The Holidays Can Get a Little Batty Ch. 04

"Uh huh." And Miri just passively accepted with only the tiniest roll of his eyes.

"And unlike you, I can actually rely on my masculine charisma to attract the ladies, instead of them just seeing me as some oversized stuffed animal." The human boy ribbed hard against his Bestial buddy.

"Oh yeah, I'm sure that was it." Miri droned, far more openly sarcastic this time, but that just drew a bit more laughter from his companion.

"Fine, dude. Being perfectly honest, I don't have a clue why Skyler asked me out. Hell, I was this close to just fucking it up completely I was so damn surprised. I barely even managed to choke out a 'yes' at all." Marcus spoke much more candid and honestly.

"So she really just asked you straight up, totally out of the blue?" Miri asked, now just genuinely curious.

"Pretty much, yeah. She just caught me leaving sixth period and asked like it was no big deal. And as soon I said yes she just grinned, handed me her phone number and said to call her later. Then she just left before I could say anything else." As Marcus spoke, Miri could hear the cocky air draining out of his friend. Obviously now the boy was really starting to feel the pressure of actually having to plan the night out.

"So yeah, guess I'm gonna call her tonight, get this whole thing planned out right..."

Sensing the false bravado waning, Miri slugged his friend playfully on the shoulder, and when Marcus turned he was waiting right there with the most encouraging smile he could offer.

"Dude, don't sweat it. If someone like Skyler made the first move, that has to mean she's totally into you. So don't think you have to make some grand gesture or anything to impress her. Just... just take her out." Miri tried to sound as helpful as possible, though the oddity of him of all people having to give dating advice to someone else did leave a rather strange sensation in his chest.

"You really think it'll just be that easy?" Marcus asked, more than a little hopeful.

"Hey, if anyone knows anything about a girl making the first move on them, it'd be me." The Bat was quick to point out with a sly grin, and that definitely set Marcus way more at ease.

"Heh. Point taken."

***

Night of the Prom, 4 PM, Miri's House

***

The big night had finally come, and as Miri worked on fixing up the last of his outfit he found the butterflies in his stomach weren't nearly as frantic as he thought they'd be. Standing in front of a body-length mirror in the living room of his home, the soon-to-be graduated Bat looked himself over a last few nervous times. The young Beast sported a tuxedo that fit quite nicely to his lithe figure, the dark-black coat and trousers highlighting perfectly against his lighter, silvery-purple fur. Below the classic black jacket Miri had chosen to go with a light purple vest and matching bowtie.

It was a little pricey to get it tailor-fit, but given he even got it trimmed to allow his wings through, it was proving to be well worth the price. And although he was still frustratedly fiddling with the bowtie to get it fit properly, even Miri could believe he was pulling the suit off very well.

For some reason his confidence seemed to be on a high spike tonight, and while he was typically not a fan of school events and public functions, especially where his and Noelle's relationship would be on full display, the young Bat just had a very good feeling about the evening. In fact he'd feel almost perfectly stress-free if not for two glaring issues at the moment, one being the damn bowtie he just couldn't seem to get the hang of. The other being...

"Here sweety, let me fix this real quick!" An overtly bubbly voice hit the back of his ears just a second before a soft figure was pressed into his back and a pair of nimble arms was circling around his neck.

"Mom, I was doing just fine by myself!" Miri embarrassedly bemoaned in response.

"You absolutely were not. This is a bowtie, Vladimir, not a shoelace." But her voice just came back as sing-song as it was final.

Miri sighed out and let his hands fall uselessly to his sides as his mother Veronica worked her magic on the aggravating bit of cloth around his neck. To say she'd been gushing and fretting about him all night would be an understatement; Miri felt like he had been lucky enough to pick his own underwear without the intrusive woman there to offer 'advice.'

"It'd be bad enough to think of my cute son ever presenting himself as a clueless slouch, but I won't dare allow you to look anything less than your best for Noelle. That sweet girl deserves an absolutely perfect night, and you are going to deliver mister!" Veronica continued in a teasingly motherly tone.

But to both his relief and annoyance, it only took the woman a few moments before she had the bow tied flawlessly around him., though she was apparently refusing to back off of him and now just stood there, her arms intimately draped around his chest from behind as she just smiled at his reflection.

