aurelia dent | excerpts #4 | DC OC

the party was warm in atmosphere, the people dancing and talking as the music played. aurelia herself stood off to the side, clutching her brother's arm. it was... a bit loud for her taste. it was all a bit much for her delicate sensibilities. she could feel every article of her clothing: her chemise, her stays, her petticoat, her gown. her slippers were rubbing slightly against her ankles. 

she grasps her fan in her gloved hand, fanning herself gently. she couldn't tell if the heat was a natural occurrence or her own blooming. she must've been the color of a romantic rose. a slight frown persists on her face.

harvey is characteristically quiet, flipping his coin absently. when her eyes raise to his face, she instinctively follows his gaze across the room. it seemed most of the party was looking in that direction. she straightens up and swallows thickly: the wayne family had arrived.

she watches with interest as the family enters as a group, bruce wayne and his group of mismatched children: richard grayson, jason todd, tim drake, damian wayne, duke thomas, cassandra cain, and stephanie brown. each was handsome in their own way, in her opinion, at least.

her eyes settle on the second son: jason todd. she'd heard rumors swirl about him: that he was ill-tempered, disagreeable, quick to anger. aurelia was admittedly captivated. she couldn't help but wonder if they were true. was such a beautiful man truly so bad regarded for a reason? in her heart of hearts, she doubted it.

she felt her heart jump upward into her throat as jason turned his attention in her direction. she quickly averted her eyes, hiding her flushed face behind her fan. she fans the heat away gently. how embarrassing.

eyes lowered, she's unaware of the fact that jason is making his way over. that is, until harvey nudges her foot with his own. her gaze raises to his face, brows raised in question as jason stops in front of her. her eyes quickly dart towards his face in surprise. he looks back at her with a cocked brow.

"jason todd," he offers his hand. "i happened to notice you looking at me."

"oh- um- aurelia dent," she answers, taking his hand. her grip is firm, but gentle. "this is my-"

"brother," jason interrupts, gaze moving towards harvey, who looks bored. "i know."

"oh, well..." aurelia trails off awkwardly. "i'm sorry. for staring, i mean."

she attempts to retract her hand, but jason seems to have other plans.

"do you dance?" he prompts.

aurelia looks downward towards her cane. technically, she could dance, yes. but it's probably leave her aching. and what if she fell? that'd be mortifying... for both of them.

"hm?" jason's inquisitive hum rouses her from her thoughts.

"well, yes-" she begins, and before she can finish her sentence, he's leading her towards the dance floor. her eyes widen a fraction, but she gives a soft sigh. relief? resignation? amusement? even she couldn't tell.

when the music starts, so does the conversation. "so, ms. dent, how old are you?"

"me? twenty," she answers. "and you, mr. todd?"

"twenty and three," he replies.

aurelia's eyebrows raise curiously. she'd assumed he was older. he looked older. not that she minded either way. 

the dance goes on for two songs before aurelia's legs begin to tremble. she takes a step forward when her slippers catches on the yellow fabric of her gown. a quiet yelp leaves her lips, and she braces for the impact of the floor... only to find herself caught in jason's arms. 

he looks down at her in surprise. she stares back, emotion clearly reciprocated. she takes in his face: the white streak in his bangs, his raised eyebrows, his widened blue-green eyes, his nose, his lips, the scar on his jawline. her heart races nervously. the rumors seemed far from true. 

that is, until aurelia feels herself beginning to fall again. she gasps as she sits up in bed, awake. she looks around, confused. what an... odd dream. what an embarrassing dream. dreaming about a man she'd only ever really spoken to in-person on one occasion. calm down, lia, she scolds herself silently, though a small smile graces her face.