Raven had fun playing with everyone as they talked about Damian's obnoxious childhood. Some stories she already knew about, but seeing the men of the Wayne Mansion put the effort into doing a little role play with each story–made every detail they talked about even more entertaining.

She genuinely enjoyed their company.

"You should probably head up then, settle in and rest a bit before dinner." Dick offered when he noticed that it was already 3 P.M.

"Oh, wow, it's 3 already." Tim whistled.

Raven glanced at the clock and she was surprised too, "It seems that I was enjoying our conversation too much." She laughed. In her mind, she was still seeing the many versions of Damian from all their stories.

"Alright, I won't bother you guys anymore then." Raven teased.

"Oh, no, no, you are no bother," Stephanie interjected.

Cassandra waved at Raven with a nod, agreeing with Stephanie.

"I know, I was kidding." Raven smiled and laughed. "I should go."

Raven got up and left the room and she heard their feet shifting, a sense of dread followed Raven. She rested her back against the wall by the doorframe and could faintly hear Stephanie say worriedly, "Is it bad? He said he'd be here, Dick."

"Steph, let's not add any more stress on Dick." Came Tim's voice.

"What are we going to do? It looks really bad," It was Stephanie again, and before she could hear any more things that she wasn't supposed to hear, Raven made her way to Damian's bedroom.

The walk to his bedroom felt heavy, her head felt so light, she couldn't breathe properly.

Raven was struggling. Stephanie's voice repeated, 'It looks really bad' in her mind.

Raven shut the door of Damian's bedroom behind her and that act felt like she could finally breathe. She trod to his window, this time she was hearing her father.

I will kill him.

She placed her tightly clenched fists on the windowsill, she was shaking but Raven wasn't registering any of her body's reactions. Her violet eyes gaze up to find her reflection in the window's glass and she stared at herself. Her breathing is shaky.

She must control herself. She kept her eyes on herself, watching the glow of her eyes, waiting for it to disappear.

A knock came and she turned to the door quite startled.

"Raven? Hey, it's me." It was Dick's voice and she was confused about why he was there, "It's time for dinner."

Raven's eyes were clearly shaking, she was even more confused, it was still– she turned her head to look out the window only to see that the sun had already set, quite far from the yellow hue when she entered Damian's bedroom.

Raven collected herself, she made her way to the door and opened it a little and through a small crack. "Oh, gosh, sorry, I fell asleep, I didn't notice the time."

Another lie, she was quite well aware.

"Your eyes are red– but I guess that makes sense, well then, get to preparing and come down, we still have tons of stories to share with you." She nodded at his words and he smiled.

"I will go down in a bit then," Raven answered.

"No, take your time." Dick smiled again and she simply nodded and watched him leave.

Raven ran to the bathroom to check on her eyes, hoping that when he said red it wasn't her iris. Thankfully, it was just the whites of her eyes.

She sighed aloud. "What am I going to do?", she stared at the mirror.

Raven then made her way down to the dining hall, leaving all her emotions in the bedroom. She did not have the time to nurse them. She was here for a reason.

When Raven got to the dining hall, she noticed the empty seats of Bruce and Damian.

"Sorry, they would be here if they can," Dick spoke, noticing Raven's gaze, "Bruce is… held back with work, and Damian…well you know he is stuck on a mission."

Raven's lips parted but then came another woman's voice, "Sorry I'm late, I got held back a bit, I would have been here earlier if I wasn't." Raven turned to see Barbara and she smiled at the redhead.

"Oh, no worries," Raven said, but in her head, if Barbara was held back, it was more proof of the danger the Justice League was facing and all their counterparts, like the Titans which Damian was a part of.

But everyone in the room was quiet and Raven had to reassure everyone, "Honestly guys, don't worry about me."

Dick stared at everyone in the room, Stephanie, Cassandra, Tim, Jason, Barbara, Alfred who arrived behind Barbara, and then Raven. "Sorry, we just– we don't want to make you uncomfortable, but it seems like we are doing just that." He gave her a weak smile and Raven just shook her head.

"You know, in some way, I can see him in all of you when you all act like this," Raven said, and then silence and then a burst of laughter.

"Oh, that was not a compliment!"

"I don't want to be compared to that brat!"

"Oh, I totally see it, actually."

"Hmm… not wrong I suppose."

"It's probably from Bruce."

