It's finally here!

I do not own Batman.

Nascent

Chapter Twenty Seven:

Sunday Kind of Love

"I want a Sunday kind of love,

A love to last

Past Saturday night

And I'd like to know

If it's more than love at first sight."

"If having people over means we get more breaks like this, I'm all for it!"

Garfield threw his hands behind his head, slipping into a starfish as he plastered himself over the kitchen counter. Bart slurped loudly on a protein shake, giving the green lump an experimental poke. Jaime searched through the closet by the entrance, sifting through piles of shoes and boots and burnt out sneakers— "Yo, Bart! You gotta toss these out, man."—in search of his own sandals.

In the far corner of the room, Raven perched herself in one of the chairs, silently flipping through a book. Despite her refusal to give a straight out answer when they'd all been planning the affair, she was still dressed in long tights and a thin, dark purple hooded sweatshirt—"But won't you get hot?"—"No." Bags were piled in the corner of the living room by the front entrance, coupled with everything they'd need for their excursion today.

"Star isn't coming?" Bart said. Raven shook her head once. "What's keeping her?"

"Wanted to visit some old friends since things slowed down a bit," Jaime said. "She said to go ahead and have fun and don't forget to put on sunscreen. She said not to cause any trouble either."

"Oh, we will!" Garfield said, flinging himself up. "The fun part, I mean. This is going to be sick. We haven't been the beach in forever! I thought we'd never go with everyone!"

Garfield stood in the center of the room, sliding sunglasses over his face. He pressed a hand to his Hawaiian shirt, fixing his dark green swim trunks. "The sun, the waves, the beach babes—"

The sliding doors behind them parted. Their final member was dressed as close to the occasion as possible for his character—black shorts and a black, short sleeved button collared shirt to couple it. Damian briefly surveyed the entirety of living beings gathered in the room, pausing only once to nod in acknowledgement to Raven before he ignored the other three, resuming his call with the person speaking to him through his earpiece as he pulled up a screen on is watch. "Yes, that's correct. Yes, that particular beach should be fine… how is the view at sunset? I see. No, that will be sufficient."

Damian walked away from the door, calmly pacing through the room and ignoring the stares of his teammates. He stopped for a moment beside the doorway, surveying the heap of items and looking less than impressed. Jaime snorted defensively.

"The duration?" Damian turned his wrist over, examining the sleek surface of his watch. "…We shall go ahead and procure it for the entire day. Yes, that is correct. No, it will not be an issue."

"Private beach!" Garfield cheered. "Private beach, here we come!"

"Wait a minute," Jaime said. "We're doing a private beach? I thought we were just going right downtown!"

Raven said nothing, flipping through her book.

"I'm fine either way," Bart said. "Same distance."

"I'm down for a private beach!" Garfield said, eyes shining. "The whole, entire place to ourselves? How cool is that! And knowing our good friend over here and his bank account, there's gotta be more goods involved, right?"

Damian ignored all of them, continuing his Bluetooth call. "Yes. Yes, the entire set will be fine…. Entrée?... the steak and the lobster. We will need a vegetarian option as well. Yes. Now, about dessert—"

"Listen to that," Garfield sobbed. "Music to my ears."

"Yeah, unless he tosses us all out to the doghouse," Jaime said. "Last I checked, our names aren't Pandora."

Yesterday morning, Pandora had happily greeted the group from their kitchen, borrowing their stove to make sets of fluffy pancakes coupled with dripping syrup and a handful of cream cheese stuffed muffins that had Bart sobbing in joy. Damian had been seated at the other end of the island, silently leafing through the newspaper with a plate of coffee cake and a steaming cup beside him. The news had been delivered shortly after the feast—

"Dam said if you guys weren't too busy tomorrow, you could all take a day off according to Kori," Pandora said, shyly twisting her fingers but smiling brightly. "And I was thinking since summer's almost over… that we could all go to the beach? We could make it like a small bonfire and just have some fun, and it's super easy to find things to do and spend some time with you guys before I have to go!"

Jaime and Garfield's jaws had dropped, smacking into the floor while Bart continued to inhale the muffins at rapid speed. Pandora had shifted awkwardly, looking fearfully embarrassed that'd she'd delivered the news wrong and shooting Damian quick looks for assistance before her friend finally, calmly said—

"We're going to the beach tomorrow," Damian didn't even look at them. "If you wish to tag along, you may."

Pandora beamed.

"Guess they made up," Bart said.

"But Pan wouldn't let that happen to us!" Garfield protested. "She'd make sure we were all taken care of and because Damian wouldn't want us to bother their date—wait, are they dating? I'm still a little confused about that whole thing."

"Not dating," Bart said, tossing his smoothie into the sink. "But, y'know. Seems complicated."

"Well, either way," Garfield said in excitement. "He'd make sure we are taken care of too, so Pan won't say anything and then we get to enjoy the trip just the same!"

"I don't know," Jaime said warily, finally pulling his sandals free and dropping them by the door. He watched Damian pacing around the other corner of the room by Raven, continuing to make the arrangements for their trip. "Doesn't this just seem a bit extra?"

"Dude had an entire piano delivered," Gar said. "Should we expect anything less?"

