#curious! reader

Everyone noticed the shift.

They expected it much earlier actually but after you and Damian started dating nothing really changed about the way you interacted in public. You just acted like close friends, like you had since you were kids.

Then, all of a sudden, touches between you seemed to linger, conversations were being whispered into each others ears instead of just spoken, even eye contact seemed more intimate.

And the worst part was that Damian's siblings were forced to watch it all. It's not that they weren't happy for him, it was just weird seeing their moody, stick-up-the-ass baby brother be soft and even…loving?

It didn't take a house full of detectives to know why this sudden change could've occurred.

“They're fucking."

Multiple heads turn to Jason and he clarifies, “That's why they're acting so weird all of a sudden."

None of them have to ask who he's talking about.

“They’re just acting like a couple."

Duke comes to your defence. “Even though it really is... weird."

Everyone in the room sounds their agreements.

“It's getting worse than weird. It's getting disturbing. I caught them in the library." Jason grumbles, cringing at the memory.

It was a quiet, peaceful evening. You'd both spent a good two hours in comfortable silence until you got to a lull in your book and began to find staring at your boyfriend more interesting.

You shuffle closer on the comfy couch, gauging just how engrossed Damian is in his book. Without looking up, he slips an arm around your waist to bring you closer and you take that as a hint.

“What are you reading?" Damian flips the book closed to show you the cover.

“Poetry?"

He nods, his thumb rubbing at your side as you shuffle even closer.

“What are these?"

You point to the little sticky notes he has in some of the pages. Instead of answering, he turns to one of the pages and reads it out loud.

"هرگز نمیرد آن که دلش زنده شد به عشق ثبت است بر جریده عالم دوام ما"

"One whose heart has been revived by love can never die. Our everlastingness is engraved upon the cosmic scroll."

- Hafez

As he mutters the last word, you don't even try to hide the way you stare at him and he's just as subtle himself. You carefully lean in, so close you can feel his breath and you close the gap. He slides the book away to pull you onto his lap as the kiss grows deeper. Your hand on his cheek keeps him close as he pushes you down on the couch.

A sly whistle makes you both jump apart, turning to see Jason standing in the middle of the library.

“Well that's everlastingly engraved into my skull, thanks."

You avert your gaze, face hot and palms suddenly sweaty. Damian clicks his tongue and sneers,

“Always where you're not wanted, Todd."

Jason, not fazed at all by the harsh words, just shrugs his ridiculously large shoulders.

“I didn't say it wasn't romantic, little man. I just didn't need to see it."

Damian's so mad he just picks his book up, grabs your hand and storms out of the room.

“The library!" Jason emphasizes again.

Tim scoffs, “Please, we caught them in the theatre room."

“No way." Cass voices in amused disbelief and only gets a solemn nod from Steph.

You weren't trying to start something, you were just so warm and cozy in his arms. So content as the movie played on in front of you. You really didn't mean any harm when you just turned your head to the side and lightly kissed his neck.

But the way he tensed up a little at the touch, the way his breath hitched softly and his arm around you flexed at just the little kiss. You just had to do it again, and again and again. Your hand sliding up his chest to feel his heartbeat, your lips feeling his pulse right under his warm skin.

“Ya Hayati." He warned.

“I’m not doing anything.” Your words are muffled against his skin. "And if I was, no one ever comes in here anyway."

Apparently, that was all the convincing he needed. He brings your thigh over his waist, feeling up the fat there as he moves higher until his hand cups your ass. Whatever scene plays on the projector is forgotten as you suck love bites onto his neck, making him let out addicting sighs you just have to hear again. He pulls your hips closer, one hand on your ass, the other around your waist.

Just when Damian slips a hand up your shirt, the doors swing open and you hear a high-pitched screech.

“Is this what you do in here all the time!?”

Stephanie shouts and Tim makes a disgusted groaning sound from behind her.

Damian sighs, reluctantly letting you shuffle out of his hold and sit next to him, staring straight ahead with a guilty expression like you're being scolded by a parent.

“Get a room! You literally have a room!”

“Do you think they do that a lot in there?"

The others all make various faces of horror at Cass’s genuine question.

“Alfred, you've probably caught them more times than any of us have, right?"

