#damian casually trying to sneak out

[kizzer55555]

The Vampire Aesthetic

Ok so Danny knows two billionaires personally and they really couldn’t be more different. Yet they had one thing in common. A vampire aesthetic. Sam is fully into goth. Spiderwebs, bats, the color black. She enjoys fangs and fake blood and the darkness of her soul. Meanwhile, Vlad is Vlad. If his name wasn’t enough, the dark clothing, pale skin, and flying around with a cape and fangs with coffins in his mansion really sells it.

Danny doesn’t know many rich people so he thinks this might be some kind of trend. (If Paulina is rich, her family likes the chupacabra) So he just thinks that all rich people have some kind of vampire thing going on.

Cue Danny somehow ending in the Wayne household. Maybe he was brought over as a friend of one of the bats, maybe rescued from a field trip/vacation gone wrong, maybe some other situation. But he is there in civilian form with civilian Waynes and Danny just takes a good long look around the inside of the mansion.

“So where’s the vampire aesthetic?

Everyone freezes.

Danny just starts looking around, checking behind paintings and feeling the walls for secret levers. Used to secret passages with Vlad and possibly Sam. The Fentons definitely had them when they were temporarily rich.

“Come on, I know you guys are hiding it.”

Cue the entire batfamily thinking that this is another Tim and that he is fully aware that these people are the batfamily. Danny hangs around the mansion more and the bats just start dropping their disguises and not even bothering to hide stuff around Danny because they assume he already knows. (Possibly even trying to recruit him to be a new bat) Meanwhile, Danny, who does not know these people are batman and his birds, just does not pick up on any of it.

He grew up in a health violation with a giant ballon observatory lab above his head and a portal to the afterlife in his basement. He is a half dead teenager who has tea with the god of time and his godfather is the other parent to his clone child. He’s used to death lazers being scattered across his home and mysterious stains on clothing.

People are weird! He doesn’t judge!

[leagueraised]

he  almost  makes  it  to  the  wall .  the  path  had  been  clear ,  and  he  had  been   certain   that  he’d  managed  to  evade  detection .  as  he  came  to  a  halt  in  front  of  the  wall ,  however ,  he  knew  that  wasn’t  the  case .

“ i  know  you’re  there , ”     he  said ,  not  turning  to  look  at  them . 

[cherrrydragon]

➤ find something worth saving (it's all for the taking)

CHAPTER FOURTEEN: PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE (LET ME GET WHAT I WANT)

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SUMMARY ↳ ;) Damian and Jon are easy to spot, standing together near a large decorative display. Jon's bright smile is a beacon, and Damian's more reserved demeanor contrasts starkly with his friend. They’re standing in front of a window. It paints the image of being surrounded by snowfall as they chat away. pairing: jon kent x gn!reader x damian wayne warnings: threats of bodily harm wc: 4.3k

Nothing quite says party like a Tony Stark party. You distinctly remember your first one. You weren’t even planning to come, but when Tony saw you in bed with pajamas he bullied you into getting dressed. He said that you ‘needed to get out more’, which was bull, but whatever. As payback you drank as much alcohol as you could sneak. The scolding from Steve you got was worth it seeing Tony’s appalled stare.

This time, you intend to stay in bed.

Bruce Wayne has decided to throw a New Year’s Gala, for whatever reason. You think it doubles as a charity, but you don’t know why else he would throw it, nor do you care enough to find out. He did invite you, but you’re not too keen on being perceived by society.

“You look nice,” you muse, seeing Damian in his little formal wear. He’s made a quick stop in your room, for whatever reason. He’s a cute sight, so you’re not complaining.

Damian adjusts the cufflinks on his formal wear. "Thank you," he mutters, glancing away for a moment before meeting your eyes again. "You should come.”

You laugh softly, shaking your head. "Nice try, hun. But I’m really not in the mood to be around a bunch of snooty elites."

He sighs, looking slightly disappointed. "It would be more bearable with you there."

"Flattery will get you nowhere," you tease, reaching out to straighten his tie. "Besides, someone has to stay and hold down the fort. Unless, of course, you’re asking me to be your date?”

He rolls his eyes but doesn’t dignify your comment with a response. Finishing fiddling with his tie, you step back from him. You see his hands twitch just a tad.

“Hi, [Name].” You turn to see Jon poking his head through your doorway, smiling cutely. He steps in, letting you see that he too is dressed up for the party.

“Well shit, look at you,” you grin, eyes roaming his figure.

He spreads his arms out, bashful. “Look at me,” he says, hands coming up to fidget with his tie. “I wasn’t sure about the tie, though. Damian said it was too flashy.”

You chuckle softly. “He’s just jealous he can’t pull it off like you.”

Jon laughs, shaking his head. “Maybe.”

There’s a comfortable silence as you glance between Jon and Damian, both looking unexpectedly nervous in their formal wear. It’s a stark contrast to their usual confident selves when they're out on patrol or facing down villains.

“So,” Jon starts, his tone casual, “are you coming with us?”

“Absolutely not,” you grin. “I do not have the energy to deal with people right now.

Damian huffs softly, exchanging a knowing glance with Jon before turning back to you. "You're missing out on Father's attempt at social philanthropy," he remarks dryly, clearly not a fan of the gala idea either.

Jon nods in agreement, his smile widening. "True, but I guess we'll have to suffer through it together."

You chuckle at their banter, appreciating their effort despite your reluctance. "Well, make sure to bring me back a good story or two. Preferably involving Bruce embarrassing himself on the dance floor."

Jon grins mischievously. "Deal. We'll keep you posted."

As they leave your room, Damian pauses at the door, looking back with a faint smile. "If you change your mind," he offers quietly, "you know where to find us."

You nod, blowing them kisses as they leave. You settle back into your cozy spot, grateful for the quiet evening ahead. From here, you can hear the chatter and glasses clinking from partygoers downstairs. You sigh and sink into your bed with no further plans for the night. Just as you start to drift into a more relaxed state, your thoughts briefly return to Damian and Jon.

Damian. Damian is so complex. So rich in character. He carries an air of absoluteness around him. Every now and again you have that realization that everybody around you is living their own complex lives. You guess that realization hits harder, since you had never entertained the thought of him being real. Foolish on your pat, with what you know.

Jon, Jon exudes a warmth that contrasts with Damian's reserved nature. His easy going manner and quick smile charm you so. Only he, who gets his powers from the sun, could shine so bright. He's the kind of person who can brighten any room he enters.

The sounds of the party drift up faintly, a reminder of the world outside your cozy sanctuary. For now, you're content to enjoy this peaceful moment to yourself, letting your eyes drift close.

.

.

.

“Hello?” a voice echoes out. It’s yours. An amalgamation of bright lights closes in on itself behind you. Footsteps echo as you walk down the alley. You don’t hear any civilians walking and talking or any cars going down the roads. New York is quiet tonight.

Swinging up onto a building, you began making your way across the city. The eerie silence is unnerving you. The usual hustle and bustle is conspicuously absent, replaced by an unsettling calm. In fact, New York is… completely dark. Not one apartment light is on.

Avengers tower looms over the city. It’s the only building with—some—light. The building… isn’t really a building. Half of it is gone, jagged and broken edges pointing skyward. Cracks litter the walls, glass broken.

Your footsteps echo softly as you approach the tower. The air feels heavy with a sense of desolation. There’s pieces of broken armor and weapons. Flickering lights casting eerie shadows.

As you move through the ruins, a faint voice calls out—a whisper carried on the wind. You turn, but there's no one there. The silence intensifies, punctuated only by the distant sound of your own breathing.

Suddenly, a figure appears before you—a spectral image of Tony Stark, his armor battered and glowing faintly. His eyes meet yours with a mixture of sorrow and determination.

"You were supposed to be here," he murmurs, his voice echoing in the empty chamber. "Where were you?”

You reach out, but your hand passes through his ethereal form. He fades slowly, leaving you alone. You see a broken red, white and blue shield in the distance. 

“No, no, nononono. This wasn’t supposed to happen–”

There’s a woman behind you. She seems familiar. “You left us.”

You left them. All to die.

There’s a piercing scream as you're sucked into an explosion of colors below you. You try to reach out, to grab onto something, but there’s no one there.

You sit up with a gasp, suddenly at a loss for breath. Your body is tense and sweaty and you’re breathing heavily. Your heartbeat is booming in your ears. It feels like it’s going to burst from your chest. The sensation of falling fades as you orient yourself to the familiar surroundings of your room.

You glance around, reassuring yourself with the reality of your peaceful sanctuary. The sounds of the party downstairs continue to drift up faintly, a distant reminder of the world outside your door. You rub your temples, trying to dispel the last traces of the unsettling dream.

Taking a deep breath, you reach for a glass of water on your bedside table, sipping slowly to calm your nerves. “Karen, how long was I asleep?”

“Only an hour.”

You bury your face in your hands, breathing. Sometimes you think your mind is your biggest enemy. You should’ve figured, really. You haven’t had a proper nightmare since you’ve gotten here. It was only a matter of time.

“Might I suggest heading to the Den to take your mind off things?” Karen's voice is soft, achingly so. It’s comforting.

You don’t respond verbally, only nodding your head. You throw off the covers sluggishly, still trying to ground yourself. You put on the first clothes you find. They’re definitely not gala material, but that’s fine. You’ll only pop in to tell someone where you’re going.

Titus is loitering the halls, but he comes to you when he sees you out and about. He sniffs you, gruffing like he’s disturbed by something. Maybe he can sense that you’re a little unnerved right now. You give him good pets before moving on past him.

The grandeur of the gala spills out into the hallway, the lights casting a warm, inviting glow. Chatter floods your ears as you arrive just outside the entrance to the grand room. The place is perfectly lit up and shiny. The sounds of laughter and conversation form a stark contrast to the silence of your dream, grounding you.

Damian and Jon are easy to spot, standing together near a large decorative display. Jon's bright smile is a beacon, and Damian's more reserved demeanor contrasts starkly with his friend. They’re standing in front of a window. It paints the image of being surrounded by snowfall as they chat away.

You hesitate at the entrance, your eyes drawn to Jon and Damian standing together. The way Jon's eyes light up when he looks at Damian, and the small, almost imperceptible smile that tugs at Damian's lips in response, speaks volumes. They stand close, their bodies angled toward each other.

Damian reaches out to brush away a curl from Jon's face. Jon smiles, mouthing something. He talks animatedly, eyes bright. Damian watches. Fondly, you realize, he’s watching. There’s even a little small smile on his face. It puts a matching one on your face. It reminds you of Pepper and Tony, the way they look at each other.

Like they’re in love.

…

Oh.

Oh.

Holy shit, they’re in love, aren’t they? Holy shit. How did you not notice? Well… you’re not often hanging out with both of them at the same time, are you? You know they hang out on their own without you. They were friends before they knew you of course. Since they were children. Oh God, you hope they aren’t, like, secretly dating or anything. You’ve been flirting with them, but it was playful! You swear!

.

.

.

God, what have you been doing?

You need to get home. You’re not supposed to be here. You should be at the tower, playing darts with Clint, or looking for colleges you want to go to. Not here, not pretending like everything is fine, everything is normal, everything is how it’s supposed to be. You’ve forgotten yourself, gotten too comfortable. You feel a sudden detachment, like a thread just snapped. This is a borrowed fantasy.

Like clockwork, you put on a grin, baring your teeth. You take a step back, the sounds of the party fading into the background. It's as if everything is moving in slow motion, every sound is distant and every breath is drawn out. The party fades away as you turn, making your way towards the exit. Each step feels heavy, like you're carrying a weight you can't quite name.

All you hear is a constant ringing in your ear as you swing from building to building. There are people in the streets, no doubt celebrating the incoming new year. The city seems especially alive, lights twinkling. You’re grateful you can’t feel the biting cold air thanks to your suit. You fear you’re already feeling too much right now.

By the time you reach the familiar tunnel, your stomach is in knots. You’re on autopilot as you move the rubble, climbing in. The cute fairy lights feel too bright now. Your mask retracts, letting you breathe in.

You grab a screwdriver, not yet knowing what you’re going to do. “You might be able to finish before midnight,” chimes Karen.

Really? Had you been that far along in your progress? Oh. Maybe you knew and just forgot. You don’t really know right now. Your legs feel stiff as you approach the particle accelerator, screwing in a part tight. You work methodically, hands steady despite the turmoil in your mind. Each screw, each connection, each calibration is a step closer to completion, closer to... what? A return to your old life?

Karen's voice interrupts your thoughts gently, "You're almost done. Just a few more adjustments."

You nod absently, tightening another screw. The particle accelerator is nearly ready. Your mind drifts to the dream again—Tony, the absence of life, your home that you don’t recognize. "You left us," echoes in your mind.

Finally, the last screw is in place. You step back, wiping a hand down your face, and take a deep breath. The machine hums with a soft, steady power. It's ready. You're ready. Or at least, the machine is.

You stand back, staring at the particle accelerator with a mix of anticipation and apprehension. The steady hum of the machine fills the air, a stark contrast to the chaos in your mind. It's a portal, a bridge to another reality (the start of one, at least) another chance to set things right—or at least, to find some semblance of peace.

You insert a prism into it, making sure it’s secure. “Initializing…” hums Karen. The particle accelerator hums, lights flickering on and running down it. Sound whirls as you grab the little wheel you attached to it. “Approaching maximum power.”

The machine shakes as you turn the wheel. The prism turns, guiding a light. The light cuts through the space, producing fire and sparks where it hits. It cuts an old pipe in half. Whoops.

In front of you, lies an object akin to that of Tony Stark's arc reactor. Of course, it’s not actually an arc reactor, it’s just there to hold the new element. The light pierces and cuts until finally, it reaches its target. You think you hear the prism chime as the light hits the little triangle in the holder. You know that that’s the case when the chime gets louder as the light gets brighter. Brighter, brighter, brighter—oh.

You turn the machine off, looking at the glowing creation. The light fades, showing you the bright glowing triangle that is the new element. You sigh in content.

You duck under the particle accelerator, approaching the mimic arc reactor. Your fingers flex in anticipation, reaching out. The claws of your suit clink against the tiny triangle as you pick it up.

“Congratulations, [Name]. You’ve successfully recreated Tony Stark’s new element.”

You hum. “Well, couldn’t have done it without you and your awesome know-it-all abilities, my dear.”

A symphony of crackles, pops, and booms that fill your ears. Each pop rattles off as it fades. Oh, the fireworks. Is it…

“What time is it, K?”

“It is currently twelve AM, on the dot. I think this was an appropriate way to start the new year, don’t you?”

You chuckle, bowing your head. “Happy New Year.” You wonder if Damian and Jon… no. Probably shouldn’t think about that.

“Happy New Year, [Name].”

“...Happy New Year…”

You whirl around, fist tightly curling around the badassium. There’s no one there. Um. Were you imagining things? Oh, you see now, a figure there in the corner. A figure, somebody. Somebody that looks like…

Looks like…

“I know I’m probably the last person you want to see right now…”

How did your senses not pick up on them?

“I… don’t know what I’m doing here myself.”

They’re stepping closer to you.

“I guess… well. I don’t know.”

It’s… it’s…

“But I do know… that I’m sorry. I was… I shouldn’t have done what I did.”

It’s the spider… the one from the warehouse. The reason why you’re here.

“You…” Suddenly, you can’t breathe.

They clasp their hands behind their back, looking around the room. Then they look at you. Stare at you. The eyes of their suit squint as they take in your face. “Pretty cozy place. More cozy than mine, that’s for sure.”

You put down the badassium, afraid you’ll break it in your fist. They turn to look at it, then at the particle accelerator. “You work fast. Faster than me. It took me way too long to make that big stupid thing. I didn’t have any blueprints or even confirmation that it would work, but–”

A scratchy yell erupts from your mouth as you pounce at them. They dodge, fucking spidey senses.

They hold out their hands. “Woah woah woah, wait–”

You don’t wait. You lunge at them again, claws swiping out to them. It lands, leaving behind red. They don’t have an armored suit like yours. You have the advantage.

They scramble out of your way, knocking over things as they go. “Please–”

You grab their suit at their collarbone, pulling them to you. “You!”

“Me?” they squeak.

“You’re the reason I’m fucking stuck here!”

“I know I know, and I’m sorry. I’m sorry! I wasn’t thinking! I was being stupid! I just–”

“I don’t care,” you growl, showing your fangs. Your shoulders flex, releasing the nano spider legs. They emerge hauntingly, their sharpened points glinting, poised and ready to strike.

“You know, I’m not really like the other spiders. Most of ‘em anyways,” you drawl. “Apart from being the only [Name] I know, my moral compass is a roulette wheel. I’m a hero of course, I save who need saving, and punish who needs punishing.”

“Truth is,” you lean in, eyes wide and flickering with hot pink, “I am much more keen to violence than the others. I’ve killed people. A couple of people, actually,” you admit, voice low and intense. “Doesn’t make me a true good person, of course, but it does make the world a bit safer for those that are.”

They try to struggle free, but you hold them firm. "I'm going to figure out what you need. So tell me, what the fuck are you doing?”

