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( damian's dressed down, wearing an oversized hoodie that's shoved over his head along with dark jeans and bright red converse. the kind of outfit one would anticipate from a kid his age, maybe, rather than the more professional button-downs and slacks he had been wearing before. it's - not intentional, he's just running low on clean everyday clothing and hasn't had time to stare down the laundry machine to figure out how that works just yet.
but he has decided to approach bruce on his home turf, rather than damian's own. he doesn't come for him in the manor, but stops by the tower instead. his trip upstairs gets delayed by one of the tower's bats lying on the floor, and damian - squats down beside it, lips pressing together before he reaches out and picks it up gently. he doesn't have anything to carry it in, so he rolls it up in the front of his hoodie instead. and given his grapple gun has been left at home, that means he's taking the normal person way upstairs by elevator, rather than climbing up the elevator shaft.
when he finally manages to get up to bruce, it's with a small bat swaddled in the fabric of his hoodie and a determined look in his eye. )
Father.
but he has decided to approach bruce on his home turf, rather than damian's own. he doesn't come for him in the manor, but stops by the tower instead. his trip upstairs gets delayed by one of the tower's bats lying on the floor, and damian - squats down beside it, lips pressing together before he reaches out and picks it up gently. he doesn't have anything to carry it in, so he rolls it up in the front of his hoodie instead. and given his grapple gun has been left at home, that means he's taking the normal person way upstairs by elevator, rather than climbing up the elevator shaft.
when he finally manages to get up to bruce, it's with a small bat swaddled in the fabric of his hoodie and a determined look in his eye. )
Father.
( he knows someone's here the moment the elevator starts up and, from where he is, it's easy for him to see who it might be when the doors come to open. a batarang in hand, when he spots damian stepping out, he sets it down. watches him for a moment. then goes back to what he was doing there.
crouched on the hardwood floors.
large round table shoved off to the far side of the room.
drawing out a map of etraya across the floor in white chalk. )
crouched on the hardwood floors.
large round table shoved off to the far side of the room.
drawing out a map of etraya across the floor in white chalk. )
( what a mess, although it's not exactly surprising. this seems exactly like the kind of thing bruce would do without adult supervision: make a mess of the floor, trying to figure out what, exactly, is going on in the world they have been dropped off in.
he doesn't answer, and damian - stands there for a moment, expression pinched because he's not exactly the best at this, but he is better than he used to be. )
I. . . apologize if I upset you. It hadn't been my intention to.
( at least he's gotten better at this part of being around others. )
he doesn't answer, and damian - stands there for a moment, expression pinched because he's not exactly the best at this, but he is better than he used to be. )
I. . . apologize if I upset you. It hadn't been my intention to.
( at least he's gotten better at this part of being around others. )
( he's focused on the work he's doing there. on the way he drags the piece of white chalk across the floor. it's only after a moment β only after he's done drawing a tower which is clearly wayne tower alongside the other one close by [shinra hq] that he glances over to damian. blue eyes soft. dropping back down to his map. )
It's fine.
( the words are soft, the sound of chalk dragging filling the momentary silence between them. )
You make up with Dick?
It's fine.
( the words are soft, the sound of chalk dragging filling the momentary silence between them. )
You make up with Dick?
( bruce continues drawing his map, and damian drops down to the ground where he had been standing. wraps his arms around his knees and presses his chin against his forearm. watches him continue drawing his map, but more importantly - )
No. I am still angry with him. ( they talked. or more like, grayson tackled him to the ground and damian cried and screamed at him. he wouldn't exactly call it making up, especially given he is still very, very upset with him. but it was something, at least. )
Do you want to talk about it?
( not his spat with dick, but damian's outburst. he's - not very good at this, the talking through things, but he's trying. )
No. I am still angry with him. ( they talked. or more like, grayson tackled him to the ground and damian cried and screamed at him. he wouldn't exactly call it making up, especially given he is still very, very upset with him. but it was something, at least. )
Do you want to talk about it?
( not his spat with dick, but damian's outburst. he's - not very good at this, the talking through things, but he's trying. )
( eyes look down to the bat in his hoodie, and damian slowly unwraps the bat from his hoodie, cradling it gently in his hands. )
She was on the ground. It looks like her left leg may be damaged. I was intending to take her home to give her a safe space to heal.
She was on the ground. It looks like her left leg may be damaged. I was intending to take her home to give her a safe space to heal.
Yes.
( the bat makes a disgruntled little squeak as damian rubs his thumb against her stomach, but she doesn't struggle against his hold. yet. )
Richard is living with his significant other. Even if I had wanted to live with him, I wouldn't want to be in their space.
( because: gross. but also: dick deserves his own space. he's young. he's already had so many responsibilities thrown onto him at a young age. he doesn't need damian, too. )
( the bat makes a disgruntled little squeak as damian rubs his thumb against her stomach, but she doesn't struggle against his hold. yet. )
Richard is living with his significant other. Even if I had wanted to live with him, I wouldn't want to be in their space.
( because: gross. but also: dick deserves his own space. he's young. he's already had so many responsibilities thrown onto him at a young age. he doesn't need damian, too. )
I know.
