"I can't believe they left us to starve."
Kory looked up from where she was grabbing pots and pans and giggled at the boy. "Fear not little one! I shall prepare us something to eat."
Damian had his feet up on the kitchen table and his gameboy in the other hand, scowling at Kory for calling him little.
"Um maybe we should just order pizza?"
The question came from the teenage boy in the room, Timothy Drake, who had been watching the two.
She turned on the stove and smiled. "I can cook Timothy. I've been married to Richard for two years now and I have learned quite well over my years on this planet."
"Really Kory" Tim said with an uneasy smile. "You shouldn't go through all the trouble."
"Quiet Timothy" she shushed him and waved him away.
He took the hint to not argue with her and looked over to his other brother, Jason, who had been sitting on the ledge of the window. One leg dangling on the inside and other dangling on the outside as he took a pull of his cigarette and exhaled outside.
"You know those kill" Tim said.
Jason looked at his little brother and gave him a shrug. "Came back to life once, I could do it again."
"Timothy is right Jason" Kory said from behind the counter.
He took in one final inhale before throwing the butt out and exhaling the smoke.
"Mar'i would not appreciate it if her uncle was no longer here."
He smiled at the mention of his niece and instinctively looked around for her. "Where is that little rut anyways?"
"She is napping but you may check on her" she replied, pointing to the door with her knife.
When Jason disappeared through the archway, Kory continued to chop the tomatoes.
"Would you like to help Damian?" she asked.
The little boy didn't look up at her but shook his head as his response. He was kicked by Tim from across the table and responded to that by giving him the finger.
"I'll help" Tim offered.
Kory clapped her hands. "You shall stir the sauce!"
Damian watched the two interact with one another but he kept his eyes on Kory. He hadn't really had time to reflect on what he felt about her. She came into his life not long after he came into Bruce's life. Dick and Kory were a thing before Damian got to Gotham so she naturally would come over the manor whenever his older brother was around.
She was always smothering him and asking him if he needed anything and making sure he was fed and bathed. She was the mother that he never had. Yea his mother loved him but Kory was different. She showed that she cared about him and she never put herself first.
He never realized how important Kory was to him until the once he got severely ill and she wouldn't leave his side, even though Alfred and Bruce were around. She slept at the manor every night until he got better and he never told her that he appreciated it but he didn't have to. Kory knew he was grateful when he nearly severed the head off a reporter who fat shamed her during her pregnancy.
"How much longer?" Tim asked.
Kory looked at the sauce before Tim lifted up the spoon so she could taste. "Needs sugar."
His eyes widened. "Sugar in the pasta sauce?"
She was already sprinkling some in before he could stop her. "It makes it taste sweet. Trust me Tim!" she exclaimed at him.
He chuckled and shook his head. "Alrighty then."
Strange.
She was always strange to him but he wouldn't change her for the world. Getting to know Kory over the years, he realized that strangeness is what makes her so unique and amazing.
In the beginning, he was very shy with her when Dick would bring her to the manor but Tim was also shy with everyone when he started living in the house. He would hide out in the manor's library and study room, reading books and minding his own business as the couple would walk the hallways and converse with either Bruce or Alfred. He outcasted himself from them because he didn't want to be a bother but Kory saw right through him. She finally had enough one day and dragged him out of the library to go to the carnival with her.
It was just her and Tim while Dick accompanied Bruce to a business meeting at the company. She helped bring him out of his awkward and shy shell and boosted his confidence a lot. Who wouldn't feel confident walking next to a hot redhead who bounced with happiness at every sight she would see?
He always accepted Kory into the family. Tim read a lot of haters and gossip articles online that stated that Kory was only marrying Dick for his money and only wanted to inherit the Wayne family fortune. He laughed at every article and called her whenever a new one came up because he knows how sensitive she could be with this, even though she hides it, and would cheer her up and take her to the carnival by the pier.
She was like the sister he never had and would do anything to protect her.
"Look who woke up!" Jason exclaimed.
Toddler Mar'i had the tiniest of shy smiles and red rosy cheeks as she was carried by her uncle into the kitchen.
Kory walked over to her daughter and gave her a kiss on the cheek before returning to finishing up dinner. Tim finally finished his stirring to walk over to the toddler, who was sitting in Jason's lap, and held out his arms for her.
"Come to uncle Tim!"
He was kicked in the shin by Jason.
"Dude no" Jason said as he held onto Mar'i protectively. "My baby."
"You've had her enough" Tim complained. "C'mon I've been stirring for like an hour."
"So go stir for another hour" Jason shot back. "I don't get to see her as much as you guys do so let me have my time with her."
Jason was satisfied when Tim stopped and helped Kory set up the table for dinner.
He smiled down at his Goddaughter as she found herself occupied with her stuffed teddy bear. Yes, he was given Godfather rights and he was more surprised than anyone else. It was six months after Mar'i was born and it was the second time he was visiting her. Dick and Kory had prepared a gorgeous meal and towards the end as Kory was putting Mar'i to sleep, Dick flat out asked him.
Jason was stunned but agreed to take on the role and was seen more since then. He would visit at least twice a month and would come home for the holidays for over a week. After giving it much thought, Jason realized it was a ploy to keep him around longer but he couldn't complain because even though he would never admit it, he liked spending time with them.
Jason didn't know what to think of Kory. When he first met her, Dick and her weren't even in a relationship and he remembered his older brother constantly talking about her and how great the Titans were and how much fun they all had together. He remembered teasing him and joking that he'd get with her before Dick would.
Then when he died and came back to life, Dick and Kory had established a longterm relationship. They had been dating for three years, going on four, and one look at them and Jason knew those two would get married.
He was jealous of Dick.
Who wouldn't be?
Kory is absolutely gorgeous and any guy would be lucky to have her.
But it wasn't about Kory's looks.
Jason sees how happy his brother is, how caring and loving they are to one another, and how Mar'i completes all that to them.
And he wishes for that one day.
But right now, he's glad that Kory could give that to his brother.
"Dinner is ready!"
Mar'i looked up at her uncle and blinked at him.
"Ready kiddo?" he asked.
She wrapped her arms around his neck. "Lova" she said quietly.
He smiled at the way she said "I love you" and kissed her on the forehead.
"Love you too" he replied. "Now let's go see what momma cooked us."