Just perfect. Arriving at the board meeting 5 minutes late.
Lucius had obviously stalled the board that looked least than pleased as I tumbled in the door, and clumsily sat on my seat at the end of the table. Lucius didn't as much as lift an eyebrow at me, before swiftly beginning to sum up the meetings primary agenda.
A young assistant approached me, asking how I liked my coffee. In a low mumble I asked for cream and three sugars. I needed the energy. She raised a delicate eyebrow, but quickly ducked away to prepare the cup, letting me resume to the duty that was listening to an endless amount of business babble from the board.
When something utterly pointless was being discussed (which was most often the case), my mind raced back to that morning. I had researched for about an hour before my body gave up on me and left me slurped across the keypad. I had been awaken at 08:30, when Alfred had gone to search for me.
He had called for me for breakfast, but decided against manually waking me up, before driving Damian to school, assuming I was up, and merely taking my time. He hadn't expected me in the cave, sleeping soundly in front of the computer.
Luckily the conference room was only 2 elevator rides and a short walk from my sleeping spot, but Alfred had insisted on an immaculate appearance.
"Such a thing was always expected from Bruce, as it is of you."
I felt a bit bad that I hadn't been able to see Damian in the morning, although he usually said he didn't care for my presence at meals either way. But I felt it was an obligation to me, to make a sure I had a presence in his life, and recently I hadn't been doing a very good job at that.
Since he was still under training the amount of times I had let him accompany me on patrol in the recent weeks could be counted on one hand. As could the amount of training sessions. I usually slept during his breakfast, and went out before dinner. Since the criminals still had yet to realize that Gotham was not without its dark knight, the criminal rates were going out of the roof.
Tim was gone, and Jason was in hiding, or at least out of sight. I still wasn't sure whether I should be pleased or worried, concerning Jason.
"Yes I believe so, don't you agree Mr. Wayne?"
I was tackled out of my train of thought by a dozen of inquiring eyes. Luckily I spotted the subtle nod from Lucius.
"Yes, very much so."
The men seemed content with my answer and went back to the discussion. I saw Lucius lingering gaze, but soon he began to once again actively participating in the discussion.
The meeting dragged on for 3 hours, until everything had been thoroughly discussed, debated, and finally abandoned. That was how it always ended. The board liked to think that they held power over the main operations within the company, but as the case often is, they did not.
When the meeting was settled, Lucius nodded towards me, signaling for me to stay behind. I waited as the rest of the board filed out of the small door, until it was only myself and Lucius that remained. I had yet to stand, I didn't feel like it, so Lucius was the one to close the door, before taking up a the chair to my right.
"Dick how are you sleeping lately?"
"That's easy. I'm not."
I tried coating it with a smile and a glimmer in my eye, but his gaze hardened slightly at my response. I recoiled back into a stoic façade. One I'd often seen Bruce wearing.
"Perhaps you should take some time off. I can handle the board, and the rest of the affairs, I often did back then if Bruce was…"
He trailed of when he notices me shift at the mentioning of his name. I couldn't help it. For all the pain and labor I was enduring, that name made it all change.
I am doing this for him
"I guess I'm not the greatest boss to have around here. I know how you and Bruce used to work, I just…."
"Dick, no one will question it if you cut back on the hours here. I for one know the full extend of your obligations, and if it will lighting your burden, I'll happily apply it to mine. For now go home and rest. You're of no use to any of us in that shape. "
He stood up and offering me his hand. As I grabbed it, he pulled me up and lightly shoved me towards the door. I opened the door, casting a glance over my shoulder to see him sending me a reassuring smile. The mere antic of such an action spoke volumes of my appearance. So I took his advice and went home.
When the elevator opened up into the living room of the penthouse, Alfred was busying himself, dusting off every possible dust collecting surface. At my entry however he looked away from his task, sending me a puzzled look, before composing himself.
I send him a wry smile before making my way towards my bedroom.
"I take it the meeting went well master Richard, judging by your early return. Perhaps you would enjoy some lunch, seeing as you skipped breakfast sir?"
