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When being presented with a husband for what was apparently a belated sixteenth birthday present, Danny hadn’t exactly been happy.
There were so many issues with the contact he’d been presented with. From the whole fact that no one’s consent mattered, apparently, to the fact that he was apparently inheriting contracts from Pariah Dark, Danny was not happy.
Sam and Tucker and Jazz and Danny and Damian had all poured over the contract. There were no loopholes. There were no loopholes because simply put, the contract was simple.
In exchange for a series of ectoplasmic pools—five to be precise—the next direct male descendant of Ra’s Al Ghul would marry the High King of the Infinite Realms upon reaching his sixteenth birthday. The ghost zone didn’t seem to have a concept of divorce, either.
Damian had grumbled something about that explaining his grandfather’s policy of not letting the boys in his family reach adulthood. Ra’s had tried to pull one over on the Ghost King like he was in some kind of fairy tale.
In the end, there was nothing for it. Damian had told his family that he was going on a journey to ‘find himself’ and even though Danny knew that it was fairly out of character, his family had supported him.
They had then spent a few weeks in the Infinite Realms hashing things out. First was the wedding planning, because Danny was the high king, and just because he was already technically legally married didn’t mean the realms weren’t expecting some big bash.
Then they talked boundaries and relationship dynamics. They wanted to be friends at least and so decided to put some effort into that, which led to superheroing and weaponry and fighting and history and the stars and animals. They were good on the friends front, and for that matter, Damian got along extremely well with Sam.
They had agreed, initially, to functionally have an open marriage. Neither particularly wanted to prevent the other from finding their own relationships.
That had lasted all of four months until Jazz had had enough of their dancing around the fact that they actually kind of wanted to be in a real relationship and locked them in a room together after shouting about talking their feelings the fuck out.
So all in all, Danny couldn’t say he particularly minded being married to Damian. Sure, there were issues with how everything had started, but they had made more than the best of it.
Being informed that he was to be married to the high king of an interdimensional realm was not the sixteenth birthday present Damian had been expecting, nor was it a welcome one.
He found solace in the knowledge that his paramour was caught just as off guard as he had been and seemed decent enough in terms of spending a life—afterlife?—with.
The actual falling in love had not been expected.
Damian had been in a few failed relationships. Civilians were oft off put by his general attitude and he found it difficult to navigate the nuisances of such a relationship without revealing his status as the fifth Robin of Gotham. Other heroes didn’t get along well with him and the ones who did typically formed sibling relationships with him.
And yet, he found himself unable to truthfully deny his attraction and desire to be with Danny.
His and Danny’s relationship had lasted two months—admittedly not long unless in comparison to his other ones—when Danny asked a rather wondrous question.
“You know how the contract stipulated that Ra’s would get the ectopits?”
Damian hummed, closing his book on a finger so he could look down at where Danny had been lounging in his lap.
“Well, I mean, it never said that he couldn’t take them back. I honestly think the only reason he didn’t in response to Ra’s pulling his fairly tale bullshit was because that was when he got sealed in the coffin. But, well, anyways, I was thinking…”
Damian felt a rather feral grin begin to spread across his face.
“Timothy has already done a great deal of damage to the structures surrounding them. Further removing them from the equation would infuriate Grandfather.”
Danny let out a small delighted noise. “Then a destroying evil immortal grandfathers road trip is in order then?”
Damian huffed. “If you must phrase it as such.”
Six months later and Damian was seventeen and was nearly the end of what he was fairly certain he could get away with in terms of his journey to find himself, so Danny had dropped him back off in Gotham with the promise that they would still visit. Frequently.
Damian was spending spring break with him in the Infinite Realms during their senior year. Danny was still unclear as to whether or not Damian had pulled strings to get them the same spring break or not, but he wasn’t complaining.
Damian watched him as he paced back and forth in their shared room, unloading all the gossip about the ghosts with an unhinged anxious energy.
“Beloved.”
Danny’s mouth snapped shut mid rant about Johnny-13 driving his motorcycle through Box Ghost’s boxes.
“You seem distressed. What is bothering you?”
Danny opened and shut his mouth. “I… spent two hours helping Boxy clean up his boxes because—“
“Beloved.”
“Right. Uh… yeah, I guess I have been a little stressed lately. It’s nothing I can’t handle, I promise, I’m fine.”
Damian fixed him with a flat look and sat up so he could offer Danny a spot on the bed next to him.
