#chromium7sky

He wove between the tables and took a seat near the stage, kicking his feet out in front of him and spreading his legs wide to take up as much space as possible. The last thing he needed was to look approachable and have some dancer coming over and offering a private dance. Ugh. Damian picked up his phone and flicked through the messages, chewing on the inside of his cheek and trying to ignore the way his hair stood up on end. He felt like he was being watched, and every instinct inside him was telling him to run. 

“Hey, handsome.”

Damian didn’t look up from his phone, but caught a flash of pale, exposed skin from the corner of his stare. He sneered and moved his thumb to check his emails, ignoring whoever was standing in front of him. “I’m not interested in a dance.”

“Good, because I think that would be pretty weird if you saw my breasts.” 

Damian jerked and looked up into Raven’s face. She gave him a teasing smile, and he almost didn’t recognize her through the heavy makeup and extensions that curled luscious, black curls down her back. She tucked a waitress tray against her hip and her lips twitched as if she was hiding a secret about him even he didn’t know. He swallowed and swept his eyes down her body, taking in the sight of whatever she was wearing - a dark blue button down, with most of the buttons undone, tucked into a mini-skirt that barely qualified as clothing. It looked practically prim compared to what the other women were wearing, but there was something about it that set his blood boiling. He found himself thinking about ripping it off her and exposing whatever she was hiding underneath.

What was he thinking? His face burned red with embarrassment and he ran his fingers through his hair. This was his teammate and his friend. The absolutely last thing he should be thinking of, was Raven naked. 

“Eyes up here, sunshine.” 

Damian flushed and listed his eyes to meet her stare. His mouth tightened and he looked back into his phone, pretending not to be interested in her. “Any progress?”

“Mm.” Raven leaned over the table, pressing her hand to the dark surface. She dropped her voice low, barely audible over the heavy bass of the song playing. “You know most men usually order a few drinks and take in a show while they’re here. They typically don’t spend the whole time on their phone ignoring half-naked women traipsing around them.”

Damian picked up his head and tried not to look down her shirt, but he caught the edge of what looked like… webbing. Black, lacy webbing encasing her pale breasts. Oh, god. Now he was thinking about her breasts. He swallowed and looked back up in her eyes, grinding his teeth together to keep emotions from showing on his face. 

“Fine. Then, get me a whiskey that doesn’t taste like swill and glitter, and then… do whatever you need to make it look like you’re…” He paused, biting back the taste of something heavy and needy in his mouth. “…working.”

She stood back up and shifted in her too-tall heels. Had her legs always looked a mile long? “Did you want a private dance, sir?”

His expression fell. Cheeky. He huffed in annoyance and glanced back up at her. “What does that entail?”

“Bottle service and five hundred dollars.” She gave him a coy grin. “But it’s very private. So… you’re free to do… whatever you want. You can even touch me if you want to.” 

Raven leaned over in a move that was obviously practiced, and Damian wondered how many men she had tried it on before. How many private dances had she given? How many men had touched her? Ran their fingers over every inch of her body? Jealousy clawed at him, and he took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. She was undercover and this was her job, he needed to remember that.   

Without waiting for an answer, Raven held out her hand, palm up. “Will that be cash or credit?”

His stare was flat and he handed her his credit card. “I’ll expense it later.”

“I’m sure Star will love that.” Raven snorted and took the card from him, disappearing to the bar for a few minutes before returning with a bottle of some subpar whiskey, two glasses, and a key on a ridiculous and flashy keychain. She fluttered her eyelashes and motioned for him to follow her into the back, and Damian trailed after her, trying not to look at the way her plump ass peeked out from the hem of her not-quite-a-skirt. Tried not to look… and failed. His tongue slid along his lower lip and he wondered what it would be like to grab-

No. No. This was his teammate. He needed to remember that. Raven wasn’t just some girl, she was his friend and the one person he trusted more than anyone else. In fact, he trusted her more than he trusted his own family. Raven had earned his respect a hundred times over, and he shouldn’t be ogling her like that.  

Damian straightened his jacket and followed her through into a small, dark room in the back. Music poured in from overhead speakers, and the lights were low enough to cast secretive shadows over her body, but bright enough to let him see every part of her. The smell of salt and sweat and booze filled his nose again, but he choked down his response and sat down on the sofa against the far wall. Crossing his arms over his chest, Damian tried not to think about what likely happened on the black leather. Ew. Gross. 

Raven poured him a drink with that sickly-sweet smile again, her eyes fluttering. When she stood back up, she let her hips move slowly, as if dancing to the music. Damian felt his heart pick up speed, slamming wildly against his ribs as he watched Raven’s fingers glide along the buttons of her dark blue shirt. She pulled the tails out of the waistband of her skirt, and unbuttoned the last few buttons. 

Damian groaned at the sight of her dressed in black lace made to look like spiderwebs. It was dark and dangerous, and it reminded him so much of her. He bit the inside of his cheek and let his eyes wander down her body, hoping she didn’t notice how much he… he liked it. Her breasts were pushed high, gently bouncing with each movement she made, and- he shouldn’t notice things like that. Shame colored his cheeks and he looked away, rubbing his hand along the back of his neck. His friend and his teammate. His friend and his teammate. His friend and his teammate. If he kept repeating that mantra long enough, maybe he’d actually remember it. 

Raven allowed her shirt to slip down her arms, gathering at her wrists before pulling it off her, and then tossing it carelessly behind her. Damian suspected she used her powers because it landed perfectly against the frame of a mirror across from him, covering the glass. 

“Whew.” Raven’s hips stopped moving, and she kicked off her shoes with a curse. She bent down and rubbed her foot for a moment before limping over to the sofa, falling down next to him. “Thank god that’s over and you can stop pretending to watch me dance.”

Right. Pretending.  

“Sorry, I had to put on a show. The mirror is a two-way mirror, and sometimes the sleazebag owner lets people sit and watch what happens in here - sometimes for extra money, sometimes for blackmail.” She gave him a sympathetic smile, kicking her feet up on the table in front of her. “And seeing a Wayne in here would definitely give him a reason to spy.” 

“Oh.” He watched as she flicked a lock of hair out of her face, letting silence settle over both of them. Finally, he turned and stared ahead, careful not to look too long at any part of her. “So… how are you doing?” 