"There we go. Now my precious Vladie is looking dressed to kill." Veronica sighed, almost a little sadly.

"Thanks mom... now can you please let go?" Miri groaned out, doing everything he could to keep his cheeks from flushing.

Now his mother let out an obviously embellished forlorn sign.

"Yes, yes, my baby boy's all grown up to and too old to have his mother doting on him anymore." She wailed dramatically, though she just pulled herself even tighter against her son.

"Moooommmmm..."

"Fine, then..." The dark-tressed female finally relented and let herself slip off the Bat's slender shoulders, however she left one hand lingering. "Just, at least let me get one last really good look at you."

Feeling his mother's hand on his shoulder urging him to move, Miri simply accepted and allowed himself to be turned to face her, Veronica finally taking a step back so she could give him a proper appraisal. The smile she wore never dulled a bit, however the Beast did notice the ever-so slight shimmering just barely staining the corners of his mom's eyes.

"You truly are so handsome Vladimir. I'm so happy for you." The soft-hearted woman spoke, her voice threatening to break at any moment.

"T-Thanks mom." Miri floundered under his mother's overtly-sappy display. He knew the woman meant it with all her heart, and he really did appreciate it... he just wished she would dial it back even just a tiny bit.

"Handsome's the least I could say about you Miri. I just hope my Noelle realizes just how lucky she is once she gets her eyes on you."

A sudden voice drew Miri's attention over towards the kitchen, where Noelle's mother Nora was emerging, a very impressed-looking smile on her face as she sized him up.

"Uh, t-thank you too Miss Beaufort. But I still feel like I'm the way luckier one between me and Noelle." Miri said to the lovely mother of his equally lovely girlfriend.

"Hmmm, I wonder about that..." Nora replied through her sly smirk as she made her way over to stand beside Veronica. "But really, Miri, your mother's right. You look incredibly sharp tonight. I almost can't believe you're the same wide-eyed little boy my daughter practically dragged into our home all those years ago."

Miri's smile strained as he nodded. 'Oh geez, here we go. They're about to get nostalgic.'

"They really have done practically everything together since they were kids, haven't they?" Veronica said as she quickly grew an even sappier look in her eyes than Nora.

"Though I think that's mainly been due to Noelle's need to drag him by the scruff everywhere she goes." Nora shared a tease with her friend, earning a small giggle from the dark-haired mother.

"Either way, it's only fitting that they wind up at their Prom together." Veronica all but dreamily sighed.

Miri was starting to worry that they'd be breaking out the photo albums any second, but even the two mothers' idle fawning stopped silent when the sound of heels clicking at the top of the stairs filled the house. All three sets of eyes turned on the stairwell as the other half to the pair carefully made her way down. And as soon as the girl was fully in sight Miri couldn't help but openly gawk. He felt like he had to snap his teeth just to keep his jaw from hanging open.

Noelle's dress was the very first thing to catch his attention, as it was utterly stunning. A brilliantly royal blue that stuck out like a shimmering sapphire. Cinched mercilessly tight at her waist, the front was split wide open, the 'neckline' reaching almost halfway to her naval and leaving a wide window to enjoy her milky breasts. The fabric split in two as it stretched up over the center of each soft globe, connecting around her neck and otherwise leaving the dress totally backless. The skirt however was quite long, just barely coming up off the ground, but Miri was plenty thrilled to see a long split rode nearly up to her hips, giving her much more freedom of movement and more importantly letting her elegantly slender leg peek through in such a tantalizing tease.

But as Miri's eyes poured over the ravishing young girl he was so lucky to call his, he quickly realized she had done so much more than just throw a dress over herself. Her feet clicked with every step on the wooden floor thanks to the short but graceful white heels strapped tight around her lithe ankles. Her fingers and toes were painted a matching brilliant white that only helped make the blue of her dress all the more catching. Noelle had never been much for makeup, but tonight her face was more picturesque than a renaissance portrait and glittered just enough to give her an almost ethereal, star-like aura. Her typically mid-length Blonde hair had been threaded into a complex web of tresses and braided back into a low, slightly messy bun.

