sunday_reveries Where to Be
Characters referenced are based in Animated DCU canon.
picture prompt
"I heard you were leaving."
She'd expected Wally or Diana. Even Bruce or Clark wouldn't be unlikely. She hadn't expected him. But neither was she surprised.
"Hence the packing."
"Right." He took her response as invitation and entered the room. She glanced over but did not otherwise acknowledge him and continued in her task. A moment passed in awkward silence; John cleared his throat. "What are you...going to do now?"
Shayera turned to meet his gaze, confusion apparent on her face. She crossed her arms. "I'm not leaving the League. Just the Watchtower."
"Oh." He sounded surprised. "Oh." He sounded relieved. "I heard....Sorry." He sounded chagrined.
She shook her head and returned to packing. Realistically, she had few possessions and plenty of time, but bringing more clothing than was needed for an overnight stay was symbolic of her intentions. "It's fine. Next time just ask instead of listening to the gossip."
"I don't--" he protested. At her raised brow he dropped his hands and voice. "Right. Sorry."
"It's fine."
Silence grew between them. "I'll miss seeing you. In the cafeteria."
Shayera placed her folded clothing on the bed and turned her full attention to her guest. "John, you've said maybe ten words to me outside a mission in the past month. Whatever you are here to say, just say it."
"I don't have anything to say." He raised a hand to still her retort. "I was worried about you."
She shook her head in tired disbelief. "I'm fine." No, that wasn't right. "I'm good."
He looked perplexed. "Why are you leaving?"
Shayera took a breath. "I'm moving in with someone."
"Like a roommate?" he asked with hope.
She didn't hesitate. "More like a lifemate."
"A --" John blinked. "What?"
"Lifemate."
John opened and closed his mouth a couple times. Shayera watched, impassive. "The boyfriend?" He'd heard the gossip.
"Yes."
John blew air out over his teeth and crossed his arms. "Isn't that ...fast?"
Shayera said nothing in response. The look she gave him spoke volumes.
He sighed. "I'm sorry. I just don't want you rushing into something because --"
"It's not about you!" Her wings shook with fury. "None of it." She took a breath; when she spoke again her voice was low and steady. "I chose to follow my duty to my people. When I realized the truth, I chose to fight them." John fought the urge to look away; Shayera's gaze never faltered. "I chose to leave the League and I chose to return and none of those choices were about you. This choice is not about you." She paused, and smiled, softly. "The universe is so much wider than the space taken up by you and me."
Shayera picked up her folded clothing and added it to her bag, closed it, picked it up and made her way past him to the door. "Excuse me. I have somewhere to be."
He put out a hand to stop her as she passed. "I never stopped loving you."
She looked up into his eyes. "I know. It doesn't matter." Looking away, he let his hand drop.
Shayera nodded and walked past, but paused at the door. "I want you to be happy." She spoke with sincerity. "But you should consider...how many of your choices have been about me?"
John said nothing in response. The look he gave her spoke volumes.
"See you around." She turned and walked away. She had somewhere to be.
picture prompt
"I heard you were leaving."
She'd expected Wally or Diana. Even Bruce or Clark wouldn't be unlikely. She hadn't expected him. But neither was she surprised.
"Hence the packing."
"Right." He took her response as invitation and entered the room. She glanced over but did not otherwise acknowledge him and continued in her task. A moment passed in awkward silence; John cleared his throat. "What are you...going to do now?"
Shayera turned to meet his gaze, confusion apparent on her face. She crossed her arms. "I'm not leaving the League. Just the Watchtower."
"Oh." He sounded surprised. "Oh." He sounded relieved. "I heard....Sorry." He sounded chagrined.
She shook her head and returned to packing. Realistically, she had few possessions and plenty of time, but bringing more clothing than was needed for an overnight stay was symbolic of her intentions. "It's fine. Next time just ask instead of listening to the gossip."
"I don't--" he protested. At her raised brow he dropped his hands and voice. "Right. Sorry."
"It's fine."
Silence grew between them. "I'll miss seeing you. In the cafeteria."
Shayera placed her folded clothing on the bed and turned her full attention to her guest. "John, you've said maybe ten words to me outside a mission in the past month. Whatever you are here to say, just say it."
"I don't have anything to say." He raised a hand to still her retort. "I was worried about you."
She shook her head in tired disbelief. "I'm fine." No, that wasn't right. "I'm good."
He looked perplexed. "Why are you leaving?"
Shayera took a breath. "I'm moving in with someone."
"Like a roommate?" he asked with hope.
She didn't hesitate. "More like a lifemate."
"A --" John blinked. "What?"
"Lifemate."
John opened and closed his mouth a couple times. Shayera watched, impassive. "The boyfriend?" He'd heard the gossip.
"Yes."
John blew air out over his teeth and crossed his arms. "Isn't that ...fast?"
Shayera said nothing in response. The look she gave him spoke volumes.
He sighed. "I'm sorry. I just don't want you rushing into something because --"
"It's not about you!" Her wings shook with fury. "None of it." She took a breath; when she spoke again her voice was low and steady. "I chose to follow my duty to my people. When I realized the truth, I chose to fight them." John fought the urge to look away; Shayera's gaze never faltered. "I chose to leave the League and I chose to return and none of those choices were about you. This choice is not about you." She paused, and smiled, softly. "The universe is so much wider than the space taken up by you and me."
Shayera picked up her folded clothing and added it to her bag, closed it, picked it up and made her way past him to the door. "Excuse me. I have somewhere to be."
He put out a hand to stop her as she passed. "I never stopped loving you."
She looked up into his eyes. "I know. It doesn't matter." Looking away, he let his hand drop.
Shayera nodded and walked past, but paused at the door. "I want you to be happy." She spoke with sincerity. "But you should consider...how many of your choices have been about me?"
John said nothing in response. The look he gave her spoke volumes.
"See you around." She turned and walked away. She had somewhere to be.