“Hard to say. The emotions here overwhelm me, the owner is - as I said before - a complete and utter sleazebag, and… I would give anything to take these stupid extensions out.” She tugged at her hair and groaned, her head falling back on her neck as she stared at the ceiling. A long sigh escaped and she glanced at him from the corner of her eye. “I know that what we’re doing here is important, but I cannot wait until I get to go home. I miss my friends and teammates.” Pause. “I miss you.”

That made him look up. His heart turned over and he didn’t want to think about how he missed her too. How the noise of the tower was even more grating than usual, how he got up early and felt his heart sink when he remembered that she wasn’t there. Damian glanced over at her and remembered how he had made her a cup of tea this morning, out of habit, and when she didn’t sit with him at breakfast he felt his whole body sink with disappointment. He missed their late night conversations and quiet moments together - he missed her. Every part of her. 

He chewed on his lip and looked away again, taking a calm, steadying breath. That was a bag of emotions he didn’t want to think about just yet. Right now, it was better to focus on her mission. “Did you find anything out?”

“Mm.” Raven nodded and picked at her nails, thinking. “We were right with our initial intel. He is trafficking women - Metas specifically. Most of the woman have low-level powers, but they’re still Metas. One woman has gone missing since I’ve been here, and another woman was taken about eight months ago. Long enough that it’s not raising suspicion with the police. Star and Cy are talking about how we need to do to get the owner to notice me. If he figures out that I’m a Meta, he’ll definitely cart my ass off to where he sent two other dancers.”

The thought of Raven purposefully putting herself in danger made him feel anxious and uncomfortable. He reached forward and took a drink of the disgusting whiskey before setting it back on the table. “And you… want that?”

“Not really.” Raven rubbed at her jaw, looking away. “But if there’s anyone strong enough to go up against whatever he has his fingers in, it’s me and Cy and Star.” She smirked and glanced back at him. “Unless Robin wants to join in?”

“You know I’m watching over you. But, I have to be careful with… this.” He waved his hand over his face. “If I bring too much media attention to this gross strip club, it can blow the whole mission. The last thing we need is for a paparazzi to catch me here. It would blow everything.” 

Her expression softened and she leaned close to him, a small smile pulling at her lips. “I know.” She leaned closer to him, her hand resting on his thigh. “But I seem to remember a certain masked man hovering on the roof two nights ago while I was here.”

Damnit. He had hoped she hadn’t seen him. Damian flushed and shrugged, glancing away as he scratched at his neck. “I want you to know that you’re safe. You can’t blame me for worrying about you.” 

“No, I guess not.” She pulled away, her hand falling back to her own side. “But, I’m the daughter of a demon and you think I can’t take care of myself?”

He looked back at her, frowning. “You know that’s not-”

“Shit.” Raven grabbed the sunglasses from the table in front of them and shoved them back on his face. Before Damian could question exactly what she was doing, he felt her swing her leg over his lap, and she settled onto the tops of his thighs. 

No. Oh, gods. No. He opened his mouth to tell her to get the hell off of him, but before he could utter a word, she pressed her lips to his own. Oh no. Damian’s eyes widened as his heart picked up speed again in his chest, and he felt her hand slide up the side of his cheek while her other hand guided his fingers under her skirt. He could feel the roundness of her ass flex under his touch, and that was… not helping. That was not helping at all. 

Damian ground his teeth together and tried not to kiss her back, or think about how soft she felt, or how lithe she seemed… but it was too late. Everything was too late. He could feel his whole body start to react to her, like she was his favorite meal and he was starved for her. He needed her. Wanted her. Beyond anything he had ever experienced before. Blood surged through his veins, hot and molten, and Damian’s fingers grabbed a handful of her ass, squeezing as his mouth matched hers in intensity. He needed this like he needed air. He would just have to find an apology later. 

The door clicked open and Raven broke the kiss, pulling Damian’s face into her neck. Someone was watching them, and he had a good feeling it was the sleazebag owner Raven had been talking about before. He heard her whisper a spell, but kept his face hidden by her neck just in case. God. How did she smell so damn good? 

“Oh. I’m sorry.”

It was the owner. That explained it. He was probably confused by the fact that the two way mirror was covered. Damian’s fingers stilled against Raven’s ass, but she pulled him tighter against her soft curves, and he realized that she was trying to hide his face from the owner. Smart. Of course, it was Raven, she had probably thought about this before. 

“Oh. I’m sorry for interrupting.” He didn’t sound sorry. He sounded like a wheezing bag of misplaced lust. Tch. Like Raven would ever have any kind of emotion for him. “I trust you’re taking care of our guest, Rachel?”

Raven picked up her head, her fingers tangling in his hair. “Of course, sir.” 

The owner gave a thick, fake laugh, obviously enjoying the fact that Raven called him sir. Damian didn’t dare show his face, but he could feel the leer that Raven was subject to, and he felt something possessive and angry rise up in him. Raven was-

Was what? His? Damian nearly snorted. He wasn’t even sure what Raven was to him. A teammate? Yes. A friend? Yes. But… what kind of friend admired her breasts encased in black webbing? Ugh. He kissed along her neck, his other hand sliding along her waist and pulling her tight against his chest. It was only to keep up appearances, obviously. It wasn’t as if he had… feelings for her… 

…right?   

“Good. Good…” He continued to leer at her and Damian finally growled, the sound muffled by Raven’s neck. The owner hummed, as if put out by not being allowed to join in with them. “Well, I’ll leave you to it. Let me know if you need any service at all.”

Raven nodded, and Damian waited until the owner left before he stopped kissing her neck. He wanted to let his hands and mouth wander, but he knew better. Damian looked up at her, his eyes searching her face. She looked exhausted, frustrated by the situation and uncertain about what their next step should be. The tension between them was thick, and he was almost certain that she could feel the press of his erection against her thigh. That was embarrassing. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly, and Damian watched her lift her hand to brush a lock of hair out of his eyes, fingers trailing along the side of his face. It was surprisingly tender, and it made his heart turn over in his chest.  

“You should go.”

“Yeah…” His fingers trailed down the backs of her thighs, feeling the soft nylon of her stockings under his touch, and he licked his lips. “I should go.”

But, he didn’t move, and neither did Raven. 

