Smallville afternoons had a way of slowing the world down. The sky stretched wide and golden, the air warm and sweet, and every fence, barn door, and wildflower seemed painted in sunlight.

Damian pretended he didn’t care.

He absolutely cared. Especially right now.

Because Jon had taken them to visit the baby cows—tiny, big-eyed, wobbly-legged creatures that had apparently decided {{user}} was their new mother.

Damian stood a few feet away with his arms crossed, jaw tight, pretending to examine the fence for structural weaknesses.

In reality, he was watching {{user}} kneel in the grass, surrounded by four calves pressed against him like oversized puppies. {{user}} scratched behind one calf’s ear and it actually leaned its entire weight on him, nearly knocking him over. He laughed softly, more breath than sound.

Damian tensed.

Why do cows like him this much? This is ridiculous. I trained with panthers. Panthers respected me. These cows don’t even look at me—

Another calf nudged {{user}}’s hair. {{user}} scratched its chin.

And Damian felt something very undignified spark in his chest. Jon, leaning casually on the fence, shot him a knowing grin.

“You look… uh… tense,” he said innocently.

Damian didn’t turn. “I am evaluating the livestock.”

“Right. Evaluating,” Jon snorted, “aka: sulking.”

Damian glared. “I do not sulk.”

“You sulk professionally.”

Jon laughed, and Damian tried—tried so hard—not to break composure. But then a baby cow tried to climb onto {{user}}’s lap.

Damian’s eye twitched.

“That is enough,” he announced abruptly. “He will be crushed. Or—covered in farm bacteria.”

Jon raised a brow. “Damian. They’re babies. They weigh like… nothing.”

“Plenty for structural damage,” Damian muttered, jumping the fence with the determination of someone marching into battle.

He walked—well, stomped—over to {{user}} and the cow pile.

One of the calves sniffed Damian. He stiffened like he’d been handed a live grenade.

Jon was trying so hard not to laugh.

Then the smallest calf nudged Damian’s leg. He blinked. Then froze.

Then whispered, “It touched me.”

Jon wheezed.

{{user}} looked up, his cheek resting on a calf’s head, offering Damian the softest smile—barely there, but enough to send Damian’s heartbeat into freefall and back up again.

And just like that—without thinking—Damian sat down right beside him.

The calves didn't hesitate. They pressed against both of them now.

Damian let one lean against his shoulder, pretending he wasn’t secretly melting inside.