stinglikeabee: classic denny colt  (DCU_freeforall)
[personal profile] stinglikeabee
Title: Are We Understood?
Claim: General DCU
Characters/Pairings: Damian Wayne, Alfred Pennyworth
Rating: PG-13 for naughty words
Summary: Alfred. Damian. Vegetables. The hard way.
Word count: 580
Prompt: Vegetable (T15, P030)
Disclaimer: DC owns my soul the characters
Notes: Wow, have I been neglecting the table 0____0 Anyways, this is inspired by my mother who is a constant source of quotes to my friends however many times I tell them it isn't funny. She's constantly saying things like 'chicken is a kind of potato' in order to get me to eat meat and it never works.


It had been more than a decade since the last time a young boy would challenge his words at the dinner table, and more still since young Master Bruce attempted the same.

Alfred pressed his lips together until they nearly disappeared from his features.

This would not do at all.

'Master Damian,' he began, but stopped when the scowling dervish with his fingers in the mashed potatoes appeared to have a sudden case of momentary deafness. Alfred snapped his fingers. The boy glanced up, annoyance flashing darkly in his eyes at being interrupted.

'WHAT.'

Not a question, nor a statement of fact. This young urchin had managed to condense years of learned self-preservationist instinct and raw rage into a single word, then hurled it in Alfred's face. It was as if the boy had been raised by wolves. Or Talia. Same difference.

'There's no excuse for being rude, young Damian.' And before the inevitable interruption, Alfred's words rang louder in the large dining hall. 'I mean to teach you manners, including the proper use of utensils at the dinner table.'

'Fuck you, old man.'

The little bugger then picked up a chicken leg and gnawed into the flesh, his taunting eyes boring into Alfred's all the while.

Alfred's back stiffened. He really was too old for this.

'How very mature of you,' he said, clearing the table and picking up the dinner plate. 'It looks like manners aren't the only thing you're lacking.'

Damian screwed up his face, looking like an infant at the moment before a loud screamfest. In this case, Alfred was sure he would shortly be witnessing a Damian-patented temper tantrum.

'I hate you.'

Alfred sighed. That he could work with.

'Gimme my plate back.' Damian held the drumstick in the direction of Alfred's neck. 'I'm not finished.'

'Indeed,' Alfred said. 'You haven't touched your vegetables.'

He watched as Damian's eyes moved to the unmolested side dish and made a disgusted noise.

'Full of vitamins and minerals, they are. It's what all your father's compatriots eat to stay strong and healthy.'

Damian chomped the bone to the marrow.

Time to try a different tactic. 'Finish that plate, young Master, and there might be dessert.'

'No.'

He tried smiling. 'Yes.'

'Gimme my plate.'

'The vegetables, Damian.'

The boy gnawed on the end of the chicken bone. 'Chicken is a kind of vegetable.'

That was the last straw. 'Eat the bloody vegetables and your father's reaction about the mess you made with his batarangs in the cave will be the last of your worries, you mouthy little blighter.'

Damian dropped the chicken bone, mouth open. Seeing his chance, Alfred swooped in to collect the splintered bone and push the plate towards the boy.

'Are we understood?'

Damian's eyes momentarily regained the toughness he so tried to project, but it quickly flamed out in the presence of Alfred's fierce tut-tutting.

'Yes,' the boy muttered, glaring at the perfectly tender late summer dish of succotash.

It was one thing to insult a person and misuse cutlery, but to tolerate such blatant falsehood?

Any rightminded person would not stand for it. As Alfred watched Damian shovel the vegetables into his mouth with a spoon, he made a mental note to discreetly inquire after the eating habits of Tim and Dick. Those two had better not pretend pizza was a vegetable either.

Date: 2009-01-02 01:19 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] darthbatgirl.livejournal.com
LOL this was brilliant. Damian is such a brat, but he's no match for Alfred!