The old man doesn't falter as he transfers more cookies and cakes from his silver tray to the table. He doesn't say anything for a while, he probably wanted to stay out of this particular conversation.

“While I am very happy for Master Damian and his lady…" The butler sets the last cupcake down. "I am also glad that they have chosen to journey out to the lady's dorm today for some…alone time, I presume.“

Your roommate said she'd be out all night at a party and you weren't going to let that once in a blue moon opportunity slip past.

So now you've got your boyfriend, sitting on the end of your bed with your thighs on either side of his and his face buried in your neck, sweetly kissing the bruises he leaves in his wake.

Your fingers lightly, card up from the base of his head into his dark hair. You feel him shiver, feel him let out a shaky breath against your skin, his fingers flexing on your hips.

It was so fascinating seeing how he reacted to you. It was like seeing him for the first time again, a whole new side of him. You've known each other since you were kids but suddenly there's so many new things to explore. What would happen if you touched here? Is he sensitive there? What sounds does he make when you touch there?

You gently push him down so he leans back with his elbows on the bed. Your hand swiftly slips under his shirt to drag your nails up his toned torso. His half lidded eyes watch as his abs flex under the soft touch and he tries not to move his hips too much. You start dragging your nails back down to the waistband of his pants, tracing his v-line.

And then a knock on the door frightens you so much, you would've fallen off the bed if Damian hadn't caught you.

“Hey, I know you said you'd be…busy but the function got cancelled so…"

You both heave a sorrowful sigh and you wordlessly shuffle off your bed.

“I have an idea."

Is all Damian mumbles while slipping his shoes on and plucking his keys from his pocket.

“So…what do we do about it?"

“The same thing we did with Master Bruce and Miss Kyle. We ignore it."

Steph and Tim give pained groans.

“Or we convince them to move out." Jason throws out into the room.

“You think Damian would ever live in a house that isn't a mansion?" Tim turns to Alfred to ask, "Didn't he call this place a hovel when he first came here?"

The older man hums. “He also said my cooking was atrocious."

Multiple gasps ring throughout the room.

You've been driving for about fifteen minutes when he brings the car to a stop. You sit up to get a good look at the incredible view in front of you and then realise where you are.

“A makeout point?"

You smugly ask, as if you aren't kicking your shoes off as you speak.

“There's no one here. The windows are tinted." He says, while pushing his seat back. “Unless you'd like to try the manor again?"

He barely gets to finish before you're clambering out of your seat and onto his lap. Your lips are on his once again and he pulls you closer so your hips meet through way too many layers of clothes and leans forward to press your back against the steering wheel.

The smell of leather is strong and the space is awkwardly tight but neither of you seem to mind that much, lost in the way the other tastes.

After some effort you push him back down on the seat and pull your sweatshirt off. You're not trying to waste anymore time and neither is he.

His hands clutch at your hips as he takes in the sight of you in the darkly lit car with only the city lights behind you. The look in his eyes matched with the dim lighting may be your new favourite thing. You unbutton his jeans and unzip them until there's nothing but his boxers keeping him away from you.

He sits up, trailing light kisses on the swell of your breast just above your bra as his fingers unbutton your jeans and pull them down so you can grind your heat against him with nothing but the thin material of your underwear between you.

You wonder if he can feel your wetness as you circle your hips, catching his every little noise and reaction. You just need to feel him, need to feel your bare skin against his, his hot, hard-

BZZZT BZZZT BZZZT

You both jump as the sound plays from the car's speakers. Looking towards the screen on the dash you both groan when you read,

“Father”

He sinks into the car seat, bringing you with him to lay on his chest.

“Maybe he's just checking in?" You mumble into his shoulder with false hope. Damian sighs and answers the call.

“I'm busy."

“I need you in the cave. Now."

You try not to sigh to loudly or move too much, convinced Bruce would somehow know exactly what you're doing by just the sound alone.

Damian squeezes your hip in a little apology and you nod into his neck as a show of understanding.

“I'll be there."

He hangs up the call and you awkwardly shuffle off his lap and into the passenger seat. Buttoning up your jeans as he does the same.

