A\N) here we go another update. This one is cheesy and I like it. Has a teen Romance feel ;)
Have fun!
Irey stares at her phone screen. "Should I call him? I shouldn't right? Maybe I should just to check if he's okay? No, no... he might be too embarrassed. Ugh, but he looked so sad and-"
"For the love of god, shut up and call your boyfriend already!"
Irey gawks at Lian who looks at her thoroughly annoyed.
"H-he's not my boyfriend! We're barely even friends!" She defends, but she doesn't know why she feels defensive
"Uh huh, sure, whatever you say, just stop moping and call the guy already if you're that worried." Lian says unbothered by Irey's reddening face.
"But - but what if he hangs up? Or gets mad? I don't think he'd want to talk about... what happened."
Lian rolls her eyes and puts down her phone and flicks Irey in the forehead.
Irey grabs her head and cries out, overdramatizing, and falls back on her bed, "I don't want him to be mad at meeeee, Lian! The competition is three days away; I can't do it on my own!"
"Yes, you can, stop being dumb. Either call him or just wait until tomorrow to talk face to face if you're so worried about it."
Irey looks at her logical friend horrified, "but what if he fires me again?"
"Then he's an unprofessional jackass." Lian says simply.
"Language." Irey moans and covers her face in frustration, "I just feel bad, that was clearly something he did not want me to see and after he invited me to the concert and everything, just-"
Lian groans, "listen, firstly, stop talking about whatever happened because you won't tell me what ever that was and secondly, if it was so bad then why mention it anyway?"
"Because I- I want to make sure he's okay?" She never thought in her wildest scenarios she's made up about why Damian possibly was the way he was that an abusive mother would be one of them.
But maybe she's jumping to conclusions? After all, who was she to judge someone else's parents? But she could never imagine her dad smacking her for any reason... she's having a hard time thinking there would be a reason for a grown parent to slap her son so hard it looked like he got whiplash.
Irey recalls the moment like a snapshot. She'd gone backstage to congratulate him on one of the most beautiful performances she'd ever seen him give and then she'd seen an absolutely stunning woman looming over him and crack her hand across his perfect cheek. The slap was so loud it overlapped her sharp gasp when she froze in shock.
She doesn't remember what the woman said, all she remembers is how... exhausted and defeated Damian suddenly looked and when his eyes found hers... she didn't know how to explain the crushing wave of pain and humiliation that she saw on his face.
She'd run away.
Irey groans into her hands at her cowardice. It was so embarrassing and pathetic, she wants to bury herself in a hole and just live like a hermit forever.
"Come one Irey, cheer up, it'll be okay. Just... tell him how you feel." Lian tries to encourage her and she wasn't doing too badly but Irey isn't sure what "feelings' Lian was trying to insinuate to.
"I don't have feelings Lian..."
Lian raises a smooth brow at her, "really? Because this-" she whirls a finger around Irey's prone form, "- looks like a lot of feelings to me."
Irey doesn't have an answer for that.
She turns away from Lian and stares at her wall. Maybe she's over reacting, maybe Damian wasn't being abused? Maybe he was just...
She can't justify it.
She gives up trying.
Instead she rehashes what Lian said. The thought of Damian Wayne being her boyfriend shocked her. What shocked her more was... the fact that she didn't actually mind that scenario as much as she thought she would.
Irey covers her face again but this time it's to hide a blush.
She's an idiot. Damian was her friend... no, wait... she was Damian's friend... at least she thinks she is. It's hard to tell if he thinks she is because he doesn't really tell anyone what he's thinking but...
She hopes he thinks she is. At least a little bit.
Irey takes a deep breath as she stands outside the manor door. This was a lot harder than she thought it would be.
Come on Irey, come on, you can do it! Just don't make it awkward or weird, you'll be fine. It's fine...
She sure hopes he's fine.
She rings the fancy doorbell.
She shifts on her feet nervously and tightens her grip on her bag.
