This is the last and final chapter of Chalant Floriography. Thank you to everyone to stuck with me through the rough updating schedule and thank you for your reads and comments. I hope you enjoy this and the chapters in this collection.
Meaning: Love; Wisdom; Faith; Loyalty
The Wayne manor was in full swing. From the outside it looked like a beacon in the darkest night, guiding lost travelers. Inside, laughter was cheerful, drinks were pouring, friends were hugging and the smiles were true.
Everyone from the League and the Team were all here. Being superheroes, they barely have a day of rest, of relaxation, of fun. There's rarely a day where they didn't have to fight the good fight, where the Earth didn't need saving.
But tonight they were all safe. Tonight they weren't heroes. Just people and friends glad to be together. They may be a little weary, mentally damaged and emotionally distressed, but they were alive.
He found her deep within the crowd of the living room. The furniture had been pushed aside to the walls of the room and two card tables were pushed together in the center and a few chairs were pushed up to them. The room was tense with tension. All eyes were on the four playing at the table. From the gaps in the crowd he could see a flash of ginger sitting at one of the chairs. He could just make out Raquel at another chair and could clearly see Hal struggling across from her. He couldn't make out the fourth person, but it was obviously a League vs Team game.
He circled his arms around her waist from behind. "I'm shocked you're not in the game."
"Ha. Tonight's a happy occasion. I didn't want to strip anyone's wallets bare tonight."
"Wally must've been ecstatic to hear that," Dick chuckled.
"I think Artemis was happier. She still hasn't let him forget the time he came back home from gambling in only his skivvies." She craned her neck back to press a kiss to his cheek. "And just where have you been?"
"Sorry. I was stuck helping Alfred set up the firework display. And as much as I hate to pull you away from this riveting game of Poker, I need your help."
"Okay," she drawled out. She followed his lead as he pulled her along hand-in-hand out of the busy room.
She expected to be led further into the manor, so she was shocked when instead he brought her outside to the garden. It was quiet. The music from inside was a steady, muffled background mixed with the chirping of cicadas and grasshoppers. It was sweet.
"We've come a long way, you know." He spoke softly in the silence, just loud enough for her to hear, even though the silence was the only one listening in, as he continued leading her down the steps and further into the backyard. "I still can't believe you chose to date that quirky teen who rushed towards you at the Cave and butchered the English language."
"Well, I found that quirky teen sweet. And he grew up to be even sweeter."
"Sweeter than a strawberry?"
"Even sweeter."
"What about chocolate?" He was fishing now.
"Haha, now don't push your luck." She playfully shoved him and he chuckled. His smile was serene as they kept walking, different from the smile when they were joking around. This one was more soft, emotional without revealing too much. It was more him and she knew that this was a serious moment.
"You know, that quirky teen woke up grateful everyday to have you by his side. To laugh with, smile, and even cry during the rough patches. Even when we weren't together, you were there for me."
"And I always will be." She answered without hesitation, squeezing his hand a little tighter.
"Really?"
"Really."
He brought her hand up to his lips and pressed a kiss against it, his silent yet loaded reply, before dropping them back down to their sides. "We're here."
They were standing at the back of the garden. Stringed lights were strung up over the hedges and the trees and candles were arranged below them. Flowers outlined the candles but she couldn't see what kind or what color in the dark.
"Bruce wanted to have a small display. For the ones we lost along the way, you know. But something happened with the fuse and I'm not much of an electrician. Think you could give it a spark?"
Zatanna nodded and Dick stepped back as she raised her hand in the air to cast her spell.
"Thgil." At her command the bulbs of the stringed lights lit up one by one, creating a dimmed glow followed after the candles as a flame lit upon the wick one by one and flickered alive.
'Will you marry me?'
She choked on her next breath.
"Dick?" she asked breathlessly. She turned around.
The silver and blue studded ring glinted in the moonlight and glowed in the soft light and the beautiful man holding it, kneeling down on one knee was looking at her with so much love and-
"Zatanna Zatara, will you marry me?"
She knew she was trembling. Her hand and it was getting hard to see him clearly with her eyes starting to water and she had no ideas he was going to do this, and she was going to kill Bruce and his siblings from keeping this a secret for so long, and, and, and…
"Yes."
His smile was radiant and no one needed to know besides them that his own eyes were a little misty, too. She managed to hold still long enough for him to slip the ring onto her finger before she crashed into him. Their lips meeting in a searing kiss just as the first firework exploded in the sky, saying congratulations to the happy couple.
May they spend many more years, together.
"She's going to say yes."
"But what if she doesn't? Maybe it's too soon."
"You two have been together since you were teenagers. How is it too soon?"
"We did break up for a while."
"But I hear you two still stayed close." Tim huffed. "You're just being paranoid and overthinking it. There's no need for you to worry."
"Let's see if you keep that same attitude when you propose to Cassie."
Tim's cheeks tinted pink and the stammer came on full blast as he tried to stutter out a retort. He stopped at seeing Dick's shit-eating grin. He huffed. "I don't know how she even puts up with you."
"Hah. Neither do I."
