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It surprised Damian that the alarm system to the front doors of Wayne Manor had not been changed since the last time he had visited, and that had been one year ago. But when he quickly typed in the code and the sound of the lock sliding open sang against the quiet, early spring morning, he knew that it had been neglected. It was fortunate for him as he was far too tired from the long journey he had just partaken, to even think about breaking in.How pathetic, all those years lounging in the Titans Tower must have made the skilled assassin rusty.As quietly as he could, Damian pushed the door open and stepped inside, shutting it behind him once again. The house was quiet; only the loud tick of the grandfather clock that sat across from the entrance, right beside the large split staircase that lead to the second floor balcony could be heard. Everyone must have been asleep.The brunette stood there for a moment in anticipation of someone walking down the stairs or coming through another door of the house to great him, but no one did. His eyes fixated on the clock's pendulum from the other side of the room, its slow but rhythmical movements lulling his tired eyes into a hypnotic state.The house smelled familiar, like fresh linens and faint cologne; very different from the tower which had plagued his nostrils with testosterone, body odor, cheap wine stained vomit and dander. It killed him a little bit inside to say that he could no longer smell the scent of mold. Whoever thought giving the Teen Titans their own, unsupervised party sized living space didn't take into account that despite them being superheroes, they were indeed still as their title revealed, teenagers. And Damian had come to the conclusion that teenagers were pigs.Finally tearing his eyes away from the clock, he hoisted his backpack on one shoulder, adjusting it, before heading off towards the kitchen, making sure that his footsteps were as silent as they could be. Once he reached the fridge he allowed his bag to slide down his arm onto the floor and opened it. Scaling the inside with his gaze, he was also grateful that Alfred was persistent in keeping the food supply supple.Often when he would look for food at the tower, anything good would have been picked over, and it would be back to eating day old pizza slices or microwave meals. Honestly, if they hadn't insisted on spending their entire budget on trivial things like alcohol, going on local excursions or clothing, then life would have been a hell of a lot easier for them.With all that being said, Damian's exhaustion drove him to grab the peanut butter from the side of the fridge and turn towards the cupboard where the breadbox sat. A peanut butter sandwich had to suffice, at least for now.Quickly turning on the light that hung above the sink so that he could see what he was actually doing, he took two slices of bread from the box and pulled a small butter knife from the cutlery drawer. Blasted adolescence, he was always hungry."It wouldn't have killed you to send a text, you know."The voice stopped him from spreading the butter onto the bread and had he not been so tired, his thin lips might have pulled into a slight smile. He didn't need to turn around to know who had spoke, but what he didn't understand was how he had not heard the newcomer enter the room. He would blame it on his sleep deprived brain."It was a spur of the moment decision." He responded, finishing up his sandwich and turning back around. At the door, leaning on the frame, was none other than Dick Grayson, Damian's adoptive older brother, the first Robin, the current Nightwing and one of Damian's most trusted companions. He took a large bite out of the sandwich and Dick smiled. In only a few steps, thanks to his long legs, he was before Damian, arms outstretched. He pulled the munching teen into a bear hug, squeezing him tightly. Damian groaned and wiggled out of the older man's grip, his thick eyebrows narrowing at him."God, you've gotten big." Dick pointed out, shaking his head at the younger teen. "The last time I saw you, you were like-" he brought his hand, palm flat to the floor just below his chest, indicating Damian's previous height. The boy was still not as tall as his senior, but the top of his head finally poked just above his shoulders. A big leap for only one year.Damian stuffed the rest of the sandwich into his mouth. "If you had come to visit more often, the growth wouldn't have seemed so drastic." He snapped, pushing the food momentarily into one of his cheeks so that he could speak clearly. Dick nodded his head and scratched the back of his neck."Yeah…things have been pretty busy lately.""You always say that."There was a slight pause."What brings you back to Gotham so suddenly? Everything okay?"Damian shrugged. "Everything's fine. I just need a break from all of the…" he rolled his neck in a circle while he thought for the right word. Dick just chuckled."The tension?" he questioned. Damian pondered for a moment before nodding."I suppose you could call it that.""Been there. Living in a house with no rules, a bunch of drama, bunch of girls; it can get to you after a while." Damian said nothing in response but the look he gave was enough of an answer for Dick. "So you back for good?""Not for good. Just enough time to unwind. Catch my breath. Then I'll be out of your hair again.""Well, Bruce will be happy to see you at least." Dick said with a smile. Damian walked past him towards his bag, only to slug it over his shoulder once again."I'm sure he will. What are you doing here, anyway?" he asked, turning back around to face him.Dick's pale complexion turned a slightly pink; even Damian could see that underneath the dim kitchen light. "That…"he began awkwardly, running one hand through his shaggy locks. Damian felt his interest drop, perhaps if there was more life in him he would have been able to produce a fitting sarcastic comeback to the childlike awkwardness, but for now, he merely waited for him to continue. "Is a long story that I will happily tell you tomorrow. You look pretty tired right now.""I just drove for 24 hours straight. Sleep would be much appreciated.""I don't need to show you to your room.""Indeed, you do not. Goodnight, Grayson." Damian moaned almost incoherently, he wasn't sure if he was even going to be able to make it to his room. Dick walked after him, stopping at the door frame to the kitchen."Night, kid. Sleep well."Damian trudged through the darkened house with ease; he had remembered every corner and step like he had never left. When he reached his room, he didn't even bother to strip himself from his clothing and fell on the bed, lying with his arms outstretched. It had been a long journey to get back to Gotham and his mind was shutting down. Another thing about adolescence, you always felt tired. He hated this stage of life with a burning passion. Luckily it took no time at all for his consciousness to drift away. ****************** Damian only slept for a few hours before waking up to a stream of sunlight leaking through the drapes of his bedroom. Muffled voices could be heard from outside of his room in the hallway, and although he could not hear word for word what they were saying, he could identify one of the voices as Dick. He continued to lie for a moment, allowing himself the time to wake his mind; he was used to getting only a few hours of sleep each night, it was all his body needed. Years of training under the League of Assassins had made sure of that.His breathing became shallow as he tried harder to listen to Dick and the mystery man who were speaking in the hallway."What do you mean a dog?" Dick's sudden question made his eyes widen. He had forgotten about his loyal companion that had traveled with him from Jump City; Titus, his Great Dane. Damian had always been an animal person, even when his mother, Talia, had tried to train him out of it. When he was only five years old she had given him a baby bird to raise on his own; which he happily did. He loved the bird, but by the time it had fully grown, he was ordered to end its small life. Talia had given him the ultimatum of either killing the bird or losing meal privileges for a week. He had worked up all of the courage his five year old self could form, but when the time came he instead broke down. His hunger that week was a constant reminder of the shame he had brought upon himself, and from that day on he swore himself off of animals.After the Titans ordeal with Brother Blood, Raven had presented with the puppy, his first interaction with an animal since the bird. He, of course, now had the freedom to own a pet, and he truly loved Titus more than anything else, which was why he did not question for a moment if he should bring him along to Gotham or not. What he had questioned was if it would be wise to bring a one hundred and seventy pound dog into the Wayne Manor. So, he had left him in the courtyard, just for the time being.As quickly as he could, Damian got up from his mattress and went straight to his bag, fishing out the one change of clothes he had brought. None of the clothes that were in his wardrobe were going to fit him anymore; he had grown both in height and in bulk, especially around his shoulders and biceps. He would need to insist Alfred to get him more.After he had changed, he went to the door of the room, opening it. Just slightly down the hall, in front of another bedroom door stood Dick and a man who looked only a few years older than Damian, though his height was around the same. He was lanky, with only a thin trail of muscle. His black hair was cut messily in the back and sides, and a shaggy fringe covered his forehead. To Damian's surprise he was wearing a Robin's suit, much different from his own and from Dick's, but it was indeed a Robin suit, the golden "R" on his chest proved that. Damian felt taken aback by his appearance alone, and was suddenly filled with irritation."I saw it out in the garden, I tried to get close to it but it growled at me and ran away. Should I tell Alfred?" the man asked, and his voice was just as Damian had expected it to be. Annoying.Clearing his throat once, Damian puffed his chest and walked over to the men who had both turned to look at him. Dick's eyebrows furrowed."Damian, you're up early. I thought you'd sleep for at least a few more hours.""You should know me by now, Grayson. I don't need sleep." His green eyes shifted to the "Robin", his expression emotionless. "What the hell are you supposed to be?"The man's mouth fell open slightly in confusion and he began to wordlessly gape for a few moments like a fish out of water, before finally being able to form words. "Uh," he mumbled, dumbfounded. His eyes were blue, but unlike Dick's they lacked brightness, giving them a more gray appearance. "I'm Tim Drake, the…the new Robin."Those words alone spiked Damian's heart rate. He had been gone four years and Bruce had decided to replace him like he had died? He hadn't even been consulted. Not to mention that this "new Robin" seemed to lack every single quality of a crime fighter; slim build, quivering voice and a personality that screamed marshmallow, where did Bruce even find him? He could do much better.Damian stuck his nose in the air, snorting out some sort of snide chuckle. "Great, just what Gotham needs… another clown."Tim's face went pale and his lips pulled into a frown. Dick snickered quietly and placed a hand on Damian's shoulder, giving it a light squeeze. "Damian," he said in a half warning, half playful tone. "Be nice." His attention went to Tim. "Tim, this is Damian, Bruce's son."Tim stayed still for a split second before smiling slightly, his fringe flouncing a bit as he nodded his head. "Ah, I've heard a lot about you Damian." He said, suddenly much more cheerful and confident. He was going to try and be friendly, Damian just knew it. Unfortunately he wanted nothing to do with an impostor who was attempting to steal his position. Nevertheless, Damian decided to play along."Hopefully all good things. How skilled of a fighter I am? The fact that I can speak seventeen languages fluently? How I was and still am the best and most reliable Robin my father has had?" He was fully aware of how catty he was being but it didn't matter. He had known this, Tim, for less than five minutes and he already knew that he despised him. His father had him, he had Dick, he had Kate and Luke and Barbara. The bat family didn't need anyone else, let alone another Robin.Both Dick and Tim chuckled at this and looked at each other. Damian raised an eyebrow."All of that," Tim said, nodding again. What was he? A decorative dashboard ornament? "And… more."Damian ignored the comment with a scoff. "I heard you talking about a dog. He's mine. I wasn't sure if I could bring him in here, so I left him outside for the night.""I'm sure Bruce wouldn't mind. It's Alfred you'll have to run it by." Dick assured him, and he knew he was right. If any mess would be made by the dog, it was going to be Alfred who would have to clean it up, and he wasn't positive if he would enjoy that or not. "And Damian, the thing I wanted to tell you about last night, well…it's Tim. We were going to wait to introduce you until after I told you, but you woke up earlier than we thought you would. Bruce just thought it would be best if he had someone to help him out, and since you were busy with the Titans…""It makes no difference to me." Damian hushed, grinding his teeth slightly. He truly wanted to believe his own words, but the slight jealousy he felt in his chest was making that hard.Dick pursed his lips. "Right…but just so you know he's not replacing you. We're just going to try this whole…duel thing out for a little bit. Since you'll be in Jump City most of the time, we need a Robin here.""Like I said, it makes no difference."Damian pushed himself past Tim, bumping a little bit more roughly into his shoulder than necessary. Without stopping his stride, he threw Dick a look over his shoulder."Where can I find Pennyworth?""I think he's in the kitchen." Tim answered uncomfortably. Damian looked away without another word and took a left down the hallway, disappearing out of sight. Silence filled the air around the two older boys."I think that went well." Dick mumbled after a few minutes, breaking the silence. Tim merely looked at him, defeat already swimming behind his blue-gray eyes."He hates me.""He doesn't hate you, he's just…a complicated creature. You'll get used to him.""Can't wait…" The sarcasm that came with Tim's words was definite. He had heard much about Damian Wayne, son of the bat, but he chose to be optimistic. Unfortunately the rumors of the young heir's arrogance seemed to be true. ****************** With every step Damian took towards the kitchen of the manor, the angrier he became. He had left the Titans to feel more at home, only to find out that a stranger now lived in that home with him. And not only a stranger, but a stranger who was trying to pose as someone he was meant to be. If his father had wanted someone to assist him so badly all he had to do was call him and he would have gladly left the tower to fight by his side once again. If a crime were to happen would Bruce even ask for him to help, or would that responsibility now fall on Tim? What was the point of having duel Robin's? It was Batman and Robin, not Batman and the two Robins. Giving another person the title took away from who Damian was, he may as well just drop the cape and mask all together and become his own hero, it worked out for Dick and Jason.As he neared the kitchen he could hear rummaging through the cupboards. Alfred must have been readying breakfast for him, he missed having a butler."Pennyworth, might I have a quick-"He turned into the room and immediately dead in his tracks. Instead of seeing Alfred as he had expected, there, pouring a bowl of cereal was a girl, back turned to him. Her hair was long, blond and messy and she was wearing a tattered oversize t-shirt and loose stained sweatpants. Upon hearing Damian's dropped off question, she turned around, her hazel eyes looked just as surprised as he felt. His gaze fell to her stomach which had a very large bump protruding from under her shirt. She was pregnant."Hi." She greeted him, her expression softening. Damian's eyes flicked back up, and out of his peripheral vision, he could see Alfred tending to the garden outside of the window behind her. Without a word of response to her greeting, Damian turned and headed towards the front door of the house. What the hell had the house become while he was gone? Was he stuck in some sort of nightmare?He had too many emotions and thoughts running through his mind when he reached Alfred, who was busy watering the hydrangeas. Perhaps it would have been better to stay with the Titans after all, they were a mess but at least he could make sense of everything when he was with them. Hearing the incoming footsteps, Alfred stopped what he was doing and turned. His face had aged in the past year, he looked much older and frailer now than ever, and yet he was still working hard."Master Damian," he announced calmly. "Master Dick told me that you'd retu-""He replaced me!" the young Wayne spat, cutting him off entirely. Alfred's eyebrows furrowed, resting above his warn, brown eyes."It's very good to see you as well.""How could he replace me like that? I'm his son!""I assume you speak of Master Tim?""Who else would I be speaking of? Oh, and were you aware that there is some parturient gutter whore in our kitchen?"Alfred's expression turned even sourer against the teen and he sighed. "Miss Brown is Master Tim's girlfriend…I would choose your words wisely when speaking of her."Ah. It made sense now. Well, to an extent. Damian wasn't sure if anything was ever going to make full sense again. A hiss escaped his lips."Of course she is…""She will be staying with us only for a short while. Master Bruce is assisting with the fine details for her adoption."Damian had to stop himself from laughing. His father was helping some washed up street hag file for adoption just because she was the girlfriend of his new sidekick. Now he knew he was trapped in a nightmare. "Perhaps they could have avoided the complication of the "fine details" had they invested in contraceptives."Alfred stared at him for a moment before turning back to the flowers. "Spoken by a true example of the matter." He muttered quietly, though loud enough for Damian to hear, which he knew was intentional. His eyes narrowed and he crossed his arms over his chest."Watch yourself, Pennyworth." He warned before pausing. "I hadn't realized this house became a charity space. Anyone else staying with us that I don't know about? The Joker, perhaps? A family of orphans? A Syrian refugee? Please, stop me if I'm getting warm.""Master Damian, may I remind you that you too, are currently an unexpected house guest.""It's my house!" Damian was shouting now, his voice echoing around them. A few birds that had been hidden in the shrubbery flew off. "I can't be an unexpected house guest in my own house, I-"The sound of his booming voice must have alerted Titus of his presence, because before he could even finish his sentence, the large hound came bounding from behind a tree and jumped on him, knocking him roughly to the ground. Alfred turned around again, his face expressionless as he watched the large canine lick his fallen master's face, his long tail flicking back and forth."T-Titus…down!" the young assassin barked while he tried to push the gleeful dog away. He managed to keep him at bay by using his forearm to push him slightly. "This is my dog, Titus," he told Alfred while he continued to struggle. "Are you alright with him coming inside the manor? He's tame.""I can tell…" Alfred paused before walking away. "If the house has survived numerous teenage boys…I don't see why not. But remember, he's your responsibility." ****************** The day went by slowly for Damian; he tried his best to avoid anyone else in the house by slinking around every corner as quietly as he could. He had run into Alfred a few times of course, who merely shook his head at him every time, and Dick once. The two newcomers were nowhere to be seen so he assumed they were together.In the evening, Bruce returned home from Wayne Enterprise and was shocked to see his son sitting at the kitchen island, book in hand, though his way of acting surprised was very subtle. Damian could still tell."You're back." he questioned calmly as he walked over to the island, placing his hands down on the marble. "When did you get here?""This morning, early. I brought my dog; I hope that is tolerable for you.""It's tolerable." Bruce smiled slightly and rubbed his chin, his eyes beaming down at his only son. "You've grown, Damian. You look good.""So I've been told." Damian stopped himself from saying the same thing he had said to Dick earlier. He was slightly disappointed that no one had come to visit him at the tower in the past year. His first two years, at least Kori had lived with them, so Dick would often stop by on weekends to see her. It gave them the chance to catch up, and exchange stories, both good and bad, about the bat and the Titans. But once she had moved out, his visits became less frequent, at best all he would get was a text once in a while.And then there was Bruce, who had barely contacted him at all, despite being his own father. Damian was well aware that he had about just as much of a clue of how to be dad as Damian himself had of how to be a proficient son. But he could have at least tried.The teen shifted in his seat and placed his book down on the table. "So," he began bitterly. "You've got a new Robin." It wasn't a question; it was a harsh, venomous statement. Bruce frowned."I needed some help in the past year; there have been some new criminals popping up as well as some old ones resurfacing. Dick's been busy with his own things, you were in San Francisco. What else was I supposed to do?""You could have told me you needed me, I would have come. I haven't gone on a real mission in almost a year. The Titans prefer to stick to petty crimes; break and entries, gas station robberies.""Those are real missions."Of course he would say that. The old man didn't understand, Damian wanted to feel the rush, the excitement of danger. He was tired of chasing down some shaky wannabe gangster who had pulled a fake gun on someone just for a pop. He wanted to go hand to hand with Bane, or break a heist between Black Mask and some other goon; even solving some of The Riddler's sick jokes would be more amusing than breaking up a drunken alley way fight. He missed the risk that Gotham had to offer, he missed the challenge.The two had no time to say anything else before Tim and his girlfriend entered the room, and in hand. Damian scowled at them and picked his book back up, pretending to read."Damian," Bruce announced with a smile, straightening his back. "I assume you've already met Tim and Stephanie?""Dick introduced us earlier." Tim said, nodding his head and helping his wench onto one of the bar stools of the island. Damian could see both of the young adults looking at him through his peripherals."I tried to say hey a few hours ago, but I don't think he heard me." The girl name Stephanie chuckled. Damian ground his teeth together. He could recognize the sharp jab in her voice. She was well aware that he had heard her and chose to ignore, she was just being spiteful. But being spiteful was his job.His eyes flicked up when her hand reached across the table, fingers outstretched, waiting for a handshake."I'm Stephanie, Tim's girlfriend."Damian didn't move for a moment, irritation welling within him before he reached out and firmly but quickly shook her hand. She smiled victoriously which only made him madder."Damian." Was all he said.Bruce nodded with a small smile. "Now that we all know each other, Tim, a word?" he asked motioning to the door. Tim nodded and the two began to leave the room. Despite wanting to call his father out on not allowing him to hear whatever he had to say, Damian was already too fired up and knew that he might explode if he gave into his emotions. He chose to be quiet and focused on the words of Orwell. At least he tried to, but not a moment later Stephanie began to tap her foot on the wood of the island, making every blood vessel in Damian's head pulse. He tried for a few moments to ignore the constant ticking of the motion, but the more he did the louder it seemed to become."Must you do that?" he demanded sharply. She continued and he looked up at her only to see that she was looking at him seriously, giving him the first real look he had gotten of her. Her face was angled but had a bit of weight to it, clearly indicating the baby weight she had gained throughout her pregnancy. Or perhaps she was chubby before she got knocked up, who knew. Despite her weight, she had a very average appearance, not amazingly beautiful, but he wouldn't say she was unattractive. Nothing compared to girls like Kor'i or Donna, but she wasn't horrible to look at. It was unfortunate that her wardrobe and lack of effort for her material appearance ruined her natural charm."Why did you ignore me earlier? It would have taken you two second to say "hi", back to me.""That would have been two seconds of my life I would never be able to get back. Much like right now." Damian scoffed, his lips twisting into a sneer. Stephanie's pale brows furrowed and her full lips pressed into a pout."Are you always this approachable, or am I just a lucky exception?""Nice to see you two getting along." Dick came into the room with a large smile, breaking their conversation. Damian felt relieved to see him, hopefully he would give him an excuse to put an end to this painful interaction that he had absolutely no interest in."Oh yeah," Stephanie began, resting on hand on her round belly and rubbing it gently. She looked as though she were about to pop anytime now. "He's probably one of the most interesting kids I've ever met. I'm shocked there isn't a line of ladies waiting to throw themselves at him. Steller personality."If she wasn't a woman, and if she wasn't pregnant, Damian would have reached across the table and punched her. He had thought that it was Tim that he hated, but this woman was on a completely different level, and he was tiring of it. Perhaps it was because he wasn't necessarily used to another challenging him in some sort of snarky pissing contest. He was normally the one with the quick wit responses but she was rivaling him and it irked him. Perhaps she thought that it was some sort of way to connect to him, but she would be wrong. He didn't want to connect to anyone, he had the Titans, he had Dick, Bruce and Alfred, and quite frankly, that was all he wanted.Pushing himself away from the table he decided that he would rather be anywhere else than with people. He would take Titus for a walk perhaps, or go to the gym to train. He would happily beat the crap out of a punching bag right about now, in fact, it was probably exactly what he needed.Dick cast him a look as they brushed past one another and Stephanie scoffed, resting her elbow on the table and fitting her chin in the palm of her hand."Aw, I fink I hurt his feewings."she mocked with a slight giggle to her voice. Damian could feel fire emitting from him as he left the room. What a disgusting excuse for a human, absolutely no class whatsoever. Alfred had said that she was staying with them until she gave birth to her bastard fetus and he couldn't wait until that day came, he desperately wished it was soon.Dick crossed his arms tightly across his chest at the blonde who merely looked back at him, one eyebrow raised."Not the best way to gain his affection." He told her, taking a seat where Damian had been. She rolled her eyes."I don't give a shit about his affection. I don't look for it with adults, and I sure as hell am not going to look for it with some head-up-his-ass teenager.""He's Bruce's son, you know, the man who's helping you through all of this." His blue eyes glanced quickly down at her stomach before returning to her own eyes. She sighed as though she were being inconvenienced by his point."He's a dick, is what he is. I don't have time for people like that, nor do I want to make time for people like that. Once I get this thing out of me, I'll be out of here and I'll never have to see him again."Dick chuckled to himself and leaned back on the stool. "That's optimistic. If you plan on staying with Tim I can almost guarantee you that won't be the case. Trust me, thing's will be a lot easier on all of us if you two just try and make some sort of effort with him. It took a while, but he warmed up to me after a few months, now he's fine.""You're a saint, Dick Grayson. A very patient man."The raven haired man smiled but said nothing. Stephanie clicked her finger nails along the marble table, her gaze trailing into space as she thought. After a moment she zoned back into the present moment."Have you told them yet?" she asked quietly. Dick looked at her."Not yet, I'm waiting for the right moment." His tone was also quiet, and calm but it held with it a certain hesitance, almost as though he felt guilty for something."Well, that's why you came here, wasn't it? To tell Bruce?""And to help you and Tim. Only three day's now until your section. You nervous?""Not really, I'm just ready to be a normal sized person again." She looked down at her belly and stroked it once again. It wasn't that she hated the thought of the child growing inside of her, but she wasn't fit to be a parent, not yet. Perhaps not ever. Someone else who was more deserving of small life to protect should have it. That was why she had decided from the moment she had found out she was carrying that she would put it up for adoption, and she had blessed her lucky stars that the bat family had been so willing to help her. She had no one else. "Thank you for telling me, by the way…it made me feel better to know that I had someone else I could talk to you this. Someone who understands."Dick smiled and shrugged his shoulders. "Kor'i doesn't mind, she's always happy to help in any way she can. Thank you for not telling anyone.""It's not my announcement to make."Dick's smile grew. He had only known the girl for just shy of six months now, but he was fond of her. She had attitude of course, but he liked to think of it as spunk. He was happy that Tim had found someone like her and had looked past the fact that she was young and single, carrying a child, which he knew some men not to do. Instead of being uncomfortable by the fact that she was carrying or slut shaming her into believing that she had done wrong, Tim immediately jumped to help her by any means necessary. He was a good man and a skilled fighter, Bruce had done well choosing him as the new Robin. Dick only wished that Damian could see that, and he honestly believed that he soon would.******************Damian perused through the large rack of clothing that Alfred had collected for him, choosing the items he deemed acceptable for himself to wear. It was his third day back at Wayne Manor and he was finally beginning to feel a bit more at ease. Beyond taking Titus for walks around the manor grounds, training himself in the gym, talking to Bruce, Alfred and Dick, he rarely had to put up with the other two. Only twice more had he run into Tim in the hallway, and both times they had civil, short exchanges. Nothing excessive, and nothing too friendly. If the new good was trying to give the old Robin his own space to adjust, he was doing a good job. Perhaps he was smarter than Damian had originally thought.Stephanie however had seemed to disappear from the manor entirely. It was almost as if she had been a figment of Damian's imagination, which would have been a blessing in disguise for him. Unfortunately, however, her absence would soon be short lived.Damian held a maroon turtle neck up to his frame, looking down at it. "What do you think, Titus?" he asked the large dog who was sleeping soundly on his bed. One of his giant ears flicked at the sound of his name but he did not stir. "Do you think maroon would suit me?"A soft knock on his door made him hang the shirt back on the rack and turn to answer it. He immediately wished he had not however, as Stephanie was standing on the other side of the door. Her hair was pulled into a messy bun that sat like a birds nest on the top of her head, and she was dressed in a large male sized black hoody and fluffy white pajama shorts. Had she not smelled of fresh lavender shampoo, one might have mistaken her as a bum.Damian resisted the urge to close the door on her face, and stood there, waiting patiently for her to speak, but she wasn't. Their eyes clashed in a battle of stubborn silence and Stephanie's cheeks puffed out as she blew air through pursed lips. Damian's interest was suddenly peaked, this was obviously going to be an uncomfortable task for her, and he would enjoy every single second of it."I think," she began finally. "We got off on the wrong foot. I'm sorry for making fun of you, I was out of line."Damian couldn't help but to smirk. Sweet victory, tasted lovely. He would have to thank Dick later, he knew that the older man probably had something to do with the sudden apology.Stephanie sighed deeply and continued, though her tone dropped from being sincere and became a scripted sounding cop out. Damian's smirk fell and his satisfaction was replace with agitation. "You are the young master of this house after all, and I am but a humdrum sponge, living off of you and your father's wealth to support my own needs. So from the bottom of my heart, accept this apology." She curtsied, making a fool out of herself. Damian scowled. Well, at least it had started out as a genuine atonement."Grayson put you up to this?" he spat. She looked up at him with a false innocence in her eyes."Not at all," she said, but nodded her head slowly. "I am going into surgery tomorrow, and in fear that I might not make it out, I hated the thought of dying with this raw act of opprobrium on my conscious. I hope that word is big enough for you, I couldn't be sure. I'm afraid my vocabulary is that of an ignorant hayseed." She curtsied once again, and her lips pulled into a humored smile. She was quite proud of herself, at least one of them had enjoyed that cringe worthy act. Damian crossed his arms and leaned his right shoulder against his door frame."I'll accept the apology but I'm going to ignore the rest of that ridiculous display." He said in a mumble. "How long did it take you to search for the use of the word opprobrium?""There's a funny thing called the internet that people use now a days, and usually if you know what you're looking for it only takes a few minutes to find the results.""I was under the impression that I was the younger one, I should be the one schooling you on what people do now a days, hag." He chuckled bitterly. He was amused by her clear belief that she was clever. She wasn't. "You used the word incorrectly, by the way."She shrugged. "Ignorant hayseed."The air became thick with silence. Damian waited for her to continue, but she merely stood there awkwardly, her hazel eyes staring at him with intent, her arms curling around her stomach. He swallowed and took a step back into his room, grabbing the door handle."Well, best wishes for your surgery."He began to pull the door shut but her hand quickly grabbed the door handle on the other side, tugging backwards. Damian was taken aback for a moment and his eyebrows furrowed."Wait! Aren't you going to apologize to me?""What for?""I don't know…for being an arrogant prick the other day?"He frowned. Her apology was beginning to lose its significance."I'm not going to apologize because your sensitive, pregnancy induced hormones caused you to be offended that I didn't say hello to you." He said bluntly, causing her jaw to fall slack. But before she could say anything he quickly continued. "As I said before, good luck on your surgery, and should you die I will insist that your eulogy reads "although an ignorant hayseed, she often acted like an outspoken simpleton, but her actions were not considered an opprobrium to the life she lived. Rest in peace". That's how you use opprobrium correctly."The last thing he saw before slamming the door shut, was her half flabbergasted, half angry expression, and it compensated for her ruined atonement. Damian stood with his back at the door listening. He snickered silently when she made a frustrated squeak and he could have sworn she stomped her foot like a five year old throwing a temper tantrum. What a woman.He looked over at the bed where Titus lie, his head now perked up while he watched his master, tail wagging roughly. Damian straightened his back and walked back over, petting the dog on the top of his boxy head before turning back to the rack of clothing."Think it was a mistake coming here, Titus?" he asked his canine companion, waiting for a response like he had the ability to actually answer. Titus long tail thumped against the bed and his tongue rolled out of his mouth as he panted happily. Damian sighed, wondering about the answer himself. He supposed only time would tell.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
“Get your head in the game, half-pint!”Damian’s back hit the concrete wall with a smack, his head bouncing back and slightly cracking against it. He saw stars for a moment but did not let it stop him from lunging forward; throwing his fist towards what he hoped was Dick’s head and not just the double vision he was struggling with. Dick ducked quickly but Damian was too quick and twisted his body, bringing his leg up and kicking him square in the chest.“I’m almost as tall as you!” Damian barked as the older man fell backwards and let out a muffled gasp for air. “And as I see it, you’re the one who’s losing touch. Must be getting old.” He smirked, throwing his hands on his narrow hips. Dick scrunched his face in pain and looked up at him for a moment before shakily getting to his feet.“Must be…” he mumbled to himself, just loud enough for the brunette to hear him. They had been sparring for some time now and he was beginning to feel it. Sparring with Damian was never his favorite thing to do; he always went for weak spots and pressure points, things that you aren’t really supposed to pull while sparring for practice. The point was to train, not to injure your opponent. Damian didn’t get that.“Had enough then?” Damian asked snidely, but stance himself anyway, balling his fists. He on the other hand thoroughly enjoyed sparring, with Dick especially. He was a skilled fighter and provided him a slight challenge, something the other Teen Titans never really did, unless they were to use their powers, which he hated. He preferred hand to hand combat in a fight, feeling your opponents flesh beneath your first when you struck, there was nothing better. Powers were a cheap cop out, only a real warrior could be successful without them.Dick’s lips twisted into a smile and he positioned himself as well. “No chance in hell!” With that he fell forward, reaching into his utility belt and pulling out his duel staffs. He brought them up quickly and struck Damian, knocking him backwards onto his. Damian began coughing as the wind flew from his lungs, the strap of his chest plate digging into his back, right between his shoulder blades.“There,” Dick chimed, pushing the staffs back into his belt and extending a hand to his younger brother. “Now I’ve had enough”The brunette took a few deep breaths before grabbing the hand and being pulled to his feet, the sharp pain in his back continued to ping. “Lucky hit.”“It had to happen sometime. Showers then lunch?”Damian nodded his head and unlatched his cape, letting it fall to the gym’s floor. He hadn’t realized it until it was brought up, but he was indeed hungry. He hoped that Alfred had something enticing planned for them, which he assumed would be the case. Tim and Stephanie were due back from the hospital and he could almost guarantee that the old man would want to do something special for their return, that was, if Stephanie could stomach solid food. Surgery of any kind usually resulted in the offsetting of heavy meals, so he could only assume that a cesarean would intensify that.He and Dick stripped of their clothing as soon as they hit the shower room, the leather and fibers sticking to their sweaty skin. Without looking at each other and without saying another word they both went walked under their own tap, turning it on.Damian had often wondered why the entirety of the manor looked modern and well kept, but the gym bathroom looked as though it belonged in a North Korean labor camp. Concrete walls and floor, dim, dingy lights that flickered when you turned on the water and a row of shower head that protruded from the wall without any barriers. It was a bit offsetting and unnecessary for a single hero and sidekick. Bruce would very easily be able to replace it with a newer, more private and less Saw death trap-esque, lavatory.The lukewarm water rolled down Damian’s olive skin as he lathered the soap over his scarred body. His hair which he usually kept gelled fell onto his forehead, the tips of his fringe just falling into his eyes. He needed a haircut desperately; perhaps he would request Alfred to do it tonight, if he didn’t mind that was.The sound of Dick’s shower head turning off made Damian look up just in time to see Dick’s naked back walking away from him towards a rack of towels that sat beside the door. Turning his gaze away, he quickly finished cleaning himself and did the same.They redressed and flocked upstairs to the kitchen where Alfred was, as they had assumed, working away at lunch, Titus sitting patiently beside him looking longingly at the food.“Got yourself an admirer, Alfred.” Dick joked, giving Titus a quick pat on his head and striding to the fridge. He opened it and took out the milk carton, throwing back a large gulp.“Indeed,” Alfred said before turning to look at the two boys. “Master Dick, please, a glass if you would.”Dick nodded and lowered the cartoon, wiping his mouth on the sleeve of his black crew-neck. “Sorry Alfred, habit.”Damian snickered and sat himself at the island, watching as Dick did as he was told like a child being scolded. Alfred shook his head and turned back to his cooking.“One which we have been trying to break since you were quite young, if I remember correctly.” He reminisced, causing Dick to smile.“What’s for lunch, Pennyworth?” Damian questioned, inhaling through his nostrils and taking in all of the mouthwatering scents that the kitchen was offering. He was by no means a chef, or even a skilled cook, but he could easily identify the spices he was using. Onion, garlic, thyme, bay leaves.“This is dinner, Master Damian. I’m preparing French onion soup for the returning two.” He had called that. “There is leftover puttanesca in the refrigerator if you’d like it for lunch. There are also more than enough ingredients to make a nice autumn salad.”“I don’t know about you, but I need carbs right now.” Dick threw at Damian while he stuck the milk back in the fridge and pulled out a large bowl of pasta. “Lots of carbs.”“Get me a plate as well, please, Grayson.” ****************** It was around six PM by the time Tim and Stephanie returned to the manor, only an hour after Bruce. Even though Damian had eaten a hearty lunch full of pasta, he was already starving again. He sat at the dining room table, taking the seat between Dick, who was already seated, pouring himself a glass of wine and his father’s empty seat. His eyes followed Tim as he helped his girlfriend into the seat opposite him. It was strange seeing her without the large swelling stomach; she looked much tinier and a bit more womanly. Damian could tell, even through her usually bulky clothing that she was sharply, unfortunately her breast now seemed a bit unproportionate to her body, which wasn’t necessarily a bad thing, she had just given birth so it was to be expected.Damian mentally kicked himself for thinking about her breasts and straightened himself in his seat, fixing the fork that sat in front of him from being crooked.“Thanks Tim,” Stephanie whispered as she lowered into the seat. Her voice was shaky and broken. Damian’s green eyes flicked up to quickly look at her face. Her eyes were red, as the skin under her nose. She looked absolutely defeated as though she had just given birth. Which she hadn’t just, in fact, she hadn’t even delivered the child naturally.Tim gave her a light smile and rushed into the kitchen after Alfred, leaving her alone with the two ghosts of Robin’s past and present. An uneasy silence filled the air; it was obvious to both of the young men that the female before them was distressed, and neither of them knew what to say or do.Whatever confidence and moxie that Stephanie had had two days prior was long gone as she quietly looked down at her empty plate, her eyes burning from tears she was obviously holding back. Her pathetic demeanor actually made Damian feel sorry for her and his expression softened. He by no means liked the girl, but he didn’t enjoy seeing anyone become a lifeless shell either.Swallowing hard, he made the decision to lighten the mood a bit; though consoling someone was not something he had been skilled at. He had tried before with Terra during his time with the Titans and that had flopped, and he had also tried with Raven, also a no go.Wordlessly cursing Dick who had much more experience with female emotion than he had, Damian spoke. “Well, you’re still alive.” It came out much more awkward than he had hoped it to and he regretted opening his mouth immediately. Dick cast him and uncomfortable glance before taking a swig of his wine. Never a good idea.Stephanie’s watery, bloodshot eyes looked up and met his. Desperately wishing to avoid eye contact, Damian’s vision dropped to the table just before the girl weakly smiled. “Guess you can scrap that eulogy, huh?”Her voice was hoarse, and dry and quiet. But her spark was still there, burning lightly like an ember in the back of her throat.Tim re-entered the room with a glass of water in one hand and his other clenched shut in front of him. In a matter of seconds he crossed the room and landed beside Stephanie, giving her a small pill and the glass. She took it from him and popped it in her mouth, swigging back the water and nodding a thank you. He pressed his lips to her forehead and took the seat beside her.“Wine?” Dick asked him the moment he pushed himself into the table. Tim held up a hand, shaking his head.“Maybe later.”“I’ll take some.” Damian shrugged. Dick was about to grab the bottle when Bruce entered the room with two bowls in his hand, Alfred behind him with two more.“I don’t think so.” He boomed, narrowing his eyes at Dick and walking over to put the bowls in front of Tim and Stephanie. Dick dropped his arm quickly and Damian scowled.“You do realize I lived without adult supervision for two years. Are you seriously under the assumption that I’ve never consumed alcohol before?”“That was with the Titans, you’re here now. Under my roof, and under my roof the answer is no.” Bruce took his seat. “I will have some though, Dick. Red please.”As Dick poured the drink for Bruce, a suppressed smile playing on his lips, Alfred placed the two bowls he had in front of Bruce and Damian. “I will be right back with yours, Master Dick.” He said with a nod and quickly retreated back to the kitchen.“No rush, Alfred.” He called after him, passing the glass to the older Wayne.“How are you feeling, Stephanie?” Bruce’s attention landed on the girl across from him as he rose the glass to his lips. “You look well.”Well that was a blatant lie. She looked god-awful. But Stephanie, being Stephanie, forced a smile and nodded her head, dipping her spoon into her soup and stirring it aimlessly.“I feel much better than I did a few days ago. Thank you so much, for everything Bruce. I’m very grateful.”“Please, it was the least I could do.”Alfred returned with Dick’s soup and he placed it down just as another body entered the room. Beautiful long red hair that was tied back in a high ponytail, tangerine tinted skin, bright harlequin eyes, a figure that could have been recognized anywhere; Kor'i, Dick’s girlfriend, and Damian’s retired supervisor from the Titans. Dick quickly stood from his seat and walked over to meet her.“I’m so sorry that I’m late.” She apologized to the room. Dick placed his hand on the small of her back and kissed her quickly before leading her to her spot at the table. Bruce shook his head.“We haven’t started yet, Kor'i, you’re right on time.” He said with a smile. “Would you like some wine, we have red and white.”“No thank you. Water would be fine.”Dick was about to head to the kitchen before he was stopped by Alfred’s hand on his shoulder.“Allow me, Master Dick.”He nodded and thanked the man, taking his seat once again. Damian tried uncomfortably to avoid his old superiors gaze. He had no idea she was coming to join them, and if she still checked up on the Titans from time to time, there would be a good chance that she knew exactly why he had left, which he absolutely wasn’t ready for anyone to know just yet. Sure enough,“Damian,” her soft voice spoke, urging him to acknowledge her. He didn’t. “It’s been a while. I was told that you had left the tower.”Crap. “Yeah, just for a bit.”“Pity.” Her pupiless eyes were all too knowing as she looked at him with an odd expression. “The Titans really benefited from having you as their leader.”He looked down at his soup and swallowed. Luckily, she knew him well enough to know that that was all she would get from him and the awkward conversation stopped there. She turned to the other woman in the room. “I hope everything at the hospital went well, Stephanie, I am so sorry I could not come to visit.”Stephanie shook her head, her fake smile still pulling against her lips. “I was so out of it most of the time, Kor'i. You missed nothing. It’s really no biggy.”Alfred came back for the last time and set Kor'i’s water and soup in front of her before joining them at the table. Bruce raised his glass of wine into the air, proposing a toast between them.“It’s nice to have the family back together.” He said deeply. “Now let’s not let this meal to go waste.”They all reached for their spoons but were cut off by Dick who raised his glass high, clearing his throat loudly. “I uh, I just have something really quick to say, Bruce, before we start.”Everyone stilled as he stood and his face paled. Something was going on but Damian couldn’t tell what it was, it was making him anxious. The blue eyed man stood there for a moment, mouthing voiceless words to himself before he took a deep breath, his eyes falling onto his girlfriend who was smiling sweetly.“Kor'i and I have some news that we weren’t going to share just yet, but…well…anyway…uh…”“Get on with it, Grayson.” Damian knew were this was going, and for some reason it was bothering him. Dick nodded.“Right. So, three months ago, I proposed…and by some miracle, she said yes. So, we’re getting married!”Everyone in the room began talking at once, making it almost impossible to hear a single word anyone was actually saying.“There’s more!” Dick shouted over the sound, quieting everyone. He looked at Kor'i, his face screaming for help and she stood as well, placing her arms elegantly in front of her.“Last month we found out that I’m pregnant. We’re having a baby.” She smiled down at Stephanie who weakly smiled back.“Which is why we waited to tell everyone.” Dick began, scratching the back of his neck. “We were going to just elope to not make it a big deal, but…well; we can’t really hide a pregnancy for long so…we thought everyone should know.”“Well I’m glad you did, this is great news, congratulations to the both of you.” Bruce congratulated them with a proud, un-Bruce-like smile. Alfred, who looked the happiest Damian had ever seen him, stood and nodded his head.“This call’s for something a tad classier than Pinor Noir. I’ll go fetch the Chateau Lafite from the cellar.” He said before disappearing out of the room. Damian sat in silence at his seat, watching as the other five chatted away about the exciting news, but he was anything but excited.How dare Dick do this to him, he was the one person Damian actually enjoyed being around and now he was going to busy himself with a child of his own. He all of a sudden felt like a jealous only child whose parents had just found out they were expecting their second. What had he done to deserve all of these misfortunes for the past few days? Whatever it was, it must have been something horrendous because whatever higher power who was choosing to punish him was not going easy.For the rest of the meal, the young Wayne barely spoke. He listened to everyone, he ate his food, and when the conversation wasn’t interesting, he preoccupied himself by petting Titus who was lying at his feet underneath the table. His eyes only every so often caught with the blonde’s who sat across from him, and it was curious to him why she was continuing to sneak glances his way. But he figured she had perhaps been embarrassed by their last conversation together, or was merely thinking the same thing about him and was trying to catch him sending her eyes. Whichever it was, it mattered little.After dinner, Dick and Kor'i informed everyone that they were going to return to their apartment in Gotham for the time being, and Dick went to his old room to collect some of his belongings. Damian followed him and leaned against the door frame, arms crossed tightly over his chest.“Traitor.” He snarled while Dick stuffed a large duffel-bag full of clothing. The older man merely laughed.“Remind me again, how me getting married and having a baby is putting you out?” he questioned, zipping up his bag.“You’re leaving me with them.”It didn’t take a genius to know who Damian was talking about. It was very clear what his opinion on Tim and Stephanie was, Dick wasn’t about to pretend to be oblivious to it. But there was nothing he could do; Damian was a big boy now, he would need to learn how to figure out his own problems, rather than using Nightwing as his crutch.Slugging the duffel-bag over his shoulder, Dick crossed the room, stopping just in front of the younger man and reached out to ruffle his flat hair. “They are not so bad once you make an effort to get to know them. In fact, Stephanie is pretty funny, and Tim’s a nice guy.”“Please…she’s unbearable and he’s the kind of guy who gets crammed into lockers by uneducated high school Neanderthals.”“Well, that doesn’t mean he’s not a nice guy.” Dick lightly slapped the top of Damian’s head and slipped past him out of the room. “Get to know them.”“Tt…” Damian rolled his eyes but followed quickly behind Dick.“Besides, I’m just in Gotham. If you ever need anything, you know where to find me.”****************** Damian pulled the hood of his sweater up over his head, trying to protect his ears from the chill of the late night air. It was nearly midnight, but Titus had insisted that he take him out for one final pee before bed, and of course, who was the young human to refuse. But nearly five minutes had gone by of the mangy hound just circling bushes, and sniffing for the right spot, Damian was beginning to wish he had grabbed something a bit thicker to wear. Finally the Great Dane propped his leg up against the wall of the manor and released himself. Damian cursed under his breath; the dog had sniffed that same spot about fifteen times before finally deciding.“Alright Titus, come on.” He called, turning himself towards the door once again. He was still upset about Dick’s bombshell earlier, and wasn’t entirely sure he would be able to sleep anytime soon. Reading was always a good option, or he could perhaps watch Netflix on his phone, whatever spoke to him when he settled in his bed.He and his beast went inside and shut the door behind them. Damian shivered slightly at the change of temperature. As he hastened towards the stairwell however, the sound of quiet sobbing stopped him in his tracks and he turned to look towards the kitchen.It was a woman, which meant only one thing since there was only a single female staying in the manor. Stephanie.Damian’s mind mulled over his options for a few moments. He didn’t really care that much about the girl, at all really, but clearly whatever had been upsetting her had something to do with the deliverance of her child, and that was serious. If he didn’t give her some sort of sympathy for a serious problem, that made him worse than just a dick, it was disgraceful.Swallowing his pride, he slowly made his way to the kitchen, poking his head around the corner, the strings of his hoody dangling below him.She was there, sitting at the island with her hair once again tied in a hideous rats nest atop her head. Her face was covered by her hands, but in front of her sat a large tub of chocolate ice cream that she had blatantly been digging into.Damian stood still and quiet. He was slowly changing his mind about confronting her, but before he could sneak away and escape the situation, she sniffled one last time and turned around, readying herself to get down from the stool. She must not have heard him come in with Titus, because her already flushed cheeks turned red and her swollen eyes widened. She quickly wiped at the tears and mucus that was streaming down her face with her sleeves. So very attractive.“Damian,” she spoke, her voice dry. “I didn’t hear you.”He nodded and took a step inside the kitchen. He felt extremely awkward. “I figured that.” Was all he said, and he mentally kicked himself. He had lived with other women for four years; he was used to seeing Donna come home from a bad date in tears, or Cassie breaking into random fits when she was on her menstrual cycle and someone hit a nerve. This was not new for him.What was new for him was being the one who had to tend to the needy. At the tower, he would often slink away and let someone more capable of human compassion assist the heartbroken, but since coming back he had been trapped two times already with the emotional time bomb that was Stephanie.“I was just coming back from taking Titus out…when I heard you. Is everything…alright?”She looked down at the ground for a moment, sniffing back loudly causing Damian to cringe. God what did Tim see in her?“I’m just…”she began, but a sob worked its way up her throat and she once again covered her face. “I feel stupid. What kind of person could give their own baby away? What kind of monster am I?”Damian put his hands into the front pocket of his sweater and walked a bit closer to her, deciding to stay quiet. Stephanie swirled in her seat and began to shovel into the ice cream again, stuffing a spoonful into her mouth, clearly stress eating. “He was so small, and perfect, and I only got to hold him for a few minutes but…my god…he was mine, and I just gave him away like he was a puppy being weaned from its mother. Do you know how that feels?”She turned abruptly, her red; tear filled eyes desperately searching for an answer in him, one that he was unable to give her. Damian’s jaw fell slightly and he just gaped at her. What was he supposed to say to her? Of course he had no idea what that felt like.Realizing that she would get no answer from him, she turned back to the ice cream. “It feels like shit. That’s how it feels.”He nodded his head; taking his hands out of his pocket and reaching up to push his hood down. He got even closer to her but kept himself at a safe distance, swallowing air.“Think about it realistically. Were you prepared to be a mother? Financially, emotionally?”Stephanie leaned her head to the side, placing the spoon down into the almost empty tub. “No.”“And what about the people who adopted him? Did you meet them?”“For a few minutes.”“And were they? Emotionally and financially stable?”“Yes. They were the whole package. They were really nice people.”“There it is then,” Damian huffed. “You shouldn’t feel guilty about wanting to give a child a better life; just because you bore it, doesn’t mean it would have been wise for you to keep it. I have a mother, and I can’t even imagine how my life would be right now if I had lived with her up until this point. Sometimes you have to make hard decisions for the best outcomes. That hardly makes you a monster.”Damian had surprised himself. He honestly had no idea where that pep talk had come from, perhaps his subconscious had urged it to avoid her to annoyingly wine for any longer than necessary. Or perhaps he did have a heart.Stephanie turned her head and looked at him again, her brows furrowed. She stared at him for a long minute, too long for his comfort and he shifted uncomfortably in his spot.“Are you…trying to make me feel better?” she asked her voice in utter disbelief. Damian’s eyes narrowed slightly.“Tt…despite what you may believe, I’m not that heartless.”Stephanie’s lips pulled into a smile, and not like one of her snide sarcastic grins, but the kind that made her cheeks press into her eyes causing them to squint slightly, and the rest of her features soften.Damian’s face went blank, as did his mind. Why was she looking at him like that?“Steph?”The tired, sleep tainted voice made Damian jump in his spot and he turned to see Tim walking into the room. He was wearing pajama pants and a solid black t-shirt and unlike before was wearing a pair of black rimmed glasses. He paused for a moment when he saw Damian, but his eyes quickly shifted to his girlfriend and her tear stained appearance. He rushed over to her and threw his arms around her pulling her close to her.“I thought you went to the bathroom. Baby, are you okay?” he pulled away and kissed her, his hands cupping her cheeks. Damian looked away, suddenly feeling very intrusive and unwanted. He took a few steps back while Tim and Stephanie spoke to one another in faint whispers.Yup, he was definitely unwanted at that point. Oh well, he had played his part in helping her feel better. It was better that Tim was there now, he would know exactly what to say or do.Damian made a beeline back upstairs to his bedroom where Titus was already sound asleep, waiting for him. As soon as he shut his door he stripped himself of his clothing and jumped beneath the covers. He hadn’t been tired about five minutes ago, but that much social interaction and awkwardness had done him in. He was very ready to fall asleep and forget that that unfortunate conversation had even happened.He was just praying to god that neither Tim, nor Stephanie would bring it up the next day. He really did believe he was paying for something.****************** “Thanks for last night, that was sweet of you. I didn’t think you were capable of being sweet.”There it was, the old irritating Stephanie was back, and it only took a day. Joy.Damian was sitting in the study, his legs stretched out on the couch, book in hand. He had woken up early, taken Titus for a jog and settled down with a cup of coffee for a nice morning read, only to be interrupted after just twenty minutes of silence. He had come to Gotham for some peace and quiet and was getting the exact opposite. Leaning his head back on the arm of the couch and resting his book, pages open, over his abdomen, he sighed deeply.“I suppose there’s a first for everything. Now will you please leave, your voice is irritating me.”“I’m just trying to thank you, jerk. You helped tide me over until Tim came, and you didn’t have to. I really appreciate it.”She smiled at him, her usual fake smile; at least he now believed it to be fake, after seeing her squinty eyed smile. He picked his book back up and looked down at the pages, deciding to ignore her from there on out. Perhaps if he did so, she would go away.“And here I thought the ice cream was doing a fantastic job of tiding you over, fat-ass.”Stephanie scowled at him, and turned on her heels, exiting the room. Damian snickered to himself; well, that had worked.Not two moments later Tim entered the room. Damian didn’t even bother to look up, but he could see through the corner of his eye that he was wearing his Robin suit.“Damian, thanks for looking out for Steph last night, sorry if she bothered you.” He said, putting his hands on his hips. “You didn’t have to do that.”Now where had he heard this before? It was as if they were playing on the same godforsaken broken record.Damian exhaled a long, deep breath, his green eyes shifting towards his “superior”. Tim was standing there, smiling in a way that made skin by the corners of his mouth crease. His face was thin but he had high chiseled cheek bones that poked out in a model like way.“Anyway, she and I are going out for the day…but did you want to spar later, or play a game, or crack open some beers with me? We don’t have to let Bruce know, we can just chill in my room. I think it’s important that we get to know one another since we’ll be sharing the position of Robin.”“Tempting, but I’m going to have to decline the offer.”“At least think about it?” “Fine.”Tim nodded his head, his black fringe bouncing against his eyebrows. “Good. I look forward to it.”Damian shot daggers at Tim as he exited the room. Looking forward to it was something he definitely was not.
