"You Do Love Me...Right?"
Pairing(s): zenitsu agatsuma x tsundere!reader
Genre: angst->fluff
Synopsis: after countless rejections, zenitsu is ecstatic when you finally accepted his confession, even if you told him he had to wait in order to marry you. your're dating, but it doesn't really feel like it. you do love him...right?
Warning(s): crying zenitsu :( quick glimpse of soft!sanemi if you squint, not proof read 0_0
Kao's Notes: i know i have quite a few requests, and i haven't forgotten them! i just had this idea and i wanted to see how it'd go, but idk how i feel about it yet. i also wanted to write for someone other than rengoku for rn lol. also, this one feels kinda long to me, soooo grab a snack!
a certain level of patience is required when dating zenitsu
he's in need of constant reassurance, as his self-esteem isn't the highest by any means which we all know
you initially met each other at the spider forest incident
you're actually the tsuguko of sanemi, as you shared the same breathing technique, and he deemed you, "not a complete waste of time..."
but you felt it'd be beneficial to take on the art of medicine as well, so you could aid in both offense and defense. shinobu was more than happy to teach you, and you grew to be quite the medical asset
when giyuu and shinobu were called to the forest, kanao and yourself were called to accompany them to provide support
sanemi was inwardly hesitant to let you go, not liking the idea of his protige possibly facing a demon moon–even a lower one– this early in their slayer journey
he never did that admit it to you though, he just flopped a heavy hand onto your head and sent you on your way, muttering a gruff, "don't go dying on me to get out of training...you better come back."
later in your journey, giyuu and shinobu had gone ahead, leaving you and kanao to travel together. you didn't mind though, she didn't talk much and neither did you, so you didn't mind traveling with her. she could also hold her own
along the way, you two had split up, providing help to those in different sectors of the forest to cover more ground
after treating everyone in a portion of the forest, you moved on to another, where shinobu so happen to be, and she looked to you. "ah, good timing, y/n. would you mind finishing this boy's treatment," she stood and began on her way. "the poison's gotten awfully far. treat him quickly, will you. oh my!" she looked at zenitsu. "his face is very red! best you hurry, y/n!"
with that, shinobu sped off
wordlessly getting to work, you began to perform your quick treatment on the boy clad in yellow, bringing out a large roll of bandages from one of the many pouches you attached to your belt
"there," you continued wrapping the boy up, speaking in a monotonous yet gentle, voice. "you're going to be just fine, i can assure you."
he wanted to say much more, but in his increasingly weakening state, all zenitsu could utter was a quiet, "p-pretty..."
that definitely threw you for a loop, not that you'd let him see it. you just continued to wrap up his body, opting for a curt, "try not to talk too much...save your energy."
and that was your first encounter with the boy
after the whole incident with the master's decision to keep nezuko and her brother, tanjiro, as demon slayers, you continued your training with sanemi as usual
he was internally relieved to see your safe return, showing it with a swift smack on the head with a, "it's about time you got back," he turned on his heels, beckoning you to following him, which you did, gladly. "back to your training"
you'd been called upon to assist tanjiro with his training when you weren't too occupied with your own, alongside kanao. and you had to admit, being quite the challenge against the boy was rather entertaining
he returned day after day trying to best you in tag and hand-to-hand combat. but, your favorite was some cup of water game where you were granted the entertainment of throwing water in the boy's face if you managed to cover his hand before he could cover yours
and you beat him everytime
later, zenitsu and inosuke joined in the game-like training, and inosuke was rather good at the tag portion of it. he was eager to catch you, and he did, holding you above his head as he did so
zenitsu was a different kind of eager
he vividly remembered you from the forest, healing his wounds and treating the spreading poison from his body. you were breathtakingly beautiful in his eyes
and now, he has to catch you! actually hold you!
