"We should… go out. On a date," Cass says, one night after she meets Steph after her classes. Steph looks at her, eyes wide.
"Wait, really?"
Cass nods, determined. Her eyes are steely—Steph wonders which of Cass's brothers she should be blaming for this. "Babs has made reservation."
"Where?" Steph blurts, confused. She's never been on a real date—with Tim it had been abandoned playgrounds and rooftops, stolen kisses in the dark and sneaking through his window. She had assumed it would be the same with Cass—kisses on the piano bench and rooftop tag had been what Steph had seen since they started dating.
It has been five months since they have started dating—three weeks since Steph has returned to the streets as Spoiler, ten days since Steph finally had that long-overdue conversation with Bruce. Five months, and things had been going well.
Cass tells her the name of a restaurant, and Steph commits it to memory, and agrees to meet Cass there at six the next night.
She then runs to Dinah, Helena, Zinda and Renee for help.
"You poor dear," Dinah says once they all stop laughing at her panic. "Let's get you sorted."
Dinah takes her shopping, leading her to a boutique that is far beyond Steph's usual budget. Dinah waves her away when Steph tries to protest, proclaiming she owes Steph several birthdays and holidays.
"Don't you want something a bit more revealing?" Dinah asks after examining the long-sleeved, full length piece Steph is eying, holding up what Steph can only describe as a little sparkly black tube of cloth.
Steph shakes her head quickly. "My… my scars," she mutters, ducking her head, flushing with shame. Her arms are webbed with marks, although they're not as bad as her stomach, which is covered in crisscrossing scars. Her chest is better—the top surgery also cleared up some of the scar tissue—and her legs are in relatively good shape, but Steph can't stand exposing her arms. The one on her neck, left from the start of the War Games, is bad enough—she usually hides it with high necks or large necklaces, copious amounts of cover-up and foundation if she can't avoid it.
"Ah," Dinah says, and after that Steph is quickly set up with a beautiful purple dress with long, flowing sleeves that ends just below her knees.
"Jewelry!" Helena declares when Steph returns, burdened down with the heavy black garment bag.
"Shoes!" Zinda adds, a gleam in her eyes.
Black flats with silver bows on the tips are purchased, which Zinda swears are wearable in a fight, and a silver rope necklace that probably is imbedded with a tracking device, knowing Helena. Steph fills her ears with all of her silver hoops, and presents herself to the Birds. They know better than to ask her why she isn't wearing any bracelets
Renee co-opts Steph after that, quickly applying makeup with input from Helena and Dinah. Steph's lips are coated with pale pink, her eyes are surrounded with black eyeliner, and her face is smothered with concealer.
"There you go!" Renee says, grinning widely.
"I could have done that myself," Steph squirms slightly, looking in the mirror. Renee clearly knows what she's doing, which is a comfort. Steph looks beautiful—she's passing really well tonight, which is a layer of reassurance and comfort amongst everything else tonight.
"It's your first date," Helena grins at her, twisting her hair into an elaborate French braid. "What kind of aunts would we be if we let you go off without any assistance?"
Steph feels her stomach flutter and she blushes at the honorific. The Birds of Prey have well and truly brought her under their wing, which long ago would have seemed like nothing but a distant fantasy. "What about Cass?" She asks, hoping it hides her pleasure and embarrassment.
"Alfred and Babs had dibs," Dinah says, grinning widely. "Now, c'mon, Zinda's driving."
Zinda's car of the night is a rather subdued vintage black Mercedes—probably stolen from Bruce's garage, like most of the cars Zinda drives. Usually, Zinda prefers showier, more colorful pieces, but Steph is grateful for the more subdued choice of vehicle. Zinda drives Steph to the restaurant, and presses a black clutch purse into Steph's hands when Steph gets ready to get out. "Just as a precaution!" Zinda grins.
"Please tell me there's not a gun in here," Steph mutters, dreading what Zinda would feel was a precaution.