"Hi, guys, sorry it took so long!" the doors parted one final time, revealing a brightly grinning Pandora to all of them. Her eyes sparkled with excitement; hair pulled back into matching braids that fitted into a bun behind her head. "I'm ready to go!"

Jaime almost dropped his sandals in surprise. Raven paused briefly in turning the next page of her book, but promptly said nothing. Garfield's eyes brightened in mirth while Bart simply threw up two thumbs, nodding while holding back his laughter.

Slung over one of Pandora's arms was an inflated donut, bigger than her head and making her look ridiculously small. She wore a bright blue shirt with a dinosaur in sunglasses on the front, tucked into the waistband of her black shorts. Her other arm held a cheesy designed tote bag, the kind old grannies used hobbling onto the beach stuffed full of snacks. A strip of sunscreen painted the bridge of her nose white, and a small patch remained on the underside of her cheek where she hadn't blended it in properly.

To top it off, a wide brimmed floppy hat sat on top of her head.

Damian wordlessly shut the screen off on his wrist, making his way toward Pandora in an instant and clasping one arm behind his back. He used the other to fix the ducktail of Pandora's shirt sticking out, tucking it back into the waistband of her shorts. "You missed a spot on the underside of your face."

"Oh," Pandora considered using her hand, noticed the problem that posed with the donut inflatable she was holding and promptly turned her head for Damian. He gently used his thumb, blending the sunscreen into her cheek. "Thanks! Okay, who's ready for the beach? Maybe we can rent some boards and try to surf! I don't know how to surf though. Maybe we can get boogie boards and go out and—"

"I like this," Bart said. "I like this energy. Very nice! Feels normal."

"Pan, you go to the beach at all?" Garfield snickered, pointing to the bridge of his nose in place of her own. "You look like a tourist!"

"I don't!" Pandora said eagerly. "Gotham has like, one beach. And it's okay. It's nice, but it's okay. Plus, we don't get sun in Gotham like we do here, so I'm super excited!"

"I don't think you're going to be able to use that," Jaime said, pointing to her inflatable. "They're not too compatible with waves, you know?"

"It's worth a shot!" Pandora said eagerly, popping out from around Damian's broad shoulders. She shuffled to the side to get a clear view of everyone in the room, waving to Raven who didn't wave back and then walking over to where all the things were piled up. Damian followed in her shadow, just at her heels. "This just seems so fun because when I go with my friends, we mostly just lounge around and hang out versus getting into the water. We should get food at one of the stands next door and—"

"Actually," Garfield sang, "we'll be doing things a bit differently today, Pan. Dam—" Damian shot Gar a withering look, expression terse— "has plans for us!"

"…plans?" Pandora said, looking confused. She turned to Damian with a smile. "What kind?"

"We're going to a different beach apparently," Jaime said, leaning back on a barstool. Pandora's eyes went round in surprise. "One he booked himself."

"Something really fancy and all secluded, just for us!" Bart said. Gar nodded eagerly.

"Oh," Pandora said, looking surprised. She lowered the donut inflatable, blinking at Damian in surprise. "We're not doing… the beach by downtown?"

Damian paused.

"They have this really cool looking ice cream shop," Pandora continued, pulling out her phone and thrusting it eagerly into Damian's face. "See? They put ice cream in between two donuts and then they whip them if you want! There's no need to waste money on anything fancy when we've got a beach right here."

Pandora grinned, linking one arm through Damian's. "Right?"

Raven looked up briefly from her book. Bart stopped midway through downing another granola bar, watching with round eyes. Garfield was frozen in place, looking at the two Gotham citizens while Jaime raised his brows.

"But if the plan was actually for that beach," Pandora said quickly, amending her earlier words. "That sounds like it'll be lots of fun! S-Should I get ready for that?"

"Of course we're going to the public beach," Damian said smoothly. He pressed a series of buttons with speed that could rival Bart's, sliding his fingertips across a final confirmation before tucking one hand behind his back in the perfect picture of pose. "Who said otherwise?"

"That's awesome!" Pandora said. "Here, hold on, let me go get my camera!"

Pandora rushed off from Damian's side, bolting back through the sliding doors with a little cheer. She disappeared into the hallway, leaving the rest of the Titans to themselves.

Bart burst out laughing, clutching his stomach as he fell out of his chair, keeling over on the floor. Raven said nothing, bringing her book up to cover the lower half of her face while Jaime covered his mouth with his hand.

"I do not," Damian said coldly. "See what you all find so… amusing."

"…I'm not even mad," Garfield said. "That was one of the best things I've ever seen."

"Shall I go ahead, and have you all sent to the beach I originally procured for this occasion?"

"He says it like a threat, but he'd just be sending us off to a vacation," Bart snickered from behind the counter. "Oh, man. This is great."

"You may want to be more wary, Allen," Damian said smoothly. "You may find yourself in unknown territory—"

"Dam! Should I bring the film camera or the digital? Maybe the film, right? Do you want to wear matching sunglasses?"

"I have both our pairs," Damian said, turning over his shoulder. "You needn't bring anything else."

Garfield hit the floor, holding his stomach as he laughed so hard tears touched the corners of his eyes. Damian ignored all of them, calmly adjusting the collar of his shirt.

