(Just something I wrote for Valentines Day. A little lemony but nothing extreme)
Gotham City
Traffic was killer, especially in Gotham around seven thirty in the morning. It was especially bad if you were an angry Thanagarian who would easily fly in place of taking the minivan if it wasn't for the fact that Gotham had "air traffic laws" and that "carrying a child while flying was dangerous".
Shayera can't help but huff at the thought. 'Penny's safer in my arms flying than she is in this ridiculous traffic' she thinks, stopping at the last minute as a sports car pulls into her lane, cutting her off. She fumes and rolls down the window, sticking her head out. "Hey as…." she starts before remembering that her daughter was in the back seat. She looks in the mirror, seeing Penny's wide eyed expression fixed on her mother, ready to see her curse out a random driver.
She pulls her head back in and rolls up the window, thankful that she left her mace at home. "Umm sweetie? Keep that little close call between us?" she asks hopefully, a smile on her face as she watches her daughter, craning her head over her shoulder. Penny nods, kicking her legs and smiling in her car seat. "Uhh hmm" she says, looking out the window and watching the traffic go by, undoubtedly already forgetting about it.
"Daddy packed your lunch right?" Shayera asks, hoping that Vic had remembered before leaving for his shift on the Watchtower. "Yup. Bologna and swiss" she says, absentmindedly. "He also put the Valentines in the back" she adds, causing Shayera to look up confusedly before moving forward onto the exit to get to Vreeland academy. "Valentines…" she starts before remembering, having completely forgotten about the romantic holiday. All the parents had been asked to send their children in with Valentine's day treats, one for each student, a month back and Shayera had fully intended to put that together last week. However, between helping Penny with her ballet recital practice, fighting Luthor in Indonesia and Watchtower duty it had slipped her mind.
Luckily for her, Vic, despite being busier, was there to save her. She smiled at the thought of her husband just assuming the responsibility himself instead of just reminding her. The thought of her husband in conjunction with remembering the romantic holiday put a damper on her mood however. She hadn't remembered, and thus didn't have any time to plan something special for the two of them. For the last few years she'd start planning months in advance. A responsible babysitter for Penny, a backup and a second backup, reservations and usually a sexy outfit for Vic to admire her in. This year though, it had completely slipped her mind, and she felt anything but sexy in her sweat pants and sweater, her hair messily tucked into a bun.
"Do you know what daddy got for Valentines?" she asks, trying to get her mind onto happier thoughts than the realization that her and Vic had been drifting apart recently. "He got…." Penny starts before peaking over the back seat to make sure. "Reeses Peanut Butter cup hearts and small cards. They're all wrapped with the cards attached" she says, sitting back down as Vreeland comes into view.
"That was awfully nice of daddy huh?" Shayera asks, parking the car in the drop off zone. It wasn't technically allowed but she and Vic were given some leeway with their status as superheroes, though Vic's was still much more secretive and more likely hinged upon her open status as a hero. She turns off the car and gets out, opening the door for her daughter and grasping her hand, moving around to the back of the van.
She usually got some stares, or was sometimes honked at by the parents who just dropped their kids off and were thus "inconvenienced" by her minivan being parked there. She didn't care, and often had to resist just throwing them the finger.
She opens the trunk and reaches in, taking the tray of individually prepared Valentines day cards. "Ready sweetie?" she asks, holding the tray in one hand and her daughter's in her other. "Uhh hmm" Penny responds, as usual lost in a world of her own.
She walks her up the stairs to the school, not even drawing attention anymore as most had gotten used to her being there by now. An aide is waiting by the front, obviously there to help the students bring their treats to class instead of letting the parents bring in the trays themselves and causing chaos. Shayera hands the valentines off to the blonde woman and quickly takes a knee, kissing Penny's forehead. "Happy Valentines day baby. I love you" she says, nuzzling her daughters nose. Penny just giggles and squirms away. "Moooom" she moans, causing Shayera to laugh. "What? You don't want to be my Valentine?" she teases. "No mommy. Valentines are for...romantic love" she says, stopping to try and find the word for it before smiling. "Go ask daddy to be your Valentine" she says, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.
"Alright sweetie, I will. But I still love you, you know?" she teases, indeed wanting to go and ask Vic such a question, hoping it would help the old flame blaze up again. "I love you too mommy. See you later" Penny says before moving off, the aid following behind.
Shayera stays on her knees, watching until her daughter disappears down the hallway before she gets up and makes her way back to the van. With a sigh she turns the key in the ignition and heads off, towards the supermarket of all places. She still had errands to run before she went home.
