A/N:I'm using some fancanon ideas of Sailor Cosmos which have floated through fanfics and the internet. The idea of Usagi transforming into Cosmos is what I'm using in this fic. I researched through wiki, tumblr, ao3, animated movies and different sources on Damian Wayne. I'm hoping I got his characterization right since I read Batman fanfics, not write about them.
Thank you all for reading.
-Lucicelo
Interrupting the silence of the cave, the batmobile screeched into a complete stop. Alfred descended down the stairs, holding a first aid kit, thinking ahead on the manor's inhabitants sustaining injuries while on patrol. Once the top hatch opened, Batman and Robin hopped out, no visual injuries in sight. Alfred greeted them both before walking toward Batman's side, handing him the first aid kit.
Tossing his uniform into the hamper, Damian changed quick into the loose clothing he kept in the bat cave. Having sustained no injuries, he excused himself before taking off up the stairs. He didn't catch Alfred's knowing glance or his father's perplexed one as he made it out the bookcase. Bolting up the stairs, he went toward the direction of his room.
Walking inside, he listened for any footsteps on the roof. Hearing those familiar pitter pattering, he opened the window and poked his head out. Using the border of his window, Damian flipped his body up onto the roof. Upon landing, he spotted Cosmos sitting on her plush pillow. His own pillow rested on his usual spot.
Observing her, he found nothing different about her. Her head was tipped back, eyes closed, she faced the moonlight. Her long silver hair blew behind her, almost blending with her pale cloak.
A light serene laugh brought a warm feeling in his chest. "Well, you certainly ran a marathon up to your room."
Jumping onto the roof, Damian hid his eagerness in seeing his visitor. "I'm tired from a night on patrol. My struggle in breathing had nothing to do with running to this location."
Not at all convinced, she singsonged. "Whatever you say." Opening her eyes, she turned to his direction, wagging her finger with a wink. "You're not being cute."
"Cosmos—Serenity—you're behaving in an annoying manner again." Damian kept forgetting on the name in which to address his acquaintance. Half the time, her original moniker slipped through his lips.
Cosmos snorted, "Not the first time someone called me annoying. Do I have to keep reminding you? I told you to call me Serenity." Waving a hand, a portal opened beside her body. She reached inside, taking out a thermos filled with hot chocolate. "I know it's late, but you need a good pick me up." She pulled out two mugs, both printed with pink rabbits around the perimeter, placed them in between her thighs.
Damian scoffed. "Hot chocolate doesn't solve the world's problems."
"No, it doesn't, but it's a start." Cosmos unscrewed the thermos, grabbed a mug, and poured the piping hot liquid inside. "You can never go wrong with a nice cup of cocoa. Tasty and warms up the belly." Sheepish, she placed a mug into Damian's open palms. "Not as good as Alfred's, but you'll like it. Don't worry, it's almond milk."
Damian hesitated for a brief second before he sipped. Relishing in the taste, he settled onto his usual spot, listening to Cosmos prattle about her adventures in her newest dimension hopping session.
The first time Damian met Cosmos—Sailor Cosmos—Serenity, he laid awake at night. The tension between him, his father, and the old Robin escalated into grander heights. They kept on clashing, but a slight understand passed through them, giving moments of peace. These instances lasted a limited amount of time before hell broke loose.
All of a sudden, the sound of a thump coming from the ceiling garnered his attention.
From the immense silence throughout the manor, noises amplified to a point where any creak alerted the residents. Sitting up on his bed, Damian strained his ear, for any differentiating signs. Human or animal. The muffled feminine voice came from outside the window. He jumped out of his bed, ran toward the window and opened it. He climbed on the side and made it onto the roof.
To his disbelief, he saw an unfamiliar woman sitting on the roof tiles. Her head tipped back, eyes closed, the moon basked a light onto her body. Too comfortable for a trespasser.
At the sound of his footsteps, she opened her eyes and turned her gaze toward him. Stunned at his entrance, she got up on her feet. Her heels clicked on the roof tiles as her long cape blowing in the wind. She held a white staff with wings on each side of the main orb in her hand.
