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Dick whistled cheerfully as he walked into the woods. He hoisted his bag further onto his shoulder and kept his eyes perfectly level on the path in front of him.
He could feel his phone going off in his pocket, and couldn’t help but roll his eyes. It’s like they didn’t even know him. After all, it was pretty obvious to him that this is what he would do. Pretty obvious to Jon, too.
But no one knew him like the two of them, he supposed. And one of them was currently incapacitated.
He walked for another ten minutes or so, then stopped in the middle of a clearing. He listened for a moment, then nodded to himself and sat down, pulling his bag into his lap.
He changed his whistle to a hum as he unloaded his bag in front of him – a small picnic. A few sandwiches, some fruit, and a couple drinks.
“Do you want water or something with more flavor?” Dick called, not looking up. “I convinced Alfred to give me a couple sodas.”
The trees rustled around him in the breeze.
“…I’ll save you hydration, but I’m starving.” Dick said jovially. “So don’t expect me to save you anything until you’re done your pouting.”
There was a scoff, then, followed by the thump of something landing to his left. Dick smirked as he glanced over and watched Damian stomp towards him.
“I’m not pouting.” Damian declared. Dick looked at him incredulously, eyeing the rough-looking travel clothes, heavy boots and duffle bag strapped to Damian’s back. Damian crossed his arms, almost looking embarrassed. “I’m not.”
“Sure you’re not.” Dick drawled, patting the dirt in front of him. “Running away into the wilderness without any form of communication or plan is a totally reasonable reaction.”
Damian’s face shifted as he clenched his teeth. “You don’t understand.”
“Oh no?” Dick asked as Damian walked towards him and sat down. He sat a little further away than Dick would have liked but hey – beggars can’t be choosers. “Try me.”
Damian just stared down at the meal Dick was laying between them.
“I mean it.” Dick reminded. “Try me. Tell me what and why I wouldn’t understand.”
“…I almost killed him.” Damian whispered after another pause, looking to the side. “I can’t come back from that.”
“Yes, you can.” Dick tried nonchalantly. “Because it wasn’t you.”
“The blade was in my hand, Richard, you can’t deny that.” Damian snapped. “It was my knife. My Kryptonite knife. From my utility belt.”
“But it wasn’t your mind.” Dick pushed. “It wasn’t your choice. The toxin-”
“I should have been stronger than that.” Damian yelled, fire in his eyes as he looked back at his brother. “For my beloved– For Jon, I–” He was suddenly on his feet, pacing across the field. “It should have been easy. All my training? All my experience? All the toxins and poisons I’ve been inoculated against?” He shook his head, balled his hands into fists. “I’m a failure. I…I need to go and-”
“Go and what?” Dick cut off in immediate annoyance. “Disappear into thin air and make us all suffer?”
“No one would suffer. You’d all be better off, Jon especially, I’ve been saying that for years.” Damian countered just as hotly. “But that’s not what I was even going to say anyway.” He slowed to a stop a few feet away, face turned towards the sky. “…How is he doing?”
“Ask him yourself. I’m not here as a messenger.” Dick barked, pulling a sandwich out of his bag. Damian didn’t respond, waiting. “…He’s not well, Dames.”
Damian hung his head.
“…Because all he wants to do is come out here and find you. He won’t let himself heal.” Dick sighed, feeling that phone buzzing in his pocket again. He wondered who it was now – Clark? Bruce? Lois? Did Jon steal someone’s phone again? “We…Clark had to tie him down with Kryptonite-laced rope because he kept leaving the medical ward to try and look for you.”
“He shouldn’t want to.” Damian mumbled. “…He’s an idiot.”
“Well if he is, so am I. You and I both know he’s only trying to find you because he loves you. He still loves you. He will always love you. It just so happens I’m better at finding you than…well, everyone.” Dick took a bite of the sandwich, tilting his head thoughtfully as he chewed. “And you know what? I’ll give you blame for this one. I’ll agree with you that this is your fault.” He swallowed his bite. “You want to know why Jon is so desperate to find you?”
“Because I stabbed him in the chest with a Kryptonite dagger using a lethal League technique-”
“Because you masked your heartbeat.” Dick accused. “You took one of those stupid pills that Bruce created and I will always hate him for. You blocked your heartbeat from being heard, and Jon thinks you’re dead, despite what we all tell him.”
Damian glanced coolly over his shoulder. “I should be.”
