Date with Steph

[sayshazam]

Billy had been nervous when he went to meet Steph at the train station. Not quite as nervous as he had been when he asked her out, but still kind of nervous. It was close to sunset since they had to be at the soon in the evening to feed the bats, but it was still nice enough out that he didn't need anything more than jeans and a hoodie to keep warm.

He was a little more nervous once he met Steph there but it took maybe five minutes for him to realize this didn't feel any different than when they normally hung out, even if it was officially a "date". Then he got nervous because he wondered if maybe it was supposed to feel different. What if she thought it was boring, just having things be like normal? If it was just normal did they really need to go on dates? If it was supposed to be different did he want to do something that might make it weird?

Ugh, it all kind of sucked except for the part where he was having a fun time with Steph so he tried to concentrate on that. It was pretty effective.

"Okay, so we're not going to the normal front entrance," he told Steph as they got off the train. "Since it's closing anyway, it's one of the side doors for employees."

Comments

[thefourthone]

It's not the hanging out with Billy part that makes her nervous--it's all the date stuff that has her keyed up. Picking out to wear is the worst. What do you wear to the zoo? She wants to look nice but not slutty, to find something that looks special but not too try-hard.

She's out of practice. Her dates with Tim were mostly in-costume, and dates before that just involved showing lots of skin. Eventually, she figures something out and smears a little lop gloss on before heading to meet him.

The nerves fade when she sees Billy and wiggles her fingers in a wave before they board the train. "I'm all about side entrances," Steph says as she follows him out of the station. "How did you meet this guy?"

[sayshazam]

"I just met them one day while hanging out at the zoo," he said, which wasn't quite the entire story but it was the gist of it. The entire story was kind of embarrassing and she totally didn't need to hear that part of it. Billy was aware he'd never be cool or smooth or anything like that, but he doesn't need to appear like a complete dork to her.

"I sneak in a lot and they just noticed me around and asking lots of questions."

[thefourthone]

"Did they bust you?" Stupid question. If they were going to be sneaking in again after hours to hang out with a zookeeper, pretty sure Billy didn't go to zoo jail. "I didn't know you came so often. So you really into animals, huh?"

[sayshazam]

"Not really. It's not like they have a lot of people so interesting in what they do they're breaking in to ask questions," Billy said. Most people were willing to forgive a lot for his wide-eyed innocent act, saying it was for his podcast or something. At the zoo though they had just been happy to have someone curious.

"I do. It's dumb but... the only picture I have of my parents, they're at the zoo, sitting in front of the tiger cage. Back home I used to go see the tiger, Mr. Tawney, all the time. He- he was the only family I had. I used to sneak in and bring him cheeseburgers. No pickles though, he didn't like pickles. And that sounds completely pathetic, no wonder I've never told anyone before."

[thefourthone]

"It's not pathetic." She's never really thought of what it'd be like totally without your parents for your whole life. When Billy had said foster care Steph had imagined that Child Services had pulled him from some screwed-up family life, not that he hadn't known them at all. "Do you know much about them? Besides that they like tigers, I mean."

[sayshazam]

"No, I don't really remember much about them before they disappeared," Billy admitted. Despite all of that, he badly wanted them back. As angry as he was at them for leaving him, he wanted them back, he wanted to be with people who loved him unconditionally like parents were supposed to. Even if that was a fairy tail that was never true.

"I don't even know if I would remember what they looked like except for the picture."

[thefourthone]

"That...is pretty screwed up." It slips out before she can stop herself and immediately feels guilty. Billy's opening up and sharing with her, he doesn't need her judge-y self all over it.

"Sorry- no- sorry. That's not what I meant. Just that...it really, really sucks that you've had to grow up without them."

[sayshazam]

"Everyone leaves, right?" he said with a shrug. "It's just a matter of when."

He wasn't quite as bitter about that as he used to be. Billy had been learning that even though everyone did leave, maybe it was still worth having them around. At least so long as you didn't rely on them.

"Anyway, we're just about there. Last chance to bail before you're trapped by the cuteness that is bottle feeding baby bats."