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The sharp, stale taste of cheap beer fled down Damian’s throat as he took a very heavy swig of his bottle, tipping his head back all the way to get as much of the bitter liquid into his body as possible. If he was going to be stuck talking to Timothy Drake and Stephanie for any length of time, he wanted to at least have a decent buzz. He was sure he would need it.Unsure of exactly why he had ultimately decided to join them that evening, he had perched himself into a hard seated arm chair that sat in the couple’s bedroom and quickly threw back a single bottle before grabbing another. Had he not lived with Garfield Logan for four years, he was sure he would have never touched a beer in his life; the taste was mediocre at best, and in his mind it sat as the drink of choice for rambunctious sports fans or people who had hit rock bottle and could afford nothing else. But thanks to his fellow Titan, here he was, stooping to levels he never believed he would.Tim sat across from him, twisting the cap off of his first drink. It fell to the ground with a clink but instead of picking it up he left it and put the bottle to his lips taking a quick drink. They sat in silence for a few moments; Stephanie had gone to shower, leaving them to converse alone which very clearly was not happening. Damian already regretted coming, not that he would be doing much more had he stayed in his own room, but at least he could have read or went to the gym to train.Tim looked at him, his gray eyes sparkling in the light of the fire that crackled behind them in the small fireplace. The room used to be Bruce’s study, from what Damian had remembered. He supposed that when the new Robin moved in to the manor he decided to upgrade his space to a bigger room of the house and move Tim into the old, instead of just putting him in Dick’s room. Bruce was strange like that; Dick hadn’t lived in the manor for years but he refused to turn his room into something that could benefit the remaining residents. It just remained a guest room for when he and Kor'i would return for short visits.Tim leaned back on the small love seat he was seated on, resting one arm on the arm of it. He was six years older than Damian, but his clean shaven face looked young, or perhaps Damian’s tired eyes made him look old. Either way the two boys held a resemblance in age as well as in physical attributes, and it irked the younger man to no end. Not that he was vein about his appearance, but Damian did pride himself for his good looks. A mixture of Bruce Wayne, one of the most eligible and desirable bachelors on the east coast, and Talia Al Ghul, a seductress whose entire being dripped with sex, it was only natural that he had landed his handsome features. But where as his face had a bit more of a rugged, yet alluring edge to it, Tim’s was sharper and chiseled with an almost beautiful like definition.“I know you don’t like me, Damian,” Tim said suddenly, cutting through the silence that surrounded them like a knife. “But I would like to get to know you more. I’ve heard about your successes with the Titans, and with Batman. Pretty impressive for a kid, I admire that.”Damian’s vision was beginning to blur but he tried his best to look at the man with a dauntless expression. Perhaps throwing back two beers within five minutes was not the best idea he had had. But then again, if he ended up doing himself in, at least that would give him an excuse to leave and go to bed.Tim’s tone was just ever so slightly patronizing, despite if he was trying to be or not. Damian was half expecting him to finish off with a “but I’m stronger than you”, in which the young man would have laughed, but he stopped there.“I am the grandson of the Demon’s Head and son of the Bat. Success is in my blood.”His eyes scanned over Tim quickly. “Tell me, Drake. What’s your story? How did you fall into the position of being ‘Robin’? Trip over your own shoelaces?”Tim tittered coolly to himself. “Actually, I’ve known about Bruce for a while. I’ve always been fascinated by the idea of Batman and Robin, so when I was a kid I kind of…worked hard to put the pieces together in figuring out who they were.”“Not only a fan boy, but a detective. Fantastic.”Tim ignored Damian and continued. “I kept my distance until last year. Then I made the decision to approach Bruce and test my luck. Guess it worked.” He took a drink of his beer and Damian raised an eyebrow snidely.“Heard that I had been gone for long enough and decided to worm your way in, huh?”Tim’s expressed faltered a bit and he swallowed, his pronounced Adams apple bobbing in his throat. He turned his gaze to the fire and paused. “My parents were in an accident.”Damian also looked into the flames and quieted himself, Tim just shrugged. “It’s not like I’m not old enough to be on my own, I just…wasn’t ready I guess. You’re dads helped a lot, with a lot of things. I was in a pretty dark place at the time and I hate to think of what would have happened if I didn’t decide to come here.”Damian finished off his beer. That he could relate to; had he stayed with the League of Assassin’s, who knew what kind of person he would have been now, if he was still alive that was. He didn’t necessarily feel bad for Tim, almost everyone he knew had dead parents or kin, but he could understand that dark part that constantly was in the question of what if.The door to the room opened and in walked Stephanie, dressed in what looked like one of Tim’s shirts, her hair bound up in a towel. Damian’s wavering eyes beamed for a moment at the length of her bare legs as she strutted over to the couch and sat beside him. As she lifted one of her legs up onto the couch and hugged her knee to herself, his sudden curiously caused him to quickly snag a look at her lower half, only to see that she was indeed wearing her fluffy shorts under the shirt. He quickly averted his gaze, ashamed at the fact that he had peaked at all.Despite being a teenager, Damian tried his best to resist unwanted attraction to the opposite sex. It was a waste of time, and for all intense purposes, beneath him. He had no time for canoodling or ogling when he could be bettering himself or training to become stronger. Of course, try as he might there were always times he found himself thinking about the female anatomy and what he could do if he ever so desired. Of course in these times he would often tend to himself quickly and shake it off as a minor setback in his mental conditioning. Alcohol always made it worse though; whenever he drank he always found that his self resistance was much harder to control, and his wondering eyes and thoughts often got the better of him. But the fact that he had caught himself looking at Stephanie was just embarrassing.“What are we talking about?” Stephanie said, reaching up and unwinding her hair from its combines. It fell lose in a light damp wave that sat just above her breasts. Tim shook his head in response and pulled her close to him.“Nothing really, just swapping stories.”Her plump lips formed a dramatic O shape and she looked at Damian, her eyes batting. “Oh? What did I miss? All kinds of juicy details I hope!”Damian’s green eyes narrowed at her, and when he turned his head the room buzzed around him. He had definitely made a mistake with his decision to drink so fast. Despite this however, he reached down towards the box and took out another bottle.“Absolutely not,” he mumbled his voice a bit less tame than usually. Although it must have been messier than he had thought because Stephanie chuckled and turned to her boyfriend.“How much has he had?” she asked.“Just two, but he threw them back.”Stephanie shook her head and said something in response, but Damian was too busy throwing back another guzzle of his drink, and within seconds it all seemed to hit him. His one downfall when he drank was that he had yet to find his limit. In all honesty he despised the taste of it, and when he drank he would opt for drinking it as fast as he could, being fully aware each time that that was a dire mistake. But he didn’t mind, he liked the feeling it gave him, the rush of his head and obliviousness of the problematic world around him. Especially living with the Titans, it proved to be a good coping mechanism for constantly living among their stupidity.As the couple before him spoke words he could no longer comprehend, his gaze once again fell to Stephanie’s legs; she was short, but it was clearly due to her lack of torso because her legs seemed long. Her calves were shaped nicely, just enough muscle to show that she wasn’t the lazy lump she made herself out to be, though her thighs held a bit of weight and squished out to the side as she sat on the couch. It wasn’t a bad thing necessarily; in fact some men might have preferred it to a skinnier or more muscular look. Tim apparently was one of those men.Damian’s eyes moved up slightly higher, his lids blinking unknowingly as he looked at the small amount of her shorts he could see. Stephanie shifted in her spot, lowering her leg so that they were now crossed and he looked up.Hazel met emerald and his tipsy heart sunk deep within his chest, had he been sober he was sure his cheeks would have been on fire. She raised both of her pale eyebrows at him as Tim spoke beside her, quickly taking a drink of his beer. Damian shook his head clear of whatever thoughts was poisoning him and he stood, taking one wobbly step.“Bed.” He barked abruptly, causing Tim to stop talking and also look up at him. “I’m going to bed.”“You okay? Need us to walk you back to your room?”“I’m perfectly fine, Drake. I’m just tired, this beer is tasteless and so is the company.” He took another wobbly step, and another and another until he was finally at the door. “Thanks for the effort, but let’s just stick to being professional.”He bumped slightly into the door as he exited and he could have sworn he had heard Stephanie giggle. He suddenly felt like an idiot for thinking that getting drunk in front of those two would have been a good idea, he was humiliating himself not only by his stumbling around like a drunken fool, but Stephanie had literally caught him looking at her. What a nuisance. *************************************** Damian awoke the next morning with a slight headache and lingered in bed a little longer than he usually would. When he finally dragged himself out of bed he trudged downstairs and demanded Alfred make him coffee, which he did without protesting.“Forgive me if I am wrong, Master Damian,” the old man said while he placed the cup in front of the boy who was holding his head, leaning on the table. “But perhaps this is exactly why your father was against the idea of you indulging in the consumption of alcohol.”Damian hadn’t bothered lying to Alfred when he asked him what was wrong. He had come downstairs in a foul mood and the last thing he desired was an argument. He merely curled his lip in response and shut his eyes.Alfred looked at him for a moment and began to walk towards the door. “Perhaps, some ibuprofen for the head.” As he reached the wooden frame that led into the hallway, he nearly walked into Stephanie who was hurrying into the room. He stopped and looked down at her, nodding his head. “Ah, Ms Brown, good morning.”Damian cursed to himself under his breath and he closed his eyes. Just the person he wanted to see.“Good morning Alfred,” she chimed. “Just coming down for some coffee.”“There’s a fresh pot on the cooker. Please help yourself.”Stephanie shuffled over to the cupboards and got herself two mugs before heading to the coffee pot and silently filling them. Damian’s eyes remained closed but he listened intently. He could hear her pouring the liquid into the cups, ruffling with the sugar, opening the fridge for the cream, and then nothing. No footsteps, no more coffee preparing.Wondering what it was she was up to, he batted open one eye to see that she was leaning against the cupboard, holding her cup in both hands, staring at him. He was about to ask her if he could help her with something when she spoke.“Morning, you little pervert.” She said, her voice shaking with torment. Anger suddenly burst inside of him and his nostrils flared. Of course he knew she was referring to last night but he decided to question her anyway.“I beg your pardon?”Stephanie smiled into her mug. “Don’t act so innocent. I saw you checking me out last night in your little drunken stupor.”With all of his might, Damian sat up straight; his head pounding like a drum. He reached for his coffee and raised it to his lips, but the smell immediately made him want to vomit and he placed it back down, his eyes furrowing with the pain from his head.“That’s hardly what I was doing, you neurotic pig.” He spat, though knowing deep down that was exactly what he had been doing as much as it disgusted him. “I was shell-shocked by the fact that you felt the need to dress like a ten dollar prostitute in the presence of someone other than your boyfriend.”Stephanie’s smile fell from her face and her forehead wrinkled with the pull of her eyebrows. “I was in my pajamas in my bedroom, bite me!”She bumped herself away from the cupboard, picked up the other mug and began towards the door. Damian tried to follow her with his gaze but her movement made him dizzy and he just focused back at the table below him.“Tt…I shouldn’t be surprised you’d lack class. Maybe Detective Boyfriend can help you find some.”She made a loud, frustrated huff and stomped away, causing Damian to smile slightly. If she was going to act like a toddler every time he caught her off guard, perhaps he would have fun keeping her around merely for an emotional punching bag. ************************************ The evening brought with it what calm, quiet nights in Gotham often did, trouble, and where there was trouble, Batman and Robin were never far behind.Bruce had requested that only one of his “sidekicks” accompany him on patrol, but both Tim and Damian were far too stubborn to let the other win that battle. So the two young men suited up and joined their father together.Tim’s Robin suit was very different from Damian’s, and looked quite a bit newer and more resilient. Unlike Damian, who wore a tunic, clad in the traditional Robin colors of red, green and yellow, Tim’s uniform was a red and black, spandex body suit that had more straps and belts than a dominants sex dungeon. Underneath the material of his chest was a very visible chest plate that made him much bulkier than he was outside of the costume, which only made his legs seem even ganglier and chicken like. His only saving grace in the appearance department was the fact that his black mask made him look a bit more edgy and cool, but Damian was convinced that was only because it hid half of his face.The three men sat quietly in the Batmobile; Tim lodged in between the two Wayne’s, fiddling with his communicator. It was raining ever so slightly, just enough for Bruce to set the windshield wipers on low speed but also probably enough to make scaling buildings or grappling a bit more of a challenge than usual.Damian leaned the side of his head against his window, the ghost from his earlier headache still haunting him slightly in the back of his head. Luckily his day hadn’t been demanding and he had honestly spent most of it asleep in his room, save for the twenty minutes it took for Alfred to buzz the sizes of his head and trim the top, giving him a much cleaner cut.He hadn’t really noticed how unkempt he had looked until the scissors were taken to him; it had been a long while since he had a proper haircut as he trusted almost no one in the Titans tower to do it and couldn’t be bothered to go to a barber. The sides behind his ears as well as the back of his head which he normally kept short had begun to curl outwards, paying homage to his Arab roots but at the same time giving him the appearance of an adrift mountain man. Even gelling his fringe had begun to prove ineffective, as he was constantly pushing strands of his coffee bean colored locks from falling into his eyes. It was almost shameful that he had let himself go for so long.The sound of the cars radio buzzed and a voice began to speak, causing all three beings to look at the dashboard. “Calling all units. A 10-71 at 237 Gottingen. Back up needed”Batman started the car and began to speed away from their resting spot, pulling a quick U-turn to go in the opposite direction. Tim lifted his hips slightly to allow for space to put his communicator away.“A shooting.” He said as a statement, but Damian knew he was looking for confirmation. Batman nodded.“Yeah.”“That’s a predominantly immigrant area. It’s probably a hate crime.”“Brilliant deduction.” Damian deadpanned.“You two focus on getting the civilians to safety. Do not interfere with the police, or me.” Batman ordered, gaining a nod from both boys.When they arrived close enough to the building, Batman pulled the Batmobile into an ally and they fled towards the scene via building top. From above they could see the panic from people who were running away, or crowding to see what was going on. Gunshots were still sounding out, echoing off of the buildings around them; it was coming from a large concrete school that had a sign sitting in front of it; its bright letters read“Gottingen District High, Senior Prom: Goodbye Grads. Good luck”.“Well that explains why their all dressed up.” Tim whispered, while they looked down at the sights unfolding below. Indeed all of the terrified teenagers were dressed in flashy dresses or suits, making it only that much harder to collect themselves to flee. Batman pointed two fingers towards the other side of the building.“Go in through the back. Get those kids out.”With that, he lept from the building, extending his arms to allow himself to glide safely down. Damian and Tim did as they were told and both of them grappled down to damp pavement below, rushing for the back door.Damian quickly pushed his way ahead of Tim, making sure that it was he who was in the lead, and rushed over to the janitors exit. He waited for Tim to reach him, then the two worked together at prying the door open, which did not take long thanks to an extendable, flat tool Tim pulled from his utility belt.Once inside the school they quickly made haste through the corridors, searching for any sign of life. Yelling and crying was cascading down the hallways, but there was no more sound of gunshot, which meant there was no way for them to know where the shooter actually was. They needed to be careful.Stopping behind a corner, Tim pressed his back against the wall and held his hand against Damian’s chest, stopping him from going any further. Damian quickly slapped his hand away.“Why are we stopping?” he demanded in a whisper. Tim shook his head.“Where do proms usually take place?”Damian thought for a moment, “The gym.”“Right, and I’m assuming that’s where the shooting happened. Which means the kids probably scattered. We should be looking in every single one of these classrooms for people taking refuge.”“Do we really have time for that? What if there are some who are still in immediate danger?”Tim pursed his lips for a moment. “We’ll split up. I’ll take the gym, you check the rooms.”Damian leaned his head to the side, his eyes turning into slips. “I’ll take the gym. I’ve got more training than you; I can take care of everything in case things go south.”“Fine.”They nodded at each other before Damian took off, his feet soundlessly moving along the tiled floor, his eyes searching for anything that might seem threatening.It wasn’t hard to find the door to the gym as it was littered with tacky decorations; hesitantly, the young Wayne pushed it open and stepped inside, only to see that the room was left in complete and utter chaos. Decorations were strewn everywhere, blood stained the floor and the walls, lifeless bodies littered the tiles.His green eyes scanned over the room carefully before he began making his way through the sea of corpses. The room was large, but he was positive that it had probably seemed like a broom closet to all of the frantic teenagers at the time. Other than the bathroom doors, there was a large stage at the far end of the gym which no doubt had another exit, but other than that, that was it. It was a death trap; the poor unsuspecting prom goers had no chance.He looked around for a while, trying to desperately find someone in the room who was still alive, still breathing, but he was having no luck. It wasn’t until he was just about to give up and move on that his ears perked at the sound of faint whispers. He stood still and quieted his breathing, mentally tracing the source of the voices.Making his way to first the boy’s bathroom, he lightly placed his hand on the door and pushed it open, no one. He moved to the girls room and pushed, but it was locked. The whispering stopped almost immediately and he furrowed his brows together.“Listen to me,” he hushed, pressing his lips almost to the door. “You need to open this door right now, I’m here to help but I can’t do that if you’ve locked yourself where I can’t get to you. I’m with Batman.”The whispering began again, surprise in their quiet tones. He waited for a moment while they, he assumed, discussed whether or not to do as he asked. Finally the door clicked open and a boy, just a bit shorter than Damian peaked out, his shaggy blonde hair stuck to one side of his bloodied face. He looked at Damian once and his eyes grew wide.“Robin? It’s true, Batman came for us!” he called over his shoulder, opening the door wider. Inside sat a group of terrified teens, four girls and two boys. Other than the blonde boy who had opened the door, and one of the girls who was sitting on the floor, clutching her side that had very apparently been shot, no one else seemed injured. “Where is he, are we safe?”“Not yet.” Damian pushed past him and walked over to the girl, looking at her wounds. “We need to get you all out of this building, now! Can you walk?”The girl nodded weakly, but he helped her to her feet anyway and passed her to one of her friends. “Keep pressure on that wound. Everyone stay behind me and do not make a sound!”Damian led the small group through the gym and back down the hallway towards the exit where he and Tim came in, only to see when he arrived that Tim was already holding the door open for a group of his own to escape. His icy eyes looked up as soon as he heard the footsteps.“Good, you’re alive.” He said with a nod, before his eyes landed on the injured girl, her dark face beginning to pale. She was losing too much blood. He quickly let go of the door and rushed to help her friend support her.“Wait, there are two Robins?” the blonde teen asked, looking back and forth between Tim and Damian, both of whom ignored.“Who did this, do you know?” Tim questioned, all of them exited the building, one of the girls bursting into tears of relief as soon as she was out.“Kevin O’Neal,” the girl who was holding the bleeding girl said in a shaky voice. “He’s this weird kid in my class. He asked the cheer-leading captain, Julie Walters to prom, but she rejected him. He was mad but, I never imagined him doing something like this.”“Do you know where he went?”“Um...no not really. He came in and just started sh-shooting everybody. He kept asking for Julie.”“Where was she?” Damian looked at her seriously, his mind going a mile a minute to try and piece everything together. The girl thought for a moment, but shook her head.“I...I don’t know. I saw her a few hours ago with Sean Baker, but they snuck out of the gym. I don’t know where they went.”Tears began streaming down her face but she had no time to cry; the girl she was holding began to stagger and fell slightly, her entire weight falling into her and Tim.“Cassidy, oh god!”Damian stretched his neck and looked over to where the police cars sat, lights blaring in the darkness. There were many people, both police and scared kids, parents and teachers surrounding them, but he could see an ambulance.“There’s a medic over there.” He nodded towards it, informing Tim who nodded in response. All of a sudden, the static sound of the schools PA system broke out around the school and a woman’s scream pierced everyone’s ears. Tim slipped out from underneath of the bleeding girls arm and passed her to the blonde boy, wordlessly urging him and the girl to take her towards the ambulance.“Do you hear that,” an agitated male’s voice boomed through the speaker that hung from the side of the school building. Tim and Damian both looked up at it. “I’ve got her, I got what I came here for, and unless you fucking cops let us go, I WILL BLOW HER BRAINS ALL OVER THIS GODDAMN FLOOR! DO NOT FUCKING TEST ME!”“Ten to one says that’s our guy.” Tim mumbled. Damian said nothing and began back towards the door, but his counterpart quickly grabbed his arm, preventing him.“What are you doing?” he asked.Damian ripped his arm away violently. “What do you think? I’m going in there after them.”“This is a hostage situation, one wrong move and she dies, do you get that? Let Batman and the police handle it.”The younger man rolled his eyes and continued towards the door, this time, Tim ran in front of him, his gray eyes narrowed. “What’s wrong with you? We already have a job, we need to get these kids to safety and we are not to interfere with anything that’s above our heads.” He pointed back to the teens that were already halfway towards the police cars. Damian gave him a look.“Does it look like they are in danger anymore to you? I’m not going to sit by and babysit while there’s a real problem going on inside. Batman needs our help; these fatuous screws have no idea what they are doing. I’m just going to do their job for them.”Tim’s forehead scrunched with wrinkles as his eyes narrowed even more. “Robin, you were given a direct order!” he hissed.“Yes, one that I’m choosing to ignore.” Damian side stepped him, bumping roughly into his shoulder and sending him back a few steps. “Now get out of my way!”With that he rushed back into the school. It didn’t take a genius to know that if the persecutor was using the PA system, he was obviously in the office; Damian just needed to find out where that was. It also didn’t take a genius to know that Tim was right, this was a job for Batman, and he was sure Batman was already in the school somewhere, but he would be there to help him the way that Robin was meant to.Damian ran through the hallways, twisting and turning around every corner until he finally heard the muffled screaming coming from one of the wooden doors. Instead of barging through he entered the room beside it and climbed on top of the teacher’s desk, pushing at the vent that was above it in the ceiling. The bars of the vent easily lifted and he hoisted himself inside, being careful not to make any sound as he did so.When he was younger, working alongside his father he used to do this every so often, but he had taken his small size for granted. He used to be scrawny, small and light; now that he had sprung up in height and his shoulders and arms had become bulkier, he barely fit in the narrow tunnels, and it was a bit of a challenge to move through. He managed however to shimmy his way through until he was above the office.From the vent he could see below him a hectic, red haired, freckled boy pacing, an assault rifle in his hands. Although he could not see the girl named Julie, he could hear here crying with what sounded like a gag in her mouth.“Shut up, Julie!” the red haired boy yelled, kicked a wheeled chair with his foot. It slid across the room and fell to the floor loudly, causing the poor girl to scream. “SHUT UP! This wouldn’t have happened if you had just chosen me instead of that cocky, fuck boy! I LOVED YOU!”If that was true, he had a very strange way of showing it. Damian silently picked up the bars of the vent, readying himself to fall down into the room. He needed to wait until the perfect moment.Julie tried to say something, but her voice was too obscured to understand. Kevin fired the gun at the wall, the sound propelling around the room loudly, causing her to scream once again. Damian took the loud opportunity to fall down into the room, right behind the redhead. With the whole room visible now, he could see that Julie was cowering, hands bound and mouth gagged in the corner of the room, another boy with dark hair laying face-down beside her on the floor, blood pooling around his head.The redheaded boy stopped firing and turned, his wild eyes on fire. He looked at the young man for a moment and laughed, pointing his gun right at him, clutching it in two shaky hands.“I fucking said no cops, so they sent Batman and his fucking little bird. Well...now her blood is on your hands.”To Damian’s shock, he quickly changed the direction of the gun to point at his captive. Before he could pull the trigger however, Robin jumped into action, throwing himself along the floor and knocking the boy out from under his own feet. The gun fired into the ceiling, raising another scream from Julie.Kevin landed hard on his back, his gun falling free from his hands, giving Damian the chance to grab it, throwing it aside. He looked down at Kevin who was groaning, rolling from shoulder blade to shoulder blade.“Tt...not much of a challenge. Talk big like that and someone might actually think you mean the things you say. Filth.” Damian scoffed. He brought his leg up and roughly curb stomped the man, his nose cracking beneath his boot.Kevin screamed, his hands flying to cover his face. Damian looked down at him for a moment, his upper lip curled before walking over to Julie. He reached into the clutch of his utility belt and pulled out a batarang, slicing the cloth that held her hands together. The cloth fell to the ground and she quickly reached up to her mouth, pulling the gag out and gasping for air. Immediately she fell to the man beside her, tears falling from her eyes as she aimlessly shook him,“Sean! Sean, please!” she began to cry. Damian huffed out a single breath.“There’s no point in doing that. He’s dead.”The door to the room opened, and Tim and Batman piled inside. Of course Tim Drake would have gone to tattle on Damian for taking matters into his own hands. Julie looked up at them.“B-Batman?” she questioned in tears. Through his cowl, Batman cast Damian the look of all looks, but quickly turned his attention to Julie.“You’re safe now; the police will be here shortly to help you.” He looked down at Kevin and nodded his head towards him, motioning for Tim to tend to him. Tim pulled rope from underneath his cape and went to bind his feet and hands. “Are you alright?”Julie shook her head, her curly onyx hair that was falling from its disarrayed up do whipped across her tear stained face. “Everyone is dead...because of me.”As she continued to sob for her lost friend, Batman turned to Damian, grabbing his shoulder and pushing him towards the door. “We need to talk.” He growled.The three crime fighters left the room and started down the hallway, Tim straggling slightly behind father and son.“What the hell were you thinking? In a hostage situation you need to analyze the settings before running into it like a madman with a death wish!”“I saved her, didn’t, I?” Damian snapped back. How dare his father patronize him over this, the bad guy was caught and the girl was alive. He should be thanking him for getting the job done so quickly and not having any more blood spilt.“I told you not to interfere! The police-”“The police were incompetent, I did them a favor!”From behind them Tim hissed a disapproving breath. “You were reckless and could have gotten her killed.”Damian looked over his shoulder, baring his teeth. “But I didn’t.”Bruce slammed the side of his fist into a locker, denting the cheap metal. Damian’s head whipped around and he looked at him.“That’s not the point! Red Robin is right, it was reckless! If this is about you trying to prove something, you-““I don’t need to prove anything. I’ve been Robin way longer than he has.” Damian responded, throwing his thumb over his shoulder to point at Tim who just shook his head. Batman pulled in front of his son, stopping both younger men from walking any further and beamed down.“I can see that this duel partnership isn’t going to work out.” His eyes flicked from Tim to Damian. “From now on we will not be patrolling all together; you two can take turns alternating.”Damian’s jaw dropped as he watched the bat turn on his heels and walk to the exit, kicking it open and fleeing the building. Tim knocked his shoulder roughly into the younger boy as he passed him, shooting him a death glare. Damian swallowed his anger and followed.“Alternating?” he spat, catching up with the dark knight. “The last time I checked this wasn’t a square dance routine. We’re crime fighters, since when has there been a capacity to how many members of a team there can be?”He was absolutely livid at the idea of having to take turns with Red Robin. He was Bruce’s own son for Christ sake, why was he resulting in them subbing in for each other like they were a varsity football team. It was ridiculous.The rain had picked up since the last time he was outside, and as they fled through the shadows back towards the Batmobile, Damian found himself wiping at the lenses of his mask, trying to keep it clear from the rain drops.“Since your find it difficult to share responsibilities, and a title!” Batman said, ripping the door to the car open and getting inside. Tim was already at the other side and stepped in as well; Damian really didn’t want to be pressed against him for their drive home, not right now, and had it not have been raining he may have opted to walk.He got in the car after the new Robin and slammed the door shut, relishing in the warmer temperature of the interior. Snickering coldly as he buckled his seat-belt, he purposely rammed the metal of the belt into Tim’s side. “I just think it’s humorous that up until this point it’s always been Batman and Robin. Now there’s Batman, Robin, Red Robin; who else should we add to our little team? The dog?”Batman turned the car on and slammed on the brakes angrily. The car’s engine revved and all three men were pushed slightly back into their seats by the exhalation. He was not happy, but what else was new.“From now on, you alternate. End of discussion!” ************************************ For the next two weeks, Damian and Tim took turns patrolling with Bruce every night, which, in Damian’s eyes was complete and utter bullshit. With every passing day that he was stuck in the manor, wondering what the new Boy Wonder and his father were doing, the angrier he became, and it wasn’t long before his childlike envy caused him to ostracize his fellow Robin whenever they did have moments together.He knew it wasn’t mature of him to downright ignore Tim whenever he was in his presence, but he didn’t really care. The idea of having to share the title of Robin was so beyond; if anyone deserved to work alongside Batman it was his own flesh and blood, not an orphan he picked up off of the street. Despite voicing this to his father on multiple different occasions however, the older Wayne was not easy to persuade and insisted that Tim brought something to the team that the others did not, which again, to Damian was laughable.Damian’s sour attitude towards the situation caused a slight rift in him and his father, and while on patrol with one other they barely spoke; the same went for when they were in the manor together. Bruce had never been an amazingly social or relatable father, but the whole Tim ordeal seemed to just make it worse and caused Damian to be even crankier.On days where Tim went on patrol and Damian was left spending his time in the manor, he mostly sulked around reading, training, tending to Titus, or on the odd occasion speaking with Alfred or StephanieStephanie, he had decided, was not horrible to speak to all of the time. In fact, sometimes their conversations kept him interested and amused enough to momentarily forget about Tim Drake. But only barely.Ever since she had called him out for “checking her out” he had felt a slight awkwardness around her, and often worried that if he said the wrong thing or if he caught her eyes, she may get the wrong impression. So he always tried his best to avoid eye contact and let her do the talking, which wasn’t difficult to do because once she started it was hard to get a word in otherwise. The things she would often talk about were senseless matters that were of little interest to him, but he would always find himself listening anyway, fascinated by how excited or passionate she would get while speaking.Recaps from her favorite TV series that she had been watching, places she had traveled to before, things she and Tim would do together. Damian even learned that her father was at one time an infamous criminal who Bruce and Tim had taken down together and put in jail, which was how she had come to meet the Bat family. She had been pregnant before they had found her, and while interrogating her about her father’s position, Tim had taken a liking to her and offered her help, which led to them falling in love and her moving in to the Wayne manor together. How romantic...On the sixteenth day of their fluctuating schedule, Damian had decided to keep to himself in his room for most of the time, Alfred bringing him his meals. It wasn’t until the evening when he decided to hit the gym and do something a little more productive than binging murder documentaries on the small screen of his cell phone.It was around six o’clock, but the house was quiet. As he jaunted through the manor, heading downstairs towards the workout room, he wondered where everyone happened to be; it was too early for patrol to have started, and Bruce should have already gotten home from work. He paid no mind to it though and when he entered the gym he began his exercise routine, something he had taken up during his time at the tower. Twenty five minutes on the treadmill to get his heart rate up, then an hour of weight lifting, perhaps more if he felt the need.Many a time with the Titans, Garfield, Connor or Jaime would poke fun at his slim build, which somewhat bruised his blooming ego. It wasn’t his fault that his genes and quick paced metabolism caused him to burn through any fat or muscle he was able to retain, not to mention that his vegetarian diet proved difficult in assisting him with muscle gain. But he researched, and eventually got into a good and healthy routine. His hips were still narrow, and he lacked extreme bulk but definition and muscle had finally graced his body and he was able to feel confident yet again. But he made sure to pump as much iron as he could in the desperate hopes of proving himself to be physically super hero material.The gym of the Wayne Manor was much smaller than that of the Titans Tower, probably due to the fact that less people used it, so by the time he was finished with his cardio, Damian could feel the heat and shucked off his shirt. Before moving on to the weights he quickly looked at himself in the mirror, flexing his abdominal muscles; he smiled. He had come a long way with his appearance and he a bit proud of this. Perhaps someday he could give his father or Dick a run for their money.Moving on to the weights, Damian crawled under the bench press and gripped the bar tightly in his hands before beginning his set. The weight was heavier than he normally lifted, so he assumed Bruce had been the last one to work out, god only knew Tim would never be able to lift it.Putting the bar back into its place, he sat up and went to adjust the weights, but before he could finished there was a light rap on the door and he looked up. Standing there was Stephanie, dressed in a pair of loose fitted sweatpants and a tight gray tank top that showed the slight bump of her post baby belly. It had been the first time Damian had seen her in a tight shirt and it surprised him a bit. He turned back to the bar and pulled the weight off.“What?” he asked bluntly. She smiled and walked in.“Working out?”“I thought that would have been obvious.”She chuckled and sat on the chest press bench, causing Damian to internally groan. There goes his work out.“Funny, I was coming here to do the same thing. I think I need to do a little bit more than just sit ups and squats if I want to get rid of this.” She patted her stomach.Damian’s green eyes looked up at her and he nodded, sliding on the new weight. “Yeah, well, I’m using this machine right now, so...”He hoped she would get the hint and move, but she didn’t, she just continued to stare down at him.“Well, since we’re both here...do you wanna spar? I could go for a good spar.”The question took him a bit off guard and he blinked. She had told him days earlier that she had fought alongside her father before, but she could barely be classified someone Damian would bother to spar with. She would be done in two seconds, no doubt.He cleared his throat and stood up, placing on hand on his hip. “I don’t spar with amateurs.”She stood as well, crossing her arms dramatically and narrowing her eyes. “I am not an amateur!” she snapped taking a step closer to him. He raised one dark brow, looking down at her. She was older than him but he towered a few feet taller, which made her attempt to seem tough amusing to him. “I was trained by my father!”“Is that supposed to mean something to me?”Dropping her arms to her sides and rolling her head back she let out an exaggerated “ughhhh”. “Come on! I could really use the practice and the exercise. It’s been so long since I’ve trained.”“Should you even be training this soon after surgery?” he questioned, leaning his head to the side. He had no idea the time frame in which a woman should begin exercising after having a c-section, but he assumed three weeks was probably not even close. She needed to properly heal.“The doctor recommended six weeks, but I feel fine now. And I’m bored of just sitting around all of the time.”Damian thought for a moment, but quickly made the decision that it wouldn’t be for the best and slid around her, sitting himself back down on the chest press machine. She turned and watched him.“Why don’t you go bug your boyfriend?” he asked, picking up the bar once again and lifting it over himself. Much better. “I’m sure he would be more than willing to humor your postpartum aridity.”Stephanie’s eyebrows knitted together like she was confused. “Uh...because he went with Bruce to Metropolis for the next few days? Didn’t you know that?”Her words almost made Damian drop the bar onto his own chest but he quickly stabilized himself, taking a deep breath and placing it back into its place once again. He sat up and looked at her frowning.No wonder the house had been so quiet; they had left, and without even telling him. How generous of them to let him know that he wouldn’t be needed until their return, he would have hated to wait around until the night of their patrol only to be stood up. Bruce’s communication skills were outstanding, much like his own. What was even happening in Metropolis that was so important for them to leave Gotham on a whim? Was it because of Superman’s death? If it was, why was it so difficult to inform him?Suddenly Damian felt like punching something, but he bit back his anger by pressing his lips tightly together. “Apparently my father has made it a habit to keep me ill informed about such matters...no thanks to Drake.”Stephanie looked askance. “It’s not Tim’s fault you left the bat Robinless to go play high school on the other side of the country.”Alright, now he wanted to punch her. Perhaps a good spar wouldn’t be such a bad idea.“I didn’t leave! I was sent to live with the Titans, by my father! And believe me when I say...if I had had the choice, I wouldn’t have gone.”“I’m just saying; don’t blame Tim for something that was over his head. You just need to get used to the fact that you aren’t the only Robin anymore, and maybe try to get to know him better. He’s tried to get to know you.” She smiled slightly. “He really is a great guy.”Damian’s lip curled and he rolled his eyes, leaning forward and placing his elbows on his knees, allowing his hands to dangle. “Pass.” He barked. “I don’t need any more friends. I already have my fair share, and I don’t even necessarily want them.”The blonde shook her head, her ponytail flicking back and forth. “The apple really doesn’t fall far from the tree, does it?”The room went silent. Damian was so worked up that he didn’t know what to say, in fact he didn’t even know if he wanted to say anything more. He had half a mind to get in his car in that very moment, drive to Metropolis, find Batman and Red Robin and beat them both to a bloody pulp. Drake especially. They had completely left him like he was the useless tag-along to their crime fighting duo, he didn’t care if Tim was good at finding Intel; Damian was Robin, the only Robin.As he sat there, brooding, Stephanie’s hazel eyes scanned over him slim but brawny physic. The way he was hunched over made his strong shoulders curl forward, showing off the pronounced muscles on his back and his biceps. He was bent at his abdomen, but his stomach rippled with a defined six pack that led up to developing pecks. Not the body of a mature like Bruce Wayne or Dick Grayson, but definitely not the body of a child either. His skin was littered with scars that faded a bit lighter than his olive complexion, no doubt from the years he had been used as a weapon for the Al Ghuls, and for Bruce.Stephanie felt a slight burn in her cheeks upon realizing she had been staring for much longer than she meant to and she swallowed.“How old are you again?” she questioned quietly, guilt washing over as she thought about the answer, but she tried her best to make her tone sound humorous. Damian looked up at her, confusion pooling behind his eyes.“I’m failing to see what that has to do with anything we were discussing.”She leaned her head to the side and pulled her lips into a smirk, shrugging her shoulders. “I’m just curious...I was under the impression that you were fourteen, but...”Damian lowered at her, clearly annoyed by the assumption. “I’m sixteen!” he shot.“Still so young...considering how ripped you are.”Damian’s eyes widened and she could have sworn that she saw a light trail of pink rush into his cheeks at her statement. He stood quickly.“Are we done?” he mumbled angrily, brushing past her and heading towards the free weights. Clearly she had made him uncomfortable, and his awkwardness amused her. “This mundane chitchat is taking away from my training.”She followed him. “If you’d just agree to spar with me, your time wouldn’t be wasted!”“Fine!” he turned quickly towards her so that she almost walked right into him. “But only once! When we are finished, you leave! And if you get injured, I will not be held responsible.”She nodded her head quickly. “Got it, deal.”They both walked over to the mat where he and Dick had sparred weeks before. Damian leaned his head to either side, allowing it to crack loudly and Stephanie stretched her arms above her head. He really didn’t want to go amazingly hard on her since she was recovering, but it was never in his nature to go easy on someone.“Don’t worry,” Stephanie chimed with a smile. “I’ll go easy on you.”“Tt...”Stephanie made the first move and sprung towards him. She was much quicker than he had anticipated and he had to jump backwards to avoid her clocking him head with a jabbing fist. She continued at him though, spinning and kicking her leg up behind her, high. He grabbed her ankle with both hands, pulling her to the side. Her body hit the wall and she fell, quickly jumping back to her feet.“You’re fast,” he pointed out before she ran at him again attempting to hit him. He blocked every single hit with his forearms, deflecting her away. “I’m faster.”They continued on for a moment; kicking, hitting, pulling at each other. She was better than Damian thought she would be, no Dick, but better. She was fast, and although her moves were predictable she was determined on landing a hit on him. He almost wanted to let her just so she would feel as though she accomplished something. Almost, but not quite.After a few more minutes at it, Damian could tell she was tiring. Her face was bright red, and sweat rolled down her forehead. He would end it, if only to give her a break.Spinning to the side, Damian brought his leg up to hit her in the side, trying his best to avoid anywhere that would damage her further. But she did something he didn’t expect and before he even realized what was happening, she had barrel rolled around him and kicked him out from under his own feet. Unfortunately her placement had been poorly calculated and he fell over sideways right towards her, throwing his arms out as to not crush her when he landed.His knees hit the mat roughly, and his ankle stung from where her shoe had struck him. His eyes clenched for a moment while every single curse word he knew entered his mind. When he opened them, he was shocked to see that he was almost nose to nose with the girl, her wide hazel eyes staring into his own.He froze. He was topless, they were both sweaty and panting, and he was literally on top of her, his hands resting on either side of her head. If Alfred were to come into the gym at that very moment, it wouldn’t have looked good. Yet despite the awkward position they were in, neither of them were moving. Damian was stuck, like her eyes were capturing him in some sort of trance, and she seemed to be the same.Other than his mother, Damian had never sparred with a woman before. Even at the Titans Tower, he only ever sparred with the other boys. This had been a bad idea from the get go, and he should have been aware of it. Not only was Stephanie recovering and probably shouldn’t have been sparring, but the two had clearly been sharing some sort of strange, unspoken chemistry since the night he had drank with her and Tim, despite how much he hated to admit it. But he could sense something amiss with them; though he passed it off as just his teenage hormones causing him the inner dilemma, which, until this exact point he was positive had been the case. But the look in Stephanie’s eyes, and the way she wasn’t trying to push him off or saying anything to him made him rethink everything he had thought previously.What the hell was happening?Damian grunted and pushed himself away, landing on his behind beside her. He quickly whipped the sweat from his forehead with his hand and exhaled, trying to shake the awkwardness he felt.Stephanie sat up as well, her breath still ragged. “See,” she said quietly. Damian refused to look at her. “I told you I could fight.”“You were adequate. I wouldn’t necessarily say it was challenging, but it held my interest.”The girl snorted but said nothing. They sat for a few moments together before Damian finally got to his feet, hurrying over to his shirt and pulling it back on. He felt uncomfortable to be shirtless any longer.“I’m going to eat.”“You’re not going to train anymore?”“That was enough. Gym’s yours.”And with that he hurried himself out of the room and back upstairs, not even bothering to shower.All of the time he had been spending with Stephanie Brown had made him realize that he was a bit attracted to her after all, though he didn’t like her and hardly wanted anything to come from his attractive; not like it would. He found her easy to talk to, or to listen to, and her body shape did appeal to him. The curve of her hips, her soft thighs, her breasts, her full lips. The only downfall was the slight pouch on her lower stomach, but even that wasn’t bad, and he knew that it was only natural from carrying a fetus for nine months.He absolutely hated to admit it to himself, but in Dick’s absence she had become arguably his favorite person in the manor, and a good distraction to his multiple inner conflicts. What had just happened though was something completely different, he had felt something radiating between them and he wasn’t sure if he had liked it.Damian Wayne had dealt with a lot of things since he was very young; monsters, assassins, criminals, demons...but the hardest thing so far for him was dealing with being a teenager. He had met his match. ********************************* A sunny day in Gotham was rare.Normally it was gray and shadowed by the buildings and skyscrapers. But this particular day was bright, warm and sunny; so very, perfectly Spring.Cars and people bustled down the busy streets, everyone going about their own business; buying food from street vendors, meeting with friends at busy cafe's, heading to word. The city life was never a dull moment.One man in particular was strutting proudly through the crowd, his onyx hair rustling lightly in the breeze. He was dressed in a pair of black jeans, black boots, and a white t-shirt that was covered by a brown leather jacket.At a crosswalk, the light turned red, stopping all of the people who were waiting, some patiently and others not, to cross the street. The man stopped along with them, pulling a box of cigarettes from the pocket of his jeans, as well as a lighter. Flicking the box open, he brought it up to his lips and pulled one of the white sticks out with his teeth, lighting it.He placed the lighter and carton back in his pocket and took a deep drag of the cigarette, exhaling the smoke in front of him. A woman who stood beside him looked at him and smiled, clearly smitten by his good looks. His deep blue eyes glided over to her and he winked, twisting his mouth into sexy grin. She chuckled right before the light turned to green and the horde of people began to walk once againThe man hurried along towards a large building that read “Wayne Enterprise.” Upon his arrival, he ducked inside quickly and looked around the large lobby. It was busy, full of very well dressed people, unlike himself, but he wasn’t bothered by it and quickly scuffed over to a large directory that was mounted on the wall. His eyes scanned over the names and the floors, trying desperately to find something.The sudden clicking of heels that was getting closer made him turn his head, his lips holding his burning cigarette tightly. A woman, dressed in a tight black pencil skirt, white blouse and black blazer was vastly approaching, her gingered brows knitted together. His expression filled with amusement.“Um, sir,” she announced stopping a few feet from him. She was cute; gray eyes, freckled face and a pointed little nose. “You can’t smoke in here.”He looked at her for a moment before smugly taking the smoke from his mouth, smiling. “My bad sweet cheeks,” he cooed, pressing the butt into the wall to put it out. She watched as ashes fell to the marbled floor. “I didn’t see a sign.”“Yeah, there’s no sign. It’s just...Gotham law; no smoking in public establishments.”He raised his eyebrows innocently. “Hm...must be new.”He was trying to heckle her and she was clearly having none of it. “No, that’s been the law for ten years now.”“Ten years?” he gasped, his smile growing wider. She narrowed her eyes and nodded.“Mm hm.”“Craziness.”The man’s blue eyes ran down her body slowly, hovering for a moment at certain areas. She swallowed deeply and shifted in her spot.“Can I help you sir?” she asked, her voice breaking a bit. He straightened up and with one hand brushed his bleached fringe out of his eyes.“Yeah, I’m here to see Bruce Wayne, he here?”The girl looked at him for a moment like he was crazy but quickly answered his question. “I’m afraid Mr. Wayne is away for the next two weeks on a business trip.”The smile fell from his face and his expression turned serious and clockworks seemed to go off in his mind. “Two weeks? Some business trip.” he muttered quietly. “Lemme guess, Metropolis?”The girl’s eyes widened as though she were surprised by his assumption. “That’s...classified information, sir. If you’d like, I can take your contact information and request Mr. Wayne call you upon his return, if the matter is pressing.”“You asking me for my number?” The man teased, his smile returning. He licked the inside of one cheek, pressing it out slightly in a seductive manner. The girl looked at him, flabbergasted for a moment, a blush fading across her face. He chuckled when she said nothing. “Nah, princess, it’s not pressing. I can wait till he gets back. Thanks for the help.”With that he turned on his heels, waving two fingers at her as a goodbye. She stood there watching after him as he slunk out of the building, pulling another cigarette out and popping it into his mouth. Once outside he dug his hand into one pocket of his jacket and pulled out a high tech looking cell phone. Lifting it to his mouth he firmly spoke to it.“Find Bruce Wayne.”“Finding Bruce Wayne.” A robotic voice spoke back. The phone’s screen flashed and map was brought up. It only took a moment for a small black dot to appear and the map zoomed in on it, causing the man to smirk.“Son of a bitch...”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Deciding to take advantage of the warm spring weather, Damian spent a large portion of the morning on a run with Titus, being gone for nearly three hours. By the time he returned to manor, the poor dog was absolutely pooped, luckily Alfred had made a made a gourmet pet dish just for him, as well as a plate of finger sandwiches for the young Wayne and Stephanie, who joined him in the kitchen to eat.For the most part the two ate in silence; Damian nonchalantly flipped through a copy of the Gotham Gazette at one end of the table and Stephanie sat cross-legged on her chair, nose almost pressed to her phone as she typed away. Every once in a while a quiet giggle would escape her lips and would cause Damian’s eyes to flash towards her. Each time she would be staring down at the small screen, her face spread with a foolish smile, her fingers working like fire as she typed.Because of her puppy dog eyed, goofy countenance, he could only assume she was messaging Tim and it bothered him by reminding him that the other Robin was alive, a fact that he was dreadfully trying to consign to oblivion. Stephanie obviously did not get the memo however, and after about ten minutes decided to obliterate any piece of mind he had left.“Tim and Bruce are doing well in Metropolis.” She assured Damian, randomly. He didn’t bother looking up from his paper when he answered flatly.“Thanks for informing me.”Stephanie’s hazel eyes looked away from her phone for the first time. “You’re not still salty over the fact that Bruce brought Tim instead of you…are you?”“I was never salty. I’m irritated, and for good reason.”“Tim has been working with Bruce on this case for a little bit now. It wouldn’t have made any sense to swap him out for someone new at this point.”Damian lay the paper down on the table and looked at her with an unamused expression. “I’m not someone new. I’ve been Robin-““Yeah, yeah. For way longer than he has, I’ve heard you a thousand times. Not exactly what I meant though.”Stephanie placed her phone down and reached over the table, taking two egg sandwiches that sat on the platter in front of them. The brunette was quiet for a moment and watched as she stuffed one whole into her mouth.He was a bit hurt that his father hadn’t told him anything about this alleged case that they had been working on. If it was important enough to take them away from Gotham to Metropolis, he felt as though he would have had the right to know at least the small details. He had been living away from Bruce for four years, but the man still treated him like a child even though he had grown tremendously, in his opinion at least, since the last time he worked alongside the bat.He realized that his actions on the trios last mission together was a bit rash, and perhaps he was in some way trying to prove himself to be a better fit for Batman’s partner than a suck up like Tim Drake, but Bruce hadn’t even tried to talk it out with him, they had just been stuck in a limbo of silent bullheadedness.“What is the case…exactly?” Damian asked after a moment, curiosity blooming inside of him. Stephanie, who had just shoved the second sandwich into her mouth, looked at the ceiling for a moment, as though the answer was there. Through her stuffed cheeks she sputtered something incomprehensible and a speck of half chewed bread flew from her mouth and landed in front of her on the table. Damian’s stared at her, eyes narrowing. It was unbelievable how quickly she could go from being attractive to absolutely repulsive.She swallowed roughly and quickly cleared her throat. “Sorry.” She apologized quickly before continuing. “I’m not sure of all the details, but, Bruce got a letter delivered to his office, a threat.”“From who?”Stephanie shrugged her shoulders lightly. “I don’t know. They don’t even know.”“What was the threat?”“Tim wouldn’t tell me…League business, I think.”Damian leaned back in his seat and thought. If the letter had been sent to Bruce’s office that meant that they knew his identity outside of Batman, that or someone really didn’t like the way Wayne Enterprises was being run. Regardless, if Damian had been told, he was sure he could have helped in some way, even if that was just looking into information around Gotham while the other two had gone off. Anything would have been better than basically being grounded like a disobedient child.The faint sound of the front door’s security system being unlocked spiked Damian’s ears, which meant Alfred was home from his weekly voyage to the grocery store. The teenager would ask him if he knew anything about the case, and perhaps if he did, he could start on his own investigation.But there was something off about the clicking footsteps that were nearing the kitchen, and when the tall, bulky body of someone Damian was not expecting rounded the corner into the room, his breathing nearly stopped. Stephanie turned around in her seat to look, her jaw dropping slightly.The man who had come in, stopped dead in his tracks, is blue eyes also surprised, as though he had the right to be shocked at who was sitting in the manor. The cigarette that was lodged between his teeth nearly fell to the floor as his mouth opened in surprise, but quickly pressed closed with a smile.“What are you doing here, Todd?” Damian hissed, his hands clenching into fists on the table.Jason Todd; the second Robin after Dick, and the current pain in Damian’s ass. Once killed by Batman’s arch nemesis, the Joker, Jason had been brought back to life by none other than Damian’s own grandfather, but the process had, in Damian’s opinion made him a bit screwy. Of course he didn’t know him before hand, but from what Dick had told him, his ideals had changed quite a bit, enough to make him create his own vigilante persona that basically stuck the middle finger to everything Bruce had taught him. In fact, it took Bruce and Jason a long time to patch up their rocky relationship and finally begin to work together again, but they had, unfortunately for Damian.It was rare for Jason to come into their lives, but every so often he would resurface from whatever black hole he had crawled into, and never missed a beat to torment Bruce’s son in ways that only he found amusing. He was like the older brother that Damian didn’t need, or want.“Well, well, well, if it isn’t baby bat, himself. Got sick of your little weirdo, Titan pals?” Jason asked, clearing the room to the table. He reached across Stephanie as though she wasn’t there, causing her to lean back in her seat to avoid being struck by his arm, and grabbed a sandwich. Damian snarled at him.“Why are you here?” he repeated, a bit more venomous this time. Jason snickered and shrugged lazily, flicking his cigarette into the sink. Amazingly, it landed.“Eh, I heard Bruce was out of town so I thought I’d swing by and borrow some money.”“You mean steal.”“He can add it to my tab, he won’t mind.”Taking a bite of the sandwich that was in his hand he finally looked down at the girl who was death glaring him. His eyebrows raised high on his forehead and he swallowed his bite.“Ste-pha-nie Brown.” He emphasized every syllable of her name; it was obvious that they had met before. “You look a helluva lot better now that you don’t have that obnoxious growth hanging off you.”Stephanie’s glare intensified. “I was pregnant…Jason.”“Well, it didn’t suit you.” He took another bite of his sandwich and his eyes quickly scanned over her, causing Damian’s patients with him wear even thinner. Of course he had looked her up and down before, but the painstakingly obvious way the Red Hood was doing it was distasteful and disrespectful to say the least. “You look damn good now though! If you ever get sick of Timbo, you should give me a call.”Jason winked one eye at her and she rolled her eyes, looking away from him. “No thank you.”He shrugged again and stuffed the rest of the sandwich into his mouth, turning back towards the door. “Your loss.”Damian stood from his seat quickly fists still clenched. “How did you know father was gone?”Jason turned his head, a few strands of his white fringe that he had pushed back out of his face, flounced down into his eyes. “Swung by his office this morning to tell him something and his receptionist told me he’s away on a ‘business trip’.” He threw up finger quotes. “Guess we’re still going with that lame-ass excuse.”“What did you need to tell him? Do you know about the case he and Drake are working on?”“You’re awful nosy, pipsqueak. Do I look like Batman’s third party, to you?”“I wasn’t born yesterday, Todd. I know he uses you as an ear within the crime community.”Jason turned his whole body, crossing his arms, his large biceps pressing against the leather of his jacket. “Look, kid. Even if I knew anything, which I don’t, I wouldn’t tell you. If Bruce is keeping it under wraps, there’s a reason, and I’m not about to get in the middle of it.”Damian tutted and slowly sat back down in his seat. Of all the time’s Jason decided to go behind Bruce’s back he chose now to play obedient, he was sure just out of spite.Jason began to walk backward, inching closer to the exit. “But it was great to see you again, Daniel,”“Damian.”Jason raised an eyebrow, his lips twisting into a playful smirk. He damn well knew Damian’s name, but every time would insist on calling him something different like it was a humorous, honest mistake. It wasn’t.“Damn, sorry. Damian. Nice to see you again Damian, you look great! Stephanie.” He nodded at the girl and slunk around the corner so that only his head and one shoulder were visible. He quickly gave a two fingered salute and retreated away, only the sound of his boots clicking against the hardwood letting the two younger beings know he was still present in the house with him. Damian shook his head; he knew it would be futile to try and stop him, it hadn’t been the first time he had snuck into the manor and took money from Bruce’s study. Bruce knew about it, and although it didn’t exactly made him happy he hardly ever called the twenty six year old out on it.Damian and Stephanie’s eyes met as they both listened to the quiet sound of Jason making his way around the first floor.“I see you’ve already had the unfortunate honor of meeting the infamous, Jason Todd.” He mumbled sarcastically across the table. Stephanie lips pressed into a line.“A real charmer. Almost tops you as the biggest bat boy jackass.”“I am nothing like him!”Stephanie’s eyebrows bobbed up quickly as she looked down at the table, her body language screaming “if you say so”. Damian scowled, and for a moment there was silence. If he had chose, he could have found one thousand reasons to be annoyed to the point of depression, but he couldn’t slow the thoughts of the threat that had been sent to his father. __________ Upon Alfred’s return, Damian immediately questioned him about the case, which again proved fruitless; he either knew nothing or was as tight-lipped as Jason was, so he took to the bat cave for the afternoon, searching as much as he possibly could for any information. He found nothing, and by midnight decided to give up and try again in the morning.When he woke up, he quickly dressed and went straight downstairs to Bruce’s study, looking through a mess of papers that were strewn over his desk. He stayed there for most of the morning, barely even touching the food that Alfred had brought him and getting up only once to refill his coffee. Again he hit a dead end.It was nearly eleven AM when Stephanie entered the room and sat herself on the couch in front of the desk. She leaned her chin on the back of the couch and watched as Damian concentrated on the paper in front of him, clearly trying to seek his attention. He chose to ignore her for the first few minutes, but she persisted and finally he gave in and looked up at her, grinding his teeth together as he did so.She leaned her head to the side. “Do you ever have fun?” she asked seriously. He raised a single eyebrow at her.“What kind of idiotic question is that?” he spat. “Of course I have fun.”Sitting up straight, she gave him a half smile. “Okay, well, I don’t know if you’ve ever met yourself, but it’s a pretty valid question.”“I lived with the Teen Titans for four years. They were constantly dragging me along on their ridiculous, infantile shenanigans.”Stephanie almost laughed. “Alright, so let me rephrase the question. Do you ever have fun, intentionally? Like, does Damian Wayne ever wake up in the morning and think ‘hm, today I’m not going to train, or study boring crime reports, I’m going to have fun like a normal sixteen year old would’?”Damian’s eyebrows fell flat above his eyes. “Where are you going with this?”She stood up and stretched her arms out to the sides. “Well, I was thinking since we already wasted one beautiful day inside, that maybe you’d wanna do something together, like go to the city.”“Your idea of having fun is going to Gotham?” he questioned as she walked closer to the table. She lifted herself slightly and half sat on the edge of the wood. “It’s nothing more than a dump filled with seedy plebeians and back alley whores.”“You kiss your mother with that mouth?”Damian leaned his back into the chair, tilting his head up at her. “Even if she would accept that kind of affection and she wasn’t a criminal on the run, why would that be appropriate at my age?”She made a face. “It’s a figure of speech…geez, are you this literal about everything?”He suddenly felt slightly embarrassed that he didn’t catch that and looked down. There was some truth to her words, he had been unproductively searching for answers for almost a full day now, perhaps fresh air would do him good, though the idea of going to Gotham wasn’t really his first choices of places to go. He also wasn’t sure if he wanted to spend a day out with her; beyond how annoying she often was to him, there was the fact that things still weren’t fully mulled over from a few days ago, at least for him. He still felt slightly awkward in her presence, like he had to tiptoe around her as to not confuse himself.“The answer is no! I do not want to go to Gotham with you.”Stephanie sighed, pushing at the papers in front of him lightly. “Please! I’m so bored. We can go somewhere else, anywhere! If I have to stay in the house for one more day, I’m going to go absolutely bananas.”“Where exactly do you suggest we go, if not Gotham?”Stephanie thought about it for a moment, pouting her lips out while she did so. Damian swayed his legs underneath the table slightly so that his chair swiveled back and forth, waiting for her to answer his question. Finally she nodded her head.“What about that new amusement park that opened by the coast? It’s supposed to be fun.”Damian immediately got a vivid flashback from his time with the Titans and one of their first outings together. They had gone to a Fair in attempt to strengthen their emotional bonds, which ultimately worked. But that was just another thing his mind was desperately trying to suppress.He inhaled through his nose, trying to allow the air to wipe his mind. “An amusement park, really,” he said quietly, his voice betraying him in acting normal. “Aren’t you supposed to be twenty years old?”Luckily Stephanie didn’t seem to catch his dismayed tone and frowned at him. “I’m twenty two actually, and you don’t instantly stop wanting to have fun once you turn twenty, Damian. I love amusement parks!” She smiled. “Unless…you’re scared?”“Tt…I’m not scared of anything.”“Great, then pack your bag Boy Wonder, we’re going!“Has anyone ever told you how obnoxious you are?”“Has anyone ever told you how much of a self righteous little snot you are?” she snapped back, sliding down from the table. Damian rolled air across his tongue like he was being inconvenienced, but despite himself, stood up._______________________________As he put a book bag together with the essentials he would need throughout the day, he convinced himself that the only reason he had decided to go with her was because he knew she would only bug him more if he had refused, much like the Titans would. That was one thing they had taught him, the importance of giving in when necessary to avoid prolonging the inevitable.The two got in Damian’s car and Stephanie directed him how to get to the park, only getting them lost twice. Blasting unnecessarily loud pop music the whole way while hanging halfway out of her window to play with the wind like the internal five year old she was, the blonde barely spoke to the driver; unless she was telling him to sing with her, point something trivial out along the road or to give directions. Damian focused on the road, his ears pounding from the bass that she insisted was turned up, but he had to admit that her girlish behavior was…needless to say, quite cute.