"This is your best friend, pick up the phone, this is your best friend, pick up the phone" the car's built in phone hookup begins ringing, causing the Thanagarian to roll her eyes at the custom ringtone her "best friend" had indeed set up for herself that she had no clue on how to change. While she maneuvers into traffic heading north she clicks the button, accepting the call. "Hello Selina. What's up?" she asks, trying to rub the tiredness out of her eyes as she is once more caught in gridlock, and this time without the calming effect of her daughter's presence.
"Hey Shay. Nothing much. Just dropped off Kathy" Seline Wayne says, the smirk evident in her voice. "Ohh, I must've just missed you then" Shay returns, absentmindedly looking towards the sky, seeing how dark the incoming clouds were. 'Rain. Great' she thinks to herself, not enjoying the prospect of having to drive in inclement weather. "Yeah. Had to drop off the Valentines too. All twenty three of them. Sheesh, do you know how long Alfred was up last night wrapping them?" Selina says sarcastically. She enjoyed playing the vapid housewife who let the butler do everything, but Shayera knew that she had been up just as late beside Alfred wrapping them too.
"I don't. I completely forgot this year. Luckily for me Vic didn't" she says with a sigh, wanting to bash her head against the steering wheel. "Ohh? Hmm. Shoot straight with me, what's wrong?" Selina asks, causing Shayera to open her mouth with a lie on her lips before remembering who she was talking to. Selina would be able to sniff it right out if she wasn't telling the truth.
"It's just….do you ever feel like you and Bruce are becoming….distant?" she asks, wanting to communicate the issue through like experiences. She just hears a light laughter from the other end of the line. "All the time. I'm married to Bruce Wayne, king of distant. But I'm always able to break that really quick" she says, promising a solution.
"How?" Shayera asks, a little too eagerly.
"I'll tell you...if you meet me for coffee" Selina says, causing Shayera to roll her eyes. "Selina, I have errands to run. I really don't have…"
"You have to go to the grocery store and the dry cleaners which are both right next to each other. Seeing as it's a wednesday you only have to buy eggs, milk and a few snacks for Penny. I know your schedule Shayera. You have time for a coffee with your best friend. I miss you too" Selina says, employing the pouting face on the other end. Shayera could just imagine it and knew that she'd give in eventually. 'Better sooner than later' she thinks before asking, "Where do you want me to meet you? And give me some time too huh? Gotham traffic is killer".
"Tell me about it. I'm stuck behind this dumb redhead in her stupid blue minivan" Selina teases, chuckling into the receiver and hanging up quickly. Before Shayera could even understand what she meant by that she hears a honk from her rear and turns to see Selina and her Jaguar positioned right behind her in traffic. The dark haired woman waves from the driver's seat and Shay just lays her head down on the wheel and moans, already feeling that the day was too long.
Dunkin Donuts, Gotham City
"So, you haven't been having any sexy time with Vic then hmm?" asks the former jewel thief turned housewife from across the table. Selina was immaculately dressed, a form fitting green blouse and pencil skirt, her hair perfectly coiffed and done. If Shayera were vain she might've been jealous. However, the woman's words bring her back to reality.
"No" she confesses, taking a sip of her coffee. "We've just been...busy I guess. Is that normal? To be so busy that you feel like a stranger is living with you?" she says, turning to her friend who drops her teasing demeanor to try and help the Thanagarian solve her problem. "Yes. But the thing is, you're not strangers. You know Vic loves the hell out of you and if I'm correct you still love him don't you?"
"Of course, it's just there's so much that happens in our daily lives that I don't feel like we have time to share it with each other. I don't know how his day goes anymore Selina. I come home, cook and clean. He comes home, does the dishes and helps Penny with homework. We read her a story, and then we both conk out. We don't get to talk anymore. I even forgot it was Valentines day Selina" she says, letting out months of pent up frustration at what she felt was a loggerhead in her marriage.
"I think the solution is simple. Spend a night together" Selina says, taking a sip of coffee. "Ohh gee whiz, thanks for the suggestion. How am I going to do that? We have so much going on. Ballet recitals are coming up, and Vic is working on his network promotion and not to mention whatever conspiracy he's now obsessed with. I've got a doctor's appointment this week and I have Watchtower…"
"I'm not talking about sometime this week Shay. I'm talking about tonight" Selina says, cutting off the woman. "I already talked to Vic. Kathy wants to have a sleepover since Bruce and I will be away for the night. Alfred is watching her but she asked if she could have a friend over. Guess who she choose?" Selina says with a smile causing Shayera to wonder. She was never comfortable with letting Penny out of her sight, but she did trust Alfred. It made sense that Bruce and Selina were going out, most likely to the Iceberg Lounge and then...well, wherever those two liked to enjoy some adult time. Probably a rooftop of some sort.
