Chapter Text
She looks at the man. A man in Bruce's-work-clothes looks back at her. He looks tired, annoyed, planning. He smiles at the other man patience, politeness, obedience.
They're talking about something, then the second, older man leaves for another room. She stays with the younger one. He's lower in the hierarchy. It makes him angry, but not in the way she's used to. There's no desire for violence. Maybe just a little, like the new boys she's living with.
The man addresses her. She still doesn't understand many words very well, but the way he crouches down to be at her level is obvious. He asks her something. She tilts her head.
The man looks patient, calm, understanding. He asks again, but this time pointing to himself and saying the word syllable by syllable. Na-tha-ni-el. It's probably his name.
He repeats the word again. She tries to repeat after him, but all she gets is "Na-a-n-el." He wrinkles his nose, but he doesn't look angry. He looks back at the door, then back at her. He points at himself and says "El," and smiles at her. It's much easier to say. His smile widens in response.
He points at her, and she repeats the gesture.
"Cass"
El nods. She nods back.
Cass doesn't understand why Bruce left her here or where he went, but El doesn't seem bad. Even if he pretends to feel something different that he feel.
El brings her a coloring book, but it's not the same one the people gave her the day before yesterday. This one has a lot of small details and no template for how to color it.
She makes the sun pink and turns around to where he writing something on a piece of paper.
El notices her actions and raises himself to look. He laughs, but without sound. His smile softens, and he nods at her.
Yes, Cass definitely likes this one more than the last one.
Bruce doesn't look entirely sure about leaving her here. He's still a little angry - she's not sure why. If she's understanding the situation correctly, someone has let Bruce down, and he's mad. But not like her last master. Never like him.
Cass is reassured by this. So far, nothing here has been like her old life. That's a good thing.
And this guy - El - he's not bad either. Bruce is discussing something on the phone while holding her hand, but Cass can only make out a few words. "Young," "wrong," "early," "worried." It's not much, but she's heard those words often. Dami said it would come gradually.
When they reach the same room where they left her last time, El looks impatient, anxious, excited. He smiles at her, and although his smile isn't genuinely joyful, it's not bad. She smiles and waves back at him.
Bruce is talking to El and another man. It's not the same man from the first time - she hasn't seen him again. From the way Bruce was talking about him, the man did something wrong. Cass doesn't know what, but she's glad he made a mistake. She felt better with El than with him.
Bruce kisses her forehead one last time, tells her to call Dami if she needs help, and leaves. Cass doesn't worry - she can protect herself, and El will help her with the rest. She doesn't know him long enough, but he seems nice.
Today, there's no coloring. Today he shows her some cards, reading the words aloud and then asking her to repeat them. He seems pleased. Then, he asks her to repeat the same words, but with letters instead of pictures. Cass struggles, and he seems frustrated, but not at her. It's an odd feeling.
The next half hour goes by similarly. He checks the words she knows, gets frustrated when she doesn't recognize them, but doesn't get angry. Then he finally gives her coloring books to choose from - the same one from last time and a new one with flowers. Cass wants to finish the previous drawing and take it home, but the flowers look good.
El laughs again, silently, and lets her flip through a book of flowers, then puts the book in a machine. The machine leaves the same flower pattern on a previously blank page. Cass has seen Bruce do this in his office, but she didn't know that drawings too could be... copied. That's it. She remembers the word.
She points at the machine and says, half-questioningly, "copy?" and he nods with a smile.
She takes home the coloring page with the knights and the drawing with the flowers. Alfred is very pleased with her small successes, and he hangs the drawing on the fridge, next to the piece of paper with the numbers. This is Jay's piece of paper, and although she doesn't understand its meaning, he is very proud of it. She is also proud of her drawing. It is a pleasant feeling.
In the third month of her stay in this new place and with these new people, Bruce introduces her to a doctor who is supposed to help her talk. A lo-go-ped.
This is a nice, patient, attentive, gentle woman. Cass likes her. Mrs. Klaus doesn't get scared when she know the "bad" words. She seems understanding.
Mrs. Klaus is nice, but El is also nice. She tells Bruce this, and he seems a little confused. Dami, standing next to him, smiles at her - and there's a second meaning to that smile that she can't quite understand.
