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Nightmares sucked. Damian thought he was immune to nightmares. Apparently not.

Damian shot upright in his bed, sweat dripping down his face and back, he felt clammy and uneasy. He began to try and even breathe.

Remain calm, remain in control.

He repeated those words over and over again.

They helped. Slightly.

Damian hated nightmares. He'd seen the worst of humanity several times over and it never made him even blink. He had grown too accustomed to it. Heads on stakes around a satanic ritual symbol? Seen it. Disembowelment? Been there, dealt with it. Dozens of people trapped in literal cages? Not exactly pleasant to see but yeah that too.

He believed with everything in him that he wasn't afraid of anything. Fear was too crippling of an emotion to feel. He didn't have time- no- he didn't have room for such an emotion.

But his brain somehow still conjured up things that made Damian want to cower under his bed.

Not that he would ever do such a thing. Anything that wishes to challenge him will face the consequences that come with it.

He couldn't shake the chills racing down his spine causing him to shiver uncontrollably.

Water. Water will help.

Damian turned the faucet on, splashing cool water on his face to help ground him.

It helped. A lot.

He still felt tired. Completely exhausted. It'd been a long week. This was the first night in ten days that he hadn't gone on patrol. That his Father had forced him to take off and rest. He'd gone longer. His father was going longer.

No doubt Grayson or Pennyworth would be having words with him the next night if this continued.

He hadn't gone out alone. He'd taken Drake with him. Damian wasn't sure why Drake had been there in the first place other than perhaps Grayson was around again.

Grayson had been gone for four months. He'd kept in touch annoyingly letting Damian know what he'd been up to. Four months, off world, with the Titans, away from him. Far from any available assistance Damian may have been able to provide. Not that Damian would've gone if asked. He was far to busy in Gotham

Initially Grayson hadn't contacted anyone for almost three weeks. Damian wouldn't admit to it, but it had bothered him. Apparently they'd simply been in a dark spot for that duration of time. Meaning Damian had worried for nothing. The jerk.

He stifled a yawn as he looked to his bed. It looked darker than normal.

Damian scowled at his thoughts. Don't be irrational.

But he didn't move nonetheless.

Grayson's voice filled his head. You're gonna kill yourself if you don't get some rest.

Damian bit his lip. He glanced at his door and scowled again.

He knew Grayson wouldn't care. He never did but Damian felt he should. How could he be okay with such childish actions? So relaxed and willing? He always saw right through him and would wait Damian out until the truth spilled from his lips. He always listened and never seemed to outwardly judge.

Damian wasn't sure where Grayson had acquired such a skill set other than the idea that it was just naturally engraved in him to be empathetic.

He put his chin up and marched out of his room and down the hall.

He hesitated outside of Grayson's door.

Father had asked him if he was going to go home. He'd simply told him he had 'some business' to attend to in Gotham' and that he would return home afterwards.

Damian cautiously opened the door, not bothering to knock. It would be futile. He was asleep.

He slipped inside, silently closing the door behind him.

Grayson slept like he hadn't slept in weeks (which was entirely possible). One hand and a good portion of his arm hanging off the bed, the other clenching the blanket he was curled under as if someone would attempt to steal it.

He looked dead to the world as Damian approached him, so when he woke suddenly it startled Damian (startled isn't scaring Todd!).

Damian took half a step back as Grayson shot up, he looked at Damian with a slightly bewildered look. As if someone had electrocuted him.

Despite not having slept in so long Grayson was a light sleeper. Years of training and experience had instilled a constant sense of alertness. A need to always be ready. And, although Grayson was easily one of the most laid back of the brood, he was no exception.

A quick flicker in the iris and he knew Grayson had read him.

His expression went from confused to concerned and comforting. His face relaxed. "You good?"

Damian glanced away for half a second before returning to look him in the eye. "I don't want to bother you if you wish to sleep I'll-"

He began to turn towards the door reaching for its handle as Grayson caught his wrist. "No, you wanna talk, so talk"

He pulled Damian towards him slightly. Just enough to get the door from his grasp.

"It's nothing." Damian tells him quickly. "I don't know what came over me."

He made that face. That face that Damian hated with everything in him. A face that wasn't going to let him get away with a quick excuse. Damian had become very familiar with it, and knew Drake and Todd were familiar with it as well. Grayson cared too damn much sometimes.

"It was just a nightmare." Damian tells him quietly, removing his wrist from his grasp.

Grayson nods knowingly. "I get it."

Damian stood unsure, shifting slightly on his feet.

"Do you wanna talk about it?" He asked again, shifting himself so he was in more of a sitting position and not looking like he was gonna roll off the bed.

"Scarecrow has been- troublesome." Damian debated telling him what had happened. It was likely he already knew but he wasn't sure. Grayson hadn't asked him about it. "I got dosed with a new strain of the fear toxin a few days ago. But I am fine." He added quickly as he could see Grayson's eyebrows crease with worry.

"It still messing with you?"

"I suppose."

"Yeah," He breathed out his face filled with understanding. "Fear toxin is the worst. It's a bitch to get over. I remember the first time I got hit with it. It was… it took awhile for me to be able to sleep at night. The whole night."

"I've been infected before." Damian snaps.

"I know that. I was there. It doesn't make it any easier sometimes." Grayson replies calmly, his tone unchanged.

He looked just as exhausted as Damian felt.

Grayson's eyes search his face as if looking for other things to worry about. He worried too damn much too.

"Do you wanna stay?" He asked him easily.

Damian made a face as a reply.

Grayson laughed. "Sometimes it's easier. I won't tell anyone."

He considered his options. Damian knew what he'd prefer, but was also aware that nowhere was safe here. Drake was likely back from patrol and may want to talk with Grayson, a debrief of sorts, and Todd was also here for some reason. Damian had tried prying the reasons out of him only to get flicked on the nose and told to 'butt out'.

Damian looked between Grayson and the door.

Grayson watched him do this for a while before exhaling loudly. "Stay if you want, I'm going to go back to sleep."

And with that he flopped back onto the mattress. His face buried in the pillow as he shifted to a more comfortable position beneath the sheets.

Damian really wanted to sleep and knew staying put was going to help keep the nightmares at bay.

He circled the bed and laid on the other side flat on his back as close to the edge as could get without falling off. Grayson didn't move. Damian relaxed slightly.

He could feel sleep beginning to take over his body as he stared at the ceiling.

"Good night Grayson." Damian told him quietly, closing his eyes letting sleep overtake him.

"G'night Dami." Could be heard, mumbled through the pillow.

Happy Saturday! Hope you enjoyed. I'll be back tomorrow with something more... angsty.