Chapter Text
It was Jon and Damian’s first day of school, and Damian was very nervous. Not for going to school, because he was very smart. He would have no trouble in the classes. No he was nervous because he had to be around other people, People who did not know him other than his name. It was painfully obvious he sucked at socializing, but what else was new he sucked at a lot of things like making friends, being nice, and talking to people. It does not help when you are raised by assassins to kill and never taught how to make friends at recess.
“You will be fine Damian,” Bruce said right before Damian got on the helicopter.
“I don’t see why I could not be homeschooled?”
“Because you have learned all you can from your assignments here. Besides, you need to be around kids your own age.”
“I do not like this at all.”
“You will be ok. I will see you tonight for patrol.”
Damian made one of his famous tt sounds and boarded the helicopter. Alfred dropped him off and he met up with Jon.
“Hey, Dami!”
“Tt.”
Damian noticed the stares of other kids and heard them whispering they won’t very good at it.
“That's Damian Wayne.”
“I heard he would be going to school here.”
“Did he just get dropped off in a helicopter?”
“Spoiled rich kid.”
Damian smirked. Neanderthals are what these children are, and he was far more superior than them or anyone in the school.
“Hey what Lunch do you have?” Jon asked, pulling Damian out of his thoughts. Damian looked over at Jon.
“Second lunch, you?”
“Same, maybe we could sit together!”
“Don’t they separate it by grade level?”
“No, at least not here. So we could sit together!”
“Tt, fine.”
Damian and Jon parted ways in the main lobby of the school. Damian went to the seventh grade wing, and Jon went to the fifth grade wing. Both boys sat down in their homerooms and waited for class to begin. One keeping to himself and the other quickly making new friends.
Jon started talking to a group of kids in his homeroom. The conversation quickly turned to his best friend.
“”Hey you were talking to that Wayne kid right?”
“Damian? Yeah we are friends.”
“What’s the deal with arriving in a helicopter?”
Joon shrugged. He honestly had no idea. He honestly did not know why Damian was going to school here and not in Gotham. Maybe that was why? So he could be on time or maybe it was the only way his dad could get him to come to the school.
“Come on, you have to know.”
“All I know is he told his dad it was the only way he would go to school here. He was homeschooled before. I don’t think he likes having to go to school now,” Jon explained.
“How did you two meet?”
Jon had to think. He could not really tell them Damian kidnapped him, they had to go through boot camp, and everything else. “Uh, well my dad is a journalist, and he has interviewed Bruce Wayne a lot. They thought it would be good for us to meet.”
“And you don’t find him spoiled or a brat?”
“No I do. He is a lot of things spoiled, a brat, entitled, moody, and not at all easy to get along with. He is also kind when he wants to be, caring, loyal, brave, and giving. He helps those in need when he can, and he has a soft spot for animals,” Jon said. It was all true though. This was Damian, but he was also so much more.
The children did not get to ask anymore questions as class was starting. The teacher started by going over the rules and expectations of the school. Meanwhile in Damian’s class Damian was facing the same thing Jon was.
“Your Damian Wayne aren’t you?”
“Good for you, you can see.”
“No need to be so rude.”
“Tt.”
“What’s your problem man?”
“This school is pointless. I already learned everything they could teach me here. I should be in college, not middle school.”
“Yeah well she did not teach you manners now did she?”
“My mother did not teach me things such as kindness.”
“Yeah well it shows.”
“What a brat.”
“I bet you don’t have many friends.”
“Friends are a liability. They get in the way. If you care about someone, and they get hurt it affects you.”
“So you don’t care about anyone?”
“I never said that?”
“Well aren’t you friends with that boy? Fifth grader, who is Lois Lane's kid?”
“He is different.”
“Ohhh!”
“What? No, ugh, middle schoolers are so annoying. No, he is useful, that is why we are friends,” Damian said. Middle schoolers were so immature.
“How is he useful then?”
Damian thought. He could not reveal their work as superheroes, but he did not have to lie either. “He helps me understand people. My mother was not big on socializing either. I was to focus on my studies. Jon shows me how to be a kid, I suppose. He also treats me normal, not as a Wayne like you all do.”
“But you are a Wayne.”
“As I am always reminded. Jon however does not. With him I am just Damian.”
“So what's the deal with the helicopter?”
“It's convenient. Get me here faster, and it was the only way I would come here if I arrived via helicopter.”
“You are spoiled."
“And you aren’t? Your father is a world famous doctor. In fact most in this school are probably spoiled. It is a private school after all.”
The kids would have said more if the teacher had not started homeroom at that moment. Damian could tell he would not be very well liked, but at least he had Jon. He chose to listen to the teacher go over the rules and expectations for the school.
At Lunch Damian sat with Jon, and was thankful to be around someone who did not care he was a Wayne.
“You ok?” Jon asked between bites of his sandwich.
“Tt, no I do not understand why I must attend this school. I am way smarter than these children. I should be in college if anything is not here.”
“But your dad wanted you to be around kids your age.”
“The only reason I am here is so my father will not ground me.”
Jon laughed. “Well at least you have one friend.”
“Yeah except he is two grades below me.”
“Yeah cause I am ten.”
“Tt.”
After lunch both went through the rest of their classes relatively smoothly. It was the end of the day, and both were going home. They would not patrol together tonight, but would for the next four days. As Jon boarded his bus he waved and yelled bye to Damian. No one expected the Wayne kid to waive, but were all surprised. Damian stopped in his tracks and turned to face Jon slightly. He had a small smile on his face and waved back.
“Maybe he isn’t so bad.”
“He obviously cares for the fifth grader.”
“Yeah well he is still spoiled.”
Alfred landed the helicopter on the field and Damian climbed in. He set his book bag at his feet and buckled up. He closed the door and Alfred lifted off.
“Did you have a good day, master Damian?”
“It was tolerable.”
“That is good.”
“Tt.”
The flight back to Gotham and Wayne Manor was silent, but Damian smiled slightly as he looked out the window. School was not all bad. It was not the terrible, horrible experience he thought it would be, but instead tolerable. Tolerable because of one person. The person he considered his best friend, Jonathan Kent.