He unlocked the door to a two room apartment and led his visitors in, stepping in as well at the end and shut the door. Damian was absentmindedly looking around until the host fetched out a basket that contained an adorable brown and white puppy inside.

Titus barked and came closer to the basket, sniffing it. 

"It's okay, buddy, meet your new friend." 

He placed the basket down on the table, stroking both the dogs' heads one by one though his eyes flickered towards Damian who looked lost in thought.

He stood up and went to the kitchen which was connected to the main room where Damian was seated, the space separated only by the counter and cabinets. He washed his hands then took out a mug and fetched some milk from the fridge.

"So have you thought of any names?"

Damian was shaken out of his thoughts again and looked up, "no."

His eyes narrowed ever so slightly, "now I don't want you to give me the death glare again but still, is everything okay?"

"Yes."

"You seem... Edgy," he concluded at last, observing how the latter had stiffened.

"And when am I ever all friendly and laid back?" Damian asked instead, trying to make it sound casual.

He chuckled, "you do have a point. You always behave like something is shoved up your... Sorry."

Emerald irises flashed but he turned his attention to the little pup in the basket, "you are taking liberties today."

"I saw you after so long, excuse the eagerness to get a reply out of you." He returned and held out a mug towards him which Damian accepted, but then scrunched his nose upon seeing the dark brown liquid.

"Coffee, seriously? I am not Drake."

"Or you could come to the shop and I could make you a nice cup of hot chocolate," he offered, punctuating his remark with a wink and a grin, "we ran out of ingredients at home or else I would have offered some right away."

"As I said, too many liberties from your side."

"My sincere apologies, Mister Wayne," he remarked playfully, about to take the mug away but Damian didn't give it back and began to drink the coffee instead.

"Cocoa," Damian spoke up all of a sudden, catching the other by surprise.

"Excuse me?"

"You can name your dog Cocoa."

A smile broke out on his face, brown eyes crinkling, "actually that's perfect. Thanks!" He had bent down to be face to face with the little puppy in the basket, "hey, do you like the name Cocoa?"

A mild woof sounded and he looked back at Damian enthusiastically.

"Cocoa it is then. Perfect..." His smile widened, "and it looks like Titus likes Cocoa too. Isn't it great?"

Damian controlled the very faint smile that was about to flicker on his features. "Not as great as you're making it seem."

He chuckled, "normally I would have said loosen up mate and live a little. But then I don't really know what to say and what not to when I am around you."

Damian stiffened, "are you... Are you flirting, Bennett?"

"Hey, I know it was an awful attempt from my side," he admitted immediately, much to his surprise, "forget this happened."

"I thought you meant it in the sense that you were scared of me or something..." Damian was still quite confused as he watched the boy's cheeks taint pink.

"Ah well... Should I?" 

Damian had a reply ready on his tongue. He was about to reply that he should be scared of him, that he knew nothing about his past and if he had then he would never want to associate with him ever again.

But he couldn't speak up as the boy hadn't taken a pause and was resuming with what he had been talking about earlier.

"So you mean to say I should be scared of you? You, a boy who loves animals more than people and who will literally convert Wayne Manor to an animal farm someday soon... Nah, I don't think so, I am not scared of you."

"Is that so?" He raised an eyebrow skeptically, emerald eyes piercing into brown irises as he took one step closer towards the boy, willing him to back off.

But he stood there, not moving an inch, "yes. That is so."

He clicked his tongue again out of habit as it was what he did when slightly annoyed, "Tyler, you foolish idiot..."

He was about to give him the reply he had thought of but his voice drowned within as Tyler closed the gap between them, his lips touching the corner of his mouth. "I'm sorry, Damian, whatever reason you are going to give me for that is already invalid."

Damian looked back in shock as he had not been expecting that. "Wh-what was that for?"

"You just called me a foolish idiot," he had stepped back, his cheeks fired up with color, "unlike you, I don't have reasons behind everything I do!"

"Too many liberties..." He shook his head, slightly dazed by what had just happened but finding himself unable to get angry at him, "why?"

"Can't I kiss my boyfriend now?" Those lips which had just kissed him were puckered into a small frown.

"When did I become your boyfriend?"

"Oh so what are you to me then exactly? Please, this foolish idiot needs a thorough explanation," Tyler had sat down on the chair in front of his, crossing his arms at its head rest and placed his chin on top of his crossed arms.

The red from his face had lessened considerably but his brown eyes were dancing in amusement, watching Damian look slightly flustered.

"I am your... Acquaintance."

His eyes sparked, "ah, very generous... An acquaintance who I like to kiss every now and then." 

That smile had turned into a cheesy grin and Damian felt the urge to wipe it off his face instantly. Though the only way he knew to effectively do it would land him in for further teasing.

"Stop egging me on, Bennett. I have to go," he took Titus' leash in hand, "bye."

But Tyler whistled over to the black dog and Titus obediently came back to him, nuzzling its nose in the boy's broad palms. "Go then, Damian, leave Titus with me for a day."

"No."

"Well, doesn't look like my buddy wants to leave me too soon," he remarked, stroking the black dog's head affectionately. 

By then Damian could also see Titus had no mood of leaving too soon and he suppressed a soft sigh, eyes flickering back towards the boy playing with both Titus and Cocoa.

"You are fucking infuriating," Damian huffed, dropping the leash and walked back towards where Tyler was seated.

"And...?"

His emerald eyes were burning as he stood right before him rather intimidatingly but that did not seem to faze him, "damn annoying."  

His smile had turned to a smirk, "and..."

"Bloody irresistible," he breathed, his hand closing onto his neck as he pressed his lips on his roughly.

"Acquaintance, huh?" Tyler mumbled in a breathless voice as Damian broke off the kiss at last.

His eyes bore down into him, palm still fixed over his neck, "whatever."

A look of triumph flickered in those brown irises as he nodded, "alright then, I win."

"What?"

"You're my boyfriend," he remarked, leaving the chair as he stood up, "starting from now."

"I don't think..."

"Who wants you to think anything about it?" He shrugged nonchalantly, "I am not screaming your name from the rooftops. No one will know. But at least I should know whether this is serious or a just for fun thing."

Damian looked a bit taken aback, "for fun? I wouldn't use you like that."

"I know, babe," he winked, twirling away before Damian could catch him, "oh and no objections to the titles. You can name my pup whatever you want but I get to give you names too. And you can't forbid me from doing so."

"I hate such names," he replied in a somewhat stern tone, "do not call me that."

However, it had had no effect on Tyler as he broke into his characteristic abrupt laughter, "ah tough luck, I have like a whole list for you. And spoiler alert, I am going to call you babe as well as the rest. Try and stop me if you can."

***