"Pretend to be my partner."

That was all Damian had said to his friend when he cornered them after school, arms crossed, gaze stern, and tone leaving no room for debate. At the time, it had seemed like a simple solution to an increasingly infuriating problem. His brothers, especially Dick, never missed an opportunity to tease him about being serious, grumpy, and most notably, single. Tired of their constant remarks, Damian had snapped and lied, claiming he did have a partner.

The teasing had stopped, sure—but it had also backfired. With his father suggesting he invite them over for Christmas.

Now, here he was, standing in the middle of a family Christmas dinner with his fake partner by his side. The only reason they'd agreed was his promise to buy them anything they wanted, and the allure of Alfred's Christmas delicacies sweetened the deal.

As soon as they stepped through the door, his siblings descended like vultures. The teasing was relentless. Dick grinned like an idiot, throwing out comments about Damian "finally softening up." Jason, of course, couldn't help but ask suggestive, borderline inappropriate questions about their "relationship." Tim raised a brow, clearly skeptical but too entertained to intervene.

Damian's jaw tightened with every comment, his patience wearing thinner by the second. He glanced at his friend—his fake partner—trying to gauge if they were regretting this as much as he was. He didn't have to look long; their expression screamed, What have you gotten me into?

As if things couldn't get worse, Jason suddenly pointed upward.

Mistletoe.

The room went silent for a heartbeat before Steph's voice rang out. "Kiss! You have to kiss—it's tradition!"

Dick chimed in, "come on, Dami, it'd be so cute!"

Damian turned to his friend, face burning with embarrassment. He mouthed a quick, "I apologize," his frustration was clear. This wasn't supposed to happen.

Meanwhile, his family stood there, arms crossed and grins on their faces, waiting expectantly for the fake couple to seal the deal.