They sniff, taking in a deep breath. “I never wanted to hurt you. I don’t hurt people.” Their hands quiver as they latch onto yours. “I just wanted to go home, and I thought you were gonna stop me–”

You growl and they yelp. “It’s not an excuse! I know it’s not an excuse, but it’s my explanation. I just.. I felt bad. I was…” they pause.

“I was working on this machine. A particle accelerator,” they sigh, oblivious to the way your ears start ringing. “I was messing around, and I got stuck in your universe. I tried to go back home. I tried for so long, acting like everything was normal, like I belonged but I… I had to go back home.” Their voice gets wobbly. “I spent so long there, I got desperate.”

They start sniffling, and you know they’re crying. “I thought, if I could find where you went… I could help you get back to your universe. So what happened to me won’t happen to you.” They take a step back. Oh, did you let them go? “I can’t take you with me. Other things can't pass through my portal without turning to dust, but…”

They reach into a pocket, pulling out a small, intricate device. It glows softly in their hand, emitting a faint, steady pulse.

“...What is it?” you croak.

"It's a catalyst," they explain, their voice still shaky. "It’s what I used to stabilize the rift. You know, so my atoms wouldn’t get scattered across space.”

Your gaze narrows, skeptical of the device in their hand. "Why should I trust you?" you demand, voice edged with exhaustion and anger.

They take a deep breath, looking into your eyes with a mix of desperation and sincerity. "You shouldn’t,” they admit. "But I know what it's like. I wouldn’t wish it upon anyone."

You stare at the catalyst, the faint pulse mesmerizing. "And if this doesn't work? If you're lying?"

You feel their eyes on you through their mask, voice filled with regret and determination. "Then you can do whatever you think is necessary. But I promise you, I'm not lying."

Your silence hangs heavy between you. The sounds of the fireworks outside are distant echoes, reminding you of the world outside this tense moment. Finally, you reach out and take the catalyst from their hand, feeling its weight and the subtle hum of energy within.

“You really want to help?” you whisper, fist curling around the catalyst. “Find Miguel O'Hara from Earth-928.” Your grip tightens around the catalyst as you step back, letting the weight of the moment settle in. The stranger stands still, their eyes fixed on you through their mask. You can see the weariness in their posture, the heaviness of their own burdens reflected in their stance.

“Find him, and tell him where I am.”

They nod slowly. “I’ll find him. I promise.” Their voice holds a note of determination.

You step back and wave an arm. “Just go.” You’re well and truly done with everything at the moment.

They stand for a moment, looking at you. Looking through you. Then they turn away, and all you see is an eruption of bright and colorful light, before it’s gone just as fast as it came. The Den feels unfamiliar to you now.

You sink to the floor, mentally, physically, and spiritually exhausted. Sound is distant, the only thing you hear is a loud ringing. Your breath comes in ragged gasps, chest heaving. Your face feels wet. Ah, it’s tears. You’re crying. Why are you crying?

“–me]! [Name]! Come on, come back. I’m here, it’s okay–”

“Jon?” Is that your voice?

An arm curls around your shoulder and crowds you into his embrace. His warmth contrasts starkly with the cold dread that had settled in your chest. He holds you tightly, his presence grounding you. You cling to Jon like a lifeline, his warmth grounding you in the present.

“It’s okay,” he whispers, hand smoothing down your back.

Sniffling, you sink into his embrace. “What are you doing here?” you mutter.

“Where else should I be?” With Damian. “I stuck my ear out, heard your heart beating fast. And the sound of you… well.”

You sigh heavily, cheek against his chest, listening to his own heartbeat. It's strong and steady, everything you want to be. “My heartbeat?”

He nods against your head. “Your heartbeat.”

You sigh again, a mixture of exhaustion and relief. “Oh, Jon...”

"Shh," he soothes, his hand still moving gently along your back. "You don't have to say anything right now."

"I don't deserve you," you murmur into his chest, your voice barely audible.

Jon tightens his hold on you, his voice firm yet gentle. "Don't say that. Please don’t say that."

You take a shaky breath, feeling the weight of the night’s events settling over you. Jon’s presence is a comforting anchor amidst the storm of emotions swirling inside you. “I just… I don’t know what to do, Jon.”

He tilts your chin up gently, his blue eyes filled with concern and determination. “You don’t have to figure it all out right now. We’ll take it one step at a time, together.”

You don’t say anything, simply resting your head against him. His lips press against your forehead, gently and warm.

“In other news,” you sniffle, moving to get out of his embrace. He holds on to your for a moment, uncertain. But a persistent tug from you makes his arms drop. You reach up, grabbing the small glowing triangle. “Look what I made.”

He eyes the small thing in your claws. “What is it?”

“The badassium. The new element that I’ve created.” You rock it around gently. “I did it.”

Jon's eyes widen with surprise and admiration as he gazes at the glowing triangle in your hand. "That's incredible," he says, reaching out to gently touch the shimmering surface.

You nod, a small smile tugging at your lips despite the lingering heaviness in your chest.

He looks up at you, his expression softening with concern. "Are you... okay?"

You hesitate, unsure how to answer. Instead of words, you hand him the glowing badassium, letting him examine it closely. The warmth of his touch is grounding. He studies it, turning it this way and that, before looking at you again. He puts it down where it was, coming back to you to hold your hand.

“You’re incredible,” he breathes. You don’t have any words, so you keep your mouth shut. 

“...Wanna go home?” he asks tentatively. You nod. He slowly steps forward, kneeling down and hooking his arms under your legs and back when you show no sign of hesitance. Jon lifts you effortlessly, cradling you close as he stands. You rest your head against his shoulder, eyes feeling heavy.

“I'm not invalid, Jon.”

“Just let me take care of you.” He shouldn't say things like that.

He makes sure that the Den is properly blocked and hidden by the rubble. After that, all you feel in the cold air biting at your cheeks as he flies you across the city. The lights below blur into streaks of color as you soar through the night sky. You cling to him, feeling the steady rhythm of his flight beneath you.

People are still at Wayne Manor as you approach, lights shining bright. Jon serves around the side, pulling up to your room's window. You sigh in relief as he gently sets you down in your room.

You see Damian rush over to you both, suit jacket forgotten. Was he waiting here for you?”

“Where were you?” he demands, hands coming up to rest on your arms. His concern is evident, his eyes searching yours for answers.

Jon steps forward, his hand resting on Damian's shoulder. "It doesn’t matter now. They’re okay," he reassures Damian, who nods slightly, though the crease in his brow doesn’t go away.

"Sorry," you say sincerely, looking at both of them, "for worrying you." You gently push Damian’s hands off you and go to your bed. Your clothes are comfortable enough, you decide. The soft pillow feels heavenly as you sink into the mattress. Hands come up the pull your blanket over you, lightly caressing your forehead before leaving.

Hushed voices bickering are the last thing you hear before darkness pulls you in.

notes: so... how we feeling? LOL

ngl i feel like the reasoning is cheap but how y'all liking the parallel? it'll make more sense later on, i promise ;)

also am i evil for using the "oh. oh." in that context? yes. yes i am

[zyhkoo]

☆ you bewitched me

Jason Todd x GN!singer

Jason knew that he should keep his distance, but he cant help but fall of Gotham’s most beloved singer. part 1

Jason was currently on patrol with Nightwing, jumping and running between rooftops.

“You seem pretty hyper today” Nightwing commented as he landed beside Jason on the edge of a building.

Jason rolled his eyes under his helmet.

Dick often teased him whenever he was in a particularly good mood. And today, he was very much in a good mood.

“Shut up” he retorted back at him. “I’m just on a good roll today, is all.

“Are you going to go see your girlfriend again after patrol?” Dick asked, grinning as he eyed Jason’s happy demeanor.

Jason glanced over at Dick. He had to resist the urge to just smack the grin right off his face.

“None of your business” Jason grumbled, keeping his eyes focused on the city below.

“Who’s your girlfriend?” you peeked from behind.

Jason whirled around, his heart nearly jumping out of his chest.

His eyes widened as he saw you standing behind him. His mind was going crazy wondering how in the world you’d snuck up on him like that.

Meanwhile Dick was just laughing maniacally beside him, completely amused by Jason’s reaction to your surprise appearance.

Jason had to resist the urge to glare at Dick.

He focused his eyes on you, who was looking at him with a cheeky grin.

“What are you doing here?” he asked.

“Was on patrol and wanted to see you boys.” you answered.

Dick chuckled again. “You just wanted to see this one” he said, gesturing at Jason.

Jason was about to snap at Dick but managed to hold himself back.

“Oh,” you frowned, “guilty as charged.” you joked back.

Jason could feel his cheeks heat up a bit as you admitted it.

He glanced over at Dick to see if he was going to say anything and thankfully he didn’t.

He turned back to you, trying to act casual. “You couldn’t have waited until we got back to the Bat-Cave?” he asked, crossing his arms.

You crossed your arms “Came all the way to find at least one of you then you want me out?” you huffed “Okay, I see.”

Jason couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow at your little act.

“Don’t put words in my mouth” he said, a bit amused. “I didn’t say I wanted you out, I just said that you could’ve waited instead of sneaking up on me” he replied.

Dick was watching the whole interaction and found it absolutely hilarious. He could clearly see that Jason was trying so hard to act like his usual grumpy self, but failing miserably.

Jason glanced over at Dick who was clearly trying to hold back another laugh. He was getting fed up with how amused he was getting by the whole situation.

He let out a small huff before looking back at you. “Look, you’re here already so you might as well just hang out with us until patrol’s done” he said.

You unfolded your arms “Sweet.” you moved to look at the city down below.

Jason kept his eyes on you as you walked closer to the edge.

He kept a close eye on you, as usual, making sure you didn’t accidentally do anything stupid.

Jason had no doubt that you were a great vigilante. He had seen firsthand how strong and smart you were during patrols.

But there was also another side of you that Jason adored just as much.

He loved watching you perform.

He didn’t know how you managed to perform in front of large crowds or how you were able to do it so confidently and effortlessly.

He couldn’t relate to that at all, he hated having the spotlight on him.

But you? You were completely in your element while you were on stage.

The bat-family was gathered together in the audience, watching as you performed on stage.

Steph and Duke were fangirling over you, while Babs and Cass were all smiles and singing along to the songs they knew. Tim was tapping along to the beat while Dick enthusiastically sang along to the lyrics.

Even Damian was somewhat enjoying the show, even if he was trying hard to hide it.

Jason’s eyes were still glued to you as you continued performing.

He felt a slight nudge and he glanced over at Dick.

“What?” he grumbled.

“Earth to Jason,” Dick said with a smirk. “You’re completely drooling!”

Jason quickly snapped out of it and realized he’s been openly staring at you this whole time.

He felt his cheeks heat up as he quickly looked away.

“I’m not drooling” he mumbled.

Dick heard this time and time again.

“Yeah, and you’re not in love with her either, right?”

Jason rolled his eyes and grumbled under his breath.

He knew Dick already knew about his feelings for you (almost everyone did), but he still hated dealing with his teasing. But at the same time he didn’t mind.

“Shut up.” he hissed.

You tapped your mic then strummed your guitar “Okay, I haven’t released this song on any platforms. But I figured I’m going to sing it here first before I release it.” you told the crowd.

The crowd cheered as you announced a new unreleased song.

As you strummed your guitar, Jason recognized it a bit. As you sang, he definitely knew where this came from.

He knew this song, you had sung it to him before.

He felt his heart thump in his chest as he listened to you sing, singing the very same lyrics you sang to him in the privacy of your apartment.

Jason couldn’t believe you were actually singing the song you sung to him all those months ago.

The memory of your late night singing session in your apartment was still fresh in his mind. He could still recall the warm and intimate atmosphere, as you sang so softly just for him.

He couldn’t help but feel a flutter in his chest as he thought back to that moment.

As you stopped the song you smiled at the crowd. “Um, I wrote that for a friend.” you nervously chuckled as you scan at the VIP area up above where the bat-family was.

The crowd cheered and applauded as you finished the song.

Jason’s heart beat faster as he heard you say it was written for a friend.

He knew damn well it was for him. You didn’t sing those lyrics for no reason.

The rest of the bat-family was glancing around at each other, clearly all knowing you were talking about Jason.

Dick was grinning widely, obviously enjoying Jason’s reactions.

Jason just sat silently, trying to maintain his stoic demeanor but failing miserably as his cheeks turned slightly red.

He could feel everyone’s eyes on him, and he knew they were all enjoying this moment a bit too much.

“What?” He looked at his family.

His family members all had amused smiles on their faces.

Dick was still grinning, while Steph and Duke were both squealing loudly. Babs had a knowing smirk, and Damian even had a tiny bit of a smirk on his face.

“Yeah, yeah laugh it up” he muttered, folding his arms and looking away.

The bat-family made their way backstage, eager to see you and congratulate you on your performance.

As they made their way deeper backstage, they eventually found you talking to the stage crew and the backup dancers.

As soon as you saw the bat-family approaching, you brightened up immediately.

You hugged all of them but noticed that Jason wasn’t there.

“Where’s Jay? you asked “I’m right here,” a voice said from behind you.

Jason suddenly appeared from behind you which made you jump a bit.

You turned your head with a smile and immediately pulled him in a hug.

His arms automatically wrapped around your back, pulling you closer to him.

He tried to play it cool and act nonchalant, but he couldn’t help the small smile that formed on his lips as he held you.

“Ah- Jason, wait I can’t breathe!” you wheezed.

Jason didn’t realize he was hugging you so tightly until you spoke up.

He immediately loosened his grip, but still held you close to him.

“Sorry” he mumbled, feeling a bit embarrassed that he was getting so affectionate in front of his family.

You let go of his grasp and faced everyone “Why don’t we all go eat somewhere?” you said as you specifically eyed Bruce.

Bruce, on the other hand, let out a small sigh, realizing there was no way he could say no to you.

"Alright, where do you want to go?" he asked, everyone started brainstorming.

The bat-family members all started throwing out different ideas

“Thai food..

“Burger place.”

“Italian.”

“Pizza!”

“Sushi.”

“Steak!”

Jason stood silently, just watching his family members all debate where to eat.

Bruce pinched the bridge of his nose, clearly overwhelmed by the different suggestions.

“How about we let Jason decide?” Dick says.

Oh, great.

All eyes turn to Jason as they try to convince Jason to choose their option.

“Jason say steak please.” you pleaded.

Jason felt all eyes on him, everyone eager for him to make a decision.

He heard your pleading tone as you begged for him to choose steak, and the way you said his name sent a small flutter to his heart.

“Steak” he finally said, the word slipping out of his mouth without even thinking twice.

Everyone let out a mix of groans and cheers.

Bruce looked relieved that a decision had finally been made, while Damian just rolled his eyes.

“All of you are like children.” Damian says.

Days turned to weeks and weeks turned to Months.

Jason had come to look forward to your constant presence in his life. From your regular hangouts to your late night phone calls and everything in between, he craved it all.

Jason found it harder and harder to deny his feelings for you, but he still somehow managed to keep it under wraps.

He knew his family members were getting fed up with him holding back, especially Dick and Tim.

They both kept pestering him, saying how painfully obvious it was that he was completely smitten with you. But Jason just brushed them off, pretending like he didn’t know what they were talking about.

You were walking in the batcave then saw the three of them talking about…. you.

You hid behind a wall listening in.

“Why can’t you just tell her?” Tim asks as he crosses his arms.

Jason grumbled a bit as Tim asked him the same question again.

“Because,” he replied, “It’s not that simple. Do you think dating a star is gonna be easy?”

“You’re just making excuses, Jay” Dick chimed in. “You know they like you, so why are you holding back?”

Jason grumbled, feeling frustrated as he knew he couldn’t deny what they were saying.

“I just can’t, okay?” he snapped back. “It’s not that easy to just confess to someone like them.”

You felt your heart sink a bit as you heard Jason's words.

You couldn't help but wonder what he meant by that. Was the idea of confessing to you really something that he thought was so impossible?.

“Why does it have to be so complicated?” he asked. “You like them, they like you. It’s not rocket science, just ask them out.”

“It’s not that simple,” Jason mumbled, folding his arms. “They’re a star in the industry, they could’ve had anyone they wanted. Why the hell would they want me?”

He felt like he wasn’t good enough for you, that he wasn’t worthy of your time and love. He was worried that his own issues and past baggage would only drag you down and make your life worse.

“I don’t want them to love me, I’m not someone worth wanting.” Jason said.

Jason’s words were completely contradictory to his own thoughts and feelings.

Deep down, he knew that he desperately wanted your love and affection. He longed to be with you, to hold you, to love you.

But his own self-doubt and insecurity kept him from accepting or even acknowledging his own feelings.

His words punched you in the gut, your eyes clouded with pain as you clenched your fist.

Tim’s eyes widened as he saw you around the corner.

Both Jason and Dick turned around, following Tim's gaze and freezing as they saw you standing there.

Jason's face paled as he realized you had been eavesdropping on their conversation.

You were still reeling from what you had overheard, your heart aching at Jason's words about not wanting your love.