He starts the car and pulls away a little less skillfully than usual. You try not to think about the clear wet patch you saw on his boxers or the state of your panties as you slip your sweatshirt back on.

You stare at your lap instead, where your hands are clasped above your clenched thighs. He'll have to take a cold shower to get rid of his…problem, maybe you could use one too.

You gasp out loud at the brilliant idea and Damian looks over with confusion and a little worry.

“What?"

“Master Damian? Dinner is ready."

Everyone just got done with an important meeting in the cave and the dinner table is being set already. All participants are accounted for except two.

Alfred knocks on the door again and waits a moment before easing it open. He scans the empty room for the two missing guests and notices the closed bathroom door.

He then hears the shower running and some other noises he'd rather not have heard.

The old man slips out of the room rather quickly, making his way to the dining room.

“I suspect Master Damian and his lady will be late for dinner.”

Water drips down in-between where your naked bodies are pressed together.

Your back arches against the cold tile as he finally gives you everything you've been craving.

“The only thing worse than being away from you is having you constantly ripped right from my hands, Rouhi"

Your moans meld together and echo around you in the small space. You tip your head back, letting out a groan as he gives a particularly deep thrust. Your fingernails dig into his shoulders just to keep you grounded.

You push back against his thrusts, taking him as deep as you possibly can as his pace increases. Wet slapping sounds get drowned out by the shower stream as you pull him into a deep, messy kiss. Your legs hook around his hips to keep him close as you finally release all that pent up tension, your heat clenching down, taking everything he gives you and more. His hips stutter and his grip eases slightly, still keeping you as close as possible as you both come down. 

Once he's caught his breath, he leans back just enough to see your face, your head tipped back against the white tiles. His hands rubbing circles on your back and thigh where he holds you against the shower wall. 

“I found a place. In the city." He pauses, taking a breath while you process what he's saying.

"Do you want to move in with me?" You blink at him, stunned for a moment by how pretty he looks with his hair soaked, wet eyelashes batting at darker than usual cheeks.

You then realise he's waiting for an answer, as if it wasn't obvious. You give him a breathy, “Yeah, of course." and laugh a little, pushing up a strand of hair from his forehead as a relieved smile plays on his face.

The site makes your hips twitch and he sucks in a breath. You can feel him getting hard again inside you so you bring him into a wet kiss.

Your bodies start to slowly grind against each other, finding a new rhythm. You separate to mumble against his lips,

“Can we check it out tomorrow?”

That's how you got here, walking into the dining room twenty minutes late for dinner, hair still damp, cheeks still hot.

You take your seat and quietly thank Alfred for the food before digging in. There's an awkward silence that follows and you desperately try to ignore it. You feel Damian's foot nudge yours and can't help a little smile show through.

Damian clears his throat.

“We're moving out."

He announces to the table, as blunt as ever. There's a moment of silence before everyone reacts.

Stephanie, Tim, Jason and Duke all give various groans of “Thank God." and "Finally!“ while Alfred and Bruce share knowing looks with each other.

You'd be embarrassed if you weren't so very excited at the idea of living together with Damian, who doesn't react at all to his families dramatics, quietly eating his food in peace.

You smile down at your plate, chancing a glance up only to make eye contact with Cass, who quickly looks away, her cheeks a shade of pink you've never seen on her before.

It's then that you realise that Cass’s room is right next to Damian's which means her room shares a wall with his bathroom.

You give a pained sigh, looking back down at your food, you'll have to apologize to her later? Or maybe never bother her with your presence ever again?

You nudge Damian's foot with yours and he gives the slightest little smile. You vaguely hear Tim yell something like, “It's just weird!" but you're too busy staring at your boyfriend to really pay attention.

at first, he finds your curiosity annoying

he finds all of you annoying, really

but like... he feels youre just really dumb for being so curious

like how kiri was connected to the water, and he found it super weird

basically how he feels about you

like bruh do you not know what fuckin coral is????

"ouuu whats that one?"

"thats... thats more coral."

"what about that? its so slimy feeling!"

