Some work has to be done.
Harley and Dick spent the entire day at home, watching Christmas movies and eating cookies. It'd been nice after their fight, to spend time together.
Now they have to head to Wayne Manor for the rehearsal dinner; with the wedding tomorrow and after that- Bruce and Selina's honeymoon- there's a lot of work to be done.
"Do we have to look nice for this?" Dick called from the shower. The bathroom door was open, and Harley was trying on dresses in their bedroom. When Harley didn't answer, he kept going. "I'll take that as a yes. You know, I'm showering for this, is that good enough?" Dick heard Harley let out a short laugh. "I guess not, huh? What am I supposed to wear? Pull something out of the closet. If I try to pick my own clothes, you'll shoot me down anyway," he chuckled, rinsing the shampoo out of his dark hair and smoothing it back to his head.
Harley pulled a black chiffon dress on over her head. The sleeves were loose, and she adjusted the tight bands that cinched them around her elbows. She made sure the V-neck sat nicely on her chest before adjusting the band over her stomach. The chiffon fabric flowed around her thighs. It was one of her favorite maternity dresses even if her legs would be cold when she went outside. "How fancy are you willing to dress?" she asked, hanging up her discarded dresses as she looked through his clothes.
"You know me," he called. "Always dressed like a slob- let's just not go full suit, okay? Or at least no tie." Harley pulled out a pair of khakis and tossed them on the bed along with a white button up shirt. She then smiled at a green button up sweater with a pattern that looked Christmassy. She tossed it out with his other clothes before moving on to finish getting ready.
Dick reluctantly turned the hot water off and dried off, walking out into the bedroom with his towel around his waist. He flicked the sweater away from his shirt and picked up the slacks. He changed into the clothes she'd laid out and looked at the sweater. He looked at Harley. "Really?"
"Really," she told him, glancing up as she put her earrings in.
"Okay," he shrugged, pulling his arms through the sweater. "But you're to blame for any physical or verbal abuse that will come to me via my brothers," Dick glanced at her, running a hand through his damp hair. "This is good enough, right?" Despite having done nothing but showered, shaved, and put deodorant on- Dick looked incredibly handsome. His dark hair hung, messy but attractive, in front of his forehead, his light blue eyes well rested and bright. Their earlier nap must have helped with that. The sweater, cuffed up at the middle of his forearm and buttoned over his white dress shirt accentuated his athletic muscle tone, hugging his arms pleasantly.
"Definitely not." Harley walked over and tugged gently at the collar of his sweater. "I can't let you out in public like this. Someone might try and steal you away from me." She grinned, looking up at him through her lashes. She had just finished her makeup and pulled her hair back into a high ponytail after curling the ends. She had on a silver bracelet and earrings to match the trapeze necklace.
"If someone was going to steal me, that's just what they'd have to do. You know I won't go willingly. And are you sure you won't get cold in that dress?" he smiled a little, stroking her cheek.
"We'll just not spend time outside," Harley reasoned. "If you're feeling really daring, we could not go out at all." She smirked.
"You were the one telling me that Selina would blow a fuse if we didn't show," he pointed out, laughing as he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her closer.
"She would." Harley grinned. "That's why I stressed 'really daring'."
"You're talking to a high wire and trapeze acrobat for twelve years, and a vigilante for thirteen. I can do 'daring'," he kissed her nose.
"You also won the Joker's girl away from him. I think you meet the really daring requirements." She giggled, wrinkling her nose.
"I hadn't thought about that. I guess I don't like to think about it like me stealing you, so much as you choosing me over him," he smiled gently, watching her laugh.
"Oh I picked you over him." She kissed his smile. "And you won the grand prize," she teased. Dick sighed deeply.
"We have a while before we have to go to the Manor," he pointed out, smiling a little. Harley chuckled.
"But we just finished getting ready, and while daring is fine, there is no way we're being late." She gave him another quick kiss. Dick smiled and took Harley's knees out from under her, catching her as they fell onto the bed.
"Maybe just a little late," he grinned, kissing her slowly. Harley responded for a moment before kissing his nose.
"Sorry, but no." She stared up at him. "Are you going to let me up without a fight?" He shook his head no, biting his lip to hide his smiling. "You're cute and all, but that's not going to stop Selina from clawing your eyes out," she warned.
"I think Bruce can handle her for me," he whispered. She could feel him smiling as he kissed her again, biting her lip playfully. "So let's have a little time to ourselves before this hectic weekend starts. I promise I won't bite. Hard." Dick laughed, kissing down her neck so lightly it gave her chills.
"Stop," Harley moaned. Her hands messed up his hair as they tangled in it, and her eyes closed as her breathing hitched.