Date: 2009-01-03 06:22 am (UTC)
ext_12211: Mysterious man in hat and suit (cained)
From: [identity profile] stinglikeabee.livejournal.com
Aw, thank you! At first I thought Alfred ought to be cool as a cucumber here but well, this *is* Damian. He just rubs everyone the wrong way :D

Date: 2009-01-02 04:27 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] fictionalknight.livejournal.com
*lol* I totally love Alfred - and exactly for reasons like this. hee!

Damian deserved that and more.. little brat!

Well done!!

Date: 2009-01-03 06:22 am (UTC)
ext_12211: Mysterious man in hat and suit (cained)
From: [identity profile] stinglikeabee.livejournal.com
*nods* I can see Alfred administering spankings if he could get away with it. Thanks for the comment!

Date: 2009-01-02 06:46 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] dragonbat2006.livejournal.com
ROFL! I loved it!

Date: 2009-01-03 06:24 am (UTC)
ext_12211: Mysterious man in hat and suit (imp)
From: [identity profile] stinglikeabee.livejournal.com
Glad you enjoyed :D

Date: 2009-01-02 07:19 pm (UTC)
ext_127536: (Default)
From: [identity profile] cold-nostalgia.livejournal.com
Lol! Alfred has the patience of ten saints. Great stuff as always:)

Date: 2009-01-03 06:25 am (UTC)
ext_12211: Mysterious man in hat and suit (cained)
From: [identity profile] stinglikeabee.livejournal.com
Alfred may have the patience of ten saints. Michael Caine on the other hand... :P

Aw, you're really much too kind!

ROFL!!

Date: 2009-01-03 04:02 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] jbramx2.livejournal.com
*Dies laughing* oh god, oh god! *cackles* Alfred, you rock. XD and that last line. Bwaha ha ha ha ha!! Watch out Dick and Tim! Bwaha ha ha ha ha!

Re: ROFL!!

Date: 2009-01-03 06:26 am (UTC)
ext_12211: Mysterious man in hat and suit (batman laughs)
From: [identity profile] stinglikeabee.livejournal.com
Dick and Tim would be shaking in their boots if the phone started ringing around dinner time. Glad you enjoyed, and thanks for the comment!

Date: 2009-01-05 04:26 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] arch-schatten.livejournal.com
Hahaha! AWESOME! I love your Damian voice! I am really fond of him, probably because he is such a brat. Hohoho, it runs in the family! Your Alfred, though, is perfect. (This relates to my previous comment! hee!) I love how we get to see a glimmer of what Alfred went through as a parent figure with Bruce and the Robins, and how Damian is no match for him.

'WHAT.'

Not a question, nor a statement of fact. This young urchin had managed to condense years of learned self-preservationist instinct and raw rage into a single word, then hurled it in Alfred's face.


I have a hard time not laughing at that! but I also feel pretty bad for Damian. He's young and in need of some boundaries that make sense, and love. Poor kid. But Alfred! Alfred will fix it all. As much as it can be fixed. It's not like it's his first time, after all..

I really enjoyed this! I would love to see more Damian! Thank you for sharing this :)

Date: 2009-01-05 07:10 am (UTC)
ext_12211: Mysterious man in hat and suit (alfred)
From: [identity profile] stinglikeabee.livejournal.com
Hee, thank you! I have a soft spot for Damian, too. He reminds me a lot of Jason, except Damian never grew up knowing he had the love and security Jason had with Bruce and Alfred. Who knows, maybe this year's Battle for the Cowl would mean more respectful scenes between the baby of the Batclan and Alfred. Oh, who am I kidding? About a page into the family reunion, Jason would probably pound Damian into the ground for swearing at Alfred :P

I was reminded of one thing whilst writing this: a scan of Alfred yelling in a very scary way for an injured Dick to return to bed. We see sarcastic and droll Alfred a lot, but somewhere, buried between the lines, is an incredibly frightening man when crossed. <3 him!

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