Damian waited no longer as he charged at her. She dodged his first punch, maneuvering around the roof with ease. As she dodged his kicks and punched, her voice elevated a fraction, trying to gain his attention. She spoke to him in another language. Through rigorous study in multiple languages, he learned numerous Asian languages. Deciphering her alarmed words, he found his answer: she spoke Japanese.
Pausing a fraction of a distance away from her, he inquired. "Do you understand English?"
Holding the end of her staff in his direction, she wrinkled her nose in thought. "Oops. I keep forgetting that I'm supposed to speak English." Her accent showed through a bit, not enough to garble her words. "You really need to stop throwing knives and asking question afterwards. Otherwise, you won't get any information out of people."
Damian narrowed his eyes. "You're trespassing on private property."
"Yeah, yeah, I heard you. Don't need to tell me twice squirt." Her staff disappeared from her hands, an amused smile formed on her glossed lips. "I've sat on this roof for decades. No one has complained about my presence."
Damian furrowed his brows. He wondered how his paranoid father never noticed this woman on his property. The multitude of alarm systems triggered whenever he attempted to leave the property. For all he knew, she floated down from the sky. Without prior knowledge of her powers, she might have this ability under her belt.
Judging through appearance, she seemed weak, but she dodged his attacks well enough. Her movements signified someone who at least fought in some major battles. Peering down, she wore high heels with small wings on the sides. Curious. She didn't twist her ankle during their altercation.
The woman bowed to him. He saw no inkling of patronizing in her body language or her voice when she told him. "It's a pleasure to meet the newest member of this manor home in person, I'm Sailor Cosmos." Straightening herself up, she put out her hand. "Call me Serenity."
Returning the gesture of a bow, he refrained from shaking her hand. "Damian Wayne." Cosmos stepped back, tilting her head to the side, she observed him. Noting her eyes lingering on areas where he usually hid knives, he informed her. "I have no weapons on my person."
Cosmos answered. "Oh really?"
"I don't sleep with knives in my sleeping garments."
Not believing his statement, Cosmos snorted. She saw plenty of the sidekicks conceal weapons on their person. "Going to rat me out to your father?"
Damian breathed through his nose, she seemed harmless enough. If he chose to believe on the claim of her constant presence on the property, she hurt none of the inhabitants. Although, leaving her to wander about the manor was a high risk to their security.
Cosmos turned her gaze back toward the moon. "Don't hurt yourself on the way down."
Damian demanded. "Leave the grounds, Cosmos. I won't conceal your presence the next time you attempt to trespass on private property."
Amused, Cosmos stayed in her place. "Whatever you say kid."
Kissing his teeth, Damian turned away from the woman. Maneuvering down the roof, he entered through his window. He prepared himself to close the window, but he delayed himself to wait for the intruder's departure. Hearing a stomp, he froze, a sequence of tapping made his eyebrow tick.
She left an hour later.
Cosmos made a return appearance during the night of the full moon.
Figuring she had a death wish, Damian tossed away all stealth and charged at her. Weapons in hand, he tossed them at her, landing no hits on her. She winked at his direction, dodged his other set of knives. Using her cape, she twirled it in front of her to avoid another barrage of weapons coming from him. Afterwards, she entered an open portal that opened at her side.
Irritation filtered through his body at her departing giggle. His emotions doubled into fury at her continual return to the manor. No one seemed to catch her presence or even knew of her existence. He tried leaving hints, but no one caught onto him. He thought he caught Alfred giving him a second glance before returning to his duties. Brushing it aside as a trick of the light, he kept constant vigilance of Sailor Cosmos.
Half the time, she waved at him or greeted him before leaving the area. Sometimes, he saw rips on her uniform or cuts on her limbs, prompting him to keep going after her. Any of his attempts at capturing the woman or fighting her were for naught.
Hyper sensitive on this new trespasser, he delayed his sleep time to catch her in the act. On days where patrol ended before a certain time, he retreated to his room, waiting for her to float down onto the roof.
In due time, a game of cat and mouse began between the both of them.
A year passed before Damian grew accustomed to Cosmos' continual presence.
There were rare days where Cosmos bumped into him during the day, she winked at him, saying nothing in front of his father. This prompted him to suggest a better meet up time. His sleep time became interrupted from speaking to Cosmos during the night. She began changing the time of day in order to work with his sleep schedule.
