9373/More Than A Feeling

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More Than A Feeling
Date of Scene: 30 September 2019
Location: Apartment 3A, 1013 Parkthorne Ave
Synopsis: Backdated scene of when Stephanie first worked up the courage to let Dick know her feelings.
Cast of Characters: Spoiler, Nightwing
Tinyplot: City Fall


Spoiler has posed:

Sometime last June...


One thing that Stephanie had realized since Bruce and his sons had let her in on their identities and made Spoiler a part of their extended group, is just how much the members of Bruce's family were able to read other's expressions.

It was on her mind tonight in particular, because earlier in the night she had found herself looking at Dick Grayson as he worked on something in the Batcave. Lost in thoughts about him that had been coming to Stephanie more and more frequently, she hadn't realized when he'd turned and noted her observation.

The flush that resulted in her cheeks and the quick way she'd turned away, ok maybe a boy her own age at Gotham U might have missed them. But Stephanie was finding it doubtful the original Boy Wonder would have.

Which had left her with butterflies in her stomach. Worse, when he'd said something about heading home for dinner, Stephanie had mentioned how hungry she was, and blurted out an offer to grab Chinese and stop by.

And he'd said yes.

The blond twenty year old looks at the door to Dick's apartment now. She's been standing there a minute already, bags of take out in hand. She finally draws a deep breath to help calm her nerves and then knocks on the door. "Chinese!" she calls softly through the door.

Nightwing has posed:
Nightwing has taken up the time honoured tradition of vigilante time management. This means cramming in a little personal downtime with the physical training. Yoga mats have been strategically laid out in front of the television screen which is showing an episode of Altered Carbon. At least a few episodes in, Dick must be enjoying a little Netflix binging while he practices his downward dog and other stretches. Wearing a dark blue tank top and black athlete pants, he's not entirely off from his crime fighting uniform. The toned bulk of his arms and shoulders are on display while he performs a handstand and watches the television screen from upside down.
    It was at this moment that Stephanie knocked and announced the arrival of 'Chinese'. Rolling from the headstand, he turned and sprung to his feet, landing with a light thud just outside the door.

Quickly, he opens the door and offers her a smile offering a simple, "Well, hello again."

He looks down at the bags of takeout and then offers to taking them, nearly snatching them from her grasp. "And as promised.. Thanks a bunch Steph. You've saved me a minute or two.. or another awkward meal with Bruce."
    Chuckling, he'll usher her inside and close the door before walking to the table to set down the bags and quickly moving to grab a couple of plates. "Make yourself at home."

Spoiler has posed:
As the door opens and Stephanie sees Dick's smiling face, the blue-eyed girl's expression lights up a bit. "You're welcome. And I get to avoid sitting beneath my ceiling fan swatting mosquitos," she tells him. "I really need to get my screen window replaced. Landlord is slow as ever," she says of her apartment across the street from the University in building housing mostly students.

Stephanie surrenders the large bag, which has more Chinese food within it than any two people could possibly eat. She's kept her ears open and gotten two of Dick's favorite dishes.

Stephanie comes inside as bid, sliding the door closed behind her. "Getting in some extra workout?" she asks, spotting the yoga mats over in front of the television. She follows Dick to the kitchen, eyes briefly following the contours of his muscular shoulders and upper arms before she makes herself look away. "Want me to grab some drinks?" she offers, moving towards the refrigerator if he indicates so to see what is inside.

Nightwing has posed:
Peeking inside the bag, he'll offer an 'Oh wow' and a whistle of appreciation. "Either you are a mind reader or you've really got a knack for picking up details on people. Yea, I've got some juices and light beers in there. Grab whatever you want."

He nods at the question, "Didn't get much exercise in today, mostly just tinkering in the bat cave. I've got a bare minimum quota for physical activity I need to keep up with, or I lose my edge."

He pulls out a couple of chairs and starts arranging the takeout. He'll crumble up the bag it came in and expertly toss it into a trash bin across the room. Sitting down, he'll break apart a pair of chopsticks and start dishing out noodles and meaty sauced morsels onto his plate. "May have to go on a rooftop run later just for the exercise."

