Written by: BWinner
Author's Notes: I decided I don't have enough holiday pieces in my collections. Damian and Raven being my new couple of choice gave me a chance to rectify that. There's really no other rhyme or reason to this piece. I'll also have to be upfront; this is going to come off as OOC in the fact that the Bat-family will not all be together for the holiday. I know almost next to nothing about Tim Drake and it wouldn't be fair to include every other Robin home but him, so we're keeping it to the bloodline plus Raven.
Warning: A/U, College life, explicit scenes, foul language, borderline PWP, and OOC
Pairings: Damian/Raven, Dick/Kori(mentioned), Bruce Wayne and Selina Kyle(implied).
Rating: NC/17
Christmas in Gotham
The cold weather of the night somehow didn't match the cold descriptions of Gotham she had been given, certainly not now. Beautiful coloured and amber lights were strung on almost every tree and building giving a warmth to the stone gothic structures that made up the city. Raven watched the scenery fly by wondering what was going to be in store for her in the coming week. She had been invited to spend Christmas with her close friend from college, who just happened to be the son of Bruce Wayne, one of the richest and most influential men in the city.
"Damian, are we close?" Raven asked tentatively. Admittedly she was starting to feel slightly intimidated now that reality was sinking in.
"Yes, about ten more minutes and we'll be there," his tone was assured and clipped; he very obviously didn't pick up on the nervous vibes.
True to his word in about ten minutes they were already on the outskirts of the city and heading up a road on a cliffside. Wayne Manor soon came slowly into view and almost grew ominously on the cliffside, this was in spite of the beautiful lightwork on the hedges and along the castle-like structure of the exterior. It only started to feel slightly more welcoming when they were through the iron gates and the true detail of the decoration combined with the warm lighting through the windows came into closer view. Unsurprisingly Bruce Wayne spared no expense on the majesty of Christmas with beautiful fresh fir garlands strung with glittering lights and intricate red, silver, and gold decorations. The final homey touch were the large wreaths that hung on each of the large double entry way doors.
"Master Damian, Miss Raven, how very good to see you," a distinguished British voice greeted them.
"Good evening, Alfred," Damian replied, and Raven was sure she almost saw a hint of a smile.
The older gentleman wasted no time going to the trunk of the car and helping to unload their bags while Damian led Raven inside the house. The young woman's eyes couldn't help but be drawn up, along the grand stair case and to the vaulted ceiling with its intricate, detailed moldings. What struck her most of all was that as she continued through the house something became very apparent, even though the place was full, full of furniture, decoration, detail, it also felt… empty. Strange as that seemed to be, Raven shook it off when her and Damian finally arrived at the dining room. Bruce Wayne was already there, waiting with what looked like a rather large dinner spread. He stood with a smile beside a long dining table that was covered in cooked ham, roasted vegetables, salads and delicate savoury puffed pastries, all on glittering china and sparkling silverware.
"We weren't having Christmas Dinner tonight, were we?" Raven asked with uncertainty.
Bruce laughed good-naturedly. "No, not this evening. Alfred gets like this when we have guests sometimes." He urged the two to sit before taking a seat of his own at the head of the table, and the three of them began their meal. "It's nice to finally meet you Raven, Damian says good things about you and his experience at university when we speak."
"It's good to finally meet you as well, Mister Wayne," the young woman replied. "Also, thank you for welcoming me into your home for Christmas; I know it's somewhat of an unusual thing to do."
The older man laughed now, although to Raven it did sound forced. "Nonsense! Guests are always appreciated. Besides the fact, Damian will now have someone to keep him company for the party tomorrow night."
Raven felt herself choke on her drink and she snapped her head in Damian's direction. He was very careful to avert his gaze and lazily pushed some vegetables around on his plate. "I hadn't intended for her to find out that way, father," he grumbled.
The rest of their meal was a rather tense affair, with those small beginnings of conversation all but effectively cut off. If Raven had felt slightly uncomfortable before she was almost a complete wreck now. Luckily her friend finally seemed to sense these nerves as he did his best to finish his food quickly before politely excusing the two for a more private location. Damian led her to a rather large study, far down an empty corridor, and away from what little prying ears were in the manor.
