Chapter 21: He'll Be Fine

"Thank you for accompanying me tonight."

The dark-haired man glanced over at the teen next to him as they entered the cave, having finished a night of patrol. Though wearing his suit was something he did less frequently as he'd gotten older, Dick hadn't wanted to pass up an opportunity to do it again with his little brother while he was visiting. They'd gone out several times over the last few weeks, sometimes with Bruce, too, and the experience had been nothing short of nostalgic for the former Robin. Besides, he'd missed patrol for a variety of reasons (ones that didn't include getting his ass kicked or things going awry, of course).

It never got old, watching the living, breathing life of the city at night whenever they stopped to take in the view from somewhere high up enough to let them look out over their home. Despite its flaws and the ugly pain it often brought, there was something hopeful about Gotham that he'd eventually learned to see, though it'd taken him quite a while to get to that point. That shred of positivity was somewhere under the layers of crime and desperation, and although it'd been hard to find at times, he'd managed to convince himself it existed. And in the line of work for heroes like, him, Damian, their father, and everyone else, holding such a perspective was often a feat in itself.

"Couldn't go back home without one more patrol with my favorite 'Lil D,'" he responded, the corner of his mouth lifting in a crooked grin as he reached up to remove his mask.

"Favorite? I'm the only 'Little D,' Grayson."

"True, but still. If there were a million of you around, you in particular would still be my favorite."

"Tt. You would be driven insane if there were that many of me... Even I probably couldn't handle that." Damian was pulling off his gloves and mask, not a single visible scratch on him; their night had been relatively easy and quieter than usual.

Tilting his head side-to-side to work out built-up tension in his neck, Dick mused, "Wow. Never thought I'd hear you admit you'd get sick of yourself. You sure none of those petty criminals got a hit on your head tonight?"

Damian shook his head as he stripped down to his compression clothing. "If I didn't know any better, I would blame you for your wittiness rubbing off on Jessica."

"Yeah? Speaking of her, how've you guys been?"

This certainly wasn't the first time he'd asked about the teen's friendship with the girl, but the older man had found that he hadn't been this curious since...

Not that Dick had expected things to turn out the same—he really hoped they wouldn't and that this time, despite the circumstances, it'd be much better—but it was always intriguing seeing how their family's various relationships and friendships turned out when things got tricky because of their... well, other lives. Losing someone was always a possibility, and that had already happened for Damian. And now that Dick could see he'd become friends with someone again, he couldn't help but feel like he wanted to watch the friendship as it developed.

He also couldn't help holding his breath.

Damian seemed to be contemplating his answer, the look on his face thoughtful as he made his way to the bench nearby and sat down.

"She... surprised me the other day."

Jess had surprised Damian Wayne? Well, that was something unheard of to Dick.

"She confessed everything to me," he continued, "after unexpectedly healing my hand."

"Everything as in...?"

"Everything as in having meta-human abilities, what she has done the past few years... I'd assumed she would explain her probation at best, but never did I expect her to come clean about... all of it."

The cave was silent, Dick's gaze still on him as he processed this information. He definitely shared the awe that the girl had already confided so much in Damian—it'd only been, what, barely three months since they'd formally met?—yet he knew that sometimes people just felt that comfortable sooner than others did.

Though he'd gotten to know Jess over the last several weeks in the handful of times he'd hung around the two teens, he didn't know if that was just simply part of her nature.

"Well, maybe she's the kind of person who does that," he suggested.

"That's what I believe, too," Damian told him, a slight wrinkle between his brow like he was concentrating. "From the beginning, I had this idea that she trusts easily... perhaps too easily. That must be why she got tangled up with that gang, especially when they betrayed her at the last second.

"It's a little ironic, really. You'd think someone like her would be afraid to trust anyone after everything she's been through. Yet... she continues to surprise me and prove my assumptions wrong."

Dick tilted his head. "Isn't that what you wanted, though? For her to be open with you and tell you about herself?"

He still recalled that day he'd arrived in Gotham, how Damian had had his reservations about the girl as well as a hint of confusion about what she was really like. Now, it was clear the young man had developed a relationship with her that, in itself, was another reason to be baffled—because the Damian he'd spoken to earlier this summer probably would've scoffed at the idea that they'd become friends.

