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“Don’t you dare,” Stephanie hisses into the phone the second she accepts the call from Tim.
“I’m sorry,” Tim’s tinny voice comes through the speaker, sounding genuinely apologetic. Steph ignores that in favor of fuming. “I tried to get out of it, but no one else was available—“
“The Titans can live without you for one night Tim!” Steph knows she’s whining, but they’ve been trying to hang out one-on-one for weeks . One of them is always getting called away; Tim with his Titans, and Steph with Babs’ Birds of Prey. “Do you know how much these tickets cost me?”
“I’ll pay you back,” Tim promises, “Swear it, Steph, I— okay, I’ve got to go, i’m sorry—“
“What am I supposed to do now?” Steph cuts in before Tim can end the call. She speaks despite the loud noise coming from Tim’s side. “I’m already here, Dick’s in Bludhaven, Jason would rather die again than admit he likes this band even though I caught him listening to it when I snuck into his apartment, and I’d rather die again than take Damian.”
Tim’s voice is faint, like he is talking to someone on the other end, but before Steph can start texting Bab’s to activate that virus they implanted into Tim’s phone— that, miraculously, he hasn’t found yet— his voice becomes clearer.
“Cass is free,” Tim says, nonchalantly, but Steph can hear the undercurrent of amusement in his tone. “You could always ask her.”
Stephanie ignores the sudden rush of heat in her cheeks as she hisses insults into the phone. Tim laughs, before saying, cheerfully,
“I’ve already texted her your location and predicament. Hey, did you know Cass really likes this band, too?”
“You will rue this day, Drake,” Steph threatens, already imagining the things she could do to make Tim regret being born. She can probably get Jason in on it, maybe Damian. Duke, as well, as he rarely ever turns down the opportunity to prank someone. “I’ll shave your head. I’ll replace all your ties with really ugly, abstract ones. I’ll—“
A tap on her shoulder has her shutting up, and she resists the urge to melt into a puddle as she turns around and greets Cassandra Cain with a small smile.
Cass stares back at her with amusement obvious in her eyes. She lifts her hand in a small wave, and Steph’s eyes catch on the glint of rings decorating her fingers.
“I’ll call you back,” Steph says into the phone, ignoring Tim’s laugh and his ‘ Don’t have too much fun!’ as she ends the call and shoves her phone into her pocket.
Cass lifts her hands and signs, “ Hello. Tim said you needed a plus one for a concert?”
Steph smiles, making sure to let the tension drain out of her posture as she nods. “Yeah. He bugged off again, as usual.”
Cass smiles wide. “ His loss. I will be your date instead.”
Steph did not blush at that, thank you very much. She did, however, turn her head away very quickly, grabbing Cass’ wrist as she shoves through the crowd and into the building. She keeps her hand around Cass’ wrist as they check in— the place is busy, alright? Cass is quiet, it wouldn’t do good to lose her!
(Steph ignores the fact that losing Cass is near impossible.)
Cass doesn’t say anything about it, and as they make their way into the auditorium, she even turns her hand to curl her fingers between Steph’s.
Steph may or may not have a mini heart attack and— okay, so maybe Steph has a little crush on Cass. It’s not surprisingly, really, Cass is… Cass. She’s strong, clever, witty, and sarcastic, what’s not to like? She’s also gorgeous, with short-cropped black hair and pretty brown eyes that Steph thinks she could get lost in given the chance—
Fine , maybe the crush isn’t as little as she makes it seem. It doesn’t really matter, though; Steph hasn’t dated in a while, hasn’t done anything romantic in a long time, but even she can see how uninterested Cass is. They’re friends, and Steph is fine with that, really, but sometimes she wonders what’ll happen if she confesses.
She’s under no illusions that Cass doesn’t have any idea, but Stephanie likes to think she doesn’t know the full extent of it. It’s what keeps her sane at night.
They find their seat after about ten minutes, but even when they sit down they keep their hands locked around each other. Steph can’t help but stare down at them occasionally, at the mix of pale and tan skin, Steph’s painted nails and Cass’ ring-decorated fingers. She can’t help but think they look good together, linked by hand, and she had to fight down the burn threatening to take over he face when Cass squeezes her hand and she looks up into Cass’ amused, knowing eyes.
Cass has to take her hand back to sign, and Steph mounts the loss silently.
“ It’ll start soon,” Cass says, and Steph begins to feel giddy. She’s been looking forward to this concert for a while, and while going with Tim would have been fun, being here with Cass was ten times better. “ Would you like a snack?”
They spend the rest of the time talking, eating their way through a bag of sour gummy worms. When the concert finally starts, Steph loses all sense of hesitance and sings along to each and every song, grabbing Cass’ hands on occasion and reveling in the wide smiles and warm hands.
It takes a while for them to leave once the concert ends, but they eventually manage to stumble out of the building. Steph is humming the last song under her breath, swinging her and Cass’ hands between them as they make it to Steph’s car.
Cass pulls Steph to a stop as they near the car, and Steph cuts herself off in the middle of the chorus— which pains her greatly, but the moonlights that seems to make Cass’ face glow is a great balm— and turns to Cass. She feels lighter than she did before, and though there’s still that awkward, fumbling warmth in her chest that she gets every time she sees Cass, it’s more easy to deal with under the night sky.
“ Thank you for letting me come,” Cass signs, smiling, “ I had fun. I love spending time with you.”
God, Cass can be so sincere sometimes. It pains Steph greatly, and also makes her feel like the lightest person in the world.
“I love spending time with you, too,” Steph says, her smile turning cheesy without her permission. “Maybe we can do this again sometime?”
“ Dinner,” Cass signs immediately, “ 7 pm. On me. Friday?”
Steph blinks. “Yeah— that… works. I’m free.”
Cass smiles, and then slowly, she moves forward. Steph suddenly has a brief moment of unadulterated panic as Cass’ lips near hers, and her eyes widen. Cass immediately changes direction, and instead of feeling her lips press softly against Steph’s own, she feels it on the apple of her cheek.
Somehow, it’s the most amazing feeling in the world.
Cass pulls back with a gentle smile, her eyes crinkled at the corner. “ It’s a date,” she signs, then squeezes Steph’s hand before turning around and walking off.
Steph doesn’t move until Cass disappears into the shadows, and when she does, she can’t quite manage to resist the urge to melt. She collapses into a puddle on the ground, pressing shaking fingers to the buzzing warmth on her cheek.
She’s still going to make Tim regret ever being born, but maybe she’ll also make him appreciate it a little, just as a thank you.