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Tim sensed Damian’s presence at his door. Not an unusual occurrence now that they’re both part of the same Clan. Something that Damian holds very dear apparently. Through their connection, Tim can sense hunger. It’s hard for him to tell if it was at a stage where he should be concerned. Not for his own safety, but for Damian’s development. Apparently, Damian is quite young for a vampire, which means he needs to feed more regularly than Bruce.
“Come in.” He called from his bed, not turning away from his video game.
Damian entered with a huge smile on his face. He could feel his brother push love and comfort through their bond. But just underneath was a tint of deceit.
“Timothy.” He said. Despite Damian warming up to him, he still insisted on calling him by full name.
“Damian.” Tim mimicked his tone.
“What are you doing?” The vampire asked.
“Playing Hades.” Tim answered, giving Damian no room to butter him up.
“Interesting.” Damian watched with mild interest. “What’s it about?”
“You’re the son of Hades and you have to escape the underworld.” Tim answered. Damian only hummed in response.
Damian let a couple of quiet moments pass. “You know you’re my favourite-”
Tim sighed, “What do you want?” He paused the game to look at Damian.
“I’m hungry.” Damian pouted.
Uh no. Those puppy dog eyes might work on Dick and Bruce, but they most certainly will not work on Tim.
“Didn’t Bruce tell you to stop pestering me to feed you?” Tim shot back.
“No. He said that I shouldn’t coerce you.” Damian corrected. “I’m not corecing you. I’m just asking.”
Frankly, Tim was just playing with him. He really didn’t mind that Damian came to him to feed once and a while. He wouldn’t mind if Bruce asked him either. But since the whole… thing happened about a month ago, Bruce is still very hesitant to even mention vampires around them. Which Tim doesn’t blame him for. But Damian was on the other end of the spectrum. His baby brother seemed to not really understand the concept of trauma yet, even though he has a fair bit of it himself. The conversation that they were referring to happened about a week ago, when Damian was downright begging to feed off of Tim. Tim had a long day and really just needed some alone time, but Damian wouldn’t take no for an answer. Until Bruce scolded him. Told him that when Tim said no, that was that. There were no ifs, ands, or buts. Told him next time, Bruce would ground him for a week.
Tim thought that it was pretty harsh. It really didn’t bother him since it was mostly just brothers being brothers. But Bruce was adamant that Damian learn that he can’t get his way with begging. Especially if it’s a sensitive subject like feeding.
“See, I would, but I didn’t have any lunch.” That was kinda a lie, since he did have some granola not too long ago. But that was a lunch definitely not up to snuff for Damian.
“Timothy.” Damian scolded. For the past month Damian has been noticing Tim’s eating habits and he was not afraid to comment on them. That kinda pissed him off. But did Bruce do anything about that? No. Bruce even agreed with Damian.
Bruce did have a chat with Damian later about that too though.
“Don’t move.” Damian ordered as he rushed out of the room.
“Wasn’t really planning on it.” Tim mumbled to himself.
Fifteen minutes later, Damian came back with a sandwich, some potato chips, a bowl of fruit, a cup of water, and a juice box. He was carefully balancing it on one of Alfred’s trays.
“Wow, baby bat.” Tim teased. “If this is the way you’d treat me, I should feed you more often.”
“Tt.” Damian scoffed as he set the tray down on his bed and climbed on the bed beside Tim. “It doesn’t matter if you’re feeding me or not, you need to eat a proper meal.” Tim smiled and took a bite of the turkey sandwich.
“This is pretty good. Alfred help you with this?” Tim asked with his mouth full.
“It’s a sandwich, Timothy, it’s not rocket science.” Damian huffed, but Tim could see a slight blush on his cheeks. “But no. Alfred is doing laundry I believe. I hope it’s sufficient.”
“I like my sandwiches with a lot of mayo.” Tim shrugged, “But for someone who doesn’t eat human food, it’s good.”
He could see Damian hide a smile.
As Tim went to grab some chips, he noticed two circular band-aids on the tray beside the plate.
What a confident bastard. He thought. But Tim’s not an asshole. He’s not going to let Damian feed him and not feed Damian.
He chuckled.
“What is it?” Damian asked, a tinge of defensiveness in his tone.
“Nothing. It’s just that-” He swallowed down his mouthful of chips. “It’s funny because you're feeding me, and I’m about to feed you.”
“Oh.” Damian smiled. “Yeah, I guess that is kind of funny.”
Tim went to open up his juice box. But before he could even reach it, Damian snatched it away. “Nuh uh. This is for after.”
Tim rolled his eyes and settled on washing down his food with the glass of water.
He took a few bites of the fruit, but decided they also might be better after Damian eats.
As he finished, he looked up and saw Damian looking at him expectedly, trying his best to be patient. Kid was cute sometimes. Sometimes.
“Okay.” Tim sighed as he laid himself down on the bed.
“Yes!” Damian cheered, following Tim down.
Tim got comfortable. Laying on his back, his arm wrapped around Damian, who pressed at his side. He could feel Damian’s breath on his neck as he turned his head to the side, giving him more room.
But Damian hesitated. Tim was just about to ask what was taking so long when Damian asked quietly. “Are you sure, Timothy?”
“I’m sure, Damian.” Tim said, pushing comfort and assurance through their bond. He’s not used to it, but he's sure he did something right because Damian nodded and sunk his teeth in.
