"Marinette." The bluenette jumped as she closed her locker, revealing a patiently waiting Damian. The two had let their hatred fade to the back burner but their competition was only strengthened, they only ever approached each other out of class for a prank or because they needed something and it was Marinette's turn to get payback.
"What do you want?" The girl asked, suspicious.
"Meet me in the Library during lunch." Damian didn't leave it up for discussion as he walked away and towards his next class. Marinette just watched, confused before heading to Spanish. The girl grew anxious as lunch neared, why Damian would want to meet her during their lunch was beyond the girl.
The bell rang, everyone quickly stuffed their notebooks into their bags and started speaking with their neighbors.
"Hey, Marinette." Greg approached the girl, he was one of the boys going on the Paris trip.
"Hello."
"So, I was wondering if you wanted to sit with me and some of my other friends today? For lunch."
"Well, I have to go to the library, I'm not sure how long I'll take but if I finish early, I think that'd be great!" Marinette quickly waved goodbye to the boy as she turned to the seldom-used library, Damian was sitting at one of the tables with a notebook open. There was no librarian at the desk, it must have been their lunch break.
The room was cold and dark, the light from the windows surrounding the room filtering past the seemingly endless columns of bookshelves to illuminate the room just enough to give it a calming atmosphere. The room was just bright enough to read the countless, thickly bound books. Marinette's loafers glided over the dark carpeting, Damian's head turned to the sound of the door closing behind the girl.
"You showed up."
"Yes. What do you want?" Damian seemed reluctant to say as Marinette sat across from him.
"I need help with a problem."
"In what subject?"
"Not subject, Grayson's birthday is coming up. I need to commission you." The bluenette nodded, pulling out a small notebook, Damian hadn't noticed before but it was different from the book she had brought to his house. The sketchbook was custom and quality, this one was disposable and commercial. Another piece of evidence showing her unconscious distrust of her peers.
"What were you thinking?"
"Two questions, do you do wallets? And how experienced are you in children's clothing?" Damian asked, Marinette seemed mildly surprised at the questions.
"Well, assuming you want something for Mar'i I think I'd be able to do a onesie or shirt. I could make it a little big, make sure it fits as she grows without getting her measurements. As for the wallet, I could try. I've never used the material before and I'd have to get the equipment but-"
"No, that's fine, forget about the wallet. Has he mentioned anything he'd want?"
"Uh... Comfortable sweatpants."
"Good, make that. His favorite color is blue and prefers bright colors." Marinette nodded.
"I'll use the measurements from the suits, is there anything else you need?"
"Yes, Grayson and the rest of my family have insisted I give you this. It's an invitation, they're still convinced we're friends." Marinette takes a paper with information written in a neat script.
"And you want me to do what? Go?"
"They do, I see it as a bother. I will be the one left to entertain you and I have my own acquaintances to deal with." Damian closed his book bag and walked out of the library, calling his brother.
"Drake. I did as you asked, I doubt she'll willingly go."
"What do you mean 'you have a plan'?" Damian huffed as his brother hung up on him, heading to the cafeteria only to see Marinette already there greeting some table of junior boys. She could be so naïve, how could she not see she had them eating out of the palm of her hand.
Damian ate alone but wasn't blind to the odd glance in his direction from the harlot's table, one actually had the audacity to approach him.
"Damian, so good to see you. Do you remember me?" It was the girl from a few years prior, Damian wasn't surprised to see she was still in high school. The girl used to be a quiet, studious student. Drake had made friends with the girl when he was a junior and she was a freshman, the slight attention from a Wayne ward went directly to her head. Her skirt was rolled up and the top three buttons of her shirt undone and far too tight.
"No." The slut needed to be brought down a peg.
"I was a good friend of your brother's. Tim." The girl sat next to the boy.
"I don't care, get away from me." She didn't move, ignoring his demand. "It seems you are too simple-minded to not only graduate high school but also understand that I eat alone, get out of my face." The girl huffed and walked away, tears slipping to the ground as the cafeteria watched in silence. He glared at every single person that dared look his way, including Marinette's. She was the only one that looked at him both disapprovingly but understandingly. Sure he could have handled it better but Damian refused to deal with the harlots. Lunch ended a little after the incident with the girl, people seemed to finally understand that while he was in the midst of a rivalry with another student it did not mean he was any different.
Damian's air of indifference and authority demanded respect and people gave him a good three feet as he strutted down the hallway heading to his next class. Someone rushed past bumping into him silently, a mumbled apology slipped from Marinette's lips as she ran past him with a disapproving look.
Damian didn't care. He didn't. She might have earned his respect but that didn't mean he cared about what she thought. She was everything he despised: peppy, easily excitable, stubborn, hyper positive, she was Kent but worse. On top of it all, she always challenged him, never backing down and never bluffing. She was determined and hardworking, Damian had to admit that. Of course, one couldn't describe Marinette without the word resilient- she'd dealt with him since day one, on top of everything else like school and living in a new country even after whatever she dealt with in Paris.
