The Wayne family ran about the house getting ready for their charity event. Danny had been sitting around for an hour and a half waiting on them and getting crushed by Dani in Battleship. Things seemed to be calming down as people started joining them on the couches. Jason had joined them first, an hour ago. Tim was second, and it was a bit ironic how the guy who can't move fast was one of the first people done. They were having a conversation about Star Trek with Tucker. Bruce was now placing a green pocket square in Damian's jacket as they stood in the doorway while Duke and Steph sat on the couch, Duke holding all of Steph's miscellaneous jewelry as she picked out what she wanted and Cass standing behind her braiding her hair. Alfred was holding up ties for Dick to choose between as he pulled his socks on in the armchair.
Bruce, Jason, Tim, and Damian wore black three piece suits with white dress shirts. Dick was in a blue suit while Duke wore a red one with a black dress shirt. Bruce, Dick, and Tim had styled their hair, and Jason and Duke's hair was too short to do anything with. Even if his hair was long enough, Jason had made it clear he was doing the bare minimum for dressing up. Cass was in a black cocktail dress with long sleeves and a fancy pin, and Steph was in a floor length reddish-orange dress that sparkled in some places. Cass' hair had been straightened and Steph's hair was still in progress. Cass slipped a sparkly hair comb into Steph's hair.
"Why aren't you guys ready?" Dick asked Danny as he made what appeared to be an agonizing decision between red and blue.
"We are ready," Danny replied.
"You're going in that?"
Danny looked down at his jeans (the pair without rips) and T-shirt, "Yes?"
"This will not do," Alfred looked scandalized, "I must request you wear formal wear."
Alfred's face heavily suggested it was not actually a request.
"I don't think any of us have any," Tucker answered, "we came straight from a job in North Carolina and we didn't need to pack any for that."
Duke and Steph made a 'oh no' face from behind Alfred.
"Than we shall arrive late. Wait here, I shall find some clothing that will fit you three," and Alfred exited the room.
"'You three'? But Tucker is staying in the car." Tucker would be staying in the car with Alfred and watching through cameras. Tim would join them after making his necessary appearance.
Duke had a pitiful expression on his face, "No one escapes Alfred."
The trio ended up in a hodgepodge of their clients clothes. The top half of Danny was in what Steph believed to be Tim's clothes, a dress shirt, black jacket, and a dark green tie. His pants were likely Duke's and the shoes were clearly Dick's. Bruce was helping him put cuff links on. Tucker was wearing a pair of Jason's slacks and one of Dick's jackets. Cass was tying his bowtie, and the fact it was a bowtie must mean it belonged to either Bruce or Dick, for him as he stepped into a pair of Tim's shoes. Dani was in one of Cass' suits and a pair of flats. She got momentarily excited over how swooshy some of the dresses were, but decided on the suit as it would be easier to fade into the background with. As the suit pants were meant to be worn with heels, it fell just below Dani's ankle as she was taller than Cass. She wore one of Steph's blouses. Steph was helping her transfer her hair from her signature ponytail to a 'more respectable' bun.
"Anyone else getting serious Men in Black vibes," Dani joked to her coworkers. Or at least Steph assumed it was directed at them, her head was tilted forward so she was actually talking to the floor.
"Ugh, no. You'll give me Guys in White flashbacks." Danny answered.
"'Guys in White'? Is that like a spoof?" Dick asked.
Bruce started pushing people towards the door, "Finish up in the car. I can feel Alfred's impatient look from the driveway." Bruce visibly shuttered. Understandable.
Tucker hopped on one foot as he attempted to finish tying his shoe while Dani and Steph started shuffling to the door. "Damian! Grab my clutch!" Steph shouted behind her.
Damian grumbled as he turned around to fulfil her request.
Dani and Steph climbed into the limo. Tim handed her a bobby pin without prompting. Steph started pinning, "Jason, hand me the emergency hairspray."
Jason glanced around the limo, "Uh, where is it?"
"Left cabinet, bottom shelf."
Damian shut the door behind him as he entered. He tossed the purse into Steph's lap, "Here."
"Thanks!" Steph said as she used her teeth to open another pin up further. She caught the aerosol can Jason threw at her right after she pushed the pin in. The car started moving as Steph popped the cap off and started spraying.
"There! All done!" Steph said as half the occupants started coughing and gagging as hairspray got into their mouths.
Dani sat up straight and rolled her neck before reaching up to touch it, "Thanks!"
"Is it too tight?"
"No, its great. My mom always jabs the pins in too tightly but I can barely feel these!"
"Yay! Your hair is so thick I was worried I pushed them in too hard," Steph opened up her purse and started shuffling through it. "Now, if any of you want makeup all I have is blue eyeliner, black eyeliner, a tiny eyeshadow palette, and some blush." She opened up the blush container and saw mostly metal. "Correction, I have enough blush for one person."
The Dannies turned to look at Tucker, who was tying his other shoe. He made a 'hmm' sound in response.
"You gotta man, it's tradition at this point." Danny said.
"First off, Sam is always the one that makes me wear eyeliner to these things, so its really only tradition if we were with her. Second, I'm not even going to be seen by anyone. Third, I do not trust you with a pointy object near my eyes."
