I own nothing (besides the usual).
JILLIAN IS NOOOOOOOT AN OC! She REALLY IS Hal Jordan's second girlfriend in the Green Lantern comics. She is an Airforce girlie by the name of 'Cowgirl'. (Hal goes by 'Highball'. ^^D)
srry, but i wuz too lazE 4 spllchk
R&R!
The wine was sparkling, a deep and bloody red that looked beautiful in Martha's old and shimmering crystal glasses. There was at least three feet of snow out in the acres, unevenly spread and sparkling in the full moon. Small flakes still fell, making Bruce wish he didn't live in New York. But he couldn't- wouldn't- abandon the Manor. It had too much of Thomas and Martha in it for that.
A gentle, cold hand found Bruce's chin, and his face was turned away from the window to see Diana there, smiling- glowing- in her emerald green dress. She had a silver necklace on- a gift from Bruce on Christmas- to match her gauntlets, and her hair was dragged up into a loose bun.
She stood on her toes and gently stole a kiss from his lips. "Bruce. Come on- Everyone's waiting, and it's almost midnight."
She was lying. They had at least two more hours, but the Amazonian just wanted her boyfriend to have fun for once- something he hardly ever had time for anymore.
Taking Bruce's hand tightly, Diana led him downstairs and away from the infamous office (where the entrance to you-know-what is), towards the kitchen. Merry laughter filled the air, and Bruce scowled. "C'mon, Scrooge."
"Christmas passed already-"
"Not the point."
Then, Bruce could hear distinct laughter- laughter that he hadn't heard in what felt like years.
Jason...?
Sure enough, the young man was seated at the small kitchen table, next to Barry and Iris. The couple wore matching red velvet, while Jason sported sweats and sneakers. Hal sat across from them, linked with his fiance, Jillian, at the hip. The fact that the two had their 'ladies' with them didn't seem to irk Jason a bit.
Didn't seem.
Clark and Lois were standing at the grandfather clock with Shayera and John, who were holding hands. What's with all the romance in my house? Dinah and Oliver sat on the couch just outside the kitchen, kissing over and over and over, with J'onn standing off, an eyebrow cocked. M'gann, Connor, and Artemis (her eyes continuously looking at the chandelier) sat at the dining room table, watching Kaldur and Wally go at it in chess- yes, chess. Wally was a genius, despite his short attention span. Blaine was sitting next to Kaldur, explaining how humans played chess. Apparently, it was a bit less violent than in Atlantis. Speaking of Atlantis, Corin was there with his wife and daughter, having decided not to celebrate the 'overlander holiday', and instead was in bed.
Where Bruce wanted to be.
The other Leaguers were sprawled out about the kitchen, laughing and drinking wine- Why my house? Why not Queen's or Allen's? Oh, yeah, because Alfred's too nice...
Barbara and Roy were nowhere in sight, but Bruce wasn't worried, as he had previously locked all bedrooms tightly from the inside. They would only open to his voice command. And, Richard had moved off to sit next to his oldest brother and his 'uncle's'. Jason wrapped an arm around the boy's shoulders and- rather unceremoniously- gave him a noogie.
"Ack! Jay!"
Bruce smirked.
Diana sighed and wrapped her arms around Bruce's bicep, taking in a deep whiff of the Pine candles Alfred had set out. She closed her eyes, letting her head rest against the man's shoulder.
He sighed, then kissed the crown of her head.
Maybe I'll enjoy this...
"You cheated!" Wally exclaimed, eyes wide. "No way you just beat me with only one knight, a king, and two pawns!"
Blaine grinned, her black lips curling upwards. "Well, believe it, Ginger!"
Artemis laughed as Kaldur smiled gently, his eyes bright. "Great job, Gills!"
Kaldur nodded to Artemis. "Thank you, Artemis. But I could not have won, had I not had Blaine to help me."
The blonde turned bright pink, pulling her hair to shade her face. "No biggie," she said softly, biting back a grin.
Wally stood, lips pursed in frustration. "ImagofindRob." Artemis kissed her boyfriend's cheek before he zoomed off in a flash (haha) of blue and white. The archer turned- to see Superboy and Miss Martian lip-locked. Kaldur and Blaine looked extremely awkward, just sitting there next to each other with nothing to do.
