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The stars in the night sky shone on the two boys as they stood at the edge of a skyscraper in Gotham. It was their frequent meeting place and also their spot for hanging out after patrol. Jon remembered how excited he was the first time Damian agreed to eat food with him after a particularly long night of patrol. Ever since then, they made it a habit to hang out on that rooftop. It was their spot.
Damian asked him to meet there, so obviously Jon showed up within a couple minutes because he wasn’t going to get lectured about being late again. He assumed it was to patrol together but they had just been standing there and Damian made no move to start their usual route.
Jon looked curiously at Damian, “Didn’t you ask to meet me so we could patrol together? I don’t mind standing here but this isn’t really patrol.”
“-TT- I lied,” Damian purposely avoided eye contact. Jon heard his heart beating slightly faster than normal. That fact only added to the weirdness of the whole situation.
Jon nudged his shoulder playfully, “You snuck out of the manor, didn’t you?”
When Damian didn’t respond Jon let out a sharp laugh, “Batman is going to kill you if he finds out.”
Damian scoffed, “I’m old enough to make my own decisions, father has to get that through his thick skull.”
Jon hummed in agreement, Bruce always kept Damian close, fearful of losing him. Still, Jon tried to shake the weird feeling, but he couldn’t. Damian didn’t sneak out of the manor anymore, he hadn’t since they were kids. And it wasn’t often that he lied to Jon about something as simple as wanting to spend time together.
Of course, Jon wasn’t complaining. He cherished every moment that Damian decided to spend with him. But more recently, Damian had been running away from him or avoiding him during the times when their families would meet for dinner. Damian had been particularly distant and avoidant of him. Jon wondered if he had done something wrong and if Damian called him to clear that up.
A strained silence fell over them as Jon vibrated with things that he wanted to ask. He didn’t want to upset Damian further, or worse push him away permanently. Pushing him away was the last thing Jon wanted to do. If it were up to him he would never let Damian out of his sight.
Jon turned his head to look at Damian. He stared unashamedly at his perfectly styled black hair and the way his new Robin suit hugged his body. The gray suit was by far his favorite of the ones that Damian had been experimenting with (and totally not because Jon thought it made him look hotter). Jon could never get enough of Damian no matter how many nights they patrolled together or how long they had known each other. Jon was utterly in love with him and would pray to Rao every day for the rest of his life if it meant that Damian felt the same about him.
He used his x-ray vision to look at Damian’s eyes, his favorite part. The emerald color beautifully accentuated his face, naturally drawing Jon’s eyes to them whenever they were close. Sometimes Jon thought Damian had real siren eyes by the way Jon would unintentionally get lost in them.
It scared Jon just how much he loved his best friend. But then he reminded himself that it was Damian, someone he trusted with his entire being. If Jon was going to be obsessively in love with someone, Damian wasn’t a bad choice. Despite Damian’s siblings swearing that Damian was rude and harsh, Jon didn’t see that version of him. Jon saw the kind and caring version that would never do anything to seriously hurt Jon, even if it was something as complicated as love. Jon knew that Damian would never use it against him even if he ended up not feeling the same way. To Jon, Damian’s hands were the safest place to put his heart.
When Damian turned towards him and raised an eyebrow, Jon quickly turned away with a faint blush crawling up his cheeks, realizing that he had been staring for too long. Jon couldn’t take the silence any longer without filling it, especially when he was so worried about what he had done wrong to deserve Damian giving him the cold shoulder.
“D, did I do something wrong?” Jon whispered hesitantly.
Damian snapped his head towards him, “No! What makes you say that?”
“It’s just…you’ve been distant. And avoiding me,” Jon looked towards him. When he saw Damian’s eyebrows furrowed in what might have been anger (it was hard to tell), Jon quickly backtracked, “Which would be fine, of course! I was just wondering if you were okay. Or if you were mad at me for something I did. I promise I didn’t mean it, whatever it was. And if you never want to see m-”
“You didn’t do anything wrong, I promise,” Damian cut off his rambling with a sharp, but not unkind, voice.
