Hi friends! Here's just a little "something" something to tide me over while I'm working on a larger-scale DCAU project (No official release date yet, but it's in the works! It's, of course, John Stewart/Shayera related... but that's all the info you get as of this moment.)
She didn't want to wake up.
Opening her eyes meant witnessing the looks of disgust, hatred, fear, and resentment. With each gaze that fixated on her failures and wings, the harder it became to keep her head held high.
Getting out of bed meant putting on a mask, one where she was stronger than her doubts and insecurities. She pretended she didn't yearn for her once, beloved helmet. She pretended a lot of things these days.
Dressing into her uniform meant protecting a world that hated her. Removing her mace from its mount meant she was ready to face the day's battles... but... she didn't want to wake up.
Her body ached from back-to-back rotation schedules. She took on every assignment thrown her way. She put everything into every task given to her in hopes of one day balancing some moral scale. She dreamed that one day she could wake up and those uncertain gazes would morph into respect and assuredness in her presence.
Wishing things would be different - or simply go back to normal - motivated her some days to get out of this bed... but, not today.
Though the nagging pit in her stomach clenched with dread, she eased into a sitting position on the edge of her cot. A hand to her lower back - rubbing soothing circles against her skin - released the tension from her shoulders. The owner wrapped their arm around her midsection, drawing her closer. His lips pressed lazy - still half asleep - kisses to her spine and she involuntarily shivered at the tender contact.
Though her previous battle didn't warrant it, she couldn't stop the smile from forming on her lips. Shayera spun to face her companion, and she curled into his warm embrace. He hummed a pleasant greeting in his low, baritone voice, even deeper than its usual tone due to its lack of use during the night.
The way he said her name with such love behind the syllables made her giddy, like that of the first time she flew without falling as a child, soaring on the wind. She had always loved his voice.
She marveled at his facial features - set in such a peaceful way - she too felt that peace pass over into her. How she wished she could bask in his beauty and light for a lifetime. She wished she could have this moment engraved so she could treasure it forever.
"It's still early," she whispered as she placed a lingering kiss to his brow, massaging the back of his neck. "-You should go back to sleep."
He simply pulled her closer to his body, giving the same attention to the tense muscles in her back and shoulders.
Her breath caught as his caresses traveled between her wings, and she quenched the lewd thoughts that crossed her mind. However, that didn't stop the ache in her heart ... or between her thighs. "John," she scolded, though she wished she didn't need to stop his advances. He chuckled against her neck, tickling her with his breath.
"Stay with me a little while longer?" He asked teasingly before wrapping her up in the blankets and pinning her close to his chest. They shook with laughter. Joy radiated between them like fire on an endless winter night; every day without his presence felt so cold.
The way he looked at her made her feel so vulnerable, yet safe - strong, yet weak - loved, yet afraid. How he made her feel was unlike anything or anyone she'd ever known. She kissed him soundly as she basked in his warmth, feeling tears prick her eyelashes.
"I wish I could," she said, her voice cracking.
Dread settled in her stomach again, and he brushed her hair away from her face, giving her a knowing smile. She didn't know how long they lay there staring at one another, but she didn't want to move. He knew how she felt, and she knew the same for him ... yet, she was still so unsure, and so confused.
He fiddled with the loose strands of her red hair, eyeing her carefully. "How much longer until I can hold you again?"
She swallowed her emotions with a shake of her head, closing her eyes tightly. Pressing his palm into her cheek, she attempted to soak up the warmth of this fleeting moment before she had to get out of this bed. "However long it takes." She promised, feeling moisture on her cheek.
Willing her eyes to open, the Earth's slow rotation settled into her blurry vision.
She breathed a small sigh, brushing the offending trail of tears from her cold cheeks. Though she knew she shouldn't, she glanced behind her ...her bed as empty as her will to wake up each morning.
Before she could think about crawling back into her bed and succumbing to her daily, downward spiral, Shayera rose to her feet and forced their movements. However long it took seemed so far away, but she wouldn't get there with self-pity. Her morning routine flew by as though she were on auto-pilot.
Before she knew it, those same faces that resented and feared her greeted her like a morning coffee, but she held her head high.
She set her expression in a calculated, unreadable mask - as if daring those around her to challenge her place among them.
Her beloved weapon swung in time with her stride like a familiar friend matching her pace, reminding her that she - at the very least - didn't have to fight each day alone.
And within the founder's meeting room, she sat beside the man who invaded her dreams... pretending thoughts of their reunion didn't keep her awake at night.
AN: Thank you for reading! Be sure to Follow and Fav as I'll be posting more JLU one-shots to this story, and feel free to leave feedback - I read each comment always! ;) God bless and see ya next time! -Kris