Chapter Text
Damian Wayne sighed, sliding down the wall and resigning himself to a long wait. It had been at least an hour since his parents disappeared behind the door beside him and only five minutes after they’d entered, the yelling started.
He used to cry when they argued; He’d lock himself up in his room, flop onto his bed and sob into his pillow until his father came up to check on him. Tears running down his face, while he was scolded for locking his door and not telling anyone he was in his room.
But that was years ago, Damian was still a little kid then; he’s used to the arguing now, especially after the divorce.
It wasn’t a surprise when it happened but it still took Damian’s breath away, he hadn’t known exactly what it meant.
Jason had explained it to him, jaw tense and teal eyes clouded with emotion.
“They won’t be together anymore you already know that, but it’s a little more than that. You know when we watched Harry Potter and Snape took an unbreakable vow? Well marriage is like that, you say these really powerful unbreakable vows. But when someone breaks the vow or can’t keep it anymore they get a divorce, it’s like a really powerful thing and it tears the connection of the vows and unlinks the two people who took them. As you can imagine that hurts a lot, it’s more than just not being together.
Damian still remembers the way he could hear Jason’s voice trembling on the last part. And how through his own tear-filled eyes, he could see the hurt on his brother’s face.
He didn’t like to think about that memory during the day, but it was always waiting for him when he closed his eyes at night-so he had no choice.
His parents always said they wanted the best for him, and that they still loved him even though their love for each other had stopped. But they also used to tell him that he was a product of their love. And Damian knows Math, Jason had been teaching him about school since before he could talk.
If the number one decides it doesn’t want to be in the same problem as a different number one, then one plus one could no longer equal two. So, if two people decide they don’t want to be with each other anymore, what happens to their sum?
Jason told Damian that Math had practical daily uses, but it must be impractical too because it works really well on divorce.
He’s interrupted from his thoughts by the sound of the floor creaking. He looks over and sees Jason walking towards him looking thoroughly unimpressed with his eavesdropping.
“I don’t know why you’re listening in on them, just gonna hear the same old crap you usually hear.”
Damian looks up at his brother and takes in his downturned brow, tense jaw, and frowned lips that always make an appearance when dealing with the topic of their parents. His parents thought he took the divorce the hardest, they couldn’t be anymore wrong.
“I wasn’t listening,” Jason scoffs, “I wasn’t, not at first, but it’s different this time.” It was different, they weren’t as loud, there more spaces of silence, and from the occasional ruffling he heard, they were actually sitting.
“Yeah right, don’t get your hopes up they’re not gonna magically love each other again.”
“I know that,” Damian retorts. He doesn’t bring up the fact when his parents first had the big conversation they made it clear they still loved each other. Even he wasn’t naive enough to believe that.
Jason is about to make another smart comment when the door handle to the study jiggles. Damian scrambles to his feet and he and Jason face the door, whoever was coming out must have stopped to say something.
Damian doesn’t realize his hand is shaking until he feels Jason grab it and rub his knuckles.
“Relax, D.” Damian nods, aware of how dramatic he’s being, it’s not like they’re waiting on a jury’s decision. But it feels like they are, because no matter what Jason says, Damian isn’t the only one still holding out hope.
The door opens and Damian’s mouth goes dry. His father walks through the door and shifts slightly when he looks at Jason and Damian, not surprised to see them, but nervous?
Damian feels Jason’s hand tighten on his when his father opens and closes his mouth.
He doesn’t know why there’s so much build-up, they’ve been in this situation countless times since the divorce and the outcome is always the same.
His father shifts again, this is the part where he follows the “how to talk to your kids during divorce” book, script.
“Your mother’s pregnant; we’re having a baby in six months.”
That is not a part of the script.