Work Text:
February 14th, 2022
Central City, midnight.
Mariah of the Blue Lantern Corp lands in a forested section of the city near an apartment complex and deactivates her ring. Her uniform consists of a black mid-thigh length dress with rolled sleeves, a brooch depicting the Corps' emblem at the center of the high collar, a royal blue under-bust, with a matching blue layer around her hips that drapes down her back thighs and a bit past her knees, form-fitting black leggings underneath, and blue knee-high stiletto heels.
The Victorian design fades away, revealing her true lower-class appearance. An above ankle length dirty white dress with black dotted long sleeves and a tattered light gray apron around her waist. Her black flats are dusty and worn. Mariah smooths out her dress and heads through the trees and across a parking lot by the apartment.
She sees the light in her partner’s room is on so she keeps walking and enters the building. She walks up the steps brushing her short brown hair out of her face every so often. This place is abhorrent for not having an elevator installed.
She reaches the third floor and heads down the hall to room 304 and knocks. Just loud enough for him to hear but not loud enough to wake any sleeping people.
She hears movement from the other side and is welcomed with a tired-looking but happy Abra Kadabra, but as she knows him Gaius Thornwright.
“Hello, Mariah.” His thin smile warms the heart.
She enters and he gently closes the door behind her. Mariah gives a little smirk and says to him.
“You’re still in your work clothes?” She glances over her right shoulder. He’s still wearing his white poet's shirt and black pants. At least his shoes and gloves are off.
“Very funny, I arrived here only an hour ago. My other clothes needed to be washed and I needed to prepare dinner.” His hands rest on her shoulders.
Her head shifts to the small side room and she can faintly hear the sound of a washer going. She can also smell the pleasant aroma of whatever Gaius has prepared.
“Fair enough. I was only joking.”
“I know.” He presses himself against her back and they both relax against one another. A sigh of contentment leaves Mariah and she feels herself growing exhausted.
“Are you hungry?” He asks nuzzling the crook of her neck.
“As always.” She chuckles.
He leads her to the dining table a few feet away from what serves as the living room. It’s a studio so the only thing that really separates the different parts is a nailed-in island counter. The two sit at a small wooden rectangular table that has two dark red placemats with a covered plate on each. Both a glass of water and a wine glass of a red wine are by each plate.
They lift the porcelain plates off the other plates revealing eggplant parmesan. They both set the plates aside and they each wait for the other to take the first bite.
Mariah is pleasantly surprised to see what is on her plate. Plus an acid reflux pill by her plate. What a sweet gesture.
“Oh! Is this my recipe?” She asks looking up at Gaius.
“Yes, I wanted to try it and I thought why not now?” He explains as he sips wine.
She smiles and takes the first bite, it’s a tad overcooked but she doesn’t say anything. It still tastes good. She makes sure to take the acid reflux pill as well.
Gaius takes it as confirmation that it is edible and eats
As they finish their meal Gaius brings up something.
“You know, it's been one year since we first met.”
“Don’t remind me, I was such a brat to you.” Mariah rolls her eyes and sips the elderberry wine.
“Mariah hun, I was a pest. I had it coming.” Gaius tilts his head slightly before continuing.
“And hey, look where it led us.”
“That is true, it’ll be our one year anniversary since starting our relationship in April,” Mariah adds.
February 14th, 2021
Central City, sunset.
It has been over a year since Mariah joined the Blue Lantern Corps and completed training alongside Esperanza Cavalera. Another human blue lantern. While the two women keep in touch they rarely see one another in person. Mariah spends her time between her home Earth-19 as it’s called and the Earth she trained at via zeta-tube. This Earth houses the Green Lantern who saved her Earth from a dying sun. She had wished to speak to Hal Jordan to offer her thanks but her routine has kept her busy and Hal himself is juggling fatherhood and Justice League duties according to her mentor Razer. Plus she doesn’t exactly know where he lives.
Today on February the fourteenth Mariah decided to wind down at a club in Central City after getting pummeled by a meta-human earlier this day. She and The Flash managed to defeat the man but his power gave him the chance to absorb her constructs. Making her an easy target for his abuse. She used her ring to heal her black eye and the lacerations on her face but she is still sore.
While her typical attire consists of an ankle-length dress that was aged and also a dirty white she opted to wear the clothing of this earth. It is of better quality and she fits in more. She wears black jeans, a red sleeveless button-up shirt that is tucked in, and black flats. She isn’t one for makeup or jewelry outside of special events. She also didn’t style her bobbed hair. As she walks to the club at sunset she receives compliments here and there on her potion bottle and ivy left arm tattoo. Something that makes her happy is seeing how tattoos were frowned upon on her earth.
