Title: Valentine Hearts IV: "Dinner For Two, Seafood And You..." (1/1)
Author: BradyGirl_12
Pairings/Characters: Lian, Dick/Roy, Ollie/Dinah
Genres: Challenge, Fluff, Holiday, Romance
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: Valentine Day’s sappiness! ;)
Spoilers: None
Summary: Lian decides that her two daddies need help celebrating Valentine’s Day! ;)
Date Of Completion: January 1, 2012
Date Of Posting: January 20, 2012
Disclaimer: I don’t own ‘em, DC does, more’s the pity.
Word Count: 2263
Feedback welcome and appreciated.
Author’s Notes: Written for my
2012 DCU Fic/Art Valentine’s Day Challenge. Prompts: Red, White, Pink, Candles, Red Silk/Satin, Dinner.
The entire series can be found
here. "Dinner for two,
Seafood and you,
My heart sings,
As my finger
Wears your ring."
Doris Knight
"Dinner For Two"
RCA Records
1953 C.E.
Lian shook her head. Her papa was sound asleep on the couch, and Daddy was still not home. She hadn’t seen much of either of her daddies lately. They had been so busy with JLA business that she hadn’t seen them since last Sunday, and now Papa was so tired he couldn’t stay awake for supper!
Lian climbed up on the couch and sat next to Dick, who was sleeping quietly. She yawned and curled up next to her papa, joining him in slumber.
& & & & & &
Roy yawned as he entered the house. What a week! He had been kept hopping on the latest JLA mission, helping Superman and Wonder Woman as they searched for Felix Faust, never an easy proposition. It had been a wild chase, one which had served to keep him and his Robbie apart and away from Lian. He was ready for some quality family time if he could just keep his eyes open.
He quietly walked down the hall, the silence of the house unnerving him. Usually Lian had the television or radio on or was singing or talking as she played with her dolls. Dick could often be found humming or singing along with her. Quiet did not mean trouble, but Roy would have preferred some noise today.
He stopped at the entrance to the living room and Lian put a finger to her lips. She was snuggled up next to a sleeping Dick on the couch.
Roy smiled fondly. Lian was always protective of her fathers. His heart swelled with love for his daughter.
He smiled and put a finger to his lips, mirroring Lian. He beckoned with his finger and she carefully wriggled away from Dick’s side. She went with Roy into the kitchen.
“C’mere, Princess.” Lian giggled as Roy hugged her. “How’ve you been?”
“Great, Daddy! Grandma Dinah came over and helped Omar and me bake cookies. See?” She proudly pointed to a plate wrapped in clear saran wrapper that was set on the counter.
“Mmm, they look great, honey.” Roy smiled at the heart-shaped cookies decorated with red and pink sprinkles. “Getting ready for Valentine’s Day, I see.”
“That’s right.” Lian unwrapped the plate. “Have one, Daddy.”
Roy took a bite. “Mmm, good. Tell Grandma she did a good job with your help.”
Lian giggled. “I will, Daddy.”
“Good girl.” Roy ruffled her hair. “Get ready for bed.”
“Aww, Daddy. Can’t I stay up a little while?”
“Wash up and get into your pajamas.”
“All right.”
Lian scampered off and Roy ate another cookie. He wandered back to the living room and shook his head fondly at his sleeping partner. He sat down on the couch and rested against Dick, closing his eyes.
& & & & & &
Lian came out from her bedroom clad in pink pajamas and went directly to the living room. She stopped and put her hands on her hips, shaking her head. Her daddies were hopeless!
She went to the kitchen and made herself a turkey sandwich. She poured herself a glass of cranberry juice and brought both into the living room, setting them on the coffee table. She turned on the TV at low volume and watched her favorite shows.
After her shows were over, Lian brought her plate and glass into the kitchen and washed them. After she put them away she went back into the living room and took the afghan from over the couch and draped it over her two daddies. She kissed each man on the cheek and went to bed.
& & & & & &
“Dinah, can you help me with Valentine’s Day?”
“Sure, honey. What are you planning?” Dinah checked the cabinets for baking ingredients.
“I want to make a good Valentine’s Day for Papa and Daddy.”
“How would you like to do that?” Dinah took down the cake mix.
Lian’s blue eyes shone.
& & & & & &
Dick sighed. “Man, I’ve been so tired I can’t even keep my eyes open. I slept on the couch half the night!” He tried to work the kinks out of his neck and Roy smiled, rubbing his shoulder.
“Hey, I was right with you.”