"No thanks Al. I'll head off to get some sleep, could you wake me by dinner."
He followed closely behind me, as I began discarding my suit and tie, handing them to him on the way.
"Certainly sir, do you require anything for the time being?"
He stopped following me by the door frame leading into my bedroom.
"No Al, just some rest."
"Very well sir."
He seemed displease with my lack of appetite, but seemed to favor my rest, over a discussion concerning my eating habits.
When he closed the door, I discarded the rest of my clothing, leaving the boxers and tank top, before crawling into bed. Once I found a comfortable position I cast a glance at the clock on my bedpost.
12:52
17:42
I blinked blearily, as my mind began to untangle itself from sleep. 5 hours straight was a record by my recent standards. I stretched, and became abruptly reminded of my sores muscles. I shifted a bit, before getting out of bed. I was still tired but it was definitely a start. Just as I stood up, a knock sounded from my door, before Alfred made an appearance.
"Ah Master Richard, just in time, I was about to wake you up for supper." He took in my appearance, before letting out a sigh. "And please get dress before sitting at the table sir."
When I was younger I hadn't taken much consideration for my appearance, and was often berated by Alfred for meeting up at breakfast wearing pajamas, or something similar.
I returned his comment with a sheepish smile. Alfred rolled his eyes slightly, as he began to retreat, but suddenly stopped, seemingly to ponder over something.
"Ah yes, perhaps I could trouble you to fetch your younger brother for supper as well, I believe you'll find him in his quarters."
I knew he only send me to bring me into contact with Damian, considering our meager amounts of contact during the last few weeks. Not that I minded, it wasn't often I felt I had an excuse to approach Damian, outside of batman affairs, so to be served such an excuse was a treat.
After dressing casually into a different shirt, and a pair of pants, I made my way towards Damian's room. Upon taking up residence at the penthouse, he had insisted on the room that laid farthest from mine, the reasons for this continued to puzzle me, though a vague idea kept nagging in the back of my mind.
I lifted my hand in order to knock, but before my hand even made contact with the surface of the door, I heard the curt invite to enter from Damian.
I was completely unprepared for the vision that met me upon entry. I recalled Alfred mentioning obtaining a series of objects in order to help relieve Damian's stress and aggression, but back then I hadn't really thought too much into it.
Damian was lying on a rug in the middle of his room. Although his posture was slightly stiff, he seemed at ease none the less. In front of him was an open coloring book, with a picture of a litter of kittens, half colored. Around him were a couple of other coloring books, along with crayons of more colors than I cared to count.
Upon my entry, Damian had stopped his coloring, and shifted his gaze toward me.
"What do you want Grayson?"
If his eyes had held a softer gaze, and he hadn't spoken, I might have mistaken him for a normal kid.
"Well?"
His gaze was hard and direct. Nope it was definitely Damian. I hadn't even known him for too long, but I'd recognize his 10 year old malice anywhere.
"Dinners ready, go wash up."
For a moment he seemed bewildered at me, but a second later he regained his composure, and stalked past me towards the bathroom. Because his room was actually one of many guest rooms, and one of the only ones without a private bathroom, he had to use the one across the hall.
I returned to the dining room, and was joined soon after by Damian. Alfred quietly served us dinner, and stood off to the side in the meantime.
"So Damian…"
5 minutes of utter silence had passed, which for me felt out of place. I was used to loud meals, especially after spending years at Titans Tower. Damian turned his hardened eyes to me, but somehow I sensed a slight curiosity steaming from beneath. We didn't share many meals together, and mundane conversation between us was a rarity.
"..how's school?"
He swiftly turned his gaze back towards his meal, seeming slightly put off for some reason. "Fine"
"Oh that's great. I remember back when I first transferred to Gotham Academy, at the beginning everybody-"
"I don't care for your life experience Grayson."
And silence once again resumed. I saw Alfred throwing a disdained look towards Damian. I too turned my attention towards my younger brother, only to try and muffle my chuckling the instance I caught the scene.
