Chapter Text
Damian never expected to reach a point in his life where he'd have what could be considered to be a well rounded life in all aspects he cared about. While the majority of the population believed him to be a spoiled trust fund baby born with a silver spoon in his mouth, those close to him knew otherwise.
They knew of his harsh upbringing and the future meticulously planned out for him.
But they were there for him, providing a guiding hand and helping him figure out the type of person he wanted to be. That he was more than his name and the expectations placed on him. They gave him more chances than he should have been allowed after an untold amount of mistakes. Years of grueling training and merciless lessons were nothing compared to having to dismantle what he knew and relearning the etiquette needed to meld into Gotham society.
He honestly didn't think much about his future besides rewriting the fate laid out for him as an Al Gul. He expected nonstop fighting until his eventual (and most likely untimely) death. He was content to live his life as part of Gotham's shadows.
That all changed when Danny quite literally crashed into his life and brought light with him.
It was his sophomore year of high school and he was the only one of his siblings available to accompany his father to the opening ceremony for the newest science wing in Gotham Museum. Though their family provided some funding to the museum, their presence at the opening would help secure money from wealthy socialites wanting to be acknowledged by a Wayne. As he had to focus on talking to anyone close to his age range, he was on his best behavior. At least he could enjoy pitting them against each other in a battle of egos and one upmanship and, in the end, any loss in their bank accounts would barely be felt by their parents.
Even with the small bit of entertainment that it provided, he could only stand his unwanted company for so long. He found himself slipping away for a few minutes throughout the night to calm his nerves. He was just about to go back to his duties when he had to allow himself to be bumped into. He didn't expect for the collision to bring him to the floor, but he discretely made sure the other person joined him.
Damain was interrupted from thinking of his next steps by a hand in his face. He looks up to see the guilty expression of the other person.
“I'm so sorry! Are you okay?”
Ignoring the hand, Damian gets up and makes a show of brushing off nonexistent dust from his outfit. “Here I thought walking on a flat stretch of tiles with only one other person in sight would be impossible for most people to fail at. Thanks for proving me wrong.”
“Yeah, I'm usually better about things like that. But it's not every day you get to see a full sized Styxosaurus on display. Got a bit distracted while I was walking down the length of the model hanging from the ceiling.”
Looking up, Damian sees a long column of vertebrae spanning down the hallway. The rest of the body isn't completely in sight, but looks to curve around the corner. Deciding to let the issue go for now, Damian absent-mindedly asks why the display is so interesting and hopes he can lose track of the other through the throng of people inside.
What instead followed was a fascinating breakdown of prehistoric species and environments through different time periods. He quickly lost interest in escaping as each fact had a way of making him want to learn more. When he realized he should probably get back to securing funding again, he noticed that he wasn't alone in being enthralled by the boy's conversation. A few others were gathered around and none of them paid Damian any mind.
He decided to test what would happen if he lagged at the back of the group. Would the boy notice his absence and would the others try to follow him? The boy continued to spout out facts of the different exhibits to anyone willing to hear. He managed to shut down any potential argument that entitled trust fund babies might get into and lead into a different topic flawlessly. Some of the gathered guests even expressed their willingness to donate in hopes of adding more displays to the museum's collection.
When the night grew late, Damian found himself alone with the boy.
“Sorry, I've been talking your ear off all night and I didn't even bother to ask your name. I'm Danny, by the way,” Danny sheepishly admitted.
“Damian.”
He was surprised when Danny showed no recognition of his name and continued with their conversation.
What he thought was another plot to get close to his family and their influence turned out to be completely genuine. Danny was there for a summer program and was invited to the event by his friend. He had no idea nor any care about his family and their ventures. He only showed interest in getting to know Damian.
Between the texting, video calls, and the rare visit, their budding friendship evolved into a romance that remained strong through the years. When Danny moved to Gotham for college, their almost daily hangouts helped them grow a deeper understanding of each other. He doesn't know when Danny's apartment became their apartment, but having the space where he didn't need to uphold his status as a Wayne or plan to pursue crime as Robin was refreshing. It also helped him solidify the idea to pursue a career in the medical field.
