17197/Birthday and Valentines All At Once

Birthday and Valentines All At Once
Date of Scene:	16 February 2024
Location:	Lake House - Wayne Estate
Synopsis:	Valentine's Day and Stephanie's birthday get combined in a celebration at the lake house.
Cast of Characters:	Dick Grayson, Stephanie Brown

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Dick Grayson has posed:
    Dick had shooed Stephanie out of the house a couple hours ago, suggesting that she might want to do some shopping or visit with Alfred. He's obviously got plans made and wants to set things up to surprise her. And he's not really trying to hide that fact.

    When she returns in the suggested couple of hours, it's obvious he's cooking, as the rattle of pots and pans can be heard. The dining room table is set with not only the expected plates and utensils, but also a couple of lit candles. The fireplace is also painting the room with it's warm ruddy glow, working with the candles to provide some light as all the actual lights are turned off.

Stephanie Brown has posed:
Stephanie had been curious, playfully sticking her nose everywhere she could to try to make Dick anxious that she'd see something that might spoil his surprise. Until finally she'd found herself escorted outside. So a jog to the manor house was made, and some time spent with Alfred.

She returns, knocking on the door and shouting, "Open up, Grayson, it's the police!" in a very unbelievable impersonation of GCPD. She swings the door open, but has her hand covering her eyes. "Is it ok for me to come back in now?" she asks. Her head tilts to the side. Smelling the candles. And maybe the food. Hearing the fireplace. They bring out a big smile from her.

Dick Grayson has posed:
    Dick calls from the kitchen, "Silly, _I'm_ the police. That wasn't too bad though, very official." A moment later he comes out of the kitchen with a bottle in one hand and two champagne flutes in the other. He puts them down on the table, slips the bottle into the silver bucket sitting on the table.

    Hands now free, he talks over to her and kisses her, wrapping his arms around her waist. "Happy birthday, and happy Valentine's day."% He grins impishly and adds "And don't worry, celebrating both at once doesn't mean you only get one present."

    He kisses her again, then suggests "Why don't you take a seat, I'm ready to begin serving dinner." He hugs her tightly for a moment, then guides her over to the table, pulling out her chair and helping her get seated.

Stephanie Brown has posed:
Stephanie Brown lowers her hand as Dick doesn't give her any indication she can't look, and she hears him approaching. "As a Forensic Examiner would I be deputized and such, or just a lab monkey really, no arresting people?" she asks. Though if he totally forgets to answer the question, Stephanie won't remember either as Dick comes over to her and slides his arms around her.

Her face lights up with that soft, shy smile that she gets when Stephanie is reminded this whole thing with Dick isn't just a dream that she's going to wake from. It's been years together, and she still reacts to him that way a pretty fair amount of the time in a moment like this.

Her arms go around him too. "Oh, presents are nice, but this is really all I need," she tells him. Blue eyes beam with warmth as she leans in to kiss back tenderly, sighing when their lips finally part. She hugs him, savoring the feel of his muscular torso against her before he lets her go and she moves over to take a seat. "Wow, you went all out for me," she says, beaming a smile at him.

Dick Grayson has posed:
    Once she's seated he chuckles and says "I'm afraid that the forensics folks don't do any arresting. You'll be pointing out the people we might need to arrest, but you don't actually do it. You'd have to go to the Academy and become an actual officer if you want to arrest people."

    "And I know you're not looking for gifts, but I kind of enjoy spoiling you." He picks up the bottle from which the foil at the top has been removed, leaving just the metal cage and cork. The cage is only a moment's work, then then he's working the cork out. With a loud pop, it flies across the table as he directs the overflow into one of the flutes, then pours into the other one as well which he hands to her.

    He clinks his glass against hers, saying "Here's to many more years together."

Stephanie Brown has posed:
Stephanie Brown smiles as Dick pours the champagne without overflowing the glasses. Like she did the first time she tried to pour champagne. First. Second. Third. There's a pattern here that one might sense.

"Well as long as I still get to punch them a lot," Stephanie says as straight-faced as she can about the lack of arresting power. She takes the glass and clinks her glass against his. "May they be as wonderful as these have," she says, beaming her smile over at him as she takes a sip of the champagne.

Stephanie reaches her hand across the table, fingers finding Dick's hand to curl in against. "I suppose a little spoiling is ok," she says, eyes darting back and forth for a moment before the grin returns and is shined over at Dick. "I love you, you know that?"

Dick Grayson has posed:
    He grins, giving her hand a little squeeze while saying "Only while wearing the Batgirl suit. If you're in that, feel free to pummel as much as you like. We frown on our forensics folks beating suspects up, so it's best you behave when you're not in costume."

    "I know, but it's always nice to hear. And I love you too, my dear. You've made me happier than I ever expected to be." He sips from his glass after the toasts, then puts the glass down. "Be right back, time for some finishing touches on dinner."

    He vanishes into the kitchen again, and after a moment she can hear something sizzling in a pan. It's only a couple minutes before the sound changes to plates clinking, and then he comes out of the kitchen carrying two plates, one of which is set before her and the other taken to his seat. "Seared scallops over escarole with capers and pesto. I've had it in restaurants once or twice and enjoyed it, so I decided to do my own version."

Stephanie Brown has posed:
A soft, exasperated sigh is given by Stephanie at the answer she can only beat up bad guys when in costume. "Fiiiiine," she says with mock resignation, before her normal smile comes back to shine over a tDick.

"Ooo, ok," she says as he gets up to go do something more with the food. She takes a sip of the champagne while he's gone, and looks around the room at what he's done with the candles and the fire.

