Cora~
I crack my eyes open and then immediately regret that decision. It's not bright, it's dark. But my eyes are tired and sore. Not to mention crusted.
I blink them open fully as my body starts to wake up. My limbs feel heavy and my head hurts. I spot a glass of water in front of me. Sitting up does not help how I feel.
I reach for the glass tiredly. My throat sings at finally getting hydrated. My headache starts to ebb away after a few sips. I look around my dark empty house.
At first, I think that everything has been a dream. A glorious, beautiful, heartbreaking dream. I feel my heart sink until I notice the blanket that has pooled over my legs.
Drinking the rest of the water, I wrap the blanket around myself to begin wandering. I have hope it wasn't a dream. It all felt too real and who else would have put the blanket on me or gotten me water?
It could have been me.
That thought sends me running up the stairs, I don't register letting go of the blanket as I sprint. I slam open the door to the guest room. The closet doors are closed and my mom's suitcase isn't there.
I fall to my knees. It was just a dream. Some of Charlotte's ramblings must have stuck and I had a stupidly vivid dream after crying myself to sleep. I feel my heart break. Tears spring in my eyes and I can't stop the broken sob that leaves my trembling lips.
"Beloved?"
My heart stops in a moment. I whip my head around and spot Damian Wayne standing in the doorway of my room.
Within the next second my arms are around him and he lets out a noise of surprise. I hold him tightly as relief floods every inch of me. He wraps his arms around me as well and I let out another sob.
"You're real. You're here. You're real." I mutter, mostly as an assurance to myself. I know he's probably confused and I'm not making sense but he doesn't ask.
"I'm here. I'm as real as you are." He assures. I nod into his shoulder. I step away slightly to wipe my eyes. I let out a small laugh at how stupid I was acting. Damian cups my face and swipes at a tear with his thumb.
"Beloved, what happened?" He asks gently. I laugh at myself again. It's a bitter sound.
"I um, I thought it was all a dream. I thought that none of it happened." I admit quietly. He gives me a small smile.
"And you were crying tears of joy or...?" He questions. I give him a small, playful shove as I laugh.
"Gosh no. I thought I lost you. I thought, that I was alone again." I say, the somber mood returning as I speak. Damian tilts my head up so I'm looking directly at him.
"As long as I am alive you will never be alone again." He vows, sincerity dripping from his voice. I place a hand over his.
"Then I guess you're stuck with me, huh?" I joke. He grants me a small chuckle.
"If you'll have me." He says with a grin. I grin back.
"Any day, any time," I reply.
"You two are giving me Diabetes! Come help me pack love birds." Says a voice from behind Damian. I see him grimace.
"I'm happy to see you too, Richy. Uh, did you guys pack all of my stuff?" I find myself asking. He snickers.
"Except for one drawer. Little D thought you might want to do that one yourself. Don't worry, we didn't snoop. Much." He amends. I roll my eyes.
I can guess which drawer he's referring to. I regretfully release my hold on Dami. I open my underwear drawer and sure enough, full and untouched. I quirk my eyebrow at Damian who has a blush across his cheeks.
"Dami, you know you could have done this right? They're just clothes. They're not dirty, they're not on me." I say nonchalantly. On the inside, I'm gushing about how pure and thoughtful that was.
"I didn't want to give you the wrong idea." He mutters with crossed arms. I step closer to kiss him on the cheek. That only deepens his blush.
"It was very sweet, thank you." I compliment before turning around to start packing the piles of laundry into an already folded box. I hear the front door open distantly.
A minute passes and I see my mom appear in my doorway. I brighten. She looks at me fondly but I don't miss the way her face changes when she spots Damian and Dick.
"Hey Honey, I'm happy to see you feeling better." She says cheerfully. I smile at her. She's trying, I think.
"Hey, momma. I think I needed the rest. I'm still kinda tired though." I say sheepishly. I go to glance at my clock, but it's been packed.
"Oh, that's okay. From what I hear it's been a long day. We've taken care of everything we could while you were out anyways." She explains kindly.
"You're not wrong," I admit. "Wait, everything? And we?" I ask. I look at Damian and Dick as well. Damian has moved to sit next to his brother on the bed.
"These two packed, I talked to your sensies and I called your school to let them know you're transferring, Jason and, I think his name is Tim, went to talk to Charlotte. Everything is taken care of." She says. I feel my shoulders tense.
I take in a deep breath. I give my brain a second, going over her words just to be sure I heard her correctly.