The sun was burning hot in the sky, bright and warming the sand. Only a few clouds dotted the expanse, rolling thin shadows over the wide stretch of shoreline. Dotted crowds of people gathered together, laughing as waves crashed up onto the shore, spraying foam and salt in all directions. Colorful umbrellas perched up; long chairs stretched out beside the beach front hotel a few feet down that overlooked the entire coast. A mile or so down the shoreline, a long, bustling pier stretched out into the ocean, decorated with colorful wheels and attractions soon to be lit up once evening hit.

The Titans had given her a brief run down before they'd left—odds were they'd be recognized, but the civilians around usually did a fine enough job of keeping to themselves give or take a few. Damian alone was the only one who's identity remained a tight lip secret—as per usual of the family lineage—but it tended to be hard not to stick out for a pizza run or two, so they'd grown accustomed to it.

But aside from that—it was more than likely they'd have a grand old time without any further issues—

Pandora dropped her tote bag, thrusting her arms into the air with a cheer. A salty breeze buffeted them in welcome, framing the outline of five teenage superheroes and one civilian against the sandy hillside.

"The beach!" Pandora exclaimed. "Woohoo!"

"Woohoo!" Garfield and Bart cheered, throwing theirs hands up in the air beside her. The three of them laughed, rushing down the sand dune and skidding up to the shore to search for a spot to set down the blankets and umbrellas.

Damian wordlessly watched them frolic through the sand, eyes hidden beneath his dark, sleek and expensive shades—"Oh, Dam, I can't wear those! What if I lose them?"—lips curled into a tight line as Raven stood beside him and Jaime just shook his head, shifting the cooler in his arms. Damian picked up Pandora's discarded dinosaur patterned tote bag, slinging it over his shoulder and promptly picking his way through the sand, ignoring the flattering looks from a few people crowding the beach. "Let us procure a more private spot to set up camp."

"Looks like that's going to be a little tough," Jaime squinted against the sunlight, waddling around the spread-out blankets and towels. "It's pretty packed today!"

"Great," Raven said, almost drifting through them.

Damian reached up and tapped the corner of his sunglasses. The dark shades flickered, and he turned his head, briefly surveying the area before he motioned once with his head. Jaime blinked in disbelief, watching as Damian picked his way across the sand, standing before a pleasantly open spot, not too close to anyone else.

"I don't even know why I still act surprised," Jaime said. "You think I'd be used to this stuff by now."

"Why are you still surprised?" Raven said. Jaime pouted at her, following behind as they made their way to Damian.

Damian dropped the items onto the sand without another word. He unhooked a pole, face impassive as he set up the wide, dark red umbrella into the sand. Jaime watched, almost amazed as he methodically set out a black blanket, weighing the corners down and procuring two-fold out chairs and setting them beside each other. He hooked Pandora's tote over one, spreading her towel over the arm of the other before standing back and surveying his quick, efficient work.

"What." Damian said, hardly turning over his shoulder.

"Nothing, nothing," Jaime said, sticking their rainbow umbrella into the ground. Raven enacted a personal sized canopy of herself, immediately retreating out of the sunlight and heading inside. "Nothing at all."

Damian flashed Jaime a dry look over the top of his shades. Jaime kept his mouth shut, mumbling something about crazy rich bastards. Sand kicked up in a flurry and Jaime held up a hand, blocking the spray as Bart skidded to a stop beside them. Water dripped from his bright red hair and he gave it a shake like a dog, laughing. "The water's great! We gotta go in!"

"Seems like you already did," Jaime said. "Where are the other—"

"This is awesome!" Pandora cheered, skidding up to a halt beside them. Garfield squawked over her shoulder as a bright green seagull. "I can't wait to go in—come on, Dam! Let's swim!"

"You should wait another hour when the tide settles out," Damian said, taking a seat in his chair and gesturing for Pandora to do the same. She pouted, trotting over to him and peering at the set up with wide eyes. "Then we can head out."

"But it's fun when it's a little risky!" Pandora said. Damian made a face. "Thanks for putting the stuff up, you should've called me, and I would've helped! Where did you even get these…"

"Sunscreen," Damian said. "Did you put it on?"

"Yeah, I did," Pandora snorted, but she plopped down into the chair beside Damian. Garfield squawked and Damian gave him another look. "…but help me put some on my back?"

"I can help with that!" Garfield popped back, squeezing himself onto the chair beside her. Damian stared the green teen down in silence beneath the dark color of his shades. Pandora wordlessly handed Garfield the bottle. "Oh! Ecofriendly brand, very nice. Here, take your—"

Damian drummed his fingers against the side of his bare arm, muscles twitching.

Jaime stared on in horror. Bart said nothing, slurping on a smoothie he'd procured from somewhere already.

"What an idiot," Raven said from inside her tent.

"Oh, check this out!" Pandora quickly stood up, hauling off her t-shirt and tossing it onto the chair. She instantly turned around, striking a pose for Damian with her nose high in the sky, grinning ear to ear. "Like it?"

Pandora proudly puffed out her chest, hands set on her shoulders as though for a photo shoot. The bikini piece was simple and black, shorts coupled with the top, but between the two pieces cupping her chest, a single, tasteful little emblem was placed.

R.

