Ain't no party like a Wayne party.
The cat and the bat are finally married, and the family can relax again after the mayhem of the wedding. Everyone is in balance again. Harley and Dick are happily engaged, Tim and Steph are together and happy, Jason and Ivy have slipped away, and Damian made a new friend.
The wedding is winding to a close on the cold wintry night, and Bruce and Selina will be heading off for their honeymoon soon. Dancing and cake and some risque behaviour, and the night is still young.
"Steph," Tim sighed, "stop stealing champagne off of the trays. It'll turn into the drunken parties night all over again." He sipped the drink she had snatched for him anyway.
"At least that night you were fun," Steph teased, smirking at him before drinking her own champagne.
"The morning after wasn't as fun," he glanced at her, setting the glass down. Steph shrugged.
"Well you win some, you lose some." She grinned, moving over to sit in his lap. "I would say it was worth it."
"Steph," he blushed, glancing around. Unlike Dick or Bruce, he was generally uncomfortable with being public about their relationship. He smiled a little once she was settled.
"What? You can be as embarrassed as you want, but I know you had fun." She gave him a sloppy kiss on the cheek, giggling. Tim laughed, wiping it off.
"Stop it," he smiled, shaking his hair out. He kissed her cheek, returning the favor drily.
"Stop what?" She grabbed his face and gave him a kiss on his other cheek. Tim laughed again, trying halfheartedly to stop her. He smiled and finally resigned to her kisses, sighing dramatically as he waited for her to be done. "You're no fun," she pouted. "Just look at Bruce." They glanced at the bride and groom who were somehow kissing as they danced. "And... Did Harley and Dick disappear too?" Steph cried, glancing around the ballroom. "First the Red couple, and now them? Not fair." She saw Cass in a corner with a dissatisfied look on her face as a red faced man hung at her elbow, talking loudly in her ear. Damian was by a table, his posture as stiff as his father's usually was. He walked over to a figure only a little shorter than him.
"What are you doing here?" he asked Nicky cooly. He turned, his eyes narrowing when he saw Damian.
"Aunt Harley asked me to come," Nicky snapped, his fingers were picking at a loose belt loop on his jeans. "I don't know why. I don't even want to be here," he muttered.
"Then why did you come?" Damian asked.
"I don't know. Why do you care?" Nicky stuck his nose up.
"Because you're interrupting the landscape with your awful clothing." Damian started to walk away, and then turned back to Nicky. "Are you coming or not?" he asked coolly.
"We're inside," Nicky mumbled, "there is no landscape." He shuffled after Damian. He ignored Nicky for a while as he led him through the enormous house, before glancing over his shoulder.
"Do you like dogs?" He asked, pushing the door of his bedroom open. Nicky shrugged, shoving his hands in his pockets as he looked around him. The large room was rather plain, save for the clutter on the desk and the mess of Xbox One games and controllers on the floor in front of the TV.
Damian walked to the closet, stripping his suit off and pulling on jeans and a t-shirt. He looked at Nicky. "I asked you a simple question. So do you?" he demanded, shoving through the clothes in the closet.
"Yeah, I guess." Nicky looked around at Damian's desk and shelves. "Why do you have so much stuff?"
"I don't have that much. Most of the books aren't mine, they're from Father's library. Otherwise... It's not that much," he said nonchalantly. He pulled out a hoodie, tugged it on, and then dragged a box out of the back. He shoved it towards Nicky and then sat down on the floor to pull his boots on. Nicky stared down at it.
"What is this?" He glanced over at Damian.
"It's clothes. I don't wear them anymore, and you'll need more than that to go outside." Damian watched him as he laced his boots, knowing what he'd say. "Do not mistake my logic for charity," he warned. "What else should I do with them? Donate them somewhere? That's far too much effort for someone like me."
"Someone like you," Nicky snorted. "Yeah." He opened the box and started looking through it. Inside was a wide array of soft cotton graphic tees, sweatshirts, jeans and hoodies. There were some shoes at the bottom.
"You think I'm the spoiled rich type."
"Yeah, I do. And you know how I know?" He pulled out a hoodie, pulling it on over his head. "You assumed giving them to me was equal to giving them to charity, and," he ruffled his hair as he pulled the hood off his head, "you think I need more to wear outside. What do you think I came in?"
"I'm sure you had a jacket. Your clothes are beyond repair. I was trying to be nice, and it's not charity," Damian insisted again. He stood.
"Right, it's logic." He glanced at the door. "Now are we going?"