This time, Dami the one who leads her into a large, shiny building. Office. Before that, they go to the food store and collect sweets. Dami buys her chewing rolls as a " bribe for silence." Cass isn't sure what he means by "bribe," but the rolls are delicious.
She understands the purpose of the rolls the moment El and Dami lock eyes. Their body language completely changes. El doesn't make any gestures like the ones she sometimes sees on TV, but Cass sees his embarrassment, excitement, and caution. The last seems a bit strange, but they're all strange here.
Cass chews her rolls and looks at the new coloring page, the one with the planets. It's simpler than the previous ones, but it does have pictures of planets. Photos. And text. The text is written in large font, but the words are difficult to read. She turns to Dami and El to ask a question.
They are drinking tea and eating some cookies. Cass is sure that this is El's work time, but he is shamelessly drinking tea with Dami. It's probably because Dami's higher up in the hierarchy. It gives Dami certain privileges. Like how he's...
Cass frowns. Dami has a cup in one hand and the other is resting on El's knee. El doesn't say anything, his smile is still cheerful and relaxed, but she sees awkwardness, caution, wrong. Cass picks up her coloring book and walks over to them deliberately loudly. Dami puts his hand back on his own knee and El doesn't look so frozen, distant anymore. Although he doesn't look grateful like the people Batman saves from bad guys who touch them without permission. It's complicated. She doesn't understand.
"Can you read it for me?" she points to a piece of text about a planet with rings. El scans it and smiles at her, and it's a sly smile. She already knows what he's going to say.
"Would you be so kind as to read the words you know to me first?"
Cass makes a displeased sound, but reaches for a simple pencil to take notes. Dami looks curiously from her to El and back again. "I knew you were in charge of her project, but... I didn't expect you two to become so close."
El still looks distant, but there's a hint of frustration in his expression. Cass frowns at Dami, who doesn't notice. "Cass is a good kid, that's all. I'm glad I had the honor of meeting her."
He looks really sad when he says this, and Cass pokes him in the chest with a pencil. Both Elle and Dami look surprised.
"You are good. I am good. We are good together. Right?"
"Right."
He finally smiles at her for real, and Cass smiles back. He looks warm, gentle, and thank you. Dami looks from her to him and back again, but this time he's paying closer attention. He doesn't look as dumb as he did a few minutes ago. Cass thinks he's finally figured out what the problem is.
"Okay. Now the planets," she says, picking up the book and squinting as if that will make things easier. "Air, space, ice..."
Cass doesn't like parties in the big hall of the manor. Bruce makes her go and smile at stupid people. Alfred makes her wear a dress and heels. The boys look more comfortable in their suits. At least they have their legs covered.
Next time, Cass will insist on wearing pants. Or a long dress. She saw one on TV, beautiful, with butterflies. Babs would like it.
There are a lot of stupid pretentious people in the room, but there are also people from Bruce and Dami's work. They are less stupid and more excited. Cass thinks that there will be something important for them tonight. Bruce didn't tell her anything because she didn't ask, but now she is curious.
She sees Al at the other end of the crowd and runs towards him, letting go of Bruce's hand. Well, she's trying. It's difficult to run in high heels, but her training helps. El doesn't notice her, so she speaks loudly - not shouting, she remembers Alfie's lessons - his name.
"Nathaniel!" He turns around, surprised, and she sees his stiffness, politeness, and detachment change into joy, excitement, and concern. He walks towards her, his suit is smoky gray with a yellow brooch.
"I also have a yellow brooch," she points to the flower pinned to her chest. He laughs softly, smiling at her.
“We match, Miss Wayne.”
She frowns, tugging on his sleeve. “Don’t.” His smile turns sly.
“Why not? You called me by my full name,” she tugs again, and he makes a funny sound. “Okay, okay, I’m sorry, Cass. I just wanted to play a trick"
He pauses for a second, and they stand next to the wall, watching the people pass by. From here, she can see Dami panicking, and she braces herself to run back—maybe something has happened to Dickie?
"I didn't expect you to say my full name."
"I was practicing," and there's nothing shameful about it, but she feels embarrassed. Especially when he looks even more surprised and excited as he stares at her.
“Names of loved ones is..Easy. Yours wasn’t. I had to learn”
“I really appreciate this, Cass,” his smile becomes soft, warm, love you. She hopes he sees the same in her smile.
“Me too”
He chuckles, but she knows he understands the nuances of what she said and what she didn’t say.