#thinking about how damian was covered in scars before the age of 10

[leagueraised]

thinking about how the boy wonder showed damian and jason as being just...absolutely covered in scars. and how bruce probably feels about said scars on all of his kids.......

[youwerenevermeanttofeelalone]

Not Planned | Damian Wayne

Pairing: older!Damian Wayne x Plus Size Reader (she/her)

Word Count: 4k

Request(s): Can you do one where the reader used to have a crush on Dick? Like a child crush because she’s Damian’s age so when Dick gets married to Kori, Damian consoles her and things happen? & older damian wayne smut plz!!

Warnings: nsfw, mentions of alcohol, a little angst, unprotected sex (please don’t do this), oral sex (both receiving), vaginal sex, mentions of food, fluff, probably language.

❖︎・・・・・❖︎・・・・・❖︎・・・・・❖︎

Damian shook his head. The dress you had worn the prior night was carelessly laying on the living room’s floor. He remembered how long it took you to pick the color and length which only annoyed him more.

Placing the paper bag he had been carrying onto the kitchen counter, he turned the coffee machine on. The place was silent, almost deadly — he would’ve found it soothing if he didn’t know you so well.

As Damian pushed your bedroom door open, he took note of the mess near your bedside table. Curious, he stepped into the room in effortless silence. There were a few drawings on the floor, some of them were half-finished silhouettes but others were full heart patterns with his oldest brother's name in the center.

He remembered watching you do a few of the latter while babbling those crazy theories you would come up with about the way you would make Dick fall in love with you. Damian had imagined you were upset when you left the wedding early the night before yet he never considered it was affecting you that much. In fact, he had assumed you were partially over Dick years ago when you started dating around.

The wine bottles next to the bed didn’t go unnoticed by him. Damian picked them up and put them on the bedside table so you wouldn’t knock them and make a mess when you woke up. Sitting down on the edge of the bed, he stayed still for a few seconds to hear you breathing.

Your usual light sleep was gone. The softness in your features made him pause, wonder if waking you up was needed or worth it. Seeing you upset had never been easy, not even the first time he did. Damian wasn’t always nice, he knew he still needed to work on it but when he realized how upset you could get when he carelessly spoke something inside him switched.

Bruce had been shocked. Psychiatrists and psychologists had branded Damian as a nightmare to work with, they said he didn’t want to be helped. And Damian didn’t, there was nothing wrong with him.

You had never complained, but he could see some of his words got to you. Making you feel bad wasn’t his intention, other people didn’t matter but you did. It was hard not to care, so being nice became second nature around you. His brothers would only ask things from him when you were around, he had thousands of annoying memories where he had caught himself saying please and thank you to the people he had called nuisances on a daily basis before you arrived in his life.

Alfred said he was changing because he had needed a friend which in Damian’s mind made sense, but you would always tell him his nice persona had always been there — you believed that, you had seen it before he started showing it.

He shook his head again. Dwelling on things wasn’t good. Not to him. As softly as he was able to, he placed his hand on your arm and lightly shook you awake.

You covered your eyes with your forearm, whining. Damian scoffed. “I woke up early to buy bagels from your favorite bakery, the least you could do is eat them fresh.”

“Can I take a shower first?” you dragged your words, too sleepy to argue, certain Damian would win.

He hummed to then softly command, “be quick.”

You wouldn’t say breakfast was tense, but it was different than anything you had experienced in Damian’s presence. He watched you carefully throughout the meal as if expecting you to say something.

There were things you wished you could say, but words often fell short around him. Not many things surprised him, and the ones that did were never emotionally transcendental.

Making matters worse, unaware of the effect the chastising could have on you, Damian reminded you he had gifted you reusable handkerchiefs so you would stop using Kleenex.

You should’ve imagined he would visit in the morning, therefore you should’ve discarded the Kleenex before going to sleep. You had been drained, and dizzy after drinking wine past your limit.

“I forgot,” you mumbled, avoiding him by washing your plate and mug. As you dried the latter, you observed he wasn’t in the kitchen anymore.

Damian popped back in, with the empty bottles in his grasp. Silently, he handed them to you and disappeared back into your bedroom.

Leaving the bottles on the counter, you followed him. At first, he ignored you, roughly fluffing up your pillows.

“You don’t have to do that. Let me.”

Shaking his head, he gripped the pillow more tightly.

“Da—“

“Not now, please, not now.”

You lifted your arms in a surrendering gesture. Reading him had never been easy, but you had gotten better at it as time progressed and he allowed you to see more of his true self. Still, you weren’t as good as you wanted, or as he was with you. You were an open book in his eyes.

And his favorite one. You were that story he never wanted to like, the one he begrudgingly read only to end up becoming devoted to halfway through the first chapter.

He pulled your vanity’s chair out and sat down, looking down at the yellow spot on the rug. He had offered to buy you a new one after he ruined it with his oil paints, you asked for the painting he had done in exchange.

It was a beautiful piece. You had never been a big fan of paintings, preferring posters and photos, but the warm tones in that particular one made you feel safe in such a way you feared you’d never know peace again if you didn’t own it.

You kneeled on the opposite side of the room, picking the scattered papers and stacking them up to store them in their hiding place. You heard Damian shift on his sit.

“If you have other things to do, you can leave,” you assured him. The only instances when Damian was antsy were when he was in need of doing something else.

“I don’t.”

“Ah.”

He scoffed at your reaction. “You want me to leave?”

You carelessly threw the stack of papers into the drawer. “No, but you’re acting weird.”

As you stood up, he crossed his arms. Oh, God, not one of his challenges. Damian could get too competitive and although you enjoyed it 90% of the time, that day was part of the other 10%.

“I thought you were over him.”

His lack of tact while saying it would’ve hurt you mere months ago. You sat on your bed, nodding. “I am.”

“Right,” he condescendingly gritted.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“You left early last night and got drunk looking at the dumb drawings you did of him, what is that supposed to mean?”

There was no mocking in his voice which made the question harder to answer.

“I—“ you breathed out a nervous laugh, “I miss those days.”

A part of your adolescence had evaporated the night before. Your innocent illusions of marrying Dick, of eventually having a happy home with a nice and caring man. You had understood it was a childish thing very quickly, and Dick himself had explained to you he was too old for you very early into your crush on him — yet you clung to it, such a romantic and beautiful dream couldn’t hurt you.

“I miss thinking everything was a fairytale.” You shrugged. “Dumb stuff like that.”

Your attempts to dismissing the depth of your words were ignored by Damian who shifted on the chair again. You looked down at your thighs.

“Is something wrong?”

“No,” you admitted, “it’s just a nostalgic bout.”

“Like those ones you get watching animated films?” he teased. Your only answer was a hum. Damian frowned for a millisecond. “Come here.”

Lifting your head, you lingered your gaze on him. He opened his arms, fixing his position on the chair. With wobbly legs, you walked toward him. You enjoyed the sensation you felt through your system by seeing him have to look up as you stood in front of him — something swirled in his eyes, a glint you had seen a few times yet had never deciphered.

Damian placed his hands on your lower back, pulling you closer. “Come on,” he encouraged you to sit on his lap.

“What for?” you inquired, not used to being so close to him. He lifted both eyebrows, prompting you to ease down onto his lap very slowly.

“I just want you to do it,” he answered, shifting his legs so you wouldn’t fall off his lap.

You focused on a spot on the wall behind him, wishing the earth would swallow you before you got any stupid ideas.

Damian whispered your name. You dragged your eyes toward his face, too abashed to look into his green ones.

“You do know I care about you, right?” His voice dropped.

You nodded with your attention on the tiny scar in his left cheek.

He confessed, tilting his head to find your eyes, “I hate seeing you sad. I feel useless.”

“It’s nothing, it’ll pass. You know how I am.”

“Pretty and angelic? Yes, I know.”

Rolling your eyes, you scoffed. “Now you’re flirting with me? Really?”

“I always flirt with you. This is just the first time you’ve seen it like that.”

You searched for his eyes. His curious gaze, endearing and bright, fixed on you. “Why?”

“Because I like you, why else?”

With elaborated breath, you caressed his soft skin by brushing his cheeks with your thumbs. “I didn’t know,” you mumbled. “You were never explicit. I thought you were just being nice.”

He traced your spine with two fingers, up and down. “You were obsessed with my brother.”

“You know why.”

He hummed in agreement. “But I didn’t know what to do.”

The two of you allowed a moment of silence to linger. You wished you could be surprised, but him liking you made all the sense in the world. Damian was more than a comfort in your life, he wasn’t the calm before the storm nor the storm itself — he was the rainbow, the security that things would eventually turn out okay and that if they didn’t it wasn’t the end of the world. A reality check and the assurance of not having to go through adversities alone.

As the seconds passed and everything sunk in, a question came to you. “Were you mad about... that... earlier?”

“Perhaps.” He lightheartedly scoffed when you glared at him. “I thought you had been crying over him,” Damian explained, trying his best to not grit his words. You breathed a nervous laugh out, taking your eyes off him. You could hear the smirk in his voice as he added, “but now I think you were crying over me.”

You failed to hide your amused smile. “You wish.”

“I would kill myself before making you cry.”

You felt him fully relax under you as he slid his arms around your plump hips. Damian rested his head on your shoulder, prompting your hands to slip — hugging him by the shoulders, you started playing with the small hairs on his nape.

Shuddering, he exhaled on your skin, “you always smell so good.”

“My mom always buys me that lotion for my birthday.”

He already knew that. Like most things about you. Your favorite color, the way you liked your tea, your sleep schedule, your clothing size, your least liked brand of sparkling water... he knew every twinge in your voice, the length of the scar you had on your upper back from when you fell off your bike as a child, he had long ago gotten every twitch of your face mapped into his brain, and for the same amount of time had longed for kissing every inch of it.

“Are you sure you’re comfortable?” you asked, remembering he must’ve been tired from patrolling the night before after the wedding.

Damian angled his face, nodding against your skin. His hot breath on your neck gave you goosebumps, prompting you to shift on his lap as you shuddered. Seeing the effect he was having on you, he boldly peppered a few kisses on your skin which earned him a whine.