the game of tag was a walk in the park for him. you were quite the encouragement, in his opinion, as he was more than happy to chase after you and claim you as his prize
you, on the other hand, were dumbfounded
you weren't surprised inosuke was able to catch you. hell, you thought he'd run after anything that moved, but zenitsu's sudden devotion to you was odd
his eagerness to catch you threw you for a loop; you never had to run so fast in your life, but he still managed to reprimand you
but he didn't immediately slam you back on the ground *cough* like inosuke *cough* no, he handled you like you were the most precious thing in the world
then he went on about marriage, and that's when you pushed yourself off of him
and your relationship grew from there
he began by giving nezuko a heartfelt "break up" soliloquy, proclaiming "his heart has been captured by another." and the demon girl replied with a relieved "mmh"
zenitsu would constantly trail behind you, declaring his undying love for you, not allowing a day to go by without you hearing his marriage proposal
"why the hell would i marry you?" would always be your reply, and he'd falter a little but would always bounce back and try again the next time he saw you
as time passed, you grew inwardly fond of zenitsu, finding his unwavering admiration for you oddly adorable
he'd get water for you when he's sees you undergo a challenging training session with sanemi and gush endlessly about how strong you are
after a while, when zenitsu asked you to marry him, your responses would subtly changed
when he'd drop to his knee in front of you, loudly exclaiming "y/n! please, marry me!" your response changed to, "don't be stupid. we're way too young for that."
and zenitsu caught on to that! "so you're saying, in the future, when we're older, we will?!?!" you cleared your throat, rolling your eyes and walked away without providing him with a response
but he's persistent
later one night, when you're getting ready for bed, zenitsu gave you his final declaration of love for the day, asking for your hand in marriage
"zenitsu," you started in feigned annoyance, "marriage is for something years later. when we're absolutely. certain if you want us to get that far, we need to start from square one."
'us'...'we'...hang on
"AHHHHH!!! ARE YOU SAYING...Y-YOU WANNA BE WITH ME?!?!" zenitsu's yelling caused your ears to ring and you quickly shushed him, "shh, yes. now, shut up before you wake everyone up"
he's been (clingier) clingy since that night
zenitsu's love language is physical touch, and you're not too used to that just yet, so anytime he runs up to hug you, you react like you normally would
you'd push him off of you, only more gentle than usual so he wouldn't fall on the ground below
9 times out of 10, zenitsu's doesn't pay any to your tsundere tendencies and he hugs you again, as he knows you'll cave in eventually
but you never returned his hugs
and there's only so much he can take before he starts to question whether or not you actually love him
you just always seemed so...done with him
anytime he'd appear, greeting you with his usual enthusiastic hug and a kiss on the cheek, you'd hastily turn your head away, "w-warn me next time, sheesh." then you'd only reciprocate it with a flick to his forehead or something, but you wouldn't even look at him
zenitsu thought it'd eventually calm down once your relationship, if he could even call it that, grew but he's not so sure anymore
you might've bitten off more than you could chew this time. might've.
with the level of intensity that came along with sanemi's training, missions grew to feel much easier. since you shared the same breathing style as him, your forms became that much stronger. demons weren't going to stand a chance against you.
unbeknownst to sanemi, you've been working on creating an 11th form with the additional help of tomioka.
it's true, you've gotten stronger, but your current predicament confirmed the that you still have a way to go.
your bright green nichirin blade was lodged in between the sharp fangs of a demon, who you could tell was in close relations with kibutsuji based on their power.
you were pinned roughly on the ground, wincing at the many jagged rocks that pierced into your back as you struggled to free your leg from between the demon's. the muscles in your arms began to burn, the weight of the demon's body beginning to become unbearable.
once your leg was freed, you brought your knee back before fully extending it, delivering a painful kick to the demon's chest. after the demon went flying, you quickly regained control of your breathing.
you charged towards the demon, barely giving them any time to recover. before the demon could blink, you were behind them. a small 'thump' echoing in the small town as its head rolled against the concrete.
collapsing to your knees, you cursed beneath your breath as your injuries began to take effect, the adrenaline you felt during your battle wearing off. digging your blade into the dirt, you supported your weight into the hilt of the blade before pushing yourself up from the ground.
haganezuka-san would surely have your head on a platter is he witnessed you doing this to one of his precious blades, but if you hadn't, you would've continued laying in the blood-soaked dirt.
"caw! caw," you nearly jumped out of your skin at the sudden appearance of your faithful crow. "y/n, please make your way toward the wisteria house for recovery! shinobu's assistants will help you there!"
ignoring the loud mouth bird, you began to limp your way to the wisteria house.
