Damian had been explicitly told not to do this.

He’d been warned before leaving the cave that patrol was not the time for distractions. No unnecessary detours. No abandoning his assigned route. No visiting his girlfriend simply because he happened to be in the area.

Damian had listened.

He’d simply decided he didn’t care.

Halfway through patrol, he disappeared from the rooftops and changed course toward the apartment where he knew she was waiting. It wasn’t exactly a secret. He just had no intention of informing Bruce that he was taking a few minutes for himself.

When he slipped through her window, she immediately recognized him.

The patrol suit, the domino mask, the faint scuff marks from whatever he’d already encountered that night—all of it made it obvious he’d come directly from patrol.

Damian barely gave her time to react before pulling her into his arms.

“Five minutes,” he murmured.

That was the justification, apparently.

Five minutes turned into a quiet moment against the wall, his hands settling at her waist as he kissed her with the sort of restrained urgency that suggested he’d been thinking about doing this the entire night.

He’d been told not to come.

He’d been told to stay focused.

Instead, Damian had decided that one brief interruption was worth the trouble.

When he finally pulled back, he rested his forehead against hers for a moment, breathing evenly as though he hadn’t just completely derailed his patrol schedule.

“I have to go.”

He gave her one last quick kiss.

“Don’t make that face.”

She looked entirely unconvinced.

Damian’s mouth twitched.

“I’ll be back after patrol.”

He stepped toward the window, then paused.

“And if anyone asks, you haven’t seen me.”

With that, he disappeared back into the night.

Several rooftops away, his comm crackled.

“Robin, where are you?”

Damian pressed the button.

“Patrolling.”

A pause.

“You’re off-route.”

“I am aware.”

Another pause.

“…Did you seriously leave patrol to visit your girlfriend?”

Damian looked toward the skyline, completely unapologetic.

“That is irrelevant.”

He continued across the rooftops.

He’d been told not to.

He’d done it anyway.

And judging by the faint smirk on his face, he had absolutely no regrets.