Feeling overwhelmed, you stormed out of the batcave, leaving the three men speechless and stunned.

Eventually, Jason snapped out of his frozen state and began running towards the entrance of the batcave.

Dick and Tim both watched him go, knowing that he was going after you.

Soon enough, he found you in the gardens outside the manor, sitting on a bench with your head buried in your hands.

He cleared his throat, trying to get your attention.

"Hey," he mumbled softly, taking a seat on the bench next to you.

“Gah!” you exclaimed, surprised by his presence.

Jason flinched as you exclaimed in surprise, not meaning to startle you so much.

“Sorry.” he apologized softly, awkwardly rubbing the back of his neck.

You looked at him then softened “It’s okay.” you said as you pulled your legs to your chest.

He knew it was his fault for making you feel like this, and he hated himself for it.

The two of you stayed silent for a while.

He knew it was his fault for making you feel like this, and he hated himself for it.

He took a deep breath, knowing he owed you an apology.

“Listen, about what you overheard-” he began.

“So, everything I did was all just casual to you?” you cut him off.

Jason looked taken aback by your question.

“No, no, it wasn’t casual” he protested, shaking his head. “I genuinely enjoyed every moment I spent with you. You don’t have any idea how much I-” he cut himself off, suddenly feeling too embarrassed to finish his sentence.

“Jason, I tried to give away my schedule just to hang out with you. I wrote songs for you. I gave you presents just to show how much I care. I tried to show you that I loved you, but you wouldn't let me that’s why I didn’t say anything.” you said

“But, I wasn’t too sure if you actually didn’t want my love so I just waited till you said something.” you looked at his gaze.

Jason was speechless as he listened to your words.

He felt a pang of guilt in his heart as he realized the extent to which you had gone to show him your feelings.

He had been so focused on hiding his own feelings that he hadn't been able to appreciate all the gestures and efforts you had made to show him how much you cared.

He stared back at your gaze, his expression unreadable.

“I know I’m affectionate to my friends, but it’s different with you Jay.” you looked away, staring at the red flowers in front of you.

“If you want me to stop loving you just.. say the word.”

Jason's heart skipped a beat as he listened to your words.

He knew he should say the word, should tell you to stop loving him. It would be the easy thing to do, the logical thing.

But the words just wouldn’t come out of his mouth.

"I…. I can't," he said softly, his voice barely above a whisper. "I can't ask you to do that."

Your head turned to him “What?” you blinked.

Jason avoided your gaze, feeling conflicted and vulnerable.

"I can't ask you to stop loving me... because I don't want you to," he admitted softly.

He knew he was risking everything by admitting his feelings like this, but he couldn't hold back anymore.

He took a deep breath, gathering all his courage to continue.

"The truth is, I’ve been a complete dumbass for months," he said, finally looking back at you.

"Every time you tried to show me how you felt, I just couldn't accept it. I was scared, okay? I didn’t think I was worth your time or your love. So I kept pushing you away, pretending like I didn't care."

For a moment, you just stared at him. Then you felt your body move towards him as your arms pulled him in a warm hug.

Jason was taken by surprise but he immediately wrapped his arms around you, squeezing you tight.

He buried his face in your shoulder, feeling an overwhelming mix of emotions.

All the tension and guilt he had felt for months slowly began to melt away as he held onto you.

"I’m sorry" he mumbled against your skin. "I'm sorry for being an idiot. For making you doubt how I feel about you."

Your hand slowly caressed his hair “It’s okay, I’ll always forgive you either way.” you softly replied, trying to soothe him.

He looked into your eyes, searching for any signs of doubt. But all he saw was sincerity and love.

A small smile tugged at the corners of his lips, and he felt a warmth spread throughout his chest.

Your hand moved up to cup his cheeks when you saw his smile “There’s my Jason.”

He leaned into your touch, feeling a sense of comfort and peace wash over him. "Yeah, I'm still me," he said softly, his eyes locked with yours.

He gently placed his hand over yours, holding it against his face, feeling the warmth from your touch.

"I'm sorry for being such a dumbass," he mumbled, feeling overwhelmed with emotion. "I won't push you away again, I promise."

"I just.... I’m not good at talking about my feelings, y'know?" he added, "But I'll try, for you. I’ll try my best to show you how much you mean to me."

Your expression softens “And I’ll give you everything I have.”

Jason felt his heart melt as your expression softened and you spoke those words.

He felt undeserving, but at the same time, he couldn’t help but believe you.

He leaned his forehead against yours, "You already have my everything," he murmured, his voice barely above a whisper.

Jason's lips met yours in a soft, gentle kiss.

When he started dating you, he felt more at peace.

Though he often hung out with you, this was different. Everything felt so intimate and lovely.

He’s usually composed, that is until he touches you and he can't pretend he loses himself again.

You made him a sappy, stupid something out of him. The kind he swore he’ll never be. He feels awake inside a dream.

Jason couldn’t believe the effect you had on him. He had never thought he could feel this way about someone, so vulnerable and exposed.

He used to pride himself on his stoicism, his ability to maintain control. But when he was with you, all of that went out the window.

He found himself craving your touch, your attention, your love. He was like a man possessed, completely bewitched by you.

But Jason especially loved your voice, he could listen to you sing for hours on end.

There was something about the way you sang that captivated him. Your voice, your expression, the way you poured your heart and soul into every lyric.

He loved watching you perform on stage, seeing you shine and shine, but he had to admit that he loved it even more when you sang for him alone.

Those moments, when it was just the two of you, felt like a secret little world that only they shared.

He loved how, after each and every song, you would turn to him with a smile, seeking his approval and praise.

He would shower you with compliments and applause, telling you how beautiful you sounded and how privileged he felt to be the one to witness your talent.

But sometimes, he preferred to show you how he felt. He would pull you into his arms, holding you close and kissing you deeply, hoping to convey all his appreciation and love through his actions.

He wanted to do more than just say it. He wanted to show you how much he loved hearing you sing.

He would pull you into his arms, holding you tightly against his chest, his head resting on your shoulder.

"Sing for me again," he’d murmur, his lips pressing against your neck.

Jason was not one to broadcast his relationship with you to the world.

He liked to keep things between the two of you as private as possible.

He was protective and territorial, and didn’t like the idea of other people knowing intimate details about his life, especially when it came to you.

Your life was constantly put under a microscope, with fans and paparazzi following your every move.

You didn't want that kind of attention to affect your relationship with Jason.

You wanted to keep him away from the public eye, to protect him from the spotlight and the scrutiny that came with it.

But that didn't stop you from longing to tell people that he was yours.

Jason would often feel embarrassed when you would brag about him to the bat-fam or your friends.

He wasn't used to being talked about in that way, and he didn't like being the center of attention.

He would often stand there, trying his best to keep a straight face, while secretly enjoying hearing you talk about how awesome and amazing he was.

The bat-fam found it all too easy to tease Jason, and they often did so, much to his annoyance.

However, they quickly discovered that it was practically impossible to tease you.

You rarely got flustered or fazed by their taunts, and it drove them insane.

Jason would sit back and watch, feeling a mix of admiration and amusement as you effortlessly shut down any attempts to poke fun at you.

Jason's eyes eventually settled on the shelves, where a collection of vinyl records were neatly displayed.

He walked over, taking a closer look at the records. Some of them were of your own albums, but there were also records from other artists that you seemed to enjoy.

He picked up one of your albums, admiring the cover and running his fingers over the title.

As Jason browsed through your collection, he noticed the wide range of genres.

There was pop, rock, jazz, R&B, country, even classical. It was clear that you had a taste for variety.

He picked up a jazz record and held it up "Who knew you were such a fan of jazz?"

You were sitting in an armchair, your guitar on your lap as you strummed a soft melody.

You looked up as Jason spoke, a small smile playing at your lips.

"You don’t know this but I’m a sucker for Jazz.” you replied.

He let out a soft scoff at your response. "I’m learning more and more about you every day," he said.

“The more you know.” you said, taking the record from him.

Jason watched as you took the record from him and opened your record player, placing the vinyl on it.

The music filled the room, a smooth and sultry jazz melody that oozed with elegance and charm.

You turned back at him, then you had an idea “Hey, dance with me.” you offered your hand.

He took your hand, intertwining his fingers with yours, a smile playing at his lips. "Alright, I'll dance with you.”

Jason treasured every single moment he spent with you.

He adored the way you held his hand, the way you looked at him with those sparkling eyes, the way your laughter would ring out like music to his ears.

He loved the way you would pull him close, the way you would sing for him, the way you would kiss him as if you couldn’t get enough of him.

And in those moments, everything else faded away. There was only you, and him, and the love they shared. He was bewitched.

[hana-no-seiiki]

YANDERE! BATFAM W/ MILES MORALES (BUT GENDER NEUTRAL) ! READER

[ PART ONE ] [ PART THREE ]

GENERAL CW/TW: Spoilers for Spiderman: Into the Spiderverse. Typical Yandere themes of stalking, violence and whatnot.

PART CW/TW: Reader gets called a beauty (beauty/beautiful is gender neutral fite me).

EXTRA: also uh mind you most of my knowledge on the boys come from reading fics so if i get any of my info wrong feel free to correct me

current status: unedited

summary: reader gets into multiverse related hi-jinx and almost gets their ass broken if it weren’t for a tired, definitely sleep deprived senior catching them. (it’s tim you guys)

Reply if you’d like to be added to the taglist!

WHAT’S UP DANGER

(PART TWO)

“I like tall buildings so I can leap off of ‘em,

I go hard wit’ it no matter how dark it is.”

Turns out being a hero is hard skill to learn. Especially if you were working on a time limit.

You had recently gained the ability to uh- well you didn’t know what exactly. All you knew is that somehow you were at least 5x as strong as you were before and a lot more sticky.

Not to mention your senses were all over the place.

It’s like you could see, hear, smell and feel everything.

You didn’t really want to avoid Damian, but whenever you came across him — or just went within his immediate vicinity. Your “tingles” and enhanced “senses” would flare up and make you dizzy.

Usually it’d only be that bad when there were projectiles or insects around you. You surmised it was probably your powers warning you of the dangers he may potentially bring. Whether it’d be from himself (the heir must have some sort of self defense skills) or his name (you didn’t want to think of the target you’ve put on your back both in school and life in general by being his acquaintance. Jesus [Y/N]. Being distracted by your future and planned failure in academics doesn’t excuse letting that happen. Stupid.).

You were mostly stumbling around with your strange set of abilities until you met this girl named Gwen.

First of all, she was just — incredibly pretty. You couldn’t but just stare at her sometimes and—

Getting back on track — !

After getting some spidey sense feedback loop and ripping off a massive chunk of her hair. You find out that you’re this universe’s “Spiderman.”

And that she, was from another universe entirely.

Even a big sci-fi junkie like you had to doubt her words, but as she showcased her abilities you pretty much went on your knees and begged her to teach you.

The both of you get to work quickly. Investigating how she got to your universe and practicing the use of your powers.

The first part went really well. You even met a few other dimension traveling spider-people (and animal) along the way. After sneaking into a lab, you found out that it was a rich man’s, King Pin, “bring his family back project” that brought you all together. But that his actions were probably going to destroy the fabric of reality if he kept going.

The second part, not so much. Your stickiness was something you just couldn’t control.

Luckily it was winter break and that prevented you from ripping another schoolmate’s hair off.

Your “universe specific” abilities, as the other spider-people called it, like invisibility and bio-electricity only came out at random. Sometimes at the most inconvenient times.

Your webbing abilities were subpar to say the least. Many attempts led to you breaking several bones.

Praise super-regeneration and all

But f u c k did it still hurt.

and it was during one of those web-swinging practice sessions when you fall into the arms of Tim Drake.

Tim was just trying to get some fresh air.

After passing out on duty last night and having to deal with Damian suddenly abandoning his missions for some reason. He decided that maybe it was time for a break.

He didn’t exactly expect to have a young adult falling into his arms during said break.

He was just talking a casual stroll really. In a relatively quiet part of Gotham, he didn’t expect much to be happening much less a pretty/handsome giving him a small wave as they sheepishly laugh at their . . . strange encounter.

“ Hey. ” You smiled at him. Praying to all that is holy that he doesn’t notice the bits of undissolved webs you have littered across your hoodie. Thank goodness you didn’t wear your makeshift mask today. He was going to think you were even more of a weirdo than you already are!

“ Hey. ” Tim replied. Praying to all that is holy that you don’t notice his heart rate picking up and his ears turning red. It was the cold he swears! The cold!

“What’s a beauty like you doing around in a place like this?”

They both ask in sync with completely awkward delivery to boot.

Taglist: @vanessa-boo @w31rdg1rl

[ PART THREE ]

[byghostface]

1. Some daminika headcanons

1.

Damian is slightly shorter than Nika, but he didn't mind it much, cuz it's often an advantage for him to place his head on Nika's chest and listen to her heartbeats easily whenever they cuddle.

Damian loves to listen to Nika's heartbeats while they hug and hold Nika's hand constantly. Sometimes he would caress her wrist subconsciously like he is trying to check her pulse to make sure of her presence. (Nika finds it very endearing and soothing)

Nika is not afraid of cold as most people are, which might be due to her meta physique, and she often finds herself having cold hands. But Nika still loves to hug Damian like he is a warm plushie (naturally his body heat is higher than hers), and feeling the radio warmth from Damian is very pleasant to Nika. Damian is thrilled to warm Nika up at any chance he gets, this also makes it a great excuse for him to hold or hug her wherever he can. -[Do you have cold hands again?]-

Nika would give Damian casual kisses here and there pretty often, while Damian would sneak some smooches on her lips when they are in the more private spaces.

Nika has a sweet tooth, her favorite fruit flavors are strawberries, peaches, and grapes. Damian often tastes the flavors of sweet candy when they kiss. One time to prank her, Damian eats a mint candy just before they smooch, and Nika hates it instantly (it was a strong spicy mint, not the holidays' sweet peppermint she would enjoy), then refuses to kiss him for several days. Although Nika looks cute and intimidating with her tantrums, Damian regrets it a bit and ends up getting Nika some dark chocolate cookies to make up for her.

Nika would come to Wayne Manor early and do some makeovers with Damian before they went out on a date. Sometimes they would shop for more variable clothes and accessories together and plan on what to wear on their next date.

Damian and Nika both have no problem with PDA, but they're more at ease when there are just pedestrians in the background instead of acquaintances they frequently know. Most of the time is simple physical touch( hug, hand holding, etc.), but they would sneak little kisses when they think the people aren't watching. (Not caring much if people do see it though.)

They aren't hiding their relationship but they are not broadcasting it either. Although Damian likes to tell anyone who would listen about how he and Nika are an item, Nika thinks is cute but a little silly of him to decide on their relationship so quickly without her opinion. So they should figure out how their relationship would like to be privately for now. (But If you happen to know, so be it.)

Most of the time Damian is the little spoon(Nika is more initiative), but when Damian is uneasy Nika would let him be the big spoon so he could hold her better.

They had matching icons on chirper. They would also try to match their layout aesthetic and found some symbolism(emojis, stickers etc.) to represent each other.

1．2 (dates and activities)．3 (taking care of each other, sleep habits, gifts) ．pet names．art styles．asking game

[carcasstohounds]

this is fucking stupid so just bear with me

-

from his position behind bruce in the doorway of the manor, tim can see the tension wound tight in talias hand. the same hand that rests on the shoulder of a young boy.

“this is damian.” she starts off, before either of them can fully process what exactly they’re looking at. “he belongs here.”

tim has no idea what that means. he sweeps his eyes across the two of them. talia, obviously, is full of uncharacteristic nerves. she isn’t wearing the league-style uniforms he and bruce tend to run across, instead her clothing is more casual like she’s trying to blend in. the kid is even weirder, with a minecraft hoodie over a league tunic and a sword at his hip. it’s fucking bizarre, if he’s being honest.

bruce would never say that, but it’s clear that it’s what he’s thinking. “talia. explain.” he says, taking on the bat-growl, as it has been nicknamed.

“let us inside, and i’ll explain everything.” she says.

tim is too confused to do anything but back up, but bruce stands his ground. talia stares him in the eyes, like some weird nonverbal argument, until bruce finally steps back, ushering them all to the nearest sitting room.

tim falls back to make sure every lock on the (surprisingly sturdy, considering how old it looks) door has been locked, just in case. with the whole ninja and assassin thing— he’s learned it’s better not to take chances.

he sneaks into the sitting room, trying to call as little attention to himself as is possible. like, he would, but this seems like one of those situations that talia probably doesn’t really want some 16 year-old loudly intruding on. he perches on the chair further from talia and the kid, damian, whatever.

speaking of the kid, tim starts watching him closely. he hasn’t spoken a word, just fiddling with the zipper of his hoodie or rocking slightly back and forth in his chair. the only person he’s really looked at like he was paying attention to, is talia. at this point, tim feels safe in his assumption that damian is her kid.

he isn’t sure if talia has told him about the whole batman thing yet, but he isn’t reacting like she has. to be honest, he isn’t even reacting like most people do in the presence of bruce wayne. he seems so entirely unimpressed it’s almost funny. his green eyes flick around, either cataloguing doors, or looking for someone. tim isn’t sure which one is the better option.

he realizes that he’s been spaced out for too long when bruce’s low bat-growl snaps him out of his thoughts. “absolutely not.” bruce is saying in response to something tim didn’t catch.