"Okay first questions first, I'm transferring? I do online classes mom, why am I transferring?" I ask as gently as possible.
"Well, you're moving to a whole new dimension dear. What are you going to do for graduation? Or if a kid from school wants to hang out?" She asks.
"That's what that portal thing is for. And I could always just say no. Not to mention, I don't graduate until June." I state. I can't say I'm happy at the prospect of transferring.
"Oh, honey you'll be fine. You should be able to go to Damian's school right?" She says. I freeze. That thought had never occurred to me.
I've seen how Damian comes back from that place. Plus it's an academy, meaning the work I would be doing would be harder. And who knows if the material I've been learning would apply. Just because math is the same doesn't mean everything is.
I feel panic start to set in. I'm not used to normal school. I've never gone to a normal school. There's so much drama. So many people. Teachers I don't know with rules I also don't know. I would have to deal with Destiny regularly with no escape. I feel my breathing get heavy.
"Cora? What's wrong with your face?" My mom asks worriedly. I think I might be buffering. What emotion am I supposed to feel with this? The only thing I can feel is fear.
"Nothing. I'm good. Just imagining my impending doom and the hell you've just signed me up for." I say tightly. I can tell no one else knows how to deal with my reaction.
"Cora, are you afraid of going to my school, or are you afraid of school in general?" I hear Damian ask from behind me. I turn to look at him. My face softens. My fear takes a small hit.
"School in general. I'm not used to school Damian. Your school would chew me up and spit me back out." I state seriously. He gives me a small chuckle. It's comforting actually.
"Beloved, you will adapt quickly. As far as I can tell it's not too different. Everything will be fine. I'll be with you every step of the way." He assures. He speaks clearly, which is helpful to my very overwhelming mind.
I nod. I take a deep breath, just like he's demonstrating. We breathe together for a minute until my heart rate slows.
"What just happened?" My mom asks. Damian looks at her with a completely straight face.
"You almost gave Cora a panic attack. For future reference, I suggest talking over big life changes before finalizing them." Damian speaks formally. I can tell he's not happy, but he's being civil anyways.
"Anyways! You said Timmy and Jasey went to talk with Charlotte?" I say quickly. I don't need any arguments over me. My mom sighs but relents.
"Yes, they were supposed to tell Charlotte that you're moving." She explains. I take another deep breath. She's gonna kill me.
The slam of my front door.
Heavy footsteps.
"CORA FUCKING SANCHEZ!!"
I hear loud, stomping footsteps getting louder on the stairs, and a few seconds later I see a very pissed Charlotte Rogers staring me down. I stand my ground as she makes her way past my mom, not even sparing her a glance.
"You leave for 2 weeks and now you're moving?!" She yells angrily. I watch from my peripheral as Damian looks between us.
"Yes, I am," I state as plainly as possible. I keep my features neutral. Only one of us can be emotional right now.
"Cora you barely know them! It's one thing to let some foreigners stay over because there's nowhere else. But straight up moving in with them?! I knew you were a little lonely but God damn girl that is a whole new level of desperation!" She shouts.
I hear other people in the room start rants of their own but I raise my hand with a blank face.
"Charlotte, where are your parents?" I ask gently. She looks stunned.
"At my house. Why?" She asks, obviously surprised at my demeanor.
"You know exactly where they are, what they're doing, and probably what they ate for breakfast this morning," I state.
"Maybe not exactly, but yes. I have a rough idea."
"And you know they love you?" I ask pointedly.
"I mean, yeah? They tell me pretty often. And you know they love you too." She answers. I nod as if considering her words.
"Charlotte, I want you to imagine that instead of at your house, your parents are halfway across the world. They've been gone for months, and before that, it's been years since they were home with you for more than a week." I urge with little emotion.
"Cora I know what you're doing." She says blandly. I narrow my eyes.
"Humor me." I grit. She closes her eyes with a sigh.
"Alright, I get it, it sucks. It would be lonely and shitty." She says.
"Do you think that someone like that would know easily and for a fact that she's loved?" I ask her.
"I guess not." She says dejectedly.
"What about, if she meets a group of people? These people are all so kind and happy. They make her smile and laugh. She is told they want her to be around them. Would she believe them?" I ask.
"I wouldn't." She says with a scoff. She opens her eyes to look into mine.
"I didn't either. But you see, there's something so magnetic about a place where it's at least possible. I went back with them, Charlotte, because they invited me." I state. "They gave me a place where I wouldn't have to be alone."
