The moon was full over Tokyo, casting silver reflections on the skyscrapers. After the stifling atmosphere of the convention and the unsettling encounter with Cheshire, Marcus needed an escape. He hadn't planned a date, but when Shayera had called, saying she was "in the neighborhood," he'd immediately suggested meeting up.
They weren't at a fancy restaurant, but on the roof of a forgotten building, offering a 360-degree view of the city that never slept. Shayera, out of her armor, was dressed in a simple leather jacket and jeans. She held two bento boxes bought from a konbini.
"Didn't know if you'd eaten," she said, handing him a box. "And don't tell me your super-metabolism gets you out of it."
Marcus smiled and accepted the bento. "Even gods need sushi sometimes."
They ate in silence for a moment, watching the lines of neon light and the endless stream of cars far below.
"So, the convention?" Shayera finally asked, crunching into a spring roll. "Lots of fans for the famous Marcus Kane?"
"Too many," he sighed, massaging his sore fingers. "But it was... good. Seeing people love what I create."
He hesitated, then decided to tell her. "There was a woman. A particular 'fan.'"
Shayera's gaze immediately sharpened. "Particular how?"
"Her name was Jade. She had... an aura. Like you on a battlefield. She asked questions about Utopian. She knew. Or at least, she suspected."
Shayera put her bento down. "A threat?"
"A warning, I think," Marcus corrected. "From Queen Bee. Reminding me I belong to her."
A low growl rumbled in Shayera's throat. "You don't belong to anyone. Especially not that lunatic."
"I know," he said, taking her hand. Her skin was surprisingly soft, a contrast to the strength she radiated. "But it's good to hear it from you."
They stayed like that, hand in hand, watching the city. It wasn't a classic, romantic date. There were no candles or violins. There was the cool night wind, the glow of stars masked by light pollution, and the quiet weight of their extraordinary lives.
"This is what we fight for, right?" Shayera murmured. "For nights like this. Where we can just... be. Without having to save the world."
Marcus turned to her. In the dim light, her eyes shone with an intensity that took his breath away.
"Yes," he whispered. "For this."
He leaned in and kissed her. It wasn't a movie kiss, full of unleashed passion. It was soft, firm, and promising. A promise of normality amidst the chaos, an affirmation of what they were building together.
When they parted, a smile played on Shayera's lips. "Even better than pounding Ocean Master."
Marcus laughed, a real, deep, liberating laugh. For the first time all day, the shadow of Queen Bee and the piercing gaze of Cheshire seemed very, very far away. Here, on this roof, he wasn't Marcus Kane the mangaka, or Utopian the hero. He was just a man, with an extraordinary woman, and that was more than enough.