“What’s been bothering you then?” Jon pushed.
Damian fell silent and Jon held his breath while he waited for a response. He didn’t know how worried he needed to be yet.
“Kent, I actually asked you to come here so I could tell you something,” Damian stated, “It’s been hindering my training and performance in the field as well as our friendship.”
The words grabbed Jon’s full attention. He could hear Damian’s heart pounding and his breath deviated from its normal steady pattern. A slight blush was forming on Damian’s cheeks and if he hadn't been Kryptonian, Jon would’ve missed it.
Jon offered him a comforting smile, “What is it? You can tell me anything.”
Damian cursed softly under his breath and mumbled, “Goddammit Why are you making this so hard?”
“You know I have super hearing right?” Jon raised an eyebrow at the weird behavior. Damian never let things slip like that, something must really be wrong to have him acting like that.
Damian threw his hands up in frustration and pointed an accusatory finger at Jon, “It’s all your fault. You and your stupidly cute smile always make me slip up!”
Jon grabbed Damian’s outstretched hand and pulled him closer so that only a small amount of space separated them. Damian stuttered on whatever he was planning to say next, a pretty red blush spreading across his face. Jon could only think that he’d never seen Damian more beautiful.
Now Jon could understand what was happening. Nothing was necessarily wrong. Just new and uncertain. Two things that Damian still struggled dealing with which would explain why Damian was distant recently. He smiled to himself, Damian was probably just as scared as he was about things changing.
“Cute, huh? You think I’m cute?” Jon smirked.
Damian’s eyes widened a fraction and he stole his hand back from Jon’s grip. He opened his mouth to presumably defend himself but nothing came out.
Jon whispered softly. “What is it Dami?”
“I-...” Damian took a deep breath, “I wanted to tell you that we should go on a date.”
“Hmm, what kind of date?” Jon grinned, teasing the older boy.
Damian only gave him a withering glare, “Don’t play dumb, Kent.”
“I’m not playing at all. I distinctly remember you calling me dumb just a week ago,” Jon poked his shoulder to push him just a tiny bit farther. He wanted to hear it from Damian’s mouth.
“Fine, farm boy,” Damian crossed his arms, his voice dropping to a softer tone, “I want to take you on a romantic date.”
A bright grin split across Jon’s face at the small confession. The blunt statement might as well have been a declaration of love, Jon was well versed in how Damian communicated his feelings. Jon reached out and wrapped his arm around Damian’s shoulder, pulling the shorter boy into his side without any resistance.
“I like you too, you idiot,” Jon turned to bury his face in Damian’s hair, breathing in the pleasant scent of his gel. Jon didn’t want to overwhelm Damian by saying anything about love. He was overjoyed to be able to go on a date with Damian, he didn’t want to ruin anything before it even started.
Damian scoffed but didn’t make any move to get out of Jon’s hold. Instead of pushing him away like Jon half expected, Damian leaned into his body, nestling himself inside Jon’s embrace. Jon couldn’t help a huge smile from forming at the sight of Damian in his arms. Something that Jon thought would never happen, now right in front of his eyes.
Then, in the lowest voice only for Jon’s ears, Damian whispered, “I like you too, farm boy.”
Jon gave him a slight squeeze in acknowledgement. Jon reached out and took one of Damian’s hands, lacing their fingers together and laying them on his lap. The closeness sent thrums of happiness coursing through Jon’s body. Content to sit there forever as long as Damian was in his arms.
“I need to go,” Damian pulled back and Jon reluctantly let him go.
“Why?” Jon whined, not wanting to leave Damian so soon.
“Father is going to notice I left soon if I don’t go back if he hasn’t already,” Damian stated, back to his hard tone that Jon was more familiar with, “I’ll see you at the cafe across from the Daily Planet this Saturday at noon?”
“Wouldn’t miss it for the world,” Jon winked at him.
He could tell that Damian was rolling his eyes but the smallest smile playing at Damian’s mouth gave his amusement away.