"Hey! I did okay when I did Sam's makeup."
"Danny. She's goth. Too much black and smudged is her whole look."
Dani pulled the black liner out of Steph's purse and pushed it into Steph's hand, "Well, I want some eyeliner."
"Who's Sam? You've mentioned them a couple times," Dick asked.
Dani turned around so she was facing Steph and closed her eyes. Steph got to work.
"She's our best friend," Danny said.
"She said she's met a couple you before at events like this one," Tucker added, "Her full name is Samantha Manson."
Steph could practically hear the gears turning in the boys' heads.
"Manson… did she go by 'Sammy' when she was little?" Tim asked.
"Yep."
"You know, I'm not surprised she ended up goth. If I was forced to wear pastels all the time, I'd hate color too."
Steph had to stop her line when Dani laughed.
Bruce must've given his 'you have information that I don't' face because Tim went "Pamela Manson's daughter," and Steph heard a responsive 'hn'.
"I haven't heard about her in ages, what's she doing now?"
"She does a lot of activism and volunteer work. She's building houses somewhere in the rainforest right now-"
"Guatemala," Dani helpfully cut in.
"-and only gets signal once in a while when they go into town, so updates are really sporadic. We can usually rely on contact once a week so we try to facetime. I don't know how she lives without A.C. down there."
Steph finished up Dani's lower lash line and capped her liner before placing it back in her bag. She handed Dani the blush so she could look in the tiny mirror.
"She's supposed to finish up and come home last week of June. She's supposed to land in Metropolis so we'll probably stick around the area after the job is done so we can pick her up. I know she wanted to do some Gotham architecture tour for like the fifth freaking time before going home."
"Sam really likes gargoyles."
"And this city has way too many."
Out of the corner of her eye Steph could see Tim searching up 'Sam Manson' on Instagram on his phone.
"Hey, the gargoyles add charm!"
The Dannies got out of the car when they joined the limo line, and walked to the building as planned. They would be inside when the Waynes entered. Tucker would stay in the car after everyone got out on the red carpet. That way everyone always a bodyguard with them. Which was a bit annoying. Tucker had mentioned there was a fourth person on the way would join the team at the end of the week, which meant it was probably going to be like this the rest of the time. Tim would be going home almost immediately as he couldn't stand comfortably for how many hours this would take on his crutches, and Alfred would distract Tucker as Tim 'went to bed' to help Babs down in the cave. Bluebird and Batwoman would be the only ones on the street until the rest of them could get home.
Dick engaged Tucker in conversation until it was their turn to exit the vehicle. His family hated the red carpet walk, but Dick loved it. It reminded him of his pre-Batman childhood. He was the first one out the door and happily walked into blinding flashes of light and loud yelling. He did a couple poses before doing a trick, this time a back handspring, as per tradition. The crowd noise doubled. He waited by the photo op row for his family to catch up.
Jason had exited second, which meant Dick got to use the excuse of photos to sling his arm around Jason and hold him close and there was nothing Jason could do about it. Yes, Dick was jealous the only people Jason willingly hugged in this family were Cass and Alfred. He'll take what hugs he can get.
Soon everyone was there and they did group photos. It was rare they were all 'available' at the same time for anything. Dick was contemplating if putting a red carpet picture in his frame on his desk at work would be too much.
Dick spotted Jason hiding against the wall with Danny, and the two of them appeared to get along quite well despite Jason's remarks of Danny having 'seriously unnerving vibes'. Dick was absolutely going to comment later how Jason kept running his eyes over Danny ever since Danny put on that suit. But for now, Dick was going to use this opportunity to sneak out and win this little game he and Danny had.
Dick had his hand on the door handle when an accusing "What are you doing?" came from behind him. Dick turned to see a clearly bored Damian.
"Winning," Dick winked at him.
Dick opened the door and saw Dani was on the opposite side of the threshold, hands on her hips and doing the disapproving eyebrow look she had already picked up from Alfred despite being in their home for three days. Dick had thought she was tailing Bruce right now.
"What-"
"I'm very good at my job."
Dick didn't know what to say, so he looked over at Damian. And Damian looked… moderately impressed. Dick glanced over to Dani and back to Damian. Dani was only a couple years older than Damian. Were two of his brothers developing crushes on the Fentons? Note to self, Dick thought, make a joke about Damian being into older women later when Bruce is mid sip of champagne.
"You are quite skilled."
Was Damian complementing her?!
"Thanks Dwight."
Andddd Damian was back to scowling. Dani was clearly trying not to smile. Danny has begun to refer to Damian solely as 'Ian' and Dick had seen Steph change Damian's contact in her phone to 'Dwayne'.
"You are welcome, Danielle."
Dani's eyes lit up, happy that Damian had begun to play along, even if unwillingly. Damian likes his women competent and feisty, why am I surprised Dick joked to himself.
Dick was saved by what may or may not (most likely not) have devolved into weird teenage flirting by the volume of the room softening. Dick turned to see Danny physically removing an unknown man from the premises by dragging him by the tie. And a Jason who looked like he really wished he was the one being pulled by the neck. Oh yeah, Dick was definitely teasing Jason later. The noise level resumed as Danny and the man left the room.