Spoiler has posed:
Stephanie Brown pulls out a container of grape juice from the fridge, swinging the door closed and then getting glasses to fill before bringing them over. "If you wanted some company on it, I'd be happy to go with you," she offers. Her lips turn up just a little bit in the corners as Dick expresses his approval in her choices for the food. "Glad there's something you like," she says, moving over to join him at the table.

Stephanie sets the drinks down and then take a seat beside him. She picks up a pair of the chopsticks and says, "You're going to have to promise not to laugh as I use these," as she hefts the foreign eating utensils to indicate what she means. She breaks them apart and then fits them in her hand, testing them out. "I have a feeling using these all of the time would be some sort of a diet plan for me," she kids.

Stephanie will add a little bit from each of the containers to her plate. "So you have quite the place here. You own the whole building, you mentioned?" she asks, looking around the tastefully decorated place. "I really like your tastes," she comments. "Some day when I have a bit nicer of a place I might have to ask for your help decorating."

Nightwing has posed:
Dick grins, "Ah come on. You are holding your own, you can conquer the challenge of eating with chopsticks.. but if you want a fork, I won't judge you.. too much."

He gazes around at the interior of his apartment and then nods. "Well, it's Bruce's money in the grand scheme of things. I've got some other digs just below it. Better training facilities, workshop for the bike, and a copy of the bat cave's surveillance setup."

He hums and then plops a mouthful of noodles between his lips. He chews silently as he considers her compliment. "Its nothing all that special.. just things I like. Some things Alfred didn't care for on the walls at Wayne manor." He gestures around with the chopsticks. "This is just me trying to be.. me."

Spoiler has posed:
Stephanie shares Dick's grin with her own that has a flash of bright blue eyes above it at his mention of the chopsticks challenge. "Alright, challenge accepted," she says, reaching over with the chopsticks to his plate to deftly steal a piece of chicken from his plate with them. The blond cackles at her success as she brings the chicken back towards her mouth, only to have it slip at the last moment and drop into her lap.

She laughs, the sound touched with just a bit of embarrassment as she picks it up with her fingers, giving the chopsticks a second chance at it and popping it between her lips. Then she quickly wipes the denim of her jeans down where the chicken landed. "Well, not quite reading for Beijing yet, but it's a process," she says.

Stephanie glances back around the apartment thoughtfully at Dick's comment. "I think you succeeded. I mean it seems like you. It's kind of classy, yet there's a really comfortable feel to it and..." Stephanie says before realizing she's letting her inner voice out too much. "Ah, it's nice, I mean," she says quickly, stuffing a small chopsticks load of noodles into her mouth to shut herself up.

Nightwing has posed:
Dick raises an eyebrow for a moment as he watches the woman go through her ordeal with the chicken and ramble just a touch. He eats quietly as he thinks staring down at the table for a moment as he chews. He then points at her with his chopsticks, "Its important to explore yourself.. the person you are beyond the suit. At least.. it was for me. I pretty much grew up in this world you are.. stepping more into. And as a word of advice, which you may.. or may not need.. I just want to say.. Figure out who you are and surround yourself with things to remind you."

He offers a firm nod, stuffs his face a little more, then takes a sip of juice. He eyes her momentarily over the glass than swallows. "Not saying you don't have a strong sense of self.. After all, you became the Spoiler.. and didn't exactly take over the family business.. but your comment about the apartment just reminded me why I took the time to decorate it in the first place."

Spoiler has posed:
Stephanie takes a sip of her grape juice as she listens to Dick. The college student, a few years younger than Dick, focuses her eyes on him as she shares the thoughtful comments. "I've been doing a lot of that. The exploring part. With school especially. Though I'm still torn on what I want to do as a major," she comments to Dick.

Stephanie stirs some of her food about a little before using the chopsticks to bring more to her mouth. Despite her comments she's managing them reasonably well. "I'll probably be a little while before I'm able to start doing too much decorating that doesn't involve printing out images from online," she comments. "But, I get what you mean. Especially with how we spend so many of our nights, it can be easy to lose yourself in that and not have much else in your life," she says.

"I suppose I've felt that way, sometimes," she says. Stephanie started as Spoiler at fifteen, and is nearing her twenty-first birthday now. "Been guilty of it. It is quite the rush though, running rooftops. But... I would like more in my life than just that," she says. Stephanie's gaze drifts back to Dick for a moment before she quickly pulls her eyes away and back to her food, picking up her glass of juice and sipping it.

