Bake Until Marriage

Chapter Six

"You didn't tell me she was cute."

Damian ground his teeth together as he watched Dick stride into his office, Tim in tow. Great. Now all he needed were Jason and his sisters and it would be a damn party. Biting back a curse, he turned back towards his computer, ignoring both of them as they sunk into the chairs across from his desk.

"If this isn't a life-threatening emergency, then I am going to ask you to leave." Damian kept his face blank as he stared at his screen. "I have a lot of work to do, and having you two hover over me like mothering hens is akin to torture. So, say whatever nonsense you feel like you need to say, and then leave."

"Raven-"

Damian looked up as her name fell from Dick's mouth, and his heart sputtered in his chest, images of last week flashing through his head. What in the world was this about?

"-she's pretty."

"I hadn't noticed," he lied, turning back to his computer. Of course he noticed she was pretty - he wasn't blind, but it wasn't like it mattered to him. He was going to be married in a few months anyway, and Raven was a vendor. He had strict rules for himself, and he was going to adhere to them. "I simply thought her cakes were good enough to be served at my wedding."

"She's single." Dick leaned back in his chair and watched Damian with a grin on his face. "I think Tim should ask her out. It would be cute to see the baker of the wedding as a plus one, right?"

Damian clenched his fist under his desk, knowing that they were trying to goad him. He refused to let them think they had the upper hand in this. Setting his lips in a thin line, Damian lifted an eyebrow and leaned back in his chair, forcing himself to look casual. "Ah? Is that so? And who told either of you that you were invited to my wedding?"

They didn't seem affected. Tim cocked his head to the side, pretending to think. "I need to get a cake for a supervisor's retirement party in R&D. Do you think she could recommend something? Something fun and original without being ostentatious?" He hummed and rubbed his thumb along his jaw, lifting his eyes to the ceiling. "You know what? I think I'll just drop by the shop myself. The way Dick talks about her smile, I might have to see it myself. Especially if she's going to be my date for your wedding."

"That's enough." Damian glared at them, grinding his teeth together. It didn't matter how steely he made his skin, his brothers still found a way to get under it. "Raven is just a baker, so if you want to ask her out, I don't see how that affects me."

"I heard from your doorman that she came over a week ago." Dick grinned and glanced over at Tim, looking at him as if they were having a private conversation with stares alone. That was not good. "At two in the morning," Dick finished.

Damian cursed in his head, narrowing his eyes. Dick was known to use his clout as a detective and his natural charisma to get anyone to talk to him about anything. Including getting Damian's supposedly discreet doorman talk about Raven's early morning visit. "You did not have that conversation."

"Oh, I did." Dick smirked. "Fabian and I are on good terms, and you know it."

Damian's jaw locked into place and he pretended to be unaffected by his brothers. If they knew how much their words were affecting him, they would never let him live it down. "You're trying to get me to admit that I have some sort of inkling towards Raven, and you're going to be very disappointed. I usually don't make a point to have feelings towards my wedding vendors." He huffed out an annoyed breath and tilted his head to the door. "Now, if you don't have anything important to talk to me about, then please leave."