Gripping his hair, you tugged on it to pull his head back. The wanton look in his face took your breath away, his eyes were glowing as they dilated. You kissed him, moaning when his hands dropped to your ass as he stood up.

Damian put you down onto the bed, sucking on your bottom lip as he trailed his hands down your soft stomach. You whispered his name, not sure as to why but desperate to do it. He hummed, manhandling your hips to fit himself between your legs.

Urgently, he rubbed your thighs as you explored his mouth with your tongue. You needed him, your breath catching in your throat burned like your still clothed skin was burning under his touch. Sliding a hand down his side, you stopped at his hips to then palm his crotch by spreading your fingers over his bulge. You felt immensely proud of yourself when he immediately moaned.

Damian gripped the edge of your top, dragging his mouth to your jaw. He breathily spoke on your skin, “can I take this off?”

“Please.”

It took you longer to answer than it took him to kneel between your legs. He pulled the material off your torso, licking his bottom lip at the sight before him. You reacted quickly too, seeing the opportunity to unbutton his shirt — he looked down at your hands as you painfully slowly undid the shirt, button by button. His breath hitched when your hands caressed his naked chest as they moved upward to his shoulders.

You pushed the shirt off his shoulders, letting it fall behind him. Damian pounced you, palming your breasts on top of your bra. Moaning, you arched up into his bare torso. Dragging your hands down his back, you brought them to the front, between your belly and his abs, to unbuckle his belt.

He sneaked his hand under your back, unclasping your bra with an easiness you wished you could do it. A whine escaped you as he latched his mouth on one of your breasts, sucking on it. Meanwhile, he kneaded your other breast, giving both your tits the same amount of attention by switching the order.

You bit into your bottom lip in attempts of muffling your sounds. Damian kissed down the valley of your breasts, mouthing your stomach as you struggled to pull his zipper down.

Damian circled your nipple with his tongue before speaking on the wet spot, his breath giving you goosebumps. “Let me hear you.”

He suddenly pulled away, rushing to take his shoes and pants off. You kicked your own shoes off, planting your feet on the bed in order to slide your pants down your legs. Damian’s eyes, full of lust, bored into yours as he placed his leg between yours while getting back into the bed.

You rut your wet core against his muscular thigh. Only your underwear was on the way and yet you felt as if you would explode. Damian was panting just by watching you, pushing his leg forward to prompt one of your sweet sounds to come out.

He gripped your hips, moving them up and down against his thigh. You moaned, placing your hands on his lower back. “Do something, Damian, please. Something else.”

“Tell me what you want,” he ordered with a sly smile on his face, you could hear the rumble of his words in his chest. “Use your words, beloved.”

Fuck. The look he gave you, raw and hungry, was so startling and enticing at once that you wondered why hadn’t you done this sooner. He lowered his hands and gripped your ass. Lust radiated off both you, so intense you had already broken into a sweat. Damian moved you closer to the edge of the bed, withdrawing his hands from your ass to pull your underwear down your thick legs.

“Words,” he reminded you, sniffing up as he once again licked his lips.

He was driving you completely crazy. “Anything,” you begged, “please.”

Damian kneeled, burying his head in your pussy with no warning, hungrily lapping and purring. You rolled your hips further against his mouth, squealing when his tongue flicked your clit while he dug his fingers into your soft legs.

“You taste so good,” he hummed on your pussy.

Kissing his way up to your hip, he rested his head on your lower belly as his fingers trailed up and down your slit. Your hips bucked up, covering his hand in slick. Damian circled your clit, pressing hard on it as he rubbed.

You whimpered, “just make me cum already, please.”

Grunting, he nodded. “You sound so hot when you beg.” Damian went back to your pussy, sucking on your clit harshly — the sounds of your slick and his mouth filled the room in the dirtiest way, then the howl you let out of his name joined. He overstimulated you while lapping at your slick as he cleaned you up, humming happily.

He popped up, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. You licked your lips at the sight of his tight underwear. Sliding off the bed, you kneeled before him.

Damian placed a hand on the back of your head, softly, cursing when you nuzzled against his dickprint. You mouthed his length, licking the salty wet spot on the cotton material. “Shit,” he breathed out.

You smiled against him, pawing at his underwear to slide it off. The sight of his cock, standing proud a mere inch away from your lips made your mouth water. You had never seen a prettier cock, or a bigger one.

“Hurry up,” he urged you, pushing your face onto his cock.

You licked a line up his shaft, swirling your tongue over his tip smeared in precum. He hissed. You took him into your mouth, little by little as deeply as you could. Your hand came up to hold his base and so you comfortably loosened your jaw.

Sucking him down a little further, you felt him twitch on your cheek. Damian pulled you off him, growling, “on your back, now,” he pointed at the bed.

He beamed down at you as he made sure you were wet enough. Lining himself at your entrance, he plunged inside you in one swift motion. Your mouth fell open, not a sound was able to come out as you felt him bottom out. You moaned in unison then, him while holding your waist and you gripping his biceps.

You stretched around his size as he slammed back into you after having pulled out. You cried his name and that was all it took for him to start hammering into you with all his strength, so hard the bed rocked.

His soft lips bruised yours as he kissed you, teeth clicking a few times as he pounded into you, making you feel your eyes roll back into your head even while closed.

As he pulled away, he panted, “fuck, (Y/N).” Your name dropped from his lips in such a sinful way, so sensually as his bottom lip trembled.

You let yourself go wild, latching your mouth on his neck and shoulder blade. Damian grunted when you bit into his skin, leaving a trail of saliva behind.

Licking a line up his neck, you whispered into his ear, “Damian, I’m close.”

Damian started fucking you harder and faster, determined on making you come again. He brought you closer, making you wrap your legs around his hips as with his knees he rocked himself in order to plunge into you deeper.

Kissing you sloppily, leaving a string of saliva hanging between your mouths, he gasped. Your walls were tightly hugging his cock, making it pulse against them.

He rode out his high in quick and deep thrusts, hitting your spot as your legs trembled around him. You held yourself by gripping his shoulders, moaning and arching up as you looked into his eyes.

Feeling warm strings coat your walls, you jumped. A spasm broke through you as you came at the same time as Damian, crying out his name once again as he roared yours — both sounds vibrated in your chests and into the other’s.

He dropped his face into your neck, catching his breath as he inhaled your scent mixed with your sweat. His cock softened inside you as both of you calmed down, along with your arms and legs that fell limp onto the bed.

You moved your head to keep his hot breath away from your neck, slower than you had thought you would be able to move.

Damian huffed a teasing laugh. “Tired?”

Humming, you shimmed on the bed to lay on your side. Damian copied your movements once you were comfortable, giving you enough space to cool down.

“Do you want some water?”

“I want a shower,” you responded honestly, “you shouldn’t have made me shower earlier if you were going to fuck me like that.”

“I didn’t plan it,” Damian defended himself, rolling on the mattress to leave the bed. “How warm do you want the water?”

He didn’t give you a chance to answer, or to tell him you could do it yourself. You dragged yourself toward the bathroom, almost regretting having said anything.

The situation was surreal. You wouldn’t have let Damian watch you in underwear the day before, but there you were comfortably standing in front of him as he unabashedly stared at your naked body.

Entering the shower, you sighed as the water fell onto your head. The temperature was perfect. Damian closed the stall as he entered too, eyes not leaving your form. You made way for him to get under the water too, reaching behind him for the shampoo. There wasn’t much space to move, but you weren’t complaining and he wasn’t either.

You watched him from the couch, pouring coffee into a mug, only his boxers and with a frown on his pretty face. The sight of Damian in his underwear, walking around your apartment with such familiarity had to be what dreams were made of.

Placing the mug on the table after taking a gulp, he occupied the spot next to yours. You offered the remote to him, but he swatted a hand dismissively. Shrugging, you put the controller down and sprawled your legs comfortably.

He silently rested his head on your shoulder, ignoring the movie playing on the tv. He didn’t even know the title, and he was sure you had put it on just to have something in the background so asking was pointless.

“You’re like a cat,” you chuckled when he nuzzled onto your shirt, trailing your hand up to run your fingers through his hair.

Damian hummed, hugging you by the waist. “I’ll never speak to you again if you tell anyone,” he half-heartedly threatened.

“And risk someone else getting cuddles instead of me? No thanks.”

“This isn’t cuddling.” You bounced your shoulder, making him lift his head. Annoyed, he asked, “what?”

“What’s going on with you now?”

“Nothing.” Damian dropped his head back onto your shoulder

“Tell me. Is it something I d—“

He interrupted, tightening his arms around you and pulling you toward him, “I was trying to find the words to ask if this was only a one-time thing without sounding like an idiot, but you clearly ruined it.”

“Of course not.”

Resting your cheek on the top of his head, you went back to play with his hair. At first, you had assumed he would be against you touching his hair again — he surprised you by purring happily.

Damian hoped nothing would ruin the moment, his family was known to call at the worst time. He would do anything to not be forced to move, faking tiredness or an emergency wasn’t below him — not when it came to being around you and having your full attention.

[hains-mae]

Flowers - Pt. 5 (The End)

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5 (The End)

(Damian x Reader) Soulmate AU

The Flowers: @call-me-prodigy @annoylinglyaries @zphilophobiaz @comic-brew @biglilwing @awkwardspontaneity @lozzybowe @mariiecapo @distressedearie @diyosku @dracoaereum @thesuitelifeofafangirl @chims-kookies @blade-xingston @danicalifxrnia

Rating: T

Ages: Damian and you are 16, everyone’s ages follow after.

Summary: Soulmate AU where the wounds on your soulmate turns into a flower tattoo on your skin, if it heals with no scars the tattoo goes away, if it heals with a scar then the tattoo stays.

Notes: Wow that was a fun ride. But every story comes to an end, I hope you guys enjoy the final chapter! And thank you everyone who has taken their time to like, comment, and reblog. I appreciate it a lot <3

Disclaimer: I do not own DC. If I did, I wouldn’t make it as confusing as it is now.

Robin visited every other night after that. It was surreal to have a hero that you’ve so long admired become your frequent visitor. Then again, nothing seemed normal anymore.

“It’s past the convention week. How do you keep coming here?” I asked curiously one night.

Robin gave me a lopsided grin and tapped the side of his nose. “I have my ways.”