“You better be there, I don’t care if the sun is crashing into the earth.”
“I promise I’ll be there. Who would ever want to miss a date with someone as beautiful as you?” Jon smiled.
The tips of Damian’s ears turned red, “Whatever. I’m leaving. See you Saturday.”
Before Jon could tease him more, Damian jumped off the building and started grappling towards the manor.
Jon let out a content sigh, he would prove to Damian every day that he would show up for him. And he would prove that he sincerely loved Damian with his entire being for however long Damian let him.
With that final thought, Jon took off and flew back to his apartment in Metropolis. He wanted to sleep but he was unable to, mind blissfully full with thoughts of Damian’s pink tinted cheeks and his pretty eyes.
~
Jon was literally vibrating with excitement as he buzzed around his room, trying to find a suitable outfit. He kept subconsciously floating, so he had to keep reminding himself to stay firmly on the ground. But he just couldn’t help it, Damian had agreed to go on a date with him. He was still half convinced that this was all some elaborate dream, that he would wake up and it would all be over.
Jon stood in front of his mirror, trying to decide if his outfit was good enough. Sure, they’ve shared countless meals together but it was different this time. This time it was a date. And Jon would do everything in his power to show Damian that he’d made the right choice.
Jon’s heart was beating happily in his chest as he flew over to the cafe they were going to meet at. He touched down in a secluded alley before jogging out into the stream of people. Jon let a soft smile fall onto his face as the sun warmed his body, today is going to be a wonderful day.
A bell jingled as Jon stepped into the small cafe that he and Damian frequented. It was Jon’s favorite because of the many floral arrangements and how the booths were separated by wooden walls so the two of them could talk freely. Jon took a seat at the back of the small cafe facing the door so he could easily see when Damian entered.
Time passed quickly as Jon got lost in daydreams, all of them involving his Damian. Or was he even allowed to call him that yet? Were they together? Jon didn’t like leaving things vague so he decided that would be the first thing he’d clarify when Damian showed up.
When Jon eventually snapped out of his thoughts he turned to look at his phone. It read 12:45pm. Jon frowned, it wasn’t like Damian to be late, he was always scarily on time to everything. Was he second guessing the date? Did he change his mind about wanting to date him?
Jon took a deep breath to try and slow his thoughts down but it only made it worse, maybe there was traffic, or maybe Bruce got kidnapped…or maybe Damian got kidnapped!!
Jon quickly cut off that train of thought and listened for Damian’s heartbeat. He had to make sure he was safe. He let out a sigh of relief when it was steady and still in Wayne Manor. But his relief was short lived because the new information led Jon to wonder what was wrong.
Jon fished out his phone from his pocket and clicked Damian’s contact. The phone rang and rang but Damian didn’t pick up. Just as Jon was about to leave the cafe and fly over to the manor his phone started buzzing.
Jon accidentally used super speed to look at the caller ID. Unfortunately, it was not Damian, but Dick Grayson whose name popped up on the screen. Jon took a second to calm his heart before accepting the call, “Hello?”
“Jon! Oh thank god!” Dick said in a rushed voice, “I need you to come over to the manor, it’s about Damian.”
Jon’s eyes widened, immediately starting to make his way out of the cafe, “What happened? Is he okay? Is he hurt?”
“Whoa whoa, slow down kid. He’s fine, mostly.”
“Mostly? Stop trying to scare me Dick,” Jon sighed, “I’ll be there in less than a minute.”
“Come talk to me before you see him.”
“Okay, thank you,” Jon hung up before taking off into the vast blue sky. Jon fought away any negative thoughts that tried to plague his mind. He didn’t know the situation so he wouldn’t draw any conclusions that would just scare him more.
Although Jon wanted to go straight to Damian, he respected Dick’s wishes and went to see him first. Dick was waiting outside the manor for him. Once Jon touched down onto the freshly cut grass, Dick gave him a big smile, “Thank you so much for coming.”
“What’s going on?” Jon tried to keep his desperation out of his voice.
