Chapter 20:

The party had just begun and Delphinium was happily serving what was on the tray she was holding. She was confident with her body, so she had no problem donning her sister's maid uniform. She went up to Alfred who was busy checking on the food.

Turning towards where Damian was standing, she said, "Well, he's being really quiet."

"Yes. It is Master Bruce's order after all," Alfred replied with a smile.

"I'm going to get my sister now. It's been fifteen minutes since the party started," Delphinium announced, handing her tray to Tiara who was with Alfred at the time.

"She is very unique," the butler remarked.

"Quite so. We took care of her since she was a baby, and yes, she is very odd…" Tiara replied.

Meanwhile, Damian was standing beside his father, greeting the guests. He was wearing a tuxedo, just like Bruce and he didn't like it one bit. For all he cared, the tuxedo is too warm, tight and constricted. He hated it but had to remain neutral.

"So, you are Damian Wayne. My, my, you look very similar to your father here," a man remarked.

"Yes, it is one of the reasons why he took me in," Damian explained.

The man nodded. He went up to the buffet table after that. Damian gave out a scowl.

"What's wrong?" Bruce asked.

"Nothing," Damian replied coldly.

He took a deep breath and tried to remain calm. Bruce greeted some more important guests. Damian was interviewed yet again.

"Master Damian," he suddenly heard a familiar voice.

He turned around to see Daphne in a dress. She looked nervous and embarrassed. Dick was beside her, a smiled plastered on his face.

"Let me guess…you switched places with your sister?" he asked.

"It that a way to treat your guest?" Dick joked.

Damian shot a glare towards Dick who found it amusing. He stared back at Daphne who shrugged and smiled awkwardly. Her dress was a maroon slip dress and she wore a matching pair of maroon ankle-strap platforms. The dress went all the way down to her ankles. It made her look taller than usual.

"Delphinium has gone too far," Damian said.

"What? I approved it," Dick protested.

"I don't…" the boy replied, sighing, "But you look nice."

Daphne brightened up a bit. "T-Thanks…" she muttered.

Bruce was watching the whole time. "Well, I'll excuse myself to go talk to Delphinium," he suddenly said.

He pulled Dick to follow him. Dick went straight to Delphinium while Bruce talked with a couple of guests who were enjoying drinks and appetizers. Damian turned to Daphne. She raised her brows and smiled.

"I'm sorry. I think they planned this…" she muttered, sighing, "My sister can be…very weird at times."

"You mean all the time?" he asked.

"Oh, my! You do look like the young Bruce Wayne!" a woman exclaimed, smiling to Damian.

They both quickly turned to look at the woman.

"Hello, Ma'am, Sir," Damian greeted with a bow, just how Bruce had thought him.

Daphne nodded to her when she turned to look at the girl. She was with her husband. They turned back to Damian.

"What are you up to now?" her husband asked.

"I've enrolled in a school. I must learn the basics before I could learn from father," he replied calmly.

"And who is this beautiful young lady beside you?" the woman asked with a warm smile.

"I'm Daphne, he's…" the girl glanced up at Damian.

"She's my acquaintance from school," he finished her sentence for her.

"My, she is one fine girl," the husband remarked.

"Thank you very much," Daphne bowed to them.

They excused themselves when they caught sight of Bruce Wayne. Daphne stood beside Damian as more guests started to recognize Damian. He glanced up at her once in a while but she was never bothered whenever people ask who she was.

"You're wearing the hairpin?" he suddenly asked, grabbing her attention.

"Oh, this?" she touched it again, smiling, "Yeah. It is a part of me after all. I want to hang on to it for the time being."

"You're not Phoenix anymore," he said coldly.

Daphne sighed and nodded. "I know…" she replied.

Another couple came to introduce themselves to Damian. Daphne slipped away when he was busy answering their questions. She went back to the room she was in before. She loosened her hair, sitting in bed.

"Why am I even trying to be a part of this…" she muttered.

The party ended late that night. Delphinium told her two maids to help Alfred with the cleanup. She went up to Damian who was already in his comfortable attire.

"Where's my sister?" she asked.

"I don't know. Must've left already," Damian replied coldly.

Delphinium groaned. "I don't know why she even tries to be beside you!" she half screamed.

All eyes turned to her. She extended her right palm. Damian was confused.

"Hand over her hairpin. I know you took it," she said confidently.

"How do you even know that?" he demanded.

"Just hand it over before I kick your butt," Delphinium huffed.

Damian refused to do it. She was about to burst when Daphne suddenly came by in a nightdress.

"What's going on?" she asked, rubbing her eyes.

"Sis, where have you been?" Delphinium asked.

"Sleeping…" the girl muttered.

"You should stay for the night," Bruce suddenly broke the silence.

"Sure, we'd love to," Delphinium replied, staring at her sleepy sister.