“Sure, but I conked out first.”
“Don’t worry, it’s not a contest.”
Dick yawned as he shuffled off to the bathroom. His usual verve and sparkle were missing as his bone-weariness clung to him. Roy felt the same way.
Must be getting old, he thought wryly. He wondered how older guys like Ollie and Bruce did it. Yawning, he snuggled back down under the covers.
& & & & & &
Dick and Roy rushed off to work, Dick declaring that he felt that he was forgetting something. Lian went off to school with Omar escorting her.
The day was just an ordinary one except that Dick realized that it was Valentine’s Day. Dismayed, he wondered if he could pull something together by tonight and groaned when he stumbled upon a bank robbery late in the afternoon.
Life just wasn’t liking him at the moment.
& & & & & &
Dick sighed as he entered the house. So much for a romantic Valentine’s Day.
He walked down the short corridor and was about to enter the kitchen when Lian called, “Papa! Come to the dining room!”
Dick obediently diverted through the living room and stopped short at the entrance to the dining room. He blinked, then smiled brightly.
“Happy Valentine’s Day, Papa!”
The dining room was festooned with red, white and pink streamers and balloons. The table was draped with a red tablecloth, the best china, and white candles in silver candlesticks.
“Well, this is done up nicely,” Dick said with a smile. He felt a little less tired.
“Thank you, Papa.” It always warmed Dick’s heart to hear Lian call him that instead of ‘Uncle Dick’. He wasn’t just the boyfriend of her father anymore. The ring on his finger was a comforting weight.
Dinah came in from the kitchen. “Go take a shower and dress in that stunning red shirt of yours.”
“Okay.” He frowned. “But what about your plans for this evening?”
She waved her hand. “Ollie’s got a corporate function to attend this evening. Don’t worry, he’ll get his Valentine’s Day when he gets home.”
Dick grinned and headed quickly to the shower. By the time he finished enjoying the blessedly-hot water and exited the stall, Roy was on his way in.
“Can you believe our daughter and Dinah?” Roy grinned.
“They’re the best.”
“Man, the best thing that Ollie ever did was hook up with Dinah.”
“Boy, you’re right about that.”
Dick dressed and combed his hair. He wore the red silk shirt that Dinah had suggested and a pair of black slacks. He slipped on a gold belt buckle, pleased at the effect. He knew that people considered his taste poor and too gaudy, but he didn’t care. He liked his sense of style and if other people didn’t like it that was their problem.
The lamplight shone on his ring, which sparkled with tiny chips of color: yellow, red, green, blue, purple and white. All the colors of the rainbow, he thought happily. He went out to the dining room.
Lian seated him at his usual place and he shook out the red linen napkin, draping it over his lap. She poured him sparkling ginger ale, Dinah’s wink promising something a little stronger later on.
“Where’s my menu?” Dick teased.
“Sorry, Papa, no menu. But you’ll like it.”
Dick could guess the items on the non-existent menu by the delicious smells coming from the kitchen. Roy entered the dining room in a forest-green sweater and gray pants. A silver-and-turquoise Native American bracelet was on his right wrist.
“Your seat, sir,” said Lian as she poured his drink.
“Thank you, my lady.” Roy sat down and shook out his napkin with a flourish. “And what’s on the menu for tonight?”
“You’ll see.” Lian hurried off to the kitchen.
Dick and Roy grinned at each other. “I feel like a new man,” said Dick.
“Me, too. I’ve been dead-tired lately.”
“Yeah.” Dick sipped his ginger ale. “I’ve been run ragged before. I’m not sure why this has been different.”
“We’ve been run so ragged that we never have a moment to catch our breaths.”
“It has been nuttier than usual.”
Lian came back with a basket of warm rolls. “Here you go, gentlemen.”
“Thank you, Miss,” said Roy as he took the basket.
Lian beamed and went back to the kitchen.
Roy took a roll and handed the basket to Dick. “I’m starving.”
“Me, too.” Dick eagerly dug into the basket. “Dinah’s biscuits are the best.”
“Even better than Alfred’s?” Roy smirked.
Dick hastily looked over his shoulder. “It’s a tie.”
Roy laughed as he split open his fluffy biscuit and slathered butter on it. “I’m betting that you didn’t learn diplomacy from Bruce. From Clark, maybe.”
Dick grinned and quickly buttered his biscuit. “You’re right. Clark taught me a lot about diplomacy and so did Alfred and Diana.” Dick’s blue eyes sparkled. “And believe it or not, so did Bruce.”