Beside him, Damian turned to him, green eyes clouded with heavy thoughts and a faraway look. "It is... but, at this point in our friendship, I can't help feeling her willingness to confide in me is... a mistake."

"How so?"

"Because I can't do the same."

Ah.

Confiding in people outside their family always had been and always would be a calculated risk, one that could make or break a relationship or, worse, put a life on the line. It had never been an easy thing to do, and Damian had already been through a "worst case scenario" when telling someone close to him about his Robin identity. So it was no shocker to Dick that the young man was set on never telling anyone again... at least, that's what it sounded like.

"You already know what I'd say to that, Damian."

"So don't say it."

Dick couldn't help smiling a little. "What would you want me to say instead?"

A long pause, then: "I would have wanted you to say, during that conversation on the day you arrived, that I should have no interest in her. That I shouldn't bother."

The slight smile he'd been wearing faltered. Damian's voice had hardened in a way that was nothing but familiar to the older man's ears, but his sudden change in demeanor had caught him off guard.

Do you regret becoming friends with her? Is that what you're saying?

Instead of asking directly, he waited patiently, hoping Damian would go on.

"I'm..." The swallow that he made was visible in his throat and so was the hesitation and slight awkwardness in his figure, another sign that he was unsure of how to handle this honesty.

"I'm tired of losing people."

Something heavy filled Dick's chest then as he watched his little brother. Vulnerability had never been one of Damian's strongest characteristics; he'd always been so quick to throw up walls as high as they'd go to protect himself. Dick knew that somehow Jess had gotten through to him... and now he was afraid.

Well, maybe the teen hadn't quite admitted that outright, but Dick knew him well. He figured that, after the last person he'd gotten close to, Damian still wanted to play it safe and bury his heart so no one could get to it.

"You don't know that you'll lose her."

"It's inevitable, Dick," Damian responded, still not meeting his gaze as he stood from the bench and went to hang up his katana. "Frankly, the more I've spent time with her lately, the more I remember she is going back to Central City soon anyway..."

The uncertainty in his voice and posture would have been hard to see by someone else, but Dick spotted it.

"You know, you say all these things about how you wish you hadn't become friends with her... but you just said you're tired of losing people, Damian."

Sharp, green eyes snapped onto him. "What's your point?"

Dick held his gaze, seriousness creeping into his tone of voice. "You don't know what will happen if and when you eventually tell her your secrets." The teen opened his mouth to speak, but Dick held up a hand. "Maybe you'll lose her, maybe you won't. But it's guaranteed that you will if you cut off your friendship once she leaves, and it sounds like that's the only option you're allowing yourself... Right?"

Damian didn't answer, his jaw tightening in annoyance.

Drive the point home, Dick.

"So why are you purposefully letting her go if you're worried about losing her?"

Unlike Damian and Bruce, Dick didn't often have to make himself sound cold when he meant business. He didn't have to inject acidity into his tone or narrow his eyes menacingly—he could tell by the way the younger Wayne was staring at him then glancing away that his words were sinking in and taking effect anyway.

From what Dick could tell, the kid still had a lot to learn when it came to understanding that people and life in general were unpredictable and fickle. It was never a good idea to think you could go into a situation knowing all the outcomes and all the ways in which you would respond—even Bruce knew that. His guess was that Damian felt this was the "only" option because it was the one where he was the one in control... he would be the one purposefully severing his tie with Jess rather than letting fate do the work later on.

And that is so Damian of him, Dick laughed to himself.

No one knew how Damian's friendship with Jess would develop or turn out within the next few weeks, months, or years if it got to that point, but Dick would be damned if he didn't get his beloved younger brother to let himself be vulnerable, to not be alone, to allow himself some pursuit of happiness.

"Letting her go hurts her less." Damian's eyes were resting somewhere across the cave.

"That hurts you more, though, doesn't it?"

"Even if it does, it would be selfish to continue this friendship just because doing otherwise hurts me."

Dick sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Damian. It's already selfish that you want to end a friendship because you're afraid to tell her your secrets eventually."

The teen was silent, his gaze having fallen to the floor before him.

"Hey. I'll stop lecturing you about this, alright?" Dick chewed on the inside of his lip for a moment, before continuing, "But give yourself more credit. Give Jess and your friendship more credit. Obviously at this point, it's proved to be more than what you'd expected."

