Pairing: Fem!Reader x Platónic!Damian Wayne
Content: I don't know how to describe what I wrote, maybe because it's 2 in the morning but bah.
Damian realizing you do more than he thought, and acknowledging that maybe you can make good decisions.
Warnings: None.
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Damian was a difficult kid. Not something you could blame him for because he grew up with literal assassins, so there was just one thing to do: Teach him how to be a kid.
But there was a long path to walk. Days started with indifference and disrespectful, passive-aggressive comments alluding to you being a replacement, an ignorant or something like that.
As time passed, Bruce, Dick and Alfred, even John Kent and other superheroes, but you seemed to be a HUGE rock on his way. And for a moment you just let it be, pretending not to care when he was being rude.
But today, something weird happened. He approached you, slowly, almost as if he didn't want to be noticed. Then his question hit the air, precise, straight to the point. "Do you work at an animal shelter??" You did know he had been getting fond of animals; his recent choice of veganism confirmed that, so your answer came pretty quick.
"Well...I own a lot of shelters around the country, actually." His green eyes that were focusing on you suddenly grew a little; then he turned forward, like he was analizing the situation. A second slipped before you added. "Would you like to visit one?" That seemed to activate his kid mode, because he jumped off the couch, rapidly facing you, asking if you would do that, when you could go, and other things that got stuck on his tongue before he realized he was giving a little too much away and just calmed and waited for your answer. "Go for your jacket."
When you arrived, the team greeted both of you happily, showing you the place.
You saw Damian's little eyes full of joy. He had visited other shelters, but they were nothing like this; they were old, unprepared, and many times inadequate to take care of animals, so looking around and noticing everything was perfectly new, comfortable, and adequate made him happy.
He was just walking around until he reached the dogs section; they were freely pacing until he got in. In a second, there was an enormous mixed brown dog barking aggressively at him.
He took a step back, getting defensive almost instantly. But as quickly as everything started, it ended. You put yourself between them, calming the dog and protecting Damian with your body in case he didn't want to get calm.
Once you noticed both of them were relaxed, you officially introduced them." Hey" you called for the kid to come closer to you. He did, but the way he stepped a little too harshly made a growl come out of the dog's throat. He retreat. "Slowly, he's not going to hurt you, but he thinks you're going to hurt him". The explanation seemed to offend him because he straightened himself and furrowed his brow.
"That's not true; I didn't mistreat him for him to believe that." His little figure got still until you talked again.
"A lot of them came from bad places, where someone getting closer too fast meant violence." You pet his furry head and ears softly. " That's why they need you to approach them slowly, not nervously." That seemed to motivate him into trying again, because he took an easier posture and carefully calculated steps.
You offered your hand for him to put his on, but in his not-so-evident confusion, you explained he needed to offer his hand, so the dog could smell him. He did, a little chill creeping up his hand at the contact with his whiskers.
Then you both stilled, letting Lettuce, as you introduced him and what Damian thought was denigrating, smell him.
A couple of minutes passed until Lettuce sat beside Damian. He went completely hard at the sudden closeness, blinking in surprise until you talked: " You can pet him."
His eyes darted to you, analyzing if you were joking, but at the look of your clearly normal state, he tried. His hand touched the soft fur with softness, slowly patting the creature, relaxing after a few seconds.
Lettuce was the one who decided it was enough when he got up and ran towards the group of dogs, all of them barking furiously at the sound of sirens outside. It was nothing new, but they liked to bark at it, you assumed.
He stalled there, not knowing exactly what else to do. He walked around the place, being ignored by the majority of the dogs. Moments later, he noticed a closed door across the place; he stepped closer to it before asking: "What is in there?"
You got up, walking by his side. "There are the cats; a lot of them don't get along with dogs, so they are in different areas. Once a day, those who don't care come out to play." Your words satisfied his curiosity but ignited something else.
"Can we go in?" Your response came into action when you opened the door for him to step into the room.
He turned in awe, watching the animals get around him.
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Damian was quietly reading in the library, the room still around him, until a knock on the door perturbed his peace. A characteristic sigh and a mortal gaze took place on his face when he finally allowed you to come in.
"Sorry, Alfred is looking for you. He's in the living room," And as fast as you came, you left the room. He reluctantly got up and went downstairs just to find the old butler sitting in the kitchen, reading the news.
"Y/N said I was being required here." His voice flew across the room, making the old man turn and face him. A satisfied expression took place on his face as he folded the newspaper.
"Sorry if I interrupted your reading time, Master Damian, but I needed to get rid of this." The explanation confused him a little; exactly what problem he had that needed to be treated as fast as possible, but, at the same time, wasn't that important to actually worry the butler. "Open that box, please, Master Damian." The kid turned to see the box Alfred was pointing at. Stepping closer to take it and lift it up to put it over the kitchen table.
He barely opened the box when a hiss made him retreat. He stopped a second before curiosity crept up in him, enough to make him open the box with one fluid move. From it, a little paw came aggressively, trying to scratch his hand; at the movement followed the apparition of the furry little creature whose unique mission seemed to be to tear his hand off him.
The kid furrowed his brow, trying to understand why that creature was currently sitting over the kitchen counter while looking so aggressively at him. He did not do anything to anger the cat. But as if the universe, or even more precisely Alfred, answered his question.
“I found him this morning,” He clarified.” While visiting Mrs. Wayne at the animal shelter.” Damian inspected the animal while listening to the Butler, turning to him for further information. “I considered it was appropriate to bring him home, for you, master Damian.” With those details and a new attempt to tear his skin open, he finally straightened up, ready to announce his verdict.
“He has potential; I’ll call him Alfred.” He turned to face Alfred, the butler. “You made a very acceptable choice, Alfred. Thank you.” And with that, he called for the cat, who curiously followed him too easily. “And…did you mention you found him at the shelter?”
“Yes, sir.” Agreed the butler.
“Good.” And with no other word, he left the room, walking casually towards your bedroom.
Yes, your bedroom, because after your so big effort to not letting him know that Alfred the cat was your idea, he has noticed the excitement oozing from you earlier. And he realized that Alfred the cat and he had met before: the first time he went with you to visit the shelter, he noticed a little cat who seemed too weak to defend himself, and he might have been caught staring at him a little too much, maybe enough for you to notice.
Once he reached the door, he considered the possibility of not letting you know he did know about your not-so-brilliant plan. But as he lifted his hand to knock, the door flung open as you were happily getting out, just to find Damian standing in the hall. Then, you both went still for a couple of seconds, staring at each other.
“I’m here to offer my acknowledgments for my new partner. Thank you.” And with that, he stepped out of your view, with the feline following closer behind him.
Maybe your plan hadn’t gone as planned, but knowing that your present had been acknowledged by the kid that had been so harsh towards you made your heart full of joy.
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Anotherjinxsoul 💋
