Disclaimer: I don't own Justice League Unlimited.
'Tis the Season
Phase Seven: Execution
Clark looked around the table. All things considered, everyone seemed to be having a good time. They had decided to have the dinner in the Watchtower refectory (so that secret identities weren't an issue), with Alfred kindly volunteering to cook a veritable banquet for them.
J'onn and Diana were talking contentedly, the Martian deftly avoiding the Amazon princess's solid-as-a-rock fruitcake. She would occasionally send death glares at Clark and Wally, but other than that she looked quite serene.
Vixen and Shayera traded embarrassing stories about John while the Green Lantern could only look on in crotchety old humbug-ness.
Linda tried her best to look like she was still mad at Wally, but failed miserably when he started doing a little tap dance number with two breadsticks.
The Man of Steel himself was talking to Ollie and Dinah, both of whom he was glad he had invited.
He enjoyed having them in the conference meetings much more than Aquaman.
However, one seat remained vacant.
In Batman's place was a small note simply saying 'Something came up'.
Later, after the dinner, the heroes and heroines danced to music, both slow and fast.
Clark felt decidedly awkward when Ollie insisted he dance with Dinah.
The archer and the speedster both did embarrassingly flamboyant dances to the more quick musical numbers, among them 'the robot' and 'the moonwalk'.
Their respective other halves pretended they weren't there.
J'onn was relying on Diana to get him dancing, since he genuinely had no idea what he was doing.
Clark made his way over to the Martian and the Amazon.
"Excuse me, Mr J'onnz, but do you mind if I have this dance?"
He smiled. "By all means."
Diana did not look pleased.
The two strongest people in the room swayed gently to the slow music.
"Are you going to forgive me before Christmas?"
"Maybe."
"I told you, it was Wally's fault."
"Blaming someone else? That's not very Superman-ly."
"But isn't that what Shayera said? 'If in doubt-"
"-'blame Flash'."
They smiled, and silence descended between them.
"Shame Bruce couldn't make it."
Diana shrugged. "Not really. He probably would have a put a downward spin on the party anyway."
Clark cocked an eyebrow.
"What? I'm just tired of making excuses for him."
"He does tend to wear you down after a while."
"Not as much as Flash, but yes, he does."
Wally's head whipped around. "Hey! I heard that!"
Linda pulled his head back around to look at her. "Anyway, what were you saying about making it up to me?"
"Oh yeah, well, I have a big thing planned."
She waited for more, but nothing came. "That's it?"
"That's all I'm telling you, yeah."
"You know I don't like surprise parties."
"Yes, you do."
"No, I don't."
"I think I know what you like."
"Do you now?"
"Yup."
"What's my favourite breakfast cereal?"
"Lucky Charms."
"…dammit…"
She quickly changed the subject.
"So what time's your fundraiser for the orphanage tomorrow?"
"About nine."
"In the morning?"
"Well, nine at night's a little late for the kids."
"Don't get smart with me."
"I don't do 'smart'. I do 'smartass'."
She sighed and shook her head. "Well, if it's that early, don't you think we'd better call it a night? It's coming up on midnight already."
"Oh, but, but… you said if I brought you here you'd uh… give me a little… sum'n sum'n…?"
"That was before I knew you were getting up early. Whose idea was this fundraiser anyway?"
"Oh, it's a big thing put together by-" He grinned. "Oh…"
"What?"
Wally giggled far too girlishly. "I know something they don't know…" he sang quietly.
"What?"
"I'll tell you, uh… if you, uh… you know…" he said, smiling smugly while he nodded slowly.
"Oh, nice Wally. Blackmail."
"I like to call it… Sexmail."
Ollie appeared from seemingly nowhere.
"What was that?"
Wally looked over at him. "Sexmail. It's when-"
Moving faster than Wally thought possible, Linda stepped between them. "No, no, don't need to have this conversation, thank you very much."
Ollie whined in protest. "But sexmail sounds so good…"
"Ollie! Stop harassing the nice couple!"
"I'm not, dear!"
"Then why does she look afraid of you?"
Wally pointed to his goatee and looked over at Dinah, who was on the other side of the room.
"It's the beard! It looks slightly satanic in nature!"
Arrow stroked it contemplatively. "It does?"
"Oh yeah. It's the way it's all pointy at the bottom."
Linda grabbed Wally's arm. "We need to go now."
"Why? The conversation-"
"-is exactly why we're leaving."
Wally sighed. "Okay… see you later. Hey Clark! Nice party!"
The Man of Steel gave him a satisfied thumbs up.
Ollie walked over to Superman.
"Does my beard look satanic to you?"