"its kelp, skxawng"

hes surprised you forest people can barely even swim too, did you not have creeks or rivers??

youre swimming around w him post lo'ak standing up for him after he deserted him in the middle of the ocean

youre not a big fan of him atm, but hes also the only one down to go out and let you explore and watch over you

yknow post kiri seizure, lo'ak running off, all that fun stuff

he doesnt even know why hes gone out with you, but he also knows deep down if something happened to you, hed never forget himself

plus hed get into some realllll trouble

youre halfway to the spirit tree and find some starfish

you thought they were so cool and pick one up, and swim up to him so he can tell you what it is

"whats this thing?"

"starfish."

OH GOD YOUR SMILEEEEEE

"good name."

he was trying so hard to contain this weird giggly smile

he swam to the little hive of starfish to pick up another

"look. all sorts of colors. whats your favorite?"

and he finds a starfish thats youre favorite color 💔💔💔

in a way, he likes youre curiousity

he finds it soooo adorable

tsireya makes you a shawl out of kelp and you genuinley wonder what it is

its like... almost so dumb its adorable

like dude kiri has a shawl almost exactly like it that mo'at made for her 😭😭 fym what is it???

he then realizes you probably said it cause you were trying to process but were lowkey struggling to

he brings you new things to see or takes you to new things until you literally run out of them

the way your eyes light up just like... get to him, your amazement and awe makes him wanna explode out of cuteness aggression to be so for real

the way you try all their new foods and adapt to their way of life is so like tjwnrnwkjdowjw to him

like youre so respectful even tho youre so annoyingly curious and ask questions nonstop

"oooo whats that?"

"its akula and tuna, and some kelp"

"is it good?"

"a little spicy," he shrugs, "but good. one of my favorites. try it. thank eywa first"

"no shit." you glare at him sarcastically before thanking eywa for your meal in silence

you place a large bite into your mouth and instantly, a facial change

he stares at you, trying to read your expression

you feel the spice hit you like a brick, but it evens out around the fried kelp. its good. so fucking good

"woah. thats awesome."

he smiles, "you like a lot of food, dont you, forest person?"

you quickly nod, "I like trying new things, dude"

"good to keep an open mind, forest"

He steps aside so you can enter your new home, picking up one of the many boxes in the hallway and bringing it inside after you.

“It’s very exciting, Beloved.”

You place your box labelled “Very Important investigation stuff" down on the kitchen island, walking to the middle of the empty living room space.

“The couch will be there and the TV will go there. It’s not a fancy in home theatre or anything but it’s all ours! What movie should we watch first?”

You turn to where he’s been moving the heavier boxes into the hallway.

“Hm, that’s a big decision.”

You rest your head on your elbows, leaning on a stacked pile of boxes labelled “Kitchen” and just watch him carefully bring in the boxes of essentials you brought just for the first night.

When he’s got all of them stacked along the now crowded hallway, he dusts his hands off and looks over at you, probably noticing how quiet you went.

He raises a brow and you shrug,

“Do you think Alfred and Titus will like it?”

He huffs, “They are both spoilt, I assume it will take some adjusting but they will adapt.”

“They aren’t the only spoilt ones.”

He levels you with a harmless glare, squeezing past you to look around the living room. This apartment was a dream for you. Only a fifteen minute walk from the university, twenty minutes from the park, spacious with lots of light and pet friendly. But all of that’s still a massive downgrade in terms of Damian’s past living arrangements.

He picks up the box you left on the kitchen island and takes your hand, bringing you down the hall and into one of the two rooms in the apartment.

“It will be an adjustment for me too but like you said, it's ours.”

His voice bounces off the walls as he looks around the room, placing your box on the spacious windowsill. He looks around and points to one side of the room.

“There’s enough space for my studies and artwork.” He points to the opposite side of the room, where you presume your desk would go. “And for your studies and cases.”

He keeps looking around the room and mumbling things like, “Need lots of shelf space.” and “Your pinboard could go there.”

You can only stare at him in adoration, watching him imagine your life together in your new space. You walk up to him and, without a word, pull him into a kiss. He melts into it without complaint, hands automatically framing your hips, pulling you closer.

When you separate, it’s gentle and slow. His eyes are so pretty in the sunlit room, you can't help but lean in again…and then you hear footsteps above you that sound like your upstairs neighbours are tap-dancing with clown shoes on.

Damian looks up and lets out an irritated grown, which makes you laugh.

