Chapter Text
Damian has a playlist of songs that remind him of his siblings, parents, and allies (friends). He started collecting songs about his siblings when he came back to life, and after being told of Dick’s supposed death, and after Bruce forgotten him, he started playlists for everyone else. The songs on the playlists represents many things: the person, his relationship with that person, or a certain memory between him and that person it reminds him of- just anything. The playlists are a coping mechanism, a crutch that Damian leans on when the world becomes to much, when he can’t go find the people his missing and wants to see.
The playlists are secret, something he won’t—can’t show, because that means he cares, means he loves them, and that means they can be used against him, it means weakness. The playlists are what Damian can’t say to them, things that he wishes he could.
So, when Tim breaks into Damian’s private computer network, sees the playlists and e-mails them to the others as a joke, Damian gets angry—no he gets furious, throwing things and becoming belligerent in a way no one has ever seen before. Tim knows he screwed the pooch hard. Luckily the boys were upstairs in the Manor and not in the Batcave when Damian found out Tim’s little espionage.
“You, idiotic fool! You always seem to stick your noses where you and it are not wanted! This was mine! And you think you can hack into it and share it without consequences?!?!” Damian's enraged screaming could be heard from the front door, where Alfred and Dick are, as Dick was picking up some new tech for a case in Bludhaven.
“Hey, what is going on, Alfie?” Dick asks, as Damian’s yelling continues on.
“This is the first I have heard from Tim all morning,” Alfred replies, then a heavy thump and the sound of something breakable shattering resounds through the house making Dick and Alfred jump.
“You, ingrate!” Damian shouts.
“I said I am sorry!” Tim responds.
“Calm down, Demon!” is-is that Jason trying to defuse a fight? Instead of instigate one?
“That does not make your consequences go away! Get back here!”
Next thing Dick knows is that he is on the second-floor landing- Alfred on the stairs, and Dick is running towards the fight, which so happens to be the library. Slamming the doors open, he sees Tim- his back on the floor and hands covering his face, Jason standing between the youngest vigilantes- tea cup shattered on the wooden floors, and Damian with his phone in one hand, the other hand clinched for a punch and his face twisted in a snarl. “What the— What is going on?! I entered through the front door and heard screaming,” Dick asks loudly, catching everyone’s attention.
“It was a joke—!” Tim begins, yelling.
“It was an invasion of privacy!” Damian cuts off, even louder, finger pointing at Tim.
“Hey! Both of you! Look at me!” Dick instructs, annoyance creeping into his tone. When the glaring match between the youngest two end he takes a deep breath- getting his annoyance under control again- and says, “Thank you. Now, lets sit down,” he gestures to the couch and loveseat, “Tim and Jason on the couch and Damian and I will sit on the other.”
Jason groans, “I didn’t do anything. Why do I have to be here?”
Dick can feel his temper flaring up but luckily Alfred takes over, “Master Jason, unless you want to get Master Bruce, I suggest you take a seat.”
Jason pales, causing Tim to let out a slight snicker, which Dick and Jason tosses him each a look for it. Damian huffs and sits on the cushion farthest from the couch, Dick sitting next to him, Tim and Jason making their way to the couch and Alfred getting Bruce, a rag, and a broom to clean the broken cup. When Bruce walks in and takes a seat on a leather chair, he asks, “What is going on?”
Damian and Tim speak at the same time, but Bruce cuts them off, “Jason, explain,” and at Dick’s pointed look, “please.”
Jason huffs and starts, “I was reading when Tim walked in, needing some help hacking into an unknown network. He thought it looked League related, next thing I know the demon is throwing open the door and looks livid,” he shoots Tim a look, “What case was it, again?”
All eyes on Tim as he speaks up, “I noticed an unknown network when I was working on the Batcomputer security. I thought—”
Bruce cuts him off, “And you didn’t tell anyone? Tim you know better than that.”
Tim, blushing in embarrassment, acknowledges, “I know, but you were working on Dick’s tech and I didn’t want to bother you if I could ask someone else. Anyway, I know that Jason has experience with the League computers, so I asked him. When Jason and I—,”
“Do not bring me into this. I only told you one thing,” Jason protests.
“When I actually hacked the darn thing, I went looking for anything I could find.”
Damian stands up, “And noticed it was my personal network!”
At Jason’s, Bruce’s, Dick’s, and Alfred’s shocked faces (with varying degrees of success of covering up said shock), Tim’s mortification grew exponentially.
But Damian was not finished, “Then you proceeded to look through my personal files, pictures, school work, e-mails, and other things! And you sent my private playlists to other people!” After speaking Damian runs out the door and slams the door close, anger rolling off him in waves, but Dick can see the embarrassment in the slight shaking of his hands reaching for the door.
“That’s messed up, Timothy. Thought you were raised better than that,” Jason drawls, making Tim clench his jaw.
“Shut up, Jason.”
Dick speaks up for the first time, “What about the shattered tea cup? And the loud thump?”
Jason grimaces and explains, “I dropped the cup when Dames raged in here, and Tim fell backwards off his chair. Sorry Alfred.”
Dick looks at Bruce, seeing him process all the information, and says, “This was not Damian’s fault.”
“He has an unregistered network and we could have avoided this whole thing,” Bruce shoots back.
Dick’s temper finally reaches its breaking point, “After becoming Batman, I gave Damian the network! The only reason it was not registered is because Tim does not have access to my Nightwing networks from here; consequently, Damian’s did not have a name! So, there, it’s my fault!”
Bruce did not raise his voice, but did ask, “Why did you give Damian a network?”
