Chapter Text
Tim spotted Damian on the swing set, he was barely rocking himself just looking to the ground. He gave a sigh. Dick and Bruce weren't here yet and the others were checking on Alfred's current state. Meaning it fell onto him to check on the demon spawn.
As Tim approached Damian he couldn't help but feel his mind was playing a weird trick on him.
Damian wasn't being his loud, obnoxious, big person he always acted like he was . No, now Tim instead saw a small, fragile and meek… child.
Right Damian was one of those.
He was a small kid who looked no bigger than eight even though he was ten. Tim was sure if he had said that out loud at any given day Damian would threaten him in all kinds of ways than most definitely try. Yet at this moment it appeared as if all he wanted to do was curl into a little ball with the way he had himself hunched over.
When Tim plopped himself to the swing next to Damian, he hardly gave notice. Was he really that lost in thought, that out of it. Another deep sigh Tim began to think, "you really acting dumb that I am not here or just are."
It was an insult, yes Tim knew it would start a fight. Cause that's what they did right, it's who they were.
The two hardly got along. He never started the fights, not that Bruce or Dick would care when he got into them with Damian.
Appearing to always take Damian's side reminding him to be the bigger person. Be the big brother since Damian was the youngest of them yet the two of them hardly saw each other as such.
But isn't that the way of some brothers Stephanie once asked. After all that is what Jason and he would do, fight. Still even they were civil at times after some time. So compared to well...them.
Damian turned his head to Tim. His cheeks flushed pink from the cold he guessed. His cute (not that Tim would ever admit) button nose all red along with his eyes.
'Had he been crying?'
No that can't be right. Damian always calling others weak and ignoring injuries that would have most grown men crying out did not.. was not… no not over this. He wouldn't care enough, right?
"Did they send you?" Damian's voice cracked enough to be barely above a whisper. "Guess you picked the small straw Drake."
"That's not how it-" Tim frowned, "nevermind you think I wouldn't come of my own admission."
"Yes," Damian said motoned. It hit Tim how simple and plain his answer was. It was without malice or doubt. It was simply a fact to Damian that Tim did not care for his well being.
"I did." He spoke somewhat angry. Tim adjusted his red scarf facing the setting sun.
"Why?" Again this threw Tim. The way Damian asked like any child would ask why something must be done or why something happens. Unease settled into him.
Did Damian really think that Tim really didn't care. He wasn’t that bad was he?
"To see how you're doing with everything." He tried to regain his senses as he held onto the cold metal chains of the swing. It stung him to think Damian thought he cared little for his little brother. Why? "To see where your head's at with what happened. I am sure Bruce will want to know."
Though Bruce already knew since they got the call from Talia. That problem was already dealt with according to her. Some further questioning revealed that no in fact the problem was far from over.
Who knows if it would ever be. Tim turned again to Damian who might be having the same thought.
A normal person probably thought when they saw him that he was just a child, small and stubborn. Forever appearing to be angry about something. ' He does have every reason to be,' Tim thought. Nevertheless Damian did appear as a harmless child.
That was everyone's mistake. That was their mistake.
To others they saw him for what he represented. A cursed child. A trained assassin from birth that either hurt them or his maternal family did. They saw him as the son of Talia Al Ghaul, grandson of Ra's Al Ghual the demon's head aka the perfect target to retaliate against the League of Assassins. Or attempt to as this attack didn't get him but got sure as hell got Alfred.
A couple shots to the back when Alfred attempted to shield Damian. For his part Damian had treated Alfred the best he could on the side of the road. He still had some blood on him, most of it wiped from his skin but some of it stained his clothes. From what Tim heard Alfred was taking Damian to the vet to drop off a baby squirrel he found.
It was just them, him all alone.
"So you want a report." He sniffed.
"Well no, I just..."
'Want to see how you're doing? If you’re hurting...scared.’ He wanted to ask however it felt just off to say. This isn't them. They don’t talk about emotions in this family especially them. Damn why was so hard. He must've taken too long to pull a sentence together.
"How is Pennyworth?" Damian turned away to look at the sun whose glow was fading. No other kids were around in the playground.
'Right because who in their right mind would let their child play out here in the cold air and snow.' Tim reasoned.
'Apparently you,' a voice silently whispered to him.
"He got out. Doctor's say couple tests, days inside then before you know it, he'll be up and about." Taking a moment to realize Damian was still tense Tim continued. "Everyone is checking on him. Bruce and Dick were away for a case so they'll come in as soon as they can."
