Life and Love: Chapter 07
Chikorita-Trainer1
T
Disclaimer: I don't own Batman.
Author's Note: Thank you for reviewing. I've had this chapter written for like a week, but I refused to post it until I got a couple more reviews for chapter 6. Anyway, thank you all, and here's the "coming out" chapter. I hope it's worth the wait.
I can't believe this is really happening, thought Damian, as he and Colin rode the cycle back to the orphanage. Colin wasn't woozy anymore, so he didn't have to lean over so far to keep his grip on Damian, but he held on tight just the same. Damian almost couldn't concentrate on driving, he was so distracted by the warm arms of the boy he loved wound around his waist.
I like him and he likes me back, thought Damian. This is so cool!
The duo pulled into the garage and got off the bike. Colin was about to walk out the door, when Damian hit a button on the cycle's handle which caused the door to come down. Colin turned around.
"What-?"
"Just a minute," Damian said softly, removing his mask.
"W-what are you doing?" asked a nervous Colin when Damian took off his gloves and delicately began to rearrange strands of his orange hair.
"Got to cover up as much of this bandage as possible," he said softly. "Won't be able to hide the whole thing, but we should conceal the part of it that's wrapped around your head."
"Oh. Right," said Colin, blushing like crazy. "Thanks. I don't know what I'll tell the nuns."
"If they ask, just say you-"
"I'm not saying I walked into a door!" Colin joked.
"I wasn't going to say that," Damian laughed. "I was going to say you rolled out of bed and hit your head on your nightstand."
"I guess that might work," said Colin. Damian was still stroking his hair. "OK, I think you got it."
"Hmm," said Damian, not wanting to stop touching Colin's hair.
"Come on, I've got to get back!" the ginger giggled, playfully shoving Damian away.
"Alright," said Damian, opening the garage door again, and closing it behind them when they got out. "Hold onto me," he said, getting out his grappling hook. Colin grinned and lovingly wrapped his arms around Damian's neck, and Damian grasped Colin's waist. They were up on the fire escape outside of Colin's room in a second.
"Thank you," whispered Colin. "So, are we…boyfriend and boyfriend or what?"
"Uh, well, what do you think we are?" asked Damian, too embarrassed to answer the obvious question.
"I asked you first," whispered Colin, taking Damian's hand in his own.
"I asked you second," Damian retorted, smugly.
"What? That doesn't even make any sense! Damian-"
"Alright, we're boyfriend and boyfriend," answered Damian, smiling warmly.
"Cool. So I'll see you later in the week, maybe?"
"Let's hope so. I've got to tell my dad. Can't put it off any longer," said Damian.
"OK. Well, good luck," Colin said. He instinctively licked his lips to wet them, anticipating a kiss, even though he wasn't sure he was ready for it. For a moment, he could have sworn he saw Damian's eyes flick from Colin's gaze to his lips, but it was hard to tell in the dark.
"Goodnight," said Damian. He gave his boyfriend one last hug, and then fired his tether onto the nearest tall building, and swung off.
"Father? I need to tell you something important," Damian said the next evening, as he approached his father in the Batcave. Bruce had his cowl off and was studying various case files on the computer when Damian came in. He turned when he detected the nervous pitch in his son's voice.
"What is it?" he asked. Damian stood up straight, hands at his sides and took a deep breath.
"I…have a…boyfriend."
Bruce's eyebrows shot up, but his eyes didn't widen. He didn't looked shocked, just surprised. A small smile tugged at the corners of his mouth and he glanced away, and then looked back at his son, who was beet red and sweating.
"A boyfriend? Really?" he said cheerfully. Damian nodded. "Um, alright. Who is he?"
"Did you know? You knew, didn't you?" groaned Damian.
"No, I swear, I had no idea, son," said Bruce. "I noticed you've been a little moodier than normal as of late, but, no, I didn't know."
"Anyway, um, he's my age," Damian said, hoping for some reason that that was relevant.
"That's good," said Bruce. "What's his name?"
"Uh, Colin. You saved his life, once," Damian said. "He's the vigilante Abuse. Do you remember him?"