Dick ran a hand up her smooth leg and pulled it up around his hip, kissing her collarbone. He inhaled slowly, letting his breathing calm down. "I will. In about ten minutes," he whispered, his hand sliding under her skirt to her hip. Harley's hand stopped his. In one swift motion, she reversed their positions.
"And what makes you think you get a say in that?" she murmured in his ear. Dick smiled and stifled a moan, leaning his head back into the comforter, further disheveling his still damp hair. The sharp scent of his cologne mixed with her rosy perfume between them.
"I probably don't get a say. But I do love it when you take control," he laughed breathlessly. Harley kissed his exposed neck.
"Oh you do?" Her lips skimmed across his skin. Dick smiled and nodded, his eyes still closed. He bit his lip and shuddered a bit.
Harley groaned when her phone started to ring. She glanced over where it was at on the end table and saw it was Selina calling.
"It's like she knows," she muttered.
"Just ignore it," Dick breathed, reaching up and catching her lips in a passionate kiss. One hand rested on the back of her head and the other still held her hip. Harley let it ring through to voicemail, her hands still twisted in his hair. When her phone started ringing again, she sat up with a sigh.
"I have to answer it."
"Fine," Dick whined, his hand still resting on her hip where she was straddling his waist. Harley reached for her phone on the bedside table and answered it.
"Hi Selina… No I didn't ignore your call." She wrinkled her nose at Dick. "Of course we won't be late… We're almost ready… Why does that matter? No that's-" She listened with a frown on her face. "Fine we're in bed, but we are almost ready… Shut up. What do you want?" She stuck her tongue out a Dick with a smile. He laughed and sat up, kissing her neck. Harley caught his face and traced his lips with her finger, smiling. "Of course we can… Yes Selina… We won't be late. Scout's honor." She hung up. "She thinks we're going to be late. Can you believe it?" Dick mock-gasped.
"I would never!" He laughed, pulling himself up to sit on the edge of the bed with Harley in his lap. "What did she want?"
"We're supposed to pick up the flower arrangements she got for tonight and make sure the florist has everything ready for tomorrow." She shrugged. Dick groaned dramatically.
"Well fine then," he said irritably, but he couldn't stop smiling. His dark hair was messy again, sticking up in the back and on one side.
"We skip all day helping set up, and you complain about getting flowers. You have it so hard don't you?" Harley put a mock pout on her face. Dick shrugged.
"We'd actually better get going if we're going to make it to the flower shop and then the rehearsal," he mused, standing up and putting her back on her feet. He led her downstairs and to the back door, helping her into her coat and pulling his black cargo coat on. Dick grabbed the keys. "And none of that stuff you did the other night in the car, this time," he looked at her pointedly, smiling.
"It's not my fault you can't handle it." Harley smirked.
"You're right, I clearly can't," he agreed seriously, locking the door behind them as they walked to the car. He helped her get into the passenger seat and then slid over the hood of the car, chuckling as he got into the driver's seat. He opened the door and pulled out of the garage. "And it is totally your fault."
"Totally not my fault. I just assumed someone trained by Batman would have control in spades." She giggled.
"Not quite that well trained- and certainly not from Batman," Dick smirked. "I know the rumors about Bruce but they're obviously not true…"
"I was not implying that, but if you wanna go there…" She laughed.
"I definitely do not," Dick shook his head, turning the heater up. "What florist is it?"
"Um the one… you know the one." Harley suddenly couldn't remember the name. "The wedding one? Like they specialize in weddings. Like they're too good for prom or something. Next to a… a Chinese restaurant I think."
"Right. In Uptown Gotham. That's right on the way to the Manor, I've got it," he mentally planned the shortest route.
"Good because Selina would be pissed if I had to call her and ask the name." She smiled at him once before glancing out the window. Dick watched her for a moment before flicking the radio on to Christmas music and focusing on his driving. "So I can not decide what to get Alfred for Christmas," she suddenly blurted out. "What does one even get that man?"
"We usually just got him socks that he never wears. I bought him tea once. He's kind of a mystery, nobody really knows what he likes," Dick shrugged. "Not really even Bruce."
"Well I mean, I always have Haly, but you better start thinking of something." She bit her lip to try not to laugh.
"What's that supposed to mean?" he laughed, pulling up in front of the flower shop.
"You know Haly is going to be the best gift that man has gotten since Damian showed up. Ooo! Just adopt another Robin! He'd love that." She giggled.
"I think Alfred would have a heart attack, actually. You didn't see how all of us acted in our Boy Wonder years. Pretty sure taking care of us was more stressful than the wars he fought in," Dick laughed, taking her hand as he helped her out of the car and they walked to the flower shop doors. Harley shook her head.
"I bet he loved every minute of it," she insisted.