It took only twenty minutes to arrive at the park, and when they did, the site of the roller-coaster and other rides that were visible from the parking lot made Damian squeamish. Nonetheless the two went to admissions and bought their ticket.Super World, the park was called. It had been built to pay homage to the late Superman who had been gone for almost one year now; though to Damian it seemed insensitive to say the least. The whole theme of the park was modeled to look like space, almost every ride had a large cut out of the loved hero and all of the merchandise and food referenced him in some way. The young Wayne was sure that if Superman’s widow or son were to come here they would drop dead from a triggered heart attack.For what felt like far too long, Stephanie pulled the younger man around to watch her fail at carnival games and join her on multiple rides. The begun with simple things like The Swings, which made Damian feel as though he was going to hurl everything that was left in his stomach from breakfast, and the Bumper Boats, which annoyed him immensely due to the fact that Stephanie had made it her personal goal to get him soaked.It wasn’t until they moved on to the more exciting rides that he finally began to enjoy himself a bit; he was quite fond of heights and the adrenaline it gave him, so the drop tower ride was one of his favorites, and he was a fan of the swinging pendulum ride as well.Another thing that made it, almost, all worth it was how much fun the older woman was having. Even with the Titans it was rare for Damian to see such raw, childlike joy, but here was this twenty two year old woman bouncing around like a child who was enjoying her first trip to Disney World. Everything seemed to excite her, and even small inconveniences, like longer lines or pushy park goers did not seem to alter her mood. Her kindness was outstanding; she would speak to children willingly and without reason, she helped an older woman sit down on a park bench, she gave up her spot in one line for a little boy. She was so different from Damian, the complete opposite really; he found it hard to understand her.Usually people were easy for him to read, or at least not hard to crack. But the way Stephanie Brown did things had such little pattern or purpose that he had no idea who she was, though his mind desperately worked at figuring it out. She was rash, she was uncouth and she was immature, but at the same time she was kind, she was unpredictable, and she was unlike anyone he had ever met.Around lunchtime, she insisted they get food from a greasy smelling stalled called “Sam’s Super Sized Burgers”, and indulged herself with a grotesque, double-decker cheese burger, French fries and a large pop. Damian opted for a small serving of onion rings, and even that was too much to handle.As Stephanie chowed down her food, she eyed the young man curiously while he took small hesitant bites of his rings.“Is that all you ordered?” she asked, making sure to swallow her food before speaking. He looked up at her and nodded, causing her to chuckle. “What, cheap burgers too peasant like for you?”He eyed her, placing down an onion ring that he had only half eaten. For some reason she had decided to put on a phony British accent when saying “peasant like” and it almost made him laugh at how bad it was.“I’m a vegetarian.” He responded flatly. She blinked.“Vegetarian?”“Yes, it’s the term one uses when they don’t consume meat, fish…sometimes animal by-products.”“I know what a vegetarian is!” she snapped, bringing out a slight smile in him. “I’m just…surprised, I guess. Weren’t you raised to be an assassin?”Again, he nodded. “I was.”She leaned her head to the side, raising an eyebrow at him. “So…you’ll kill people no problem, but eating a burger is against your moral code?”“Animals are innocent.” Damian looked down at the wood of the table, slightly thinking about her words. He had never really thought about it in that way before. “They lack the mental intelligence to commit something worthy of being killed. Kind of like you.”Stephanie ignored him and thought for a moment before taking another large bite of her cheese burger and washing it down with a swig of her pop. “Well, what about Scar?”Damian cast her look, confused. “Who?”“Scar?” she said as though he ought to know who she was referencing. “From The Lion King.”Ah, he should have known it would be something half witted.“He killed his own brother in cold blooded murder and then blamed it on his nephew. Doesn’t sound so innocent to me.”She shrugged her shoulders, her lips pouting out. His green eyes looked at her for a moment, trying to decipher if she was being serious or not, but her resolute eyes only proved what he did not want to believe. He sighed.“Alright, well…what you’re talking about is a cartoon, and has literally nothing to do with the conversation we are having.”She seemed to ignore him and began to stroke her cheek with her index finger and thumb. “Then there’s Sher Khan.”His eyebrows pressed into a straight line above his eyes. “Stop.”“Ratigan.”“Again, how old are you?”Stephanie began to laugh, her face twisting into the real smile for the second time. Damian’s expression softened at it.“Relax,” she giggled with a wave of her hand. “I’m just having fun. Remember, the thing that you’re supposed to be having today?”“So far, the only thing I’ve been having is the colossal urge to throw myself into heavy traffic.”She laughed again. “Well, let’s change that.”She looked around for a moment, her eyes darting quickly around them before widening. Quickly she threw up her arm and pointed past Damian, causing him to turn his head. She was pointing at a large, red and blue roller-coaster, loop-de-loops and all.“Let’s go on that!” ______________ Damian sat with his legs falling over the cliff, looking out into the dark ocean before him, only the moon illuminating a small strip of water. Behind him, he could still hear the screams and laughter from Super World; it had been a long day, but he wouldn’t say he hated it. He was just glad to finally be sitting in, somewhat, peace and quiet.The sound of soft footsteps walking along the grass made him look around to see Stephanie walking over to him, a box of popcorn in her hands. She sat down beside him in silence, leaning the box towards him as an offering. He looked back at the water without taking anything and she shrugged, throwing a few pieces into her own mouth.“It’s kind of scary isn’t it?” she muttered after a moment.“What is?”“The ocean.”Damian scoffed. Scary wouldn’t be the word he would use at all. If there was one thing in the world that calmed his tormented mind, it would be the ocean. The sound of the soft waves crashing along the shore, the way it seemed to go on forever, the idea of something being so deep and mysterious. To him there was nothing frightening about it, but to her…Just another thing that made them two very different beings, he supposed.“It’s water.” Was all he said.She threw some more popcorn into her mouth and crunched away. “Yeah, lots of it! You can’t tell me if you were stranded in the middle of the ocean that you wouldn’t be at least a bit scared for your life.”He swallowed, not even hesitating for a moment before answering. “When I was five years old my mother made me swim across the Mediterranean Sea from Egypt to Turkey.”Stephanie stopped mid chew and gaped at him for a moment before swallowing. “Some childhood you had there.” Her voice was a sad whisper, but she quickly shook her head and smiled, bringing her tone back to normal. “When I was five I was eating dry Cheerios and watching Rugrats on VHS!”Damian looked at her from the corner of his eyes, his mouth pulling into a slight frown.“Do you know what that is?”He didn’t bother answering, and she didn’t bother pushing, they just continued to look out at the water. He felt tired, and not just physically but also mentally. Mostly mentally.“Look!” Stephanie shouted suddenly, causing Damian jumped in his spot and he quickly looked into the sky where she was pointing. He was expecting to see something dangerous, like an alien fleet coming for earth, or an asteroid, or even a mosquito, but there was nothing other than clear, night sky above them, not a cloud in sight.“What exactly am I supposed to be looking at?” he questioned, cocking an eyebrow at her.“The sky, you bozo. Isn’t it beautiful tonight, I feel like I can see every single star.”He looked at her for a moment as she bent her head back all the way, a goofy smile spread across her face. Even in the dark, he could see the gleam of innocence pooling behind her wide eyes. It was strange to him that a twenty two year old, grown woman could be that entranced by something as simple as the night sky, which she, unless visually impaired, must have seen hundreds of times before.She really was a strange being, but having spent the past few days in her presence Damian had come to the realization that she wasn’t as bad as he had originally thought. In fact, he had been enjoying her company. She was quick witted, which at times could be irritating but was mostly entertaining; although she was not nearly as educated as he was, their conversations were never dull, and her kind heart made him feel at ease with himself. She didn’t expect anything from him, there was no unnecessary burning pressure that came along with being a super like with the Titans, or even Dick or his father. She was just a normal person, and when they were together, that was how he felt. Normal.Damian pulled his gaze away from her. He wondered about Dick and Kor'i; were they at home, spending a peaceful evening in each other’s company? Bruce and Tim, what were they doing in Metropolis? Was Alfred relaxing in the study with Titus at his feet while the fireplace warmed them? What had the Titans been up to since he had left? Did they miss him?Everyone seemed to have some sort of place that they were supposed to be, but suddenly he felt lost. He had been an assassin for his grandfather, he had been Robin for Batman, he had been a leader for the Titans, but now he was really none of those things. He was just Damian, and he wasn’t entirely sure who Damian was. It was frustrating for him to feel so lost within himself, he had hoped that coming back to Gotham would have helped with his near quarter life crisis, but everything was different and it only made things worse.“They’re just stars, big deal.” He grumbled under his breath, Stephanie looked back at him, her eyes narrowing slightly for a moment, but then her expression softened.“Why did you come back to Gotham?” she asked. He shrugged his shoulders, but said nothing. “Come on, I told you my life story. What’s yours, Boy Wonder?”“I never asked to hear your personal profile. You just don’t know how to shut your big mouth.”She pursed her lips into a childlike pout and he sighed, deciding to give in not because of her stubborn plea, but because he was tired from the day and did not relish in the thought of arguing. “It’s a long story.”“A long story? Well, I already have popcorn, should I go get something else? A fold-able chair, maybe? Do I have to take notes?”He narrowed his eyes into slits. “Do you want to hear it or not?” he snapped. Stephanie giggled and shook her head, her blonde hair whipping around her face.“Sorry, continue. I’m listening, I’ll be quiet.”He highly doubted that promise would be kept, but took a breath anyway. He had rarely ever talked about his feelings with anyone; it made him feel vulnerable, weak. Despite her feelings for his father, his mother had engraved it into his mind that personal emotion was the downfall to human kind, and that only without it could you succeed in the world.Damian withdrew a sharp breath. He did not know Stephanie much, but he trusted her enough to not tell anyone his secret, and for some reason she was easy to talk to.“There was a girl.”His voice was so quiet that Stephanie had to lean close to hear, and when she did her jaw dropped.“I don’t believe it!” she gasped, her lips pulling into a smile. Damian’s curled in annoyance. “You ran away because of girl problems? You? Was she your girlfriend?”He quickly pressed his hands into the earth below him and began to stand. “Alright. I’m done.” He barked, fully prepared to rush back to the car and leave her stranded. She shook her head and quickly reached up to grab his wrist, stopping him from going anywhere.“No, no! Please, continue.” She begged, pulling him to sit back down. “I’m just...I’m shook.”Her immaturity never ceased to amaze him. “Shook? What are you, twelve? I thought you were going to be quiet.”“You’re right. My bad. Continue. My lips are zipped.” She pressed her lips closed and pulled her index finger and thumb along them as though pulling a zipper. He waited for a moment to make sure she really was going to be quiet. Perhaps telling her wasn’t a good idea, though he felt as though he was already too far into it to stop now.He took a deep, quivering breath and hesitated. His mind began to show him flashbacks from the tower, memories that he had been working hard to suppress. “We...just connected, I guess. She was different from everybody else, we could relate with one another.”Stephanie listened carefully as his voice was still quiet, and she could sense a small amount of regret, or perhaps sadness. She looked at the ocean, watching the illuminated water rustle by the light breeze.“So,” she began when he did not continue to speak. “Then why did you leave?”Damian didn’t answer. His expression was stoic, his eyes fixated ahead of him. She thought for a moment.“She...didn’t feel the same? Did she?”The boy shrugged. “I have no idea how she felt. I never told her.”Again, Stephanie racked her brains for a moment. “There was another guy?”This time she watched as Damian swallowed hard, his eyes falling to look into his lap. Stephanie’s eyebrows furrowed and she put the box of popcorn beside her on the grass.“They told us they were together.” Damian’s voice mumbled, and the blonde could not place the emotion that hid within it. Damian shifted in his spot, leaning his head to the side. “I packed my bag and left that same night.”“But if you never told her, how do you know she didn’t feel the same way?”“She didn’t.”“But how do you know?” Stephanie pushed. Damian shot her a look, fire leaking from his narrowed eyes.“Because I know!” he shot, causing her to withdraw. “You people never fail to remind me of how much of a...what were the words you used again? Self righteous little snot, I am. Which, I won’t deny I can be difficult at times.”The girl nodded. “Yes,” she agreed. “You definitely can. But that doesn’t mean someone couldn’t love you.”Damian felt heat rise to his cheeks at her words, and he looked away. He knew that it was dark but the fear that she might see his blush caused him to do so. He quickly stood back up again.“It is what it is. It means little to me.”Stephanie got to her feet as well, taking hold of her popcorn box, hugging it like it was something dear to her. She looked at him sternly. “You know, you don’t always have to act like such an emotionless rock all of the time. People feel things; it’s what makes us human.”Damian looked back at her and watched as the wind tossed her hair around. She had nice hair.“Believe me,” she continued. “I get putting up walls, I do. But sometimes you need to let them down, even if it’s just a little bit, and let other people in. People want to help people. It’s in our DNA.”Damian felt a ping in his chest and he shoved his cooling hands into the front pocket of his hoodie. “This was me opening up. I-“Before he could finish Stephanie gasped, dropping her popcorn and taking hold of his shoulders, pushing him to face the other way.“A shooting star!” she shouted pointing to the sky and relieving his heart from the attack it almost had. “Quick! Make a wish!”He turned his head to look at her hand that was still clutching his shoulder. “What?”She squinted at him. “Jesus, I know your childhood was sad, but come on! When you see a shooting star you’re supposed to close your eyes and make a wish, and if you don’t tell anyone what you wished for, it will come true.” Her hands squeezed his shoulders slightly and she let go of him. “Guaranteed or your money back.”“That’s ridiculous and not at all logical...”Stephanie walked to stand beside him, throwing her hands on her hips. “In a world full of aliens and superheroes, you draw the line at wishing stars? Really?”The brunette’s forehead ceased as he readied himself to school her. “A falling star is merely dust particles collecting in the atmosphere as a met-”At lightning speed she shoved her hand towards his face and waved it rapidly, causing him to stop talking. He went cross-eyed slightly trying to look at her hand in both the dark and at a close proximity.“SHHH!” she shushed loudly. “Less talking, more wishing!”“You’re unbelievable.” Damian grumbled to himself but nonetheless clenched his eyes shut tightly. He didn’t necessarily wish for anything, but he assumed that if he at least looked like he was doing as she asked she would stop pestering him. It seemed to work. After a few seconds he opened them again. “There. Happy?”When he looked at her, he was surprised to see her smiling that same, real smile again, her hazel eyes gawking at him under the moonlight. “Completely and utterly. What did you wish for?”The two began to walk back towards the parking lot, the nip in the air finally getting to them. He stuck his nose in the air as he went. “Well, according to your moronic wish logic, it won’t come true if I tell you.”She pushed her lips to the side in a purse and nodded her head. “I guess you’re right. We will just have to wait and see if it comes true.”“Do you even hear yourself when you talk?” ___________________ Damian and Stephanie reached the top of the stairs together, both of them exhausted from their day out together. It was nearly ten PM and they had left around eleven thirty, which meant they had been gone for ten hours; bed was waiting for both of them.As they split off to go in their own directions towards their rooms, Stephanie stopped in her tracks and turned to him.“Thanks for actually coming out with me today. It was fun.” she cooed gently causing him to stop as well. He looked at her for a moment and nodded ever so slightly.“It wasn’t awful.”Stephanie’s lips pressed into a closed smile before responding. “There are those walls again. And here I thought we were making progress.”A single, airy chuckle made its way through Damian’s throat and the corner of his lips twisted up. Stephanie yawned and stretched her arms over her head.“Anyway, I’m pooped. Night little D.”And the smile was gone instantly.“Never...call me that again!” he hissed causing her to giggle.“Sorry, big D?” She saw his jaw clench, tightening and she decided to back away, throwing her hands up defensively. “I’m joking, I’m joking. God, don’t have a cow.”She turned around quickly, her hair whipping to the side and she began to walk. Damian’s sudden outspoken voice, however, brought her to a halt.“Brown.”She threw her head over her shoulder, surprise swimming in her eyes. He looked uncomfortable, but held himself straight, just as she would expect him to.“Thanks,” he said, and turned with an appreciative nod, heading towards his bedroom. She smiled.“Goodnight, Damian.”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Damian threw the change he had onto the counter of the of coffee shop, watching as the flustered barista slid each coin off of the marble surface into her hand, her lips moving silently as she counted. She was about his exact age and it was clear to him that she was attracted to him, especially by the way her colour flew into her cheeks when he spoke and how her eyes tried their best to avoid his gaze. She was cute, in a preppy sort of way, but he was uninterested. All he wanted was macchiato.Although he had been enjoying the company of Alfred and Stephanie, Damian had decided to call Dick and ask him if he was interested in meeting him for a quick afternoon chat; it would be a nice change of pace. Of course the older man agreed happily and they decided to meet at a small cafe in central Gotham.It had been three days since his trip to the amusement park with Stephanie, but Damian was once again itching to get out of the house, especially because his frustration at the lack of knowledge he had about his father’s intimidator only continued to grow.The barista shakily passed him his drink and asked if he wanted a receipt, which he declined and thanked her quickly, turning to join Dick who was already sitting at a small, round table, sipping on his latte. He smiled as Damian approached.“So, was there a reason you wanted to meet today? Or do you just miss me?” he asked teasingly, watching Damian pull his seat into the table. He looked at him, his brows drawing together.“Do you know anything about the letter that father found?” he asked sternly, but quietly, his eyes darting around them to make sure no one was in ear shot. Dick pressed his lips together tightly.“Heard about that, huh?” he mumbled. “To be honest, no one really knows a whole lot about it other than that Bruce found it in his office on his desk.”“What did it say?”“Not much. ‘We’re coming’. That was it; no name, no other clues. Nada. ”Damian’s expression hardened while he thought, trying to block out all of the loud chattering around them. That really wasn’t much, at all, considering how serious Bruce was taking it.“Does he have any leads?”“None. Whoever sent it, is a ghost.”“Then why go all the way to Metropolis?”Dick picked up his mug in both hands and took a quick sip of it, licking some excess foam from his top lip. “The paper was made from bamboo. Thought it would be a good idea to check out China Town, but he found nothing in Gotham’s so he decided to try the next best thing.”“Bamboo?”“That’s what I heard anyway. I don’t know a whole a lot about the case, been pretty swamped with wedding preparations.”Damian brought his own mug up to his lips, coffee scented steam wafting into his nostrils. His green eyes stopped dead on the man before him; he wasn’t necessarily interested in his wedding plans, but he thought it would come across as rude if he were to seem that way. He drank.“Have you picked a date yet?”Dick leaned back in his seat and run a large hand through his messy hair. “Yup, June twenty seventh. Bruce is letting us use the manor for a venue; we’re going to keep it small.” His face went blank and he paused causing Damian to place his mug down, shooting him a questioning look. He cleared his throat, his eyes shifting away awkwardly. “Kor’i’s invited the Titans, so you’ll get to see them again.”Damian’s heart sunk a bit at the thought of seeing his teammates again, but he remained centered. He wondered for a moment if Dick knew about what had happened, it wouldn’t surprise him if Kor’i really did know and had told him, but it was something he really didn’t want to talk about. Talking about it briefly with Stephanie was bad enough.After a moment the older man spoke again, trying his best to break the tension in the air. “How have things been at the manor? Haven’t killed Stephanie yet, have you?” He chuckled.Damian snorted out a half laugh. “She’s grown on me. Mildly.”“I knew she would. She’s a riot, and her mental age is just about the same as your physical one, so it works out!”Damian rolled his eyes. “You’re hilarious, Grayson.” *************************** The following day, Alfred approached Damian while he was reading in his father’s study, and not to bring him tea or offer food, but to inform him of a request Bruce had made before leaving. Damian looked up, blinking a few times.“Gala?” he questioned, wanting to make sure he had heard correctly. Alfred nodded his head slowly.“Yes, young sir. I’m afraid it slipped my mind until now, I must apologize, but your father was invited to make a speech at the Wayne Enterprises Annual Spring Gala, a charity event for the Cancer Research Society of Gotham, and since he is currently in absentia, he has requested you to go in his stead.”He reached into the chest pocket of his suit jacket and pulled out a small, folded piece of paper, holding it out to the boy who was lounging on the sofa. He looked at it for a moment before taking it, his mind working faster than his mouth.“This event will be held at Wayne Enterprises, correct?” he asked. Again, Alfred nodded.“Why, of course.”Placing his book aside, Damian sat up. Going to Wayne Enterprises meant that he would have the chance to take a look in his father’s office for clues, and despite not caring much for the socializing or speech aspect; he would gladly go just for that.“If absolutely necessary, I will attend.”Alfred gave him a suspicious look but turned his body away, though his gaze lingered.“Very good, I shall inform the board to expect your attendance, and I’ll pick up a tux for you right away.”He nodded and exited the room without another word. Damian got up and walked over to the window of the room; Titus who was lying below the sofa got up and followed him.A soft rain patted against the glass, giving the silent room an even more peaceful atmosphere. Speeches and pep talks were never really Damian’s thing, though his father had consistently insisted that giving them was an important trait to have, despite delivering them horribly whenever he had to for the Justice League. He supposed he would have to suck it up for one evening though and try his best to endure the Gala so that he could stealthily find his father’s office and take a quick look. He knew that he would probably find nothing, but he would remain hopeful.Giving Titus a quick pat on the head, Damian swiftly turned on his heels and fled out of the room, heading for the stairs and bounding up them two steps at a time. He rushed towards Stephanie and Tim’s room, not even bothering to knock and pushed the door open. Stephanie was lounging on her bed, fiddling with her phone; but she sat up quickly at the sudden intrusion, shocked.“Um, thanks for knocking?” she snarled as he neared the bed, Titus still quick at his heels. “What if I had been naked?”Damian ignored her, but felt his stomach turn at the question, images he really did not have time to entertain flew quickly in and out of his mind.“Do you have what I asked you to look for?” he asked in a demand. She looked at him for a moment before slinging her legs off of the mattress.“Yeah, I do. Sorry...I kind of forgot.”She stood up from the bed and crossed the room to a small vanity where she pulled open a small drawer, reaching in a taking out a small file filled with papers. She turned to go back towards him, but he was already beside her, hand held out to take the file from her. She gave it to him and watched as he flipped through the papers.“That’s all of the companies and establishments across America that produces and or import bamboo paper.” She said in a hushed voice. “All that I could find, at least.”Damian nodded his head. “This will suffice for now. Thank you.”Stephanie crossed her arms, leaning her head to look at the papers. “You do realize that Tim and Bruce have probably already looked into all of this stuff...right?”His green eyes shifted towards her, casting her a frozen look. “More than likely.”“Then why waste your time?” she asked, shrugging slightly. “No offence, but Batman is known as the best detective in the world, and investigation is kind of what Tim does. You’re just a sixteen year old kid.”“A sixteen year old kid who has been trained in the art of analysis and perusal since he was two years old.” Damian corrected. If she doubted his ability to investigate as well as Tim and Bruce, she was dead wrong.Stephanie gawked for a moment before snorting out a laugh, her shoulders rolling forward into a shrug. “Well aren’t you a regular Nancy Drew.”“I suppose you think you’re witty.” He deadpanned causing her to nod.“I’m pretty witty.”“You’re unbearable, is what you are.”“I’m just saying. This seems pointless, like you’re running yourself in circles for no reason.”“It’s a precaution. Of course I know that they probably missed nothing, but I want to check to make sure.”“Alright...it’s your free time you’re wasting.”Damian turned back towards the door, but when he reached the frame, his stride stopped and he stood there for a moment in silence. The thought that crossed his mind just then, was enough to surprise him, and he questioned himself if he should even proceed with asking the question that was playing on his tongue. He could feel Stephanie’s curious gaze on his back, and realized that he was being awkward, so he cleared his throat and turned slightly; not enough to look at her but just enough so that he could see her out of his peripheral vision.“Speaking of free time,” he began hesitantly, feeling his voice catch in his throat. Why was this so difficult? She raised an eyebrow. “I’m attending a Wayne Enterprises Gala tomorrow evening. It will be a good chance for me to take a look in father’s office and see if I can find any more clues that might have been over looked.” He swallowed. “You may accompany me, if you wish.”He wasn’t asking her as a date. Not even close. But he worried that his awkward tone would give the impression that he was.Stephanie, however, rolled her eyes. “Gee, may I?” she scoffed. But then realization of what he had asked hit her, hard, and her eyes widened, causing him regret. “Wait...did you just...ask me to go to a ball with you?”“A Gala.” He corrected, his ears burning slightly. “But for all intense purposes, yes.”She made a face. “You literally called me unbearable, like, ten seconds ago.”“Yes, and now I’m asking you to join me at the Wayne Enterprises Annual Gala.” He turned to face her fully, annoyance filling his expression. “Why is that so difficult for you to comprehend? I’m just going to look for clues; I figured another pair of eyes would be beneficial. If you already have plans...”Of course she didn’t have plans. She had been a completely useless lump ever since he had met her. He often found himself wondering if she even had friends outside of himself or Tim.Quickly she shook her head. “It’s not difficult, just took me by surprise.” A pause. “And I don’t really have...plans, but I also don’t have gala appropriate clothing either.”That he had been painfully aware of. She didn’t even seem to have everyday appropriate clothing; she dressed like a complete slob.Damian straightened his back and he gazed down at her nonchalantly. “That is hardly an issue. Pennyworth is buying me a tux this afternoon; it wouldn’t be a problem for him to pick you up something as well.”Stephanie’s jaw dropped slightly and her brows knitted together in confusion. “Are you serious?” she asked.Damian cocked an eyebrow. “Why wouldn’t I be? Besides, I would rather have someone I know there so socializing will at least be durable.”This made her smirk. “Right, someone unbearable.”“Will you come, or won’t you?” Damian snapped, tiring of the banter. It had been hard enough to ask her to accompany him, he didn’t want to prolong the interaction any longer than necessary, which she seemed happy to do. She sighed deeply.“I guess I can come to help you snoop. It might even be fun, who knows.” She said. Damian nodded his head, a small amount of relief filling him.“Good, I will let Pennyworth know to pick you up something half decent. I don’t want people thinking Bruce Wayne’s only son associates with the impoverished.”Stephanie’s lips pulled into a frown and her eyes narrowed into slits. “Great to know you like my style so much.”Damian snickered to himself and turned again, stepping out into the hallway and starting off down the hall. Stephanie rushed to the door and looked after him.“My favorite colour is purple, by the way!” she called. He didn’t stop walking, but held up a hand to allow her to know he had heard.“I shall tell Pennyworth to keep that in mind.” ************************************** The next evening came quickly, but gave Damian just enough time to think of a plan for infiltrating his father’s office. He needed to give the speech at precisely seven thirty, immediately after the dinner was scheduled to conclude. If he excused himself partway through the meal, he would be able to have just enough time to slip away, have a quick search and return before anyone bothered asking, and with Stephanie’s assistance, snooping around wouldn’t take that long.As Damian walked down the split staircase of the entrance room, adjusting his cuff-links, his green eyes darted towards Alfred who stood by the door, hands held behind his back. His dark eyes scanned the young Wayne as he crossed the floor, his dress shoes clicking against the hardwood.His usual spiked hair had been parted at the side and gelled down to sport a more, clean look. His face was freshly shaved, and he was wearing a solid black tuxedo, white dress shirt and an olive tie with just a spritz of musky cologne following him where he went. He looked much older than he usually would, much more mature, though he felt ridiculous. The clean, businessman visage did not make him feel comfortable, it was too restrained, too proper. Alfred however looked pleased with the look and smiled.“The spitting image of your father when he was your age.” Was all he said. Damian cast him a look and pulled back the sleeve of his jacket, looking down at a silver watch that sat on his wrist.“Where is Brown?” he questioned, impatiently. “We are running late.”Alfred looked towards the second floor balcony, his dark eyes squinting slightly as if trying to see further than he was able to. “Still getting ready, I suspect, Master Damian.” He said calmly. “Miss Brown is a lady you must remember, and although it is perhaps a foreign concept for you, ladies have a bit more preparation for such occasions than their male counterparts.”“Tt...” Damian grunted, his top lip curling slightly. “She’s had all day to prepare...”They waited for a few moments more before finally the clicking sound of high heels began to echo from the second floor. Both men looked up towards the balcony, watching as Stephanie appeared at the top of the stairs, her hand gripping the railing as she carefully stepped down, making sure to watch each step. Damian’s breath caught in his throat and he had to stop himself from coughing.She was dressed in a strapless, eggplant pouf dress that fell just above her knees, and a pair of close toed, silver heels. The top of the dress hugged her body in all of the right places, allowing her slightly pudgy stomach to hide beneath the bottom poof, and despite not showing as much of her legs as he had seen weeks earlier, the sweetheart neckline showed off more of her chest than Damian had ever seen. Literally cleavage for days, but she somehow still looked classy.Her hair was left down, but instead of the absolute mess it usually was, it seemed much more tamed, with a bushy wave to it, and her makeup was subtle but elegant; a thin line of eyeliner, a slight shimmery shadow, a bit of bronzer on her cheekbones and a touch of pink lip-gloss, making her already plump lips seem even more distracting. She hardly looked like herself, and Damian’s eyes were stuck to her whole being like glue.She reached the bottom of the stairs and wobbled a bit as she hit the floor before stabling herself and continuing over to them. It was Alfred who spoke first, which was not surprising as Damian felt as though he was choking on his own tongue.“You look stunning, Miss Brown.” The old man said, smiling sincerely at her. She smiled back at him with her pink tinted lips.“Thank you Alfred, sorry it took me so long to finish getting ready. Whoever decided to put the zipper on the back of a woman’s dress...was clearly a man.” She laughed and turned to look at Damian, her eyes scanning over him and her lips pushing to the side of her mouth in a thoughtful purse. “Wow,” she gasped bluntly. “You don’t look five anymore.”It took Damian a moment to recognize the sarcasm in her tone and he swallowed his shock, narrowing his eyes in an attempt to both seem serious to her and to regain his composure. “Shame, you still look like a beached whale.”Stephanie scowled at the comment. “Why did I agree to go with you to this thing again?”“Alright, children,” Alfred started, cutting between the two younger beings so that they would not get into an argument. “You are running late, remember. Dinner starts in forty minutes, and it’s best to make an appearance before you all have to sit down so you can get to know your audience, so off you pop.”Damian and Stephanie both grumbled to themselves and hurried to Damian’s car. As they pulled their seat belts on, Stephanie looked at him.“You sure you’re okay to drive? That means you can’t drink you know.”“I’m underage, remember? I can’t drink regardless.” Damian snapped, sticking the keys into the ignition. Stephanie chuckled and a single vein in his forehead pulsed.“Ah, right. I forgot...you’re just a wittle baby!”“I’m warning you, Brown. Quit while you’re ahead.”“Where would be the fun in that?”The car started and they began to drive. Damian looked at her out of the rear-view mirror. She might have looked different, but she was still the same, infuriating Stephanie Brown he was used to.When they reached the Wayne Enterprises building, they left the car in the hands of a valet and went inside, immediately getting swarmed by board members, press and other guests.Damian felt overwhelmed. He had been to his father’s workplace before, but it hadn’t been for years, when he was a child. Now he was almost an adult, and the board members now saw him as fair game for questions; about his schooling, about his father, about his future plans for the company, and the million dollar question for the evening, about his relationship with his “date”. He would have gladly given them a proper excuse of an answer as well, if Stephanie hadn’t continued to blurt out that she was his “confidante”. After the third time of him angrily, but quietly telling her to stop telling that to people, her only response was that it “sounded fancy”. God help him.They only made rounds for about twenty minutes before being seated for dinner, but it was twenty minutes of pure agony for the ex-assassin and when he sat down, the only thing he wanted was a stiff drink. Unfortunately the waitress must have been informed of his age, and when everyone else was brought champagne, he was graced with a bottle of Coca Cola, a beverage he didn’t even enjoy.The food, however, was good. A seafood platter and nice carrot soup for an appetizer, glazed lamb and fresh vegetables for the main course, though some how the kitchen knew of Damian’s vegetarianism and brought him instead a plate of ratatouille. Though as good as the meal was, his focus continued to be on Stephanie.She was so different than him in every way, which he already knew. But seeing her socialize with people other than his family was mesmerizing. When asked a question by someone around him, he would answer quickly with the least amount of effort he could muster. But Stephanie was a chatterbox, and not only did she answer questions, but she also conversed. She would ask her own questions, tell her own stories, laugh, and go off on tangents. The people were eating her up, and Damian had to admit, it was warming to watch and to listen to. He was glad that he had brought her, if not only for the complete comfort she gave him.When the main meals were set in front of them, Damian shot Stephanie a quick look, which she returned. On their way to the Gala they had discussed the plan and he had given her his father’s office key which he had quickly snagged from his bedroom.Stephanie reached into the small clutch that she had brought with her, taking out her cell phone and looking down at it, a phony surprised expression appearing on her face.“Oh, I’m so sorry.” She excused herself, pushing away from the table. Everyone around her looked at her. “I really have to make a phone call. I might be a little bit. I’m sorry.”“Please,” the woman across from Damian said with a smile. “Take your time.”Stephanie smiled back and clicked away. Damian looked down at his food and began to eat slowly. The woman looked at him, Sylvia Plaskett was her name. She was in her late thirties, dark skin and curly dark hair that was pulled into a low bun. Her brown eyes sparkled as she took a sip from her champagne.“You must be very proud to be a part of the Wayne lineage, Damian.” She said her voice hoarse. Damian looked at her, most of his father’s board members referred to him as “Mr. Wayne”, but not Sylvia.“It’s just my family, Mrs. Plaskett. I know nothing otherwise, really.”Of course that was a lie. He knew much more than just being a Wayne. But she didn’t need to know that.“You’re father told me that your mother’s from Oman. Beautiful country. Did you grow up there?”Or, perhaps she already knew.“No, I...we had a...house...in Northern China. I lived there until I was ten years old. Then I moved to Gotham with my father.”“Ni hui shuo Putonghua ma?”He looked at her for a moment, his mind immediately translating her words. Can you speak Mandarin? He eyed her suspiciously, placing his fork down on the table.“Shi.”She smiled and straightened in her chair, her dangled earrings rocking a bit with her movement. Before saying anything more, she brought her fork to her mouth, taking a small bite of lamb, her mouth moving slowly as she chewed. Damian’s eyes squinted slightly; he got a strange vibe from her.Finally, Sylvia swallowed and took a breath. “I dated someone from Shanghai right out of grad school for four years.” She said with a chuckle. “We used to visit his parents every summer, so I picked up a bit of the language. But honestly, that’s one of the only things I know how to say. That and where is the bathroom.” Another chuckle. Damian doubted her words, her accent and tone were almost perfect for someone who just dabbled in a language. “It’s a difficult language to crack. But I suppose if you grew up there it would be a piece of cake”Damian forced a side smile, one single dimple appearing on his cheek. “Yeah.”He felt a buzz from his pants pocket, his cell phone, and realized that Stephanie had made it in. Picking up his cloth napkin, he wiped at his mouth and stood, pushing his chair in carefully.“I’m just going to the washroom. I’ll be back in a moment.” He said to Sylvia, she nodded.As quickly as he could, he left the banquet hall and rushed to the elevator. Pressing the button to the floor he knew his father’s office was on, it shot up quickly, letting him off in a darkened corridor. He went left immediately down the quiet hallway until he saw light coming from one of the rooms. He turned into it, only to see Stephanie sitting at his father’s desk, hands folded on the wood in front of her, a menacing look playing on her face. He looked at her for a moment.“I have been expecting you...Mr. Wayne.” she hummed, her voice deep. He blinked once before rolling his eyes and shutting the door behind him.“Get up!” He demanded walking into the room. “We don’t have time for nonsense.”“You’re no fun. There’s always time for classic movie references.”Stephanie got up from the chair and walked over to him while he scoured through the books and files that filled the large bookcase on the far side of the office, searching for anything that might seem out of the ordinary.“Not a movie person, so don’t waste the effort.”“If you tell me you’ve never seen James Bond, you’re a liar.”“Guess I’m a liar then.”Stephanie shook her head. “Uncultured swine.” She began to pace the room, taking in her surroundings. “What are we looking for, anyway?”“Clues.” Damian mumbled, looking at every single item on the shelf in front of him and touching every surface.“Informative, thanks.”“I thought you said you wanted to come so you could help. I’m beginning to think you just wanted new clothing.”“I do want to help!”“Then zip it and start looking!”Stephanie mumbled something that Damian could not hear before turning to look at one of the other shelves in the room. They looked in silence for the next couple of moments; opening every drawer, looking behind and in every book, but it wasn’t until Damian took a step back in frustration for a moment and his eyes fell to the floor that he actually felt as though he found something.He got down on one knee and reached out, pressing his fingers to the ground. He could feel a slight gritty substance under them and when he brought them back up to inspect them, he wasn’t shocked to see that a slight amount of sand was stuck to his skin.From behind him, Stephanie sighed loudly. “D, I don’t think there’s anything in here to find. I’m telling you, Bruce and Tim probably-“she stopped talking when she turned around to see him on the floor. Quickly she walked over to him to look over his shoulder. “What is it?”He hesitated to answer, his eyes squinting to look at the small grains in his hand. “There is sand here.”Stephanie straightened her back and threw her hands on her hips. “So? Anyone could have trailed that in.”Damian shook his head and stood up, reaching into his pants pocket and pulling out a small napkin. He sprinkled the remnants of the sand into it before folding it up and shoving it back in his pocket.”This is white sand.”The blonde stared at him blankly. “Isn’t...all sand white?”Damian turned to look at her, fighting back the strong urge to ignore her and leave the room. “Honestly, why do I waste my breath on you?” he hissed, causing her to throw her hands up defensively. “No. Not all sand is white. It depends on the minerals and components that form it, and I can think of no where off the top of my head near Gotham that would produce this particular variation.”“Alright then, Mr. Geologist, where’s it from?”Damian leaned his head to the side, thinking for a moment. “I can’t be sure; there are numerous possibilities, that’s why I’m going to take a sample back to the bat-cave, to see if I can find anything that may give us a lead.”“I’m surprised Tim couldn’t figure it out,” Stephanie sounded disappointed. “This stuff is normally right up his ally.”“It’s doubtful he missed it. Whoever brought the sand in was in here after they left for Metropolis, which means they were aware of my father’s absence, which means they were most likely looking for something. The question is what.”Damian began to walk towards the door again, he had found probably the only clue they were going to find in the office with the little time frame they had. Of course the others were probably just beginning with dessert, but he didn’t want to risk the chance of someone growing suspicious at the two of them returning just in time for his speech to be given, especially since he was already weary about Sylvia. At this point there was no way for him to know that she or anyone else in the company wasn’t behind the letter, or the sand on the floor; he could trust absolutely no one knowing that they were searching his father’s office. It could put both him and Stephanie in danger.But as he took hold of the door handle, something happened that made the hair on the back of his neck stand up and he froze. The sound of the elevator, dinging down the hallway, echoed through his ears.Stephanie, in her silver heels clicked her way over to him, clearly not hearing the chime. She looked at him.“Why aren’t you-““Shh!” Damian shushed her quickly and listened. Sure enough, two voices were speaking outside, and footsteps drew nearer and nearer to the room. Finally Stephanie heard, because panic fell over her face and she looked around quickly for an escape.“There’s no way out of here!” she whispered frantically. Damian said nothing; he was too busy thinking of what to do. Any excuse they could give, if they found them, would be nothing more than that; an excuse. That would be suspicious.“There’s a light coming from Mr. Wayne’s office...” one of the voices observed, loud enough now to let Damian know they were close. It was the end of the line.Stephanie let out a sort of exasperated huff, causing the young Wayne to look back at her. “Alright...”she murmured to herself, reaching up with both hands and ruffling her hair like she had gone mad. When she was done she rushed over to him and grabbed his wrist, tugging him towards the desk. Stunned by her sudden advancement, Damian didn’t stop her but his eyes narrowed.“What do you think you’re-“he began as she lifted herself onto the desk. But his voice fell short as she pulled him in between her legs, her dress hiking up to her upper thighs. Immediately he felt his stomach begin to squirm and his ears once again grew hot.“Just play along!” Stephanie mumbled aggressively, reaching up with one of her hands to grab a fistful of his hair and pressing his face into the crook of her neck, her other hand gripping his shoulder. Damian’s hands hovered in the air for a moment before landing gently on her thighs, and every blood vessel in his body exploded. The feel of her skin under his palms and fingers, the scent of her perfume that was wafting through his nostrils, the way her hands were gripping his hair. It was all too much; he feared he might pass out. It only worsened when the door creaked open and the girls grip on him tightened, her legs closing slightly around his slim waist.An ungodly, erotic moan ripped through her throat, quickly followed by the whimper of his name. Damian’s heart stopped completely dead.“Oh!” a surprised, timid voice gasped from behind them. Stephanie forced a gasp and pushed the boy away from her, her eyes wide with fake embarrassment as her body twisted in a defensive position. Damian spun around to see two female employees standing there in awkward shock. The woman in the front faltered a bit at his embarrassed, gaze and her face turned red.“F-forgive us for the intrusion...Mr. Wayne,” she stuttered, her eyes looking everywhere but his. “But dessert was cut short...we would like you to perform the speech now...i-if you aren’t...busy.”Quickly, Damian caught himself up to speed on what had just happened and he straightened his suit jacket by pulling at the bottom of it slightly. He cleared his throat.“Yes. Very well, I will be there in a few moments.” He assured them calmly, though the sound of his name being moaned by his partner continued to play over and over again, causing him to feel a constant ping in his lower abdomen. God he hated everything.Both women nodded and quickly backed out of the room, pulling the door closed with them when they went. Stephanie chuckled and slid down from the desk. “Sorry if that made you uncomfortable.” She apologized to him. “It was the only thing I could think of.”“It was quick witted.” He confessed. “I’m impressed.”He truly was impressed at the quick thinking on her part; he wasn’t sure what they would have done otherwise. But the atmosphere for the rest of the night was altered regardless for the both of them. Stephanie was a bit more distant and ended up drowning herself in champagne, and Damian was a bit quieter. Luckily the two women who had caught them in Bruce’s office seemed not to have told anyone else, and they did not bother speaking to the two younger beings again.When it was time for them to go, Stephanie was half corked, much to Damian’s dismay. He prayed that no one noticed, but knew it would be foolish to think otherwise. She was tripping over herself, slurring her words; he even had to help her into his car. At least it had given them an excuse to leave before it became too late.The way home was quiet; for the most part Damian concentrated on the road in front of him, but every once in a while he found himself casting Stephanie, who had fallen asleep with her face pressed against the window, the odd look.As much as he desperately wanted to dislike her and believe that their friendship was more of toleration; everything that had been happening for the past few weeks; their interactions, the baiting, their unavoidable sexual tension, it all made him question how he actually felt about her.She was older than him. Yes.She had a boyfriend. Yes.She was absolutely redundant. Yes.But he could no longer say that there wasn’t anything happening between them, even if it was only on his part. Especially now since she had given him the audio to fantasize to; not that he would, and not that he even wanted anything to come from the possible feelings. He was sure they would pass soon enough, just as they did in the past. It was his hormones that were causing him to latch onto females. He needed only to ride them out.Damian pulled through the Wayne Manor’s front gate and zoomed up the driveway, parking his car with a slow lurch. He got out of the vehicle and rounded to Stephanie’s door where he opened it quickly, allowing her to fall slightly out of the car, still asleep. Luckily her seat-belt stopped her from plummeting to the ground. He looked at her.“Brown. We’re home.” he uttered, but got no response. “Brown!”Stephanie mumbled something incoherently, her eyes remaining closed. Damian sighed and dipped himself into the car, leaning across her to undo her seat-belt. She smelled flammable she had drunk so much. Making up for lost time from being pregnant he supposed.Supporting her weight, Damian scooped her up in his arms and instinctively her arms wrapped around his neck. She nuzzled into him, her body warm against his.Bumping the car door with his hip, he carried her towards the front door; she was much lighter than he thought she would have been, and she felt small in his arms. This didn’t make the trip to her bedroom easy however, as the weight of carrying another person did eventually weigh him down. When he finally laid her in her bed he slipped off her shoes, throwing them on the floor and pulled the blankets over her.“Mm...”she purred, rolling over on her side so that her back was to him. She snuggled herself into a ball. “Tim...”It was a drunken whisper, but for one reason or another, it stung his heart to hear the other Robin’s name leave her lips.Damian swallowed hard and without another thought left the room. He was getting himself in too deep. Something he had promised he would never do again.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
The following day, Damian locked himself away in the bat-cave, running tests on the small amount of sand we was able to scavenge from his father’s office. The process of analyzing the sample took only an hour, and the whole time Damian sat still in his chair, sipping at the tea Alfred had brought him while he’s eyes stayed glued to the large monitor, watching intently as the processing bar got higher and higher by the minute. When it finally completed itself, the screen blinked once and large bold letters appeared, causing the young man to lean forward in his seat.
'FARAFRA, EGYPT'
Scooting the wheeled chair closer, Damian began to type into the computer, trying to find more information, but there wasn’t much to be found. It was nothing more than a small town in Western Egypt that was home to a nomadic tribe and protected as a national park. There was nothing strange about it, and really there was nothing interesting about it, and yet, that was where the sample was from, and he highly doubted that someone had traveled from a desolate, nomadic desert town just to pay his father a business visit. Whoever it had been must have had ulterior motives. But what of the bamboo paper? Was there more than one intimidator?Leaning back in his chair and stroking his chin, Damian fell in deep thought for a moment before leaning forward again and typing into the computer.
'Bamboo paper produced in Egypt.'
Results came up, but most of them weren’t helpful until his eyes hit one of the links.