Artemis felt no guilt in prolonging their suffering.
"Bye!"
With the exception M'gann and Connor making out, Kaldur and Blaine were alone. The blonde cleared her throat and stood, brushing imaginary dust off of her checkered skinny jeans. "Right. I think I'm going to go get something to eat. You hungry?"
As if on cue, Kaldur's stomach growled.
Blaine stifled her laughter and gestured for him to follow her to the kitchen.
Slowly and cautiously, Kaldur followed the shorter, younger teen towards the pantry. Most of Alfred's delectable delights had already been consumed, so she pulled out a box of Cheerios.
"Cheerios?"
Blaine's jaw dropped. "You've never had Cheerios?"
At the teen's shake of the head, Blaine snatched two bowls from the cabinets and grabbed two spoons. She also dragged out a carton of milk. "Terry and Jaw think I'm crazy for not liking milk in my cereal, but it just makes it too soggy. You might wanna try it, though."
It was an amazing juggling act that made Kaldur'ahm smile.
When the show was over, Blaine had two bowls of Cheerios ready, one dry and one full of milk. Fortunately, everyone had moved to the parlor for games (Clark's idea, of course), so Blaine had only to make two servings.
She slid one bowl across the counter, milk sloshing out, and took a big spoonful of her own. "The honey-glazed are best, but Bruce likes the plain most, so that's what we got."
The Atalantean slowly brought a spoonful to his lips-
And smiled.
"You like it?"
Kaldur nodded. "I do enjoy it."
"Great. Chow down, cuz there's more!"
For five minutes, they stood opposite each other in silence. Then, Blaine crept forward a tad. Kaldur followed suit. Soon enough, they were pressed together and smiling, laughing at their own stories and jokes.
"Eh hem."
Blaine nearly had a heart-attack. "Alfred! God, I thought only Bruce could sneak up on me."
"Where do you think Master Bruce learned?"
Kaldur backed up and bowed slightly to the old, withered man. "Greetings, Mr. Pennyworth, and thank you for your gracious invitation."
Alfred blinked at Blaine as if to say, I like this boy.
She rolled her eyes.
Alfred cleared his throat again, regaining his composure. "And I thank you for attending, though you may call me Alfred. Everyone else does."
Kaldur nodded. "Alfred, then. You may call me Kaldur, though my full name is Kaldur'ahm."
The old man nodded, smirking.
Blaine cocked an eyebrow. What is he up t- dang it.
"Oh! It seems I forgot to take down some mistletoe from Christmas."
Blaine put her face in her hands with a soft moan, while Kaldur looked up, confused. He saw the parasite clinging to the ceiling, two bright, red berries hanging from its vines.
"Surely, Master Kaldur, Miss Blaine has told you of the mistletoe and its relevance."
Kaldur blinked.
"I take that as a no."
Clearing his throat, Alfred smiled and began his drabble. "The use of mistletoe as a holiday decorum came to be around the 1800's. According to custom, mistletoe must not touch the ground between its cutting and its removal at Candlemas, though we remove it after Christmas night. Though I believe I missed one..."
Please don't ask... Please don't ask... Please do-
"What is it's relevance?"
Dang it.
Smirking, Alfred took up a bottle of champagne from the fridge. On his way out, he cast over his shoulder, "It is customary that when a man and a woman meet under mistletoe, they kiss."
He was gone.
Darn you, old man.
Kaldur's face was bright red, his silver eyes wide. Mouth slightly open, he turned to Blaine. The blonde looked thoroughly embarrassed, her face still in her hands.
So, for once, the leader took charge.
In under a moment, Kaldur had a hand around Blaine's waist and his other under her chin, tilting her face up so that their lips could meet. He lips were warm and wet from her make-up, but Kaldur didn't care that the black gunk was getting on his face. His eyes were closed, but had they opened, they would have seen Blaine's eyes wide and shocked. Then, she blissfully kissed him back.
There was no French-kissing, no making-out. It was a simple, prolonged lip-touch.
The two backed away, both still having pins and needles in their spines, fireworks in their eyes.
After several long, long moments of just staring at each other, Blaine spoke gently. "We can't. I'm sorry."
And she disappeared.