“Welcome to normal people life, Wayne.”

He huffs, gaze flickering between your eyes and lips.

“I’m just glad we won’t be…interrupted anymore.” You both cringe.

It took you a year to finally get your own place, a year of awkward moments and badly timed interruptions from both his family at the manor and your roommate in your dorm.

“Don’t remind me of that when we’re about to makeout.”

“Who says we were-”

You pull him in by his collar, feeling the smile on his soft lips. He pulls you in by your waist and you sling your arms around his shoulders, deepening the kiss.

You lift your thigh and he takes the hint to lift you into his arms, hands spread under your jean clad thighs. You separate from him just to say,

“D’you wanna show me the bedroom again?”

He huffs, “The moving van hasn’t arrived with the bed yet.”

You roll your eyes, grin turning sly.

“What? Are your arms getting tired?”

He scoffs, shaking his head at your audacity. He lifts you higher to throw you over his shoulder, carrying you down the hall, your laughter echoes through the empty apartment.

💬🗨️

You knock on the door, waiting a moment before creaking it open and peeking inside. Damian lays in your shared bed, staring out the window.

“How are you feeling?"

The question feels unnecessary but you ask anyway, making your way to his bedside.

His eyes are puffy, he's breathing through his mouth because his nose is blocked and his hair is mussed up from laying in bed all day. You can't help the smile that creeps onto your face at the sight of him like this, it's just so unusual for him.

“That bad, huh?"

He takes his eyes off the window, giving you a half-hearted glare.

“It's not funny. I was built for war, The Demon's grandson and son of Batman. I do not get sick.”

His voice is scratchy and nasally, you struggle to keep a straight face as you sit next to him, taking the hand towel you shoved in the freezer an hour ago and placing it on his forehead. He closes his eyes and gives a little hum in relief.

“I think even Batman gets the common cold sometimes."

“This is not common. It's obviously some kind of biological weapon. You should not be so close to me."

You give an amused huff and lean down to kiss his forehead before flipping the towel around to the colder side. His eyebrows scrunch, it's good to see him finally resting, even if he has to be sick to do it.

“Maybe this is what you get for taking extra classes, volunteering at the hospital and then spending your nights running around Gotham in the rain."

He lets out a groan that turns into a cough. You grab the water bottle on the side of his bed and hand it to him.

“He’ll understand, Damian. Do you really think he'll be disappointed in you?"

Maybe you're wrong for bringing this up when he's sick like this but he’s clearly wearing himself out, he has been for a long time and it frustrated you.

He's been trying to juggle medical school and vigilantism for two years now, two years of being pulled in different directions, long days and even longer nights, all because he can't let go. He felt his skills were too needed in both fields.

“I was raised to be Robin."

He takes a few healthy gulps and hands the bottle back to you.

“So what? Do you think Bruce was raised to be Batman?"

You don't give him time to answer,

“No. Everyone always told me to shut up and stop asking irritating questions all the damn time and now I'm going to ask irritating questions as a career! Should I have just done what was expected of me instead?"

His gaze is on you now, not the window or the ceiling, and he shakes his head, looking a little sad at even the idea. You soften your gaze, bringing your hand up to gently card through his hair.

“You'd still be a hero without the cape. Bruce knows that and you can do more good if you're not stretching yourself thin like this”

His eyes screw closed and he bites his lip, leaning into your touch.

“It's still difficult."

His voice breaks a little and your heart cracks in two. You curl around him, bringing his head into your chest which he easily sinks into.

“I know."

He breaths steadily as you gently rub his back.

“However you choose to make the world better, I’ll be here for you. I just want you to be okay.”

After a while he nods and mumbles, voice muffled in your chest.

“I will tell him, Beloved. I will…when I'm no longer under the affliction of this biological weapon."

You can't help the snort that leaves you.

💬🗨️

“If we were penguins, and still in love, and we escaped Gotham Zoo, where would we go?”

The question sits in the air as Damian brings his brush ever so gently down on the canvas in front of him. He looks past his artwork, directly at the muse sitting on the windowsill in your shared study, Alfred in your lap, silver skies and the bustling city behind you in the window frame. It’s a beautiful shot and he’s very glad he got the chance to immortalise it.