"Was it that glorious land of love and peace that you wanted?" She asks bitterly. I shake my head with a wan smile.
"Nope. In fact, my first night there was spent with a friend of mine in a hospital cot. It was terrifying and I could barely keep it together." I say, that same smile splitting my face.
I see Damian move to interject with something, but a simple glance stops him. I'd like to explain uninterrupted, and he seems to understand.
"And you stayed out of pity? Cora this is a shitty story." Charlotte says exasperated. I actually laugh at that.
"I'm getting there, chill. I found out the next morning that I have such an effect on my friend that it can be scientifically proven. For some reason, this is what made it click. Somewhere in my worry over him, I realized that they did want me there. I was genuinely wanted in someone's life." I say.
I feel like I'm only realizing this as I'm speaking. Having to think over my reasoning in a way that makes sense is starting to snap some things into focus.
"But I wanted you here." She mutters. It hurts to see her like this. I might prefer the yelling.
"I know. But you have your own family here. My family is with them. Not to mention, I will visit." I insist. She gives me a small smile.
"I," she hesitates. "Can't take that away from you. But you will visit often." She concedes. I let out a small laugh.
"As often as you'd like," I agree happily. She wraps her arms around me tightly and I squeeze back. I look over her shoulder to spot my mom looking at me strangely.
"Well, you may as well introduce her." My mom says as we end our hug. I can tell she doesn't know what else to say.
"Oh, I've already met Jason and Alfred." She says fondly. I try not to smile at Tim's accidental alter ego.
"My name is Richard, but I prefer Dick." Richy introduces himself.
"Nice to meet ya, Dick. And who are you?" She questions Dami.
"Damian, a pleasure to meet you, again." He introduces. Charlotte elbows me lightly.
"Nice to see you again. Do you guys think I could borrow Cora for just a moment?" She says, already grabbing a hold of my arm.
"Sure?" Dami says confused. I feel myself get dragged a few feet until we're in the guest room. Charlotte shuts the door and turns to me quickly.
"Holy Shit girl! You live with them?" She questions quietly. I laugh quietly.
"Yes, I do," I say. She grabs my shoulders.
"Please tell me you see how absolutely gorgeous they are?" She says, shaking me. I nod, I feel myself start giggling.
"You should date him! You guys would be so cute!" She says, it's obvious she ships it.
"I hope you mean Dami and not Dick," I say sarcastically. She squeals.
"Aww, you even have a nickname for him!" She says giddily.
"Okay, 1, I have nicknames for all of them. 2, we're already dating. At least I think. I mean he never said we were dating specifically, but he's definitely acting like it." I say, I feel the blush start to spread on my cheeks. Distantly I could have sworn I heard someone say 'ow'.
"Okay spill! What does he act like?! Tell meee!" She says, shaking me again. I blush harder but a grin splits my face.
"Okay, so he's super cuddly! Not in a clingy way but he's just really affectionate. We've kissed a couple of times and I'm pretty sure he took my breath away every time! We end up falling asleep while cuddling a lot. I don't mean to but he's just so comfortable and he holds me in a way that just makes my heart melt and ah!" I ramble excitedly. I've wanted to tell Charlotte all of this since it happened.
"Oh my god really?! Cora that's amazing!!" She says getting excited with me.
"I know right?! And dear god I could look into his eyes For. Ever. And his face and his hair are just so perfect, like he makes my heart simultaneously melt and skip a beat!" I gush. I can't tell this kind of stuff to anyone else. Just my best friend.
"Cora I'm almost jealous! I'm so happy for youuu!" She says, squeezing me tightly in another hug. I feel so childish and giddy that as soon as she lets go I start jumping up and down a little.
"Where on earth did you even find him?" She says, watching me happily.
I stop bouncing but I still have the giant grin splitting my face.
"The graveyard," I say with a small laugh. She lets out a happy little shriek.
"He's just as weird as you! It's perfect!" She yells, she throws her hands up happily. I'm back to jumping happily. I feel so full of energy right now.
"Charlotte! Charlotte! He even likes MMA! He fights so beautifully I could watch him All. Day. And he even offered to teach me some things if I taught him some of what I know. Girl I IMPRESSED HIM." I yell, shaking her now.
"Holy Shit that's so perfect!!" She yells, shaking me back. Now we're just shaking each other and giggling with shrieks thrown in. I missed my best friend so much.
As we're catching our breaths she grins at me. She wraps me in her arms, picks me up just off the ground, and spins me around just twice.
"I am gonna miss you so much, Cora." She says quietly. I squeeze her back just as tight.
