Chapter Text
There was a quiet knock on the door, three light knocks followed by two more. Damian. Dick turned his TV down, Bludhaven news just as underwhelming as it always is, so many crimes were probably taking place but they’d never report them, they never do. He limped slowly to the door, his right ankle was broken so he was benched from patrolling. In his own city! The titans were taking turns patrolling the streets of Bludhaven for him until he was healed. But his brothers always had a place in his home. Maybe it wasn’t a great home but it was enough and there was always space, especially for his baby bird. (No offense to Jay and Tim, he loves them, too!)
He opens the door, looking at his brother, he had his usual poker face plastered on and he mumbled something as Dick smiled down at him. “Hey little D! Are you doing okay?” Damian lets out a grunt. “Yeah?” Dick ruffles the boy’s hair as he ushers him inside his apartment. “You wanna get changed? I was just about to make dinner!” Grayson, ever the helpful big brother, wraps his arms around Damian’s shoulders as he pushes the door closed.
Damian lets out an affirmative grunt as he turns to the stairs, going to Dick’s closet to find something to wear. Dick walks to the kitchen to gather ingredients. Truthfully he wasn’t going to eat dinner, but Damian being here was a good enough excuse to try out a recipe he’s been wanting for a while.
Dick spreads ingredients across his prep counter as he hears Damian descending the stairs and moments later turning the volume back up on the TV. Dick smiles to himself, it's always good to see his baby brother, even if he seems a little bit off. He’ll open up about it when he’s ready, he always does.
——
Damian tucked his legs up to his chest, wrapping his arms around his knees as he rested his chin on top of them. Dick rummaged around in the kitchen, moving pots and pans around in the cabinet, probably looking for the right size for what he was making. Damian didn’t ask what it was, he didn’t care.
Tears welled up in the ten year old’s eyes as he sat curled on the couch, lifting his arm, he scrubbed the tears from them before they could fall. His chest quivered with every harsh breath he took. His eyes blurred the more he scrubbed at them, but he refused to let the tears fall, refused to admit this was upsetting him, that it was getting to him. His lungs contracted as he heaved out another breath, letting out a sob as his brain reached for any release that he could get.
His brother looked around the corner at him, Damian didn’t catch it, but Dick’s eyebrows furrowed and he chewed on his lower lip, trying to decide if he needed to go comfort his baby brother. “Hey, little D, I have tofu for you if you want me to add it to your dinner?” Dick said, trying to keep the concern out of his voice.
Damian barely heard him, he squeezed his legs together with his arms harder, he started to scratch down his legs with one hand, the shorts Grayson had leant him left most of his legs uncovered while the light blue hoodie kept the rest of him comfortably covered. He dug his nails into his leg, dragging them up and down, the soft skin of his leg turning red as he pressed as hard as he could.
“Little D?” Dick said, stepping to the edge of the kitchen as the stirfry on the stove sizzled mildly. Tears began rolling down Damians face, he had given up scrubbing them away as his chest contracted uncomfortably. Dick looked at Damian’s legs, rubbed red and raw, small patches of white damaged skin began to bleed, blood pearling and running down as his tears rolled down to reach them.
Grayson gripped the doorway tightly as he watched his baby brother for a second before turning back to the kitchen. Damian let out another sob, trying to push it into the collar of the hoodie to muffle it. As the next sob came out, more bubbled up, his lungs contracting as tears welled up and he felt his throat closing making it harder and harder to breath. He started heaving, coughing as the sobs pulled out of him more forcefully.
He was starting to hyperventilate, his mind racing, but as he lifted his head, Grayson was by his side, resting a hand on his shoulder. “Damian, honey, look at me” Dick says as Damian heaves and lets out a “hnnn” sound. Grayson climbed up on the couch, down on his knees in front of Damian. Grayson grabs his shoulders and rubs them lightly, trying to stop Damian from scratching his already bleeding legs.
Dick had moved as quickly as he could, turning the stove off and then getting to his brother’s side. “Dami, it’s okay..” Dick moved one hand to Damian’s hair, carding his fingers through it gently, shushing him lightly as he leaned in, grabbing him tightly and shifting him onto his lap. Dick moved back on the couch, kicking his legs out from underneath him, pulling his brother into his lap gently, forcing him out of the fetal position he was in.
Damian sniffled and wiped his eyes as he was slowly able to breathe right again. “Grayson..” Damian said as he wrapped his arms around his brother’s neck, resting his head on his shoulder. “I’m here, little D. What’s wrong..?” Dick carded his hand through Damian’s hair again. Damian let out a small whimper, shaking his head no. “Don’t want to talk about it?” Damian shook his head again. “That’s okay. Do you want to eat?” he shook his head again. “Do you just want to just lay here for a little bit?” Damian nodded slowly, his breath shaking as he let out another sob. Dick patted his back gently, shushing him quietly.
——
Dick watched over his brother as the boy slowly fell asleep. He pet his head and wrapped his free arm around the boy's small body. He lifted the boy’s body gently and made his way for the stairs, getting him up to Grayson’s bed.
After tucking the boy in, he sat carefully on top of the covers, carding his fingers through his hair once more. “It’s gonna be okay, little D. I promise whatever it is I’ll make it better.” Dick leans down, pushing Damian’s bangs out of the way and placing a light kiss on his forehead.
Damian stirred slightly as Dick stood back up. Dick shushed him again, petting his hair gently. “Get some sleep, hun, it’s okay”. Damian sniffled and nuzzled into the pillows. “There you go, Little D”.
