Batfam X Reader

Care is Earned ( Damian )

It was another boring day working with your grandfather, Alfred Pennyworth.  Gramp for short.  You help clean the manor despite being told you don't need to.  But Mr. Wayne agreed to let you stay there after your mother died.  It is the least you could do both for him and Gramp.  The boys are all close to you. Dick is always your confidant. Jason is the protector. Tim is the one always happy to nerd out with you on various topics and even teaches you hacking. You love all of them like brothers though equal in each of their own special ways.  Then you have Babs and Steph to help with my female dilemmas. Luckily you're only ten so you have only been told of them. Girl problems sound terrible.

"Alfred, prepare a room. We are having a guest." Bruce's voice rings through the Batcave.

"Oh goody...." Gramp says in his signature sarcastic tone.

You look at him. "Who do you think it will be Gramp? Think they will like me if we haven't met before?"

"I have not the slightest clue sweetie." He smiles at you.  Everyone says you're the last of what is innocent in Wayne Manor. You find that hard to believe but can't argue it either. You just don't see the dangers and heartbreak they see everywhere.

Your thoughts are broke by the sound of the Batmobile zooming in. It parks and opens revealing Batman, a man who would put fear into anyone else but simply brings you joy, and a boy near your age who looks as though the world has handed him the worst and told him to simply get over it.

He gets out and looks you over before giving a cocky attitude about only being one servant and a child here.  You give him a glare and snap, "Who do you think you are, calling Gramp a servant?"

"I'm entitled to all of my father's property. You will make a fine servant if you learn to control that tongue, young Pennyworth." He says in that annoying tone. Already he has given you an unwanted nickname. Maybe if he used it in a different tone it wouldn't be so bad.

"I'm servant to nobody. Brat." You nickname him then walk off.

Not your most cleaver moment, or finest, but you knew you had to leave before Gramp became upset with a retort you come up with if you stayed.

The next morning you are sipping tea in the garden in peace. This peace is interrupted by the brat chopping down the animal shaped bushes. Brat.

"Cut it out!" You shout annoyance clear in your tone.

He finishes cutting up the poor bush he was on then glares at you. "Why, Young Pennyworth?"

"You look like an ungrateful brat. Brat." You say sassy, but it comes off more childish than you plan. Que mental face palm.

"My name is Damian. Not 'Brat' though I understand where you get your poor attitude from." He retorts. He seems to ignore the childish behavior and write it off as poor attitude. It only upsets you more because Alfred Pennyworth is the best man you know.

"And my name is (Y/N)," You snap and stand up, " and you have no right to talk down on Gramp like that. Do you have any compassion?"

"I do for people who deserve it. So far that is nobody." He states plainly.

You can't tell if he is just naturally rude or actually trying to be rude to hide something.  Like, how does somebody have no compassion for anyone? Doesn't everyone love their mother and father innately? Well, I will get Him to care for me. Maybe he will even open up his shell and share what he wants to hide. And you have all the time in the world to figure it out.

"Well Damian. As of now we are friends. I care about you, and you should care about me." You say with a small smirk. This is going to be fun, or the death of you. Not sure which one right now.

This is a challenge you happily accept. You also plan on winning his care and approval someday

Two months pass and you have formed a daily pattern at the manor. Every morning you wake up and make tea for you both, Earl Grey with two cubes brown sugar and a fresh lemon slice. You both then share the presence of each other in the early morning air of the garden. You sit silently in the peace and it almost feels like you have a connection between the two of you. The days then normally take two separate paths as he goes to work on something and you help clean the house. After super, you sit in the Batcave and wait for Damian and Bruce to get back. Once back, you help bandage the two up and request they be more careful. Especially Damian, who seems to think he is invincible.

This morning you bring out the tea and decide to strike a conversation. “How did you sleep?” You ask softly.

“That’s a ridiculous question.       But I slept decently.” Damian says and looks at you.

“Me too.” You smile at him then add, “what do you dream about?”

You say this because you can hear him through the walls crying some nights. Last night was one of them.

“I don’t dream.” Damian states coldly.

“But I can hear you at night..” you start, but Damian inturupts.

“You have no idea what you are talking about. You have no right to question me.” He snaps and storms off.

Well, that’s not what you ment to do. You wanted to comfort him. To get him to open up to you. Instead his eyes just got sad and his composure got defensive.

His eyes are how you can always tell how he feels. It’s the only way he allows emotion to show. Although even his eyes can hold composure really well.

You leave him be for about an hour before going back in to him.

“Damian?” You say somewhat reluctantly. “I just want to help.”

“How could the grandchild of a servant help me.?” Damian says in an entitled manor.

“Because we all can help each other.” You reply trying to not feel totally offended.

“You could never help me. Now why don’t you run along and clean something like a good servant does.” He snaps then goes back go fighting the ballistics dummy.

You can’t help but to feel offended. You know he only said this to get you to back off but it really hurt you. There’s one thing everyone else in the family has always done, and that is make you feel like one of them now that you only have Alfred, but Damian doesn’t seem to care.

You go to your room and cry for some time before just reading and book and going to sleep early.

You are not sure why, but this time Damian has gotten the best on you.
The next morning you wake up to the smell of tea in your room. When you look around you see Damian sitting by the window.

“Listen, Young Pennyworth, I did not mean to hurt you.” He says softly.

You look at him confused. He’s never apologized before.

“(Y/n), I hope you are not too mad at me to not forgive me…” Damian says soft.

“Yea… I mean I forgive you Damian.” You say still unsure. You move to the seat beside him and accept the cup of tea he made you.

After a few minutes he opens up to you letting you know all of the reasons he is so reserved about feelings. How his mother only trained him harder if he showed to many feelings. He then explains the horrors he faced during training. It’s enough to break your heart.

He then surprises you by giving you a hug and adds, “I know I’ve been hard on you but thank you for never giving up.”

All you can do is nod and hold him close. You finally earned his respect and care, but you also feel like there’s something else between you. You just can’t tell what, yet.