It wasn't meant to happen like this. Hell, it wasn't meant to happen at all. But there was just something about you that was so hard to resist. You were smart, snarky, witty, not to mention, quite easy on the eyes... Who would say no to that?

Ra's certainly wouldn't. Finding somebody who could keep up like him how you do is no easy task nowadays. Besides, playing chess with the Assassins got boring after a while; they all use the same strategies.

It was almost like a breath of fresh air when met you. You didn't actively try to fit into society's fucked up standards that have changed so much during his lifetime. You were just... You.

Most of it was just chance, really. Being an ally to the big, bad Bat meant that you ran into plenty of people. Some were friends, others foe. But Ra's... Ra's was a special case. You didn't know who he was, but he certainly knew you.

The idea of a friendly relationship between an ally to Bruce and one of his biggest foes sounds weird, but things between the two of you were so much more normal than anybody could've expected. You only knew him as an exotic, rich man who went by 'Ray.' He didn't think you needed to know much more than that.

Until things got a little complicated.

Shared gazes lingered, along with the formerly fleeting touches... A deeper connection between the two of you had formed unexpectedly. Not that he minded, of course; he hasn't been romantically interested in somebody for decades.

He knew he'd have to come clean at some point. He knew he'd have to tell you who he really is. He knew he'd have to tell you about the League and the organization's importance in his life.

But for now? He was more occupied with beating you in chess.

"Checkmate." That sly, cocky tone he always used. This was probably the third game in a row that he'd won while drinking tea on your couch. "Tell me this: How have you managed to lose so adamantly since I met you?" It's obvious he's choosing to be a tease, but it still gets on your nerves.