Danny flopped down into and nuzzled into the hug he was being offered. “It’s just… I’ve kind of—“ he sucked in a sharp breathe— “well, I finally— finally feel like I’m starting to— to get things under control. Like, I’m balancing school and this and my parents and being Phantom and— and—” he swiped furiously at his eyes as they began to leak.
“I’ve got college, right? Or, I’m supposed to. But my parents fucked everything up and I can’t even get the loans I need to go to college. And like, Jazz was the same way, but— but she didn’t— none of this— she had enough grades to get a full ride and I— I don’t even have good enough grades to get accepted most places and there’s no community colleges nearby and like— I want to go to college, Dami, I really, really do, but what— what about here and Phantom and being a hero and can I really just leave?”
Damian let him let it all out before he spoke, “Beloved. You do realize that you are married to the son of a rather famous billionaire, do you not?”
“Well, I mean… I can’t just— I’m not going to expect that. That’d be…”
“Entirely acceptable. As for the issue of your heroism, I believe you’ll find that your status as king will allow you to order your subjects to stay away from your haunt. And, presuming you choose to pursue a degree near me, Gotham is full of various heroes who have it handled. It would be entirely fair for you to take some time off of being a hero.”
Danny hummed and hated the way he knew his face was green and splotchy. “I don’t suppose you’d take some time off?”
Damian huffed, tightening his grip on Danny. “It is not the same. You never desired to be a hero.”
Danny snorted. “Whatever you say, Starshine. Can we— I want to watch a movie.”
Damian grinned at him, standing up and pulling Danny after him. “How convenient then, that you have a movie theater in this castle of yours.”
Danny pressed himself into Damian’s side. “How convenient.”
Damian asked him how much his tuition was— later, when Danny had decided that he definitely wanted to go to Gotham U—he paid the tuition in full as soon as was possible.
Damian was certain that his decision to share residence of a dorm room with Danny was the correct one when he got to get away from his family and spend additional time with Danny.
Where Danny was studying for an aerospace engineering degree, Damian was dual majoring in art history and veterinary school. They spent countless hours in the campus library studying in companionship. Though
Damian ducked out many nights in order to be Robin.
And then Johnny 13 decided he was bored and made an appearance, interrupting one of his Christian art lectures.
Damian had pulled himself out a fascinating lecture because Duke was unable to handle 13. Damian was going to strangle the greasy biker, or perhaps lock him in soup jail for a month.
He shot Danny a quick text, but didn’t bother calling. He could handle the ghost himself and there was no need to interrupt his beloved’s own lecture for a trivial matter.
Timothy was shouting over comes about not knowing what the fuck the thing was, Gordon was reporting on all the things he wasn’t, Duke was shouting his experiences with the ghost, and Jason was attempting to shoot him.
Damian huffed. He hardly needed to be in costume for the venture.
“Enough.” His voice was not loud, nor did it carry well across the chaos, and yet, 13 came to a stop from where he had been pestering Jason, clearly about his semi-undead status.
“The fuck are you?”
Damian drew himself up to his full height—he was taller than even his father, a fact that pleased him to no end and that Timothy continued to lament— and glared the cretian down. “King Consort of the Infinite Realms. I believe you are under orders not to disturb the land of the living?”
13 scowled. “I was bored, man. It’s not my fault.”
Damian was unswayed. “You may either return on your own or you shall spend a considerable amount of time in
the soup.”
13 groaned. “Fucking kill joy. Fine, fine. I’m going, I’m going, I’m gone.”
There was a particularly loud silence in the wake of 13’s departure.
“So…” Timothy began. “King Consort?”
Damian scoffed. “I hardly see how it’s any of your concern.”
Jason snorted. “You understand Goldie’s gonna be pissed he missed your wedding. Old man too.”
“It is none of their concern either.”
“Robin, was that a Realm’s Fiend? Because Constantine and Zatanna didn’t give us much information on them, but if they’re from the Infinite Realms…” Gordon asked. A relevant question at last.
He scoffed. “I suppose that’s not an inaccurate title.”
“Can you give us more information about realm’s fiends?” Timothy challenged.
“It is none of your concern. I presume Constantine said as much?”
“He did.” Gordon didn’t sound particularly happy about it, but she didn’t hesitate to confirm.
Damian nodded to himself. That was good. He’d have to go around to all the heroes connected to the Infinite Realms and remind them to keep his business out of the Bats’ clutches.
“Then that is all you need know. Should you require assistance again, I find it acceptable to step in. Beyond that, this discussion is over. I would like to finish my lecture now.”