Later on, Cosmos placed letters on top of his pillow. The drawing of a bunny on the envelope indicated Cosmos as the sender. Somehow, it remained on the same spot, untouched. Pennyworth didn't lay one hand on the unfamiliar letter.
At times, he wrote his own letter to inform Cosmos of leaving on an extended mission with his father. On his return, a drawing of a bunny hugging a robin laid on his pillow, a new date written on the side. He concealed the paper, hoping no one in the manor saw it before him.
He delayed himself on informing his father about Cosmos. Something inside of him wanted to keep Cosmos a secret from everyone else. Cosmos brought along stories of other worlds and He enjoyed having someone ignorant of his secret life.
Until, he caught a gleam in her eye whenever she saw the bat signal appear in the night sky. She wished him well on his patrol and to take care not to injure himself.
Retreating back into his room, he ran toward the batcave, trying hard not to overreact. Time didn't permit him to dive into such emotions, his father waited for him. Throughout patrol, one thought crossed his mind: Cosmos knew of his identity as Robin.
Once he remembered that Cosmos frequented the area throughout the years, he chastised himself on overthinking her investigative skills. Of course she knew the identity of every single one of Batman's old sidekicks and current inhabitants.
He somewhat placed a sliver of trust in Cosmos. She saved the world often enough where she understood the meaning of secret identities. When she told the story of the first time she transformed, he was baffled that she entered into battle without a mask over her eyes. She admitted the foolishness of her actions. Her opinion stemmed from Ami's hypothesis, the transformation provided a barrier around their faces to keep the villains from figuring out their civilian lives.
Damian found that hard to believe.
He learned of her old life. She tended to babble during certain intervals, but it beat him having to explain his own life story. Cosmos spoke of her civilian life with fondness, nostalgia laced her tone whenever someone she cherished came into the picture. Half the time, she downplayed her own significance, but Damian saw through her veil of derailment.
Cosmos saved her own dimension multiple times with help of her friends. Damian respected her unrelenting determination in keeping the world safe. She helped the ones who were thought to have gone past the point of no return. The same mission Batman embodied.
She derailed into different topics during painful times of her story. To avoid awkward crying, he talked about his living experience in Wayne Manor. His improvements in donning his father's beliefs, finding new bonds with the manor's old inhabitants, anything to stop any emotional out pours.
Whenever they saw each other, whether days or weeks passed, Damian reminded her on the spot she left off from in her story. On the day she finished her life story, her smile didn't reach her eyes. He didn't dare ask the implications of her transformation when it became clear to him.
She gave up her mortality in order to keep her friends and family from suffering another apocalypse.
"For a woman whose powers are limitless, you're always late when you set a date for yourself." Damian commented as Cosmos landed beside him, her heart shaped buns were in disarray. One flopped on the side, the other had strands sticking out. "A troubling dimension?"
Despite the rips and blood stains to her white sailor suit, she grinned. "Yup!" She undid her buns, releasing long strands of silver hair over her shoulders. Ignoring her accessories, she rubbed small circles on her scalp. Wearing her hair up all the time always ended in aches at the end of the day. "Man, the dimension with magic wielders didn't cause me this many problems."
Sitting down on her usual pillow, Cosmos focused on de-tangling her hair. At times, she wanted nothing more than to chop her hair into a manageable style. She stopped herself before going through with it. Nostalgia proved a powerful feeling to derail her plans.
Damian sat alongside her, noting the scratches all over her legs. "What's your opinion on this dimension?"
"Hmm..." Cosmos ran her fingers through her hair. "Dangerous during certain intervals in time, but there are an unlimited amount of heroes ready to jump in to help. Thus, giving me an opportunity to rest up and enjoy myself without having to step in."
"Rest?"
"I tend to remember the energy of certain dimensions where I can lay low for a while. It's so tiresome having to save multiple universes at a time. All in all, I enjoy seeing the various differences between worlds. Sometimes, I forget the exact moment of time because I go through many of them."
Damian quirked a brow. "Is that so?"
Cosmos stretched her arms above her head as she de-transformed in front of Damian. In place of her white sailor suit, she wore a regular grey t-shirt and a long pale pink skirt. She began braiding her long hair, intent on getting every strand of hair in place.