And as the pretty teenager reached the bottom of the stairs, as she got ever closer to her awaiting Batty boyfriend, the last thing he noticed was the piece she wore around her neck, something that stood out in stark opposition to the rest of her bright attire. A simple, thin black string draped behind her neck leaving a little, glossy black bit of metal hanging directly in the center of her chest... and of course, as if Miri should've expected anything else from this crazy girl he himself was so crazy about, it was set in the shape of a little, flittering, Halloween-esque bat.

Miri felt like a vacuum had just sucked all the breath out of his lungs as Noelle caught his eyes and just gave him the simplest, most serene, and most beautiful smile he'd ever seen from the girl. And for once, he was incredibly thankful to have his mother there to fill the void.

"Oh my goodness Noelle, look at you! You're the most adorable thing I've ever seen!" Veronica totally gushed as she clasped her hands in delight over the pretty young girl standing before them.

"Wow sweety, just wow. I can't remember you ever looking more perfect than you do right now." Nora quietly beamed with as bright a smile as the more reserved woman ever shared.

"Thanks you two." Noelle flashed both mothers a quick, grateful smile before turning her full attention on the still speechless Bat, taking the last few steps until she was just an arm's length away.

"So what's the matter Miri? Bat got your tongue?" Noelle made her lame tease, but so... calmly. Miri was almost equally stunned just to hear her voice lacking the usual bite and confidence he'd always known her to have.

In fact, now that she was this close he could even see the girl blushing under his close scrutiny! Blushing! He wasn't sure he could even remember a single time in their lives where she'd been embarrassed to be seen by him! He'd floundered under her taunts and her smug looks half his life, but he didn't think he'd ever felt as paralyzed as he did by her looking timid!

"You're... I mean, I think...Ahh..." Miri helplessly fumbled his words as the two teens looked so uncertainly to each other. How the hell could he express the depths of his feelings with just a couple words? How did he let her know that she had always been the cutest girl he'd ever known even when they were just kids? How did he make her understand how much he meant it?

But as Noelle's eyes glimmered in uncomfortable anticipation, the young Beast knew he had to say something right now, and so he settled on the only three words his mouth could actually manage to make.

"You look beautiful." Miri was quiet, but there wasn't a hint of doubt as to the sincerity of his words, nor to the vast volume of emotion they managed to convey.

And finally Noelle let loose a tiny, almost relieved little giggle, her smile looking just a bit more like it's usual self.

"You don't clean up half-bad either." The pretty young Blonde light-heartedly teased back as her apprehension slowly dissipated.

The two shared another moment of silence, only this one was far less awkward, each just finding a simple pleasure in looking into each other's eyes, in just being together. But just as Miri's hand started to twitch as he thought of reaching out for his date, their self-contained world was suddenly brought back into reality as the Bat heard his mother give off a high-pitched and far too delighted 'squee.'

"Ohhhhh, you two are so cute together I can't stand it!" Veronica unabashedly gushed over the two teenagers before her face somehow lit up even more brilliantly. "Pictures! We need lots of pictures!"

And as the Raven-haired mother hurriedly pulled her phone out of her pocket Miri's face dropped at the threat, ironically only causing Noelle's grin to grow in delight at his exasperation. Nora meanwhile pinned them both with just as delighted a grin.

"No use complaining now, Miri. You know how your mother gets." The Platinum-Blonde mother gently chided the Bat's attitude.

"C'mon Miri, it'll be nice to have these memories." Noelle happily agreed with her mother as more energy started to come back to her voice.

"Yeah, you're right. May as well." The Bat spinelessly replied. He really had no choice but to just accept and do as he was told, just as he'd always done for these three women his whole life.

Once she was ready, Veronica emphatically ordered the young couple into a good spot against the wall, having them strike several poses, taking each other's hands, holding one another by the waist, and a smattering of sillier and more casual scenes as she thumbed over her phone's camera what had to be hundreds of times. And despite his mild chagrin, with the girl he loved in his arms Miri had no trouble smiling nice and bright for each and every picture, and he didn't have to look to know Noelle's smiles were ten-times brighter.

Veronica's expression was as happy as if she'd just won the lottery with every flash she snapped, and while she didn't show it as outwardly Nora was certainly just as pleased to see their children like this.