Raven didn't keep track of who said who, but she just smiled, because at least her day wasn't filled with silence, so she was nothing but grateful for all these people who were with her right now.

"Well, let's have dinner." She urged everyone and they nodded as some still complained about the comparison but settled down in their seats.

The evening was fun, and Raven enjoyed it. They all seemed more relaxed now and she was happy with this outcome. Damian was not here, but this was rather pleasing.

When the talking after dinner dragged on for an hour, Raven noticed the worried gaze that each member was passing around each other.

"It seems that you guys have things to discuss." Raven smiled politely, getting ready to leave.

"Oh no, Raven, it isn't like that." Barbara stared and glared at Dick as if to say to do something.

"No, really it's okay." Raven stood up. "I was in all your shoes before, I shouldn't take more of your time than I already have. I enjoyed dinner, thank you." She smiled at them.

Stephanie turned to look at Dick and then stared at Raven, "If you need anything, just come find us."

Raven nodded, she had fun indeed, and she felt that she could at least sleep well tonight. That was what she thought as she left the dining hall.

"Barbara?" It was Dick's voice laced with worry.

For a second, Raven felt worry wash over her. A sense of dread that almost made her forget to breathe. But then she recalled that she had placed a protective spell on Damian, and of course, her members from the Titans, and none of their spells were broken.

Meaning they were safe.

The thought calmed her as she made her way to Damian's bedroom again.

When she arrived, she noticed that her bag was on the couch at the foot of Damian's bed. Though, as she studied the chair, she thought that it was better described as a bench as it didn't have a backrest.

Raven's eyes shifted to study every inch of his room. She didn't recall being here that afternoon. At least what the room looked like seemed vague in her mind, but she had been in this room for more times than she could count.

Overall, Damian's room was rather dark, quite different from their apartment. He kept saying he'd change the aesthetics of his childhood bedroom, but he never did, because he wasn't here as much anyways.

Damian had many beds, and their apartment was just one of those many beds he has.

His room was almost entirely black, he just brushed it off to her as him being quite the troubled child, which wasn't wrong. But there were some colors here and there of some shades of violet, green, and red. Colors that reminded him of her and him. The oddest color combination she probably saw.

But he told her he liked being reminded of her and his origins.

There were also shades of grey too, but overall, his bedroom in the mansion was just too dark.

Raven sighed and noticed that the room was quite cold. She then became rather skeptical if he would make it to his own birthday party. But he still had two more days.

Azarath, please keep him safe.

She prayed with shaking hands as she looked at his bedroom.

Raven decided that a shower before going to bed would help her sleep better. And so she went to the bathroom and couldn't help but smile at how different the bathroom was from his bedroom. White tiles accented with some black and grey, but the main color was white.

She recalled him telling her that when he decided how his bathroom would look, white seemed like the practical thing to use because it would be easier to identify if the bathroom needed cleaning.

It made sense. It truly did.

Raven stripped her clothes and hopped into the shower and she let the cold water wake her. She was convincing herself to keep to her plan.

She will tell him that they will talk. After his birthday. Only after. She will not back out. She cannot.

She stood there lost in thoughts for over twenty minutes and then she recalled she hadn't soaped herself yet. Raven intuitively moved her wrist to where the soaps were, and her eyes locked on his hygiene products even though he also prepared hers and was placed beside his bottles of cleansing products.

Raven picked up his bottle of shampoo. She bit her lip and turned the shower head off as she studied his shampoo.

At this moment, she missed him so much that she almost forgot to breathe. She would tell him the truth and just hope that everything would be alright.

But only after his birthday.

She pumped the liquid body soap on her hand and then she washed herself up, using every product except those that were supposed to be for her.

Raven stepped out of the bathroom smelling like Damian, which was what she preferred. Wrapped in a thick dark green towel that he owned. Oddly enough, she no longer missed him like she did a moment ago while in the shower. And being surrounded by his scent was more comforting than anything.

Her violet eyes brushed the contents of his room again. His bed was in front of her, slightly to the right. The door leading out of the bedroom was on the wall on her left. And on her direct right was a bookshelf and a vanity with all his other hygiene products littered with her things such as make-up and her skincare. And between the bathroom door and vanity was another door which led to his walk-in closet. On the right wall, opposite the bedroom door, there were windows and big dark curtains and there was a table with two chairs in the corner in the general right area.