Finally, as though he had lost all common sense, Damian leaned up to press a slow, gentle kiss to her lower lip. Raven groaned and she shivered, leaning into him. Her mouth felt… hungry. Desperate. His hand disappeared under her skirt again, and he grabbed a handful of her bare ass, pulling her tight against him. Raven moaned into his mouth, and her fingers buried into his hair, taking every kiss he offered as though she were a parched woman and he was a drink of water. She tasted of curses and mint chapstick, and Damian knew he would never taste anything better in his life. 

Raven pulled away, gasping. Damian watched as her soft breasts tightened against the cups of her bustier, the black webbing straining with every breath. Finally he closed his eyes and let his hands fall to his sides. If he kept touching her, he was going to make terrible decisions. “I… shouldn’t have gotten carried away. Sorry.” He didn’t feel all that apologetic, but that sounded like something he should say. 

“O-oh.” Raven crawled off his lap and adjusted the few scraps of clothing she was wearing, as if she needed something . “I’m… sorry too. I shouldn’t have… you know. Surprised you.”

“Mm.” Damian watched as she went to her shirt still hanging from the mirror frame, pulling it on and tucking it back into her skirt. It was like she was erasing every part of their exchange, and he… he didn’t want that to happen. He wanted to feel her bare skin against his fingers, and feel every part of her tremble and shake. 

But…

He didn’t know what they were before. 

And… 

Raven gave him a soft, almost shy smile and turned away as she finished redressing herself. 

~~~*~*~*~~~

Malik didn’t think it could be too difficult to do what Casmir was asking, it was not like driving was rocket science, and he had learnt when he was twelve; he was genuinely surprised Cas did not know how to drive. But apparently an incident with Raynor had had their father saying no to any and all teachings for driving until they were legal. Plus, like him, Cas portalled everywhere, but still, Malik could see the practicality in the ability to drive.

And since Casmir’s parents were out on a Justice League mission, all the Batlings were under Nos’ care and Malik didn’t think the feline would care if he taught Cas to drive. Besides, this version of his parents were why more… gentle, he didn’t think they’d get into any serious trouble if they were caught.

“Okay, I’m set,” Cas grinned as they sat in one of the zillions of cars the Waynes always seemed to own. Malik had talked Cas out of the Lamborghini, instead they had opted for the Aston Martin; it was the one that looked like it belonged in those bond films, and he rather liked it.

Malik had walked Cas through the check list for safe driving. They slowly drove to the Batcave where there was a huge track set up for some reason. Malik would admit he was impressed with this version of his father for having adapted a serious training regime here in the Batcave, back home most his training was in Nanda Parbat with his family. Until running into the Batlings he hadn’t really seen much of anything outside the compound, though he did dimension hop from time to time when his mother and father were not around.

“Break, gas, and watch your speed, we shouldn’t go super fast,” he instructed as they got to the track.

“Beak, gas, seatbelt,” Cas muttered as they started going. Suddenly there was a blast of light and it felt like Cas hit the gas too hard as they were both thrown back in their seats.

“CAS!” he shouted and there was a blast of light as a blackhole opened.

“MALIK!” Cas screeched.

They both screamed as they were dimension hopping too quickly to even slow down.

~~~*~*~*~~~

Cas would admit, admittedly, this was not his brightest idea, but Malik hadn’t said no!

For a hot minute Cas was not the oldest and therefore, so not responsible!

Plausible deniability was going to be great. Honestly, Cas had never had this! But he could see from the look of the garage they had crashed into again that they were so dead, so very, very dead. If he and Malik survived this, Lorcan and Griffith were dead when he got home!

It took one look at an unamused Jason Todd for Cas to know exactly which universe they had crashed into, as this was obviously the one with the Jason Todd who had taught Raynor to drive!

“Is that Todd?” Malik asked warily.

“Not either of ours,” Cas grimaced and smiled. Jason stood there staring blandly back with a mug of steaming coffee, the mug was a minion’s mug; and Cas was certain it was the one Ingo had gotten this Jay. This Jason was different from either his or Malik’s, with a J seared into his cheek to highlight the immediate difference.

“Hey Jay,” he called as he rolled down the window.

“Casmir,” Jason remarked. “I don’t know which one is beside you,” he stated.

“This is Malik, he’s from another, another dimension,” Cas explained.

“Mmm,” Jason hummed. “Raven!” he barked.

“What!?” she appeared.

“Control your other dimensional children!” Jason demanded.

“Mom!?” Malik gaped. Cas smiled meekly as she went to stand beside Jason, she was tiny still, her hair was now to her waist, long, thick, inky black, her eyes were now distinctly violet and her sharp features were schooled in indifference as she arched a delicate brow at both of them while sipping her tea.

“Oh, that is not a good look,” Malik muttered while paling.

“We’re so very dead,” Cas whispered as he sunk in his seat.

“You want to tell me what’s happening here Cas?” Raven asked idly as she appeared in their back seat having both the boys jolting as they twisted around.

“M-mom!?” Cas and Malik yelped.

“Not quite,” she chuckled humorlessly. “Now why are you crashing through the garage?”

“Malik agreed to teach me to drive,” Cas informed her.

“Mmm, and I’m guessing you’re Malik?”

“Yes,” he answered.

“Nice to meet you, did the Batlings abduct another child I wasn’t aware of?” Rae asked blandly as she examined Malik.

“Um…” Cas looked at Malik and back at Rae who was sipping her tea.

“Not quite,” Malik answered. “I found the Batlings, I’m from another dimension,” he explained.

“Mmm, well, clean up and we’ll get breakfast then send you home. If you think to dimension hop, I’ll remind you I know where you live Cas,” Raven stated as she was enveloped by shadows and reappeared beside Jason.

“You know her?”

“Yeah, Ingo found her when we were babies, she’s family now,” Cas muttered.

“She does know she’s not the boss of us, right?” Malik asked.

“I am so not getting on that version of mom’s bad side!” Cas stated as he got out of the car.

“Why would we get on her bad side!?” Malik asked.

