The Suitress ~Daminette Betrothed AU~

Chapter 8

The flight back to Gotham was quiet, none of Damian's brothers wanted to agitate him further. Dick wanted to do something to cheer his youngest brother up but couldn't think of anything, Tim just didn't want to annoy him, and Jason was kept at bay after Dick gave him a bag of desserts he brought from Marinette's bakery.

"Does anyone want something to drink?" Dick asked without thinking as he got up to grab himself a water.

Damian glared at his oldest brother, he disrupted his thought process. The lovesick teenager's mind was split between reciting Marinette's letters on repeat and coming up with a convincing argument as to why Marinette should move to the manor. After six long hours the plane landed, Damian was confident in his argument and got off the plane with tunnel vision, he had to find his father.

Tim refused to get in Damian's way, while they waited in the line for customs he immediately called Marinette but she had to get back to training, after that people glanced at him nervously he wouldn't stop mumbling- from what Tim and his older brothers could hear he was trying to convince someone (either himself or practicing for when he spoke to Bruce) about Marinette moving in. Jason smirked when they figured it out, he was right.

Alfred was waiting for them with all their luggage at baggage claim, Alfred noticed Damian's bad mood and seemed worried. When Damian went to the restroom, he asked Dick.

"Did Miss Marinette not want to see him?"

"No, she did. They were inseparable the entire weekend, but neither wanted him to leave. We think he's gonna talk to Bruce about getting her to move in." Alfred hadn't expected that, perhaps more frequent visits but not asking her to move stateside.

"She still lives with leaguers, she doesn't have anyone except Damian." Tim explained.

"Hey! Let's not forget that I was the one that came up with the idea!" Jason defended, Damian returned quickly after that.

"Let's go, Mongrels, I have things to do."

"Master Bruce is at the tower if you'd like to be dropped off there, Master Damian." Damian nodded, ushering everyone to the car impatiently.

Damian was about to walk into his fathers office when he stopped himself, knocking on the door, nervous. If he wanted to convince his father it would be best if he were polite.

"Come in, Damian." Bruce called from inside his office, one of the shareholders sitting across from him.

"What is it, Damian?" Bruce asked noticing his son's well hidden nerves, going into what Dick would have called 'League mode'. Damian wasn't one to get nervous about anything.

"It can wait until you are done with your meeting." Bruce was quick to wrap up the appointment with Chair-holder Jones.

"What's wrong? How was your trip?"

"It went well, but Todd gave me an idea..." Bruce waited patiently.

"I make this recommendation not because of personal reasons but out of concern for my betrothed and her safety, and as you once said 'Better than the with the League of Assassins'." Bruce was pretty sure he knew where this was going but let Damian finish speaking.

"I propose, at Todd's suggestion, that Marinette come to live with us... at the Manor. It's safer and had you seen the way she was living- being raised by leaguers who make her train and study when she isn't at school, where she must pose as someone she is not. She doesn't even have an escape in her room and she's a hero as well, she has the same training as I do but she always thought things through. Her hero name is Ladybug if you'd like to check her skill and experience, and she knows everything- I tell her everything. Even if you don't allow her to move in she is a part of my life and I can't deal with not being around her-" Damian started getting himself worked up, thinking his father was going to refuse.