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Tim was satisfied about his patrol with B tonight. He hadn't made a single killing all night despite how much his gun itched to get pulled for action,
And he didn't pick an argument on purpose. Tossed a little teasing comment here and there, but other than that? They've gone pretty well without a fight.
After the end of his patrol, He opened his window for a little breeze in the air, despite gotham's so toxic air, it was never a much good of a reason to not breathe her in.
Tim loved how gotham made him feel.
He loved her alley's and her air at night, how the moonlight was the only thing leading him into his way at midnight,
No amount of crimes or kills can lure him away from gotham. It became a comfort place after years of being with the Loa.
Tim was gonna head to make him a sandwich while watching his favorite movie if it weren't for a knock on the door interrupting his plans
He sighed and reached for the door, mumbling loudly on purpose,
"If it's kon, you better run before I see you, 'cus I told you that I'm not welcoming any kryptonian in my—"
Opening the door, tim was met with the sight of his eldest brother, damian, beat up with blood dripping from everywhere that you can't recognize where the blood is gushing from.
"—house...dude, who the fuck chewed you up like this?" Tim said in bewilderment, it wasn't often he sees his so mighty brother in a pethatic position like this.
"Listen, I'm not here to pick a fight with you, I'm here because i can't go back to the mansion all bloodied like this, dick might catch me, and I can't go to my safe house either, because it was blown up, so I need you to let me in."
Despite the sudden urge to kick him out with a 'fuck off' , he still lets damian inside with an amused chuckle and raised hands in mock loss,
"Still bossy as ever, hm." Tim trailed after damian, he reached the living room door and crossed his arms, leaning in the doorway,
"So, are ya planning to snitch on who made you like this, or I'll have to bribe it out of you?"
Damian didn't look up from manging to deal with his bandages, quietly replying.
"I was dealing with some dealers who got their hands on some of joker's shit. It was a rushed mission, so i went there without any backup, and they managed to give me a beating
"And you thought the most sane idea was to come here instead of straight to the mansion and into alfred's embrace? Y'know I'm not as welcoming as you think i am, I can easily kick you out right now."
"Then do it." Damian spat, looking up to meet his brother's gaze, giving him a challenging look
Tim let his tounge roam around his mouth, holding damian's gaze until he groaned, slumping into the doorframe, "You're so fucking annoying when you're vulnerable."
Tim walked away for a couple of minutes and came back with first aid kit in hand, knowing the bandages damian carries around aren't enough for his injures.
He tossed it to him and turned around, waving at him, "don't get too comfortable, this isn't your second home!" He yelled out as he went to do his plan,
It wasn't like he's gonna treat damian more generously then this like giving him some food or forehead kisses, that asshole probably deserved that beating.
And so tim decided on continuing his day while blocking damian out of his mind, he knew the man will stay to bandage up and leave
Right?
_______________________________
Wrong. He thought as he stared blankly at his brother, who's still in the house the next morning,
Well, damian was essentially going to leave if he hadn't heard a loud aching scream from his brother's room
Damian scrambled to tim's room, finding the man sat on his bed with a horrific expression, his fingers gripping on his hair, the other hand banging on his earshell, repeating mumbled words under his breath in a panick,
Tim would've started hitting harder if it wasn't for two firm grips on both of his wrists. His breath was cuaght, immediate panick raising to the top of his lungs until he recognized the touch
It was a warm, soft touch. It soothed patterns into his wrist, drawing circled motions on his wrists as he felt himself getting more relaxed,
"Shh, it's fine tim. whatever it is, it was just a dream."
Just a dream. A dream.
A dream?
It was just a dream. He didn't have to worry about anything. It was silent for a couple of minutes,
just damian soothing these pattrenes into tim's wrist softly, the only sound was the fan rolling in circles, until damian spoke up, barely above a whisper;
"May i hug you, tim?" And tim didn't know what to respond with.
He wasn't the physical type, but he yearned for these small embraces from his brother.
For a second, tim's breath hitched as he nodded softly, leaning into damian more.
He felt the weight of damian sitting down draped over the bed as his arms were wrapped around him, and it felt like he was in heaven's arms.
Damian's embrace was something so different from any other.
Tim has hugged and hugged a lot of people in his life, but the chances with damian were just very rare
Especially before he died, he wouldn't get as much of a second glance at his way,
And now he's hugging him
Tim felt his body drop the shock of the dream to enhance the experience of hugging damian.