“Trust me, we don’t want to end up there,” Cas stated. “And this Jay can outcook Alfred!”

~~~*~*~*~~~

Raven was barely awake, and Jason wasn’t much better than she was at this point. Though Jay was prepping breakfast. It was a perfectly peaceful morning for her and Jason, none of Jay’s relatives were here for a change which had made life peaceful. Her own family was out of town as well. Rae had been texting Dean, Cas, Sam and Jack in the family group chat, and she had also had a call from Elijah to wish her a happy birthday. Her moms’ had called her from their European tour; which was apparently something Harley had always wanted to do, but they could never leave Gotham long enough to actually do it; but Rae was having breakfast with them tomorrow when she portalled over so she could meet up with Donna and Roy. Donna and Roy had plans for her tomorrow for a late Birthday dinner; it wasn’t easy to get time with the Queen of Themyscira. Vic had called her from deep space even, he was still helping the Lanterns. Kyle, Artemis, and Eddie were going to have lunch with her and Jason. Constantine was having dinner with her, Luci, Alice, Jack, Mary-Beth, Billy, and Jess tonight. But until her lunch, she had all the time in the world with Jason, and only Jason, which was something rare.

At least it was just her and Jason until there was a horrible crash in the garage.

Now though, after having the children clean up the garage, she found herself sitting at the island across from two sheepish looking boys. Cas was tall, gangly, and lean, his black hair was sticking up in odd directions, and his violet eyes were down cast. The other boy, Malik was huge, tall, thick and she sensed the Lazarus Pit in him. His eyes had the tell-tale green ring pulsing in them around the violet irises. He also looked a lot like Damian, high cheek bones, lean face, sharp nose, firmly set lips pulled in a grim line as he assessed her, his black hair was a bit shaggy.

“You want to tell me how you ended up in this dimension, again, Cas?” Raven asked as she set out two teas, she saw the other boy’s surprise as he cautiously came forward with Cas for tea.

“It’s Ingo’s fault.”

“Sure,” Raven waved off as she accepted the waffles from Jason. Jason served up two heaps of waffles for the boys as he pulled a cigarette.

“No smoking,” she said as she plucked the cigarette from his lips.

“Rae!”

“No! No smoking, you promised you were quitting, and I’m ensuring it. You’re Malik?” Raven turned her attention on the other boy who was cautiously cutting into the waffles with pristine manners, he was obviously Damian’s kid she thought.

“Yes,” he answered warily.

“And you’re from a different dimension?” Raven asked as she ate her own waffles, Jason finally sat and stole her syrup. “Hey!”

“You took my smokes!” he retorted.

“They’ll kill you young.”

“Jokes on you, I’m living to a hundred and two and then dying like the city of Detroit!” he sniped as he drowned his waffles in syrup.

“One of these days the Pit’s not going to save you from yourself,” she muttered as she swiped the syrup from him before he could have a sugar high. Jason rolled his eyes.

“Yes, I am from a different dimension,” Malik replied tentatively, clearly still absorbing the situation.

~~~*~*~*~~~

Malik was very confused. He’d been to a lot of different dimensions, which was how he had met the Batlings, and unwittingly befriended them, and been pulled into their antics. When he had agreed to teach Casmir to drive, he had not expected to be hit by a spell from Lorcan and Griffith, and somehow not controlling his own dimension hopping, which had been very unnerving. Then he had crashed into an unknown garage, which had not looked anything like the Batcave where he and Cas had been driving, to see a man who was clearly Todd but not his or the Batlings’ Todd.

This Jason stood there, lifted a scarred brow, his cheek had a J seared into it, and there were green pulses in his eyes, similar to Malik’s own. It was a mark of the Pit, and it was unnerving to see it reflected in his uncle’s eyes.

Then this Raven, his mom, had appeared, she stood beside Todd, and for the first time ever he truly noted how small his mom was. The Batlings’ Raven was lithe, delicate, his own mom had been small but not delicate, this Raven was small, petite, and almost delicate, yet her presence; like the other Raven’s he knew, was commanding. She was unnerving as well with how she had appeared, disappeared, and reappeared, he couldn’t sense her movement which was actually terrifying to him.

Now he was seated, in a warehouse, in a kitchen, before a plate of massive waffles, which were utterly divine in flavor, watching this version of his mother poke and prod this version of Todd and he was confused.

“I see, and in your universe, would your parents permit you to teach driving to a fifteen year old?” Raven asked dryly, turning her attention on him. It was unnerving how she had the mom look mastered and he felt this immense guilt about having agreed to just teaching Cas to drive.

“It’s not our fault we dimension hopped!” Cas protested.

“Sure, it’s not,” Todd muttered which had Malik glaring at this version of his uncle.

“It’s not!”

“Mmm, and how the hell did you get here?” Todd asked dryly.

“We were hit with a spell from Lorcan and Griffith,” Cas stated.

“We had no control of our dimension hopping,” Malik stated firmly. He was a bit annoyed with this version of his uncle; it was a bit annoying to have Todd of all people looking at them like they were reckless idiots. It wasn’t like they had intentionally dimension hopped!

“Mmm, should we be expecting the colony?” Todd asked dryly and Malik glared at his uncle.

“Um… no, I don’t think so,” Cas said.

“Good, little bird,” Todd turned to her. “Think you could get them home?”

“Not until I finish breakfast.”

“Obviously,” Todd snorted.

Malik did agree with Cas about this Todd’s cooking, it was very excellent! “Where’s father?” he asked as he continued cutting the waffles.

“The gremlin is at Berkley with his girlfriend,” Todd answered, and Malik’s head snapped up at that information as he glanced at this version of his mother then to Cas.

“Um… our parents are together in this universe,” Cas said.

“I do not understand,” Malik stated. His parents love transcended all boundaries he had encountered. Almost all the multiverses he had visited he had encountered his parents, together, they belonged together. “If mother is not with father…” he started.

“Your father is dating Irey West, and Jon Kent, depending on the day of the week and time of the month,” Todd chuckled as Raven whacked Todd up the back side of the head.

“In this universe, and in this universe, I do not date jailbait, which is exactly what he would’ve been if we had gotten together and it would have been disturbing, even for a demoness like myself.”

“So…”

“She’s with Todd,” Cass whispered.

“We’re not together!” Todd and Raven shouted as Cas. “Christ it’s like we’re twenty all over again.”

“Speak for yourself, it’s like I talked to Luci and Maze again!” Raven groaned.

“Just get the gremlins’ and other little birds’ spawns’ home and then we’re resume birthday plans,” Todd decided.

