30 Days of Demonfire

Change

"Are you sure you want to look at an apartment?" my dad asks as we climb the steps leading up from the subway. "You could move back in with me, you know that."

I did know that, and I love my dad and living with him wouldn't even be that bad. Except that Babs finally moved in with him, something I haven't yet mentioned to my mother. She moved in last summer as I was getting ready for school, and I love her, too, but I'd rather not invade their little love nest.

"I know, dad. Thanks," I answer, keeping my thoughts to myself.

Besides, I'm already in the habit of living on my own and my dad might not approve of the hour I've gotten used to staying out on nights when I'm not patrolling.

We've been looking at apartments since this morning. My dad called a few places yesterday, but neither of us have been very impressed with the places we found. It doesn't help that my dad really wants me to get an apartment with a female landlord, which I guess isn't particularly unreasonable, especially in a place like Gotham, but it annoys me.

I haven't mentioned Damian's apartment building to my dad. I thought about it and I came up with two problems with that. First is that the building is too expensive for me. Of course. Damian's the richest nineteen-year-old in the city. Second, Damian lives in it. Like I said, I don't mind him, really. But too much time around someone with his personality doesn't seem like a great situation.

Unfortunately for me, Steph must have mentioned it to my dad, because the apartment building we're approaching looks nicer and more expensive than the others we've been looking at.

"Wait, dad," I say hastily when I realize what he's doing. I grab his arm to stop him. "What're you doing?"

"I just want to look at this last apartment. Then we can decide," he tells me, patting my hand as a signal to let go.

"Is this Damian's apartment?" I ask flatly, letting him know by my tone that I am not pleased.

"He lives here, yeah. What's that matter?"
"It... doesn't, I guess. I don't wanna live with Damian," I mutter, feeling like a kid throwing a temper tantrum.

"You don't have to. Your apartment's probably not going to be anywhere near his, anyway. Just look with me."

I give a long, exaggerated sigh, roll my eyes, and grumble, "Fine."

Okay, so the apartment's pretty nice. And the Super's pretty nice. And they said that since I know Damian—who aside from being socialite-famous and rich, he's also nice around here (if you can believe that)—they'd give me the lowest rate for rent possible.

The best part is that they allow pets. I haven't mentioned Alfred the cat to my dad yet, because I'd get in trouble for keeping him at school, but it's something I've been keeping in mind as we looked.

The lady who showed us around leaves to give us some space and my dad gestures for me to explore around a little bit, and dammit but I'm getting excited. It's a one-bedroom apartment looking out over the street, which is kind of a shame because if this room were across the hall I'd be able to see across the Gotham River over to mainland New Jersey. There's a kitchenette, which is more than my dorm at school had, and a living room and a decent-sized bathroom and a bedroom that's about the size of my entire room back at school.

"Do you like it?" Dad asks, and I try to seem reluctant when I nod but I can't help it.

"Yes I love it, okay? You were right and I was wrong." I float up so that I'm eye-level with him and hug him apologetically.

"You're not worried about Damian anymore?" he asks doubtfully.

"I guess I can live with it. And like you said, what're the chances that he lives anywhere near this room, right?"

"Right..." my dad says, and I tilt my head at him.

"What?"

"Nothing. Why don't we go fill out the paperwork, Starshine?"

I nod and fly over to the door. I was this excited when I moved into my dorm room, too. Some people are afraid of change, but I guess I've always kind of embraced it.

Smiling, I pull open the door and that's when I notice it. I notice him.

The person who lives across from my future apartment happens to be opening his door at the same time I am.

It's Damian.

He looks surprised to see us, looking from me to my dad back to me, and I blink up at him like a moron before I calmly close the door again and glare at my father.

Forget what I said about embracing change. Change sucks.

"Daaaaaad," I groan, annoyed. He had to know that this was right across from Damian's room.

"Oh, come on." He's exasperated, but this whole thing is his fault. "You were so excited before!"
"I know that, Daddy, but that was before I realized that—that—that demon spawn lived across the hall."

He gives me a displeased look. "He's really not that bad."

"That's not what Tim says," I remind him, my voice rising in register.

"Yeah, well... that's different. Why can't you just try to get along with him?" He's pleading with me now, and that makes me feel really bad.

"It's not that I don't try," I explain, "it's that he doesn't."

My dad pushes his hand through his hair, and I know that he knows that I'm right. I cross my arms over my chest expectantly and he sighs. "That's just how he is, Mar'i. He's not going to open up to you unless you're nice, first."

"Open up? I don't want him to open up to me, dad. I just want him not to treat me like I'm not worth as much as he is."

"Well..." I grimace at my father, annoyed that he'd rather defend Damian than look at more apartments with me. "Damian's like that with people he doesn't know, Mar'i. Once you get to know him, I'm sure—"

"I don't want to jump through hoops for some guy just to be honored with the opportunity of his friendship. I shouldn't have to do that, and you shouldn't want me to."

Wow, I'm really channeling my mom a lot. My dad visibly winces and now I feel worse than I did before we came in the building.

"Look, Daddy, I don't want to fight with you. And I really do like this place. I guess I'll try to be nice to Damian." I kind of owe him for helping me find Alfred, anyway, but I don't mention that.

"That's all I'm asking," my dad says, and he pats my hair gingerly, which is when I realize that the tips are on fire. "We might need to cap the smoke detectors," he adds thoughtfully.

Before he changes the subject, I warn, "But if he's still being a jerk to me even when I'm being completely nice, I'm done trying."

"Deal," he says, and he touches me under the chin. "Are you ready?"

I smile at him, a small smile to show that I'm still excited about moving in. "That depends. Is my hair still on fire?"

"You're good, Starshine."

I turn to the door, pull it open, and eep involuntarily as I see Damian standing in the doorway, about to knock.

What am I getting myself into?