It was all he ever wanted, was it that hard to give?
Was he that hard to hug?
Yet, despite all of what he thought, he leaned back into the touch, resting his head on damian's head were he could hear the steady rhythms of his heartbeat
Now he knows why dick cling to damian so hard, this is an unexplainable experience.
And so they stayed like this as damian whispered softly into tim's ear, giving him small fact for him to correct, knowing damian knew it, but he just wanted tim to speak.
Tim got into his bed again, getting tugged to bed isn't as bad as it may sound when you're a grown adult.
And before damian could leave, he tugged on his sleeve
"Can..you stay here until tomorrow morning?" He whispered before thinking
Damian froze before nodding, turning his face away, "I'll make sure to stay with you, I'll take the couch." And all tim did was nod in response,
Because knowing his brother is there made him sleep again faster.
______________________
Tim was sure to let damian know he isn't welcomed here all greasy and bloddy, nevertheless sleeping on the fucking couch.
Cooling his temper down wasn't easy, especially when his older brother is a goddamn pain in the ass to deal with.
Tim knew how all of this is gonna play out, he'll make damian some food and damian who's too under the effect of the injuries, will spit shit in tim's face until they argue,
It's the same each fucking time, and it doesn't help that he's especially pissed off today because he got nightmares yesterday, and what's worse is that he can't remember what happened after he woke up from it, it was all clouded in his head.
So really, damian isn't what he's willing to see right now, not his stupid stoic face, nor the impossible awkwardness he holds.
And so, he tried to think of multiple options, but everything seemed too fucked up to run with, especially how damian looks whenever he does something, that little puppy face he gets from damian each time urges him to scream and kill someone.
So he decided to run with the themed routine, make breakfast first, then kick him out later.
He decided on doing something simple he could get his hands on, eggs and some salad since damian thrives on salads since he turned vegetarian.
After setting the table up, he went and nudged damian a little too harshly then he intended, but it worked regardless, so he doesn't bring himself to care much.
He sighed as damian only looked at him a little through his lashes, "c'mon dickface, I've made breakfast."
Damian nodded as he stretched around, acting too much like a cat for tim to handle, so he turned around and walked to the kitchen again
After being joined by damian, they ate quitely, the only sound being made was the spoon cackling each time it touched their plates.
Tim supported the silence, because any conversation they've ever had always led to a fight breakout.
Until damian decided to blabber sleepily, "are you feeling better?"
Tim paused his chewing, looking up at his brother with a somewhat confused yet judgmental face, "feel better about what?"
"The nightmare." Damian replied easily with a spoonful mouth.
The reply made tim freeze, he surely doesn't remember telling damian anything about his nightmare.
"How the fuck did you know about that?" Damian looked up at tim with a confused look
"Did you forget? Last night, i was gonna leave but you were having a panick attack about your dream and told me to leave in the morning instead."
Tim has never felt his face heat up like this before. He looked at his brothed with wide, furious eyes.
"And you fucking played along with that? Why didn't you fucking kick me in the face! Oh my god, that's so embarrassing..."
Damian looked at him with concerned eyes, tilting his head slowly, "You know that nightmares are normal to have, right? It isn't something you should be ashamed of. I stopped having nightmares at 21, so it's not that embarrassing."
Despite what damian said was kinda true, tim hid his face in his hands, "I know it's fine, damian! It's just embarrassing to happen in front of you—gosh just finish your food so you can leave..."
30 minutes later, after an awkward sit-down for coffee, damian readied himself and looked at tim.
He lifted his hand, reaching to stroke tim's hair, but it paused mid-air, clutching it tightly before putting it down, which made tim internally luagh bitterly,
He wonders when will damian stop being so afraid of loving him. Of counting him with one of his brothers again.
Damian looked away, his hand now resting at his side, "you..can call me whenever you have a nightmare, y'know?"
Tim crossed his arms with a frown, "fuck off, I'm not calling you for shit, you're already busy with your little birdies."
"Tim, you know that's—" damian trailed off
But tim loved to interrupt, "Ah ah ah, off you go!" Tim said lightly as he pushed damian through the door, knowing he only succeeded because his brother allowed him to.
"See you in the next never, dickface!" He closed the door after him loudly,
And with that, that's another small interaction with his brother that ended up leaving him frustrated.