Malik blinked in utter confusion. This was a very strange universe. But these waffles were amazing, he wondered for the first time ever, if his uncle was as good of a cook as this version was.

“It’s your birthday?” he blinked at this version of his mother.

“Yes, it is,” she chuckled. “How do you like the waffles?”

“They’re delicious!” Malik admitted and stared longingly at his plate.

“Of course, he likes the fucking waffles, little bird, he’s your kid,” Todd stated as he nudged her side and started making more.

“This is the strangest universe I’ve been in,” he admitted to Cas.

“Yeah, me too, no one tried to stab, shoot or blow me up the first time I landed here!” Cas grinned in delight as Jason started serving them more waffles.

“You crash landed in the bouncy house,” Todd quipped.

“That was fun,” Cas chuckled.

“You dimension hop a lot,” he deduced from his brother.

“You have no idea,” Cas grinned.

“And I’m sure your parents will be lighted to know this in addition to you wrecking my garage,” Raven smiled.

The sky let out a stream of hellfire, the magic slowly receding as day broke. His nose scrunched at the sight and his head tilted towards the demoness.

She ran a tongue over her teeth at his silent question. “The rune’s only good for six hours,” Raven said. A lazy smirk curled onto her lips and she aimed it Damian’s way, “While we demons enjoy a good quick ravaging, you mortals like to really lengthen out your… conquests.”

Raven smiled to herself at the pointed look Damian aimed her way at her phrasing. Not quite giggling, she let the tips of her pointed teeth show as she raised her face to the sky again. After a beat of silence the demoness took in a deep breath through her nose.

Damian raised a brow and Raven let it out through her mouth, a small puff of fire coming out with it. She swallowed the air in her throat and reached for her collar.

Neither mentioned how Damian watched the move; instead, Raven’s lashes fluttered open and she mused aloud, “There are plenty of other runes, you know.” She turned away from the sky, still feeling its lingering heat and undercurrent of magic that mingled so pleasantly against her skin. Her nails drummed against her pulse, “So many spells and enchantments… maybe even a potion or three that’ll help our goals in the–”

Damian’s brows furrowed as he immediately cut her off, “They are my goals. You may think you’re safe, but don’t ever forget you’re just a tool for them.” At her impish smile, he growled out, “Nothing more.”

“I don’t know about that,” Raven mused. She lazily ran the pads of her fingers under her collar, where a particularly rough bite mark had yet to heal. A pale thumb pulled aside the fabric, showcasing the still-red skin for the world to see.

Damian glared at her and diverted his attention elsewhere, his face scrunching in annoyance at the (rather blissful) memory of how she’d gotten the mark. Olive eyes glanced up to her face as she leaned her elbow against his shoulder, taunting, “In fact, I’d wager that you rather enjoy my company. So much more than you’ll ever let on.”

He roughly shrugged her hand off his person, stubbornly going back to counting the bodies, “I didn’t offer my soul for your commentary, Demon.”

Raven snickered at his words. She ran a hand through her hair and lazily watched him for a few long seconds, the impulsive words slipping out confidently, “You’ll fall in love with me eventually, mark my words.”

“I’ll never.” His words were spat out, hostile but a half second too quick.

“Of course, Syd Damian.” Sly and impish, she curled up against him again. He went still as her lips touched just below his ear, “But, whether or not you admit your love we shall still… celebrate tonight?”

He rolled his jaw. Giggling at his tensing (and it was tensing, because Damian Ra’s al Ghul would never shiver when his lover’s lips brushed against his ear), she added, “It’s not everyday one destroys over half of the world’s superhero force.” Her amethyst eyes glinted near crimson in the shadows and Damian sucked in a breath. Damn this infernal demon…

Electing to ignore her, he turned his attention back to the sliver of sky, still roiling like magma under the light of dawn. Pale fingers gripped his chin and aimed his stare back to her. He sneered and Raven leaned up on her toes to kiss him.

His arm snaked around her waist and the swordsman’s stomach twisted at how quickly, how fervently he kissed her back. Raven’s lips threatened to curl into a smirk, but she was far too focused on kissing him properly.

He bit her bottom lips and her hands fisted in his hair. Raven tugged when he bit her again, pulling away half an inch to snicker into the impossibly small space between them. Damian quieted her with another kiss. Damn this demon.

“Mm.” He leaned forward and peppered soft kisses along her jaw, nipping at her ear. “I thought you were gone from my life forever, that I would never see you again. And then…” He tapped his fingers on the small, purple notebook in his pocket, his voice a low rumble in her ear that pooled low in her stomach and slipped between her legs. It made her feel like she was on fire, waiting for his every word. “And then there was this. What was I supposed to think about… this.” 

Raven leaned back, her face red as he met her stare. “You were… never supposed to see those sketches.”

“But I did.” He leaned closer to her, and Raven had to take a step back, her hip colliding with a table filled with sample fabrics. A hundred different colors and fabrics scattered over the surface, and Raven moved to pick them up, but Damian grabbed her wrist. With a soft tug, he pulled her tight against his chest, and looked down at her. His eyes were a raging storm that made her feel like she was drowning, and Raven wasn’t sure if she ever wanted to feel air in her lungs again. 

“Leave them.” 

It was the last thing she heard before his lips crashed into her own again, and Raven felt her last bit of breath escape her lungs. She leaned up on her tip-toes, feeling ravenous. She couldn’t get enough of him, and she was shaking as he backed her against the table. His hands hooked under her thighs, and he placed her on top of the table, the sample fabrics cushioning her as he leaned over her. There was a darkness to his stare that told her everything. 

Oh. He didn’t mean to… here? In his office? On this table? The idea seemed scandalous. It was one thing to steal kisses when they were young nad in school, but to do something like that here? Her breath caught in her lungs and she swallowed loudly, barely stifling a moan as his hands squeezed her hips. 

Damian’s mouth tilted to the side, deepening the kiss as he reached up and pulled her hair free of its loose braid, deep plum-colored locks tumbling over her shoulders. He ran his fingers through her hair, untangling the strands as he captured her lips in another kiss that had her seeing stars. She pushed tight against him, her heart thundering in her chest as his fingers traced along the length of her neck. 