He doesn't even need to worry about his disappearances being linked to Robin fighting the latest Gotham rogue. Whenever a rogue causes multiple injuries, that leads multiple new patients flooding into Wayne Hospital. Thanks to it being a nonprofit funded almost completely by his family, it's the hospital of choice for many Gothamites who wouldn't have been able to afford hospital care otherwise. Both of his lives blend into each other when he saves people as a vigilante and then treats the injured during his residency at Wayne Hospital.
Unfortunately, that also means that he is twice as likely to get called in to help for either of his jobs.
Today just so happened to be one of the many times he's had to cancel a date last minute to handle an issue at both of his jobs. That issue turned out to be Bane very enthusiastic about his newly acquired batch of Venom. Already, several cars have been thrown through storefronts and a few telephone poles have been knocked down into the streets. The damage done to an area of 3 square blocks is astounding considering Bane only started his rampage half an hour ago.
With Signal handling a large-scale turf war on the other side of Gotham, it was decided that Damian would be the one to get the situation under control. As his main focus was leading Bane away from an area with a high density of civilians, Damian had to cycle between darting in close to keep his attention and dodging out of the way of any attacks thrown at him. He successfully led Bane down to the more secluded docks and it didn't take much longer before he was able to cut the lines supplying him with tanks of Venom.
Adding to the unideal situation, it seems like this batch of Venom had been modified to last longer in the body even after the intake stopped. Since Bane was already cut off, he'd just have to keep him busy until the Venom ran its course. He can admit to himself that he got a bit sloppy while trying to speed up the process. Luring him around the mostly evacuated area sounded like the perfect idea, but Bane already knew what he was trying to do.
In between his jump from one building and trying to land on the gutter of another, he instead found himself crashing through a wall. He barely avoided getting impaled by shards of glass before he had to dodge a pallet of bricks being thrown at him. A few still managed to hit him, but the massive hand wrapped around his leg was a more pressing matter.
Thankfully, the Venom finally ran its course minutes later and Damian remained mostly standing. He stayed long enough to make sure Bane was taken away before taking stock of his injuries. He treated the worst of them before he slinked home much later than he intended. He decided to bring home some dessert as a treat.
Unlocking their apartment door, Damian tiredly made his way inside. Taking off his shoes, he notices the absence of Danny's own; either he made it home before him, or Danny got wrapped up in a project and forgot to remove them. He calls out to make sure.
“Danny, I'm home.”
He can hear metal scraping against something for a few moments before it stops. It's not long before Danny's head pops out from the living room doorway.
Damian can't help the smile that spreads across his face when he sees the way Danny's face lights up at his arrival. It's only seconds between Danny spotting him and almost teleporting in front of him, already talking about a new breakthrough he had with his current project. Damian feels his body fully relax for the first time since leaving the apartment that morning. The pain of his injuries dull to an ache as he lets Danny's voice wash over him, though he's too tired to try to keep up with exactly what is being said.
As if sensing this, Danny pauses mid sentence and gives him a once over. He knows he must look exhausted and he definitely doesn't feel like coming up with a story to explain any visible injuries. Thankfully, instead of any number of probing questions he could ask, Danny gives a wry smile.
“Long day?”
“Too long,” Damian agrees.
“Well, we still have leftovers in the fridge. I'll heat them up and give you time to get settled.”
“I brought dessert.” He says as he lifts the bag.
“Oh, you're always so sweet to me.”
Sitting at the table minutes later, conversation flows easily until a thought strikes him. Between their busy schedules, he can't remember the last time they had a night out that wasn't interrupted in some way. Any attempt to ignore the guilt that bubbles up ends in failure as an idea takes hold. Damian's already speaking before he can give it any more thought.
“We should go on a date.”
“Are you asking me out? I'll have you know, my boyfriend wouldn't take too kindly to another man making a move on me,” Danny joked.
“Something tells me he'll allow it this one time. Besides, we haven't had a night out in so long.”
“I seem to remember a wonderful night of dancing two weeks ago.”
“Do you also remember that we had to end it early when I was called in due to a Killer Croc rampage?”
“Yes, but it was still an amazing night.”
