A/N: I needed something not sad with Damian involved and this came up, also is a celebration since I've had a stupid writer's block for like forever so yay. If someone is Ooc please tell me and I hope you enjoy it. Also I posted this on my tumblr too in case you see it there n_n
The first time Colin hears the song "Nothing left to lose" by Heaven's basement he's with Damian at the orphanage, shuffling through the stations on the radio. The day was hot, just as one would expect from a summer afternoon. They've been playing chess for a while now, or more accurately, Damian's been trying to teach him how to play chess for the third time in this week while the ginger fiddles with a small, brown and orange radio that's placed beside them, trying to find out what his friend's music taste is.
The moment Colin gets to the song, he sees a little movement on his friend head, cueing that he may like the song and as he can't be sure he leaves the radio alone and keeps listening to Damian while the kid explains to him the strategies that can be used on the game. During those almost 4 minutes he observed how Damian was nodding at the rhythm of the music and how he also was muttering from time to time the chorus under his breath. At the end of the song he caught the little disappointment frown that appeared, for no longer than a second, on the kid's face and screamed throwing his arms up in a victory's sign. Damian eyed him suspiciously
"Now what Wilkes?" he asked with a feigning tiredness however Colin could catch a little smile on his lips.
"I found it" Damian kept eyeing him as though he'd gone insane "I finally found a song that you like" the redhead explains with a face-splitting grin.
Damian took a moment to process what his friend had just said before replying "Wait so all this time you have been trying to find a song I find satisfying?" he asked amazed, because seriously, the kid's insane
"Well you always have that thing with you" he pointed at the Ipod in Damian's pocket "but I've never heard what you listen to so I was curious" he shrugged.
"And you obviously couldn't ask because?" Damian asked running a hand over his face.
Colin frowned and cocked his head "I… I never thought that was an option…" he shrugged, the grin setting back on his face "besides it's funnier this way"
Damian sighed this kid was… why couldn't he have normal acquaintances? Because you aren't normal a voice inside him answered which he ignored "Ok, so you found a song I don't loathe, can we resume our game now? I don't have that much time"
"Are they waiting for you for dinner or something like that" Colin asked puzzled, he didn't know how things worked in the Wayne house; Damian didn't talk about it that much, and when he did it was mostly about the batcave and very seldom about the manor that stood above it.
"Not exactly" He looked to the chessboard, changing the position of the queen.
The ginger processed this for a minute before realization dawned on him "they do know you're here right?" he grunted when Damian didn't answer "Damian they could be searching for you right now!"
"They aren't" he sounded sure, looking to his friend in the eye.
"How can you be so sure?"
"I know them" he gave a little snort "they probably haven't even noticed that I'm no longer in the manor"
"Don't you think they'll get mad if they discover that you're not there?"
"Perhaps, if they discover it, which it's unlikely" He picked a piece and stared at it for a moment before frowning "Damn it" came as a muttered whisper.
"What's wrong?" Colin asked leaning to take a better look.
"The tower's top is broken" he said thumbing the damaged part.
"Oh" he got closer to inspect the piece "how did that happen?"
"I don't know" Damian's lips were pursed and there was a hint of sadness in his eyes which Colin, very wisely, decided not to comment on.
"Can't you buy another one?"
"That's… not possible" Colin gave him a puzzled look "this set was a gift from my grandfather, I don't know where did he pursue it or how to contact someone that can repair it… besides it would probably cost more than a new set of wood," his thought of 'or one made of marble for that matter' was left unsaid.
The ginger eyes went wide "If it's that expensive then why did you keep bringing it here"
"It's the only set that I have that my father doesn't know about"
"But why did you need one set that your father didn't kno… Damian!" he nearly yelled as he realized what was going on "they aren't even aware that you come here, are they?"
Damian sighed this wasn't the get-away-from-the-madness afternoon he'd been planning.
"I didn't see the need of telling them about our encounters"
"Why? You think that they wouldn't approve of us being friends? I mean I know that I don't have… well nothing but..." The black haired one interrupted his friend lifting his right hand in front of Colin's face.
"Stop" Damian groaned looking for the right words, this wasn't his strong so he closed his eyes and wished for the best "look, it is not like that, they don't really care about people wealth or anything" his eyes searched for his friend's to make sure he'd gotten the point, when he received a nod, the kid continued "however, they are not fond of Abuse, because they don't trust whatever they don't know" he shrugged trying to sound nonchalantly but Colin could see that there was something else, something he wasn't telling him and that was really important for his friend "I do not blame them though, that way of thinking, in our line of work, is something you either acquire or could get you killed in the field" he turned glancing the sky through the window.
Colin mulled about it for a second before smiling to him, his eyes glowing with kindness "thank you"
"For what?" Colin almost laughed at the scowl his friend was sporting.
"For covering me back then when we found your older brother in the Zsasz' situation, for letting me fight beside you even when you didn't know that much about me, I know that that means a lot and also for training me, but mostly for giving me opportunity of being your friend" Damian's face reminded him a that of a deer caught in the headlights and he tried to memorize it since it was probably the most confused and surprised face he would ever see on him. It took Damian about four seconds before he coughed turning his face to the side so his friend couldn't see the blush that had crept on his face.
"Don't be foolish, you helped me with Zsasz so I was only paying my debt" the redhead smiled, because that was why he'd covered him but that wasn't why they'd become partners and friends.
"And how're you gonna fix the piece?" he said changing the topic.
"I'm not I… I guess I'll have to leave it in this state" he said thumbing the broken part with the frown back again in its place
"Sorry" Colin said his voice barely a whisper.
"You're not at fault for this" Damian answered sternly. They spent a moment in silence, the low music coming from the radio as their background noise.
"You played it a lot with your grandfather?" Colin asked, finally breaking the silence, cocking his head to the side.
Damian put the piece in its respective place on the chessboard "Not exactly, he died when I was six"
"Oh I didn't know I'm sorry" the redhead said looking terrified, apparently he was making it his mission putting his foot on his mouth as many times as possible in only one afternoon.
"You have no reason to be, again, he came back to life two years ago" he said deadpan.
Colin stared at him for almost a minute, somehow managing not to blink in all that time, before having a fit of laugh, Damian watched him waiting until the laugh had subsided enough to glare at his friend.
"Sorry, it's just… man sometimes I forget how unique your family is" Damian kept glancing him, thought the glare had disappeared "I don't mean it in a bad way it's just… I don't know" he finished smiling and shaking his head.
Damian turned again to see the sky before frowning purposely.
"What happens?" asked Colin after completely controlling the laugh wiping a few tears from his eyes.
"The sun is setting and dinner is at six" the boy kept looking at him "and they expect me to appear at the dinner table"
"Oh, you have to go" said the kid glancing at the floor.
"Yes" he raised to his feet his friend following suit.
"Well, it was nice to see you Damian" the redhead said smiling, Damian gave him a curt nod, gesturing his agreement.
He stopped just before the window, drawing something from the pocket of his green hoodie which was at least a size larger and had Colin wondering how could he stand the summer heat while using it "Here" he said handing Colin his Ipod, the kid hesitated a second before taking it very carefully, as though it was made of glass, knowing fully well how important the little object was to his friend "I will come for it tomorrow at midnight" the invitation of going on patrol with him was left hanging in the air.
"I'll be waiting" Damian nods climbing through the fire stair and exiting his friend's room.
So what do you think? btw I'm sorry if I misused a phrase or a word english isn't my first language so if I did please tell me. Thank you for reading