In an instant, Dick had one of the unopened water bottles in his hand, throwing it at Damian’s back with all his might. Damian stumbled when it hit the top of his spine, and he spun around to face his brother in offense.
“Don’t you fucking say that again.” Dick growled. “Now get over here and eat something.”
Despite the anger rolling off both of them, Damian acquiesced, walking back to his spot and sitting down, accepting the food and drink Dick tossed him. Damian nibbled awkwardly at the food, glancing at his brother every few seconds, almost wary.
“…Would you think better of me if I told you I took the heartbeat-masking pills because I was scared?”
Dick genuinely thought about it. “Maybe. If you say it’s because you were scared you were going to somehow purposefully hurt Jon, then no-”
“I’m afraid of Superman.” Damian said flatly. “If Clark Kent finds me, he’ll kill me for what I did to his son. And he should – he has every right. I just…” Damian sighed. “I don’t want to be killed by Superman.”
Dick found himself smiling, despite what he felt. Damian could be so heartbreakingly cute sometimes.
“God, Damian.” He said instead, with a disbelieving laugh. “You are a genius. One of the smartest people I know. And you’re still so damn stupid.”
Damian raised his steely gaze in warning.
“Clark isn’t going to kill you. Neither is Lois. Again, they understand it wasn’t you.” Dick held up his hand to stop Damian before he started. “Yes, it was your hand, but it wasn’t your mind. You were affected by a fear toxin-adrenaline mix. You didn’t know it was Jon. And honestly, we all agree – even Jon himself – that he approached you wrong, given the situation. He shouldn’t have come up behind you, knowing there was the gas in the area.” But Dick seemed to wave that off. “They know as well as the rest of us you would never willingly do anything to hurt Jon – or any of the Kents for that matter. Frankly, you seem to be the only one fighting that objective fact, for some reason.”
“Because I did, Grayson, I did hurt him-”
“Not on purpose.” Dick reiterated loudly. He felt another buzz in his pocket, and decided to use it as an example. “And you know what, Damian? You’re probably hurting him worse right now by running away. And this – this is on purpose.”
Damian’s hands balled into fists again. “You don’t understand-”
“Do you know how many times Clark has called me since I came out here to find you?” Dick cut off. “I left the med bay two hours ago. You know how many calls and texts I have since then?” He tossed the phone to Damian, who fumbled it slightly. “And do you know how many are plotting your death?”
Damian scowled, but seemed to skim through the messages anyway. His shoulders seemed to relax with every scroll, and Dick already knew what messages he was reading, had already committed the general theme of them to heart.
Clark: any sign yet?
Clark: lois has a first aid kit ready if he needs. just send coordinates when you find him.
Lois: is damian allergic to any topicals?
B: Why did you turn your GPS off? I told you I wanted to help you search.
Clark: thought i got a hint of his heartbeat? did you find him?
Alfie: Please inform me when you have retrieved young master and are on your way home. I will start preparations for his favorite dish.
Lois: anything yet? Just give me the word, I can get the planet helicopter in the air no problem
Clark: bruce said you aren’t answering him either, so that probably means you found him. is he ok? does he need help? can be there in 5 sec
“…They all love you, Dames. And are worried sick.” Dick said softly. Damian’s lips twisted in thought, and Dick knew that to be a sign that Damian was giving in, that he’d be able to scoop his not-so-little brother up and take him home, where he needed to be.
But suddenly Dick heard his phone buzz in Damian’s hand, and Damian instantly stiffened.
“What?” Dick asked immediately. “What’s wrong?”
Damian only silently turned the phone around for him to read.
Jonno: I heard his heartbeat. I know you found him. I’m coming.
And even as he read that, another message popped in immediately.
Clark: Jon’s gone. Bruce suspects he was waiting for us to be distracted to follow you
Dick’s eyes widened, and as he glanced up to meet Damian’s gaze, Damian was already scrambling to his feet.
“Now, wait a second, Damian.” Dick jumped up too, lunging forward to grab Damian’s wrist. “Just calm down, okay? I told you, he’s been worried sick-”
“What if I hurt him?” Damian asked, almost involuntarily, it seemed. “I-I can’t, Richard, I can’t hurt him again. I won’t. I won’t, I-”
“You’re damn right you won’t. I know.” Dick squeezed Damian’s wrist, relieved that Damian wasn’t actually pulling against him that hard. “We all know. And Jon knows too, that’s why he’s coming.”
