Chapter 14: Sweet Sixteen

68 3 0
                                    

Ace wagged his tail in almost the same way another dog would when he spotted me entering the manor. Of course, he didn't run and jump like other dogs do, he calmly approached and leaned against my legs, allowing me to give him a simple rub on his shoulders, up to his ears and under his chin, then he simply padded away.

Nobody in this household was one for affection, so I wasn't offended. I could see his eyes sparkling when I patted him. I knew he was happy, and so was I.

I followed Alfred past the foyer to the reception room at his command. Colors bombarded me when we rounded the corner, there was a duck call that sounded, confetti spilled from somewhere and the candles were sparklers.

I grinned at the silly hat on my Dad's head.

"Happy Birthday." He managed a smile and held a small package in his hands.

"I'm going to be late for school!" I laughed.

He shrugged. "I'll make an exception, today is more than just a Monday."

Aw. I walked up and gave him a hug before he could sit down or disappear somewhere. He patted my back with one arm before I released him. Dick pulled me into a hug and shook me around a bit, it made Ace yip in a fashion that was half aggressive and half playful. He bounced on his paws and panted, watching us. I held my hand out to him and he bowed beneath it to be pet.

"How was your weekend with the Titans. They're great, right?"

It had been like a vacation, but I didn't say that. I nodded and told them that I'd learned a lot, and we'd devised a foolproof plan for my case. I turned to my dad. "I'll be ready for my next assignment by this time next week."

He nodded, but concern swimmed in his gaze. "Be careful not to blind yourself with arrogance."

I shrugged and leaned against Alfred. He looked as happy as can be and showed me the cake. Tim came in, holding a garment bag behind his shoulder with a huge grin on his face.

Looks like he's playing hooky today, too.

"What's that?" I pointed to the garment bag and noticed that he was dressed quite nice. He wore dark denim jeans, that he'd cuffed at the ankles to show off a pair of tan oxfords. On top, he had a fitted white dress shirt, with the top button undone so the collar popped, and a blazer that matched his shoes over that. He took off the club-master sunglasses and grinned at me. 

A strange heat swirled in me at the sight of those eyes. I crossed my arms in front of my chest. 

"A birthday outfit, for you." 

I looked down at my school uniform. "I can't stay in this?" I blinked as if I was holding back tears.

He shook his head. "You make it look good, but no. Your birthday calls for something a little more formal." He held up his phone so I could see a picture of the outfit: a lime green ball gown with a sweetheart neckline and rhinestones studding the entire torso. 

Quite literally the ugliest thing I'd ever laid eyes on. 

My face dropped, I couldn't even pretend to be polite. "I am NOT wearing that." 

Dick placed his hands on my shoulders. "Why not? You'd look adorable in it. The color matches Tim's eyes." He blinked his own blues at me. 

Tim was smothering his laughter, he couldn't even retort that he'd picked the dress out precisely because it would suit his eyes. 

"It would look better in a fire." 

"Alright," Bruce stepped in. "We have guests coming over, let's wrap this up."

Justice League And The Hounds Of HellWhere stories live. Discover now