"These are all so perfect! You two just look so good together." Veronica idly mused even as she motioned for the kids to change their poses.

"I'm trying to think of the last time we got them both looking so nice. I think it may have been five years ago at my nephew's wedding." Nora spoke up from beside her friend's shoulder.

"Oh my gosh, yes! And the two got to dance together at the reception!" Veronica sighed cheerfully as she reminisced back.

"Mom..." Miri grumbled as his mother recalled that embarrassing detail.

But the bubbly older woman didn't pay him any mind as another spark just crossed her eyes.

"Ooh, or what about when my parents took us out for their 35^th wedding anniversary?!"

"Oh yeah, that upscale steak place in Pittsburgh, right? What were the kids then, ten or eleven?" Nora shared the pleasant memory. "The two were such little angels at such a fancy restaurant. But then your parents took us for ice cream afterwards, and I remember Noelle almost started sobbing when she spilled her cone all over her dress."

"Ok mom..." Now even Noelle was just barely threatening to raise her voice as the two women delved further into unnecessary memories.

But the girl was likewise ignored, the mothers all but forgetting them as Veronica lowered her phone and just turned even more animatedly to Nora.

"That's right! She was so close to a total meltdown when little Vladimir came to the rescue!"

"And that's when he learned the little trick with wiggling his ears, wasn't it? Oh Noelle loved that so much she just broke out into a fit of giggles!"

"And then Miri even shared the rest of his ice cream with her once she'd calmed down. Even then such a perfect little gentleman for her..."

"MOM!"

"MOM!"

Both teens shouted together, interrupting their parents' painful reminiscing. That at least got the older women's attention, cutting out of their own private reverie with a look of slight surprise, but the agitated expressions on their kids' faces quickly put a little smirk back on each of them.

"Sorry you two. It's just... it means a lot for us to see the two of you together like this now." Veronica spoke softly as she slipped her phone back into her pocket, apparently satisfied or at least knowing she wasn't going to get them to cooperate much longer.

Both teens' expressions softened at the older woman's quiet admittance.

"But I suppose we have been going a little bit overboard tonight, haven't we Veronica? We'd better see these two off soon before they're late for their big date." Nora admitted with her typical small smile as she brushed her hand over her fellow mother's arm in a show of encouragement.

"Yep, time to let them go off and be the cute couple they were always meant to be." Veronica agreed, choking just a tiny bit as her eyes started to get a little watery. "Oh, come here you two!"

But unable to help herself one last time, the highly emotional mother rushed over to the teens before either could utter a peep and swept them both in a hug, somehow squeezing them so tight to herself while also consciously avoiding ruining their outfits.

"I really am proud to see you now, Vladimir. By precious baby Batty's all grown up." Veronica barely avoided sobbing as she nuzzled her face along the silky fringe of her boy's long ear.

"O-Okay okay, I get it mom! I love you too!" The flustered Miri did his best to assure his overbearing mother, loosely wrapping an arm around her in kind as the woman pressed into him.

And for her part, Noelle couldn't help letting loose a tiny bit of laughter as she accepted the older female's embrace and hugged her back, probably harder than her own son was doing.

"You did a great job raising him, Auntie Veronica, so I promise to take very good care of Miri for you." The younger girl lightly joked, but there was no question to the older woman that she truly did mean it.

Veronica couldn't stifle a sniffle at her words, and squeezed the pretty young girl just a little tighter in her hug.

"I know you will, Noelle. You always have."

The lovely Raven-haired woman rocked a few moments longer with the two youngsters in her arms but did finally, although with an obvious degree of reluctance, let her babies go, taking a step back and wiping a few errant tears away from her eyes.

Miri and Noelle both gave another reassuring smile to Veronica before turning their attention to Nora, who as always was doing a much better job in keeping herself reserved and presentable, just stood there smiling approvingly at the two. But Noelle knew her mother, and she knew that while she'd never allow herself to rush in and glomp on someone the way Veronica did, that didn't mean she wouldn't appreciate the same show of affection. So without a word Noelle reached out to her mother and pulled the well-composed woman into a big hug of her own, one Nora was happy to return just as fiercely.