After Mom’s week long leave was up she begrudgingly had to go back to work. The hospital assured her that I was healing fairly well, and that I would be transferred to Gotham Hospital the following weekend.

I was never really lonely though. Besides the friendly staff, my midnight visitor always came right on time. I wondered why he would take the time. Maybe it was to get to know me better? Perhaps my speech that night managed to get through to him. I had hoped it was both.

If I was being honest though, I was a little more than glad he did. I had meant it when I told the boy that I found him intriguing. He was a tough nut to crack though. I couldn’t blame him.

During the day when I would shower, I’d trace the flowers across my frame and wonder just how much he had gone through.

Soul marks start to appear at 10 years of age. You could imagine the shock (and worry) my parents had gone through when they found me one day absolutely covered in flowers.

From a young age I would hide them. Always wearing my sleeves till my palms, my neck constantly covered with either my jacket, scarf or high placed collars. It wasn’t that I was ashamed, but Gotham liked to talk – and when you’re the subject of attention, then you’re an easy target for criminals.

As I got older, the marks around my neck forearms slowly faded. I had worried about my soul mate and their well-being. Now that I understood everything, it was a different type of worry all together. The kind that would sit at the pit of your stomach and tie knots, heavy enough to keep you on edge.

My T.V in the hospital room was always on the same channel, Gotham News. Every battle would have my heart clenching as the camera’s desperately tried to follow the fight. Most of the time’s they wouldn’t be able to capture the end, and I’d be left holding my breath.

That’s one other reason I looked forward to our nightly visits. I could relax knowing he was alright.

I still wasn’t sure what I felt for this enigma of a person. But I knew that I wanted to get closer.

“I have an idea.” Robin said one evening. There was a glint his eye, the mask was off since my mom wasn’t around anymore. “And it’s got something to do with your invention.”

I arched a brow. “The bullets are complete but I still have yet to finalize the counter measures.”

He nodded understandingly. “Counter affect can wait. We don’t want to encase anyone in rock at the moment, but I’m putting it out there since you wanted to help.”

Intrigued, I urged him to continue.

Damian was quite brilliant in his own way. After much thought and planning, we had about 3 more types of chemically enhanced concoctions laid out. All of which were to go through Batman before beginning the experimentation process. He has assured me that I would be leading the research team for that under Wayne Ent.

I couldn’t wait to get out of the hospital.

“Do you like sweets?” He asked randomly.

Arching a brow I studied him. He was slouched on the couch with his leg dangling on one side and a book in his hands.

Charles Dickens.

“Yes.” I said, noting his obvious attempt to look natural. “Do you?”

“On occasion.” The boy shifted a shoulder to mimic a shrug.

The very next visit he had a black bag slung across his shoulder. His face gave nothing away but from the times I’ve spent with him, I realised it was his eyes that did most of the talking.

“Whatcha got over there?” I asked curiously, scooting closer to him at the edge of the bed.

“Patience.” He said and pulled up the make shift table that was attached to the side of my bed. Placing a medium sized box on top, he carefully undid the lid and opened it. “I present to you, baklavas.”

In the dim light I saw that they were flaky, almost like a croissant. There were some with a mix of nuts, from pistachios to almonds. Others were plain but still looked heavenly. They gleamed with a moistness, as if coated with a syrupy substance. I picked one up and popped it into my mouth.

It burst with flavour and dissolved much too fast. I squeaked at the exotic taste.

“Oh my gosh these are so good.” I said, licking my thumb.

Robin looked pleased.

“You should have one.” I pushed the box towards him but he shook his head.

“They’re yours.” He said.

“Nonsense. Food always taste better when shared.” I picked another one up intending to eat it.

“If you insist.”

I had barely managed to register the wicked glint in his eye before he took hold of my wrist and brought my hand that was holding the sweet close to his mouth. He took it carefully from me in one easy motion and lightly licked my finger.

“You’re right. It does taste better when shared.”

I felt the burn on my cheeks and ears before I heard the warning blare of the heart monitor. Immediately, Robin slipped behind the couch just as the nurses for the nightshift burst into my room in a panic. They fussed over me as I repeatedly tried to tell them I was alright. My heart finally calmed and once they left, Robin got up covering his mouth. He was trying to keep himself from laughing.

-x-x-x-

The weekend came much faster than I had anticipated. When the doctors checked on my progress, they gave the thumbs up for me to be transferred to Gotham’s hospital.  Mom was relieved, and wouldn’t stop fussing over me when we got there. I let it be though, thinking it was more for her own peace of mind than mine.

After that it was a short two weeks before I was fully discharged.

Robins visits never wavered though. If anything, he had stayed for longer periods of time. I got to know the boy under the mask more than I had hoped for and opened up in return more than I had intended.

I found out his brothers were vigilantes too. He pointed them all out one evening with a family picture he’d secretly stashed in his wallet. They were a “thorn” to his side — as he had so eloquently described, but I could see just how much he loved them. That was another thing I learnt about him, his speech patterns were very posh. He liked to use formal names and slang was not completely in his vocabulary. I asked him about that one time, to which he only replied “another time”. It was probably a touchy subject, where he exactly grew up.

His favourite colour was green, and his adoration for animals was as deep as black hole. It was crazy how perfect my mind painted him to be, and the more I knew, the harder it was to ignore the feelings growing inside me.

He enjoys reading, but would gladly spend the day locked in his room with his tablet and pen drawing the day away. He is good both in traditional and digital art, and sometimes dabbles in graphic design when he feels like it. He prefers his tea without any additives, but would not hesitate to pour bucket loads of milk and sugar in his coffee during the rare moments he drinks it.

I could list everything down but it would just solidify my attraction to him, and honestly I doubt this was he needed right now. Juggling a double life sounded a lot more stressful than he showed it to be. He hardly ever talked about it but from the amount of flowers blooming on me, it was difficult to see it any other way but exhausting. He’d kick butt at night, get hurt, then go to school the very next day like nothing happened.

He arrived one evening like he normally did and I had rushed up to pull off his glove. I felt a sting earlier and found a Sakura branch littered with pink flowers. I was right, his arm was soaked in red, and the gash looked bad.

“It’s just a scratch.” He promised me.

I didn’t reply. Taking him straight to the bathroom, I rinsed out the remaining blood and addressed the wound. After bandaging him up I finally looked into his eyes and showed him just how worried I was.

That evening we sat next to each other, with our fingers intertwined and his thumb randomly brushing against my knuckles.

-x-x-x-

Finally I was able to return home. Being able to lie down on my own bed, inside my own house, I could let loose and properly relax. I threw myself onto the soft comforters that smelled like fabric softener and smiled to myself.

Home sweet home.

But not for long, I reminded myself that this evening I would be dining with the Wayne’s. Swallowing hard, I hurried my face onto the pillows. I can’t mess this up, not after everything they’ve done for me.

Damian’s smirking face suddenly came to mind, and all his welcomed visits. It made my stomach grow warm. Remembering us sharing the sweets he gifted – soft lips against my fingers.

I groaned into the pillow, the room was getting a little hot. Getting up gingerly, as to not aggravate the newly healed stitches, I manoeuvred my way to the window and pushed it open. The cold evening air felt good against my heated skin. I sighed in content.

If I were being honest, I didn’t know what exactly was happening between us. I didn’t know if I wanted anything to happen between us. Wouldn’t it be weird, considering that I’d be interning for his dad in just a couple of months. Possibly work there if my luck doesn’t run out first. Not to mention WHO he was.

You’re just a normal girl, I chided myself. Not someone important enough to stand beside such a prestigious boy and his ridiculously wealthy family.

But even then – I found myself wondering. Seeking. Imagining… What if we were to become something more? What if it works? What if we fall in –

“Y/n!” Mom’s voice broke through my reverie, waking me up from the needless train of thought.

Closing my window, I poked my head out the door and found her putting on a bracelet.

“Are you ready? The cab is nearly here.” She asked.

I nodded and took a step closer to her. Looking quickly at the vanity mirror in the hallway, I gave myself a once over to make sure everything was in place. I had on a slightly fitting turtle neck sweater, paired with a high waisted pleated skirt and dark stockings. On my feet I sported on my boots. It was safe to assume no one would be able to see my soul marks.

My mom grabbed her purse and headed downstairs. I followed close behind her, handing her her coat before locking up the front door.

The cab driver arrived a few minutes in, and we drove off straight to Wayne Manor.

“This is exciting isn’t it?” She said to me with a lift in her voice, as she exited the cab to get the gates opened.

Once we could enter, we were greeted with a very large land that was pristinely kept. The grass was cut evenly, and the trees lining the estate were trimmed to perfection. Bushes were perfectly shaped into different animals, and flowers systematically grown to create swirls and shapes beside the road. A big fountain was situated just in front of the mansion while a man in a black suit waited beside the opened doors.

We exited the cab after paying and did our best to take it all in without looking like fishes out of water.

“Ah, Mrs. & Ms. Y/l/n.” It was the man who I saw pick up Damian that one night in Metropolis appeared. I also remembered him in the family photograph. His accent was thickly laced with British poise. “My name is Alfred Pennyworth, I shall be you’re attendant for the evening.”

“Thank you.” Mom was quick to compose herself.

As soon as I entered the house I felt my breath stolen away. It was huge. Everything looked so new and polished.

I barely registered my mom and Alfred chatting away as he led her to the dining hall.

“I know what you’re thinking.”

I nearly jumped at the voice that startled me. Whipping my head around, I found Jason standing with his hands in his pockets.

“I remember my first time coming in here. Completely floored.” He chucked.

I waved a small greeting. “Everything looks so –“

“Expensive? Exorbitant? Grand?” He tried to guess.

“Beautiful.” I breathed out.

He laughed. “Not what I expected. But you’re full of surprises aren’t you.”

I blushed. “Ah, I’m not sure about that. I’m just me.”

“Hey, no stealing our guest before dinner.” Dick walked down the stair case with Tim beside him.

“Feeling better Y/n?” Tim asked as we grouped just below the stairs.

“Yeah, thank you.” I answered, suddenly feeling flustered as they surrounded me.

Stay calm.

“Don’t be nervous.” Dick said with an air of comfort.

I wanted to ask what made him think so, but he answered before I even began to articulate the words.

