Cora~
The garden is 7 steps away. I can hear the music from the gala filtering through the night air. I'm gripping onto Damian's arm like he's the only thing between me and death, which feels a little too accurate right now.
I feel as though returning to a party in our honor from seemingly nowhere is a bit suspicious, and I'm worried my eyes are still red. Damian walks evenly, as if unfazed.
Obviously, we attract some attention from the guests, making me feel even more self-conscious. As we step through the door we only attract more attention.
I see Mr. Wayne has noticed us as well. His charming smile falls and he excuses himself quickly. We walk towards him as he walks towards us.
"Is everything okay?" He asks worriedly. His inner 'daddy bat' is slipping through. I give him a small and sheepish smile.
"Everything is fine, Father." Damian starts.
"We were just taking a stroll through the garden. Nothing to worry about." I cut in, viewing the crowd that has amassed around us. I squeeze Damian's arm a little tighter.
"I'm happy to hear that. I didn't see you two for a bit. You're enjoying yourself, then?" He asks, probably trying to ask a bigger question.
"Yes, of course, everything is lovely. However, I have an unexpected early class tomorrow. So I think I'll have one more dance and then I'll go to bed." I say, lying through my teeth.
"Of course. Let me know if you decide to wander off again." He says with a lighthearted chuckle, effectively dismissing the rest of the dwindling crowd. I breathe a sigh of relief.
"I will. Have a nice night Mr- Bruce." I say, catching myself. I have to remember to call him Bruce instead of Mr. Wayne. At least in public.
"You too, Cora." He says, walking away to chat with some other people that I don't know.
"One more dance then beloved?" Damian asks, turning to me with a smirk. He must know how exhausted I am.
"I think I'd like that. Next song?" I ask, looking into his eyes with a smile. My bed can wait.
"Of course. We can do whatever you wish." He says, gazing back at me with renewed fondness. I feel myself blush. I hear the song that was playing come to an end.
As a new song begins, Damian leads me to the dance floor for the second time tonight. This time the song is a little faster, so instead of slow swaying, we use up the last of our fading adrenaline with faster movements.
Damian's hand is back around my waist, not too low to be suggestive, but not high enough to be at my ribs. His other hand is warming mine as we move.
I can hear a crescendo coming up and Damian smirks at me. As soon as it hits, he dips me gently, our faces coming closer than before. I can't help the face-splitting smile that breaks onto my face.
As he brings me back up he gently kisses my forehead, causing tingles to shoot through my body like lightning strikes. I can't help but giggle giddily. Damian continues to smirk devilishly at me.
Despite the implied malice his smirk seems to exude, he's gazing at me as if I'm the most important thing in the world. I can't do anything but continue to blush at that. I don't think the blood has left my face since he kissed me. Maybe before that.
"Enjoying yourself, Beloved?" He asks, most likely knowing the answer.
"Of course, I have you as my dance partner," I say, flirting openly with him. I see a small blush appear on his face, showing me that I affect him as easily as he affects me.
He takes the next opportunity to spin me into his chest. I squeak a little in surprise, to which he laughs lightly. I send a playful glare at him, and his smirk grows wider.
All too soon the moment ends with the song. There's that applause again, snapping me from my flirtatious trance. The blush on my face gets hotter.
If I looked for her, I could spot destiny standing on the edge of the group, glossed lips twisted into a scowl.
"Enough dancing?" Damian whispers lowly.
I nod thankfully, and I feel him chuckle as he leads me away, towards the doors this time. No one stops us, they most likely heard the conversation from earlier.
The music starts to get quieter as we go farther into the manor, I feel myself relax with each step. I'm no longer clinging to Dami, my grip firm but not as tight.
We walk in comfortable silence, the only sounds being distant music and the click of our shoes on the tile. I feel the last of my adrenaline dissipate quickly, leaving me feeling much more drained than before.
Sooner than you would think, we arrive at our doors, but I don't want to leave him just yet. I mean, I literally just found out that he loves me too.
"Do you want to stay? With me? Just for tonight?" I ask cautiously. Not daring to look into his emerald gaze.
"Of course. Allow me a minute to change. This suit is not very comfortable sleepwear." He says. I look at his face, finally seeing his soft smile and loving eyes.
"I'll meet you in my room then," I say, feeling much more at ease having seen his reaction.
We part ways and I get changed as soon as my door closes.
I take off my remaining makeup as soon as I'm done, Dami did a good job with his initial clean-up. I put my hair up and I go to do my nightly routine as well. I try not to stare at myself too long in the mirror.
Just as I'm putting on my moisturizer, I hear a soft tapping at the door. I quickly try to rub the cream in and walk to the door at the same time.
