Summary & CW: fluff, college setting, fake dating, babysitting Mar'i, dickkori, reader has (at least) shoulder length hair
Pairing: Damian Wayne x Fem!Reader
Word Count: 1.0k
A/N: Another piece out of the kiln! Thank you to the anon for requesting :))) I had a lot of fun with this one and I hope you enjoy it ;) I know this prob isn't lore accurate and deviates from a million canons but idc
“I mean, it’s about time.”
Dick Grayson announced standing in front of you while screwing the cap on his water bottle, relishing the last moments of his handsfree day.
He gave Damian a teasing grin, obviously getting a kick at the sight of him next to you. The man in question’s arm was stretched out behind you on the couch you’d recently low balled someone on Facebook Marketplace for. Your laptop was forgotten on the coffee table, paused at 23:36 of the lecture you’d had to finish by tonight.
It was a little over three hours ago when a knock ricocheted off your front door with Damian on the other end. It was the first time in your life you’d seen him that frazzled.
His hair was unruly, shirt untucked, socks mismatched, and there was no sign of the belt that usually looped around his jeans. His eyes were about to bug out of his head and sweat coated his forehead.
The catalyst for this? Your favorite being you’ve ever met.
Mar’i Grayson.
She was propped up on his hip with the most contagious grin you’d ever been on the receiving end of. Her stubby hand was gripping at the diaper bag hanging from his shoulder. Damian looked like he ran a marathon, and she could’ve been a princess straight from a book.
“I need help.”
It was a simple request. If it was anyone else you wouldn’t have batted an eye. But this was Damian Wayne. A man notorious for never asking for help. Not when he had seven bags of groceries hanging off his arms. Not when he was upset. Not even when he crawled through your window, interrupting your homework, when he had wounds littering his skin.
It was a known fact. Almost as if it was claiming that grass was green, that tomatoes were red. Another known fact was that you would help without question. It was habit for you to understand the need without him verbalizing it. A lot of your friendship with Damian was in the unsaid.
It was him doordashing you lunch, scoffing that you hadn’t eaten. It was him renting your favorite movie, even if he rolled his eyes at the cheesiness. It was him buying you a stuffed animal, even if he didn’t understand the value of it.
So now, with desperation spilling from his lips, your eyebrows shoot up.
“What?”
“Grayson asked me to watch the baby for a few hours.” He walked through the doorframe when you stepped aside, allowing him to enter. “I assumed it wouldn’t be a difficult task, she is less than a year old. But I am losing my mind.”
The whole scene was a bit of a shock. On the outside, she didn’t seem to be upset- hell, she was practically drooling with joy. He on the other hand, was on the verge of ripping his hair out. You weren’t particularly great with kids, but you weren’t awful. They just weren’t your preferred company, especially when you had midterms coming up.
There was a small temptation that sprouted in your mind to turn him away. But when he turned to look at you again, his face was agonized with whatever little Mar’i had managed to torture him with in the forty-five minutes before he sought you out.
That’s how you find yourself with half the Wayne men in your apartment.
Mar’i was still in your grasp, bouncing on your left knee while she used her insane baby grip on your hair. You’d tried to untangle it from her chubby fingers. It was a fabulous effort, truly it was. You’d pulled it slowly so she wouldn’t notice, then played with her a bit to see if she would let go. But she never did, which meant promptly giving up on salvaging your hair after the third try.
“I’m sure he hasn’t told you yet, but he’s been in love with you for like… ever.”
Ah.
That was the other thing.
Kori and Dick were… protective of her to say the least, which was to be expected. They were new parents, and with a baby as cute as her, you’d be the same if not worse. The couple didn’t love the idea of people they didn’t know watching her and as a result, Damian told them he was visiting his girlfriend.
He all but begged for you play along.
Now though, your ears pricked up at the conversation. Sparing Damian a look over your shoulder, you unfortunately sacrificed a few strands of hair. His eyes were practically drilling into Dick, as if he could will him to keep his mouth shut. Even so, you didn’t miss the blush that was blooming from his cheeks.
“Is that so?” The smile in your tone was evident.
Dick was practically giddy to poke some more fun at his brother.
“Oh yeah,” he laughed at the confession. When his face split with the smile, you realized then that Mar’i had inherited hers from him. “I don’t think I’ve had one conversation with him in the past year where your name hasn’t come up.”
You tried to bite your cheeks to stop the smile. You really did. It was just too sweet. Damian, who kept his emotions under lock and key, was apparently so head over heels that he told his brothers about you.
Another glance over your shoulder confirms your suspicions. If looks could kill, Richard Grayson would be cremated into a firework already. Yet the acrobat thrived off it, if anything, his mood grew lighter.
Biting your lower lip, you decide to push your luck. He asked you to play along after all.
Leaning back into the blue cushion of the couch, you press the lightest kiss to his cheek. Your lips barely brush his skin, and somehow his blush darkens entirely, spreading to the tips of ears.
“Well, aren’t I just the luckiest girl in the world then?” You hum feeding Dick’s tease.
Dick lets out a genuine laugh looking at his brother. Damian grumbles something under his breath, and attempts to act unaffected. However when your head leans on his shoulder, you don’t miss the way he freezes before settling into something similar to peace.
His arm drops from the back of the couch to wrap around your shoulder. And maybe, just maybe, the next time he needs help babysitting, you won’t have to act.
DC continues to exploit the concept and name of the Titans because of their success, creating a bunch of teams that have nothing in common with the original Titans except the name, and do not have a single member of the successful team.
I hate it because the Titans have always been more than just a team. and calling any new team of young superheroes titans, in my opinion, is disrespectful and speaks of creative impotence.
I will accept the new generation of teen titans only if SHE is in the team
damian and mary/mar'i: big bro/lil sis //// uncle/niece dynamic. small overprotective gremlin energy. once again, missed out opportunities DC!! :L
(and maybe he's envious of the happy family he sees :L bit of angst whoops)
if y'all got any more funny ideas for kory/starfire and mari with the batfam, lmk! I'm not too familiar with recent batfam changes haha. got a couple more ideas before i go back to tt03 stuff again.