Barbara grinned as Roy pulled her into the shadows of the portrait hall. Her breath came quick as he began to kiss her jawline, strong, muscular arms wrapped around her waist. She trailed one arm down his chest, the other wrapped around his neck, her fingers toying with the red hair on the nape of his neck. He sucked lightly on her jaw, making her gasp. The two pulled away, Roy's blue eyes bright with want.
"No, Roy."
He nodded. "I know. I just... I'm sorry, I-"
She kissed him, full-on. They toyed with each others' lips for several moments before Barbara slinked her tongue into his mouth. Roy gave a gutteral groan and pulled her into his arms. She hooked both legs around his waist, and he set her on the tiny side-table next to them. She grinned in between kisses, and Roy smirked.
They pulled away again, gasping for air. Roy rested his forehead against hers, and she sighed. "Roy... I need to say something."
He nodded, plopping down on the finely carpeted ground, pulling her into his lap. Barbara rested against his shoulder, tracing circles on his chest.
"Roy... I've missed you while I've been away at college-"
"I've missed you too."
She smiled weakly. "I know... And I- I can remember so much, no that I'm back. I mean, you took me to Prom... We had our first kiss together..."
"Our first date..."
Barbara nodded, closing her chocolate eyes. "But, Roy... It's never been- serious."
"Barbara, I-"
He was raising his voice.
"When was the first time you told me you love me?"
He froze. He hadn't ever said that.
Roy gently shoved her off of him, standing and walking over to the ten-foot windows. The display was beautiful, with a full view of a large cliff off in the distance, behind the grounds. He clenched both fists at his sides, taking in a deep breath. I do love her, but if I say it now, she won't-
"I love you, Roy."
The archer let out a small gasp, then turned. Barbara, so casual in her jeans and sweater, looked like an angel in the moonlight. Her eyes were illuminated by a fine ray of the shine, her hair flowing around her shoulders in perfect spirals, as she had curled it earlier. Her Toms looked just as fancy as Mary Janes. Her low-necked red sweater made her collarbone look bare.
Roy fingered his back pocket.
Barbara took a small step forward, tears forming. "Roy. Roy, what is it?" A single tear boiled over. "Do- do you not love me? Did I say it too soon? Roy, I-"
He was at her side in a moment, both hands under her jaw and pulling her face up into a simple and clicking kiss. He pulled away, his eyelids halfway down. "Barbara Gordon-Wayne. Don't you dare think I don't love you." He gave a defeated chuckle. "I love you, Babs, with all my heart. I'd do anything for you, and I want to be with you forever-"
"R-Roy?"
He pulled out a small box, and Barbara gasped so loudly that it was almost a scream. Roy grinned. "Chill."
And he opened the box-
To reveal a necklace.
Barbara practically fainted. "God, Roy."
He rolled his eyes. "What, I thought you loved me-"
"Don't you dare."
Roy chuckled and brought out the thin, golden chain. On it was three charms. A bat, an arrow, and- in the middle- a heart. "Here. Let me."
She turned around, lifting her hair. Undoing the clasp, the young man pulled the chain over her head and through the loops her arms made, closing it behind her neck.
Barbara sighed and touched it gently with her fingertips. "Thank you."
Roy kissed her collarbone. "You're welcome."
"Alright, Bruce! It's your turn!"
Bruce shed the infamous Bat-Glare at Clark, who pretended not to see it. They were playing Charades, Guys vs Girls, and the girls were winning- big time.
"No."
Diana gave her own little glare to her boyfriend.
"No," he reinforced.
She elbowed his gut, and the Dark Knight couldn't help but grunt and flinch under the woman's super-strength.
"Okay."
It was Bruce versus Shayera, the reigning champion. Both of them reached into the large mixing bowl Lois held and pulled out two sheets of paper. Shayera giggled when she saw hers, then tore it apart and tossed it into the wastebin. Bruce's reaction to his topic was a bit different.
"You have got to be frickin' kidding."
Clark beamed. "C'mon, Bruce! It can't be that bad."
Bruce began.
Barry winced. "Maybe it can."
After several moments, Shayera won with 'playing tennis', and Bruce was still doing some kind of funky herky-jerky movements that no one could figure out. Finally, Terrence shouted, "WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?"
Alfred slapped the back of Terry's head. "Language, Master Terrence."
Bruce stopped, red-faced with agitation. "I was... 'doing the disco'."
