(no subject)

For the better part of the afternoon, Steve Rogers had been waiting. He had arrived at Semele's earlier than necessary, anticipating a few hours of party preparation ahead of him, but in fact there was very little for him to do. The invitations were sent, the cake and candles were bought, and the minimal decorations that Robin had allowed took only minutes to hang. Everything else, the staff had covered. So he sat at the bar and toyed with his phone, playing game after game of Solitaire until finally people began to arrive.

"Thanks for coming," he said, shaking hands with anyone who crossed the threshold. Most of Neil's friends, he recognized; they were his friends, too. Those he didn't know, he was eager to. But for now, he was busy playing host.

When he received a text from Mike, who was on his way with an unsuspecting Neil, he whistled for the crowd's attention. They hid under tables, in dark corners, and behind the bar. It wasn't perfect, but with the lights out, it ought to work.

Moments later, a voice filtered in through door, Neil grumbling that the bar was closed. Steve hit the switch, the lights came on, and everyone sprung from their hiding places.

"Surprise!"