"There were some times I'll bet he didn't enjoy," Dick smiled at the memories. The little bell rang above their heads as they walked in.
"But that's parenting, so you'd better get used to it." She gave him a peck on the cheek. Dick smiled at her and then looked at the woman at the counter.
"Um… Kyle? Or Wayne? Flowers for the… thing, the rehearsal tonight…" he shrugged, looking somewhat lost. The lady clicked her tongue as she looked for their order sheet. She was in a stained t-shirt and jeans, and there were untouched gray roots at the top of her brown hair.
"Here we go." She smiled up at them before scanning the list. "Okay, I'll have Jeff carry everything out. Is that your car in front?" Harley nodded.
"We're also the large wedding order for tomorrow?"
"Yup. We'll have that ready and delivered by tomorrow morning," the woman assured her. She waved over her shoulder to them as she turned to head back to the greenhouse, humming.
"Why couldn't Selina have them deliver today like they're doing tomorrow?" Harley asked Dick, not expecting him to answer. She wandered around the counters. "Sometimes she doesn't think things through." She paused and picked up a magazine. "Look." She smiled at him from behind the cover of the bridal magazine. Dick laughed.
"I'm looking forward to the one you pick. You gonna wear red?" he smirked, looking at all the flowers with his hands in his pockets. Harley grinned at him.
"Maybe. I'm not exactly virgin white am I?" She tossed the magazine back on the counter and peered into a display case. Dick smiled a little and plucked a rose from the vase on the counter, holding it out to her as he leaned on the display case.
"White is too toned down for you. You need something brighter," he watched her, still smiling like an idiot.
"What, like yellow?" Harley grinned, taking the rose and smelling it. Dick watched her, frowning a bit.
"Yellow? Only if we're having a spring wedding," he said matter-of-factly.
"Hmm." Harley swayed a little. "How does June sound?"
"Well if it's in June, we may as well have it on the first day of summer," Dick smiled, wrapping his arms around her waist and leaning against the counter.
"Then it's not spring. Darn it. No yellow." She giggled, brushing his hair away from his eyes.
"I changed my mind, yellow is better for summer," he laughed, biting his lip.
"Do you really want me to walk down the aisle in yellow?" she laughed. "Won't I blind people?"
"Not if it's a soft yellow," he argued. Dick smoothed a flyaway hair back to her ponytail. "More like this," he smiled, his fingers playing with the curls in her hair.
"Well I can't wear a dress that matches my hair. I'd just be one big yellow blob." She rolled her eyes behind her glasses. Dick laughed, putting his other hand on her hip.
"Well you would still be a damn fine yellow blob," he smiled.
"But still a blob, so yellow is out." She twirled the rose thoughtfully. "I guess it would depend what we pick for wedding colors." Dick leaned his head back and groaned dramatically.
"This is already getting hard," he teased, smiling at her.
"I know. There's things like place settings, location, size, catering, and flowers," she looked around, "and we can't even pick a color. Maybe we should just have Damian plan it. He'd probably be pretty good at it."
"Except his expertise lies in threatening all of the above," Dick laughed. "We're going to be late."
"That's not our fault. We are doing what we're told." She grinned into her flower. He laughed.
"If Selina gets mad, that's our excuse," he smiled, stroking her cheek. He couldn't stop smiling, and he wouldn't take his eyes off of her.
"I think she gestured over your shoulder that everything was loaded a couple of minutes ago, but I'm going to pretend I didn't see anything." She giggled and gave him a quick kiss. Dick laughed and stole another kiss.
"Come on," he smiled, his hand sliding into hers as he led her out to the car and helped her in. Dick smirked as they drove off, towards the bridge out of Gotham.
"What are you so smiley about?" Harley poked his cheek. Dick laughed.
"I'm not smiley! This is how I am! Would you rather me stop again?" he asked, glancing at her.
"I'd rather you keep your eyes on the road since we found out how easily distracted you are," she teased. Dick smiled a little.
"It's not my fault, it's yours," he mumbled. "If you weren't so damn beautiful, with the hair, and the glasses…" he looked back out the windshield.
"Well what about you? With your hair, and that smile… then there's your eyes- and your body, we can't forget your body- but you don't see me getting distracted. Well… I did get distracted long enough to get knocked up, but nuances." She shrugged. Dick snorted and then actually laughed out loud.
"Yeah, that was no big deal," he smiled, biting his lip as he pulled to a stop in front of the Manor.
"Wait. Your place, your condoms, your fault," Harley decided, giggling. Dick rolled his eyes.
"Are you ready for this?" he asked, raising his eyebrows at her. "Because I'm not."
"Nope." She beamed at him. "Should be fun, right?" Dick got out and helped her out of the car, smiling unsurely.
"Should be fun. Right."