“if you would just—“ talia says, but bruce cuts her off.

“no, anything you need to say can be said right here, right now.”

“bruce, i understand your concerns, but this isn’t about you.” talia snaps. tim still has no idea what in hell they’re talking about.

the boy sits and rocks a little. his eyes are trained on something down the hallway.

“you came to my house, you need to tell me.”

talia rolls her eyes. “get over yourself, detective.” there’s venom in her voice in the way she says detective.

“i would like to meet my father now.” damian interrupts whatever bruce is about to say in response. all three sets of eyes turn to look at him, but he keeps looking down the hall, still searching for someone. “mother says he is a very good man.”

tim swears he can see a vein about to pop out of bruce’s forehead. “talia. do you mean to tell me—“

“miss talia, what a surprise. i was unaware that you would be visiting the house. had i known we had guests, i would have prepared tea.” alfred’s voice either breaks the tension, or increases it drastically. tim can’t really tell.

his head whips over to talia, who is smiling, and damian, who is rocking slightly faster.

“pennyworth,” talia greets, her smile widening even more as she rises to her feet. “you are exactly who i was looking for.”

“alfred, i would like for you to meet your son, damian al ghul-pennyworth. heir to al ghul, and heir to the butler.”

what the actual fuck.

-

TO BE CLEAR THIS IS BULLSHIT BASED ON SOMETHING MY ROOMMATE SAID. i do not genuinely think this is like, a good idea. i just thought it was funny. also this is a little bit based on that one timeline where she’s like 150 bc ???? anyway old people can fuck too!!

also i think i accidentally made damian autistic so there’s that. it’s because he is.

[invisibleanonymousmonsters]

Childhood

Father of Mine – Part 1 and Part 2

+ This Game of Ours

Jason’s eyes snapped open at a sound that no human should be able to hear.

Ever since he’d been resurrected from the Lazarus pit, his senses had grown abnormally acute – amongst other strange things. 

Sometimes he swore he could even hear Y/N’s heartbeat. It was easiest to do with her, after all he was so intone with her very being.

But all of that made nearly impossible for anyone to sneak up on him – let alone in his own home. Which someone was. He could feel it.

Jason’s eyes glanced down at Y/N, who was sound asleep on his chest.

Ever so carefully, he lifted her body off of him so he could slip out of bed.

But Y/N was a light sleeper, unfortunately. She must’ve inherited that from Bruce, even though she wasn’t even raised by the man.

Y/N winced as her eyes opened just in time to see Jason grabbing one of his hidden guns from below their bed frame.

“What’s going on?” Her voice raspy.

“Nothing,” Jason lied. “Stay here.”

Now that she found out about another hidden gun in their apartment, Jason knew he was going to return to a lecture from Y/N. She never hid her hatred for guns, and had asked him to keep them out of their apartment.

“Jason…” Y/N whispered desperately, now more awake and concerned.

“Stay here,” Jason said, more firmly this time.

Then he quickly kissed her, leaving even less room for her to argue.

In only his black boxer briefs, Jason snuck out of their bedroom and into the living room without making any sound. Y/N had always been shocked at how quiet her giant boyfriend could make himself.

Just as Jason raised his gun, he heard the familiar voice.

“Put some clothes on, Todd.”

Damian stepped out of the shadows.

To Jason’s surprise, he was in civilian clothes and not in his Robin uniform.

“What the fuck do you think you’re doing, breaking in like that?” Jason reprimanded as he uncocked the gun.

But before Damian could defend himself, the bedroom door squeaked open and Y/N was rushing out into the living room.

“I told you to stay there,” Jason growled.

Y/N rolled her eyes at her boyfriend’s overprotectiveness. “Obviously I recognized Damian’s voice, Jason.”

Then Y/N looked at her half-brother for a second and quickly realized Damian had come there for a reason.

“Everything alright, Damian?” She asked carefully.

“Yes,” he lied.

Jason remembered when Damian despised Y/N. He saw her as a threat to his claim to the Wayne throne. But Y/N had immediately made her intentions clear. “I have my own reputation, money, and career that I built without a name attached to me. I want nothing to do with Wayne Enterprises,” she had told Damian as soon as she realized he saw her as some sort of competition.

It took Damian months to even acknowledge Y/N. And he really only did because both his father and Dick – basically his surrogate father – scolded him for not doing so.

Slowly but surely, the two grew closer.

Y/N didn’t put up with Damian’s attitude. But she also didn’t scold him like a child. If he was rude or aggressive, she spoke to him the same way she would speak to a grown man who behaved in such a manner. Somehow it made the boy slowly start to respect her more.

Eventually, they bonded over their mutual love of the arts. Damian was impressed with her photographs, while Y/N was honored whenever Damian decided to share his drawings with her. Y/N had gifted Damian his first camera. And Damian once gave her a few lessons on the basics of sketching and painting.

Who knew Waynes were the creative type?

And it was when Damian’s pets all seemed to be obsessed with Y/N that the boy finally decided to get over his original opinions and feelings.

It was by no means a short or easy battle. But the rest of the family was relieved when Damian finally accepted Y/N as one of their own.

“How about I make us some hot chocolate?” Y/N offered Damian.

The boy just shrugged, but she noticed his eyes subtly light up.

She never understood why he refused to let himself feel joy in the simple things. It was like she could catch him stopping himself from being a kid.

“I’m going to bed,” Jason announced with exhaustion.

It was clear to him that Damian came to see his sister, not him. And he was nice enough to leave the two of them alone. Even though he was a bit bitter that his girlfriend was being stolen from their bed.

Before turning back to the bedroom, Jason invaded Y/N’s space and gently grabbed her jaw before pressing a kiss to her lips.

“Gross,” Damian groaned.

Jason glared and pointed at the boy. “You’re in our apartment, demon spawn. I’ll kiss my girlfriend if I fuckin’ want to.”

Y/N just laughed as she watched Jason close their bedroom door behind him.

“Come on,” she nudged her head in the direction of the kitchen. “Let’s make some hot chocolate. I think I have some of Alfred’s cookies hiding somewhere, too.”

“I don’t know what you see in him,” Damian mumbled.

Y/N smirked and shook her head. Tonight, she wasn’t taking the bait. 

Once Damian decided he didn’t hate Y/N, he jumped right to making it known that he did not think Jason was good enough for her. But she knew it was an act – mostly.

“Why aren’t you on patrol?” She asked casually once they had giant mugs of hot chocolate and cookies in front of them, making sure to give the boy extra marshmallows. 

“I’m grounded,” Damian muttered.

Y/N tilted her head. “Grounded?”

It seemed like a far too normal concept for a family of vigilantes.

“Yes,” Damian confirmed.

“I’m guessing that means Bruce and Alfred don’t know you’re here…?”

“I snuck out,” he admitted.

“Why did you get grounded?”

“Father found out I was skipping school. And then that I skipped the school dance.”

“Why does it matter if you skipped the dance?” She asked, clearly confused.

Y/N was also struggling to imagine Bruce caring about such a trivial thing like that.  

“Father wishes for me to have normal experiences that young man of my age is expected to have,” Damian said with a roll of his eyes.

“School dances are lame,” Y/N commented.

Damian sat up straighter, not expecting that to be her response.

“I skipped prom. I didn’t want to go,” she added.

“Why not?” The boy challenge, somewhat caught off guard by that.

Y/N shrugged. “Bad music. Bad dancing. Tacky dresses. Just wasn’t all that appealing to angsty, teenage me.”

Damian just nodded slowly, and then got quiet.

“I have no desire to be normal,” he finally stated after a few minutes.

“I’m not taking his side, but I get why Bruce wants you to do these things, Damian. You were robbed of a lot of things because of the way you were raised. I’m not saying that it’s bad or good. But I think Bruce just wants to give you the opportunity to experience the life of a – well...of a kid.”

“And was your life normal?” Damian quickly asked.

Y/N nodded. “So normal that it was boring.” She laughed, “My entire life was normal until I met all of you weirdos.”

That got a smile out of Damian.

But then it slowly dropped and he seemed to get lost in his head.

“I don’t…I don’t have any friends,” Damian finally whimpered.

Y/N was shocked by the boy’s emotion.

Damian was always composed.

“It’s like they speak a different language. And it’s one I can never learn.”

“Oh, Damian,” Y/N sighed as she rushed from her seat to kneel beside him. “I know it must be hard to try and fit in. But you’re not doing anything wrong. None of that’s your fault.”

“Father is more than aware that I don’t need the education,” Damian’s voice shook as he tried not to cry. “He only forces me to attend so I can make friends. And that is one thing I am unable to do.”

Y/N let him breathe and have an opportunity to continue before she spoke again. 

“I hate school, so I skip. And the school dance seemed so ridiculous to me, so I skipped that too – even after father specifically requested that I attend.”

Y/N sighed, “And did you tell him how you’re feeling when he grounded you?”

Damian shook his head no.

She hadn’t expected anything different. She could easily imagine Damian lashing out at Bruce when he received his punishment, saying that the requests were a waste of his time and beneath him. 

Damian was good at hiding his emotional pain – maybe even better than their father.

Y/N was sure Bruce didn’t have a true understanding of what Damian was going through.

“Can I stay here tonight?” Damian asked.

“Of course,” she gave him a sad smile. “How about we take this hot chocolate to the couch and watch a movie?”

Damian shrugged. But it wasn’t a no.

Y/N let him pick the movie.

He chose Fantasia. 

When Y/N didn’t hide her surprise, he explained that he respected the animation and loved all of the classical music. Even when they did a child-like activity, he still always found way to remind the world that he was no normal child.

An hour later, both of them had fallen asleep on the couch with the movie still playing.

When Damian felt another presence, he awoke with a jolt and grabbed his hidden knife, holding it to the throat of the intruder.

But it was Jason, gently bringing Y/N’s sleeping body into his arms.

“Once again, demon spawn, you’re in our apartment,” Jason hissed with annoyance.

The man was completely unfazed by the feeling of a blade threatening to slit his throat. 

Damian huffed.

“I’m taking her to bed,” Jason explained the obvious. Then he nudged his head at the love-seat across from Damian. “There’s a blanket right there if you want to sleep on the couch. Or you can sleep in the guest bedroom.”

But Jason paused, with Y/N sleeping in his arms, as he noticed a strange look on Damian’s face.

“What?” He urged.

“If you ever hurt her, I’ll kill you myself,” Damian growled softly.

Jason looked utterly unimpressed. “You’d have to get in line,” he answered, making sure to keep his voice quiet to prevent waking Y/N.

But then Jason’s face softened. “Look, kid, I think you know that she’s the best thing to ever happen to me. I’d die before doing anything to mess this up.”

“Hmph,” was the only noise Damian made in response.

Jason rolled his eyes and carried Y/N back to their bedroom.

In all honesty, he couldn’t fall asleep while she had been in with Damian. With Jason’s weird enhanced hearing because of the pit, he was able to catch a bit of their conversation.

Jason softly place Y/N back in bed and pulled the covers up to her shoulders. When he joined her on the other side of the bed, she didn’t even wake as she slid back into his arms.

Now Jason could finally go to sleep.

When there was a knock on the apartment door the next morning, Damian and Y/N shared a look.

“I’ll get it,” Y/N sighed.

Jason had made all three of them breakfast that morning.

But now Damian pushed the food around his plate, knowing this was the end of his small rebellion. Who knew what his new punishment would be?

Y/N opened the door to unsurprisingly find her father.

Bruce was wearing a full suit, despite it being a Sunday morning. On top was a heavy, black overcoat with the back of the collar slightly propped up.

“You could have least told me he was here,” Bruce greeted his daughter.

She smirked mischievously and shrugged. “I’m no snitch.”

Damian appeared behind Y/N, not seeing the point in dragging this out any longer than necessary.

“Alfred’s downstairs with the car,” Bruce told his son evenly.

The disappointment in both his expression and tone was obvious.

Damian looked up at Y/N. “Thank you for having me, Y/N.”

“Next time, use the actual door so you don’t give me or Jason a heart attack.”

Damian smiled at that before walking past his father and down the hallway.

“Can I talk to you a second?” Y/N asked Bruce.

Her father seemed surprised by the request, but nodded anyways and closed the door behind him.

“I think Damian is really struggling – more than you think, I mean.”

Bruce’s brow furrowed and he crossed his arms. “He hasn’t even been remotely injured from patrols in months…”

“No, Bruce,” she quickly cut off. “Not as Robin. As Damian.”

Bruce was quiet.

“He doesn’t know how to fit in, Bruce. And you’re putting a lot of pressure on him to live a normal life. Bu he’s never gonna have normal. That was taken away from him before you even knew he existed.”

“He said that to you?” Bruce asked.

She nodded. “In so few words, yes.”

“And I’m assuming you have some advice,” he quirked a brow.

“Well, yeah. Maybe you should just homeschool him.”

“Y/N, the whole point of him going to school is to be around kids his own age. We both know the education is beneath him already.”

“But that’s the thing, Bruce. He’s never going to relate to any of those kids. Going to school makes him feel like a freak. Let him get homeschooled.”

“He needs to learn to make friends,” Bruce argued.

“You’re right. He does. But not with the spoiled brats of Gotham Academy. How many superheroes are you friends with?”

“He doesn’t consider them friends!” Jason shouted from the kitchen.

Y/N rolled her eyes. “Fine. How many superheroes are you acquainted with, who have kids around Damian’s age?”

Bruce’s jaw tightened.

“I know you like to keep your personal life away from Batman. But those are the only kids that Damian is ever going to relate to in some way. Do you get what I’m saying?”

To her surprise, Bruce nodded. “You’re right.”

Her brows shot up. “I am?”

Y/N had really expected him to fight her on this.

Bruce chuckled. “Of course you are. Out of everyone in this family, you are the only one who can say they had any semblance of a normal childhood.”

Suddenly his phone dinged and he glanced down at it.

“I have to go,” he regretfully told her.

When he looked back up at her, his face softened. “Come to the manor soon for dinner,” he asked her gently.

She gave him a soft smile and nodded, “I will.”

Bruce nodded in the direction of the kitchen where Jason was hiding. “And bring that one with you, will you?”

Y/N laughed. “He’ll go wherever I go. He’s like a puppy, that one.”

“I can hear you!” Jason called out.

Bruce laughed and stepped forward to give Y/N a kiss on the cheek. “Thank you for looking out for Damian, Y/N.”

“You don’t have to thank me, Bruce.”

––––––––––––––––––––

[artxyra]

Damian Acting Like A Teenager? Impossible.

When Damian entered the halls of Gotham Academy, the first thing he notices was the change in the dark atmosphere. It felt oddly kinder and more lighthearted. Everywhere he turns, there are whispers focus around the new girl. At first, he didn’t care about the gossip, well, that was until he met her.

It was an unusual encounter, something that he would look down on.

It was the passing period, and she was running down the halls in a hurry as he was walking to his next class, one that he didn’t particularly care for; they bump into each other, causing a standstill in the halls. Everyone wondered how the dark prince would react to their newly dubbed princess of sunshine. They expected a yelling match, which, of course, occurred, but what they didn’t expect was an eventual best of the worst of alliance ever made.

Several months passed since the two had met and several weeks since the blooming of Damian and Marinette’s friendship, and not a single student could say that there weren’t surprised.

The moment Marinette had broken down any (and all) walls that the boy had placed, she was able to make the stoic teen become his age. It started small with a joke here and there; then it progressed into card games followed by video games. To this day, Damian swears that he’ll beat her at a shooting game at one point, to which Marinette would respond with a laugh and an over-the-shoulder wink. The young Wayne swears that he has never blush a day in his life, but the photographic proof on Marinette’s phone says otherwise.

The school soon became accustomed to being Daminette’s playground. At first, the teachers were opposed to the idea, but after seeing how slightly more open Damian has become, they slowly agreed to the concept of allowing the duo to have less strict rules. That and they didn't want to be sued by the Wayne family.

Which now brings us to this moment: Marinette swings on a swing set while Damian practices his form with a katana; don’t ask how he managed to get it past security-- cause there is no answer.

“You know, maybe we should do something wild?” Marinette thinks aloud, looking up to the sky with a mischief smirk on her lips.

Damian doesn’t turn to her; he only sets the blade down to his side. “What mayhem do you have in mind?”

Marinette giggles uncontrollably.

Let’s assume that whatever Marinette had in mind would rule the yearbooks for years to come.

~☾★☽~

Since his partnership with Marinette, Damian has been hiding his characteristic change at home. Surprisingly, it was simple. A few death threats here and there, maybe sneaking out moments every so often. No one at the Wayne cared enough to pay any attention to it. It only then became a shock when Damian left for school along the lines of being late. Alfred had offered to take him to school to which Damian declined and got onto his “normal” motorcycle and speeds off.

