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Damian does not hold a high opinion of Grayson. He is, at best, an idiot with too much heaped on his shoulders who will ruin Father’s legacy and run Gotham into ruin. Which is why, when Damian gets stabbed on patrol, he does not say anything once they are back in the Cave. There’s nothing to say. He does not trust Grayson to treat the wound properly, nor does he trust him to enact Damian’s punishment properly. It has nothing to do with fear of consequences. Nothing at all.
Unfortunately for him, his ability to care for his own wounds does not extend to the ability to prevent infection. He exhales shakily from where he lays in his bed. Pain radiates up his side and the wound site feels hot when he touches around it. He feels awful , but he dares not raise the alarm to anyone. If punishment for messing up on patrol the other night was something that gave him a measure of anxiety, then the punishment for not reporting his injury will be so much worse.
He exhales, but it catches and he feels the absurd urge to cry. He is about to get out of his bed and figure out something to help himself with when his door opens. He freezes and locks gazes with Grayson. His brows furrow and he steps into the room.
“Damian? Are you alright?”
Damian stares at him, mouth slightly agape. He doesn’t get to answer because Grayson is walking over and pressing a hand to his head. Damian barely suppresses a flinch. Whatever information Grayson gather’s from the action makes him inhale through his teeth.
“You’re burning up, how long have you been feeling this way, kiddo?”
He’s not sure how to answer in the face of the concern in Grayson’s voice. He was expecting anger. He was expecting censure and punishment, but no. Grayson is worried about him. His next breath comes in shaky and he shakes his head because he has no words that will not sound ridiculous. Grayson’s expression shifts to something a little less panic and more softness.
“Come on, let’s-”
Grayson cuts off as finally looks down at Damian’s side. He looks up at Damian’s face and then back down at the wound.
“Oh Damian,” he breathes out. “Can I pick you up and bring you downstairs? I need to look at your side and I know we have everything I might need to use in the Cave medbay.”
Damian hesitates a good while before nodding. Grayson scoops him up carefully. He’s not sure why he isn’t being punished for his lapse in judgement, but he isn’t and there is a sense of safety in Grayson’s arms. So, he lets himself relax. He stays quiet while they head back down to the Cave. When Grayson sets him on one of the examination tables he goes very still.
"I failed to report an injury, it is now infected. I will accept any punishment you deem necessary," Damian says quickly. He keeps his gaze down and waits for the fall out to finally land on him. Nothing does. He risks a glance up and finds Grayson staring down at him with a devastated expression. He shrinks under it. He's not sure what it means. No one has ever looked at him that way.
Grayson stares for a little longer before finding his brain. He kneels down in front of Damian.
"You will never be punished here," Grayson says. He hesitates. "Well, not League punishments. If you misbehave or break a rule, you'll most likely be grounded or have privileges like your phone taken away, but I will never do you bodily harm. And I will never take away necessities like food, shelter, or any of that. Okay?"
Damian realizes he's waiting for an answer so he nods. Grayson holds his gaze for a moment before starting to check out just how bad the wound is. Damian does not actually understand the statement that Grayson has made. He doesn't understand the lack of punishments, but perhaps...perhaps he can start to.