“Even before my residency began, I recall many of our dates getting interrupted by me being called in to handle an issue at Wayne Enterprises.”
“You know I don't mind. If it bothered me, I'd have told you from the beginning.”
“And I love that about you. But it's not fair that you have to put up with me putting work first.” Sensing that Danny wouldn't be convinced, Damian changes tactics.
“Please? I've missed our date nights and I want to spoil you. We can even visit a planetarium or observatory afterwards.”
“You know I'd be fine staying in and ordering food. But I wouldn't be opposed to a night of stargazing. In exchange, we watch a marathon of C tier monster movies tonight while eating burnt popcorn.”
With a difficult decision made, Damian spends the rest of the night cuddling up with his boyfriend.
Damian spends the week leading up to their date getting as much work done as he can to make sure he isn't disturbed on his day off. He left detailed care instructions to the hospital staff for all of his current patients and their treatment plans. Though their conditions are currently stable, he'd rather not return to work to find an injury becoming infected due to mismanagement.
When he explained the situation to his family, they were surprisingly accommodating. All of his patrol routes were covered and his current cases were redistributed smoothly. He'd usually be suspicious of how easily they agreed without him even needing to use a bribe for leverage. But, as Damian turns all his focus towards planning the perfect date, he decides not to look into it any further.
For the restaurant, he decided to go with a less extravagant location to not have to worry about the usual etiquette they'd be expected to adhere to. It was chosen more for its interior's design than its price tag. Damian knew that the curtain of crystal beads strung from the ceiling will captivate Danny with the way light hits it in the lowly lit area. He also made sure the dining area fit as much of the criteria that he'd prefer to eat in. An area private enough so they wouldn't be gawked at, but close enough to the dining area to still have a window view.
After dinner, they'd be driven to Gotham's Observatory to spend the rest of their evening. With the entire venue reserved for an entire 24 hours, they can spend the night away in each other's presence. And if the sights cause Danny to spout out facts endlessly while he's enthralled by the stars, Damian will enjoy every second of it.
When the day arrives, they both stay in bed longer than they've had in recent memory and order from their favorite dinner for breakfast. They continue to relax and cuddle until noon before getting ready for their reservation.
He decided to wear a coal gray suit with the accents and his inner shirt being an eye-catching emerald green. An appreciative hum from the door breaks him away from inspecting his outfit in the mirror. Turning around, his eyes are immediately drawn to the glittering specks dusting Danny's shoulders.
The majority of it is concentrated on the shoulders before fading completely at the bottom of the navy suit. His silver star earrings start as a crescent moon ear cuff that is connected to dangling chains ending in stars. It almost gives the illusion that the glitter was dripping from the earrings to become the sparkles on his suit.
The look is completed with the navy choker wrapped delicately around his neck with small stars speckled the soft material. A golden pendant hangs from the center, molded into the shape of the North Star. The gift he gave Danny for their first anniversary looks just as beautiful as he'd thought when he first saw it displayed in a window.
When he's able to pull his eyes up, he finally notices that Danny had been just as enthralled. Deciding that they needed to leave before they could end up canceling their plans to spend the night tangled up with each other, they slipped into their car and drove to the restaurant. The maitre'd quickly escorted them to their table and before leaving to serve their planned meal.
Damian notices the exact moment when Danny notices the crystal curtain. His eyes widen before taking on a similar shine. Damian begins to explain each detail he learned while researching the restaurant and Danny hangs off every word.
He almost forgot how much he missed this.
As Danny recounts a recent incident he probably caused at his work's lab, Damian lets himself bask in the excitement in Danny's voice. When he feels his phone vibrate in his pocket, he instinctively pulls it out before he can stop himself. Instead of looking at who's calling him, he holds the phone in his hand; he hopes whoever it is can feel the full force of his glare. He must have been quiet for too long, because Danny's concerned voice has him looking back at him.
“Is it the hospital? You should answer it, it's probably important.”
As Damian places his phone face down on the table, he easily makes his decision.
“Whatever it is can wait until I'm back from my vacation. If they can't handle things without me, either they have a lot wrong with managing the schedule or they've reached a new level of incompetence in my absence.”
