Chapter Text
Damian let himself into Marinette's apartment during his lunch break, Alfred the Cat tucked under his chin. When he had expressed a certain degree of honor in being entrusted with a key, Marinette had laughingly told him that since he was privy to the secrets of the miraculous, there was nothing else for her to keep from him. Plaintive mewling greeted him the moment he was through the door. He set Alfred down as he moved to prepare the formula for the kittens. Marinette had agreed to let him bring the patriarchal cat to see if he tolerated the kittens. Once warm, he divided the formula between several small bottles that Marinette had labeled so they could track their intake.
Purring replaced the desperate meows of the kittens—Damian approached the basket to find Alfred curled up with the younger cats. They seemed to be content for the moment. Carefully, Damian plucked the smallest one from the nest and offered him a bottle. The kitten tucked in ravenously just as Marinette stuck her head in the door.
She smiled at him—likely affected by the sight of him with a kitten. There was something to be said for displaying whatever nurturing skills he might have. "I left Kiera in charge so I could take my break. I just came up to meet Alfred real quick."
Damian nodded in the direction of the basket, "It appears that he was aptly named."
Marinette wrinkled her brow and plopped down next to him with a bottle and a kitten of her own. "How is Alfred an apt name for a caretaker?"
"When my biological grandparents perished, it was the family butler who raised my father. As the years passed, he took each of my siblings, as well as myself, under his wing in the same way. He is essentially our grandfather."
Marinette was staring at him with a besotted smile by the time he finished his explanation. He felt both thrilled and ridiculous at the attention.
Light danced in her eyes. "Maybe we should name the kittens after your siblings."
A strange feeling of disgust made him pull away from her. "Why would you suggest such a thing?!"
"Because it's funny when you don't know how to react to me. The appease-the-girlfriend side of you gets all confused with the I-don't-like this-idea side of you."
"Tt. I feel like I should be concerned by your enjoyment of my discomfort."
"Does it bother you?" She was penitent then, curling up next to him with contrite eyes. Alfred watched them warily to make sure they were caring for his kittens to his satisfaction.
Damian studied her while he thought about the answer. She was so beautiful and thoughtful. It was only the idea of his family giving him grief for his 'sentimentality' that made the idea so bad, that and the fact that the kittens would need to be re-homed as soon as possible… it was already difficult to remain detached. "No. I like that you are comfortable teasing me. I also look forward to introducing you to my family at some point. Alfred will love you."
"Just Alfred?"
Damian dropped a kiss on her lips. "Not just Alfred, no. The rest of them can be paranoid bastards, but I believe you will win them over as easily as you did me."
"Damian!" She was laughing, despite her scandalized tone. "I can't believe you talk about your family like that."
"They have said worse about me, I am sure of it."
"No!" She grinned. "Sweet as you are?"
Damian returned his now sated kitten to the basket and pulled Marinette into his lap, careful of the kitten she still held, and tickled her lightly. She squealed, and he grinned at the ease of their relationship. "I know that you are teasing me, but I was once considerably more prickly than I am now."
She returned her kitten to Alfred before twisting to face him. "I like you, Damian. Armor and all. Just the way you are."
Damian took the opportunity to make her breathless before she had to return to the café downstairs. He was in a very good mood by the time he returned to finish feeding the rest of the litter.
It wasn't easy for Damian to carve out extra time from his schedule to be as attentive a boyfriend as Marinette deserved, but she was busy too and seemed to understand. He kept his word and helped with the kittens—even when he didn't get to see her in the process. That she cared about his goals and successes was one of the many things he loved about her. Not that he'd managed to say so in so many words. The time hadn't seemed right yet.
Damian was over for another kitten shift. They were becoming increasingly easy to feed—and ever more rambunctious. He had graduated to feeding two of the cats at once, while also being able to go over his meticulous study notes at the same time. There was only a handful of months before he had to apply for a residency, and he hoped to remain at the top of his class.
Marinette, hands free of notes, was very comfortable feeding the other three kittens at once.
"So, Catman."
Damian growled, "That is not my name."
"You went out, suited up long enough to make up a questionable name for yourself. You never told me. Other than the Batman thing, how did it go? How did Plagg talk you into it?"
"There was something of a learning curve to adapt to my new powers, but the weapons were comfortable in my hands. And as for Plagg, the Cat insinuated that I would be incapable of helping you if I wasn't well-versed in my powers."
