Grayson was miserable.
Damian had no idea why this was but it was obvious. Grayson was far too still and far too cheerful. He had done nothing to annoy Damian all day.
Inexplicably, Damian found this to be incalculably annoying.
Grayson was miserable, and it seemed that the more Grayson was miserable, the more Damian became miserable as well. Perhaps Grayson had some sort of empathic powers.
The situation desperately needed to be rectified.
Unfortunately, Damian could think of no viable solution for doing so. The most obvious one, of course, was to confront Grayson about it, demand to know what was troubling him, and either destroy this cause or convince the ridiculous man that whatever was bothering him did not actually matter.
Damian was extremely dubious of this course being successful, however. Partially because it required Grayson to be sensible, which he was not, and partially because it involved Damian revealing that he knew that Grayson was miserable. Grayson had gone to great lengths to conceal this fact, and had done, Damian would admit, an admirable job of it. Even Pennyworth had not seemed to notice, and the butler had the inconvenient habit of noticing everything. Any confrontation would be seen as a failure on Grayson's part, and failure was hardly cheering.
Damian considered the things that Grayson did in his fruitless (yes they were definitely fruitless, of course they were) efforts to cheer Damian, under the reasoning that strategies Grayson employed upon others might be successful upon himself. Generally, Grayson used "teasing", jokes, and hugs. Hugs, of course, were out of the question, and Damian did not know how to "tease" in any way that was not designed to be hurtful. Jokes were juvenile and and pointless, however the situation was becoming unbearable, Damian was desperate. Sacrifices would have to be made.
Therefore, Damian walked resolutely up to Grayson and inquired: "Why is it that the cowardly six is fearful of seven?"
Grayson blinked uncomprehendingly. Had Damian miscalculated? Was he doing this wrong?
"It is a joke. You are supposed to say "why"."
"Oh, of course, why?"
"Because seven ate nine," Damian said, now quite unsure of himself. The boy who had told Damian this had seemed to think the joke very funny, however it did not seem to be working. Damian had messed it up somehow.
Grayson laughed, but it was a very, very fake laugh. Damian was very, very miserable.
"What's with the new interest in jokes, Dami?" Grayson asked.
"I hear it is one of the "normal" things that people find enjoyable and decided to try it, however it seems I have failed." Damian said.
"No, no, it was a good joke, Damian, it was funny." Damian was about to become angry at this blatant lie, when he noticed the look on Grayson's face. Grayson was laughing. Damian saw it in the crinkling of his eyes and the shape of his smile. Grayson was laughing on the inside and trying not to, though Damian could not fathom what he might be laughing at, as it was obviously not the joke. Also, and just as inexplicably, Damian saw pride. Regardless of how it had happened Damian had achieved his object.
For some reason, he was filled with a strange, happy sort of warmth.
When Grayson hugged him, he waited 1.25 seconds before squirming away.