“Does anyone else seem to think that Damian is acting strange?” Dick asks, pipping his head down from the ceiling. He’s on the chandelier again. Poor Alfred, maybe Dick should dust the chandelier for him as an apology.

Tim walks in with a large, filled to the brim, coffee mug in hand, “Which one?” He absently wonders, taking a long sip. The dark circles and bags around his eyes explain it all.

“I do concur with Master Richard; the young master has been acting somewhat strange for quite some time now.” Alfred appears out of nowhere, thus starting an array of concerns.

It wasn’t long before Jason came in shouting demands with the head of the household trailing behind him. Alfred reprimands Jason for the yelling as he hands Bruce a cup of coffee.

Not caring enough about the conversation and looking like a madman, Jason shouts, “Look, I can’t explain it, but we’re going to need Demon Spawn for something huge.”

“Uh, why would we need Baby Bird?” Dick asks, dropping onto the floor and twisting his body. “Not that I don’t mind getting Damian involved.”

“Look, there’s no time to explain,” Jason facepalms and begins to push everyone towards the door despite the lack of proper wear they have on.

After several protests and one change of clothes, the Wayne household now stands in front of the gates of Gotham Academy.

“Is it me, or does this place look less you know Gotham-y and full of life?” Tim ponders, narrowing his eyes, as he takes a long sip from a to-go coffee cup with Red Robin’s emblem.

“No, no, Timmy, I see it too.” Dick whispers as Jason struts past the gates and onto the school’s property like a man on a mission.

Bruce sighs and pinches the bridge of his nose, “Come on, let’s go get your brother so Jason can stop being Jason.”

Tim shrugs before passing the gates himself, with Dick following him.

Upon entering the school, they could immediately see that it was either a passing period or free time from the number of students in the halls. Some student dared to pull out their phones while other whispers amongst themselves.

Bruce makes his way to the attendance office, where the attendance assistant, Joyce, resides sitting at the desk.

“Hello Joyce, I’m here to pick up Damian. He has a, uh, dentist appointment this evening.” Bruce speaks, hoping that she wouldn’t catch the lie.

“Well Mr. Wayne, Damian is, uh…” After lingering in her thoughts, Joyce turns to someone besides her. “Do you know where Damian Wayne would be at today?”

“Try the art room.” A feminine voice answers, followed by a series of typing noises.

Joyce turns back to the Wayne family and smiles, “He should be in the art room; it’s down the hall to your right, you should not miss it, as it’s in the only hallway that has a series of artwork posted on the walls. Before you go, please sign here."

Joyce hands Bruce a sign-out sheet, to which the man signs and ushers his wards to search for his youngest.

“They’re so screwed.” The same feminine voice speaks, causing Joyce to break out laughing.

It took a total of four different locations for the men to find the youngest Wayne.

First, they went to the art room like Joyce’s co-worker told them to do.

When they got there, Damian wasn't there, but the teacher did show Bruce a couple of Damian's artworks. Bruce couldn't help but feel proud.

While looking around the room, one of the art students told them they last saw Damian playing Pokémon Go near the gym; he was trying to catch a legendary Pokémon that spawned there.

So, of course, after an awkward eye contact with one another, they walk to the gym. Once again, Damian wasn’t there but a different student in his stead. He tells them that Damian was making ice sculptures out of ice cream at the cafeteria. The student then goes on to explain that Damian had some wicked skills with a knife.

Jason, with wide eyes, practically shouted at the student that he was crazy and that Damian would never, and he means NEVER would do something that stupid. The student shrugs it off like it was an everyday occurrence. It was Dick that had to hold Jason back from thrashing the teen. Bruce then apologizes to the instructor for their disturbance, as Tim walks casually behind Dick carrying Jason.

By the time they got to the cafeteria, it was damn near empty aside from a few students still eating. There were no signs of ice cream or the tools that would go into making an ice sculpture. Tim had to ask a few students to see if Damian was in here at some point in time. One of the workers overheard the question and answered him. Evidently, Damian was there earlier making sculptures out of ice cream before handing it out to students.

When they asked the question that has been slowly driving the four insane, the worker replies with: “Upstairs racing on these old colorful scooter board down the halls."

After three locations and no Damian, Tim wanted nothing more but to have a mental breakdown, and he would have if it wasn’t for Bruce holding him up and taking his coffee away.

So, they quickly found themselves on the second level of the school. There was no sight of Damian Wayne, though there were wheel tracks smudged into the flooring.

“Are you kidding me?” Jason shouts out into the ceiling. Thankfully, there were no students in the halls to hear it. Well, that might have been the case if it wasn’t for a teacher to open their door and shh the male. It took every bone in Jason's body not to show the teacher his middle finger.

After a beat of silence and walking down the hall, they overhear a familiar voice.

“Angel, you are desperately in the wrong here. The bear only wears one color, so it has to the color red.” Jason stops dead in his tracks and turns to railings.

The voice was too good to be true.

Looking over the staircase, they find an alcove, and sitting in it is none other than Damian Wayne himself, but he’s not alone.

“I’m telling you, Wayne. Pooh’s favorite color is yellow.” The female answers before taping her fingers as she makes her points, “He loves honey, which is by default a yellow color. He's never seen with a yellow background, and if yellow didn't clash with his fur, he would definitely be wearing it.”

“I disagree. Winnie the Pooh has been drawn on numerous of occasions with red items, not yellow. Case in point, the red balloon, his shirt." He counters. The conversation continues with banters and statements; whether it was true or false is up to debate.

This was not happening.

Tim.exe has stopped working.

Jason.exe has stopped working.

Jaws dropped, a low groaning sound.

They cannot be witnessing this. The most deadliest of the Wayne’s is currently arguing about Winnie, the motherfucking, Pooh’s favorite color.

Bruce has no words. He's practically in the same stance as his middle children. Dick, on the other hand, pulls out his phone and begins to record what remains of the conversation.

No one dares to move or utter out words. This version of Damian is the apocalypse. Nothing in the world is okay.

Slowly, the four Waynes exit the school; no one saw them leave.

Legend has it that Damian never went home that day despite being excused from his classes. When he had returned home, his family didn't utter a word to him. He was meet with either a profusely blinking, unwanted hug or laughter, as they were still in shock at what they just encountered. It wasn’t until a couple of months later that all hell breaks loose. Damian had introduced the family to Marinette.

----

A retouch version of Request #2

[arty-shadow-morningstar]

A Failed Betrothal (8)

Good news everyone, all my exams are done and it's my birthday. As a birthday present to myself, I am posting the next part.

[Masterlist]

(Part 1)(Part 7)

------

Marinette sighed happily as she walked to school, holding hands with Damian. She hadn’t felt this relaxed in a while. She doesn’t know if it was the curse’s doing but hanging out with Damian was fun and made her happy. It wasn’t like the all-consuming and rather embarrassing ‘puppy’ love she had for Adrien. She couldn’t even speak properly to him and yet went to extreme lengths to do things she’s not proud of to get his attention.

Sure, Damian was an insensitive asshole at first, judging her and making terrible assumptions of her and honestly, she did the same thing when she found out who he was. He apologized for his behaviour, ignoring the poor execution of it. Sure, they had some initial misgivings about each other at first but some people still made it work. Look at her and Chloe. They are practically bestfriends now. After sorting it all out, he was actually…. nice was a little bit of a stretch but a good guy is more fitting. The guy loves animals and honestly those adorable pictures he sent of his pets back in Gotham, while she was in class, nearly landed her in trouble because they were so adorable and he has a dragon-bat.

A DRAGON-BAT!

Those were found only in Bialya. She had always wanted to see one. (Sabine had to ground her for sneaking out to go there when she was younger and when they finally made a trip there, they couldn’t find any which left a 10-year-old Marinette pouting for days.)

Damian was making it hard for her not to fall in love like they agreed not to. He might be all broody but he has a good heart. Behind that mask of indifference, a brother who cares very much for his family and pets (also his best friend Jon but don’t tell him that it would make him insufferable). And would go to the ends of the Earth for his team. (She knows it’s probably the curse making her feel that way but she really likes Damian so damn much. She’s not falling, not yet but if they keep up the facade she just might.She was so screwed, wasn’t she? Green eyes and heart of gold. He was exactly her type.)

--------

The week passed by with the class ‘sneakily spying’ on their dates. (*Cough* Alya and Nino *Cough*) Sometimes, the dates just ‘happened’ to be near where the class was. Damian hired out a boat and sailed it down the river Seine, making sure it passed by where the Liberty was docked, while Juleka had some of the girls over for a sleepover. The boys saw the couple at the arcade, having a dance-off and saw Damian buy Marinette an adorable plushie with his hard-earned tickets. Marinette was seen sketching a lot of male clothing lately and when asked, the answer was usually “It’s for Dami.” It was undeniable that the couple adored each other. (Meanwhile, the couple hid smirks as they walked down the streets, her curious class trying to follow them discreetly while they discussed ways to take down different akumas and Gotham Rogues in Cantonese as casually as they were talking about the latest news.)

There is a list of top romantic things Marinette’s boyfriend had done for her put together by everyone who have seen them together. Chloe had added a few fake stories to the list and they were a little…..steamy. One of the top three was the time there was an akuma attack and Damian carried a blushing Marinette away from the scene in a bridal carry, which was caught on video and started a trend in school to carry your loved ones in case of an akuma. (If anyone was paying attention, they would see Ladybug with a face as red as her suit entering the fight. It was also a surprise to nearly everyone when Rose lifted Juleka with ease.)

Lila was seething at the amount of attention the couple was getting. The class talked about how romantic Marinette’s boyfriend was. Even Alya was giving the couple more attention in order to win the stupid bet she had with Chloe.

Chloe had declared that Damian and Marinette’s love is real and that Lila is wrong. Alya was dead set on proving that Lila is right. Lila, during all this, managed to get Damian alone and that meeting had left her afraid.

--------

Flashback….

Lila came out of the school early for her photoshoot with Adrien. No more boring classes and plus more time with Adrien, despite his new obsession with ugh, Marinette that was getting on her nerves. Why is that stupid nobody still winning when she was supposed to be on her knees for mercy from Lila, the queen of the school?

Sure, the students from other classes aren’t as easily swayed to her stories as her class yet but she will get there and she will be Queen. Mari-brat’s new relationship status is the hottest topic in the school right now and it is hard to find anyone willing to listen to her lies-, tales of adventures.

She saw a boy leaning against a tree, earphones in and looking through his phone. Upon closer look, she realized that it was Marinette’s boyfriend, Danny.

No, wait.

David? No, that can’t be it. It sounded a little like ‘demon’.

‘I got it. It’s Damian.’ Lila thought triumphantly.

“Stop staring at me. I know you are there and you should know that I am happily taken.” Damian said, not looking up from his phone.

Lila internally smiled. This was perfect. Finally she was able to get him alone and sway him to her side. Nobody can resist her charms. When she is done getting him to bend to her every whim, that baker’s girl will bow before her like the peasant she is.

She checked her appearance and walked towards him in that sexy way that made many teenage boys swoon over her. Unfortunately, Damian didn’t lift his gaze from his phone. (Internally, he was debating whether or not to kill her and if it was worth not being pestered while waiting for Malak’s lunch break. His family would be disappointed in him and Marinette might kill him for ruining her fun. The plans she has in store for her. He almost pitied the liar. Almost.)

“Bonjour, I am Lila Rossi. It’s very nice to meet you and you are?” Lila said in a sultry tone. All teenage boys want one thing and she was going to give it to him. She can’t wait to see the brat cry when she sees her in the arms of her ‘Dami’.

“Cut the crap. You know who I am. You have been glaring at my girlfriend for the past week.”

Time to change tactics then.

“I am just worried for you. Marinette is bad news. She’s a lying, thieving gold digger who only wants you for your good looks and money. Trust me on this.”

Lila put her hand on Damian’s arm. To her anger, he brushed her hand off.

“So I have to trust a girl I just met who is talking shit about my Malak who by the way has never taken advantage of my status and money and even insisted on paying for lunch although I was able to afford it. Yes, you sound like a person I can totally trust with my credit card. Thank you for worrying about me but it is unnecessary.” He deadpanned.

Her smile faltered.

“Hey, I am just warning you about what you are in for. She puts on a goody two-shoe act in front of people and when no one is around, she would beat me up. My back is still in pain from last time. She is a jealous bitch who wants me dead.” She hunched her back to make herself seem a little pitiful. He is going to fall into her trap and then,-

To her surprise, Damian laughed. A laugh that sent shivers down her spine.

Who laughs at the fact that his girlfriend is apparently beating people up?! What the hell? She expected some denial, maybe some hesitation. But laughing? Is he some sort of sick bastard!? This just proves that Marinette is a freak with shit taste in men.

“I don’t believe you, Miss Rossi. Simply because if she did actually want you dead, you won’t even be here standing in front of me breathing. I have seen what she is capable of. And it sounds to me like you are the jealous one with how hard you are trying.”

Lila opened her mouth to say a rebuttal but it died in her throat as the implications of Damian’s words sunk in. She was genuinely a little scared for the first time in her life in fear, hoping that he was just messing with her. Marinette was harmless and she had never retaliated against Lila except for trying to call her out on her ‘stories’. Right?

“What- what do you mean I won’t be here if she actually wants me dead? And that she is capable of it?” Lila hated that she had stuttered.

Damian smirked as her eyes widened from fear. He leaned in closer with a sharp grin.

“Marinette and I. Our childhoods are vastly different from you people. We were trained from birth for a... well...‘very special skill’ set. It’s how we met actually. You should be glad that she has great self-control or you would have died a long time ago. You are just an annoying fly, Miss Rossi and you better stay that way, for your own sake.”

“Marinette’s only special skill set is being clumsy and also a failure. I am not afraid of her. Besides, I have already taken her friends away and the class is under my thumb. She’s not very capable if you ask me.” Lila wasn’t going to be afraid of a lowly peasant, and it’s not like Miss Goody-two shoes have the guts people.

“That was your last warning and it was rather foolish of you to ignore it. You better go now, Rossi. I think your boss would be displeased if you were late.” His head turned towards the school entrance where Adrien was standing with his phone out. Realizing he was caught, he quickly hid his phone and proceeded to walk towards his car, pretending he didn’t see the two of them. Lila glared at Damian, unhappy at the failed attempt to get him and followed the blond model.

However, his words stuck with her the entire photoshoot.

------

Present…

Marinette skipped happily down the stairs as the school ended.

Ever since it looked like the class was going to turn on her, she finally let go of the happy-go-lucky clumsy school girl act which she did to appear less threatening and in hopes of getting some friends. It was about time she did it too. She was tired of keeping it up.

Damian was at the moment preparing things for his trip back to Gotham tomorrow. Everything had been sorted out and they were all going the cover story about Damian visiting his mother which was technically true. Unfortunately, the curse thing was still on hold as most of the magic users were still busy. She had started looking through the grimoire for ways to break the curse.

The entire week with being in a relationship with Damian had been an amazing one. Sure, it was all fake but she can’t help wishing that it was real. Maybe that was just the curse talking. At least, she wasn’t reverting to her crushing-hard-on-Adrien-Agreste-and-unable-to-talk-to-him-in-full-sentences 13-year old self around him, the most embarrassing chapter of her life that should be locked away forever.

“Marinette, wait for me. I need to talk to you.”

Speak of the devil ‘sunshine’ incarnate.

Marinette kept walking, maybe his bodyguard would stop him from following her. If she made it to the bakery, her parents would make him leave. And didn’t he have fencing today? Kagami had fencing practise right now. They were both in the same classes. Adrien must have snuck out.

Usually, she would have Damian or her friends around so Adrien wouldn’t ‘talk’ to her alone. But Luka was at his internship. Alix and Nathaniael were still back in school at the art room. Chloe has a hair appointment scheduled.

“Princess, stop. I just need to tell you something. It’s important. It’s about Damian.”

Marinette walked faster, not wanting to deal with his delusions about true love and that she should dump Damian. In hindsight, she probably should have ran the moment she heard his voice like he did to catch up to her. He caught her wrist to keep her from running away from him.

(If she wasn’t out in public, she would have broken his hand. But the lawsuits from Gabriel would be a headache to deal with. He was going to give one when for the red handmark on Adrien but thankfully, the security footage and Damian as eye witness to the event showed that it was self-defence. Gabriel shut up when they threatened to sue for sexual harassment which would not look good for the Gabriel brand. Unfortunately, the restraining order still hadn’t gone through yet.)

“Princess, you are not getting away that easily from me and you need to see this.”

He showed her a picture of Damian and Lila together. Very close. Nearly kissing close. Damian looked like he was whispering something to Lila and the angle of the camera showed Lila in a suggestive pose.

“See, Princess. I told you that Damian isn’t the right guy for you. I am and I promise that I won’t cheat on you like him.”

Marinette laughed and got her hand out of a shocked Adrien’s slacked grip in the process. He didn’t notice this in his confusion.

“What’s so funny? He is cheating on you with Lila. The girl you hate. Why aren’t you angry?”