Dick limped back down the stairs, taking his time to get to the kitchen. As much as he wants to just walk on his ankle, he’s trying to get better, so he limps back to the kitchen, boxing up the stir fry, wanting to save it for tomorrow to have Damian eat it for lunch or dinner. Dick would be sure Damian has food in his stomach, as he was thinking about that, dick turned around, grabbing a glass from the cabinet and getting ice from his freezer before filling the glass up with water from the fridge.
As Dick limped back through the living room he sighed as he reached the foot of the stairs. He laughed to himself “This sucks.. Stupid stairs”. Dick slowly starts to make his way up the stairs, huffing slightly as he tries to keep weight off of his right ankle. He stops about halfway, laughing as he turns to lean back on the railing. As he does he turns to look up at the second floor, trying to get a look at the bed, but as he does he sees Damian standing at the top of the stairs, his hair fluffed up and messy from the pillows. He had the comforter wrapped around him and he took a seat at the top of the stairs, his face still red and puffy from crying.
“Grayson..” It was only the second time Damian had said anything since getting here hours earlier. As soon as he saw Damian up Dick made his way to the top of the stairs as quickly as he could, spilling some of the water as he did. Dick wrapped his arms around the younger boy quickly, holding the glass of water out at a slight distance. “Are you alright, Dami?” Dick set the glass of water on the floor, placing his hands on Damian’s face, gently checking him over. Turning his head side to side, looking at his dulled eyes and wiping the tears from the boy’s cheeks.
“Oh, puiu, are you okay?” Dick asked as he placed kisses all over Damians face. Damian grunts softly and closes his eyes, pushing Dick back slightly. Dick looks down at his brother, worried he was overwhelming him, but Damian pulled himself closer to the man, pulling him into a hug as he buries his face in his brother’s chest. Dick grabs the comforter that was slowly making its way down Damian’s back and pulled it back up, wrapping it around both of them. Damian lets out a little whimper and sniffles against his brother’s chest. Pulling the blanket over them nearly knocked over the glass of water, but Dick quickly grabbed the glass, using his free hand to pull Damian just a bit closer, before tapping him with the glass gently.
“You should drink some, Dami.” Dick says, getting another grunt from his brother. “I know, I know, but you should.” Dick stroked his brother's back, handing him the glass of water. Damian took it, taking a sip. Damian holds the glass in both of his hands, cradling it like a toddler would a sippy cup. Dick kissed his brother’s head again and Damian swatted at him before leaning his head sideways onto his chest again, putting both of his hands back on the cup, drinking out of it slowly. Damian grumbled quietly.
Dick rocked the two of them back and forth, “It’s okay little bird”. Dick laid his head on Damian’s “You want to talk about it?” He asked as quietly as he could. Damian went quiet and dick could feel him start shaking again. In a panic he grabbed the boy and hugged him tight. “No, no it's okay, Dami, It’s okay. We don’t have to talk about it until you’re ready!” Dick kissed his brother's head “How about we get you back in bed, right?”
Damian sobbed quietly and stuck his tongue out at Dick, crying lightly as he rested his chin on the larger man’s chest. ”I know, I know, I’m sorry” Grayson said with a chuckle.
Dick went to stand, grabbing Damian to lift him as they went, but Damian struggled and planted his feet on the ground, putting his brother's arm over his shoulder, trying to help him walk towards the bed. “I’m okay, little D. I can-“ he was interrupted by Damian looking up at him, glaring and kicking Dick’s toes gently. “Ow-, okay okay”
They made their way to the bed, Damian helping Dick to get on the bed first, pushing the deep blue covers over him with gentle hands still dirtied with blood and dead skin. Damian climbs onto the mattress next, crawling under the comforter and tucking himself into his brother’s side. “I love you, Damian.” He said while looking up at the ceiling. He heard and felt Damain let out a little huff next to him. Dick lifted up the blanket and looked down at the boy, turning onto his side to hold Damian closer. “Look at me, Dami.” Damian stirred and looked sideways up at him as Dick cupped his baby brother's face in his hand,
“I love you, Damian. If I could, you would always be here with me. I would adopt you if I could, I would do anything for you. Anything at all. Whatever you need from me, all you have to do is ask. And you know, you always have a place in my home. Always.”
Damian sniffles and pushes his face into Dick’s chest. “Baba.. do you think.. you..” the boy started crying again, heaving quietly and sobbing into Dick’s chest as the older man stroked his hair and held him close “What do you need, bubba?”. Damain whimpered and looked into the older man’s eyes “I wanna stay with you.. please”. Dick smiled, “You are staying with me, Dami, I’m right here..” Damian pressed his face into Dick’s chest and sobbed loudly “Nnn.. nuh like tha” his speech came out slurred and desperate. “All tha time..” he mumbled. Dick strained to hear the boy’s voice, his lower lip quivered as he put together what the boy was asking.
“Dami..” Dick held him closer and stroked his hair. “It’s okay… It’s alright.. We.. We’ll see, okay? I’ll.. I'll talk to him..” Damian cried against Dick’s chest even harder, not believing what he was being told. No way Dick would take him, his own dad didn’t even want him, so why would Grayson.
Damian held onto Dick’s shirt, not wanting to let go, even if he couldn’t do it forever, he wanted to be here with Dick for as long as he could. And as time passed they both drifted into a comfortable sleep knowing the other was there and safe.