"I'm gonna miss you too, Charlotte," I say back. It's hard to think she'll be a whole dimension away. I feel her lift one arm away from me and I hear her curse softly.
"I gotta get back home. It's almost curfew." She says regretfully. I smile at her as we pull apart.
"It's okay. Go home and tell your parents you love them, okay?" I ask her. She nods fiercely.
"Can do, boo." She says, we walk to the door and I watch as she disappears down the stairs. I sigh when she's gone. I see everyone staring at me from my door frame. It seems Jasey and Tim have joined the party.
"What?" I question. They all look away with small muttering. Weird, but not compelling enough for me to ask.
"Okay, am I almost packed then?" I ask. I see my mom has continued packing the last drawer.
"Yep. Do you want to take some of our family photos with you or should we put them in the storage unit?" My mom asks. I mull it over.
"I'll take them with me." I decide. She nods quietly. All the boys are looking at me awkwardly and then looking away. I raise a brow at them.
"Okay, what is it? Do I have something on my face? Are my eyes still red or something?" I ask. Damian clears his throat but doesn't answer. My mom looks at me with a straight face.
"We could all hear you, honey. You and Charlotte need to work on the volume control." She says tiredly. I feel my face heat up with embarrassment. I groan and shove my face into my hands.
"I, am, so sorry," I say to no one in particular. It should probably be directed at Damian. But I don't think the others wanted to hear any of that either.
"It's fine." I hear Damian speak tightly. I peek at him through my fingers to see that he's just as red as I am. Oh god, he heard me gush over him. I'm good to die now. Like right now. Any powers that be can smite me where I stand. Please.
"I'm just surprised it didn't feed his ego," Jason mumbles quietly, but in the awkwardly silent room, I can hear him. I continue peeking to see Damian whip around with a scowl.
"That wasn't even the intention," I whine quietly. My mom gets up and pats me on the shoulder.
"We know sweetie. You just love your boyfriend very much." She says as she walks out of the room. I let out a small squeak when she says 'boyfriend'. My hands fall from my face as I watch her walk out of the room in shock.
In the corner of my eye, I see Damian get nudged. I look back at the boys and immediately feel embarrassed all over again just from the way they're looking at me.
"I'm gonna go, um, find some pictures," I say. I feel the need to get away from them just to breathe for a second. I love them all, but the looks they are giving me are just too much.
I walk down the hallway to my parent's bedroom. I flop onto their bed like I used to when I missed them. It's oddly comforting, even now. I shove my face into a pillow.
"Beloved?" I hear Dami speak from behind me. I feel fear wash over me. He could very easily react very badly to what he just heard.
"Yes?" I say, barely turning my head to look at him. I hear soft padding footsteps move around the bed to the other side. I feel the bed sink on the side he's on. I keep my face shoved in the pillow.
"You can tell me to go away if you'd like." He states quietly. I roll myself over to look at him. I furrow my eyebrows at how crestfallen he looks.
"I won't," I state back. I open my arms to let him in for a hug. His face brightens a little and he flops down beside me. He pulls me into his arms and I relax in his embrace.
"Did you mean what you said?" He asks quietly.
"Which part?" I question.
"Any of it, all of it?" He opens my options.
"I meant every word," I answer sincerely. I feel him huff out a laugh.
"Do I really take your breath away every time?" He asks, I don't even have to look at him to know he's smirking.
"Damiiii," I whine into his chest. He chuckles and I can hear it with my ears so close to his chest.
"Yes?" He teases. I look up to give him a playful glare, to which he only smirks wider. I glare back until I gain an idea. Then I smirk.
"Wanna take my breath away?" I ask. He gains a red tinge to his cheeks and I feel victorious.
"Any time beloved." He says, I scooch up and he pulls me closer so we're nose to nose. I grin at him and he smiles back.
I'm the one that closes the gap, and it's like fireworks when I do. His lips are soft and gentle against mine, his hands are holding me close. He's moving gently and with reverence.
When we eventually break the kiss I am, in fact, breathless. Damian kisses my forehead and it makes me giggle quietly. He smiles at me and I gaze into his dark forest eyes.
"Beloved?" He questions softly. I make a noise of recognition, I don't trust my voice at the moment.
"Will you be my girlfriend?" He asks, he sounds unnecessarily hesitant. I grin at him.
"Of course I'll be your girlfriend. But only if you'll be my boyfriend." I say childishly. He chuckles.
"It would be my honor." He says lovingly.