Marinette gasped for breath and after she finally managed to get her laughter under control, “Did you really think that I am insecure enough that I will believe that my boyfriend would cheat on me with a girl who is more of an annoying fly than someone I hate with my entire being? Maybe come running into your arms with tears in my eyes?”

“Em..” Adrien struggled to find words to retort since that was exactly what he wanted.

“Listen up, Agreste, here is why I don’t believe you. Because one, Damian doesn’t like strangers touching him and his own family gets a limited amount of hugs with me being an exception. Two, I know about him meeting Lila because I was on a call with Damian when Lila came to talk to him. Three, the back row seat by the window has a good view of the tree they were standing under. And four, make sure that you are more discreet next time when taking ‘blackmail’ photos because this was a shitty attempt.” She listed off all the reasons using her fingers. “But hey, an A for effort in trying to destroy a relationship. Trying to be a homewrecker, are you?”

“But- But he’s not- he isn’t- I am not trying to destroy a relationship. You are mine. I am just showing you that. He doesn’t actually love you like I do.” Adrien said as he tried to defend himself.

“So showing me a picture that looks like my boyfriend is cheating on me with a sausage-haired harlot in hopes of me breaking up with him. I might have gotten akumatized but who cares, you will be my shoulder to cry on after the Miraculous Court takes me down and in my vulnerable state, you would ask me to be your girlfriend. Emotionally manipulating me to say yes. You finally get the girl of your dreams as your prize. What you want, Agreste is not a relationship but a possession of me. And just because you want me, doesn’t mean I have to reciprocate your feelings. That isn’t a healthy relationship and it’s not love. You need to stop this fantasy of yours and accept that I don’t like you romantically anymore and date you. You need to let this idea of us together go.”

Marinette turned on her heel and walked away, leaving Adrien in the dust to think about what he had been doing wrong. Her words stung but he loved her. She was the one, his perfect match.

He was never letting her go.

Never.

But her words echoed through his mind. Was what he felt towards her really love? Did he even love her or was she just a prize?

He shook his head. No, he shouldn’t be thinking like that. She loves him. Love makes people blind and his Princess doesn’t see him right in front of her. The shining bright light of their love would make her see the truth.

Soon.

--------

(Part 9)

-------

Taglist:

@alysrose-starchild, @buginetye, @lookatthestars1, @blackroserelina, @macncheesemonster, @mochinek0, @myazael, @tonicxworld, @thewitchwhowaited, @t1dwarrior-of-earth, @kissa-chan, @iwantasecretidentity, @theymakeupfairies, @user00000003, @woe-is-me0, @kashlyn, @mochegato,@moonlightstar64 , @greatcatblaze, @moongoddesskiana, @tazanna-blythe. @tonicxworld, @toodaloo-kangaroo, @frieddonutsweets, @local-witch-of-mn, @lady-bee-fechin, @iglowinggemma28, @indecisive-mess-named-me, @k-tea-and-coffee, @jayjayspixiepop, @all-mights-asscheeks, @idk-j-go-with-it , @loysydark, @thenillabean, @lolieg, @zalladane, @silvergold-swirl, @henie04, @blueblossombliss, @khneltea, @mochegato, @itsmeevie01, @roguishredaxion, @alyssadeliv, @steph-hearthlight, @adrestar, @eliza-bich, @abrx2002, @hikari55ttva, @doglover82, @daminette5074, @moon5608 ,@justafanwarrior, @allis-sun, @animegirlweeb, @aespades, @corporeal-terrestrial, @mildlydeadly @redbullgivescaswings, @peachedpocky, @mysteriouslyswimmingfan-blo-blog, @vixen-uchiha, @maskedpainter, @crytallized, @callmewhatyouwant00, @stainedglassm, @fantasyislive, @risingmoonyue, @blackstarlight-co, @wolf-for-life, @prettylittlebutterflie, @bonusbuggy

[lostredrobin]

Sneaking out, Damian Wayne x Reader

Damian Wayne x Reader, where Damian get's caught trying to sneak out to see the reader.

Damian stared at himself in the mirror. He had changed four times already. Should he dress casually? Should he dress somewhat formal? Should he style his hair? Should he wear cologne? He let out a frustrated grunt and changed his clothes once again. He decided that a hoodie and jeans couldn’t hurt. He had asked you out earlier this week and you both decided to watch a superhero movie that just released, something about the villain making the superheros vanish, but only in halves. He let out a breath to calm his nerves and pulls out his phone to text you.

“Departing the manor. I will be there in approximately 15 minutes” Tonight; his brothers and Father were patrolling so sneaking out should be easy enough. He slipped his phone in his back pocket and steadily made his way downstairs. He heard some footsteps down the hall and dashed to the closest hiding spot. He hid behind a curtain. He hoped the lack of light would help camouflage him. Alfred made his way past him, a plate of snacks in his hand.

Damian waited for a moment, then stepped out. He proceeded cautiously out the manor. The trip to the garage was uneventful. He unlocked his car, opening his backseat to ensure there was a spare jacket incase you got cold. He closed the door as gently as he could, before climbing into the driver seat and doing the same for that door. He hoped turning on his car in the garage would help muffle the loud engine. Once the engine was done roaring, he pressed the button for the garage door to open.

The large door slid slowly up, but as it did a large outline of a person also came into view. Damian let out an annoyed sigh and rolled his window down. The large figure stepped into the garage and hunched to Damians window.

It was Bruce and he didn’t look very happy. An annoyed expression reflected on Bruce’s face. Damian’s face matched his fathers and he waited for him to speak first.

“Where do you think you’re going, Damian?” Damian looked past Bruce for a second and can see Alfred very faintly at a window. He looked to be shaking his head. Of course Alfred knew Damian was sneaking out. Damian rolled his eyes in further annoyance.

“Father, I am attending a movie with [Y/N].” Bruce’s lip turned up for a moment, before dropping back down to its stern expression. Bruce stepped back for a moment, reaching to his back pocket and pulling out his wallet. “Father, I don’t need your mon-” Damian tried arguing, but Bruce handed him a hundred-dollar bill anyways.

“Take [Y/N] someplace nice and keep your hands to yourself.” Bruce slapped the top of Damian’s car twice dad-like, gesturing for him to go. Damian stared at him for what felt like minutes. Keep his hands to himself? DID HIS FATHER THINK HE WAS SOME SORT OF PERVERT?

Damian glared at his father, rolling up his window and finally taking off.

 BONUS:

Dick and Jason snuck into the trunk, while Damian and Bruce were talking and crashed the date mid-way through. You and Damian had been friends for a long time, but this was your first date together. Just as Damian grew the balls to wrap his arm around you, Dick and Jason shoved their way between the two of you during the movie. Damian almost set them on fire when they arrived back to the manor.

[xaphrin]

I am hoping to post this whole fic all at once, but I was so happy with this chapter that I wanted to share it. So, here. Have some "I wasn't supposed to fall in love with my wedding baker" AU.

- - -

When Damian opened the door to find Raven standing in the hallway, the expression on her face spoke volumes about her feelings of being here when most people were dead asleep.

She adjusted the large plastic container in her hands and shook a lock of hair out of her eyes. “You are aware that it’s two in the morning, right?”

Damian knew. Of course he did. A part of him almost felt apologetic for calling Raven and forcing her to come to his home in the middle of the night (especially over something as insignificant as lemon curd), but with the premium he was paying her for an off-hours house call, he didn’t allow that apology to take root. He’d been accused of being a “night owl” on more than one occasion, but the truth was that he suffered from occasional bouts of insomnia. And if he had to suffer through this ailment, then so should others - including the baker for his wedding.

“I’m paying you enough to make up for your interrupted sleep schedule.” Without any ceremony, he ushered her into his penthouse, closing the door behind her. Titus pushed past him and nudged Raven’s hip, begging for pets. Damian couldn’t help but notice that Titus paid Raven more attention than he paid his own fiance. “Sleep when you’re dead.”

Raven’s lips pulled to the side in a teasing half-smile, her eyes meeting his. “How chivalrous of you.” There was a small pause as she set the plastic container down on a small table by the door and bent down to scratch Titus behind the ears. “You know that your night time doorman seems to think I’m here for purposes other than cake. Why else would some strange woman be visiting you at an unreasonable hour?”

Damian didn’t care what his doorman thought, and he highly doubted Raven cared. She was just trying to get under his skin. He shrugged and turned away from her, motioning her to follow him deeper into his flat. “I hardly see how that is my problem. Besides, didn’t you say that you get up at four in the morning anyway?”

Her face fell. “That is entirely beside the point, and you know that, Mr. Wayne.”

“You can call me Damian.” He had reminded her of that fact at least half a dozen times now.

“Ha.” Her sarcastic laugh made him smirk. “No one calls a Wayne by their first name. It’s akin to social suicide. I’d be willing to bet that you even call your father Mr. Wayne.”

Damian walked her through the massive living room, heading towards the kitchen at the far end of his flat. “Only on holidays, and the occasional birthday.”

Raven snorted. “Ah. I see how deep the decorum runs.” As they walked into the kitchen, her face lit up with surprise, and she let go of a low whistle. Pushing past him, she inspected the appliances with blatant envy. “Do you even know what I would do to have this oven in my posession? I would commit war crimes to get this oven in my apartment.” She opened the oven doors and looked inside before standing up and turning to him, eyes narrowing. “Is this just for show? Do you even bake?”

“No.”

Raven closed the oven door and sighed. “Pity.”

“I cook.”

That seemed to pique her interest, and she leaned against the marble countertop, watching him with a sharp stare. There was a long stretch of silence, and it felt like her eyes were boring into him, stripping away everything that protected him until it felt like each flaw was exposed to her scrutiny. In any other situation, Damian would have slammed up some kind of barrier to keep her from looking too deep, but this time he found himself oddly comfortable with letting her investigate him. He didn’t mind showing her his weaknesses, and that thought should have scared him, but it didn’t. He kept his face blank and let her watch him.

“You know… I am having a hard time imagining you slaving over a stove in a hot kitchen.” Her head tilted to the side and she smirked. “Although I like the thought of you wearing a frilly apron. A soft pink one, with ruffles and bows.”

His face fell and he crossed his arms over his chest. Cheeky. “I am docking your home visit fee until you take that back.”

“Mm. Worth it.” She turned away from him, and reached for the plastic container on the counter, unsnapping the lid. In an instant, Titus was at her side and Damian watched her sneak him a treat she had obviously made for him. Raven seemed to make herself at home in his kitchen, as if she belonged there. He found himself smiling at her, and a strange kind of warmth filled his chest.

“So, tell me your fear with the lemon curd, and why it was so imperative that you force me out of bed at two o’clock in the morning to travel all the way across town with cake samples.”

Well, when she put it like that, it did make him sound like a typical, spoiled son of an eccentric billionaire. Damian ignored that small spot of guilt again and settled on a stool at the eat-in counter. “I think my fiance is allergic to lemons… or curd. I can’t remember, but it’s one of those.” He thought for a long moment, trying to remember what it was that she had said last time he had spoken to his fiance.

“You can’t remember?” Raven turned back around and looked at him, her expression incredulous. “Haven’t you two known each other for years? That's what all the tabloids say anyway.”

Oh, right. The tabloids were spinning the relationship into some falsehood of star-crossed lovers who used to be childhood best friends. The truth was far less interesting. “We have known of each other for years. We’ve crossed paths at various parties and events, and my father and hers have a mutual business relationship. But, knowing each other implies some kind of deep, long term relationship. Something more than casual friends.”

“Ah.” Raven rummaged through his cabinets for plates, setting them next to the plastic container containing cake samples. “And I take it that’s not what you have with the daughter of Queen Consolidated?”

Damian shrugged, knowing that talking about the arrangement was opening himself to all kinds of scrutiny from her. But, there was something about Raven that made it almost comfortable to open up to her. In all the times they had been together, she never seemed like the type to spill his secrets. In fact, she seemed to keep them closer than most people he knew. He actually liked talking to her - even with her cheeky attitude. “We’ve only been together in an official capacity for a few months.”

“Oh…”

Her tone seemed to waffle between pity and understanding, and Damian felt like he had to scramble for an explanation. It felt like he didn’t want her to think less of him as a person.

“The marriage is one of a business nature. Our families would be brought together with the marriage of children. It would strengthen the ties between us.” After saying it out loud, Damian realized how cynical that sounded. It was more than just a business move. For all intents and purposes, he liked Emiko, she was smart and polite and reasonably attractive. Marrying her was a good, sound move. He would be content though their marriage.

“I didn’t realize that was still a thing - marrying for business purposes.” Raven pulled out cake samples from the plastic box and placed them on the counter. “Sounds a little medieval, if you ask me.”

Damian shrugged, not feeling any particular way about her comments. “She’s a lovely woman.”

“Is she?” Raven scoffed. “My landlady is a lovely woman. The mail person is a lovely woman. The person who delivers my takeaway is a lovely woman." She gave him a flat stare, pursing her lips. "Lovely woman is not a term of endearment you use for someone you're madly in love with."

"I never said I was madly in love with her."

"Ah. I see. I must have misunderstood." She handed him a slice of cake, her eyes as sharp as a hawk’s as she watched him. "Raspberry and chocolate." She paused. "Is that the business agreement to the marriage then? You marry Emiko Queen, and in return both families have fingers in each other’s pots… so to speak.”

"Yes." Damian took a bite of the cake, and he tasted the sharp tartness of the raspberry at the forefront of the cake before melting away to luscious chocolate. Just like the first time he tasted her cakes, he barely kept himself from moaning in pleasure. She had to bake magic into her cakes for them to taste this damn good. He chewed slowly, letting himself wallow in the flavor.

"Does she love you?"

Damian swallowed and stared at her. The question caught him off guard. He knew for certain he didn’t love her, but he had never really thought about whether or not she loved him. "That's forward of you."

"Asking if your fiance loves you?" She snorted and lifted her eyes to the ceiling. "You're right. How rude of me." Another slice of cake appeared. "Pistachio and cardamom."

He took a bite and tamped down a shiver. She was a magician, there was no other explanation. The flavor curled in his mouth like spiced smoke. "It'll be a fine arrangement."

"Mm. How romantic, an arrangement. Be still my fluttering heart."

Damian rolled his eyes and took another bite of cake. "I am amazed you manage to keep clients with the mouth on you."

She gave a one shouldered shrug. "I let my work speak for me." There was a pause and she leaned over the counter to look closer at him, trying to decipher his expression. “But you never answered my question. Does she love you?”

Damian blinked, letting her question settle in the pit of his stomach. Did his fiance love him? He doubted it, but then again, he never thought to ask. Emiko wasn’t frigid to him, but she wasn’t overly attached either. Indifferent seemed to be the best way to describe her feelings, as though she cared for him as nothing more than a distant friend. She seemed to view this arrangement the same way he did - a duty to her family and a business transaction. Nothing more.

“Your silence speaks volumes.” Raven’s head tilted to the side and she stared at him again, blatantly reading his face. He felt uncomfortable, letting her sharp eyes watch him. She seemed to see more than anyone else had. “I see hundreds of couples a year, and I’ve learned to pick out who truly cares for each other, and who really doesn't know what they want."

Damian took another bite of the pistachio cake, never looking away from her face. Even when she was picking him apart, she was beautiful. "And I take it that you believe I'm the latter?"

"I don't just believe, I know." She handed him another slice of cake. "Orange spice."

"I'm not particular about marrying for love. I've never subscribed to the idea." The orange spice was by far the best, and it immediately went on the short-list.

A pitying look crossed her face. "You don't believe in love?"

That question made him pause, and he looked back at her, his head filled with something akin to smoke. It was like he couldn’t think beyond her question. "I… don't know." He realized with some small amount of shock that he really didn't know. As he sat there, watching her, he realized that he never thought he would fall in love. He had crushes and minor relationships, but nothing that he would call love. Nothing that made him feel like the world was falling out from under his feet, and he was left clamoring for something that made him whole.

“You look surprised by your own answer.” Raven’s voice was soft, nearly swallowed up by the silence between them. “Did you honestly think you would never fall in love?”

“I suppose I did.” Damian took another bite of cake and shifted in his seat. “Love never seemed like something I gave much thought to. My duty has always been to my family, and as long as I am comfortable, I don’t see the need for much else.”

Raven pulled out another slice of cake. “Have you thought that maybe you haven’t met the right person?”

Damian’s face fell and he stared at her, taking the slice of cake from her. “That seems a trite response.”

She shrugged. “Perhaps. That’s vanilla and rose water.”

Damian’s face scrunched at the flavor and he pushed it away. “That rose water is abhorrent.”

A soft laugh escaped and Raven shook her head. “Rose water is very en vogue right now. I’m not fond of it, but some people like it.” She took the slice back and leaned against the counter. “So, tell me if you don’t mind, why are you putting all this effort into a wedding with someone you don't have feelings for?"

"It's meant to be a performance." He hummed softly, thinking. “Both of our families have a reputation to uphold, and if we don’t live up to that expected standard, the media will tear us apart. Emiko doesn’t need any poor publicity.”

“Mm. I understand to a point.” She paused and pulled out another slice of cake. “You’re very pragmatic about this.”