Nightwing has posed:
Dick nods again, "Yes, you have the hard task of balancing being a costumed vigilante prowling the night to deliver justice... and being a gorgeous co-ed. If you let your grades slip, don't let Bruce know."

He rolls his eyes in memory of trying to balance his studies with the rest of his life. He eats very fast. Likely a necessity for his way of life. He drains his glass of juice, lets a pleased sigh, and leans back in his chair patting his flat stomach as if it were a proper gut. "That was.. exactly what I need. Thanks again, Steph. You can bring Chinese over anytime."

He chuckles offering her a grin as he grabs his plate and rises. "Can I get you anything? Refill for your juice?"

Spoiler has posed:
Stephanie Brown is eating a little slower than Dick, and the food seems to be getting only a secondary share of her attention. The use of the word 'gorgeous' brings a bit of a soft smile from Stephanie. Her eyes seek out her plate in the moment, knowing if she looks at the too-handsome Wayne son just now, she won't be able to keep the expression low key.

Probably can't even without looking at him.

"Sure, a little more juice would be great," Stephanie says, looking back up to Dick and smiling as she passes the glass over to him. "It's really nice having someone to eat with. I might just have to take you up on that," she comments to him. "I deliver a really mean Italian too, let me tell you," she says.

The pat of his flat stomach draws a brief, appreciative glance though the girl's blue eyes are forced away after a few moments. "I should probably ask you for tips on my workout routine. I haven't really trained anywhere near the level that you all do. And I realize that. I need to turn my game up quite a bit. The last thing I'd want is to drag down the team," she tells him.

Nightwing has posed:
He accepts the glass and strolls over to the refrigerator to refill it with grape juice, depositing his plate in the sink sometime along the way. He returns and sets the glass down in front of her, remaining standing. "I would have to be crazy to turn down that offer."

He leans against the table and considers her request. He gives her an assessing eye under the pretext of evaluating her physical shape, though the premise is a little ridiculous. He'd seen her in action more than once. He offers a long drawn out hum and shrugs, "You haven't done poorly on your own, but there are things we can do to build up your strength and endurance. You've got coordination in spades. A little more 'umph' to go along with your technique will make you someone even more to reckon with."

He muses thoughtfully, "Might want to work on your eye contact though.. But come to mention it, pretty sure I've seen you stare down more then one guy. I'm only Dick Grayson, Nightwing, costumed vigilante badass champion of justice.. I can't be -that- intimidating. After all, you came here yourself." He stares down at her with a cocky half-smirk on his chiseled jaw.

Spoiler has posed:
The fit, blond young woman doesn't try to hide her enjoyment at hearing the praise in his comment. "And plucky. Don't forget plucky," she says to him, looking up to flash Dick a little grin. It's meant to be playful, though as she finds his gaze on her like that Stephanie clears her throat a bit, following it with a sip of the grape juice as if to clear it.

She rises from the table, her plate clear, turning her attention fully to Dick Grayson. With him standing 6'2" she has to look upwards a bit for her eyes to meet his directly. "Staring down. Staring at. There are different sorts of people," Stephanie says, her body language suggesting a bit of bashfulness even as she makes the comment.

Stephanie's blond hair is left to fall loose about her shoulders tonight, and as she looks down for a moment a few of the soft strands fall across her eyes as if to help hide her baby blues for the moment. "Took a little internal pep talk for me to make the offer, of dinner," she says. "Though I'm glad that I did," she says, lifting her eyes to peer at him through the veil of blond hair. "Though, maybe just a lil intimidating," she says, holding her finger and thumb together to indicate how much as she grins softly up at Dick.

Nightwing has posed:
Dick meets her gaze, his cocky grin becoming a genuine smile. "Plucky is a good word for you, though I can think of a few others, that I'll keep to myself."

He reaches down and gently brushes the blonde strands from her blue eyes returning the gaze with own. "We all have our moments of fear and intimidation.. What makes a fighter is the willingness to push past it. To laugh it off and push ahead."

He nods to himself, "They say the wise are fearful, but I've never been good at letting fear hold me back.. When I feel a moment of hesitation, it just pushes me more. Makes me quite the troublemaker in the grand scheme of things."

He leans forward, their noses almost touching. "I think you are hesitating a little bit.. and I think its really cute to see it warring with the confidence I know you have."

