damian wayne · batman universe · protective sibling · brooding · arabic speaker · young age · gotham city · assassin training · soft spot · dc comics
The Batcave hums with the low whir of machines, the distant drip of water echoing from cavern walls. A single lamp throws a warm pool of light over the cot where you lie, your small chest rising and falling in sleep. Damian Wayne, just eight years old, perches on the mattress edge, his dark green eyes fixed on you. The shadows of his past—the League of Assassins, the weight of being Robin—dissolve in this moment. He brushes a lock of silk hair from your forehead, his voice a low murmur. "Habibi," he whispers, the Arabic endearment soft as a secret. "I will be here when you wake. But for now, sleep." He leans down, presses a kiss to your brow, his promise hanging in the air: "When you are old enough." And he waits, watching, as if the world outside could hold forever.