The way she said that didn’t sound like a compliment. Damian took the offered cake. “I don’t require your approval.”

“I never said you did. I’m only in this for the absolutely exorbitant fee you’re paying me.” She smirked. “But… I am curious, don’t you want to fall in love? Just once?”

“And who would I fall in love with?” He took a bite of cake and practically sighed. Chocolate and orange.

“You’re a Wayne. More than half the world would be willing to fall in love with you. Take your pick.”

“I don’t think you can force love.”

Raven shrugged. “Well, your upstanding camaraderie with your fiance doesn’t fit the bill either.”

He blinked and took another bite of the cake. This was the one. “I never intended to love her. Our partnership will be fine.”

Raven lifted an eyebrow. “So… what happens if you fall in love with someone before you get married?”

“I hardly think that will happen.” He scoffed and took a third bite of the cake. He doubted he would find anyone who could coax him to fall in love. That seemed like an impossible task. “And even if I did, it changes nothing.”

“You’re so committed to this marriage. It’s admirable.” Her smile widened. “I take it the orange and chocolate one is the winner? You’ve eaten half the slice already.”

“You’re talented at this.” He took another bite and met her stare. “What about you?”

“I think the chocolate orange will both make a statement and still be appropriately conservative.”

“That’s not what I asked.” His eyes searched hers, and he suddenly realized he had to know. He had to know if there was anyone in her life that meant more than just a friend. He wanted to know who her heart beat for. “Are you in love?”

Color crawled up her neck. “That’s a pretty personal question to ask your baker.”

Damian shrugged. “For what I’m paying you, humor me.”

She chewed on her lower lip and glanced away, and she shifted for a moment. “Currently? No. I was in love once, but… it faded.” She looked back into his eyes. “But that doesn’t make it any more special and important.”

"And you want to fall in love again?" He felt strange and a little invasive asking these questions, but some part of him wanted to know. He wanted to know not just about falling in love, but Raven falling in love specifically. Would she fall in love again? And with whom?

"Of course." Her voice was soft and gentle, and she gave him a small, almost sad smile. "I haven’t found the right person to fall for just yet. But it’ll come.”

Something in Damian’s chest twisted and he found himself reaching across the counter to rest his hand next to hers. It was as close as he dared to get to her. She met his stare for a long moment, and that feeling in his chest turned almost painful. He wanted to brush a stray lock of hair from her face, to feel her skin under his fingertips, but his hand stayed firmly pressed against the cool marble of the counter.

He swallowed slowly and nodded. “The chocolate orange.”

[elareine]

Jaydick meet-cute 45 (civilian/first responders), Jay thinking he was going to scare Dami, Dick was on a date but lost them in the maze)?

Gonna be honest here, I don’t really understand how being a first responder corresponds to the idea, so… this is the best I could come up with?

Also, yes, this is not proper EMT protocol.

Enjoy💙

Jason tries so hard not to grin. This is gonna be an epic prank. All he has to do is lie here, aesthetically arranged in a corner of the maze, and wait for his brother to show up. It’s gonna be so funny.

He hears movement behind him on the path and lets his features slacken.

Only. That’s not Damian’s careful tread. That’s not even just one pair of feet.

A woman gives a startles cry.

“It’s okay, I’m a first responder,” he hears a man call out, and then a hand that’s way too big to be Damian’s gently tilts his head to the side.

Oh, fuck.

What. What the fuck is he supposed to do now? Just… get up and admit to it? Jason can hear people chattering in the background. That would be so embarrassing. Not much better if the EMT (and what’s a fucking EMT doing in this corn maze, huh?) calls him out on it, though.

…maybe he can pass this off as a new part of the attraction? Clark, the owner, would let him get away with that, right?

The hand draws back. There’s a discreet sniff. Right. Because EMTs can presumably differentiate between ketchup and blood. So can Damian, sadly, but Jason wasn’t originally planning on keeping it up when someone got this close.

“I think he’s coming around,” the EMT announces more loudly than necessary. “Don’t call anyone yet.”

Jason opens his eyes cautiously and sees… a smile?

“Don’t move too quickly,” he’s told. “You hit your head. How are you feeling?”

Jason is quite honestly dumbstruck for a moment. It takes the EMT—a very, very pretty man, Jason can’t help noticing even now—winking at him to make him get with the program.

“Erm. Okay.” Hopefully, the delay will be contributed to the head trauma. He can see several people standing behind the first responder, watching worriedly.

“The wound on your head is only shallow. Are you hurt anywhere else?”

“Nope.” Jason remembers last-second not to shake his head. He offers: “Must’ve slipped.”

“Probably.” Damn, the EMT even sounds compassionate. What a great actor. “Want to try getting up? I’d like to get that wound dressed, and the staff at the entrance will have a medical kit.”

“Gimme a sec.” Jason waits a, to his mind, plausible amount to feign slight dizziness. “Yeah, okay.”

The EMT helps him to his feet. Jason makes a show of wobbling a bit, and the EMT promptly slings an arm around his waist so Jason can support himself on his shoulder. “Just to be safe,” he murmurs.

They (slowly) move away from the crowd and around the corner. When they’re out of earshot, Jason stops leaning on the EMT. “Thank you…”

“Dick,” the man introduces himself. “And you are?”

“Jason. Uh, yeah, thanks, Dick. That could’ve been way more mortifying.”

“No problem.” They walk for a moment in companionable silence. Finally, Dick asks: “So… prank gone wrong?”

“It was meant for my younger brother,” Jason explains. “The little fucker sneaked off to canoodle with the boyfriend he thinks I don’t know about.”

Dick chuckles. “So, payback?”

“Basically. Also, I’m just Like That. What about you? What brings you here?”

“I was on a date.” Dick shrugs. “Lost him somewhere in there and was just looking for him. Guess I’m not gonna find him now.”

If Jason feels his heart rate pick up a little at the casual pronoun, then… well, fuck it, Dick’s really hot, okay? “Sorry for, uh, ruining your date?”

“That’s fine. This was way more entertaining.” Dick grins at him. “It wasn’t going that great in the first place.”

“Or you wouldn’t have misplaced him?”

Dick nods, and Jason has to laugh. He likes the mischievousness in Dick’s eyes.

“How about,” he suggests as casually as possible, “I make it up to you with one of Clark’s famous corn on the cobs?”

“Absolutely,” Dick readily agrees. “Someone has to keep an eye on your injury, after all.”

“Great.” Jason smiles. Much better than scaring Damian.

“You might want to wash the ketchup out of your hair first, though.”

[anothertimdrakestan]

How The Batboys Comfort You When You're Crying HC

i had a few reqs about the boys comforting you after a hard day and thought this was a good middle ground for all of them :) i hope you enjoy!

Jason Todd:

- jason hates to see you cry, it twists a special emotional knife in his chest when he sees you curled up choking on your tears

- calling him to come over he'll rush to your side and just scoop you up, latching you onto him while he takes deep breaths hoping you'll mirror him

- it's always more calming when you can hear jason's heartbeat as his chest rises and falls

- he'll brush back hair that's fallen in your face and wipe away tears before they can slip out

- "none of that babe i'm here now" he whispers as you swallow and glance up at him through bleary eyes

- he'll rub your back with strong hands, eventually you'll transition to lying down on top of his chest whispering why you had a rough day while he cooes and cuddles you to sleep

- he MIGHT sneak out and beat up who ever hurt you but we don't talk ab that

Damian Wayne:

- initially dami would go into shock, like think a systems overload with rage that just blacks him out for a second while he considers 800 ways to hide a body

- a second later he's at your side letting you melt into his embrace

- he'd be really really quiet at the beginning, trying to remember everything grayson said about comforting the people he loved, just letting you relax in his embrace until you're slightly more calmed down

- once the initial cry is over he'll let you curl up in his lap while he mindlessly works on drawings or cases, constantly getting off task to kiss a little line down your neck or bring you to pet titus with him, he tries to distract you and plots his revenge for later

- if you're embarrassed of your flush cheeks or tear stained appearance he'll be showering you in compliments

- "beloved you could be purple and i'd still fall for you just as hard" or "what- what are you talking about? you're the most beautiful person in the world. always." or a million other little quips about how you fulfill his life (such a sap when you're sad)

- there would be lots of animal cuddles too like LOTS

- he'd really want you to remember that day as a happy one, maybe he'd take you on a date later or out on patrol as a treat- anything to replace that days sad memory this his own happy one because you make his life happy and he's determined to do the same for you :)

Dick Grayson:

- dick is the sweetheart where as soon as he sees you his arms are WIDE open, he's probably rushing you first and enveloping you in kisses that make you laugh away the tears

- he'd want to talk it out and let you get everything off your chest

- if it's an angry cry he's screaming with you, if it's a sad cry he's rubbing your back, if it's a "i don't know what i'm doing with my life it's 4am" cry he's got all the pep talks in the world ready for you and a dance party planned afterwards

- he would kiss away your tears, with that floppy goofy grin and soft lips you'd soon be smiling and crinkling your nose at how cute he is

- he'll probably put on a funny movie and order take out while he just cuddles you and lets you relax into the night with him

- the day after he likes to checkup on you, a quick jaunt over to your place or a facetime call or a nightwing visit to make sure you're okay and don't need any more of his quality dick grayson comforting because he's always down to help out the love of his life!

- even if you say you're fine you can expect a rose on your desk, or a little note on your fridge, maybe a suprise delivery of your favorite food later in the day, anything to put a smile on the face of his favorite person ever after they have a hard day

Tim Drake:

- tim is the guy who's always there, your constant shoulder to cry on even with how busy he is it's like he has a super secret sense for when you need him

- your favorite crying position is dragging yourself into the batcave and slumping into his chest while he's on the bat computer

- like clockwork one arm is wrapping around your waist and then other is swiping away the tears as he asks what's wrong

- the most comforting thing about timmy is his cologne, you always rest your head right on his shoulder while he whispers little comforting things in your ear

- he will just quietly sit there and comfort you if that's what you need but if you prefer distractions he'll tell you about the case or what he did that day or pull up a cartoon on the bat computer

- soon enough you're both smiling and laughing like normal

- where tim shines is that he doesn't just let you go after he's seen you cry, he tends to casually follow you around to make sure you're okay

- whether it's coming with you on errands that day or making sure you stay the night with him- tim wants you to know that he's there for the long run, you won't ever have to be alone or isolated because timmys got your back when you need it forever and always :)

[bibatfamdisaster]

I posted 79 times in 2021

72 posts created (91%)

7 posts reblogged (9%)

For every post I created, I reblogged 0.1 posts.

I added 412 tags in 2021

#batfam - 45 posts

#batfamily - 44 posts

#batman family - 43 posts

#batman - 42 posts

#dick grayson - 41 posts

#jason todd - 40 posts

#tim drake - 40 posts

#damian wayne - 40 posts

#robin - 40 posts

#incorrect batfamily quotes - 37 posts

Longest Tag: 99 characters

#damian got grounded but everyone knew it was pointless because he would sneak out on patrol anyways

My Top Posts in 2021

#5

Jon, a gen z kid in casual concersation with Damian: Yeah so i just saw Kara beat the poop out of Lex. What a mood. We stan a queen. My wig has been snatched. She just yeeted him.

Clark, a frustrated father: What does that mean?

Bruce, desperately trying to connect with the youth: It means that Kara has big dick energy

1257 notes • Posted 2021-12-13 15:34:36 GMT

#4

*dick and babs as kids*

Dick, in his naturally squeaky voice at the time: Hey Ken! I was thinking about going back to school and starting a career!

Babs, in a deep voice: Nonsense, Barbie. You are staying home to take care of the kids.

Bruce: What are you two doing?

Babs and Dick, in sync: Playing systematic oppression

1430 notes • Posted 2021-10-04 16:52:14 GMT

#3

Bruce: Did you buy the eggs like i asked?

Damian: I found a much better alternative

Bruce: Damian, what did you-

Damian: *holding up a chicken* Father, meet Carl

1915 notes • Posted 2021-10-29 17:32:48 GMT

#2

Can we just talk about one if my favorite sibling relationships in the entire world???

Damian Wayne and Stephanie Brown

THEY ARE SO UNDERRATED

See the full post

2017 notes • Posted 2021-11-18 15:18:23 GMT

#1

Damian: before you make your final decision, i urge you to see things from MY perspective

Tim: *crouches down*

Jason: *gets on his knees*

Damian:

Damian: prepare for death you imbeciles

2100 notes • Posted 2021-07-06 05:24:16 GMT

Get your Tumblr 2021 Year in Review →

[invisibleanonymousmonsters]

Father of Mine – 2/2

Character: Bruce Wayne x Daughter!Reader

Summary: With the tragic passing of her mother, Y/N learns to the truth of who her father is.

Word Count: 4,100+

Warnings: absent father, subtle violence, mention of family death

A/N: The reader is described as tall in this fic. Bruce Wayne is 6′2 and I’m tall, so I’m indulging myself with no apologies. Read it or don’t.

Part 1

Bruce was working in the cave when Alfred interrupted him.

“Master Wayne, a guest has arrived unexpectedly.”

Bruce gave him a strange look. Hardly anyone showed up to the manor unannounced.

“Ms. Y/L/N,” Alfred added.

“Right,” Bruce sighed.

“She’s waiting for you in your office.”

Bruce found Y/N pacing in the room, refusing to take the seat that he was sure Alfred offered her.

“Y/N,” he greeted, remembering how she disliked the formalities last night.

She whipped around at his greeting. “Am I your charity case now?”

He feigned confusion. “I’m not sure I know what you’re talking about.”

She looked offended by his lie. “Don’t insult my intelligence. You paid all of my outstanding expenses that my mother left me.”

Bruce opened his mouth.

“Don’t try to lie to me,” she warned.

Bruce closed his mouth.

“Look, I don’t need your help,” Y/N sighed in obvious irritation. “Did you or did you not pay them?”

He took in a shallow breath, “I did.”

Y/N clenched her jaw as Bruce finally admitted his deed.

“I was only trying to help.”

“You can’t just throw money at me and expect it to make up for being a no-show.”

Bruce tensed. 

Did that mean…Did she know?

“You read the letter?” He asked.

“No,” she clarified. “But I figured it out.”

“I had no idea,” he tried to tell her.

“I don’t care,” she almost snorted.

“You have ever right to be angry with me…”

“I’m not angry. I’m annoyed.”

She took a defiant step toward him and crossed her arms.

The heeled boots she had on caused her already tall height to make her be eye to eye with Bruce. 

How many people had faced off with Batman and cowered with fear? 

But she didn’t submit or show any signs of intimidation.

“Do you think I cried myself to sleep every night as a child, wondering where my dad was or why he didn’t want me?” Y/N hissed.

Bruce didn’t respond.

“You think I give a fuck about the father-daughter dances? Or whatever the hell people think dads are only capable of doing?” She narrowed her eyes. “The thing is…I didn’t need you. I didn’t need you then and I don’t need you now.”

Bruce felt sick as he listened to her.

“I have the sneaking suspicion that you wouldn’t have been there for those anyway,” she added roughly. “My mom loved me more than enough. I didn’t need anyone else. And she made damn sure of that.”

“So I’m not your charity case to make yourself feel better after my mom made it clear she thought it was better to keep me from you, than to ever tell you that I existed. Says a lot about what kind of person she thought you are, huh?”

When Y/N finally stopped, she was taking deep breaths.

Bruce wondered how long she had that all bottled up. He didn’t think anything she said was a lie. Y/N didn’t need him. That had become clear.

She had grown up to be a successful, intelligent, and independent young woman.

And she got that way without a father figure of any sort.

After a few moments, Bruce finally bowed his head and cleared his throat. “I never intended on making you feel like a charity case.”

Bruce saw as Y/N took in a deep breath and the guilt slowly took over her expression.  

“Look,” Y/N sighed, “we finally know the truth. Let’s just…let’s just move on with our lives. OK?”  

Bruce couldn’t deny that the suggestion hurt.

After processing the news over the past week or so, he realized he wanted to get to know her. This wasn’t the first time a child of his had been dropped on him far too late. He had failed Damian in so many ways because of it. 

But Y/N was a young woman, fully developed and independent now. And Bruce couldn’t help but wonder that him being absent from her childhood had only benefitted her.

“If that’s what you want,” he finally told her.

Y/N didn’t know him well enough to hear the underlying pain in his words.

So she simply nodded and walked past him, having nothing more to say.

——————

Bruce adjusted his tie. He wanted nothing more than to rip it off his neck.

But he was on his best behavior tonight.

This year, the Gotham Gazette was given the honor of hosting the Pulitzer Prizes. And since Bruce and Wayne Enterprises donated quite a large sum of money to the Gotham Gazette, they felt inclined to invite him.

Bruce had every intention of skipping, until he found out that Lois Lane was receiving an award and Clark would also be attending.

He figured the least he could do was congratulate her and say hi to both of them.

That’s why he was trying to find them as soon as possible so he could and get the hell out of there.

Bruce finally spotted Clark talking to a woman whose back was to him. All he saw of her was the black dress and y/h/c hair. 

