"It's nothing quite as dangerous as you're thinking." John murmured as an answer to Summer's inquiry. What was Iggy helping him with? Well, that was a loaded question. But he couldn't very well begin this date with details of her past espionage, betrayal, disappearance and subsequent memory loss. Summer was just beginning to trust him and open up to him. And as much as he hated to admit it, part of John trusted Iggy's assessment that Shayera wasn't ready to remember yet. He wanted her to remain happy - well, happier - for a little while longer at least. Guilt pulled at John's heart, but he pushed it down quickly.
The woman before him huffed in frustration and leaned forward with determination brightening her face. Tilting her chin so that she could balance it on her palm, she studied him carefully and commented, "That's not going to pass for a hint."
"Fine." John said shortly, "I'm trying to track someone down. An old friend of mine."
"A friend or…?" Summer wiggled her brows suggestively.
Luckily, their waiter appeared at that moment looking frazzled but ready to take their order. Summer whipped her's up with barely a glance at the menu while John opened his quickly and picked the first thing he saw. Rather than write down their requests, the boy simply nodded mechanically as he placed their drinks in front of them, and then he disappeared in a rush once more. John had no desire to answer her question, but there seemed to be no good options to turn the conversation a different way, and Shayera looked determined to wait him out for an answer. Leaving the couple sitting alone in awkward silence. Well, at least for him, meanwhile she seemed content to let things play out.
Instead of answering, John turned to the beautiful view before them and gazed out at the city. The twinkle of the lamplights mixed in with the bright fluorescence of the waking clubs and bars to create a magical array of colors. In the distance, modern hotels and casinos stood proudly against the luxurious apartment buildings and business centers, pushing against each other until they both abruptly lost space to the sea. And against it all, the sun was slipping beneath the horizon, painting the scene in bright hues of scarlet, violet, and tangerine. It was a unique city of contrasts, this Miami. Nature and modernity woven together to create an oasis for the young and adventurous. Pondering aloud, John asked quietly, "So of all the places, what drew you here?"
"Hm." Summer hummed thoughtfully. Likewise, she looked out at the lively metropolis, and remained quiet for several moments. He wasn't certain that she would answer his question with the length of time she stared at the scene in silence. Lights flickered in her bright, blue irises, but finally she asked, "How likely are you to arrest a friend of Iggy's?"
"Keep a secret?" John asked.
She turned to him with a small, challenging smile as her response.
He grinned back at her and said, "To be honest, I don't actually work for the government. I guess you could say I work more in the private sector."
"Oh!" She sat up with excitement, "A private investigator! The plot thickens."
That was one thing that John had noticed about Shayera. He had never known her to be so genuinely happy and carefree with showing her feelings. Maybe it came from the fact that she had always been forced to camouflage her intentions before the invasion or maybe the guilt had always weighed on her more heavily then he knew. Perhaps it was just a side effect from being Summer, but something about Shayera was different. It was like John was finally seeing the real her - openly charming, sarcastic yet kind, full of excitement and life - but it also felt like an invasion of her privacy. Like he was seeing things he knew she would never reveal on her own.
John shook his head, "Something like that."
"So," She prodded again, "You're not likely to arrest me."
"Cop or not," John admitted honestly, "I could never arrest you."
Her lips pursed, trying to hide the pleased smile that threatened to spread across her face. Nervously, she squirmed in her chair until she found a more comfortable position and crossed her legs carefully. He could tell that while he had flattered her, she was still a little ashamed to answer his question. Her hand spun her drink slowly, making ripples in mug, and her nails skimmed over the ceramic surface. Finally, she spoke, in a quiet, uncertain voice, "Well, Iggy and I had to get out of dodge pretty fast there. I mean, I had always wanted to leave Chicago - it was never my kind of city - but I went a little off the deep end at the end there."
"Why?" Worry seeped through John's voice.
"That's not exactly first date discussion." She dodged.
"What if this wasn't a first date?" He asked thoughtfully, "What would you say to me three months from now?"
She raised a brow, "You want to know that badly?"
John nodded slowly, looking deep into the tumultuous oceans of her eyes. With absolute honesty, he told her, "I want to know you."
The words were enough to get her to bite her lip in apprehension, but he saw the decision in her eyes nonetheless. Summer pushed her hair out of her face and took a deep breath before she spoke, "Zane and I liked to live life fully. It probably won't surprise you that I was an adrenaline junkie - driving fast cars, jumping out of planes, sneaking through impenetrable security systems. And my fiancé was always there with this designer suits and fancy apartment covered in rare and expensive art. He liked to spend money, and I liked to steal it." She looked at him with sadness in her eyes, "And one day we stole from the wrong person."
John saw the unspoken message in her eyes, "And Zane died."
Summer nodded slowly, "Iggy found me not long after that. My life had spiraled downwards pretty quickly, and while I had managed to evade getting myself killed to that point, I wasn't trying particularly hard to save myself. Anything I could drown my sorrows in - drugs, alcohol, mindless jobs and dangerous pastimes - I tried. Nothing worked, but I guess if we're being honest, I felt guilty enough that I didn't really care one way or another what happened to me. But Iggy found me, and he just cared so much. Before I knew it, he had me cleaned up, at the airport ticket gate, and told me to pick a place. Any place that I wanted to go, he would go with me, and we would get a fresh start."
Reaching out to wrap his hands around her's, he felt the warmth of the coffee cup she was holding and the slight shaking of her fingers around it. He let his own calloused palms rub her scraped knuckles in small, soothing circles. Her breath of relief was instantaneous. Even if her mind didn't know him, her body responded in the same say it always did. She leaned into him, drawing strength from his warm presence and slowly allowing herself to become calm. She didn't speak for a long time, and then finally she smiled and finished, "Miami was the first name I saw that had an ocean. I had never seen one, and I thought, why not?"