“You’re fidgeting like a college student during a thesis debate.” He said simply.

“You’re… very good at reading people.” I arched a brow at him.

“One of my many amazing abilities” He winked.

Jason let out an air of playful frustration and pulled Dick aside. “And now you’re stealing her. Can’t hold a normal conversation can you Dickie, always a flirt.”

“First of all – do I need to remind you who mostly does all the talking during dad’s parties. And second of all – I am not a flirt. I can’t help it if I’m charming.” Dick mocked a suave look and shot it as his brother.

Jason looked like he was about to gag and Tim was less than pleased. I laughed at their antics.

“What’s funny?” Damian appeared beside me. I jumped and held a hand to my racing heart.

“Jeez, do all of you have a talent for sneaking up on people?” I wheezed out, trying to gather my bearings.

They all grinned at me without answering.

Robins, my inner muse whispered. I brushed off the thought as quick as it had come.

We had made it to the dining area just in time for Alfred to begin serving the meals. My mother was already chatting up a storm with Mr. Wayne. A wine glass in hand and a slight tint to her cheeks. She looked happy.

I began walking towards the seat beside my mother when Damian pulled out the chair like a gentleman. I bit the inside of my cheek and mumbled a thank you.

He took the space beside me and the rest of his brothers seated themselves opposite us.

As we opened our plates for dinner, I was amazed to see how well it was presented. Mr. Pennyworth continued to serves other dishes, and once he was done he left the room.

The food tasted just as good as it looked.

Easy conversation wafted around us, the usual topics of school, and future plans. Mr. Wayne brought up the internship which I nearly gushed over due to my excitement. Damian held back a laugh with a cough when he noticed my little slip up before I composed myself again. I bumped his knee under the table and playfully glared at him. He smirked and bumped me back.

“My compliments to the chef Mr. Wayne.” Mom said.

“I’ll be sure to tell him.” He smiled through a glass of wine. How many glasses in were they at this point? Damian and I were the only ones who weren’t allowed so both our glasses were filled with water and juice.

“And, please,” Mr. Wayne continued. “Call me Bruce.”

“Hey, we should give the women a tour.” Dick suggested. “I’m sure you’ll both love it.”

Jason and Tim had excused themselves, and I had an inkling as to what they were up to. Patrols were a common thing, as Damian told me.

And so with Dick and Bruce leading, my mother and I followed as they showed off the grandness of the manor.

I couldn’t help but be awestruck all over again. The library was huge. Their shelves towered from ceiling to floor, and filled with all kinds of books. From novels to more informative documents. I recognised a couple of titles from the times Damian spent the night reading.

The sunroom was next. The glass was near invisible. I took in the sight of the gorgeous garden just beyond the panels, being able to outline a gazebo at the far end with flowers twisting around its pillars. I unconsciously touched my stomach where the stitches were, randomly pondering what kind of flower had bloomed from such a brutal wound.

“Are you okay?” Damian was beside me immediately and his hand supported my elbow. His voice was laced with concern.

“Oh.” I realised what he was talking about and pulled my hand down. “I’m okay, just a little tired.”

“Honey?” My mom’s face pinched in concern. “Is it hurting again?”

“I just need to rest Mom, I’m fine.” I assured her. “You should continue, I’ll just sit here for a bit.”

Mom was hesitant but there wasn’t much she could do, and she knew it. So they moved on, but not without Mr. Wayne asking for some painkillers to be brought to me.

After taking the medicine, I thanked ‘Alfred’ (as he had asked me to call him) before he left.

Damian was sitting on the arm rest of the couch. My hand was in his and he rubbed random circles around my knuckles. His brows were furrowed, and his features were set in a deep scowl. I could practically feel the guilt and worry radiating off of him.

“I have to be honest, I thought I’d see more animals around.” I said, trying to lighten up the mood.

“Father asked me to keep Titus in my room for the time-being, he didn’t know how you two would react to a Great Dane, or vice-versa.” The boy said simply.

“Great Dane?” I asked flabbergasted.

The corner of Damian’s lips turned upwards. “When you feel better I’ll introduce you.”

“It’s a date.” I answered before thinking. All at once I realised what I said and felt my cheeks burn. “Ah – I mean, not date. If you aren’t comfortable with that, people just use the word date as a meeting time or –“

“It’s a date.” He brought my fingers up and ghosted his lips over them. I had to hold my breath fearing that my heart would stop.

I was momentarily stunned by his forwardness and calm. Looking away I managed to slow down my heart rate to a regular beat.

“I still need to guess the rest right?” I asked coyly.

He gestured for me to continue.

“Let’s see.” I rested my head on the couch and closed my eyes to recall our conversation back in the ball room. “We’ve got a dog, a cat.”

“Mhm.” Damian nodded, moving from the arm rest to the empty space next to me.

My brain brought up an old song from the Princess and the Frog, when they had to ‘Dig a Little Deeper’.

A dog, a pig, a cow, a goat – the lyrics were sung in my subconscious before I could stop it.

“A cow.” I guessed.

Damian’s eyes grew a little wide, before a grin made its way to his lips. “Yes.”

“What seriously?” I giggled. “You actually have a cow?”

“Bat-Cow.” He chuckled. “I was a child, and that was the first name to come up.”

I was full on laughing now. “I cannot wait to meet them. But that was seriously a random guess, now I feel like my confidence is dwindling.”

“Then how about you wait till you see them?” He suggested.

I bit my lip and shifted in my seat, our knees brushed and I felt that warmth spread across my chest. We’re close. A little too close.

When I looked at him I found he was staring at the garden outside. I didn’t mean to be rude, but I couldn’t take my eyes off him. There was something about this boy that just drew me closer, making me want more. I traced the little moles across his cheek and wondered when I had let this magnetic pull take over me.

“Take a picture. It’ll last longer.” Damian commented. His intense green eyes bore into mine as he threw a deviously charming smirk my way.

I blushed and looked away, suddenly finding my shoes a lot more interesting than it was. “Sorry, I was just thinking.”

He turned towards me. And I made the mistake of facing him again, because now our faces were just mere inches apart.

I found myself gazing at his beautiful green eyes that contrasted so well with his tanned olive skin. There were so many different shades of green looping and mixing with one another, it felt like a maze – one that I would willingly get lost in.

My fingers rested in the spaces between his, and I marvelled at how everything in that moment felt right.

I tilted towards him, and he did the same towards me.

“What are we doing?” I whispered, stealing a glance at his lips.

Heart pounding.

Blood racing.

It left me dizzy.

“I’m… not sure.” Damian replied, his tone low. “But if you asked me to kiss you, I would.”

His thumb grazed the inside of my wrist with a feather-light touch and I burst into flames.

“Kiss me.”

And he did.

-THE END-

[hood-ex]

Prey to Sentiment

Read on AO3

Batbro Ages:

Dick: 20 Jason: 17 Tim: 13 Damian: 10

The sound of music was the first thing Damian noticed when the passage to the batcave opened. It was an upbeat tune that seemed to pound through the rock and limestone interior of the place. It was so jarringly loud compared to the rest of the manor that he found himself tuning into the lyrics without consciously choosing to. To his confusion, it seemed to be a song about a woman named Rio who enjoyed dancing on the sand.

Damian wanted to plug his ears with cotton to drown out the offending sound, but more than anything, he wanted to know who was blasting music in the cave. Surely his father did not listen to such garbage, nor did he allow it to play while he was working. Within the week Damian had gotten to observe his father, he knew that the man was nearly always silent. Bruce Wayne ate in silence, read in silence, exercised in silence, and patrolled in silence. It only made sense that his workspace would retain his preference for silence as well.

So no, it would be completely out of character for his father to play music in the batcave, which meant that someone else had been down here earlier. Judging by the sudden tenseness in his father’s shoulders, Damian could only guess that the culprit was still lurking around.

The only people Damian could imagine would be down here would be his father’s caped associates. That insufferable alien called Superman or possibly the blabbermouth speedster. Unless… his father was testing him and was planning to have him attacked as some kind of training exercise. Even though it was unlikely, Damian kept his eyes peeled for any sense of danger.

“There are some people I want to introduce you to,” Father said. He began to descend down the staircase, his feet making no sound. Damian followed suit and resisted the temptation to cross his arms over his chest. If there was someone threat worthy down here, he’d rather his hands be free to grab the knife tucked in his pants. He did allow a small scrunch of his nose since there was an unpleasant earthy smell in the cave mixed with a sharp saltiness that Damian couldn’t place.

He scanned beyond his view of his father’s backside and noticed that there was something different about the lowest level of the batcave. Typically, that was the section of the cave where his father kept his jet skis, ski boat, and the submarine. When Damian saw the cave for the first time a week ago, he had briefly looked down and saw that there was just enough seawater inside the cave to keep the vessels afloat. There had also been a large door at the entrance of the lower level that blocked off more ocean water from coming in, though it was obviously more of a device to keep people from entering the cave. The door had been locked tight before, but now it was completely wide open, allowing ocean water to slosh gently against the lower walls of the cave. The saltiness he had detected moments ago made sense now.

“Are you planning on going fishing?” Damian asked. He ended up crossing his arms anyways, hip cocked toward the support of the ridged wall. His father continued heading towards the lower level platform. The platform was only a few feet higher than the top surface of the water, making it easy enough to hop onto the boats. His father made no move to board any of the vessels, rather, he stopped at the edge of the platform and turned to meet Damian’s eyes.

“You’ll have to come down here,” Father said, “They won’t climb up there to meet you.”

Damian pushed off the wall with his shoulder and came down to the lower platform. “Who on earth are you referring to?” His arm nearly brushed his fathers when they finally stood next to each other. “Surely you don’t mean to introduce me to that trident wielding clownfish man.”

For a second it looked like his father was struggling between a glare and a small grin. Damian decided it must be a look of disapproval. People were rarely amused by him.

“No, not Aquaman,” Father said. Oh, of course. That was the clownfish man’s name. “Although somewhat related to him. You’ve met mer people before, haven’t you?”

Damian had, in fact, never met a mer person, let alone multiple of them at the same time. He’d certainly seen them when he was with the League of Assassins. Sometimes he would see them darting through the waves of the ocean, but he mainly saw them when his grandfather brought them in as prisoners.