A few hours later, Damian broke out to clear his mind. He went to the garden to do some light exercise. Daphne was taking a walk in the garden when he got there. They shared an awkward silence for ten minutes.

"Exercising again?" Daphne asked.

"I can't sleep. I'm usually still out patrolling at times like this," Damian replied.

"I guess so. Can I watch?" she asked.

Staring blankly at her, he asked, "You're not afraid of swords anymore?"

Daphne bit her lower lip. "I can't say for sure. I did use a sword to help beat up those talons," she shrugged.

"Hah…I guess you can watch," he replied with a smirk.

She watched him train. So much for light exercise. He was at it for thirty minutes before he decided to stop.

"It's still early," Daphne remarked.

"Tell me something…" he suddenly spoke up.

Daphne blinked and asked, "What?"

"What is Grayson to you?" Damian asked.

The girl laughed. "That's a funny question. I guess I would say he is a loving brother," she replied calmly.

"What about Jefferson…?" he asked.

"You mean, Max? He's a friend and he's your friend too," Daphne replied, sighing, "I need to go back to bed. You're confusing me."

"Wait," Damian called.

Daphne turned to look at him. He looked away for a brief moment before turning back to her.

"Take off that hairpin," he said.

"Why?" she asked.

He fished for something in his pocket and took it out. Daphne widened her eyes at what was in his hand.

"My hairpin," she muttered.

"I've been holding on to it for some time…" he explained, shutting his eyes and opening it, "As a closure…"

Snatching it from his hand, she ran away. Damian stood there. He sighed.

Months went by after that encounter. Daphne refused to speak with Damian even at school. Shirley and Max were confused, but the other girls were happy about it. On Damian's birthday, his table was full of presents from the girls in their grade and from their seniors as well. He didn't like it but he took anyway. He was worried that they might blame Daphne if he didn't take it. The day went by as usual.

"Okay, I will now divide you into pairs for your Science presentation. Girls will be picking a card from this jar. Call out that name and the person will be your partner," the Science teacher explained.

Shirley shrugged to Damian when it was her turn. She strolled to the front and picked a card. So squealed at the name.

"Max!" she called out and then ran back to her seat.

Daphne was the fifth person to pick a card. As luck would have it, her partner is Damian. She sighed.

"Damian…" she muttered and people started to whisper again.

She went back to her seat. Max patted her back as comfort. She flashed a small smile. It was the fall season already. Time went by so fast when you have a lot on your mind. She thought to herself.

"You'll be fine," Max reassured her.

The school bell rang, signing the end of school for that day. Shirley and Max walked out of the class, discussing their presentation topic. A girl approached Daphne.

"Here we go…" she mumbled.

"Switch with me. Damian would be better off with me than you," she demanded.

Before Daphne could answer, Damian slammed his hand on her desk, shocking the two girls. The girl blinked innocently towards Damian while Daphne stared.

"I'm not switching. I'm her partner and I have a say in this," he said, grabbed Daphne's hand and pulled her out of the classroom.

He stopped when they reached the school gate. Daphne stood and wait for Alfred with Damian. She wasn't planning anything. She just thought she should keep him company.

"Umm… Thanks for saving me just now," she muttered.

Damian nodded. "Hmmm…"

"Do you…" she hesitated, "…want to do a discussion about our topic today?"

The boy glanced up at her. She was wearing her hairpin, not the Phoenix hairpin. Her hair had gotten longer, going down to her knees. She didn't tie it that day. He was captivated by her sudden beauty.

"If you want," he replied.

"I'll follow you with my bike then," Daphne said.

They arrived at Wayne Manor. Damian invited her to his room, but she insisted on working with him in the library. Alfred brought them some tea and a plate of cookies. After a few hours of their discussion, they decided to take a rest. They decided to watch a movie. Alfred let them.

"So, what do you want to watch?" Damian asked.

"Anything to get my mind off of cells and tissues," she joked.

The boy didn't say anything. He was not used to jokes at all. Daphne sighed. He took a seat beside her on the sofa after plugging in a movie of his choice. It was a horror movie and boy, does Daphne hated it. She kept on jumping in her seat. Damian didn't do anything to comfort her. She wrapped her arms around her legs, bringing her knees to her chest. She hid her face in them.

"Are you scared?" he suddenly asked.

"It's okay…just keep watching," she assured him.

Damian bit his lower lip, feeling somewhat guilty for choosing such a movie. He snaked a hand around her shoulder, pulling her to him closer. Her head was rested on his chest. Daphne glanced up at Damian who was failing at hiding his blush. Confusion filled her mind. She didn't know how to respond to his sudden affection. They just froze in their seats.

A little bit relationship development for my little Daphne. :) We'll be entering the fourth movie like this.

Have a day!