She enters the Rockrose Tap-house and the sounds of music, people, and television hit her ears all at once. She pays the admission and sticks her wallet back into her back pocket. She walks through the crowds of people and to her right she sees a dance floor and to her left couches and booths for people to drink and chat. Ahead of her was a large bar with all sorts of drinks and a fancy mirror and fancy baroque-style wooden inlays behind the barman. The stools are all taken but Mariah doesn’t mind she wedges herself between two large men sitting on either side of her and orders a White Russian.
One of the men leaves and before she can hop on the seat it’s taken by another leaner man.
Mariah gets understandably annoyed at that gesture. Before her drink is even finished by the bartender this bloke steals her seat after seeing her standing.
She glares at him and the man simply smirks in amusement.
“Something wrong?”
Mariah contemplates grabbing him by his long hair and pulling him out of his seat but that wouldn’t be very Blue Lantern of her.
“No, it just seems some people lack courtesy.” She looks away from him and accepts her drink. She takes a sip and can feel the man to her left staring at her.
“Didn’t I see you on the news?” He teases. He rubs his goatee and takes a sip from a drink he was already carrying.
“I don’t believe so,” Mariah responds without looking at him. Maybe it’s time she wears a mask or changes her eye color with her ring like what the other human lanterns do. She can’t risk being outed.
“If you say so.” He responds not really buying what she said.
She looks at him and notices the plunging neckline of his dark green poet shirt.
“Put your tits away. No one wants to see them.” She jabs and tucks a strand of her dark brown hair behind an ear.
The man just hums in smugness.
“Like what you see?” He gouges her in the ribs with a finger.
Now THAT set her off.
She spins around and full force shoves his skinny ass off the stool. He yelps and begins laughing.
“Wow, okay.” His brown eyes meet her gray ones, challenging her.
She isn’t about to further fight with this drunk idiot.
She finishes her drink and walks further into the club. Her flats make a sound she can barely hear as they clap against the wooden floor. She heads down a hall to her left and into a larger room with the same type of furniture but with more booths and some pool tables.
She finds a corner and cools off.
Soon enough she spots the man walking around the pool table area. He speaks with a Scottish-looking man for a few moments before he leans against a wall watching the man play pool. His drink is gone and he tucks his hands in his pockets.
Mariah feels a twinge of guilt so she stands up and approaches the man.
She reaches him before she feels the need to run off.
“Sorry about before. I like pestering people sometimes.” The man apologizes.
“I want to apologize as well. You’ve been drinking and I shouldn’t have pushed you.” Mariah offers a hand.
The man shakes it and says.
“I am not that under the influence just a bit buzzed. So I definitely had it coming. You’re a bold woman, I like that.” He raises an eyebrow at her.
Mariah blushes and looks away then faces him once more.
“You are easy on the eyes.” Mariah steps closer. It’s Valentine’s Day, why not do this?
The man blushes back and gestures to a booth.
“Would you like to have a conversation? My name is Gaius.”
“I would love to, my name is Mariah.”
Back in the present the two finish their meal and Gaius stands and carries off their empty plates, silverware, and glasses.
Mariah rests her chin on her right hand. She feels the slight vibration of her ring on it and it almost lulls her to sleep until she hears the fridge opening.
Perking up she sees Gaius setting a small store-bought chocolate cake and a bottle of peppermint Smirnoff on the island counter.
“Dessert?” He asks lifting the bottle.
“Please.” She leans against the chair as he places the cake down then retrieves the alcohol.
Mariah is sure they shouldn’t be mixing their drinks but she doesn’t care. Anytime she can spend with this man is welcome. Most of their interactions outside of this apartment are curated to fool the league into believing she and the faux magician Abra Kadabra are enemies. They fight but they love it all the same. Though, sometimes they both need normal relationship interactions.
Times like this.
The small cake is cut into two and shared by the secret couple. It pairs nicely with the peppermint alcohol but it makes Mariah’s head twitch. Something about how strong the drink is.
“This cake is dry as hell.” Gaius complains.
“You’re eating it aren’t you?” Mariah points out as she swallows another bite.
“The frosting is delightful but the cake about chokes me.”
“Then don’t eat it.” Mariah flatly replies.
“Mmmph, I paid for it.” He stubbornly picks at the cake.
Mariah sighs and stands up, she quickly walks over to her man and wraps her arms around his shoulders.
“I have an idea for a better dessert.” She pecks him on the cheek. His face reddens at the realization.
“Oh… yes please.” He stands up and holds one of her hands as they head towards the bed.