Work Text:
Anya
The library was mercifully quiet—well, as quiet as it could be with Becky muttering under her breath about Latin declensions and Emile and Ewen bickering over diagramming sentences.
Anya was buried in her notes, pencil hovering uselessly over the page. Concentration? Practically nonexistent.
Across the table sat Damian, posture perfect, brown hair neatly combed, hazel eyes fixed on his notebook.
Calm, composed, and infuriatingly focused, as always. Every so often, his gaze flicked to her. Each glance made her stomach flip—something she had long stopped trying to hide.
Six months of secrecy had trained them in subtlety, but subtlety only went so far when words slipped.
And today, apparently, words had slipped.
Damian leaned forward, pencil in hand, and said in that smooth, calm voice that always made her heart thump:
“Hey… baby, can I borrow an eraser?”
Anya froze. He just—he actually just said that.
Her pencil hovered midair. That word belonged to their world—the notes passed in class, the quiet hallways, the stolen moments between classes.
And now, he had said it aloud, as if it were nothing.
Her eyes darted around. Becky’s mouth had dropped open. Emile’s pencil froze midair.
Ewen’s entire body looked like stone.
And Anya? Well… her heart had just tried to run out of her chest.
“Uh… sure,” she squeaked, holding out the eraser.
Damian’s smirk remained maddeningly calm, completely ignoring the chaos he’d unleashed. “Thanks, baby.”
Damian
The words had slipped out before he could stop them.
He had leaned over to grab the eraser, seen her sitting there with that slight frown she got when concentrating, and the word came naturally.
Then came the reaction.
Becky froze.
Emile stopped mid-breath. Ewen looked like he’d seen a ghost. Damian blinked once, calm as ever, and did not even glance guilty.
“Did… did he just call Anya… ‘baby’?” Becky squeaked, voice pitched so high it could shatter glass.
“Did he really just…?” Emile whispered to Ewen, whose face was still as red as a textbook cover.
Damian raised an eyebrow. “Yes. Is this… a problem?”
Anya buried her face in her hands. Problem? That word didn’t even come close.
“You’re…what are you guys?!” Becky shrieked, loud enough to make the shushing librarian glance up in disapproval.
“They’re dating obviously!” Emile and Ewen yelled in perfect unison, making Damian extremely grateful for the soundproofed library walls.
Anya peeked over her fingers. “Yes. We’ve been dating for six months.”
The words were out. The fragile calm of the library shattered.
Becky threw her hands into the air. “Six months? SIX MONTHS?! You sneaky little monsters! How have you hidden this?!”
Emile glared at Damian. “You didn’t tell anyone?”
Damian’s hazel eyes flicked to Anya, expression calm, almost smug. “We preferred discretion.”
Ewen buried his face in his hands. “Discretion? You’re literally sitting across from each other in class, passing notes, and—” he gestured wildly—“he calls you baby in front of everyone!”
Anya groaned. “It was… it was an accident!”
Damian leaned slightly closer, voice soft, teasing. “Accidentally? Perhaps. But hardly regrettable.”
Becky gasped, clasping her hands. “Oh my gosh, you’re the cutest couple in Eden history! I can’t even handle this!”
Emile muttered, “You’re making it impossible to concentrate on Latin by grinning at each
other like idiots.”
Anya poked Damian in the arm. “He started it.”
Damian’s eyebrow twitched. “I may have spoken affectionately… but you handed over the eraser, so clearly you approve.”
Her blush deepened. “It wasn’t exactly planned!”
“Nothing about this was planned,” Damian said, leaning closer, just enough to make their friends freeze again. “And yet, it is perfect.”
Becky fainted dramatically into her stack of books. Emile groaned loudly. Ewen whispered something about never recovering from this reveal.
Anya stifled a laugh. “They’re overreacting.”
Damian’s eyes softened. “Clearly, they’ve never observed true composure.”
Anya smirked.
“Or patience. Six months of hiding this from them? You’re evil.”
“Strategic,” Damian corrected, voice smooth. “And highly effective.”
“Insufferable,” Anya muttered, hiding a grin.
“And yet,” Damian said, voice dipping slightly, “you love me.”
Her heart skipped. “Maybe,” she whispered, leaning closer, daring him to notice.
Damian’s lips twitched. “I suspected as much.”
The three witnesses—Becky, Emile, and Ewen—groaned, muttering about fleeing the library to preserve sanity. Damian and Anya exchanged secret smiles.
Anya leaned toward him. “You’re lucky it was me in the library and not your mother catching you.”
Damian’s smirk widened. “Indeed. And lucky for you, baby, I am only distracted by you.”
Anya nearly dropped her pencil. Did he just—
“Yes,” Damian said casually, smirk unwavering, “I did. And you love it.”
She rolled her eyes, but her heart fluttered
anyway. “Maybe I do.”
They settled back into their seats, pretending to continue studying while Becky whispered dramatic commentary to Emile and Ewen, and the three boys muttered about trying to survive the embarrassment of knowing Eden’s cutest couple had been right under their noses.
For once, the chaos of Eden didn’t matter. It was just the two of them. And baby had never sounded so right.