The door squeaks open and Alfred smiles when he sees her, but it looks a little strained.
"Hi Alfred... is Damian home?" She asks slowly.
"He is indeed Ms. West, perhaps seeing you will brighten his foul mood." He steps aside and beckons her in.
Irey takes a deep breath, enters, and heads for the living room, a dramatic piano piece was wafting out of the door way
She peeks inside, she half expects to find him all dressed in black with a mask on or something, but instead he's sitting at the piano forte in a normal looking blue tee shirt and jeans. She does a double take...
He even makes jeans look expensive.
Irey bites her lip and waits for the song to be finished, then she claps softly. Damian's shoulder stairs up and she realizes maybe he doesn't want to look at her.
"Hi Damian." She says softly and maybe if he wanted her too she would leave.
He seems to be recollecting himself and turns around to her face carefully impassive, "you're late."
She nods, "only by like, two minutes," she answers without any real bite.
He doesn't answer, but he stands up and moves to lift up his violin.
Irey's stunned to see the slight tremor in his hand. If he notices her noticing he doesn't acknowledge it, he just lifts the instrument and turns to her.
His eyes are cold. They're wrong. They're... empty.
Her heart gives a strange pang and she suddenly has the idiotic urge to hug him.
"So - um- should I-"
"Start from the beginning, you should play it at a slower speed first then speed up until you reach proper pace." He says clipped and clinical.
Irey feels hurt, she can't explain it, she knows he's trying to cover up and avoid the conversation he thinks she might bring up and she promised herself she wouldn't mention it unless he did but... but he's treating her like when he first met her, colder even. Because in the beginning he really didn't know her... but now?
After all those hours spent practicing and what she learned about him and what she's told him...
This coldness feels like an icy blade in her chest.
She doesn't play and he stops mid note to look at her.
"What's the problem now?"
She looks at him and her eyes water, "I'm sorry."
He stiffens instantly, "I don't know what your blubbering about now, you haven't even made a mistake yet to be sorry for-"
She swallows her sadness for him, "your concert was really beautiful."
He clicks his tongue and turns away, putting his violin in its case.
"It really was! I just thought you should know that, in case -" she stutters, "in case -"
"In case what?"
Irey startles at the steel and anger behind his words.
"I - I just - I didn't mean to see - oh Damian, I'm sorry I really am-"
"I don't need your pity." He snaps and the look he gives he's is so angry and so vicious she steps back in surprise.
"I -I just... I didn't know."
He slams the violin case shut and turns on her, "let's get something straight, you -" he points at her and then jabs a finger in his own chest, "and I, have nothing except a study relationship. So whatever you 'think' you saw is none of your business and I do not need your misplaced pity and faux kindness."
Irey stares, stunned, and his words feel like a slap to her face. She doesn't know how long she stands there but he's turned away and is stomping out of the room.
"Show yourself out." And he slams the door.
Irey stands there unsure of what she should do right now, he basically told her to get lost but still...
"Iris?"
Irey turns to the door as Mr. Wayne enters, a worried and confused look on his face, "are you... alright? I saw Damian but he looked-"
She gets over her shock and her feelings are definitely hurt. But... she realizes that Damian is scared. He doesn't know what to say to her, he's afraid and hurt.
She shouldn't have pushed...
"It's okay Mr. Wayne." Irey forces a bright smile, "I said something I shouldn't have and Damian just got a little upset."
Mr. Wayne nods and then he looks out in the hall way thoughtfully.
"He was still rude, I apologize." He says tiredly.
Irey shakes her head, "no, no, don't worry about it." She won't let Damian hurt her feelings anymore. He can be a jerk if he wants, she won't let it bother her. "He's just having a bad day."
"Hmm - you are a sweet girl; I don't suppose you know what's got him in such a foul mood?"
Now she feels nervous, "um - no - not really." She cringes at how unconvincing she sounds even to herself.
Mr. Wayne sighs, "I knew I should have gone to his recent concert. He never really comes out of those in a good mood."