Spoiler has posed:
The feeling of Dick's fingertips just brushing her skin as he moves those locks of hair aside causes a slow, deep inhalation from the young woman. She looks up into his eyes as Dick delivers those words. Soft-spoken and smooth, but clear enough to quell whatever anxious feelings the often socially-awkward girl had about expressing herself with him.

Blue eyes look into each other as Dick leans down, bringing his face close to that of the shorter girl. Stephanie's heart races as Dick succeeds in fanning the boldness that so often has caused her to leap into something and trust to it going well.

Stephanie's hand moves up, her fingers going to slide softly over the skin of his neck, curling around the back where his shoulder and neck meet. She leans the rest of the way into Dick, eyes closing as she presses a kiss to his lips if he lets her, a shiver passing down her lithe body at that contact she's found herself wishing for.

Nightwing has posed:
As cocky as the young vigilante can be, he is not without a wellspring of compassion. He accepts the kiss for the precious thing it is drawing his strong arms around her torso. He clutches her shivering body to his chest and leans into the kiss gently. His lips curl into a faint smile as he feels her heart racing in her chest. His hand rests upon the small of her back and strokes in a gentle caress. He allows the kiss to linger, his lips tugging at hers before he breaks it to rest his forehead against hers.

"Well there you go, and there you are." He offers a rich chuckle. "Stopped me right before I asked why it's easier smacking boys with batons then kissing them." He winks.

Spoiler has posed:
To say the kiss is even better than she expected is saying something. As Dick's arms go about Stephanie, he feels the pleasing curves of her body pressing in as she relaxes and nestles within Dick's embrace. Her lips explore his in the slow, tender, deep kiss before gradually it breaks to give way to the beautiful feeling of Dick's forehead nuzzling her own.

"Whew..." Stephanie lets out a breath, and adds a soft giggle eat the release of her nervous energy. "Probably because they more often deserve the smack than the kiss," she teases him back.

Joking with him like this helps set Stephanie at ease. Her eyes shine with warmth as she knows he is doing it consciously. Her fingers that rest upon the back of his neck brush slowly upwards. "So, should I be afraid to ask just how open of a book I have been?" she asks him. The last few months the signs of her growing feelings have been there.

Nightwing has posed:
"Pretty depending on who you ask.. I deserve smacking around way more then kissing, but I won't begrudge you your choice, Steph." He chuckles lowly.

"Afraid, nah. You've been a great read, like I book I couldn't put down." He offers another grin and runs his hands along the sides of her lithe torso. He squints at her in amusement.

"And now I can admit that I've been purposefully terrible for half of it. Couldn't help myself. Its pretty damn entertaining to see a pretty girl squirm, especially when you know she can crack a skull or two."

Spoiler has posed:
Stephanie grins and rolls her head and eyes away from Dick at the making her squirm part. But it's just for a moment as she looks back and closes her eyes as she rubs her forehead back against his. And then her nose and cheeks, unable to stop herself from savoring touching his face like this, while his arms are about her and his sides running down her athletic, toned body.

"Well, this... was worth the wait," she says. Stephanie slides one of her hands up to rest on his chest. Her fingers spreading out slowly as she feels his muscular torso. There's more to it than just the sense of enjoying the feel of a man she's wished to touch. Sharing this kind of intimate contact feels new for the young woman. Beautiful enough it would seem hard to believe she were not experienced at this kind of intimacy. Though Dick knows something of her past, and might intuit she's not allowed herself to pursue such feelings before.

"Dick, this is... I mean, it's not just... this is more than just, sharing a kiss for you?" she asks. It's the kind of stumbling question someone worried about being hurt might ask.

Nightwing has posed:
Dick kisses her softly on the mouth as a way of answering. His strong arms holding her firmly, not crushing, but in some ways possessively. Upon breaking the kiss, he'll smooth her hair back and smile warmly toward her. "Yes, it's more. I wouldn't do that to you, Steph. If I didn't have a real honest interest in you, I'd have let you down way sooner. I wouldn't play with your heart like that. I'm a lot of things.. but cruel isn't one of them."

He gives her another affectionate squeeze, "People with our.. uh.. hobbies.. Don't get a lot of free time. This is the closest thing I've had to a date in a good while, and I'm really glad you offered. Patient is another thing.. I'm really not, but in your case, I made an exception.. Not an easy exception, but one anyway. I wanted this in your terms."