She sighed in bliss. "The heroes in this dimension are a blessing."
Carding her ungloved hands through his hair, Damian hugged his knees even tighter. Seeking no remote affection from Cosmos didn't deter her, in fact, she sat right beside him. The warmness from her hands brought him comfort.
Another bad interaction with his mother brought on his current state.
Before she dropped him off with his father, her cold and emotionless words didn't effect him. In fact, he flourished under her tutelage and extensive training regimen. Wanting nothing more than to impress his mother and grandfather, he trained harder and expressed no complaints during his training. He embodied perfection. Nothing less for Ra's al Ghul's grandson.
His father slowly undid a lifetime of lessons instilled in him. Encounters with a variety of old Robins and Batgirls chipped away at his hard exterior and interior walls. His mother's gaze of disappointment stabbed at his pride. These conflicting emotions boggled his mind. Used to the familiarity of his old life, these new experiences broke through his upbringing.
"Do you want to talk about it?" Damian shook his head. "I'm all ears. I don't know if my advice will work but, it doesn't hurt to release all your feelings out. Trust me, it's better to let out before they consume you."
Damian moved his side to the side, more then enough to show an eye. "How are you so sure? You know nothing about my mother."
The topic of Talia Al Ghul never came up between them. Half the time, Cosmos guessed Damian's sudden pitfalls from his vague explanations of what occurred during their time apart. He spoke about Bruce Wayne, Talia on the other hand, remained a constant anomaly. Cosmos wanted to ask about her, but she kept her mouth shut.
The fact Damian brought her up meant he was ready to speak about his past.
Cosmos ruffled his hair one last time before placing her hand on his back. "I might have limited knowledge of a strained relationship with a parent, but I'll listen to what you have to say about her."
After a moment of silence, Damian lifted his head up, informing her. "Your presence is enough."
"Ah, it's alright, I don't mind just sitting here watching the moon with you." An idea sparked into her head. "Then again...do you want to hear a story from my dimension?"
"Perhaps."
Cosmos kept her eyes toward the moon. Eyes misty as the memories flooded her mind. "There used to be a kingdom on the moon, prospering after centuries of peace and harmony..."
Damian listened to her tale, enraptured in the action and travesty of the Silver Millennium. He found himself successful in distracting himself from his problems.
Taking a chance, Cosmos entered through the window of Damian's room with a box in her hands. Lemon pie. Her momma's old recipe. Not as good as momma's, but Cosmos found it tasted close enough for her standards. Her cooking improved throughout the decades through necessities sake. Although, she mourned not having her old friends taste it for themselves. They always commented on her lack of cooking skill. She wanted to rub this in their faces.
Having gone on a baking spree in another dimension, she left these pies throughout the cosmos, in front of the homes of people she befriended. As someone who hated loneliness, she pushed herself in making at least one friend in the dimensions she frequented. In this one, she breathed in relief in not having to fight anyone. The superheroes of the world took it upon themselves to do the job.
Setting the box onto Damian's bed, she pondered on leaving a letter or not. She had to leave for another dimension and leave the world's greatest detective his own pie. The guy kept such a trim figure despite the large amounts of sugar he ate.
In her distracted mind, she failed to notice the door opening.
"Why are you in Master Damian's room?"
Squealing in surprise, Cosmos put both hands up in a gesture of surrender. She backed toward the open window. Before she bolted for it, Alfred coughed in his hand. He came forward, removed the box from the bed and motioned her to follow him. Feeling embarrassed at getting caught, she trailed after him.
Walking through the halls in silence, Cosmos observed the interior of the manor. Most of the time, she kept to the bedrooms or the roof. She trespassed enough, getting labeled a robber wasn't in her plans.
Once they transitioned onto the first floor, Cosmos broke the silence. "Um...you're not going to call the cops. Right?"
He turned to her with an arched brow. "Will I be forced to call the authorities?"
"No, no, just wondering." Cosmos bit her lower lip. "You caught me in one of the rooms after all."
Alfred entered the kitchen, placing the box in the kitchen island. "I've witnessed far more suspicious events in this manor. Catching someone in the bedrooms doesn't faze me as much as it used to." Cosmos settled herself on one of the chairs where Alfred set the box. "Introductions are in order, my name is Alfred Pennyworth. Wayne Manor's butler."