"caw! caw! y/n, please make your way to–CaW!" the crow squawked, flying out of the way when you tiredly swatted at the bird in agitation.
"i heard you!"
the trek to the house felt incredibly long, your legs growing weaker with every step you took. thankfully, the nearest wisteria house wasn't too terribly far.
upon arrival, you were quick to find the nearest bath and rid yourself of the blood and dirt. wrapping the soft yukata the kind lady brought around your waist, you made your way back to your room.
sinking to your knees on the soft mat below, a soft sigh left your lips.
"zenitsu's probably worried..."
truth be told, you felt incredibly guilty.
you know zenitsu is trying his hardest to make you feel like a queen in your relationship. it nearly impossible not to see. from him serenading you with the most heartfelt monologue when you were to set off on a mission alone, to the enthusiastic praise he'd offer during training, you knew zenitsu loves you. and you love him too...
you just don't know if he knows.
relationships, being friendly or platonic, isn't your strong suit. the mere thought of becoming vulnerable with others, or putting any amount of trust in them, is terrifying.
"i love you," seemed like the most complicated phrase to say. and it was only three word! three! so why are they so hard to say?!
"nnn-channnn...."
the hell? you stopped and listened, wondering if your ears were playing tricks on you. they weren't, by the way.
"y/nNnNNn-chAaAaAnAnnnnnn!"
oh zenitsu...
his footsteps and wailing grew louder as he came nearer. the door nearly slid off it's hinges at the amount of force he used to push it open.
"quit screaming," you began to scold. "others are trying to res–"
your back nearly collides with the floor as zenitsu wrapped his arms your neck, attacking you in a relief-filled hug. he wailing only increased in volume.
"y-y-your crow came back and said you were injured," you grimaced at the sound of him inhaling snot back into his nose, but let him hug you nonetheless along with a half hearted head pat. "i didn't know if you were coming back! w-w-who would protect me of you died?!"
"it's nothing to cry over, zenitsu." you gently pushed him off of you.
"w-why," he sniffles before wiping his nose on his sleeve. "why do you always do that..."
now you weren't stupid.
at some point in the relationship, you knew zenitsu would question you. you believe he is more perspective than he lets on, and you knew zenitsu noticed your lack of emotional response.
you just weren't prepared for the conversation, no matter how many times you rehearsed it in your head.
"...do what," you decided to play aloof for a while, eyes narrowing in confusion.
"that," zenitsu motioned to you. "you're just always so...emotionless all the time." you furrowed your eyebrows.
"i'm not emotionless," you subtly gripped the sleeve of your yukata. "i'm just not a sensitive person, like you."
"i know that," zenitsu's voice grew softer by the second. "but i have to wonder sometimes, y/n, you do love me...right?"
your heart dropped to the pit of your stomach.
although, you're not surprised either. the last thing you wanted was for zenitsu to question your love for him because, believe me, you loved him more than anything. but, with the conflicted look on his face, it was apparent that he wasn't aware of it.
you tried to show him your love in small gestures rather than words: your timid head pats, covering him with a blanket anytime he fell asleep in random places, and connection your pinkies together whenever you were assigned the same mission. you tried. you really did.
but it seems it wasn't enough.
"i see..." zenitsu took your shocked silence as an answer to his question before he picked himself up from the mat and made his way out the door.
you didn't move. you couldn't move. watching zenitsu walk out that door hurt you more than anything, and for the first time in years, your tears splashes against the wood floors below.
days after that, you were finally released from the wisteria house, and you could return to the demon slayer corps headquarters.
all you could think about was zenitsu on your way back.
you and crow would usually bicker back and forth, making the time fly much quicker. but the trip was filled with melancholy silence, as you were in no mood to talk with your spunky crow today.
luckily for you, sanemi kept you busy with training once you returned. saying something along the lines of "you've had enough time off; now hurry up and follow me to the training grounds." which you knew was a direct translation for "i never want to come that close to losing you again." that's why, you believe, you and sanemi got along so well.
you both show your true feelings through small gestures and underling messages. and you immediately picked up on it, both of you.
while sanemi kept you busy, zenitsu moped about. his newfound sadness hit tanjiro's nose like a ton of bricks, and he couldn't be more worried.
and it wasn't just from zenitsu. anytime tanjiro walked past the training grounds, where you and sanemi reside, the same sad smell entered his nose. while you were occupied and training well, you were sad too.
on the outside, it appeared you had your same stone cold expression. but on the inside, you were despondent. all you could think about was zenitsu.