Spoiler has posed:
The pretty blond girl moves her hands so they both rest on his chest. As his arms fold her in against him, she adds her cheek to them for a moment, closing her eyes and basking in the feeling of being held. The thought of Dick has quickened her heart for awhile now, and hearing him express feelings for her is enough to push her heart up into her throat.

"I don't think you'd ever try to be cruel," she agrees, lifting her eyes back up to his. The shy looks away have given way to wanting to look upon Dick's face. To share his gaze, and hold it. "I've not really let anyone close to me like this," she says. "I'm kind of glad I waited until now. That it's you," she tells him, biting her lip for a moment.

Stephanie leans her face up to his to press another slow, deep kiss to his lips. It makes her toes want to curl. Her hand slides up from his chest to brush her fingers slowly along his cheek before finally she'll let the kiss end again. "So, speaking of dates. If you'd like we could do a real one sometime. I mean, not that this isn't real," Stephanie says. She moves a hand over to squeeze Dick's bicep. A girlish giggle results. "Oh, this is SO real," she says.

Nightwing has posed:
Dick listens intently and nods in the affirmative at her mention of a 'real date'. "I can't honestly say it'll happen all the time, but what I did I say about being 'ourselves'. So of course, I'd love to go on a 'real' date with you."

He flexes his bicep at the squeeze and laughs at her. "One of the benefits of being a crime-fighter for the majority of your life.. along with being born into a family of gymnasts."

He gazes momentarily at the poster on the wall of the Flying Graysons, looking in particular a his mother, and wondering if she'd approve. He smiles a little broader, thinking he knows the answer. "Careful with the compliments. You know if I get any more cocky, my ego will crush the city.. and I'll have to start all over again with finding a new gig."

He steals another kiss because he has a couple of months to 'wanting to' and not 'getting to' to catch up on. His hands glide around her waist in forcibly chaste caresses. "Mmm, I want to hear you laugh more. It's.." He lowers voice slightly, "Very hot."

Spoiler has posed:
Dick succeeds, drawing some of Stephanie's laughter up and causing her to just nestle in his arms and rub her face against his chest. "I have a feeling you'll have me doing a lot of laughing then," she tells him.

Her arms slide up around the man's broad, muscular shoulders, hugging herself to him. "This feels so much more natural and... and right... than I ever dreamed it would," she tells him, nuzzling her face against him some more before finally looking back up to Dick again.

Stephanie's look is radiant with the sight of him. Her hands explore slowly over those muscular shoulders of his. Feeling the lines formed by his deltoids and... she should really take an anatomy class. Stephanie doesn't know what they are called, but wow are they fun to touch. "Mmm. Dinner and a movie? Or... picnic on some hilltop on a blanket and watch the sun set together?" she asks of the date.

Nightwing has posed:
His eyes hood briefly as her hands roam. He was not stranger to compliments from women but he rarely let himself close enough to enjoy being admired by a pair of roaming hands. "Picnic and the sunset works well for me. I love movies, but I can never sit through watching one at a theatre. Let's make it picnic, sunset, and then movie back here."

It seemed like a good plan to him. As for the present, he now warred with keeping his hands in an appropriate 'zone'. A few mental mantras loop through his mind as he summons the appropriate willpower. "Let me buy this time. You got to pay your way the first time, but I'm not letting it happen the second time." He nods firmly.

Spoiler has posed:
Stephanie gives a nod in reply to Dick wanting to buy the next time. "I am sure you know by now I am the definition of 'broke college student'. I don't want you to feel like you have to take care of such things either though. I'm happy to just do simple things that don't cost much," she says. She's not asked Bruce for help with college, that Dick would be aware of. And he'd probably have picked up on it if she did.

Stephanie gives a soft sigh as his hands work slowly over her hips. The gymnast-turned vigilante is very slender through the waist, but with curvy hips and other, toned parts that would strain to be called the appropriate zone. She seems to enjoy the way his hands are moving over her. Stephanie lets out a warm sigh as she gazes up at him. "You really are too handsome for your own good," she whispers up to him as she lets her eyes sweep over his face.

