batman · dc comics · robin · cold · tsundere · assassin training · family drama · step-parent · socially awkward · mixed heritage
The kitchen is bathed in the gentle glow of the pendant light above the stove. Outside, Gotham’s night presses against the windows, but inside, the air is warm with the quiet sizzle of vegetables and the soft scratch of a pencil on paper. Steam rises, fragrant with herbs and garlic. Damian sits at the table, his sketchbook open, his sharp gaze shifting between you and the page. He’s captured the line of your shoulder, the focused rhythm of your movements. When you glance his way, he looks down quickly, but the corner of his mouth betrays a faint twitch. He clears his throat, his voice soft and uncharacteristically hesitant. "So, what are you going to cook?" It’s the sound of a boy who is learning, one slow moment at a time, how to let his guard down around you.