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WHO: Helena Kyle and Dick Grayson, Selina Kyle and Bruce Wayne
WHERE: That one really nice restaurant that it's ridiculously hard to get into
WHEN: Sunday night
WARNINGS: Awkwardness, maybe innuendo?
SUMMARY: Helena and Dick go on a date to a nice restaurant. It happens to be the same restaurant Selina and Bruce to go
FORMAT: starting out para

Helena was looking forward to tonight. She was looking forward to a lot of things lately, thanks to Dick. She enjoyed spending time with him, even more than just the fact that she was spending time with someone in a somewhat romantic capacity. There was a lot to like about Dick.

Tonight, she liked the fact that she was more than happy to pull out her most expensive heels and her little black dress, the one that turned heads and was for the type of high society functions she never really went to. Dick had somehow gotten them reservations to one of the nicest, most exclusive restaurants in town and she was looking forward to a low key evening.

"You know, it's pretty impressive that you got us in here," she said, arm linked in his as they walked into the foyer. It was also impressive that he was taking an evening off from patrolling, at least the early evening, to go out.

[ooc: Order Helena, Dick, Selina, and Bruce?]

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Serving beer to wasted college kids hardly brings in top dollar, but right now it’s more than worth the extra effort and the extra time and the forty-three minutes he’d spent flirting with that receptionist.

It’s nice, having a reason to go places. Nice being with someone again who knows and at least sort of gets it and... somehow really is still talking to him after Christmas Eve.

She’s been a good friend. Better, really, than he deserves.

He’s been so frustrated. So angry. So focused on Slade and Jason and the Joker and everything out there, and somehow along the way maybe he’s been letting some other things fall by the wayside.

These kinds of things.

He tucks her hand under his arm and gives it a little squeeze. "Mission accomplished."

It’s time to start living again.

"Careful, I might like this so much I'll want to make a regular habit of it," she warned, only half teasing. She didn't mean things like this specifically, but just being together like two normal people.

She thought maybe they needed that tether, to keep them from being too consumed by what they did. Maybe it was using each other or maybe it was just they were a good match. Either way, she didn't mind.

"Besides, I like showing you off."

If Selina was the one buying, she was going to go all out. It hadn't been hard for her to get reservations at one of the hottest restaurants in the City. Especially not after her press appearance.

She was on Bruce's arm. Or, as she preferred, he was on hers. Either way, they were both dressed to the nines, she in a little purple silk number that was nearly the same shade as her old costume. Ah, memories.

Dressed to the nines indeed. Wolves in sheep's clothing. Bruce made it look like an art as always, a very generous handshake with the maître d’ here, a gracious nod of acknowledgement to Harper from marketing there, and a conspiratorial murmer to Selina to round it off.

Even so, there had always been something about Bruce Wayne that set him apart from the rest of the clientele as conversations faltered and heads turned surreptitiously to the incredibly photogenic couple sauntering into the establishment. Maybe he stood taller than anyone else, maybe it was those glassy blue eyes, as if holding his gaze was to part with your most intimate and wretched secret.

It kept people from daring to look too close. The quiet, wolfish satisfaction creeping across his face suggested that that was how he liked it.

Their table’s in the back – way, way in the back - but really that’s okay. With the way those two servers are pointing and whispering it’s probably better to get out of the way before somebody higher up on the food chain decides they shouldn’t be here after all.

He grins a little and tugs on her hand, ignoring a few judgmental stares as they find their seats. "Well I hope you know I can’t really be the arm candy and the gentleman," But what the hell, he'll pull her chair out for her anyway.

"Breaks too many important little rules."

Helena didn't mind the far table as well. She didn't need to be seen, except by Dick, and she knew they would both be more comfortable if they could more easily observe the whole room.

"Why not?" she asked, smoothly sitting down in her seat. "I can be arm candy and a lady. Well, only for so long, then later tonight I'm going to be very unladylike and take you and-"

Helena paused as her gaze caught sight of who just entered the restaurant.

"Fuck no. This is not happening right now."

Selina's eyes were on the people that they passed. Gaze tracing the jewels sparkling from gold and platinum settings. The artwork on the walls. Old habits.

They were halfway through the restaurant before Selina caught sight of the younger couple. And of course they were seated the next table over. Privacy for Norman's poor victim.

"Helena, Richard," she murmured in greeting, giving each of them a nod.

"We should just stay in in future," Bruce muttered, the casual loop of his arm that held Selina's pulled taut, drawing her close enough to hear over the ambient noise of the restaurant.

Reservations alone were highly sought after for this establishment. Bruce cast his eyes around the room in the vain hope that they might have found a table elsewhere. Perhaps another handshake with the maître d’ would see to it...

"Good evening," he chimed in neutrally, "I suppose we ought to see about having the tables pushed together."

If the reluctance with which he held up his arm to signal the waiting staff was any indication, that was not what he supposed at all.

So. That’s how it is.

He glances at Helena out of the corner of his eye, and for half a second he’s on the edge of just throwing in the towel and calling it a night. But damn it, he worked hard for this. Chances are great that Bruce did not.