Once I think I've got it all I open the door, revealing a very comfortable-looking Damian. He has on grey sweatpants and a black tank top. His previously gelled hair is wet and slicked to the side. He looks just as amazing as he always does.
"Cora? Is everything alright?" He asks, placing a gentle hand on my shoulder. I snap out of my apparent trance.
"Yeah, everything is fine. You just look really nice is all." I say truthfully. There's no point in hiding it now.
"I could say the same for you. May I come in?" He says politely. I move to let him past me and into my room.
Once inside I'm hit with an intense feeling of awkwardness. I wanted to spend more time with him, maybe talk some things through, but what do I do right now?
"Cora, are you sure nothing's wrong? You seem a little, out of it." He asks cautiously. I sigh at myself. I'm getting anxious over nothing.
"Yeah, I'm just feeling a little awkward is all. I mean we haven't really talked about what just happened and I don't want to go too far. I don't know what your comfort zones are with this and this is my first relationship so I'm not even sure what the normal comfort zones for a new relationship would be and-" Damian cuts me off with another hand on my shoulder.
"Slow down. Let's start small, alright?" He asks gently. I take a deep, calming breath and nod.
"Okay, yeah, good plan," I say, feeling myself calm down a bit, with help from Damian rubbing my shoulders.
"Let us start with the present, what do you need or want at this moment?" He says slowly. That's a good question actually.
"Right now, I want to relax and talk everything over so we're on the same page," I say slowly. He smiles gently at me.
"Then that's what we'll do. Come on." He says, leading me towards my bed. I follow him easily.
He sits on the edge of my bed, so I sit beside him. I lean my head on his shoulder, getting comfortable. Damian wraps his arm around my shoulders.
"Where do you want to start? Past, present, or future?" He asks, making it easier to arrange my thoughts.
"Past."
"Which part of the past?"
"My freak out in the woods. What were you even doing there in the first place?" I ask, getting more confident while feeling more comfortable.
"You seemed off. I was going to go check on you, and when I couldn't find you in the garden I went to check the forest. I'm glad I found you." He explains.
"Oh. As happy as I am with the result, you weren't supposed to see that." I say sadly. Oddly enough, I feel guilty. Logically I know I didn't do anything wrong, but I feel like I've just exposed him to horrors beyond imagination.
"Why not? I'd want you to feel comfortable sharing anything with me." He questions, seeming to be completely genuine.
"Because. Those aren't things you typically share with someone who's only known you just over a month. And I don't like sharing that stuff with anyone." I explain with a sigh.
"I'd still like it if you did. If you don't feel comfortable with it I understand, but I'd like to hear about everything you're feeling. Negative feelings included." He says sincerely. His words stir warmth in me, like seeing Niagra falls with someone holding your hand.
"Are you sure? I highly doubt it will be a pleasant experience." I offer him an escape.
"Positive. From what I saw earlier, you most likely need to get some things off your chest." He says. He's probably not wrong.
"You may be right," I admit. "You'd probably know better than most." I realize.
"I hardly have anything to talk about." He says indignantly. I raise a brow.
"Oh really? So being raised as an assassin doesn't leave you with anything you'd want to talk over?" I prompt, hoping and praying that I'm not overstepping.
"Nothing you'd want to hear." He says with a hint of sadness in his voice. I turn my body towards him, so we're face to face. I feel my eyebrows furrow.
"I want to hear all of it. If you're going to sit through my, whatever it is, then I want to listen to you too. This isn't a one-sided relationship, Damian. I want to help you too." I say, completely serious. He looks taken aback.
"But, I don't want to scare you." He says in the smallest voice I've ever heard. I cup his cheek, making sure he's looking right at me.
"You could never. I know who you are now. That won't change if I know who you used to be. I can't promise that I won't be a little shocked at times, but nothing you could say or do would make me scared of you." I say, willing him to understand. I see his eyes water a little, but he blinks it away quickly.
"Thank you." He says. I can't fully explain how his voice sounds. It's quiet yet steady, and still, I can hear that same sadness, only now it's mixed with hope and gratitude. His face is just as complicated with the same emotions. I can't stop myself from wrapping him in my arms.
"Anytime, Dami. You're important to me." I say softly. Damian hugs me back tightly. I've noticed that he usually hugs me tightly as if I might slip through his fingers if he doesn't. I nuzzle my face into the crook of his neck, feeling completely content right here.
"You're important to me too, Beloved. Probably more than you know." He says calmly. I start to run my fingers through his hair.
"Don't worry, I know," I return gently.
I like this kind of quiet. I like how relaxed and peaceful I feel. I feel like I'm exactly where I'm meant to be for the first time in a long time.
I'm with Damian.