"Vaguely," said Bruce, pulling up the orphan's file. "Oh yeah. I didn't know what he was up to. How did you two meet, anyway?"
"I'll get to that in a- Father- I-" Damian stuttered. "I'm gay," he finally declared. Bruce chuckled.
"Kind-of a redundant thing to point out, seeing as how you just told me you have a boyfriend."
"Well?"
"Well what?"
"How do you…feel…about that?" asked Damian.
Bruce smiled lovingly at his son and held out his arms. "Damian, come here," he said. The child walked over and sat down on his father's lap, and was immediately embraced. "First of all, I'm not homophobic. I certainly hope I never gave you any indication that I was. Second of all, I love you no matter what. If you've found someone you have a connection and enjoy being with, then I support that. OK?"
Damian just nodded.
"I know this was hard for you," said Bruce, resting his chin on Damian's hair. "I'm glad you told me."
"He knows I'm Robin," Damian mentioned. "He figured it out for himself, within like five minutes of us meeting."
"How did you meet?"
"It was when we all thought you were dead," Damian explained. "I was trying to put myself out there to catch Zsazs, and found Colin searching for clues by the river. Then we got ambushed by Zsazs's men, and when I attacked them, he just…like…knew I was Robin."
"So is that what you've been doing when you sneak out at night?" asked Bruce. "Meeting up with him and fighting crime?"
"Some nights," Damian admitted, adjusting himself in his father's lap so that he could lean back against Bruce's arm, and look him in the face. "Some nights we just talk."
"You just sneak him out of the orphanage and sneak him back in?"
"He sneaks himself out," Damian said. "I just meet up with him."
"OK," said Bruce. "Damian, I'm really glad you have someone special in your life. You deserve that."
"Really?" said Damian, with tears in his voice.
"Of course. And I think you ought to invite Colin over for dinner sometime. I'd like to meet him- not as Batman, but as Bruce Wayne. I want him to know he's welcome in our lives."
"I don't know if you can, like, rent kids out from orphanages like library books, Father."
"Good point. Why don't you ask him? Maybe if I talk to the nuns, they'd let him out for a few hours, and he could come over and then we'd bring him back," Bruce suggested.
"I guess I could," said Damian.
"And if it's against policy, I'm sure I could make a generous donation or two, to persuade them."
"Heh, yeah, if there's one thing the Church knows how to do, it's take money," said Damian. Bruce had to stop himself from bursting out with laughter.
"That's true," he chuckled. "So is there anything else you want to talk about?"
"No," said Damian. "I just wanted to get it all out in the open."
"I'm glad you did, son," said Bruce, giving Damian a kiss on the forehead. "Why don't you go get ready for bed? I'll be up shortly."
"OK, Father," said Damian. Smiling, he hopped off of Bruce's lap and went upstairs. Relieved and spent, yet energized with positivity, he knew he was going to be too excited to sleep. "Wait- uh, one more thing!"
"What?"
"Don't tell Grayson. I will tell him when the time is right. Just don't say anything to him. Drake already knows, and, I mean, tell Pennyworth if you want, just not Grayson."
"I won't say a word," said Bruce.
"Thanks."
Damian was lying on his back on his bed when Bruce came in to say goodnight.
"Did you brush your teeth?" he asked.
"Yeah," said Damian.
"Let me see," said Bruce, leaning down and gripping Damian's chin. Damian flashed is teeth, humoring his father, to show him that they were perfectly clean. "Looks good."
Damian closed his mouth and grinned up at Bruce, who knelt down and started petting his hair.
"You really like him?" he asked softly. Damian nodded.
"He just gets me."
"I can't wait to meet him," said Bruce. "Goodnight, son. I love you."
"Love you, too, Father," said Damian. He squeaked a little in protest as Bruce leaned down and kissed him. The Batman was aiming for his son's forehead, but he misjudged his aim and landed on Damian's eyebrow instead. But Damian didn't care. He had a boyfriend and his father accepted it. What did he have to complain about?
END OF CHAPTER 07
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