first draft excerpt of the hal chapter!
(edit: it's on ao3!)
"Mind if I taste?" Hal asks.
Damian has only been holding onto his milkshake in order to have an excuse to stay. It doesn't seem like he needs that now, so he hands it over, says, "You can finish it."
Pinning the straw back with his index finger, Hal downs the last inch of liquid without coming up for breath. He licks his bottom lip and grunts. "Damn, that is good. Caramel's your favorite, huh?"
"Mhm."
"You might've just converted me," Hal says, flashing him a grin as he stacks the empty cups on the dash with the crumpled fry containers.
Once he's settled back into the seat, his limbs are comfortably spread and his hand drapes close to Damian's shoulder. Hal's eyes are golden in the light, still on Damian's face, searching. Damian glances off at the beach, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand.
"Sorry, kiddo, I was just realizing--" He shifts a little closer, hand poised like a pianist's on the red leather. "You don't look much like your dad. When you really look, I mean."
Damian has caught a few of these looks from Hal before, but this is the first explanation. It feels like it's building to something. He tucks one knee up to his chest and fiddles with the laces of his Nike high tops. Hal always has something complimentary to say about his sneaker collection.
"Because you have the brow," Hal continues, "the very same arch. But your face shape is completely different. Even your hair, y'know, it's black, but--" he reaches out and eases his fingers through Damian's hair from temple to crown. "It's not gelled, is it?"
A shiver drips from the three points of contact on Damian's scalp, down between his shoulder blades, reverberates through his whole body. Hal huffs a laugh.
"No. I've--" Damian swallows. As he surveys Hal's casual posture, he pulls his hand away and scoots a few inches closer. "I've been told I look my mother."
"Yeah?" Hal asks, and smiles something entirely unfamiliar. Amused, relaxed, warm enough that Damian can feel it on his skin. "She must be gorgeous."