Damian silently continued to stare from beneath his shades. Pandora grinned, striking another pose. "Nice, right? It's not too flashy, but it still represents! The comic store next door was selling it for awful cheap so hopefully the quality isn't too bad and…"

Garfield continued to spread sunscreen over Pandora's back for her, holding back his snicker as Damian continued to stare at Pandora. She did another pose for him, grinning like an idiot.

"It's nice," Damian said smoothly. Pride leaked out of his voice in dripping octaves. Damian spun his finger once and Pandora laughed, humoring him and doing a spin. The back had a matching little Robin piece to hold it together on the clasp. "Very nice."

"Right? I was this close to doing Green Lantern, you know."

"Why on earth would you chose such a ridiculous fool? By the way, if you're fond of this design, we can have it sent and refitted for better quality—"

"I guess we just missed out on Gar's murder," Jaime said. "Her timing is impeccable."

"Maybe she's smarter than we give her credit for," Bart said cheerfully. "Well, not that she's dumb."

"What the heck man, you're not going to go in?"

Damian didn't spare Jaime a glance, keeping his eyes on the book he held in one hand. He'd unbuttoned the top half of his black shirt, leaving it open over his chest while he reclined in the shade with Pandora's things stacked in the chair beside him. Jaime toweled off, hitting the side of his head to knock a few droplets loose.

"Dios," Jaime sighed, plopping down onto his towel in the sand beside Damian. The shades didn't move. "How'd someone like you end up becoming friends with someone like that anyway? Pan said you met at a party, but she makes it sound even harder to imagine."

Damian paused before flipping the next page. "You mean to imply that someone of my characteristics is not a suitable fit for Pandora's image."

"I'm sayin' that it's crazy to imagine you two are as close as you are," Jaime said instead. He briefly glanced over to Raven's tent and shrugged. "Easy to tell with how bummed out she got when you two fought or something. But it just shows. I guess it really is opposites attract."

"…she was not satisfied when she parted with all of you?" Damian inquired briefly. Jaime snorted.

"She was sad because of whatever happened, but it seemed you two worked it out."

"I won't commend you for making an observation a fine amount of people make on a daily basis," Damian said smoothly. Jaime made a face. His teammate did half-turn though, eyes unreadable behind his shades. "But whatever Pandora tells you in the matter of our relationship is true."

Jaime flashed him a brief look. Damian flipped another page, but he paused there, drifting his thumb down the corner. "We met at one of my father's galas. She'd snuck off from her mother's side."

"Pan doesn't seem like she comes from money," Jaime said in surprise.

"She does not," Damian said. "She comes from something much better. That aside, her mother was working that night for a bigger catering company. We met by chance."

"Oh, okay, I get you," Jaime said, thinking over the way Pandora had told them all the story. Huh. Isn't that a fairy tale for you. "Good old, Pan, huh. Was she the same when she was a kid?"

"In ways," Damian said.

"You guys hang out a lot or did you just click right away?"

"Tt."

Yeesh, keep it all to yourself then! Jaime rolled his eyes. Damian noticed, flipping another page. "If you are so curious as to our shared history, then I do suggest approaching Pandora for more… details. I simply find it unnecessary why you would need to know when it does not even involve you."

"Guess you've never heard of this thing—it's called keeping a conversation?" Jaime said. Damian flashed him a look. "Yeah, anyway, whatever, I'll just shut up now then since you want to be so stringy."

"I am not being stingy," Damian said. "I just do not see the benefit in your understanding of our history."

"Well, I don't know," Jaime said. "Pan seemed like she couldn't even shut up about you when you weren't even there. Guess I was wondering if it'd be the same."

Damian considered his… teammate's words. He didn't speak out, but it was enough for him to already picture Pandora's face as she babbled on and on about some other nonsense or another, talking someone's ear off even if they were just feigning interest.

About you.

Damian's fingers drummed over the side of his book. Jaime just now realized is was a series of war tactics. The damn guy was reading a book on war tactics. At the beach. For fun. "Was her retelling… that much different?"

"I mean, with more enthusiasm, yeah," Jaime said. "Something more along the lines of being glad your fates were meant to meet."

Jaime didn't go around claiming to be a people expert or anything like that. His madre would have it out for him if he went around mouthing off. But he was sure, pretty sure, you didn't need to be anything special to know Damian liked what he was hearing. How couldn't you?

"Aye," Jaime said, shaking his head. "She's too good for you, amigo."

Damian said nothing, but the satisfied look on his face said enough. Jaime rolled his eyes, stopping when he squinted out into the distance. It took him a second longer before he finally made out Bart's flaming red hair in the midst of the waves, waving his arms as a green mass of flesh erupted from the water, followed by Pandora riding on its back—

Jaime's eyes bulged from his head. He whipped around, looking over at Damian.

Damian remained silent, expression cool.

Pandora let out a squeal of joy, crashing into the water. She and Bart practically went flying, popping back up in the white foam with a loud round of laughter. Garfield popped up right beside them and they all shouted when a wave crashed over their heads.

Jaime looked back at Damian, raising a brow, one hand on his hip.

"Look all you'd like Reyes," Damian said smoothly. "You might just find whatever nonsense you're looking for."

"No, no, don't mind me," Jaime said, lips quirking up a bit. "Just a bit surprised is all. You're sorta the type to micromanage the people around you."