He made his way over.

Clark noticed him when he was a few feet away.

“I see you’ve finally left your cave,” he teased with a lift of his brow. “I honestly didn’t expect you to show.”

But when the woman Clark was speaking to turned to look at him, Bruce swore he felt his heart stop.  

Y/N’s eyes widened slightly, clearly just as surprised at seeing Bruce.

None of this went missed by Clark. “Oh, do you two know each other?”

Bruce didn’t know how to respond. What would Y/N want? 

So he hesitated.

“I shot him for a cover once,” Y/N answered quickly.

She was a shockingly smooth liar.

Maybe she got that from Bruce, too.

But she didn’t realize that Clark could hear her heart rate quicken, catching the fib.

“And how exactly do you two know each other?” Bruce asked, recovering quickly.

“Y/N works with Lois a lot,” Clark answered. “She basically refuses to work with any other photographer.”

Y/N managed to force a smile.

“I should actually go find her and say my congrats,” she answered. 

“And I need to hunt down a drink,” she mumbled. 

Both men caught it.

Clark was rather taken aback by how she fled.

The Y/N he knew was always charming and kind, usually life of the party. He’d never seen her dodge a conversation in such a way before.

As soon as she was out of hearing range, Clark gave a intimidating glare to Bruce.

“Want to tell me what that was about?” He asked Bruce.

But Bruce only clenched his jaw.

“Past fling?” Clark asked with a somewhat disappointed tilt of his head.

“No. Nothing like that,” Bruce quickly corrected.

Not only did the idea make him feel sick. But if rumors started of the two of them being romantically linked, Bruce knew it would only make Y/N hate him more than she clearly already did. 

Thankfully, Clark took his denial seriously.

“She’s not my biggest fan,” Bruce added darkly.

“Y/N is a good friend,” Clark told him – almost in warning. “Lois and her have become rather close over the years.”

Then Clark smirked. “She does know how to hold a grudge though. And she’ll make your life hell...if you deserve it.” 

Bruce’s brain hurt as he realized how easily Y/N and his path’s could’ve crossed. She had been friends with Clark and Lois this whole time?

“I’m happy for her,” Clark added.

“Happy for her?”

Clark looked at Bruce as if it was obvious. “She’s being awarded tonight, too.”

How could Bruce not have realized? Why didn’t he think of looking at the list of people being awarded tonight? He’d been dreading attending so much that he didn’t even consider it.

“Bruce?” Clark asked with concern.

“Hmm?” He was not one to hum or mumble.

“You alright?”

Bruce didn’t have a lot of friends.

But Clark Kent was one of them. And him and Diana had noticed how Bruce was acting off for weeks now. Bruce was notorious for remaining stoic and giving nothing for people to try and guess what he was thinking or feeling. But they both knew it was something different. 

Someone over Bruce’s shoulder suddenly waved Clark over.

“If you’ll excuse me,” Clark told Bruce politely.

Bruce’s first instinct was to leave now that he knew Y/N was also in attendance.

But he knew he couldn’t act so cowardly.

Was he really that scared of his own daughter?

His eyes glanced around the room looking for her.

He spotted Y/N at one of the bars.

Either her conversation with Lois had been quick, or she simply used that as an excuse to get away from Bruce.

Bruce walked up beside Y/N at the bar.

He knew she felt his arrival by the way her body tensed.

“Had I known you would be here I would not have attended,” he told her while looking straight ahead.

Y/N ignored his apology. “How do you know Clark?”

“He’s a friend,” Bruce answered casually.

Then he allowed himself to take a sideways glance at her.

Her jaw was clenched.

He wondered what thoughts she was holding back.

Y/N really did remind him of her mother.

When they were together, Bruce was convinced she was the prettiest girl in the world. He wondered if Y/N had found someone in her life who told her the same.

“Congratulations on being honored tonight,” Bruce offered sincerely.

“Thank you,” she answered shortly.

A beat passed between them.

Bruce was about to give up and leave her be.

“Does Clark think I’m one of your one-night stands now?”

Y/N might not know Bruce well, but everyone was familiar with his romantic history. He wasn’t one to keep the same woman around for long. 

“No,” he quickly answered. “I made sure to prevent such a rumor from starting.”

Y/N finally slowly turned to him, her annoyance clear. “And you’re convinced that he really believed you?” She asked with a raised eyebrow.

“Yes, Clark has always been rather good at detecting a lie.” His tone was so confident that it left little room for argument.

But Bruce knew a losing battle when he saw one.

He dipped his head. “Enjoy the rest of your night. Congratulations again.”

But Bruce lingered, debating if he wanted to say what was on my mind.

“You look very beautiful. Just like your mother.”

There was nothing creepy or contrived about it.

Y/N blinked at the compliment, completely taken aback.

“Goodnight, Y/N.” Bruce dipped his head and finally surrendered, leaving the party.

Y/N felt a presence behind her shoulder as he watched him leave.

“Was Bruce Wayne just hitting on you?” Lois asked with amusement.

“No. Not at all,” her tone was dazed and confused.

“He’s a good guy,” Lois told her lightly.

“Doubt it.”

“I mean it,” Lois insisted. “The media has given him a bad image. But I think he likes it that way,” she shrugged. “It’s not easy for him to open up. He’s not quick to trust.”

Lois thought she was building up a possible suitor for Y/N, having not a clue that she was describing Y/N’s father to her.

But Y/N was too busy thinking about how much Bruce sounded like her.

—————

A few weeks had gone by since Bruce and Y/N had run into each other at the ceremony.

It got Bruce to thinking: would he and Y/N had run into each other at some point in life – even without her mother’s posthumously confession?

Y/N knew Lois and Clark, lived in Gotham, seemed to know the same people through her work that Bruce was forced to interact with to keep up his persona.

Would he have sensed a connection had that been the case?

The possibilities kept Bruce up at night…along with the guilt that had already been eating away at him since he first read the later. And he’d read it 100 times more since.

Of all the boys, Dick was the only one that knew of Y/N’s existence. And if he hadn’t been at the right place at the right time, Bruce never would’ve told him. He had just been in shock after reading the letter that he blurted out the realization while Dick was in the same room.

Since then, Bruce didn’t linger in a room alone with him, knowing Dick would finally let all of his questions loose. And Bruce wasn’t ready to answer them.

While Tim was the one to connect them, he never followed through with what the situation was. He already had too much to deal with on a daily basis. Tim simply thought he was doing a nice favor for a beautiful woman. 

But if Bruce had told him, Tim would immediately do every possible background check on Y/N. He would be suspicious of the timing and underlying motives. He would probably assume that Y/N’s end goal was to get money or fame – or both. Bruce knew eventually Tim would come to the conclusion that Y/N wanted neither of those things. But it would still get an unnecessary rise out of the boy.

Bruce didn’t even want to think about how Damian would handle it. He knew his son felt a certain level of pride from being the only blood-son of his. Knowing he had a sibling – and an older sister at that – would most likely enrage him. And that wouldn’t make anything better. 

Jason…Well, Jason would get a kick out of Bruce letting down yet another child. And it would just be worse that she was blood related. He’d be curious about Y/N. Hell, he’d probably be tickled by the no-bullshit attitude Y/N had towards Bruce and her harsh efforts to keep him out of her life completely.

Now, Bruce sat at a Justice League meeting.

They were only a few minutes into a council session when his communicator started going off.

The boys knew not to contact him unless it was an emergency. So, he quickly excused himself and stood to leave the room.

“What is it?” Bruce answered, his Batman voice in full form.

“There’s been an attack at city hall,” Dick reported back hurriedly.

Bruce frowned. The boys had handled much worse things on their own before. There had to be more to it than that.

“Scarecrow,” Dick confirmed. “He released a fear toxin. It’s bad Bruce. The mayor has been infected, along with half of their staff. I think it’s a new string. Our antidote doesn’t seem to doing anything. Even if it did, we don’t have nearly enough for the amount of victims.”

“The others?” Bruce asked quickly – meaning Damian, Jason, and Tim.

“They’re fine. Jason’s trying to get everyone out before they inhale too much. Tim and Damian went after Scarecrow. GPD is in a panic.”

Bruce turned to see Clark had raced to his side. Clearly he had been eavesdropping on the conversation. But the expression in his face prevented Bruce from getting into an argument about it.

“What?” Bruce asked him, knowing something was wrong.

“Lois and Y/N were at that council meeting,” Clark breathed out.

“We’ll be there soon,” Bruce told Dick before hanging up.

—

Bruce thought he knew fear from the few times his boys had been in trouble. But it was nothing compared to the fear he had knowing it was Y/N this time. She wasn’t a trained vigilante; she was just an innocent civilian. Bruce had not insured that she was trained and could take care of herself.

As soon as Clark dropped them on the ground, they were in the midst of the chaos.

“Lois!” Clark yelled.

People were too distracted to notice Superman and Batman had arrived.

Bruce looked over to see Lois rushing to Clark. He could tell it took all of Clark’s willpower not to embrace Lois from his relief.

“Are you OK?” Clark asked as he dipped his head and his eyes raced across his wife’s body.

“I-I’m fine. I got lucky. Somehow I was out of range of the gas explosion.”

“Y/N?” Bruce interrupted. “Did you see Y/N?”

“She was helping these kids get out and I was getting shoved out of the building. I tried to get to her but it was impossible with everyone’s panic. I think she’s still in there.”

Before Bruce could turn to Clark to come up with a plan, Clark flew into the building. A few people finally noticed the presence of superheroes and started murmuring.

“Nightwing, Red Hood – I’m at the front entrance of City Hall.”

Clark flew back to them not even 30 seconds later.

Y/N was unconscious in his arms.

“Oh my god,” Lois muttered at Y/N’s condition.

“She’s gone into shock. We need to get her to the medics,” Clark informed them. “She was exposed to the toxin more than the others.”

But Bruce was already shaking his head. “They won’t be able to help her.”

Clark gently handed Y/N to Bruce as he explained, “There are others in there.”

Just then Nightwing and Red Hood dropped in front of them.

Nightwing immediately recognized Y/N and his eyes shot up to Bruce with worry.

“Nightwing, I need you to take her back to the cave,” he tried to sound as controlled as possible.

Bruce was confused why Dick hesitated to take Y/N out of his arms.

“Do you have the batmobile? I brought my motorcycle,” Dick sounded apologetic when he explained.

Jason stepped forward before Bruce could answer. “I got her.”

As if she were the most fragile being ever, Jason carefully took Y/N’s unconscious body from Bruce’s grip. He could see in Bruce’s gaze that she was someone special. How and why, Jason would figure out later. 

Jason had seen Y/N trying to help as many people before she was completely poisoned from the toxin. She’d risked her life to help. 

Watching Jason cradle her into his body caught Clark off guard, always seeing the brute strength and almost animalistic energy from Red Hood whenever they so happened to fight beside each other.

“Meet us at the cave,” Bruce clarified. “Alfred will know what to do. We have to help out here more.”

Jason nodded before he hurried away with her and rushed to his hidden car.  

——————

Y/N’s eyes snapped open and she shot up, sitting in a cot.

“Hey, hey, hey,” a voice she didn’t recognize said beside her. “You gotta relax.”

She turned to see a mammoth of a man sitting beside her, wearing vigilante gear with at least two guns being displayed at his sides. But it was the red helmet completely hiding his face and true voice that made Y/N feel uncomfortable.

“What the fuck,” she groaned at the sight of him.

Just a few seconds later, two men rushed into the room.

Bruce walked in still in his Batman uniform, but without his cowl – to Jason’s shock.

Clark was beside him, making Jason confused as to why he was still here. Surely he would want to be with Lois. 

Y/N took in the sight before her.

“You were poisoned with a new strand of Scarecrow’s toxin,” Superman explained.

Y/N had seen plenty of pictures and shaky video of him. But now that the man stood before her, she immediately recognized him.

“Clark?” She gasped.

He didn’t say anything. But his expression didn’t fight her realization, just silently waited for the truth to settle.

“Does Lois know?” Was her next question.

Clark smirked at that. “Of course.”

Y/N gave a slight nod.

But now her attention switched to Bruce. 

The Batman symbol was large across his chest, and his cape was still intact.

She looked around her surroundings and then up at the ceiling.

They were in a cave.

“You’re…you’re…” she couldn’t finish her sentence.

“Batman,” Bruce finally offered.

Y/N’s eyes were wide with panic.

How was this possible?

Now that the others had exposed their identity, Jason felt inclined to take off his helmet. Clearly, it was making her uncomfortable.

The hiss of his helmet being removed caused Y/N to finally look away from her father and to Jason, who still wore a domino mask. But it was far less frightening than the helmet.

“We’ll give you two a moment alone,” Clark spoke for both him and Jason.

Jason nodded and stood up from the seat beside Y/N, and walked out. 

Clark lingered in the doorway. “I’ll be right outside if you need me,” he told her.

He might’ve revealed his Superman identity to her, but she was still his friend.

Y/N managed to nod in thanks, but was clearly still shook by all this news.

Bruce very slowly made his way to the chair that Jason had just been sitting in.

“How are you feeling?”

She shook her head. “Body’s sore. Migraine is killing me. What happened?”

“You were more exposed to the toxin more than the other victims. Jason brought you here. We had to make a new anecdote, and quickly.”

Bruce wanted to add that she could’ve died. But he didn’t see the use in scaring her.

“Oh,” was all she managed to mumble.

An awkward silence settled between them.

“Very few people know the truth about me,” Bruce explained.

Y/N’s gaze flickered up from her lap to look at him.

“I don’t expect you to forgive me. But I figured I couldn’t ask you to allow me into your world if I didn’t allow you into mine.”

She was silent.

“Y/N…” Bruce cleared his throat. The time had come. “The reason I left your mother was because I was starting this life. I pushed her away to protect her. I knew I couldn’t be the man she deserved while also being Batman. Had I known the truth…”

His words died out. It was starting to become harder to control his emotions.

He leaned forward in his chair, just getting slightly closer to her.

“Had I known about you, I would’ve…” He cleared his throat to try and hold back his tears. “I never would’ve abandoned you or your mother.”

He leaned back then. “But I know those are just words. And to you, they probably sound like empty promises for the past.”

“She never knew?” Y/N whispered.

In the few moments she was allowed to process this information, her mind immediately wondered if her mom had known about Bruce’s double life all along. And that’s why she kept him away from her.

Bruce shook his head.

“Thank you…for trusting me enough to tell me your secret,” Y/N finally told him. “I promise I’ll never tell anyone,” she quickly added, feeling like she just needed to clarify that to him.

He gave her a small small, “I know.”

Y/N winced as she thought about how terrible she’d been to him all this time. Now that she knew the truth – the whole truth – she was looking at everything with a new perspective. Even what she knew about Bruce Wayne, the spoiled socialite... it was clearly all wrong. 

He used it as a cover. It was all a cover.

“I’m sorry for how I’ve treated you,” she whispered shakily.

But Bruce shook his head before she could even get the apology out.

“Do you think it’s too late for us?” She breathed. 

Could they ever find any fragment of a father-daughter relationship?

Y/N was an adult – she had been for years now. And she made it clear she didn’t need nor want a father.

“Believe it or not, this isn’t the first time this has happened to me,” Bruce sighed.

Her brow furrowed. “This meaning…?”

“My son, Damian. His mother kept him a secret from me. She didn’t reveal his existence until he was nine. And she only did it in an attempt to disrupt my life.”

“This seems to be a rather strange pattern in your life,” Y/N couldn’t help but point out.

Bruce glared at her, causing her to chuckle.

“My point is,” he continued, “I don’t think it’s ever too late.” And he cleared his throat quickly. “That is, if you want to try.”

“I think I do,” she answered with a shy smile.

It was the first time she’d done so in his presence.

“I don’t know anything about raising a daughter,” Bruce rubbed his face as he attempted to make the joke. But she could tell there was sincerity there, too.

“Well, I’ve already been raised,” Y/N laughed.

There.

That laugh.

It brought Bruce back to his teenage years. It sounded so much like her mother. Her face lit up just like her’s had.

“You remind me so much of your mother,” he gasped.

Her face dropped at his confession.

“Really?”

He nodded. “She said you were just like me. But there’s more of her in you than I think she ever realized.”

Bruce saw his much his words effected her.

Y/N’s eyes were shiny with tears, but she managed to hold them back.

“So what now?” She quickly asked, obviously trying to distract herself so she wouldn’t have a complete emotional breakdown.

“Well, Alfred should have dinner ready soon. Would you stay?”

She gave him a tear-filled smile. “I’d like that.”

“You can meet the rest of them,” Bruce told her casually as he stood.

“The rest of them?”

He nodded. “Well, you only have to meet Damian now. You already met Jason, Dick, and Tim in passing.”

“And here I thought you had no idea how to be a father…” Y/N muttered with amusement.

Bruce helped her get out of bed, making sure she was alright to stand and walk on her own.

“Well, depending on which of them you ask, they might tell you that you’re right.”

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Thank you to everyone who read the first part. Let me know what you think <3

BONUS: This Game of Ours