To her credit, she looked mildly appalled. "That was unfair of him… but I'm not entirely surprised. He can be a manipulative little cretin."
"Why?" Damian asked, unsure of her goal.
Marinette bit her lip, as if she were still deciding whether or not to share with him. "I was wondering if you wanted to go out together a couple of times, practice working together. Just in case we're ever needed. I know we're both busy, and neither of us wants the hero thing to become all-consuming."
Damian nodded thoughtfully. "It would be wise to know how not to get in each other's way, at the very least. You are right that I don't want this to consume my life… but perhaps once we learn to work together, we could go out together once a month to remain prepared." It would be satisfying to have a reason to remain vigilant without living the vigilante life.
Marinette smiled, "But not in place of a date night—I want to keep those out of the suits."
Damian smirked, trying in vain to keep his thoughts respectful. "I'm happy to spend any night with you 'out of suit'."
"Damian!" His smirk turned into a full-fledged smile when his girlfriend collapsed against him in a gale of laughter, pretending to be shocked and horrified by his shamelessness.
Their first time out together made it apparent that they worked well together in more than their civilian lives. They had each become fairly adept at reading the other, and there were no unfortunate collisions or yo-yo entanglements.
There was, however, a run-in with another vigilante. And Plagg was still in fine form.
Nightwing flipped, landing between them, and it was all Damian could do to avoid pointing out the foolishness of his position.
"Who are you? Batman said he met an unknown."
"Dame Chance." Nightwing pivoted, facing the spotted heroine as she took the slightest of bows by way of introduction.
Damian sprang, flipping over Nightwing to land at her side in an unfairly super-powered move that might just bring tears to the acrobat's eyes.
"Catwing." His eyes slid shut in mortification the moment the word left his mouth.
Dame Chance swallowed a snicker, but Nightwing didn't notice. "Catwing?" he asked incredulously.
Dame Chance nodded gravely. "Yes, that is my partner. Don't worry, we aren't here to step on any toes. We just want to remain fit in case we are ever needed."
Nightwing narrowed his eyes. "Needed for what?"
"Hopefully, nothing." Catwing supplied, edging backwards towards the roof with Dame Chance. He'd rather not have an extended conversation.
"Wait! Can we talk?" Nightwing stretched a hand towards them, but they didn't pause.
Chance shrugged, "Sorry, Birdie, not tonight."
Then they were falling, landing, and springing up and over the next building before Nightwing could make it to the edge to see where they had gone.
Damian hesitated—which was very unlike him—at the door to the manor. Living at home with all the comings and goings of the bats would have been an unhealthy temptation to return to the family nightlife, so now he only visited for family dinners. If someone had told him moving out would lead him to trade his Robin uniform for a catsuit, he would have lashed out in utter disdain. Tonight, he would inform his family that he was seeing someone, and in a month, he would bring Marinette to meet them. Provided she hadn't become tired of his over-busy schedule by then and chosen a more available suitor.
Dinner began as usual. Alfred had ensured everyone at the table had been considered in their dietary preferences, something Damian had come to appreciate since living on his own. Good vegetarian options were one of the things that had drawn him to Café Noir to begin with. That and the cats.
"How's your last year treating you, Dames?" Grayson asked around a forkful of pasta. "Are you ready to start your residency?"
"I believe all is in order. Provided I do well on my final exams, I will begin working in-hospital mid-summer."
His father frowned. "Not the fall?"
Damian shrugged. Since beginning his relationship with Marinette, he had wished more than once that he hadn't applied for the accelerated program. "At the time, it seemed prudent to choose the option that increased my chances of working at the hospital and under the doctor of my choice."
Most of the family nodded, but Cass looked at him sharply. "At the time?"
Resisting the urge to touch the chain at his neck, Damian nodded smoothly. "Since that choice, I have entered into a romantic relationship, and now wish I had a little more free time to spend with her."
The information landed about as well as he had expected—with all the grace of a grenade.
Cass grinned and leaned back in her chair while everyone else leaned forward, asking questions. Damian wasn't sure if he should thank his favorite sister or not. He had wanted to bring his relationship to light, but had foolishly hoped to do so without the typical Wayne level of drama.
He sat silent until the noise died down.
"I will happily answer any pertinent and respectful questions from anyone who is able to ask them with a modicum of decency."