'Egyptian Papyrus'
He erased his search and instead looked for more about that. He knew of papyrus, it was a plant that grew in the desert, and he had known that it had been used to make paper long ago, but he didn’t know that it was still being produced. As he read numerous articles and tidbits, he learned that, for the most part, it wasn’t, save for a few smaller companies and traditionalists, mostly for tourism purposes. And one of those small companies, was situated not far from Farafra, it was almost too easy.Bruce had been wrong. It wasn’t China that they needed to be focusing on at all. The person they were looking for had come from Egypt.Damian pushed himself off of the floor and lifted his feet from the ground, allowing the chair to glide to a different section of the large computer; records. As he brought up all information of incoming flight and ships from the past month, he heard a yawn from behind him and the clicking of nails along the floor. Titus rounded around the back of the chair and rested his chin on Damian’s leg, a slight amount of drool falling from his lips. Someone had let him down.“Back at it again?” Stephanie’s groggy voice questioned from behind him. Damian pushed aside the slight awkwardness he felt, the events from the night before creeping back into his mind. He had no time for that now, he was onto something.“The letter wasn’t bamboo, it was papyrus; a plant that produces similar material.” He said, his eyes quickly scanning over each plane that had landed and each boat that had docked in Gotham and the ports they had come from. “It came from Egypt, from a place called Farafra. The sand was a match as well.”Stephanie looked at the computer, through squinted eyes, a hangover clearly playing with her vision.“Did you find out who it might be?”Damian’s eyes stopped on one small freight plane that had come from the Daklha Oasis airport, an airport just outside of Farafra. It had landed at a small privately owned airport just on the other side of the city, only a few days before he had left the Titans. It had to be it.“Here!” he said abruptly, poking at the screen and ignoring her question. Titus backed away from him. “This is it. This is where they came in.”Stephanie leaned her head to the side. “It says it was a cargo plane carrying ceramics. Do you really think that’s it?”“It has to be.”Reaching into the pocket of his denim jacket, he pulled out his cell phone and brought up the contacts, pressing his thumb into his fathers,“You’re going to tell Bruce?” Stephanie asked as he raised the phone to his ear, a faint ringing sound emitting from it. He nodded but said nothing, waiting for the person on the other line to answer. If his accusations were correct perhaps this would prove to his father once and for all that he was fully capable of assisting with the case and perhaps urge him to allow the young Robin to participate once again.The ringing ceased, and a deep voice spoke.“Talk.”Damian told Bruce about all of his suspicions and discoveries, and luckily the man listened without interrupting once, allowing Damian to see just how frustrated with the case he was becoming.“What are the coordinates of the airport?” he asked when he had finished.“39°35’27.3 North, 74°34’09.4 West. If you drive fast, you can make it there in just less than two hours. If you want to get there by nightfall, I would leave around six PM.”“Good.”“I can get there in twenty minutes. Did you want me to go on ahead of you or wait?”Normally he wouldn’t bother asking, but Damian wanted to get back on Bruce’s good side, and he figured that going on ahead of him may not be the proper way to do that.The phone went silent for a moment, and Damian wondered if Bruce had put it down. Stephanie, who was standing behind him in silence, began to play with Titus’ tail, causing the hound to lift his head from Damian’s lap and look around at her. Damian swirled slightly in his chair to look at them.“Tim and I are working this case, Damian.”Bruce said after a moment. “Stay in Gotham.”Damian’s blood began to boil and he straightened in his seat. “You must be joking,” he growled, his voice loud. Stephanie looked up at him, her eyebrows furrowing at his sudden anger. “If it wasn’t for me, you two would still be pursuing some frivolous wild goose chase.”“And we are grateful for that, but that’s exactly why I need you in Gotham. If you insist on being a part of this, see what else you can find in the city.”Damian was about to retaliate, but the line went dead. Bruce had hung up without even saying thank you.Feeling the urge to throw his phone at the ground and shatter it, Damian held himself back, his body shaking with rage. Swirling back around in his chair so roughly that Titus jumped away; he cradled his head in his hands, leaning his elbows on the table.Sensing his ill temper, Stephanie frowned and quickly patted her upper thigh, her gaze dropping to the dog. “Come on Titus, wanna go for a walk.” She asked, turning towards the elevator. Titus began to wag his large tail and bounded after her. They left Damian alone, disappearing back up to the manor above them.Damian was furious. Why he had ever thought that Bruce would have even the slightest bit of faith in him remained a mystery. He would always treat him as an afterthought, may it be because of his age, because of his upbringing, because of who he used to be, and he absolutely hated it.Overthrown by an infuriated, yet also defeated depression, Damian sulked his way to the gym and took out all of his frustrations on Jason’s old punching bag that that still hung in the corner. But even picturing his old man’s face on the warn leather didn’t help calm him down, no matter how hard he punched and kicked at it.He kept it up for much longer than he probably should have; his body was dripping with sweat and his knuckles were cut. He only stopped when the door to the gym opened and Stephanie poked her head in, her expression entirely concerned. He looked at her, his chest heaving while he tried to regain his breath. She hesitated for a moment before shooting him a small smile.His eyes narrowed and he turned away. “Desist.” He snarled, readying himself to strike the bag again. As much as he usually enjoyed her company, now he really just wanted to be alone. “I’m not in the mood.”Stephanie’s frown grew and she stepped inside the room, hands held behind her back. “I’m not here to bother you,” she said quietly. “I’m just here to say that…”He lowered his arms once again and looked at her, one eyebrow raised. Taking a deep breath, Stephanie sighed.“That I’m sorry I couldn’t have been more help at the Gala, or…any other time really. I know how much it meant to you to be put on the case.”Her words brought his frigid mood down slightly and he calmed a bit. She should have been aware that it wasn’t any fault of hers that Bruce had a cast iron heart. It almost made him even more irritated at his father for making her upset.“Yeah, well…” he muttered, his eyes shifting to the floor. “It doesn’t matter now, does it? My father has made his decision. He wants me to stay in Gotham for the time being to take care of things here.”“Well why don’t we go out on patrol tonight and see if we can pick up anything else? There’s bound to be more clues around here.”Damian pursed his lips. “We?” he questioned. “Need I remind you that you are not a crime fighter?”Stephanie leaned her head to the side, her wild, unkempt hair falling in front of her face. She reached up and pushed it away quickly.“Why must you hurt my feelings when I’m just trying to be nice?” she asked with a slight, sarcastic wine to her tone. “I can fight, can’t I?”“That’s debatable.”“Just let me help you! I’m here, I’m offering!”“You mean like you helped me last night?”Stephanie threw her hands up in the air. “I did help last night! Because of me we got away with sneaking around in your fathers office.” As soon as the words left her mouth her cheeks turned pink and he shifted awkwardly in his spot. She swallowed. “You know I can help you with this, even if it is just a little bit. If anything goes wrong, I can have your back.” Her expression softened and she brought her shoulders up in a slow shrug. “Besides, four eyes are better than two.”Damian blinked, recalling himself saying something similar yesterday. He had sparred with her before, but he had never seen her in full action. If anyone were to attack them, he worried that she might be a liability or drawback, and he did work much better alone. That being said if anything was to happen to him and he did need assistance or even cannon fodder, he supposed she would be useful.Damian let out a sigh. “If you slow me down...”he warned. She immediately began to shake her head.“I won’t! I promise!” she said bringing her hands together as though she were praying.He gave one nod and turned his body to the side. “Fine! We, can go on patrol, but we leave as soon as the sun goes down, and if you’re even one minute late, I’m leaving without you.”Again, she nodded. “Okay!”Damian’s eyes rolled back in his head and stalked away, leaving her standing in her spot. He hoped he would not come to regret the decision later on. ********************* The sun set that night slightly later than it had been setting, spring was in full swing. Damian, clad in his Robin suit, stood in front of his bedrooms full length mirror, looking at the man he saw in the glass. He was so different than he used to be, and yet still so much the same; it was strange to see how far he had come from his first time stepping onto Gotham soil.His face was no longer as round as it had been when he was younger; he had shed the baby fat. Now, his jaw was chiseled, and square, much like his fathers. He looked older, it was true, but it was his eyes that had really aged him. They were tired, stern, not the eyes of a sixteen year old boy, but the eyes of someone who had seen too much.From the time he could walk he had been surrounded by death, either by his mother’s hands, his grandfathers, or his own. In fact, he had taken more lives than he could even count, and though his father had broken him of the habit, it had still taken its toll. It wasn’t until he was living with the Titans and was a little bit older that he realized that damage had been done to his well-being, though it was hard to admit to himself that he was a tainted soul.He often wondered if that was the reason he found it so hard to let others into his life, he was unsure of how to be normal person, as he never had to be normal before. He was raised by his maternal family to be a weapon, and by his paternal to be a tool. Though Bruce had tried to be an efficient father and give him a normal childhood, it wasn’t probable. How could it be when he worked for the Justice League?When he was thirteen, he was thrust into living with the Titans and was finally allowed for once in his life to wind down and be a kid. But the change was too sudden, and he felt awkward and out of place, despite trying his best to fit in. He blamed a lot of his current strife on that.Had he been able to be a normal teenager, he might have been able to communicate to others better. And if he could communicate with others better, perhaps he would have never come back to the manor and never would have been determined to prove himself to Bruce. He could finally admit to himself that he had overreacted at the Robin situation, but it was too late now to change anything, he was embarrassed to admit he had been wrong. The truth of the matter was that the idea of Tim being Robin alongside him and acting as his superior, had hurt him. He had spent years trying to do his father proud, trying to bend to every whim and become the person his father wanted him to be, only to be cast away and replaced. It hurt more than any flesh wound he had ever received. Damian Wayne was a better person than he had been when he was younger, it was true. But he would never be good enough for Bruce, something he was slowly becoming aware of.He sighed and put his mask on, pressing it gently against the bridge of his nose so that the adhesives would stick. The sun was just setting on the horizon, it was time he and Stephanie should be on their way.He quickly hastened down the hallway and stairs, his cape flowing behind him. He wasn’t surprised to see that Stephanie was absent from the entranceway, and he bitterly considered following out his own threat to leave her behind, but for some reason he froze just before the door, waiting impatiently, tapping his foot on the ground.He only waited for a few moments before she appeared, dressed in a tacky, black leather body with purple accents sewed onto it, including a large bat that spread across her breasts. On her head was a tight fitting cowl, much like Bruce’s, bat ears and all.Had it not have been poorly sewn, it may have looked sexy, but the rough details made it look mediocre at best.Damian raised an eyebrow as she approached. Her knee high boots thumped against the floor.“I thought I told you we were leaving as soon as the sun set!” he barked, momentarily ignoring her ghastly attire. She smiled at him.“You also told me you’d leave without me if I was late, and yet...here you stand.”He scowled at her, his eyes running down her body once again. “What the hell is that?”Stephanie looked down at herself as though his disgusted tone was surprising. “My costume? I made it myself.”“That much was obvious. Who are you supposed to be...Welfare Woman?”Stephanie rolled her eyes. “Ha, ha!” she fake laughed, throwing her hands on her hips. They were wide. Much wider than he thought they were and it made his mouth run dry. He swallowed and struggled to drag his vision back to her face, reminding himself to stay focused. “I’ll have you know that I remembered every exact step my high school home-ec teacher taught me.”“Whoever it was ought to be fired. That’s hideous.”“Come on, give me a break!” Stephanie stomped her foot, annoyed. “This took me all afternoon to sew; don’t tell me you think you could do any better.”“I most certainly, could do a hell of a lot better.” He chuffed, smirking slightly. “Why do you even need a costume? A mask and sweatpants would have sufficed.”“Well, I figured that if I’m going to be working alongside Robin, I might as well have a cool outfit to match. I was thinking maybe I could be the new Batgirl. What do you think?”Damian gave her a thick look. “There hasn’t been a Batgirl for years. Not since Gordon was put in the chair.”“Great! So it’s the perfect time for a new one, no one will see it coming!”A short silence fell around them before finally Damian huffed and mumbled to himself in a whisper. “Lord help me...” he turned and pulled the door open, throwing a look back at her. “It’s fine, let’s just go! We’ve wasted enough time.”The pair went down to the bat-cave and Stephanie followed him to his motorcycle. She stopped however upon seeing that he was readying it for their trip. Her large eyes blinked underneath her cowl.“Erm...why can’t we take the Porsche?” she asked as he swung one leg over the side of the bike. He looked at her, his hands gripping the handlebars.“Because, the Porsche is Damian Wayne’s car,” he responded dryly. “Not Robin’s. Does the concept of secret identity mean anything to you? Besides, the bike is more agile. ”She rubbed her arm slightly, her eyes gliding over the small vehicle. “Okay, but...I’ve never really...been on a motorcycle before. Is it safe?”Damian sighed. “If you’re worried about your safety on a motorcycle, you may as well give up on the Batgirl dream.”Stifling back her fear, Stephanie inhaled through her nose and walked over to the bike, gripping Damian’s shoulders and hoisting herself behind him. When she plopped down in the seat, Damian felt her press against him and he swallowed, shaking his head slightly. He had never had anyone on the back before when he rode Dick’s old bike, he wasn’t used to the feel of it.Stephanie looked around her legs for a moment. “What the hell am I supposed to hold on to?” she asked. Damian leaned his head over his shoulder to look back at her, thinking for a moment.“Me, I guess?” he said awkwardly. Whatever skin that wasn’t covered by her cowl turned pink.“Just don’t get me killed, okay?” She mumbled and her arms dropped down, her hands clutching at his utility belt. He nodded and turned the bikes keys, revving it and taking off out of the bat-cave.The jolt of the bike blasting off caused Stephanie to squeak some sort of terrified welp and her arms flew around Damian’s midsection, holding on to him for dear life. His heart fluttered a bit in his chest at the motion, but he continued to drive quickly, the pair of them flying towards the city. This he definitely wasn’t used to, but he probably could get used to it. The feeling was nice and comforting, though still set him out of balance.When they reached the heart of the city, Damian pulled into a darkened ally and came to a stop, placing his foot down on the pavement to stabilize them. Stephanie didn’t move, she continued to hold him tightly, almost as though she believed they were still moving. After a few seconds of being motionless, she relaxed and leaned away from him, her hands slowly dragging off of his body in a way that made him question if she really wanted to let go.“That wasn’t...so bad.” She said, her voice almost gasping for air. “Like a roller-coaster; just without seat belts, or guardrails, or the comforting reassurance that I will make it off alive.”“Stop your wining. You’re fine.” He grumbled, feeling the motorcycle shift as she climbed off and pressed her back against the brick building that they had pulled up to. Damian took the keys out of the ignition and got off as well, kicking the kickstand of the bike down with his foot.“Now what do we do?” she asked. “I don’t really know how this whole patrol thing works.”“Now we wait for a signal. My bikes radio picks up crime transmissions meant for the police, and if something really serious happens, an alarm in my mask will go off letting me know.”“Gucci.”Damian walked beside Stephanie and leaned against the wall as well, their shoulders only inches apart. They weren’t touching but it was still close enough to cause a thick layer of tension to fill the air, but neither young adult moved. Damian crossed his arms.The city around them was loud; cars were bustling through the streets, people were laughing, yelling and talking and every few moments the odd siren would wiz past. Damian detested it, he was raised in the quiet solitude of the Himalaya’s and even during his time in Gotham and San Francisco he had lived far enough away from the downtown area that noise wasn’t an issue. He had no idea how Dick and Kor’i could live happily in a place like this. He could barely think.“So,” Stephanie began after a while. “If Tim and Bruce find anything, they’ll probably be back at the manor by tomorrow morning, huh?” it was a question. Damian swallowed, the sudden realization hitting him.“Even if they don’t find anything, I’m sure they’ll be back.” He said. The idea of Tim coming back disappointed him a bit. He had grown used to his time alone with Stephanie; they wouldn’t be able to get that anymore if her boyfriend returned. “You...must be excited?”Stephanie reached up with her hands and began twisting a small section of hair that fell below her cowl. She was quiet for a moment before answering. “Of course I’m excited. I miss him a lot.”Damian nodded. He could swear that he heard a slight trace of doubt in her tone, but knew deep down that it was foolish to think that was true. He was younger than her, he was difficult, he was...well...Damian Wayne, and she had a boyfriend. Just because they had become companions during the last few weeks and had shared a few moments didn’t mean that she had to gain feelings for him. Hell, he shouldn’t even have feelings for her, but his hormones were raging, he had an excuse at least for his lack of control.She cleared her throat lightly. “But, I’m sure he’ll be gone again soon enough. It will probably be like that until they figure this whole thing out, or you know...for the rest of our lives. He’s always put work in front of me.”They were trailing into territory that Damian didn’t necessarily feel comfortable with. A girl complaining about her boyfriend was never a good thing, and it was ten times worse when she was complaining to someone who had absolutely no idea how to help or even react. It was also probably a horrible sign that he was indeed being friend zoned.“It’s not like he works at Chick-fil-A, is it? He saves lives, helps people. He kind of has to prioritize that.” He absolutely couldn’t believe he was defending Tim Drake. What was the world coming to?Stephanie threw a look that screamed betrayal at him. She was obviously expecting him to sympathize with her. “Yeah, well...it sucks. He’s gone more than he’s with me, and when he goes, half the time he doesn’t even ask me, he just up and leaves.”She looked back in front of her, her eyebrows knitting together in the middle of her forehead. “And more than half the time when he is with me, he ignores me because he’s too busy thinking about work or trying to figure things out. I’m always the second priority. The only time he really puts all of his attention on me is when we have s-” She stopped herself at looked back at Damian, wide eyed.Damian’s cheeks burned slightly and he avoided eye contract. Of course it was easy for him to assume that she and Tim were sexually active, but that didn’t mean he wanted it confirmed, especially by her telling him. The absolute last thing he wanted to picture was Tim’s gangly arms holding her throughout the night; in fact, it was enough to make him feel physically ill.“W-well,” Stephanie sputtered, trying to back track. “He just...he doesn’t put me first very often.”“He and my father make a good pair then.”“Honestly. A match made in heaven.” Stephanie chuckled. “It’s weird...you, Dick, Jason, Tim...you’ve all been Robin before but...you’re all so different. Tim’s a smarty-pants workaholic, Dick’s a huge goofball, Jason’s a total jerk and you...”He looked at her, his eyes lidded slightly. For some reason while he waited for her to continue his heart hammered against his rib-cage. He could feel the blood pumping through his entire body. She looked at him and their eyes met for a moment, her smile falling slightly. In an attempt to wet his suddenly dry lips, Damian ran his tongue slowly between them, causing her gaze to fall from his eyes to his mouth. A strange sense of panic began to swim behind her eyes and guilt washed over him. That had been the wrong thing to do clearly, but now he couldn’t stop himself.“What am I?” he asked huskily. She blinked and her jaw fell slightly before she physically shook her head and looked away.“You?” she repeated in a squeak. “You, Damian Wayne, are kind of an enigma. You can be a complete and total ass-hat, and you’re difficult and patronizing...but,” she paused and he leaned his head to the side. “Deep down I think you’re a really sad, lonely person who is just looking for acceptance.”Well that didn’t go where he had expected it to. She had hit the nail on the head, but definitely not what he expected her to say. Damian’s eyebrows narrowed and he looked at his motorcycle. “I’m neither sad, nor lonely. I don’t need people in my life.”“Why do you keep saying that?” Stephanie asked in a plea. “Everyone needs someone. Even the most independent person on this planet needs someone. You can say that you like being alone as much as you want, but I don’t buy it. Not for one second.”“Then don’t. I’ve never asked you to. My life is none of your business.”Stephanie frowned at him, leaning away from the wall slightly. “Damian, why do you do this? You start to open up and be an actual human being but turn around two seconds later and deny yourself and anyone else from helping. Why?”Before he could answer her the radio of the motorcycle began to go off, first static and then a muffled deep voice.“Calling units 23 and 24. We have a 10-66 on the corner of Broly and Elmsdale. If you could swing by and give that a look-over that would be great.”“Copy.”Stephanie watched as Damian pushed off of the wall and walked over to the motorcycle again, climbing back onto it. She followed and did the same.“What does that mean?” she asked, gripping his sides tightly.“Suspicious person sighted. It’s probably nothing but I want to check it out.”“Okay.” ************************* They got there quickly, much quicker than the police did. Damian made sure to hide his motorcycle out of view in case they showed up, and the two looked around the area the best they could. Of course, he knew that whoever it had been was probably long gone, and even if they were still around the area they most likely had nothing to do with his father’s case, but taking a look wouldn’t hurt. They didn’t have long however, he assumed the police would be there in a matter of minutes.The area that they were in was suburban; a small playground that was surrounded by bush and middle classed homes. Stephanie had insisted she look around the playground where she felt a bit safer, so Damian took to searching in the shrubbery. The chances of either of them finding anything was slim to nothing.“I’m not seeing anything.” Stephanie called back to him; she clutched her phone tightly in her hand, using the flashlight to search around the metal playground. “Maybe we should get out of here before the police show up.”Damian gave one more look behind one of the shrubs and sighed. “You may be right.” He stepped out of the bushes and back into the view of the playground. “I’m not seeing anything here, whoever it was is probably long gone.”He froze upon seeing Stephanie standing there, her jaw dropped, her eyes wide and complete terror playing on her face. She was staring at something behind him, her body as still as a statue. Damian furrowed his brows and quickly turned around.About ten feet behind him, hidden in the bushes was a pair of large, glowing yellow eyes, staring at the two oh them. They were not quite human, but also not quite animal either, and the way they looked at the two, still and emotionless was bone chilling.Slowly reaching into his cloak, Damian grabbed the hilt of his katana, readying himself for whatever the thing was to jump out at them. Its large yellow eyes followed the movement and narrowed, before the shadowy figure quickly turned and sprinted away, jumping over someone’s fence. Damian didn’t hesitate to dive after it, Stephanie close at his heels. They both flew over the fence, trying their best not to lose it.Because of the dark, it was almost impossible to see what exactly they were chasing. But whatever it was was running on all fours and the movements it made were irregular and disturbing. Its front arms seemed longer than its back, and it was pushing itself at an inhuman speed, over fences and through yards before finally disappearing out of sight.Damian stopped running and looked around wildly, trying to listen for the creature. The only thing he could hear, however, was Stephanie bumbling after him, a slight pant to her voice.“What...the hell...was...that thing?”she demanded, coming to a stop beside him. He shook his head.“I have no idea.”His eyes landed in the grass in front of them on a small bit of blue cloth. He walked forward and picked it up, running his fingers over the material. It was a handkerchief, embroidered with a small golden ‘W’ at the bottom left corner. Stephanie walked up behind him and peered over his shoulder.“Pretty.” She said. “What is it?”“It’s pashmina.” He responded. “Egyptian pashmina.”They looked at each other. “That could mean...” Stephanie began. Damian nodded.“We may have just found who we are looking for.”A crack of thunder brought both young beings back into reality and they looked up at the sky just in time for their faces to be pelted with a horribly cold, and sudden down pour.They rushed back to Damian’s motorcycle, being careful to stay out of sight from the police that were now scouring the area, and zoomed back to the bat-cave.By the time they arrived, they were both absolutely drenched; the cold air of the damp, stone cave causing their already freezing bodies to shiver underneath their costumes. They were both in dire need of a warm shower.Damian looked towards the shower room of the cave, remembering the lack of privacy that the showers had to offer. The idea of the two of them showering together made his groin twitch and he shuddered.He turned to Stephanie who was standing there, hugging herself, teeth chattering together in a dramatic display. He nodded towards the shower room. “There are showers over there, you can go first.”She looked at him. Her lips did seem a bit blue. “Y-you sure? I-I can j-just go u-u-upstairs.”“Alfred might scalp you if you track all of this water on his hardwood.” he joked, looking down at the water that was literally dripping off of them. “Go, I can wait. Just don’t take forever.”She nodded her head and rushed towards the shower room. He listened for a moment until the water began to run, then he dragged himself over to the computers. He was so uncomfortable in his soaked outfit, that half of him prayed she would be quick, but the other half wanted to dive right into figuring out who this mysterious ‘W’ person was. He shakily placed the handkerchief down on the computer desk before typing onto the keyboard.Bringing up a list of every enemy his father had faced, he went straight to the W’s; some of them he knew already, others he didn’t but their descriptions hardly matched the thing that he and Stephanie had seen. The closest person he could find was someone known as “Werewolf”, but the picture that went with his bio barely matched either. Whoever the person, or creature, or whatever it was they saw, was, must have been someone Bruce hadn’t come into contact yet. He had told Damian that new villains had been popping up; maybe this was one of them.Damian read a little bit more, but it was hard to concentrate both for the fact that he felt as though he may be developing hypothermia, and because his mind was desperately trying to force images of Stephanie in the shower onto him.He could hear the water running and could only imagine her inside, lathering up, running her hands through her hair and all over her body. He could almost perfectly picture the rounding of her hips, the curve of her backside, and the point of her breasts as they hit the cool air. And he could also almost imagine himself there with her, touching her, making her say his name the way she had the other night, but for real.Damian swallowed and closed his eyes, cursing himself. He despised the inescapable thoughts that were flooding his brain. Why, why, why was the curse of being in his sexual prime so daunting at the absolute worst times?The water stopped suddenly and the young Wayne straightened, his eyes focusing back on the large monitor screen. Thank every god there was that it was too cold for him to sprout an unwanted erection.“Ah!” Stephanie’s voice happily sighed from the door of the shower room. “That feels so much better!”The sound of her bare feet slapping against the floor caused him to look towards her, and he almost dropped dead to see that she was clad only in a white towel, one of her hands holding it tightly in front of her chest preventing it from falling down. He swallowed and looked back at the screen again, trying to focus on the words. What was she trying to do to him? Was this some sort of sick joke?“Shower’s all yours.” She said as she reached him. He didn’t respond. “What are you doing?”“Trying to see if there’s anything on this mystery ‘W’ person on the database.” He said seriously, his eyes flicking quickly from one side of the screen to the other as he pretended to read. She looked at the screen as well.“Any luck?”Why couldn’t she just leave? “No. Nothing.”“Lemme see.” Stephanie leaned in front of him, reaching to take hold of the handkerchief. His eyes glided down to her shoulder blades, watching as her wet hair fell off her shoulders, exposing her soft looking skin. He bit his bottom lip.She stood back up straight and looked at the small piece of cloth, closing one of her eyes as if it would help her see better.“Hm, it definitely belongs to a woman.” She said after a few seconds. His eyebrows furrowed and he snatched the pashmina from her hands, looking at it.“How do you know?”She pointed her pinky finger at the small ‘W’. “Look at the way the ‘W’ curls on the side. Kind of feminine, don’t you think? Guess our weird dog person is actually a lady.”Damian shrugged.“Also, does this look like a spider web to you?” Stephanie asked, moving her finger down slightly to the corner of the letter. Damian squinted and brought the cloth closer to his face. Sure enough, in the very bottom of the letter, where the first two strokes met, there was a very small spider web embroidered. It was barely noticeable, but he still felt a bit shamed that he had not seen the small detail. Had he not been so distracted perhaps he would have.“I guess so; now that you mention it.” He agreed with a nod. They looked at it quietly for a moment before Stephanie gasped, bringing her hand in front of her mouth. Damian looked at her.“You don’t think it’s Spiderman...do you?” she asked before breaking into her goofy smile. Damian would have face palmed had it not been beneath him. Instead his gave one half snigger, the corners of his mouth dragging up slightly.“Funny.” He said sarcastically. Their eyes met, and for a moment the humor kept things innocent. But the longer they looked into each other’s eyes, the dicier the situation became. Damian swallowed deeply and Stephanie’s eyelids fell as her gaze moved to his lips. Her eyes began to flutter, and he suddenly became very nervous. He had the strangest and most irrational feeling that she was going to try and kiss him, and he honestly didn’t know what to do if she did. So before she had time to do anything, if that was even what she had in mind, he turned and cleared his throat.“Well, I’m going to get in the shower now.”Stephanie’s eyes widened and her eyebrows furrowed, he supposed in embarrassment. “Yeah,” she agreed with a nod, turning herself away as well. “I need to uh...put something other than a towel on.”“Probably a good idea.” He muttered before beginning to walk towards the shower.“Probably.” She set off in the opposite direction towards the elevator. Could things possibly get any more awkward? **************************** Damian ruffled his hair in the small hand towel that he had grabbed from his personal washroom, trying his best to dry it. He had just put on a fresh pair of flannel pajamas pants and a tee-shirt and was finally warm and comfortable again; more comfortable in more ways than one.His shower had been pleasant, and although it was a bit hard for him to shake his awkward evening with Stephanie, he tried his best to focus on the handkerchief. He had wondered where to go from there; should he tell Bruce or should he peruse it on his own? In all honesty, he didn’t want to tell his father. He knew it was essentially the right thing to do, but he didn’t want to give Bruce the satisfaction of taking yet another one of his own findings away from him. So, knowing that he and Tim would be back by morning, Damian took the handkerchief up to his room, hid it and made the decision to figure it out by himself. He had confidence that he would be able to.Damian folded the towel over the back of a plaid armchair that sat by his bed and walked over to his mattress, throwing the covers away. He was mentally exhausted from the evening, and was ready for sleep. But before he could get into bed however, a very quiet knock on his door stopped him. He sighed, knowing full well who it was.Slugging his way over to the door, he pulled it open to see Stephanie standing there, a light pink tinge to her cheeks, her hazel eyes staring straight into his chest, as though she were looking past him. He raised an eyebrow.“Can I come in?” she demanded, her voice shaking slightly.A bit concerned by her livid demeanor Damian opened the door all the way and stepped aside, allowing her to walk past him, into his room. She turned around to face him but said nothing, giving him the notion that she was waiting for him to close the door. Whatever was wrong with her was serious, and it made him a bit uneasy. He had seen her upset, he had seen her flustered, but this raw emotion was something new, and he wasn’t sure what to make of it.He pushed the door into its hinges with a click, and looked at her. Opening his mouth to ask her what was wrong, he was too slow and she took a breath, about to exhale every single thought that was on her mind.“Look, I don’t know if you think this is a joke or a game...but you need to stop this whole...angsty, flirty, innocent bad boy routine. Because whatever the fuck you’re doing...it’s getting old.”Her voice was like a dogs bark, sharp and violent. The words processed for a moment in Damian’s mind before they finally clicked and he made a face, completely taken aback.“What the hell are you talking about?” he questioned, panic beginning to rise in his stomach. “The only thing I was doing was trying to do was go to bed in my own goddamn room, which you so rudely interrupted.”Stephanie slammed both of her arms into the air by her sides; anger steaming out of her so profusely that had the room been colder, steam probably would have been boiling off of her body.“Cut the crap Damain!” she yelled, causing the man to flinch. She began to pace the floor, her brows furrowing. “The goo-goo eyes, the teasing, the fucking...abs of rock hard fucking steal, are you serious?” Again she turned to face him, her expression desperate. “You’re a kid, I’m not interested! Flattered, but not interested.”Damian’s heart sunk and every single uncomfortable encounter they had shared, ever, came flying into his head, turning his thoughts into a jumbled mess; in this moment he probably wouldn’t have been able to solve the simplest of math equations.He shook his head, trying to clear his mind so that he could form words. “What?”“You’re into me!”“Are you drunk?” Of course he knew the answer was no, she was perfectly sober. His mind was racing, trying to think of ways to defend himself for every single situation. He knew that she wouldn’t have been interested in him; he knew that it was an idiot thing to think. But then why hadn’t she pushed him away when they were sparring? Why did it look like she was going to kiss him earlier that evening? And why was she getting mad at him? He needed excuses, and he needed them fast. “What in god’s name gave you the impression that I’m interested in you?”Stephanie threw her head back and cackled manically. “Oh, no, no. There are those walls you love so much.” She pointed her index finger at him firmly, taking a step closer. “You might think that you’re all broody and mysterious, but I can see right through you, pal!”Damian shook his head, planting his hands on his narrow hips and staring down at her as seriously as he could. “I really don’t think you can. You need to get off whatever high horse you climbed on, because I’m-”Before he could finish, Stephanie surprised him yet again, cutting off his words, his train of thought, and quite possibly, his heart.“Do you want to kiss me?”“Wh-what?”“Do. You. Want. To. Kiss. Me?”Where had that come from? Damian’s hands immediately went sweaty, and he could feel his pulse racing.Wasn’t she just mad at him, telling him to leave her alone? Why the hell was she asking him about kissing? What. Was. Happening?Damian swallowed roughly, trying to force saliva down his throat that wasn’t really there. He had become dry very suddenly and needed something to drink. Water, juice, vodka. He would take anything at this point.Stephanie’s searching eyes looked deep into his for an answer, and not only an answer, but the answer she wanted. Damian felt confused. Of course he had thought about kissing her before, he had even begrudgingly caught himself admiring her plump lips, longing to know what they felt like, what they tasted like. But the idea of it made him nervous, she made him nervous. Not to mention that she already had a boyfriend, not that he really gave two shits about what Tim Drake had to say about it.Stephanie took another deep breath and she began towards him, every step seeming to fall in slow motion. Finally she reached him; standing only mere inches away. His breathing slowed even more as she raised one of her hands and placed it flat against him chest; she suddenly seemed so small.Her eyes shifted up to his and they clashed again with his. In the tiniest of whispers, as though her voice was failing her, she repeated herself, and the slight hopefulness in her tone had the man before her undone.“Do you want to kiss me, Damian?”It only took a moment before his lips moved on their own; ignoring every red flag his mind was sending them. “Yes.”Stephanie swallowed and the corners of her lips pulled up ever so slightly, like she was trying to hide happiness. It warmed Damian’s heart slightly, but didn’t help with the fact that he absolutely no idea what to do next. Luckily, Stephanie was well aware of his inexperience and she began to brush her thumb over the peck that her hand rested on. The movement was enough to melt Damian into a puddle and his arms slowly rose. His hands hovered over her hips for a moment before he gently rested them on them. Stephanie smiled and leaned up towards him, pressing herself onto her tippy toes.Her lips ghosted Damian’s for a moment, her cool breath brushing against his skin with every shallow breath she took. He swallowed and closed his eyes, unbelievably out of his element. Nonetheless, he held her a little bit tighter and pulled her hips into him, hesitantly touching his tips lightly to hers. Despite how light the touch was, it still was enough to send shivers running through his nerves, and when Stephanie pushed into him a little bit more roughly, the whole world around him broke.Her lips were soft. For the very first time in his entire life, he felt real, like a genuine real person, not just a ruthless killing machine or a wondering, ticking time bomb. He was here, and so was Stephanie; their lips slowly moving together, awkwardly trying to find a rhythm.It was clumsy, but that was to be expected for a first kiss. Stephanie was trying her best to guide him through it, working her mouth against his while her head leaned to the side to avoid their noses bumping together. She was much more experienced than he was; it was a first for them. In fact, it wasn’t just the fact that Damian had never been kissed by a woman before; he had never been kissed by another human before, period. Not his mother, not his grandfather, not his many nannies or his father. The closest affection he had ever received had been the very rare hug from Bruce, or from Dick. But letting his walls down enough to engage in an act as intimate as lip locking was something very foreign.Stephanie’s hand pressed into his chest and she began to push him backwards. He didn’t know why, but he complied, slowly taking steps back to avoid her stepping on his own feet, their lips never once parting. His back eventually hit his bookshelf, causing it to wobble but it caused neither of the two preoccupied humans any bother.Stephanie’s hands ran up his body and snaked around his neck, bringing him even closer, her lips parting. Instinctively, Damian’s tongue dipped into her mouth, cautiously, only to be accepted by her own, and his own arms closed around her, pulling her flush against him.It was wrong, so very wrong. But it felt right to him; right in a way that nothing else really had. It wasn’t just his hormones that wanted this, that needed this, it was him.Damian’s breath began to wear thin, and as much as he wanted to continue his fight for dominance in this kissing game, he needed air. So he turned his head to the side, pulling his lips away from Stephanie’s for the first time. Like a machine, Stephanie immediately moved her lips to his jaw, kissing from his chin up to his ear. Taking his lobe between her teeth she nibbled slightly, running the very tip of her tongue over his sensitive skin.Damian shivered and a sound that surprised even him escaped through his teeth; he could feel Stephanie smile against him at the noise and she quickly began to work her way down his neck. It was far too much for a first kiss, but Damian didn’t care, in only a few hours Tim would be back, and gone would be the possibility of this ever happening again. He would enjoy it for the short time they had. However, when Stephanie’s hands wormed their way underneath of his shirt, and began running along the hemline of his flannels, his stomach turned.Damian pulled away, even though, in reality, it was the very last thing he wanted to do; his mind was a hot mess of muddled emotion, and he understood almost none of them, it made him nervous. More than anything he wanted to believe himself to be better than the average hormone driven teenager; he didn’t want to fall into the grotesque patterns of sexual desire and unveiling relationships. But as Stephanie’s lidded eyes looked up at him in confusion, and her swollen lips parted slightly, the only thing he wanted to do was to give in. It was shameful and a complete betrayal to the years he had spent focusing on discipline.Her grip around his neck tightened as he tried to pull away completely, he swallowed.“We should…stop.” He mumbled, though his voice wasn’t working the way he wanted it to. Her pale eyebrows furrowed and her eyes searched his, for what he did not know.“I don’t want to.” She said quickly. He looked back at her and for a few moments they were quiet. When he didn’t say anything, a faint blush swept over the bridge of her nose and cheeks. “Do you…want to?”He honestly didn’t know what to say, his mind was warring with itself. What they were doing was wrong already, bringing sex into the equation would be far worse, something they couldn’t come back from. Not to mention that Damian had never even kissed a girl until moments ago, not that his carnal virtue mattered to him, but jumping to lose his virginity just because of a heavy make out session seemed impulsive.Stephanie’s arms loosened from around his neck and she leaned away slightly, embarrassment clouding her expression; it automatically made him feel a tad bit of guilt. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to, because God knew he did. He wanted nothing more than to let go and give her everything she wanted. He was only human after all. “I’m sorry…I didn’t…this was stupid, I know you’re young….I shouldn’t have-”It was the young part that got him. It was true he was only sixteen, but he had never been young, not even as a child. By the time he could talk he was well aware of the roll he had to play, and how everything in the world worked. He was tired of people telling him what he could and could not do just because of his age.He swooped down quickly to cut her off, his lips roughly pressing into her once again. If she didn’t want to stop, then fine. They wouldn’t stop.Bending slightly, he picked her up, hoisting her so that her legs could rest on what little hips he had. She wrapped her legs around him tightly and he took them over to his bed, placing her down on the mattress. Again he was unsure of what to do and stood there for a moment, looking at her. Stephanie gave a sympathetic look.“Damian,” she said quietly, gently, but her voice dripped with lust. “You don’t have to do this if you don’t want to.”“Of course I want to.” He blurted, but immediately blushed and quieted. “I just…” Stephanie smiled and beckoned him down to her with her index finger, her smile nothing but seductive. Damian gulped but lowered himself on top of her, allowing her to fall back onto her back. They looked at each other for a moment, taking each other in before her hand lightly touched his cheek.“Don’t worry,” she said in a whisper, “I’ll go easy on you.”“Tt…” Damian smirked. He was absolutely grateful that high blood pressure wasn’t an issue for him because his heart was beating so fast it should have been a concern.She had said she would go easy on him, but that was the last thing she had did. After they had made out for a little bit more they fumbled around with foreplay, and by god…Stephanie nearly did him in there.He had gone down on her first; utterly curious as to what it would be like, though he was a bit nervous he wouldn’t perform well. He was extremely pleased when her cries of pleasure wrung out through his room and her thighs squeezed slightly around his head, letting him know that maybe he wasn’t so bad.When it was her turn, the world around them stopped. Damian growled and almost fell apart as her plump lips enclosed around him and her warm tongue pressed against his skin, while she bobbed up and down, sucking him in. It was heavenly and he finally understood what the other male Titan’s had gone on about whenever they would talk about getting head. It might have just been his new favourite thing.When it came to the sex, Stephanie was hesitant at first, trying her best to go at his pace, fully forgetting that he was a man, and a man’s desired pace for the first time was much faster than a woman’s. Once they got into a rhythm, she let loose and became an animal. Damian tried his best to hold on for as long as he could, using every single conditioning method he had ever learned, but the way she ground against his hips, the way her warm sex clenched around him, it was too much.He thrust into her rapidly, roughly pulling her hips down to him each time. If there was any pain, she didn’t mind, as her soft yet constant moans proved. With the last few thrusts he gave, her back arched from the bed and she cried out his name, pushing him over the edge.Damian pulled himself out of her and fell to her side, lying on his back, trying relentlessly to regain his breath. Stephanie was doing the same, panting and breathing, her chest rising and falling with each gasp she took.When his eyes focused, he looked at her. He wasn’t sure if it was the endorphins being released in his mind that were making him think it, but she looked perfectly beautiful to him. Her skin was milky and soft, her breasts were just the right size. She had a thin layer of fat coating her stomach and her thighs, but it was sexy to him, especially in that moment.His green eyes fell on the slight bump of her lower abdomen and the large scar that rest there, the proof that she had indeed carried a child.She may have taken his, but he wasn’t the one who had taken her virginity. He wasn’t even the second man that she was with physically, but he still felt alive nonetheless, and so did she.Stephanie lay with him in silence for a little while, before getting up, getting dressed, and leaving the room without saying another word. It worried Damian slightly that perhaps he had done something wrong, or that she maybe regretted it in the end. Now that his mind wasn’t clouded by lust, he could think clearly, and he thought that perhaps what they had done hadn’t been the best idea. There were many factors playing against them; the fact that he was younger, the fact that they had only known each other for a matter of weeks, the fact that she had a boyfriend.His overactive mind kept him up almost the entire night, worrying that the selfish act would be the end to his and Stephanie’s relationship. What had they been thinking? Clearly, they hadn't been.Damian didn’t even know what time it was when he heard two pairs of footsteps walking somewhere in the hallway and his heart dropped. Tim and Bruce were back. What was going to happen now that Tim was back in the picture?Slapping his hands over his face, Damian groaned. Just like that things had become even more complicated for him, and he had no one but himself to blame. But what else was new?
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
By the time Damian left his room the next day to go downstairs for his “morning coffee”, it was just a little bit before lunchtime. He was tired from his late night the night before, and was honestly dreading whatever interactions he would have in the hours to come, no matter who they were with. And of course, as though the gods were punishing him for wrong doings he had committed in a past life, as he turned the corner into the kitchen, who was he to see but Tim and Stephanie, sitting at the island, both with coffees in their hands. Damian stopped dead in his tracks, his heart plummeting out of his body.The couple turned to face him, but Stephanie’s face immediately went pale and she quickly looked back at her drink, only making the young Wayne feel worse than he already did. Tim on the other hand smiled at the boy and stood up, crossing the room towards him.“Damian,” he announced, holding out his hand. Damian hesitantly lifted his own, only for his forearm to be grabbed by Drake in some sort of bro-ish hand…arm shake. Where had this sudden hospitality come from? “Long time no see.”“Yeah…” Damian mumbled, giving Tim the same look he would give him had he just sprouted a second head. Tim dropped his hand and gave a serious nod.“Listen, I just wanted to thank you for information you found and gave to Bruce yesterday.”Tim patted the younger man’s shoulder and walked back over to the table and sat. He looked at Damian and nodded his head to the stool beside him, motioning him to sit as well. Damian swallowed and his eyes shifted to Stephanie who was still concentrated on her coffee.“Were you…were you able to find anything?” he said after a moment, slowly walking over to sit down. Every step he took, his legs felt heavier and heavier and he almost felt faint.Tim’s hands wrapped around his mug and he watched the younger man slowly take the stool. “Yes actually. There was a lot of stuff there on Bruce, a lot of stuff on…” he stopped himself for a moment, causing Damian’s interest to perk, but the boy in front of him merely frowned and changed his direction of speech. “We found an address, so we’re going to go check that out tonight. Hopefully it won’t be a dead-end.”“What else did you find, Drake?”Tim stiffened and took a sip of his coffee. Stephanie’s hazel eyes shifted up to him, she too looked curious, obviously he hadn’t told her either.“Nothing. That was it.” A lie. Well, Damian wouldn’t push, he would find out himself eventually.“What is the address?” Damian asked, folding his hands in front of him on the table. Tim gave him a look.“You know I can’t tell you that, Damian. I’m sorry, but Bruce doesn’t want you on the field for this. Why can’t you accept that?”Damian scoffed. He had no idea why his father was being so stubborn about this particular case. It wasn’t unusual for him to stick to his guns, but this was just unreal and unnecessary.“Besides,” Tim started with a slight grin. “You’re doing a good job here, figuring things out from the sidelines, and taking care of Steph.”Stephanie, who had been drinking her coffee, began to choke violently, spitting a mouthful of liquid onto the table. Tim looked at her worriedly, Damian almost dropped dead.“Stephanie,” Tim questioned, his eyebrows furrowed. “Are you okay?”She continued to cough, trying to regain her breath, and patted violently at her chest. She nodded her head. “Y-yup. Peachy.” She said between wheezes. When she began to calm her eyes landed on Damian and she froze. Both beings looked at each other, clear awkwardness filling the atmosphere around them. Tim looked from one to the other, raising one eyebrow. The blonde blinked and tore her gaze away from the green eyed boy, looking instead at her boyfriend. “Actually, Tim…I’m not feeling very well all of a sudden.”“Do you need to go lay down?”“No, it’s just a headache.” She said, standing up and turning towards the cupboard. She grabbed hold of the dish cloth and returned to the table, wiping away at the mess she had made. “But, do you…mind getting me something?”Tim looked at her for a moment before shaking his head and also getting to his feet. “Not at all, I’ll be right back.”Quickly, he walked over to her and pressed his lips firmly against her forehead, and then he took off out of the room, his footsteps disappearing down the hall. The air became thick and knot formed in Damian’s stomach. Here it goes.Stephanie took a short breath and sat back in her stool, her hand clenching the dish cloth tightly. Her eyes shifted down and her cheeks became pink.“Damian,” she began weakly, quietly. “About last night…”The words made Damian want to leave the room, the manor even and never come back. He knew what she was going to say, she was about to tell him that she regretted it, which deep down he knew she would have. Not that he should care; at least it had been a bit of release from his teenage, sexual torment.He turned his head away from her, not wanting to hear her continue. “It was a mistake…I get it.”She looked at him with a frown, her eyebrows furrowing. “It wasn’t a mistake, Damian.” She said, her voice going even quieter. The words surprised him but he dare not look at her. She was just trying to sugar coat the truth. “I liked it. Like…really liked it.”Well that sparked his confidence. Part of him really hoped she wasn't just trying to be nice.She sighed again and let go of the cloth, putting her hands in her lap. “But it was wrong and it shouldn’t have happened. Honestly, I don’t know what came over me…must have been being out in the rain…went to my head.” She chuckled a bit, but he hardly found it funny. In fact, it really wasn’t funny at all. “I’m…sorry.”“I bet.”Her frown deepened. “But please…believe me; I did like it a lot. It just…can’t happen again, and we can’t bring it up anymore. Okay?”He turned to her, his expressions unreadable. “Alright. We won’t.”“Are you okay with that?” she asked, tilting her head to the side. Damian cocked an eyebrow.“Why wouldn’t I be okay with it?”“I don’t know,” the blonde shrugged. “Because it was your first time?”Damian almost laughed. “I’m not a woman, Brown. Losing my virginity means nothing to me.” He meant his words, losing his v-card had meant nothing to him. It was the sex with her itself that held some sort of value, but if she wanted to forget that it had happened, then there was really nothing he could do about it. It did bother him a bit, but not enough to make a fuss over.Stephanie crossed her arms over her chest, her breasts perking up slightly. It would be a bit hard for him to not picture her naked anymore though, now that he had that mental image engraved in his brain. He liked her breasts.“You don’t have to have a vagina for sex to mean something.” She spat, clearly offended by his words. He began to tap his fingertips on the table, trying his best to act uninterested.“Then I guess it’s just me.”Stephanie looked at him for a moment longer, waiting to see if he would say anything more. He didn’t, so she shook her head, looking away.“Fine. Whatever.” Her voice was a strange mixture of hurt, anger and annoyance, it confused the teen.“Why are you upset?” he questioned as he watched her get up and roughly toss the damp cloth into the sink. “You’re the one who’s ducking out.”Stephanie whipped around, her hazel orbs narrowed. “I am not ducking out!” she shouted, but quickly realized how loud she was being and sunk into herself, bringing her voice back to a whisper. “I have a boyfriend, and I just…slept with someone else! It was inappropriate!”“So it was a mistake?” Damian asked, raising an eyebrow.“Yes. No! Maybe…I don’t know!” the blonde became hysterical as she tried to make sense of her own feelings, and failed miserably. She huffed loudly. “All I know is it can’t happen again! Okay?”“I already agreed with you. Would you like it in writing?” Damian snapped coldly. As Stephanie groaned in frustration, Tim walked through the door, a bottle of pills in his hand. Her face spread with angered relief when she saw him.“On second thought, Tim. I am going to lie down!” she snarled, stomping over to him and grabbing the pills from his hand. “My headache just got ten times worse.”“Oh-okay…?” Tim stuttered, watching as she exited the kitchen and thumped towards the stairs. He turned to Damian, shooting him a questioning look. Damian shrugged his shoulders, though his insides were on fire.“Headache must be serious...” He spat, well aware of the venom that shot from his tongue. “She’s irritable.”Tim sighed and took his seat. “Yeah, she get’s like that sometimes. Sorry.” He brought his coffee to his lips, tipping his head back to drink the entirety of it. Damian shrugged again.“Your problem, not mine.”“Yeah, well…I do appreciate you tolerating her. She told me you guys have been hitting it off okay, which is all I could ask for. She tends to get a little…shack wacky if she’s left alone for too long.” Tim snickered to himself and rocked his mug in a circle on the table, the hollow sound it made grating on Damian’s brain.So she had told Tim they had been…hitting it off? Well, he supposed that was one way to put it, although he was unsure of how they would 'hit it off' from then on. It was going to be awkward for sure, and things were probably never going to be the same, but he hoped they would be able to find at least a little bit of normalcy.After a moment Tim cleared his throat. “Coffee?” he asked, causing the brunette to look at him. “You look like death warmed over.”“Thanks.” Damian said with the tiniest of nods. Tim got up, taking his own mug with him to prepare another cup. He made a sound at the back of his throat while he poured them.“Bruce thinks you should lay off a bit on the investigation.” He said sternly. “It’s okay for you to do research here, in the cave. But he thinks’ it would be better if you didn’t go out on any more patrols…or sneak around at any more Wayne Enterprises events.”He brought one coffee over and placed it in front of the teenager. His green eyes looked up at him. Funny that Bruce didn’t tell him that himself. Was it too much effort?“Then what the hell does he expect me to do with my time? Computer research is futile, what with the limited information the database has to offer.”Tim sat down and reached for the sugar dispenser that sat in the middle of the island. He began to pour a sickening amount, at least in Damian’s opinion, into his coffee.“I don’t know,” the older boy said with a shrug. “Your best?”Damian tutted and took a drink from his mug, the bitter liquid slightly soothing his equally bitter attitude. Coffee was good.“And just why is father so determined to keep me off of this case and away from patrolling? What aren’t you telling me?”Tim’s icy eyes looked at his younger “brother”, and he went quiet. Damian sneered slightly at loss of words the man seemed to have.“You’re not the only one who has a keen sense of perception, Drake. I may be young but I can assure you, I am not inept.”Tim stifled back and looked around the room, as if half expecting someone to appear. He sighed. “I never thought you were, Damian, and neither does Bruce.”“Then why pussyfoot around like you do? Tell me what’s really going on.”“Look. Bruce wants things kept quiet about it and I am not about to cross him just to satisfy your curiosity. If you want to know, ask him. I can almost guarantee you won’t get an answer, but it may be worth a shot.”What was it with his father’s nugatory protégés and keeping information from him that he knew they had? Why were they all so persistent in kissing Bruce's' ass and listening to every single order he gave like brainless sheep? The lot of them were completely redundant. But he knew Tim was right, asking Bruce would be just as effective as asking a mute what day of the week it was. He would get no answer, so he might as well save himself the effort. ********************** “Be safe out there.” Stephanie said, giving Tim a quick peck on the lips. He and Bruce were suited up for their mission, about to head down to the bat cave. Damian who was lounging in the study, finishing up the book that he had been trying to finish for some time now could just see them through the half closed door. He’s eyes narrowed slightly.Tim gave her a small smile. “I’ll be fine. This is nothing I haven’t dealt with before…I think.”Stephanie reached up and adjusted his cape from being crooked on his shoulders, causing Damian to roll his eyes.“Well, be careful anyway.”Tim gave the blonde one last kiss before following Bruce into the elevator. When the doors closed and they disappeared, Stephanie stayed there for a minute. Damian watched her, trying to guess what she would do next. This normally would be the time she would come and bug him, preventing him from actually getting any further in his book, which at first bothered him greatly, but now was the only thing he actually wanted. After a few more moments however, the girl swiftly vacated, vanishing from Damian’s line of sight. Disappointment filled him and he looked back at the pages. Things had definitely changed.For the half hour or so, Damian tried to continue reading but was so internally distracted that he retained absolutely none of the words, forcing himself to reread the same paragraphs over and over. Eventually becoming frustrated he put the book down and just laid on the sofa. He didn’t even feel like trying to find more on the handkerchief or sneaking off on another patrol he felt so conflicted. The only thing he felt like doing was finding Stephanie and demanding her to stop acting like a repudiate twat. He hadn’t realized how dependent on her company he had become, it was a bit jolting, and he couldn’t say he liked it. He had only very recently come to the conclusion that he had a very possessive personality. He was possessive over his father, his title as Robin, Dick, and now, unbeknownst to him as to why, to Stephanie Brown.Lifting himself off of the sofa he began towards the door, still unsure whether he was going to find her, go back to his room or go somewhere else entirely. He pushed the door open with his hand and exited the room, unfortunately the sound of the wood hitting something and a high pitch cry stopped him and he turned, watching the door swing slowly back towards him. Peaking around the door he saw the blonde standing there, clutching her nose with his hands, eyes clenched shut.“Ow, I think you broke my fucking nose!” she whined, moving her hand back and forth slightly against the tip of her beak. Damian frowned and tossed his hands on his hips.“Why the hell are you standing behind the door?” he demanded. “It’s your own damn fault if I did.”Without thinking he stepped towards her, his hands flying to her face. She flinched when he brushed her hands aside, pinching the bridge of her nose lightly, but didn’t stop him.“Ow!” she whelped as he squeezed a bit.“Does this hurt?”“I just said ow! What do you thi-OW! What the hell!”Damian snickered to himself and dropped his hands, giving her a look. “You’re fine, there’s no swelling. You’re just dramatic.”Stephanie’s hand flew up once again and she felt around her nose, as though she did not believe his words. After a few seconds, she frowned and looked at him. They stood in silence for a moment before she shifted in her spot, leaning on one hip.“I think we need to talk.” She snapped, crossing her arms. Damian deadpanned.“Didn’t we already do that earlier? What else is there to discuss?” he paused. “I thought you said you didn’t want to bring it up anymore?”“I know what I said!” she barked. “But….”Her voice fell flat and she stopped talking, her eyes shifting around them. Damian looked around as well, trying to decipher if she had heard anything or not. He couldn’t hear anything if she had.“Can we…go somewhere more private?” she asked, her face suddenly turning beat red. “S-so no one hears us I mean.”Damian shot her a look, but his heart thumped hard in his chest. Somewhere private? Sounded like a horrible idea. “I guess so.”The pair went upstairs to his room. When they entered, Stephanie’s eyes immediately landed on his bed and she looked as though she were going to have a fit. He closed the door and leaned his back against it, waiting for her to calm down.“Alright, talk.” He grumbled. She nodded a few times, trying desperately to bring her mental state back to the present.“I’ve been thinking a lot about it all day and…well…I think what happened was definitely a mistake.” She confessed, her hands flailing about rapidly. Damian's eyes followed her as she paced the floor in front of him, every word she spoke crushing him a bit more than the last.“It was a really selfish and stupid thing to do. I’m with Tim and I love Tim, and you’re just a kid. You’re a kid, and not just any kid, you’re Bruce Wayne’s frickin son!” She stopped and looked at him, her eyes wild. He raised an eyebrow at her.“And what does being Bruce Wayne’s son have to do with anything?” he questioned, truly interested in her answer. Of course he thought he was more than the average human, but it was because he considered himself superior because of his upbringing, not the fact that his father was one of the richest men alive. He wanted to know what her opinion on the matter was.“Everything!” she sputtered. “You’re a billionaire! You’re the heir to…to all of this!” She held her hands up, motioning to the room around them. Damian’s other eyebrow rose. “You speak seventeen languages, you have an IQ of like…two hundred and thirty, you have a black belt in almost every martial art there is, you can swim across the Mediterranean sea and you’ve been climbing mountains since you were four and you skipped basically all of elementary school and middle school…”“You’re starting to sound like a stalker, Brown.”“I barely passed high school! I don’t know a quarter of the words you do, and I don’t even want to know what my IQ is!”Her voice began to shake, like she was going to cry, and her face became panicked. Damian’s expressed softened and watched as she stopped pacing, her eyes dropping to the floor.“I hate hiking, and I can barely swim the length of a swimming pool without feeling like I’m about to drown, and I grew up in a two bedroom dump in one of the shadiest neighborhoods in Gotham with a criminal for a father and a part time nurse for a mother.”She looked up at him, and sure enough tears were forming in her eyes, causing her hazel irises to gleam in the dim light of his bedroom. He leaned away from the door, unsure of what to do. Instincts told him to hold her, but he didn’t want to. He wanted to run.She inhaled through her nose, quickly wiping away at her eyes. “So yes! It was a mistake. It was a mistake, and I am sorry. I’m sorry that I’m such a mess and I know you say you don’t care but that can’t be true, you can’t just…not care about something like this. So I’m sorry. Okay?”Stephanie began to shake in her spot as she looked at him, her eyes squinting slightly as she were trying to suppress even more tears. Damian looked at her for a little while, reaching his hand up to scratch at the back of his neck. That had been a lot to take in and she wasn’t wrong about one thing.Before he could think of a response however, Stephanie crossed the room and her lips were once again on his. Stunned for a moment, Damian just stood there as her hands flew to his hair, running through his dark locks, her lips working at his, hungrily urging him to reciprocate.What was with this woman? She was the most confusing being he had ever met and nothing made sense. She was definitely correct when she had said she was a mess. But after a stunned moment, Damian held her and fought back, devouring her.She roughly pressed him against the door and pulled her mouth away from him, tearing her shirt over her head, leaving her in nothing but her black lace bra. Damian’s mouth went dry and his eyes immediately hazed over with want. Quickly he stripped himself of his own shirt and flew back towards her, kissing every single bit of skin her neck, jaw and collarbone had to offer.Her arms wrapped around his neck and she moaned as his teeth scrapped across her throat. His shaky hands fumbled with the clasp of her bra, working it until it fell lose and she shimmied it off of her shoulders, allowing it to fall to their feet.Damian picked her up and took them to his bed, tossing her on the mattress, not as gently as he had the night before. Immediately he jumped on her, his lips closing over one of her nipples, his hand working at the other. She hissed at the warmth of his mouth on her, and her back arched.He sucked, the tip of his tongue dancing around the hardening bud, resulting in whimper after whimper from the girl under him. Her hands flew to the front of his pants and her fingers clumsily worked at the button. After a few tries, he pulled away from her and undid them himself, quickly pulling them down to his ankles and kicking them free.The navy boxer briefs he was wearing were tight against his erection as it pressed against the material, begging to be set free. Stephanie’s lidded eyes looked down at it and she bit her lip. Damian pulled her sweatpants and panties off in one, single swoop and kneeled on the floor, nudging her thighs apart.As he ran the length of his tongue against her dripping, warm sex she jolted and her hands flew to his head, tugging roughly at his hair.“AH!”He licked again, the taste and smell of her tangy arousal filling his senses. This was only the second time he had ever done it, but he knew for a fact that he enjoyed it, everything about it. He loved her taste, he loved the sounds she made and he loved the feeling of her slick flesh against his tongue.He took her clit into his mouth and sucked roughly at it causing her scream, though she quickly raised one hand to her lips, biting down at her skin, trying to muffle the sound. Alfred was somewhere in the manor, they had to keep that in mind, though quite frankly, Damian didn’t care. He wanted her to scream, he wanted her to feel good.Continuing to suck, he circling her with his tongue. Her whimpers became faster and higher in pitch and her body began to tremble. She was so close when the brunette pulled away, leaving her with a look of desperate betrayal and confusion on her face. Her eyes batted open and she looked at him, but he was quick and was on her lips again, plunging his tongue into her mouth.Her arms moved to the band of his boxers and she pulled them down, his length springing free and hitting her stomach. He was big, bigger than she thought a sixteen year old should be, but she loved every inch of him.Damian took the boxers off the rest of the way and positioned himself at her entrance, barely hesitating before plummeting inside of her. She cried out and gripped at the blankets below her as he pounded into her.It was rough, it was wild, and it only lasted a moment before Damian pulled out, jumped to his feet and flipped her over. Stephanie understood and got on her knees, allowing him to take her from behind.The feeling was new, and it was fantastic. His hands gripped tightly at her hips as she bounced against him, both of them moving together.“Oh…my fuck…Damian…” Stephanie moaned, her chest pressing into the bed. Damian’s eyes rolled back into his head and a growl worked its way up his throat. “Harder...p-please…”Who was he to deny her? His hands held her even more tightly than he had been and he began to move his hips even more rapidly. She turned her face into the bed and screamed into it, the dampened sound bringing him to the edge.He pulled out quickly, spilling himself onto his covers, a short gasp leaving his lips. He was still too inexperienced to last that long and it bothered him. He wanted to make her cum the way he had the day before.Stephanie sat up and turned around, her eyes quickly falling to his member that he held in his hand then back to his face.“Sorry…I-” Damian began, but she leaned over and kissed him, stopping his words. Her hand slid down to his lower abdomen and she traced small circles, causing the small amount of hair on his belly to stick up. If she wanted another go, he would gladly give it to her, though her actions now were severely contradicting her hissy fit moments ago.They had sex again, and this time Damian was able to bring her to a full, satisfying climax. He would definitely have to insist to Alfred that he would do his laundry himself this week, the state of his poor sheets.Again, the pair silently lay in his bed together as their quick beating hearts calmed down; they were careful not to get too close however and only lay shoulder to shoulder. It was still a nice feeling, to be with someone after having sex, not only once but twice. He wondered if this was going to become a frequent thing or not. Half of him hoped it wouldn’t be, he knew enough to know that being intimate with someone would cause complications. Even more complications than there already was. If they continued to be physical for long enough, his sexually frustrated crush would become something more, and he really didn’t want that. He already felt possessive over her; the last thing he wanted was her to become a liability. That was the whole reason he had run away from the Titan’s.After a while Stephanie’s short breaths became wispier and Damian turned to look at her. She was asleep. Instead of waking her, like he knew he should have he closed his eyes, surely only a few minutes of resting like this would be okay.Unfortunately, sleep took him much quicker than he expected, and the next thing he knew he was being woken up by Stephanie some time later, frantically jumping off of his bed and rushing around to collect her clothes. He sat up and looked over at the clock that sat on his bedside table. It was nearly three thirty AM. For all they knew Tim and Bruce could have been home by now.“We fell asleep…”she said frantically, pulling her shirt over her head. He nodded.“That, I can see.”“I shouldn’t be here. I…I have to go.”Her voice sounded hesitant but guilty. She turned to Damian, her eyes completely lost. There was a lot he wanted to say to her, and he knew there was probably a lot she wanted to say as well, but instead of either of them saying any of it he just nodded again.“Okay.”She looked at him for a moment more before turning and opening his door, closing it quietly behind her.Damian was left alone in the dark.*************************** Damian felt absolutely wonderful as he entered the kitchen the next morning, the smell of fresh coffee and Alfred’s home cooking hitting his nostrils. Clearly having sex plus a good night’s sleep really had great benefits.Alfred was at the stove, cooking away at a pot of stew. He turned his head at Damian as the boy sat at the island, giving him an odd, unreadable look which the young Wayne ignored and brushed back his fringe, his fingers sticking to the heavy amount of gel he had used to spike it.“Good morning, Pennyworth. Coffee, please,” he requested, his voice chipper. “Black as usual.”Alfred stuck his nose in the air but moved to the coffee maker. “Good morning, Master Damian. A bit later to rise this morning than usual.”Damian nodded his head and watched as Alfred readied his cup, pouring in fresh coffee that had already been prepared. Good, that meant he wouldn’t have to wait long.“Yes. I was up late last night.”“I can see that. Well, you seem well rested, at least.” Alfred said, placing Damian’s mug in front of him. The boy nodded and took a sip, being careful to blow on it first.“I suppose I am.”Alfred stood beside him for a moment, looking down at him. It gave the brunette an odd feeling.“I wonder…if Miss Brown had a good sleep as well, wherever she might have been.”Damian put the cup down and his heartbeat spiked. There was no way…“Was she not in her bedroom?” he asked, his voice breaking slightly with concern. Alfred returned to the stove and began to stir again.“No, she was not.” He responded calmly. “You see, with age comes the weakening of certain functions, and on my way to the toilet in the wee hours of the night, I heard poor Titus crying from within her room.” He paused and his mustache twitched. “I did not want him to wake her with his desperate attempts to claw himself through the wood, so I decided to quietly let him out. To my surprise the poor beast was alone in the room. Miss Brown was nowhere in sight.”He turned his head back at Damian, his eyes all knowing. Damian swallowed and his heart sunk deep within his chest. He knew.“Very curious, wouldn’t you agree?” he asked. Damian looked at him, staying quiet for a moment before slowly nodding his head.“Curious…”he agreed quietly. Alfred frowned slightly, disappointment filling his eyes. It almost hurt Damian to see, Alfred was never disappointed in him. Angry, sometimes. Unimpressed, quiet often. But never disappointed.“May I remind you, that I was not born yesterday, Master Damian?” He said, his voice quiet. “You are not the only juvenile I have been given the great honor of watching blossom into a young man.”Damian’s green eyes shifted down to the coffee that he suddenly did not want anymore. “I’m afraid I don’t know what you’re implying…”he lied. He knew exactly what he was implying.Alfred made a sound deep in his throat and nodded slightly; tapping the large spoon on the side of the pot so that the liquid dripped off, he placed it on the counter, put the lid on the pot and turned the stove to low heat.“Hm,” he hummed, walking past Damian towards the door. “Tread carefully, young sir.”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Bruce and Tim left early that night on patrol; it had turned out that the address they had been led to the night before held crucial information that needed to be dealt with immediately. When Bruce told Stephanie and Damian not to leave the house under any circumstances and be on high alert, Damian had questioned why, but received no answer. Normally he would have been irked by the withheld information, but his mind was elsewhere; he and Stephanie had had sex a few times now, and he had yet to figure out why she had insinuated it, or what it even meant. Not to mention that Alfred was indeed aware of their dalliance and although Damian knew he would keep quiet about it, it still bothered him, especially due to the fact that he would catch the old man occasionally casting him or Stephanie the odd, down-casted glance.Stephanie was another matter entirely. A little less awkward than the day before, she was at least acknowledging the young Wayne this time around, but still uncomfortably flitted around him at every chance she got, trying her best to seem innocent whenever Tim was around, making sure to be even more clingy to him than she already was. Damian understood why she was doing it, but it bothered him to watch nonetheless. He was utterly confused as to what they were doing, he supposed that if it really was just the sex that had her coming back to him, then he ought to be flattered, but he would rather her be up front with him if that was the case, rather than get mad at him one moment and literally jumping his bones the next.Slowly opening her bedroom door, again without knocking, the brunette leaned his head in. She was sitting cross-legged on her bed, dressed in gray sweatpants and a loose, mustard coloured shirt that’s neck stretched over her shoulders. Her hair was in its usual a messy knot above atop her head, and fell back slightly as she looked up from her cell phone at him. Her hands quickly moved to her ears, pulling out a set of purple ear buds and letting them fall to her lap.“What’s up?” she asked, a slight quiver to her voice. Damian took that as an invitation to enter and he inhaled deeply through his nose.“I just thought I should inform you,” he began, closing the door over until it was only open a crack. “That Pennyworth knows.”Stephanie blinked once, her face emotionless. “What do you mean?” she questioned, shaking her head.The young man shifted awkwardly. “I’m not sure how to dumb it down for you any further than that,” he retorted, his tone icy as though she had offended him in some way. “Pennyworth knows, about us, about last night.”The blonde gawked at him silently for a few seconds, realization slowly dawning on her until she looked absolutely mortified. “What?” she demanded, trying to keep her voice quiet. “How could he possibly know?”Damian shrugged slightly. “When you came to my room, you neglected to let Titus out of yours, so he did and saw that you weren’t there.” His eyes shifted to the wall beside him as though he were looking at something on the russet coloured wallpaper. He wasn’t. “And he’s not a raging moron.”Stephanie stayed quiet for a moment, looking back down at her phone that sat on the bed in front of her. After a while Damian’s emerald eyes shifted to her; he could vaguely see something on the screen moving and wondered if she had given up on their conversation to continue watching whatever she had been watching. He wouldn’t blame her if she had; they were potentially in very deep water.Finally she looked at him again. “You don’t…you don’t think he’d tell…anybody? Do you? Tim can’t know.”“He isn’t the type to start drama.” He assured her quietly. “He’ll keep it to himself.”Stephanie nodded slowly. “Good.” Another nod. “Because Tim can’t know.”Damian frowned, her worry annoying him slightly. “Yes, I heard you the first time. If you’re so stressed about it, maybe you should have tried harder to restrain yourself.”“Me?” Stephanie laughed, her eyes narrowing at him. “You didn’t exactly hold yourself back either, buster!”The young Wayne leaned his head back slightly so that he could look down at her even further. “If I recall correctly, you were the one who started it, each time. I merely complied with your advancements.” He said snidely. There was no way she was going to pin this on him, Of course they were both equally as guilty, but he was a lust filled sixteen year old who had been celibate until that point. She was a twenty two year old woman who had been having sex undoubtedly for years, plus she had a boyfriend. She had no excuses.Her eyes narrowed further. “Well….fine!” she huffed, throwing her arms over her chest and leaning her back against her bed frame. “I started it…all…three…times. But I have no idea what possessed me to do so!”“All three times?” he said smugly, taking a few steps closer to the bed. She merely stuck her nose in the air.“I blame it on my postpartum hormones, and loneliness, and…the goddamn Wayne gene pool.”He watched her grow tense as he came closer to the bed, a small trace of panic rising in her eyes causing him to stop in his spot.“If you’re going to keep making excuses for yourself, you should probably stop feeling guilty about it, or actually take your own advice and not let it happen again.”Stephanie huffed again. “Tim’s not going to find out, so it’s fine. It was just an act-”“Three acts.” Damian corrected causing her to shoot him a look.“Three acts of pleasure that were the result of suppressed passion and boredom.”He could have laughed at her, but he didn’t. He highly doubted that was the reason she had pursued him, but then again he wasn’t completely confident in his understanding of women. In fact he didn’t really understand them at all. If she had used him just out of boredom and loneliness then he supposed that was fine, it wasn’t like he had gotten nothing from it.“Whatever helps you sleep at night.”“I mean…it’s normal to have these feelings,” she was trying to convince herself and it was painfully obvious. “Especially at our ages. We are in the peak of our youths and it’s only natural since we’ve both been spending so much time together, and we’re clearly…attracted to one another, and we’re lonely and what with Tim being gone all the time and you being single-”“Brown! Excuses…” Damian warned her, but he couldn’t disagree with her words. It wasn’t so much that he was lonely though, but the fact that he was a horny teenager. But…the principals still applied, and they were obviously attracted to each other, she was correct there.Stephanie uncrossed her legs and let them swing to the side of her bed, placing her hands down flat on the mattress beside her, her hazel orbs gazing up at him.“I’m just saying…three times isn’t…that big of a deal, right?”Her tone was hopeful and it made him think for a moment. Cheating, no matter how many times it was done wasn’t necessarily a good thing in his book, or anyone else’s he was willing to bet, but he really didn’t have a put to piss in at the moment to say otherwise.Shrugging his shoulders he spoke calmly. “Given Grayson’s alleged affair history before his partnership with Kor’i…three times isn’t a deal breaker.”Stephanie seemed to relax a bit at this and exhaled. “Alright,” she said in a breathy voice. “Good. That’s good.”Was it really good? Damian didn’t think so, but again, he couldn’t say otherwise. He had enjoyed the last two nights with her, though he could do without the horrible whiplash she was giving him. Perhaps this was it, now they would happily go back to normal and he could try and put this behind him the best he could.The blonde pushed herself to her feet and faced Damian, looking him dead in the eye for a moment. “So,” she began, her eyes quickly shifting behind him towards the door, he supposed to see if anyone was entering. “Erm…” her cheeks reddened. “If…if three time’s isn’t really a big deal then…four times probably…wouldn’t be either. D-do you think?”Or not.Damian blinked. She was full out asking him to sleep with her, again. She wasn’t even being subtle.He weighed his options for a minute; he knew that it was wrong, but they had already done it three times, what was once more. He doubted very highly that any affection would be gained from just doing it one more time, and after that they could snip it off before it got any worse. Just one more time for good measure.The brunette cleared his throat. “Once more…wouldn’t make a difference, I’m sure.”“Right, as long as it’s just one more time. That’s it.”“Exactly.”Stephanie looked around him at the door and jogged over to it, pressing it closed. Damian swirled around and gaped at her.“What? Now?” he asked, a bit jolted. She rushed back to his side, stopping only a few inches away.“I mean…we’re alone, we have time. We might as well…get it over with, since it’s our last time.”She hesitantly slid her arms around his neck, smiling slightly. He raised an eyebrow, but his hands found her waist without hesitation.“Jesus woman, are you always this concupiscent?”She leaned her head to the side and smiled. “Maybe you’re just that good.”Damian felt heat rise to his cheeks and he rolled his eyes. “Flattery will get you nowhere.”“It will get me somewhere, I’m sure.”Her eyes widened and she pressed herself on her toes, looking over his shoulder at her bedside table. He cast his gaze behind him, following her stare.“I should probably tell you first,” she began uncomfortably. “I think its best we maybe…use a condom this time. We didn’t the last few times and…well…I don’t want to press our luck. Getting knocked up again is literally the last thing I want right now. I have some in my drawer.”Damian’s heart dropped in his chest. He had never even considered the risk of getting her pregnant, it was as though he had turned into some, mushy brained idiot. He knew better than that and was seriously so disappointed in himself that he almost didn’t even want to partake in the activity again. Almost, but not near enough to stop himself.This was their last time; they might as well take advantage of it. Besides, she had condoms this time around. They were good. ******************************* Damian didn’t dream often, and when he did they were unpleasant, often surrounding his younger days with the League of Assassins. More often than not, his torpid state would pull him to relive the death of his grandfather or the many potentially fatal tests his mother would make him endure, and he would wake up in a cold sweat, unable to go back to sleep for hours. That was why he hated sleep, he feared it, and there wasn’t much in the world that he feared.But this night was different, his dream was obscure, muddled; it was hard for him to understand what was going on, but it still frightened him.He was running from something or towards something, he could feel the panic inside, as though it were real. His feet were heavy and it was hard to run through the substance he seemed to be stuck in. Was it water, or sand, or mud? Everything was dark so he couldn’t tell. Hot breath was breathing down his neck with every step he attempted to take, but the air was so thick it was hard for him to breath. How was anything breathing? Where was he and why was he filled with such dread?With the next step he took he fell, down, down, down and his breath was completely taken from him, snapping him awake in his bed.Damian gasped, jolting upright as he tried to regain a normal rhythm in his breathing. Titus who was lying at the bottom of his bed looked up at him, his dark silhouette the only thing Damian could clearly make out in his room. He sat there for a moment, trying to calm himself down.“I’m fine Titus,” he mumbled quietly. The Great Dane lowered his head again. “It was just a nightmare.”Wiping the sweat from his forehead, Damian then lay back down and rolled over on his side, his eyes fluttering shut again. He was so tired from his and Stephanie’s night together that not sleeping wasn’t an option for him. He needed it unless he wanted another late morning. Dreams were just dreams; there was nothing to actually be afraid of.A scratching sound on Damian’s window made his eyes fly open, and he watched as a single branch of the tree outside claw at the glass. It bobbed in the wind for a moment and he once again closing his eyes.“Le sang du demon…” a soft voice spoke in the night. Damian sat up again and immediately reached for the lamp on his bedside table, pulling the pull chain so that the bulb blinked on. Titus jumped off of the mattress and began barking loudly, running himself in circles around the room.“Titus, hush!” Damian tried to quiet him, slipping off of his bed and onto the balls of his feet. The dog listened and trotted over to his side.The young Wayne’s emerald orbs violently shifted around the room, searching for the source of the voice. Besides Titus, he was alone. He listened.For a little while it was silent, but then the soft voice spoke again. “Damian…”His eyes narrowed. Whoever it was, was a woman, was French, and knew his name.“Qui etes-vous?” ‘who are you’,he asked sternly, still searching wildly for whoever it was. The voice was a faint whisper, but sounded close, as though they were speaking into his ear.“Ce n’est pas grave.” ‘ It matters not.’“Ou ete-vous?” ‘where are you’This time she did not answer and the room became silent. Damian side stepped towards his window and looked outside, from what he could see in the pale moonlight, there was no one around. Dropping quickly to his knees he looked under his bed, nothing.“Comment connais vous mon nom? Qui etes-vous?” ‘how do you know my name? Who are you’ ,he stood again and repeated his first question, a bit more demanding this time. His eyes fell on his closet that was open just a crack. Swallowing hard he slowly started over to it. If this wasn’t like every single horror movie that the Titans had forced him to watch…“La sang du demon…” the voice spoke again, getting louder the closer to the closet he got.“Vous as quelque chose qui m’appartient.” ‘you have something that belongs to me’As his hands gripped the handles of his closet doors, he froze and turned his attention to his bedside table. The handkerchief.Damian looked back at the crack of the closet door, his eyes barely able to make out the clothing that hung in the shadows.“Quel est votre nom? Reponds-moi!” ‘what is your name? Answer me’he barked and pulled the doors open, jumping back a step, half expecting someone from within to attack him. But nothing came and he pushed his clothes aside. Still nothing.