"I'm sorry," the young Wayne said at last. He took a seat in a large arm chair and continued to do his best to avoid her intense gaze. "I should have been more upfront about what the plans were for Christmas being at this place.
"Damn right!" Raven snapped. She worked to collect herself, but it was hard. "You know how I can get in crowds, Damian; what in the world made you decide this was a good idea?"
"It was not, is not, my intent to make you uncomfortable. When I was thinking about this situation, I believed we could make a small appearance for my father's sake and then get somewhere quiet for ourselves. I'm not a fan of my father's showiness either," he explained.
"I better not be here for you to keep up appearances," she growled.
"Of course not!" Damian took a deep breath, trying to calm himself. "Listen, I didn't say anything because I didn't want to make it sound like emotional manipulation, but my father is alone this year. This is the first time in a long time too; I wouldn't exactly call my family close knit, but Christmas is something we almost never miss when it comes to reconnection. However, this year my brother Dick is meeting his fiancé Kori's parents for the holiday, Tim is on a spiritual retreat, and Jason… has sadly had a bit of a falling out with our dad. It was only going to be me this year, and knowing what I do of your situation and family, I thought we would all be able to keep each others' spirits up as it were."
"Touching, but it doesn't explain the omission of information regarding the party."
"Would you have really said yes if I had mentioned it!"
Raven scowled; he had a point. She stood silently for a moment, contemplating everything he had told her, and he was right, the speech did sound a lot like emotional manipulation. That being said, she did care a lot for her friend, and odd as it was to be in this environment, it was still nice to have someone to share Christmas with; especially someone she had come to be so close to.
"I suppose this was your reasoning for asking me to bring something formal… and here I thought it was just because your father expected a certain attire for Christmas dinner being from the upper class," Raven sighed and her shoulders slumped. "I'll stay, as long as you swear to me, we won't be making a long appearance."
"Like I said Raven, I have no intent of making you uncomfortable," Damian assured.
The dark-haired young woman nodded. "Then if you don't mind, it's been a long day, and I really would like to head to bed."
Raven looked herself over in the mirror one more time. This was as good as it was going to get, and it still felt wrong. She could remember purchasing this dress weeks ago, and her disbelief at the shop owner describing how elegant it looked on her lithe figure; it was a navy crushed velvet, form fitting and floor length with long sleeves and a high neck, but a plunging keyhole back. She felt exposed and, to make matters worse, honestly didn't feel she could move 'elegantly' given the restrictions of the skirt combined with a sling back heel; even if they were low by fashionable standards. With a frown she pinned the last few bits of her hair up, allowing only two strands to frame her face. The sudden knock at her door almost caused her to jump.
"Raven, are you ready?" Damian's voice called. When she finally opened the door, he stood there wide eyed for a moment. "It's time we get down there…"
She took his arm and allowed him to lead her down the hall and to the stairs. Every once in a while, she would look over and study the young Wayne. It was different to see Damian so polished; hair slicked back and in a tuxedo. In this moment he definitely resembled his father, although admittedly more stoic than charming, but it certainly wasn't a bad look on him. As the two got closer Raven could start to hear Bruce and parts of his speech, thanking the people of Gotham and charities he had helped throughout the year for coming. Even closer still and almost all of the older man's speech was clear now, lamenting to the crowd that he was without a good deal of his family this year, then almost as if on cue, he expressed gratitude that Damian had at least come to be with him, along with a friend from his university; and Damian and Raven strode through the doors to be greeted be the crowd of Gotham's citizens smiling and applauding.
Raven's whole body tensed and her grip around Damian's arm tightened. This was mortifying, and she was grateful when Damian didn't drag her up to stand with the distinguished gentleman accompanied by a very attractive blonde woman in a sparkling black dress. Damian merely gave a small wave and half-hearted smile to the crowd before bringing Raven to weave their way through the crowd and to the food and drink table in the back, complete with champagne fountain. Raven would have been mesmerized if she wasn't so horrified.
