Damien doesn’t know how to have friends so he’s stuck in a weird limbo of being randomly romantic with people outside his family.
Talia Al Ghul doesn’t have friends.
Ras Al Ghul doesn’t have friends.
And Bruce Wayne….has complicated friends.
Before Damien was shipped off the live with his father, he spent a lot of time learning by example from his mother, this includes all manner of relationship. Specifically, she displayed behaviour toward three categories of people that Damien defined overtime; Family, soldiers, and assets. Family was to be treated with respect, and elders should listened to; soldiers were to be subjugated and controlled; and assets were to manipulated. He saw his mother seduce a lot of people who fell into the assets category.
Having no outside influences what so ever, little Damien’s brain just sorta computed that behaviour being appropriate for those outside the family he deemed valuable. Moving in with Bruce didn’t help with this; the Brucie Wayne persona dictated that he got around, and weirdly enough, viewing his relationship with League members didn’t help to define appropriate action. If anything Bruce’s only influential change in Damien’s view, was a softer approach to love and touch. One not as forceful and violent as his mother; Damien would only admit to himself that he preferred softness.
It takes a hot minute for this to come to light with the Batfamily; as implied they fell under family for the most part, even those he didn’t like, he respected them enough not to kill or harm (at least not anymore). He didn’t have any outside connections until Colin Wilkes waltzed into his life. A boy much like himself who’d dealt as much abuse as he’d been dealt; cold but not unfeeling, and unexplainably civil with Damien.
Damien noticed after a while that he liked hanging out with Colin; he relaxed him and made him feel important outside his identity as Robin, and further more, his identity as a Wayne. This boy was an asset to his piece of mind; to his happiness.
This leads to a lot of gifts; a lot of soft touches; a few pet names. Colin cannot give as grand of gifts but he allows touch, for Damien to cling to him; to hug him; to hold his hand. As they grow older together Colin even kisses his cheek, testing the waters really. “You finally accept my friendship?” Damien would ask him.
“Were we not friends?” Colin asks confused.
Colin is an enigma in himself, not growing up in a normal situation where he had normal friends; so while Damien’s behaviour was weird, he didn’t really feel the need to correct anything. He didn’t have anything to compare it to; maybe this is just how close friends behave. He can’t say he dislikes it.
Jonathan Kent would have the same thoughts as he grew close to the new Robin. At first he was mean and condescending, constantly throwing any insult he had at Jon; but then one day he just grabs Jon’s hand when they’re on a mission together. Jon yelps and looks at Robin’s hand that grasps his “Why are you holding my hand?” He asks suspiciously, concerned that Robin might try to hurt him.
“We’re friends.” Robin deadpanned, like it was the most obvious thing in the world.
“Oh.” Jon slowly adjusted them so they were actually holding each others hands properly “Okay.”
Jon doesn’t really have friends. He can’t go to school at the moment because his dad is afraid of his powers getting exposed; and the very few people he got along with had already moved on. In fact it was the whole reason Robin and Superboy were introduced, Clark fearing his boy wouldn’t get the social interaction he needed. Damian however, was probably not the right person to come to first.
Much like with Colin things escalated and Jon got a bit confused “Hey Kon,” he corner his clone brother in the kitchen one day “you have a lot of friends right?”
“I have at least three.” Kon joked “why’d you ask?”
“Is it normal for your friends to like…kiss you and junk?”
“I mean…maybe? I think that means you’re dating though. Actually Tim kissed me before we started dating-I think dating and friends exist at the same time.” Kon’s face scrunched up in confusion “I think I’ve kissed all my friends. Am I dating all my friends? I’ve gotta make a call.”
“Okay.” Jon mumbles still confused. He decides to call Damien “Damien are we dating or friends?”
“What’s dating?” Damien’s asks curtly.
“Yknow when you like, wanna hug and kiss a person, and like, be with them for the rest of your life?”
“Hmm,” Damien’s hummed for a second “I suppose then I’m dating you and Colin.”
“A friend. My first friend. If your available this weekend you can join us for movies?”
“Okay! What are we watching?”
This all culminates in the Wayne family Christmas party “Father, I wish to invite my friends.” Damien had asked him “Colin and Jon.”
Bruce was silently excited that he had friends “I see no problem with that. Clark is already coming, so he can bring Jon.”
“I will collect Colin.” Damien states before walking off.
The Kent’s arrive early and Damien almost immediately steels Jon away up to his room, dragging him by his hand up the stairs. Colin’s sitting on the floor in front of the tv in Damien’s room; surrounded by the Robins bedding that he’d dragged to the ground. Seeing the Jon come in, he pats a spot next him “Come here Johnny boy.” He invites.
Jon kisses him on the cheek and sits next to him, cuddling into his side. Damian collects them both in his arms humming quietly “I’m glad you could both make it.”
“Course,” Colin smiles pressing his forehead to Damians “wouldn’t miss it. Specially not for you two.”
They’re all in a big cuddle pile, sharing soft touches and the occasional kiss to the cheek or hand when Bruce opens the door and sees this very affectionate scene “Damian!” He cries “what is going on?”
“I’m holding my friends…?”