For a headcanon- what do you think Jon and Damian would if in a non-hero au??
I think they would definitely lean into their parental legacies way more. I think Damian would become much more seductive playboy globetrotter and Jon would become either a writer or photographer for a medium-sized market newspaper or magazine.
There would be some kind of fundraiser gala that it's been announced the Waynes are going to attend. Jon's been called up to cover it, and get a scoop on that elusive Dami Wayne. Rumours are he's a diva, and rude. Look at you like you're not worth the dirt on his shoe.
So Jon goes into the story miserably. He doesn't want to go. Doesn't want to be there, or doing this story. He wants to cover stories that actually matter to the community, like the 80 year old teacher who refuses to retire because she loves helping kids, or the environmentalist single-handedly fighting oil companies trying to destroy the nearby forest.
Not galas full of sleezeball rich people.
But then he comes across Damian outside on a balcony. Maybe it's some socialite getting too handsy with him and he's trapped, or maybe it's Damian screaming in Bruce's face about how he doesn't want to be there, he wants to work on his art or be at the animal shelter to help them rebuild a section of the building that collapsed.
Regardless, Jon's opinion takes a complete 180, and he knows he won't get another chance to catch Dami Wayne alone like this, or so vulnerable.
So after the other person leaves, Jon jumps out, awkwardly asking if Damian is okay. Damian obviously doesn't trust him at first, but they get to talking, become surprisingly raw with each other surprisingly quickly.
They talk alone outside the rest of the gala. By the end of the event, Damian sighs, and says he knows Jon is going to publish some of what he said, and he asks that Jon just keeps it the least bit marginally respectful, if not at least truthful.
Jon deletes/rips up all his notes that he took.
Damian is shocked, but Jon has integrity. The two keep in touch via email or text for a few months, with Damian sometimes sending in leads or information if he thinks Jon could do something with it. They run into each other later when Jon shows up at the animal shelter reopening to do a story on the director who almost died saving all the animals.
And the rest (the friendship, the romance, the whatever) is history, haha.
