Read the bold if you want my persinal thoughts and a bit of a backstory in the story. Skip ahead if you just want a fluffy Diana Mom and Damian son story!
I always get questions from my fellow WonderBat shipper friends like: how do you think Diana and Damian would get along? And honestly I think there is the potential for a very strong relationship there. I mean, Damian is kind of like a grumpier mini version of Bruce so honestly I think Diana would recognize that and find it very endearing. I'd like to think that their first real bonding experience was over their mutual love for animals. I mean Diana canonically keeps strange pets (like Jumpa the kangaroo) and you can't tell me Damian would not find that beyond awesome. I think Damian was probably weary of her at first as was she of him because both people like to make an impression on others (Damian with his strength and prowess and Diana with her kindness and power as well). So I can imagine the first few months that Damian was around may have been a bit awkward. (Also in my head I'm a huge WONDERBAT shipper so like I am imagining at this point Bruce and Diana have been together quite some time before Damian moves in). So anyways Diana tries her best to show Damian he is welcome but also is worried he may think she is trying to replace his mother. Damian is worried that Bruce won't love him as much if Diana doesn't love him, even though he may not know/realize that himself. Damian certainly admires Diana as a warrior and as a strong woman (he obviously responds well to strong women considering Talia).
Anyways, I imagine the first few months were awkward with very few short conversations, not mean at all just filled with lots of awkward silences that they both hate.
Then one day, Diana goes out back to the stables at Wayne Manor to ride and finds Damian sitting in one of the horses pens with a book in one hand and petting one of the horses who has its head in his lap with the other.
I imagine their first bonding experience went a bit like this:
Diana's heart fills with joy and she sees how comfortable the horse is in Damian's lap, says to him, "That's amazing! Morocco does not like anybody!"
Damian looks up at her, startled a bit as he was clearly engrossed in his book. Morocco continues to lay on Damian's lap but looks at Diana and whinnies. Diana crouches down and strokes the horses side, earning a huff of approval from Morocco.
Damian notices the horse appreciates Diana's touch and says, "It looks like he like you too."
Diana smiles brightly and replies, "Well, I am the one that rescued him. So he should, right Morocco?" She brushes the horse with her fingers, and as if in reply, Morocco whinnies once more.
"Rescued him?" Damian asks, interest peaked.
Diana's eyes look a bit sadder as she sighs and says, "His owners weren't feeding him. Apparently they had inherited him from a dead relative and didn't really want the responsibility. So they just..." Diana shrugged, "...stopped feeding him."
"That's horrible." Damian mutters, a fire of hatred ignited in his heart for those atrocious owners.
Diana nodded sadly and continued, "One day I was running past the barn they kept him in and heard him crying. I broke down the barn door and found him laying in a mound of old hay. I could see his ribs through his skin and when I tried to get him to stand he couldn't even lift his head."
Damian looked at the plump horse on his lap and couldn't believe the trauma he had been through.
Diana continued her story, "So I called Animal Protective Services, had the owners charged with abuse, and nursed this guy back to health. Now he is nice and fat! Right, buddy?"
Morocco huffed at her. "Sorry, not fat. Just muscular!" She chuckled.
"So his general distrust in humans is well warranted I suppose." Damian muttered as he scratched Morocco's head.
"Yes, well, I am trying to work with him. Being around my other horses helps a lot. He sees how they trust humans and even love them, and he is learning, though very slowly." Diana chuckled to herself as she remembered, "He bit Bruce once."
Damian's eyes widened. "Seriously?"
"Seriously." Diana laughed, "But he and Bruce are old pals now."
Damian looked down at Morocco then back at Diana, "So all these horses are yours?"
"No, I wish. Most of them are fosters that just have nowhere else to go right now and we are trying to find good loving homes for them. We hired some stablehands to help me groom and feed them as well. Maybe that would be something you'd be interested in? You seem to have a knack for animals."
"Yes!" Damian said, a bit too quickly. He cleared his throat. "I believe I would enjoy that."
"Great!" Diana beamed. "Let me show you around!"
"I would, but how do I..." Damian gestured towards Morocco, who still lay on his lap.
"Don't worry about him. He'll probably follow us around the stables. He is such a baby." Diana whistled sharply and Morocco perked up and quickly rose to his feet, shaking himself off, and following Diana as she strode out of his stable.
Damian followed behind them, intrigued with how easily Diana got the animal to follow her.
Diana stopped at the opposite end of the stables. She clicked her tongue and a white and black paint horse came to the stable door to greet her. She took the horses head in her hands and placed a kiss on his snout. Morocco huffed behind her as if jealous he didn't get a kiss.