Regardless, they were beautiful creatures, even though they rarely showed themselves above water. There were laws in place that kept mer people from being hunted like a typical sea animal, but it hadn’t always been that way. Damian supposed that was why the people of the sea were hesitant to make regular appearances outside of their habitat.

“Not officially,” Damian said after a few moments of silence. His eyes narrowed into slits. “I’m about to, aren’t I?” He instantly took a few steps back away from the ledge. His tongue curled, ready to reprimand his father for allowing mer people into the cave. Before he had the chance to do so, his father held up a hand.

“You don’t have to be scared of them. I’ve known each of them for a long time now and they know who I am.”

That only made Damian tense even further to the point where he was practically a replica of a dog with its hackles raised. He couldn’t believe his father had revealed his identity to others. Who were these people that had his father’s trust? Why were they privy to such a private part of his father’s life before Damian himself was? Damian technically knew the reason for the last question, and he couldn’t help but feel a little jealous that his father’s affection for the interlopers was likely stronger than his affection for his own son.

His father’s blue eyes watched him with calculated precision and Damian quickly schooled his features. He’d rather have his father think he was nervous instead of pinpoint his insecurity.

“I know things between us have been rough this past week, but try to be civil with them.” They mean a lot to me went unsaid. Damian rolled his eyes before dragging his feet back to his father’s side. He gave a stiff nod.

His father reached up towards the comm in his ear, which was interesting. That meant the mers had a means of communicating with him in the water and vice versa. While Damian was certainly wary of the situation, he had to admit he was a little curious about his father’s “associates.”

“Tim,” his father said into the comm. There was a small pause where this so-called Tim must have responded. “I have Damian with me. You can come inside now. Tell Jason he can’t have any of Alfred’s shrimp for a week unless he disables the music loop.” Then, muttered through clenched teeth as if pained to admit it, he said, “It’s been driving me crazy all morning.”

“Tt.” Damian had been ignoring the music still pounding through the cave up until that point. There had been another terrible song playing for the past three minutes. It went something like, “I’m having your baby. It’s none of your business.” It hit a little too close to home for Damian’s liking, and by the way his father was openly scowling, he figured he felt the same. However, it didn’t become an issue because the music abruptly came to a stop. The Jason character must have decided the butler’s food was worth far more than an annoyed Batman.

There wasn’t much indication that the mers had entered the cave other than the water itself taking on a more rippled effect. Seconds later, the water started sloshing more harshly against the walls and platform. Damian lifted his foot just in time to miss a wave of water from soaking his shoe. By the time he dodged a few more wayward splashes, hair and skin were beginning to emerge from the murky depths.

Two dark-haired males then rose up until their arms and chests were exposed to the air, water droplets trickling down their skin. The male with the larger and more muscled torso looked to be older than the slimmer, pale male. Both of their eyes were blue and rid of any irritation that a normal human’s eyes would experience when exposed to seawater. Their hands also had webbing between each finger, though the small white tissue scars covering them suggested that the webbing was not entirely durable. While interesting, Damian was more excited to see the mer’s tails, but so far neither of them had moved far enough out of the water to show a glimpse of them.

His attention was drawn towards the teardrop-shaped obsidian stones that were fastened to each of the mer’s throats by short silver chains. He wondered if they were gifts from his father since the necklaces did not look like the kind of colorful jewelry mers were known to wear.

During the time Damian had taken to carefully observe the two strangers in the water, he realized they were doing the same to him. The more intimidating mer drifted closer until he was leaning his arms against the side of the platform, making Damian take a few steps back. His eyes seemed to be drawn to the knife that Damian had concealed in his pants. How the mer had detected it, Damian had no idea, but it instantly made him feel more guarded.

His father placed a hand on his shoulder, and normally Damian would have shrugged it off, but somehow it made it easier to look at the mers without showing his unease over the situation.

His father looked at the larger male. “Damian, this is Jason Todd.” This was said with a pointed glare at the mer, and the mer instantly sported a wolfish grin that displayed his sharp teeth.

Father then motioned to the smaller male. “This is Tim Drake.” Tim gave a hesitant wave, his webbed hand stretching out to full capacity. Father sighed. “Where’s Dick?”

Damian raised a brow, unsure of what that was supposed to mean.

“He got sidetracked,” Drake said, swimming up beside Todd. “A kid from a passing pod snagged his tail between two rocks and broke a few scales. Dick said he was going to show the pod where the mer-medic was. He should be here any second.”

From what Damian remembered, a pod was the mer people’s equivalent to a family unit. They mostly traveled while children in the pod were young before becoming more stationary in one area. From what he could make of their ages, Damian assumed Todd and Drake’s pods must be close by. If that was the case then did their pods also know the identity of Batman? Did they also come into the cave and chat with his father? Once again, Damian couldn’t help but feel like a complete outsider in the situation.

His father started talking to the comm in his ear, apparently demanding to know where the absent mer was located. Damian ignored him in favor of focusing on the mers present. Arms crossed, he stepped forward to the point of nearly stepping on Todd’s fingers.

“My name is Damian Wayne,” he said, chin tipping upwards. “I demand to know your relationship with my father.”

Todd and Drake shared a look with each other.

“You demand to know?” Todd asked, Gotham accent taking Damian by surprise. He gripped the side of the platform harder and pulled his torso further out of the water, intentionally leaning into Damian’s space. “How about I demand you rephrase your question?” Todd didn’t even blink as a water droplet from his hair trickled into his eye.

“There was nothing wrong with the phrasing of my question, bottom dweller,” Damian said, using a term he had heard his grandfather use when referring to mer people.

Jason’s tail, a mixture of black and red, appeared for a split second before coming back down to the water with a loud smack. Water sprayed in multiple directions and a large portion of it drenched Damian’s jeans and shoes. Outraged, Damian stepped on the heel of his right shoe to loosen it. Then, with well practiced aim, he flung the shoe straight into Todd’s smug looking face. Todd’s head snapped back on impact. His arms gave out beneath him, making him sink back into the water. Drake dodged to the side to avoid Todd’s flailing.

Damian heard Drake and his father shout at the same time.

“What the hell!”

“Damian!”

Suddenly, a wet hand shot out of the water and snagged one of Damian’s ankles in a bone crushing grip. He was yanked so hard that he lost his balance and fell on his backside with a startled gasp.

“Unhand me!” he yelled while trying to scramble for purchase on the wet floor. It was no use. He felt another tight squeeze around his ankle, and before he knew it, he was dragged into the disgusting water.

Saltwater immediately stung his eyes. He squeezed them shut and blindly reached towards his ankle to try and dig his nails into Todd’s hands, but the water slowed his momentum. Even kicking became difficult against the water’s resistance. He could feel his body being dragged back and forth through the water, his hair ghosting over his face every other second. Lungs burning, Damian tried to use his hands to propel his torso to the surface of the water, only to have Todd give a harsh tug downwards, keeping him from reclaiming oxygen.

A second passed where Damian genuinely thought his father was going to let this psychotic mer drown him. A heavy feeling of betrayal fell over him and he tried even harder to kick Todd in the face. Clearly, no one was going to save him. He had to save himself. That’s the way it had to be. Just like it always had been with the League of Assassins.

Just as he was about to try reaching for his knife, a high pitched sound vibrated through the water. It sent shivers down Damian’s spine, and for a moment, he thought there was a whale with them in the water. A sound like that was far too similar to the whale songs Damian had seen videos of. But then the biting grip of Jason’s hands disappeared from his ankles. A different set of webbed hands grabbed his wrist, propelling him towards the surface.

Damian reflexively sucked in a large breath as soon as his face was out of the water. He felt dizzy from the lack of oxygen. He tried to open his eyes and immediately shut them again after feeling the sharp sting of salt in them.

Whoever pulled him out of the water had enough sense to keep an arm around his waist. Damian half-heartedly dog paddled back towards the edge of the platform with the arm’s support. Another set of hands, his father’s hands, grabbed him under the armpits and scooped him out onto the platform.

Damian gasped wetly and dragged himself as far from the water as he could with the dead weight of his wet clothes holding him back. He noticed his father’s presence disappear from his side, only to be swapped with another person, supposedly the person who saved him. Vaguely, Damian could hear his father yelling in the distance. It was hard to make out the words with the sound of his heart pounding in his ears.

The webbed hand returned to his back and gave it a few hard taps to help dispel any water Damian accidentally swallowed. “Go get him a towel and some tap water. He needs to flush out his eyes.” The voice was unfamiliar. There was no doubt that this had to be the other mer, Dick.

“Are you sure he doesn’t need some milk?” Drake asked from somewhere above them. And what? How was Drake possibly above them? He wouldn’t be able to breathe nor would he be able to walk with his tail. He tried to pry his eyes open to look, only to close them with a hiss after feeling how sensitive they were. Dick used his hand to slick Damian’s hair away from his face so more saltwater wouldn’t drip down into it.

“Oh krill,” Dick said, sounding exasperated and amused at the same time. “How long have you been waiting to use that reference?”

A bark of laughter echoed in the cave. “Way too long.”

“Should’ve waited longer!” Todd shouted during a pause in his and father’s argument.

“Jason,” Dick warned in barely concealed anger. “Shut it.”

Todd’s loud scoff startled the bats. Damian heard them scatter up above, their flapping wings getting farther away.

“Sure, okay. He insults me and hits me in the face with his steel-toed shoe, and I’m somehow in the wrong for showing him that actions have consequences?”

“Don’t even try to make it seem like that was a teachable moment. He’s just a kid—”

“Don’t treat me as if I’m some imbecile that needs to be handled with kid gloves,” Damian spat, rolling away from Dick’s gentle hand and sitting up on his own. “I’m capable of taking care of myself! I was just about to gut Todd with my knife when you stepped in unnecessarily.” Damian motioned in the direction of Todd’s voice. “I’d kill him right now if I was able to see properly.”

Damian felt his father’s hand close around his bicep. His first instinct was to knock the hand away, angry that people kept grabbing and touching him. First, it had been Todd’s biting grip on his ankle. Then, Dick’s supportive arm around his waist. Now, his father’s tense fingers on his arm.