She gasped against his mouth and shivered, her hands grabbing onto the folds of his shirt. “D-damian…” 

He made a noise in the back of his throat, as if finding this whole scene amusing in its own way. "Are you remembering now?" His hands slid up under her shirt, tracing patterns over her stomach. “What happened three years ago?” His tongue traced her lower lip, nipping softly at her mouth, as if he was tasting her moan like it was fine wine. 

"Yes." Her fingers were shaking as she unfastened a button near his collar. "I… remember."

Damian smirked. "Good." He kissed her again, his fingers tangling in her hair. "I'm going to keep kissing you until you remember every." Kiss. "Little." Kiss. "Detail." He sucked on her lower lip  and wrapped her hair tight around his fist. “And then we’ll make new ones.” He nipped at the line of her jaw. “Ones where I watch you come in this sea of sample colors.” 

Oh. That was… oh. Her whole body felt like it was lighting up, that electricity was snapping over her skin and along every nerve-ending until she was gasping between kisses, knowing exactly what she wanted from him, but unsure of how to get it. Raven's hands were shaking as she undid another button, gasping as he pulled up the hem of her shirt, dragging it over her skin. She shivered and leaned up into another hasty, desperate kiss. 

"You're so beautiful." His voice was a rough, aching whisper and he tossed her blouse behind him. "After all this time…" His hands skimmed up her ribs to her bra, unhooking it and pulling it off her. He paused and took a step back, admiring her like she was fine art pinned to a wall, and Raven wondered how she looked in his eyes, topless and surrounded by a hundred different colors and fabrics, late-afternoon sun spilling in through the floor-to-ceiling windows, lighting her up. Damian smirked and pitched forward, his hands caging in her hips. 

His mouth covered hers again, and Raven’s hands slid down the front of his shirt, popping open the rest of his buttons until she pushed the shirt to the floor. She needed to feel his skin against her own, like he was going to breathe life into her. His hands traced her ribs again, pausing to cup her breasts his thumbs sliding over her nipples. She gasped and leaned into his touch, her hand fisting into his undershirt, pulling it over his head. 

“I have never stopped wanting you.” He leaned over her, letting her fall back into the sea of colors. His mouth slipped down her neck, his hands touching every part of her her could, sliding over every patch of skin he could touch. He stroked along the dip of her stomach as his mouth wrapped around her nipple, his tongue flicking it into a tight peak. She gasped, and felt his fingers slide lower, unfastening her trousers and pushing them down her legs. 

Damian released her breast and kissed her sternum, just above her heart, smiling as he slid his fingers between her legs. “You’re already so wet.” He rubbed his thumb over her clit and Raven’s back arched off the table, her eyes widening. “One of these days I’m going to spend an entire afternoon eating you out.”

That… that sounded like this was more than a one-time thing, and she didn’t know what to say to that. Raven flushed and she felt him push two fingers inside her, thrusting slowly, as if trying to understand what she liked. He was exploring her, learning secrets Raven didn’t even know herself, but he somehow managed to pull them out of her. She groaned and her head tipped back, uncertain how long she would last with him teasing her like this. Her hands buried into his hair and she groaned as he angled his fingers in just a way that had her feeling like she was flying. Raven gasped as his thumb pressed tight against her clit, tracing circles over her. 

“Damian…”

He kissed up her neck and nipped at her ear, smiling. “I love hearing my name on your lips like that.” He added a third finger, stretching her wide and filling her to the point she was shaking. She was going to shatter in his arms. “I love hearing you make these weak, beautiful sounds.” He smiled against her skin, his tongue feathering against her pulse. “And I am going to love hearing you come.”

Raven ground her teeth together, her back arching off the table. She could feel lighting burning inside her, building just below her navel. She knew what this was, but she didn’t know it could feel so… intense. If she tipped over the edge, she was going to break, and she didn’t know if she’d be put back the same way again. Raven bit into her lower lip and shivered against the cold table top, writhing against his touch as he drove his fingers deeper inside her. 

“Let go.” Damian kissed her ear. “Come on, my love.” 

Raven she finally screamed, her body shaking as it felt like colors filled her vision. She did break, like fine china slammed against stone. Every crack inside her broke apart and then was forced back together, gold filling the spaces in between. She clung to him, shivering as he worked her back down, until she collapsed back on the tabletop, spent. Raven swallowed breaths, looking up at him through heavy-lidded eyes. 

Damian just smirked and lifted his fingers, his tongue curling around his fingertips to taste her. Oh. She hadn’t ever thought that would be so… hot. Raven flushed and watched as he rested his hands on her knees, widening her legs even more before stepping between them. 

He dropped his trousers and Raven flushed at the sight of him. She would be lying if she had she hadn’t fantasized about him before, of course she did. The notebook he held hostage was care-and-point, but now it seemed that all of her calculations and ideas were… wildly off-base. She wasn’t sure if he was going to… fit. Her face flushed as he leaned over her, humming low in his throat as he nuzzled her. 

“You look… worried.” He kissed down her throat. “Tell me what worries you.” 

It was hard to think of anything at all when his thumb was rubbing circles over her clit. She gasped as she felt him right there - not quite entering her, but not giving her space to think either.  “You… you aren’t going to fit.”

His hands paused and he pulled back, looking at her, surprised. “What?”

“You’re huge. There’s no way-”

Damian cut her off with a soft laugh, his mouth settling over hers as though he were trying to kiss her worries away. "Hush, my love." He swallowed her fears with another kiss, his hands tangling in her hair. "Trust me when I say that I will fit and you are going to be crying out. Let me take care of you. Let me watch you fall. I’ve waited three years for this." His teeth caught her lower lip and he entered her slowly, each inch stretching her wide. 

Her head tipped back on her shoulders and Raven groaned. She felt full. Achingly full. Like every part of her was about ready to burst in a shower of light. Her hands wrapped around his wrists and she looked up at him, gasping. He was finally fully inside her and Raven could already feel her body thrumming with pleasure, like she was made for him and him alone. Her hands slid up his arms, tracing the bulge of his muscles as she wrapped her arms around his shoulders and pulled him tight against her. Damian kissed up her neck, waiting until she adjusted to the feel of him inside her. 

