Work Text:
Damian first noticed it in Cassandra. She was the most obvious one. But then, he picked up on details from the others.
Drake wearing Brown's favorite purple throw blanket as a cape.
Father stealing Pennyworth's bow-tie straight off his neck for an evening event.
Grayson and Todd trading leather jackets as they raced off on their motorcycles.
And he had seen everyone at some point swallowed up by Father's old Gotham U sweatshirt.
He was... baffled by the behavior. So, like a good detective, he decided to conduct an interview with the person he thought most likely to shed some light on the situation.
*
She tilted her head, acknowledging his presence in her doorway.
"May I enter?" he requested formally.
Cassandra waved a hand regally, deigning to invite him in, not a drop of nail polish falling off the brush. She paused in blowing on her nails to glance over at him. Her eyes narrowed as she read him. "You are hunting," she said matter-of-factly. "What for?"
"Information," Damian supplied. "I am... curious about a certain phenomenon I have observed in you and the others, yet I have not been able to discern its meaning or purpose. I am... hoping, I suppose, that you might enlighten me. If you are not busy at the moment?"
"Shy, too," Cassandra grinned. "Stay. Ask. Learn. But first, help me paint my other hand," and she thrust the nail polish at him, waving him forward to join her on the bed.
Damian felt a pleased feeling bloom in his chest as he clambered up. Usually only Drake and Brown were allowed to paint her nails.
It wasn't until he was on the second nail that she asked, "What are you curious about?"
Damian paused, brush hovering as he took in her current outfit. Returning to his task, he said, "I have noticed that you tend to, as Drake puts it, "raid other people's closets." And I've noticed that the others tend to borrow or exchange clothing semi-frequently, yet items are eventually returned. I am unfamiliar with this custom."
Cassandra hummed, nodding. "In the League, things were either all yours or all in common. I remember. I was all Cain's, but the weapons were for everyone's use. Here, we borrow. And it is not a theft or crime between us."
"Exactly," Damian nodded. "I don't understand why it seems acceptable to take some things but not others. Like clothing. Why is it okay for Brown to steal Drake's favorite t-shirt but not his laptop?"
"Clothes are comfy," Cassandra shrugged, smiling. "Borrowing Tim's shirt is Steph saying "we are close and comfortable and you make me feel safe." Me stealing Jason's hoodie tells him that I feel safe in his presence. Him letting me says he is happy that I feel safe. Does that make sense?"
Damian scrunched his face, concentrating on the final two nails before he answered. "Yes. I think. It is like claiming each other. Like how we all wear Father's symbol." Damian looked up at his sister and gave a small smile. "We belong to each other."
Cassandra's smile grew bigger. "Yes. We belong to each other." She leaned forward carefully and knocked her forehead into his. "Good work, little detective."
He pressed back gently, his nose wrinkling proudly. As he leaned back, Damian frowned thoughtfully. "They are all much bigger than me, though."
Tapping a wet nail carefully on her chin, Cassandra said, "Alfred will know. We'll ask him, after my nails are dry." Examining her hand seriously, she said, "Good work. You should join us on manicure nights."
He missed her delighted grin because he ducked his head to hide a surprised but ecstatic blush.
*
Dick could have sworn he had had a green pullover just like the one Damian was wearing. In fact, the last time he remembered seeing was when he and Alfred went through his childhood closet a few months back when he finally decided to redo his old bedroom. He had loved that hoodie. It was pricking his memory all day. So after dinner, he caught Alfred alone in the kitchen by helping clear the dishes.
"Hey Alf," he started casually, "I noticed Dami's new hoodie. It's nice. Looks super comfy. Kinda reminded me of the one I had when I was his age."
"I should hope so," Alfred replied, grey eyes twinkling. "It is the same one, after all."
Dick nearly dropped the plates he was holding. "Wait, really? I thought you had donated all that old stuff."
Alfred chuckled. "Dear boy, you never let me get rid of that particular item when you were younger, and I simply haven't had a chance to drop off the donations yet."
"Huh," Dick chewed his lip thoughtfully. "Well, how did Damian get a hold of it?"
"It was quite curious, actually," Alfred turned to him fully, rolling up his sleeves. "A few weeks ago, Master Damian and Miss Cassandra found me to ask whether or not there were any clothes in Damian's size leftover from you, Jason, or Timothy. I do believe Master Damian finally feels comfortable enough to follow in his siblings' footsteps and make my job sorting laundry even more difficult." Alfred tried to keep his tone wry but twitching mustache and soft eyes gave him away.
Dick also felt a giant smile taking over his face. "The kid discovered hand-me-downs, huh? Well, I wonder what else he might find."
"Either that, or Madam Selina has finally succeeding in turning all you into petty thieves."