"you're done for today." sanemi's gruff voice cut through the air. he sheathed his sword as he watched you pant heavily from your recent sparring loss. "i'm not gonna waste my time if your head's not in it. go figure your shit out."
without giving you a chance to retaliate, sanemi walked away from you, tossing you a towel before completely making his leave.
"y/n-chan," you were in the middle of wiping the sweat off your face when someone called your name. peaking from the cloth, you gave a nod.
"hello, tanjiro." you were considerably close with each other. tanjiro was arguably the most kind-hearted soul you've met, and he read your emotions remarkably well. and it wasn't uncommon for him to help you with them as well.
"how're you," he placed his hands behind his back, looking at you expectedly. you rolled your eyes.
"you want something," you dropped the towel around your shoulders. "what is it?"
the boy sweat dropped and scratched behind his head, "o-oh you caught that, huh? hehe..." you lifted an eyebrow, waiting for him to get to the point. "well, it's...is everything okay? with you and zenitsu, i mean?"
the same sad smell hit his nose again; he got his answer.
"...n-no. it's not okay," a frown tugged at your lips, your eyes casting towards the ground. "i messed everything up, tanjiro."
tanjiro frowned at the crack in your voice; he'd never witnessed your expression change, and the fact that the first one he witnessed was sadness didn't sit well with him.
"what happened?"
"my stupid emotions," you gripped the towel, "or lack thereof. z-zenitsu doesn't think i love him, tanjiro..." tanjiro furrowed his brows.
"why not," tanjiro scratched his chin with his index finger. "i can easily tell you love him? why can't he?"
"i'm just...terrible at saying it; i've never been able to. i tried showing him, i did, b-but i guess it wasn't enough."
"y/n–"
"no, i-it's fine. this is my fault, anyways." you spun on your heels, heading towards the nearest bathhouse. "i'll see you around, tanjiro."
the young slayer was about to follow you, but he figured it'd be best to leave you be. emotions leave room for vulnerability, something he knew you weren't too keen on, so left you to gather your thoughts.
instead, he had to go talk some sense into someone else.
it didn't take long for tanjiro to find zenitsu; all he had to do was follow the depressing smell. and there he was, curled up in his room.
"zenitsu..." said boy flinched at the sudden voice.
"o-oh tanjiro," zenitsu slowly sat up, wiping the tears from his cheeks. "what're you doing here?"
"well," tanjiro scratched the nape of his neck. this was a touchy subject, and he was feeling nervous about bringing it up. "i talked to y/n earlier, and–"
"WAHHHHHHHHHH!!!!"
zenitsu's wailing caused tanjiro to flinch; he gulped at the yellow boy's sudden burst of tears.
"tanjiroooo," zenitsu nearly knocked the poor boy over as he went to hug him. dramatically sliding down, zenitsu dropped to his knees and continued to sob into tanjiro's stomach. "why doesn't she love me, tanjiro?! i-i was right all along! i-i-i'm just gonna DIE ALONE!"
"z-zenitsu," tanjiro frantically strarted. "please calm down. "
"CALM DOWN?!" zenitsu screamed. "i find out the woman i love doesn't love me, and you tElL mE tOo CALM DOWN?!"
"zenitsu–"
"i didn't know you were so heartless, tanjiro! HOW COULD YOU?!?!"
"z-zenitsu, please just–"
"WAHHHHHHHHHH!!!!"
tanjiro gulped as zenitsu continued to wail loudly into his shirt, and he finally pushed zenitsu so he could look at him, grimacing as a string of snot connected from his shirt to zenitsu's nose.
"ZENITSU!"
he sniffed, "w-what?"
"she does love you."
"n-no she doesn't," zenitsu admitted in defeat. "i asked her, a-and she didn't answer me, so..." his voice grew increasingly weaker, and tanjiro sighed.
