Rites of Passage | Damian x OC

9. Damian

Graduating from Gotham Academy had been a bittersweet accomplishment for Damian Wayne. Not only had he finished years of elementary education that he'd long surpassed as a child and was he no longer obligated to suffer the insolence of his peers, but that also meant he had more free time to do what he pleased. In the last year, he'd spent some time traveling across the world, assisting the Titans and League in various missions, and sometimes offering his expertise to his siblings in their respective residences—hmm, well, not to all of them.

Though he'd understood that finishing high school sealed the deal for his father's wishes to experience a "normal" social life and education, it didn't seem to end there. A few times, Bruce had mentioned the prospect of college as additional means for Damian to continue normality, but the younger Wayne couldn't find it in himself to really care. Private school, although a step above public school, had already occupied eight years of his life with its boring academia and snobbish students. How would attending college, here in Gotham or elsewhere, be any different or more appealing?

But for the sake of his father's sanity, he'd gone ahead and applied to Gotham University, mostly to humor him and Dick, who'd characteristically encouraged him to "do it anyway"—and maybe Damian was curious to see what it was like to be accepted because of course he would be.

And he'd been right.

None of it meant anything anyway since he currently had no desire to continue pursuing formal studies. The teen had hours and hours of learning and knowledge at his disposal just in the manor's library itself, much of which he'd already read at least once. Unfortunately, now that his assistance was no longer needed as frequently as he'd been used to, Damian had more time on his hands than what he'd ever admit he wanted. Boredom had never really been that much of an issue for him, especially since he cherished his privacy and solitude, but since things had gotten rough between him and his father, it was more important now than ever to find activities to occupy his time.

"What kind of activities?" Dick had asked weeks earlier at the other end of the phone line, failing to conceal the surprise and curiosity in his tone. "Like, social activities? You sure you're okay, D?"

"Remove that insufferable smirk from your face, Grayson," Damian had retorted, imagining the older man's grin.

A snort of laughter had come through, followed by "You know me so well."

The younger Wayne had then made a point to correct the former Robin, explaining that there were plenty of things to do that didn't require interacting with people. He'd already been accepted to volunteer at one of Gotham's local animal shelters, where he'd spend his time behind-the-scenes with the dogs and not at a counter, dealing with actual humans. And when he wasn't devoting his days and attention to precious animals, he was enjoying the peaceful atmosphere of the library and relishing the calming activity that was sorting and organizing books.

That is, until Jessica Fairchild came along.

The very first thought to come to his mind when Damian's gaze fell upon her was that her entire head was an alarming shade of blue. Of all colors, she'd chosen that? Although, he'd seen other teens and young adults who'd thought orange or even green was a clever color to prance around in. Still, what had driven her to do that to herself?

The next thought was merely the fleeting and startling realization that it was Jessica Fairchild standing before him in all her juvenile delinquency, staring right back at him. The plain, grey t-shirt she wore was slightly wrinkled, Damian instantly noted, and her sneakers appeared to be somewhat new, the white portions still clean and not yet ruined. The minimal accessories she wore included a watch and a few mismatched rings on her fingers.