She has the horrible thought that maybe that scary lady she assumes is his mom is always there and maybe smacks him all the time.
"It's my fault. I should have been more prominent in his life."
Irey looks at the older man, interest piqued, he seems to be talking to himself, "sir?"
"Oh, I'm sorry Iris, would you like me to take you home?"
She shakes her head, "don't worry, I can take the bus."
"I can't let you do that. Come on, I'll call your father."
Irey nods and as she's leaving she notices a flit of a shadow on the stairs and wonders if that was Damian hiding from her.
She thinks about it all night; she comes up with a good plan she just hopes Damian falls for it.
Irey stares at her phone in the center of her unmade bed. She narrows her eyes at it as if she's waiting for it to attack her. She taps her bare knees and lets out a huff.
"Oh, just do it." She snaps at herself and snatches the phone, swipes on Damian's number and taps on call.
It rings once, twice, three time and her anxiety mounts with each unanswered ring and she panics, raising her finger to hang up.
"Hello?"
Irey's heart jumps in her throat, "hi Damian! Sorry to bother you but I can't come to the manor today, but it's okay! Meet me at this address so we can practice!"
"I don't-"
"I'll be waiting, okay bye!" She blurts out over him quickly and hangs up abruptly to keep him from refusing then she tosses her phone and flips back on her pillows with a thump letting out an embarrassed groan.
Ugh, she sure hopes this was not a waste of her anxiety.
Irey's sneaker taps the ground as she cranes on her toes to look around park benches and trees. Where was he?
She looks at her phone, maybe he wasn't coming after all. Oh, of course he wasn't comings, what was she thinking? He was Damian Wayne, why the heck would he even bother with an annoying girl that can't even master violin?
She starts to feel badly about herself but then she catches sight of a black car and an elegant boy in a green polo and khakis exists it. Irey gapes and has to place her hands over her thumping chest to calm her excitement down.
He stands there and looks around, probably completely confused as to why he was standing in a park with his violin.
Irey takes in a deep breath, it's working, okay, why is she so nervous? The worst that could happen is he came all the way down here to tell her off... if he did... she doesn't know what she'll do but the competition is tomorrow.
She doesn't have time to waste. She just hopes this works.
With a large smile on her face she bounces and waves.
Damian catches sight of her and pauses before making up his mind and walking towards her.
Irey can't help it, he looks so... shiny against the afternoon sun. She can't look away.
"West."
Her heart flips. "H-hi Damian. Fancy meeting you here." She says nervously, trying to appear calm.
"A park? Why did we need to be here to practice, your competition is tomorrow, why aren't you taking extra time and being more serious?"
"No!" She puts a finger up to his face and cuts him off, "no more serious." She twirls away and grabs her violin and jumps up on a nearby park bench. "We need to loosen up!" And she lets out a decently timed note of a jumpy simple song she learned a while back for fun.
Damian stares at her as she plays fast and probably off beat but she doesn't care, she grins at him and taps her foot and smiles at passing children pointing at her and parents stopping with them to watch.
She waves Damian over and he shakes his head sullenly.
Irey rolls her eyes and smiles, jumping off the benches still playing and starts skipping around Damian, she knows her imperfections are probably driving him nuts but she doesn't care. She laughs as she changes the song and the crowd grows around them, she judges Damian and stops abruptly and points her bow at him.
It goes silent and Damian stares at her as she tries to coax him into being a normal human.
Coaxing isn't going to work. Goading though...
"What's the matter Damian? Scared that I'm better than you?"
He scoffs, "you and I both know that isn't true..."
She smirks and wiggles her eyebrows, "prove it."
He doesn't have to let her goad him, she knows, but she hopes, she hopes, he just falls for it.
He clicks his tongue, raises his violin and the song he suddenly plays was the ost from Pirates of the Caribbean.
Irey lets out a whoop and people applause as she dances and randomly copied his song.
Damian plays and then she sees it, he plays one song and another and another and the people surrounding them are alive.