"i know she loves you zenitsu, but–"
"i-if she loves me," zenitsu cut him off. "why hasn't she told me..." he asked in defeat, and tanjiro relaxed his shoulders.
"i-it's just...not easy for her to say, but zenitsu, haven't you noticed her show her love in other ways..." tanjiro asked in a knowing tone.
"w-what," zenitsu paused to sniffle. "whaddya mean?"
"just think back for a moment, zenitsu."
zenitsu furrowed his eyebrows, thinking back.
----
"y/nnnn," zenitsu cried out in fear. "i-it's so dark out here!" you sighed.
"well, yes zenitsu, demons can only come out during the night," you responded sarcastically, pushing forward through the woods. "so, why wouldn't it be dark out?"
"y/n!" zenitsu scurried to catch up with you, as he somehow fell behind. "please don't leave me! i wouldn't last a minute out here alone!"
"c'mon," you interlocked your pinkies together, causing zenitsu's panicking to cease. "just stay close 'nitsu," your voice grew soft, eyes softening every so slightly as you kept them locked on the terrain ahead. "everything's okay."
zenitsu didn't say anything, only looking at your connected pinkies as his cheeks and the tips of his ears dusted pink, trailing behind you like a lovesick puppy.
----
zenitsu slowly stood from his kneeling position, as his mind reminded him of, yet another, declaration of love from you.
----
returning from a rather tiring mission, zenitsu couldn't wait to collapse on his comfortable bed. he'd never taken a bath so quickly in his life.
after changing from his uniform to a comfortable kimono, zenitsu collapsed into his bed. the soft mattress has never felt so comfortable.
just as he was about to doze off, zenitsu heads his door close. he didn't bother opening his eyes to see who it was, he was far too tired for that, so he remained still listening to the soft padding if feet approach him.
feeling his hair get pushed back from his forehead, zenitsu's heart nearly pounded out of his chest when he heard you.
"i'm glad you made it back, zenny," you whispered before pressing a soft kiss to his forehead. "rest well."
gently pulling the blanket over his shoulders, you gently ran your fingers through his soft hair. after you finished tucking him in, you quietly made your leave, carefully closing the door behind you.
zenitsu's eyes shot open, any ounce of sleep leaving him. he couldn't wipe the giddy smile off his face that night.
----
gripping his hair, zenitsu let out a panicked wail.
"AHHHHHHH!!! WHAT DID I DO?!?!"
"calm down," tanjiro spoke out. "this can be fixed. just go talk to her, and i'm sure everything will work out," tanjiro placed a soft hand on his friend's shoulder with a reassuring smile.
he didn't have tell him twice.
before tanjiro could even blink, zenitsu was out of the door and on his way to find you.
you just finished your bath after sanemi's training, and are currently seeking refuge in your own room.
"nnnNNn-chAaAaAnAAAAANNNN!!!"
your door nearly flew off it's hinges at the force zenitsu used to open it.
"zenitsu? what's wro–oof!"
arms wrapped around your waist, knocking you to the ground in a bone crushing hug.
"please forgive me, y/n-chan," he buried his face into your chest, immediately flustering you.
"i-i don't even know what you're talking," you tried nudging him off of you, but that only caused his grip to tighten.
"i doubted your love for me! i promise it'll never happen again!"
"zenitsu...you were right to question me..." your eyes cast down to the floor in a guilty manner. "i-i've never been able to say it, so i see why you'd have your doubts," zenitsu lifted his face out of your chest, resting his chin on it as he looked up at you.
"but i promise you," you finally looked up at him, and his heart nearly melted at the nervous smile you gave. "i...i really do love, zenitsu."
...
your smile fell; zenitsu didn't say a word, only stared at you. did you wait too long to say it? was it not convincing? because you do mean it.
"zenitsu, a-are–"
he tackled you to the floor again, this time, rubbing his cheek against yours before peppering it with vigorous kisses.
"hahaha," he laughed, feeling giddy. "you loveeee meee!"
you deadpanned, and playfully rolled your eyes with a scoff. well, at least he feels better now.
~3 hours later~
"y/nnnnnnn" not again.
you huffed as zenitsu cooed your name for the millionth time, "what."
