Chapter Text
Damian flopped down onto his bed – most undignifiedly – as he tried to process what Kent had told him. Apparently, according to him of course, Damian had a ‘crush’ on Marinette.
A crush is having feelings of love and admiration for someone. Kent’s words echoed in Damian’s head.
What if he actually had a crush on Marinette? What would he do then? What if she didn’t like him that way and rejected him and –
Not the time. Damian tried to calm himself down.
His first step should be to analyze the situation clinically as he would in the midst of battle.
Now, Jonathan claimed that a crush is having feelings of love and admiration for someone. Of course, he could be just saying that to mess with Damian.
The most obvious thing would be to search up the meaning. As he waited for the search results, Damian couldn’t help but wonder what if it was true?
A ping from his phone interrupted that line of thought. And thank god too, Damian was not looking for another episode like a few minutes ago. Not that he would ever admit it happened.
After finding the various meanings of the word crush, Damian could safely say, Kent was telling the truth.
Shit.
No need to panic, Damian tried to think, there hasn’t been any confirmation that he has a crush on one of his best friends yet.
The next step was to reanalyze his interactions with Marinette and figure out if he felt or noticed the following:
- Was she pretty?
- Did he get butterflies in his stomach?
- Did he always feel some admiration for whatever she did?
- Did he like her laugh?
- Did he enjoy spending time with her?
And the list went on.
Once he finished writing the list, Damian smirked proudly.
Now to analyze their friendship and answer the questions.
**
15 minutes later, Damian was sitting with his jaw hanging and every single question on the list was answered with yes.
Really, he was so shocked, he dropped Alfred the cat when he jumped on Damian’s lap. That was something that had never happened before.
Usually, regardless of whatever Damian was doing, he would always catch the cat without batting an eye.
But, unfortunately for Alfred the cat, Damian was extremely preoccupied with his answers to the first and most important questions.
- Was she pretty?
Answer: Well, yes, according to Damian. Of course, she was pretty. How couldn’t she be with those beautiful blue eyes and that adorable smatter of freckles on her cute button nose?
And her hair, gods her hair, it was a rare shade of midnight blue and it was a color that had quickly become Damian’s favorite.
So, to answer the question, yes, Marinette Dupain-Cheng was extremely pretty.
- Did he get butterflies in his stomach?
Answer: Damian didn’t understand what they were talking about until he got an adequate description of it on the internet.
Yes, he did get ‘butterflies’ in his stomach (honestly, he will never understand the slang language everyone used) whenever he saw Marinette.
- Did he always feel some admiration for whatever she did?
Answer: Yes. Whether it was her tripping or her just simply sleeping Damian definitely felt some admiration.
Like seriously, she was so adorable when she slept. The subconscious way her lips would pucker and the way her eyes would be just relaxed – without a care in the world – Damian wanted to preserve that image.
And no, for anyone reading this, he was not stalking her. He just…happened to be sitting by her while they were watching a movie and she fell asleep on his shoulder.
- Did he like her laugh?
Answer: Absolutely. Really, if it was up to him, Damian would try to make her laugh for the rest of his life because it was such a beautiful sound.
And her smile too. It could always lift up his mood no matter what.
- (According to the website, this was the most important question:) Did he enjoy spending time with her?
Answer: Was that even a question?
Of course, Damian enjoyed spending time with Marinette. In fact, he loved spending time with her. She was the absolute best.
**
You see what I mean now.
Damian Wayne without a doubt had a crush on Marinette Dupain-Cheng.
Marinette groaned as she flopped onto her bed. “Why Tikki? Why did it have to happen again?”
Tikki giggled at her holder’s dramatics.
“What’s wrong with the Guardian?” asked Wayzz worriedly.
Tikki grinned at him. “Nothing.”
“Nothing?” floated Marinette’s scandalized voice from under the covers. “This is not nothing. I can’t believe I have another crush on my friend. Curse myself!”
Wayzz’s eyes shined with amusement. “Now, now, Guardian. I hardly think it’s that bad.”
“Not that bad?” Marinette sat up, with her hands flying wildly to demonstrate her point. “Damian, himself, said that he doesn’t have many friends because they always want him for his money. And that’s also why he doesn’t date.”
Kaalki floated in front of her face. “I fail to see your point, Guardian.”
Marinette sighed as if it should have been obvious (which it should have been!), “If I tell Damian I have a crush on him, he’ll think I was only his friend for his money. And then he’ll tell his father, who’ll blacklist me from every single company in the world because he’s just that powerful and then Jagged and Penny will hate me and leave me behind and then I’ll be stuck as a crazy cat-lady for the rest of my life because everyone will hate me!
This is a disaster!”
Kaalki and Wayzz were left blinking in disorientation. Tikki sighed with fondness and went to calm Marinette down. “Marinette, I hardly think Damian would think that and besides, I also think Damian likes you too.”
“As if,” Marinette scoffed. She had only realized her feelings today when she felt herself getting flustered around Damian. Just like Adrien, on a lower scale. “And you said my crush on Adrien was unhealthy, so this one would be unhealthy too!”
Tikki sighed and made herself comfortable on the bed. “Doubtful. After all, Damian is your friend. You never really got to know-know Adrien. That was different and this is different.”
Marinette looked at Tikki as if she was actually contemplating it. “Maybe,” she said, with a little more hope than before, “But that doesn’t change the fact that Damian doesn’t like me the way I do.”
“Really? Because from what I’ve heard from your purse, he treats you like a princess,” was Tikki’s reply.
Marinette smiled shyly as her cheeks pinked when she heard that. Because it wasn’t exactly not true…
“But why would he like me?” asked Marinette, hopelessly. “I’m just a klutz.”
Tikki flew up in agitation and made her look as stern as possible in front of her holder (which wasn’t really stern – don’t tell her that). “Marinette Dupain-Cheng! You are not just a klutz. You are one of the best Ladybugs I have ever had, and that’s an achievement in itself! You are becoming one of the biggest fashion designers in the industry – and you’re still in your teens!
And those are just your achievements. What about your qualities? You are one of the most selfless, generous and kindest people, literally anyone could come across.
Damian Wayne is lucky to have you as his friend and would be even luckier to have you as his girlfriend.
Do not undermine yourself.”
Marinette nodded nervously, afraid of this rare side of Tikki.
“Good,” the normal Tikki, suddenly back, said, “Now, I won’t force you to ask Damian out but I can guarantee that he likes you back. It’s up to you if you want to.”
Marinette nodded thoughtfully. Tikki’s speech had reignited a fire in her that she didn’t even know she had lost.
Guess Adrien’s obliviousness hit harder than she thought, Marinette thought ruefully.
But before she went to bed that night, Marinette resolved one thing.
To ask Damian out.