He scowled. Their touch made him feel weak and vulnerable, and he was neither of those two things. No, Damian Wayne was no one’s victim. No one’s damsel in distress. He was too good for that. The blood running through his veins was proof of that.

“That had better be a joke,” Father said lowly. “I told you when you came here that we don’t kill. Ever.” The cold tone of his voice made Damian want to shrink and curl back up on the floor. Instead, stubborn as ever, he crossed his arms and turned his head in the other direction.

“I have the right to defend myself if he attacks me! If defending myself leads to his death then that hotheaded flounder was asking for it!”

Todd made a high pitched shrieking sound similar to the one Damian had heard in the water. Damian jumped slightly when Dick, who was still sitting right beside him, answered back with a mixture of shrieks and clicks of his own. It sent goosebumps down Damian’s arms. The shrieks didn’t sound as soft or musical out of the water as they had in the water. They were quick, biting, and fueled by anger.

“Ooh, you made mom mad,” Drake snickered, his voice sounding much closer than it was before.

Dick and Todd both clicked in the back of their throats simultaneously, which Damian could only assume was some variation of, “Shut up!”

Damian wondered if his father understood the mer’s heated conversation or if his silence was an indication that he was just as lost as Damian was. As far as Damian knew, translating the mer language did not come easy. Replicating it was even harder, if not impossible due to the different frequencies that could not be heard or replicated by the human body.

“That’s enough!” Father said after what felt like an eternity of nonstop vocalizations, causing the two mers to trail off into silence. Damian could have sworn he heard one of them hiss at one point. “You two need to cool off. Jason, get upstairs. Go help Alfred with dinner.” He paused for a second and then, most likely addressing Dick, said, “You’re drying up like a prune. Go soak for a few minutes.”

There was some mumbling and what sounded like feet pounding up the platform that connected to the top level of the cave. Damian internally cursed at the salt that was still keeping him from opening his eyes. He was desperate to make sense of how it was possible for the mers to be walking around the cave. All of them except Dick, apparently.

“You and Tim got the kid?” Dick asked.

Damian immediately scowled and clenched his fists. That was the second time he’d been called “kid.” Kids were not equals, and worse, they were not capable of much. Damian was the opposite. He would show both his father and these mers that no one was more capable than him. Then they would realize their mistake in referring to him in such a demeaning way.

“I got the water and towel right here,” Drake chimed in somewhere to Damian’s immediate left.

Dick squeaked twice, short and low.

“Huh?” Tim said. “Quit speaking in dialect.”

“Ugh. Forget it.”

Dick’s scales were rough and heavy sounding as they dragged across the floor. Damian wondered if it hurt or if the scales were tough enough to take some damage. His curiosity died as soon as he heard a large splash from behind him. He turned his attention to the remaining mer instead.

“What are you waiting for, Drake? Hand over the water immediately!”

Damian could only imagine the look of bewilderment on the mer’s face as Drake muttered, “Drake? You’ve gotta be kidding me.”

[anjuschiffer]

[Maribat] Ancient Magus’ Bride Au : Second Chance

Was probably sleep deprived when I wrote this draft but I found the following on my notes on my phone and thought I’d share it..

Pairing: Daminette

Concept: Marinette as Chise (possibly 17, turning 18?) and Damian as Elias Ainsworth (however, Damian is only like 1-3 years older than her, but mari thinks he’s like in his late 20s due to how stoic he is.)

Marinette signs a contract with someone to give consent to selling herself in an auction. 

All of her life, Marinette’s been able to see fairy-like creatures as well as some ominous gloops in her everyday life. The dark blobs have always been the ones to haunt her, especially since her parents died in a car accident. 

She was tired of being sent from foster home to foster home, finally settling on selling herself to someone who’d want her for being a “waste of space.”

She’s bought by a mage for 6 million. A mage that caused everyone in the auction house to badmouth him. Something about being uncouth and showing off his wealth. But what she heard the most was the title of “The Tainted Demon.”

What caught Marinette’s attention was the skull that the man used to hide his face. 

As soon as she’s purchased, the mage simply gets rid of her chains and throws his cloak over her. “You are mine. Don’t forget that.” Marinette nodded, following him as they went into a room. After a few words, they leave the same room through the same door, only to no longer be in the auction house but in a luxurious cottage surrounded by wilderness and grasslands. Before they entered the home, the mage removed his mask, revealing a tanned male with emerald eyes. 

“This is your new home. Get used to it.” The mage pulled her to the bathroom, where he stripped her and placed her into a tub of warm water. Marinette fought from being stripped and being touched by this man, only for her to lose at a battle of strength. 

She couldn’t help but realize that he was toned, reserved and yet caring, noticing frown upon seeing the scars and bruises covering Marinette’s body.

“You’re probably wondering why you’re here.” The mage said as he lathered some soaps into her hair. “I wanted to prove to the imbeciles of the Bats that I am worthy of being our father’s successor. They thought I couldn’t find myself someone to be my apprentice, but what better person than you.”

“What are you talking about?”

“You can see them, can’t you? You can see the fairies, Chosen one.” As he said that, he grabs something that had peeped from the window. 

“Chosen?”

“A Sleigh Beggy- the most adorned person in our realm. A Queen Bee if you must, but a curse at the same time. You attract both the ugly and the beautiful, just like this fae.” He opens his eyes to show her a fae dressed in red. [might include a sketch later on???] 

Marinette is at awe and learns that its name is Tikki, a fae that helps in creating items and at times, new magic.

"You are to work under me as an apprentice, so be prepared to work hard.” He then gives her a circular orange pendant. “A welcoming gift. Now get to sleep, we got a busy day tomorrow.” 

He introduces her to Barbara, who runs a store called Oracle. (Also where she finds out that the Mage is called Damian.) “Come here if you ever find yourself in trouble.” He talks with Barbara in private, Marinette roaming through the bookstore, finding another fae, almost resembling a raven. As she reached for it, it bit her before flying away. As she was about to tell Damian about the incident, the cut healed, the evidence disappearing. However, a ring was left behind on her middle finger on her right hand

Time passes by, Marinette learning more about the world of magic, embracing everything taught to her and adoring her new friend (and later familiar) Tikki. 

She also learns that while Damian is reserved, he makes sure to always have everything needed at home and for his familiar Titus, a Church Grim. (She also learns that he gets jealous when Titus prefers to stick more to Marinette than Damian.)

Once, when she’s sheering wool from the sheep-looking creatures, she’s attacked by a dragon, taken away behind Damian’s back. That’s where she mets Richard, the Dragon Caretaker. This is where she learns why Damian is called The Tainted Demon. (People knew he was of the Clan of Black Mages that dealt and majored in dark magic: Al Ghul. People were also frightened to know that he mastered the dark magic spells at the age of 8 and kept making more spells until he was 10, where he was taken in by Bruce.)

She remains with Dick for a complete week since Dick is a master of illusions and distortion, which is why Damian took a while to get to Marinette. Damian quick yells at Dick before taking Marinette by the waist and taking her back home.

Damian makes more protective forces around the home, Marinette learning that the pendant she got from him was actually a tracking device, but didn’t care. It was his way of saying that he cared for her after all. 

One night, someone visits them. “Jason.” Damian snarled when he saw the figure who stood at the door, about to cast a spell to send him away when Jason simply grinned, pulling Marinette towards him, light engulfing her. When the light faded, Marinette was gone and there stood a black cat, staring at Damian with her blue eyes before running away.

Damian lunged at Jason, a thorn covered branch piercing through Jason’s shoulders and legs. But instead of screams, Damian heard howls of laughter from Jason. “I thought I was hearing things, but seems like the rumor was right! The little Beggy really important to you, isn’t she. But I wonder, will she return to you, Demon Spawn?”

So yeah... this is the first installation to this au I apparently made while sleep deprived... I  guess I’ll finish making the rest when I get the chance? (So yeah, there’s going to be a second part :D)

Edit: Next

[ranger-jedi-knight]

A New Hero Ch 8

AO3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20887313/chapters/54059041

Tag List: @vixen-uchiha

Ok, so here’s the next chap! So, Mari is 15, been a couple months since Lila came to France. So Volpina already happened ok? I was thinkin bout doing it but I like doing this time skip where the chaps aren’t close to each other. Especially since in a few chaps, it’s going to be basically close to each other the chaps. I hope that makes sense. I will try doing one of Lila’s akumatizations tho. I promise! Also, so I made an Akuma, who was made because her little girl was killed. Just thought I’d give a warning. Anyways, I hope you enjoy the chap!!

“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!” The devastated scream echoed down the street. People ran down the street screaming in fear themselves. Some people turned in that direction to see the new victim and ran themselves to safety. With a wave, feathers flew at people, the ones they hit fell to the ground. People cried out.

Coming down the street pushing cars away from her was a woman. The woman’s hair was pitch black flowing down her back. Her skin was pale gray while her eyes were a deep unnatural blue. Blue, teardrop-shaped glass laid next to her eyes. Tears fell from her eyes when they hit the ground, it cracked the ground. Wrapped around her body was a deep gray dress. Hanging on her neck was a silver chain with a silver heart pendant with a purple tint. It had one sleeve that billowed behind her. Her feet were bare and pure white wings were behind her. The sun was almost down behind her, causing an orange glow around her.

“If I can’t have my family, then no one shall either!” the Akuma yelled, pushing cars away. Chat Noir landed in front of the Akuma and blocked any feathers coming toward them. Nino was hiding behind a building and recording them but knew to leave if things got worse. Ladybug landed behind Mourning Dove silently and crept up slowly and silently.

“Mourning Dove,” Chat called and the Akuma glared at them over at them, “you’re in pain. You lost something amazing, do you really want to cause other people the same pain? You know how it feels, why would you want to cause other people the same pain?” Chat asked and Mourning Dove stopped. Ladybug was creeping up, she was close to getting the necklace.

“I...I don’t,” she replied softly and a soft, broken sob left Mourning Dove.

“Then let us help you,” Chat said as the woman fell to her knees on the ground. Ladybug came up behind Mourning Dove and took her necklace and broke it.

“Time to de-evilize,” Ladybug spoke quietly and caught the butterfly quickly. “Bye-bye little butterfly,” she murmured as the pure white butterfly left her yo-yo. “Miraculous Ladybug!” she threw her yo-yo up and ladybugs left it and repaired all the damage Mourning Dove caused. She looked back at the woman and watched Chat council her and hug her close.