"You don't want to spend anymore time downstairs dancing with people you don't know right?" Damian smiled. It was more of a smirk, but it was warm. "I have a motorcycle." Nicky tried to hide his impressed look.
"Fine, let's go." He shoved his hands back in his pockets. Damian led him back out into the hall and down into the foyer. He frowned when he saw Jason and Ivy. They walked by him.
"You could have at least tried to behave yourself at father's wedding, Todd," Damian sniffed.
"Hey, we haven't done anything wrong," Jason defended, his hand in Ivy's. "We have been entirely appropriate the whole time. Nothing outside of Bruce and Selina's carefully defined, appropriate wedding behavior. Besides, worry about Dick and Harley; I haven't seen them around." He gave Damian a mock salute before continuing on toward the ballroom. Ivy pulled him to a stop in the hallway, pushing him against a wall.
"You're right," she whispered. "You have been entirely too appropriate. Now," her finger trailed along the collar of his suit jacket, "if you keep it this appropriate, you'll have me worried that you don't like this." She pressed her hips into his, the black lace strap of her dress falling off her shoulder. Jason kept his expression neutral as an older woman walked past toward the bathroom.
"Ivy, we've..." He trailed off, clearing his throat. He hadn't been avoiding it, per se, but he had been hesitant. His hand slid up her waist, the soft purple fabric pulling up under his hand. "I don't know what to think." Jason mumbled.
"To think about what?" Ivy pulled his collar, frowning as she studied his face.
"This. Us. We can't just pick up where we left off after all of that... Can we?" He stuttered a bit at his last words. He never spoke like this, and it felt off, but he felt like something had to be said. Ivy pursed her lips, backing away a little.
"I guess, I don't know," she admitted. "Where were we when we left off? I left because neither of us were sure. What do you want us to be?" Ivy felt like her face was hot, felt what it would be like to have blood rush into her cheeks. Jason blushed.
"Um... Together," he said unsurely, mentally kicking himself for even thinking 'what would Dick say?' He may be a half-wit when it came to anything else, but his older brother did have a way with words. Jason rubbed the back of his neck. "Look. I like you," he said quietly. "I might even... I just want us to be together. Here and now."
"Okay, so... us." Ivy couldn't remember the last relationship she'd actually been in. She didn't know what to do. "I think I can handle that. I mean- not that I don't think- that um- that sounds good. Us. What now? Are there like rules or something?" She tossed her hair over her shoulder.
"Well we'll figure that out later. For now... Ok fine, I give up," Jason finally said in exasperation. He leaned forward and closed the gap between them, kissing her. He cupped a hand under her chin, his brow furrowed earnestly. Ivy gasped into the kiss, her hands clutching his jacket lapels.
"This I can work with," she breathed. She smirked, pushing his body back against the wall. "But there better be no new stories of Koris, or Casses, or whoever else," she warned, yanking his tie loose, "because your antitoxin won't protect you from that."
"Your wish is my command," he shrugged casually, smiling. Jason looped an arm around her waist and led her down the hall as Barbara walked out of the restroom. She rolled her eyes, chuckling at the sight of them. She walked back to the ballroom, weaving her way through the wedding crowd to get back to her seat by Sam.
"What did I miss?" she asked as she sat down beside him, picking up his hand and holding it in her lap. She smiled, shaking her red hair over her thin shoulder. The satiny purple fabric draped pleasantly over her athletic frame, and Barbara would be lying if she said that she wasn't trying to draw his attention to it. She felt good, and she felt beautiful, and she wanted to show it off. Barbara elbowed him and then put her head on his shoulder.
"Your father stopped by looking for you, but then he got distracted by someone he knew." He shrugged one shoulder, so he wouldn't jostle her head. "Some politician about the mayor being brainwashed."
"Oh," Barbara smiled, rubbing her eye a bit. She tucked her head under his neck, scooting her chair closer. "Anything else?" She rubbed his leg.
"Uh, Bruce and Selina are still dancing." Sam glanced toward the dancefloor for a moment. "A waiter did walk around offering cake, but that's about it." He smiled down at her, kissing her forehead.
"Oh. I'm still stuffed from that dinner," she smiled and yawned. "Do you want to dance?" Barbara took her head away from his shoulder, watching him. The lights flashing on the dance floor in the darkened room lit her face and reflected in her clear blue eyes.
"You were yawning. Are you tired?" He brushed her hair behind her ear.