"I don't have her on a leash," Damian said flatly, examining his nails. "She's perfectly allowed to do as she pleases."

"Dam! Dam! Dam!" Pandora waved, using both hands and jumping up and down. "We're going to go jump off the rocks over there! Do you want to come?"

Damian wordless stood up, soundlessly making his way across the sand and toward Pandora. Jaime watched in silence as the two of them seemed to speak for a minute, Pandora making a face before pointing to the rocks. He watched Damian lower his shades, examining the outcropping before swiftly turning to Pandora and giving one curt, clipped shake of his head.

Pandora deflated. Damian crooked his finger, moving back toward their spot and Jaimie watched as Pandora seemed to groan, trudging after him with a pout.

"Why aren't you swimming?" Jaime almost jumped, whipping around to stare at Raven's tent in surprise. She said nothing more, not even poking her head out.

"I'll go in sec," he said. "…want to come?"

"I'll pass."

"Right, right, of course. Of course…"

"Now this is the life," Bart said, kicking back and getting comfortable in the sun. "What more could you ask for aside from this? Actually, maybe something to eat but other than that I'm happy."

"You said it," Pandora sighed in bliss, kicking her feet out in the sand before her. She finally donned the matching pair of shades Damian had for her since she'd badgered him into a compromise. "You really learn to appreciate the beach when all you know is city and smog."

"Should we take a trip to the Bahamas?" Bart said lavishly. "I can have us there in say… a few minutes?"

"Tempting."

The two of them broke out into a round of snickers. Pandora held her hand over her stomach, smiling so hard her cheeks hurt. This is what I came here for. This isn't so bad, right, Dam?

A soft thud landed beside them and Pandora sat up, looking over the top of her shades. Garfield beamed, picking the volleyball up. Bart's eyes brightened considerably.

"Care for a game of beach volleyball?" Garfield said, tossing the ball up into the air. Bart grinned eagerly beside him; arms crossed over his chest. "To make it fair, we won't use powers either. All-natural talent."

"Sure, let's play!" Pandora said. "We don't get sun like this in Gotham. Two on two?"

"Two on two," Garfield said. "Winner has to buy ice cream for everyone else. We can call Jaime over to be your partner since Rob wants to pull a Raven and sit over there reading his book—"

"Nah, don't worry about that," Pandora said pleasantly. She turned on her heel, wildly waving her arms to flag her friend down. "Dam! Dam! Over here!"

Bart and Garfield watched as Damian lowered his shades, scanning the beach before his eyes automatically landed on them. He considered Pandora's floundering up and down for what seemed to be less than fifteen seconds before standing up. Damian closed his book, setting it down on the chair and began to make his way toward them.

"Dam will be my partner!" Pandora said eagerly, smacking a fist into her hand. "Don't underestimate kids who had the same gym class. We had to play volleyball a ton!"

"Oh, this is going to be good," Bart said. "We're finally going to give Rob a run for his money. Let's do this."

"What is it?" Damian asked, appearing at Pandora's side.

"We're gonna play a volleyball match," Pandora said. "Mind being my partner?"

Damian raised a fine brow. He eyed the court, shifting his foot across the sand before his eyes drifted back over to where Garfield and Bart were grinning wickedly back at him. "You wish to partake in a match?"

"Oh, it'll hardly be a match," Garfield said. "It'll be total domination. You might not know this Pan, but all the times Rob here sat out on our beach outings are going to come right back and bite him in the ass. We're taking this one!"

"Sounds good to me," Pandora said, linking arms with Damian. "Best to fifteen?"

"Best to fifteen!"

Damian idly seemed to be considering the mild event presented before him. He glanced briefly to he and Pandora's joined arms, noting her entirely bare body save for her wonderful themed bikini before drifting his gaze back upwards. Damian pushed his sunglasses over the top of his head, cocking his chin to the side.

"Abilities?"

"None," Bart said, waggling his brows. "So no fancy gadgets either."

"You jest, Allen," Damian casually tucked his sunglasses into his back pocket. "Though I suppose I understand my father's satisfaction when those with abilities understand crippling defeat at the hand of those who have always been… superior."

"Sounds like Dam's game to me," Pandora said cheerfully. "Let's do this!"

"You're on!" Garfield cheered. "Loser buys ice cream—but since Mr. Moneybags over here is going to be the loser, we want an all paid vacation."

"Very well," Damian said, unbothered. He guided Pandora to their side of the court as though it were a dance, the two of them standing side by side behind the net. "Do you wish for anything else, Pandora?"

"Ice cream on them sounds good to me," she said. "We can order two if anything."

Damian unbuttoned the rest of his shirt, handing it off to Pandora who blinked.

"You want me to put it away for you?"

Garfield wheezed. Damian said nothing, calmly holding the article out to her. Pandora seemed to mull a brief set of options over in her head before finally deciding she was about to get her shirt anyway, so this would be fine. Garfield and Bart kept their knuckles to their lips as Pandora shrugged the oversized shirt on, getting comfortable with the warm smell of cinnamon and cologne, mingling in with the sun.

Damian rolled his shoulders, muscles rippling against the light tan of his skin. The sun warmed his back and he smoothed one hand over his hair, setting the other on his hip. "Our serve or yours?"