Now for all the months I'd known Damian, which wasn't many, he always strived to leave an impression of maturity. This however made whatever crack in his façade all the more amusing.
He was idly using his fork to shift his vegetables back and forth, much to the chagrin of Alfred. Suddenly Alfred cleared his throat and I turned my gaze back to him, as did Damian.
"Young master, could you refrain from playing with your vegetables, and perhaps consume them instead for a change of pace?"
I looked back at Damian only to see him scowling back at Alfred.
"I do not care for Brussels sprouts. As I do not care for them, I refrain from eating them." He suddenly shifted his gaze to me. "May I leave?"
Clever little bastard
He knew that as long as I was present Alfred wouldn't overstep the boundary to lecture Damian, simple because Alfred wished for me to take over the role of parenting. At the same time, he knew I still had little comprehension of how to handle him, and therefore wouldn't do anything do directly antagonize him.
A clever little bastard indeed
Damian held my eye contact, but I could see a scowl growing on his lips for every second I didn't agree with him. I tried to recall any parenting advice on how to get children to eat their vegetables, the only one coming to mind being the airplane. Somehow the idea of playing the airplane with Damian made me inwardly wince. As I didn't really know what to do, I did the only thing that seemed reasonable.
"Damian eat your vegetables."
If looks could kill
The look Damian sent me in return for my demand was absolute murder. And as I had somewhat predicted Damian completely ignored my demand, learnt back in his chair, and turned his scowl and gaze of doom towards his plate. I couldn't help but wonder whether he actually thought he could destroy the vegetables with his eyes.
Letting out a sigh I resumed to my own dinner, cleaning the plate of off all it's former contents, before standing.
"Damian you aren't leaving until you've finished your dinner."
I brought my plate into the kitchen, against the protest of Alfred, who then opted to remain to watch over Damian. I wasn't as cruel as to eat my dessert in front of a 10 year old, so instead I took a little chocolate pudding out of the fridge, fished myself a spoon and made my way down to the bunker.
I still had a few things to prepare for patrol. Though it wouldn't be just any patrol. The Giovanni family was a relatively new, albeit growing Italian mop family. They generally operated on a small scale, but recently they had been having large shipments sent to them, and I had yet to recover exactly what they were collecting, and what for.
Compared to "real" villains that were shaking up town recently, the Giovanni family was plotting something. Something I definitely needed to take control of.
I was about to head out, so I went to tell Alfred and Damian. I made a point of telling when I left for the nights, especially because I knew how Alfred felt when waiting up and around. I had to look around a little, before realization dawned on me, and I made my way to the dining room.
Alfred was standing off to the side, just as I had left him, and Damian was just the same. His gaze fixated on the plate in front of him. It had almost been an hour since I'd left, and Damian made to move to change his predicament. Actually he didn't as much as shift his gaze when I'd entered.
I looked to the side and saw Alfred who seemed less than happy to bare witness to the legendary Wayne stubbornness .
"I see nothings changed here…I'll be leaving in a minute, properly wont be back anytime soon. Alfred you may leave."
Alfred nodded, looking relieved at being granted a break, before walking out.
"Damian I meant what I said earlier."
"As did I Grayson"
He didn't shift his gaze as he replied.
"…."
I didn't know how to reply, so instead I walked out, and down to the bunker to change into the cowl before walking into the night
Yay first real chappy! I really sorta like this length! What do you guys think? I'm usually a sucker for writing short chapters, so hopefully this will set the standard!
So this chapter…enter Damian! As I've mentioned, I really love his character, and the play between him and Dick is positively endearing! I'm still trying to figure out where I'm headed with this fic, hopefully it won't show too much in the story.
I do hope to be able to write it without taking too long. I'm usually a slow uploader, so bare with me if it takes a while for me to upload.
If you guys have any questions or such feel free to ask!
Oh and I'd love to know if you like the tone of the language in the story. I sincerely hope it's not lacking! I should properly reveal that English is not my first language ^^'
Anyway hope you guys enjoyed it, stay tuned!
* Remember that reviews are like candy so give me sugar! ;D*