"A little. It's been a long, hectic day. A hectic week," she said quietly, leaning into his hand by her head. "But I don't want to ruin it if you're having a good time, I'm fine," she waved a hand dismissively.
"My job has been watching you for the last month," he smiled at her, "I've started to enjoy it."
"Well you know what? I'm bored. So why don't we go back to my place, and you can 'watch me' take this dress off," Barbara put a hand on his chest, kissing his cheek.
"Aren't you the maid of honor?" Sam laughed. "Are you allowed to leave early?"
"Fine, then we won't leave," she shrugged, smiling. "We'll stay and sit here. Your loss."
"Oh I know it is," he tapped a finger to her lips, "so you don't have to be so smug about it." She glanced down at his lips, smiling slightly, and smoothed his collar.
"Well maybe I have to go out as Batgirl tonight," she dropped her voice to a whisper. "Maybe I can't spend any time with you after now. What if now is all we have?" Barbara watched him expectantly.
"Well," he took her hand in his, "the last time Batgirl came to visit was pretty fun." Barbara giggled before blushing crimson, her hair falling in her face as she looked down.
"Batgirl is pretty lucky," she said quietly, smiling up at him.
"I'd say I'm the lucky one," he corrected, brushing her hair over her shoulder. Barbara smiled brightly and gave him a quick kiss before standing up and taking his hand.
"Come on. I don't feel like dancing, but after some champagne I'm sure I will," she winked, pulling him away in search of a waiter. Sam chuckled; he waved to Dick when he saw him. Dick was pulling Harley onto the dancefloor. She rolled her eyes at him.
"You don't want to dance?" Dick half-whined, seeing her irritated expression.
"Being nearly nine months pregnant doesn't exactly encourage dancing," she half shouted over the loud music. Dick's shoulders slumped a bit, but he smiled anyway.
"That's okay," he called, pulling her away again to the other end of the room. The music was at least a bit quieter, and he dropped down into a chair. "It's getting pretty late, I'm sure this will wrap up soon," he concluded. Most of the older guests had left already, but a fair amount still danced and drank and ate cake around the ballroom.
"We can dance a little if you want to," she offered, looking down at him in the chair.
"No, it's fine," he shrugged, pulling her down to sit in front of him. "I don't want to put too much strain on you and the baby. I wasn't really thinking about that. I don't think sometimes," he smiled, rolling his eyes.
"Well I do think," she laughed, "and I may have come up with a compromise. I'll dance with you, but then you have to go get me some of that cake, and there may be a foot massage needed later." Dick seemed to consider this, tapping his fingers on the table. He grinned.
"Cake yes, massage, yes," he laughed. "One dance?"
"One dance." Harley grinned. "You better wait for the perfect song."
"Alright, I'll tell the DJ. But-" Dick beamed at her- "you have to do the swing dance I taught you with me."
"Then you have to carry me out to the car." Harley laughed.
"Done," Dick grinned.
"Fine." She waved. "Go bribe the DJ." He immediately shot out of his chair and practically ran across the room to go request a song. When he came back, he was smiling proudly, and he helped her up.
"He said he'll play it next," Dick grinned, pulling her towards the dance floor.
"Don't look too excited, or you'll make me feel like I've been neglecting you." She refrained from rolling her eyes at his enthusiasm.
Dick tapped his foot to the beat of the song playing, his stance a bit impatient, as he waited. When the song finally faded out and the familiar guitar intro to I Am Superman started playing, he cried out in excitement and took Harley out, a hand on her waist. He'd taught her a few dances last night when they were fooling around in the ballroom, but her favorite had been the swing. She loved the way Dick danced, so free and strong, leading her with his expert footwork. He spun her under his arm and pulled her back to his chest as he sang along with the song. It was a lot of spinning, with fairly simple steps, but the enthusiasm behind the movements made it seem skillful and energetic. Dick laughed, sweeping her around the dance floor.
"Clearly I have been neglecting you. You and your dancing feet." Harley giggled.
"Who doesn't love dancing?" he laughed, leading her along. Her hand tightened in his.
"People who don't know how to dance," she assured him.
"Even they like to dance in secret," he smiled brightly, stopping as the song ended. He panted a little, laughing breathlessly before dropping his hands to his sides.
"Forget yoga," Harley sighed. "Dancing is the way to go." She laughed. Dick beamed back at her.
"That was my one dance. It was worth it," he winked, taking her hand and guiding her off of the dance floor as the next song began. "You take a seat, and I'll go get you some cake, right? I'd better hold up my end of the bargain," he winked.