"We'll let you guys have the first serve," Garfield said generously. Pandora cheered a happy thank you. "Alright, Bart, let's strategize."

Bart hurried over and they smacked their heads together, holding onto each other's shoulders. "Our biggest bad is Rob. He's fast and skillful so if he gets the ball, we're gonna do our best to keep him from scoring. Pandora probably doesn't have too much power, but she might be able to receive, so we'll feel her out."

"Rob's probably good at feeding her the ball, so he won't let her mess up," Bart said. "Or at least if he wants to win for them he might take over most of the game."

"You're right!" Garfield said. "But that's the great thing about volleyball—you need more than one person to play. Rob's too good at being a one man team, so we've got him on the ropes with this one."

"Sounds good to me," Bart said. The two of them shook hands, grinning brightly as they whirled around to their opponents. "Let's get this started!"

Damian cracked his neck, motioning for Pandora to take the first serve. She grinned, picking up the ball and hurrying over to the baseline.

"It'll be something soft or tricky like a float," Garfield said. Damian took up position closer to the net, glancing back once before turning forward, expression cool. "Move up to the net a bit."

"Starting!" Pandora said cheerfully. She took a step back, rolling the ball between her fingers before she deftly tossed it up into the air.

Garfield and Bart blinked as Pandora rushed forward, feet leaving the ground as she swung her arm back with a grin, arching her hand over the top of her head and connecting with the ball and—

The volleyball landed neatly in their side of the court, smacking just into the corner. Bart and Garfield turned, staring at the spot before they turned forward, blinking rapidly.

"Exquisite serve," Damian said, smoothing one hand over the top of Pandora's head. She beamed, huffing proudly as he handed her back the ball. "Show them another, shall we?"

"Pan!" Garfield cried. "Do you play volleyball?"

"Not really outside of school," Pandora said amiably, twirling the ball between her fingertips with a bright smile. "I actually had a few bad run ins during gym volleyball when I was younger, so I made an effort to be pretty decent. I would've joined the team if I didn't need to look out for my hands so much."

Damian wordlessly turned over his shoulder, the smirk curled over his lips dripping nothing but—

Smug.

"Can we actually use our powers?" Bart said. "I think it'll be fairer."

Damian glanced to Pandora who shrugged. "Fine by us. Let's make this more interesting, shall we?"

15-10.

"Try this flavor," Pandora said, offering her spoon up to Damian. He calmly leaned over the table, opening his mouth as Pandora fed him her half of the ice cream. "Not bad, right? It's not too sweet."

"It's adequate."

"You're just picky."

Off to the side, Bart and Garfield lamented over their loss, heads pressed into the table as they glumly ate their own ice cream. Jaime sat beside them, trying not to lose a gut over the entire thing.

A few girls slowed down along the pathway outside the ice cream shack, eyes roaming up and down appreciatively over Damian's upper body. He said nothing, ignoring the eyes as he flipped another page of his book, occasionally glancing up to assess that Pandora was content before resuming his reading. Pandora followed the girls, discreetly watching the way they kept glancing back and then looked down to Damian's shirt over her shoulders.

Damian glanced up at the rustle of clothing, staring in silence as his shirt was presented back to him over the table. "What?"

"I think you should put this back on," Pandora said, noticing another group of girls ogling Damian from behind. In a little bit one of them was going to be ballsy enough to work up the courage to start chatting him up. "Aren't you cold?"

"I'm hardly cold," Damian said.

Pandora made a stubborn face, gesturing for him to take it. Damian's eyes narrowed slightly, brows creasing as he refused, closing the top of his book. "I'm fine, Pandora. I want you to wear it."

Pandora almost rolled her eyes when two girls started lingering by the counter. They whispered to each other, eyes dipping low and then back to Damian's face only briefly before they lingered more on his body. Pandora's brows scrunched up. His eyes are up here—

Wait. Pandora paused briefly, hesitating. Was this right of her? Was she technically allowed to act this way? What if Damian wanted people to approach him—okay, well, it was Damian. He wouldn't actively want people to approach him but it didn't mean he didn't mind. What if one of these girls was actually nice and it might start something good for him? It'd been awhile since he dated someone, hadn't it? Yeah, actually. But then again, eventually Damian would come back to Gotham and it'd have to be long distance—but what if it worked out really well and instead—

"What," Damian said slowly, "kind of mindless nonsense have you thought up now?"

"I'm not that obvious," Pandora said, trying not to sweat.

"You're painfully obvious. It's almost an insult."

"I'm not," Pandora said childishly. She tried to work out in her head whether or not she should stop, but swallowed the nail and kept extending Damian's shirt. He'd do the same for her, so she was just looking out for him. "I just… really… think you should put it back on."

"Why?" Damian said coolly. "You aren't fond of what you see?"

Pandora spluttered. "T-That's not true! You look great! You've got a great body. I mean, how many sixteen-year old's have your kind of physique! You're a grand piano compared to them, and they're all just keyboards. You're fit and can take down legions of armies like you and—"

Pandora stopped. Her cheeks flushed a mortifying shade of red. Her hands came up to clamp themselves over her mouth.