“It could be an emergency. You never know what'll happen next in Gotham. If the hospital needs you, the lives of your patients are more important than one night out with me. I don't mind rescheduling, we can have a night to ourselves at any time.”
“You know I appreciate all the concessions you make when it comes to my work, but you shouldn't have to put up with the constant interruptions to our date nights. Nothing is more important than being here with you, Beloved.”
Seeing the unconvinced frown pulling at his face, Damian takes his hand and brings it to his face to lovingly kiss each knuckle. He feels more than sees the way Danny melts into him. When he looks up, there's a light blush on his cheeks and a smile he's trying to hide. The look in his eyes…. completely besotted.
Before Danny can recover and continue his argument, the moment is shattered just like the nearby window. A hulking mass crashes through the glass and several tables to land in the pile of debris. The screams and sounds of destruction from outside filter in unimpeded. Large creatures that could only be Parademons attack everything in their path that are unable to move in time.
“Looks like it was an emergency after all.”
The debris shifts as the Parademon in the restaurant starts to get up, the other customers are snapped out of their shock and quickly try to get out any way they can. Damian grabs Danny's hand and leads them through the back exit.
“I have to get to the hospital, I don't think driving you home would be possible with how the roads are. Both the apartment and the manor are too far to even attempt to get to. The Observatory might be the safest bet right now. You can hide in the building if it hasn't been attacked yet, but I don't know if you should risk going out there.”
“I survived all kinds of emergency situations back home, this is nothing I can't handle.”
“I doubt Amity Park has experienced an alien invasion.”
“You're surprisingly right about that. But don't worry, I brought my knife with me!”
“Danny, a knife isn't going to do any good against those things.”
“Hey! I can always go for the eyes! People always forget how sensitive they are no matter what species you're fighting.”
“Danny…”
“Fine, I promise I'll do my best to stay away and only use my knife as a last resort.”
“I'd be happier getting you to the closest Wayne Enterprises building for your safety.”
Sensing how much the situation is weighing on him, Danny slips his arms around Damian's neck and pulls him into a deep kiss. It's comforting and grounding as he feels himself melt into the touch. They break the kiss, but the calm remains. He feels his eyes flutter closed as Danny leans their foreheads together. When he opens them again, Danny's eyes are loving and his voice is sure.
“I'll see you when I get home. Promise.”
They share one last kiss before Danny takes his chance to escape. Despite the chaos of people trying to get away while the city burns around them, Danny seamlessly slips through it all. Damian's eyes never strays from Danny's form as he expertly maneuvers through the wreckage and away from any Parademons.
Even as he disappeared around a corner, Damian stood there for a few precious moments and gathered himself before he could track Danny from the rooftops. The sound of distant gunshots has him rushing away to a secluded area to change.
As expected, his comms is already buzzing with voices when he turns it on. He joins in the effort to evacuate any civilians who haven't made it to safety before his attention turns to fighting the Parademons. Despite the cool precision they work in, he can tell the situation has devolved more than they can keep up with.
Hours later and the onslaught is flooding in at a constant rate no matter how many they've taken down. League members and even some villains are locked in an unending war all over the world.
Exhaustion weighs on him heavily and his body struggles to keep moving. He tries to keep his movements as precise as possible to expend the least amount of energy he can afford, but he's noticeably slowing down. While trying to dodge a pair of slashing claws, a fist to his back slams him hard enough to dent a car. Still rattled, he throws his last two batarangs that lodge deep into the necks of the two closest to him.
They slump to the ground, but are immediately replaced by three more. He gets ready to put as much power as he can in his legs to dodge. Before the Parademons can launch an attack, they freeze before looking up. The entire street is soon engulfed by a shadow.
Damian barely has time to look up at the floating dark object before he's on the ground. It takes a few seconds for him to register anything but pain. It's even longer before he can pinpoint where it's focused on the most. The lack of sound is his first clue.
As if in reaction to this realization, a second shockwave of sound hits before all he can hear is ringing. He can't tell if the world around him is actually vibrating or if he's hallucinating. His body can only twitch in pain before his muscles become too drained to move.
The ringing reaches a crescendo and his consciousness fades away.