"I'm not sharing," she warned. "You better get yourself a piece."
"Okay," he laughed, walking off to get some cake. Selina dropped into a chair beside her, beaming.
"Well. You sure know how to dance, don't you?" she said, her breathing coming fast. She looked as awake as ever, despite the late hour.
"What about you? Have you taken a break all evening?" Harley grinned at her.
"Definitely not. In fact, I was on my way for my fourth glass of wine. I have to stay hydrated," she laughed. "I'm going to be up all night. Mostly trying to keep ol' pointy ears out of the damn Batcave, but I'm going to make the most of it," she elbowed Harley, laughing.
"Somehow, I don't think that's going to be a problem tonight." Harley patted Selina's shoulder. She raised her eyebrows seriously.
"Oh not if I have anything to say about it," she said determinedly. "He's not touching that cowl, except maybe to pack it for the honeymoon," Selina laughed, leaning against the table.
"Good luck sneaking that through airport security." Harley shook her head, laughing.
"We'll just say it's some cosplay junk," she waved a hand. "Please, Bruce Wayne can get us out of anything. Did he tell you? We're even taking his private jet," she giggled, clutching Harley's arm and shaking it a bit. Dick walked towards them with the cake, smiling.
"I'm sure you two will have loads of fun, and I don't need to hear about it." She smiled up at Dick. "Ooo, chocolate." She grabbed the plate from him. Selina laughed and stood.
"Enjoy the cake for me," she called over her shoulder as she walked towards Bruce. "Did you enjoy your break?" she asked him, taking his hand and pulling him towards the dance floor again.
"That was a break?" Bruce chuckled. "I didn't even get to finish my champagne."
"Then let me get that for you," she purred, taking his glass and finishing it off. She put it on the table and stopped, smoothing his shirt under her hands.
"That wasn't what I meant." He smiled, his hands catching hers. She giggled, leaning towards him as she beamed. She'd abandoned her veil and hair clip long ago.
"Then what did you mean?" she squeezed his hands, walking backwards towards the dance floor and pulling him along. She was careful to stay close to him.
"Well for starters, I was hoping to finish my own drink."
"It's too late now, so what's next?" Selina giggled, stopping again and tracing her hands over his shoulders. He'd taken his jacket off and loosened his tie. She sighed deeply, playing with his hair at his neck. "When do I get to rip that shirt off of you?" she laughed, pursing her lips as she looked up at him. He laughed too, his hands on her hips.
"When we're not with company," he assured her.
"But there's so much time between now and then," she breathed, smiling as she unbuttoned his shirt a ways.
"The price you have to pay I guess." He tilted his head down, his blue eyes happy. Selina raised her eyebrows and continued to unbutton his shirt, testing him to see how far he'd let her go. She kissed his jaw, humming along to the song. Bruce grabbed her hands, spinning her around. "That's enough of that, Mrs. Wayne," he whispered over her shoulder, holding her hands at her stomach.
"But I was just getting started," she pouted, before smiling and looking at him over her shoulder. She pushed herself back against his hips, smiling wider and laughing a little.
"You really shouldn't be starting at all." He kissed her neck. "We have appearances to keep up."
"Screw appearances," she muttered, closing her eyes. "You're a playboy billionaire. Getting a little risque with me would be keeping your appearance up," Selina pointed out, reaching behind her and trailing a hand up his leg.
"And what about you?" Bruce asked, his lips still on her skin. "What appearances are you keeping up?"
"I choose who I am," she breathed, tucking her arm behind her back. Her fingers brushed his abs under his shirt and she grinned. "I don't have any to uphold," Selina laughed lightly, unbuckling his belt with one hand.
"Selina," he growled. He regained his hold on her hands, spinning her around to face him. She laughed again, a merry, playful sound, before opening her eyes and looking up at him seductively.
"Yes, Mr. Wayne?" she purred, brushing his nose with hers as she leaned up to kiss him, stopping just before their lips met.
"You need to stop," he breathed, watching her.
"No, I need you," she smiled, licking his lips before kissing him hungrily. Bruce released her hands to cup her face. He kissed her back with a groan. After a moment, he broke away.
"What do you say," he asked, "do you want to sneak out of your own wedding?"
"More than anything," she gasped, smiling back at him.
"Okay then." Bruce slid his hand into hers, already weaving his way through the crowd. "I guess we're keeping up appearances."