Dick sighed and placed a hand on Jon’s shoulder, “Damian went on patrol with B last night and got hit by a spell cast by a demon.”
“What!??” Jon yelled, “You said he was fine!”
“Let me finish,” Dick gave Jon a classic big brother look to silence him, “It didn’t hurt him as far as we can tell but it changed his appearance. Zatanna is off-world right now so we won’t be able to reverse the spell until she gets back.”
Jon takes a deep breath to calm himself, “So why did you call me?”
“Because Damian refuses to see anyone and I think you might be able to get through to him. Everyone knows he listens to you best,” Dick informed him, a worried look passing across his face, “He’s having a hard time and I think you’re the only one that can help. He doesn’t even want to talk to me.”
Jon let out a breath of air, “I can try.”
Dick nodded in appreciation and gestured for him to follow, “Come on, I’ll take you to him.”
Jon followed Dick through the manor to Damian’s room. Jon let out a sigh of relief when he couldn’t detect Bruce anywhere in the manor, no matter how many years it's been, Jon was still deathly scared of Batman.
Their footsteps must’ve alerted Damian as they approached his door because the boy yelled through the door, “Go away!”
“He locked his door but I assume that’s not going to be a problem for you,” Dick whispered to Jon, “Good luck.”
Dick left Jon standing in front of Damian’s door. His hand hovered over the door knob, trying to prepare himself for whatever waited for him behind the door that had Damian refusing to see anybody. He quickly decided that whatever had happened, he wouldn’t outwardly freak out. Spells were always dangerous territory and Jon really didn’t know what to expect.
Jon turned the doorknob, breaking the lock completely. He swung the door open and stepped inside. Jon immediately recognized Damian’s shape huddled underneath the covers of his bed, completely hidden. Jon carefully closed the door behind him and approached Damian’s concealed figure.
Just as Jon was about to use x-ray vision, Damian yelled out, “Kent! Don’t you dare look. Go away, you don’t want to see me.”
“Well that’s impossible. I always want to see you, it’s the best part of my day,” Jon sat beside Damian’s body. He placed a comforting hand on his back, “What’s wrong? You know you can tell me anything.”
“I stood you up after I made you promise not to do the same to me. I’m a terrible person and I don’t understand how you’re interested in me. You should just leave,” Damian’s voice shook as he spoke the last words. Jon was able to pick up on slight tremors wracking through Damian’s body and the softest sniffle.
“I could never leave you,” Jon reassured him easily. And it was so true, nothing in the world could make him leave Damian, not even Darkseid himself.
“Don’t make promises you can’t keep, Kent,” Damian replied back in a harsh voice, “I’m a monster now.”
“Well, I’m an alien and you’ve never left me,” Jon tried to reason with him though it was hard because he wasn’t exactly sure what was wrong.
“That’s different, you still look…like a human,” Damian’s voice trailed off at the end. The blankets shifted as Damian tried to move away. Jon heard the spike of Damian’s heartbeat and the way more tears trailed down his face. Enough was enough, Jon couldn’t stand to see Damian scared and in pain. Especially when nothing that had happened could possibly change the way he felt.
“Dami…come out of there, please,” Jon tried one more time.
“You don’t understand! I don’t look like myself anymore!” Damian screamed but then continued in a softer, broken voice, “I can’t let you see me…I can’t deal with you hating me.”
“Nothing could make me hate you, I promise,” Jon exhaled slowly, trying to convey everything he felt for Damian through his words. When he didn’t answer, Jon made a decision. He grabbed the edge of the bedsheet and used his super strength to literally rip the blanket away from Damian’s hands.
It was excessive but Jon wasn’t always the best with words and this seemed to be the only way to fix things. He was better with actions and he would show Damian that he had nothing to be scared of. That he would love him forever, no matter what.
Jon finally saw what Damian was so scared about. Damian’s skin was a deep red with swirls of black running across the parts of his arms and legs that Jon could see. His eyes now shone a beautiful gold with slit pupils that trembled. Two large, black curved horns peeked through his dark hair, and faint gold runes glowed along his cheeks and neck–evidence of the spell. Damian flinched back and a thin, spade shaped tail curled anxiously around his leg.
