Fic: Stained Glass I: Shattered (5/10)
Feb. 1st, 2008 11:02 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
bradygirl_12Author: BradyGirl_12
Pairings/Characters (this chapter): Steve/Diana
Genres: Angst, Drama, Hurt/Comfort
Rating (this chapter): PG-13
Warnings (this chapter): None
Spoilers: References in various chapters to events in "Until The Yellow Sun Blesses You Again...".
General Summary: Diana and Steve’s love has always been strong, and they have always had each other’s back. Now they need that strength and teamwork when they are captured during a war on an alien planet.
Summary: Calm before the storm.
Date Of Completion: January 25, 2008
Date Of Posting: February 1, 2008
Disclaimer: I don’t own ‘em, DC does, more’s the pity.
Word Count: 810
Feedback welcome and appreciated.
Author’s Notes: Further Notes here.
All chapters can be found here.
I decided to use the aliens from "”Until The Yellow Sun Blesses You Again...". Why waste good bad guys and their vicious winged pets? ;)
Yeah, I labelled this "One" as in first-in-a-series, because I think a sequel might be in order. If I don’t write one, I’ll just knock off the Roman numeral.
In an aside, I’m glad that we were taught Roman numerals in grade school, otherwise how could we know which Super Bowl it is? ;)
V
SHADOWED SUN
Storm clouds gather
On a golden day.
The sun is shadowed
Mortals, pray.
Safia,
Amazon Poet
360 B.C.E.
Steve drank from the canteen, grimacing at the brackish water and the growing headache behind his eyes. He had awakened with the pain this morning.
The dreams disturbed him. He would wake, but they would slip away like will-o-the-wisps, leaving him with a vague sense of uneasiness and accelerated breathing.
And there was an ache in his lower back and legs that would flare up now and again. The material of his chiton rasped against his back, which felt strange. It bothered him that he couldn’t remember what had happened to make him hurt, and it bothered him that he couldn’t remember the escape from the camp.
He was happy to have Diana back from her drugged state but he wished he could remember when she had come out of it, too.
Well, there was no use worrying, was there? He and his Angel were making headway and would find a way home. Maybe the Justice League had heard the signal she had sent before her communicator had been taken away by the Toronians.
Wonder Woman was shooting worried glances his way when she thought he wasn’t looking. He figured she must be upset over his pace, which was slower than he would like at times.
He kept his eye on her, worried about her dizzy spells.
The thought that he ordinarily would have either held her hand or put his arm around her to help with those spells didn’t occur to him.
& & & & & &
Later that morning, they stopped to rest. Steve sighed and took off his boots, grimacing slightly. His feet were red and callused. Diana reached out and said, “Let me help.” She began massaging his right foot, feeling the tension in his muscles, then started massaging his left foot. He smiled and said, “Thank you, Angel,” and quickly stood up.
Diana shaded her eyes as she looked up. The sun backlit his hair, shadowing his face. She missed the massages they would give each other, free and easy and loving and playful. She slowly rose and waited for him to put his boots back on.
They resumed walking.
& & & & & &
An hour later, Diana stopped and said, “Listen!”
Steve heard it, too. They grinned at each other and ran.
Water! A river of splashing, sparkling water. They slipped off their clothes and dove in.
Steve closed his eyes as the water washed over him. Strong strokes cleaved the water next to Diana, their pace the same. He wanted to get clean…wash off the dirt, the grime, the filth…
He paused and instead turned to Diana, smiling at her. She laughed and splashed him and he splashed back, and a full-fledged water fight started.
She swam close to him and lightly gripped his hips and his stomach knotted.
He playfully swam away, his mouth dry. She followed but did not touch him again.
& & & & & &
Diana watched Steve float in the water. She prepared lunch on the riverbank, small game and some greens that tasted good.
Ever since they had found the water, Steve swam as often as he could, whenever they took a break or set up camp for the night. She couldn’t blame him. Feeling clean was a wonderful luxury after days of no baths.
And yet she was bothered.
He took a cloth in with him every time now instead of just the morning and night and scrubbed his body, lacking soap, but it made no difference. He would reluctantly leave the water, fair skin bright pink from the scrubbing.
“Steve!”
He rolled over at the sound of her voice and swam in, rising from the river.
She never failed to be astounded at his beauty.
“Thanks, Angel.” He sat down. “We’re making good time.”
Diana nodded. “We should reach the city of Tara in three or four days.”
“Tara.” Steve smiled. “Gone With The Wind.”
“Ah, yes. Scarlett O’Hara and Rhett Butler.”
“One of the great romances of all time.”
“When we get back, we should watch that movie again.”
“We will.”
Diana was glad that Steve sounded so confident. If their luck held out, they would reach the city and find a subspace radio and get word to the JLA.
Steve had put on half his chiton, his bare chest tanning in the sun. Diana could almost forget what had happened…except that she knew his back was still criss-crossed with ugly scratches and fading bite marks, and there were still faint bruises on his face and around his eye.
He always scrubbed his thighs the hardest.
A breeze blew, ruffling his hair as he ate the spit-roasted meat.
Calm before the storm.
Diana waited for the storm to hit.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2008-02-02 04:40 am (UTC)I really do love this story.
no subject
Date: 2008-02-02 05:11 am (UTC)Well, you know about the calm before the storm. The storm always comes right after! ;)
I really do love this story.
*beams* Thank you, Green Eyes! I really appreciate that. :)
no subject
Date: 2008-02-02 07:45 pm (UTC)The calm before the storm, huh? Eeeep!!
I hope there is more soon!
no subject
Date: 2008-02-02 11:21 pm (UTC)A bit rough, eh?
The calm before the storm, huh? Eeeep!!
;)
I hope there is more soon!
I might post the next chapter tonight. Otherwise it'll be Monday. I doubt I'll be on-line tomorrow. Have a little game to watch. ;)
no subject
Date: 2008-02-03 02:16 am (UTC)*nods* And there's nothing she can do but be there for Steve when it happens in the next chapter.
Which I better start polishing if I want to post soon! :)
no subject
Date: 2008-02-03 11:50 pm (UTC)Aw, poor Steve. And poor Diana, having to worry about him, knowing the whole story that he won't let himself know. I know he's going to have to deal with it eventually...
no subject
Date: 2008-02-04 05:57 pm (UTC)Aw, poor Steve. And poor Diana, having to worry about him, knowing the whole story that he won't let himself know. I know he's going to have to deal with it eventually...
It's funny what the human mind can deny, isn't it? I've read a lot of the case studies of victims of rape and PTSD, and it's often the same. It must be the mind's way of trying to heal, not letting the victim face the trauma until they've got the strength.
no subject
Date: 2008-02-04 05:42 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-02-04 05:59 pm (UTC)'Fraid you're right, Catwoman. :(