The Bug, the Bird and the Bats ✔

Chapter Seven

Meeting the Family

Marinette Dupain-Cheng wasn't simply nervous, she was anxiety-filled, panic stricken, shaking with the possibilities of what-if's.

Mostly, she was scared to embarrass herself, to disappoint Damian, to have to realize that his family didn't like her like he assures her they will.

There's so many people to meet, so many people she could annoy and even more questions to answer -none of which she knew how Damian would want her to answer.

Does she tell them everything? Does she tell them everything with just as little detail as possible? Is she allowed to brag about Damian? Is she allowed to scold him in front of them, tease him?

There are, simply, too many things that could go wrong.

Damian can tell that Marinette had anxiety over meeting everyone the moment he opened her apartment door- -of course he could, and his talent to pick apart her feelings upon sight would forever be annoying to Marinette, who sometimes still has trouble reading her boyfriend- -and merely sighs.

"Angel, my family are lucky to meet you, it is unreasonable to think that any of them won't like you. Most are louder than you, and annoying." Damian walks up to Marinette and holds her chin, angling her face up to him. "And if they do not like you, for any reason, I could simply stab them. Unless they are father, Grayson or Pennyworth."

"It's fine, I'm fine, Demon. No stabbing." The heroine reassures and scolds him at the same time, getting a slitted green-eyed half glare in response as his hold tightens the tiniest amount. "Could you just let me go over everyone and correct me when I get them wrong?"

"I do not think you will get anything wrong, but I will go over them with you nonetheless. Could we do this in the car, Habibti? I feel as though Alfred is impatient today."

She agreed and took his free hand, grabbed her purse from her counter and rushed him to the car. On top of all the worry, Marinette doubted her anxiety could handle them being late.

-

The moment Alfred opened the door and Damian followed, the room gave out minor cheers, but seemed to settle almost instantly.

His presence, although noticed, clearly wasn't something many risked drawing attention to.

Marinette heard Dick- -who's voice she recognized from hearing them over phone calls- -shout to him, calling "Hey, Baby Bird, c'mere! Mar'i misses her favorite uncle." which immediately caused Jason to protest that he was her favorite uncle, making the very tall redhead who she knew was Kor'i laugh loudly.

Cassandra and Duke- -easily recognizable with her quiet, fragile features twisted to stone and his wide grins and constantly moving hands. She had the only brown eyes of the bunch, he had hazel eyes and dark skin- -were sitting in a corner, he was whispering and laughing to her and she was signing back to him.

Best friends.

Stephanie, Kara, Tim, Conner, Jon and Selina were eating food on the other side of the room, Selina and Tim sitting on the chairs- -he had more coffee than he did food- -while the rest sit on the floor, chatting idly about anything and everything.

Steph and Jon seemed so energized, Marinette imagined it was hard to keep up with them.

Adrien was like that, and she missed him.

On the right side of the room Damian's father stood with Clark Kent, Lois Lane and Barbara, his youngest daughter in his arms as she babbled ceaselessly at something the journalist had been saying.