"do you love meeee," he asked in a whiny/teasing tone, drawing patterns on your cheek as he did so.
"yes," you rolled your eyes. "for the millionth time," you mumbled to yourself.
zenitsu was back to his giddy, lovestruck self and began nuzzling into your side. you gave an exhausted sigh.
'this is why i didn't say it.'
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So my Batfamily brain rot is back (not that it ever really left) and I just had a thought like…
If you’re a henchman/criminal in Gotham, seeing your life flash past your eyes is gonna be a somewhat regular occurance but… what if like… the thing that truly made a henchman’s heart fall to his ass was when they hit Robin just a little too hard and this 10 year old kid just starts crying and goes ‘Daaaaaadddd!’
That’s the moment when they truly think they’re going to die because said dad, the kid is calling for is a 6’6 demon from hell who’s all muscle and shadows and vengance and a lot of Gotham still thinks he’s a cryptid
The henchmen all drop their guns and try to calm the kid down but it’s over in 5 seconds flat. Batman breaks several bones before speaking to Robin in the softest voice they’ve ever heard him use and the criminal world, who was already a bit hesitant to fight a kid have even more reason to take it just a little easy on Robin.
And like, I can picture different reactions with every Robin.
Like, for Dick, he’s ten and we all know he was the most violent Robin second only to Damian so maybe when he’s ten or eleven and has calmed down a little, a henchback who still remembers what a little shit he used to be decides to get back at Robin, slips on a pair of brass knuckles and BAM
And then, little Dick just stares for a moment in shock, cheek already starting to bruise, the criminals he’d been fighting all stay still because it was a nasty punch and then…
“Daaaaad!!!” He cries out in a whiny voice that reminds them that Robin really is just a kid and it all clicks into place.
Even Bruce wasn’t expecting that, Dick has just started calling him dad and he still isn’t used to being called that so to hear his kid calling for him in the moment where he is startled and hurt and a little scared… the henchmen don’t even have time to react and they wake up in the hospital with concussions and maybe a few broken bones.
It doesn’t take Dick long to calm down, it was mostly that the hit from a random henchmen really startled him and got him right in the cheekbone. But Bruce still finishes patrol early and Dick still hides under Bruce’s cape all the way to the Batmobile.
Then comes Jason and Jason was such a sweet kid, I headcannon he was the one that called Bruce dad the most often while being Robin. So one night during patrol maybe he finds himself fighting Penguin or Two-Face and it’s been a long night and he has an exam the following day and Bruce is fighting another villain at the other side of the warehouse
The point is, the henchmen and Two-Face start landing hits on eleven year old Jason in his gut and at some point he loses sight of Batman fighting on the other side of the room. Jason gets scared because he’s never really fought without Batman and while he knows that Bruce is still in the warehouse, he can’t see him and the handle of a gun hits the back of his ankle and he falls and he sees Two-Face or Penguin or one of the henchmen getting ready to grab the front of his uniform and beat him up and…
“Daaaaddd!”
The criminals freeze for a moment. They’ve heard the stories of what happened the last time a Robin called scared for dad.
They’re fucked.
They all drop their guns and try to get Jason to calm down, but he’s crying just a little bit and calls again, his voice breaking and despite having been at the other side of the warehouse just a second ago, Bruce somehow drops from the ceiling and it’s over before the criminals can keep pleading with Robin to calm down.
Jason tries to apologize for ‘acting like a baby’ but Bruce is having none of it and carries him back to the Batmobile and Jason is happy to just hide his face in Bruce’s cape because he knows his dad will always be there to save him.
Then comes Tim.
And Tim gets found out while doing reconnisance and somehow he finds himself face to face with Bane who manages to wrench away his bo staff and Tim is just eleven and he is scared because Bane doesn’t look like he’s going to hold back
All Tim knows is that the crack he hears must surely be his ribs either cracking or breaking and he can’t breath and he can only muster enough air for a single word… and he calls for his dad through tears and fear
And at this point… at this point Batman has already lost a Robin, Tim may not be his legally but he is his son just as much as Jason was
Bane spends a month in the ICU
Tim is embarrased that he reacted like that. He thinks it makes him less of a Robin to called scared for Batman… for dad.