"I'm Cosmos, well, Serenity." Cosmos placed a finger under her chin. "I mean, you can call me Usagi as well. It's your pick."
Alfred finished washing the dishes from breakfast and began drying them. "I'll address you as Miss Serenity." He set a plate on the drying rack, informing her. "I'd like to express my gratitude in keeping the identities of Wayne Manor's heroes a secret." He added in with a tinge of amusement. "You're not wearing the usual all white attire this time around."
Cosmos uttered out. "E-Excuse me?"
Alfred laid another plate on the rack. "I've known for years of your consistent return to Wayne Manor."
"You've known for years?!" Cosmos exclaimed in surprise. "Wow! I always thought no one noticed me on the rooftop. It's not like I walk around, I settle in one spot. I sort of tap my feet now to annoy Damian. His reactions are gold."
Alfred paused in drying the dish when he informed her. "I saw you during the time Master Bruce mourned his parents. You entered through his window, in a less than graceful manner I must say." Cosmos face palmed."To your benefit, Master Bruce exhausted himself to sleep that he heard nothing. You brought him calmness and rest when you shined a light onto him."
Cosmos touched the area on her shirt where her brooch rested in her other form. "Ah...well...I understood his feelings of loss. A kid shouldn't have to carry that inside of their hearts. I watched him interact with his parents throughout the times I rested here made me want to help him. To be honest, it was a split second decision on my part."
"Nonetheless, you have helped many of the inhabitants of this family. Whenever a new ward came in, you brought them a silent comfort due to that light. If you were a danger, I would have done my best to rid you off this property." Cosmos shivered at the glint in Alfred's eye. "Despite having no powers at my disposal, I'm handy with different forms of weaponry."
Cosmos put her hands up in good will. "I've saved my world multiple times. I never had the thought of taking over or turning bad. It seems kind of ridiculous when I sacrificed my own life to defeat the bad guys."
Giving her a once over, Alfred tipped his head down. "Would you eat a slice with me? A stomach like mine cannot eat so much."
Cosmos exclaimed. "Yes!" When he made a move to get the knife, she stood up from her seat. "No, no, let me do it. You sit down, Alfred. I'll even make you tea. Do you have loose leaf tea?" Alfred pointed to a nearby cabinet and she went to work.
As he watched her, Alfred wondered how this spastic girl managed to outmaneuver the detectives housed under Wayne Manor.
Damian waited near the entrance of one of his father's many galas.
He remembered Cosmos' grin when he presented her with an invitation. She dared to hold him in her arms before clamoring on about having attended no parties in years. In the occasion on gaining an invite, her constant movements throughout dimensions contrasted with the days of parties. He didn't punch her arm for becoming over familiar with him, but she earned herself a free pass.
Noticing Cosmos oncoming silhouette, the heart shaped buns stuck out in the darkness, tenseness left his shoulders. She arrived at a good time. Easier to speak to her without passerby's taking notice and having someone report their meeting to his father.
Taking in her common appearance, Damian grimaced. "The invite emphasized formal wear."
Pulling out a pen from her pocket, Cosmos tutted. "Damian, Damian, I didn't forget." She checked around. "No one will come around here, right?"
Damian saw the jewel on top of the pink pen. Guessing another one of her magic trinkets, he sighed. "Follow me." Leading her to a secluded area, he heard her chant out a phrase.
Cosmos tossed her pink pen into the air and light consumed the immediate area. Once the transformation took hold, she twirled around in her new dress. She appeared in a pale pink a-line halter dress with a lace covered top, sleeveless, a strap bordered her waist, with a slit which stopped on the middle of her thigh. Accompanying the dress, she wore plain white heels, diamond crescent moon earrings, and silver bangles on her right wrist. Her hair was pinned back in an intricate style, leaving strands to frame her face.
Impressed at the display of magic, Damian nodded in approval. "Adequate."
Cosmos inspected her dress one last time, sighing at Damian's triumphant tone. "I'll take that as a compliment." She remembered the first time she wore a party dress in fondness. This dress lacked the roses and long gloves, but she loved the appearance.
