DamiRae Oneshots

Oh, Brother. (Part Five!)

The two batboys cracked jokes while on their way to Titan Tower. It had been a long night, filled with stopping a crazy robot and petty crime.

"And then, and then! Tim and Dick look at Alfred awestruck! Because he just shot an intruder with his 12-gauge, right? And they're like 'Alfred, you just shot someone!' And Alfred, the absolute motherfucker, pumps a shell out of his gun and simply says in his British accent, 'Gentleman, I'm not as forgiving as Bruce.' And that's why we don't swear at the dinner table."

Damian allowed a chuckle while staring at the light from the lampposts illuminated the bridge leading to the Tower as they whirled by. He had to admit, Todd has an... interesting taste in vehicles. A modified Jeep Outback - painted red and black. "And the burglar?"

"ICU. Alfred didn't press charges. It would already cost the poor fucker a lot more with the amount of therapy he had to afford."

Damian chuckled again, he needed this. He forgot how much he missed Todd, and the - dare he say it - fun the two would have. He would've shared a funny story as well, had it not been for that weird tugging feeling at the back of his mind. Jason caught this when he glanced at him. "What's wrong, Hell-Spawn?" Damian knitted his eyebrows. "I don't kno-" and stopped instantly. "Jason, what's the time currently?" His voice serious. Jason looked at the radio - which was off - "Uhhh, 2:53 in the morning? Why?"

The color drained from Damian's face.

"I'm so dead."

Jason looked at him confused, his eyebrows knitted. "What? Come again?"

"I'm. So. Dead." Damian repeated.

Jason sighed. "Damian, you're talking to someone who has died before. Speak up." Damian brought his hands to his temples. "I have an agreement with Raven. I text her at one to let her know what's up so she wouldn't be worried when I'm on patrol, right?" Jason's face contorted in shock realization. "Dude..." Jason started speeding down the bridge. "How fucked are you??"

Damian recoiled. "Me?? You mean us!!" Jason shook his head. "Nope. You should've texted her. Rule one-oh-one in relationships: Communication. Good God you've been around Bruce too long!"

Damian pulled out his cellphone. "We were fighting! A killer robot!" He rebuked, emphasizing the last three words.

"You're gonna wish you were fighting that thing again when she rips you a knew one." Jason laughed ruefully. "Hopefully not. I'm texting her now." Damian responded.

A couple minutes pass.

"Well? What'd she say?" Jason pressed.

"Told her what happened... I think everything's okay!" Damian sounded relieved.

"That's good... what'd she respond with?"

"She said 'that's fine'." Damian let out a breath he didn't know that he was holding.

It was Jason's turn to pale. "Damian," he said slowly, almost dreadfully. "Is there a period at the end of that text?" They parked right in front of the Tower's door. Damian nodded, as if everything was fine. "Yeah, why?"

Oh, he doesn't know. So cute.

Jason groaned and placed his forehead on the steering wheel. He needed a cigarette.

But if there was one thing he knew he was going to need, though, it was going to be some popcorn.

*      *     *

Damian yawned as he and Jason entered the kitchen. Damian was starving, and wondered if there were any food left for him. He gave Jason a questioning look when he grabbed a bag of popcorn and threw it into the microwave. "You'll see." Jason smiled innocently. Just then, Raven walked in.

"How was your guys' night out?" She asked so innocently.

Every hair in both Jason and Damian's bodies stood on end. Jason quietly pressed the buttons to start the microwave. Damian gulped. He thought everything was fine! "It was... eventful. Yours?" Raven seated herself at the island counter opposite of Jason and Damian and stared at Damian dead in the eye.

Silence enveloped the room.

Just then, the microwave's alarm sounded off, signifying that Jason's popcorn was done. He quickly opened the door to grab his popcorn.

"Oh, y'know, worried to death." Raven said coldly.

Jason opened the popcorn, anticipating for the show to come.

"Raven..." Damian began, "We were under sniper fire."

"Could've notified me to come and help." She retorted hotly.

"We had it under control." Damian said sternly. Why was she acting like this? He was so perplexed.

Jason smiled behind his bag of popcorn. Damian, being Damian, has never had someone other than Bruce to worry about him. And Bruce shows his worry very differently than normal people.

"Oh, really?" Raven raised an eyebrow, very unamused. "Well, if you had it under control, why didn't you text me afterwards?" Damian was new to swallowing his own pride, Jason knew. So, being the older responsible brother, he put down his popcorn. "Miss Roth, it's my fault. After we took down the crazy robot that was hunting Damian and —"

"What?!" Raven shot her head towards Jason. "Hunting Damian?"

Should've kept it shut. Jason gulped.

"Well, Damian and I." Jason amended quickly, although stammering the entire time. "I then dragged Damian along on busting some petty crime." Damian nodded. "Raven," he rounded the island to face her. Jason took this as a cue to do the dishes. He wanted to pull his own weight  — and hopefully giving the two some time so they could sort this out. "Raven, I'm okay. I'm not shot, not stabbed." Raven stood up and faced him. The look in her eyes were that of worry mixed with intense anxiety. "The night with The Joker has been keeping you up as of late, hasn't it?" Damian deduced.

Jason almost broke a dish, but with his quick reflexes caught it. When he looked up, he saw Damian and Raven staring at him. "Sorry. Kinda hate that person."

"That thing is no person." Raven angrily spat out. "And no. I have not." Her shoulders slumped. "When you didn't text I thought the worst has happened, and the worst being—"

"Me, being a corpse on the street." Damian finished. Raven nodded. "I just don't know why that creature would do that. To get to your Dad?"

"Yes." Damian looked down at the ground. This was entirely new ground for him. Never before has he had someone care about him so immensely. Truth be told, he felt guilty.

"It's a game between them. Well, to Joker." Jason's voice cut in. "Bruce has his code. Joker wishes to break him, have Bruce end his pitiful excuse of a life to prove that he's not so different than every other person. Because the minute the Joker dies under Batman's doing, he wins." He finished, and the silence once again moved into the room. "All it takes is one really bad day." He muttered under his breath.

Raven looked at Damian. "Look, I don't want to be that overprotective girlfriend or whatever, just remember to text me. That's all I ask, okay?" Damian nodded. "Yes, ma'am." He was relieved to see a smile come across her face. She began to make her way to her room, but stopped and turned to Damian.

"I kinda need you in my life."

Damian nodded. "As you with me."

After she left the room, Jason leaned towards Damian. "She's some woman! Maaaaan she's really got you wrapped around her finger, hasn't she?"

"I trust her."

"She also made you both official!"

"Todd!"

Jason chuckled, he wasn't done just yet. "So when are you going to bring her to the house?" He murmured to his younger brother. Damian felt a jolt of energy creep up his spine. "Oh no. Nononono. Not going to happen." Jason smiled. "Oh,  you think you can hide her from the rest of the family? From Steph and Barbara? You're so cute." Jason mocked. Damian crossed his arms, turning to him.

"Let's try to find our father first."