"Nah, wouldn't do that to you," Zinda grins widely, clearly enjoying herself. Steph peers inside—instead of a gun, there's three different batarangs and a can of mace. She sighs and exits the car.
Cass is waiting for her outside the door, and Steph's breath catches in her throat.
Cass is wearing a red dress patterned with small black flowers that covers only her shoulders, not her arms. A black belt is cinched around her waist, and the skirt ends just above her knees. Cass's scarred arms are open for all the world to see, and Steph felt a flush of shame as she remembers that although she is scarred, she will never be as scarred as Cass, who isn't ashamed of her tapestry of marks.
Cass wears small black heels, and small golden hoops in her ears. Around her bicep is a golden bracelet set with black stones, and there are bangles around her wrists. Cass's makeup is impeccable, her lips painted dark red, and her hair has been carefully curled and primped, falling around her face in soft waves.
Steph stares at Cass, mesmerized. "You look…" Steph stutters, lost for words.
Cass grins at Steph, taking her hand. "C'mon," Cass says, leading Steph into the restaurant.
The restaurant is quite possibly the fanciest place that Steph has ever been in. They're led to the nicest seats in the house, and the waiters fall over themselves to impress "Ms. Wayne". There are only about six entries on the menu, all written in French, and Cass orders for them without even needing to look at the menu, seeming relaxed and at home.
"You go here often?" Steph asks, looking around. The table-cloth is soft linen, and she's pretty sure the silverware is actually silver. The chandeliers are crystal, and there's beautiful candles on the table. Cass seems oddly at home here, amongst the splendor and wealth. Steph doesn't fit here—she sticks out like a sore thumb, even if she's oddly awed by it all.
"No. Once, with Bruce. Right after the adoption." Cass fiddles with her bangles, nervous. "He told me what to say." She grinned sheepishly.
Steph covers her mouth with her hand to smother her giggles. "Was this his idea?"
"No. Jason's," Cass says, ducking her head. "He says… he thinks you'll like it. Make you feel special."
Steph's heart swells slightly. "Oh," she says, blushing slightly.
Cass grins at her.
The food is excellent, even if Steph is pretty sure someone took a picture of them to sell to the paparazzi later. They laugh and they talk about their days, and for desert there is chocolate cake that the waiters set on fire. Cass pays with one of Bruce's credit cards (whether it's one that Bruce gave her or one that she stole from his pocket is a mystery to Steph, but she doesn't protest, given that she couldn't afford a glass of water in the establishment), and they walk to the door arm in arm.
"We can call Alfred to pick us up," Steph says, looking outside. It has started to rain heavily, the skies having moved from slightly overcast to ominous grey while they ate.
Cass produces two umbrellas from her purse, smiling widely. "Nah," she says, and Steph has to laugh, accepting one of the umbrellas.
They run through the slippery streets, laughing. They hold their umbrellas up high, protecting themselves from the onslaught of rain. Cass holds Steph's hand tightly as they jump over puddles. Her hand is warm, and Steph feels almost giddy as they race forward, in their fancy dresses and nice shoes.
The rain is pouring now, driving the rest of Gotham inside. The rain scrubs the city clean, pushing the dirt and the grime away, leaving the city feeling magically empty and oddly clean. The air is chilly, but not yet cold, and the road gleams brightly with the reflection of the car headlights. The drivers don't seem to notice the two girls, or perhaps they just don't care, and Steph feels on top of the world.
Cass's dress is now speckled with darker spots, and Steph thinks she looks beautiful, perhaps even more-so than she had in the restaurant, with her makeup and hair done just-so instead of smudged slightly and frizzy because of the rain. Steph stops in the middle of the sidewalk, turning to face Cass.
They tilt their umbrellas together, forming a larger safe-zone for them to stand in. The rain pours down on all sides like a waterfall, trapping them in and encircling them.
Steph leans down and kisses Cass, eager and wanting and soft. Cass stands up on tiptoes to kiss her back, nose bumping against Steph's softly as she tilts her head and closes her eyes.