"I...I don't know" she says, wondering why Vic would agree without asking her and being a little miffed about that fact.
"Ohh he didn't say yes" Selina teases, reading the expressions on Shayera's face easily. "He said to ask you, but wanted you to let him know if you said yes" Selina says, causing Hawkgirl to heave a sigh of relief. Her husband still knew better than that.
"Well..I guess it would be okay. I...I really want to talk with Vic for a little while" she says, thankful at how forceful her friend could be. "Thanks Sel" she says simply, causing the other woman to smile. "No problem Shay"
The Apartment of Vic and Shayera Sage
"Vic? Are you home?" Shayera calls, closing the apartment door with her foot and setting the groceries down on the table. She doesn't get a response and puts the groceries down on the counter. "Vic?" she calls again, her eyes roving over the apartment. "Why is it so dark…" she starts before noticing a flickering candle.
It was placed on a table and a card was neatly folded beside it. A single word was written over it, "Shayera", and she opened it, assuming rightly that it was a note for her. "Forever in my heart, is where you will always be. Nobody else may enter, because you have the only key" it says.
Shayera smiles, placing her hand on her chest and blushing, knowing that Vic had written it out for her. Earlier in the afternoon she had assumed that he was angry with her. When she texted him saying that she had told Selina that Kathy could sleep over and that Alfred would pick her up, he'd only responded by saying "ok".
The cold text had put her off but with this card she knew that they were okay. She turns to the right and sees more candles, placed strategically and simply along the hallway, giving the faint outline of rose petals leading towards the bathroom. Her interest is piqued and her heart beat increases, her face turning bright red from the anticipation of what Vic had planned for her. She follows the roses, careful not to make too much of a mess by displacing them with her feet. She kicks off her sneakers and begins to walk, her smile getting wider as she opens the door to the bathroom and sees even more candles lit. The bathroom was small and a little cramped, but Vic had somehow made it work. "Hey gorgeous" he says simply, sitting on the toilet seat in his robe. The candles were scented, giving off a faint smell of cinnamon.
"Vic…" she says breathlessly, letting her husband come close and wrap his arms about her waist before pressing his lips to hers. "Happy Valentines day" he says, gently beginning to tug on the hem of her sweater. She smiles and lifts her arms, allowing him to remove the dirty garment and exposing her chest, barely held in by her bra. He deftly undoes it and adds it to the growing pile of her clothes on the toilet seat. He leans in and kisses her neck, trailing affection over her clavicle and pulse point. She raises her own hand, gently caressing her cheek as she steps out of her sweats and panties.
"Hmm, so beautiful" he says before leading her over to the tub, which she now realizes is filled with water. "Ohh Vic, you shouldn't have gone through all this trouble…" she begins, before being hushed by a quick kiss. "Just get in the tub" he teases, giving her rear end a light swat. She lets out a noise of surprise before smiling, doing as she was asked and lowering into the warm water of the tub. She lets out a moan of contentment, pushing her shoulders back to rest on the back of the tub.
Vic moves onto the stool beside the tub and dips his hands into the water, lathering them up in soap before beginning to rub at her shoulders, working out the kinks she didn't even know she had.
"I...I feel awful that I didn't do anything special for you this year" she says guiltily. He just shrugs and begins to lather up her hair, reaching down to massage her breasts after he finishes with her hair. "You do something special for me every day of the year Shayera. Calling you my wife and our daughter is enough "special" to last me a lifetime. I love you Shayera Sage" he says, leaning down to kiss her lips and making her heart flutter. "And I love you Victor Sage" she teases, reaching up to rub her husband's face.
She suddenly realized that for all her worrying and fretting they didn't NEED to say anything more to each other than what was already said.
Moments of silence pass with Vic continuing to wash his wife, enjoying her coos and moans of pleasure. "Are you going to join me in here baby?" she asks, reaching up to play with the sash of his robe, knowing that he was naked underneath it. "In that small tub? No way" he says, causing her momentary disappointment that he instantly wipes away by leaning in and suckling on her neck. "But there is plenty of room in the hallway, on the couch, the counter and in our bed" he teases, reaching downwards even more causing Shayera to moan even louder.
"Ohhh….I'm a lucky girl" she teases back, licking his chin and fluttering out her wings to caress him.