Damian backtracked near the entrance and inspected the party goers. Finding none of his adopted brothers in the premises, he relaxed. "How am I to address you?" Cosmos arched her well defined brow. "Simply calling you Serenity will bring questions, I need a last name—"
"Tsukino. Call me Usagi Tsukino."
Damian glared at her. "Are you purposely making up names as you go?"
Cosmos pinched Damian's cheek, she took her hand back before he bit her fingers. "That was the name momma gave me. I haven't used it in decades. It seems like a perfect name to use. I'm sure there are countless Usagi Tsukino's in Japan where it's not odd for me to have it. Do I go in first?"
"Yes."
Cosmos hurried back to the front area, giving a gap of distance between her and Damian. She stepped through the doors, smiling at the party guests who made eye contact with her. Ignoring the more speculative and calculating glances, she kept on walking. On her journey, she spotted Damian's brothers, mingling throughout the crowds of people.
Stopping near a pillar, she watched the minute number of couples dancing in the middle of the room. Others stayed on the sidelines in favor of conversing with familiar faces or gossiping.
Observing the room, she tried spotting a caterer with a tray of food. Returning from other worlds never failed to give her an immense appetite. After a significant amount of time, she pouted, no servers arrived with appetizers. She saw plenty of them carrying champagne flutes, but no food.
In the corner of her eye, she saw someone coming toward her direction. Assuming this man's attention went toward the gorgeous red head to her left, she kept her eyes on the crowd. Not that she blamed him, she did a double take at many of the gorgeous woman at this party.
"Excuse me, miss?"
Holding in her jump of surprise, she turned toward the right. Tipping her head back to see the man's face, she recognized his familiar features. Damian's father: Bruce Wayne.
Cosmos nodded her head. "Yes?"
Giving her a charming smile, Bruce explained himself. "I noticed you standing on the side on your own and wanted to introduce myself."
Cosmos put out her hand for a handshake. "It's a pleasure to meet you, I'm Usagi Tsukino."
Bruce placed a light kiss on her knuckles. "It's a pleasure to meet you as well, I'm Bruce Wayne."
Cosmos's lips quirked into a light smile. Bruce Wayne oozed charm from his body language to his voice. The effect didn't stir anything inside of her. It made her feel awkward to feel anything for a man she saw growing up before her eyes.
"May I have this dance?"
Before she answered him, she noticed Damian's scandalous face in the crowd. Damian warned her ahead of time of his father's public image. Bruce Wayne's long string of ex-girlfriends became infamous in Gotham, no one batted an eye whenever he asked a woman to dance. Better yet, no one wondered about the new arm candy of the moment.
She found an opportunity to tease her little friend.
"Sure."
Her dance with Bruce Wayne caught the attention of the attendees of the party. She found their sudden fascination a tad excessive. It was one dance. Nothing more, nothing less. She admitted to herself on finding his good looks appealing, but didn't have the same thoughts as the other young ladies at the party. Then again, she set herself for speculation on accepting a dance to Gotham's infamous playboy.
Overall, Bruce danced with grace and poise. No wonder the ladies wanted him to become their dance partner. He didn't step on any toes or stumble onto them. Charms and dance moves swayed any woman. Well, except her of course. She wondered if Damian received the same lessons as his father.
As the song finished, Bruce lead her out of the dance floor. Removing two champagne glasses from a passing server, he handed one to Cosmos before he sipped his own. Standing to the side, they avoided any oncoming dance partners.
Bruce commented. "You dance well."
"Well...it's an improvement from the last time I danced." Cosmos mused at the memory of dancing with Mamoru during their wedding party. They fell into the cake before anyone had a chance to eat it. Sadness washed over Cosmos at the thought of her beloved.
"I doubt it. From my standpoint, you seem like a natural dancer. Do you attend these parties often?"
"Well, my responsibilities leave little time for me to have fun." A little fib to cover her own dimension hopping tracks. Sipping her champagne, Cosmos continued on. "Either way, it's great having a competent dance partner. No smashing toes or grabby hands sliding past my waist."
Bruce let out a chuckle. "Good to know."
Usagi winked. "It's a wonder the ladies have left you alone for so long." She felt the glaring eyes of some of the surrounding single women. The obviousness almost made her laugh. "It seems I've overstayed my welcome."