Irey stops dancing and stands there amongst the excited crowd. And watches him. Really watches him. He's standing on the bench now and she doesn't believe what she's seeing.
He's face isn't impassive and cold. It's warm and flushed and he almost laughs when a little girl yanks at his leg.
And he looks absolutely breath taking.
Everything becomes a rush of air around her and Irey can't stop looking. And she can't stop thinking.
Damian Wayne is amazing.
The sun is setting and Irey likes this part of the city, it was nice because it was one of the only places you could sit on top of a green hill and watch the sun set in the bay.
After the excitement that afternoon she'd convinced Damian to hang out with her, she'd brought a basket of sandwiches and juice and she hoped he wouldn't just ditch her, but he'd made some dumb excuse that it would be rude to refuse food and now she and Damian are sitting on a blanket staring at the splay of reds, pinks, and deep purples of the sunset.
Irey doesn't think she's ever felt as peaceful or happy as she does in this moment.
"Had fun, hmm?" She asks casually and turns to look at Damian.
Even his profile is perfect, Irey can't believe someone could have so much perfection about him, his smooth, slightly pointed, nose, angular jaw line, and styled spiky hair. She wonders what he looks like when his hair isn't styled. She can't really picture him not being put together to sharp perfection.
"It was... not a regular day."
Irey snorts and hugs her knees. "You played amazingly."
He scoffs, "I'm sure you would think so."
She rolls her eyes, "yeah me and like twenty other people. Your songs were fun Damian, and you know what?"
"I'm sure you'll tell me even if I don't want to know."
She ignores him, "you had fun playing them. I saw it."
He stays silent.
"Didn't you realize you were having fun?"
"I... just played."
"Exactly!" Irey grins, happy he noticed, "you just played, you didn't think about notes and pace and tune and perfection. You just played."
"It was... not -"
"And you know something else?" She barrels on bravely, her insides shaking a bit, "that day of your concert?"
He stiffens
"You played the best you've ever played. It was beautiful, usually your music is perfect but... that time, your music was meaningful and beautiful." And she means every word as she stares at him.
Damian says nothing but she notices the subtle tremors in his hand.
She thinks maybe she should stop talking so she turns back to the sunset.
"My mother expects perfection."
Irey's heart thumps in her chest, "oh?" She says as casually as she can.
"She was one of the greatest violinists of Europe in her a youth." Damian continues slowly, numbly, "her career ended when she conceived me."
Irey's eyes widen but she doesn't dare say anything.
"She found out she was pregnant after she'd left my father. Then she and my grandfather were determined to make me the next greatest musician."
Irey holds her breath.
"The Al Ghul legacy will live on in utter perfection."
Irey's eyes widen twice, Al Ghul?! His mother was Talia al Ghul? That abusive mother was... one of the greatest women violinist of her age?
"And if I wasn't..."
Irey's eyes water as she sees the image of his mother slapping him, his jaw ticks and she knows he's thinking of it too.
He doesn't continue, Irey doesn't want him to. She doesn't realize what she's doing until her hand touches his. Damian takes in a sharp breath and Irey freezes, suddenly terrified that she's made him upset.
Then he turns his eyes to her and he stares into hers. He opens his mouth to say something but it must get lost in his brain because she sees a sliver of sadness flash across his face.
Irey realizes that she wants him to never feel sad again.
He turns back to the sunset and Irey does the same. They sit there in silence, the warm contact of their hands fills her up and she feels like the warmth has wrapped them up in a safe bubble, away from hard reality and cruelties of expectation.
She slowly reaches for her violin and sets herself up, Damian watches her as she takes in a deep breath and start her piece, the piece they've been practicing for nearly two months.
And when she plays it the tension seeps out of her and she plays it without worrying about her form or speed or tone.
And when she reaches the end she opens her eyes and Damian has a soft look on his face that makes her stomach swoop.
"Perfect."
At this moment Irey decides she has one more person to win the competition for.
Thoughts are appreciated.