A Pain Most Wonderful (Damirae)

Chapter Forty-Nine

"Now how the heck-" Barbara lifted her forkful of spaghetti and pointed it in the demon's direction- "Did this end up happening?" She paused to chew, analysing the purple-haired girl. "I mean, Dami-boy doesn't exactly seem like the romantic type. More-" she cleared her threat in anticipation for her impression, "'Mention girls to me and I'll break your face' you know?"

Tim snorted. He subsequently yelped, having been kicked under the table by Damian.

Tucking her hair behind her ears, the witch smiled at Barbara as pleasantly as she could, finding the red-head's signals hard to read even with her empathic talents, "He's not so bad." She smirked privately at Damian, who sat to her right. "We have a lot in common."

The chatter from the Kents' end of the dining table died down as Lois turned her attention on Barbara's questioning. At the head of the table, Bruce laid down his fork and patted at the sides of his mouth with a napkin (the manners one expects to gain being raised by a butler).

Great. Another pair of ears listening.

Damian poked his spaghetti, rolling off a vegetarian meatball that he wasn't particularly interested in touching. Feeling his fingers tightening on the utensil, he willed himself to be calm.

Relax, just breathe, they may be nosy but I'm sure it's just curiosity. Anubis said. Ooh I've got a lovely little anecdote about curiosity-

No thank you, Damian cut that idea short, mentally huffing, I'm not so fond of people picking me apart and inspecting my life. Especially not when it's this personal.

Perhaps if you were more used to sharing your feelings...then it wouldn't sting so much... possibly?

Damian contemplated it.

Go on, they are interested- more than that, these are your friends and family, they care. Ooh look at me, public relations guru! Anubis gasped, What fabulous words!-'Guru'! This colloquial-thing is a piece of cake! Another one! I'm just too good.

Damian drowned out the god's ramblings. Gauging the reaction of the others, he looked around.

What a large audience they'd amassed.

But why not give it a go? He asked himself. Explain things from his perspective. Talk to them- all of them.

Raven would appreciate that, surely: honesty and openness.

Damian cleared his throat, "We do have a lot in common." Dick raised both eyebrows and Stephanie's spoonful of soup pauses halfway to her mouth (the red substance spilled on to her hair, though she didn't seem to realise).

Raven looked at him, lips parted as if she were about to say something, then closed them. Cheeks smattered with pink and lips painted darker than her hair, the witch was awfully kissable.

OooOoOoh-

Shut up Anubis.

Redirecting his thoughts, Damian continued, with his eyes on the spaghetti rather than the ogling faces around, "We seemed to...fit." He scrunched his mouth to one side, biting the inside of his cheek. Finding his bearings, Damian added, "I think we get along quite well."

Where he knew Damian couldn't see, Duke mouthed to Tim, 'What the heck is going on? Is he dying?'. To which Jason- ever the eavesdropper- contributed from opposite them, a not-so-quiet whisper.

"Maybe she's cast a spell on him." He waves his fingers at Duke and Tim spookily.

Whoopsie daisy, someone noticed.