“Widow…”
Quickly, Damian dashed for the drawer of his bedside table and pulled it open, grabbing the handkerchief in his hand and holding it into the air. Widow, her name was Widow, which would explain the ‘W’ embroidered into the fabric.“Ceci est a toi?” ‘this is yours?’he felt a bit silly asking the question without knowing where to look, and turned in a full circle, making sure that wherever the person was that they would be able to see the cloth. There was a short pause.“Sous le pont…ja serai la…” ‘under the bridge, I will be there’The sensation of something light fluttering against his bare feet made Damian look down, though he almost immediately wish he hadn’t and despite himself jumped a full foot in the air, springing to the side. Fleeing from the closet door were dozen of frantic spiders, scurrying as fast as they could away towards the crack under his door. Damian’s heart pounded in his chest as he watched them disappear as quickly as they had appeared.Widow’s words meant little to him; under the bridge, there were multiple bridges in Gotham so that right there, was a dead end, and even if he were to go and find the correct one this was most certainly a rouse to get him alone. There was no way retrieving a simple handkerchief was her motive for him to meet her in the middle of the night. But why the need to get him alone? They obviously knew where he lived, and who he was, getting his alone was unnecessary if they could just off him in his sleep. And why him?He considered calling Bruce, but quickly abandoned that idea before wondering if he should go and wake Stephanie or not. He was still unsure of how well she could fight however, or if she would even be of any help. Not to mention that if it was him Widow wanted; it could put Stephanie in danger.Shaking his head Damian turned to his closet and quickly pulled out his olive hoody, tugging it over his head and throwing on a pair of jeans. If Widow already knew his identity and where he lived, it was pointless to take the time to get in his Robin attire. He needed to find this bridge as soon as possible. But, nonetheless he clip his utility belt on underneath of his sweater, making sure that all of his weapons were secure in case the moment arose, and clipped his mask onto his nose.Ordering Titus to stay put, he flew down the stairs and went right to his car, jumping in and speeding away from the manor. Knowing full well how reckless he was being by not wearing his bulletproof suit, or by not telling anyone where he was going, he simply just didn’t care, he hadn’t the time.His mind flew through options. Off of the top of his head he knew four bridges in the city, but unfortunately they were spread out. It would take some time to get to each of them to see, and he was unsure of how much time he had.The chilling voice of the French woman continued to repeat her words in his mind, and he thought hard about each one. Blood of the Demon, she had called him, meaning that she didn’t just know that he was Damian Wayne, she knew exactly who he was, before Gotham. Was she tied somehow to the League of Assassins? He had never known of anyone by the name of Widow in his grandfather’s or mother’s divisions. Nothing made sense.
Under the bridge, I will be there.
By the time Damian had visited the first two bridges, and found a whole lot of nothing, it was nearing two AM. His eyes were hazed with tiredness, and he was beginning to worry about the whole circumstances of the situation. He was more confused than ever.The third bridge was a bit more hidden than the other two, with small amount of lush greenery underneath of it instead of more streets. Pulling the Porsche into a rocky parking space, he swiftly got out of the car and looked around. The night vision his mask gave to offer helping tremendously.Stuffing his hands into the front pocket of his hoody, Damian set off towards the trees; being careful to keep tabs on his surroundings as he walked slightly into the small forest. He had a strange feeling in the pit of his stomach, a feeling that assured him he was in the right place. But the woods around him were silent.Damian stopped in the center of the woods, looking around him aimlessly. He waited until finally he heard the snap of twigs breaking not far ahead of him. He straitened his back and waited.“Blood of the demon,”The voice was a cold whisper in his ear and he whipped around only to see a thin woman standing there. She had straight, blunt raven hair that was cut into an asymmetric bob that fell just below her ears. Her lips, painted black were twisted into an eerie smile, and her glossy eyes were narrowed under thin shapeless eyebrows. She was dressed in a black and white stripped body suit that was tight against her frail looking body.“You came.”His heart slowed from the sudden surprise of her appearing where he did not expect and he relaxed slightly. “You speak English.” Was all he said, drawing a slight chuckle from the woman in front of him.“I speak many tongues,” she cooed, her accent thick. “As do you.”Another branch broke from behind them and Damian looked over his shoulder. Something was moving behind them, meaning they were not alone.“Do you have what I asked you to bring?” Widow asked, holding her petite hand out to him. He looked down at it and hesitated. Her eyes shot towards his face.“You should not take things that do not belong to you.”“I didn’t take anything. I found it.” He hissed, pulling the handkerchief out of his pocket and slapping it into her hand. She rolled her eyes but smiled.“I was not speaking to you,”Her eyes flicked over Damian’s shoulder and he turned, following her gaze. Behind them, from within the bushes a tall dog like creature stepped on its hind legs; its body was covered in a light tanned fur, its arms hung long in front of it with human like hands almost dragging the forest floor, its legs bent slightly at the knees. Despite the fur, the body was shapely, two very evident breasts perked on its chest, it was female; her head was much more dog like and sprouted two pointed ears and a long thin snout, but her bluish green eyes were nothing but human. It was by far the strangest looking thing Damian had ever seen and he couldn’t take his eyes away.The dog like human creature bowed its head. “I didn’t mean to drop it,” her voice was strong and had an accent that Damian could not place. Turkish, perhaps, he was unsure. “It’s a cloth…not crown jewels.”Widow laughed again, closing her hand around her handkerchief and clicking her tongue against her teeth. “Still mine, Jackal.”Jackal fumbled forward, her long legs awkwardly moving as he large feet scraped across the dirt. She towered above Damian by a lot and had to hunch her back to look down at him, her human like eyes looking staring through him.“Seytan…”she mumbled, sniffling the air above his head. Damian shifted a bit, trying to distance himself.“What do you want with my father?” he demanded roughly. “Why are you in Gotham?”Jackal walked around him and stood beside Widow, both of them smiled at each other but it was Widow who spoke.“It is not the bat she is after,” Jackal started.“It is you, Damian Al Ghul.”Damian’s eyes widened and he took a step backwards, one of his hands reaching up underneath of hoody to grab a batarang. His fingers flexed around the blade, being careful not to grip too tightly. Their eyes followed his movements.“Who the hell are you people? I have no connection to the Al Ghuls anymore…” he paused. “Who is she?”Widow took a step forward, slipping her hand into a tight pocket of her spandex suit. “Why don’t you come meet her for yourself? She’s waiting for you.”Damian jumped backwards just in time to miss being hit in the face with a handful of white powder that Widow pulled from her pocket, throwing it into the air. Like smoke it blew into a puff around them. Pulling out his batarang he threw it as hard as he could towards the woman, but she and Jackal both scurried into the woods in opposite direction. Damian bolted through the trees back towards his car, but he could hear them around him, following close at his heels.The sound of a blade being unsheathed made him pull himself to an abrupt halt and he bent back slightly, barely missing a khopesh slicing him in the face. Jackal had popped out of the bushes immediately after it and she swiped at him, her long claws colliding with the fabric of his hoody and scraping across his stomach. Damian ignored the pain and jumped, landing on her head and using her to propel forward. He pulled out a smoke bomb and threw it down at her, causing her to cough violently. His free hand clutched at his belly, trying to stop the warm liquid that he could feel spilling from him. He landed on his feet and stayed crouched for a moment before continuing onward.“Ne le laisse pas partir!” Widow shouted from somewhere to his side. The trees around Damian began to rattle, and his body began to be pelted by something small, and it wasn’t until they began to land on his mask that he realized they were small insects, spiders, dangling down from the branches above landing on him, all of them biting at his skin. His free hand began to swat the air in front of him, but it was pointless, there were too many of them, thousands. Common spider’s normally lack enough venom to do any harm to humans, but he was being bit so many times that he began to feel faint, and to make matters worse, he could hear patting on the ground behind him, either Jackal or Widow were coming up close.Reaching up to his mask, Damian pressed a button on the side of it. It was an emergency alert that would be sent immediately to Bruce, Alfred, Dick and he assumed Tim as well. He should have never come alone.Turning around, Damian let go of his stomach and with both hands reached into his utility belt, pulling out duel knives. He rubbed the side of his face on his shoulder, trying to wipe away some of the spider from attacking the skin of his face.Jackal appeared from the darkness and jumped towards him, holding her khopesh again. She slashed it at him but he was quick and blocked it with his own blade. The two weapons pushed off one another and Damian sprung backwards, stumbling slightly at his sudden weakness. A mixture of the spider’s who were still biting him and the blood he was losing; he knew he didn’t have much longer before he would pass out completely. Jackal yelled as she lunged towards him again, bringing the khopesh above her head, Damian ducked to the side in a summer salt and missed the blow, but his body was hit with something hard and he fell to the side.Widow came out of the trees, her hand outstretched with a gooey, string like substance falling from her palm. Damian tried to move but he was stuck to the forest floor; his vision began to fail him as he looked up at her. She smiled down at him.“Poor little fly,” She hummed, throwing her hand in front of Jackal who was about to strike. She lowered her weapon. “Caught in a spider’s web, so helpless.” She shrugged. “Ah…c’est la vie.”“You’ll…pay for this…”Damian tried to growl, but his voice was weakening. His consciousness was slipping quickly; try as he might to stay alert. The two women laughing was the last thing he heard before completely slipping away. *************** A high pitch beeping was the first thing Damian heard when he came to and slowly dragged his eyes open. He was completely shocked to see that he was in his own bedroom, in his own bed. Had it not been for the infusion pump that he was hooked up and the severe pain he felt in his abdomen he may have believed all of the events from the woods was just part of his nightmare. Unfortunately, it was not.His door, which had been open a crack pushed open even further, and Dick walked in, Titus at his heels. Blue met green and Dick stopped in his tracks, his lips pulling into a large smile.“Damian!” he gasped before leaning back out of the door. “Damian’s awake!” he called into the hallway.Damian scowled and pushed himself into a sitting position, slowly and painfully. His entire body felt as though it was on fire.“Christ, why are you yelling…” he grumbled as Dick jogged over to the bed and plopped down beside him, clapping a hand down on his shin. “What the hell happened? How did I get here?”Dick gave his leg a quick squeeze as though he did not believe him to be there. It stung slightly, letting him know that the spiders even got the spot beneath his clothing.“You’re one lucky kid, that’s how.” He said with a chuckle to his voice. “Tim and Bruce were only a block away from you when you sent out the distress signal. They got to you just in time; you had a quarter of an inch puncture wound on your stomach and over five hundred spider bites. Luckily the little bugger’s didn’t have enough venom to do anything other than cause wicked irritation and a bit of delirium.”“What of Jackal and Widow?”Dick tilted his head to the side as though he were a dog trying to understand human words. “They got Jackal, she’s being held for questioning as we speak. The other one got away.”Damian’s green eyes shifted up to his door as he heard what sounded like a stampede of feet arrive; Stephanie, Tim and Alfred all stood there. His gaze fell on Stephanie who looked as though she were about to burst into tears. They spilled into the room and she rushed ahead of the others, running over to the bed. Damian half expected her to throw her arms around him in a relieved hug, but she didn’t and it disappointed him. She looked at him, her brows furrowed.“You idiot!” She snapped, her voice trembling as Tim came to her side and put his arm around her. “What the hell were you thinking, going off on your own? Do you have a death wish?”“Steph,” Tim shushed her and gave her a squeeze. “Not the time.” His ice blue eyes met Damian’s. “How are you feeling?”Damian shrugged his shoulders which sent a jolt of pain to his belly. His eye twitched and he contracted his body slightly. “Could be better…how long was I out?”“Two days, Master Damian.” Alfred stepped in. “You lost a fair amount of blood.”“Two days?” Damian’s eyes widened and he looked down at his arm, grabbing at the tape that held the needle into place and ripped it off. Dick leaned forward and grabbed his wrist, stopping him from pulling the needle out of his arm. He twitched his arm, out of his grasp and gave him a look.“Damian,” Dick warned. “You need rest right now.”“I don’t have time to rest, some lunatic is after me and I need to know why.”“Dick is right,” Tim added with a nod. “Bruce is with Jackal now. Even if you were well enough to get up, there’s nothing you can do.”Damian’s eyes narrowed at the new Robin and his top lip curled. “You knew,” he spat, causing Tim to frown. “You and my father knew that they were after me, and that was why you prevented me with getting involved.”“Yeah, and guess that was the right move, because look what happened when you did.” Tim barked back.Alfred clapped his hands together lightly, all of the younger beings looked at him. “No arguing now, gentlemen, we can save that for a later time. The young sir needs rest now. So let’s all trot-off and let him do just that.” He cast Damian a look. “I’ll bring up some lemon tea a bit later.”Damian scowled and watched as he started out of the room. Dick smiled one last time at him, got up and followed the old man. Tim took hold of Stephanie’s hand and began to follow as well, but she didn’t move and allowed his hand to drag away from hers, which dropped to her side. He looked at her, an eyebrow raised high under his fringe.“Can you just…give me a minute?” she asked quietly. Damian looked at her curiously, as did Tim, but he swallowed and nodded his head.“Yeah, just don’t rag on him too much.” He said with a laugh, though his voice pinged with something Damian could only recognize as concern. Tim Drake wasn’t an unintelligent person, and although he probably thought any sort of relationship between them was improbable because of Damian’s age, jealousy was still very possible.Tim left the room after the others, leaving the door open. Stephanie and Damian sat in silence in the room, listening as the footsteps quieted the farther away they got. She inhaled.“What were you thinking…” she repeated her question from early, but this time her voice was broken with a mix of rage and hurt. “Why didn’t you ask me to come with you?”“I couldn’t risk anything happening to you. I didn’t know what I was up against.” He confessed, causing her jaw to drop slightly. “And now that I do know, I’m glad I didn’t ask.”Stephanie looked at the floor for a moment, her eyebrows drawing together, causing a crease in her forehead. “If Bruce and Tim hadn’t gotten there when they did…you’d be dead or gone.”“Possibly.”“Why do you sound like you don’t care?”He brought his eyes up to meet hers and the tears that were pooling underneath her irises broke a part of his heart. He frowned and stayed silent for a minute before answering.“Anyway, they did get there on time, so it doesn’t matter.” He muttered awkwardly bringing the conversation back a few steps. “The only thing that matters now is finding out who exactly is after me and why. It’s someone who knows about my past, so they must have some ties to my grandfather.”“Why can’t you just let your dad handle it and keep yourself safe?”“Why can’t you just butt out for once in your life? This had nothing to do with you so you couldn’t possibly understand. Whoever the hell this is is after me and that makes it personal.”The fire that flew from Damian’s tongue dwindled in the air around them and Stephanie’s expression fell. She nodded slowly and began to turn towards the door, but Damian’s arm shot out and he grabbed her hand. Her skin was warm in his and was soft. She looked down at him, surprised.“That came out…I didn’t…” why was apologizing so difficult for him? It was just two words. He sighed and let her go, slowly dropping his hand back on the mattress. “It’s difficult to explain, but this is something I need to do. I can’t just leave it up to my father. It’s not his battle.”Stephanie was quiet for a minute and just looked down at him. Finally she turned her head towards the door for a second before leaning down and pressing her lips to his. He was surprised but his eyes closed anyway and he pressed back. The kiss lasted only a moment before she pulled away, her cheeks pink, her eyebrows furrowed.“Next time tell me and I’ll go with you…”she mumbled quietly before swiftly heading out of the room. Damian looked after her, raising his fingertips to his lips and brushing against them lightly. Kissing during sex was one thing, but random, out of the blue kisses were something entirely different. Neither of them were being drowned by the throes of passion, there was no lust, no seduction; kisses like that came from a different place entirely, and that place scared him. ************ It took a few days for Damian to feel well enough to finally get out of his bed, for reasons past showering or using the washroom, and when he did he sought Bruce out immediately. The older Wayne had purposely avoided visiting his son while he recovered half because he didn’t want to bother explaining anything and half because he was pissed that he had once again ignored his orders. But the confrontation was inevitable, and when Damian did ask, Bruce gave him what answers he had.It had turned out that Damian’s mother, Talia had an older sister, Neferti Al Ghul, whom the boy had never heard of before in his life, and for obvious reason. Before his birth into the League of Assassins, Talia, Neferti and Slade Wilson worked together under Ra’s Al Ghul in leading different sects of the League. In that time, Neferti and Slade became romantically involved, and when Damian was born and declared the future head of the shadows, denouncing Slade’s position, she, along with a small group of assassins who remained loyal left with him. Since, the eldest Al Ghul sibling had fallen off of the grid.After finding the letter on his desk that read “We’re coming for him”, Bruce began his investigation, but hit multiple dead ends until Damian helped him to figure out that the letter had come from Egypt. That was where he discovered numerous clues that pointed in the direction of a secret organization called Krv Amyh-Pa, and although knowing they were located in Egypt, he could not figure out where. But there was one thing he was certain of, and it was that he was sure Neferti had something to do with it.Bruce told Damian that that he believed Neferti had found out about Slade Wilson’s death by the hands of the Titan’s two years prior and was looking for revenge not only for that but also for Damian taking what she believed was Slade’s rightful place in the League of Assassins. He hadn’t wanted Damian in the line of fire; he had known his son could defeat his mother in battle, but just barely. Neferti was stronger than Talia, and with a group behind her there was no telling what the outcome would be if he tried to fight.Damian took it all in, and though he now understood his father’s concern, was still a bit annoyed that he believed him to be too weak to take on his traitorous aunt.To no surprise at all, Jackal had remained completely tight lipped throughout the interrogation and had revealed absolutely nothing about Neferti and Widow’s whereabouts or their next move, but Bruce was determined to find out now more than ever, what with his sons near death experience.“I already lost you once; I’m not about to again.” he had said. So, as to be expected Damian was still forbidden to engage in anything related to the case and had to remain in the manor until Bruce told him otherwise. A fancy way of saying he was grounded, which of course gave him much more time with Stephanie but even that part of his life was beginning to cause him a headache. She was so up and down and back and forth with their relationship that he didn’t know what to make of it anymore and his feelings were becoming complicated. One minute she would be idiotically fluttering about saying that they shouldn’t be doing what they were doing, the next they would be bantering like normal, and the next she would be on top of him.Their “one more time” had turned into multiple times that took place in every square inch of the manor whenever they were given free time alone, despite every fiber of his being screaming at him to not let it continue. And it boiled down to the simple fact that he liked having sex with her, it was exciting and it just…felt good. Stephanie knew how to perform, and she kept things extremely interesting, offering new things for them to try and allowing him to do anything he really wanted to her. Not that he ever did anything too wild, but she constantly reminded him that he could if the desire arose. It made him wonder what she and Tim would do, which was a scarring thing to think about.The one downfall of this “friends with benefits” relationship they seemed to be testing, was that the more they were together and the more interactions they had, the more possessive of her Damian became and the more he felt his attitude towards her change. He found himself wanting to brush shoulders with her in the hallway, or touch her hand at any given opportunity. He wanted to lie with her after sex, and he actually enjoyed their arguing which had turned into more of flirtatious bickering. He hated the fact that she left his room every night to wait for Tim, and he hated that he hated that.Amidst all of the crazy that had become normality in Damian’s life, Alfred had sprung it on the young Wayne about two weeks after being attacked by Widow and Jackal, that Dick and Kor’i had decided to have a last minute engagement party in the manor, which meant another excuse to dress in an uncomfortably stiff tuxedo and shoes that were much to constricting to bare. His heart also dropped at the thought of the Titan’s coming to the manor to celebrate, he knew that their reunion would come eventually, but it did not mean he was ready. Luckily, on the night of the party, when he went down into the study that was filled with more people than he even half expected there to be, there was no sight of them. Fiddling with his tie he looked around the room.Many other members of the Justice League and other groups Dick had been connected with in the past where there, including most of the bat family itself, minus poor Jason. But no Titan’s in sight, which gave Damian a little bit of peace of mind.Alfred had set up a delicious spread of food on the far side of the room, right beside the grand piano. Damian’s green eyes caught sight of Stephanie who was standing beside it, stuffing her face with chocolate covered strawberries as she spoke with Barbara Gordon. She was dressed in gorgeous lavender sequin dress that was high necked in the front with golden straps holding it into place. The back of it swooped down to her lower back, showing off her milky skin, and it had a long slit that ran in the fabric up to her mid thigh, which made his mouth run dry. Her hair was tossed up in a messy up do that sat low on the back of her head, the odd curl straying from the confines of the hair band and bobby pins. He had thought she had looked pretty at the Gala, but this was completely different, she looked stunning. Or perhaps it was just his perception that had changed.Taking a step forward, he had full intentions of going to her, but before he could get two steps in, his father’s friend Oliver Queen stepped in front of him, his blue eyes beaming down.“Damian!” he chimed happily, slapping a hand roughly on his shoulder. Damian looked down at it. “I don’t believe my eyes, you’re a man! You look great son!”“Thank you, Queen.” Damian mumbled quickly, his eyes looking past the blonde to see if Stephanie was still at the table. She was gone.“It looks like your time with the Titan’s really benefited you. Your father must be proud; Dick’s getting married, his new partner is as quick as a whip, you’re growing up well.” He paused and chuckled to himself. “If only poor Jason would come around, but…every family has a black sheep I suppose.”Catching a glimpse of Kor’i’s fiery red hair, Damian quickly patted Oliver’s upper arm and scooted past him. If there was one thing that he couldn’t stand it was idle chit chat with people who he really had no interest in. “Please, excuse me.”Crossing the room towards the couple of the evening, Damian cleared his throat, causing them both to turn. Dick was dressed in a navy tux and had his hand resting on the small of Kor’i’s back. She had her hair left down and was clad in a gorgeous, but slightly scantily olive dress, that embarrassingly enough matched the colour of Damian’s tie. He bowed his head at them.“Damian,” Kor’i said warmly, smiling brightly at him. “You look very handsome.”“He does, doesn’t he?” Dick smiled as well and reached out to ruffle the younger man’s hair; resulting in him angry swatting him away and patting it back into place. “A little chip off of ol’Bruce-block.”“Where is father?” Damian questioned sharply causing Dick to shrug.“He’ll be late. He and Tim are finishing up with something in the cave.” He leaned his head to the side. “They really don’t tell you much, do they?”Damian frowned and looked into the crowd. “No. They don’t.”“Well, don’t let that get your spirits down,” Dick said with a smile and held out his glass of wine to his younger brother. Damian looked at it for a moment before his green eyes shifted up to Dick’s blue ones. “Here, I haven’t even touched it yet.”Kor’i gave Dick a worried look. “Did Bruce not say-” she began but Dick shook his head.“It’s one glass Kor. We were drinking at his age, remember? Besides, it’s a party.”Damian raised both eyebrows and took hold of the glass. “I’ll try to enjoy it then.” He said before taking a small sip of the bitter red liquid. The smell was familiar, it sent him back to the tower, it sent a shiver down his spine.“Where are the Titans?” he asked quietly. Kor’i’s large eyes dipped and she tried her best to smile.“I’m afraid they can’t attend today. They are on a mission.” Her voice was quiet; he almost had to lean closer to hear it over the chattering of everyone else. Dick held up a finger, a goofy Grayson grin spreading over his cheeks. Both Damian and Kor’i gave him a look that gave the young Wayne the notion that he in fact, did not know what had happened at the tower months ago.“But they will be at the wedding! Not long now, one month exactly.”Leaning in he pressed his lips to Kor’i’s cheek and pulled her into a hug. Kor’i giggled.“Gross, get a room you two!”The three of them looked to see Barbara wheeling over to them, a smug expression on her face. Stephanie was behind her, resting her hands the on the handles of the wheelchair, she was smiling but when her eyes landed on Damian’s she faltered and it fell.“You’re just jealous that all of this,” Dick motioned to himself, dragging his hands down the length of this body. “Is officially taken now, Babs.”Barbara threw her head back and cackled. “Yeah, that’s it.” She turned her gaze to Kor’i. “Good luck with that, Dick doesn’t have an off switch.”Kor’i smiled sweetly.“Oh!” Stephanie gasped suddenly, causing them all to look at her. She turned her attention to the corner of the room where there were a pile of gifts. “Mine is the thin little blue one that looks like a poorly wrapped scrapbook, but it totally isn’t. You should open it first so you can set the bar low…”“I’m sure whatever it is, is lovely.” Kor’i assured her.Damian’s heart sunk. Was he supposed to get a gift for the couple? If so, why had no one told him? He had absolutely nothing, and the large pile of apparent presents the others had brought was beginning to make him feel like the worst little brother possible.While the girls talked among each other, he took a step towards Dick and leaned into him slightly; Dick got the hint and leaned down so that Damian could speak in a whisper.“I didn’t buy you anything…”he murmured, slightly embarrassed. “I didn’t know…”Dick chuckled and looked at him, his eyes gleaming. “It’s fine Damian. The fact that you are standing here, alive, is enough. How is your stomach by the way?”Relaxing a bit Damian placed his hand over abdomen. “Much better. I’ve always healed rather quickly.”“Good to hear.”“But seriously, Grayson…” he racked his brain for ideas. “You have been a good mentor for me and a good…companion. Let me do something for you.”“Oh…kay?”“It won’t be much but it’s the least I can do.”“Damian, you really don’t need to do anything. But okay, if you want to, then I won’t stop you.”Damian left the conversation not long after that, his mind running quickly to think of what he would do for them. Downing his glass of wine, he went to the food table and picked up a single shrimp, popping it into his mouth. His mind was already a bit hazing from his one glass, and if he was going to do something for the happy couple then he didn’t want to be full on drunk, so he would wait until after the gift opening to have any more alcohol.“Hey,” the voice caused him to turn. He was nose to nose with Stephanie, the slight gold shimmer on her eyelids captivating him for a moment. He swallowed and took another shrimp. “You kind of just left without saying anything.”“I was hungry.” He said while he chewed. Stephanie giggled and took one herself, dipping it excessively into the horseradish sauce it was paired with. She put it into her mouth and smiled.“You look…nice.”His eyes ran down the length of her body quickly before returning to the table, he could feel the colour flooding to his cheeks. God he hoped that no one would look at them and feel their obvious tension as much as he could.“As do you.” He replied in a hushed tone. Stephanie leaned on one hip.“Came a long way from ‘you look like a beached whale’.” She chuckled. He couldn’t help himself but to give a half smile. He didn’t have time to give her a response however, because before he could, her index finger was probing at his cheek. He leaned back and gave her a questioning look, her smile merely widened.“What?” he asked, dumbfounded.“You have dimples!” she exclaimed, her voice giddy like a child. His eyebrows flattened in a line across his forehead.“Yes, and?”“Smile again!”She poked at his cheek again and he swatted her away. “Stop that…it’s a birth defect, not a damn horn coming out of my head. Why are you acting this way?”She crossed her arms and batted her long eyelashes at him. “Because it’s adorable! You should smile more.”He turned away from her. He was definitely blushing now and he knew he wouldn’t be able to hide it. “Hard pass, for the sole reason of you calling it adorable.”She laughed and turned back to the table, picking up a chocolate truffle this time and plopping it onto her tongue. “I’m actually shocked that I’ve never noticed before. We’ve spent enough time together.”“Maybe your attention was directed elsewhere.” He nodded his head towards her and raised an eyebrow, pulling one corner of his mouth into a snide smirk. She made a face at him but chuckled.“Why, Mr. Wayne…what a big ego you have.”“Excuse me,”Damian felt someone brush against his shoulder in an attempt to reach the food beside him and the realization that they were in a room full of people hit him again. He nodded at Zatanna, who gave him an annoyed look after grabbing a finger sandwich from behind. He motioned to Stephanie for them to walk and they started out in the crowd together.For most of the evening, the pair stuck together though broke apart a few times to speak to others in order to make their kindling attraction to one another a little less apartment. But even when they were apart, Damian found himself looking into the crowd for her, wishing she was by his side, wondering where she was. It was pathetic and he knew it, he felt like a lost puppy.When it came time to open gifts, Damian felt even worse about his lack of preparation. Dick and Kor’i had received household items, gift cards, baby supplies, wedding supplies, tickets for a cruise, and sentimental gifts. When all of the physical gifts were opened, Dick sent Damian a half corked look. At least he was drunk so he probably didn’t mind too much.“Thank you everyone for your kind gifts,” Kor’i called to everyone with a smile. “Richard and I are so blessed to have wonderful friends like you all.”“Now, my little brother,” Dick staggered a bit with his words causing a few chuckles from the crowd. Kor’i shook her head but patted him happily on the back. “Has a surprise gift for us. So, Damian…if you will.”Damian took a breath and walked over to the piano, all eyes on him. Sitting down, his green eyes scanned over the crowd. Stephanie looked at him strangely, like she was confused. He didn’t blame her; he was half confused himself.Taking one more breath he placed his fingers on the keys and began moving gracefully along them, the “Spring Waltz” echoing off the walls of the study. The room went completely silent as everyone watched the young man become one with the piano. With very flawless note, the world outside of the music slowly disappeared; Damian’s brows knitted together as he concentrated on the places where his fingers needed to be, but his eyes shifted up a few times to look at one person.Stephanie was closest to the piano and her expression had gone from confused to captivated, it made him happy to see that she found it beautiful. His lips pulled into a small smile and he continued, his fingers going even quicker. He closed his eyes and played out the rest of the song.When he finished everyone clapped and Dick drunkenly fumbled up towards him, pulling him out of his seat and into a hug. Damian pushed him away quickly, but was glad that he was pleased with it. When he looked back towards Stephanie however, the relief he had felt vanished at the sight of Tim pulling her into his arms and kissing her passionately. Her arms snaked around his neck, much like they did with him and she kissed back.Damian felt as though someone had punched him hard in the stomach and he looked away from them. He had forgotten that Tim was indeed going to join the party once he and Bruce were finished. He had forgotten that Tim had actually existed. For a moment, it was just him and Stephanie.Damian twisted away from Dick and through the few people who tried to tell him how good of a job he had done and went straight for the drink table, grabbing a glass of wine and throwing it back before Bruce could even have the chance to tell him not to.He was jealous, that much was obvious. But he no longer believed that this jealousy was stemmed from his possessive personality. He couldn’t anymore; the horrible pain in his heart assured him of that. As he picked up another glass he looked back at Dick and Kor’i who were talking happily with Tim and Stephanie. Tim’s arm was wrapped around Stephanie’s frame, his hand resting on the side of her hip, and she was leaning into him like…like she loved him. Which, he supposed…she did. He had known that, he had always known that. But it stung either way.Stephanie’s bright, hazel eyes dropped from Kor’i who she was speaking with and shifted towards Damian, as if she could feel him staring at her from across the room. Her smile fell and he could see her throat bob as she swallowed, quickly looking back at the alien in front of her.Swearing under his breath, Damian tipped the wine back and swallowed half the glass in one gulp.The night went on, and everyone eventually left, Dick and Kor’i being the last ones to file out. Damian stayed behind in the study, his mind fizzled from the wine he had drowned himself in, though he made sure to eat plenty and drink lots of water to balance it out.Sitting down at the piano, he pressed one key down and listened to the sound ring out. From outside of the room and somewhere down the hallway, he could hear Bruce’s loud voice talking to Dick; he wasn’t sure what about.Suddenly the clicking of heels hit his ears and someone sat beside him on the stool. He didn’t need to look to see who it was and his shoulders slumped forward.“What do you want, Brown…”he snarled quietly, his eyes narrowing. He wasn’t sure why he had the attitude, but there it was anyway.Stephanie frowned. “Someone’s grumpy.” She said with a shrug. “I thought you would be happy from that amazing performance you gave earlier.”“Tt…”“Tt…” Stephanie mocked, turning in her seat so that she was completely facing him. “Do you know how to say anything other than ‘tt’ all the time?”“I’m just tired. I had a bit too much to drink.”“Ah, so you’re drunk.”“I’m tired…there’s a difference.”“I know that.” Stephanie’s voice trailed off and they sat quietly for a moment. She took a deep breath and with it her shoulder rose. “You never told me you could play piano.”His green eyes shifted to the side towards her. “You never asked.”“Have a lot of time to learn things like piano when you’re training to be an assassin?”“I started learning when I arrived here in Gotham. Something to keep me busy when I wasn’t on patrol. I pick things up quickly.”“Well, you’re really good. It was beautiful.”Damian turned his head and looked at her. She was smiling at him, the smile that made his heart melt, but also sting remembering her giving Tim the same one. His brows furrowed.“Not really helpful for their future together, but it was something…I guess.”“They loved it.” Stephanie said with a reassuring nod. “Everyone loved it. Can you…teach me?”Damian raised one eyebrow at her and watched as she looked down at the piano, placing her hand on the keys.“Chopin?” he asked with a smirk. “Doubtful.”“Not Chopin! Just piano. Something easy.”The young Wayne thought for a moment, so long in fact that she worried he wouldn’t answer, but then he sighed. “Alright,” he said, picking up her hand gently and placing one of her fingers on a key. The gentle touch was anything but innocent, and they both could feel it, their heartbeats sparked. Damian tried his best to keep his composure in fear that she would feel it through the tips of his fingers. “This key, you hit that three times and hold it on the last.”“Okay.” She purred with a gulp, doing as he instructed. Once she was finished he moved her hand elsewhere.“Now here,” again, he moved her “and here.”He helped her though a very short introduction of the song he deemed easy enough for her to learn. When they finished he nodded his head and his hand slowly dragged across her skin, leaving fire in its wake. He placed it on his own knee.“Got that?” he asked.Stephanie, whose face was about three different shades of red hardened with concentration and she looked down. “I think so…”“Alright, now, I will play first and I will tell you when to come in, okay?”“Okay.”Damian placed his left hand on the piano and began to play the beginning of “Heart and Soul”, making sure to keep his pace painfully slow so that she could follow.“And start….now.”With one shaky finger, Stephanie pressed down on the key and did as he showed her. It was slow, it was choppy, and it was anything but perfect. But when he looked at her while they played and saw her face light up, he knew that one thing for sure. She was perfect, and he had feelings for her.The short part ended and Stephanie clapped her hands together, looking at him with ecstatic eyes. “I did it!” she squealed.“Well, I wouldn’t say Carmichael would be impressed, but it wasn’t a train wreck, so there’s that.”The blonde crossed her arms and pursed her lips. “Hey! This is the first time I have ever touched a piano in my life! I did pretty damn good!”Damian looked at her smiling face and wanted more than anything to swoop forward and kiss her, but he held himself back, his hand gripping at the leg of his dress pants. And it was a good thing too, because not a moment later, a cold, deadpanned voice boomed towards them.“Stephanie.”The two pushed slightly away from each other on the bench and looked up at the door. Tim was standing there with his arms crossed, leaning his shoulder on the frame. His lips were pressed into a thing line, and his eyebrows were narrowed ever so slightly. His blue orbs were on his girlfriend first, but slowly slid towards Damian, causing him to shift uncomfortably in his seat, pushing himself even further away.“Let’s go to bed.” His tone was ordering, and Damian didn’t like it. It meant that he was possessive over the girl and felt threatened by the teen’s involvement with her.Stephanie stood quickly and walked around the bench. “Tim, Damian just taught me a song on the piano. Do you want to hear?”“Maybe another time.” He said calmly, his eyes still glued to Damian. “Come on.” The younger man felt his own eyes narrow in defense. Stephanie nodded and looked back at her young partner.“Goodnight, D…”she mumbled and hurried over to Tim.“Night…”Tim looped his arm around her and gave Damian one final glare before turning around and leading his girlfriend down the hallway.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
The next few days in the manor were hard. Unable to find any more leads on Neferti or Widow, Bruce had told Tim that he could take a little break to unwind while he tried to do research on Farafra and the Krv Amyh-Pa. Of course, Tim took the opportunity to spend time with Stephanie, locking them away most of the time in their bedroom, most likely doing things Damian would rather not think about. When they did come out to mingle with the others of the mansion, the younger Robin would quickly evade the area without a word being said. He didn’t want to be around the couple; in fact he had hardly wanted it before he realized he had feelings for the girl, now the need to be away was just ten times worse.He almost felt bad about it however, as Stephanie did try and speak with him a few times, only for him to give her a cold snippet of a response and sulk away. He was going to push her away just as he did with most people, and he wouldn’t have cared in the slightest had his heart not ached every time he walked away from her.He absolutely despised himself for allowing these feelings to blossom, again. The last time it had happened though, he and the girl had not been physical, they had not been flirty with one another, there was just chemistry. And while he did have feelings for her, his feelings for Stephanie were different, they were deeper, which meant they hurt him even more.His mother had been right all along, emotional attachment was a weakness, it ruined even the strongest of men and turned them soft. Damian was an assassin; he was the Grandson of the Demon, son of the bat, he had taken more lives than he could count, had defeated demons from hell and taken out full armies. But here he was, coming undone over a woman. Losing himself over a woman. Emotionally suffocating over a woman. He hated himself for it.He wanted to run away, like he had done from the Titans, but he had nowhere to go. He supposed if he really wanted to he could flee to the Kents farm and beg them to let him stay. But that would be cowardly; he couldn’t run from things just because he didn’t fully understand them. He needed to stay, if nothing else but for the sake of his pride.Nearly a week went by until Bruce found something he believed to be useful enough to investigate, and he requested Tim to ready himself for another travel.“You’re going to Egypt?” Stephanie gasped; the fork she was holding fell from her hand and landed on her plate. Everyone who sat at the dining table looked at her as the sound of metal hitting porcelain wrung out. Damian’s green eyes shifted to Tim who held a stoic expression. “For how long?”“Only a few days.” Tim said calmly. “Bruce thinks’ he might have found something on the Krv Amyh-Pa.”“So? The Krv Amyh-Pa is in Egypt, not Gotham!” she spat frantically. “The people you are looking for are here!”“We don’t know that. We know that Widow is here, but we have no reason to believe that Neferti is, and she’s obviously the ones pulling the strings so she can’t be left.”“You’re talking about Egypt, Tim! Egypt! Batman protects Gotham.”“And Bruce protects his son.” Tim’s eyes flashed towards Damian who sat across from him. Their eyes met for a moment until the younger man looked away. His father really picked the strangest times to act like a father. “Listen, I don’t really like the idea of going either, but I have to.”The way Stephanie acted as though he was breaking her heart by leaving broke Damian’s, both for the fact that he did not like seeing her upset, and for the fact that he wished with all of his heart that she wouldn’t care.Tim and Bruce left that same evening, leaving Stephanie in a huffy mess. Not wanting to humor her distraught manner, Damian hid away in his room, not only for the rest of the night, but also for most of the next day, only coming down to eat a late lunch where he once again ran into the Stephanie and brushed off her conversation advancements, which strangely enough she did not try and push him or bully him into complying. It wasn’t until late into the next evening, when the annoyance in his belly finally pushed him to want to let off steam in the gym, that he saw her again.“Is there a reason you’re ignoring me?” Stephanie questioned, striding over to the treadmill where Damian was sprinting. She leaned both elbows on the arms of the frame and looked up at him.Damian’s eyes shifted down to her as he continued to run, sweat beading down the sides of his face. “Ignoring you?” he panted, in between deep, heavy breaths. Stephanie narrowed her eyebrows at his apparently fake obliviousness.“Yes,” she shot. “Ignoring me. You’ve been snubbing me since Dick and Kor'i’s party.”Damian reached forward and pressed the ‘stop’ button. Slowing his stride until he came to a full stop, he picked up a water bottle that sat in the cup holder of the machine and took a long drink. Stephanie took a step back and began to tap her foot impatiently, waiting for his response. Damian stepped off the machine and walked past her towards a rack of towels.“Ostracizing someone is puerile. Do you take me for a child?” he quipped, grabbing one of the towels and wiping the sweat from his face and neck. Stephanie crossed her arms and came up behind him.“Well you’re certainly acting like one right now, so…wanna tell me what the hell I did to turn you back into Mr. Ice-Cold.”Damian tossed the towel at a small wicker hamper that sat beside the door and looked at her finally, though he kept his expression indifferent.“The world doesn’t revolve around you, Brown. Stop thinking that just because I have been withdrawn for the past few days that it has anything to do with you. You didn’t do anything and I’m not snubbing you.”Trying to walk away, Damian was cut off by the blonde who swirled around him, cutting him off. He raised an eyebrow and looked down at her. She was fuming, arms crossed tightly across her chest, eyes narrowed into slits, lips pursed. Here it was, the pushing away he knew was going to happen.“You know how I know it has something to do with me?” she snarled, once again cutting him off as he tried to sidestep around her. “Because up until a few days ago, no matter what it was that was pissing you off, you would at least talk to me. Now I barely even get a ‘hi’. It’s like you’ve completely reset from the first time I met you.”“Maybe I just got tired of your droll personality.” Why were his words so harsh? He really had no intention of them to be, but when he was mad he just couldn’t help himself. Anger for him was a defense, it was safe. “There are serious things happening around us that I can’t push to the sidelines anymore just because of some insouciant lush and her unwillingness to take a single thing in her life seriously.”Stephanie blinked, but her anger fell and was replaced with full blown woe. Damian inhaled through his nose, his eyes shifting away from her. He couldn’t look at her saddened expression, he wouldn’t. This was like pulling off a very adhesive band aid, it was painful but it had to be done.“You don’t mean that…”Stephanie said after a few seconds. Her voice was a whisper, as though she were speaking the words to herself. “This is about Tim being back.”There was no questioning tone to her voice, she was telling him, and she would be right on the money. Damian straightened his posture and swallowed. He said nothing, but his silence was all she needed, to know that she was right and she nodded her head slowly. Damian quickly pushed past her and fled the gym, thumping back to his room.His words had hurt her, but what stung her heart even more was the fact that she had hurt him. She hadn’t believed Damian to have had any sort of feeling for her that wasn’t purely libidinous. Their sex was passionate, but that was what sex was supposed to be, no matter what your feelings for the person were. Their everyday relationship was more complex; he was young and he was hard to read. At best she felt tolerated, at worst she felt like a nuisance. But now she didn’t know what to feel. *********** Titus’s head turned from side to side as he followed the young Wayne go from his closet, to his bed, stuffing what little clothing he could fit into his backpack. It had only been twelve hours since his and Stephanie’s argument, but he was already ready to discard his pride and leave the manor. He would seek out Neferti on his own and finish this case by himself if he had to, but the last thing he wanted any longer was to stay where she and Tim were. He truly believed that things were ruined between them, therefore there was no point.Undoubtedly, the main reason he had stayed so long in the manor in the first place was because of Stephanie; now there was nothing stopping him from leaving.Quickly zipping up his backpack and slinging it onto his back, he clicked his tongue at Titus and the great beast jumped to his feet.“Come on, buddy,” he mumbled, walking to the door, the dog at his heels; they only made it to the stairs however before a desperate voice stopped him.“Don’t go.”Damian's brows furrowed and he held on tightly to the straps of his backpack, the knuckles of his thumbs digging into his side. It was early morning and the sun was just starting to rise, letting the smallest amount of light through the windows of the manor, casting Damian’s shadow down the stairwell. He pivoted his body ever so slightly to look at her from the corner of his eyes.Stephanie stood there, her eyes narrowed but not aggressively. Her eyes looked tired, as though she hadn’t gotten any sleep, and her face looked pale, perhaps from the lack of colour that was normally added to her lips. She seemed lost. “Please, don’t go. It’s not safe.”“I’ll be fine.” he murmured, and wondered for a moment if she had heard him. She shook her head.“That’s not the point, Damian. You can’t go.”“Why can’t I?”Stephanie looked down and she pulled her bottom lip between her teeth, chewing lightly. “Because you can’t leave on this note.”“No? What note would be acceptable to leave on then?”“A better one.”Damian scowled. “Tt…you followed me out here at four thirty in the morning for one last fuck before I left?”“No,” Stephanie’s face twisted with even more hurt. “I followed you out here to convince you to stay. No matter what that took.” She paused, and when Damian said nothing, she continued. “I’m sorry if…whatever this was confused you.”“And what exactly was this?”“I don’t know…” she trailed off and for a moment thought about her next words, but nothing came to her. “I don’t know.” She repeated. Damian nodded.“Right, well…” he began to turn but again, her voice stopped him dead.“Damian, I like you!” she almost shouted. Quickly he faced her again, confusion spreading across his face. His heart began beating fast, faster than he thought humanly possible. Stephanie’s brows came together and her cheeks flushed but she nodded her head. “I thought about it a lot last night…and I do…like you. I just…” again she trailed off.Damian’s feet moved on their own, and he walked over to her, stopping just in front of her small frame. His eyes desperately searched her own for more. She took a shaky breath and looked up at him. There was so much for her to say, and yet she couldn’t find one word. It was complicated, they both knew that already. But he knew that he had feelings for her, and now she was telling him that she had feelings for him. If they both had these feelings, they could figure it out, if that was what they wanted. He exactly sure what he wanted, or what she wanted. He supposed they would find that out too, in time.Sliding his backpack off of his shoulders and letting it fall to the floor with a thud, Damian swooped forward, cupping her face in his hands and pressing his lips to hers right in the middle of the hallway. Stephanie’s hands gripped the front of his sweater and pulled his body into hers, immediately kissing back with all of her might.They only stayed like there for a moment however before Stephanie pulled back and grabbed his wrist, pulling him towards her bedroom door. Once inside, they quickly shut the door, stripped themselves of their clothing and were at each other again, making their way to the bed. Stephanie pushed the boy down on his back and dropped to her knees by the side of the bed, immediately taking as much of him into her mouth as she could.Damian propped himself up on his forearms to he could look at her and his head fell back slightly, the sensation of her lips and tongue gliding along his cock sending jolts of pleasure through his entire body. He ground his teeth together in an attempt not to moan out, but small whimpers were making their way up his throat anyway.Stephanie’s hazel eyes flicked up at him and she smiled against him, wrapping one of her hands around the base and working it together with her mouth. He hissed and she pulled away slightly, running her tongue up his length before taking him once again into her mouth, forcing herself to go down as far as she possibly could. Damian’s hands flew to her head and he fell backwards onto his back, clutching at her hair. Thrusting his hips forward lightly, Stephanie gagged on him but didn’t pull away.“Fuck….”he growled. She began to suck, the hollows of her cheeks becoming defined. Fireworks began popping in his mind and Damian’s entire body began to tremble, his penis throbbing in her mouth. He was so goddamn close, but Stephanie pulled away and shot him a wicked smile, rising to her feet and crawling on top of him. She reached between her legs and took hold of him, positioning him at her entrance.“Condom?” Damian barely managed to say, his mind failing him. She lowered herself down and he was suddenly engulfed by her incredible warmth. She leaned forward and kissed him, her hips slowly rolling over his own.“I don’t care.” She said against his lips. His hands gripped at her thighs, his fingers digging into her skin as she sat up and bounced wildly on top of him, her hands pressing down on his flexed stomach. Damian’s eyes lidded open just enough to see her breasts jouncing with every move she made. Her lips were parted allowing pleasured purrs to make their way through and her eyes were clenched shut. She was so unbelievably sexy, and she liked him and he liked her. It was almost inconceivable to him that someone with his cold-hearted personality and tainted past could have attracted such a perfectly wholesome being. It was strange because for the first time their lovemaking didn’t just feel like a good screw, there were real feelings, there was real attachment. It had always felt right, but now it felt liberating.Damian heard the door opening before he saw it, and in a single, split second, time around them stopped. He knew that Stephanie had heard it too, because she sprung off of him quickly, grabbing the covers and pulling them around her to shelter herself. His green, panicked eyes flew to the door and he was horrified when they clashed with a pair of icy orbs that were swimming with a wide range of emotion. Tim looked at the younger man for only a moment before quickly turning and slamming the door so hard behind him that it bounced off of its hinges and flew open again.It had all happened so fast that Damian did not know what to do, his heart was hammering in his chest, his mind seemed to have obliterated the moment the door had opened. Any passion that he had been feeling moments ago was long gone.Stephanie swore loudly and jumped off of the bed, hurrying around the room to gather her discarded clothing. Damian followed her lead and quickly pulled on his own clothing.“I can’t believe that just happened, oh my god.” Stephanie cried, her voice breaking with every word. She hiked her pajama pants up, jumping once in her spot to get them over her hips, swearing over and over again. Damian stayed quiet. There was absolutely no way they could get out of this one, Tim had literally walked in on them…having sex. He had thought that they would be gone for at least another day; they had gone to Egypt for crying out loud! They had only left for two days!Tugging his shirt over his head, Damian watched as the blonde paced the room in front of the door, chewing at her fingernails, continuing to mumble swear words. “Oh my god, he saw us, he saw me…” She stopped and covered her face in her hands.Damian swallowed hard but said nothing. He watched as Stephanie’s body began to tremble and she began to suck back shallow sobs. His eyebrows furrowed; she was beyond upset, as she should have been. Even if she did have feelings for him, Tim was still her boyfriend and it was very obvious that they held some sort of special bond. It was awkward, it was embarrassing and above all it was shameful.Stephanie looked up at him, tears streaming down her cheeks causing his heart to ping with ache. “I need to talk to him.” She said with a nod. “I need to talk to him.”With that she turned and ran out of the room. Damian stood there internally panicking before going after her. He knew that he probably should leave them alone to talk on their own, but something inside of him was preventing him from doing so. He didn’t want Tim to get mad at Stephanie and he didn’t want Stephanie to cry or beg for him not to leave her. He needed to be there to see how this was going to play out, and to defend himself or her if necessary.Tim had bolted into the gym, throwing the towel rack onto the floor, his face red with rage. Stephanie was right behind him, her breath shallow her eyes wild.“Timmy…”she pleaded, her voice a weak whine. She tried to take Tim’s arm in her hands but he pulled away, trying his best to keep his distance from her.“Fuck off Stephanie!” he yelled. He was angry, but his tone was also extremely dejected. Stephanie continued to follow him as he paced around.“Tim, please let me explain, I-”“What the hell do you possibly have to explain?”He rounded on her, eyes narrowed, tears building. Stephanie wiped at her own cheeks, trying to get rid of her own flowing droplets. Damian reached the door but held back, pressing his back against the wall and listening to their conversation, his heart pounding behind his rib-cage.“I-I didn’t think you would be home so soon…”she said weakly. What a horrible, horrible excuse, Damian could have slapped her.“SO, THAT GIVES YOU THE RIGHT TO FUCKING CHEAT ON ME?” Tim screamed, his voice echoing down the hall of the manor. He backed up, one tear falling down his cheek. Stephanie cupped her hands over her face, guilt washing over her. “Nice, Steph...”“That’s not what I meant…you know that’s not what I meant…”“You know,” a sardonic laugh worked its way up his throat. “I knew there was something going on between you two, but I chose to give you the benefit of the doubt because I fucking trusted you! I should have known better…”“What does that mean?” her voice spiked as she chocked back on a sob. Damian took a breath and slunk around the corner, unable to leave her alone any more. Immediately Tim’s eyes flew up to him and he could have sworn they flashed red. He wondered for a moment if he would have to defend himself at any point against the free weights that Tim may be urged to use as a weapon. Honestly he deserved whatever blow that would fall upon him, but never did he want to let Drake know that.“What?” Tim spat, holding up his arms in a half assed shrug. “I take your costume so you take my girlfriend? Is that it?”Realization flew through Damian like wind through grass. Tim thought this was something he had done to spite him, because he knew that he disliked him. He didn’t believe there were any feelings between the two; he thought that the young man had used her to get to him. That pissed him off more than anything else could in this exact moment, and all of his guilt was washed away and replaced with defensive anger. He clenched his fists.“I didn’t take anything, she came to me on her own free will.” He sneered, taking a few steps towards them. Stephanie, who still had tears running down her face turned to look at him, her expression pleading him to stay quiet but he ignored it. “Maybe you just didn’t fit the bill anymore…”A rough chuckle left Tim’s lips and he fumbled forward, standing only a few inches away from the younger man, his own hands balling into fists. “You piece of shit! I don’t care if you’re Bruce’s son; I’m going to fucking kill you.”“Try it.” Damian jeered coming nose to nose with the other man. “I dare you.”Stephanie pushed her arms between her two lovers and tried to pry them away from each other.“Stop it you two!” she demanded, her weak voice trying its best to be assertive. “Do you hear yourselves? You sound like kids.”Tim’s icy eyes sliced towards her like blades, his dark browns narrowing over them. “Yeah, well, you had no problem riding one, so maybe that’s a good thing for you.”Stephanie’s jaw dropped and her arms lowered. “Tim!” Her voice sounded as though he was out of line, but they all knew it was true. She had no right to say otherwise.Damian snickered coldly, his poisonous words slithering off his tongue before he could even stop them. “This child had your girlfriend screaming his name within seconds. Something I doubt you could do even if you tried.”Tim lashed out, his fist connecting with Damian’s jaw with a loud crack, but the younger boy was nimble and sprung backwards, barely flinching from the blow. Stephanie jumped backwards as the two dove at one another, each one landing harsh, violent hits on the other.“Damian!” she yelled, her tone picnicked as Damian’s fist snapped against Tim’s nose, causing a spurt of blood to come shooting out. Tim stumbled backwards but quickly brought a punch straight into the brunette’s stomach, right where the cut from Jackal should have been. “Tim!”Damian coughed and fell to one knee, holding his stomach with both arms. Tim spit to the side as he looked down at him, but the saliva was nothing but blood. It took Damian only a second to gain his composer before his eyes narrowed into slits and he spun around, his leg knocking the older man to the ground. Tim caught himself by throwing his arms out, though unfortunately for him one of his legs stretched out and Damian took the opportunity to bring his foot down into the outside of his knee.Tim screamed as his bones snapped inward and he crumpled to the floor, his hands clutching at his thigh. Stephanie’s hands flew to cover her mouth as she watched him writhe in pain at their feet.“Enough!” a deep voice boomed. Damian stood and looked towards the door, wiping blood from his bottom lip. Bruce and Alfred stood there; the older Wayne’s eyes squinted with fury, the old man’s expression twisted with shock.Bruce’s blue eyes shifted back and forth from each of the younger beings, the clockworks in his mind working quickly against them. “Do I even need to ask?” he questioned after a moment.Alfred hurried into the gym and bent down to Tim, examining his leg as the new Robin seethed back whimpers. Reaching out his hand he touched his knee gently causing the young man to cry out. Alfred looked at Bruce and shook his head.“Broken.” was all he said. Bruce glared at his son.“My office. Now!”Damian frowned and ran his tongue over his bottom lip, tasting the metallic flavor of his own blood. Bruce turned back to the door and began out.“Alfred, tend to Tim.” He ordered and left, Damian stalking slowly behind him. ********* Bruce roughly pulled out the swivel chair from the other side of his desk before walking around to the other side and taking a seat in his own. His eyes were glued to his son who stood there.“Sit.” He barked. Damian took a breath and sat in the chair. He could feel his lip beginning to swell against his teeth and his head hurt from the blows Tim had landed on him. This was going to be a horrendous conversation that Damian was absolutely dreading. He was cranky, he was pissed, he was not in the mood for it right now, but he knew Bruce was going to interrogate him into spilling what had happened and would end up lecturing him about it. Well, he didn’t need a lecture.Bruce looked at him for a long minute before leaning forward and pushing a tissue box towards him with his knuckles. Damian looked down at it before ripping a tissue out and patting his lip gently with it.“What the hell happened?” Bruce demanded dryly. Damian raised an eyebrow, bringing the tissue down to look at how much blood he had wiped away.“I thought you didn’t need to ask?”“Not interested in games. What happened?”Damian’s green orbs shifted to look at his father, and without missing another beat, he exhaled. “Brown and I have been engaging in an intimate relationship. Drake found out.”Bruce clenched his eyes shut and pinched the bridge of his nose as though he had suddenly been struck with a migraine. “For God’s sake, Damian...”“Please,” The brunette snarled, dropping the tissue on the desk and leaning back into his chair. “Don’t act as if this is something you haven’t stooped to before. Your licentious reputation precedes you father, even I know that.”“This,” Bruce growled through clenched teeth. “Is not about me right now.”Damian crossed his arms over his chest, his stomach still sore from the rough jab. It was nothing compared to the vivid concern that was swimming through his mind however; from this point where did he and Stephanie stand? Where did he stand as Robin? Would he any longer?Bruce leaned his head to the side. “You broke his leg, Damian.”“He’s lucky it wasn’t his neck.”“You were in the wrong!” Bruce shouted, slamming his hand down on the desk causing a few pens that stood in a pen stand to rattle together. Damian’s eyes blinked slowly as though he was bored. “You’re lucky it wasn’t yours!”“Tt...” the younger man grunted, rolling his eyes. “I would have loved to see him try.”Bruce shook his head and pushed himself out of his chair walking around his desk and into the middle of his study where he began to pace. Damian swiveled the chair around and watched him.“I was hoping that your time in San Francisco would have helped you mature, but I can see now that that was too ambitious of me, you’re still a child.”“Don’t pretend that was the reason you sent me away.” Damian said with the tilt of his head. “You just got tired of playing father to someone who wasn’t afraid to question your authority.”Bruce looked at him, frowning. “The fact that you believe that proves how immature you remain to be.” He said, his voice tinted with disappointment, though Damian cared much less about his father’s opinion on him than he did about Alfred’s. He could only imagine how pissed he was going to be once Tim told him what happened. That was going to be difficult.Bruce pointed one, large finger towards his son, giving him a stern look.”You better start thinking of something to either say or do to Tim to make up for this. I won’t lose another Robin because of your selfish stupidity.”Damian made a face and swiveled his chair to the side, looking towards the window. The sun was up now, the day looked bright and hopeful, unlike the contrasting atmosphere inside. “If you think I’m going to apologize to him, you’re wrong.”Damian felt something clamp down on the back the chair he was in and it roughly jerked around. Bruce was there, hovering over him as he held tightly onto the cushioned back.“I’m not asking!” he snapped. “You either apologize to him or you leave.”Damian choked out a laugh. “You’d rather disown your own son than lose a meek try hard as a sidekick?”“I would rather you take accountability for your actions! You’re almost seventeen years old, it’s about time you set aside this high and mighty ego of yours and think about someone else for once!”Damian looked away, eyebrows pressing down into his eyes as his father spoke. Here was the lecture he knew had been coming.“If you want to inherit the Batman position one day, you need to learn how to act with people, and what you just did was not how you do that.”“Because you excel so highly in that regard...”Damian mumbled under his breath. Bruce pushed at the chair, sending the younger boy backwards slightly. His green eyes widened with surprise as his arms uncrossed and he grabbed the arms of the chair as though trying to hold onto something for support. Bruce glowered down at him.“You’ll apologize, or you’ll leave!”And with that he turned and stomped out of the room. ********** That day, Damian stayed in his room, not once coming out. The next day was the same. It wasn’t until two days later when his crippling hunger brought him to the kitchen in the morning, desperately seeking food and coffee. He was still sore from his fight with Tim and although the swelling on his lip had gone down, it was split in the corner. His left eye also sported a very fine looking shiner; he was dying to see what damage he had done to Tim, other than rearranging his kneecap.Like always, Alfred was in the kitchen, cleaning the counter tops this time instead of cooking. He looked up as Damian entered and went to the fridge but said nothing. The cold demeanor that the old man had made the young man slightly uncomfortable as he took out the milk and started to make himself a bowl of cereal, but he too remained quiet.
