"Bruce..." Dick whispers quietly to the older man next to him, the worry on his face evident.
"I know, Dick," the man answers, only the smallest sign of uneasiness on his face, trying to hide just how concerned he was for his son.
Both men are looking over at the youngest in their family who is currently sitting towards the corner of one of the rooms in the Batcave, a small laptop in his hands, his fingers typing away.
A mission went bad. Damian was not more hurt than usual but the things he saw... Dick and Bruce could only imagine. Not knowing what he was going into to, Damian had rushed in on his own and even though he did the best that he could without back up, not everyone got out uninjured. And now, he was not moving, not even taking off his uniform. His eyes were cold and body stiff, one of his feet shaking to no end. His breathing was rhythmic and deep. You could tell he was trying to control it, trying to calm down. His eyes were sunken and tired, rimmed red. He needed to sleep but was snapping at whoever came close enough to try and talk to him, to help him, namely Dick.
Long ago, he had accepted the fact that not every mission would go his way. He understood that not all situations would have a happy ending. That didn't mean it isn't hard to deal with. When he was younger, tougher, he was so much better at it then he was now. Living with Bruce and here in Gotham, seeing the capabilities for happiness that is possible compared to what he was used to when he lived with the League of Assassins... he had gotten soft. So unused to the death and bleakness that came with the job that he has trained for his entire life. While it was true that he takes it better than the rest of his brothers, he still was the youngest and when it came to situations like this... it was something he could not handle and reminded him of just how terrible people are.
Thirty minutes later, Colin is being taken down to the cave by Alfred and led to Damian by Dick. He is told what has happened and is asked if he could help.
"I'll try my best." There was a fifty-fifty that things would go well.
Colin gets close to Damian, to which the other boys does not acknowledge, and he kneels down next to him. Damian's eyes are still glued to the laptop screen, scanning the words littered across the page. Colin sighs softly, "hey."
No response is given and Colin slowly puts a hand on Damian's thighs, his thumb drawing soothing circles over the material of his costume. Again, no response but he did notice the jitter of Damian's legs slowing down a bit. In the next five minutes, Colin's hands slowly make their way up Damian's body, his touch soothing the other. Up his thigh, to his sides, squeezing his arms and finally resting on his shoulder. Damian is no longer looking at the laptop and Colin moves to close it, putting it on a nearby desk, to no disapproval from the other. When Colin returns, he carefully cups his boyfriends cheeks in his hand and watches as Damian's eyes soften. Peeling off his boyfriend domino mask, Colin quietly says, "c'mon, lets go to bed."
Damian gives a small grunt in agreement as Colin guides them out of the cave, exchanging looks with Dick and Bruce, and back into the manor and to his room. After helping him peel off his costume, Colin sits back onto the bed and gets comfortable as he watches Damian change into clothes. Colin cringes as his eyes scan the other's body. He's hurting. There were bruises and cuts and what looks like a graze wound, all already bandaged thanks to Alfred, littering his chest and arms. Once he's done, Colin opens his arms a little and gives him a welcoming look, "come."
It takes Damian a little time, he is hesitant at first but eventually crawls into Colin's embrace. His head was placed on the other's chest, eyes closed as he listened to his heartbeat. Colin brushes his hands through Damian's hair, holding him close and placing a light kiss on the top of his head.
"... they were kids?" Colin questions. It was only reason Damian ever got like this, only reason he would ever be this upset and traumatized and Colin completely understood. Growing up in Gotham, Colin had been exposed to such things at an earlier age. He is more desensitized to the kind of violence Damian was not used to seeing. It made his heart ache for the boy he loved.
Damian does not answer but only buries his head deeper in Colin's chest, his eyes closed tightly and Colin understands. He holds him until Damian falls asleep and even after, way into the morning. Colin would hold him for however long he needed.