Daredevil

Midnight Escapades

(A/N In case anyone asks, Dahlia is single. She's a bit more touchy than others because she doesn't have much social interaction lmao, but she is very much single.)

Songs:
-Devil Woman - 2001 Remaster by Cliff Richard
-Galway Girl by Ed Sheeran
-Ease My Mind by Ben Platt

July 18th, 1973

Dahlia put out the candles, smiling as cheering came shortly after. "Happy twenty-first, flower." Sarah kissed her hair softly.

The noirette grinned and glanced up at her mother. "Does this mean I'm old enough to drink?" She joked.

A gruff bark came from across the room. "No," Joseph growled. "You're still under my roof."

Dahlia's smile faded. "Sorry, Joseph."

"Now, now, Joseph," Sarah put her hands on her daughter's shoulders, frowning at her husband. "She should be able to have one drink. It is the poor girl's birthday, after all." She explained, her grip on Dahlia's shoulders tightening.

The noirette reached up and grasped her mother's fingers. "It's alright, mom, I was just going to go to bed anyway."

Joseph stood up. "Good night." He stormed off.

Sarah sighed. "Happy birthday, dear." She whispered, walking off behind her husband.

Dahlia put away the cake, smiling at the sweet message her mother had drawn on with sweet gel icing, 'Where flowers bloom, so does hope'. She quickly wiped down the table. The familiar clicking of nails against the wood floor made her look up, squinting in the darkness.

An adorable puppy trotted out of the shadows, making her smile. They'd gotten a golden retriever for Steve's birthday, earlier this month, who Steve had named Dodger. Still, with Steve being out with his friends or for work most of the time and Dahlia at home for almost a hundred percent of her day, Dodger had grown an attachment to her.

He was a sweet and cuddly puppy who Dahlia spoiled with too many toys and too many walks and too many treats. She'd had enough time to train him herself, so he was obedient, too, listening to commands like sit, stay, rollover, come, and a few other tricks.

Dahlia found that the best time to train a dog was when they were young because Dodger stuck closer to her side and became more obedient as he grew older. And with more treats, but she liked to think he was just a perfect dog.

Dahlia hurried up to her room, Dodger at her heels. Her eyes wandered the bedroom, searching for her record file. She found it and played one of her favorite Christmas albums.

Christmas never failed to make her happy, even in the middle of summer. It had always been her favorite holiday, a prized possession that she held over her own birthday. She'd never been religious. Neither had her family. Still, she loved the idea of a day dedicated to giving gifts and family and love and joy. She squealed as 'White Christmas' played, dancing around her room in her cornflower blue dress.

Dahlia sighed in content and fell back on her bed, grabbing the large comforters and wrapping them tightly around her small figure. Dodger jumped onto the bed and curled up beside her, snuggling beside her sweetly and licking the back of her hands. She stared at the white ceiling, a smile on her lips. She was twenty-one. It didn't mean much to her, except for the fact that she would be able to move out, pursue her dreams, the next year. One more year. She thought to herself, smiling.

A light sound came from her window, like the pitter of a single raindrop. At first, she ignored it, not even recognizing it as a sound, tuning it out. Then, another sound came, louder than the first. Then, another, quieter than the second but louder than the first. Dodger picked his head up off the sheets, tilting it curiously.