Marinette was trustworthy, anyone could see that in her eyes. The vivid blue of her irises, curtained by her dark naturally long eyelashes seemed to lure you in if you were stupid enough to look into them. She could get almost anyone to open up, if it weren't for his training he'd likely be eating out of the palm of her had just as desperately as all the other boys in their-
'NO. Stop thinking right now, you don't like her- you hate her. She's self-righteous and tries to knock you down a peg every chance she gets. She's annoying and popular- not that she's aware of either of those things.' Damian shut down his thoughts after that, not giving his mind a chance to come up with a defense.
Damian hates Marinette, she is the enemy and he will prevail.
Marinette was already in her seat, humming as she doodled. Her foot tapping to a silent beat. Damian ignored everything and sat in his seat, for the first time ever Damian took in every word his teacher had to say. No matter how mundane, boring, or wrong it was, anything was better than his thoughts at the moment.
When the boy's thoughts finally overrode his will to ignore them, he focused on the bad. She was pushy. She was obnoxiously self-righteous. Marinette was everything he hated, she had the audacity to correct him. She had the nerve to call him a spoiled brat, to insult him. For all her talk of being kind she truly was a hypocrite.
'Don't judge others'
'If you don't have anything nice to say then don't say anything at all'
She was all fun and games until you did something she didn't like, then it was as you'd offended her personally.
Marinette was packing up her bag, ready to go home after a long lecture about the Hundred Years War. Lilith and some of her friends approached the bluenette.
"Hey, Marinette."
"Hello, Lilith." The Parisian greeted, suddenly worried she'd forgotten to do something for the dreaded Paris trip. "Is there a meeting? Did I forget to send something in? Or was there a problem with any of the transportation?"
"No, there's nothing wrong. The meetings are still on Fridays, so we'll meet up again tomorrow. Actually, I'm having some friends over for a little get-together, on Saturday." One of the other girls chimed in.
"We're gonna come in our pajamas and eat lots of junk food 'till the sun comes up!" Marinette smiled as she slung her backpack over her shoulder.
"I'd really love to but I already have plans, thank you for inviting me. I hope you all have a wonderful time." Marinette was quick to change the topic, avoiding their trying to change the date. Not only did she not want to go in fear of another Dupont but she had to patrol. Damian's family's barbeque was the perfect excuse if they pried later on.
The gaggle of girls walked out of the building talking about their favorite movies, Marinette was mildly surprised by the number of happy endings- in France, the movies were far more realistic in terms of how the story ends.
"What do you mean? Your movies don't have happy endings? Why not?"
"That is not how it works, it's unrealistic that everyone ends up happy in the end. The bad guy should pay for their crimes, the good guys must sacrifice something for the good of all, no?"
The girls nodded but were distracted by a crowd gathering near the academy's driveway. The girls pushed their way through, Marinette only following to go home. Whatever drama was going on was none of her business.
Dick rolled on his heels as he looked over a familiar sea of navy blue, Jason next to him, enjoying their slight height difference and leaning on the shorter man.
"Where's the brat?"
"Who cares? We just need to make sure she comes this weekend."
"You know I'm all for pissing demon spawn off but why?"
"Cause! I want her too and she'll entertain Damian enough that he won't have time to piss anyone else off."
"Yeah, but you'll ruin her weekend." The boys jumped when they saw an exhausted Tim behind them. "Making the poor girl hang out with Damian? No one deserves such a fate." The boys rolled their eyes as they looked for the girl again, they saw the back of a familiar girl's head as she walked away. The Parisian must have slipped out while they were talking, Dick called after the girl making Jason go off balance.
"Marinette!" The girl blushed as she turned, people whispering. Dick jogged slightly to catch up with the girl.
"Hello, Richard."
"Marinette you can call me-"
"I'd rather not." The girl said, someone must have told her what the word meant. The man laughed.
"Alright fine, you can call me that for now, can you come? This weekend?" Marinette seemed to make eye contact with someone before bringing her attention back to him. Dick pulled her aside so she wouldn't feel pressured to agree just because people were watching.
"Damian told me about the barbecue but-"
"We thought you might wanna come." Jason cut in, trying to speed things up before Damian saw them talking to 'the enemy.' The bluenette seemed to put two and two together.
"We know Damian probably told you not to, but there's gonna be other people your age. Damian's friend Jon- really nice kid. Please?" Dick asked, of course, Marinette's fever was highly contagious so the Waynes had caught it too. Damian was the only one that seemed immune.
"Well, I have to help my parents with the bakery in the mornings and- uh- I guess there's no reason why I couldn't. Sunday right-?'' Marinette locked eyes with a pissed-looking Damian, not finishing her thought.
"Grayson! Todd! Drake!" The boy marched up to the group and literally dragged his brothers away. The green-eyed boy gave Marinette a glare for good measure, Dick called out as he was dragged towards the ever-patient Alfred who was holding the door open.
"See you Sunday!" Marinette let out a nervous chuckle as she gave an awkward wave- the three boys were shoved into the car before Damian sat and slammed the door, glaring daggers at the girl.
Marinette was going to be in for a long weekend.