The initial bite was the worst part. There was nothing Damian could do that could make it any else painful or uncomfortable. Tim tensed under Damian, but he was comforted by their claim and by the venom that vampires used when feeding.
Well. Good vampires.
Tim felt the sting of the bite fade away as the venom worked its magic. He also felt Damian’s emotions amplified when he was feeding off him. The emotions were mostly consistent from the other times Damian had fed off him. They were always positive. Warm and loving. But nothing could compare to the first time he fed Damian.
It was so full of love, gratefulness, and excitement. Damian was so excited for Tim to be considered his “Clan Brother”. It was so intense that it brought Tim to tears.
Now though, he let his eyes close and relaxed into the feeling of Damian nuzzling at his neck.
Again, the first time was really awkward. He felt like a nursing mother. Honestly, throw a blanket over them and you would think that. But Alfred assured him that it was quite normal in vampire culture, expected even, to feed off a variety of loved ones.
Not even five minutes later, Damian had his fill. He gave Tim’s neck one final lick.
“Ew!” Tim pushed his head away. “Don’t be gross.”
Damian just huffed, sitting up and grabbing the band-aids and a disinfectant wipe.
Tim hissed as Damian gently wiped his puncture wounds. “Don’t be a baby, Timothy.” Damian said. Despite his words, Tim could feel fondness radiating off of him.
“Don’t get my hair in the band-aid this time.” Tim said. His head still swimming a bit from the venom, the bond, and loss of blood.
Damian only responded with a “Tt.” But was careful to stoke all the hair away as he gently laid the band-aids down.
Once he was all patched up, Damian passed him his juice box and bowl of fruit.
Tim sat up and sucked down his juice in record speed. However, he wasn’t very hungry for the fruits. So he just nibbled on them, as to not worry Damian.
Speaking of. Damian made himself comfortable at Tim’s side. Laying his head on Tim’s lap. They fell into a comfortable silence. Until Damian spoke.
“Thank you, Timothy.” It was barely above a whisper. But Damian made sure that Tim could hear.
“For what?” Tim instinctively pet Damian’s hair.
“For letting me feed off you.” Damian clutched at Tim’s pants. “I know… Your parents used to-“
“I know, Dami.” Tim hushed him, he didn’t want to bring up those painful memories. Not now. “But this is different. It’s like night and day.”
“I understand.” Damian agreed. “Feeding in the League was very different too. I…”
Tim interrupts him again. “I’m glad we can do this then. Together.” He didn’t want to think about what his baby brother went through in the league.
“I’m glad Father claimed you. And Jason.” Damian admitted. “It took him long enough.”
“Yeah, well.” Tim shrugged, “You know how he is. Everything really would’ve been easier if he just… talked.”
Damian hummed in agreement.
“Do you think Grayson will ever let Father claim him?”
Tim thought for a moment. “I think so.” He decided. “I think he’ll come around to it eventually. Especially if he finds out about our special bonding activities.”
Damian hummed again. Tim could tell he was getting drowsy. He always did after he ate. So he kept petting Damian’s hair until his breath evened out. Only when he was sure Damian was asleep did he turn back to his game.
Tim huffs as the Bone Hydra kills him once again. He made sure not to throw too big of a fit, as to not wake the sleeping vampire in his lap.
“Knock, knock.” Bruce said, knocking on Tim’s open door simultaneously.
“Hey.” Tim says, not sparing Bruce a glance.
Bruce sighs as he sits on the bed. “I hope he didn’t force you.” Bruce said, while brushing Damian’s hair out of his face. Surprisingly, the kid didn’t stir. Damian was notorious for being a light sleeper.
“No.” Tim said. Obviously Bruce would pick up on the fact that Damian fed off him. If Damian snoring away and his band-aids weren’t enough. “He did feed me lunch, so we’re even.” Bruce smiled somberly.
“If he’s ever bothering you, you tell me right away.” Bruce said seriously.
Tim rolled his eyes. “You worry too much.” Bruce hummed.
Thinking back to the conversation him and Damian were having before, he connected a few dots.
“What was feeding like? In the League, I mean.”
Bruce didn’t take his eyes off Damian as he spoke. “They have a very strict hierarchy there. You were not allowed to feed from those who outranked you. It was rare to see feeding within Ra’s clan. They mostly feed from their targets and victims. Maybe even servants.”
“Do you think that Damian ever fed from his own clan before coming here?”
Bruce shook his head. “It’s hard to tell. Talia maybe did. Or tried. I’m grateful that she spared Damian from internalizing their culture that way.”
“So…” Tim thought. “Does that mean Damian sees me as below him?”
“No. I don’t think so. I think that he sees you as an equal more than anything. Maybe just a bit higher.” Bruce smiled. “I’m glad you too are getting along now.”
“Yeah.” Tim smiled down at Damian too. “I think that it’s easier now with the bond. We understand each other more. And I think that he truly thinks of me as his brother.”
Bruce doesn’t say anything to that, he just sighs. He cards his fingers through Damian’s hair.
“Did you need to ask me something? When you came into my room?”
“Hmm? Oh. No, I was just looking for Damian. Wanted to know if he finished his homework.” Bruce slid down on Tim’s bed, smiling. “I think I’ll let him sleep for a bit long though.”
Tim nodded and turned back to his game.
“What are you playing?”