“The harbour? Maybe the sewer.”

You take your eyes off the map of Gotham you have pinned above your desk to look at him.

“The sewer? Why would you take me there?"

He squints at his canvas, having difficulty trying to get the way the gentle sun dances through your hair just right. His gaze flickers from you to the canvas as he answers,

“Because we'd be much safer there, Croc is in Arkham at the moment, and we're penguin's so we're used to smelling like faeces."

You give a nod at that sound logic, scratching Alfred behind the ear, making the feline stretch and purr softly.

“I asked the guy at the zoo if that was normal and he said it was but that same guy also said it was fine to give the lions dry cat food."

His brush carefully blends the paints on his paint palette, he scoffs at the memory.

“The guy we got fired?"

You smile remembering the very amateur exposé you wrote about Gotham City Zoo’s incompetent staff and poor business practices which, realistically, wouldn't have done much if not for a very serious looking fourteen year old Damian Wayne standing right beside you when you printed it out and handed copies to the police department, Gotham Gazette and the zoo head office.

“The article said it was two mated penguins who just went missing and that guy knew we liked the penguin exhibit, even though it always smells like poop, so maybe it's like…a weird revenge plot?"

“Or maybe the zookeepers have become incompetent again.“

Damian counters, shifting his seating position a little, eyes trained on where his brush meets the canvas. The concentration on his face is so endearing you have to grin.

“Then I’ll just have to write another exposé. Will you come with me to investigate?"

He nods his head absentmindedly, as if the answer was obvious.

“To the zoo, not the sewer?"

You huff and nod, continuing to watch him work.

“If we were penguins, I’d give you my prettiest rock.”

A smile makes it onto his face, he doesn’t look up from the canvas when he says, “It’s usually the males who give the females rocks.”

You give him an unimpressed face. “So you wouldn’t accept my rock?”

“I would accept your rock, Hayati and I would give you an even better rock in return.”

You laugh lightly, he couldn't shake that competitiveness, even in his adulthood.

The sounds of the city outside and Alfred’s purring float around the room. In the corner, Titus has dozed off, quiet as a shadow, in his huge dog bed of which he has several in various rooms in the apartment. You watch people walk and talk to each other on the street beneath your window, imagining what their lives are like.

After a while, Damian sits back into his stool, placing his materials down.

“That is all for today, thank you for your help, Rouhi."

You stand up to stretch your sleepy muscles as Alfred does the same.

“Can I see it?"

He nods, gesturing you over. You lean on his shoulder as he packs his paints away and make a sound of awe.

“Are you entering it into a competition? Because it would win."

He chuffs and shakes his head,

“No, this is for me."

You lean down to kiss his cheek and mumble, “Softy." Before leaving the room to answer Alfred's meows for food from the kitchen.

Damian runs his hand through his hair, wondering what your reaction would be if you read the small penciled words hidden on the canvas’s wooden frame.

زوجتي (وألفريد)

zawjati (wa'Alfirid)

My wife (and Alfred)

💬🗨️

Your hand is cramping, your eyes are sore and your mouth is dry. Your handwriting becomes less intelligible every minute that passes but you have to keep going, just to the end of the module.

You’re finding it harder to pull from memory what you’re supposed to know by now, scratching out mistakes and rewriting answers to the practice questions on the painfully bright laptop screen in front of you. You don’t have time to be making mistakes, every second counts. You're so close.

You jump when you feel a hand on your shoulder and lock eyes with your boyfriend’s worried face. You sigh and turn back to your exam pad, trying to remember the answer you were just about to write down.

Damian rubs his thumb over your tense shoulder. “It’s late.”

“I know. I’m almost done.”

That’s a blatant lie, you both know it. He sighs, looking from the laptop to your hasty hand writing to your tired face.

“Hayati, please. You will have a clear mind tomorrow. Come to bed with-”

“No, I can’t. I have to-” You stop yourself, realising you’re getting distracted. You shrug his hand off your shoulder. “You don’t understand.”

It was meant to be dismissive, meant to irritate him enough to leave or something. You were a fool to think it would work.

“Help me understand.”

He kneels down next to your chair, trying to catch your eye. You glare down at your page, gripping your pen with too much force.