Placing his bowl down at the island, his next move was to get himself a cup of coffee, but the coffee maker was on the counter where Alfred was currently working on so he waited. There were no sounds at all in the manor other than Alfred’s vigorous scrubbing and the faint ticking of the grandfather clock in the entryway. It was strange for everything to seem so lifeless. Damian wondered for a moment where Stephanie was, he would be shocked if Tim had let her back into his bed so soon. It was possible she had been moved to Dick’s room, but then again the manor was probably a very uncomfortable place to be for her at the moment.Swallowing the lump that had appeared in his throat, Damian spoke. “Where’s Brown?” he asked quietly, hoping that Alfred could be the one person whom he could mention her name with who wouldn’t shred him to pieces. Alfred slowed his wiping for a moment and leaned his head to the side, though he did not look around. He hesitated for a moment before answering, his voice just as collected as it always was.“Master Bruce has kindly requested Miss Brown to remove herself from the manor.”Something in Damian’s stomach lurched and he took his seat, no longer in the mood for coffee, or food for that matter.So his father had gotten rid of her. He supposed it wasn’t so surprising all things considered, but it hurt him nonetheless. He hadn’t even gotten the chance to say goodbye and now he had no idea where she had gone.“I see,” he said quietly looking down at his cereal. “I’m surprised it wasn’t me he asked to leave.”Alfred turned around slowly, his eyebrows furrowed in the exact disappointed manner Damian had expected. “You are his son, Master Damian.”“Didn’t stop him before...”“Well, this is a different situation entirely, isn’t it?”Damian’s shoulders slumped forward and he stirred his cereal aimlessly. He could feel Alfred’s gaze on him still which caused the squirming sensation in his gut to intensify.
“You’re mad at me, aren’t you Alfred?” he asked as though he were a child seeking approval from an angry parent. “You think I’m a bad person.”Alfred drew a long breath and put the cloth down on the counter top before walking over to the island and taking the stool beside him.“I have known you for quite some time now, Master Damian, and I can assure you that if I have not thought that about you yet, then there’s a good chance I never will.”“But you think I made a mistake.”“I believe, that when a young person’s heart gets in the way of their mind, that sometimes it can be difficult to see what the right thing to do is.”Damian thought about it for a moment, picking up a spoonful of milk and tilting it to the side, allowing it to fall back into the bowl. “So you don’t think that I did it out of spike to Drake?”Alfred’s warm brown eyes looked at the young man in front of him. “I do not believe so, no.”Damian snorted, looking back at the old man. “Well, then, you’d be the only one. Father’s threatened to disown me unless I apologize.”“You father would never disown you. He just believes it would be best for you if you take responsibility and be the bigger person. That’s all part of growing up, young sir; being the bigger person, knowing when to admit that you’re wrong.”“Yeah...” Damian’s eyes shifted downward and his lips pressed into a frown. “Except, I don’t believe having certain feelings is wrong. It was just under unfortunate circumstances.”Alfred leaned away from him slightly, his frown returning. In some ways he felt sorry for the boy, in others not so much. He knew that it was rare for Damian to have such feelings for anyone, and it hurt him a bit knowing that the one time he did have them it didn’t work out. But the rage filled teenager also reacted poorly, and should have known better than to sneak around with a woman who was already involved with someone else. It was a very complicated situation. “Indeed it was.” ******** The door to Tim’s bedroom opened slowly, and who was to pop their head in but Jason Todd. It was later in the afternoon, the sun shone through the window at Tim who sat in a chair just beside the glass, his bloodshot eyes looked lifeless out at the garden, his leg wrapped in a fresh cast.“Heyo Timmy-boy!” Jason called happily, walking into the room without an invitation. Tim looked up at him but said nothing. Jason’s deep blue eyes fell to his leg and he smirked. “What the hell happened to you? Have a run in with the crowbar?”Tim swallowed slowly, his bottom lip quivering from sadness or anger, or both. “Damian...”he managed to mumble out causing Jason to chuckle.“The kid?” he snorted. “What’d you do, steal his candy?”Tim scowled and looked away bitterly, his jaw clenching. “He...slept with Stephanie.”Jason’s expression immediately collapsed into shock, and he gaped at the younger man for a minute like he had gone absolutely insane. Half expecting him to start laughing and say he was joking, Jason waited for a moment before responding, but even then he was at a loss.“Wh-okay...? That I was not expecting.” Rubbing his chin for a second, he thought. “When you say slept with...you do mean like-”Tim looked up at him once more to see the older man making the ‘finger in hole’ gesture, one thick eyebrow raised. His face scrunched with disgust and he looked away, fighting vomit from working its way up his throat.“Jay-son!” he warned angrily. Jason threw his hands up defensively.“I’m just making sure we’re on the same page!” he said quickly. “What, too soon?”“Yeah...too soon!”“I just didn’t know the kid had it in him. What is he like...twelve?”“Sixteen...” Tim grumbled. Jason ran a large hand through his dark locks, pushing the slight bit of white fringe off of his forehead.“Shit...getting your lady snatched by a sixteen year old, that can’t be a confidence booster.”The bedroom door opened a little bit more and Dick walked through, his expression turning from solemn to surprised upon seeing his successor standing beside Tim. The newest Robin looked at Dick, his narrowed eyes pleading.“Dick, please get him out of here!” he said as an order. Dick’s eyebrows scrunched together and he looked from one man to the other.“Hey guys...what’s going on?” he asked, sounding ultimately confused.“Just getting Timmy-boy to catch me up to speed on the leg situation.” Jason said with a smile. “Long time no see Dickie-bird.”Dick tried to smile but it failed him. “What uh...what are you doing here Jase?” he asked, sensing the strife billowing off of the youngest in the room. Jason shrugged his burly shoulders.“Daddy dearest called me in,” he confessed nonchalantly. “Seems like he’s suddenly birdless for this top secret mission he was supposed to handle.”“Why would he call you for that?” Tim spat. “Why not Dick?”Dick bit back his bottom lip and shifted awkwardly. “He...did call me.” Jason and Tim both looked at him with raised eyebrows. “I said no.”“What?” Tim gasped; sounding rather hurt by the oldest’s answer. Jason’s mouth rounded into a dramatic O shape.“Ooh! Batboy number one refuses an order? There’s something you don’t see every day.”The first Robin’s lips pulled into a sort of sarcastic smile and he turned to him. “I’ve been busy Jason,” he told him, the slightest bit of irritation rising through his tone. “I’m getting married.”Jason wiggled his fingers at him childishly. “Well, look who went and got all grown up on me.” He jibed. Dick merely shook his head.“That’s what happens when you find someone who makes you happy. Maybe you should give it a try.”“The only thing I need to make me happy, are my boys,” Jason lifted pushed aside his undone leather jacket, revealing two handguns strapped to either side of his hips. “a bottle of Jack, some smokes, and maybe a hot blonde laying face down in my pillow.”He looked at Tim, suggestively raising his eyebrows at him. Tim shook his head, again his face paling. Jason only laughed at this and pulled a pack of cigarettes and a lighter out of his pocket. He quickly began to light one. “Oh don’t worry; I’m not exactly itching to be tunnel buddies with you and junior.”“Fuck you, Jason!”“Stay whelmed, Timmy.” he mumbled, putting the smoke between his teeth and putting the rest of the supplies back into his pocket. “You’re gonna hurt someone’s feelings saying things like that.”Dick sighed and placed a hand securely on Jason’s shoulder, giving it a squeeze. “Jason, if you’re here to see Bruce, maybe you should go and do that. Okay?”Jason reached up and brushed Dick’s hand away before drawing the cigarette out of his mouth and blowing a mouthful of smoke at his face. Dick pressed his lips together and closed his eyes. “Yeah, yeah. Honestly, I just came in here to sign the cast, but I can see that you two have business so...later.”“You came in here because you’re nosy.” Tim snarled, watching him saunter out of the room.“That too.” Jason gave them a wave. “Stay golden birdie boys!”He disappeared and both Tim and Dick let out a sigh.“Always a pleasure having Jason around...”Dick snickered.“As if this day couldn’t get any shittier.” Tim sighed once more. “Thanks for coming.”“No problem.” Dick looked at his younger “brother”, frowning. “How’s the leg?”Tim shrugged quickly, looking down at the white cast. “It’s fine.”“And how are you?”Dick slowly walked over to the bed and sat down, looking intently at the man in the chair. He said nothing for a long time; eventually, a stray tear rolled down his cheek and he brushed it away.“I’m so fucking mad...and hurt and....fuck.” Tim’s hands covered his face and Dick leaned forward, extending his arm so that he could rest his hand on his shoulder. Tim quivered for a moment but stayed silent. There was no sobbing, no crying or heaving his breath, just silent quivers.“I did everything for Steph...everything.” he groaned through his hands after a moment. “I loved her more than anyone could ever expect to be loved; I supported her, I was there for her, and then that little...fucking son of a bitch came and...” he paused and Dick noticed his fingertips flex into his head. “Why the hell would she do this to me?” he turned his face out of his hands, looking completely overwhelmed. “How could she do this to me?”Dick looked at the floor for a moment, scraping his mind for what was best to say. “Everyone makes mistakes sometimes when they aren’t thinking straight.”Tim snorted out a half laugh and shook his head. “It wasn’t a mistake, Dick. They fucked...multiple times. She told me when we talked before she left. She said she’s confused. The hell if I know what about, but apparently she is.”Dick brought his arm back but continued leaning forward. “That’s only natural, if you’ve been with someone multiple times and live with them.”Tim was quiet for a moment, but something sickening seemed to run through his mind because his face scrunched and lurched forward as though he was going to get sick. Dick straightened up, readying himself to help if need be.“I saw them...” Tim said in a whisper, his eyes clenching shut. “It makes me sick...”Dick stood and walked to the side of the chair, rubbing Tim’s back slowly.“What are you going to do?” he asked quietly. Tim brought his shoulders up in a shrug, his head falling so that he was looking at the floor, his fringe dangling off of his forehead.“I don’t know...I’m in love with her. I just...I don’t know if I can ever forgive this or get over it.” He paused. “I need time to think...and I need to see what she wants to do.”“What are you going to do about Damian?”Sitting up straight and twisting around in his seat, Tim looked at Dick with slivered eyes. “I don’t even want to look at that sleazy little prick!”“That’s going to be hard since you both live in the same house.”“I’ll find my own place; I don’t need to live with Batman in order to be Robin.”Dick nodded. “That’s true, but you should probably figure out some way to get closure. He is Bruce’s son and the other Robin. You can’t avoid him forever.”“Then I’ll quit!” Tim’s voice was almost a shout. It caused Dick to frown. “I would rather give up my title than to even hear his name again!”“You’re putting all of the blame on him.” The older man’s voice was quiet, serious. “I know you’re upset, but it takes two to tango Tim, you know this. He’s a kid.”Slamming his hand down on the arm of the chair, Tim bared his teeth. “Bullshit, he’s a kid!” he yelled. “He did this just out of spite, just because Bruce chose me for this mission and told him to stay out of it!”“I don’t think so.” Dick said, shaking his head slowly. “Damian is a lot of things, but being the kind of person who would have sex with someone’s girlfriend out of spite, is not one of them.”“He’s hated me from the moment we met! You know this...why are you taking his side?”“I’m not taking anyone’s side. I’m here to see both of you, to listen to both sides of the story.”“His side of the story is that he fucked my girlfriend a bunch of times while I was away trying to save his ungrateful ass! What more do you need to know?”The room went silent and Dick and Tim just stared at each other. It was clear to see how much inner turmoil Tim was going through because of this. Dick knew all too well that he was just upset, and he knew that trying to explain things any further to him was going to be pointless, but it hurt him that he couldn’t at least help him try to understand.Tim sniffled back, perhaps a sob, and turned back towards the window. “You out of anyone should understand exactly how I’m feeling...” he said under his breath, the venous sting pelting Dick and causing his eyebrows to furrow.“I’ll talk to him, Tim...” ******* When Dick entered Damian’s room, the curtains were drawn making it too dark to see anything. Feeling around the wall for a moment, he quickly found the light switch and flicked it on, allowing him to see a body shaped lump underneath the covers of his bed. A quiet groan let him know that the boy was awake, so he slowly made his way to the bed and plopped down.Damian was there, lying on his side, scrunched up in a ball almost completely covered by blankets. His green eyes stared sadly ahead of him; he didn’t even acknowledge the older man sit down. Dick stayed quiet for a while, deciding to take a different approach than with Tim. Damian was, after all, a different person, and they had a completely different relationship.Leaning slightly closer to him, Dick chuckled low in his throat. “You know,” he started. “You almost have equally as poor of taste in women as Bruce does.” The teenagers green eyes slowly shifted towards him, narrowing. Dick waved both hands defensively in front of him. “Not that there’s anything wrong with them, you just...have horrible timing.”Damian said nothing and after glaring for a moment looked back ahead of him. Dick sighed.“Kor'i told me about what happened with the Titans.”Damian went tense, and Dick felt it.“Conner told her. Apparently it was pretty obvious...”“Damn aliens...”Damian mumbled, his voice breaking it was so quiet. Dick’s eyebrows furrowed and he leaned his head to the side.“Why didn’t you tell me?” he asked. “That you had feelings for Raven?”Damian finally turned his head to look at him. His hair which was normally perfectly gelled up was sticking out to the side. “I fail to see how it was any of your business.” He shot.“I could have helped, given you advice,” Dick rubbed the back of his neck. “Maybe this could have been avoided.”Damian looked away again, his eyes furrowing in what he hoped looked like anger, but to Dick, it was more like sadness. “What I felt for her was just a child’s infatuation. Nothing more.”“And what about how you feel for Stephanie?”The room went quiet. Dick sat there for a while, waiting for something else to be said but after literal minutes of silence he knew their conversation had come to a stop. He inhaled.“Come on Damian, talk to me. I’m here for you right now. I’m listening.”Damian pushed himself into a sitting position, frowning hard at the older man in front of him. “Why would I tell you anything?” he questioned angrily. “You’re just here to play devil’s advocate between Drake and I.”Dick nodded. “Maybe, but why is that wrong? You’re both my brothers, I want to help you both.”Damian spat out a laugh and turned his head to the side. “He is not your brother.” He jived. “And neither am I...don’t pretend that just because we were raised by the same man, that that makes us family.”Damian was aware that the words cut deep, it was apparent by the way Dick’s expression fell and hurt swam through his ocean like orbs, but he didn’t care at the moment. He was too mentally drained t care. Dick was quiet for a while before nodding slowly. “Alright then...noted.” he agreed hesitantly. “Well, whatever I am...I’m just trying to help you, in fact I might be the only one right now who is trying to help you. You royally fucked up.”“You don’t think I know that?”“All I’m saying is that there are not many people who are sympathizing for you right now. If you want to get anything off of your chest, I’m all ears; I’m not going to go running back to Tim, or Bruce. Just you and me.”Damian thought for a while. There were so many things he did want to get off of his chest; things that he knew would only eat away at him if he bottled them inside. But he didn’t want to talk to anyone about them, he only wanted to talk to Stephanie, but she was gone. Perhaps forever.His eyes glided to look at the comforter that covered his lap, his memory flashing back to all of the times they had lie together on it, all of the times they had been passionate on it. She had been gone all of two days and he already missed her, he felt like a hole had been punched through his chest.“There’s something between us...”he mumbled. Dick shrugged.“Well...that’s pretty clear, you were sleeping together.”“I mean...something strong. She makes me feel...” he trailed off and Dick waited, but nothing more came.“Is there an incoming adjective that I should be waiting for?” he asked, waving his head in the air. Damian’s eyes narrowed again.“Tt...forget it. Telling you anything is futile. Just leave me alone.”Dick scooted closer to the teen’s frame and looked at him seriously, very much giving off an almost fatherly vibe. It was more than Damian could say Bruce had done, but it also worried him that there was another incoming lecture about to commence.“Damian, listen to me.” He said, his voice deep and very un-Dick like. “You’re young, and when you’re young and having sex with someone, especially if that someone is your first...you tend to think things that might not necessarily be true. I’m not excusing your actions, but Stephanie...she’s old enough to know what she was doing. You’re impressionable and at an age where your hormones are probably driving you crazy. What you’re feeling for her is most likely-”Damian’s stomach twisted with rage. “Don’t you tell me what I’m feeling!” he hissed cutting Dick off mid sentence. “And do not blame her for this!”Dick shook his head. “I’m not blaming her.”“No but you’re implying it.” Damian sighed deeply. “I’m not a child, Grayson. I was never given the chance to be a child. I knew exactly what I was doing as well, and I know how I feel.”“Then explain it to me,” Dick pleaded. “I’m trying to help you.”“I don’t need your help. I just want to be alone.”Realizing this was going to become an endless circle game, Dick finally nodded his head, slowly getting to his feet.“Fine, Damian. But if you do ever need to talk...don’t hesitate to call me, ever, for anything.”“Thanks’ for the offer, but it won’t happen.”Damian had done his fair share of opening up to people, with Raven, with Stephanie, and what had it gotten him? It had gotten him hurt both times.
He wasn’t interested in a third.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
To Damian, it was almost as though the next few weeks went by as a timeless blur around him. Too distraught and embarrassed to face either his father or Tim again, he remained for the most part in his room, spending most of his time forcing himself to either sleep, or aimlessly pace the floor. He had even ceased going downstairs to get food after one accidental encounter with the older Robin; undoubtedly the most uncomfortable ten seconds of his life. He was only thankful that Alfred had eventually noticed his absence and began bringing meals up to his door.Bruce never once came to talk to him; he seemed to be giving him the silent treatment or was waiting for him to approach first, which he wouldn’t unless necessary. Alfred had told him that admitting he was wrong would make him a bigger person, that it was what adults did. But perhaps in that regard he was not an adult after all, because even though he could identify that he had been the one at fault, he couldn’t bring himself to say anything otherwise.Other than the few brief interactions with Alfred, Damian would receive bidiurnal text messages from Dick checking to see how he was doing. He never responded to them, though it did make him feel slightly comforted knowing that the older man truly cared about his wellbeing. It was a lot more than he could say for the others.Who he really wanted to talk to more than anything though, was Stephanie, so much so that he would check his phone multiple times a day to see if she had messaged him; but he was constantly left disappointed. It was as if she had fallen off the edge of the world, and he wondered if she hated him for breaking Tim’s leg and being part of the reason that their relationship was in ruins, if it was even that. In all honesty, he had no idea where Stephanie and Tim stood, for all he knew they could be working things out and that was why she wasn’t trying to reach out to him.It wasn’t until a month later at Dick’s wedding, where he realized that must not be the case, as Stephanie was blatantly absent.The ceremony was small and took place inside of the Wayne Manor. Alfred, Bruce and Tim were there obviously, though the way Tim and Bruce coldly ignored the younger Wayne was awkward to say the least. Barbara Gordon was also there, as was her father, Jim and also the Titans.It had been a long time since Damian had last seen them, and it was strange to once again be in their presence. Upon coming into the study that had been transformed into some sort of floral, over the top alter room, he had caught sight of them right but made sure to sit himself at a distance. And he did just distance himself from them, no he sat away from everyone, opting to take his seat at the very back of the room, waiting for the ceremony to begin and end so he could escape to the privacy of his quarters.When Dick and Kor’i finally entered the room, he was surprised to see that for once the alien princess was not wearing something that made her look like a hooker, though he supposed she had decided on a less revealing garment due to the small bump that was beginning to protrude from her stomach. But even with that she looked beautiful, and Dick looked great too. They both seemed happy and he was glad for that.Looking over at Bruce, Tim and Alfred, Damian could see how proud they all were for him; Bruce even seemed a little less tense than he had before. Since he and his son were currently not on speaking terms, Damian had no idea what was going on with his aunt or with Widow. But the fact that nobody had told him anything and the fact that he hadn’t been approached again gave him a feeling that the trail had run dry, something he knew that must have been quite the damper on his father’s spirits.The couple said their vows, exchanged rings, kissed, and the deed was done; they were now husband and wife, Mr. And Mrs. Grayson.The reception was held in the garden, and they were all unbelievably grateful that the weather was nice, probably the nicest day so far in the year in fact, it was going to be great for their pictures. Out of respect for Dick and Kor’i, Damian forced himself to join the party, if only for a moment, to congratulate the two, trying his very best to ignore Tim, his father and the Titans who all didn’t seem very interested in him anyway. It almost hurt him that the Titans were acting so distant, he had lived with them for four years and not one of them had even looked his way. Well, he didn’t need them, he didn’t need anybody.“Grayson,” he announced deeply as he walked up to the newlyweds. Dick turned to him with a smile on his face.“Which one?” he chuckled, his voice quivering with humor that only he found funny. Damian lip twitched with the threat of a smile and he decided to ignore the dad-like satire.“I just came out here to congratulation you, both of you.”Kor’i smiled, as did her husband. “Thanks, Damian.” Dick cooed before his lips pulled down into a frown. “How are you holding up? You haven’t been answering any of my texts.”Damian’s stomach squirmed with discomfort and he swallowed dryly. “I’ve been fine.” He lied. “I just haven’t been using my phone that much.”“Damian, you do know that I can see when you’ve read them, correct?”Kor’i placed her hand on Dick’s chest and gave him a sympathetic look, pleading for him to stop. Damian hated the look, it was pity, and he never wanted anyone’s pity. Turning on his heels he gave them a nod.“Enjoy the rest of your party.” he mumbled, beginning to walk away. Dick opened his mouth to say something but Kor’i shook her head, urging him to let his younger brother go. The brunette appreciated that she knew he needed space. Before he could make it back to the manor’s doors however, a light tug on the back of his suit jacket made him stop and he turned his head over his shoulder. His heart immediately felt as though it had stopped in his chest and his green eyes widened.Standing behind him in a flowy, black cocktail dress, shoulder length black hair curled ever so slightly and violet eyes accented with a thin line of black liner and shimmered mascara, was Raven; his old teammate, his previous crush.Turning around fully, Damian took a step back from her, his eyes shifting around them to see who was near. It had seemed like a lifetime ago he had spoken to her, and the last time he had he had been cold, jealous at the fact that she had started dating Gar. He had taken out his childish envy on her, and it hadn’t been pleasant and he felt bad. Add it to the list of things he felt ashamed of.Raven’s thin lips pulled into a small, gentle smile. “Hey,” she said quietly. There was no bitterness to her tone, no resentment. It was as though she put their last encounter completely behind her, something he found hard to do. “Long time no see.”Damian fought the urge to awkwardly rub the back of his neck; he wished to seem confident in himself like he always did. “Yeah.”“We miss you at the tower,” Raven leaned on one hip, crossing her arms over her chest. Damian’s eyes shifted down for a split second. She wasn’t built like Stephanie; she was leaner, less curvy, but still pretty in her own way. He highly doubted her words, what with how indifferent everyone seemed to see him again, but she always tried to make him feel welcomed. It was part of the reason he had begun to like her. “It’s different without you.”Damian shrugged his shoulders. “I’m sure you’re all fairing fine.” He paused. “How are things with Logan?”“They’re good. We’re happy.”The brunette felt a ping in his chest and he exhaled air that he really didn’t have. Raven watched him stir uncomfortably in his place, her eyebrows furrowing deeply. After a moment, he gave her a serious look and leaned forward slightly.“You knew...didn’t you?” he asked, lowering his tone to an almost whisper. “About my feelings?”Raven didn’t frown, she didn’t smile, and she didn’t blush. She remained just as stoic as she always was when she nodded her head. “I always know. The curse of being an empath, I suppose.”Damian scowled, suddenly filled with annoyance. Dick’s words rung through his head, maybe this could have all been avoided had he and Raven had some sort of communication. She had known all along and she didn’t approach him, she didn’t say anything, and now he was here, completely alone, hated by more people than he had ever been.“But I also knew that it probably wasn’t what you thought it to be. Feelings are tricky like that, trust me, I know.” The raven haired girl said after a moment, sensing his building rage. His eyes narrowed and he looked down.“Yeah...”Raven’s expression became even more sympathetic, almost mimicking Kor’i’s and she sighed. “I heard what happened, Damian...”“Of course you did.”Leaning down slightly so that she could catch his attention that was directed to the grass beneath them, Raven frowned. “I just wanted to know if you’re okay. You don’t seem okay.”Reaching her hand out, she tried to touch his arm but he jerked away quickly, as if her touch was hot through his jacket. “I’m fine.” He hissed. Raven stood up straight.“I always know, remember? You’re not. I won’t push...but just know that I’m here if you need me.”Although he should have been thankful, Damian was sick of people offering him their ruth. First Dick, now the girl he once had feelings for but had decided to brush him aside like dust in a doorway. He wanted nothing from either of them; he would figure things out on his own eventually like he always did. And if bottling up his strife only added to his emotional damage, then so be it.He gave her a quick nod and turned back towards the manor. “Like I said...I’m fine.”Without another word, Damian rushed back inside, away from her and away from everyone else. He made his way immediately to the kitchen, taking full advantage of the lack of life inside in order to grab anything he could to take back to his room. Alfred had luckily been bringing him his morning coffee, and a sweet every evening, he really loved sweets. But if he were to be locked away for any longer then he wanted something to snack periodically on.Grabbing a few granola bars, a whole bunch of bananas and a can of peanuts, he turned to the door, getting ready to rush back to his bedroom. But as he reached the stairwell, the sound of the front door opening behind him caught in his ears.“Knock, knock!” a loud voice sang out and he turned to see Jason standing there, closing the door behind him. He smiled upon seeing the younger man. “Guess I missed the memo that the apocalypse was coming. Why all the snacks kiddo? Isn’t there a party you’re supposed to be at?”Damian’s green eyes narrowed and he stepped down from the first step, casting the older man the death glare of all death glares. “Yeah, one you weren’t invited to.” He snapped.Jason laughed and watched towards him. “I didn’t realize Dickie hired a bouncer for this shindig.” He said, grabbing one of the bananas in Damian’s arm and twisting it free from the others. He unpeeled it and took a bite. “I wasn’t not invited. Come on, I’m not allowed to go to my own brothers wedding? That’s just silly.”Damian rolled his eyes. Out of everything that was going on, Jason was always there to put the cherry on top.“So,” the blue eyed man jeered, snaking around Damian and taking a seat on the stairs. He looked up at him with a questioning look playing on his face. “A little birdie told me that there’s been some drama in the big bats house.” Damian’s eyes narrowed even further as Jason’s lips twisted into a smirk. “You wouldn’t happen to know anything about that...would you Babybat?”“Pound sand, Todd.” Damian growled between clenched teeth. Jason laughed, placing one of his hands over his heart like he had been wounded and leaned back in his seat.“Whoa...” he chuckled. “I could tell you what to pound...but...I heard you already know. I must say kiddo, that was pretty ballsy, and I don’t just say that to anyone.”“Is that why you’re here? To patronize me?”“Actually,” Jason held up a finger. “I came for the open bar. That’s the great thing about weddings, am I right?”Had he not been blocking Damian’s path, he would have left right then and there and fled back to his room. But the Red Hood was insistent on ruining his life even further than he had already done himself, he was sure of it.After a moment of silence, Jason let out a long sigh and leaned his head to the side. “Look kid,” his voice was suddenly very serious. “I don’t know you, and I’m not going to pretend to. I get that you probably have your own shit going on, but what you did-”Great. Just someone else trying to purge Damian’s life of sorrows, and if he had thought it couldn’t get any worse than girl he used to have feelings on, he had been mistaken.“You’re right. You don’t know me.” He cut him off being he could continue any further. “So why don’t you mind your own business and leave me the hell alone. Or did the Joker rattle your brains that much that you are no longer able to understand the concept of personal boundaries?”Jason raised one thick eyebrow and took another bite of the banana. As he chewed it slowly, his blue eyes never left the younger man’s green ones. Eventually he swallowed and spoke again.“Dick said you like to hit below the belt.” His voice was dry, but he soon shrugged and leaned back, letting his elbows rest on the stair behind him. “Be grateful I know you’re going through stuff, or else I might have clocked you for that comment.” Another bite. “I’m just trying to talk to you.”“Yeah, well save your breath. I’ve already had enough people try and talk to me. I told them all the same thing, you’re no different.”Finishing the banana off, Jason flung the peel to the side. Damian watched as it landed on the floor of the entry way and for a moment imagined how funny it would be if Tim slipped on it and broke his other leg.“See, that’s where I think you might be wrong.” Jason told him calmly. “I think I am different from those other stiffs, in fact I think I may be the only person on this whole goddamn planet who can actually understand what’s going on in your demented little head.”“Enlighten me.” Damian inquired with a roll to his eyes; he hardly actually cared. Jason smiled again.“Dick never told you what happened last year, huh?”“No, but I’m sure you’re about to.”Jason blew one quick breath out of his cheeks and ran a single hand through his hair as though this was going to be some big reveal. Damian could only assume how much he was playing it up to seem bigger than it was to draw his attention in. Well he wouldn’t humor it. He hadn’t the time.“Kor’i and I.”That was all he needed to say to completely take the younger man off guard and his brows furrowed in the center of his forehead.“You expect me to believe that?” he shot. If it was a lie, it was a sick one. Dick and Kor’i had just gotten married; there was no way she had cheated on him, with Jason of all people. The has-been was full of it.Jason shrugged his shoulders and leaned forward again, resting his elbows on his knees. “Why would I lie about something like that?” he asked, and the question sounded legitimate. “It was in October, she was deployed on a mission with Roy Harper to bring in this serial killer down in New Orleans and I just happened to be following the same nut job so the three of us teamed up. Mission went south, and...well,” he paused to wipe his thumb across his bottom lip, his eyes leaning Damian's to look into the space in front of him. He was clearly having flashbacks of the event and it made Damian slightly mad. “Let’s just say a lot can happen when you think you’re living out your final hours.”Damian thought about his words for a moment. He vaguely remembered hearing that Kor’i had been in brief trouble while on a mission in New Orleans, though he didn’t know she had gone with Roy Harper, or met with Jason Todd, so he was unsure if he was telling the truth or not. But the question Jason had asked did make sense, why would he lie about it?Jason stood and stretched his arms high over his head, his white tee-shirt lifting up his perfectly toned stomach. He dropped them with a grunt. “But of course, who showed up to save the day but circus boy himself. Kor’i must have told him not long after, because a few days later he waited for me outside of my favorite pub. Beat the absolute living piss out of me.”Jason laughed and slowly walked around Damian. “Guess I deserved it. I didn’t break his leg though.”“And what, you’re both just fine now?” the brunette asked as he watched him walk towards the kitchen. Jason turned to face him but continued to walk backwards. He lifted his arms in the arm in a shrug.“He got over it. It happened under weird circumstances, there was nothing he could really do about it, it wasn’t like we could just...un-fuck.”He stopped walked just before the kitchen and nodded towards the front door. “Him and Kor’i obviously figured it out. Haven’t talked to her since though, not even a ‘hey’; probably why I didn’t get an invite today, now that I think about it.”“Was it really that hard for you to piece that together?” Damian sneered. Jason disappeared into the kitchen but continued to yell back at the teenager.“All I’m saying is, you and me, we ain’t that different. Not in our morals, not in our drive. We see something we want, we go for it and we don’t let anything or anyone stand in our way.”“I’m nothing like you...”Jason reappeared with some sort of amber alcohol in his hand and threw back a drink, pulling back with a satisfying smack to his lips. “Deny it all you want, kid. But I’m telling ya, we’re cut from the same fucked up, ratty assed cloth.”Damian went stiff as the older man slung an arm around his shoulder, pressing his cheek to the top of his head, the light stubble of his chin scratching against his temple.“Let me share this tidbit of advice with you,” he muttered, the smell of nicotine clear on his breath. “If you actually like Stephanie Brown and aren’t just in it for the presumably amazing pussy she puts out, go and talk to her. The last thing you want is to have to watch her walk down the aisle with some other guy one day, while you drown your pathetic sorrows with a bottle of jack in the background like some heartbroken schmuck.”Jabbing his elbow out, Damian pushed at his predecessor but he did not budge. The fact that he had even spoken about Stephanie like that had disgusted him and made his stomach turn. It didn’t matter how much this man tried to ‘help’ him or said they could relate to each other, he hated him. “Speak from experience do you?” he asked coldly, leaning away from him.Jason snickered and dropped his arm, taking a step back. “I don’t drink to mask my woes; I drink to forget lousy conversations like this. Take the advice or leave it, I really don’t care either way.”Jason turned to the kitchen once more, pointing towards it with one hand. “I saw an eclair in there with my name on it, so I’m gonna go grab that and bounce before anyone else notices my presence. Good luck kid, may the odds be ever in your favour.”Damian stomped up to his room, but it was only when he threw his food down on his bed that he noticed a folded piece of paper sticking out of the banana bunch. He raised an eyebrow and picked it up unfolding it.Written down, in god-awful, messy handwriting was an address, and he didn’t even need to think about it to know whose it was. He looked back at the door as though he had somehow acquired super vision and could see back downstairs.Perhaps Jason wasn’t all that bad. ******** Going to Gotham was never pleasant. Going to Gotham in the middle of the night was even more so, especially in seedy neighborhoods like Damian was currently in. He almost feared leaving his Porsche where he had left it, not know if he would ever see it, at least in one piece, ever again. But as he followed the GPS signal on his cell phone, twisting through dark, piss and garbage scented alleyways, his thoughts were anywhere but his car. If this was the neighborhood Stephanie now lived in, God, he needed to get her out immediately.Coming to the back of a hideous, brick eyesore, Damian took hold of the stairwell railing and stepped up each hollow, aluminum step, praying that with each crack he heard that his foot would not go through. Luckily he reached the fifth floor without collapsing to his death.Taking a breath he stood for a moment, just looking at the translucent glass of the door. A light was on from somewhere in the house, letting him know that she was indeed home, as he supposed he had wanted her to be. But his heart was beating in his chest and he was nervous, of all things, Damian Wayne...nervous.Raising a hand he quickly wrapped on the glass and waited. It only took a moment for the silhouette of a figure to appear and the door slowly pulled open. Her hazel eyes widened the moment she saw him, and it made his breathing shallow. There she was, just as he had remembered her. They had only been apart for just shy of a month, but he had felt as though it had been decades.Dressed in an over-sized baseball tee that fell to her mid thigh, hair laying in a loose mess around her shoulders, she was so leisurely but so beautiful. Her eyebrows batted at him.“Damian?” she gasped quietly. Damian swallowed roughly; he had come all this way, but now that he was here he wasn’t sure what to say to her. In fact, he hadn’t really been sure what to say when he had first decided to come. It had taken awhile after he had left Jason; he spent almost the entire rest of the evening reading the address over and over again, mentally warring with himself if he should go or not to visit her. He had obviously ended up deciding to go, but why? Just to see her? Just to be in her presence? Because he sure as hell had no words.Stephanie’s lips pressed into a frown and her eyes shifted away from him. “How did you find me?” she asked, and her tone sounded distant. It hurt him.“Todd, gave me your address.” He replied, eyebrows furrowing.“Why did you find me?”He hesitated. “I thought we should talk.”“Talk about what, Damian?” now her tone was irritated and it took him everything he had not to bark back at her, but now wasn’t the time to let his anger rule him. Instead he took a deep breath.“I shouldn’t have to answer that.”Stephanie stayed quiet for a moment as she thought, her lips pulling slightly into her mouth. “I don’t...” he stopped as if second guessing herself, but shook her head and continued. “I don’t think that’s a good idea. At all.”“Why not?”“Because...I don’t know...I need to think about things.”The young Wayne frowned. She had about a month to think about things, why did she possibly need more time.“What things?” Damian demanded causing her eyes to narrow. She straightened her posture and looked up at him again.“Just things, okay! Tim, you, me, us, things!” she shouted, but her voice wasn’t angry. It was wild; it was hurt and confused, but not angry. “I love Tim and I hurt him more than any criminal or super villain ever could! All of the trust that he had ever given me...everything he has done for me, none of that matters anymore. I just ruined everything.”Damian’s eyebrows drew together and again he swallowed. “If you love him...why do you have to think about me?”It was a stupid question, he knew that. They had been physical; there was no possible way he wouldn’t be on her mind, at least at the back of it. Stephanie cast him an exhausted look.“Damian...stop. Please.” She begged, slowly closing the door over. Without thinking, he pushed himself between the door and its frame.“Let me in.” He ordered roughly causing her to look at him like he was crazy.“Excuse me?”“Let me in so we can talk.”“No,” she said with the shake of her head. “I just told you I need time to myself to think.”“You said you need time to think. You didn’t say you wanted to be alone. Let me in, and we can figure it out together.”Stephanie’s eyes dipped in what looked like her way of suppressing tears and she shook her head again. “I can’t...” she murmured. He looked at her; he felt so foolishly desperate. Damn him for these feelings he had, damn her for being difficult. Damn this whole situation.“Why can’t you?” he asked.“Because, if I let you in...” She began to chew on her bottom lip and tucked one side of her hair behind her ear. Damian shook his head at her.“If you let me in, what?”“If I let you in...I’m going to ask you to stay...”Her hazel eyes looked up at him and met his emerald ones. They stared at each other for a while, the dangerous city sounds of Gotham singing out behind them. He understood her concern, if he stayed there was no doubt that something would happen between them, and if something happened between them...well the situation would be concreted. She would be choosing him, not Tim. And that scared her. Hell it scared him; but if that wasn’t what she wanted, if she really did love Tim and wished to stay with him, then Damian would have no objections. He would tell her it was okay, he still wished to be there for her.“Then I’ll stay.” He said quietly, hesitantly reaching his arm up and brushing his knuckles gently across her cheek. Her eyes closed and she leaned into his touch, rubbing her lips together.“I’m confused...”she cried. He nodded.“I know.”Pulling the door all the way open Stephanie allowed him in. He looked around the dumpy little apartment; it was a mess; a small kitchen table, dishes that hadn’t probably been touched since she had arrived a month ago, paint peeling from the walls.When she locked her door and led him into the next room, he was half expecting it to be in a better state, and it was but barely. It was a small open concept living room/bedroom with a small bathroom off to the side. Clothing was strewn everywhere, again paint was peeling from the walls, and in the far side corner, a bucket sat beneath a molded spot on the ceiling that was dripping water. Stephanie kicked a pile of clothing out of the way of a small love seat and raised her arms slightly.“Home sweet home...”she murmured, her voice still slightly sad. “Sorry about the mess. I would blame it on my depressed state for the past month but...it’s kind of always been like this.”“This is where you grew up?” Damian asked, his nose scrunching at the sight of it. At least it smelled good. It smelled like her.Stephanie nodded. “Yeah...”She looked down at the love seat where another pile of clothing sat. Gathering it into her arms she dropped it on the floor and again kicked it away. “Here, sit. I’ll put on some tea. Unless you want something stronger?”“Tea’s fine.”Stephanie nodded and slid past him back into the kitchen. Damian sighed before walking towards the love seat, taking his windbreaker off and folding it over the arm. He sat down on the springy fabric and listened as she prepared the drinks. It didn’t take long, and when she came back she placed both mugs on a small coffee table that was littered with makeup supplies, used tissues and books. He looked at them, and although they were horrible, smutty young adult novels, he was still surprised she enjoyed reading. She had talked so much at the manor that he believed sitting down to a quiet pastime was something she was unable to do.Pulling her legs up underneath her, Stephanie sat beside Damian and faced him, propping her elbow on the back of the couch and playing with her own hair. Damian leaned forward and brought his tea to his lips, gagging slightly on the amount of sugar she had put into it, but he swallowed nonetheless. This was hardly the time to complain about trivial things like how much sugar she had put in his tea.The stayed quiet for a while; neither of them really knowing what to say. Damian cleared his throat after a while, realizing that she probably wasn’t going to start the conversation.
“Dick and Kor’i got married today.”She smiled slightly. “Kor’i sent me pictures. She looked beautiful.”Damian nodded. He had never really thought about it before, but he now wondered if Stephanie had even been invited or not, or had she been ghosted like Jason. If it was a matter of trying to save everyone from an awkward situation by having the three younger members of the bat-family there, then Damian should have been the one absent. It was his fault after all. He had broken Tim’s leg; he was the one who had pissed off Bruce.“H-how have you been doing?” Stephanie asked, her voice awkwardly stuttering on her words. Damian forced another horribly sweet sip down his throat.“I could be better. But it’s been tolerable.”Stephanie clutched the back of the couch and leaned to the side to take hold of her drink. Blowing on it a few times she took a sip. Damian looked at her.“You?”“I’ve been a hot mess.” She chuckled sadly. “I’ve talked to Tim a few times...but it’s...not the same.” Her forehead ceased as she thought for a moment. “And it’s not just Tim who’s changed...I just feel different.”Damian’s green eyes searched her expression for what it meant but he waited for her to continue, she seemed to know where she was going in her train of thought, he could tell by her concentrated look. Taking a very deep breath, Stephanie leaned back over and placed her drink down, looking solidly at the boy in front of her.“I think...I’m going to break up with him.” She said and Damian almost choked on air. Placing his mug down, he raised an eyebrow.“Why?”“I think I loved him for all of the wrong reasons...”she confessed, but her voice trembled. “He saved me from...this.” Damian followed her gaze around the room. “And he was a lot nicer than Clyde ever was to me. He supported me when no one else would, I latched onto that.” She paused, her tongue running slowly over her bottom lip. “I do love him, in a way I will always love him...but...”Her lidded eyes looked up at him and a feeling washed over Damian, one that he had yet to ever feel in his life. He wanted to hold onto her, he wanted to kiss her, but it was not lust that drove him. He wanted to show her that he supported her, that he would be there for her. He wanted to make her feel safe.This girl had gone from being an absolute nuisance, to a tolerable friend, to a sex buddy, to someone Damian literally never wanted to be apart from, and although he could not identify exactly what he felt for her he knew that it was unlike anything he felt towards anyone else, and he knew it was something very real.“But..?” he said in a whisper, urging her to continue. She didn’t, and instead leaned forward into him, pressing her lips to his lightly. As if her body was magnetic, his arms wrapped around her and held her to him.Their kiss was slow, and careful. It was not rough, it was not hungry. They had missed one another and were glad to be back together, that was it. That was where the kiss stemmed from.Crawling on top of his lap, Stephanie’s hands clung to the back of his head like she were afraid that he would disappear. His hands slid down her back, running over the round of her backside, down the length of her legs and up again, bringing with them her shirt. They parted for a moment while he brought the fabric over her head, she lifted her arms, allowing him toss it to the floor to join the rest of the mess.Looking down at the red dress shirt he was wearing, her fingers fumbled slowly at the buttons, his green eyes watching her the whole time through thick dark lashes. Once she had reached the last button she returned to his lips, her hands pushing the shirt from his shoulders. He held her even tighter, taking in the feeling of her bare chest against his. He had missed the sensation, he had missed the sex, but he missed her so much more. Despite the dingy apartment they were in, despite the fact that his father thought he was doing something wrong, despite everything, he was where he needed to be. He knew it.Their sex that night was different than it had ever been. They took things slow; they took the time to truly feel one another, to show what they meant to one another, and afterwards, when they had brought each other to finish, they fell asleep in each other’s arms. For the first time in his life, Damian’s sleep was sound.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
It took Damian a moment to process where he was the next morning, worrying for a split second that he had been kidnapped and was being held for ransom somewhere in the slums of Gotham. But when he heard the shower running from the other room, the faint smell of vanilla entering his nostrils, and realized he was lying naked under the covers of a warm bed, the events from the night before came flooding back to him. He lazily pushed himself into a sitting position, pressing his back against the wall behind him and yawned.