Dick did not have time for this. He had to find his brother; his little brother that felt violated because Tim couldn’t stop his curiosity. So, when he stood, he doled out, “We can discuss that later. Just know that Damian is not at fault and does not deserve to be punished. I’m going to find Damian and make sure he feels safe,” Dick then turns towards Tim, “and Damian deems himself ready, you are going to apologize to him for pilfering through and stealing his things, not to mention violating his network.” When Dick finished his piece, he rushes out, heading towards Damian’s room.
Reaching the door, he knocks, “Damian, it’s Dick. Can I come in?”
Muffled footfalls are coming from behind the door, and Damian asks, “Is there anyone with you?”
“No, but I was thinking- you can pack a bag, we could go to Bludhaven, and spend a couple of days there? Only if you want to.”
Damian opens the door slightly, “Will the others touch my things, if we go?”
Dick’s heart began to break at the question and look on his youngest brother’s face, “No, they won’t. You know how I know?” Damian gives a small shake of his head, “Alfie won’t let them, in fact, he won’t let them come near it if you ask- or if I ask. But we don’t even have to leave, if you don’t want. We can stay here and watch movies, I can play my guitar and you-your violin, we can play with Titus, wash Batcow. Just whatever you want, whatever makes you comfortable.”
Damian nods quickly to Dick’s words, “I- I wish to stay; but I do not want people in my room.”
“I understand, how about this. I go and grab my computer and we watch a movie? I’ll stay in the hall and you can watch from your room, okay?” Dick asks, taking a step back.
“Can Pennyworth make popcorn, my favorite kind?”
Dick smiles, “I think so, I’ll go ask. Pick up some soda too,” this draws a small, barely-there smile from Damian and Dick feels accomplishment rolling through him as he gathers his supplies. In the hall, he sees Alfred and calls out, “Hey Alf, do you think you can make Damian’s favorite popcorn? We are going to watch a movie.”
“Of course, Master Dick. I will bring it up shortly. Tell me, how is Master Damian doing?” the butler inquires.
Dick’s small smile drops slightly, “Not great. He doesn’t want to leave his room; he is afraid someone will touch or grab his things. I’m going to put Hercules on my laptop, place it and myself on the floor in the hall, and ride this out till he feels safer. I’ll be right back for the snacks.” After Alfred’s affirmation, Dick begins to walk to Damian’s room, the door is closed so Dick says loudly, “It’s just me, Dami. I’m going to set up the movie, collect the snacks from Alfred, then we can start. I’ll be right back,” he waits for Damian’s acknowledgement then heads to the kitchen.
On his way, Tim is walking towards his room, “Hey Tim, you good?” Dick asks.
“Yeah, I guess. I just don’t understand why Damian acted so volatile. I mean he has done it to me, but he didn’t get in trouble for it.”
“Of course, he did. You just didn’t see it. And for the strong reaction, think about it, Tim, he was raised by Talia. His every move was monitored and reported; he could not do anything without people knowing. Hell, he slept with the thought of being attacked running through his mind, so imagine the internet restriction he had- if he was allowed to go on the internet in the first place. But suddenly it’s a one-eighty, he can’t kill, but he can sleep knowing that he won’t be disturbed till morning. He needs his own space, his own area where he knows no one will touch, in the real world and online. So, when you not only hacked into his network, but stole things from him, it rocked his sense of security and safety. Its like you know that you are safe in your room in the Titan Tower, and suddenly one of your teammates goes through your closet, dresser, and under your bed, finds your photography and showing the whole team. That is what Damian is going through,” Dick explains the best he can, watching Tim- waiting for understanding, or guilt, cross his face. When Tim’s face scrunches up, Dick knows he understands, “Anyway wait till Damian leaves his room and you can apologize and assure him you won’t be doing it again.”
Tim nods, turns away, walking towards his room, while Dick collects the snacks from Alfred and returns to Damian’s hallway. “Okay, Little D, snacks are here. Ready for a movie?” Dick asks through the door, placing his tub and cup on the ground. The door opens a tiny bit, Damian looking through slit, pushes it open more and Dick can see a blanket pallet laid out on the floor in the doorway.
“I am permitting you to use my blankets and this much space, Grayson,” Damian says, arms crossed and red cheeked. Dick felt his heart swell at the sight of Damian trusting and caring enough to allow him in the room, let alone the blankets.
“Thanks, Little D. Is Hercules a good movie to start with?” Dick asks, taking off his shoes and situating on the pile of blankets.
“I suppose. Though it is nothing like the original tale.”
Dick grins at Damian’s rebuttal of said movie, “True, but it has one of the better soundtracks.”
“TT.”
When the movie ended Damian is lying next to Dick, resting his head on Dick’s arm and sleepily lets out a, “Grayson?”
“Yes, Dami?”
“I picked out one of those songs for your playlist.”
“Really? Which one?”
Damian snuggles a little closer to Dick, and Dick wraps his arm around the teen, “’Go the Distance’ but it was the original by Michael Bolton. The song reminds me how optimistic you are, it reminds me how patient you are. But most of all, it reminds me when you were Batman and how you have protected and cared for me. It makes me feel safe, when you are not here to do so.”
Dick’s eyes begin to tear up, but he blinks them back, to have put so much thought into these playlists… it shows Dick that he cares so much, “You know, I will always protect and care for you as best I can. And I won’t open it if you don’t want me to.”
“You can, it is just…”
Dick glances down, and sees the most precious sight: Damian dressed in the cotton Batman pajamas Dick bought as a joke, his head resting on Dick’s chest, and arm thrown around Dick’s waist.
A month later Damian got an email full of songs from Dick.