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“Stop it, you aren’t supposed to be here.”
Jon hummed, ignoring his boyfriend’s words while he settled the younger down onto the rooftop.
“Mn. I haven’t seen you in a while ‘cus of finals, give me a break.” Damian sighed, his words from earlier were the opposite of what he was doing.
The younger allowed himself to be held, carding his fingers through Jon’s wavy hair, uncaring of whatever Gotham saw, as it was midnight. Whilst late for others, was just the right time for crime to stir and in turn, so did the bats. Only this time, with one super.
Who was not supposed to be there.
Who was also his boyfriend, which Damian was more than old enough to have despite still being a teen.
The problem wasn’t his age no, it was that it was Jon-El. Otherwise known as Superboy, also known as the Superlord’s son.
Or well, also known as the son of his father’s enemy, Kal-El.
“Beloved, my brothers are out and they’re near.”
The latter hummed, but he ignored his lover’s words as he still had a tightened hold on him, touching a bit into super strength as well, which was sure leaving bruises on Damian.
He couldn’t stop the involuntary wince that came out of him, which surprised even him as he forgot that he still had ribs healing around that area.
Damian prayed Jon wouldn’t notice but it was useless, as the other looks down at him in mirrored surprise which then quickly transformed into alarm, loosening his hold.
The younger quickly reaches out to grab his arm, as if to calm down his boyfriend who looked seconds away from flying after the criminals he tied off minutes ago.
“I won’t.” He said through gritted teeth, to which Damian gave an eyebrow raise in return.
“Please, if my family had any chance of accepting our relationship, it’d be best to hold off on killing.”
Jon leveled him with a childish pout, which often made Damian forget who was the older one in these situations. “I haven’t killed in ages though.. you’re the only thing keeping me from getting bored.”
Damian snorted, reaching up to cradle his partner’s face, slightly annoyed that he had to step onto his tiptoes for it.
“Let’s not even talk about my father. There’d be no way he’d approve.”
Jon smirked, leaning down to meet Damian’s face. “Mine wouldn’t like this either.”
Their lips met in a lover’s embrace, with Damian’s soft yet slightly chapped lips and Jon’s dry ones. It could’ve been in better circumstances, maybe like their frequent make out sessions under Damian’s moonlit room, or in the skies where he’s held in Jon’s protective embrace where they weren’t afraid to be seen, but nonetheless, Damian wouldn’t trade it for anything. Even if the wind blew harshly at their faces, hair flying everywhere, Damian wouldn’t change his late night kisses with Jon for the world.
It wasn’t anything lustful, like their long evenings where they yearned for eachother, and it wasn't a quick peck, one they did when wary of wandering eyes.
It was loving, leaving only a second to exhale, then leaning in for another in the next moment.
After a few moments, they part with a single trail of saliva connecting them.
Jon chuckled sensually, bringing a hand to wipe it off, then resting it on Damian’s cheek who leans in closer with a hum.
“Let me bring you somewhere else.” The tone took a suggestive turn, having it been said straight into his ear.
“Yeah, bring me back to the manor, Kent.” Damian could feel Jon smile into his ear, despite how disappointed the older was, Damian always knew what to say to make him feel better.
“Alright, but next time I am so getting my way with you.” He remarked, already floating with Damian off his feet who reached over to be held bridal style, practiced familiarity through every step.
“We’ll see about that habibi.” Jon hid his face into Damian’s hair and groaned whilst the latter smirked at the effect he had on his partner.
“Rao, you make me go insane babe.” And who was Damian not to take advantage of that?
————
“Damian.”
He immediately halted once he stepped foot into the cave, hairs standing straight on the nape of his neck once registering father’s stern voice.
“Father.” He swiftly turned around, masking his slight nerves.
It seemed they were at a stalemate, with neither of them willing to back down. It was times like these that showed they were truly connected by blood.
Father’s blank gaze did nothing to ease Damian’s tension, as he quickly scans his memory through everything he could’ve done to either worry, or make him mad. He finds none.
After a few moments of their stare down, Dick, who had been standing off alongside Tim in between them, cleared his throat.
“B? You called for Dames.”
Bruce looked away, shifting his gaze from Damian to Dick. (To which Damian silently cheered at.)
“Right. Damian there’s something I need to ask you.”
“And what might that be, father?” Although he seemed composed, he wanted nothing more than for a hole to open underneath him when he was under his father’s scrutiny.
Bruce turned completely towards him, stepping forwards a bit which caused Damian to almost take a step back, but he held his ground.
“Where were you?” He could tell his father tried to make it sound as innocent as possible, but everyone in the room could tell it had some accusatory undertones.
Damian did not budge however. “I was questioning the criminals about their whereabouts which took longer than expected. I could send you the case file if needed.”
His father goes silent, as well as his brothers who seemed at a loss of where Bruce was getting at.
“Then you wouldn’t mind me checking the security footage on the rooftop you were at?”
Damian’s eyes shot up in alarm, unable to stop it in time. “What? You don’t trust me?”
He was playing a very dangerous game and he knew it, it was all a matter of how he’d play his cards.
“I do. I trust you weren’t doing anything bad, but interrogation, especially done by you, is usually quick no matter what criminal.”
Damian could feel his left eye twitching. He willed himself to calm down, despite itching to get out of there.
