They chatted for two blocks until they came to a street that was well known for it's many food places.

"What would you like to have for lunch?" he asked her.

She stopped walking and tilted her head. "Don't you want to choose?"

It continuously caught him off guard how she always thought of others before herself.

Even with small things like restaurant choices.

"I picked both the cafe and the diner." He motioned ahead. "I would also like to see what you would choose when you have this many options."

This way he'd find out what she enjoyed.

That was all she needed to accept it and start looking around.

It was obvious she found something as she practically glowed.

"I have an idea!" And then she pulled him into a grocery store.

For some time they quietly strolled through the aisles.

She would sometimes stop to take a closer look at a shelf while he tried to figure out what she had in mind.

The silence was far from uncomfortable.

It continued up until the moment where Marinette's eyes froze on something behind him.

A loud group of teenagers, her classmates, walked by the front of the store.

He could even see the catboy in the middle of everyone.

It took massive measures of self control to not laugh out loud at how shaky he looked.

Guess Jason's midnight visit carried some fruit after all.

There was so many emotions playing on that kid's face it was uncanny.

Angel was another story entirely.

Her eyes might have caught on them, but there wasn't any emotions he expected on her face.

It was just blank.

Then she went back to trying to find a nice packet of strawberries.

"I looked into it." An admission he couldn't see himself giving anyone else.

"Huh?"

Yes, in hindsight he could have been clearer.

Well, well.

Time for attempt number two.

"You were in that irritating tour group at WE two days ago. I went over the footage from your visit." He saw how realization dawned on her. "There were too many red signs for me to stop there. I looked into your class and school."

It sank in. "You have questions."

She didn't ask how much he'd found or how he did.

Just accepted it for what it was.

"Only one actually."

"Let's hear it."

"Why didn't you tell me it was this bad?" He put a hand on her shoulder to stop her from turning away from him. "I knew your school situation wasn't the best, but what you told me didn't make it justice. The nicest thing I can say is that they're imbeciles."

It really was.

Don't get him started on the worse ones.

She looked him straight in the eye. "You're right. They're imbeciles. But if I told you every little detail about why that is then they'd win."

"Why would that happen?"

Not that he didn't like that fire in her eyes, but he just didn't understand.

It didn't make sense to him.

"They might be a group of bullies, liars and backstabbers, but they have not broken me. At this point they're nothing more than annoying flies and that's the only part they get. I refuse to let them be the antagonists of my life."

She didn't even raise her voice.

It was said in the same volume normally used to discuss the weather.

But her tone was pure venom.

Absurdly enough it made him more than content to know she wasn't all sunshine and roses.

He'd had his speculations and had seen hints of it, but this was something else.

Intriguing.

"I can approve of that mindset." They started walking around again. "It does also explain why your looking for schooling in other places."

She snorted. "It wasn't the original plan. I was supposed to be placed in another class this year, but my teacher hijacked my transfer. Didn't find out until it was too late."

That also explained why she was trying to find a scholarship in September because she was definitely a planner at heart.

But it was probably time for a topic change.

Something less frustrating.

"Any chance you'll tell me why we're buying strawberries and crisps for lunch?"

"Don't forget the chocolate."

He didn't get it until they made it to the tills and she grabbed a basket and a blanket from the special deals rack.

They popped in to a cafe across the street.

Two take away salads along with two water bottles were added to the basket.

The bell on top of the door pinged as they exited.

"What do we do now?"

"Now we have a picnic."

He'd figured as much.

Never had he actually been to a picnic, but one thing he was relatively sure of.

"Don't you usually have those at a park or something like that?" He wanted to know what she had planned.

She smiled, but mischief tinted her eyes. "Think you can keep up?"

He followed her as she darted into the closest alleyway.

He was right behind her as she went up the fire escape to the top.

Next to her on the roof he stood as she contemplated the buildings around her.

"There," she said and started running towards the edge.

Unafraid.

She leaped over and around obstacles many feet above the ground.

In the future he would probably point out this very moment as the moment he fell head over heels for her.

It had been a long time coming and he knew it, but that moment with only them so far above the rest of the world and her laugh echoing across the rooftops was the moment he knew there would never be anyone else.

Marinette was as carefree as he'd ever seen her bouncing across Gotham's rooftops to an unknown destination.

Taunting death and laughing in the face of danger.

And Damian?

Damian followed.