It was strange waking up in Gotham city and not in the remote confines of the manor. Usually when he were to wake up and look out the window he would see nothing but trees, or the beautiful night sky, but here as his green eyes drifted to look outside all he was met with was another brick building at an uncomfortably close proximity. And it was far from quiet, he could already hear cars whizzing past on the streets below; what time was it?The sound of the running water ceased, and Damian moved his attention to the door of the bathroom. It opened after a moment and out came Stephanie, completely buck naked with her hair wrapped on top of her head in her towel. He blinked for a moment, gaping wide eyed at her as she strut over to a small dresser that sat against the wall and began rummaging through her clothing, then with a blush he turned away, fidgeting slightly in the bed. Sleeping with her was nice, but this he was not used to in the least.“Put some damn clothes on, woman!” he snapped awkwardly. Stephanie quickly froze and turned around to look at him, smiling.“Oh good, you’re awake! Morning!” she chimed, and then turned back to the drawer, pulling out a lavender tank top.“Have you no shame at all?”Stephanie chuckled and turned around to him, placing her hands on her hips and raising her chest high. His eyes shifted to look at her but he sincerely wished he hadn’t, he could already feel his groin stirring underneath the covers of the bed.“Aw,” the blonde said, pouting her lips. “Am I making you uncomfortable?”“Uncomfortable isn’t the word I would use...” Damian deadpanned as she sauntered over to the bed, her hips swinging side to side. She was doing it on purpose, he knew it.
Crawling across the mattress on her hands and knees, she pulled her lips into a smile, bringing one hand up and flicking him lightly in the nose. He playfully narrowed his eyes at her.“Well, then...what word would you use?”Damian had to force himself from smiling and he leaned his head to the side, trying his best not to look down at her breasts. “Must you always be so vexing?” he asked snidely.
Stephanie’s smile grew and she leaned forward, kissing him quickly before pulling away and bouncing back over to the dresser. Emphasis on bouncing, because where Damian’s eyes fell that was all he saw.“You know I make you want me.” She said, taking hold of the tank top she had placed atop the dresser once more and pulling it over her head. She winced when the towel accidentally got caught and yanked out of her hair, but didn’t bother wrapping it back up and tossed it to the floor.“Accurate, but for the life of me I don’t know why...” he said with a shrug. Stephanie smiled back at him and dove back into the dresser, pulling out a black thong and shoving her legs through it.“You hungry? I’ve got eggs and baco-” she stopped herself, eyes shifting upwards while she thought for a moment. He smirked; knowing that her memory was flashing back to the time he had told her he was a vegetarian. “Do you like toast?”“Toast is fine.”“Great! I’ll make us some toast. There’s like...five different types of jam in the fridge, I’ve been eating from the raspberry and it tastes fine, so I think it’s still good...” Stephanie nodded and grabbed a pair of sweat shorts from the floor, quickly bringing them to her nose for a sniff. They must have smelled okay, because she quickly shrugged and pulled them on. Damian shook his head.“You’re revolting.” He said, his top lip curling slightly. “How in the world do you live like this?”Stephanie cast him a look. “You’re constantly contradicting yourself, you know?” Disappearing into the kitchen, she continued to shout out to him. “One minute I’m sexy, the next I’m revolting.”“I don’t recall ever once calling you sexy.”The brunette tossed the covers off of him and got to his feet, looking for his clothing. Normally upon waking he would prefer to change into a new set of clothing, but since he had come completely unprepared to stay over he had to settle. Unfortunately, it took longer to find them than he had hoped because of the state of her floor, but when he did find them he quickly dressed.“Your eyes say it all!”As Damian listened to her fiddle around in the kitchen, he began picking up the clothing from her floor, throwing it all over one of his arms. Her mess level rivaled that of Beast Boy’s...and that was truly saying something.“Hey, do you want coffee?” the girl asked after a moment, poking her head back into the open concept room. Her eyes immediately narrowed at the sight of him tossing her clothing into a large hamper that sat beside the bed. “Are you cleaning?”“Both of those should be obvious answers.”“Stop cleaning my apartment!” she demanded with the stomp of her foot. Damian ignored her and continued to tidy.“Somebody has to do it,” he shot at her. “I’m honestly surprised you didn’t contract malaria in your youth.”“Look, give me a break, okay? I never really had to clean before. Alfred cleaned at the manor, and when I lived with my dad, the old lady downstairs would come up and do it for us. It gave her a sense of purpose. If you really want, I can go and ask her to come up...”Damian stood up straight from straightening the books on her coffee table and gave her a blank look, one eyebrow raised high on his forehead. “And how would you explain my being here, exactly?”Suppressing a smile, Stephanie gave a quick shrug and backed into the kitchen. “I could say I’m babysitting.” She giggled causing the young Wayne to shake his head, his stomach pitting with irritation.He started towards the kitchen; if she didn’t want him to clean, then fine, he wouldn’t. But if rats decided to infest her apartment, he was leaving her high and dry with only an ‘I told you so’ as his parting words.“You’re not funny...”he scolded, crossing his arms and leaning his shoulder on the door frame. Stephanie laughed while she readied a pot of coffee.“I'm a little funny.”“Tt...”The teenager pulled out one of the chairs of the small kitchen table and sat down. He only stayed seated for a moment, however, before picking up a pile of dishes that sat on said table and carrying them to the sink, which, big shocker was already full. Turning the tap on he began to wash them, Stephanie’s hazel eyes shifted to him as she waited for the toast to pop from the toaster.“Cleaning...” she reminded in a sing song voice.“It looks like all of your...everything is dirty, and since eating off the floor is out of the question, I figured I’d help out. You’re welcome.”“It’s toast! You hold it in your hand and you eat it!”Damian pressed his lips together in a tight lipped smirk and shook a plate off into the sink before taking it back with him to the table. Stephanie rolled her eyes and turned, leaning her back against the counter.“Are we ever going to stop arguing about everything?” she asked, turning her body at the sound of the toast popping from the toaster. Grabbing one piece, she held it in her hand and quickly spread a good amount of raspberry jam on it before bringing it over to the brunette and placing it on his plate, then went back for her own.It was true, he had been in her apartment for only a few hours and they had already bantered multiple times. But it kept things interesting, and had yet to really get on his nerves. He had missed bickering with her for the past month; he hoped she had as well.“Unless you smarten up, as well as grow up, most likely not.”She sat in the other seat, holding her piece of toast in one hand. Shaking her head at him she took a bite. “You’re the kid here, not me.”He picked up his own piece, right away noticing the stiff state of the edges. He didn’t mind his toast a little bit burnt though, and when he took a bite he realized that he really had been hungry after all. “Physically perhaps. But mentally you have me beat.”She quickly stuck her tongue out at him before taking another bite of her food then putting it on the table and rushing over to bubbling coffee pot. Damian’s eyes shifted down to it; he had the strong urge to remind her why a plate would have been a good idea, but decided against it. Instead he took another, larger bite of his toast.“You know...I’m still mad at you for what you did to Tim.” Stephanie confessed, bringing their coffees over to the table. Damian raised an eyebrow.“For stealing his girlfriend?”“For breaking his leg.” her tone was tight, she had not appreciated his sarcasm. “Was that really necessary?”“Perhaps not. I apologize for acting recklessly.” He said with a nod, bringing his coffee to his lips. She leaned her head back and looked at him.“Did you say that to Tim?”“What do you think?”Sighing Stephanie looked down into her mug, rocking in her seat slightly so that the liquid swished back and forth. “We should have never snuck around like that. I didn’t like hurting him.”“This would have never happened if we hadn’t.”“You’re not going to start spilling destiny crap at me, are you? Everything happens for a reason, yada, yada, blah, blah, blah...”“No, I wasn’t, Miss Lets-wish-on-a-falling-star. I was just saying, do you really think that we would have come together had you not approached me that night?”She thought for a moment, tapping the tip of her index finger on her chin, clutching her mug tightly in her other hand. “I don’t know...maybe not. But it was still wrong.”Damian shrugged. He wasn’t necessarily sure what to say to her; obviously it was wrong but he didn’t regret it, it had brought them together. Perhaps they would have happened naturally and come together in a more moral way, but perhaps they wouldn’t have. He had gotten what he wanted in the end so there was really no point regretting anything. Tim was...moderately attractive, he would find someone else eventually. Perhaps it was a selfish way to look at it, but Damian wouldn’t dwindle on that.A hum came from the pocket of his jeans and tilted his hips, digging his hand in and pulling out his cell. His eyes narrowed at the message that showed on his screen.[Father]
Where are you? “Who is it?” Stephanie asked, leaning forward to try and see the screen in his hand. Damian quickly shoved it back into his pocket, causing her to frown. “Bruce?”“He’s looking for me.”“He’s probably just worried. Did they ever manage to find Widow and Neferti?”“No.”*********After eating, the pair decided to venture into the city, Damian insistent on buying new clothing for his stay as he assumed he would be there for a while and didn’t want to go back to the manor.He was never a fan of shopping himself, but discovered that just like the amusement park, Stephanie got overly excited whenever they would go into a different store and peruse through the racks. He truly felt like they were a couple, and it was a very strange feeling. Grabbing his arm a few times, she would pull him around to show him things and force him to try on items even though he really didn’t wish to, she would try on items herself and get him to give his opinion (which more often than not was that it looked bad, she really did have horrible taste in clothing), and every once in a while she would steal a kiss or place one on his cheek. He didn’t hate it, but it was different and brought him so far out of his element that by early afternoon he just wanted to go back to her apartment and rest. But when they got there, rest was not exactly what they did.Over the next few days, their routine consisted of waking up, eating breakfast and coffee, going out to do something, coming home, having lots of mindless sex, eating again, watching something together or just talking, more sex, sleep, and repeat.It had been the most normal Damian’s life had ever been, and while he did miss the action of the superhero life, the other action he was getting was momentarily keeping him satisfied.On the night that marked it being one week since he had left the manor, after he and Stephanie had finished ravishing each other, they lay in the bed; Stephanie laying on his chest while he ran his fingers through her thick blonde hair. He could hear his own heartbeat in his ears, and he could feel hers. It was soothing, peaceful.Stephanie nuzzled into him and hummed, enjoying the heat that burned off of his skin. “Damian,” she purred in a hushed tone. Damian, whose eyes were closed remained quiet and waited for her to continue, picking up a strand of her hair and playing with it. He felt her swallow against him, as though she were nervous at what she was about to say, but her voice came out confident. “I love you.”Damian’s whole body went tense and his hand froze in her hair mid stroke. Immediately Stephanie pushed herself onto her palms and looked at him, concerned she tried to read his expression through the shadows that, the street lights from outside were casting into the small room.“I’m sorry,” she apologized after a few moments of silence. “That’s...kind of loaded isn’t it?”Who was she kidding? It was extremely loaded, he was only sixteen after all, it didn’t matter how fast their relationship had progressed.He swallowed hard and began to rub her back. “Its fine,” he said, his voice monotone. “But I can’t-”As though scared of what he might say, Stephanie sat up on her knees and shook her head. “No, no! Please!” she insisted quickly. “I get it if you don’t feel the same way. I fall really, really easily...it’s a huge flaw of mine. I’m sorry for saying anything; just forget I said it, please!”“Brown,” he was still serious. “That’s not it.” There was a long pause until Damian took a deep breath and exhaled. “Love has just never been an emotion I’ve been exposed to. I’m not entirely sure how it feels.”Stephanie’s concern slipped away from her and she was filled instead with sadness. Damian was correct; in the most fundamental years of his life he had been raised by a mother who might have loved him in her own way, but it was nowhere close to the nurturing love you were supposed to feel from a mother. He had been raised as a weapon, and while Bruce, Dick and Alfred also loved him in their own ways, it was already too late for the boy to be able to identify those variations. Not to mention that Bruce didn’t exactly have the easiest of times expressing his feelings, so even if he had had a clue of what love was, he probably still wouldn’t be able to really feel it from the older Wayne anyway. Had anyone even ever told him that they loved him before tonight?Stephanie smiled slightly in the dark. She could see the shadowed bumps of his abdominal's and gently ran her fingers over them, causing goose bumps to rise on his skin. “It’s not often you don’t know something.” She joked quietly.Damian snorted out a laugh. “Soak it in while you can.”Smiling, Stephanie lay back down and snuggled back into him, draping one arm across his chest. His arms enclosed around her. “Well,” she started, turning her head to place a skin on his peck. “I’ll help you figure it out, and I’ll wait for as long as it takes, don’t rush yourself.”Damian looked up at the dark ceiling. “It could take a long time.”“I’m in no hurry.”“It could take forever.”“I’ll wait.”Damian smiled to himself and leaned his head down, placing a rough kiss into her hair. Perhaps he did love her, perhaps he didn’t. He wasn’t sure and he meant it when he said he may never know. Of course she meant more to him than any other person, but love was such a strong thing, or so he believed. At least romantic love. It was something you gave to one person, something you could not come back from, something beautiful but also dangerous. He wasn’t even fully sure that it existed.They lay for a while in silence, Damian’s eyes slowly lulling closed. But just as sleep began to take him, Stephanie squeezed him lightly, causing his body to lightly jerk into full consciousness.“D,” she mumbled quietly. “Let’s get out of here.”With his eyes closed, he scrunched his face questioningly. “The apartment?” he asked. It was a strange request at such an hour.“Gotham.”He stayed quiet so she continued. “I mean it. You said yourself that you don’t think you can go back to the tower, and do you want to go back to work for Bruce?”
Again he did not answer.“Besides,” Stephanie shrugged against him, her voice quieting. “I never really wanted to be stuck in this garbage city anyway...let’s go start over somewhere.”“You’re serious?” he asked, noticing her tone.“I am.”He inhaled through his nose, thinking about it. It would definitely be a gamble, and a big change. It wasn’t that he was attached to Gotham and he had been raised to be adaptable, and he supposed she was right, but the idea of leaving with her when they had only been together, if that was what they were, for a week made him hesitant. Of course he would want to, and he supposed he could continue to fight crime; he would just have to help her improve a little so they could be a duo. It might be a good opportunity, and there would never be a lack of after mission sex.After thinking for a few more moments he slowly nodded his head. “Alright...” his voice was low, dragged out. “Let’s get out of Gotham. Where are we going?”She thought only for a second. “London!”“London?” he repeated in question.“Yeah! You know...castles, Big Ben...fish and chips.”Damian snickered as she giggled at her words. Of course food would be a determining factor for her; you could take the fat out of the girl but not the girl out of the fat....or something like that.“I’ve always wanted to go there, every since I was little.” She continued. “When my mom was alive, we used to talk about it. Just leaving and going to live in some nice house in the middle of the city.”There was a pause and her tone became downhearted. “But then she died...and I was stuck here with my father. I thought I would never get out, after that. Then I met Clyde and he made me all of these promises of how we were going to be together forever and move to LA and leave all the crime bullshit behind us. He told me he loved me more than anything but...”She fell silent again. Damian had heard her mention Clyde, her ex, a few times before and not once did he like the sound of the man. He had been a little older than her, someone who worked for her father in the crime business and had been there for her and made her confident in herself. He supposed he could thank him for that, but not much else.
Stephanie huffed. “Well, I guess love had limitations because he left as soon as I told him I was pregnant. Forever must have meant something different to him...”“He was an idiot.” Damian growled causing her to laugh.“Don’t I know it...”Damian swallowed but waited a beat to say anything more. “London sounds good to me.” He agreed. She tilted her head up to look at him.“Really?”“You’ll have to actually break up with Drake first...”“Of course I will, I’m just trying to think of everything I want to say.”“Very well, if you wish it.”“I’ve only wished for this every time I’ve ever seen a shooting star! See, its coming true!”Damian rolled his eyes and leaned down to give her one final kiss. He was beginning to get tired; it was time they called it a night.“Let’s get to sleep. We can look into it tomorrow.” He told her, but he could feel her vibrating on top of him.“But this is so exciting! We should celebrate!”“Honestly,” Damian sighed, his stomach twisting with embarrassment. He knew what she wanted, but his body was ever so exhausted. She was far too good for her own good...and his. “I don’t think I have another go in me.”Stephanie let out a rough “ughhh” and rolled away from him, causing his skin to spike with a sudden chilliness. “So much for the stamina of youth.” She grunted, rolling on her side.“Brown...” Damian groaned, rolling onto his own side and pulling her into a spoon. She was sulking, and despite it being cute, it would not get her what she wanted. She scooted back into him and relaxed.“Fine...but you owe me some really good celebratory head sometime soon.” She smiled into her hair, and even though she said nothing, his mind knew the response to that; gladly.“And in the morning, I’m making waffles!” Stephanie’s voice trembled with humour which allowed the younger being to know it was just not a statement about their breakfast, he knew her at least that well.“If you’re referencing something, it’s been wasted as I told you all of your childish media nods would be if you insisted on sharing them with me.”Stephanie wiggled her bum into him, causing his length to twitch against her. She would not get what she wanted.“How do you sleep with yourself at night?” the judgement that rolled off her tongue was rich.“Thanks to you, that’s not an issue I need to concern myself with. Sleep!”“Okay, okay! Goodnight Damian.”“Goodnight, Brown.”The silence didn’t last long however before her quiet voice spoke again.“You know...”she said in a whisper. “You can call me Stephanie. I think we’ve reached that point.”He swallowed and hesitated before his own whispered voice spoke out into her hair.“Goodnight Stephanie.”*********It was still pitch black in the room when Damian was awoke by a light wrapping on the glass of the window. Confused for only a moment, he quickly sat up in full alertness, looking around the room for any sign of movement. Stephanie shifted slightly when he pulled away from her and mumbled something incoherently.The sound had stopped and the room was still, but something was off to the young Wayne and he got up from the bed, pulled on his pair of pants and quietly walked over to the window, looking out into the alley below them. From what he could see, there was no movement outside either. It was strange.Quickly grabbing his windbreaker from the arm of the couch, he pulled it over his shoulders and went into the kitchen, focusing entirely on not waking up his sleeping lover in the next room, and went out onto the small metal balcony. The wind was colder than it should have been in July; it was clearly blowing off from the harbor.Peering over the rusted side of the balcony, he looked down again, still nothing, but the sound of the metal from the stairs above him creaked and he quickly looked up.“My how you’ve grown.” a raspy voice said quietly. Above him, sitting on the stairs was a woman, her face lost in shadow.Damian swallowed hard as she stood up and walked down the stairs, her heeled boots clicking against the stairs. Where he stood was closer to the street, closer to the light, so when she stepped up to him he could get a better look at her features.She was tall, taller than he was but only just, and she looked exactly like his mother; same facial structure, same jolting green eyes. But her brown hair was buzzed from her head, leaving her with a sharp buzz cut, and the olive skin of her face sported multiple scars. She was dressed in a sand coloured body suit that hugged her every curve, a utility belt strapped around her waist and a few leather straps wrapped around her chest and thighs. She smiled at him, though the gesture was anything but sweet.“Let me take a good look at you.” She hummed, roughly grabbing his face in one of her hands; her finger tips digging into his cheeks while she moved his face from side to side, looking at him. He didn’t stop her, he had no idea what she was capable of and Stephanie was only a wall away.“Hm,” she grunted, giving him one light slap on the cheek and dropping her hand to her hip. “Handsome, but your eyes are soft. You should have come and lived with me, nephew. You’ve been failed.”“Neferti.” Her name rolled off Damian’s tongue as fire and she laughed.“Yes,” she said nodding her head. “I was called that once, yes. A long time ago, but no longer. They now call me-”“I have little to no interest in what alias you go by. Tell me why you are here.”She laughed again and crossed her arms across her chest. “Well, you may not look like him...but father worked his way into you somehow, didn’t he. Always so keen to get right to the point.”“What do you want?”Neferti looked over the side of the balcony, down at the ally below them as if checking to see if they were still alone. Her eyebrows rose high on her forehead.“Oh, I want a lot of things, I can assure you that. But this is not about what I want right now.”Damian snickered coldly. “Right, it’s about what Deathstroke would have wanted.”His aunts lips pulled into a long, crooked smile. “Deathstroke?” she questioned with a laugh, causing his confidence to slip. “God no, Slade Wilson was a madman, surely you’re aware of that. He left me to die in the deserts of Egypt when he got what he wanted, when he got power. Killing him is something I should be thanking you for.”Uncrossing her arms, she dragged one long fingernail over the rusted metal of the railing, her smile fell and she looked seriously at the younger man. “No, this is bigger than that, bigger than everything. You’re part of a spectrum that hinges humanity to this very world. A prophecy; a boy born of the Al Ghul bloodline, but also from a bat, a boy who would bring to life the army of the dead, risen from the gates of Duat itself to cleanse this world and start anew.”Damian stayed quiet, one of his eyebrows slightly rising. He had no idea what the woman was talking about and his mind began to race, processing her words. His blank expression did not go unnoticed and Neferti’s smile returned on her face.“You look confused, nephew. Did they tell you nothing on that mountain top?” she lulled. Damian sneered at her, turning his attention back to the door of the apartment. If she had brought him here to listen to folklore, he was uninterested.“Grandfather thought it was best to spare me from nonsensical fairytales.”Shaking her head, his aunt took a step closer to him. “Oh, this is far from a fairytale. This is the Al Ghul reality, the reality that my father, your grandfather, spent years trying to bring to fruition. Why do you think he chose Bruce Wayne as Talia’s stud? His money? His wit? His good looks? No, it was because it needed to be him.”“Why did it need to be Talia? You’re the eldest aren’t you...your name didn’t fall into the ‘prophecy’?”Neferti glowered at Damian’s snide expression and he could see her jaw clench for a moment, but after inhaling deeply through her nose she relaxed.“I, unfortunately, am unable to produce. No doubt why father always favoured dear little Talia.” Her tone was bitter, hateful. It was clear that she harbored great resentment towards her younger sister.Damian eyed her suspiciously, still finding her words difficult to believe. He knew prophecies existed, but prophecies surrounding him?“If this is true, why is it the first I’m hearing of it? Why wouldn’t grandfather or my mother say anything earlier?”Neferti took another step closer and Damian had to take one backwards, his lower back colliding with the railing. Lifting one of his arms, he grabbed onto it for support, just in case she tried to throw him over the side and he would need something for support. But instead of pushing him over the side, she brought one hand up to his face and gently rested it against his cheek, her thumb softly caressing his skin. His eyes narrowed at her.“Unfortunately, young one, in order to bring the dead to life, blood must be split.” Her green eyes bore into his own like needles, making it impossible for him to look away. It was like she had him in a trance. “Your blood. But when my sister had you she became weak. She begged father for your little miserable life to be spared, for him to find another way.”
Her top lip curled into a harsh grin, her thumb continuing to brush his skin. “And he did...he decided to make you his successor, taking away all of his promises to Slade, and trained you to work beside him.”She curled her fingers in slightly, her nails pressing into Damian’s flesh roughly but not hard enough to break the skin. He winced a bit, his eyes squinting.“What’s stopped you from finding me before, when I was younger, weaker?” he hissed quietly. Neferti shook her head.“It took me many years to find a following that could help me. You’ve been protected, by the League of Shadows, by Batman, by others. I needed assistance.”“And what’s stopping you from killing me right now?”Neferti’s lips pulled over her teeth and her hand fell slowly from his face, her nails scratching slightly and leaving deep red marks.“Unfortunately, the blood that must be spilled must be voluntary. A self sacrifice. I need you to come with me on your own, and give yourself to the Krv Amyh-Pa.”“That’s funny because your goons tried to off me a month ago. Guess they didn’t get the memo.”“Charlotte and Jaclyn?”she mused, her head tilted so that half of it was now covered by shadows. Damian supposed that was Widow and Jackal’s real names. “They were supposed to convince you, not attack. Jaclyn’s powers are new to her; she has a hard time controlling them and she made a mistake, one that I cannot forgive. She’s where she needs to be now.”There was a short pause.“I will give you two days to think over my proposition and then I will return. Come with me and give yourself up...”she stopped talking and Damian smirked. There was no consequence for him not to come, she needed this to be voluntary or else her plan of resurrecting this dead army wouldn’t work, and Damian didn’t feel like volunteering. She had no standing.Puffing out his chest, Damian stood straight. “Don’t have much of a bargaining technique. I’m going to have to go with no. But thanks for stopping by....aunt.”Neferti hummed a bit in the back of her throat and turned her gaze towards the window of Stephanie’s apartment. Though the light was dim, the sleeping human could just barely be made out. Damian turned his head slightly to follow it, his stomach suddenly stirring. Her eyes softened.“She’s pretty...” she purred quietly, but there was a threat to her tone. “Dear Talia would be proud.”Without thinking Damian side stepped in front of the door in a defensive manor, his eyes narrowed into slits. “If you touch her...” he growled. Neferti merely grinned, and eerie, menacing grin.“Think about my words carefully, nephew.” She waved her hand at him, and slowly her body began falling into sand. It surprised Damian a bit, but he didn’t look it, he was too angry over the threat. He watched as the sand blew away with the light, spring breeze until Neferti was no more, but her echoed voice lingered. “Two days...”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
“As promised!” Stephanie chimed, placing a plate full of waffles on the table in front of Damian. He looked down at them, already gagging from the amount of syrup that drowned the fluffy dough. He supposed at one time they would have been crisped to perfection, but he could only imagine how soggy they were becoming.Stephanie sat down across from him and immediately began cutting hers, stuffing a large forkful into her mouth. She watched him as he sat in silence, staring down at his food, his eyes almost lifeless. He had been quiet since they had woken, only giving her quick, Damian-like responses; he even refused to reciprocate with her when she tried to pick playful fights with him.She swallowed her food roughly, the bits that had not been chewed properly scratching at her throat on the way down, and quickly took a drink.“If you don’t like waffles you could have just told me.” She said, placing her glass down and giving him a long, drawn-out look. His eyes slowly shifted up to her, but his face remained emotionless.“Waffles are fine.”“Then what’s up with you? You’ve been awfully quiet this morning.”Damian picked up his fork and knife, and sluggishly began cutting his food, the knife causing a shrill screeching sound as it scraped across the plate. Stephanie made a face at the sound and watched as he continued to cut, though the food was already in pieces. What the hell was going on with him?She leaned forward slightly. “Is it because of what I said last night...?”He seemed to be snapped back into reality because his eyes widened slightly and he stopped cutting, once again looking up at her. “No.”“Then what the hell is wrong?” the blonde huffed, throwing her hands in the air. “And don’t say ‘it’s nothing’, because we both know that’s a whole lot of bullshit.”Damian stabbed his fork into a small piece of waffle and lifted it in front of him, examining the syrup dripping off of the wilting piece. He considered eating it for a moment but instead placed it back down on the plate.“I think we should hold off from leaving Gotham.” he mumbled quietly. Stephanie raised an eyebrow.“Okay...whys that?”“Because...we’re protected here; we have my father and Grayson and Todd.” He paused shortly, his eyes shifting to the window beside him. He could almost still see Neferti standing there, looming over him with that malicious, snide look on her face. “Until Neferti is taken down, I think it’s in our best interest to stay.”Stephanie shoved another piece of waffle into her mouth and squinted her eyes suspiciously at him, then, through full cheeks she spoke. “You were so gung-ho about going last night. What happened to change your mind?”“Nothing,” he lied with a shrug of his shoulders. “I’ve just had time to properly think it through. It’s a big decision to just up and go, especially when things are so unpredictable.”“The whole point of starting over is just to ‘up and go’.” She sighed. He ignored her and picked up his fork again, this time taking the food into his mouth and chewing it silently, his gaze still cast towards the window. She exhaled and stuffed even more into her mouth, shrugging her shoulders and bringing one knee up to her chest, her foot resting on the seat of her chair. She wrapped her arms around her leg and rested her cheek on her knee. “Alright, fine, whatever. We can go when Neferti is caught.”The truth of the matter was, Damian had a lot more pressing matters on his mind than just eloping with Stephanie Brown to a different country. As appealing as that idea sounded to him, he was worried what Neferti might do to his...whatever Stephanie was to him at this point, he wasn’t exactly sure. He only had two days to figure out some way to take her down without playing into her compromise. He would rip the woman’s throat out before he would let her lay a hand on Stephanie, and he sure as hell had no intentions of dying for the sake of some fanatic cause. Damian knew he could eventually think of some way to win in the end, but the time frame was so pressing, he didn’t mean to snub his lover, he didn’t want her to feel cast out at all. But he also didn’t want to worry her by telling her that she could be in danger; that may only make things messier, and knowing how compulsive she was, she may just try to go after the Al Ghul herself.Damian didn’t finish his waffles, but Stephanie didn’t pester him about it and he went back into the open concept room, sitting himself on the love-seat and staring blankly into space. Quickly scraping the leftover, sloppy mess into the small compost bin she had, she tossed the plates into the sink and followed him in the room. Her eyebrows immediately furrowed upon seeing him.“Okay...there’s something you’re not telling me. I can tell.” She said sadly, crossing her arms over her chest and shifting in her spot like she was suddenly uncomfortable. Slowly crossing the room, she sat beside him. “What is it?”The brunettes green eyes dragged towards her. He didn’t want to tell her, God he really didn’t. But he knew she would not let it go, that’s not who she was.He took a breath. “I met with Neferti last night.”Immediately Stephanie dropped her hands and her face lit up with concern. She scooted closer to him. “Did she hurt you?” she demanded, worriedly.Damian shook his head. “We just talked. She gave me an ultimatum.”Stephanie’s face softened a bit, but her eyebrows remained knitted together as she waited for him to continue. He took another deep breath; it was as if he couldn’t fill his lungs properly.“She told me to go with her and join the Krv Amyh-Pa, or...” his voice trailed off as their eyes met. He couldn’t tell her she was in danger. He wouldn’t. He would figure everything out and they would both be fine. Stephanie gave him a look when he said nothing more.“Or....?” she pushed. “Or what?”“She didn’t say...”A small ping of guilt washed over him as he looked away from her. This was exactly why Talia had warned him against women, against finding romance. Stephanie had become a liability for him, a weakness. He hated it.Stephanie leaned back again and some sort of chuckle shot from the back of her throat. “Some ultimatum.” She murmured, more to herself than to him. ‘Well you can’t go, that’s pretty obvious.”He shrugged lightly, his shoulders barely lifting. “I might not have a choice.” He told her quietly. “Whatever her intentions may be, they’re serious, and they aren’t good. I don’t think it’s something I can risk.”“Screw her intentions!” Stephanie spat, roughly slapping the back of the couch. Damian looked at her quickly, finally some expression finding its way to his face; surprise. “Just tell Bruce, I’m sure he can kick her ass.”“It’s not that simple. She’s delusional...she thinks I’m part of some prophecy. If I ask my father for help, he will just lock her up, and she’s too determined to stay locked up. She’ll just find a way to escape.”“So you’re going to what....kill her?”Damian didn’t respond right away, instead he just looked at her. She had meant it half as a joke, he knew. She wanted him to say no, she wanted him to be above that. But he wasn’t, and he couldn’t tell her what she wanted to hear. After a moment, disappointment began to swim behind her hazel orbs and she nodded. Damian swallowed.“I need to think about what I’m going to do.” He said in a whisper. If he could find another way, he would, but as of now his options were limited.“Well...”Stephanie’s voice broke it was so quiet. “How long do you have to think about it?”“Until tomorrow night.” He said without hesitation. Her brows furrowed.“Jesus...didn’t leave you much time, did she?”“No...she didn’t.” ******* Damian stepped out of the shower, the cool air of the bathroom causing steam to rise from his heated skin. He had roughly twelve hours to think about an answer before Neferti would return to him, and he was no closer to an answer than he was the previous day. Explaining the situation to Bruce would be absolutely unbeneficial, the man refused to kill no matter what the risk of keeping the criminal alive may be. Take the Joker for example.Jason was always an option to ask for help, he had no problem taking lives as long as the person deserved it, but he and Jason alone wouldn’t be enough to stop her, especially if she had Widow and others with her. He would have to pray that perhaps Dick would be willing to break some rules as well.Quickly ruffling his hair in the towel until it was semi dry, he wrapped the towel around his slim waist and opened the bathroom door, allowing the steam to seep through into the living/bedroom. He was surprised to see Stephanie awake, sitting on the couch, fully dressed, and looking at him with a smile on her face.Yesterday she had given him space, allowing him to mull his options over in his mind while she watched movies on her laptop. He could tell that by the evening she was running restless as she began to pace the room and perform idle tasks around the apartment. But they did talk during dinner, she had made pasta, and they did find time to be slightly physical with one another before bed, but he was so distracted he hardly enjoyed himself. It was no surprise that today she wanted to do more.“What do you want to do today?” she chimed as he walked past the couch towards the bed where his clothing was laid out. As he passed her, she jokingly reached her arms out and tugged his towel free from his hips, letting it drop to the floor. The sudden chill on his lower regions caused him to look down before shooting her a glare. She just laughed. “Sorry, couldn’t help myself. Nice butt!”He sighed and continued over to the bed, quickly dressing himself and ignoring her. “I don’t want to do anything; I need more time to think.”Her smile fell, and he didn’t need to look at her to know she was a bit hurt. “Oh...okay. No problem.” She mumbled, disappointed. Silence filled the air around them as Damian finished getting dressed, then he turned to face her and sat on the bed, bouncing into the soft mattress. He leaned forward, resting his forearms on legs and looked at her. She just looked back solemnly, but after a few moments, shrugged.“I think I’m going to go see Kor’i and Dick then. Kor’i texted me yesterday asking if I wanted to come over, so if you’re going to be busy brooding all day then I’ll go do that. Do you want me to keep the fact that you’re here on the down low?”Damian thought for a moment. “If they ask, I don’t see a reason to lie to them, but don’t bring it up otherwise.”She nodded and got to her feet, slapping her arms to the sides of her body a few times. “Okie dokie!”“And Stephanie...”Stephanie, who had already started towards the kitchen, stopped dead in her tracks and looked back at him, noticing the serious expression his face held.“Be careful.”Perhaps it was his over the top, Hollywood worthy tone that caused her to chuckle. Perhaps it was his lack of faith in her. “Its broad daylight!” she snickered, picking up a small black purse from the floor and slinging it over one shoulder. “I’ll be fine! I can take care of myself, believe it or not.”Damian’s eyes narrowed. She didn’t realize the severity of the situation. “You’ll be back by sunset, no later.” He ordered, more aggressively than he had wanted to. Stephanie made a face and rolled her eyes.“Yes dad!”“I’m serious. Tonight is the night Neferti is supposed to return. I want you here in case anything happens.”Stephanie opened her mouth as if she were about to say something, but before she could her expression softened and she smiled. Quickly rushing across the room she bent down and pressed her lips securely to his, her hands reaching behind his head, fingers curling through his damp hair. Damian straightened up and kissed her back, his hands reaching out to rest lightly on her upper arms. When she pulled away the smile remained.“I get that you’re worried about me.” She cooed. “And I think that’s really sweet. I’m a big girl though, I can handle myself. But yes, I will be back before sunset, happy?”She kissed him again, and this time he smiled a bit. “Moderately.”Backing away from him Stephanie reached into her pocket and pulled out his car keys, holding them into the air to show him as she got closer and closer to the kitchen. “Is it cool if I take your car?”“Will it make it back in one piece?”“Oh ye, of little faith.” She chuckled. “I’ll have you know I am a great driver.”“Mmhm.” He nodded slowly. “Be safe.”She gave him her typical Stephanie smile and ducked into the kitchen. He listened as the door opened, and closed behind her and watched from the window as her blonde ponytail swished behind her as she went down the stairs. He was glad to have the day to himself so he could think straight without any distraction, but part of him wished she had stayed just so he could keep an eye on her. But it brought him comfort in knowing that she would be with Dick and Kor’i. Maybe it was the best place for her to be.Damian spent the day up and down, from the couch to the bed, in the kitchen, on the balcony, just aimlessly jumping around the apartment trying to rack his brains in order to think of the best solution for his problem.Indeed asking Jason would be the best way to go, and he would have to sacrifice his whereabouts, and give Dick the benefit of the doubt in asking him too. Perhaps if he asked then they could also seek help from the others in the family who weren’t so morally binding as Bruce, Kate Kane perhaps, though he had only spoken to her once and she barely seemed to tolerate him.Had Stephanie not been in the equation, Damian would have gone to Bruce and asked for help. He didn’t care about spending the rest of his days playing cat and mouse with Neferti if she did manage to escape any confines his father put her in, but he didn’t want to spend the rest of his life hiding Stephanie from her, preventing her from living a normal life, not to mention the dangers that would arise if they ever decided to start a family.The thought made his stomach squirm. He had never wanted children; he was young, he had other things to think about, but he now, he could potentially see himself with some, far, far in the future.Stephanie smiling that big Stephanie smile with wrinkles from age framing her eyes, but they were beautiful.Stephanie with a large, swelling belly; different than the one she had before because inside of it was his child.A small boy, or girl, he didn’t care which, with bright blonde hair, green eyes and a light olive tinge to their skin.The two of them, eventually setting aside their masks, hanging up their capes, and moving into a nice house in the English countryside; growing old together and never once having to remember the days of death and suffering.It was strange how perfectly he could picture all of it. Perhaps what they had really was love.Damian had always been a broken human, a damaged human. His upbringing with the League of Assassins had done him no favours and though for the most part he was content, would think every once in a while if he would ever be able to live a normal life. Stephanie freed him from that; she made him feel alive, fixable. The future he could see with her was what he wanted, what he needed.He had to protect her. There were no other options. ********* His green eyes flicked up to the clock that hung above the bathroom door; it read 9:52pm. Only four more hours until Neferti would return, and fifty two minutes later than Stephanie was supposed to.The sky outside was almost completely dark, only a hue of red lingered above the buildings making the atmosphere almost murderous.Damian picked up his cell phone and quickly dialed Stephanie’s phone number, pressing the gadget to his ear. Though the ringing echoed through the apartment, it took him only a moment to realize that she had left it in the kitchen. He rolled his eyes and hung up.“Of course...”he mumbled under his breath. He then dialed a different number, Dick Grayson. His thumb lingered over the send button for a moment before he forced himself to set his pride aside and press it. It rung only a few times before someone picked up and Damian didn’t wait for the voice to speak.“Grayson,” he said his voice deep. He walked over to the window and peered down to the ground below, hoping to see Stephanie walking through the ally. She was not.“Damian?!?” Dick’s voice gasped from the other end of the line. He sounded shocked, as he should have been. Damian had disappeared without a word for the past week. “Where the hell are you? Bruce has been worried sick! I’ve been wor-”“Is Stephanie still at your apartment?” Damian interrupted. Dick went quiet for a minute before sighing.“Ah...”he exhaled. “I should have known.”Damian hadn’t the time for Dick to patronize him about staying with her. Later perhaps, if he still felt the need. “Is she or isn’t she?” he hissed.“No, she never showed up.” The words immediately caused Damian’s breathing to hitch in his throat and his heart dropped. “Kor’i figured she got caught up with something, she said she might be busy today. Why...what’s wrong?”Time had stopped. Everything had stopped. Damian wasn’t even sure if he was still breathing at all. His eyes shifted from the window to the bed, but it was as though they were moving in slow motion. He still had four hours until Neferti would return, but something was wrong.“Damian?”“She’s in trouble.” He shot, bringing his phone down and putting Dick on speaker. His shaking fingers quickly brought up the home screen, and he opened the map app; luckily his car had a tracker on it, he could see where she was. His eyes moved at inhuman speed trying to track the glowing green dot.“What?” Dick questioned, his voice utterly confused. “Damian, what are you talking about?”“Neferti,” Finally he saw it, the flashing green dot, parked in the car park of Gotham’s Museum of Natural History. “Neferti has her at the Museum! Grayson, pick me up on the corner of Montague, immediately!”“On my way.” ******* Dick pulled up beside Damian’s Porsche and both young men jumped out, the older of the two clad in his Nightwing apparel. Damian did a full circle around the car, inspecting it carefully. He quickly cupped his hands against the window and peered inside; there wasn’t one sign of internal or external damage, but he could see something light colored dusting the front seats. No doubt sand.“So tell me again why you knew she was here since yesterday but decided not to tell anyone?” Dick snarled. “You told me why you don’t want Bruce to know, which I think is bogus by the way, but why not me... or Jason even?”Damian walked to the back of the car and pressed his thumb into a small finger pad, it flashed brightly and the trunk popped open. Pushing it above he head he quickly began to undress, chucking his civilian clothes into the trunk and pulling out sections of his Robin attire.“I was thinking of a plan. I assumed I had more time.”“Why would you assume that? She’s a criminal; criminals don’t play by the rules, especially the Al Ghuls.”The words had left his lips before he could even process what he was saying, and when Damian froze in the middle of clipping his mask to his face and sent him a death glare, his hands flew to his mouth.“I didn’t mean...you’re different.”“My grandfather might not have been the most moral person on this planet, but when he said something he meant every word, kept every promise. Neferti is not an Al Ghul...she’s a disgrace.”Damian pushed the mask onto his nose and quickly adjusted his cape on his shoulders. Before Dick could say anything more, the younger man quickly clipped his utility belt on and began to walk towards the building in silence. They both stopped in front of the door and looked up at it. It was closed, but recently, there was a chance that the custodians were still hard at work cleaning for the next day. If they were still alive that was.“Did you call Hood?” Damian asked quietly. Dick nodded.“Said he’d be here as fast as he could.”“And Batman?”Dick stiffened. “Against my better judgement...I listened to your request to leave him out of it. But if things go south...”Damian pulled out his grappling hook from his utility belt and pointed it at the roof. “They won’t.”With that, he shot off, hoisting himself up the building, Dick close behind him. Once on top they walked around the perimeter of the roof, looking around for any sign of clues. They both knew that they must have had Stephanie inside of the museum, but where inside was a better question, one they did not have the answer to. Damian figured that just jumping in and trying to find her may be the only way to do it, if Neferti wanted to kill the girl, she would already be dead. She just wanted to bait him, and it was working.“So what’s your plan?” Dick asked as Damian walked over to the roof entrance and began to pick the lock. “I assume you have one.”“Get Stephanie, kill Neferti if necessary, get out.” Damian said blankly. The lock of the door clicked, and he pulled it open entering the dark museum. Dick pressed his lips together and nodded, following him in.“Okay, good. I just thought that maybe you would have, I don’t know...something more specific in mind?”Damian didn’t answer. He raised his hand to press a button on the side of his mask, illuminating the glass that covered his eyes with night vision and rushed down the concrete stairwell. Eventually they came to a door, he pushed it open and as soon as they entered whatever room they were going in, every light in the entire building flashed on. Both boys quickly shielded their eyes, the light intensified by their green night vision. They quickly disabled it.They were in the main room of the museum, a large statue of some Gotham famous scientist standing in the center, two security guards lying dead at its feet.“Good evening nephew.” Neferti’s loud voice spoke over the loud speaker causing both Dick and Damian to look up. “That didn’t take you long. Have you thought about my proposition?”“Where’s Stephanie?” Damian barked loudly, ignoring her question. He had no idea where Neferti was, but when he saw her and if Stephanie had even one scratch, God help her.“Your girlfriend?” Neferti mused playfully. “Charlotte has her, I’m afraid. She was insistent on playing with her.”Dick looked at Damian for answers and he quickly mouthed ‘Widow’ to him, drawing a nod from the older man.“But she doesn’t matter now. Come meet with me. Alone. You know where I’ll be.”Damian looked at the ground for a moment, his mind racing. Dick bit his bottom lip, his brain also fast at work.“Widow has to be in the insectarium.” He said with a nod, clapping his hands together. “I’ll go there and get Steph.”“I think I know exactly where Neferti is. I’ll go to her.” Damian agreed and began to walk away, but Dick’s strong hand clamped around his shoulder, stopping him. The two men looked at one another.“You gonna be okay on your own?”“Don’t worry about me. Get Stephanie out!”Dick nodded and let his younger brother go. “I’ll come and help as soon as I can.”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Dick pushed himself as fast as he could to the insectarium. It was a large room, a new exhibit in the museum that modeled something right out of Jurassic Park, just without the dinosaurs. A large glass, bird cage like room with butterflies and moths that flew free in the lush, tropical like biosphere; there were also smaller glass enclosures that were filled with the more dangerous insects, such as tropical spiders, scorpions and smaller reptiles. There was also a small river and pond that small fish swam through and water bugs danced along. To many, it would have been a serene beautiful place, but Dick hated bugs, always had.He entered the room, closing the sliding glass doors behind him and looked around. He saw nothing, but the low, eerie humming of a children’s nursery rhyme echoed through his ears. Literally through his ears, like someone was inside of his head. He looked around but saw nothing, so he began to venture inside the biosphere.“Stephanie?” he called out in a loud whisper.“There was an old lady who swallowed a bat....” the voice sung a bit louder than before. It echoed louder than ever in his ear and he heard a rustle from somewhere in the bushes.Quickly, Dick whipped around. Again nothing. The voice was a woman’s and held a strong French accent. It had to be Widow.“Steph!” Dick called again, this time a bit louder, a bit sterner. The prickly voice of the woman was already giving him goose bumps. He wanted to get the hell out of there.“Imagine that....she swallowed a bat.” This line was spoken. As Dick continued to walk along the path of the biosphere, clutching his duel staffs tightly in his hands, readying himself for an attack, he didn’t even see the florescent, white eyes that watched him from in the branches of one of the trees. And it wasn’t just one pair of eyes, but a row of six eyes, one beady orb right behind the other; the creatures face was cast in shadow.“She swallowed the bat to catch the bird...”An echoic giggle followed that line and the trees rustled again, but Dick ignored it and pressed on, his blue eyes making sure to shift back and forth, trying not to let anything come at him from either side.As he neared the small pond his stomach began to twist horribly. He could see the tips of blonde just touching the surface of the water; hair. His breathing became shallow.“She swallowed the bird to eat the fly. I don’t know why she swallowed the fly....”Leaning cautiously over the cloth guardrail, almost afraid of what was there, Dick saw her; floating just under the surface of the water, unconscious. Stephanie.“Perhaps she’ll die.” The last line was a whisper as all six of the eyes narrowed sadistically, watching as Dick flung himself over the guardrail and disappeared under the water, only to resurface a moment later, Stephanie tucked under his arm.Pulling her out of the pond and onto the path of the biosphere, he desperately looked at her, his brows furrowed.“Stephanie! Stay with me!” he called, picking up her wrist and feeling for a pulse. Nothing. He then moved his fingers to her neck and felt. Nothing. “Shit!”Leaning forward, Dick pinched the bridge of her nose and tilted her head up, allowing her mouth to fall open before he pressed his lips to hers and blew two heavy breaths into her mouth. He then leaned back and began pressing into her chest, counting quietly to himself.He did this a few times before finally Stephanie coughed up a mouthful of water and rolled over onto her side, gasping for air. Dick sighed and fell back onto his behind.“Oh thank god.” He gasped in relief, watching as she got to her hands and knees, her wet ponytail falling over her face. Slowly he placed a hand on her back and began to rub lightly. “You okay?”Stephanie turned her head towards him, her eyes slightly bloodshot from the water. “Never better.” She said with a weak chuckle. But then her face turned serious and she sat back onto her knees. “Where’s Damian?”“He’s here.” Dick said, continuing to rub her back. “He’s here; he just went to find Neferti.”Stephanie began to shake her head rapidly, her expression turning frantic. “No, no he can’t! She’s crazy! She wants to sacrifice him to some...Egyptian god!”Dick furrowed his eyebrows. “Stephanie, calm down. It’s gonna be okay.”“Do not lie to her...petit oiseau.”Dick and Stephanie both looked towards the greenery of the room as the branches began to bend and break. Something was moving down the tree, something was coming.
Dick got to his feet and held out his hand for Stephanie to take, she did and he helped her up, guiding her slightly behind him as he once again clutched his staffs. But what came out of the bush was something neither of them was expecting, and Dick’s brave stance slipped a bit, from shock, from confusion, and from slight fear.“Whaat the fuuck....”Dick mumbled under his breath.Widow was not as she once was, but was instead a messy, spider human hybrid. The skin of her face seemed to not only be turning gray in colour, but it was also melting away. Her human eyes were long gone, instead replaced by six pure white insect eyes. Her once chic hairstyle was also unrecognizable, as it was beginning to fall out on one side. The top of her body still sported her black and white jumpsuit, but her arms were longer than before, making her already frail appearance even more stretched out and skeleton like. At her belly, her human body disappeared into a hairy, black spider’s abdomen; eight wiry legs and all. Just looking at her made Dick’s skin crawl.Her pointed legs clicked across the ground as she got closer to them, her mouth spread into a large, inhuman smile, her teeth jagged. When she approached them she, reached out a long arm and touched Dick’s cheek with a wet, slime like touch. He shivered at the feel and leaned away.“Bel homme...” she purred, and a small amount of drool like substance dripped from her mouth, which seemed to be permanently stretched open into a creepy, mask like smile. “You would make a worthy mate.”Dick blinked once before chuckling awkwardly, holding up his left hand and pointing at his ring finger. “Sorry, already taken.”With that he sprung forward and slammed one of the duel staffs against her face, sending her reeling backward with a shrill squeal, her long legs tripping over each other until she fell to the ground on her side.“Stephanie, time to go!” Dick called back to the blonde, who quickly nodded and followed him.“We can’t just leave her! She’ll just keep following us!” Stephanie shouted as they ran through the biosphere. The clipping sound of Widow’s pointed legs scattering to get up, was already loud against their ears. “You need to think of something!”Dick cast the blonde a look. “Just give me a minute, okay! I don’t know what I was expecting to go up against...but this was not it! I need to collect my thoughts!”Widow’s white eyes all flashed red and she whipped around to look at them. “Arrete-les!!” she screeched, her voice loud and demonic. The greenery around them began rustling hundreds, if not thousands of insects began rushing out toward the two bat family members, bringing them both to a halt.Dick and Stephanie pressed against one another, back to back as the insects surrounded them but did not get too close. Widow clicked over to them, all of her beady eyes narrowed, her arms outstretched like a zombie.“You think you can escape from me?” she hissed, her voice echoing itself. “You both die here!”She lunged at them, her mouth opening even wider, exposing large fangs that were protruding from the back of the roof of her mouth. Dick spun round and wrapped his arms around Stephanie, hunching himself over her as though to shield her. But before the spider woman could touch them, the ear splitting sound of shots being fired rung out, followed quickly by a piercing scream.Dick opened his eyes and watched as Widow stumbled backwards, writhing in pain as her legs curled into herself. All of the smaller insects scattered away back into the bushes.
Stephanie pressed against Dick and they both looked around to see Jason standing in the door, both of his arms held out, smoke escaping from the barrels of his twin guns.“Salutations!” He said with a nod, continuing to open fire on the creature until she fell to her side, lifeless. Jason walked up to the two, his red helmet reflecting slightly from the lights of the room. Leaning around them he looked at Widow. “Well that was disappointingly easy.”“It took you long enough to get here.” Dick scoffed causing Red Hood to shrug.“Better late than never, Dickie bird! You’re welcome, by the way.”Stephanie raised an eyebrow. “Was that a Charlotte’s Web reference?” she asked out of the blue. Dick cast her a look.“Ah, a woman of culture.” Jason said and the others could hear the smile on his tone. “I knew I liked her.”“You....”The three young adults looked around to see Widow, struggling to her feet. The bullet wounds on her chest were steaming, but were healing quickly; the last small amount of the hair on her head fell away. She was almost mechanical now; part machine, part bug, part human.Dick leaned closer to Stephanie and whispered to her. “Can you fight?”“I can if I have a weapon.”Digging into his utility belt, Jason pulled out a thick, pen sized rod. He pressed a button on the side of it and it extended into a full staff; he handed it to her. “Here.”She nodded and took it in her hands. “Thanks.”“You two got this?” Dick asked, backing away slowly. He would be lying if he had said he was sad to go. He would take fighting a crazy assassin over an over-sized creepy crawly from hell any day.“Can’t do any worse than what you were doing.” Jason joked smugly. Dick shook his head but continued backing away.“I’m going to go help Damian.”Stephanie looked over her shoulder at him. “I don’t know where Neferti is...”she said.“Don’t worry; I have a pretty good idea.” ****** Damian’s boots clicked against the marble floor as he walked through the darkened corridors of the ancient Egypt exhibit. The whole wing of the museum had been done up to look like the inside of a pyramid; hieroglyphics on the sand coloured walls, artifacts displayed on pedestals. Damian knew that Neferti was there, which was why when he saw her, standing in the last room of the exhibited, staring at a hieroglyph covered wall, he was not surprised in the least. He walked up to stand beside her, his green eyes following her gaze.“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” she said in a whisper. “The lost language of our ancestors.”Damian couldn’t care less about his ancestors lost language, or about whatever nonsense Neferti was about to start spilling to him. He wanted to absolutely destroy her for threatening him and taking Stephanie away. He wanted her gone, and he wanted her gone now.Reaching into his cape, he clutched the hilt of his katana tightly, waiting for the perfect moment. Neferti leaned her head to the side, her own green eyes scaling over each hieroglyph.“Do you know what story this plaque is trying to tell?” she asked him. His eyes narrowed. He could read ancient Egyptian, but these patters made no sense; they were utter nonsense.“I’m afraid not.”“Nobody does. This is a replica, you see, the real one still resides in Egypt. There were hundreds of them made and shipped all around the world, in the hopes that somewhere somebody would be able to translate it. But no one ever could.”Damian’s eyes shifted to her slightly under his mask but he stayed quiet. Neferti smiled a bit and reached out, running her hand over the rigid wall. Her smile grew.
“But I know what it says. It’s our story, our legacy. The prophecy.”She turned to Damian and beamed down at him. Slowly her hand snuck up to his shoulder, resting lightly against his muscle. “You see it all depends on perception, how you look at it.”Her hand ran up to the nape of his neck and along the skin there, her fingers brushing against his jaw line. Tilting his head all the way to the side, she motioned him to look, and he did. His eyes tried to focus on the shapes that were now sideways, but he could not see anything past sideways pictures of birds, and people and objects. His lips pressed into a frown.“I don’t see anything other than a wall full of sideways hieroglyphics.” He confessed dryly. Neferti chuckled.“Try to read between the lines, nephew.”He looked again but this time he could see it, pictures that were shaped in between each of the hieroglyphics. They were very subtle, but they were there, and the one that caught his eye almost immediately, was the very unmistakable shape of a bat. His father’s symbol.Damian’s dark eyebrows drew into a straight line on his forehead, and his grip on the katana loosened. Neferti noticed this and her smile widened even more, pronounced dimples caving into her cheeks. The same ones Damian had.“Now you cannot deny it.” She whispered. “It’s right there, as clear as day.”“How do I know you didn’t manipulate it in some way? This is a replica according to you.”Neferti stepped back and held her hand out towards him. Damian turned to face her, staring down at her hand.“Come with me to Egypt and I will show you. This is your destiny. We were born with the blood of Ra running deep within our veins; it is our job to fulfill our lord’s intentions in creating a perfect world, one not plagued by the inessential.”Neferti walked around her nephew and began to pace the floor slowly, her voice rising both in volume and intensity.“Look at this filth around you! This city is in ruins, as is our world and it doesn’t matter how many times Batman or the Justice League prevails, there will always be something more. More wars, more rape, more death.”“So your lord’s solution to stop death is to cause death? Seems logical...”Neferti deadpanned at his dry sarcasm, her pacing ceased and she looked at him. “Like the great Plagues of Egypt, the army of the dead will eradicate anyone who Ra does not deem fit to live in this world.”Damian scoffed a laugh. “I think you’re getting your history confused. The plagues were inflicted on Egypt. They did nothing for your god, just like this army of yours will do nothing. Prophecy or not.”Neferti smiled and the room went silent; the look in her eyes was strange, she seemed almost possessed. Damian once again grabbed the hilt of his katana, waiting....anticipating.