Raven then suddenly smiled, recalling the time he asked to dance with her in the center of this very room. He was bigger than her, so a little tug from him was quite a powerful force for her. But he wasn't always that big, she still remembered when he was still the new Robin and they were still in their teens.

Her hair was still wet, and in every corner of the room, she recalled bits and pieces of their moments together in this sacred place.

Everything here was his. Including her.

There was an almost ghostly sad smile on her lips.

Raven turned around to scavenge for the blow dryer that he kept in the vanity drawer and sat down facing the mirror as she dried her hair. She could almost see Damian stand behind her and help her dry her hair, he would do that for her.

It was a memory she didn't expect to surface.

She wondered how long it had been since he did that. She also wondered when was the first time he did that for her.

Raven didn't completely dry her hair, but she unplugged the dryer and left it on the vanity. She got up and walked into the closet. About 70% were his clothes, but there was a section dedicated to her alone, and it wasn't a small section because his closet wasn't small at all.

There was a table at the center, the top was glass so that you can see the watches and jewelry he owned, some of which are for her. There were also drawers there that held socks, ties, gloves, scarves, underwear, and other small accessories. And of course, she had her own drawer for any possible thing she'd need when she was here.

Damian was meticulous.

But Raven preferred their small closet at the apartment he got for her– for them. A closet that could virtually be placed into a suitcase.

Everything here screamed Damian and yet the man himself was nowhere to be seen. But she hoped that he was safe and well.

Because if he wasn't safe and well, she was so afraid of what she'd do.

Raven stood before his collection of shirts and she smiled, thinking of how tight they looked on him, and yet, on her, it was like a dress. She picked out a shirt that was the color of his eyes and wore it, opting not to wear any underwear. She slowly walked barefoot back to the bedroom.

She had to admit the change of scenery made her feel better. It made her dark thoughts hideaway. Or maybe because she was surrounded by things that were his that it felt like he was there enveloping her in a warm hug.

She lay at the center of his bed, curled up. With damp-ish hair, she closed her eyes, wondering if she would get sick because she slept like this, would he even worry?

Maybe run to her just like he did when she was in that building taken as a hostage?

But it was an absurd thought.

Raven never got sick.

She did hope though, that when she woke, he would be behind her with an arm over her waist, hugging her as she returned to sleep.

But when she woke up, there was no such thing. It was still night out and he was nowhere to be seen. She sighed aloud. She did feel cold and decided to go under the thick sheets and resumed her sleep.

It seemed like he only had two days left to keep his promise to her.

Raven woke up at the crack of dawn. At first, she wanted to go back to sleep but then worried about what she would be wearing for Damian's birthday party.

The thoughtfully awoke her.

Raven frowned, got up, and went to his closet. She was certain there were clothes there that she hadn't worn yet. And knowing Damian, even if she was rarely here, he'd still refresh her wardrobe just in case. She went to the section of the closet that was for her which specifically had clothes in a garment dress bag. For certain, these ones had to be formal wear.

There were about ten to maybe twenty-five clothes hanging in a bag, and she went through a number of them until she had at least three options.

She laid the cocktail dresses on the table chewing on her lip.

All three dresses were cocktail dresses. After all, Damian's birthday party was semi-formal and held at dinner. She couldn't help but recall how intimidating those parties were, thankfully because Damian hid his girlfriend so she didn't have to attend these functions.

One was cream colored, and it had some gems and crystals on the waist going down to the A line waist skirt and the sleeves were almost robe-like that would almost reach her elbow. To Raven, it looked like a dress for a bridal party.

She sighed and pursed her lips. She glanced at the bright red dress beside it and it looked quite scandalous in comparison to the first dress. With a very low neckline that would almost reach her stomach, she was certain she would risk some boob spillage. It was a bodycon dress– in fact, it looked a bit too small and tight. But she had learned from past experience that Damian always gets the right size for her, no matter how doubtful she is, the things he prepared would always be the perfect size.

On the bright side, the red dress had long-fitting sleeves and sharp shoulder pads.

And then, there was the last dress. It was a black bodycon dress, but it didn't look as tight as the red one. The neckline looked like it might be low too but that might be because it was an off-shoulder design and then there was a little v-cut at the cleavage area. The plunging neckline was nothing in comparison to the red dress.

Another sigh.

The only way to know how they really look on her would be to wear them.

She stared at herself in the mirror with the cream dress on and she really looked like she was going to attend a bridal shower. She shook her head and quickly changed into the red one.