"She's leaving. I'm not sure I see the benefit in even a long-distance friendship."

"Well... maybe she doesn't want to leave. Or, you know, maybe she'll come back."

Dick shrugged, seeing something change in Damian's green gaze. If he was guessing correctly, the teen was considering his words and the gears in that brain of his were spinning... but why? What was he thinking or planning? Before he could ask, Damian was speaking again but on a different topic entirely.

"While we're here, discussing my fascinating interpersonal relationships, I suppose I should tell you that Father and I are doing fine." The seemingly-permanent line between his brows had softened as he looked over at Dick, a knowing look on his face.

"Really..." Dick answered slowly, unable to help feeling somewhat suspicious of his words. His eyes narrowed a little, mostly to be playful, but Damian was scoffing at him.

"Yes, really. Besides, I'm not dense, Grayson. I knew you were going to bring it up at least once before you went back home."

Of course he'd known.

He went on, "You have nothing to worry about. I simply didn't agree with the way he was handling the case involving Jessica and the gang. I feel differently now—things have changed."

Though his voice was even, Dick read the skepticism in Damian, and he figured it was from this other attempt at honesty. He didn't know how exactly the two Waynes had resolved their issues, but it sounded like Damian had at least reached the conclusion that he'd been wrong. Whether it was because of his unexpected friendship with Jess or something else entirely that had changed his mind about Bruce's methods (and Jess herself), Dick had no idea.

But he was proud of his little brother regardless.

"I'm glad to hear that." He shot him a grin. "I like seeing you guys get along." He offered a small smile that his little brother saw as he looked over. "You're growing up too fast, D. Seriously."

The comment earned an eye-roll from Damian as he stood with his arms crossed. "Let's not get too emotional now, Grayson."

"That's not what I meant when I said, 'Seriously,' Mr. Too-Serious-for-His-Own-Good."

Damian shot him another glare before smirking a little. "As annoying as you are, I'm going to miss having you around."

"The feeling is mutual, Dami." Standing from the bench, he reached his arms up to the ceiling and stretched with a yawn. "We should probably head to the airport soon. I'll go make sure I've packed everything."

"Don't underestimate my timeliness. We both know I would be the one waiting on you."

He was almost to the door leading into the manor as he chuckled, "I'd never underestimate you."

Later, in his room, Dick heard a gentle knock as he triple-checked the suitcase on his bed. Bruce was standing in the doorway, dressed casually in a plain t-shirt and pajama pants. Though it was the middle of the night, Dick was not surprised to see the older man awake.

"It always seems too short when you visit."

Smiling, Dick straightened up and looked over at his father figure, two different shades of blue irises meeting across the room. "I know. I'm glad I was able to stay as long as I did, though." He paused for a moment before adding, "I swear Damian ages by a few years every time I see him."

Bruce let out a soft chuckle. "That's what I think when I get to see any of you visit. Although... I suppose it's a lot more accurate for some than others."

His voice had lowered, making Dick take a moment to read his aging face. He knew the older man was referring to the rest of the family, everyone else who didn't visit as frequently as he did. The thought sent a painful tightness in his chest that lasted briefly before he crossed his arms and responded.

"Come December we'll have quite a reunion for both Tim's graduation and the holidays, right?"

He already saw the answer on his father's face despite how well Bruce masked his emotions: December wouldn't come soon enough.

"Have you heard from Jason lately?"

The question startled him; Dick's eyes widened momentarily, but then he managed to gather himself as he shifted his weight from one foot to the other and met Bruce's inquisitive gaze.

"No, I haven't spoken to him in... I don't know, a year, give or take a few months. Why?"

Bruce took a deep breath in through his nose, looking down at the floor and then back up at him. "I tried reaching out to him after Titus... I hoped he would at least contact Damian, but from what I know, no one has heard from him."

Dick shook his head. "I hoped so, too, but we know how he is, B. For all we know, he could be off the grid somewhere in Europe or—"

He cut off, stopping himself before going any further. He was sure Bruce knew what he'd been about to say... though both of them probably agreed that they would know if something had happened to Jason. And if they didn't, all they had to do was seek him out to find out themselves.