“I’m so sorry!” she sobbed out and Ladybug kneeled down beside her.

“It’s ok, miss. It’s not your fault. Hawkmoth took advantage of you while you mourned,” Ladybug said quickly and the woman nodded.

“Do you have anyone close to you nearby?” Chat asked and the woman nodded.

“My uncle. He was on his way over when…” she trailed off and Chat nodded.

“Ok, let’s get you back to him,” Chat said helping her up. “I’ll see you later, bug,” with that he helped the woman back to the hospital. Nino came up to her and patted her shoulder.

“I’ll delete that footage. She deserves some privacy after what happened,” he said and Ladybug nodded.

“Good. She shouldn’t have to deal with worrying about Hawkmoth taking advantage of her sadness,” Ladybug agreed. “See you soon,” Ladybug said readying her yo-yo to swing away. A groan had them look toward an alley. They walked over and saw a boy around their age gripping his head. He had brown hair that was messy and decent length. There was a short scar on his right cheek, cutting off at his jaw. He looked fairly fit, around the same build as Jason she’d guess. She kneeled down next to him and placed a hand on his shoulder.

She tensed up, corrupted magic came from him. It was the same kind she and Fu felt on Damian and Jason. The same they healed on them. It was from the Lazarus Pit. The teen looked up surprised, showing silver eyes with a faint green to them, and looked between Ladybug and Nino. his attire reminds her of the clothes Damian had, the ones he showed her and the others. League attire.

“What’s your name?” Ladybug asked softly.

The teens face scrunched up in thought. “My name is” he started in Arabic before shaking his head. “Sorry, my name is Xander Grayson,” he replied in French and Ladybug froze once more.

“What’s up?” Nino asked looking at her curiously.

“We had a brother. His name was Xander. He was killed years ago when Lana was just starting high school. But...he vanished before we could bury him. We don’t know what happened to him,” Alya had said when she was asked about when Lana had gotten together with Steve.

“Xander?” she asked and he nodded. “I know someone who can help you, just give me a moment to talk in private,” Ladybug said and Xander nodded slowly.

“O-ok,” he replied as Ladybug stood up and took Nino away to whisper.

“Does that name mean anything to you?” Nino whispered and Ladybug nodded.

“Yes. Remember? Alya and Lana had a younger brother. Named Xander. Who disappeared years ago,” Ladybug said and Nino’s face turned shocked.

“Oh yeah. You think he’s their brother, dudette?”

“I’m thinking yes,” Ladybug replied with a short nod while looking over at Xander. “Ok, you know Jason’s size right?” she continued and Nino nodded. “Go to some clothing stores and get him some clothes. He looks to be Jason’s size. After, head back to Fu’s. We need to heal him. He has corrupted magic running through his veins, just like Jason and Damian.”

“On it,” Nino said with a nod and ran off to get the clothing. Ladybug went back over to the teen and helped him up.

“Where is he going?” Xander asked softly confused, and Ladybug smiled at him.

“He’s getting you a change of clothes and will meet us at Fu’s place. He’s the man that can help you,” she explained and Xander nodded understanding. “Can you keep a secret?” she asked and he nodded. “Good, I’m going to de-transform since I can’t take you to him as Ladybug. It’d look weird,” she said and he nodded once more, she then hid between two trashcans. “Tikki, spots off,” she said and Tikki flew out of the earrings with a flash of pink, with that she stood up and went back over to Xander. “I’m Marinette, but you can call me Mari.”

Xander smiled at her and shook her hand. “Marinette why did you do that?” Tikki asked and Xander stared at Tikki in shock.

“Because Tikki, he has the same corrupted magic as Damian and Jason did. And you know very well we can’t risk doing anything suspicious,” Mari explained and Tikki nodded slowly.

“Ok, let’s get him to Master Fu,” Tikki said flying into Mari’s purse.

~~~~~~~~~~~~(ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧~~~~~~~~~~~~

Xander tried holding back the tears, but he couldn’t. His vision blurred from tears while his heartbeat pounded in his ears, muffling everything. Along his body, it felt like needles were digging into him. A pounding started in his head as his hands gripped his hair tightly, pulling slightly. The day he disappeared flashed before his eyes in sharp clarity.

The scars along his back and neck stung. Lana’s desperate cries echoed in his head. He could still feel the rough asphalt on his palms and knees. The small scraps from falling. His croaked out ‘I love you, I’m sorry’, said so quietly, but seemed so loud. The pain he felt as his vision darkened echoed faintly. Joker’s maniacal laugh echoing as everything fades.

The feeling of being underwater. Liquid going into his mouth. Struggling, flailing. Coughing harshly when he escaped the liquids grasp. Everything was blurry as the liquid left his eyes. Faintly hearing talking, possible training.

The sting of getting hit, repeatedly. The cold a sharp knife cutting his skin. Slipping in the snow and ice, running. Wind whipping through his hair and across his face. Snow covering everything and making it hard to see. Shouts echoing harshly, ‘Get him! Kill him if you must!’. Arrows shooting at him cutting through the wind. Grazing him. Landing next to him.

Arms wrapped around him and he started struggling. His voice cracked as he yelled out. He didn’t know what he was yelling, just that he was. He heard gentle shushing, then humming. It...it was a french lullaby. He recognized it. It was a lullaby his sisters both learned and hummed to him after a bad day or nightmare. He relaxed in their grip and started crying. A hand ran through his hair in a calming manner. After a while, his tears stopped and he looked up. Mari was the one holding him closely and humming.

“S-sorry,” he whispered out, voice cracking once more.

“It’s fine, Xander. We were just worried about you. Are you ok? How do you feel?” Mari asked gently. Mari watched as Xander’s eyes flicked up to her, they were plain silver once more, before looking at the ground.

“I’m o-okay,” he whispered taking the tea Fu was holding out to him and taking a sip from it.

“Do you mind telling us what freaked you out?” Mari asked softly once more.

“I....” he started before trailing off and looking out the window, “everything from before now....and after that day....was a blur. But now....I remember everything. I....I died. I was dead but I was brought back to life,” Xander said slowly and Mari’s arms tightened around him.

“Being with the League....being kidnapped and revived by them....then being trained by them...it’s tough. I have two friends who went through that. One was with them for 10 years, the other only a few. You were there for 8 years. I can’t imagine how that was after they left. But you’re safe now. They won’t get you,” she replied softly and he looked over and watched as Nino and Fu nodded agreement.

“When you are....ready, you’re sisters will be very happy to see you again,” Fu said and Xander smiled at that.

“Really?”

“Really. They were...devastated when you disappeared. I imagine they’ll be very happy when they see you,” Fu said and Xander nodded. “To help you heal from what happened, would you mind coming here every day for the next week or two? After that, we’ll space out the visits,” Fu said and Xander nodded.

“That sounds fine. Where will I stay?” Xander asked looking between the three.

“With me. I asked my parents while Fu got you ready. They understand and are very willing to let you stay,” Mari replied and Xander nodded.

“Thank you,” he whispered.

“No problem. Why don’t you change into the clothes Nino got you,” Mari said and Xander nodded as he slowly got up and took the bag from Nino. After he changed into a teal sweatshirt, white tee, and gray sweats, he sat down in front of Fu.

“Shall we begin?” Fu asked and Xander nodded.

~~~~~~~~~~~~(ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Are you sure you want to go to school, Xander?” Mari asked. It’s been a couple of weeks by then since Xander was healed. He’s meet all of Mari’s close friends who shared the same sentiment as Mari regarding him. They were just outside the school when she asked once more. Adrien stood next to them while the others went into the classroom to ‘deal’ with Lila. He understood that they pretended to hate each other in public for a movie they’re filming.

“Yes, I’m sure. I don’t think staying couped up at your place will help with anything. Not to mention, I’d rather be near you and your friends. I haven’t had an episode recently....but I’d rather be safe than sorry. Your parents and Fu are good, but not as good as you, sister,” Xander said smiling as he said sister in English. Mari beamed at him and took his hand.

“Ok, let’s get you enrolled then.” Mari then leads Xander, and Adrien as he trailed behind them, to the principle’s office. She knocked on the door.

“Come in!” Damocles muffled call came through. Mari opened the door and Damocles looked between her, Xander, and Adrien with a slightly confused expression. “What do you three need?” he asked and Mari had Xander sit in a chair.

“He’d like to enroll here. He’s from America but came here for a specialty therapist that’s really good. But since the therapist doesn’t know when he’ll be good to go home, we thought he’d enroll here for the time being,” Mari explained and Xander nodded. Damocles nodded at that and started typing on his computer.

“Alright. Now, what’s his name, where is he staying and who’s his family?” Damocles said.

“His name is Xander Grayson. He’s staying with me, Principle Damocles. So the info in my file should do,” Mari said and Damocles nodded slowly at that.

“Alright. Now, what about school records?”

“I was homeschooled,” Xander replied.

“Yeah. But he can be in my classes. That way if he’s behind in anything, I can help him,” she replied and Damocles nodded at that.

“If you are higher than the rest of the class, would you want to be moved ahead or stay in the same class?” Damocles asked leaning against his desk.

“I’d like to stay in the same class as my sister, sir,” he said and Damocles looked a bit confused at that.

“Sister?”

“That’s me, Principle Damocles. He’s become an honorary Dupain-Cheng,” Mari explained and Damocles nodded at that with a small smile.

“Alright. Marinette, Adrien, why don’t you two head to class. We just need to finish up some work before he can join you,” Damocles said and Mari nodded.

