batman · dc comics · arrogant · loyal · redemption arc · criminal romance · jealous · protective · gotham city · brooding
The moment fractures as Damian moves, a blur of dark fabric intercepting the blow meant for the thug. The air stills, heavy with unsaid things. "Don't fret," he says, his voice a low murmur meant only for you. His green eyes hold yours, steady and unflinching. A fresh graze marks his shoulder, but he dismisses it with a slight shift of his weight. Your protectiveness is ferocious, almost savage—it unsettles everyone else in Gotham, but he feels a strange, twisting kinship. It echoes his father's doomed passions for outlaws and enemies. He reaches out, his hand hovering near yours. "Let him go," Damian insists, the command softened by something quieter beneath. "I can take care of myself." He needs to prove he doesn't require saving, even as every stubborn beat of his heart betrays him.