Sunrise at Titans Tower
Sunlight spilled through the tall windows of the mansion, soft and warm, painting the sheets in gold. Damian woke first, the way he always did—alert, trained, instinctively aware of his surroundings. For half a second, his body prepared for threats that didn't exist.
Then he felt Raven.
She was close—too close for reflexes, close enough that his heartbeat slowed instead of spiking. Her head rested against his shoulder, her breathing steady, her weight familiar now rather than surprising. When she stirred, violet eyes opened to meet his, and for a moment neither of them spoke.
They remembered everything at once.
The promise.
The decision.
Today.
Raven shifted slightly, still half-asleep, and Damian instinctively adjusted his arm around her. She smiled faintly, a rare thing, soft and unguarded.
"So," she said quietly, "today we go back."
Damian nodded. "Together."
She studied his face, searching for hesitation. There was none.
They leaned in and kissed—slow, certain, no urgency, just reassurance. When they finally pulled back, the world outside the window felt distant, irrelevant.
After washing up, Damian cooked breakfast like it was the most natural thing in the world. Raven watched from the counter, wrapped in a loose robe, silently amused as he moved through the kitchen with practiced efficiency. Eggs, toast, fruit—simple, but perfect.
"You're unfairly competent," she said.
"It's a survival skill," Damian replied, deadpan.
She smiled anyway.
They ate together, packed the few things they'd bought during their stargazing date, and when everything was ready, Damian changed into his Robin suit—black combat pants, armored and practical, green accents muted and sharp. Raven slipped into her usual cloak, calm settling around her like armor of its own.
Damian stepped into the garden and opened the gateway.
The world folded.
Titans Tower – Rooftop
Minutes Earlier
Nightwing had been awake for hours.
He stood on the roof, arms crossed, staring at the empty space where Damian had vanished days ago. He'd checked the security footage. He knew the exit point. He also knew—deep in his bones—that if Batman decided this counted as a failure, nothing short of divine intervention would save him.
He paced.
"I am too old for this," he muttered.
Beast Boy eventually wandered up with Blue Beetle, popcorn in hand.
"Ten bucks says they stay another day," Beast Boy said.
"Make it twenty," Jaime replied. "That kid does not strike me as punctual."
Cyborg arrived shortly after, fresh from the Watchtower, arms folded as he quietly assessed Nightwing's stress levels. Starfire followed, calm as ever.
"They will return," she said kindly. "They promised."
Nightwing stopped pacing. "You don't understand. Batman promised too."
Then the air shimmered.
A doorway opened.
Damian stepped through first, composed and calm. Raven followed beside him, close enough that no one missed the implication.
Nightwing exhaled so hard it almost hurt.
Then the irritation hit.
Damian looked up. "You look stressed."
"I will strangle you later," Nightwing said warmly.
Beast Boy blinked. "Whoa. You're back. And alive."
Jaime squinted. "Wait… are you—"
"Yes," Damian said flatly. "She's my girlfriend."
Silence.
Starfire gasped, delighted. "I knew it!"
Nightwing stared. "You're sixteen."
"And?" Damian replied.
Cyborg snorted. "Kid's got confidence."
Damian continued, unfazed. "We're also moving in together. Same room."
That broke Nightwing.
"Okay—nope—nope—absolutely not—"
Raven's eyebrow twitched. Damian calmly took her hand.
"We've already discussed it," Damian said. "Extensively."
Raven nodded, faint blush visible. "It's mutual."
Nightwing looked at Starfire for help.
She smiled. "In Tamaran, this is considered healthy bonding."
He groaned.
Damian didn't wait for permission. He led Raven inside, straight to her room—and then past it, toward a larger one better suited for two people.
Inside Titans Tower
Later That Day
They spent hours sorting, arguing, negotiating.
Raven's spellbooks.
Damian's weapons.
Which shelves were sacred.
Which corners were negotiable.
When disagreements stalled them, Damian shrugged. "Anything we don't need now goes into my personal dimension."
Raven considered it, then nodded. "Efficient."
They refused help from the others. This was theirs.
By evening, they were exhausted. Raven attempted to use magic to speed things up, but Damian stopped her.
"If we're doing this," he said, "we do it together."
She paused, then smiled softly. "Okay."
Pizza was ordered. Raven handled the delivery with a simple teleport—cash exchanged, no questions asked. Damian queued up a movie they both agreed on, and they collapsed onto the bed together.
Raven leaned back against Damian's chest, his arms wrapped around her as they ate and watched the screen. For once, her thoughts were quiet. No pressure. No fear.
Just warmth.
They fell asleep before the movie ended.
Elsewhere – Gotham
Later That Night
Nightwing made the call.
"Bruce," he said carefully. "Damian's back. On time."
Pause.
"…He's safe?"
"Yes."
"That's what matters," Batman replied. "We'll discuss everything else later."
Nightwing relaxed—
"However," Batman continued, "I haven't forgotten about you."
The line went dead.
Nightwing stared at his communicator.
"…Why is it always me?"