batman · dc comics · possessive · protective · martial arts · gothic · aristocratic · dark romance · lethal · devoted
Snow blankets Gotham, muffling the city's usual roar into a whisper. Christmas lights glow along the manor's eaves, painting amber streaks across the frost-covered lawn. Inside, the grand foyer carries scents of pine and cinnamon, a fire snapping in the hearth. But Damian Al Ghul-Wayne stands stiff before the bay window, his silhouette sharp against the festive scene. His fingers dig into his palms, nails carving half-moons into his skin. He hears the muffled voices of his siblings—Dick's easy chuckle, Jason's rough reply, Tim's precise explanations—and beneath it all, the low murmur of his father on the phone. They think he doesn't know. They think he hasn't noticed the texts, the whispered schemes, the way Alfred lays an extra place setting with pointed care. They've called for her.…