"Nonsense. Everyone will have their turn for a dance." Bruce assured her. "I can't have an uproar over my inconsideration."
Usagi grinned. "Good to see that you have your priorities straight."
Bruce's attention went from her toward someone behind her. "Excuse me, I see one of my business associates coming in. Please, enjoy the party."
Usagi nodded her head. "Of course, can't keep them waiting, Mr. Wayne. Have fun." She watched him leave toward a balding man with a stunning young woman on his arm.
Finishing her glass, she picked up another flute of champagne. She kept herself to a certain limit to prevent any drunken mistakes. Her first time drinking never failed to make her shudder in embarrassment.
Her mood rose up at the sight of a server with a food platter. An array of nibbles which made her stomach grumble from the mere sight of them. Waving the young woman to her area, she ended up eating a good portion of the tray before trying samples of any server coming toward her direction. She abandoned her champagne glass to eat more food.
When she left the party, Cosmos saw the one-sided conversation between Damian and the eldest ex-Robin, Dick Grayson. Damian turned his eyes onto her. Eyes filled with questions, she motioned toward the door before she waved at him. He tipped his head down and turned his attention back onto Dick.
Months later, Damian set their next meet up inside of a cafe. He left on an expedition with his father and put his letter on top of his pillow. Shuffling the letter in a pocket dimension, she traveled toward the one with a country called Amestris. Taking the days into account, she arrived back to the right dimension in time. Almost in time. Ten minutes before the exact time. Either way, she didn't miss coming to see her little friend.
Once she stepped through the doors, the cafe reminded Cosmos of Makoto's home during her baking days. Wistful, she ordered a lemon cake, marble cake, and green tea with honey. She resisted the urge to splurge on more treats. How it pained her not to get this red velvet cupcake in the display case. She waited on the side until her order was finished.
Picking a table near the windows, she set down her cup and pastries, eager to dig in. Rubbing her hands together, she licked her lips and ate the food with her eyes. Wasting no more time, she began tasting the tea before taking small bites of her food. She left the fork on the side in order to lick her fingers.
"Cos-Serenity." Damian's voice broke through her thoughts. Looking up, she saw Damian scoot a chair out from in front of her and sat himself down. "You're on time for once."
Cosmos swallowed her bite of food. "Barely made it, but who's keeping track?"
Damian almost rolled his eyes. "I am."
Cosmos hid her pout while sipping her tea. "Aren't you going to get anything?"
"I ate at home."
Cosmos nodded her head. "That's too bad. There's a nice salted caramel hot chocolate on the menu that I think you would enjoy. I'm pretty sure you can replace the milk with soy. The baristas are real accommodating."
Taking her suggestion in mind, Damian changed the topic. "Why did you dance with father?"
Brushing it off, Cosmos shrugged her shoulders. "I haven't danced with a partner in years so I sought the opportunity. He wasn't bad and treated me with respect. I've danced with men who had no shame in rubbing against a lady. Wandering hands are annoying to keep track of." She paused, smile gracing her face, she inquired. "Were you worried for me?"
Damian scoffed. "No." The realization dawned on him once Cosmos attempted to stifle her laugh. "You danced with father on purpose. Why? To annoy me?"
She ate another bite of her cake, finishing off her lemon cake. "Hm...yes. Before you ask, I have no interest in him whatsoever. In fact, I find it awkward to even think about it."
"Good." The mere thought of Cosmos having a different sort of interest on his father made him cringe. Even worse, he wanted to bleach his mind at the picture in his mind.
"I know I say this every time we meet, but stay safe out there, okay?" Cosmos down the last portion of her tea, wincing at the tepid temperature. "My words might not mean much, but I tend to worry about my friends. Defeating evil isn't as easy as many people might assume. Surprises come in every corner."
Damian told her. "I honed my skills with the best in the world. Meager thugs and vandals won't kill me."
"Humor me." Cosmos reached out her hand and ruffled his hair. "Take it from someone who started at the age of fourteen, I learned the hard way not to underestimate people. It's always good to have constant vigilance in your own personal safety. I'm sure your father has told you the same."
Finding truth in her words, Damian let out a deep sigh. "I'll try."
"That's all I ask."
