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[giveaway]

the other thing

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swear-in woop woop

[cassassin]

[ okay. pinstripe three-piece suit, feathered epaulettes to at least pretend to fit the theme--

she had hoped that inviting steph to come along to this with her wouldn't strike as weird. especially with everything that's happened--tim's absence in particular--and considering how inseparable they are half the time.

she hangs out with her through most of the night, trying different activities at the gala. the scavenger hunt, werewolf, the photobooths. after a while they end up back at the ballroom, and without any hesitation and an impish grin, cass takes steph's hand. ]

Dance with me?

[giveaway]

[While she's not quite as used to galas as the rest of the Wayne Gang, she still knows the deal. Which is why doing batty outfits would probably not be the best idea, sad as it is. And why she and Cass are going together! Just like Tim would take her to rich people stuff too, even when they weren't dating.

When Cass takes her hand, she smiles back]

Sure. But I gotta warn you, you're probably way better at this than me. Like always.

[cassassin]

[ cass laughs a little, leading her out to the dancefloor before resting one hand on steph's shoulder and the other on her back. ]

It's not a contest. ... Well, not this time. [ she reaches up to tuck a bit of stray hair behind steph's ear, before starting to lead through the motions. ]

I asked because... I want to dance with you. Rest of it doesn't matter.

[giveaway]

You laugh now, but wait until you go home with two broken ankles.

[That's almost... a different kind of contest. Which Cass would also win.

But she's laughing herself so clearly she's not serious. She lets Cass lead, somehow unsurprised by how natural this feels.]

Pretty sure last dance I went to was... Homecoming? Sophomore year. [Now that she thinks about it, that's something about Cass she doesn't know.] Did Bruce ever make you go to school? On a mission counts too.

[cassassin]

You wouldn't, you like me too much. [ she laughs again, glancing down before meeting steph's eye again. ]Nope. Barbara gave me some lessons sometimes, but... never went to school.

Thanks for coming. These things... suck, when you're alone.

thank you minako

[giveaway]

I wouldn't know. [she says with a slight shrug of the shoulders] Never got invited on my own.

[Weirdly enough, no one in Gotham was racing to have the Cluemaster's daughter at their gala.]

Buuuut I don't mind being a plus one. I mean, free food? Just say that and I'm there.

私にまかせて~~~

[cassassin]

[ a laugh bubbles up at that, and she leans her head against steph's shoulder as they dance. the hand on her back moves down, lacing their fingers together. ]

Free food's why I even bother, usually.

[giveaway]

Right? It's the best. Although it took me a bit to get used to Wayne-level food.

[Ask her how to spell foie gras or even what it is. She still has no clue.]

[cassassin]

[ cass laughs at that, squeezing her hand. ]

I'm still not. [ she thinks for a moment, before speaking up again. ]

After this song--or maybe the next... can we... talk somewhere? In private.

[giveaway]

[That throws her off a little, though she tries not to show it. Whiiich is impossible with Cass. Oh well.]

Oh yeah. Sure. Are you okay? We can go now if you want.

[cassassin]

[ she shakes her head, and doesn't move to pull away. ]

I'm fine. And... not yet. Kinda wanna stay like this for a little bit. Is that weird?

[giveaway]

No, it's... dancing's nice. Dancing with you is nice. And if you're fine...

[Then she's fine. She was just worried for a second there!]

[cassassin]

Better than fine. Didn't mean to worry you.

[ she squeezes steph's hand, hoping to reassure her. ]

Just need to tell you something, and I don't... want people around, when I do.

[giveaway]

Oh. Got it. [she smiles, though honestly she's still a little worried.] Can't believe you're finally gonna tell me you're Superman.

[She jokes when she's nervous. And yeah, she does joke a lot.]

[cassassin]

Caught me. Damn.

[ she rolls with the joke. but cass can see the tension in steph's expression, and she thinks for a moment. ]

Would you feel better if we just... got it over with?

[giveaway]

Yesssssss.

[She lets out a big sigh.]

Sorry, it's just. When someone says they wanna talk to you about something, alone, it's never good. It's like your grandma died! Or your dad's moving back in with us! Ooor I think we should see other people! I kinda doubt you're gonna drop one of those bombs on me, but still.

[cassassin]

[ that last one stops her for a second. ]

It's... nothing like that. Hopefully. [ she pulls back from the dance, still holding onto her hand. ] Greenhouse should be quiet...?

[giveaway]

Hopefully?

[Cass, that isn't helping!]

Yeah... sure. Sorry for ruining the dance.

[cassassin]

It's--it's not bad news, or anything. And it's okay. Really.

[ she squeezes steph's hand and smiles at her, before leading the way. before long they're alone with the plants, and cass is... trying to figure out how to say this. how to say any of it. she's had plenty of time to think about it, but... actually being here is something else altogether. ]

Stephanie, I... okay, nothing I'm about to say is... meant to push you, I just... [ deep breath, and she glances away for a moment. ]

Losing you, before... destroyed me. And for a long time, I... I didn't know why it hurt that much. Not really. But I... figured it out, a while ago. Maybe I should have known... sooner, I even ran off to see Kon once because you weren't talking to me...

[ she's nervous. and there's a lot. ]

[giveaway]

[Stephanie keeps her gaze fixed on Cass because clearly, this is important, whatever it is. As much as she was joking before, she wants to take her friend seriously now.]

I'm still sorry that I didn't tell you. Or even that I didn't tell you sooner. I know I've said that before too and I know it doesn't change things, but I... I really do regret that.

[cassassin]

[ cass nods, running her thumb over the back of steph's hand. ]

You know I don't blame you. But that's--it's not... [ she bites her lip a little, hesitating, even as she clasps steph's other hand. ]

Since you got here, I've been... happier. So much happier. Before, I was... I couldn't move on. I didn't have... closure, I--

[ she presses her mouth into a line. ]

I've been... scared to tell you something. Because I... I don't want to mess this up. I don't want you to... hate me, or...

pretend tim is cass please,

[giveaway]

Cass... [she squeezes her hand, giving her a look of concern.] I could never hate you.

[Even when she disappeared from Gotham, the only thing Steph thought about was making her proud. Living up to the name. Still she knows she'll never be as good of a Batgirl as Cass was, though she's realized that she doesn't need to be. Honestly, if anything, there's more reasons for Cassandra to hate her. Or at least it seems so in her mind.]

What is it? You can tell me anything.

[cassassin]

Steph...

[ cass glances down from steph's face for a moment, squeezing her hands in return. she can feel her heart pounding, which doesn't help this at all. so, in a rush, and meeting her eye again: ]

I'm in love with you.

[giveaway]

... oh.

[She says in the smallest voice possible. She's not sure what happens next, either her heart starts racing or she feels weirdly relieved. Or both. Can both happen at once? Because this is- it's not bad. It's...

She doesn't know what it is.]

I, um... I care about you a lot, Cass. I love you too. Like, a lot. And I- ... I don't know. I don't know. I know I love you, but I don't know if- and I don't know if I don't...! I'm... I'm sorry. I'm not making any sense, am I? Ugh, so stupid...

[cassassin]

[ yeah that's about what she expected. better, in some ways. whatever cass sees underlying the words, it... seems to make her happy. ]

Hey. It's... okay, really, I--know just... [ she's well aware that a confession like that is a big thing to react to. ] You don't... have to say anything right now, okay?

[ she squeezes steph's hands again, in what she hopes is a soothing gesture. ]

Want something to drink? [ you seem a little frazzled, steph. ]