Diana turned to Damian, "This is Nyke. I raised him since he was a colt and he is my sweet baby boy."
She then turned to Nyke. "Nyke, this is Damian. Say hello to him like a nice boy." Nyke whinnied in Damian's direction and lowered his head for Damian to pet him.
Damian scratched Nyke's nose and looked to Diana. "It is almost like you can talk to them."
Diana smiled, "Oh, I can."
Damian's hand froze mid-scratch. "Excuse me?"
"Hasn't Bruce told you? One of the gifts the gods bestowed upon me was the ability to communicate with animals."
Diana said it so nonchalantly like she was just explaining how she can walk or has Black hair.
"So, you know what they are saying when they whine and huff?"
"Sort of. It's more like a telepathic connection. Like a radio station I can turn on and off. One we can communicate with each other on. I can sense their needs and get information from them." Diana explained as she scratched Nyke's chin, earning his snort of approval.
Damian simply stared at the woman his father had married with a newfound respect and sense of awe. "So, you could understand Titus if you wanted."
"Yes, we have chatted before. He loves you very much." Diana eyed Damian warmly.
Damian just blinked at her and raised an eyebrow. "So, if it's telepathic, that means you couldn't teach me to understand them?"
Diana purses her lips in thought. "Well, I suppose I could help you to learn some repeated patterns with their languages. For example, what their body language means and what certain noises translate to."
Damian looked at her, trying to contain his excitement, "I am a fast learner."
Diana smiled at him, "I would love to show you everything I know. But I assure you, I can see it in the way you interact with animals, you understand them more than you think."
Damian looked back at Nyke thoughtfully. Then after a beat, he asked, "So, who else can I meet?"
Bruce cracked his sore back as he walked into the kitchen, where he was greeted with the smell of dinner cooking and Alfred hard at work in the kitchen.
"Hey Alfred." He sighed as he slowly descended into the kitchen bar stool.
"Look who finally left his home office. I was worried I wouldn't be graced with your presence today." Alfred teased.
Bruce rubbed his eyes, "Well that's what happens when I let the Enterprise work pile up." Bruce explained. He then looked around for his wife and son. "Where are..."
As if in reply, the glass door to the backyard slid open and Diana strolled in all smiles with Damian close behind.
"Well! What have you two been up to?" Bruce asked, intrigued. He and Diana had many late night conversations about Damian and how she felt like a failure for not being able to bond with him right away. He was glad to see maybe the two had turned a corner.
Diana beamed at him, walking over and placing a warm kiss on his temple. "We were out at the stables!" She explained, barely containing her excitement. "Damian has quite the way with animals." She looked back at Damian and smiled warmly, as if sharing an inside joke.
"You kept him away from Morocco I hope?" The memory of his bloody hand and Morocco's teeth flashed in his brain.
"No, Morocco and Damian are good friends. When I found them Morocco was in his lap." Diana replied.
Bruce almost choked on his glass of water. "Morocco?! The same horse that almost swallowed one of my fingers? The same one that took three months to warm up to me?"
"He is really not that bad father." Damian retorted as he grabbed two water bottles from the fridge and handed one to Diana.
Diana nodded her thanks and shrugged at Bruce. "We are going to take the dogs out for a walk while it's still light. Do you want to join us?"
"Well, I don't want to intrude." Bruce returned, sighing.
"Oh my god you're so jealous that Morocco warmed up to Damian faster than to you." Diana laughed.
"That's ridiculous! I'm not jealous of a horse's feelings!" Bruce defended himself.
"You do seem a little jealous father." Damian smirked at him.
"I'm not!" Bruce returned in a voice a pitch higher. "If it will make you both happy, I'll come in the walk."
"Good." Diana beamed. "Ace! Titus!" She called and immediately the sound of hurried paws hitting the wooden floor became closer and closer. "Alfred?"
"No thank you!" Alfred quickly answered. "I could use some time away from those furry beasts, thank you."
"Alright then." Diana understood. "Just us three."
"Diana?" Damian inquired, "Do you think we could start my lessons today?"
"I don't see why not! In my opinion, dogs are the easiest to start with." She replied thoughtfully.
"Do I want to know what you mean by lessons?" Bruce sighed as he grabbed his coat.
Diana smirked at him and whistled for the dogs to follow her out the door. Damian turned to his father, "Diana is going to teach me how to communicate with animals." He explained, as if it was the most normal concept, then followed Diana outside.
Bruce rubbed his temples, "Great. Another person on her team to wear me down into getting more animals."
He shut the door behind him and couldn't help but smile at the sight of two important people in his life finally bonding with one another.