The Christmas decorations are down, she finally relented. Though they'd look good against the view of the snow outside with the big freeze currently hitting the East Coast.

The sound of sizzling food brings her attention back, and she sits up straighter as Dick brings the food over. "Wow, this looks amazing," she says. "Best butt in Gotham City, -and- can cook," she says warmly, moving her napkin to her lap.

Dick Grayson has posed:
    "Guilty as charged, I'm just the whole package." He winks at her before taking up his utensils and slicing a bite off one of the scallops. "Sorry to send you out into the blizzard, but I wanted a little time to get everything set. It's nicer to walk in to the candlelight dinner than having it built around you, I think."

    His conversation pauses for a few minutes as he eats a couple of the scallops. then his watch beeps. "Ah, there's the main course. Be right back." Getting up, he pads into the kitchen, and once again pan and plate noises follow. Coming back out, he sets a plate down next to Steph's scallop plate. "And the entree, Salmon and Swiss chard. After the scallops, another seafood dish seemed to make sense, and it's not as heavy as steak or other meats. Besides, I like salmon."

    He returns to his seat and finishes his scallops before moving on to the salmon. "I think I got the skin nicely crispy, let me know if you like it. That way I can add it to the list of meals you enjoy, which is important information."

Stephanie Brown has posed:
"I needed the exercise anyway so I could eat this," Stephanie says with a grin back to Dick, gesturing to the spread of food on her plate. She begins eating, giving soft sighs of enjoyment as she does. And then there's the beeping watch and Dick going back to the kitchen. "Wait, this wasn't the main course?" she asks in surprise that isn't feigned.

"Wow," she says as he brings the salmon and swiss in. "This is amazing, Dick," she says, looking up to beam a smile over at him. She takes a bite, nodding quickly. "Delicious. The texture is nice. So is the flavor," she tells him warmly. "Ok, you're making good on that spoiled comment, let me tell you."

Dick Grayson has posed:
    He smiles warmly at her and asks, "Well, who would I rather spoil than the woman I love? I like being able to do this kind of thing for you." He's cutting off small slices of the salmon to eat. "Not to blow my own horn, but this came out really well. See? You inspire me to new heights."

    Another sip of champagne, then he applies himself to the salmon again. "So how is Alfred doing? Haven't managed to catch up with him for the past week or two." Between work, sleep and patrols, sometimes there just isn't time to touch base with everyone he wants to.

    "Once we finish up, I'll just pop the plates into the kitchen while you head over to the couch for the gift part of our evening."

Stephanie Brown has posed:
"I mean I'd say Alfred is well, but I'm not sure if he'd let on to any of us if he wasn't well," Stephanie replies with a soft grin. "As capable as always at least. I think you probably sent me to the manor just so I'd know that Alfred hadn't helped you cook," she says teasingly.

"And this -is- good. You really outdid yourself Dick," Stephanie says between bites. "I'm hopefully to a point cooking for you that I can at least not give you botulism," she says. Ok she's a little better than that, but Stephanie didn't really learn how to cook from her mother growing up. A lot of microwaved things and cereal and the like, in the home she grew up in. But she's been learning.

Stepahnie enjoys the meal so much that she ends up cleaning her plate. "Wow," she says, giving a happy sigh. The blond nods about going to the couch, though she gets up and comes around the table to lean down and kiss Dick tenderly. "Thank you, that was a perfect meal," she tells him warmly. She'll wait and watch him go to the kitchen before moving over to settle onto the couch, turning on her side and drawing her legs up there.

Dick Grayson has posed:
    "Well, I hadn't thought of that, but I guess it worked out. One hundred percent Grayson cooking tonight. And it's good to hear he's still on top of things."

    He collects the plates and utensils, taking them into the kitchen and putting them in the dishwasher. Coming back out, he's carrying a small wrapped package. Sitting down beside Steph, he smiles and offers her the package "Although I said it before, Happy Birthday again." He settles back on the couch and watches her open the present.

Stephanie Brown has posed:
Stephanie Brown takes the wrapped present from Dick, smiling warmly as she looks down at it. Her eyes lift back up to Dick, and she leans forward to press a little kiss to his lips. "Thank you. And Happy Valentine's Day too," she tells him warmly. "I, um, your present for that, will be later tonight," she says, blue eyes darting side to side before she gives a blushing grin.

She unwraps the present slowly, peeling off the fancy paper and setting it aside and then turning it over to see what is within!

Dick Grayson has posed:
    Once the package is unwrapped, it turns out to be a rose preserved in crystal. "I figure this way, you'll always have at least one flower, even in the middle of winter. There's also a little drawer in it's base where you can stash small things. There might be something else for you in there."

    Upon examination, the drawer holds a set of keys. "I thought there might be times you weren't in a car mood, so now you have a motorcycle for those days when you feel up to a little extra excitement." Trust Dick to go expensive... the keys carry the Ducati logo.

    "That thing will probably smoke my V10, it's a serious rocket. Might take a little getting used to, but soon you'll be whipping through alleys and such on it."

Stephanie Brown has posed:
Stephanie Brown's smile grows as she turns the flower over appreciatively, looking at the beautiful rose preserved behind the crystal. "Thank you, Dick," she's already saying, "I love it," before he's gotten to the compartment in it.

She opens that up and pulls out the keys. Her eyes widening a bit at the logo on them. "Oh, wow," she says, letting out a warm giggle and no doubt picturing herself flying over open roads on it. "Wow, that's just... amazing," she says, shaking her head and lookin up from the keys to Dick. She smiles and sets aside the flower so she can throw her arms around Dick Grayson. Hugging herself to the man, fingers moving up into the back of his hair and caressing as she gives him a very sultry, lingering kiss.