“Of course. We’ll see you soon, Xan,” Mari replied patting his shoulder before leaving.

~~~~~~~~~~~~(ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧~~~~~~~~~~~~

Bustier was smiling as Lila claimed her tinnitus was acting up. Right as Nino sat down next to Kim and Lila next to Adrien, a knock sounded. “Come in!” Bustier called. Damocles then came into the room with Xander following behind him.

“Miss Bustier, you are receiving a new student. Please take care, make sure to look at his file as soon as you can as we do not want to cause him any problems through negligence,” Damocles replied and Bustier nodded. “Good day, if you need anything, come to me,” with that, Damocles left the room and Xander waved to everyone.

“Why don’t you introduce yourself to the class?” Bustier suggested.

“I’m Xander Grayson. I’m from Gotham in the USA. Uh, if I say something makes me uncomfortable, please drop it and don’t talk about it,” he said and the class nodded, some looked a bit confused though.

“Xander, do you want to sit next to me?” Lila asked with a charming smile and Xander shook his head.

“If I could, I’d like to sit next to my honorary sister, Mari,” Xander replied and Lila made a show of grumbling.

“You don’t want to sit next to her, Xander. Mari’s a bully,” Alya spoke up and Xander glanced over at her.

“I’ve already decided to sit next to her. Please don’t argue with me,” he said as Mari beamed at him. He went up the steps and sat down next to Mari. Chloe was sitting next to Sabrina as Mari had told her what was going to happen.

“If you’re from America, why don’t you have an accent?” Mylene asked that and Xander tensed up.

“Practice I guess,” he replied shortly.

“Why don’t you save the questions for later. Give him some time ok?” Mari replied and the class nodded at that.

“Ok class, let’s begin today’s lesson,” Bustier called out.

Ok, so this was the new chap. I hope you guys enjoyed it. There was a bit of a wait, sorry. Anyways, we have Xander appear! He’s Alya’s and Lana’s younger brother. Rn Mari n the others r around 15 yo. Lana is 21-22. Xander is a few years younger so he’s 17. Alya is 27. Just thought I’d tell ya so your aren’t confused. I hope you enjoyed it, I’ll see you again soon! -Love Willa<3<3<3

[sassycassie-s-series]

All My Fault 15

By: SassyShoulderAngel319

Fandom/Character(s): DC, BatFam - Damian Wayne/Batman

Rating: PG

Notes: (Masterlist) This is the last chapter of the gala! Tiny touch shorter than usual. If I ever make any typos that you notice, please let me know! I’ll be 100% happy to fix them and in no way offended!

Tag List (Open): @batboys-and-other-messes @nanna-the-batmum @probsjosh @welovegroot

Ch 1, Ch 2, Ch 3, Ch 4, Ch 5, Ch 6, Ch 7, Ch 8, Ch 9, Ch 10, Ch 11, Ch 12, Ch 13, Ch 14

^^^^^

Busted. Uh… what to say, what to say? Why did I match my dress to Damian’s eyes?

“Because I thought it would be a nice color,” I replied nonchalantly, trying not to end my sentence with a question mark in my tone. “And… I figured if we weren’t doing the prom thing where your tie matched my dress, I might as well match my dress to your eyes.” I didn’t like lying, so I didn’t.

Damian just stared at me for several long moments. It was a scrutinizing look that reminded me so much of Bruce that it almost freaked me out. Damian had always looked pretty similar to his father—which was why I laughed in Deathstroke’s face when he tried to convince us he was Damian’s father instead. Looking back on it, laughing in Deathstroke’s face was a bad idea but I was still alive so I didn’t think much of it.

Damian didn’t seem to know what to say to me regarding my choice of dress color. Instead he just led me back into the ballroom.

“There they are!” Bruce exclaimed in a bright voice so obviously forced it was a wonder that everyone in Gotham and Blüdhaven didn’t notice. The snobs certainly didn’t. “Nora, come over here and tell Mr. and Mrs. Valentine what it was you were studying again before you disappeared.” He gave me a look over Mr. and Mrs. Valentine’s heads that clearly implied that I wasn’t supposed to mention the multiple degrees I basically had in criminology and the sciences in all but paperwork.

“I was studying Computer Science,” I said. “Hoping to take over my parents’ company and, you know, improve on what they built.” I paused. “I was also minoring in American Sign Language.”

“Oh how lovely!” Mrs. Valentine exclaimed with a tone and smile so fake it was a wonder she wasn’t plastic. “Honestly I wish our boys were as driven as you.”

I laughed. “Thank you, ma’am. I just got a legacy to live up to, you know?”

“Oh of course!”

“Father, may we be excused? Miss McCloud requested a dance,” Damian said.

“Sure kiddo. Have fun,” Bruce replied.

Damian and I slipped off toward the dancefloor. “Thanks for the save,” I said to Damian. He grunted. “Bruce is going to have an ulcer by the time this is over.”

“I believe he is used to the feeling of this particular performance by now,” Damian said. We stepped onto the dancefloor. Damian pulled me into a dance hold. We scanned the crowd as we danced, looking for Tim and Stephanie and Dick and maybe Barbara if she’d decided to attend. No one told me whether she came or not. Tim was lurking, Dick was laughing, and Steph in her sparkly purple evening gown was impossible to miss.

This dance was shorter. The gala felt like it had been going on for ages and I was already done. The pins in my hair were scraping my scalp and the sheer weight of my hair all up on top of my head was giving me a headache. The thickness of my hair was why I never wore my hair in a high ponytail or a bun while out on patrol.

“Michelle isn’t here,” I muttered. “I wanted to ask her—”

“About the scandal with your father. I recall. We’ll find another time. Perhaps a visit to McCloud Software is required,” Damian interrupted.

“Perhaps,” I agreed.

Once the music drew to a close, Damian and I got off the dancefloor and mingled for a while. Damian barely said ten words for the rest of the evening.

After another hour where we broke up the tedious socializing with dancing, I led Damian through the crowd to find Bruce. “Hey Bruce?” I asked, pulling his attention away from some boring snobs.

“Yes kiddo?”

“I'm really tired. May I be excused?”

He smiled warmly at me. “Of course. Damian, why don’t you take her upstairs? Help her take her hair out? You put it up that way, didn’t you?”

“Yes, Father,” Damian said with a duck of his head. He escorted me out of the ballroom and into the foyer. We would have run up the stairs, desperate to get away from the people, if the foyer had been empty. But there were a few guests mingling out there, so we walked normally. Once we were in the corridor where most of our rooms were, we walked a little faster.

In my bedroom, I fell onto my desk chair with a sigh. “Oh man. So glad I had a valid excuse to ditch out early this time,” I said.

“Me too.” Damian knelt in front of me and started to unbuckle my heels. I sat up a little.

“What are you doing?” I asked.

“Helping you out of your shoes,” he answered.

“Why?”

“That dress isn’t loose enough to bend all the way to your shoes.”

“Sure it is,” I said. “I can get out of my heels myself, but thanks. But you’re gonna need to get the pins out of my hair.” I leaned forward and unbuckled my other heel, kicking them off. Damian got to his feet and circled around behind me as I sat up straight.

Tired and socially exhausted, I let my head fall into Damian’s hands and not even care about feeling awkward over it. His fingers gently probed through my hair to find the bobby pins. There was so much hairspray holding it in place that for the most part they were exactly where he left them, but one of them had slipped behind my ear. Damian had to feel around for it for a moment before getting it out of my hair.

I was nearly asleep in his hands by the time he got all the woven strands and braids out of my hair. I wanted to just smile and sigh with pleasure, but I didn’t. Damian set his hand on my shoulder. “There you go. You’re all done. Get some rest,” he said.

I nodded, hearing him move to leave.

“Damian—wait,” I said, getting to my feet. “Will you do me one more favor?”

“Tt. Depends on what it is,” he said.

“I can’t reach the zipper on this dress. Can you pull it down?” I asked.

“Of course,” he replied. I pulled all of my sticky hair onto one shoulder and hunched my shoulders forward so he could see the zipper.

I felt one hand pinch the top collar of my dress and his other hand tug the zipper down. It was slow and careful—with the occasional catch that required some finagling.

^^^^^

Damian bit his lower lip as he pulled McCloud’s zipper down. As the zipper came apart, he started to see the bare skin of her back—except the stripe of white where her bra went across her skin. She had scars. Not as many as Damian and his brothers—even before her time jump—but she had them. She had fewer because she wasn’t as hard of a fighter. She wasn’t as reckless. Nor had she been a vigilante as long.

Damian had grown up fighting. He had more scars than he could bother to count by the time he was three. He counted them anyway when he was bored once. He hadn’t bothered to count for a long time because it was tedious and took too long.

McCloud’s wouldn’t require as much time…

“You doing okay back there, Dami?” McCloud asked playfully. “It shouldn’t take that long to unzip a dress.”

“I apologize. I'm trying not to tear it.”

She snickered. “You’re adorable. Trust me, Steph yanked that thing up. The zipper can take the extra pressure.”

Damian put his hand on her shoulder blade and pulled the zipper with his other hand.

It slid the rest of the way down and only got caught once or twice. Damian caught a glimpse of the top of the half-slip she wore underneath the dress before he turned around. “If you don’t require any further assistance, I’ll be going.”

“Yeah, no problem. Thanks Damian.”

“Of course, McCloud.” He left her room, fighting down a blush.

“I’d just like to point out the fact that you looked ready to stab that guy earlier,” Dick remarked from the top of the stairs back down to the charity ball.

“Tt. I was,” Damian said.

Dick laughed. “Well, glad you didn’t.”

Damian just grunted, peering down the stairs at the guests milling around the foyer and what little he could see through the open ballroom doors. “I saw red, Richard,” he admitted. “I was so ready to forget everything Father instilled in me about the value of life and just snap.”

Dick sighed and clapped his youngest brother on the shoulder. “I know,” he said. “I saw it in your face. Why do you think I suggested you go make sure she was okay first?”

Damian bounced an eyebrow. “Took some convincing though, didn’t I?”

“Yeah. But she needed a moment to be alone anyway,” Dick said.

A window opened down the hall, and Jason snuck through it. Dick and Damian glanced at him and went over to talk. “So,” Jason remarked. “What’d I miss?”

^^^^^

I got in the shower to get all the sweat off and all the hairspray out of my hair. Was I sad that the pretty waves from having my hair so tightly woven would get washed out too? Meh, a little. But I just wanted the hairspray out.

I hummed in the shower. I could have sung. The music downstairs was far enough away for me to not disturb anyone. But I didn’t. I was too tired. So I hummed Disney tunes while I showered and got in my pajamas. Once I was all ready to sleep, I flopped onto my bed, crawled into the covers, and passed out before I could even think about putting headphones in to block the noise from downstairs.

Next