Nightwing has posed:
"I won't get in the way of a good deed, but I also don't want to strain your 'broke college student' finances either." He agrees. He had picked up on the fact she hadn't asked for help. It was one of her draws. She definitely liked to do things herself.

He laughs at her handsome comment and offers her a big grin. "Oh I know it. Though I don't mind having you remind me of it. That said though.." His hands roam over her hips. He grits his teeth and draws his hands along the denim of her jeans. Straining beyond the appropriate zone, he gives her backside a firm squeeze.

"You are probably too gorgeous for your own good. Maybe a gorgeous person and a handsome person should stick together.. You know.. circle the wagons.. for our own.. umm... good and safety." He chuckles.

Spoiler has posed:
Stephanie's fingers work up Dick's neck, tickling at his throat, and then on up over his cheeks and into his hair. She grazes her nails slowly over his scalp as her fingers slip through the dark locks. "Mr. Grayson... I have a feeling you're having very bad thoughts," she whispers to him as she feels where his hands go.

While Stephanie could stand to increase her physical training and workouts, Dick would not find anything to support that conclusion from what he feels with his fingers. His words to make Stephanie look down a little bit, smiling as he opinions on her appearance. The daughter of a D-list super villain, who always seems to put her foot in her mouth, isn't used to hearing such things. Those she went to school with, both high school and at Gotham U, only seem to see the awkwardness in the girl. When Stephanie looks up into Dick's eyes, she sees something else there in how he looks at her. "oh Dick," she whispers softly. She brushes a kiss to his lips again before whispering, "Circle the wagons is going to take on a whole new meaning now, isn't it?" she asks, giving a warm giggling laugh.

Nightwing has posed:
Dick's expression is pure bliss. He offers a throaty laugh and nods to her. "Ah, yes.. very bad thoughts. We can't be paragons of virtue all the time you know."

He offers yet another laugh at her question and nods thoughtfully. "Well that's not a bad start. A few minutes into a relationship, and we already have code words."

He muses thoughtfully as he leans into another kiss, his hands roam up her back, a palm resting on the back of her head. He presses his body against hers, deepening the kiss and stifling her giggle. A pleased masculine hum rumbles in his chest.

Spoiler has posed:
The next few minutes are spent exploring how wonderful it feels to have the man's lips against hers. His arms holding her. The firm musculature that seems to just ripple with sinew and brawn.

If Dick might notice her inexperience in the physical intimacy, there is also an eager excitement. More than once, the kiss is broken briefly by little giggles of delight, including the time her fingers work along his torso to find his abs.

Stephanie lets the kiss break finally, her fingertips tracing the man's six-pack. "Oh. Oh my. So, I know your body armor sort of has these molded on, but I didn't realize they were like this beneath it, too," she comments to him. Stephanie clears her throat and then gives another soft laugh of delight. "So... that Chinese was good," she says, as if her fingers are not continuing to explore each segment of his six-pack.

Nightwing has posed:
"Core strength is important for so many things." Dick offers sagely and doesn't do a thing to stop Stephanie from her eager explorations. No one ever accused Nightwing of being modest.

"The Chinese was very good.. I was a little surprised you picked up two of my favorite dishes. Nice attention to detail. Very nice signal too.. unless you didn't want me reading the 'Book of Steph'." He glides his hands up the back of her shirt along her spine, warm palms gliding along her skin. He sighs contently and gazes down at her. A genuine smile on his lips. A chaste thought manages to surface amongst the myriad of more lewd considerations. "It's.. really nice to be this close to someone.. and even nicer to know they understand more about you then most will ever be allowed to."

He leans down to steal another kiss. "I think rate I'm going to feel.. very Spoiled." Oooh bad pun. Classic Robin.

Spoiler has posed:
Stephanie Brown's smile grows as Dick mentions her successful signaling of her feelings. Doing a good job of expressing herself socially is not something she often that Stephanie gets praised for. For that matter, she isn't very used to hearing praise at all.

And coming from Dick, she definitely likes it.

Stephanie groans just the same at the pun. She even covers up her face as she shakes her head. "Oh, that was bad. Well, as long as you're ok with it all. I just don't want you to feel like you're Robin the cradle," she tells him, holding up her hand as if to see how she did with the pun.

Stephanie laughs and buries her face against Dick's chest, hugging herself to him. This all... feels so right.