“And together, the two bloodlines will merge. Restoring what once was broken, and building what was meant to be.” she mumbled, reciting what Damian assumed were words from the ancient text. “You will come with me nephew, and you will see that this is the way it must be.”Unsheathing his katana, Damian took it in both hands and set himself in a steady stance; they had talked enough and he was growing bored of the conversation. She wanted to see her dead army, then so be it. He would give her a one way ticket to hell to meet them personally.“I don’t think so.” He hissed causing Neferti to plunge into her utility belt and pull out a long, thin dagger, readying herself.“We’ll see.”With that they jumped towards one another, and with a clash of metal against metal their fight began. Damian could tell that Neferti was not aiming to kill though; her movements were too directed, too stiff. In order to land a dangerous blow you needed to be nimble and fluid so that you could catch your opponent off guard. But she was good, very good; the way she danced around him, deflecting each of his blows with immense ease, even with the size of her blade. Twisting around, quicker than Damian had anticipated, the outer side of her leg hit him in the stomach and sent him sliding backwards, his boots gliding along the freshly polished marble floor.“It’s pointless prolonging this.” Neferti growled, standing up straight. “You will come with me one way or another.”Out of nowhere, Dick sprung from behind Neferti, bringing one of his staffs down towards her. “Sorry lady,”Before he could make contact with her she duck and rolled away, allowing the staff to smack into the floor with a loud CLINK. Dick jumped over to Damian, landing beside him. “Ohana means family!”“Nobody gets left behind...” Damian snarled towards her. Dick smiled and looked at him, momentarily being taken off guard by the comment.“Did Stephanie teach you that?” he asked with a slight chuckle. Damian looked at him and smirked but said nothing. The older man laughed, nodding his head.“She’d be proud.”The two men looked back at Neferti who was standing tall on the other side of the room, glaring at them. Dick pointed one of his staffs towards her.“He’s not going anywhere with you! You want him; you’ll have to go through me.” He snapped. She merely sneered at them before turning on her heels and jolting away down the hallway. Without saying anything, the two pressed after her. ****** Both Jason and Stephanie flew backwards, slamming into the rock wall of the biosphere, crumpling to the grassy floor below on top of one another. Jason groaned and pushed the blonde off of him and onto her knees.“I thought you said you could fight...”he whined as they both slowly got to their feet.“Shut up!” Stephanie snarled at him.“Give in, chauves-souris.” Widow screeched, clicking over to them. Half of her face melting to the side giving her almost a tragedy/comedy mask appearance. She seemed bigger now but she was slower, her voice was deeper and harder to understand. She was losing whatever humanity she had left in her, though the reason was not clear.“I don’t know what you just called me,” Jason said, jumping into the air and firing his guns at her, but the bullets deflected, not even denting her furry skin. “But, uh, pass! Hard pass.”“You shooting her is doing nothing!” Stephanie yelled at him, running towards Widow’s long, gangly legs and swiping her staff at them. Widow picked up the targeted leg however and smacked Stephanie back again. Instead of falling however she lunged to the side, running over to join Jason.“Neither is whatever the hell you’re doing!”“Have any better ideas?”“How about, not getting our asses kicked by a giant fucking bug?” Jason shrugged. Widow sprung towards them, screaming in a high pitch wail, her legs moving fast. The two bat family members got out of the way just in time, Stephanie landing on top of the older man. She blinked when she realized their position and lifted herself so that she had her hands on either side of his head. She couldn’t see it, but she knew that beneath his helmet he was smirking at her.“You know, I’m a little wounded that you declined my offer, but didn't think twice about deflowering the little demon spawn from hell.” Jason snickered as she rolled off and got to her feet.“Not the time Jason...”Stephanie watched as Widow dazedly backed up, she seemed disoriented. Whatever changes were happening to her was obviously causing her mental stability to slip. Her hazel eyes shifted around the room, trying desperately to figure out their next move. Finally, they landed on a small dial that was nestled into the rocks on the other side of the pond, and a light bulb went off.“You ever see Lord of the Rings?” she asked Jason quietly. He looked at her.“That’s a dumb question. Who hasn’t?”“Sam killed Shelob by hitting her from underneath.”“Okay, well...sorry to disappoint, but my bullets aren’t Elvin made, and he technically didn’t kill her, just stunned her. This is probably why we’d never work out.”Stephanie’s eyes narrowed and she turned her body towards the pond. “Just keep her distracted until I say so! Then shoot her in the belly. Make sure she comes in this direction!”With that she ran towards the pond. Jason nodded and saluted to her. “Aye aye captain.”Stephanie hurled herself over the guardrail, falling into the lukewarm water, her head dunking under. The fish that were swimming there all scattered, diving between the river grass and into crevices of the rocks. Bringing her arms up, the blonde dragged herself to the surface again, taking a long gasp of air before swimming over to the over side. She grabbed hold of the plaster rocks and looked up at the dial, it was higher than she had thought, she would need to pull herself up somehow.Behind her she could hear Jason taunting Widow, his guns blazing aimlessly. He was having far too much fun with this.Lifting herself onto the rocks slowly, her hands struggled to keep her grip but she tried with all of her might until finally she was able to reach the dial. After twisting it all the way it would go, she dropped back into the water and quickly swam back to the other side, pulling herself back onto the path. She leaned over the guardrail and looked down at the water, her eyes looking around it quickly as Jason continued to battle Widow behind her.“Come on, come on...” she mumbled to herself.Widow swiped Jason’s legs out from under him, causing him to land roughly on his back. She lunged down towards him, her large fangs protruding from her lopsided mouth, her bony hands reaching down towards him, clawing at his neck. Jason dropped his guns at his side and quickly grabbed her arms, trying to push her away. Drool dripped from her mouth, landing on his helmet and running down to his neck. He shivered.“Anytime now would be great, blondie!” he yelled back to Stephanie. She was still mumbling to herself, bouncing impatiently in her spot, watching the water carefully.“Come on, come on, come on, come on...”Steam began to rise off of the water, and any bug that was resting on the surface dashed towards the rocks, climbing to safety from the rising temperature.“Mourir....” Widow’s lipless mouth did not move, but a breathy voice spoke as she lowered herself onto Jason to get closer, his arms beginning to shake from keeping her at bay. He leaned his head to the side, trying to see underneath of the large insect body towards Stephanie.“STEPHANIE!”The water of the pond began to bubble slightly, and fish after fish rose to the top of the water, their lifeless bodies bobbing there like apples. She twisted around to face him.“NOW!”He nodded and dropped one hand from holding onto Widow’s arm, reaching underneath of her and grabbing his glock tightly. Tilting it, he pressed the muzzle into her softer underbelly, and pulled the trigger.An ungodly wail escaped through her mouth and she lifted off of him just enough for him to kick her with both legs, sending her stumbling backwards, her long legs tripping over themselves. Stephanie jumped out of the way just in time, allowing the giant beast’s limbs to hit the guardrail at just the right height that she fell over backwards into the water below. With one last hiss, her legs curled into her body and she fell silent, steam boiling off of her.Stephanie looked over the guardrail at her, a look of disgust plastered to her face. Jason made his way over, one hand gripping his shoulder while he rolled it backwards repeatedly, the weight of the spider woman must have done slight damage.“Fuck me...”he grumbled when he reached her, gripping the chin of his helmet with one hand and pulling it off of his head. His face was red and sweaty, his hair was a mess. “I will never complain about a house spider again.”“We need to find Damian and Dick.” Stephanie announced, quickly turning on her heels. She was ready to move on from this fight, ready to help the others. Jason’s deep blue eyes shifted to the glass ceiling of the insectarium. He nodded his head towards it, and Stephanie followed his gaze.“Something tells me we won’t have to look very hard.”Through the glass, on the museums higher elevated roof, shadows of people were being cast down. They were there.Stephanie took off towards the door of the insectarium, quickly grabbing her staff on her way. Jason sighed, shoved his helmet back on and followed close behind her. ***** Both Dick and Damian tried as they might to get Neferti to falter, but she was far too fast for either of them; darting around, dodging their every blow, and although she was clearly not trying to hurt Damian, Dick she did not need and therefore did not care about. Unfortunately for her, his flexibility and acrobatic skills also made it hard for her to land anything on him, which was, in the very least, annoying her greatly.“Getting tired yet?” Dick joked loudly as he and Damian both took different sides of the woman, winding around one another to try and confuse her. Damian’s eyes rolled beneath his mask.“Hardly.”Neferti jumped upwards, away from them and they both stumbled. Dick fell forward but sprung into a front handspring, twisting around so that he was facing the Al Ghul. She looked at him with narrowed eyes.“Your circus tricks were amusing at first but I’m beginning to get bored of you.” She snarled. Dick shrugged.“Then how about you go back to wherever you came from and you won’t have to deal with me anymore!” he shouted and rushed towards her. Throwing her hand out Neferti grabbed hold of Dick’s staff and twisted around him, their backs touching for a split second, before she plunged her dagger into his side and twisted it roughly. He grunted out a cry and his shoulders crunched forward slightly at the pain.“Or perhaps you could just bleed out silently while I talk some sense into my nephew.”She pulled her dagger out and he fell to his knees, panting loudly. Damian's eyes narrowed while he watched her wipe her blade on the thigh of her pants and walk away from him, leaving him clutching at his wound.“Shame really,” she spat as she sauntered away. “To waste such a pretty face.”“I will never go with you Neferti, give it up!” Damian barked, drawing her attention back to him.“Oh you will, or I will destroy everything and everyone you hold dear. That was Talia’s mistake of sending you here with these degenerates.” She threw her hand out and motioned to Dick who was still sulking in pain. He looked up at her, teeth clenched.“You’ve grown attached and set yourself up for failure! Given yourself a weak spot!” her expression softened and she smiled slightly. “Don’t worry nephew, I too fell victim to these feelings not long ago, but I learned from them and they made me who I am today.”“I’m not interested in becoming some maniac whack-job, and even if I did go with you...your army of the dead is going to kill everyone anyway.”“A quick deserving death, I’ll make it slow...and I’ll start with your pretty little lover.”Damian ran at her, jumping into the air to bring his katana down on her. She leaned her body to the side, lifting her hand and allowing the blade to scrape along the surface of her palm. Damian landed in front of her, their bodies nearly touching. She clutched the blade tightly and pulled it closer to her, deep red blood spilling out of her hand. Her face was not phased at all.“You think you know way’s to make people scream and beg for their lives,” she whispered venomously, her eyes boring through the white tinted glass of his mask and into his own. “Well nephew, you were taught nothing on that mountain top. Nothing compared to what I know, and I will make sure you are present through every single moment of what I am going to put that little wench through.”Before Damian had time to say or do anything else, a loud BANG sounded out, and something whizzed past his ear, only inches away from him, hitting Neferti square in the shoulder. She leg out a cry and dropped his blade, reaching up to grab her wound and sprung away from the young Wayne.“DAMIAN!”Damian turned around, his ear still slightly ringing, to see Stephanie sprinting over to him, Jason close behind her.Stephanie threw herself at the young man, wrapping her arms tightly around him. He wanted nothing more than to hold her back, he was so overly glad that she was okay and here with him. But now wasn’t the time, and he pushed her away.“Later,” he instructed, his tone filled with grief. He turned towards Dick who was even more hunched over than earlier. “Stephanie, get Grayson out of here, he can’t fight anymore and he needs immediate medical attention. Go as far away from here as you can.”Stephanie shook her head. “No, I’m not leaving you! Jason can-”Jason placed his hands on her shoulders and shoved her towards Dick. “Listen to him, blondie. I called Daddy Bats, so he’ll be here any time now. Just get Dick to the parking lot. I won’t let lover boy die, don’t worry.”She looked at Damian, tears welling in her eyes but nodded and ran over to Dick, quickly bending down and wrapping her arms around him to help him to his feet.Jason and Damian turned towards Neferti who had made her way to the other side of the roof. She was still clutching her shoulder and was staring at them with wild, furious eyes.“Any ideas how to take this bitch down?” Jason asked, quickly leaning his head to each side, cracking it.“Your gun seemed to work just fine.” Damian said with a nod. “She’s fast, be careful.”“Aw shucks, it almost sounds like you care.”Jason took off towards Neferti, and before Damian followed, he looked over his shoulder at Stephanie who was just at the door to the museum, supporting Dick with her side. As if she knew he was looking at her, she looked back at him. He nodded.Everything was going to be okay. This was going to work.Joining Jason in his pursuit, the two began to battle Neferti, which was only slightly easier now that she was wounded, but she was still damn near impossible to land a hit on, even with the bullets. It had seemed that she had learned from Jason’s hit to not let her guard down as much. Damian also noticed after getting close to her a few times that the wounds both on her hand and her shoulder had seemed to already begun healing. It was strange, and the slight steam that was admitting from her skin almost mimicked the healing effects of the Lazarus pits his grandfather had in the Himalayas.It didn’t take long however, for Neferti to once again get the better hand, and she managed to kick one of Jason’s guns free from his hand, sending it flying across the roof. Confused by the sudden motion his gaze followed it, giving her the perfect opportunity to kick him flesh in the crotch. His hands flew to his groin and he keeled over, allowing her to kick him so hard in the head, his helmet cracked in half and he toppled over. While he was down, she turned and rushed Damian.“This ends here Damian!”she screamed at him, swiping her blade at him. He fought back with his own sword.“I couldn’t agree more!”Quicker than his eyes could move she dropped to the ground and twisted her body in and almost snake like motion, swiping him out from under his feet. He fell hard on his back, knocking the wind out of himself and in a moment she was standing above him, dagger pointed at his throat. She smiled, her chest rising and falling.“You’re coming with me. Now.”A loud, battle cry like scream shocked both Al Ghul’s. Neferti turned her head just in time to be struck in the face by Stephanie’s solid, metal staff, so hard that her whole body twisted and she stumbled forward, dropping her dagger onto Damian’s chest, the point of it poking into his skin slightly, but hard enough to draw a drizzle of blood.Stephanie looked at her wide eyed, holding the staff close to her. Damian felt no reassurance, no relief that she was there and had saved him. He quickly stood and shoved her in the direction of the door.“What the hell are you doing here!?” he snapped, his voice loud. “You’re supposed to be with Grayson!”“He’s fine...we found a first aid kit, he’s-”He didn’t wait for her to finish before whipping around to face Neferti; unfortunately she was right there and brought her fist hard against his cheek, cracking against the bone. He keeled over from the pain and spit out a mouthful of blood, he could feel the cut on the inside of his mouth from where his teeth had sliced.“It’s funny how things work out so perfectly isn’t it?” Neferti asked with a maniacal chuckle. “Now I have both of you exactly where I want you.”“Touch him and die, you fuck!” Stephanie growled, narrowing her eyes as bravely as she could and gripping the staff tightly. Neferti laughed.“Oh put that down, girl. You’ve already lost.”Stephanie didn’t ask for an invitation and instead tried to strike. Neferti grabbed the staff, her fingers wrapping around the metal and pulled her so close they were almost nose to nose. Damain tossed his katana to the side and held her own dagger in reverse grip.“Let. Her. Go.” He warned, half scared to make a move, half wanting to plunge the dagger into her skull right then and there. Neferti’s green eyes flicked up at him and she smiled widely, her lips pulling thin.“Very well.” She said, her voice hoarse. With all of her strength she pulled the staff to the side, Stephanie still gripping the other end was dragged along with it, and she whipped her to the right. Losing her balance, the blonde tripped over her feet and stumbled to the edge of the building, losing her footing and falling right over the side. Damian’s heart immediately plummeted and he pushed past Neferti who was standing there smiling.“STEPHANIE!” he screamed and ran to the side of the building. He looked over the edge, but was filled with the utmost relief when he saw that not far below was the glass roof of the insectarium. He sighed as he watched the blonde push herself to her hands and knees.The glass below her was cracked slightly, but looked stable enough if she stayed still. She looked up at him, not a scratch on her, but her eyes held fear.“Do not move.” Damian ordered down to her. She nodded.“She’s still alive then?” Neferti asked. Damian turned around, fuming. “That’s good. That means I can still use her.”Damian twisted, and it didn’t matter that his eyes were covered by a mask; they were flaming red and Neferti knew it.“Like hell!” he shouted and flew towards her. Smiling she rushed to meet him, Stephanie’s staff still clutched tightly in her hand.The two collided with one another, Damian faster than ever before, whipping around his aunt, kicking, scratching, blocking her hits. Neferti laughed as his blade grazed her creek, her tongue jotting out of her mouth to lick at it.“Now you’re serious!” she said over the sound of their weapons clinking together. “I was beginning to wonder if the shadows taught you anything!”Damian got low, throwing himself, shoulder first at the ground and running the dagger through the inside of her knee. She screamed and fell forward onto it, but her cries turned to laughter and she looked up at him, quickly bringing back the staff up and knocked the dagger from his hand. She must have hit him hard because he grunted and brought his hand to his chest, holding it with the other.Steam flew off of her knee and she stood up, healed already. She continued to cackle as she walked towards him.“What the hell are you?” Damian hissed.“I-”Before she could finish, the air was filled with repeated popping and her body began jolting as though she were being pelted with something from behind. Damian ducked down but looked behind her to see Jason walking over to them, pulling his trigger over and over again. His helmet was long gone, as was one of his guns, but the look on his face said it all.He was fucking done.First, Neferti fell to her knees, her eyes wide before falling forward. Jason stood over her and continued to shoot, staining her entire back red with her own blood, half of the back of her head almost completely blown away.“That’s” BANG “for” BANG “my” BANG “fucking” BANG “helmet!”“TODD! ENOUGH!” Damian yelled over the sound of gunshot. Jason gave one final shoot for good measure and then stopped, blowing at the muzzle of his gun.“That shit ain’t cheap!” he spat, shoving the gun back into it holster. Damian stood up and looked down at the mutilated mess of the human Neferti used to be. Jason raised his eyebrows. “You think she’s dead?”“I don’t know...looks like it. But even if she isn’t she should be out for awhile.”“Good. Hope Brucey doesn’t throw a fit.”Turning around Damian walked over to the edge of the building and looked down at Stephanie, who indeed had barely moved a muscle; still on her knees, hands resting on her thighs.“Stephanie!” he called down causing her to look up at him.“I’m okay! You guys okay? What the hell was all that?” she yelled back. Jason walked over beside the young Wayne and peered down at her, smirking.“We’re fine...Todd’s just an idiot.”“I just saved us! What is up with you and Dick not being appreciative when someone saves your ungrateful asses?”Damian shook his head and Jason shrugged, throwing his hands on his hips.“See blondie, this is what happens when you’re one of Bruce’s favourites. You become privileged; stop being able to recognize when people do nice things.”Stephanie began to laugh and it made Damian slightly happy to see her smile. Swiping his cape to the side he began to unsecure his grappling hook with his uninjured hand. It didn’t feel broken, but she had definitely hit him hard.“Sit tight for a minute, I’ll bring you up.” He shouted down. Bruce was no doubt already tending to Dick and would be up any moment now. After this, he wanted a warm shower, some hot tea, and maybe, just maybe he would give Stephanie that celebratory head she had asked for earlier. That sounded nice.She pressed her lips together and shrugged. “Don’t worry, I’m not going anywhere.” She said with a snicker. Damian bit his lip slightly, only now tasting the salty flavour of blood and realizing that his lip was split from the fight. Somehow the wire to his grapple had gotten twisted around one of the pouches and it was taking, at least in his current opinion, longer than it should have to unwind. But it was almost there now. Just two more winds...From behind Jason, a snakelike hard reached through the gap of his arm and grabbed the gun from its holster. Before he even had time to turn around, Neferti, the now bloody mess that she was, pounced ahead of the two men, twisting her body around to face them before springing herself into the air and off of the roof. There was no way she could have possibly healed that fast, it didn’t make sense.Damian looked up to see her, face covered by blood, wicked smile pulling against her teeth, green eyes narrowed. She was holding the gun towards them in both hands, and though he knew she would not kill him he feared a moment for Jason.Everything fell in slow motion after that. Damian’s eyes had a hard time keeping up, and his ears were filled with quietude.Instead of shooting at the two, Neferti brought her arms down between her legs and shot downward, one loud BOOM echoing from the barrel of the gun before she turned, in an instant, into a puff of sand, disappearing into the night.Damian’s eyes followed the bullet as though it were moving at a slow speed. Like a single raindrop hitting a still body of water, the bullet hit the glass just behind Stephanie, causing a spider web like crack that splintered its way around her, meeting the cracks that were already in place. She looked up at him, their eyes meeting only for a second before the windowpane gave way and she began to fall into the lush biosphere below.From behind him, Damian could hear a deep voice yelling something but it sounded distant and muffled, like it was underwater. He was unsure of who it was.Grabbing hold of his grapple he pulled it out, his body moving on its own, his mind was no longer working. Pointing it at the falling girl below he shot it, the claw coiling out of the gadget, flying desperately towards her. But it was too late.Both men watched as she hit the floor, the glass from the window landing all around her and on her. Damian’s grapple dug at the earth beside of her; he tossed the gun of it to the ground and jumped from the building into the biosphere below, pulling his glider so that he could safely land.He landed on his feet but his legs felt weak and he wobbled a bit, never once taking his eyes off of her. There was a lump in his throat that was pressing against his jugular, his vision was hazy and his mind could only think one thing.
Please let her be okay.
Please let her be okay.
“Stephanie!” he tried to yell to get her attention, dropping to his knees beside her, but his voice was weak. Her face was covered in cuts from the glass, her hazel eyes lidded slightly, staring up into the night sky above them. He kneeled closer to her and touched her cheek, pressing her face in his direction. Her head fell limply to the side, a small stream of blood trailing down from one nostril. “Stephanie!”His breathing hitched and he began to become frantic. “HELP ME!” he screamed up Jason, at anyone who would listen. “Stephanie, goddammit! Say something!”His blank mind blocked out the reality he knew deep down, and instead tried to piece together why she was not looking at him, why she wasn’t saying anything. He wanted to shake her, god he wanted to slap her. Anything to get her to move.A hand clamped around his shoulder and pulled him back slightly, but he did not look up. He didn’t need to, he didn’t want to.“Damian,” it was Bruce’s voice; somber and understanding. “She’s gone.”Damian sucked in a shaky breath, his chest seeming to cave into itself, the lump in his throat making it impossible to breathe. How dare his father say such things. How dare he try and console him when he should have been trying to help the girl. But most of all...how dare he make the reality Damian was trying so hard to suppress come crashing into him like a wave off the sea.Of course he knew that Bruce was right; he had seen enough dead bodies in his day to know what the slightly crossed, colourless look in her eyes meant. The way her bright skin was already turning pale against the greenery below her. He brushed a hand against her cheek, she wasn’t cold yet, but she wasn’t Stephanie...there was something off.“Damian...” Bruce pulled a bit tighter on his shoulder. “Come on son. There’s nothing more we can do.”Damian leaned forward and pressed his lips against her forehead. He didn’t want to go anywhere, not without her. Not ever. ******* Her funeral was held the next week.The entire burial went by without a single sound, at least for Damian. No voices, no wind blowing, no birds, just cold, empty silence; the kind that makes even the simplest of thoughts unfathomable. It seemed like forever that his green, misted eyes were glued to the copper casket, watching it as though he expected to see it open and Stephanie to rise up, stretching her arms over her head and yawn like she had just been napping all along. He would curse that dammed woman to the high heavens for scaring him, for making everyone fuss over her when she was only sleeping, and she would laugh, believing his anger to be humorous. And then they would go home, to her apartment, to the manor, to London, anywhere. He wanted that more than anything.But when the time finally came, the coffin was lowered into the ground, slowly, allowing him one final glimpse of the closest thing he would ever see to the woman he cared about more than life itself ever again.A soft hand touched his shoulder and he lifelessly turned his head, his gaze hazing through the man beside him. It took a second for vision to focus to notice for the first time that Dick was beside him, looking forward but holding his shoulder to give him brotherly assurance that he was not alone.He had told Dick that he wasn’t his brother, how much of a lie that had been. Though they were not related by blood, there was no other person Damian would rather have by his side in that moment, no other person he was that proud to call family. Not even Bruce.His eyes slid past Dick; beside him was Kor’i, sniffling back heavy sobs into a handkerchief that she held up to her face. On the other side of her, Alfred; Bruce and Tim were also there, and Jason had come. But other than that, the graveyard sat empty. Stephanie deserved so much more; the whole of Gotham should have been present. No one should have been allowed to go about their day as normal.The fact that there were people who were not in grievance hurt Damian immensely, but that was what came with being a part of the bat family, and even though she had just touched barely the surface with her Batgirl persona, they were the only family she had. Privacy, secrets. Stephanie Brown was dead, and because she had been affiliated with them, that meant that no one could know because it would put the rest of them at risk of being discovered. So instead she would be forgotten by the world, buried in the Wayne’s private cemetery beneath an unnamed stone, as though she had been nothing. There was little that hurt him more than knowing that.Damian felt himself choke back tears, and he realized a single tear had rolled down his cheek. He wanted to scream, he wanted to cry to the heavens and beg someone to wake him from the nightmare he was stuck in. If he could take everything back, he would in a moment. Suddenly he wished nothing more than to return to the Titans Tower months ago, he wished he had never gotten in his car, he wished he had never returned to Gotham and above all he wished he had never met Stephanie Brown.The burial service ended shortly after, and slowly everyone returned to the manor. Damian remained in his seat, his mind once again falling blank. He stayed like that, alone and quiet for some time, before the sound of someone slowly scuffing along the grass crept into his ears. He didn’t look, but when the person silently took the seat beside him, his eyes shifted to the side allowing him to see Tim, his head down, eyes covered by his black fringe. They sat, surrounded by silence for a while before the older Robin finally broke it, his voice a collected whisper.“I’ll never forgive you, you know. For what you did.”Damian bit back his urge to curse him. It wasn’t about him right now, it was about Stephanie. How dare he bring up something so selfish on the day they should all be saying goodbye. But he didn’t have the energy for anger, and he knew that Tim had to be hurt as well by her passing. He did, after all, care about her as well.“I wasn’t expecting you to.” The young Wayne murmured back his response, staying equally as calm. Tim looked at him, his eyes tired, sad, and angry.“I think you’re a shit excuse for a human being, and it was you who deserved to die back there. Not Stephanie.” His voice, despite the harsh undertone, quivered. Damian’s gaze dropped to the ground below his feet.“I couldn’t agree more.”Silence fell around them once more, though Damian could have sworn he heard Tim stifle back a few doleful whimpers. He meant the words he told him, it should have been who had died. Or Neferti. Not Stephanie, never Stephanie.After a few moments Tim cleared his throat, his hands jotting up to wipe at his tear-stained cheeks. “Bruce told me how broken you were.” He said before sniffing back loudly. “He said he’s never seen you like that before.”Damian looked at him, his brows knitted together. “Of course,” The words hurt to say, why did he have to convince anyone of the fact that he cared enough to fight for her? “I care about her....cared about her...more than I’ve ever cared about another person. More than I even knew I could...”Tim’s expression softened and the two looked at each other, their eyes locking in the first, non hostile gaze they had shared, perhaps ever. He nodded slowly.“Then that’s one thing we have in common, Damian Wayne.”They sat together for a little bit longer before Tim retreated back inside, leaving Damian alone with his thoughts. The sun went down, the air became cooler, but she was still gone, and his heart still hurt.He had no idea how long he stayed outside, staring at the mound of dirt that Stephanie lay under, it felt like only a moment.Her face, her voice, her smile, the real smile that he loved; he would never see them again, only in his memories, and in time that too would fade.He had told her once that nothing scared him, but the idea of her vanishing from his mind, that terrified him more than words could describe. His feelings for her had taught him so much about himself, things that he wouldn’t have known had they not met. He was grateful.Damian’s green orbs slowly shifted to look up at the sky, it was clear, almost every star was visible. She would have loved it.As his head roll back onto his neck so that he could see straight up, the quick light of a shooting star shot through the darkness, causing whatever fragments that were left of the young man’s heart to shatter in his chest.Make a wish. Her voice whispered in the back of his mind, and he could almost see her goofy, squinted eyed smile. It took him back to their first outing together, sitting on the cliff together, her hair blowing lightly in the ocean breeze. He had thought it was foolish at the time, but had he known, he would have wished for a lifetime together, he would have wished for her to be happy, to keep smiling and laughing.Damian’s eyes fell closed. He had nothing to wish for anymore.“Master Damian,”He hadn’t heard Alfred approach, but the sudden voice made him lower his head and turn around in his seat. Alfred’s expression furrowed as he did so, and he realized that tears were leaking from his eyes. He didn’t care, he was allowed this moment to mourn.“Why don’t we go inside, I’ll make you some tea?”He nodded, hesitantly before getting to his feet and following the old man back towards the manor. ***** It was early morning when Damian left the Wayne manor for the last time; the sun still hiding within the darkness. He opened the door to his car and tossed his backpack onto the passenger’s seat before climbing inside and starting the machine. The car rumbled beneath him as he took the steering wheel with both hands, but he didn’t move, he just stared at the brick home before him.He wasn’t certain when he would be back, if he would be back at all. He wasn’t sure if he would ever see the house, or his father or Alfred or Dick even, ever again. Even poor Titus was being left behind; he was grateful that Alfred had taken a liking to him though and knew he would be in good hands.He wondered, for a moment, what life would have been like had he continued being Robin, or a Titan. He wondered about Dick and Kor’i’s child, and how happy they would be as a family. But most of all, he wondered about Stephanie, and what their life would have been like together.
The children he had imagined, their home together, growing old in each other’s companies. All things that could have been but now…would never be.He stifled back tears that were beginning to burn underneath his eyes and pulled the car into drive. Looping around the driveway, he descended towards the gate, pressing the button above him on the dashboard that would allow him passage to the outside world. Sure enough the gate opened and with one final glance into his rear-view mirror, he left the life he knew behind him, forever.His and Stephanie’s relationship had been the quick spark and her death had been the flames that had engulfed him. Damian Wayne was no more, Robin was no more. He would not pretend like this hadn’t killed him as well; he would carry Stephanie’s last smile and her gentle heart with him forever, and he would remember his mistakes. But from those mistakes, he would learn and he would grow to be a better man so that they would never be made again.He did not know where he was going, or who he would become, or what he would do. But he knew that he needed to find himself now more than ever, and find himself he most certainly knew he would.From the ashes he would rise anew.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Winters in Gotham were always bleak and bitter, as though the high rises and brick row houses were a trap for the cold. As Damian pulled up to the rare, white picket fenced, suburban home in his black car, he debated if he really wanted to get out or not. His green eyes, that were a bit duller than they had been in the past, looked over the house and its frosted lawn, that he could only imagine would be lush and serene come spring. The house itself wasn’t by any means a grand, but it looked comfortable and safe, as was the neighborhood it was in; an ideal place to raise a family.Taking a deep breath, he quickly adjusted the scarf around his neck, pulled the keys from the ignition and stepped outside, the crisp air hitting him like a brick. It took him no time to walk up to the front door of the house and he pressed the doorbell, bobbing slightly in his spot as though it would help shield him from the cold. He waited for only a moment until the door pulled open, reviling a man whom he just barely recognized. Tired blue eyes, a face full of tidied scruff, a bit of a gut; fatherhood had done Dick Grayson no justice, but Damian had to admit, that behind the exhaustion of his complexion he truly looked happy.Dick’s face lit up after only a few seconds of confusion and he shook his head, his eyes scanning the man who stood before him.“It wouldn’t have killed you to send a text, you know.” He chuckled in disbelief. Damian, who was still bobbing in his spot smiled ever so slightly.“I lost your number.”The older man shook his head and pulled his little brother into a tight hug, though little may have been a description lost to the past. Damian now stood a full head taller than Dick. They pulled away from each other and Dick nodded his head, motioning for him to come inside. “Come in, I just put on a pot of coffee.”The two men entered the house and Dick took Damian’s coat and scarf, hanging it in the entrance closet before leading him to the kitchen. The house was quiet minus the faint sound of a children’s program playing from another room and was quite clean, no doubt Kor'i’s doing. When they reached the kitchen, Damian took a seat at the small wooden table, folding his hands in front of him on the surface. He watched in silence as Dick fixed them their coffees and brought them over, sitting himself across from his old teammate.Damian gripped the cup if only to warm his hands and inhaled the scent. Dick’s blue eyes were glued to the younger boy as if he didn’t believe him to really be there, and they were quiet for a while.“You know, some people thought you were dead.” Dick said finally, taking a short, testing sip of his coffee. It must have been still too hot because he retracting his lips quickly. “No phone calls, no letters. You just...disappeared. But I knew you were still alive.”Damian cocked an eyebrow curiously and waited to see if he would continue. He hadn’t been surprise that his lack of communication had given others the notion that he was deceased; in a way that was what his intention had been. He wanted to disappear for a while and he didn’t want anyone trying to find him. Dick cleared his throat and tried again with the coffee, this time blowing on it slightly before trying to drink.“You go by Phoenix now, huh? Catchy name. And you moved to London? Fancy.” This caused the younger man’s lips to pull into a larger smile, though he tried to hide it by taking a drink of his own coffee. Leave it to Grayson to put two and two together and figure him out.“What gave me away?”“A new vigilante just happened to pop up not long after you up and left, one that was your exact age and physical description. Too much of a coincidence.”“I’m shocked father didn’t piece that together.”“Oh, I’m sure he knows. He just doesn’t let on. You know how he is.”A pause filled the air and the two men took a drink. The fact that his father didn’t come sought him out meant that he finally respected his wishes to seek his own path, something he rarely did before, and for that he was grateful. There were many a time during his life in London that Damian had wondered about the Batman, Robin and Dick, but he would try to push those thoughts away as quickly as they had come into his mind. A lot of things had changed since Stephanie’s death, Damian had changed. He would like to believe himself to have been much more grown up and stable, but he was also much more distant. He had always thought himself to be better as a lone wolf but had followed his father’s orders in trying to work in a team anyway; that had ended in disaster. Now, as Phoenix, he finally felt as though he knew who he, Damian Wayne, really was, and he knew who he was not. He was not the kind of person who wanted liabilities; he had learned that the hard way.Dick leaned back in his seat. “So how was London?”“Quieter than Gotham.”“I bet. Things here have been as crazy as ever, glad I put that life behind me when I did. Bruce and Tim seem to have it under control though. Well, as under control as they can, I guess.”So Drake was still fighting alongside of Bruce? That also didn’t surprise the young Wayne. After all, he had lost just as much as Damian had and therefore had a valid reason to want to fight, to release pent up frustrations. He wondered if the not so new Boy Wonder had improved, he supposed realistically there would be no way he wouldn’t have, he had been under the mask for six years now.Dick leaned his head to the side when Damian said nothing and seemed to lose himself in thought. “Why’d you come back, Damian? After all this time?”Damian shrugged his shoulders; in all honestly he had no idea why he had returned. It was a mystery to him. He hadn’t necessarily been happy in London, but being in Gotham shook up a lot of buried demons that made him want to crawl away forever. The city was plagued with his failures and his mistakes and he hated it. But at the same time, he also felt as though he needed to come back, as though there were some sort of unfinished business he had neglected and he couldn’t move forward unless he tended to it. Maybe it was closure with Bruce, perhaps it was a real apology to Tim, he didn’t know the reason yet, but he would figure it out.“It was time,” was all he said in a quiet whisper. “Besides, I haven’t had the chance to meet your child yet.”Dick smiled and took a swig of his coffee, his lips smacking together, satisfied. “You know, it really hurt my feelings that you didn’t come back when she was born.”“So it’s a she?”Dick nodded proudly. His eyes said it all, he really was happy. “She’s pretty cute, if I do say so myself.” He looked in the direction of the hallway. “Mar’i!” his voice boomed gently into the hallway. Damian listened and heard a small squeak of a response.. “Come here for a second.”The pitter-patter of small feet wrung through Damian’s ears, and his heart melted slightly as a small girl ran into the room, stopping abruptly as soon as her bright green eyes landed on the stranger. She immediately took a few shy steps back and sunk into herself. She was small and extremely fragile looking. Her jet black hair fell just to her shoulders in a puff of messy volume, and her skin was sun kissed just as Kor'i’s. But her facial features were very much Dick; a tall bridged nose, almond shaped eyes, even her thick arched eyebrows belonged to her father. But she was beautiful.Dick held his arm out and she rushed over to him only to be picked up and placed on his lap. She nuzzled into him, peaking at Damian with only one eye.“She’s a bit shy,” Dick said, giving her a tight squeeze. “Mar’i, this is your uncle Damian. Can you say hi?” She said nothing and continued to stare at the brunette, so Dick began to bounce her slightly on his knee. “Come on, Mar. I know he looks mean, but he won’t bite unless provoked, just like Mr. Branch’s dog.”“Don’t tell her that!” Damian hissed while Dick snickered to himself. “No wonder she’s shy. Filling her head with nonsensical misconceptions like that.”Mar’i’s small hand gripped her father’s t-shirt and she pulled at him, causing him to bend his head down so that his ear was closer to her face.“He looks like grandpa.” She said in a whisper, though a child’s whisper was hardly quiet enough, Damian was able to hear every single word. It was strange hearing it from another person, especially one so tiny. Damian had always been aware that he had looked a strange amount like his father, minus his dark complexion and emerald eyes he inherited from his mother. It had just been so long since he had seen the man that he had began to see himself as less of a Bruce Wayne carbon copy, and more of his own being. Dick nodded.“That’s right, and grandpa isn’t scary, is he?” he asked quietly. Mar’i shook her head and finally looked at Damian fully for the first time. Dick squeezed her once again, shaking her slightly in her spot. “Okay, then say ‘hi Uncle Damian’. You can do it.”“Hi Uncle Damian.” She mimicked timidly. Damian smiled at her while Dick whispered something into her ear. Her confidence seemed to grow and she smiled widely as her father pressed his lips into her temple. “It’s nice to meet you.” She squeaked.“Hello, Mar’i. It’s nice to meet you too.” Without thinking, Damian reached across the table and held his hand out to the child, only realizing that it probably wasn’t the appropriate way to great a child when she looked down at it in confusion. But before he could retract it, her smile widened and she leaned her body across the table, taking hold of him with her small fingers. Damian held her hand firmly, but gently enough not to hurt her and gave it one solid shake. She giggled wildly and looked over her shoulder at her father who merely smiled back at her.“What kind of fun are we having in here?” They all turned around to see Kor'i walking into the room, her hand resting on her stomach that was bulging from under her shirt. Damian raised an eyebrow and Dick who merely shrugged at him, his lips pulling into a smile. Mar’i slid from her father’s lap and ran over to her mother, holding her arms out to be picked up.“Mommy, mommy! Uncle Damian is here.” the redhead picked the girl up and placed her on her hip, she gave Damian a warm smile.Perhaps this was what made the voyage back to Gotham truly worth the strife for Damian. He knew that he would never be his father; he knew that he would never be the person he once was. But perhaps this was what it was all about, the future. He would never again want to work under the Bat’s shadow, or alongside anyone else for that matter, but staying in Gotham and protecting his family was something he could do, even if that meant living under a constant reminder of his past mistakes. Because that was what you do for the people you love.It took him some time, but Damian had finally realized that perhaps love really did exist, no matter how or where you find it. He had learned that it was indeed something strong, and also something that was dangerous. But in the end, he learned that it was something that ultimately shaped him into who he was meant to be.
And for that, he was forever grateful.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Damian opened his eyes slowly, the whole world around him spinning out of control. It was slightly dark around him, and the air smelled damp, but it wasn’t until his vision finally focused that he realized where exactly he was. The bat-cave. He groaned and tried to push himself off of the soft, cushioned surface that he was lying on, but a warm heavy feeling flew to his head and he became dizzy once again, falling back onto what he could only assume was the recovery cot.
What had happened?
The last thing he remembered was fighting Neferti on top of the Gotham Museum roof, Stephanie fell over the side but landed on the top of the insectarium, Jason absolutely obliterated Neferti, and then....nothing. That was it. Complete and utter darkness followed. But now he was in the bat cave, on the recovery cot with a splitting headache....something must have went down.The sound of the elevator doors opening reached Damian’s ears and he turned his head, squinting slightly in the direction to see Alfred walking into the room carrying a pile of fresh bandages.“Alfred...” Damian muttered weakly, alerting the butler that he was awake. Alfred’s brown eyes widened and he quickly placed the bandages down on the table beside the computers monitor and rushed over to the young man.“Master Damian! You’re awake!” he sputtered, quickly taking Damian’s head gently in his hands and turning it from side to side, looking closely at it. “How are you feeling? Do you feel any pain?”Damian tried to swallow but his mouth was dry. “Only when I try to move. What happened?”“You were shot in the back of the head by you lovely aunt.”Alfred told him, walking back over to the table and grabbing the bandages, returning quickly to the young Wayne.“Neferti?” Damian questioned. Alfred began to unravel his bandages, causing a slight ping to break though his skull. His eyes clenched shut. “No...Todd shot her. She was unconscious.”“Apparently not.” Alfred applied the newer bandage with a bit more pressure than the last. “By some miracle the bullet wasn’t able to completely pass through your skull, though it did cause tremor in the bone which gave you a good shake. You needed a few stitches in you, and I’m afraid I had to shave the back of your head. But your hair grows quickly, young sir, so it should be no matter.”He finished and Damian suddenly felt better. The pressure added to his head seemed to help with the pain. He looked up at the old man.“Did she get away?”Alfred frowned and nodded his head. “I’m afraid so.”
Damn it.
Well it couldn’t be helped anyway. He just hoped everyone was able to get out better than he did.“What of the others? Grayson, Todd....Stephanie? She’s safe, isn’t she?” Damian’s voice turned slightly frantic with the question, fear rising in the pit of his stomach. God all he wanted was Stephanie to be okay.“All perfectly safe and sound upstairs.” Alfred assured calmly, putting Damian at ease. He relaxed into the cot. “I will go inform them that you are awake, but I insist you remain down here as to not exert your eyes from the natural light. It could give you an even worse headache.”Damian nodded and Alfred gave him a slight smile before turning around and heading back to the elevator. He sighed. It had been a while since he had last seen Bruce...what would he say? Would he be happy that he was alive, or still angry with him about Tim. Was Tim here? It would be a bit awkward if he was, but he would survive.What was going to happen with Neferti now that she had gotten away? How much time did they have until she returned? These were all questions Damian was immediately cursed with, but he pushed them aside moments later when the elevator doors opened and his green eyes met Stephanie’s. She looked panicked, and the moment she saw that his eyes were open and that he was alert she rushed in, Bruce and Dick walked in behind her.Once again, Damian tried to push himself up into a sitting position, this time managing thanks to the tightly wrapped bandages making his headache a little less extreme. The moment Stephanie reached him she slid her arms around him and pulled him into a tight hug, nuzzling her face into the crook of his neck. It felt nice to feel her warmth against him once again.“I thought we lost you.” She whispered, her voice quivering along with her now shuddering body. Damian leaned his head into her slightly as she softly cried against him.“I’m fine.” He murmured.Bruce walked over and placed a hand on Stephanie’s shoulder, pulling her back slightly. She looked up at him and dropped her arms from Damian. His face was stern, causing her to take a step back before he turned towards his son, but it was Dick who spoke first.“I always knew you had a hard head.” He said with a short chuckle. Damian’s lips pressed tightly together to suppress his own smirk.“No doubt something Talia modified to make me more durable. How long was I out?”“Only a few days.” Dick answered with a shrug. “Not long.”“How are you doing?” he was referring to the stab wound his older companion had received from Neferti only minutes before he was shot himself. Dick reached down to the hem of his shirt and pulled it up, showing a large stitched line across the side of his abdomen. “Got some hems myself. I think it makes me look a bit cooler.” He smiled and Damian rolled his eyes.“Damian, I’m not impressed that you tried to deal with this on your own instead of telling me about it.” Bruce interrupted, and though there was some seriousness to his tone, he was also much gentler than the brunette had thought he would be. He looked up at him and Bruce frowned, his eyes shifting quickly to Stephanie who was still standing a few steps away, her expression a mix of sadness and guilt. “Though I can understand why you did it. You could have gotten yourself, or someone else killed.”“I know.” Damian confessed, his emerald orbs dropping to look blankly straight ahead of him. “I was in the wrong. I’m sorry.”It was perhaps the first time in his life Damian had apologized and truly meant it. But right now, he was tried, too tired to fight on behalf of his own ego anymore. He was glad they were all okay.Bruce nodded and let out a deep sigh. “Alfred suggests you stay down here until tomorrow; no phone, no light, the least amount of sound as possible, so preferably alone.” His eyes darted towards Stephanie, his dark browns narrowing slightly. She nodded slightly again, her eyes falling to the ground. “Tomorrow you can rejoin us in the manor if you feel better.”“I understand.” Damian said with a nod. He wouldn’t mind spending the day alone, he was tried and really just wanted to sleep.“Alright, let’s let him rest. Dick, Stephanie.” Bruce turned on his heels and began towards the elevator again, Dick quick at his heels. Stephanie gave Damian one more look and a slight smile before turning and following as well. Damian inhaled deeply through his nostrils and lay back down slowly.As the three bat family members entered the elevator and the doors closed, Bruce side glanced the blonde. She had been staying at the manor again since the ordeal, but hadn’t necessarily had the chance to meet with the bat apart from when they had first arrived. She had made sure to keep herself hidden to him, only associating with Dick, Alfred and even Tim.“Stephanie,” Bruce said lowly, causing both younger being to look at him. Stephanie’s already pale face went even paler as she looked up at the large man. When he had first found out about her and Damian’s affair he had not been happy at all, but had said very little to her other than ordering her to leave, which she had done immediately due to the threatening tone in his voice. No one wanted to stand against Batman. No one.“Yes?” she squeaked, quickly jotting her glance towards Dick for assistance, but he looked away. Probably timid himself.“I want to see you in my office. Immediately.”“Yes.”When the doors reopened, Stephanie followed Bruce to his office without one word, only giving Dick a quick terrified look as he walked the other way.When they arrived at the room, Bruce walked over to his desk and sat at his chair, but Stephanie stood awkwardly in front of the table, her hands clasped together at her thighs.“Sit.” Bruce demanded quietly, causing the girl to sit right away. He looked at her and sighed. “I never got the chance to talk to you about what happened.”Swallowing, Stephanie shook her head, guilt suddenly washing over her. “Mr Wayne,” it felt weird calling him that but Bruce felt way too casual in this moment. “I’m sorry for everything I did. I cost you a Robin and....” Deflowered your son? Milked your son? Made your son a man? All of those things sounded horribly wrong, but what the hell was she supposed to say to him? “I’m sorry about Damian. I realize I’m a lot older than him and I shouldn’t have disrespected you in your own house and did what I did.”“Damian’s old enough to make his own decisions.” Bruce followed her words right away. “He doesn’t always make the right ones, but he makes them. I don’t fault you for that. Besides, he’s a teenager, he’s going to have sex whether I want him to or not. Hell, for all I know he was already sexually active before any of this happened.” He wasn’t.Stephanie nodded but stayed quiet. She knew there was going to be a “but” coming soon.“However,” close enough “your timing and circumstances were less than ideal.” He gave her a look. “Because of this incident, Tim was crippled, Dick was stabbed and my son was shot in the head, all without me knowing an inking in order to prevent it. I do believe you are old enough to realize that it was due to both of your actions that that was the case.”“I do.” She said quietly.“I would give you some sort of consequence but I’ve already tried that and look at where it got me.”A silence filled the air that was so deafening, it almost made Stephanie feel as if time itself had stopped. She couldn’t imagine what he was going to say but she hoped he would allow her to stay with his son. She loved Damian; she wanted to give a relationship with him a try, and hell she wanted his father’s approval. They were the closest thing to a family she had, and the time she had spent alone after she and Damian had been caught was perhaps the loneliest she had felt in a long time. She didn’t want to experience it again.“I’m shocked, you know.” Bruce said quietly after a moment. Stephanie looked at him to see that his blue eyes were cast down at his desk. “Damian’s always been distant with everything. I never thought he’d have anything friends. The main reason I sent him to live with the Titans was because I wanted him to be a normal kid for a while. Make relationships.”He paused and leaned his head to the side.“He didn’t know it, but I was keeping an eye on him all those years, watching him change and grow but...never really getting involved with anyone to the level a normal teenager would. I accepted it and thought it was going to be the best I would get. But then he met you.” His eyes shifted up and met hers. “I understand how he feels for you, Stephanie. It’s a special bond...one you can only find once in your life.”A solemn look washed over Bruce and he looked away. Stephanie wondered if he was talking about his star-crossed lover, Selina Kyle. She had heard Dick and Kor’i discussing the hero/villain lovers before, and knew that it was a tough topic for Bruce to bring up, and she could understand the pain. The weeks that had gone by when she was apart from Damian and the others were horrible. She was constantly writing texts to the brunette, only to read them over and over again before erasing every single word. She couldn’t imagine what it was like to never be allowed happiness with the one you love.“I don’t want to be the kind of person who breaks that bond. But with our profession, is a difficult road.”Stephanie nodded. “I know.”“There will be time’s it will put you both in danger.”“I know.”“There will be times you’ll have to put the mission first.”“Of course.”Bruce sighed. “You may continue your relationship.”Stephanie tried her best to keep her lips from twisting into a smile and she nodded her head, tucking a lose strand of thick hair behind her ear.“But please remember...” Bruce closed his eyes and clenched his jaw as though what he was about to say was going to be painful. Stephanie raised one pale brow. “Damian is still young. If you are going to be physical...please use protection.”Stephanie’s cheeks flared with pink and she straightened her back. Now she knew why he had looked so uncomfortable, no one likes talking about their own kids doing the dirty.
“I can trust you with that....correct?”“Yes. I promise, we will.” Stephanie stumbled on her words. “B-be safe...I mean.”“Good.”With that, Bruce pushed himself away from his desk and stood, getting to his feet. Stephanie got up as well, clearing her throat and watching as the older man who she never knew to be awkward, stood there awkwardly, rocking from the balls of his feet to his toes. He nodded.“Well then, I think we’re done.” He said, and brought his arm in front of him, motioning for Stephanie to leave first. She didn’t say anything, and quickly left the room.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
When Damian woke up, the first thing he realized, other than the fact that his head was once again pounding, was that his legs felt heavy. Opening his eyes slowly, he leaned his head down to look and his heart suddenly felt warm. Stephanie was sitting on a chair beside him, asleep, resting her upper body on the cot and her head and arms on his legs. He watched her for a moment, happy and at ease that they were finally at peace before carefully pushing himself to sit up. The movement cause Stephanie to wake up and she jotted up into a sitting position, her half closed eyes darting around the room as though she were confused.“Ahck!” she groaned before her mouth stretched open into a yawn. “I fell asleep. I didn’t mean to fall asleep. Bruce is gonna kill me.”“I’m sure he’ll deal with it.” Damian muttered with the smallest of smiles. Stephanie looked at him, her lips pulling wide across her face.“How are you feeling? Any better?”He shrugged. “Considering I was shot in the head, I’d say I’m feeling fine.”The blonde chuckled slightly before quieting, her face becoming very serious. “You know, you saved me, right? On the roof.”Cocking an eyebrow, Damian tilted his head. Had he saved her? He barely remembered anything past Jason going haywire with his gun.Sensing that he didn’t, Stephanie continued.“Neferti tried to shoot me, but you were too quick and jumped in her line of fire. You were shot because you saved me.”
Oh.
He definitely didn’t remember that, but it did sound like something he would do on impulse. He cared so deeply for this woman that it was no surprise he would risk his life for hers.“Well,” he began quietly, thinking about the possibility of Stephanie losing her life. It was a horrible thought that almost made him feel ill. He could picture it and he hated it; Stephanie, with cold icy skin, Stephanie forever being silent and unable to smile. It was horrible. He didn’t even know if he would be able to carry on if it had happened. “I’m glad I did.”“Me too.” Stephanie chimed, leaned over him and planting a soft kiss on his forehead. The touch felt so good that it almost soothed his headache and he leaned into her. Unfortunately it didn’t last long and she pulled away with a wicked smile. “You’re welcome by the way.”“I thought I was the one who saved you? Why should I be thanking you?” he questioned, eyeing her suspiciously. Stephanie sat back in the chair and shook her head, a faint blush washing over her face.“Because I saved you the awkward situation of having the talk with dear old daddy bats.”Damian felt himself pale and in a moment he knew. He was going to be ill. Receiving the talk from anyone felt uncomfortable to him, he was well aware of how sex worked, he most certainly didn’t want Bruce sticking his nose into his business and telling him things he already knew. How dare he corner Stephanie, who wasn’t even really a part of their family and make her uncomfortable.“It’s fine,” she said with a wave before he could say anything. “Luckily I know how to handle myself in situations like that! You better not get me pregnant though; I’m scared he’ll murder me.”Damian smirked and snorted out a half laugh. He wouldn’t yet, but some day he wanted it, if she did too, of course. If she didn’t, he supposed that would be acceptable as well. All he wanted was for her to be happy. ******************************** It wasn’t until later that day that Damian felt well enough to go upstairs into the manor, so he and Stephanie just sat and talked. When they finally did return to the surface world, Alfred had prepared a hearty vegetable stew for them to eat; the brunette hadn’t realized how hungry he was until the food was in front of him. Dick joined them for the meal before returning to Kor’i . Although Jason didn’t bothering coming back after the fight, he did leave a bottle of Jack at the door with a note that read
“Glad you’re not dead. Would’ve sucked to be the only disappointment again.”
- Jay.
Thanks Jason....
But despite the sarcastic vibe of the note, Damian knew that his elder brother really did mean some sort of sincerity, they had grown on each other, or in the very least had a mutual understanding.
After eating, Alfred prepared the viewing room with multiple blankets, pillows and snacks for the couple to relax. The young Wayne assumed it was under his father’s orders as some sort of apology for being such a hard ass on him earlier. Stephanie insisted on watching a Disney movie much to Damian’s dismay, but he wouldn’t argue. Not this time at least.When they entered the room however, Tim was sitting on one of the chairs. He looked over at them, his expression unreadable. Both Damian and Stephanie went very still as the new Robin got up from his seat slowly, picking up crutches that stood beside the chair, and hobbled over to them slowly; his icy orbs first on Damian before moving to Stephanie.“Can you give us a minute?” was all he said. Stephanie stood still for a moment before nodding and dropping Damian’s arm, which hers had been wrapped around. She turned around hesitantly and left the viewing room, leaving her two lovers alone.Damian wasn’t sure what Tim’s game was, but if he tried to attack him, he wasn’t sure if he had the ability to properly fight back at the moment, even in Tim’s crippled state; he felt far too disoriented. Tim’s eyes stared at the younger man for a long while before he finally sighed and they fell to the ground.“I’ll never forgive you, you know. For what you did.” He mumbled coldly, causing Damian to swallow. He didn’t really know what to say to him in response. He knew now that he had been in the wrong, he went about perusing Stephanie in a horribly greedy way, but apologizing felt somehow awkward. Like it wasn’t enough.“I don’t expect you to.” His tone was soft as he tried his best to sound like he truly did understand. He hoped Tim got the subtle hint of his acknowledgement to his screw up. It was as much as he was going to get.A silence fell over them for a minute and Tim looked back at him. It almost seemed like he was at a cross roads of either wanting to punch Damian or just give up. Luckily, against all odds, he went with the latter.“You saved Stephanie’s life.” He said quietly, in almost a whisper. “Neferti almost shot her, and you took the bullet.”“Of course,” Damian nodded, slightly confused that Tim thought there was any other option. “I care about more than I’ve ever cared about another person. More than I even knew I could…”It was the truth. Up until meeting Stephanie, Damian wasn’t sure if he was even capable of liking someone any more than just a tolerable friend. He had never felt as strong of an emotion before; not with his mother, not with Bruce, not with anyone. Only Stephanie.Tim’s expression softened and the two looked at each other, their eyes locking in the first, non hostile gaze they had shared, perhaps ever. He nodded slowly.“Then that’s one thing we have in common, Damian Wayne. For some reason…one I’ll never understand…she chose you. I just want her to be happy.”“Then that’s two things we have in common.”Tim chortled. “Guess so.” He paused. “If you hurt her,”“That won’t happen.”“Better not.” Tim warned. “And if it does, I will actually kill you this time. Do you understand?”Damian nodded. Honestly, if he ever hurt her, he’d probably let Tim do him in.Tim nodded and without another word, or smile, or anything, started towards the door. Damian knew he still didn’t like him; in fact he probably hated him and didn’t want to spend another moment with him that he didn’t have to. But at least they were on civil terms at the moment.When Tim opened the door, Stephanie was standing on the other side. The two exchanged a few quiet words that Damian couldn’t hear, before the older man disappeared into the hallway and Stephanie entered the viewing room again. They both sat down between the blankets and pillows, Stephanie snuggling into Damian while he fiddled with the remote controller, turning the movie on.
Fantasia.
At least there was no obnoxious speaking and he could enjoy the music. He did like classical music once in a while.“I figured this one would be the least annoying for you.” Stephanie murmured into him while the movie began. He pressed a kiss into her hair and pulled her close.“How considerate of you.” He teased quietly. She giggled.“Don’t worry, when you feel better we can watch my favourites, the ones that might give you a headache.”“I can hardly wait.”Again Stephanie laughed and looked up at him, twisting slightly in his grasp.“Oh, and also when you’re feeling better we need to talk about something.”Furrowing his eyebrows Damian looked down at her, his green eyes clashing with hers. He was a little scared to ask…“What…?”“London!”That wasn’t such a bad answer. He would definitely be happy to have that conversation when he was fully healed. Getting out of Gotham would definitely not be a horrible idea at this point, he could use a getaway. But in the meantime, he was just happy to have her here, beside him. In fact, if it were up to him, he could honestly stay like that forever.
Hopefully they would.
The End.