In the meantime, Barbara pulled out the footage as per his father’s request. ‘They’d find out about Jon..’
“Bruce I-..”
“Wait!” Barbara gave a questioning look at Damian, who had registered what he just did, yet it was too late to back down now, especially with his father and brothers still watching.
“I.. I request for Gordon to watch it first. Please.” He had never been extremely close with Barbara, but he knew that she of all people respected boundaries. And through pleading eyes, he hoped to convey the message.
Bruce looked like he was about to refuse, but Barbara raised her hand as if to stop him.
“Alright.” She looked at Bruce, inching away from him, incriminating footage mere clicks away. “I’m sure Damian hadn’t done anything. You trust him, no?”
His father goes silent, but nods his head.
“Glad we don’t have any problems with that.”
Damian holds his breath once Barbara goes to check the footage, letting his breath fall in silent relief once his father agrees but his walls coming back up yet again due to the inevitable doom that would come once Barbara pressed onto the key.
It all plays like how Damian envisioned.
Once Barbara presses play, she tries to keep her face passive, however only through trained eyes like him and his family, did they notice the way her eyes widened slightly in shock, but within mere seconds, rested back normally. As the footage went on and Damian itched to call Jon, scream at them for invading his privacy, and jump off his balcony all at once.
He counted the seconds to where Barbara would be nearing when he and Jon kissed, bracing himself for anything.
She sucked in a breath, but otherwise reacted quite well. Closing the laptop, she looks at everyone for a second until her eyes drift down to land on Damian.
“Damian?” Barbara asked. ‘Do you want to tell them?’ goes unsaid.
He’s sure she has her own worries and questions, but Damian decides to thank her profusely afterwards for how she handled it, although he was still a bit miffed that she agreed to invade his privacy. (He also felt a pang of disappointment to Richard who watched, but that goes unsaid too.)
“No.” Barbara nodded, and gave Bruce a pointed look, who didn’t look the happiest.
“I’ll be locking this footage. He didn’t do anything wrong, but it’d be a huge invasion of his privacy.” Bruce narrowed his eyes at that, staring at the mutual agreement between his youngest and her.
There left a pregnant pause that left Damian very uncomfortable. He’d be eternally grateful if someone spoke up, preferably Dick.
“Should we check up on whether or not the criminals are okay?”
Damian should have never thought that. He whipped his head around and seethed. ‘Right, I forgot about Drake.’
Dick seemed to mirror his sentiment, startling a little away from Tim, even Bruce seemed surprised at the accusation.
“I mean, I’m not accusing him! I’m just thinking logically, considering his background—“
“Tim.” Bruce warned.
“What? It wouldn’t be surprising.”
“Tim. Low blow, even from you.” Dick muttered, glaring at his brother who scoffed at the negative reaction.
He spares a glance at Damian, and instead of the anger he’d expected, he’d never seen the youngest look so.. defeated?
Such was so unexpected, Tim couldn’t help his jaw from gaping just a little.
Dick seemed to have noticed the more urgent matter at hand, jumping in to defuse the situation as he always had.
He places a calming hand on Damian’s shoulder who flinches at the contact. Dick was rendered speechless, taking his hand away like it had burned.
“Dami..?” Dick questioned, staring at him like he was some sort of wounded animal.
No doubt Jon listened into this entire conversation, so he didn’t care when his heart started thumping rapidly.
He looked over at his father, who looked apprehensive as if not knowing who to believe.
And that, that was all the confirmation he needed.
“Damian!”
And he booked it.
Hastedly grabbing onto one of his micro smoke bombs, he throws a few onto the ground which gives him just enough time to head for his room.
Dick started chasing after him, along with a few other footsteps, but Damian didn’t quite care who.
He makes it to his room, swiftly heading in before locking it.
As he finishes securing Bruce’s max security lock system for his door that he insisted his father got for him, Dick was already at the door.
“Dames please. It's just me, I told them to give you some space.”
Damian felt something wet, and upon wiping his eyes, he realised they were tears. He hadn’t cried in years.
Tt. Jon was making him weak.
“I’m sorry I let them do that. Whatever you did, I know you did it for the best.”
He swallowed a lump in his throat, taking shaky steps towards his balcony.
He tries his best to stop the tears from falling, but he’s just at a loss, wondering why he was hurting that bad.
“Damian? Please answer me? You can let your big brother know.”
He didn't listen, all he knew was that he had to get out of there.
And so he does.
“Jon.. Please get me out of here..” He steps onto his balcony, shivering at Gotham’s cold winds as he stares up at the looming figure smiling at him.
“I..”
“Shh. It’s okay, I’ve heard it all. Tell me where to go, and your wish is my command.” Jon said softly, stepping onto his balcony whilst placing a soft kiss onto his head, pulling him in a warm embrace, like the stark contrast of the cold night sky.
He thinks Jon’s question for a second, calming down his silent tears that were for sure staining Jon’s hoodie.
Through hiccups and blasting winds, Damian managed to murmur a silent “Your apartment.”
Jon grinned, scooping Damian up bridal style, to which the younger immediately wrapped his arms around Jon’s neck.
It was one of those nights, Jon thought.
He secured Damian tightly, bracing his knees before shooting off into the direction of Metropolis.