“Raven…”

His voice was like a siren’s call, sending her thoughts crashing into rocks below the surface. She was going to lose herself to him, she could already feel it. But, if she was going to break, she might as well break in his arms. Damian waited a few moments to move, pulling back an inch or two as he hooked her legs in his arms, spreading her wide. She felt vulnerable like this, open for him and his pleasure, but somehow… protected, like Damian was going to keep her safe, and make sure that she didn’t leave unsatisfied. She shivered against the fabrics and looked up into his eyes again, his pupils blown wide with pleasure.

"I'm going to be relentless, my love." He smirked at her, eyes dark. "And I will not stop until you are good and spent. Until my name is the only one you remember."

She blinked, uncertain what she should say to that, and Raven knew she should be worried, but… there was something about the tender way he touched her that reminded her that he was going to take care of her in every way possible. She wasn’t going to be forgotten in this. Heat crawled up her cheeks, and she swallowed, nodding. If he broke her, he would know how to put her back together. 

Damian moved again, and it felt like the world was shaking. Her fingers bit into the hard muscle of his shoulders as she tried to find something to cling to in the oncoming storm. He pulled back and slammed into her, stars exploding behind her eyes. He was going to break her, there was no doubt now. Raven gasped and she fell back into the mounds of sample fabric, looking up into his steely expression. 

He wasn't lying when he said he was going to be relentless, Damian wasted no more time, and his fingers bit into her hips, surely leaving marks there. He practically pounded into her hard, each push from his hips sending another wave of pleasure through her. Her hands stretched up above her head, holding onto the opposite edge of the table, needing something to cling to before she lost herself completely. Raven's head thrashed against the tabletop, and she fought against the heaviness building in her chest.  

"My love, don't fight it." Damian’s voice was low and gravelly, like it was an invitation to just give herself over to pleasure.

"I want-” Raven gasped, her whole body shaking. "I want to fall with you."

“You will.” He leaned over her, one hand slipping between their bodies to find her clit. She cried out and arched off the table, her own resolve too weak to fight much longer. She wanted to crash on the rocks, to find herself shattering under his touch and watch him put her back together.

“Fall, my love.”

It was the last bit of encouragement she needed, and Raven felt herself being pulled apart by her own body. She shook against him, her back arching off the table as his name fell from her lips like a mantra. She could feel her world breaking around her, until the only thing left was Damian and this moment, and she opened her eyes to see him smirking above her, his thumb still pressing against her clit. Aftershocks of pleasure rippled down her spine and she tightened around him… 

He was still hard.

Raven flushed. “You said we would… together.”

 “Oh, we will.” He pulled out of her, the movement making her suddenly dizzy, and slid her off the table. He pressed heady, open-mouthed kisses to her neck before turning her around so that her chest was pressed against the wood top, the sample fabrics bunching up around her. His hands slipped down the curve of her spine and back up again, and Raven felt the soft canvas of her measuring tape wrap around her wrists as he pulled her arms behind her back. 

A fresh wave of heat pooled low in her stomach and she gasped, eyes widening. 

“We will come together, my love.” He kissed along her shoulders, his hand hooking in the knot along her wrists. “But… it’s been three years, and I desperately want to enjoy this.”

Raven felt him widen her legs, entering her slowly. 

“Go, you and Dami will be back by three, we’ll be sleeping, if you’re running late, text me, and we’re having a Disney and Pixar marathon,” Raven stated as she set the popcorn down. Ace thumped his tail as he cuddled Lian on the couch. Alfred the cat was stretched out on the back of the couch and Titus sat in front of the Batcave entrance faithfully because Damian was going to go there, the dog would try to deter that. Terry giggled and held onto a floating Mar'i who was sucking her pacifier innocently as her solid green eyes stared down at them.

“Rae…”

“Go Jason, I babysit your hellion all the time.” she shoved at Jason’s shoulder towards the clock.

“Lian’s not mine,” Jason grumbled.

“And I’m your lover, get going Jason, Damian will be down soon,” she shoved him at the door.

“Seriously Rae, if anything happens…” Jason started.

“Jason Peter Todd If You Do Not Go Down That Clock I Will Send You To Hell! Go!” she snapped and pointed at the clock.

“Fine, if you need me call!” he called over his shoulder.

“Helena, your big brother is an idiot,” Raven smiled at the baby girl. Helena smiled.

“I’m not her brother!”

“Technically you are! Cat adopted you! Now Go Jay!” she shouted after him before shutting the clock behind him and flopping onto the couch. She used her powers to catch Terry who squealed in delight as at being caught by telekinesis then she set him on the couch. Mar'i flew onto Raven’s shoulder.

“Hello darling,” Raven smiled at her goddaughter. The baby sucked her pacifier as her riot of flaming black curls pinkened at the tips.

“Raven,” Damian's commanding tone had her looking up at the kid. He was about twelve.

“If you ask if I can handle this I would like to point out I am legal to drink on the solstice and can vote, have magic, telekinesis, shadows, and many other powers, which is more than you, so get your ass down to that cave and go!” she snapped. The tween huffed as he stalked to the cave then and Raven smiled.

“Incredibles 2!” she said, Lian and Terry squealed for joy at her words, Helena laughed, Mar'i tugged on her hair. Raven used the shadows to set it up, having the babies fascination as it started the movie then.