"Sure. Sounds great," He gives them a smile and stands up, moving to the edge of their table. "Looks like they’re pretty busy over there. Why don’t we just get this, Bruce?"

It didn't sound great. Not at all. In fact, it sounded damn miserable and a waste of a very good evening and some very hard to come by reservations. If looks could kill, she would have killed Bruce then and there for assuming they should join tables. She was only slightly disappointed that Dick didn't refuse, she supposed they could put up with it for one evening.

"It's nice to run into you," she said, giving Selina a tight smile. She meant it though, it was nice to see Selina.

"Good to see you too." But she can tell Helena isn't too pleased with the situation. While a spot like this isn't a big deal for her bank account, she can guess it's a lot pricier to Helena and Dick who haven't spent two years ripping off various mobs for millions of dollars.

"And since we're interrupting you guys, it's my treat." That way, they'd be able to swing another night out. "I owe you for the Christmas party anyway."

Bruce unlinked arms with Selina to help Dick lift their table into place before holding out a chair for her to sit. A waiter hurried over to protest but he waved them off brusquely.

The filthy look Helena fired at him went unnoticed or brushed off; if she'd rather they sat a few feet away and pretended they could ignore one another, she was welcome to say so. He wasn't about to leave when it was rare that Selina coaxed him out in public at all.

"Oh, it’s fine. Don’t worry about it." The thought was nice, but really. What a surefire way to make this whole experience exponentially more humiliating.

He switched sides and grabbed the chair beside Bruce as smoothly as possible, sliding in by Helena. Establishing a barrier from the getgo was probably best. "Uh, so. What brings you guys out?"

Helena was thankful for Dick sitting next to her, and that he rejected the offer to have Selina pay for the meal. For some reason it made her feel like she was 15 all over again and was asking to borrow money to go eat with her friends at the mall.

Reaching out, she gave Dick's hand a squeeze to let him know that it was going to be alright.

That left Selina between Bruce and Helena. An awkward place to be at any point, as she was quickly learning.

"Just spending a night out on the town for once." She didn't mean it as a jibe at Bruce. It was just the truth. Real dates happened once in a blue moon, if that.

Dick and Helena were clearly on a date as well, but she refrained from commenting on that for the moment.

"One at a more appropriate altitude, in any case," Bruce clarified as he took the final chair, sliding an arm over the back of Selina's. And if there ever was a reason to remain among the gargoyles...

Still, Bruce Wayne probably wouldn't be quite so infamous if he wasn't adept at maneuvering awkward encounters such as these. His composure settled into something smooth, affable. Putting on a brave face, as it were.

"Didn't realize you two saw so much of each other." The tone is mild, but his eyes are on Bruce when he says it. It's not as if it's really any less than what you could ever expect from Bruce, but it's been a while now. Long enough that he's not quite willing to let it go, just yet.

Helena thought that Selina and Bruce had seen quite enough of each other. But she also knew that Bruce made her mother happy, very happy so that was worth something. Quite a lot, actually. So Helena would be completely civil for her mother's sake.

"Dick and I were thinking the same thing," she said. "We have spent many evenings out together in public, so when we did we wanted to do it right."

Selina nodded at Helena's comment. "Seems you two have very good taste."

And maybe she didn't just mean the food choice.

She was about as subtle with it as a herd of stampeding elephants. But subtle had never been her style, even if she was a cat burglar.

"Must run in the family," Bruce said, perfectly innocently. Honest.

Helena would have argued that, but she didn't want to insult Selina's taste. Also, she didn't want to make this some sort of contest. Bruce was a complete ass, but he was a complete ass that made her mom happy.

"What can I say? I'm lucky enough to get it from both sides," she said, flashing a grin. Bruce could take that and stuff it, she wasn't going to argue or play his game.

Really it's pretty amazing, the ability Bruce has to reduce him in a sentence back down to that sixteen year old kid caught locked in a safe with Babs. God.

Not that Helena's really helping much either, right now. He takes a sip of water and hopes the lighting is dim enough that it's not obvious how much his cheeks are heating up.

Selina does notice and guessing the cause, gives Bruce a little elbow to the ribs. Even if she technically started it.

She sips her own water and goes for a subject change. "I said yes to the League invitation. Reserve membership."

Otherwise occupied with revelling in Dick's embarrassment, Bruce jumped when Selina nudged him and shot her a filthy look in return. Almost like real parents.

He settled down when she mentioned the League, however. In fact, after a quick scope of the room to ensure their conversation was adequately private, he looked rather pleased. It was a quiet sort of pride and he elected not to say anything, instead giving her hand a quick squeeze.

Selina's admittance caught Helena by surprise for a moment. Her mom wasn't really the teamwork type, she didn't think. Especially with a group of heroes like the League. Helena was aware that Selina knew most of the League members, but she didn't think she knew them as colleagues. Especially considering what her mom was.

"Well, congratulations then," she said with a smile.

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