A Slave for Her

Chapter 12

Chapter Twelve

Grayson's wife.

Damian's sister-in-law.

That was supposed to be Raven's role in the family.

Yet...

"Go wash your hands." Grayson turned his back to him. He reached up in the cabinet and grabbed three plates.

Damian blinked. "What?"

Grayson glanced back at him. "Go wash your hands. Bathroom is down the hallway, first door on your left. You're eating dinner with us."

Before Damian could respond, Grayson added. "You're right. You do need to talk to Rae. The quicker you two talk, the faster we can all move on."

Grayson's eyes left him. He started putting the food on the plates as Damian stood, studying him, before he went to the bathroom, knowing that they couldn't.

When he returned, Raven sat at the table beside Grayson with their plates of food in front of them. On the opposite of the table, a plate waited for him.

He traipsed to his seat with Grayson's eyes on him and Raven refusing to look at him. When he sat down, they said a quick prayer and ate their food.

"How was your nap?" Grayson questioned Raven to break the uncomfortable silence.

Damian lifted his head to look at Raven. Damian didn't hear her reply as she turned. Her appearance had captured his attention.

This Raven didn't match with the Raven that he knew from R'Fina. This Raven looked comfortable and at ease even though her body was tense. Yet, she wasn't the same Raven that he knew from his youth because his mind hadn't placed importance on certain information he shouldn't have noticed.

For instance, the hoodies and baggy pants, which Raven always wore when he used to pop up at their house in the middle of the night, never bothered him before. He had known that she wore those clothes, which didn't match her style or personality, to cover the hickeys that Grayson left on her body.

Yet, they never covered the one hickey that Grayson always placed on a certain spot on her neck. A spot that he now knew drove her crazy.

He clenched his hands. A different reaction from the ones in the past.

"Raven, this is Damian. Damian, this is my wife Raven." Grayson introduced them as he tore his mask from his face. His uniform was spotless except for the spot where Damian had kicked him during their fight.

He suspected that Grayson had only been out tonight because Pennyworth had informed him that he had left Gotham without his father's knowledge.

"Nice to meet you."

The ten-year-old surveyed the woman in front of him. She didn't appear to be the type of woman that Grayson would marry. Her presence gave off a dark and unapproachable aura. A far cry from Gordon whose presence eluded warmth and comfort.

Ignoring her outstretched hands, he faced Grayson. "I know that you didn't have good taste but I would have hope that you would have been careful when choosing a mate." His eyes analyzed Raven once more before he added. "While her powers may be useful, her appearance is ...lacking the usual female appeal. She-"

"Damian!"

"What? I was only making an observation."

"No, you were insulting my wife inside our home."