John chuckled, "Such a thoughtful reason."
"Shut up." She said with a smile. Leaning back, she brought her mug to her lips and blew gently over the top of it. Before she took a drink, she asked him, "So you want to tell me who got you so bent out of shape?"
"What do you mean?" John asked nervously.
Summer smiled and said, "You look like a man who had his heart broken."
Withdrawing his hands so that he could reach for his own drink, he mulled over the topic she had just broached. Had Shayera's departure broken his heart? Yes, he couldn't deny that, but things had changed since finding her this way. He no longer blamed her as much as he had before, and he certainly wasn't as full of anger as he had been for the past several months. Eventually he responded to her vaguely, "Not that long ago I lost someone I cared about. She left when I really needed her to stay and fight. For us, for our friends - hell, for whatever kind of future she saw for us together."
Summer tilted her head, "But you didn't go after her."
"What?" John looked at her in shock, "How would you know that?"
A look passed over her face that could be summed up in one simple word. Really? She huffed in annoyance and answered, "I don't think you would be here if you'd have gone after her. From what I can tell, you care deeply about things and don't like to let go. That and no one walks away from a lover who cares for them and chases after them."
At that moment, John's phone buzzed in his pocket. He jumped at the noise, and but reached for the device quickly, desperate for any excuse to end the topic of discussion. A text message from an unknown number flashed across his screen with the words "Call Me", but John didn't open it. It was probably just a wrong number because everyone worth dropping a date for was already saved to his contact list. There was no way in hell he was leaving now. Instead, he placed the phone face down on the table and said simply, "It was complicated."
"If you say so." She didn't push further.
He took another sip of his beer before trying to turn the conversation back to her, "So, has Miami been everything you wanted?"
Biting her lip nervously once more, she contemplated the question for several moments. Her fingers taped a quick tempo against the scratched wood surface, which could just barely be heard over the rumble of conversation and the weak background music. John's heart skipped a beat although he wasn't sure what kind of answer he was hoping for. Finally, she admitted, "I've been considering a change of scenery - someplace in the mountains - but that's just a dream for now. Everything about Miami feels so artificial to me. It's hot, packed full of tourists, and everyone seems to be reaching for these unrealistic expectations of reality. I find myself resenting it more and more, even if I love the people around me and the little reprieves I find. Like this place. But there's something else out there for me. I can feel it."
She wrinkled her nose upon hearing herself, "Sound crazy?"
"Sounds like there's something you're missing." John said in awe. Something meaning the family she had created out of a mismatched band of heroes. Shayera never could have stood for a civilian life, and he was honestly surprised that Summer had managed to stay put for as long as she had. Perhaps that was Iggy's hand in this strange game they were playing, but still. Somewhere deep down she knew there was something missing, and he wanted to scream at her that no place could change that. Only her memories could.
She laughed humorlessly, "Guess we have that in common."
John's phone buzzed again, but this time he pushed it further down the table. It didn't matter who it was or what they wanted; this was more important. Summer frowned at his dismissal of the message, but didn't ask about it. Instead she asked teasingly, "Do you always ignore your friends this much?"
"My friends worry too much." He shrugged, "Seem to think I can't handle myself."
"Now why would they think that?" She asked flirtatiously.
"Well." He said slowly, "I guess I had my own off-the-deep-end period not that long ago. My coping mechanism has always been work, and I threw myself into it full force."
"We all have our vices." She said with a smile.
Suddenly, a chiming noise cut through the gentle banter they had been caught in. Summer turned quickly to pick up her own phone off the table. Her dark locks swung around her beautifully, but a frown came across her face as she checked the message. Regret clouded her eyes as she looked at John pleadingly and said, "I have to take this. Give me five minutes?"
"Of course." John answered, "I should check mine anyway."
She touched his handle softly as she rose, a silent sign of her appreciation. In both her lives, it seemed, saying thank you was difficult. Still, he appreciated the gesture. As soon as she disappeared to a quiet corner of the restaurant, John reached for his own phone and found that after "Call Me." he had received two more messages, "This is urgent" followed by "Answer ASAP". Just as he was about to respond, however, the device buzzed in his hand with an incoming call and he picked up immediately.
"Who is this?" He whispered and glanced around to see if anyone was watching.
"Diana." The woman scoffed, "Of course. You need to get Shayera someplace safe and find me NOW!"
"What happened?" John said too loudly, earning a few annoyed glanced from the other patrons.
"I found some of Hades minions. They're heading towards you, but I think I can cut them off." In the background, he could hear the sound of air rushing by her as she flew. A knot formed in his stomach, and he waved for the check without a thought. It seemed like his good fortune had run out.
Before he could answer Diana, Summer rushed back to their table and reached for her bag. Her eyes were wild with worry and speculation, and she barely looked at him as she spoke, "John, I'm so sorry. Iggy's been in an accident, and I have to go."
John spoke to Summer quickly, "Don't worry about it. I understand."
"Thanks." She turned back to him appreciatively. Before he could say anything else, she cut him off with a quick peck on the lips. There was no romance or joy behind it, but at the same time it stopped his heart. Because even though she hadn't kissed him in months, and in her mind she had never kissed him at all, it held a domesticity to it like they had done it a million times before. The way she used to kiss him before rushing off on a dangerous mission or he would kiss her still dozing form as he told her he was going to get coffee. Her lips quickly brushed over his and she ran back to the elevator before he could fully process the exchange.
But as much as he wanted to relish the moment, he realized Diana was still waiting urgently for his response.
Quickly, he put the phone back to his ear and told Diana, "I'll be right there."