Damian looked at him, looking so guilty and sad, and whispered, “But what if I do?”
Dick smiled, but before he could answer, there was the sound of a crash in the nearby trees, followed by a harsh wave of wind and dust. Damian gave another pull of his wrist, tried to step back once more, but it was half-hearted and weak.
His voice wasn’t, though.
“Why?” He demanded softly. “Grayson, why wouldn’t you just let me go?”
“Because I promised myself a long time ago, after the Heretic, that I never would again. No matter what.” Dick said simply. “And I meant it.”
Dick could see Damian’s scowl through the haze of the dust, and if he was going to retort and spout off some incorrect opinions, he didn’t get the chance.
Branches snapped underfoot nearby. A wheezing breath. The creaking of a tree trunk being leaned against.
“…Damian?”
Damian twitched in Dick’s hold as a shadow appeared in the haze.
“I have him.” Dick confirmed loudly. “He’s here.”
The shadow perked, then. Became more clear as the dirt settled. Jon looked pale, paler than normal, and had his hand clutching against a large bandage across his chest. He was shirtless and in sweatpants, looking as hazard as his voice had sounded.
Tears were already brimming in his eyes.
“Beloved.” Damian sighed sadly. “Oh, Jon…”
And that was all it took for Jon to find his strength. He pushed off the tree he had slumped against and was across the field in a literal blink.
“Jonathan-” Was all Damian got out before Jon engulfed him in his arms. Held the back of his head with one hand and squeezed Damian with all his might with the other.
And it was sad, how not-at-all-strong that was.
“You’re here.” Jon blubbered. “I found you. We found you. Dick found you.”
“Jon-”
“No. Shut up. Just shut up.” Jon cried. “I don’t want to hear it. Whatever you’re going to say is wrong and stupid and I don’t care what you think or want to do.” He wavered slightly now, his knees shaking. Damian instantly reached out to stabilize him. To hold him. “I’m taking you home. You’re coming home with me and you’re going to stay with me.”
Jon crumbled a little bit more. Even Dick stepped forward to put an arm behind him.
“You don’t need to apologize.” Jon whispered as he hid his face against Damian’s throat. “You shouldn’t feel guilty. It wasn’t your fault. And even if it was, I forgive you. I forgive you and I love you and I just.” Jon whimpered – whimpered – and dug his nails into Damian’s back. “Please come home.”
Damian could only glance at Dick, who had a sad smile.
“I told you, Damian.” Dick offered with a shrug. “He’s not well.”
Damian nodded and closed his eyes, leaning his head against Jon’s. But after a moment, he pulled back and forced Jon to lift his head with a hand on his jaw.
“If I come home, will you allow yourself to heal?” Damian asked.
Jon nodded vigorously, a tear slipping down his cheek. “But only if you’re the one taking care of me.”
Damian stared up at him, quickly brushing away the tear. “…You’re a terrible bargainer.”
“I’d trade the planet for you in a heartbeat.” Jon laughed, pressing his forehead to Damian’s. “And I wouldn’t even feel bad.”
Damian snorted a laugh. “…I’m so sorry, Beloved.”
Jon hummed, pressing the ghost of a kiss to Damian’s cheek. “I know you are.”
Damian leaned his head back. “Grayson?”
“Already called Bruce for an air extraction.” Dick waved his phone in front of him as he turned to pick up the remnants of their quick meal. “I’m assuming you won’t be able to fly again, Jon?”
“God, I don’t even know if I can take another step.” Jon admitted awkwardly. “So, if I could actually maybe just sit down…”
“Nonsense.” Damian decided. He pulled out of Jon’s arms and turned around. “We need to get to a more open area for the plane anyway. I’ll carry you.”
“Are you serio-”
“This is a one time offer, Jonathan.” Damian smirked over his shoulder. Jon beamed, all but falling against Damian’s back, wrapping his arms around his neck. He hooked his chin over Damian’s shoulder as Damian hoisted up his legs.
“I love you.” Jon whispered as Damian followed when Dick started off through the trees. “Thank you for coming home.”
“Thank you for coming after me.” Damian countered. “Thank you for loving me when I don’t deserve it.”
Jon hummed a grin and shifted upwards to press a hard kiss to Damian’s temple, then snuggled back against his neck. “Always.”
Dick glanced back at him with a wink. “Agreed.”
Damian could only smile, and try to ignore the warmth spreading through his heart.