“You don’t know what it’s like to not have the answers. Medical school is child’s play for you. You have to purposefully answer questions wrong just so you don’t attract too much attention. You can’t understand.”

You see him nod from the corner of your eye as you read over the same question for the fifth time now. It’s quiet for a while as Damian decides how to respond to that. It's clear you need emotional help right now more than anything else but can he give you that if he can't really relate to your problem?

You’re so close to getting your degree and dream job, hopes are high and that means anxiety is higher but he can't help if you don't let him.

“At least let me try.”

The screen in front of you grows blurry and push the palms of your hands into your eyes for some relief and to will away the oncoming tears. You let out a broken sigh, and shake your head.

It's a plead for him to stop. You struggle to keep your breathing even as Damian’s hand squeezes your thigh gently, his voice low and soft.

“I will go through everything with you tomorrow. Let me help you, Rouhi.”

Reassuring but not condescending. Helpful but not insistent. He's trying.

You close your laptop shut with a defeated sigh and stand up, not able to look at him. You feel stupid and childish, he'd never cry over something like this.

Damian stands in front of you, cupping your cheeks and lifting your face to look at him. You blink at him through blurry tears as he ghosts a thumb over the darkened skin under your eyes.

“Four years of hard work is a testament to your dedication but it doesn’t define your worth. You have been incredible since the day you were born and you will continue to be even if you fail because you'll just try again.”

You let a sob wrack your body, all that pent up frustration, self hatred and anxiety pours out as he holds you in his hands. Your head hurts, your eyes burn and your throat is sore.

You finally just rest your head on your boyfriends chest, letting all your emotions spill out onto his shirt. He hold you close, a hand rubbing your back, lips pressing kisses to your hair.

Your body goes limp as he picks you up and you feel lighter with every step away from that damn laptop.

💬🗨️

“What’s your favourite colour?”

“Green!” Mar'i yells, pointing to her eyes. You nod as if that’s the obvious answer. Mar’i makes a thinking face, trying to decide her next question.

“Are you and Uncle Damian married?”

You choke on the air in your lungs and Mar’i makes a confused face so you compose yourself enough to semi-casually answer, “No.”

She looks even more confused, pointing towards the hallway of Dick and Kori’s apartment where Damian is making dinner just down the hall. She then points towards you.

“But I've seen you kiss each other!”

You nod at the accusation.

“That's because we're dating."

“My mommy and daddy did that before they got married."

You nod again, remembering Dick and Kori's very lively and creatively decorated wedding. That was just a year into your relationship with Damian.

“I was there when that happened.”

“Can I go to your wedding?”

Her bright green eyes seem to shine brighter at the idea.

“Uuuhm, that might not happen for-"

Her light dims, you're breaking her heart as you speak. You quickly add,

“You'll definitely be invited."

She seems placated but only a little like she knows you're only saying that. Which, you are, but you’re not completely lying either.

“You can be the flower girl. You can wear a pretty green dress and everything."

Her little feet lift off the floor, her beaming smile floating just a few inches away from your face, “Really?!”

Shit. Maybe that wasn't a good idea. You hear Damian coming from the kitchen and think fast.

“Sure but don’t tell Damian. He doesn’t know we're…getting married.”

She giggles evilly, nodding her head and poorly hiding her grin as Damian walks into the room, placing her pink plastic plate on the table.

“Chicken nuggets with vegetables.”

Mar’i makes a “Blegh” sound sticking her tongue out and Damian sighs.

“You’re lucky I agreed to give you any of that dinosaur shaped cardboard.”

Damian sits at the table next to his niece, placing down two bowls of stir-fry.

“Dicks kitchen isn't nearly as well stocked or organised as ours but I managed to make a meal out of it.”

“It looks great. Thanks, Dames."

He nods to you and you look at Mar’i, nudging your head towards Damian. She looks down at her plate and sighs,

“Thank you, Uncle Damian."

You have to stifle your laugh at the sad way she says it. A light bulb goes off as you remember something Kori told you when you asked her how Earth food tasted to her Tamaranian palette.

You make a quick trip to the kitchen, grabbing some mustard and speed walk back to the table. Two pairs of eyes watch in confusion as you place a generous amount of mustard on her plate.