"What the hell was that?" she hissed.
"An unavoidable irritation," Damian bit out before he took two of the delicate champagne glasses from the top of the display and handed one to Raven. "The two of us will have a drink, eat some appetizers, and share one dance before we can finally sneak out of here."
"Are you serious? You promised you wouldn't do anything else to make me uncomfortable, and I can assure you that was very uncomfortable."
"Look, I'm going to be somewhat the centre of attention no matter what for a little while, and you also promised to join me at this party. We are going to keep things brief, but I am still expected to keep up some appearances as my father's son."
"I'm going to hold you to that," Raven snipped. She took a sip of her champagne and reached around for a plate, to grab some crab puffs and mushroom caps.
At least if she had to be here, she was getting amazing food and drinks out of the deal. The young woman did stick to a corner of the room though and politely declined any attempts at conversation. She couldn't help but watch Damian from where she remained, somewhat intrigued. His demeanor seemed to be different here; there was a mask on similar to his father's as he nodded and shook hands with the various people he spoke to, although he still hadn't seemed to master the art of returning their warm smiles. If these people knew Damian Wayne the way she had come to know him, they'd recognize the sarcastic slant to his lips and annoyance in his eyes.
These exchanges went on for at least another half an hour before he approached her once more. "Come on, they'll think I'm being a bad companion and abandoning you. One dance," he insisted.
Raven scowled, but said nothing and took his extended hand to be led onto the dance floor. Several couples were still out there enjoying the gentle orchestral music, and Raven really hoped she and Damian could blend in to avoid the intense scrutiny of before. This was especially because she was also worried about looking like an idiot, the young woman could count on one hand how many times she had danced with a partner, and it was zero times in a formal setting like this. Once again sensing this anxiety Damian merely mouthed the words: 'follow my lead.'
Carefully the young Wayne took her left hand and placed it on his right bicep then gripped her right hand firmly and held it up before settling his left on the small of her back. When she felt his warm touch on her exposed skin, Raven couldn't help but shiver; this was almost intimate. Gently the young man only moved them from side to side, and chose to stay in a calm almost swaying movement; Raven felt her face flush as she absorbed the sensations of the moment. His grip on her was firm, but still tender, and he looked at her with a soft expression. There was a warmth between the two of them, and as she took a steadying breath, she was suddenly very aware of the subtle cologne he wore. The anger and anxiety she had been feeling were slowly being ebbed away, replaced with something far more unnerving… Raven was startled when the two of them stopped, and she realized there was no more music playing.
"Come on, I said only one dance. Besides, the party is getting into full gear, we should be able to sneak off now," Damian assured.
Raven allowed herself to be led off the dance floor and out of the large noisy room. She noticed, however, that as they made their way thorough the corridors he hadn't let go of her hand from that dance. What's more, she didn't exactly mind. Raven couldn't exactly understand herself right now; she had been alone with Damian on plenty of occasions, but she had never really felt like she did right now. Her cheeks were still flushed, and her pulse felt like it was beginning to race… she was supposed to be angry, not aroused! Her internal struggled had also distracted her from the fact that they weren't in those corridors anymore, they seemed to be in a room. A bedroom.
"Damian, where are we?" Raven asked with slight trepidation.
"Somewhere quiet, and away from prying eyes," he replied. That firm hand still had hers in its grip, though that grip was beginning to loosen only for his thumb to begin to rub and massage that sensitive bit of flesh between her own thumb and index finger. "Your breathing has increased; I didn't realize the dance wore you out so much… or maybe you're now struggling with the feelings I've been struggling with for a while?"
She finally met his gaze and those green eyes sucked her in, his features taking on a seductive almost predatory look. She was supposed to be angry, not aroused, her mind tried to remind her; yet that was a fight she was fast losing! All she could do was squeak out his name before his lips came crashing down on hers. Raven gasped and Damian wasted no time slipping his tongue into her mouth, and as he did this, he guided her back against the door pinning both her hands to it and above her head. She should have been scared, she should have been intimidated, so goddammit why was she so turned on? Raven met his kiss, sliding her tongue against his and feeling him smile into the action. After a long moment of indulgence, he pulled back, and stared down at her.