Raven summoned her math book for studying as she had that atrocious math final on Monday, then a wedding to attend on Saturday. Plus the week of prepping this was going to take, and the three day celebration for Dick and Kori’s wedding… it was going to be a long week.

~~~*~*~*~~~

Damian roused when he heard voice then bolted upright noticing the weight on his chest was missing, he was up and silently making his way through the house and came to the family entertainment room.

He stopped in shock as he stared at Ingo sitting there, holding the remote, sucking on a book; Huckleberry Finn, staring with wide eyes at the television. Damian just blinked several times to make sure he was seeing this right, when the lavender head turned on him and brilliant emerald eyes stared at him as Ingo sucked harder on the book. For being a year and about a half old, Ingo was a quiet baby who didn’t talk all that much.

“Mama,” Ingo suddenly blurted out, the book clattered onto the floor and his son looked bewildered and disappointed.

“Mama is resting,” he assured his child sitting down on the couch with Ingo and picking the kid up.

“Mama!” the boy pointed at the television and Damian stared at the video of his and Raven’s wedding. Raven was smiling, her lavender hair was pulled up and twisted into an intricate bun, her wine colored eyes were shining brightly and beautifully as a pink blush dusted her pale cheeks. She stood there before him in a beautiful feathery like dress, it looked like something of a dream. He hugged Ingo and stared at his wedding.

Jon had been his best man. Dick was with Kori and holding baby Mar'i, Tim and Stephanie were there, Jason was ginning mischievously, Maya, Mother, Selina, Father, they were all there, and he could only remember having eyes for Raven. It was something magical.

“Mama,” Ingo whined and reached for her.

“Mama is not here, she is resting.”

Tears formed in Ingo’s eyes and Damian stroked his son’s head.

“It is alright son, she will be back.”

“Mama,” Ingo whined.

Damian wanted his wife too, and he kind of wished he was there with her now. But that was not possible right now, she was at a spa resort in Vermont, and she’d be resting, pampered, cared for, everything he needed.

“Mama NOW!” Ingo screamed.

“No!” Damian snapped as he stood.

The room trembled, books rattled on their shelves and things started flying and Ingo screamed at the top of his lungs then.

“MAMA NOW!” Ingo screamed.

“No!” Damian repeated wincing at the pitch. There was a scream then there was darkness and Damian yelped as he was sucked into a void like one of Raven’s portals before he came stumbling out the other side in his family entertainment room and fell over the back of the couch, curling around Ingo to protect the baby.

“OW!” He landed on someone, there was a startled yelp before shadows warped and everything went flying. With a thud he slammed into a table, there were barks and low growls and screams, but pain burst forward when he smashed his elbow.

“Mama!” Ingo shouted then.

“What the Hell!?” a feminine voice gasped.

~~~*~*~*~~~

Jason was in his armor, on his bike when the demon spawn joined him.

“Raven is pushy.”

“She doesn’t like hovering,” Jason shrugged. He got it, he was hovering, but seriously, the four kids, under the age of four, together, they were trouble, and a handful, and he’d been duped into watching the four of them together often enough to hesitate. He also knew if Raven was in over her head she’d call her moms, right? Harley and Ivy were surprisingly good with Helena and Lian, he’d bet they could handle Terry and Mar'i. Oh, he needed to stop thinking and go get into trouble now. Something had to be happening tonight on patrol. Anything! It was Gotham!

“You are still insisting with Artemis as your date?” Damian sneered at the thought.

“And what’s wrong with Arty?” Jason demanded as he revved his engine, and kicked the stand up before they blasted out.

“She’s not right for you.”

“Jesus kid, it’s a date for a wedding, not an engagement for life!” Jason snapped. He had asked Artemis because Dick had gotten on his nerves, and apparently, Jason couldn’t go with Roy or Raven as Raven was the Maid of Honor and paired with the Bestman, Wally, and Roy was with Donna as they were both bridesmaid and groomsmen. Honestly, not his wedding, not his set up, not his worry, but he was going to the damn wedding as a peace offering for Dick. Dick had insisted he have a date, so Jason had asked the biggest lesbian on the planet to go with him; Artemis of Bana-Mighdall.

“It better not be,” Damian sneered.

“You do realize Arty is a lesbian, right?” Jason asked blandly.

Damian gave him a dumb look and Jason snickered then as he leapt onto the highway, they merged into traffic before speeding then, as they raced into Gotham.

Bat Brat was going to drive him nuts! Nearly two years later and the demon brat hadn’t stopped this ridiculous idea that Jason should be dating Raven, and that simply was not going to happen because she was his best friend with Roy. And Jason was not fucking up his best relationship to appease the bat brat.

There was an alert going off at WE labs, which had him and Damian turning hard down the exit as the Bat signal flickered to light then was solid as it loomed over Gotham.

Just another night in paradise!

For a mad minute everything was going to be hell and a handbasket and he was kind of looking forward to it as he raced Damian towards the precinct then for the WE problem.

-Be Safe

The text illuminated on his bike.

“How much you bet Cat forced B to text that rather than leaving to come here for the night?” Jason asked Robin.

“Father does as he pleases and does not submit to a woman’s whims!” Damian snapped.

Jason barked a laugh as they raced to the meet.

~~~*~*~*~~~

Raven had been dozing on the couch, with Mar'i, Helena, Lian and Terry, Ace on her feet, and Titus right below her, with Alfred the Cat on her shoulder. She didn’t remember falling asleep but she had woken to the glowing black screen, something had been tickling her empathy, and it was bothering her, then there’d been a burst of blackness, a body landing on her, which she had tossed off as she threw herself and the babies into the air, and floated ready to strike whoever it was down.

Then there’d been a scream for mama and now there was a baby with bright green eyes and purple hair flying at her.

“What the Hell!?” she gasped. Mar'i cried loudly now and there was a burst of star bolts at the baby, Raven wrapped all shadows around everyone and slammed them into a dining room as she sealed the babies in high chairs, and the stranger in a chair. The man was familiar and every flavor of his emotions a nuance she knew which had her forming a shadow blade as she approached him slowly.

“Ow,” he groaned out, then brilliant green eyes opened to stare at her. They weren’t the right eyes, but the face was right.

“Raven!?” he sputtered. “What are you doing here!? I gave you the weekend off!” he sputtered.

“Funny, no one can make me do anything, who are you?” she demanded as she lifted her shadow blade beneath his chin, tilting his head back a bit.

“Don’t be ridiculous Raven, you know exactly who I am,” the man snapped irritably.

“I don’t think so.”

“I’m your husband, Damian,” he growled.

“Okay, now I just think your nuts!” She decided. “What insane version of me, would ever marry a version of Damian Wayne, other than one that clearly fell for jailbait.”

“Jailbait!? Don’t be so crass, you sound like that imbecile Todd.”

“I see, so you are from a different dimension, the Damian from here would kill for me to end up with his idiot brother.” Raven sighed and released the shadows before she grabbed the man’s head to inspect where he had hit it. It was a habit, one she wasn’t out of as she dragged her fingers through his hair and found the knot before healing that little goose egg.

“Different dimension?” Damian sputtered.

“Yes, I had thought you were from demented future, but you are most certainly from a different dimension, which means, I’m Raven, but I’m not your wife,” Raven stated releasing him.

“Ingo,” he growled as he stood for the baby. The baby squealed and Raven gasped as she was tackled on her waist by a baby who smiled brightly up at her.

“Mama!”

“Oh dear Azar,” she sighed.

“Can you get us back?”