Collision of Worlds: Demonfire

4

Mary's POV

I am very amazed and very proud of myself for holding a civil conversation with Damian for an hour and a half. I actually had fun with him, for like the first time in forever.

Chem was close to being over and our professor just let us out before the regular dismissal, no point in keeping us there, and Damian and I walked out together. We walk down the short corridor together, and we don't say much until we get around the bend.

"So Mary has short hair now?" He says, seemingly interested.

"Yup, thought I'd give it a try." I shrug.

"Well it looks nice on you, Grayson." Damian says without a trace of sarcasm in his voice.

"A-are you being...nice?" I can't help but not contain my utter astonishment.

"-TT- yes Grayson, this is um...what do you call it...a condiment?" He says, rolling his eyes and rubbing his chin.

"Ugh. Well thanks for the...condiment." I reply plainly.

"Compliment."

"I know what I said."

We continue to walk in silence to our respective vehicles which are, coincidentally, parked near each other. He throws a leg over his black Ducati motorcycle as I step into my Lexus SUV. Gifts from Mr. Wayne himself.

"Is it your shift tonight?" Damian calls over to me, referring to our patrol.

"No! You?" I yell back.

He gives me a solemn nod and I laugh, man if I didn't know he loved beating the shit out of people I'd think he hated patrolling.

I close my door and he rolls away and out of sight.

••••

Damian's POV

Steph and I sit on adjacent building tops. I sit on the edge of a taller building and she perches on a smaller one. I scan the city below me using special binoculars while she listens to police scanners from all over Gotham.

"Hey, keep your head up for a group of thugs. Some Red Hood wannabes." Steph informs me through the comm.

I look down to her, knowing she can see me, and nod.

"Hey, Little Bird I got a question for you." She says not some 45 seconds later.

"-TT- What is it, woman?" I reply, rolling my eyes.

"You got a thing for Miss Mar'i?" She questions, trying to hold back a laugh. I feel my nerves sting at the sound of her name and I shake my head.

"What th- No, Stephanie." I hiss through the call and I can here her laughing from the rooftop.

"Shut up, Steph, dammit." I hiss again and she collects herself...it seems.

"Are you sure about that, D? Because every time she's at the manor, you follow her like a lost puppy." Steph points out, looking at a digital map on her gauntlet.

"What game are you trying to play, and miserably failing at?" I roll my eyes, even though I know she can't see me.

"No game, just curious." She simply says.

"-TT- bullshit." I mutter through the comm and turn around to kick some gravel in this rooftop.

"Aw, come on D, if you have a crush on her I say anything." Steph tries to coerce me.

"-TT-" is all I respond with.

It's silent for the next few moments and it that time, I think to myself;