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It was one week before summer break and their English teacher had suggested a ‘fun way’ of earning some extra credits for those who needed or wanted it.
To everybody’s displeasure the whole class was to participate in the teacher’s exercise. Depending on how said exercise went for them, they would then either get some extra credits or the results won’t matter to their grade.
And honestly, it was fine, whatever really. Jon had no problem writing a short essay and presenting its contents in front of the class but he couldn’t help but feel as if the teacher’s chosen topic was bordering on being slightly invasive.
They were to write and talk about the thing that was the most important to them in their lives. Some jokers had written about things like the air they needed to breathe or the amount of water intake necessary for the body to work properly. Jon had chosen his family because – sue him – he was a good student and his family was his everything. It might’ve been a boring essay and about 60 percent of his class had chosen their family as their topic as well but at least his presentation had been worlds away from the car crash that Damian was currently presenting.
When it came to his best friend, Jon knew that family mattered to him as well, even if the Wayne family tended to show their affections and feelings in a drastically different way than the Kents did (or not at all really).
But Jon was also pretty sure that Damian would never willingly write an essay about how much he loved his family and the people around him, much less publicly talk about it. Therefore Jon had assumed for Damian to talk about the next best thing: His pets. Or at least one pet. Titus for example. His pets clearly were very important to him.
Of course another thing very dear to Damian was his work and identity as Robin but it was not like Damian could just talk about that in class. Or about training. Or about beating up criminals for a hobby. No, Jon really thought, Damian would go with his pets. It was innocent, cute and true. The perfect mix.
But when Jon looked up front to where his best friend was opening up his power point presentation in a way that couldn’t look more bored, Jon had first doubts.
The doubts turned into a bad feeling at the bottom of his stomach when Damian cleared his throat and Jon saw his eye twitching out of annoyance because some students were still chattering quietly in the back.
“I will not start before the imbeciles in the back of the room will have ceased their incessant chittering”, Damian announced loudly.
Some students giggled but the teacher motioned for everyone to be quiet and Damian gave an aloof huff before starting his presentation.
“Although the use of this inane exercise is still beyond me, I will now talk about what is most dear to me in life”, Damian started and… was he hiding a smile?
Jon was sure nobody else had noticed but Jon knew Damian well enough for the queasy feeling in his stomach to intensify.
“That is why today I want to educate you on my most prized possession-”
Oh no, Jon thought.
“-while simultaneously give you the opportunity of a lifetime to actually learn something within these walls.”
Jon facepalmed while hearing his teacher give an audible sigh.
“Today I will therefore talk about my Soshu Kitae!” Damian announced in grand style, his presentation showing the picture of his favorite Katana that Damian had used on a daily basis when he had still lived with the League of Assassins and that now had a place of honor above Damians bed for all Jon knew.
The class was quiet for a second before someone said “…you wanna talk about a SWORD?”
Damian looked as if he had just swallowed something very bitter. “This SWORD, you heathen, is a Katana made from seven different panels of high-quality steel, forged by the hands of one of the greatest blacksmithes of the 15th century!”
Jon buried his face in his hands. Why, just why, couldn’t Damian at least pretend to be normal?
“…so while the core of the blade is of course formed from softer and more malleable steel giving it exceptional flexibility, a layer of slightly harder steel is bonded to each side of the core to add support...”
“Don’t you think you could have shortened that presentation a little bit?” Jon asked, not hiding his yawn, when Damian and him left the classroom together to head for the big oak tree outside on the school grounds.
Damian huffed. “I barely illustrated the most basic of information concerning the art of swordsmanship and creating one of these Daitō, hardly doing the subject justice anyway.”
“Yeah, okay, but why didn’t you just talk about Titus or something? Or Alfred the cat?”
Damian looked at Jon as if he was stupid. “To hand the easiest way to get to Robin and therefore Batman on a silver platter?”
Jon rolled his eyes. “D, almost nobody knows that you are Robin. Don’t you think you’re being too paranoid?”
“First of all: That is exactly the reason why you are a fool, Kent. Second of all: Contrary to your family that is partly indestructible, Titus and Alfred are not granted such luck and last but not least: One person knowing that Damian Wayne is Robin is one too many already and Damian Wayne will not be the weak link in this equation. Besides, my mother and grandfather know who I am.”
Jon hummed quietly. Damian had a point there. Or several for that matter.
“I just think that maybe talking about your favorite sword doesn’t get people to find you less weird, you know”, he muttered, ready to let it go but Damian’s next words made him look up.
“Tt. I don’t need people to like me seeing as I have an annoying but superior Kryptonian on my side already. Besides I’m not being weird, I’m being exceptional.”
Jon couldn’t help but laugh.