aurelia dent | excerpts #8 | DC OC

"...i'm nervous," aurelia admits.

she's seated at her vanity, examining her makeup for imperfections. it wasn't like she'd done anything outlandish, just her usual eyeliner, mascara, and tinted lip balm, as well as a little bit of glittery eyeshadow, just to show that she'd put in a little effort. she's dressed nicely, in her "teacher" clothes: a tea-length denim skirt, a white camisole, and a pink cardigan.

she tilts her face to examine herself. do i look alright? is my eyeliner even? i feel like my eyeshadow's barely visible. i've gotten a lot more freckles over the summer.

"you'll be fine, princess," jason reassures, examining the necklaces she'd given him to choose from: a pearl choker (the most expensive piece of jewelry she owned) and her ankh necklace (which offered her some sense of comfort). "bruce already likes you; i'm sure the rest of my family will, too."

she pauses, glancing over her shoulder at him. "i hope so. i really want to make a good impression."

"and you will," he replies. "just relax."

"why don't you just wear both?" he suggests, holding the necklaces out to her.

"i just don't think it'd look right," she frowns.

"maybe i should wear the choker," she suggests. "i was wearing it the night we met."

jason hums in agreement. he silently gestures for her to turn back around. she lifts her hair, freshly dyed periwinkle. he clips the necklace, centering it on her nape. he grips her shoulders, leaning down to bury his face into the side of her neck.

"you look beautiful," he murmurs.

"mm... thank you," she replies quietly, reaching up to card her fingers through his bangs.

aurelia can hear the dining room before they've even entered. she's walking at jason's side, cane in hand. she'd been tempted to leave it at home--for appearance's sake--but jason had convinced her. it was a high pain day, unfortunately, and if she had disability aids, she might as well use them. that was jason's (admittedly sound) logic, at least.

when jason holds the door open for her, the dining room grows silent. she steps inside, murmuring her appreciation as she passes him. her eyes flicker towards the table. his family is seated there: bruce wayne, dick grayson, tim drake, damian wayne, and cassandra cain. jason had told her who'd be there before she'd even agreed to meet them.

"...hi," she greets, offering a small wave.

jason follows her into the room, the door closing quietly behind them. all eyes are fixed on them, a mixture of apprehension and curiosity, despite an attempt to appear friendly. bruce sits at the head of the table, and is the first to respond with a small nod.

"aurelia," he offers.

"mr. wayne," she replies politely, giving him a small smile.

jason guides her to sit, placing himself between her and damian towards the end of the table. damian seems the most apprehensive about her. fair, she reasons. i am a stranger, and he's fourteen. she'd grown to expect this kind of subtle hostility from teenagers, especially given her field work. 

"so... aurelia," Bruce says, "how has school been?"

all eyes fix on her again, not that they'd left her for long before that. "it's been fine," she chirps. "thank you."

"what're you majoring in?" dick prompts curiously.

"english," she answers, "with a focus on education. i'm in the licensure program."

damian looks slightly less annoyed than before. "you want to be a teacher?" he prompts further.

"mhm," she nods in response. "when i graduate, i'm planning on getting a job at gotham city high school."

"a noble pursuit," tim observes.

"thank you!"

"...why teaching though?" damian continues to prod, seeming almost skeptical.

jason frowns at his brother's interrogating, but aurelia is unbothered. "well, i've wanted to be a teacher since... well, i was about your age, actually," she explains. "i had some really good teachers when i was in high school, and i guess i just want to return that goodness to the world.

"two of my teachers in particular really made me feel seen and cared for in a way i'd never felt from the adults in my life. if i can be who they were for me for someone else, i think i'll feel like i've succeeded."

there's a moment of silence at the table. just as aurelia begins to worry she's said too much, bruce clears his throat: "that's very sweet of you, aurelia. i'm glad you have good life goals."

"oh- um- thank you, mr. wayne."

eventually, dinner is served, and between bites, the family talks. it's a pleasant dinner, especially in comparison to the train wreck that was jason's introduction to aurelia's mother.

"told you," jason says, playfully smug, fingers tangled in her hair.

aurelia sighs, head resting against his chest. the fabric of his tank top is warm against her cheek. "i s'pose you did.

but i'm glad you were right," she adds quietly.

his arm tightens around her, hand splayed over the small of her back. they're curled up in her bed, clad in their pajamas. it was rare that jason had a night off (from whatever it was that he did for bruce for work), so he was staying over.

much to aurelia's enjoyment, he didn't mind her feminine decor: her lacy white curtains, her pink comforter and pillows, her stuffed animals. her entire apartment had a rather cute aesthetic. he'd commented on it when they'd first started hanging out, noticing how "fitting" it was. she'd liked that.

"i'm glad your family liked me," she admits. "i think mama just put a bad taste in my mouth."

"...she hasn't talked to me much since we had dinner the other day."

jason's gaze flickers down from the ceiling to observe aurelia's expression; he quietly takes in her downcast eyes, the pout tugging at her lips. he knew that her relationship with her family was complicated. her mother resented her, her stepfather hated her, and she hadn't spoken to her biological father in years at this point. harvey was an entirely different can of worms.

he gives a soft sigh, his free hand raising to cup her chin, guiding her eyes back up to him. "hey."

"...hey."

"she is missing out," he tells her. "there is nothing wrong with you. she's in the wrong. you didn't do anything bad.

"you remember how my family treated you?" she nods. "that's how a family's supposed to act."

"...i guess," she answers, leaning into his palm as he cups her cheek. "i just wish she was..."

a beat. "normal?" he suggests.

"yeah."

he leans down to kiss the tip of her nose. "i know."