“Ha! You jest!”
“Nope.” Dick hungrily bit into his roll. “Bruce can be pretty diplomatic when he wants to be.”
Roy still looked skeptical. Lian come in from the kitchen carrying a box of matches. “Grandma Dinah says to light the candles.”
“Okay, Prin…I mean, waitress,” said Roy.
Lian giggled as she handed the matches to her father. Roy lit the candles as she dimmed the lights.
“There! Very romantic,” she declared.
Dick and Roy shared an amused smile and Lian went back to the kitchen, returning almost immediately with a platter of shrimp.
Roy had to admit that Dick looked great in the candlelight, but then, he always looked great.
“Mmm, that looks delicious, honey,” said Dick.
“Dinah says it’s an appetizer so don’t fill up too much. Lots more good stuff to come!”
“Yes, ma’am!” Dick saluted and took the platter from her. Lian nodded firmly and went back to the kitchen.
“Oh, that Dinah,” said Roy, shaking his head.
Dick’s grin was dazzling. “She isn’t subtle, is she?”
“Nope.” Dick took a bite of shrimp. “Quite an aphrodisiac.”
“Seafood is the best kind.”
“Mmm, sweet and succulent.”
Dinah and Lian brought in two dishes laden with broiled haddock, lobster, and wild rice. As Dinah set one of the plates in front of Dick she said, “Eat up, boys. Make sure you save room for dessert.”
Roy waggled his eyebrows and Dick laughed. They enjoyed their meals as the candlelight danced. Dinah and Lian ate in the kitchen, giving Dick and Roy an opportunity to be romantic.
& & & & & &
They took full advantage of it, mooning over lobster and shrimp while Dinah discreetly substituted champagne for ginger ale. Though the boys were so besotted, she doubted that they even noticed.
“It’s working, isn’t it, Grandma?” Lian asked as she peeked out toward the dining room.
“Oh, yes. “Dinah put the last of the entrée dishes into the dishwasher. “Now, cut some slices of that cake, dear.”
Lian took the knife and carefully cut the slices of Black Forest cake. She cut pieces for herself and Dinah, too.
“This is better than a restaurant,” she said in satisfaction.
“You’re right. First-class service all the way, sweetheart.”
“They’ve been so tired lately,” Lian said with a frown.
“Such is the life of a superhero.”
“They don’t seem tired now.”
Dinah smiled as she closed the door of the dishwasher. “No.” Her cellphone rang. “Hello. Oh, hi, Ollie. How’s the party?” She laughed. “How dreadful to be drinking champagne and eating foie gras, poor dear.” She smirked as she listened. “You’re right, Cal Haney is a bore. Can you escape him?” Lian rattled the silverware while searching for forks. “C’mon, use those stealthy skills of yours and slip away.” She laughed again and moved a few feet away from Lian. “You know it, baby. Tonight, red silk…be there. Love you.” She flipped her phone shut and said, “Okay, let’s see if the lovebirds are ready for dessert.”
Each of them took a plate into the dining room and Dinah nearly laughed at the lovesick expressions on the two men’s faces. She and Lian set the plates down.
“Now, gentlemen, these waitresses will have our dessert in the kitchen and then Miss Lian will be coming home with me.”
“But you had plans tonight,” said Dick, finally breaking out of his reverie with contemplation of Roy’s handsome face.
“There are many rooms in my husband’s mansion.”
Roy laughed. “It’s like the Manor, for cryin’ out loud.”
“So Lian will be safely ensconced in her room while Ollie and I celebrate.”
“Sounds good to me,” Roy approved. Dinah shepherded Lian back to the kitchen.
He and Dick sampled the cake, Dick moaning orgasmically in delight. Roy nearly dropped his fork.
“Did Dinah bake this?” Dick asked.
Roy took another bite. “I think it’s from Giametti’s Bakery.”
“I like this bakery.”
By the time they had finished, Dinah and Lian were gone. Dick and Roy put the dishes into the dishwasher and turned it on after cleaning up the dining room and Roy put his arms around Dick, nuzzling his ear.
“How about we celebrate Valentine’s Day in style?”
“I can get down with that.” Dick turned around and kissed him. “Let’s go, Speedy.” They headed for the bedroom, Dick winking as he said, “Guess it’s true.”
“What is?”
“Seafood is an aphrodisiac.”
Roy laughed. “C’mon, lovebird.”
“That’s loverobin to you.”
Laughter echoed down the hall as they disappeared into their bedroom.
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