There was a solid chance that he’d miss the end of the lecture by the time he made it back to campus, but they didn’t need to know that.
If 13 were not already a spirit, Damian would have happily sent him to the Infinite Realms for the rest of his entire existence.
Damian really should have known there was no way to escape his father’s concerned interrogation.
Richard was present as well, because of course he was.
“Did you want to get married?” Was the first, desperate question out of his older brother’s lips.
Damian eyed him suspiciously and went back to tending the dog whose leg had been broken in a car accident. His father was not leaving either. And while he understood that the dog would have been brought to his care regardless, he also understood the ploy for what it was.
“At the time, I was most against it.”
“So-- did you… were you… were you… how did this happen?”
Damian sighed, rolling his eyes and running his hand along the dog’s back so she would be less afraid.
“Grandfather made a deal with the King of the Infinite Realms. It simply took some time for the conditions to be met.”
“Oh my god.” Richard sounded like he was dying. “My little brother is married to someone way too old for him!”
Damian gave him a disgruntled side eye as he began disinfecting the cuts littering the leg. Then he glanced at his father. Watching silently and allowing Richard to do his dirty work. Damian saw and understood.
“If you must know, the crown has been passed on. The current ghost in command of the Infinite Realms has existed, both alive and dead, for only nineteen years.”
He was very pleased with his careful wording. Not a word of it untrue, and yet, they would never consider to look for a living person. Their suspicions would never fall to Damian’s roommate.
Timothy would be proud. He had been coaching Damian in that particular brand of double speak. He’d also been the one to help Damian hide the transfer of money used to pay Danny’s tuition, not that he knew who it was for, he hadn’t asked and Damian appreciated it.
Richard slumped, the wind had been taken from his sails. “Oh. So… it was just, a very powerful entity kidnapping you to marry him, but he’s your age.”
He really, really didn’t want to continue to give his family information. And yet, he also could not stand the impugnment of his beloved’s character. Danny was… he was good. He cared and he was kind and he loved the stars.
“He was no more enthused for our marriage than I was. He inherited the contact and neither of us managed to find a loophole to allow for our escape.” And hadn’t that been so very lucky for them.
“You know,” Richard whined, “you’re making it really hard to hate him.”
Damian paused from his careful setting of the dog’s leg so he could glower at his brother. “That is entirely the point. The only reason you are privy to any of this is because I’m unwilling to allow you to villainize him.”
“But why?” Richard demanded, he was being difficult and distracting.
“Because we’ve been married for near three years and I have found that I do not hate him. Now, if that is all, would you please consider leaving me alone?”
“Three years!?”
Damian winced at the noise. He should have known better. And now he had to calm down a panicking dog.
Danny wasn’t expecting to see anyone in the library. Damian had class and he hadn’t arranged to spend time with any of his friends.
He glanced up in annoyance when someone slid into the seat across from him only to freeze when he was met with Timothy Jackson Drake Wayne.
He’d met the man before, he was Damian’s brother, but Timothy shouldn’t have any reason to seek him out and in light of the uproar Damian’s marriage had caused within his family, Danny did not like that he’d been sought out by one of the smartest in the bunch.
He plastered on a fake smile and eyed the man. “Timothy, right? Is something up wrong, cause, I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but you’ve got the wrong roommate.”
Timothy’s smile wasn’t kind. Sure, it looked kind, but all Danny saw was calculation. “Just Tim, please. You’re my brother-in-law after all.”
Danny’s shoulders sagged. There went any hope that there was some other reason for Tim to have sought him out. “What gave it away then?”
“Oh nothing too much. Nothing the others would have noticed. But I’m the one who taught Damian how to say things without saying anything, I know when he’s doing that. Someone Damian’s age, alive and dead, someone he likes, someone say, that he’d be willing to share a room with? Someone he’d be willing to cover tuition costs for?”
Danny sighed. “Yeah, well. Most people hear ghost and don’t consider that there are other options that aren’t full spirit.”
Tim snorted. “Like Jason?”
“You’re brother would be one of them, yes. Though he’s not considered eligible for the Infinity Thrown, he’s not dead enough.”
Tim tilted his head, genuine curiosity on his face. “So you’re more dead than alive then?”
“Nah.” Danny shook his head. “I’m… I’m one of… three, maybe four people in existence who happen to be balanced perfectly in the middle.”
Tim nodded slowly. “Intriguing. Well then, I’ll let you get back to studying, though you should know, High King of the Infinite Realms or not, powerful or not, if you hurt my little brother, I will make your life a living, and dying, hell.”