[thefourthone]

"But sometimes people come back," Steph points out, unable to help herself. It's the only way she can cope with the idea of having left her mom all on her own. "Life's complicated."

Then she brightens, because baby bats are a much easier conversation than the grand and depressing meaning of life. "Most adorable prison ever. I'm ready."

[sayshazam]

"Not to me they don't," he murmured, regretting saying it as soon as the words left his mouth. He didn't want her to think he was a complete downer or anything.

"Okay, we're here," he said, knocking on the door. A second later a tall, dark skinned woman opened the door, smiling at Billy. Dr. Tate always reminded him of a kindly aunt someone might have.

"Billy, you're just in time. And you must be Stephanie, I've heard a lot about you. Please, come in."

[thefourthone]

Steph doesn't know what to say to that. She wants to protest, to suggest maybe they're just waiting for the sequel or something, but he's talking about his disappeared-but-probably-dead parents here. Who's she to push some hope on him about something like that?

So she can only give him a last glance before the door opens and the matter drops. "Hi," Steph says with a smile and a little wave as they step inside. "Hopefully only good things."

[sayshazam]

"Yes, you're certainly every bit as pretty as Billy said you were," Dr. Tate said, clearly amused at the way Billy's cheeks flushed when she said that.

"Come on, you said you'd be cool about this, Dr. Tate!" he protested as they stepped into the habitat. Billy had been here a few times, ever since Dr. Tate caught him sneaking in, and he had come to like the place. The back side of the zoo was way more interesting than the front. It was like a little hospital for the animals in a lot of places.

"I'm always very cool about things. Now, are you ready to meet the bats, Stephanie?"

[thefourthone]

Blushing, Steph laughs, a little self conscious, and tucks her hair behind her ears as she gives Billy a teasing look. "You go around talking about my prettiness, huh?" She asks, a little flirtatious.

She looks at everything they passed in fascination and peered into the little windows to see if any animals were inside. "Yes! I love bats. My, um, friend has some. Not as pets, but they sort of just...hang out together."

[sayshazam]

"I told you you were beautiful," he said, feeling his face flush with heat. She was hot, anyone could see that, but that just felt kind of like a side benefit to how awesome she was. Billy loved spending time with her and felt... comfortable. That was most important to him. Alright, it also helped that she was hot.

"Bats are very communal creatures," Dr. Tate said, leading them into the habitat where the baby bats were. "And these ones have gotten very used to people, I think you'll find them very agreeable to being looked after."

[thefourthone]

"Well...thanks." Hot and beautiful aren't the same thing, and somehow it's better knowing Billy thinks the latter. Enough that he goes around telling random zoologists about it. She bumps her shoulder against his lightly, a quick intentional touch. "Not so bad yourself."

The idea that bats are communal creatures makes her grin. She bets that Batman doesn't like that much. "We'll be very nice to them." When she sees the bats in their little incubator Steph positively lights up with glee. "Hiiii, baby bitty bats."

[sayshazam]

Billy knew that he should say something back to him compliment but he was too stunned by it to respond beyond a few stuttered words that probably didn't make much sense. Fortunately he was saved by the sight of the baby bats. As awesome an idea as this seemed Billy had a feeling that Steph may not even realize he was there.

"Bats like to play and explore," Dr. Tate explained, taking one of them out of the incubator where they younger ones were kept warm. "They need lots of touch. They don't imprint on other creatures but they do need gentle and affectionate touch. Would you like to hold one, Stephanie?"

[thefourthone]

"I absolutely want to hold one." She holds her cupped hands out eagerly. "I will be the most gentle and affectionate, promise." Then she glances over to Billy with an excited grin. "You going to hold one too?"

[sayshazam]

"Alright, here you go," Dr. Tate said, carefully placing one of the baby bats in Stephanie's hands.

Billy wasn't sure if he'd ever seen anyone smile as much as Steph was right now. He didn't even know it was possible for someone to smile that much but he was glad she was, he liked making her happy.

"Sure, I'll hold one," he said with a nod, holding out his hands as Dr. Tate placed one in his hands too. He had to admit that it was pretty cute, and also crazy that this tiny thing was just resting there in his hands.