Everyone cracked up.
Ding dong, ding, ding, ding...
Hal piped up, "Ten seconds!"
Everyone gathered at the base of the grandfather clock, grinning and getting ready with their respectable partners (all of the singles stood away awkwardly, glaring jealously at the couples- including Terry, Jason, and Richard).
"Six..." Diana counted down, her arms wrapped around Bruce's neck.
"Four..." He wrapped his arms around her waist.
"Two-"
He dove forward, crushing his lips onto hers. Diana gave a pleased gasp, then kissed him back lightly. Hooting and hollering flew through the air as the clock chimed to midnight.
Around the Manor at various positions, couples kissed. Hal and Jillian, Clark and Lois, Barry and Iris, Shayera and John, Barbara and Roy (not that they weren't already kissing), Wally and Artemis, and Oliver and Dinah. (Sorry if I forgot any couples!)
Richard stuck out his tongue and made a growling noise as his foster-father and his almost-foster-mother began to make-out, rather than just kiss.
Then, there was a loud throat-clearing. Everyone stopped what they were doing and turned to see, surprisingly, Barry calling for attention. Surely, the speedster was about to crack a joke of some type- he was never serious. But, looking deep into his 'uncle's' green eyes, Richard could see, beyond the joy and merriment, an intense sincerity for what he was about to say.
His arm wrapped around his wife's waist, Barry began his monologue.
"First off, thank you to Bruce for hosting this all-League party-" there were a few hoots and hollers at that, and Bruce rolled his eyes "-and second off, I wanted to share something." He cleared his throat again, the sincerity and seriousness coming from his eyes a bit stronger. "Thank you, all of you, for becoming extended family. Hal, John, Bruce, Oliver- all of you guys, my brothers, and Diana, Dinah, and Shayera- my sisters." He beamed at the Team, who had gathered moments before. "My 'nieces' and 'nephews'-" Wally was blushing now "-and our... unique pets." Everyone laughed (minus Bruce, of course). "But really, I couldn't ask for a better family. It would take me more than both pairs of fingers and toes to count how many times any of you has had my back, has saved my life." A few 'aye's carried out, and 'same here's. Barry's smile grew. "We're stronger together than apart, no matter if any of us are more of a... loner than others. And, I look forward to the future adventures we all face together, because I know, no matter what, if we stick together-" he clenched a fist in the air "-we can overcome anything."
Everyone began to cheer, hoot, and fist-pump. Grins, hugs, kisses, and high-fives were shared all around.
Terrence snorted as he wheeled up towards his baby brother. "Kinda sappy-"
Then, he looked up and saw the tears that glistened in the younger teen's eyes. And, for once in a lifetime, they were tears of joy in Richard Grayson's eyes.
"But nice," Terry quickly finished. Richard didn't seem to notice.
Barry held up a hand for the bellowing to stop. Once he had everyone's attention, he continued. "And, I'd like to say one other thing. I know we have many, many other unofficial heroes in the League, but I look forward to expanding our family." He placed a hand over Iris's stomach. "And I'd like to announce that Iris and I are expanding our immediate family, too."
In an instant, Lois, Jillian, Dinah, Diana, and Shayera were at Iris's side, all beaming and doing that 'girl-squeal' thing. They had a huge group-hug, each woman with tears in her eyes.
The men began to thump Barry's back, all laughing and calling for more 'celebratory alcohol', though Alfred would have non of it.
Dick was grinning. He was going to have a 'cousin', and Wally was going to have a 'little brother'- Wait. Where's Wally? Hey! Alliteration! WAIT! No, Grayson, focus on your bud. Where did he get off to now...?
With Robin-mode kicking in, the ebony easily slunk away and headed for the first place that came to mind- the pantry.
But, shockingly, a certain ginger wasn't there.
His eyebrows furrowed, Richard bit his lower lip. Where...
Then, his well-tuned ears caught a low gasp, as if someone were trying to keep from crying.
"Wally?"
He turned down a hallway and saw, just two yards away, his best friend sitting on the window pane. Wally had his knees dragged up under his chin, his teeth biting down harshly onto the inside of his cheek. His eyes were shut tightly, his eyelashes wet, but no tears leaking over. His shoulders shook with the effort of holding his emotional barrier.
