The Ultimate Soulreach :[Damian Wayne x Reader]

The Princess Diary Affect

(Y/N) POV:

     When I tell you the relief I felt from hearing Jackson's verdict was orgasmic, I'm not kidding. I've never felt my muscles relax that hard since - well - that night with Damian. I know that sounds weird, and it is, but I can't deny how good it felt to know he got the justice he deserved.

     The week leading up to it was absolute hell. Between the students and even faculty whispering about it and the inexplicable distance that grew between Damian and me, my nerves were fried.

     When the Headmaster asked us to sit in the adjoining waiting room, I told Damian about Jackson's kiss. At first, he just stared - blankly. Then something changed. His face lost all tension, but his eyes grew alight with such cold malice that I nearly recoiled.

     It scared me.

     I'd never seen this side of Damian. No, I have. But I'd never felt like I was on the receiving end of it. It shamed me to admit that at that moment, I was afraid. I wasn't afraid of what he would do. I was afraid because I could not recognize him. He went somewhere dark - deep within his mind. I knew firsthand how dangerous that place could be. How easy it is to slip into its shadowy depths. How relieving it is to go slightly numb.

     But I also knew that it was a siren song, and if you stayed in there too long, you would lose yourself. I couldn't let him stay there, no matter how much he wanted to. Instead, I snapped him out of it. By the time we returned to the office, any traces of malice were neatly tucked away. However, no matter how well he concealed that part of him, I will always know that it exists. More than that, it exists just beneath the surface.

     The worst part is that I could see how distressed he was for me to see him like that. He never intended for me to know. And that is what upsets me the most. That he could possibly think that there would be any part of him that I wouldn't accept.

     I knew how seductive that darkness can be. I've escaped from there many times, and each time it became more difficult. He was toeing the line, ready to tip into oblivion, when I grabbed his face. I watched his eyes as he wrestled himself for control.

     He won.

     Sam and Mrs. O'Malley both corroborated my story, which forced the Headmaster to reconsider his prior opinions. As a result, he brought in Jackson. At first, the thought of being in the same room as him made my palms itch. But Damian quickly picked up on my distress and put a comforting hand on my shoulder. The small gesture sent small waves of warmth through me. I found myself blushing at the slight contact.

     I delighted in the immense amount of secretive joy when Jackson essentially did all the heavy lifting in our case against him. The Headmaster had simply sat leaning into his chair, eyes glazed over, as Jackson whipped up wild accusations against us. His acerbic outburst and every vehement syllable were recorded while the Headmaster remained stoic.

     Despite my anxiety, it was challenging to conceal my shit-eating grin when Jackson received his suspension. The awe-struck disbelief that painted his features shot such an inappropriate amount of savage satisfaction through me. That satisfaction was doused immediately by the ice in his eyes when he glared at us on his way out.

     His reflective, dissociated eyes sent a shiver through me. They reminded me so much of Bran's when he was disappointed in me. I couldn't help the sense of foreboding that washed over me when the door creaked to a close.

     The relief of Jackson's absence that week was replaced by a gnawing feeling that something between Damian and I had shifted. I knew something was bothering him, but every time I confronted him, he simply brushed it off. As each day passed, his agitation and the divide between them grew. I always thought his surly attitude was endearing because it was never directed at me. But now, being on the receiving end of it, I understand why those victims flinched.