Chapter Text
The first time was nothing special, compared to any other day at least. There were no villains in the midst of brewing up their evil plans, no big projects at school for Jonathon to worry his little head over, and no crisis for Damian to demand the two had to solve immediately. It was a rare day for Gotham in general, with bright sunny rays cascading down on the city and air pollution levels below one hundred. It was the perfect day to take a walk or have a picnic, and yet Jonathanand Damian were stuck in the manor.
“Damian, come on just for five minutes. Please,” Jon pleaded with the other boy who for the hundredth time, simply shook his head and went back to reading. Jon responded with a grunt, laying down backward on Damian’s bed with a thump that would surely shake the boy leaning on the headboard.
“Your infantile whines to go outdoors are not going to change my mind hayseed,” Damian counters, finally acknowledging the other boy’s loud complaints. Damian was not the type to back down when he made a precautionary decision. Especially when it was a decision he believed was for the safety of both of them as well as the rest of the world.
The day before Jonathan had made a reckless decision while on a mission to retrieve an experiment Ivy was working on. She had used the chemicals from different plants that had already been mutated to form a new and dangerous human virus. The origins were technically created by mankind in the first place but it had previously only affected herbs that were growing in wet areas such as marshes or swamps. It was never meant to get out into the world in the first place, and the crisis among scholars studying the environment had been rampant since its leak. Jon was able to get ahold of her experiments and fled the fight immediately to dispose of them. He wasn't sure of where to take them and so he went to his father who helped him get rid of every last drop by throwing all of it into the sun. He didn't even really think that he might be able to do something like that but it only made sense, as it was the only body that could safely disintegrate the material without harm. Unfortunately, they didn't know how any of the science behind the experiments that Jon came into contact with worked. Therefore, he was decontaminated thoroughly with the help of Bruce on the off chance it could somehow be spread through him. The Justice League was quite positive that his Kryptonian cells would be able to fight off the virus without spreading it or allowing it to take form in his system. Damian however, was quick to point out all of the League’s past mistakes regarding substances that were created by villains and demanded that the two stay quarantined for at least a week’s time.
“It’s been three days Damian, if I was going to get sick I would have been by now,” Jonathan demanded with a roll of his eyes. He tugged on the sleeve of Damian’s Nike compression shirt to no avail.
“Several illnesses have been known to lie dormant for up to ten years, if it wasn’t for the fact that you have to return to school in four days' time, I would think we would stay in this room for much longer. Consider yourself grateful.” Damian replied with a glare smacking Jon’s hand away gently.
“I don’t think Ivy’s weird ass plant toxin is that advanced, she’s only a botanist,” Jon complained and Damian finally set his book down in frustration.
“Consider yourself an imbecile to underestimate the science and education behind botany, not only is it a respectable career but Ivy herself is no moron like yourself. She has a doctorate and has studied biochemistry for several years. I’ve even read some of her papers regarding the current state of our environment and would be honored to stand by her side on some of her theories if she weren’t a terrorist,” He scoffed. In all reality, Jon already knew these things, as Damian had already discussed them before. Jon has always been pretty sure that in some other timeline where Damian didn’t feel the need to forever be a burden to the evil of his own creation that he would not be where he is now. Damian has always been a fighter out of a sense of duty. However, the Damian who takes care of Titus, reads classic novels, and complains about ozone levels is a different person, someone not carrying the load of an ex-assassin.
Jon sat up instantaneously at the environmentalist ramble, excited to finally have Damian’s nose out of his most prized copy of, “The Picture of Dorian Gray.” He’s listened to Damian ramble about the relationship between morality and beauty a hundred times after reading the very book. He’s not sure how Damian can read as much as he does in general, let alone the same book every few months but at least it’s something for him to talk about other than missions.
“Dami, if you weren’t in the hero business what do you think you would want to be doing instead,” Jon asked suddenly wanting to know what that timeline in his head would be like. Damian seemed surprised by his line of questioning, considering that it was completely off-topic from the previous discussion of illness and botany.
“I am in the hero business,” Damian replied decisively.
“I know you are. I’m not as stupid as you like to pretend I am, I mean like in another universe or something,” Jon clarified.
“I’m afraid that I would rather not see what I am like in other universes,” Damian snorted, “ We both know what that can look like.”
Jon huffed indignantly, “Stop being purposely avoidant, you know what I mean.”