"Okay." He said it with such defeat. Tim should tell him it wasn't his fault. None of this was his fault and no one blamed him. But he knew Damian would think of it as a lie.
Tim didn't even realize it but attempted to place a hand on Damian’s shoulder to try and reassure him. Damian flinched at the attempt and it pained Tim that he did not know comfort. Nevertheless he was able to place his hand on him and felt Damian tremble a little.
"So what will be father's plan?"
"What?" Tim tried to act dumb of what he was being asked if him.
Damian swiftly detached himself from Tim giving him a hardened stare. He missed the warmth the right way.
"Don't act coy. This just proves his point. Your point. I will never be able to be seen as a Wayne will I?" Damian stated. "I can never be his son publicly right."
"Damian right now isn't-"
"Answer me!" Damian got up in anger causing his swing seat to rattle. "You know how he thinks. You're more like him than anyone. Everyone else says so be it the family, friends even his enemies. Grandfather even-”
Tim watched as Damian quickly shut his mouth. Anger radiated out of him and he began to kick the ground mumbling. “Damn it! Father will never let me out to the public will he!? I'll never be announced as his son!"
"You shouldn't worry about that now."
"How can I not! I'm going to kept hidden away in the manor for the rest of my life. I am going to be caged up just like mother and grandfather did to me. They'll keep me away from everyone else and only take me when I'm needed for something.
But in father’s case he might just take me being Robin altogether. I know he’s already unsure that I should be out there. This will just give him all the more reason to pull me out.”
“He won’t do that.”
“And all just because someone sees me and recognizes me and will try to kill me. Well that doesn't matter!"
"No!" Tim shot up from his seat and yelled. It was enough to startle Damian. Fury enveloped Tim. "It matters that your life will be in danger Damian! You could end up getting hurt or worse!"
"But I won't let that happen," he complained back. "I'm Robin and that's dangerous all the time. In case you've forgotten I was trained to either kill or be killed since birth.”
“It doesn’t matter your training Damian, anyone can die at any age!”
“Than all the more the reason it doesn’t matter. I have never been safe and probably will never be. So I might as well go out of my own terms."
Tim froze, stunned for a second because of what he heard come out of this ten year old. It clicked to him he had to go at this differently. Because clearly his brother didn't appear to care what could happen to him. He had too much mentality of a soldier, a weapon. Why did he delude himself to think Damian was a normal kid. He never was no matter how much they wished Damian was.
He needs to have a serious talk with Dick and Bruce after this.
Everyone always came to him so he could give them the cold hard facts and this situation definitely called for it.
Damian sensed an eerie calm coming from Tim.
"You’re right he won't call you his son to the public not only for your safety but,” Tim took a big breath in and let another out. “Because it would put everyone's identity at risk. People would question why someone like Bruce Wayne has a son with Talia Al Ghual. People will ask questions of how someone like him met someone like her. That could lead to more questions about Bruce himself."
Tim could see the gears in Damian’s mind turning.
'Go after what Damian cares about. His insecurity, his father.' That cold little voice in Tim told him. Tim chose his words cautiously to hopefully not sound so desimal of the situation.
"We can't let that happen. There are some clever people out there as hard as it is for you to believe. Why does Talia's son call Batman father and doesn't he look like the son of Bruce Wayne?"
"But," Damian gave out a small plea but Tim continued. He needed to hammer the point across. Be the hammer to seal the coffin.
"We cannot let anyone see you in the first place no matter what will be the main priority. The fact that we are here is because someone saw you and recognized you. They must know the things you've done and that is dangerous for anyone to know.
You can't let anyone know who you really are, what you've done. Because the mere presence of you could hurt our image, hurt this family.
So you're going to have to follow our rules without question and with great resolve. Conceal yourself from everyone. Mask everything about you, don't let them see you no matter what. Hide just hide yourself away. If you don't-" Tim now placed his hand firmly on Damian's shoulder.
"If I don't, another wrong move and this could happen again. ” Damian appeared to know where Tim was going with this. “Or worse. They could spot me and kill the family just because I am there."
The worry was evident on Damian's face and Tim pitied him. He hated to think if he had done something wrong in the past others would suffer for it.
They already did. His friends and parents came to mind.