( if he had been, damian would be more willing to leave him on his own shortterm. or let tim take over being robin as needed. but he isn't. this bruce is younger, newer, and needs more support. )
Which is why I had not been talking about you, when I said he didn't have the. . . patience for me.
( if he had been, damian would be more willing to leave him on his own shortterm. or let tim take over being robin as needed. but he isn't. this bruce is younger, newer, and needs more support. )
Which is why I had not been talking about you, when I said he didn't have the. . . patience for me.
( silence comes between them again, bruce letting his gaze drift over to damian for just a moment before he's looking down to the piece of chalk there in his hand. fingers covered in white powder from it. )
When you were upset about Dick... I wanted to help but I... ( taking a moment, he licks over his lips. ) ...I didn't know how. I guess I'm not very good at this.
( being a father, he means. )
When you were upset about Dick... I wanted to help but I... ( taking a moment, he licks over his lips. ) ...I didn't know how. I guess I'm not very good at this.
( being a father, he means. )
( he's quiet, for a moment. stands himself up with the bat in hand so he can go over to the kitchen, grab hold of a dishtowel, and gently swaddle her so he can safely set her down without risk of her squirming around.
once she has been taken care of, damian turns his attention back to bruce. walks over to him, to wrap his arms around bruce's shoulders. )
I am not good at accepting help either.
once she has been taken care of, damian turns his attention back to bruce. walks over to him, to wrap his arms around bruce's shoulders. )
I am not good at accepting help either.
( feeling those arms come around his shoulders, eyes fall shut and he just... accepts the embrace. forgetting the chalk, the map, everything that isn't damian. he gives it a moment β needs a moment for himself before he's bringing a hand up and gently placing it on damian's arm. a gentle squeeze. a means to offer support. reassurance. )
We'll figure it out.
We'll figure it out.
( damian doesn't let go. doesn't loosen his grip any either, just leans into bruce as he reaches to grab hold of damian's arm. )
I am learning still, to accept help when I need it. To not think of needing it as a weakness.
( the league of assassins had no room for those who couldn't take care of themselves. an al ghul has no room for emotional vulnerabilities. )
I know it isn't. That it's a sign of being human. But it's difficult to let myself treat it as such.
I am learning still, to accept help when I need it. To not think of needing it as a weakness.
( the league of assassins had no room for those who couldn't take care of themselves. an al ghul has no room for emotional vulnerabilities. )
I know it isn't. That it's a sign of being human. But it's difficult to let myself treat it as such.
( his hand stays there. strong yet gentle in the way he holds damian's arm. feels the way the boy leans into him and keeps himself steady so as not to accidentally topple over. he feels for him β for those words he offers and he lets his eyes flutter open. casts them down. licks over his lips some before he speaks. )
Yeah. ( a soft word from his lips. ) But we can work on it together.
( because he's really no better there himself. )
Yeah. ( a soft word from his lips. ) But we can work on it together.
( because he's really no better there himself. )
We can. ( bruce is still so young. damian knows he's - overwhelmed, by what has been put on his shoulders. by the amount of people here who are familiar with him that he doesn't know. by wayne manor, damian. but he's trying, and damian's doing his best to try, too. to support him. to be beside him. to not be the terror he was when he had first met his father, but show this version he can be better. )
I'm sorry, for snapping at you.
I'm sorry, for snapping at you.
( arms release bruce, after another moment. this embrace has gone on long enough, and damian needs to busy himself. he turns his attention back to the bat he'd put down, who has squirmed her way over into trying to escape the makeshift swaddle. damian re-wraps her gently, then holds her under an arm. )
It shouldn't be. I know how to control myself and temper my emotions.
( it didn't help with anything when faced with grayson's corpse. when he'd felt his blood on his fingertips, felt his body go cold under him. it was his fault, he should have done better, tried harder.
and damian doesn't second guess himself like that. he doesn't get stuck on the what ifs, and yet - )
I was taught to be better.
It shouldn't be. I know how to control myself and temper my emotions.
( it didn't help with anything when faced with grayson's corpse. when he'd felt his blood on his fingertips, felt his body go cold under him. it was his fault, he should have done better, tried harder.
and damian doesn't second guess himself like that. he doesn't get stuck on the what ifs, and yet - )
I was taught to be better.
( he lets damian untangle himself from him β lets him focus on the swaddled bat in his care while he looks back to the chalk mapping he's been doing on the floor there. )
We'll all need to be better here.
( what with their worlds being on the line and all. )
We'll all need to be better here.
( what with their worlds being on the line and all. )
I'm aware.
( they need to be more steadfast, stronger, braver, less fallible. damian was - he was doing alright, until bruce began to try to talk to him about how he felt. maybe he should do better at holding that back, pushing it in, rather than letting his feelings get the better of him.
bruce turns back to the chalk map, and damian comes up beside him. picks up the bundle of bat, and offers it out to bruce. )
Her name is Maya.
( take the bat, bruce. )
( they need to be more steadfast, stronger, braver, less fallible. damian was - he was doing alright, until bruce began to try to talk to him about how he felt. maybe he should do better at holding that back, pushing it in, rather than letting his feelings get the better of him.
bruce turns back to the chalk map, and damian comes up beside him. picks up the bundle of bat, and offers it out to bruce. )
Her name is Maya.
( take the bat, bruce. )
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