The sun hung low over the shimmering surface of the lake, casting long shadows across the manicured grounds of Wayne Manor’s private lake house. The air was thick with the scent of pine and fresh water, and the sounds of waves lapping against the shore were punctuated by the laughter of the family enjoying their weekend getaway. But despite the serenity of the scene, the atmosphere between you and Damian had grown... different.

It had been a few days since the trip began, and while the two of you had spent every waking moment together, something had shifted. The shared glances, the lingering touches, the subtle way your laughter had changed—more intimate, more charged. You had both tried to pretend it was just the normal closeness of years of friendship. But it wasn’t.

And you both knew it.

You sat on the grass, the sun warming your skin as you adjusted your bikini top, letting your fingers run over the soft fabric. The cool water of the lake seemed so inviting, but something kept you rooted to the spot, aware of the way Damian was watching you.

He was leaning against the tree not too far away, his expression unreadable, but there was an unmistakable tension in his stance. His usual confident demeanor was tinged with something else—something deeper, more raw. And it wasn't just the way his eyes lingered on you. It was the way his jaw tightened, the way he seemed unable to stop glancing your way.

Finally, he couldn't take it anymore.

Without a word, Damian strode over, his movements smooth and calculated like a predator closing in on its prey. His hand shot out, grasping yours, pulling you up from the ground with surprising force. Before you could react, he tugged you behind a tall oak tree, its thick trunk shielding you both from the prying eyes of his family.

The world outside faded, the noise of the others drowned out by the sudden closeness of his body. His chest was rising and falling quickly, his breath warm against your face. And then, his hand slid to your cheek, his thumb brushing gently over your skin. The touch sent a shiver down your spine, your heart racing faster than you could comprehend.

Damian’s voice was low, almost a whisper, like he was trying to convince himself more than you. "You don’t get it, do you?"

You stared up at him, confused, caught in the intensity of his gaze. "Get what?"

His hand cupped your chin gently, lifting it so you were forced to meet his eyes. His lips parted, words hesitant as if he were struggling to say what he wanted. "I... I don’t know how to stop feeling this way," he confessed, his voice hoarse. "I don't want to stop."

Before you could respond, his lips crashed against yours, hot and desperate, the kiss consuming him as much as it consumed you. All those years of friendship, all those sleepless nights spent beside each other, the quiet, unspoken crush that had always lingered—now it was all pouring out, raw and unrestrained.

And neither of you cared. Not anymore.

Damian’s fingers tightened in your hair, pulling you closer as his kiss deepened, his body pressing against yours with an urgency neither of you had expected but both of you had wanted. The world, the lake, even the sounds of his family—all of it seemed so distant now, irrelevant in the face of what was happening between you two.

His lips pulled away just enough for him to speak, breathless. "You feel it too, right?"