want to know while the rest of her craved to change for him. She wanted him, needed him so badly that she ached inside.
She's ached ever since she first lied to him. Somehow, she hoped he knew that.
Shayera finished The Flash's untouched bottle and sighed. She had to go.
Her ears caught two people talking about her, but she ignored it. She was already too depressed to care anymore.
She just needed to go away again.