Damian had almost looked surprised for a moment, but his expression schooled itself into something cool—smug. Satisfaction rolled off him in waves, one fine, elegant brow cocked as he leaned his chin onto his palm, never once taking his piercing green eyes off Pandora.

"And?" Damian coaxed, voice smooth as butter.

"P-Please," Pandora whispered. "Just bury me in the sand."

"No, I insist," Damian said. "Do continue. I could take down legions of armies?"

"I'm going to die." She buried her face in Damian's shirt. "Stop."

"I believe this may be the first time I was compared to… a piano, in terms of being praised for my physique—"

"Dam."

This. Pandora thought. This is all I really want.

Waves came crashing onto the shore. A new one coasted into Pandora and Damian's side, rocking them as the sand shifted beneath their feet.

The ocean spread out endless before them, unyielding.

"Don't go too far," Damian said beside her. He rolled his eyes when she splashed them, laughing—a deep, vibrant laughter that came all the way from her stomach, flooding her chest. He relished the sound, letting it fill his ears over the sound of the waves. "Should we go to the other side so you can swim? Your… donut might survive out there."

"No, this is perfect," Pandora said, grabbing his hand and ushering them closer. Damian followed without hesitation, right at her side as they sifted through the sand. "We've got to do this more, okay?"

"I believe we can get more creative," Damian said. "But as you wish."

"Not just me!" Pandora said. "Let's come back again with Titus! I think Alfred can get roped into it—I'd say your whole family, but would that be awkward?"

"I do not consider all of them kin."

"Right, right, maybe something else then. We should go hiking next time! Somewhere far! A cool spot with a great view!"

"Where else?" Damian asked.

"Anywhere!" Pandora laughed. They braced themselves against the next crash of waves. Pandora spread her arms out through the water, sifting through the foam. "We could go camping!"

"I'll work hard then," Damian said. "To allot the time for that."

Pandora's smile softened a bit in understanding. Damian reached out again for her hand at the sight of it but she was swimming through the water again, looking out over the horizon. "How about I take your place for a night? Give you the day off."

"You, as Robin?" Damian said, looking bemused at the thought. "You think you can handle it?"

"Not at all!" Pandora said. "But I might not make the worst one, right?"

"No, I suppose that title already belongs to another."

"Dam! Don't be mean!"

The thought sprung up a new set of questions Damian had already been meaning to ask, a set of formulative inquisitions he knew he could search for on his own, sifting and analyzing—but he'd only wanted to ask Pandora instead.

It seemed so much easier, if he just asked her instead.

But not right now. The questions could wait. He wanted them to wait. What was the point in asking about things he didn't care or want to know about, especially when they involved anyone else but him and the person standing right here before him? Pointless. He wanted this moment to belong to no one else but them. It didn't matter if there was anyone else.

"You can be selfish, Dam."

She didn't understand how much he'd bank on those words. Bear with me then, Pandora. I expect you to keep your word.

"There's something kind of terrifying about the ocean, huh?" Pandora said, wading deeper into the water. The white foam crashed back against her, urging her back a few more inches but she plowed onward. Damian followed, never too far behind, standing only a few paces as the waves pushed harder back.

"That's a reasonable thing to feel," Damian said. It made up the largest part of their planet. Pandora had yet to see the extent of space, he supposed, but this was fine. Perhaps she'd like to see a glimpse of that next.

"Right?" Pandora looked a bit amused. Damian watched the side of her face. The braided bun was a grand look on her—a touch of something from the past, like a marbled statue from some ancient spirit of worship. She'd be one of the muses, he decided. Worshiped and called upon to guide the hopeful souls in search of musical enlightenment. "I think because it seems sort of daunting, right? That endlessness. I think the part about it that's the scariest though is how rough it can be. Strong, you know? Not that endlessness."

Pandora laughed when a wave crashed against her side. Damian reached an arm out to steady her, but she moved deeper, spreading her arms to get over the next wave. "It's scary how strong it is!"

"You don't have to go too far out," Damian said. "A little further and the water stills because we're past the point where they converge and curl."

"I like that it keeps going!" Pandora shouted over the next crash. Damian moved, cutting through the next wave, hardly letting it batter him. Pandora's hair clung tightly to her face, wet with salt and sea. "It's kinda like space!"

"Pandora," Damian said, wading toward her. "If you want to swim, we should go past the rocks on the other side."

Pandora quickly turned her head. Damian tried to steady his footing in the sand, reaching a hand out for her as the lip of the wave came crashing toward them. His fingers touched the slick, rough sensation of her arm.

Then nothing.

Damian turned, eyes wide as Pandora dove just beneath the crest of the wave, disappearing from his sight. His mouth opened, staggering one single step back when the wave crashed into his side, trying to barrel him over into a tumble. He quickly surged over the next one, feet skimming the ground as he treaded water and turned his head, letting the next wave carry him over. "Pandora. Pandora."

"Pwah!" Damian whipped his head behind him. Pandora emerged, laughing as she tried to wipe saltwater from her eyes. "I got the timing right! Hahaha! Do you think it's better to go under or over?"

Pandora blinked, rubbing the corners of her eyes and turning to Damian. She raised her brows at his silence, his gaze searching hers. "Dam?"

"Over," Damian said. He swam over to her. Pandora moved her hands in a miniature doggy paddle, grinning as they stayed afloat and crested over the next wave. They were past the spot where the waves would crash down on them. "It's better to go over."

