⭐️ Eternal Shadow 🌙 Damian wayne ~~~~complete

Chapter 8: Trouble in the Shadows

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The tower had settled into its usual hum of silence. Not the heavy, haunted kind that sometimes wrapped around its walls after a mission gone wrong—but the gentle quiet of a home that had seen the sun set, the team fed, the gear cleaned, and the world temporarily saved.

Kory stood by the tall window in the common room, her arms crossed lightly over her chest, eyes locked on the rooftop outside. A soft blue glow from the moon spilled through the glass, painting her copper skin in silver highlights.

"They're out there again," she said softly, her voice more curious than concerned.

Behind her, the sound of cereal crunching met the air. Dick, still in sweats and a worn Gotham Knights t-shirt, leaned against the kitchen counter with a bowl in one hand. "Mars and Damian?" he asked around the spoon in his mouth.

Kory gave a quiet hum in reply.

Dick sighed, walking over and standing beside her, following her gaze. On the roof, the figures were barely visible—two silhouettes in stillness, shoulder to shoulder but saying nothing.

"You know... when I said we were due for drama, this wasn't exactly what I meant."

Kory's lips quirked into a soft smile. "It is not drama yet. Just... shadow and silence. But heavy silence."

"Always is with those two," Dick muttered, but there was no venom in it. Only experience. "They're like magnets—one wrong move and they either snap together or blow everything apart."

Kory didn't respond immediately. She simply watched Mars tilt her head slightly, some unspoken thing passing between her and Damian before the younger boy looked away, jaw tight.

"He is drawn to her," she said at last. "And she... fights it, but not with her whole self."

Dick set his bowl down with a small clink and rubbed at the back of his neck. "He's been testier than usual lately. More patrols, more snapping. I asked him to take a break last week and he just... glared at me. Like I suggested retiring him."

Kory chuckled lightly. "Mars has been... more distant as well. Not cold, but... quieter. She forgot her copy of 'Celestial Gardens' on the table. I know how protective she is of that one."

"She's been spacing out during acrobatics training too. Didn't land a flip the other day. First time that's happened since... well, since ever."

There was a beat of quiet between them, and then Dick let out a slow breath. "I caught her wearing my old hoodie last week."

Kory turned slightly, a brow raised.

"She claimed it was yours. It wasn't. Too big. Definitely mine." He smirked a little. "Didn't have the heart to take it back."

Kory gave a small laugh. "Are you sure it wasn't Damian's?"

Dick blinked. "Wait... what?"

"His hoodies are less worn than yours. And she did smell of his cologne after training two nights ago."

Dick stared at her, dumbfounded. "You think she's been stealing Damian's clothes?"

"Perhaps unknowingly. Or... perhaps knowing very well."

They shared a moment of laughter—quiet, warm, a rare moment where the weight of leadership slipped off their shoulders for just a moment.

"Do you think they see it?" Kory asked, softer now. "What they're building?"

"No," Dick said, too quickly. Then, "Not yet. Maybe not for a while. They're both too stubborn. And too scared."

Kory's gaze lingered on the window again. "They are like storm clouds circling the same star... too close to stay apart. Too afraid to collide."