Damian was barely ten, the youngest of them with a weight no kid should bear. This wasn't-
"-fair. After all I did," Damian's face began to scrunched up. "To have traveled so far, to have done what I did, suffered and fought against so much. Sleep so little to only come here to be told I can’t…" He began to rub his eyes.
Why? Why did she? Why! Time wanted to scream and curse. Why hadn’t Talia thought of hiding Damian's face when meeting other villains or enemies. Now it seemed he would never escape being in the shadows.
Seeing Damian attempt to control his emotion Tim knew he took it too far. Tim loosened his grip on the boy.
"But you're also right about something else." Tim declared realizing his words putting his brother into despair. "You are Robin."
Tim poked at Damian chest where his Robin badge would be.
"But you just said-"
"Damian Wayne can't exist."
"Father is going to hide me. I get it. So you're also saying he might not even let me be Robin anymore. What do you want it back now?"
"Robin goes forward, it doesn't go back. You are it until you pass it down yourself." He stated rather seriously. "You're Batman's partner who stays by his side and is meant to be free to fly over Gotham protecting it. No one cages Batman's Robin, not even Batman thought you know that by now."
Tim attempted to humor him. Taking a moment Damian blinked his eyes and stopped rubbing his eyes.
"Of course I do, Timothy don't patronize me." Damian waved Tim's hand away without any real force behind it. He could see just the tiniest smile that hinted he was humoured.
"Plus this hiding won't be forever."
'Don't do this, don't.’ A voice shrieked at Tim. ' Don't say it. Don't over promise, don't double down. Don’t give false hope. Just don't-"
"Me, Bruce and everyone will find a way for you to be seen as another orphan billionaire Bruce Wayne adopted." Without knowing it Tim gave that corporate smile. He gave those during business deals to reassure another worker or business partner what he was doing was right even when he himself wasn't so sure.
To believe what it was he was selling.
"Really?" Damian sounded rather hopeful. Damian had never seen Tim give him that smile, it felt off somehow. Still both wanted to believe this promise, in the lie.
"Yeah, before you know it you'll be telling us you don't want to be a Wayne once you go to your first gala. Trust me not even Cass can stand those for more than a couple hours."
"Then why do you guys always look entertained by the end of the night." Damian raised a brow.
"I knew it was you looking at us from outside." Tim gestures wildly.
"Maybe," he said a little coy. Tim just smirked. This was good. The demon spawn didn't look upset anymore.
"We get creative with what we can get away with in those hours." Tim gave a humored shrug. "You'll see once you get to one. Now come on Alfred's probably more worried about you then he is about himself right now even though he just took a bullet for you so come entertain him and give him a hug."
Tim took off his red scarf and began to wrap it around Damian's neck most of the blood stained clothes were covered by it. He then reached out his hand to which Damian gave a puzzled look.
"Remember you have to be hidden. No one is expecting the great Damian Al Ghual to act like a kid right?"
Damian got what Tim was talking about. "Fine, I'll mask myself, act as a child." He pulled down his green hat and used the red scarf to counsel more of his face. "But don't get used to it."
"I'll try not to."
Once he was done he took hold of Tim's hand and the two brothers made their way back to the nice warm room where their family was probably already waiting for them.
He could see him smile and even a giggle. Tim never saw Damian giggle like that, never thought he could. His little brother was currently pushing a little boy on the swing, Jack if he recalled right. It appeared that he was telling Damian to push him higher. It was still morning and the kid wanted to already play.
The distant camera had no audio but that was Tim’s guess. Damian appeared to be shaking his head no. So in the small boy's infinite wisdom to protest the decision decided to jump out of the swing in midair. Jack landed badly.
Damian went to Jack right away. Tim thought Jack was being too dramatic. They had worse falls and Damian would tell any of them to suck it up.
However here as Jack cried over a scraped knee Damian began to sooth the kid. He assured him. After a while Damian picked up Jack then yelled at someone out of view. Soon they were getting away from the camera’s view. Before they did it seems Jack said something to make Damian laugh.
They’re probably headed to the nurse.
Tim is happy, he is because Damian isn’t as alone as he was in the beginning. He wasn’t hidden somewhere in the mansion or cave. No longer outside looking in. No, he’s surrounded by people that felt comfortable to hang out with him and he did in return. All those kids befriended Damian quickly and talked to him easily.
Damian is happier, Tim is too.
But just for a moment just one Tim wished to see Damian was by his side instead.