But as much as they wondered about Jason Todd, neither of them wanted to take initiative to do such a thing. That and the man certainly knew how to make himself disappear if he didn't want to be found.

"We'll see you next month?"

Dick knew the older man was referring to Damian's twentieth birthday. Raising his brows as he zipped up the suitcase and set it on the floor, he answered, "As long as work permits, I should be able to visit again, with Kori and Mar'i this time. Talked to them earlier and they'd like that."

"So would we."

The two of them continued their small talk as they headed downstairs, finding both Damian and Alfred in the foyer, waiting. After hugging Bruce and then Alfred, he gave them a small salute before leaving with the younger Wayne. His heart was growing heavier the further they got away from the manor and the closer they got to the airport, as it always did whenever he ended his visits. The last time he'd been able to get away from work long enough to spend more than a few weeks in Gotham had been last year, which felt too long ago.

Dick already knew he'd miss the three of them the moment he boarded the plane; it was probably safe to assume that Titus's unfortunate passing had really driven home more feelings of attachment to this place and his family, and it made him even less eager to leave his younger brother. Damian was the kind of young man who could handle being alone, in his solitude, but it was only natural for Dick to continue worrying about him as he always had for the last few years... especially when Tim and Steph had finally left the manor, effectively making Damian the last and only one of Bruce's children to be under the same roof. Sure, maybe he'd resolved his previous issues with their father, but that didn't mean Dick would cease any and all concern he had about the teen. It'd never been easy trying to guide him through years of internalized doubt and struggles with his identity.

"Was he always so... you know, blunt and straightforward? Even as a kid?" Jess had asked randomly in the theater room when it was just the two of them, Damian having disappeared momentarily to assist Bruce (in the cave, unbeknownst to her). "With such an... extensive vocabulary?"

Dick couldn't help chuckling a little as he glanced over from the recliner he'd chosen to lounge in. "Believe it or not, yes. He was ten years old and acting like a young adult, bossy attitude and all."

"You're the oldest out of all of Bruce's kids, right?"

"Yep. Damian's the baby—don't tell him I said that though," he told her, earning a small laugh from the teen.

Silence fell between them for several moments, long enough that Dick didn't think she was going to continue the topic. But then she was speaking again, her tone of voice different.

"How has he been since... Titus?"

Glancing up, he saw something tender in her wide, hazel eyes as she fiddled with the end of her sleeve, cross-legged in her spot at one end of the couch she'd been sharing with Damian.

He couldn't say he was taken aback that she had asked. "He's... handling it as well as he can, I think. You can only deal with something like that in a number of ways, I guess, and he hasn't really done anything too out-of-character if that makes sense." Dick then added, "Why? Have you noticed something?"

Jess shook her head. "Not really. I mean, he seems like he's acting more normal now, but... I just wanted to make sure, you know?" A slight wrinkle formed between her brows as she trained her gaze on a spot across the theater room, concentration in her eyes. "I know people tend to act like they're okay to cover up the fact that they're not. And he seems like the kind of person that would do that."

"Well, you're not wrong; he is like that. But maybe that's okay since he's got people who care about him and are there for him."

The corner of her mouth tugged upward as she met his gaze. "You really are the wise, older brother."

Dick gave a feigned, embarrassed grimace. "Oh, I don't know about that," he laughed.

"It's true. I could already tell that Damian pretty much looks up to you, and he kind of said so himself, so..."

"That had to have been a fake Damian."

"I swear upon it," she said, adopting a serious face and holding up her hand as if swearing an oath. "He didn't exactly say it, but he's told me that you're always around and giving him advice and all that. So, yeah, he pretty much admitted it."

Is that so? he mused to himself.

"Would it be inaccurate for me to say he'd probably give us that signature death glare if he knew we were talking about him right now?"

"You'd be spot on," Dick answered. "And to be fair, you've managed to stick around as long as you have, so you deserve some credit, too. Not a lot of people are 'friend' material to that kid."

Something in her expression shifted. "Yeah, I really don't know what I've done to get that honor." Jess was smiling still and there was some playfulness in her voice, but Dick sensed some honesty in her words.

He paused, thinking, before offering, "Want to know what my wise, all-knowing, big brother self would say?"

"Please. I probably need the advice, honestly."