Pandora grinned at him, eyes shining.

"It just depends on the wave though, right?"

The next one came crashing in an arch right over them. The last thing Damian saw were those bright blue eyes, beaming brightly right back at him.

The faint remains of the waves washed up onto the shore, creeping as close as it could before it recedes back into the ocean, taking whatever it could with it.

Raven had finally slipped out of her makeshift tent, drifting across the sand—she'd wanted to go for a bit of a walk now that the sun was low across the horizon. She seemed a bit ethereal, gliding over the top of the shoreline and watching the burning red across the distance.

Behind them Jaime, Bart and Garfield had been roped into gathering up most of their supplies—they'd challenged them to a second game of volleyball and lost once more. 15-12 that time though, so Pandora had to give them that.

She and Damian sat side by side, stretched out along the sandy hillside. The water was a fair distance out of reach, even though Pandora had suggested getting close enough to dip their toes in. Damian wanted to stay closer to the sand. The sunset bathed everything in dark, burning gold, coloring them and making the water shimmer.

Damian's fingers itched a bit at his side. He'd draw a few things from today, tuck them all away and keep them somewhere safe.

Pandora's shoulder pressed into his. Their bodies warmed beside each other, rolling from the heat and the breeze. His feet stretched out past hers, her toes knocking into the side of his calf. Her eyes were getting a bit droopy and he could sense her oncoming fatigue, figuring they'd play a bit of back and forth before she'd finally relent to him bringing her back to her room or his, wherever she'd want to sleep the night.

"Want to know something kinda crazy?" Pandora mumbled beside him. Damian hummed, a low sound. "Before I left Gotham, mama and I were talking. She met with an old friend over the weekend."

Damian glanced over the top of Pandora's head down at her. Her fingers drifted over her bare knees, lightly tapping notes. "You know, I think like… a friend-friend."

Damian's lips quirked upwards at the corner at her wording, but his gaze remained careful, understanding the weight behind her words, even if Pandora sought to keep them weightless herself. She laughed a little, swaying as her fingers skidded over her leg. "I know him. He's a great guy. He's practically family. He really helped raise me when I was younger. I love him."

She shook her head. "I know it's a bit random. Sorry. I was just thinking about it a bit… I dunno. Being with you always makes me feel brave enough to think about the things I was trying to not think about before."

"Are you worried?" Damian asked quietly.

"No," Pandora said. "Maybe in a way. I think I just wanted to say that much. Let you know, because you do the same for me when something goes on with your family."

She smiled at the sand. "I'm excited for her. I… I feel hopeful, I think. I want… I want my mom to get all the love she deserves in the world."

Damian watched the side of her face, committing the golden warmth of it to memory. Pandora's fingers stopped tapping notes, slowly curling her fingers into her palm.

"I think when you're ready, you'll know what you want to say," Damian said quietly beside her. Pandora looked at him. "…the Pandora I knew before… I know at least that she wouldn't have been able to say that much."

"Thank you for today," Pandora said. Her eyes shone with warmth, nothing but pure, raw adoration. It made Damian feel greedy. "Thank you, Dam."

"Cherished."

"I had too much fun," Pandora said. "I feel like I can't leave. But I'm excited to go too because I know when I do it'll mean it won't be long until you come back to Gotham."

"I won't be far."

"You spoil me too much," Pandora teased. "What am I gonna do once you make me quit cold turkey?"

Damian supposed that was the humorous part about the entire thing. He'd never make Pandora quit. He'd give, if she asked, the same way he'd take if she was willing. The thought of having Pandora leave his side was already beginning to grate on nerves he'd long told himself to still. Within another week or two he'd be back in Gotham where he belonged.

"That's fine," Damian said. "You can have however much you'd like."

Pandora laid her head on his shoulder. She closed her eyes, basking in the lingering warmth. It felt like it was leaving the air, settling all in the shoulders, in the body of the person right beside her.

"Don't say stuff like that," Pandora mumbled. "I'm greedier than you think."

That is fine as well. Damian thought. Because I am the same.

I know beach episodes can be so cheesy, so I can't imagine how a beach chapter must've felt like—but damn it, I wanted to give them something nice and wholesome, okay!?

HAHAHAA, THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR YOUR PATIENCE AND FOR WAITING! I know it seems like nothing much happened this chapter, but it seems we're starting to get a little hint of something something, righhhhhhttttt ;) I had a lot of fun writing this chapter and getting to write for the titans, and I hope it was just a nice, fun little thing to read and brighten your day! We come back home to Gotham next chapter, wohoo! And we'll get to see some people…

EXCITING NEWS. EXCITING NEWS. EXCITING NEWS.

These past few months, I was invited by some extremely kind and wonderfully talented people to be a part of a zine! MY FIRST ZINE, YAHOO. I've been working on the project and have finally finished my contribution, and I'm proud to say I was invited as a guest writer for an unofficial Jason Todd Zine! JASON TODD. OUR ONE AND ONLY! More information on the zine will be linked on my account on tumblr at alkhale and I'll put more information here as well for anyone interested in purchasing the zine and checking out the piece I wrote! I won't spoil, but it's Jason and Alfred centered :)