Blue eyes as deep as the ocean connected to his.

Marinette was in his home with his family.

The scene he walked into would look normal to anyone else or at least at first glance.

A normal family lunch.

No one would bat an eye at Marinette's presence.

It made a twisted kind of sense that she'd fit so seamlessly into the absolute madhouse that was his family.

He was more than aware that she was far from the picture of innocence she made up.

She was an incredible actor even though she didn't hide any malicious intent behind her facade.

It was something he was still figuring out.

But as he stood on the outside he could admit, if only to himself, that he liked what he'd walked in on.

It felt right somehow.

The people he cared most for, because he did care, got along.

They hadn't scared her away.

Since he met Marinette it was getting a lot harder to keep from smiling.

He'd slip up sooner or later and his reputation would never recover.

Maybe it would be worth it.

However he had everyone's eyes on him and it was obvious they were waiting for his move.

Something inside him cracked when he saw how worriedly they looked between him and Marinette.

They thought he was going to attack her.

Verbally or physically didn't matter at the moment.

Was he really that bad with people?

Time was frozen and he knew he had to do something soon.

He walked up to Marinette while maintaining eye contact and she stood up.

Last names might have been a topic they'd never breached, but they weren't stupid nor oblivious.

"Marinette Dupain-Cheng?"

She nodded at his inquiry.

She was the designer Tim had commisioned.

"Damian Wayne?"

He gave just the slightest of nods.

They shook hands, but it wasn't a greeting.

It was a sign of acceptance.

No hard feelings.

It didn't change a thing.

She sat back down as he took one of the empty seats.

They could talk later just them.

The others didn't seem to know how to react, but they weren't going to look a gift horse in the mouth.

Alf- Pennyworth came in with the food and broke the tension.

Conversations started back up.

Nothing had been forgotten.

Only put off until later.

Plates were distributed by Pennyworth.

His own were put in front of him.

"That's quite the young lady you've found, Master Damian."

It was said quietly while taking advantage of the motion of serving the food.

No one else heard.

But as Alfred walked away one thing was clear.

He knew way more than the others.

Damian wasn't surprised.

"Tim, told us you've worked with Jagged Stone." Grayson began in a bid to draw attention to their guest. "How did that happen?"

Oh, boy.

He'd heard this one.

It had taken awhile, but that was only because Marinette was worried about bragging.

It was worth it though.

He wanted to know about her achievements.

They were a big part of her life after all.

It was good that she got to tell some more people about it.

It might help her learn that it was fine to be proud of what one accomplishes without it necessarily being bragging.

He settled down in his chair as she began to tell the story of how she made a rock star a pair of Eiffel Tower glasses.

"Can I borrow your bathroom?"

"There's one right down the corridor next to the entrance hall. You can't miss it."

"Wait," Jaso- Todd stopped her. "The reason your not with your horrible class right now is because you have the day off so you could go to an interview for a school's exchange program?"

She nodded.

The interview wasn't anything new for him.

She'd told him about it yesterday.

"You want to go from the city of love to the city of crime?"

"There's nothing that really makes me want to stay..." she said as she sipped her water.

"Parents?"

"Thinks it would be a great for me to get away for awhile."

"Friends?"

"They're probably not staying in Paris much longer either."

Flabbergasted faces all around.

Drake remembered something. "Didn't you say you have a boyfriend?"

He really wondered under what circumstances she'd told them that.

But it was just another piece of proof that she was as serious about this as him.

She indirectly called him her boyfriend.

Marinette shook her head. "He's not from Paris."

Stephan- Brown lit up at the confirmation. "You have a boyfriend? Oh, you're making me curious. I just have to know who's good enough to date you. Is he as irritatingly humble you? Is he shy? Wait, how serious are you two?"

That's when he understood that they had no idea at all.

It wasn't like they had tried to hide it, but okay they might not have made it especially clear that they were seeing each other.

Marinette seemed happy to indulge her though. "No, definitely not and very, but it's kind of a new development..."

"Well, between us girls, what's he like then?" Brown asked.

"Blunt," Cassandra said looking at Marinette, "otherwise you'd worry."

Everyone was clueless except Cassandra then.

"I never thought of it like that, but yeah."

And the girls looked like they could continue that line of discussion if Todd hadn't cut in.

"We're forgetting the important thing here. The one where you want to move to a city that's known for it's crime rate.

"It's also a city where I as a short and innocent looking girl can protect myself without anyone questioning why I can fight."

The girls turned to father.

"We're keeping this one."

Marinette only looked mildly worried about that.

But the time came for Marinette to leave and they all went outside to wave her off.

She really made an impression.

She'd swapped numbers with both Stepha- Brown, and Jas- Todd.

Argh.

That was it.

He gave up.

She'd swapped numbers with both Stephanie and Jason.

Dick had just handed her a paper with his number on it and Cassandra had dropped hers in Marinette's pocket.

Tim had apparently already given her his number.

They all wanted to keep in contact.

Alfred pulled the car up to drive her back to her hotel.

She had just opened the door when she turned back to all of them and she looked right at him.

"Remember our first date?"

"Like I'd ever forget."

He didn't know where she was going with this, but their audience were watching with some of the most shocked expressions he'd ever seen on them.

"You're not the only one that plays dirty. Check the plant outside the bathroom." And with that she hopped into the car.

He didn't hesitate in going for the plant.

Luckily it was close by.

And he checked it only to find some notes and coins hidden in it.

It was the total from the cafe.

He couldn't help it.

Damian laughed.

His family looked like the apocalypse was coming.