With a light laugh, Dick then said, "I honestly don't have the answer for everything... but if there's anything I've learned growing up about friends and people close to you, it's that sometimes you don't know why you trust them or keep them around. You just know that you do and that you want to... or even better: that you should."

Jess pressed her hands together like she was praying and nodded her head at him. "Thank you for your wise words, Richard Grayson. I appreciate you enlightening me."

As the older man chuckled again, Damian was entering the theater then—what comedic timing he had—a brow raised slightly as he took up his seat next to Jess. "Care to enlighten me about whatever you two were going on about just now?"

"Nothing special," she answered in an exaggerated, nonchalant tone with a shrug. "We were just gossiping about you."

"Full-on gossiping like teenagers," Dick chimed in.

"You were not."

Jess shook her head. "Of course not. We'd never do that," she responded in a tongue-in-cheek tone.

Damian shot her a doubtful look before rolling his eyes and reaching for the remote. At the same time, Jess and Dick exchanged knowing looks, the two of them trying to suppress grins while the younger Wayne between them seemingly didn't notice at all.

"I'll try and visit again next month, eh?"

Dick pulled his suitcase from the trunk of the car, turning towards Damian who stood with his arms crossed.

"You don't have to do that, Richard."

"Maybe I don't have to, but I want to."

The teen shut the trunk before following the older man to the sidewalk, the doors to the airport several yards behind him. A few other people were nearby, hugging one another and waving at travelers who were also catching flights. The air was slightly chilly, Gotham's night sky nearly black above them and dotted with tiny stars that were almost indistinguishable due to the outdoor lighting.

Reaching out to wrap an arm around Damian's shoulders, Dick pulled him in for a hug. "I'll miss ya, D."

Damian returned the embrace quickly, his arms dropping after just a moment. Looking up at his older brother with amused, green eyes, he said, "You act like you live across the country, yet you visit far more often than anyone else does."

"What, does that mean I don't get to miss you guys anyway?"

"I guess not."

"Thought so." Dick grinned then stuck a hand out to ruffle Damian's hair, earning a scowl as he reached up to try and rearrange the dark locks. "Thanks for the ride, Damian."

He grabbed hold of his suitcase handle, heading towards the sliding doors and waving at his youngest brother. "Try to behave, and call me if you need anything."

His immediate assumption was that the teen would say something like "I'm not a child" with that trademark, smug look, but Damian said something entirely different, an intriguing, faint smile on his face.

"I'll be fine."

The teen's expression reminded Dick of several albeit rare moments over the past years when he caught the kid trying to smile his way out of something, whether it was to mask another emotion or because he was having a hard time actually letting himself feel.

"Dick. Did you really think I wouldn't hear you and Jessica talking about me?"

"No, I kind of figured you would."

"So why'd you continue the conversation then? You couldn't have known what she'd say."

"True... but I knew it would prove something you needed to hear."

"Which is...?"

"That she cares about you."

All Dick could do was return the smile as he paused in his movement before walking towards the doors again. He could feel Damian's gaze on his back, and it took more effort than it should have to not turn around.

I think you'll be more than fine, Damian.

Note: hi guys, sorry it's taken me so long to update! i moved into a new apartment at the end of June and then just got caught up with life, although i've managed to do other things i enjoy, like binge-watching naruto, playing video games, etc. On that note, i probably won't be trying to update weekly anymore, especially since work is going to start getting busier as the fall semester approaches for school (i work for a university).

thank u so much for the recent reviews :) i also thought it was probably a little early for Jess to be opening up to Damian, but—i think i mentioned this in another chapter—i feel like she's the kind of person who trusts easily (as Damian so intelligently figured out from the beginning). that, obviously, hasn't always been a good thing for her in the past, and we'll just have to see how that works out with Damian and also Misty as her new friends o.O

to answer vic90's question about what Damian looks like, i honestly picture him the way he's portrayed in the animated movies as well as the Injustice 2 video game. BUT i certainly don't want to erase his mother's side of the family, so if anything, he's at least white-passing in my head based on all the illustrations i've seen of him, including fanart. of course, that's not to say he can't have a bit of an olive undertone in his skin :) to avoid complicating things, readers are welcome to envision him however they like since there are so many great versions of him out there!

hope you all are doing well. thanks for reading xx