The Louvre, Paris, France
Paris truly was the city of lovers, Diana thought, surveying the ebb and tide of humanity that flowed through the Louvre's grand galleries. Even if some of them were a bit overzealous, and in need of admonishment to - what was the current phrase? Ah, yes - 'get a room.'
That wasn't what caught her eye about this particular couple, though. The man was tall, perhaps not conventionally handsome, not like…well. Nearly a century had passed, but laughing blue eyes and a boyish grin were still her ideal of masculine beauty. But if this man's eyes sparkled rather than laughed, there was still something quite compelling in his gaze, particularly when he glanced down at the woman beside him.
She was tiny and blonde, the sort of woman most people would underestimate at first glance. Diana's sharp gaze immediately noted that assumption to be a mistake - a deadly one. There was an air of barely contained violence about her.
That wasn't what caused Diana's frown, though. There was something about these two. They were…together, but…not quite. They walked in close proximity, and shared smiles and laughter easily enough. The man dipped his head once, as if to bestow a kiss, and the woman seemed to be reaching for his hand, but neither quite connected.
"Stop casing the place," Sara teased.
Snart shot her a pained glance. "Sara, I keep telling you - I'm not…him. I'm an architect. I can't help being who I am - and my instinct is to always check a building for safety hazards." Because his Sara would still be alive, if the frame of that skylight hadn't collapsed, remained unspoken.
"And I'm not her," she replied quietly.
His Sara had been a thief, who'd initially gotten close to him to sound out weaknesses in a museum to plan a heist, but somewhere along the way, things had changed. She'd fallen for him - and then literally fallen to her death.
Sara sucked in a deep breath to calm her nerves. "Come on. We're in this beautiful place…let's just try to enjoy it, OK? Have you been to the Louvre on your Earth?"
"I have."
"Cool. You can show me what's different here." She smiled brightly, and he couldn't keep a faint half-smile from his face. Sara started to reach for his hand, then dropped hers back to her side.
Diana used her prerogative to wander the museum that day, catching periodic glimpses of the mysterious couple. Something about them tugged at her heartstrings.
The man had an appreciation for fine oil paintings and classical marble statuary. The woman had an eye for armor and weaponry. She also seemed able to read the inscriptions on a surprising number of artifacts. Quite aside from her curiosity about the two of them, Diana sensed something of a kindred spirit in this woman, and had a feeling they might get on rather well together.
The gentleman seemed appreciate the antique swords as finely crafted artifacts, but he didn't have his companion's enthusiasm for them, so he excused himself briefly, leaving her to enjoy herself.
Diana seized the opportunity to approach the blond woman. She made very sure to click her heels against the marble floor, despite being perfectly capable of silent movement. She knew her instincts were correct, when the woman whirled, hand hovering over the tiniest bulge in her clothing that Diana knew to be a concealed weapon of some sort.
"They're beautiful aren't they?" she said with a friendly smile, gesturing to the display of ancient Greek swords.
"They're amazing," the woman replied, returning the smile, and dropping her hand as inconspicuously as possible. "They look to be perfectly balanced."
"They are." At the woman's curious expression, she continued, "Diana Prince, Curator of Antiquities." She offered her hand.
"Sara Lance." She flickered an appreciative gaze at the taller, dark-haired woman, shaking hands cordially, and noting calluses on her hand that spoke of a familiarity with edged weapons. "So, you're in charge of all this?"
"All of Antiquities, though I confess, the swords are a particular interest of mine."
Sara studied Diana carefully. She didn't sense any malice from the other woman, but there was…something. Some small sense of 'other' that put her in mind of Kara. "It must be incredible to work in a place like this."
"It is. Some of the greatest achievements of the world of men are housed in this building."
Something about that turn of phrase clicked in Sara's mind. "You're not from around here, are you?" she asked carefully.
Diana answered with equal care. "I have traveled far, but not, I think as far as you and he."
Sara's eyes narrowed. "What is it you want?" she asked bluntly.
"I mean you no harm," Diana replied, carefully keeping her empty hands in plain sight.
"I figure I'd know by now if you did," Sara agreed.
Diana's gaze flickered over Sara's shoulder, and she glanced back to see Leonard approaching through the crowd.
"There was a man, once, who looked at me, the was this one looks at you."
Sara was uncertain what to comment on - why this strange woman should have so much interest in her love life (or lack thereof) or how exactly she managed to make so many correct inferences. "It's…complicated," she finally replied.
"It always is. Don't let it be."
"What happened to your…friend? Why do you care so much about two people you've never met before?"
"We…ran out of time. And I care because with all the darkness in this world, I choose to believe in love."
Leonard was quite close, now.
Diana held out her card. "If you ever want to talk. I suspect we have much in common."
"Thanks," Sara said quietly, pocketing the card.
"Who was that?" Leonard asked curiously, watching the elegantly dressed woman disappear into the crowd.
"One of the curators. She was telling me all about the swords."
"Seemed a little intense," he noted shrewdly.
Sara glanced down, and chewed her lip, at least, until Leonard reached out and gently dislodged it with his thumb. The gesture was artlessly tender, and unlike the snarky thief she'd known before. She reached out and tentatively took his hand. He let her, which was also unlike 'her' Snart.
"I…I'm no good at this feelings crap," she muttered. "I know you're not him. I know that, but…you look like him, and sometimes you sound like him, and you love beautiful things, like he did."
"And I know you're not her. You look like her, and you're strong and fearless like her, but you're nother. And that hurts like hell, but at the same time, I can't help feeling that fate, or the universe, or some other damn thing is giving us both a second chance -"
"And we'd be pretty stupid to turn it down," Sara said, completing his sentence.
"Yeah. We're both a lot of things, but stupid isn't one of them. Neither of us would have survived this long."
"Agreed."
Diana watched, unseen, from one of the upper balconies as the tall man leaned down to brush a kiss to Sara's temple. She smiled sadly as they wandered off into the crowd, hand in hand. She hoped she'd see them again someday.