Mar’i laughs, “Auntie, that's for hotdogs."

You pick up a carrot with her plastic pink fork, smother it in mustard and hand it to her. She looks suspicious but bites down and doesn't make a face, which you assume is a great sign.

She takes her fork back from you and clumsily dips a bell pepper slice into the mustard, she takes a bite and smiles up at you with a little mustard on her cheek and you feel like the greatest aunt in the world.

“Mar’i, how are you doing in school?"

The little girl thinks for a minute, probably trying to find something interesting to talk about before she gasps and jumps in her seat. She gives you a grin that immediately makes you nervous.

“My teacher got married!"

Shit. Damian just hums an, “mhm" for her to continue.

“So now we have to call her Mrs Smith instead of Miss Jones but I still call her Miss Jones sometimes on accident but she doesn't get upset at me for it because she's really nice."

Damian nods along to the girl's rambling while you try to look like you're not panicking over whatever she might say next.

“And she said that being married is really nice and she's really happy!"

“And, um.." She makes a thinking face like she's trying to think of more ways to pitch the concept of marriage to her uncle.

“And they had a big cake at the wedding. Like thiiiiis big." She holds her hands out as much as her tiny arms will allow.

“And when you marry you get tax bemfits."

You once again have to stifle your laughter.

“Tax benefits."

Damian corrects and she tilts her head.

“What's that?"

“It’s a system the state uses to incentivise marriage among the population."

She looks over to you for help.

“You get to give less money to the government when you marry someone."

She still looks very confused and a little concerned by the idea.

“Is that why people get married?"

“No, usually people get married because they love each other."

She nods and shoves a chicken nugget in her mouth, seemingly placated by Damian’s answer.

“Like mommy and daddy?”

“Yes.”

“Like you and Auntie?”

Damian looks across the table at you. You give him a shrug and an encouraging nod. He awkwardly looks down at his food and answers,

“Not yet.”

Mar’i huffs in frustration, looking between you two like she can’t believe she has to deal with this. You beam down at your food like a teenager.

Mar’i must have gotten fed up with the both of you because she drops the marriage pitch, probably irritated that her very convincing arguments didn’t get either of you to immediately propose. She instead goes into a whole story about how she got in trouble at school for catching a bird and bringing it into class.

After dinner, you grab the dishes on the table as Damian picks up Mar’i out of her chair to make her brush her teeth and get ready for bed.

He walks down the hall thirty minutes later, finding you on the little balcony, staring out at the city.

“She managed to make it eight pages into The Hungry Caterpillar before she fell asleep.”

You huff a laugh as he leans on the railing next to you.

“Not surprised. You have a very calming reading voice.”

Silence stretches on for a while, different from the usual comfortable silences you often share.

“I was-” “When you-”

You both speak up at the same time and then laugh softly to each other. Damian nods for you to continue and you look down at your hands, your elbows leaning on the railing. It takes you a minute to decide exactly what to say, a whole speech? An explanation? A confession? You just end up asking,

“Not yet, huh?”

You see his hands clench and unclench on the railing and peek at his face. He looks more worried than you expected, he bites the inside of his lip before replying.

“I didn’t mean to assume…that...”

“That I’d want that?”

You pry his hand off the railing and turn him to face you better, finally looking him in the eyes.

“The only way to know is by asking me.”

You can see his chest move up and down, feel the sweat on his palms, his hopeful eyes stare into yours. You pull him just a little closer, so you can feel his body heat contrast with the cold night air around you.

“Ask me, Damian.”

His fingers fiddle with yours and a smile makes it onto his face before he can even get all the words out.

“Will you marry me?”

You nod your head way too fast, barely able to answer through your grin.

“Yes, Of course!”

You can barely kiss him with how wide the two of you are smiling. He brings you into his arms, close enough that you can feel his rapidly beating heart. You break from the kiss briefly,

“Mar’i’s going to be the flower girl by the way. I already promised.”

Damian scrunches his eyebrows but is way too happy in that moment to question it so he just nods and says, “Alright.” before bringing his fiance into another kiss.

Mar'i did make a wonderful flower girl, if a little overzealous.

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