He looked like a demon.
But he also looked so scared that it broke Jon’s heart.
“I’m hideous, don’t look at me,” Damian looked away, raising his arms to try and cover his face, “I told you I’m a monster.”
But Jon didn’t see a monster like Damian expected, he only saw the boy he loved.
“Don’t hide from me,” Jon gently guided Damian's arms away from his face, “You’re beautiful, as always.”
“Stop lying to me!”
“I’m not lying,” Jon said with a steady and firm voice, “You’re still you. Still the person who calls me an idiot when he’s flustered. Still the person who doesn’t hesitate to make fun of me. Still the person who risked the wrath of Batman just to ask me out on a date. Still the person I–”
He stopped himself, breath catching on the words. It was too soon, Damian had barely asked him on a first date. Stupid, stupid, how could he slip up like that?
Damian’s golden eyes widened, seeming to momentarily forget about his demon form, “The person you what?”
Jon swallowed, “The person I’ve been in love with since I was twelve. I love you, Damian Wayne.”
The runes on Damian’s face and neck glowed brighter, “Jon…”
Jon smiled, a large weight was lifted from his heart. Jon reached up and brushed a hand across Damian’s cheek, “One silly spell isn’t going to change how I feel.”
“You’re not…disgusted?” Damian’s voice dropped below a whisper, seemingly still in disbelief of the entire situation.
“Dami,” Jon murmured, “You could grow horns, fangs, an extra eye, or turn purple. I’d choose you every single time.”
Damian’s breath hitched. He stopped trembling, letting himself relax for the first time since the spell hit him, “I love you too.”
Jon didn’t waste a single second. He pounced on Damian and smothered him in a hug, pulling the boy into a warm embrace. Damian melted into Jon’s chest immediately, both of them clinging to each other like they were afraid of the other disappearing. Jon couldn’t contain his bright smile, he pulled back and pressed their foreheads together. Jon looked into Damian’s golden eyes which were mere centimeters away, bringing a finger up to brush against his lips, “Can I?”
“Shut up, farm boy,” Damian huffed before closing the gap between the two. Their lips met in a sweet kiss, conveying all the unsaid feelings between the two. They pulled away for a breath of air before Jon rolled on top of Damian, slotting their lips together again, trying to pour all of his love into the kiss. Damian’s hands curled into Jon’s hair, and one of Jon’s arms tightened around Damian’s waist. The world narrowed to warmth shared between them.
When they finally broke apart, Damian’s expression shifted as guilt flickered across his features, “I ruined our date today. I made you promise not to stand me up, and then I did the same to you.”
Jon braced his arms on either side of Damian’s head, body hovering over the demon boy, “You didn’t ruin anything at all. You had a demon transformation, which seems like a pretty valid excuse to me,” Jon said softly, “All that matters is that you’re alive.”
“This can barely be considered alive,” Damian frowned, eyes purposely avoiding Jon’s.
“Would you hate me if I said you look extra adorable like this?” Jon sheepishly admitted. It was true, Damian’s sharp features were even more pronounced with the dark red skin tone and runes highlighting his cheekbones.
Damian’s mouth fell open, “You cannot be serious right now.”
“I’m dead serious,” Jon reached up and traced the lines of Damian’s new horns with a hand.
Damian groaned and shoved his face into Jon’s chest, “I regret confessing to you.”
Jon dropped beside him and wrapped his arms around Damian, laughing softly, “No, you don’t. You love me.”
“Unfortuanely,” Damian muttered as Jon heard his heart beat faster.
Jon took one of Damian’s hands into his own, threading their fingers together, “You’re stuck with me now.”
Damian’s lips twitched into a small smile, “I suppose there are worse fates.”
And Jon held onto Damian like he was the most precious thing in the world. Because to Jon, he was. And there was nothing the world could throw at him that would make him love Damian any less.