“I will stop avoiding your questions when you stop asking me utter nonsense, you and I both know that hypotheticals such as these are arbitrary and contemplating on them is undoubtedly futile in nature,” Damian replied, going back to his abandoned book, hoping to end the conversation that Jonathan had pushed for. Jon acted quickly to Damian’s attempt to shut the other down and yanked the item out of his hand, promptly setting it on the bedside table next to them so that it wouldn’t get ruined.
“If you won’t tell me what you would do, I’ll tell you what I would do,” Jon announced proudly, undeterred by the death glare being sent his way.
“You’re half alien, there is no universe where you are working a 9-5 Kent,” Damian scowled but made no move to retrieve the book that Jon had taken possession of.
“Now that is exactly where you’re wrong. I think if I was human, I’d be like a star football player or something, or maybe even a baseball player. I don’t really think I’d be a quarterback or anything, probably just a linebacker and if I was in baseball I’d want to be the catcher. They’re always on the field,” He ranted but was quickly shut down.
“You’re in high school, you could do whatever sport you wanted to. You have the grades to keep up with it, thanks to yours truly. Without me you’d probably have failed your Maths ten times over,” Damian interjected but Jon shook his head with an argument already on the tip of his tongue.
"Obviously, I could join sports if I wanted, and let’s be honest no other teenage kid on the planet would be able to get the ball from me but there’s not really any accomplishment to that. Also, you’re not the only one who tutored me, Damian,” Jon objected. Damian nodded his head in understanding. The conversation which was previously something that he had objected to had suddenly become interesting.
“Hm, what if we started a Supers league or something,” Damian decided, “We’d have to set a special group of rules but it could be good promotion and I’m sure you would find at least a small amount of difficulty against shapeshifters and speedsters. Unfortunately, I’d say that flying is off the table.”
“A superhero football competition sounds like a prime target for supervillainey,” Jon responded with hesitancy.
“So is a fucking tower in the sky but that doesn’t seem to stop the league,” Damian shrugged.
“Fine whatever, but we both know it’s not the same. That’s like joining a local neighborhood team. You know what’d I want though, it’s your turn now. Please Dami.” Jon begged but to no avail.
“I will not give into your foolish pleads,” Damian demanded, “ Obsecration is not a good look on you Jonathon.”
Jon went silent and stared off into space as though he was concentrating on something really difficult. For just a moment it seemed that Damian had finally won and that the other boy would finally stop with the nonsense in question but apparently, he was just beginning, because the next thing Damian knew, Jon had Damian by both the shoulders shaking him, a mantra of ‘please’ and ‘come on’ escaping his mouth like a child. It was a compromising position, to say the least. In order to have him by the shoulders, Jon was practically on his lap, trapping him to the headboard like they were in some poorly written erotic novel. A small blush formed on Damian’s cheeks, and in one swift movement, he grabbed Jon by the arms and pushed him onto the mattress ready to end the conversation, once and for all.
“Can’t you just shut up for five seconds?” Damian demanded, he turned his head briefly to make sure that the copy of his book was still safe on the bed. He placed himself directly above Jon, noses almost touching and breaths mingling with one another.
“What are-,” Jonathan began but Damian shut him down as quick as he started, closing the gap between them both. It was just a small kiss at first, it ended as quickly as it started. They both stared at each other intently, breathing heavily as their hearts raced out of their chests. Of course, Jon was always the first to try and break the silence. “You still haven’t told me what you would be doing if you weren’t a hero.”
“Probably still tolerating your childish line of questioning,” Damian replied, leaning back down, and kissing him again. This time Jonathan's body replied instantly, kissing back with the skill Damian clearly lacked. For all of his bravado, Damian had never kissed anyone before. Nonetheless, he learned quickly, following the other boy’s movements and deepening the kiss. It was slow and intimate but eventually, Damian separated himself for air, too embarrassed to breathe so heavily through his nose. “I think I’d probably be a veterinarian, or maybe a house husband as I do quite enjoy baking with Pennyworth.”
Just like that Damian leaned back, leaving Jonathan on his back with heavy breaths. It took only a moment for Damian to lean toward the coffee table and pick up where he left off on the Picture of Dorian Gray. When Jon finally sat up and gathered his bearings he looked toward Damian for any kind of explanation but was promptly ignored. Eventually, Jon just shook his head, laughed, and laid down next to Damian to watch him read. It didn’t take Jon long to fall asleep and Damian smirked to himself. He would finally have time to read in peace and he was quite proud of himself as well.
After all, leaving Jonathan Kent speechless was a rarity for anyone to achieve.