"No..."
The pain. The violence. It all seemed to be in a haze, but it was there.
The walls were closing in around him, he could feel it. They were fighting- god, why did they have to fight? Why did she have to scream so loud?
There was a huge snap, like the sound of a chair being thrown and broken.
More screaming, more yelling, and then the people where in the doorway of the room where Colin was huddled, and they were pushing each other and came too close and without thinking Colin lashed out and tried to push them away.
And then he was back at the orphanage and the nuns wanted him removed because he was 'dangerous'-
"Colin! Colin, Please!"
And then the scarecrow kidnapped him, and Batman attacked him, but then scarecrow had Rory and Colin didn't know what to do-
"Colin! I demand that you wake up now!"
Without thinking Colin struck at the face looming in front of him. Robin caught his wrist before he'd made contact.
With an equal absence of though Colin sat up and kissed Damian, because Damian was real, and Damian was there and Damian hadn't left him like all the others, and he wasn't scared of him, and even though it was sloppy because Colin had no idea what had was doing, he was pretty sure Damian was kissing him back with equal carelessness.
Colin finally pulled away, and the lack of Damian's lips on his made the nightmare come flooding back.
He started to cry and Damian hugged him and he buried his head into Damian's chest even though hugging with such an un-Damian-ish thing to do.
Colin started to think and breathe properly and everything finally slowed down.
"Colin... are you okay?"
"I'm sorry." Colin cried. "I'm so sorry. I'm sorry I tried to hit you, and I'm sorry I kissed you, and I'm sorry I'm dangerous and I'm sorry that I'm so weak-"
Damian looked awkward, because as well as hugging, comforting was also something he was new at.
"Don't be- You're not- Colin, please calm down!"
Colin became silent because he knew all his emotions were probably over-loading Damian's computer-like brain.
"Don't be sorry, you're not weak and you're only dangerous when you want to be, which is a good thing."
Colin felt a need to hold Damian's hand, or hug him, because he knew Damian could protect him- after all, he was a superhero.
He reached up to pull of Robin's mask. Damian drew back slightly, but allowed him to do so.
"What are you doing here?" Colin asked.
"I..." Damian looked a little guilty. "I got off patrol early, so I came to check on you."
"Do you do this a lot?"
Damian glared at the wall, like it was all it's fault he'd been caught. "Sometimes..."
He snatched him mask out of Colin's hands. "I should go. You probably want to get back to sleep."
"No!" Colin grabbed his cape and pulled. Damian raised an eyebrow. "I mean, yes. But I can't. I'm too scared."
"You have Rory." Damian nodded toward the teddy bear, who he'd always secretly been jealous of, because it got all of Colin's cuddles.
"I know, but Rory... I kinda need... I need a warm body next to me, Y'know?"
Colin bit his lip. Damian hadn't said a word about the kiss, which meant that he either enjoyed it and felt that he didn't need to, or he was trying to pretend that it had never happened.
Colin smiled when Damian unclasped his cape and pulled off his hood.
Damian couldn't help but smile too when Rory was placed on the dressing table to make room for him.
Colin felt Damian shift when he wrapped his arms around his shoulders.
"Too close?"
"No... I'm just not used to... contact."
Colin was asleep straight away, and it didn't take long for Damian to as well.