And if it was for a different occasion, the dress might be it. But it seemed like she'd have to be completely naked underneath if she didn't want any underwear lines to be visible with this particular dress. It did make her breasts look really nice, but it was way too deep and very nip-slip possible and the shortest in length out of all the three options. Maybe if it was their anniversary and they were alone, this would be the dress.

And so Raven tried the third one and it was perfect.

This would be her first public appearance as Damian Wayne's girlfriend. He always talked about having a girlfriend and that his eyes were only for one woman, but no one believed this phantom entity because Damian and Raven agreed to keep their relationship private. However, months ago they agreed that it was time for Raven to at least be seen arm-in-arm with him.

And so, first impressions matter.

This was her.

It was rather plain, but it wasn't as tight fitting as the red dress so she'd be able to wear undergarments. This dress might look close to a business dress, but it was better off than the first dress. The paparazzi or journalists might start assuming they were going to announce a wedding, which is not what she would want.

Damian had at least taught her that much about being careful with how the tabloids can twist and turn small details for their own benefit.

With her dress decided, Raven would have to figure out the accessories. Thankfully, Damian had prepared anything she could possibly ask for, and if she didn't have it, he told her to ask Alfred for assistance.

Raven went through all the things already in his closet and carefully planned every piece, and even decided on makeup and hair.

It was a couple of hours later when someone came knocking at the bedroom door. She barely heard it but yelled for the person to come in. She was on the floor, back in Damian's shirt but now wearing shorts and her hair tied messily at the top of her head.

"Sorry to disturb you Raven, but I thought you'd be hungry…" She heard Dick say.

"Oh, no problem, you may come in, I'm in the closet and decent." She said not thinking much about his presence.

Dick Greyson followed her instructions and entered the closet, she turned her head to him, "Do you think I should prepare Damian's suit?"

Dick's brows were furrowed and then he frowned, "I… I think he'd wear a suit he already has in the tower."

Raven turned her head back at the shoe section and nodded, "Of course, that makes sense."

But to her Dick just confirmed that Damian might only arrive on his birthday. And she fought her natural reaction to suck her lips in disappointment.

What Damian is doing is important, and so it is important to her too.

Suddenly she heard a soft meow, her eyes lit up a little.

"Alfred? Is that you?" She tried to take a peek from behind Dick and there came the black cat slowly approaching her with its white paws.

Raven patted the cat as he rubbed his head against her thigh. Dick silently observed.

"After lunch, we plan to go and play outside, I hope you join us." Dick quickly added.

Raven nodded, "Alright, I'd love to." Brushing Alfred's spine.

Raven had brunch with Dick, Tim, Jason, and Cassandra and it was filled with laughter. She didn't feel like there was an impending doom, but she was aware of the absence of Stephanie and Barbara, but her company made sure she wouldn't dwell on it by entertaining her. Of course, this was all her guesses.

When brunch ended, they waited for an hour before they went out to play frisbee, Cassandra informed her that after their match, Stephanie and Barbara would stop by to have a girls' spa day in the mansion and get mani-pedis.

"Oh, I want to join in." Dick smiled. "Let's all join in boys"

Jason rolled his eyes but didn't say no and Tim just sighed saying, "I could use a massage…"

And that was how Raven's day went. She played frisbee with the family in their big yard, if you'd call it a yard, and then she had a spa day and mani-pedis with everyone except her boyfriend.

The longing for her lover couldn't completely be erased even when everyone has been nothing but accommodating. But she supposed it couldn't be helped.

When evening came and dinner was done. Raven noted how Stephanie and Barbara didn't stay over. She inquired about their attendance at Damian's birthday but was followed by the information that they couldn't be there.

A quiet reminder to Raven of how bad things is.

"I understand." She smiled at them politely.

Another day down and there was no sign of Damian Wayne.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~

Author's Note:

Thankfully, I finished this before I posted the previous chapter.

The next one of this is done, by word count aim, but I cut a few pieces, so this birthday party might become a 3-parter. Sadly, I have not added anything new to that one, so the next update might take some time.

I wanted to make a monthly update, but I can't make promises. I really shouldn't. So no promises.

I hope you guys enjoyed this.

Thanks for waiting and being interested in this story.

And I don't know if I mentioned it, but the poll I did basically asked for a summary of this, which I still have to get around to making too.

R&R. I'd like to hear your thoughts; it brings me joy to see comments. I do reread them.