So Bruce tells him of the other two times it happened. It’s one of the first times he’s spoken about Jason to Tim so bluntly.
Then comes Stephanie.
Stephanie never calls Bruce dad when she’s Robin. She’s not his daughter and he’s not her dad. They’re not sure what exactly they are to one another.
As far as Bruce knows, Stephanie’s version of Robin never called out to him when she was scared.
What he doesn’t know is that it did happen. Just once
It was the last time she was Robin. When Black Mask had her and she thought she was going to die
At some point while bleeding and feeling nauseous and so scared she could barely hear anything that wasn’t her own heart beating wildly against her chest… she called for dad. Not for Arthur Brown, but for Bruce
Black Mask laughed at her
Stephanie never tells Bruce
And finally… Damian
Now, we know Damian would probably never be startled enough to call for Bruce out of instinct, so I can see 2 scenarios in which this could happen.
First, he sees another kid do it. He sees a kid close to his own age laughing and playing, then tripping and staying quiet for a split second before crying out for mom and dad and he just… assumes that’s something kids do when scared and hurt and startled and does it mostly in an attempt to be a little more ‘normal’
Or, my favorite scenario… he hears of the other times it has happened. He overhears maybe Dick remind Jason of what Bruce did when Jason called out to dad as Robin. Tim maybe jokes that a Robin calling for dad is still the villains’ greatest fear
So Damian stores that knowledge away as a battle strategy just in case he ever needs it… and maybe a small part of him wants to put it to the test, to see if his father would protect him as brutally as he’s protected the Robins before him
So some random night during patrol, he’s up against several henchmen, a few of them grab him from behind, trying to hold him down. Damian is fighting against them when one of them swings a cylinder of metal that Damian thinks might’ve been meant for the plumbing and…
The henchman breaks Damian’s nose, there’s blood dripping down his chin and staining his uniform
Now… it is most certainly not the first time he’s broken something, he’s more than used to the pain, in fact, he barely feels it. However, it gives him a chance to put his little theory to the test
And so Damian allows himself to sound like the ten year old that he is and in a whiny, teary voice, goes… “Babaaaaa!” (Bonus points if it’s the first or second time he’s called Bruce baba instead of father)
What Damian didn’t take into account though, is that Batman and Robin aren’t the only ones on patrol that night. They made a big bust. The biggest part of the operation was over but they were still fighting a few stragglers. The whole fucking family is here.
And they all hear his cry.
Damian doesn’t think he’s ever seen a fight end so quickly. The henchmen only have a split-second of surprise before vanishing, being tackled or shot or having knives buried on their shoulders by his siblings.
The one that actually broke Damian’s nose is being beaten up by Nightwing, Damian doesn’t think he’s ever seen Grayson so angry.
A shadow kneels in front of him, father. Baba. He’s checking Damian and Todd is right at his side, both speaking in hushed tones, checking his injuries and wiping the tears that usually came with a broken nose.
And now… Damian is used to his father and Grayson treating him like a child, trying to be as soft as they can with him. Even Cain does it to some extent.
But… having Drake wrap an arm around him, calling him baby when knocking out one of the criminals that had hurt him ‘that’s my fucking baby brother!’ and continue to hold him later into the night on the couch, having Brown willingly give up all the snacks she keeps in her utility belt and promise to take him to Batburger the following day for milkshakes because he was ‘a champ’. And Thomas wraps his favorite blanket around Damian while they’re fixing him up.
Todd decides to stay the night at the manor. Which he never does. They all decide to spend the night at the manor when Damian still sniffles on the Batmobile and they have breakfast all of them together. Which Damian isn’t sure has ever happened before and Cain gets Alfred to make pancakes with chocolate chips instead of blueberries.
They call him baby in hushed whispers but for once, it doesn’t bother him even though it really should
But most of all, Bruce refuses to let him go for a good five minutes after he first cries for him. Smoothing down his hair and whispering that it’ll be okay and just being soft in a way Damian has never seen before.
He sleeps between his Baba and Grayson and he knows that Todd and Drake and Cain check in on them at least twice in the night for some reason.
And he realizes it’s… it’s nice. Maybe this really could be an effective battle strategy to be employed again someday.
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