[thefourthone]

"Hi little buddy," Steph says in a quietly giddy voice as she raises the little bat up to get a better look at it. The little guy is barely a weight in her hand with soft fur and bright eyes. She doesn't try to give it an Eskimo kiss, but it's close. "You're very sweet, you know."

She looks up to Dr. Tate. "Is he a fruit bat or a bug-eating bat? Or a vampire bat?" Steph grins at the bat in her hand and puts on her Sesame Street Count voice. "Do you vant to suck my blood?"

[sayshazam]

"They're fruit bats, although I always liked the term Megabat better, I thought it sounded more exciting," Dr. Tate said as she watched Stephanie handle the bats.

Billy had to admit that Megabat did sound a lot cooler than fruit bat. If he was a bat that was totally what he would go by. Megabat.

"These are the Black Flying Fox bats, aren't they?" Billy asked, before looking back at the bat. He'd seen them around before. "They're one of the kind that aren't very ugly."

[thefourthone]

"Ohhhh, megabat, look at you, big man," Steph says with a laugh and reaches a finger up to lightly rub the bat's head. He makes a little squeaky noise of pleasure and she laughs again in delight.

She looks up at Billy, still smiling. "You're a regular chiropterologist."

[sayshazam]

"You are such a bat nerd," Billy said, although he couldn't help but smile while he said it. Really, he could watch Steph smile all day, whatever it was that made her do it. If it was letting her freak out over bats then that was fine with him. "I only know because I've been back here before."

"Billy's right though," Dr. Trent said with a nod. "Black Flying Foxes are one of the most handsome species of bats."

[thefourthone]

"Well, I am from Gotham," she says with a shrug and another easy laugh. Bats in Gotham aren't always a good thing--there's a reason he's called the Dark Knight and not the Cheery Sunshine Knight--but here they can be. Bats can be cute fuzzy babies instead of dysfunctional heroic douchebags.

"See, buddy, you can be a male model someday," Stephs ays to her little bat buddy then holds him up so her bat could look over at Billy's. "Bats are social, right?"

[sayshazam]

"They can be social, yes," said Dr. Trent as she picked up one of the bats herself. "They can also switch between different social groups as well. Unlike wolves or other back animals, bats can leave one roost and integrate themselves in another. They can pick up and move, so to speak."

Billy thought that must be nice, to just be able to pick up and go to another place and be instantly accepted. No matter where you went, there was a huge group of people waiting for you.

[thefourthone]

"Awh, see, that's the way to do it. Give you a chance to get away from all that drama," Steph says with a sage nod to her little bat. It means if you get kicked out there's still somewhere new you can go. Then she steps closely to Billy so her bat could look at his. "Are they in the same social group?"

[sayshazam]

"Yeah, I think they are," Billy said, smiling as he scooted a bit closer to Steph. It wasn't the most normal date ever but she seemed to be really liking it, which was the important thing. Maybe he wasn't too terrible at this date thing?

"I bet they're good buddies."

[thefourthone]

"Yup BBFF. Bat Best Friends Forever." It doesn't even faze her that this probably sounds incredibly silly. Steph just grins at her little guy as he gives a little squeak. "I think he's hungry. Are they eating solid food yet?"

[sayshazam]

Billy kind of hoped that the bats would be able to be friends. There weren't a lot of places the bats could go, of course, but Billy wanted at least someone (or something) should have someone they could rely on.

"No, they're still being bottle fed," Dr. Trent said, handing Steph one of the bottles. "Which, if you ask me, is my favorite stage."

[thefourthone]

"Oh, little guy," Steph says as she takes one of the bottles eagerly. "You are still a little bitty bat." Carefully she holds it up to his mouth, and the bat must be used to this because he latches on and starts sucking right away. She looks over to Billy. "I'm so glad we got to meet them."

Something she wouldn't have ever been able to do without Billy.

[sayshazam]

Billy flushed a bit at her words as he took a bottle from Dr. Trent to feed his bad. This was exactly what he had hoped would happen, that she would just have a great time here. Billy hoped it would mean she'd like to do stuff with him again, of course, but he was just glad she was having a good time.

"Yeah, I'm really glad that we got to too."