"You're going to be my treat this Christmas," he said breathlessly.
"Don't ruin the moment," Raven shot back with her own sarcastic smile.
Damian chuckled in a bemused sort of fashion and claimed her lips once more; the action was rougher this time, more wanton and needy. Raven's whole body was pulsing and she gasped suddenly when she felt his hips pin hers to the door, his clothed erection grinding against her clothed vagina. It was too much and she ripped her lips away from his, taking in large gulps of air. Damian was relentless however, and he kissed down the side of her cheek to her earlobe grasping it enticingly between his teeth.
"Come on Raven, let go," he urged as he gyrated his hips harder and faster against her.
Arousal pooled hot in her stomach and it didn't take much more for Raven to do just that, letting out a deep moan as she came. The young woman felt her knees buckle with the intense pleasure of the sensation and Damian's hands finally moved to support her limp form. She was scooped into his arms all too easily and brought over to his bed, then laid down almost tenderly. Raven was still pulsating down there, and drawing shaky breaths as Damian crawled his fingers up her arm to her neck, reaching back to undo the clasp there. Carefully he rolled the fabric down over her arms and torso, pulling it at her hips and whipping it clean off. What he found caused him to stop for a moment, and he just stared before a devilish grin spread across his face.
"You little minx, no underwear; were you planning our encounter from the start?" he asked.
"Of course not," Raven snipped, averting her gaze. "I didn't have anything that wouldn't give me a damned panty line…"
Damian laughed now and swung his legs over her torso to straddle her. "All the better for me!" he crowed, and wasted no time stripping off the coat he wore, then paused to be careful of the bowtie and cufflinks before taking off his dress shirt too. Somewhere between the door and the bed he had kicked his shoes off so removing his pants and boxers took very little time.
Raven instinctively moved her hands to cover herself, but Damian pinned them beside her and shook his head with a smirk. Once again, the action that should have left her intimidated and unnerved was building her arousal, something that was not lost on Damian as he moved forward to kiss her. It was hot and eager; Damian's pent-up list being poured into it. Every once in a while, his erection would slide along her stomach causing both of them to release deep, guttural moans. Raven's whole body was vibrating and she released a sound of frustration when he pulled away; this was short lived when the young man moved down her body to latch his mouth on one of her breasts, sucking and flicking her hardened nipple with his tongue. The young woman was restless now, burning with renewed arousal and a desire to latch on to the man on top of her, as if he could anchor her to this passion clouded world. She struggled to pull free and was surprised when he put up no fight, and allowed her hands to fist in his hair while one of his own hands reached over to fondle her neglected breast, and the other rooted around in his night table drawer.
"Damian," she gasped. "Son of a bitch, Damian, please!"
After some moderate struggle he produced a condom, and in quick fashion pulled back to roll it on before sinking deep into the woman beneath him. Raven called out hoarsely and flung her arms around his back, once more holding on for dear life. The pace Damian set was almost frantic, his desire at its peak. Through his vigorous thrusts he would lean down and steal kisses from Raven's panting lips. It was intense, it was hard, it was, fast… it was thrilling. Raven shivered and felt the stirrings of orgasm building in her stomach once more as she eagerly soaked up all of Damian's passion. With a couple more quick thrusts Damian pushed and held himself inside her, crying out as his orgasm ripped through him. As Raven felt that pulsation inside of her, she followed, calling his name as her second orgasm of the night overtook her.
The two laid there painting and it took a moment for Raven's senses to come back to her; finally, she turned to the young man beside her. "Merry Christmas," she said and flashed a smile to the handsome, devilish young man.
~End
A/N: Merry Christmas to all my fellow Damirae fans who celebrate. I hope this is some kinky holiday fun for some of you. I know I still have a multi-chapter fic I have to get a hustle on, but this holiday one shot just burned its way into my brain. Come January after the chaos of the holiday I should be able to get working on my other project again. Until then, have a wonderful holiday season!