#jonanddamian

It was a quiet afternoon at the Kent farm, the kind of day Jon really cherished—the sun was warm, there was a light breeze rustling through the trees, and the sounds of farm life filled the air. Jon had an idea. A brilliant idea. He’d been thinking about it for days, and now was the perfect opportunity.

He looked at Damian, who was standing near the barn, arms crossed, looking at the cows with that half-bored expression he had perfected in Gotham. Damian had never been to the Kent farm before, despite all of their time together. Jon had mentioned it once or twice, sure, but he’d never really pushed. Now, though, the time had come. There was a mission at hand.

“Okay, Damian,” Jon said, trying his best to sound casual, despite the slight twitch in his voice from excitement, “I think it’s time for you to meet… the cows.”

Damian didn’t look up. Instead, he tilted his head in a way that suggested he was trying to figure out if Jon was mocking him. “I already know what cows are, Jonathan. They are large, lumbering creatures that produce milk. Why exactly am I here?”

Jon resisted the urge to giggle. “It’s for Batcow. She’s, um, kind of lonely, and we need to make sure she’s okay. You’re her… owner, right?”

Damian’s face didn’t change, but Jon could see a slight flicker in his eyes. “I know how to feed her, Jonathan.”

Jon felt a pang of hesitation. “Right. But… do you know how to take care of her properly?”

Damian paused, his usual confidence wavering just a little. “What do you mean by 'properly'?"

Before Jon could respond, there was a loud, boisterous voice behind them. “Well, I think we can show Damian how to properly care for a cow!” Superman, aka Clark Kent, appeared, wearing his usual blue jeans and plaid shirt, looking like the most wholesome, farm-ready superhero anyone could imagine. He walked over with a smile, clapping his hand on Damian’s shoulder, to which Damian stiffened but didn’t protest.

Jon grinned. “I thought you'd want to help out, Dad.”

Clark gave Jon a knowing smile, then turned to Damian. “Don’t worry, kiddo. This is actually a pretty important skill. You can’t just expect Batcow to be healthy without understanding how to properly care for her.”

Damian didn’t meet his gaze, but he wasn’t running away either. This was uncharted territory for him. He had been raised in a world of combat, strategy, and cold precision—not caring for animals.

“Fine,” Damian muttered, “I’m here. But I don’t see the point of this… bonding.”

Jon’s grin didn’t falter. *“Trust me. You’ll get it. And besides, this will make Batcow really happy. She’s your pet. She’s *your* responsibility. It’s important, Damian.”*

Superman nodded in agreement. “You’d be surprised how much a good bond with your animals can make a difference. And it’s not hard to learn. Come on, I’ll show you.”

They led Damian to one of the large cows in the field, a brown-and-white one with large, curious eyes. “This is Bessie,” Clark explained, his tone patient and light. “She’s one of the older cows, but she’s a great example. We need to make sure she’s fed, cleaned, and—yup, here’s the part you might not have thought about—milked regularly.”

Damian raised an eyebrow. *“Milking? Is that truly necessary? Batcow isn’t… a *normal* cow.”*

Jon couldn’t help but chuckle. “No, Batcow’s not normal. But she’s still a cow. And cows need to be milked. Unless you want her to get sick, like… super sick.”

Superman added, “You’d be amazed how quickly cows get agitated if they aren’t properly taken care of. Not to mention, you don’t want Batcow to start getting cranky around Alfred and the dogs. Trust me.”

Damian frowned slightly, but he didn’t argue. He watched as Clark demonstrated, effortlessly milking Bessie with a calm, practiced hand. “See? It’s not hard once you get the hang of it. It’s all about gentle handling and understanding the animal’s needs.”

Jon was watching with intense interest, but he glanced at Damian, who was still standing stiff as a board. “Come on, Damian. Just give it a try.”

Damian hesitated for a moment, clearly processing the situation. But then, he walked forward, kneeling beside the cow with an almost dignified air. Slowly, he reached out to try milking Bessie—who, to his surprise, didn’t recoil or stomp her feet, but simply blinked at him.

“You have to be careful,” Superman said, guiding Damian’s hand. “Gently, not too fast. Trust the cow. You’ll get the rhythm.”

Damian’s focus narrowed, his gaze steely as he tried, the muscles in his arms tensing slightly. “This is ridiculous,” he muttered, but his voice held a note of determination. He wasn’t going to let Jon or Superman see him fail.

Jon chuckled and stepped back to give him some space. “Look at you go, Dami! You’re basically a cow whisperer already.”

Damian shot him a glare. “I’ll pretend I didn’t hear that,” he grumbled, but his face softened ever so slightly. The bond between him and Bessie, however unspoken, was becoming real in that moment.

Clark smiled, proud of the young Wayne. *“You’re doing great, Damian. The animals *really* do appreciate the care, even if they can’t say it.”*

Jon stepped in again, just to lighten the mood. *“And hey, look, if Batcow ever gets jealous of Bessie, you can always invite her over here for a few *cow playdates.”

Damian just rolled his eyes, clearly not that amused, but the glimmer of a smile tugged at his lips, even if he wouldn’t admit it. “Fine. But I won’t be calling it a playdate.”

As they wrapped up the lesson, Jon threw an arm around Damian’s shoulder. “Well, now you know. Batcow’s gonna be so much happier.”

Damian grunted, but the tension in his shoulders had eased just a little. “Fine. Fine. But I still think this whole ‘bonding with animals’ thing is highly overrated.”

Jon laughed. *“That’s okay. You don’t have to *love* it, but at least Batcow will appreciate it.”*

Superman gave them both a warm smile as they walked back toward the house. “Good work, Damian. Remember, animals respond to patience and consistency. That’s the most important part.”

Jon beamed, content in the knowledge that he had successfully bonded with Damian, in his own quirky, offbeat way. And maybe—just maybe—Damian would start understanding the importance of care and responsibility, even for a cow like Batcow.

Damian would never admit it, but somewhere deep down, he was starting to get it.