"Wally."
The ginger's head snapped up, and his sudden sadness was gone, replaced by a grin. "Rob! Hey, I- I didn't see you there-"
"Wally." This time, his tone was stern and warning.
The older teen hung his head, holding his biceps as he turned away. There were several long, silent moments as Wally tried to compose himself. Richard was patient, though. He knew that Wally wanted to talk, and he knew that Wally would, it was just a matter of when.
"I'm scared," the speedster finally admitted in a small, weak voice. "I'm scared that Uncle Barry and Aunt Iris won't want me- won't love me as much with the baby..."
Richard didn't scoff. He didn't speak. He just stood there innocently. After all, he didn't know what to say.
"Wally..."
Both teens swung around to see Terrence, his face hardened and sad at the same time, frowning at them. Brown-green eyes flickered over to blue, and Richard nodded before walking over to Wally and giving him a comforting shoulder-squeeze. "I'll see you later, okay?"
Wally just nodded, turning away towards the window.
Dick sighed heavily, then disappeared into the shadows.
Terrence rolled forward until he was right next to the pane. Wally didn't make eye-contact with him. Actually, the speedster avoided eye-contact. With a grunt, Terry lifted himself from his chair and just managed to set himself up on the edge, next to Wally's feet. Still, no response.
They sat like that for almost ten minutes, just watching the snow fall. It was weird- scary- that Wally could go that long without talking.
Finally: "I know how you feel."
That got the ginger's attention. His head whipped around at super-speed to look, rather incredulously, at his friend- his brother. "What?"
Terrence nodded, smiling gently. "It was me, Jason, and Barb. We were together, we were with Bruce and Alfred, we were happy..." A sigh. "Then, I woke up one day and came down the stairs to find a tiny little sack of bones with long, white hair sitting at my spot at the table. You don't know how much it hurt... But, in time, I found that, even though Bruce began to give Blaine attention, he never took an ounce away from me. Sure, Blaine borrowed some of it, but Bruce always re-paid me. If he took her to get ice-cream, he played catch with me outside. If he took her and Babs skating, he took me and Jay fishing. Then, when Dickie came along, I grew scared again. But, again, Bruce pulled through. Sure, he was dog-gone tired the whole time, but he did it. I have no clue in the Hell how, but he did."
Terrence put a gentle hand on Wally's knee, offering a warm, small smile. "Wallace Rudolph West, if you think that your aunt and uncle are gonna love you any less because of their baby, you are wrong. Dead wrong. They'll love you all the same- they'll just have someone else to love, too. And so will you."
Wally nodded slowly, but tears still wet his eyes.
Terrence was confused. "Wally... What else is bothering you?"
"I don't know what you're-"
"Wallace."
The ginger recoiled into himself further, if that were even possible. Then, he whispered so softly that Terrence almost didn't hear him: "Dad..."
A gasp echoed through the hall, followed by a swear. "Da** it, Wally! You said you'd tell me- or Dick or Jay- if he ever laid a hand on you again-" Terry froze. "Let me see it."
"It's almost gone-"
"Let. Me. See."
Wally sighed heavily before slinging his legs over the side. He lifted his shirt to reveal a light pink slash all the way across his gut. "Broken glass, this time. I- I failed a History test..."
Anger boiled over in Terrence, along with a will of protection for his other little-'brother'. Fists clenching and unclenching, he spoke. "This is getting out of hand. If Barry knew-"
"You can't tell him!" Wally's eyes were wide, and he was standing now, right in front of Terry's chair. "If he found out, he'd kill my dad- no exaggeration! And it would ruin him and Aunt Iris, not to mention how much it would affect his job and-"
"Wally, Barry gives a Hell of a lot more about you than his job."
Pause.
Silence.
"I'm tel-"
"No."
"Wally-"
"Please." His voice cracked on the last letter. Tears in his eyes, Wally begged. "Please, Terry. Please, please, please... I swear, if he does it again, I'll tell Uncle B. Just- he's just so happy right now... Not tonight, Terry. Please..."
Inner turmoil ran through Terrence like a hurricane. He knew what was right, what he should do, what he wanted to do-
"Okay."
"Promise?"
A sigh. "Promise."
EEEEEEK!
sooooooooooooo much ANGST!
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