That little pun and acknowledgement was enough to endear Danny to Tim. “Heard.” Not like he’d do anything to hurt Damian.
Damian watched impassively as Danny continued to nervously smooth his suit out.
He caught his beloved’s hand when he went for another pass. “You’re going to make it worse if you continue.”
Danny gave him a terrified look. “What if they don’t like me!?”
Damian gave him an exasperated look. “Timothy likes you quite a bit and they’ve all met you before.”
Danny’s shoulders hunched. “What if they figure it out?”
There wasn’t inherently a reason for the secrecy anymore, not when Damian’s family knew, but they both valued their privacy and Danny wasn’t ready to be outed as a ghost.
Timothy knew, because he was Timothy. And Jason knew, if only because he could sense there was something going on with Danny and they’d thought it best to get that cleared up before Jason accidentally gave it away to everyone else.
Damian shifted his grip so he had Danny’s hands clasped firmly between his own. “Allow me to speak and it will be alright. You must simply be adorable and talk about how much you adore the stars.”
Danny ducked his head, but Damian caught the hint of a smile on his lips. “Yeah, yeah. It’s going… it’s all going to be fine.”
“It will be, Beloved.”
Damian would have to tip the uber driver extra for his discretion.
No one caught on to Danny’s less than human attributes throughout the entire supper. Save Alfred, but the man - not a man, a spirit according to Danny and that was… something - was discreet and wouldn’t tell the others without a reason.
Damian had caught Timothy’s carefully hidden smirk when he’d explained to the others that, “When my husband and I were married, we agreed that we should be free to see others. It seemed unfair to trap each other if there was no romance involved.” He carefully did not mention that things had changed or just who his husband was.
Damian had watched, with great amusement, as the heroes of Earth had tried to court Phantom’s allegiance to the Justice League for years after he’d reemerged as a hero.
The Justice League Dark refused to say much, but they did imply that Phantom would be more willing and able to divulge secrets of the Infinite Realms and that was an advantage the rest of the League sought with a fervor.
All it would have taken was the promise of the Watch Tower and space. Not that Damian was keen to share that with them.
Damian had mentioned to his husband what he could get if he joined, unrestricted access to the Watch Tower. Danny had shrugged and declared that they had better be the ones to tell him that if they wanted him to join.
Damian watched with bemusement as his beloved, accompanied by Wonder Woman and Martian Manhunter, came bouncing through the Zeta beams.
“Nearest window?” He asked, loud enough for Damian to hear as he spun around the room.
Damian gestured in the direction of the hall that lead to one of the viewing rooms and smirked as Danny took off, falling into step beside Damian. Wonder Woman and Martian Manhunter were left scrambling to keep up.
“Truly, Beloved. You act as though you’ve never been to space before.”
Danny nudged him and smiled. The old teasing had become entirely comfortable, a rhythm they’d built together. “Truly, Starlight, you act as though being to space is anything short of breathtaking.”
Damian hummed and pushed the door to the observation room open. Danny almost phased himself through the glass in his haste to press himself against it.
“I was unaware you were in a relationship.” Martian Manhunter had long learned better than to enter to head of a bat without prior warning and consent.
Damian glanced over at him before returning to the wonderful sight of his husband’s glee. “We’ve been married for quite some time now.”
“Truly?”
The reason the two senior heroes were responsible for handling new recruits was their ability to ask questions without applying undue pressure.
Damian dipped his head. “You would have gotten his accent to join much sooner had you mentioned the Watch Tower’s location.”
“Was he unaware?” Wonder Woman questioned, seemingly genuinely surprised.
“No. He was simply waiting for you to inform him of the things he wanted to hear.”
Both the heroes took on a contemplative look, but they accepted the statement without complaint.
They stayed in the observation room for almost an hour before Danny pried himself away and told them they could make his way to his introductory meeting.
It was only the founders and whoever else was present on the Watch Tower, but Damian was quite looking forward to seeing his father’s expression. The only one of the family who had yet to realize just who Danny was.
The slightest tightening of his fingers around the tablet in front of him was the only indication that his father was startled by Damian’s presence, both on the Watch Tower and with Phantom.
Danny was invited to introduce himself but Damian took over before he could. It was his right, as king consort, to do so.
“Allow me to introduce Danny Phantom, High King of the Infinite Realms, Ancient of the Stars.”
“Explain.”
Danny smirked at Damian’s father. “What? Didn’t recognize your son-in-law?”
That prompted more shouting and it took some time before the pandemonium calmed enough for the meeting to be completed.