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Damian felt overwhelmingly sleepy, and his entire small body ached. All he wanted was to go home soon and finally rest, but it seemed he would have to endure a few more hours there.
At that moment, he found himself at one of the large business parties his father was obligated to attend. The experience felt like pure torture; people touched him, kissed him, and cooed as if they were acquainted. He despised it.
Only his family had the right to treat him that way.
Across the hall, Richard and Cassandra worked to keep the guests entertained enough to not disturb the others.
Cass wasn’t particularly fond of these events. She could have opted out, but Steph was apparently in pain and couldn’t engage with anyone without feeling the urge to curse them. So Cass did her best to prevent anyone from bothering her friend.
Dick had grown accustomed to these situations by now, yet he also preferred not to linger too long in conversations and festivities. Tim was with Bruce, arguing with one of the company’s buyers; Damian, in particular, had no interest in the topic whatsoever.
Thus, Damian remained by Steph’s side, as she didn’t seem to mind his quiet presence. He contemplated locking himself in the bathroom but recalled the last time he did that: Dick had been shouting and complaining all the way there about how he couldn’t just vanish without informing anyone.
Damian was almost falling asleep, despite the uncomfortable position, the loud music, and an unfamiliar hand stroking his hair. Wait.
Damian quickly opened his eyes and adjusted himself in the chair, startled. He looked to the side to identify who the stranger was and found none other than Cassandra.
"Is everything okay, Dami?" She asked, sitting beside him with a tired smile and curious eyes. Cass had a special talent for sensing people's emotions, but over time she learned to start questions instead of just making deductions.
"Yeah, I guess so." He replied, relaxing and looking down at the floor.
"You guess?"
Damian hesitated for a moment before leaning slightly to be wrapped in an awkward hug. Cass stroked the strands of hair on the boy in her arms, giving him a gentle head rub.
"You want to leave, right? We can talk to B and tell him we're going back to the manor. He won't get mad or upset." Her voice was calm and soothing. Damian appreciated being with Cass; he felt that she truly understood him, making their moments together much more enjoyable.
"Moreover, I can no longer stand being here. I feel like I'm going to punch the next person who tries to hug me." Cass was not a fan of physical contact, except with those she was already used to.
Damian let out a shy laugh, even though he knew Cass was serious.
"I'll call Dick. Stay here, okay?" Cass got up and walked toward the older one to talk to him.
Tim sighed as he sat next to Damian, exhaustion written all over his face. He rested his head on his hand and murmured something inaudible.
"Are you okay?" Damian asked in a low tone, almost like a whisper. Tim turned to him and watched for a few moments before letting out another sigh. "I warned you to go to bed earlier; you didn't listen to me." He said, with a tone of reproach.
"Don't start, Damian," Tim retorted, his voice sounding tired. Damian fell silent after that, but only because he wanted to, not because Tim told him to!
"Hey, buddy." Richard arrived and ruffled the younger brother's hair. "Cass told me you want to go home. Did something happen?" Damian nodded, his cheeks flushed with embarrassment from being surrounded by his brothers.
"I'm tired of all these people touching me and all this noise; I feel suffocated. I want to go back home." He spoke almost in a whisper, embarrassed to show such vulnerability around them.
Dick smiled gently at his younger brother's sincerity; he felt happy to see how Damian was socially progressing by expressing his feelings. Damian spoke in a simple and straightforward manner, without delving too deeply into topics, but that was already enough.
"Are we going home?" Steph asked, her voice overflowing with excitement at the thought of finally returning to her room to rest. Damian felt an urge to remind her that she had the option to come or not, and yet she chose the worst alternative, but he decided to stay silent, lacking the energy to articulate his thoughts.
"Apparently, yes," Tim replied, getting up. "Can you walk to the car?" he asked, and Damian shook his head negatively.
Damian really did not enjoy this kind of event; the more he tried to endure it, the more his body seemed to ignore his brain's commands. It was a horrible feeling.
He felt himself being lifted and soon supported in his older sister's lap. Cass exuded a woody fragrance that he couldn't identify but seemed perfect for her. She chuckled softly upon noticing how adorable her brother was and began to move, following the boys and Steph.
"Go ahead to the car; I'll let Bruce know we're leaving," Dick said, stepping away from the group.
Although he was reluctant to talk about his feelings, Damian appreciated the support he received. His family never judged him and always found a way to make him feel better.
He snuggled in his sister's lap and closed his eyes, setting aside everything around him.
In the company of his siblings, he could allow himself to just be a child.