"Your place or mine?" Steph mutters when they pull apart, resting her forehead against Cass's. The faint perfume that Cass wears wafts over her, and it takes a great deal of effort to avoid kissing Cass again before her girlfriend has the chance to answer.
They had never done anything like this before, never asked for more than kisses or holding hands—Cass has been hesitant, and Steph isn't supposed to for a while after her vaginoplasty anyways. But tonight things are right, and they are both done waiting.
"Mine's closer," Cass mutters, a small agreement and confirmation, the fingers of her left hand—her right is busy holding the umbrella in place—wrapped around Steph's shoulder to support herself as she teeters on her toes.
Kissing Tim was nothing like kissing Cass, Steph thinks wildly as they kiss again. Kissing Cass is honest and raw, pleading and needing, safe and assuring. They break apart again and Steph takes Cass's hand and they run towards her little house, laughs bursting free of their mouths as they go at the sheer absurdity of it all.
The door falls open, and they fall on each other again, mouths meeting. They throw aside their umbrellas, uncaring about where they land, before Cass leaps at Steph, her legs wrapping around Steph's torso. Steph staggers for a second before adjusting, wrapping her arms around Cass and beginning to kiss Cass frantically.
They make it to the bedroom—how, Steph couldn't exactly say, but she's pretty sure they nearly fall into the practice pit before they make it. They fall onto Cass's mattress, the bedding unmade and messy. There was a period, back when Steph first knew Cass, when Cass had slept on a mattress in the practice area. Now the bedroom is lived in, and lived in well—laundry is hanging out of the basket, family photos are pinned onto the wall, newspaper articles taped to the door. Cass has never been tidy, and she's had a busy few weeks, so Steph can understand why her room is in this state, but it's so ridiculously Cass that Steph can't help but laugh.
Cass grins at Steph and pounces on her, pinning her in place as she scatters kisses all over Steph's skin.
"Cass," Steph chokes out, her breath fast and ragged, Cass's lips on her throat, and then the landline goes off. They both freeze, and lunge for their cell phones at the same time, knowing that the only reason the landline is ringing is that they had been ignoring their cells. Sure enough, Steph has five missed calls from Babs and several texts from Harper and her mother, enquiring about their status. She assumes Cass is in the same situation.
She quickly sends off reassurances, while Cass informs Babs that they're fine, she doesn't need to send Helena, bye.
SENT TEXT MESSAGE
to: Harper
i don't think i'll be coming home tonight and if i do it'll be late so don't wait up
NEW TEXT MESSAGE
from: Harper
date went well then? J be safe!
SENT TEXT MESSAGE
to: Harper
i hate you so much right now.
NEW TEXT MESSAGE
from: Harper
what did I do?
SENT TEXT MESSAGE
to: Harper
you know Babs reads these things right?
NEW TEXT MESSAGE
From: Harper
oops
They throw their phones down and silent them, before turning to each other, their legs dangling off the edge of Cass's bed. Now, with a moment to think instead of being caught up in the heat of each other, they're both more reluctant to start up again, afraid and awkward. The tension is strangling, and Steph curses Babs for ruining the moment. She's pretty sure there's the beginnings of hickeys all over her neck and collarbone.
Steph places her hand on Cass's leg, and leans in, closing her mouth over Cass's briefly. Cass places her hand at the back of Steph's neck, careful and soft, while Steph shifts so she's kneeling on the bed, facing Cass, cradling Cass's face in her hands.
"I love you," Steph whispers, centimeters away from Cass's mouth.
"I love you too," Cass says, before kissing Steph again, longer and sweeter, more gently than before.
Steph grins at Cass, mischief in her eyes. "I think," she says, feigning a shiver, wrapping her arms around herself. "We need to get out of these wet clothes, don't you?"
Cass tilts her head, looking at her. Then it hits her. Oh. She smirks. "Yes," she says.